Just because you are the leader

[Benjamen Zhefarovich]

Benjamen Zhefarovich had recently joined the Scitorari, thanks to the convincing of one man. Ioan Finch. Benjamen had done some potions business with him, and Ioan was the leader of the potions subgroup in the Scitorari. The only thing that he did not want to do was become the man’s little b*tch. He did not want to become something like that. He was here because there was restrictions on potions for no reason. They were the ultimate magic source. They had to be perfected to work, they had to be precise, and while some could kill, the others could maim or something even worse. Trapped in their own nightmares. He had poisons that could make people hallucinate until they drank the antidote, he could kill someone with a potion that looked like pumpkin juice. His skills were unmatched in the mighty Zhefarovich family. There were many potion masters and mistresses in the family, but none could hold a candle to the knowledge of Benjamen. He had produced many potions and dealt them around, holding up a forbidden business almost. He earned money that way. It was easy and he gained a few allies. One of them was Ioan, also a grand potions master. Another one was the shady Thanatos Van Alstyne, the family that did not exist anywhere that he could find where the man said that he was from and raised. Benjamen thought that the man was extremely odd, but he still did favors for him, and felt that he was going to earn something with the man in his debt. He did buy a house for a friend of Thanatos’ after all.

Apparating over to the house in Bleak Street, Benjamen only hoped that the man would be home, alone. Benjamen hated dealing with kids, usually, and he knew that Ioan had two young ones. He doubted that the man was getting anymore anytime soon. Even he thought that he would have had more because of the way the Zhefarovich men were now. However he had only one, Alaska, that Axel found and reclaimed as his own. Benjamen was quite proud of his daughter, and thought that she would become a great dark witch if she ever wanted to be. He hoped that she got his amazing skills at potions as well. Another thing he hoped was that she was going to be like him. Strong academic wise, and everything else in between. He had to force these thoughts out of his head as he reached up and knocked on the front door. It was not the first time coming here. He tugged his cloak over him a bit tighter, as he waited for Ioan to answer.​

 

[Ioan Finch]

The days when Ioan could enjoy a quiet home were far and far between. With two young children always running around, there was constant activity. As he had closed the door behind his wife and children who were off to visit Adrianne's niece for the evening, Ioan had reveled in the silence for several long moments before moving away from the door to other activities. With some levity to his step, the man headed to the bathroom to shave. He had just covered his stubbly chin with shaving cream and begun on the left side of his face, when he thought he heard a knock on the front door. Immediately, images of laying up on the couch with a glass of fire-whiskey and the wizarding radio playing slowly flitted away. As he walked towards the door, Ioan wondered why they would knock at all. Surely, his wife had her key. He was the one who sometimes left it at home when he left.

"Back so soon?" he mused as he opened the door a crack, expecting his wife or at the very least one of his children at the door. Sometimes, one of them would run back to get something that had been left behind. Ioan cracked a smile as he realized who it was standing in the doorway. He opened the door wider, leaving room for the large man to enter. He knew him well enough and had allowed him into his home before. "Benjamen... I was in the middle of things. What brings you here?" he asked after the man had entered and he had been able to close the door. Ioan never did any business while his door was open. People in this neighborhood typically kept their noses to themselves, but one could never be sure.

 

[Benjamen Zhefarovich]

Raising an eyebrow, Benjamen heard Ioan's voice, speaking about someone being back so soon. That was not directed to him, so he dismissed it. Ioan was probably not expecting him, and knowing him, he was probably expecting the wife. That was not something he had, and he preferred to keep it that way too. Benjamen had enough women troubles on his plate right now. Something that Ioan probably knew about several years ago. Benjamen smirked when he saw Ioan crack a smile at him, and opened the door wider. Benjamen stepped into the house, and he closed the door behind him, so that they could speak privately. Benjamen looked him up and down and he shrugged, "Middle of what, waiting for your wife? You sure don't look busy to me." Benjamen smirked even more before he removed the hood from his blonde head. His onyx eyes saw what was on his face, and did not comment. For whatever came out of his mouth because of that, would not be appropriate. Especially now because Benjamen was in the same group as he was. Ioan was actually his leader, and that alone seemed eerie enough. The last thing he wanted was to become some little errand boy. Like that would happen to him, Benjamen knew of himself as a genius of potions. If anything, people would be doing him favors. He looekd around the house for a moment, and even the kids seemed like they were gone. Good. Even if he had a daughter of his own, he had no experience with them. After all, Benjamen was a danger to everyone he came across.

However Benjamen did not dwell on the silence and his avoiding of the question for too long. He raised up one of his hands, revealing the Scitorari ring. He had seen it before on Collineus Cardosi, the leader of the prejudice group. Collineus and Benjamen did not see eye to eye on some things, but that was because Collineus was one of those power-thirsty men, willing to marry off his future daughter to his brother. It was an unsettling thought. "I wanted to talk about this. The Scitorari that is. Apparently, since you are my leader now, I thought I would come to you about what I am supposed to do now. I'm in and everything, but don't know what else to do. Besides terrorize the woman I nearly killed because I got bored." Not many knew about the woman that he beat almost to death, that the Zhefarovich family were keeping her away from society until they were certain that they could trust her not to get them in trouble. Benjamen just knew that whatever was spoken in here, it would stay in here.​

 

[Ioan Finch]

Ioan made no response as he was certain that the shaving cream on his face and his half shaven beard told the story of what he had been doing. The man summoned his razor and turned to the mirror in the room to continue doing what he had been doing as he waited for Benjamen to speak. He studied the man’s reflection as he worked. Benjamen was extremely tall, much like the others in his family. He knew that many were intimidated by his stature, and Ioan knew that it often came in handy when he did business with the man. It was one of the reasons why he enjoyed working with Benjamen, his obvious skill at potion making being the other, more obvious reason. Ioan made quick work of the other half of his face, the thinness of the hair making it easy to finish. As he saw Benjamen’s reflection lift up his hand, Ioan glanced over his shoulder, his blue-green eyes looking at the hand that the man was holding up. The Scitorari leader nodded his head, his body turning as well as he lifted his hand to catch the towel that he had summoned without his wand. Ioan’s ring sat on the edge of his bathroom sink, along with his wedding ring. He had taken both off so he could shave. “Excellent” the man spoke, his deep voice calm. Ioan had spent some time speaking with the other two leaders regarding Benjamen’s membership as well as that of several others. It was not a process that they took lightly, especially in light of some of the recent busts in other parts of the world.

Walking over to where the family kept their liquor, Ioan poured himself some firewhiskey as he listened to Benjamen speak. The man looked up, a bit confused about the woman he was terrorizing, but not saying anything about it. What the man did in his own time was his business, though Ioan wasn’t exactly sure he approved of killing women. Things had changed since he had become the father to a daughter. “Would you care for some? It’s a good year” he spoke, holding up the bottle. When the man had replied, Ioan finished up and then settled into a seat, gesturing for the man to do the same. There was no sense in them standing around if they were going to have this type of discussion. Ioan took a small swig of the drink and then held it on the arm of the sofa. “I don’t have anything specific for you to do…yet. Let’s just keep on with what we’ve been doing, but if you hear anything, all I ask is that you bring it to my attention.” Ioan had some of his other members off doing things, but he knew that Benjamen’s usefulness would be in allowing him to stay the course for a while. He would much prefer for no one to know that the man was a Scitorari member just yet, thinking that people would freely continue to give him information if they had no idea of his involvement.

 

[Benjamen Zhefarovich]

At least Ioan was going to finish the job of shaving his beard. Benjamen sure did not want to interrupt him at all. Benjamen looked down at the floor for a moment, and debated on removing his cloak. Then again his muscle mass might be intimidating to his leader now. While Benjamen was not fond of having people tell him what to do, he did want to be involved in this movement. He was a master of potions, someone that was lethal with his poisons too. And to top it off, he had various clients in different countries that he supplied to. Every now and then he often went to Ioan for things too. Benjamen was simply a dealer in some way, and so underground that it was difficult to track his moves. The best part about being in this position, from the whole Scitorari thing was that Kamaria was in one little subgroup, and then he knew Collineus Cardosi as well, someone that owed his family a favor that had to do with his little brother. "I hope my joining did not give you any grief if any of the leaders disagreed. Not that it matters to me if any did not appreciate my work." There was a reason why there were subgroups. They did not believe in the same thing, where the origins of magic came from. Benjamen was not really one of those that was interested in that, but he did believe in using all forms of potions and not having the ministry restrict such potions and poisons. The only reason why they were dark was because they said so.

When offered some firewhiskey, Benjamen shook his head. He did not drink often, and when he did, he was usually celebrating over something, or really upset over something which was extremely rare. "I don't drink unless there is one hell of a cause, thanks though." The last two words were somewhat forced out, but he had to thank him. Benjamen just did not do that often. He walked over to the seat offered and settled down. Even then it was slightly small for his tastes. Then again he often stood on a stone floor or in a throne-like chair. Benjamen smirked slightly, and he heard what the man said for him to do, which was not much at all. Coming from a son of a Death Eater back in the dark ages, this seemed to be much easier than Death Eaters before they went extinct. "Sounds pretty simple to me. Good, that means I won't have to think of myself as 'Ioan's little b*tch'. With all due respect." Benjamen then looked around the quiet house, noticing the absence of children. Ioan had two kids as far as he was aware. And he was married. He did not expect a man like him to be so...settled. It was quite eerie to be honest. "So, since there are other groups, I must know, is there bad blood between any of the smaller groups?" Curiosity at the best. He wondered if there was going to be some drama to look forward to in the near future when it came to the Scitorari.​

 

[Ioan Finch]

Ioan sat, slowly swirling his drink, as he listened to Benjamen speak. A small smile played across his lips, though it was quick to go away as he took a drink from his cup. The bitterness played across his palate as he allowed the drink to sit there for a moment before he swallowed it. When he was done, the Scitorari leader slowly shook his head. "On the contrary, I think you were one of the easier decisions we've made in a while." Ioan would have been prepared to fight more vigorously on Benjamen's behalf but it hadn't been necessary. "I think I have all of the bi***es I can handle" Ioan responded, the curse feeling awkward as it came out. Other than during his adolescence, Ioan had never been a frequent curser. "Besides, I don't think you'd be pretty enough to fit the bill." Ioan chuckled to himself as he took another sip of his drink. In truth, Ioan wasn't that type of man anymore, though he easily could have been if he wanted to. He was still as handsome as ever, but it seemed that power and authority radiated without him outright telling anyone what he did. And it seemed to drive women and some men crazy. Ioan's hands were full with that hellion of a wife of his though, so he didn't feel the need to seek attention elsewhere. And she certainly did keep a close eye on her man.

Noticing Benjamen looking around the apartment, he figured that he was looking around for a sign of his family. They were usually under tow, but Ioan was enjoying some quiet time this evening. "My wife is out with the children" he answered calmly before moving the conversation along. "That's an interesting question" Ioan began, his gaze on his drink as he considered it. From the beginning, Ioan had been against allowing additional factions to form. He knew it was hypocritical, but he didn't care. Ioan had argued tooth and nail against the Elementalist group, feeling that they were too similar to his own group to be on their own. And, though the Necromancy group was interesting, he was creeped out by the woman who thought studying death was the greatest magic of all. Ioan had been overruled, but that didn't mean that he considered those leaders to be on the same level. If it came down to it, he would fight against them and bring them down. With a sigh, Ioan realized that this was exactly what he was worried about in the first place. His biggest argument against continuing to allow fragmentation of the group was that the group as a whole would eventually forget that they were meant to work together to take out a common enemy and not to fight amongst each other. It was important for Ioan to constantly remind himself of this fact because if he couldn't remember it, he could hardly expect anyone else to. "Thankfully not as bad as what I've heard about some other areas" he replied truthfully, thinking to the recent news he had heard of Scitorari members ratting out their brethren. Whether it was because they were young or because they were exceptionally good at hearing each other out remained to be seen, though he felt it was the former. "But, as long as we can remember who are enemies are, that's all that really matters." Ioan drained the rest of his drink and sent his cup towards the kitchen. Ioan glanced over Benjamen's head at the time. Standing, he spoke as he headed towards the basement door. "Care to follow? I need to check on some things." Ioan walked as he talked, his hand on the doorknob before his green eyes looked back at his colleague to see if he was going to come with him or remain downstairs. He sure hoped the man would come on his own because he wasn't keen on leaving people alone in the rooms of his home.

 

[Benjamen Zhefarovich]

Benjamen was a little surprised that he were one of the easier decisions. Could it be because of the family that he descended from? Could it really be that? He honestly did not know, but Benjamen felt pleased regardless. There was nothing more than he would want to do than to make it easier on his leader now. He still did not want to become his b*tch since that would be awkward. Hell, Benjamen was older than the man. "Really? I could not imagine why. Then again, my services to the few have never failed." He had helped out his friend Thanatos a few times. Benjamen made sure to do a background check on the man, and found out something interesting he was sure that he did not even know. Benjamen knew about Thanatos' family. Benjamen raised his eyebrows when he thought that he had all the women he could handle. Was his wife really enough? Benjamen shrugged his broad shoulders before he nodded, indicating that he was understanding of that. Although being 'turned down' by Ioan only made him smirk even more. He stated, "Oh please, you know I look like a Greek God, I am damn pretty enough. You just know that you couldn't have me even if you really tried." Benjamen shook his head when he said that since now it seemed a bit more awkward for him. Though he did believe that his wife kept a close eye on him for some reason, and Benjamen almost wanted to know what that felt like, to have a wife that cared and loved. Benjamen then realized that he did not really care for things like that. Apparently, his wife was out right now, and he nodded a bit, to understand. The wife was out with the kids. It made him think over his own kids, now that he had two. Damon was adopted but still, he was his. From the moment they saw each other.

With the question hanging out in the air, Benjamen raised his eyebrows and waited for the answer. He had done some research about the other groups, and he did not see the point in the whole Elementalist group, and figured that the Necromancy one was a little on the crazy side. The leader of that group had to be well into her three hundred range. However it did not seem that there would be too many people against each other in the groups, or else he might have seen it by now. Benjamen did not really know about the news in the grapevine as much as he would have wanted to. There was some times that he would want to be in with the news, but often, he was not because he did not even try. He liked it when the news was brought to him on a silver platter. "I suppose those other areas were just testing which one had the bigger-" Benjamen stopped himself before he added, "But I would have to agree. The common enemies would make us all allies in the worst time." Benjamen did not really want to think about what they did in the mean time. It was like they were so bored, they had to fight with themselves to even do anything. Ioan asked if he cared to follow, and that he needed to check on some things. It looked like he was heading down to the basement. Benjamen shrugged and he rose up to his full height, and replied, "Sure. If you blow us up though, and I'm the only one that dies, I am haunting your ass for the rest of eternity." With them being wizarding folk, that was entirely possible. At least he was following Ioan toward the basement to go check up on things, whatever they were.​

 

[Ioan Finch]

Had Ioan still been drinking, he was sure that the alcohol would have burned its way out of his nose at Benjamen's word. As it was, he stared at the man for a moment before breaking out into a hearty laugh. "Greek god my ass" he laughed when he was able to form words again. Ioan never knew that Benjamen had a sense of humor, let alone that he knew how to laugh at himself. It was a good quality to have. Ioan had been much more playful when he had been younger. As life had progressed, the man had grown more serious. He still enjoyed a good laugh though. Glad that the subject was changed before it grew uncomfortable, Ioan continued to move around.

Opening the basement door, Ioan nodded while he waited for his colleague to make his way over. "Yea, it does seem that way sometimes." He shrugged, his hand reaching for the light he kept in the room. "I think we all go through that phase though. I know I did anyway, and mine was bigger every time." He smirked as he headed down the steps, two at a time, all the while listening to Benjamen. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind" the man stated dryly as he headed straight for a cauldron that was bubbling furiously. Now that he was downstairs, any trace of joking around was off of Ioan's face. This was his livelihood, his way of life. There was no room for jokes at the moment. Along the entire wall was a row of cauldrons, some empty, some simmering. The other wall was lined with shelves, each holding a dozen or so labeled jars. The middle of the basement housed a table that would be large enough to sit half a dozen people. Ioan used it to handle ingredients and for his cauldrons to cool.

Donning some black dragonskin gloves, Ioan removed the cauldron from the flame and placed it on the table. He forgot Benjamen for a moment as he quickly added some ingredients and used his wand to murmur an incantation over the potion. It slowly changed from a pale blue color to a deep blue. He picked up a spoon and stirred the concoction. It was nearly done. "Can you pass that flask?" he asked, nodding towards an empty flask on the other side of the table. "Want to try it?" he asked Benjamen, a wicked smile on his face. When this potion was completed in a few moments, it would be quite useful. He'd even made enough that he would be able to save some for when he might next need it. It had a good shelf life, but it took forever to brew. Ioan knew the guy would recognize it once he got close enough. The faint smell it gave off was a dead giveaway. [/b][/b]

 

[Benjamen Zhefarovich]

Benjamen just knew that his little comment would have made him laugh, but he thought that he was incredibly handsome. He thought that he could be a Greek God and worshipped by many. He could easily do that. In fact he would love to get into that as soon as possible so people can serve him. Benjamen continued to think about that while Ioan was laughing and then formed the words that made him smirk. He was a Greek god, and he would handle it. He smirked even more, wondering if he would have enjoyed his company more if he came around. The Zhefarovich family normally had him busy, and he had to supply two shops that family members owned with potions that he made. And it was hardly something that he could do in an hour. Thinking about some of the things he had to brew, he followed Ioan down into the basement. He really did not feel that comfortable going downstairs with Ioan, however he would go just because he wanted to see how Ioan would handle things. Benjamen had to cough to stop himself from laughing as Ioan said that his was bigger every time. "I couldn’t do that with my family. That would be a bit too weird." They normally compared each other by how many they killed or tortured and in what way. Not in any other way, and often, Benjamen found himself outmatched by his brother, Axel. Which was hard enough.

His onyx eyes looked from wall to wall, seeing cauldrons and feeling suddenly at home. His jokes would no longer become a laughing matter, and he really hoped that Ioan would not blow him up and send him on to the other world early. He was definitely not ready to leave his beautiful daughter behind, and not before he managed to score with Viviana. He did not bother putting on gloves at all, and he would not be brewing anything at all today. He took a flask into his hand and he handed it over to Ioan before he had a really good whiff of that potion that he was brewing. He knew just what it was, and he was not about to try it. He shook his head and he stated, "How about no, but I have some ideas of who we can give a dose or two to." The color of the potion appeared right too, which he expected no less from the leader of the Scitorari that was in the Potions subgroup. He knew that he could probably get a few strangers as well, a whole line that would probably do something for him. Now that was something him being a Greek god would be for. He could have people do whatever he wanted. Oh that was a dream. Perhaps one day he definitely could have a line of servants doing whatever he pleased.​

 

[Ioan Finch]

Ioan took the flask that Benjamen handed to him, using his wand to mark it with a big X. This potion was not something to mess with as he had been telling his children for days. He was certain they knew better as coming into the basement without an adult was not something that either he or his wife tolerated. Ioan chuckled as he spooned some of the concoction into the flask, careful not to even let a drop fall anywhere but in the flask. “Ah, you have a list too? Excellent. We’ll have to compare them one of these days.” The Scitorari leader was not dumb enough to keep an actual physical list of his targets. He kept that information in the safest place of all, his mind. He did keep a book that was filled with people he sold potions to but he never wrote what he sold them, only the amount that they had paid. Just by looking at that information, he was able to recall what he’d sold. It was his little form of insurance in case things went wrong. Thankfully, that didn’t happen often.

Ioan stashed the first flask in his pocket. He would need that one later on, but for now he just needed it in a safe place. Summoning several more flasks to his side, Ioan filled them up one by one, the silence not terribly awkward between the two males. Ioan was sure that Benjamen would understood his need for quiet while he worked. When he finished a few moments later, Ioan silently cast scourgify to clean the cauldron. Picking up the flasks, Ioan carried them to an unlocked cabinet. He placed the flasks inside, making sure that they were way in the back where the least light would touch them. When he was done, he closed and locked the cabinet, using several magical spells to do the trick. “Done” he stated to the room at large. He headed back towards the steps. There was no need to remain in the basement any longer unless there was something that Benjamen needed from in here. Ioan didn’t offer, but he figured the man would ask if he did need something and hadn’t been able to find it on his own. Both men had good connections in the potions underground and were able to procure rare ingredients. It was one of the many things that made Benjamen such a useful asset to the Scitorari. “Did you have anything else you wanted to ask or talk about?” the man asked, a relaxed expression on his face. Working on potions always made the man feel relaxed and now that he was done with this one, he was very pleased. The next steps, which would be taking place this evening, were the easy part. It was the brewing, the preparing, the waiting that was incredibly difficult.

 

[Benjamen Zhefarovich]

Benjamen was about ready to ask him what sort of person was he planning on getting rid of with that potion, but he had a list so Benjamen would have to compare lists with him like he agreed to. The Scitorari male nodded his head with a smirk dancing on those thin lips. Of course the list might be mental, since if anyone found them, then they would make their targets harder to get to, which actually sounded appealing. It would be nice to have everything so easy one day. Benjamen watched as the man worked, and he was more interested in the potions than the actual man, and that was saying something. When he worked with potions, he needed to have some peace and quiet too. Otherwise he would mess up and do something bad with the ingredients. Ioan stated that he was done, and Benjamen did not see anything he needed from around here. He would have to get to brewing some potions himself. "Nope. Seems like everything is all set." Benjamen hoped that Ioan would lead him down the right back, or would it be the other way around. He ended up speaking once more, "Just hit me up when you need my services. The family is probably wondering where I have vanished off to." That was his way of wrapping this up. He gave one curt nod to Ioan before he vanished through the front door and then from the area in general.​

---

Fin​

Out of Character:

Ugh he would not give me a good ending, sorry. :/