Recruited (Tristan)

[Samuel Tanner]

Samuel sat slumped in his chair, slowing swirling the amber liquid in the grungy took he had in his left hand. He surveyed the bar, looking for the face he had bumped into earlier. The face said he could help with what Samuel wanted, and it was finally the day he could appear in the Dark Lord's favor, and in his mind at all. The Death Eater chapter of his life was going to begin and reign with victories all around.

He snapped a fly out of the air, watching it drift to the floor with a lazy smile as he took a sip of the liquid.

[Tristan Collins]

Tristan had met the boy earlier, but feared carrying out a true conversation on the topic in such a public place. He always had to keep up appearances, and couldn't risk having anyone overhear the kind of discussion he had to have with the boy.

The Rusty Nail was little more than a hole in the wall, a place for the dregs of humanity. No good wizard or witch would dare show their face in such a place, for fear of losing their heads. It was, therefore, a perfect place to discuss the Dark Lord's business.

When he had the chance, he slipped away and headed over to the nasty little pub to meet Samuel Tanner. As he walked in, he crunched down on a rather large cockroach that was running around the floor. No one so much as batted an eyelash at the sight of it or its goopy corpse, which Tristan now tracked across the floor as he advanced toward Samuel.

He ordered a firewhiskey, then turned to the boy. "OK," he began. "So tell me why you think you'd be a suitable servant of the Dark Lord."

[Samuel Tanner]

Samuel's half smile turned to a full dark smile as his eyes landed on Tristan. He sat up a little straighter, and his eyes turned into a little more then slits as the amn sat down. He was prepared for the interrogation, and was more then ready to answer. Rhianne may be a little shocked, but this was his life, and she wasn't with him now.

"I have certain traits and skills that would be useful," Samuel said lowly. "I don't have many attachments to the Aurors, and I certainly have a hatred for one of them. I need revenge, and the Death Eaters are certainly my style. The Dark Lord seems quite powerful, and I am willing to follow. I will serve him faithfully."

[Tristan Collins]

Tristan listened with interest, swirling his drink around in his glass. "Revenge," he said quietly, as if mulling over the word. "It's a powerful motivator, to be sure. But do you think the Dark Lord is interested in taking on servants that serve their own agendas, in addition to his? He needs to know that you will put Him first, above all things. That you won't turn away from orders he has given you in order to fulfill your own personal desires. Can you do that?"

[Samuel Tanner]

"Why of course. I could easily exact revenge on my own terms, but I believe I could do more harm to people if I had personal connections of hatred toward the lot," Samuel replied. "There's nothing I wouldn't do for him. I swear on my mother's grave."

Samuel wasn't sure if Tristan knew what importance his mother had been to him, and it was one of his last happy memories. So Samuel was quite serious, and perhaps hadn't been any more serious in his life. Samuel was made for this life.

[Tristan Collins]

Tristan said nothing for a moment, choosing instead to study the boy with a critical eye. He was young, that was true. The young, he had found, were often the most passionate towards the cause. Filled with anger and bitterness and hatred, and often twisted with self-loathing, the fierceness of their passion was both a benefit and a detriment. It was a powerful motivator, but it was difficult to control. And, like most things, it mellowed with age. He needed to be sure that the benefits of recruiting this boy would outweigh the negatives.

"Have you ever used an Unforgivable?" he asked almost boredly, taking a sip of his drink.

[Samuel Tanner]

Samuel took a sip of his drink, and replied, "of course."

He thought about the people who had challenged him, and the crucios that had found thier way to the victims' bodies. It wasn't satisfying enough, he liked to hurt people. And crucio wasn't doing what most people would like. He wanted to completely tear someone apart, and that would help this cause completely.

[Tristan Collins]

Tristan wasn't about to give in to the boy just yet. Being a Death Eater was a serious commitment and he needed to be sure that this one wasn't going to turn and run when the moment came. Several Death Eaters had turned traitor to their cause, and he couldn't let that happen again. The Dark Lord needed good, loyal, and capable servants.

"How many times have you used an Unforgivable? And which ones have you used? I need to hear some examples."

[Samuel Tanner]

Samuel sighed, letting the rush of air through the thin opening he'd allowed his lips to make. Normally, he wasn't this polite to strangers, and not many people would consider this converstaion to be anything more then an civil apathy. Samuel replied with a bored undertone, "I've used it to maipulate muggles with, offing them when I'm done or bored with them, and such things that really hadn't mattered other then that. Killing muggles is hardly worth anything in my book, they're not worth the dirt of the soles of my shoes."

[Tristan Collins]

Tristan appeared to think that over very carefully. He was aware that he wasn't necessarily the Dark Lord's most favored servant. But when it came to recruiting, he took his job seriously. If he brought a prospective death eater who was not up to the Lord's standards, he'd have no hope of gaining favor. So he wanted to be sure that Samuel was worthy before he brought him to meet Lord Voldemort.

"Why do you want to be a death eater?" he asked. "What do you hope to accomplish?"

[Samuel Tanner]

Samuel was getting a little bored by the interview, but couldn't show that. Tristan was Samuel's only way into the actual fight for this."I can solemnly swear that I believe in what the Dark Lord is going for. His morals are in the right place. What the ministry is doing isn't what is good for purebloods and wizards in general. Muggles are too oblivious to rule this world. Do you believe that someone with its kind of blood deserves to be in power? Things like that could destroy anything that's powerful."

Samuel's eyes were bright by the end of his little tirade. He truly believed every word he was saying.

[Tristan Collins]

That was enough for Tristan. Still, he kept cool and showed no emotion on his face. He polished off the last of his drink and stood up.

He looked down at the boy... well, he was a man, but didn't look like much more than a boy to Tristan's eyes. Nodding his head, he said simply, "We'll be in touch soon."

And then he was gone.

[Samuel Tanner]

Samuel gave a smirk, happy with himself. He walked out of the bar without leaving any coins, and apparated back to his apartment. Nothing was going to stop him now.