App for Poly
[nick / name]: Erin
[personal LJ name]: neko142001
[other characters currently played]:
Aya Fujimiya :: Weiss Kreuz :: onceaweiss
Kazuo Kiriyama :: Battle Royale :: deadliest6
Lantis :: Magic Knight Rayearth :: antipillar
Jace Lightwood :: The Mortal Instruments :: 1charmingangel
Severus Snape :: Harry Potter :: alwaystreasured
[e-mail]: nekoandkitsune@gmail.com
[AIM / messenger]: AIM - neko142001
[series]: Godchild
[character]: Alexis Hargreaves
[character history / background]: A handy link. But here is a little more detail:
The best place to begin such a history for this man is where things are most significant: The seduction. Alexis had a sister that he cared very deeply about. Unfortunately, she was just that. His sister. This didn't change even when he was married off to another woman, someone he ended up murdering. Eventually, she ended up being the one to seduce him and became pregnant with his child. She gave birth to Cain but was apparently driven insane and then died as a result of it. From that time onward, Alexis let the blame settle on his son's shoulder. Cain received nightly beatings because of this and after every session Alexis ended up smoking his pipe.
During this time Alexis brought in a young man named Riffael to be a servant to Cain. What was not revealed was that Riff had killed off his entire family and had died in the fire that happened because of that. The organization that Alexis was a part of had been responsible for bringing him back to life and giving him a kinder personality. Every now and then he would have Riff come back to the organization to learn more about what his son was doing and to have Riff receive key blood transfusions. This especially became key when he vanished.
Later he returned to have a confrontation with Cain. He was the leader behind Delilah and needed to be stopped. Cain remembered well the times in the past about how Alexis would smoke his pipe when he was satisfied with something. So he poisoned it. The man fell to his doom and everyone believed that he was dead after such a fall.
But that would have been far too easy.
Sometime later Delilah was making moves again. However their endgame wasn't clear. Nor was it clear who was behind them right away. But he made sure to clear the air on that soon enough. He even had one of his other sons in the organization. This one an illegitimate child from a woman who had been his lover. He was older than Cain and had undergone abuses as well. Growing up he'd been sickly so his father had murdered his sisters in order to make sure that the organs were used to make him well again. He even killed the boy's lamb and tricked him into eating it so that he could raise him to kill without remorse. There were even whippings all the way into Jezebel's adulthood.
There was one order that he gave to all members of Delilah though. Cain was off limits. Not that this stopped Alexis from personally visiting him to prove to him that Cain couldn't protect anyone though. He hurt a number of people that the boy tried to protect. Many of them even died. Some nameless and some close to him like his Uncle Neil. Nothing was considered sacred when it came to hurting his cursed son.
Eventually he had Jezebel rise up in the ranks of Delilah. As he put it, no son of his would be of such a low ranking. The man in charge of this ceremony was an upper class individual by the name of Cassandra who also had some perverted tendencies and interests. This meant that Jezebel was put at the mercy of Cassandra but Alexis allowed this for as long as Cassandra had a purpose. While Jezebel was with him though, Cassandra failed in his goal to take down Cain. Feeling that the man had outlived his usefulness, he personally came to watch his son perform a deadly brain transplant to put Cassian's, a man who was actually a Trump card (and therefore beneath the Major Arcana) but forever trapped in the body of a child and someone who was loyal to and had saved Jezebel's life, brain inside of Cassandra's body. The man thought that Alexis wouldn't allow it but was shocked to see Alexis watching the entire thing without flinching or ordering it to stop. No, he'd allowed Cassian to live and Cassandra to die. At the end he approached his son and actually hugged him.
At his current point in time his endgame wasn't clear to those after him. However, what he intended to do was create a doll of his sister so he could bring her back to life. Thus far, all of these had failed. They'd either died when exposed to air or had been without a soul. But, he still intended to see the goal accomplished...
[character abilities]: As a whole, Alexis is completely human. He doesn't have any supernatural abilities. Honestly though, he probably doesn't need them. Even without them he's dangerous. The reason being? He's extremely intelligent and a master at manipulating a situation to his advantage. Not only that but he's very observant which allows him to pick up on the weaknesses someone has. These he uses to his advantage, rather easily destroying someone without really doing much of anything.
As a Hargreaves he would be very familiar with poisons as well. However, he rarely dirties his own hands. Why do that when he has so many he can get to do just that for him? Including his own son.
Perhaps another skill of his would be his uncanny ability to continue surviving. Some people just don't seem to know how to die properly.
[character personality]: It should be noted first and foremost that Alexis is a gentleman. He was brought up in a Victorian society where an upper class man is expected to act a certain way. To have manners, to show class... He is very much the Earl that he once was. Around people who aren't aware of his darker side, he is polite and charming. Though this is just a front in some ways it is also very much a part of who he is as a person. Since this is how he was raised to be, this is how he acts. He's classy and doesn't lose his cool easily. Looking at him on the streets, one wouldn't expect him to be capable of all that he's done.
However the fact remains that he is. This is one of the most skilled manipulators around. Often this is used to destroy a person but he knows how to twist a thought just the way he wants it with only a simple sentence or a single action. He seems to take a sadistic pleasure in watching someone suffer from him doing something like this to them. And by doing this he establishes who truly has the power in the situation. Namely himself.
It should also be noted that he's a man of great intelligence. He'd have to be in order to run an organization like Delilah. He knows the strengths of all those under him and uses them to their full advantage. His abilities to manipulate can also be attributed to his intelligence. After all, it's not easy for a fool to recognize the weakness in another. Plus it also means that he is highly observant not to mention clever in how he uses people. It keeps his hands clean and helps to keep him from being found until he wants to be located.
Alexis can be decidedly cruel in how he handles things. When his sons were children, he whipped them constantly to the point where they carry scars from the time. With Cain, he would give the Bible verses about his namesake as he did this. He fed Jezebel his pet lamb without telling him and implanted the organs of his sisters into him. He created a copy of Cain's half-sister and told her that she had been created just to so she could have Cain and carry his child. He is abusive, especially those that he claims to love and cherish. As stated before, he seems to get pleasure from this. This is a man who smokes his pipe when he's satisfied with something and he always does after these events.
Yet, it can be said that he really does love his sons despite the way he treats them. Though it may not seem like it, it's partly his way of raising them to be stronger. Or even to realize that they aren't perfect. Perhaps to go so far as to make sure their heads don't get too big. It's a very twisted kind of love but he does seem to want them to be happy while he spends his time torturing them and hating them in the process. They are his and he seems to show pride in them, wanting them to push themselves to be better rather than just sitting back and settling. But that doesn't mean he will completely pave the way for them. Nor will he aid them when they need it the most. Instead, he lets them suffer and sits back to watch it happen rather than doing a damn thing to stop it. They need to learn at some point that they are powerless to the ways and cruelties of the world. At the same time, he did order his organization that Cain was to be off limits to their twisted ways.
Obsession is another word that can be associated with this man. Everything in his life seems to revolve around bringing his sister back. Now, the story says that she manipulated him to do this for her own amusement but the fact is that he took it to another level. He creates endless copies of her to try and bring her back from the dead. He even went so far as to create a copy of Suzette in order to try and get Cain to sleep with her so he could have a child from that instead.
Alexis is not above anything to achieve his goals. True he doesn't always get his own hands dirty to do it but he's not above that either. Murder, torture, rape, harming a child, human experimentation... Nothing is considered sacred. This can shock and horrify people but it's a fact of life. He could even be called a monster for this attitude. Especially with the way he allows innocent people to slip into insanity by using them as well. People are just tools to him. Convenient scapegoats. As soon as they are no longer useful to him he will get rid of them in some way so that way that cannot get in his way in the future. Death, memory wipe, death, prison, death...
Now it should be mentioned that he's a clever liar and actor. These go hand in hand with his ability to manipulate but are important all the same. It's hardly an easy thing to trick someone into believing that you genuinely care about them. That you're doing something for their happiness. But, Alexis can manage it without breaking a sweat. When he tells you a lie, he can get you to believe that it's the God honest truth. Better yet, he can get someone to believe that he loves them. Once they find out his true nature though, he can bring them back to him with just a kiss. He is far too charming to escape.
And that's just the thing. No one escapes from his grasp. Once he has a hold of your heart and soul, he isn't about to let go of it until he feels you are no longer useful. Then once you are useless, he will discard you like a cheap rag.
His plans are often elaborate and creative. It makes it difficult to see his endgame when he's thrown in so many red herrings to feed the masses. But it all seems to come back to Augusta. His one true love. According to her she seduced him and convinced him to hurt his sons and got him to want to bring her back to life. Even if this is true, it comes from that obsessive devotion he seems to have for her. However, he will conceal this to the bitter end because it would be a disadvantage to him if others were to find out about what the final move is in order for him to have his checkmate.
Alexis Hargreaves is one of the most sadistic men to be found. One who abuses others with a certain class that manages to keep his hands clean. Though he can convince you with that silver tongue that he's an angel, he's really a wolf in sheep's clothing. He's extremely dangerous to all who know him, including his own children. Because while he loves his children and wishes them to be happy, he will take great pleasure in torturing them mentally and emotionally. Like he wants to see them happy but simply can't find satisfaction in that. Beware this man when he charms his way into your life. He doesn't love you. What he loves is something he should never have.
[point in timeline you're picking your character from]: Post Volume 5 of Godchild
[journal post]:
[There is a little smile on his face when he turns on the video function.]
So this is the City. I suppose that I could learn to be comfortable here. What a pity that it's taken me away from important matters. However, I suppose I can be grateful that time is apparently frozen there until I am able to return. Yes, I believe I could count that as a blessing of its own. I can always find a way to use my time here wisely.
Housing wasn't difficult to manage since it seems that such things are just provided for us. Of course I will soon have find something a little more to my tastes but that was hardly a surprise.
[Suddenly that smile grows just ever so slightly.]
Unfortunately, there are some people I long to see that haven't made themselves known to me yet. They know who they are though. There is no need for me to worry about calling them out by name.
[He brings out a pipe. With practiced ease, he lights a match and uses it to light the pipe as well. Putting the match out, he places the pipe on his lips and smoke curls up into the air.]
What a pleasure this will be, dear City. I hope to get to know you very well.
[third person / log sample]:
The City. It was such a vast place filled with possibilities. Worlds and times mixing together in one impossible pot of intrigue. All this knowledge and no one to take advantage of it.
Until his arrival.
Alexis Hargreaves looked down upon the population below, pipe in his hand, the mouthpiece resting on his lips. He'd taken over an apartment temporarily since finding something better would be possible soon enough. All he had to do was find something suitable to his needs. Though he was tempted to have it be something like one of the penthouse suites so he could have this view in the future. A window looking out at the world below.
Of course this would mean that projects involving Augusta would be delayed but perhaps he could learn something here. Something to aid him with bringing her back. Since he was without her in this place, he could devote his time to that. A study on the advances in technology would be suitable. Perhaps magic as well. Both seemed to be so prevalent here. Like they were just begging him to learn more about them for his purposes.
So convenient.
He smiled a little as his thoughts lingered to what else he had here. Four individuals to be precise. One of them could possibly be discarded soon depending on how useful he was. However, Alexis had noticed that Cassian had a bond with one of his sons. So perhaps he could be of use to him after all. Just in case Jezebel decided to misbehave. It was something to keep in mind if nothing else. Otherwise, he would have to be rid of him in some way. Since it seemed death was not permanent that also meant creativity. Very well. He could always have Jezebel be the one to do it. A little lesson on how easily bonds could be broken if one wasn't careful.
Jezebel. His eldest son. A promising doctor who happened to be a clever killer as well. Death of the Major Arcana. Were it not for his habit of disobedience, he was sure that he could go further than anyone in Delilah. He had such promise. Especially now that he was in his proper place rather than one of the lowly Trump cards. Of course, there was no way he would have allowed him to linger in such a position for long. No. Jezebel was his son and he would see to it that he had the power that should come with that.
Such a weak child he'd been once upon a time. Sick so often and with an animal as a friend. It had been such an unfortunate sight that a child of his would be so pathetic. Naturally, he'd done everything in his power to change that. Killing those sisters of his in order to put their organs to better use. One at a time until he was better. Then slaughtering that lamb that had been his pet. Why, he could still remember the look on his face when he'd revealed to him that the food he'd just eaten was that lamb. His mother had tried to hide him away once but he'd found him and raised him to be the kind of man he should be.
Some smoke rose above his head as he continued to dwell on these memories. The lash of the whip across Jezebel's back, telling him what he'd done to him, informing him that he wasn't the heir to the Hargreaves title. Yet none of that compared to letting Cassandra do as he pleased. Sometimes he wondered just what all that man had done to his child while he'd kept his son with him. The feelings that had grown and boiled within his son during that time. All in time to remove Cassandra's brain from his head while he was still alive. Alexis had made sure to stay through that entire operation, to see the look in Cassandra's eyes, to see his son get his revenge.
Honestly, had Cassandra actually believed that he would just allow him to do as he pleased with Jezebel and get away with it? Especially once he'd outlived his usefulness.
Jezebel would soon return to him. There was no need to be concerned about that. All he had to do was wait for him. If there was one thing he could count on it was that his eldest son would come back to him and serve him. He would have to find out where the man was living currently. Already he was thinking of having him live closer to him instead. If only to keep an eye on him.
He already had a way to keep an eye on his other son. On Cain, the Earl of Hargreaves. He did so enjoy tormenting him. Perhaps far more than he did with Jezebel. What would it be like to rip his entire world apart suddenly? How many pieces would that shatter him into? Tapping his lip with his pipe, he considered this for a moment or so. Cain truly had no idea what he was up against. Then again, he never had known. It was fortunate that he was actually still a child. Lessons tended to stick better in the mind of a youth compared to the mind of an adult.
That child who was the son of himself and his sister. Because of him, he'd lost her. She'd slipped right through his fingers and for that he'd punished him. Cain, the child of God to be punished for killing his brother Abel. He was fond of the name he'd provided for the child. For though Cain had been punished, God had loved him still and therefore provided for him so that he could live. So he could grow and become better. His own son was so stubborn about learning his lessons but Alexis could be patient with him. One day he would make it clear to him that he couldn't have everything, that he couldn't save everyone, that he wasn't as good as he seemed to be.
What irony that his own son had fallen for his sister too. Like father like son. It was so sweet to think that it had passed straight onto him. He couldn't have planned it so beautifully. That twist of fate was still something to savor though and had lead to the creation of Mikaila. What better way to get his son to possibly help with his cause than through someone who looked just like his beloved Suzette. He'd even been kind enough to tell her every day that her purpose was to be there for him. For him to belong to her. Such a pity that Cain was rejecting her. Though it hardly mattered. Just the fact that she was there in existence was enough to torment him and bring the past into the present.
It wasn't as if Alexis could use the whip like he'd done when the boy was small. Now he had to be a little more creative than that. Cain wasn't weak like Jezebel had once been. Yet, he wasn't content to just let him have nothing but happiness. Not after the loss of Augusta because of him. And the greatest trap of all had yet to spring. It was quite possibly the one bit of torture he was proudest of. It always brought him back to that question of, how would Cain handle having his entire world falling apart?
That safety blanket of his, Riffael. He'd planted him early on after he'd created the man. He was holding up quite nicely. Then again, a Tower should hold up. Everything was perfect with him there to watch over his son. Neither of them realized that this false personality, this Riff, was just that. False. An illusion that would care for Cain and be closer to him than anyone ever could be. Now and then though, he would steal him away so remove the hypnosis he had placed over him so that Riffael could report to him what his son was up to.
It wouldn't be long now before he would allow Riffael to come to the surface. In that moment, everything Cain held that was truly precious would come crashing down. That Tower that had slow so closely guarded him would be gone. What would he do then? Would he still have the strength to continue to fight against him? Would he really believe that his precious servant was gone for good, leaving him all alone here?
Oh yes he was sure that Cain had somehow managed to build up relationships in this place beyond his servant. However, he doubted any of them were like that bond. That pure love they shared for each other. Perhaps he would allow Jezebel to go and collect Riffael when it happened. Just so he could see a love like that shatter like a mirror struck with a stone. Now and then, it was good to reward the man so that he could have that little rush of joy.
Riffael. What plans he could come up with for him. He would be very suitable for finding ways of distracting this place from his true agenda of learning all he could about bringing Augusta back. They would never realize what he truly wished to happen. It was truly a pity that he couldn't make copies of her here though. But he would manage all the same.
His Augusta. His beautiful sister. Alexis couldn't pinpoint the day that he'd fallen in love with her. Yet he'd known in just a moment that that was what he felt for her. It was something he'd struggled so hard against upon learning it. That was his sister. He shouldn't love someone who was his own blood in such a manner. Not that this mattered though. He couldn't stop the feelings. And on that fateful day, they changed their entire world together.
It was actually a precious memory to him, the day they'd shared a bed. Augusta had even conceived a child from that union. Proof that it hadn't been some illusion. That time they'd had together had been real.
Lowering his pipe, he stopped looking at the City and focused instead on his own reflection. Cain had a bit of both inside them. He could see it every time they interacted. Happy, miserable...honestly he couldn't be satisfied with either one when it came to Cain. Alive was the best solution. Then he could continue to see him and hear about him. That product of Augusta. That living piece of her. Jezebel could never be that. Jezebel was his own flesh and blood but he had no real tie to Augusta. Not the way that Cain did.
He would have her back soon. Something here would tell him how to keep the doll alive that he created. Alive and with a soul. Once that was complete then he would have his sister back. It was what she would want. What she would really want.
Slowly, he turned away from the window to go over to the device that he'd been given. There were a few people here that he'd noted could be beneficial to him. It was time for him to make himself known to them. He would also have to rebuild Delilah here. Alexis knew that having that organization around would aid him in future endeavors in this place. And the City would never realize that there was a secret organization working beneath their very noses. He had no doubts that Cain would try to figure out his plan so that he could stop him but that would just make things more interesting. Honestly he was looking forward to seeing his son try. He wanted to see just what he would come up with to try. If only so he could be amused by how he really had no idea what was actually going on.
"It won't be long now, Augusta. Soon I will have you alive."
And he turned the device on.
[personal LJ name]: neko142001
[other characters currently played]:
Aya Fujimiya :: Weiss Kreuz :: onceaweiss
Kazuo Kiriyama :: Battle Royale :: deadliest6
Lantis :: Magic Knight Rayearth :: antipillar
Jace Lightwood :: The Mortal Instruments :: 1charmingangel
Severus Snape :: Harry Potter :: alwaystreasured
[e-mail]: nekoandkitsune@gmail.com
[AIM / messenger]: AIM - neko142001
[series]: Godchild
[character]: Alexis Hargreaves
[character history / background]: A handy link. But here is a little more detail:
The best place to begin such a history for this man is where things are most significant: The seduction. Alexis had a sister that he cared very deeply about. Unfortunately, she was just that. His sister. This didn't change even when he was married off to another woman, someone he ended up murdering. Eventually, she ended up being the one to seduce him and became pregnant with his child. She gave birth to Cain but was apparently driven insane and then died as a result of it. From that time onward, Alexis let the blame settle on his son's shoulder. Cain received nightly beatings because of this and after every session Alexis ended up smoking his pipe.
During this time Alexis brought in a young man named Riffael to be a servant to Cain. What was not revealed was that Riff had killed off his entire family and had died in the fire that happened because of that. The organization that Alexis was a part of had been responsible for bringing him back to life and giving him a kinder personality. Every now and then he would have Riff come back to the organization to learn more about what his son was doing and to have Riff receive key blood transfusions. This especially became key when he vanished.
Later he returned to have a confrontation with Cain. He was the leader behind Delilah and needed to be stopped. Cain remembered well the times in the past about how Alexis would smoke his pipe when he was satisfied with something. So he poisoned it. The man fell to his doom and everyone believed that he was dead after such a fall.
But that would have been far too easy.
Sometime later Delilah was making moves again. However their endgame wasn't clear. Nor was it clear who was behind them right away. But he made sure to clear the air on that soon enough. He even had one of his other sons in the organization. This one an illegitimate child from a woman who had been his lover. He was older than Cain and had undergone abuses as well. Growing up he'd been sickly so his father had murdered his sisters in order to make sure that the organs were used to make him well again. He even killed the boy's lamb and tricked him into eating it so that he could raise him to kill without remorse. There were even whippings all the way into Jezebel's adulthood.
There was one order that he gave to all members of Delilah though. Cain was off limits. Not that this stopped Alexis from personally visiting him to prove to him that Cain couldn't protect anyone though. He hurt a number of people that the boy tried to protect. Many of them even died. Some nameless and some close to him like his Uncle Neil. Nothing was considered sacred when it came to hurting his cursed son.
Eventually he had Jezebel rise up in the ranks of Delilah. As he put it, no son of his would be of such a low ranking. The man in charge of this ceremony was an upper class individual by the name of Cassandra who also had some perverted tendencies and interests. This meant that Jezebel was put at the mercy of Cassandra but Alexis allowed this for as long as Cassandra had a purpose. While Jezebel was with him though, Cassandra failed in his goal to take down Cain. Feeling that the man had outlived his usefulness, he personally came to watch his son perform a deadly brain transplant to put Cassian's, a man who was actually a Trump card (and therefore beneath the Major Arcana) but forever trapped in the body of a child and someone who was loyal to and had saved Jezebel's life, brain inside of Cassandra's body. The man thought that Alexis wouldn't allow it but was shocked to see Alexis watching the entire thing without flinching or ordering it to stop. No, he'd allowed Cassian to live and Cassandra to die. At the end he approached his son and actually hugged him.
At his current point in time his endgame wasn't clear to those after him. However, what he intended to do was create a doll of his sister so he could bring her back to life. Thus far, all of these had failed. They'd either died when exposed to air or had been without a soul. But, he still intended to see the goal accomplished...
[character abilities]: As a whole, Alexis is completely human. He doesn't have any supernatural abilities. Honestly though, he probably doesn't need them. Even without them he's dangerous. The reason being? He's extremely intelligent and a master at manipulating a situation to his advantage. Not only that but he's very observant which allows him to pick up on the weaknesses someone has. These he uses to his advantage, rather easily destroying someone without really doing much of anything.
As a Hargreaves he would be very familiar with poisons as well. However, he rarely dirties his own hands. Why do that when he has so many he can get to do just that for him? Including his own son.
Perhaps another skill of his would be his uncanny ability to continue surviving. Some people just don't seem to know how to die properly.
[character personality]: It should be noted first and foremost that Alexis is a gentleman. He was brought up in a Victorian society where an upper class man is expected to act a certain way. To have manners, to show class... He is very much the Earl that he once was. Around people who aren't aware of his darker side, he is polite and charming. Though this is just a front in some ways it is also very much a part of who he is as a person. Since this is how he was raised to be, this is how he acts. He's classy and doesn't lose his cool easily. Looking at him on the streets, one wouldn't expect him to be capable of all that he's done.
However the fact remains that he is. This is one of the most skilled manipulators around. Often this is used to destroy a person but he knows how to twist a thought just the way he wants it with only a simple sentence or a single action. He seems to take a sadistic pleasure in watching someone suffer from him doing something like this to them. And by doing this he establishes who truly has the power in the situation. Namely himself.
It should also be noted that he's a man of great intelligence. He'd have to be in order to run an organization like Delilah. He knows the strengths of all those under him and uses them to their full advantage. His abilities to manipulate can also be attributed to his intelligence. After all, it's not easy for a fool to recognize the weakness in another. Plus it also means that he is highly observant not to mention clever in how he uses people. It keeps his hands clean and helps to keep him from being found until he wants to be located.
Alexis can be decidedly cruel in how he handles things. When his sons were children, he whipped them constantly to the point where they carry scars from the time. With Cain, he would give the Bible verses about his namesake as he did this. He fed Jezebel his pet lamb without telling him and implanted the organs of his sisters into him. He created a copy of Cain's half-sister and told her that she had been created just to so she could have Cain and carry his child. He is abusive, especially those that he claims to love and cherish. As stated before, he seems to get pleasure from this. This is a man who smokes his pipe when he's satisfied with something and he always does after these events.
Yet, it can be said that he really does love his sons despite the way he treats them. Though it may not seem like it, it's partly his way of raising them to be stronger. Or even to realize that they aren't perfect. Perhaps to go so far as to make sure their heads don't get too big. It's a very twisted kind of love but he does seem to want them to be happy while he spends his time torturing them and hating them in the process. They are his and he seems to show pride in them, wanting them to push themselves to be better rather than just sitting back and settling. But that doesn't mean he will completely pave the way for them. Nor will he aid them when they need it the most. Instead, he lets them suffer and sits back to watch it happen rather than doing a damn thing to stop it. They need to learn at some point that they are powerless to the ways and cruelties of the world. At the same time, he did order his organization that Cain was to be off limits to their twisted ways.
Obsession is another word that can be associated with this man. Everything in his life seems to revolve around bringing his sister back. Now, the story says that she manipulated him to do this for her own amusement but the fact is that he took it to another level. He creates endless copies of her to try and bring her back from the dead. He even went so far as to create a copy of Suzette in order to try and get Cain to sleep with her so he could have a child from that instead.
Alexis is not above anything to achieve his goals. True he doesn't always get his own hands dirty to do it but he's not above that either. Murder, torture, rape, harming a child, human experimentation... Nothing is considered sacred. This can shock and horrify people but it's a fact of life. He could even be called a monster for this attitude. Especially with the way he allows innocent people to slip into insanity by using them as well. People are just tools to him. Convenient scapegoats. As soon as they are no longer useful to him he will get rid of them in some way so that way that cannot get in his way in the future. Death, memory wipe, death, prison, death...
Now it should be mentioned that he's a clever liar and actor. These go hand in hand with his ability to manipulate but are important all the same. It's hardly an easy thing to trick someone into believing that you genuinely care about them. That you're doing something for their happiness. But, Alexis can manage it without breaking a sweat. When he tells you a lie, he can get you to believe that it's the God honest truth. Better yet, he can get someone to believe that he loves them. Once they find out his true nature though, he can bring them back to him with just a kiss. He is far too charming to escape.
And that's just the thing. No one escapes from his grasp. Once he has a hold of your heart and soul, he isn't about to let go of it until he feels you are no longer useful. Then once you are useless, he will discard you like a cheap rag.
His plans are often elaborate and creative. It makes it difficult to see his endgame when he's thrown in so many red herrings to feed the masses. But it all seems to come back to Augusta. His one true love. According to her she seduced him and convinced him to hurt his sons and got him to want to bring her back to life. Even if this is true, it comes from that obsessive devotion he seems to have for her. However, he will conceal this to the bitter end because it would be a disadvantage to him if others were to find out about what the final move is in order for him to have his checkmate.
Alexis Hargreaves is one of the most sadistic men to be found. One who abuses others with a certain class that manages to keep his hands clean. Though he can convince you with that silver tongue that he's an angel, he's really a wolf in sheep's clothing. He's extremely dangerous to all who know him, including his own children. Because while he loves his children and wishes them to be happy, he will take great pleasure in torturing them mentally and emotionally. Like he wants to see them happy but simply can't find satisfaction in that. Beware this man when he charms his way into your life. He doesn't love you. What he loves is something he should never have.
[point in timeline you're picking your character from]: Post Volume 5 of Godchild
[journal post]:
[There is a little smile on his face when he turns on the video function.]
So this is the City. I suppose that I could learn to be comfortable here. What a pity that it's taken me away from important matters. However, I suppose I can be grateful that time is apparently frozen there until I am able to return. Yes, I believe I could count that as a blessing of its own. I can always find a way to use my time here wisely.
Housing wasn't difficult to manage since it seems that such things are just provided for us. Of course I will soon have find something a little more to my tastes but that was hardly a surprise.
[Suddenly that smile grows just ever so slightly.]
Unfortunately, there are some people I long to see that haven't made themselves known to me yet. They know who they are though. There is no need for me to worry about calling them out by name.
[He brings out a pipe. With practiced ease, he lights a match and uses it to light the pipe as well. Putting the match out, he places the pipe on his lips and smoke curls up into the air.]
What a pleasure this will be, dear City. I hope to get to know you very well.
[third person / log sample]:
The City. It was such a vast place filled with possibilities. Worlds and times mixing together in one impossible pot of intrigue. All this knowledge and no one to take advantage of it.
Until his arrival.
Alexis Hargreaves looked down upon the population below, pipe in his hand, the mouthpiece resting on his lips. He'd taken over an apartment temporarily since finding something better would be possible soon enough. All he had to do was find something suitable to his needs. Though he was tempted to have it be something like one of the penthouse suites so he could have this view in the future. A window looking out at the world below.
Of course this would mean that projects involving Augusta would be delayed but perhaps he could learn something here. Something to aid him with bringing her back. Since he was without her in this place, he could devote his time to that. A study on the advances in technology would be suitable. Perhaps magic as well. Both seemed to be so prevalent here. Like they were just begging him to learn more about them for his purposes.
So convenient.
He smiled a little as his thoughts lingered to what else he had here. Four individuals to be precise. One of them could possibly be discarded soon depending on how useful he was. However, Alexis had noticed that Cassian had a bond with one of his sons. So perhaps he could be of use to him after all. Just in case Jezebel decided to misbehave. It was something to keep in mind if nothing else. Otherwise, he would have to be rid of him in some way. Since it seemed death was not permanent that also meant creativity. Very well. He could always have Jezebel be the one to do it. A little lesson on how easily bonds could be broken if one wasn't careful.
Jezebel. His eldest son. A promising doctor who happened to be a clever killer as well. Death of the Major Arcana. Were it not for his habit of disobedience, he was sure that he could go further than anyone in Delilah. He had such promise. Especially now that he was in his proper place rather than one of the lowly Trump cards. Of course, there was no way he would have allowed him to linger in such a position for long. No. Jezebel was his son and he would see to it that he had the power that should come with that.
Such a weak child he'd been once upon a time. Sick so often and with an animal as a friend. It had been such an unfortunate sight that a child of his would be so pathetic. Naturally, he'd done everything in his power to change that. Killing those sisters of his in order to put their organs to better use. One at a time until he was better. Then slaughtering that lamb that had been his pet. Why, he could still remember the look on his face when he'd revealed to him that the food he'd just eaten was that lamb. His mother had tried to hide him away once but he'd found him and raised him to be the kind of man he should be.
Some smoke rose above his head as he continued to dwell on these memories. The lash of the whip across Jezebel's back, telling him what he'd done to him, informing him that he wasn't the heir to the Hargreaves title. Yet none of that compared to letting Cassandra do as he pleased. Sometimes he wondered just what all that man had done to his child while he'd kept his son with him. The feelings that had grown and boiled within his son during that time. All in time to remove Cassandra's brain from his head while he was still alive. Alexis had made sure to stay through that entire operation, to see the look in Cassandra's eyes, to see his son get his revenge.
Honestly, had Cassandra actually believed that he would just allow him to do as he pleased with Jezebel and get away with it? Especially once he'd outlived his usefulness.
Jezebel would soon return to him. There was no need to be concerned about that. All he had to do was wait for him. If there was one thing he could count on it was that his eldest son would come back to him and serve him. He would have to find out where the man was living currently. Already he was thinking of having him live closer to him instead. If only to keep an eye on him.
He already had a way to keep an eye on his other son. On Cain, the Earl of Hargreaves. He did so enjoy tormenting him. Perhaps far more than he did with Jezebel. What would it be like to rip his entire world apart suddenly? How many pieces would that shatter him into? Tapping his lip with his pipe, he considered this for a moment or so. Cain truly had no idea what he was up against. Then again, he never had known. It was fortunate that he was actually still a child. Lessons tended to stick better in the mind of a youth compared to the mind of an adult.
That child who was the son of himself and his sister. Because of him, he'd lost her. She'd slipped right through his fingers and for that he'd punished him. Cain, the child of God to be punished for killing his brother Abel. He was fond of the name he'd provided for the child. For though Cain had been punished, God had loved him still and therefore provided for him so that he could live. So he could grow and become better. His own son was so stubborn about learning his lessons but Alexis could be patient with him. One day he would make it clear to him that he couldn't have everything, that he couldn't save everyone, that he wasn't as good as he seemed to be.
What irony that his own son had fallen for his sister too. Like father like son. It was so sweet to think that it had passed straight onto him. He couldn't have planned it so beautifully. That twist of fate was still something to savor though and had lead to the creation of Mikaila. What better way to get his son to possibly help with his cause than through someone who looked just like his beloved Suzette. He'd even been kind enough to tell her every day that her purpose was to be there for him. For him to belong to her. Such a pity that Cain was rejecting her. Though it hardly mattered. Just the fact that she was there in existence was enough to torment him and bring the past into the present.
It wasn't as if Alexis could use the whip like he'd done when the boy was small. Now he had to be a little more creative than that. Cain wasn't weak like Jezebel had once been. Yet, he wasn't content to just let him have nothing but happiness. Not after the loss of Augusta because of him. And the greatest trap of all had yet to spring. It was quite possibly the one bit of torture he was proudest of. It always brought him back to that question of, how would Cain handle having his entire world falling apart?
That safety blanket of his, Riffael. He'd planted him early on after he'd created the man. He was holding up quite nicely. Then again, a Tower should hold up. Everything was perfect with him there to watch over his son. Neither of them realized that this false personality, this Riff, was just that. False. An illusion that would care for Cain and be closer to him than anyone ever could be. Now and then though, he would steal him away so remove the hypnosis he had placed over him so that Riffael could report to him what his son was up to.
It wouldn't be long now before he would allow Riffael to come to the surface. In that moment, everything Cain held that was truly precious would come crashing down. That Tower that had slow so closely guarded him would be gone. What would he do then? Would he still have the strength to continue to fight against him? Would he really believe that his precious servant was gone for good, leaving him all alone here?
Oh yes he was sure that Cain had somehow managed to build up relationships in this place beyond his servant. However, he doubted any of them were like that bond. That pure love they shared for each other. Perhaps he would allow Jezebel to go and collect Riffael when it happened. Just so he could see a love like that shatter like a mirror struck with a stone. Now and then, it was good to reward the man so that he could have that little rush of joy.
Riffael. What plans he could come up with for him. He would be very suitable for finding ways of distracting this place from his true agenda of learning all he could about bringing Augusta back. They would never realize what he truly wished to happen. It was truly a pity that he couldn't make copies of her here though. But he would manage all the same.
His Augusta. His beautiful sister. Alexis couldn't pinpoint the day that he'd fallen in love with her. Yet he'd known in just a moment that that was what he felt for her. It was something he'd struggled so hard against upon learning it. That was his sister. He shouldn't love someone who was his own blood in such a manner. Not that this mattered though. He couldn't stop the feelings. And on that fateful day, they changed their entire world together.
It was actually a precious memory to him, the day they'd shared a bed. Augusta had even conceived a child from that union. Proof that it hadn't been some illusion. That time they'd had together had been real.
Lowering his pipe, he stopped looking at the City and focused instead on his own reflection. Cain had a bit of both inside them. He could see it every time they interacted. Happy, miserable...honestly he couldn't be satisfied with either one when it came to Cain. Alive was the best solution. Then he could continue to see him and hear about him. That product of Augusta. That living piece of her. Jezebel could never be that. Jezebel was his own flesh and blood but he had no real tie to Augusta. Not the way that Cain did.
He would have her back soon. Something here would tell him how to keep the doll alive that he created. Alive and with a soul. Once that was complete then he would have his sister back. It was what she would want. What she would really want.
Slowly, he turned away from the window to go over to the device that he'd been given. There were a few people here that he'd noted could be beneficial to him. It was time for him to make himself known to them. He would also have to rebuild Delilah here. Alexis knew that having that organization around would aid him in future endeavors in this place. And the City would never realize that there was a secret organization working beneath their very noses. He had no doubts that Cain would try to figure out his plan so that he could stop him but that would just make things more interesting. Honestly he was looking forward to seeing his son try. He wanted to see just what he would come up with to try. If only so he could be amused by how he really had no idea what was actually going on.
"It won't be long now, Augusta. Soon I will have you alive."
And he turned the device on.