Finished Am I a hypocrite?

Pietro, for his change in professional direction and public facing demeanor, was still a man with his heart firmly in his community. He couldn't help it: he had spent so long building Manta Carlos up that he was bound to fall back into doing what he could for his people. Tonight was a party at his club, Popov, celebrating Islander's Day for the vampires that had come to live on the island within the past year. Drinks, both of the alcoholic and sanguine varieties poured freely from bottles, kegs, and willing participants alike. Pietro was firmly in his element, a graceful effeminate shadow moving through the crowds on heels clicking mutely underneath the tide of revelry.

He was dressed far more modernly than usual: a white v-neck t-shirt tucked into leather slacks tucked into matching calf length boots, all held together under a draped muted plum coat slung over his shoulders like a cape. He looked strangely decadent even dressed so clearly for a party, a snifter of blood held delicately between his fingers. Pietro's attention was split, his senses all over the place to try and anticipate any problems that may arise.

What he hadn't expected, but possibly should have, was one Natasha Lockwood skulking around his venue. He remembered their last meetings distinctly, and specifically remembered that they had not left on good terms. She had seen him as dismissive and disingenuous and he had found her to be disrespectful to his dedication to his people. He had no idea if there was still active animosity on her end, but he intended to find out.

Gliding across the room to where she stood, Pietro stopped behind Natasha and cleared his throat. A useless gesture, given the volume of the club at the moment, but one he did out of habit before speaking, "Miss Lockwood. My my, what a surprise. I didn't think you would sully yourself coming to an establishment like this."

"It does, doesn't it?" he said in his song-like voice, the corners of his lips playing up in a smirk. "I'm quite enjoying myself, actually. This is so much less stressful than sitting in Ministry meetings every evening."

His heels clicked as he closed the distance between the two of them, inspecting her. She definitely was still antagonistic to him and that was just fine. He had realized a long time ago that you won't be able to please everyone. Pietro brought his glass up to his lips, taking just enough of a sip to stain his Cupid's bow dark red. Pressing his lips together, it almost looked like he was wearing lipstick.

"Are you enjoying the party? Drinks are free tonight, so if you're so inclined please partake. My little gift to the community as a reminder that I'm still here and still very much involved."

"Isn't decadent kind of the point, though? It is a night club after all, Сла́дкая?" He took another sip of his still warm blood, a bit surprised that she had admitted to having a good time. "It's not as though I built a convent, is it? Places like this, they are meant to elicit pleasure. Happiness. A kind of social utility that often gets overlooked by the more prudent figures of progress."

Pietro lifted his glass somewhat, letting the dark red liquid shine in the light. "Does it bother you? The decadence? Is it so wrong to want to indulge yourself every once in a while?"

"You're probably aware that I'm not in politics anymore. I stepped down to let some new blood take my place."

Pietro took a step and rotated on the toe of his shoe, slipping beside Natasha so that their shoulders touched. He leaned over to whisper, despite the noise around them meaning that no one could reasonably hear what he was saying anyway, "We often give up our favorite vices while in the service of others. But when we are free of that service, we can be forgiven for wanting to treat ourselves."

"Is it hard to believe, Miss Lockwood? I have full access to a charm to put me in the far more beautiful form you see now and yet I spent most of my political career parading around as a child because I enjoyed putting older seeming people on their place."

Pietro grinned, his fangs showing prominently. "I do enjoy things. A great many things, in fact. I never claimed not to when we last met. I just kept my less conventional hobbies out of the public discourse."