Isaak Sirko ⚔ Исаак Сирко (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
defies_reason) wrote2012-11-24 07:58 pm
defies_reason) wrote2012-11-24 07:58 pm
Entry tags:
⚔ we're outsiders, you and i.
[series]: Dexter
[character]: Isaak Sirko
[character history / background]:
Our story really begins with Viktor Baskov of the Koshka Brotherhood, a Ukrainian crime syndicate specializing in heroin and human trafficking. Viktor came to Miami to attend to the Brotherhood's interests in the former: to keep the Colombians from taking over the trade. While there, he spent the bulk of his time in the Fox Hole Strip Club (one of a chain owned by the Koshkas), and somehow or other ended up with a dead stripper-cum-drug mule in the trunk of his car. Unfortunately for him, he was stopped by a cop. Even less fortunately, after shooting said cop, Viktor caught the attention of one Dexter Morgan, blood spatter analyst and freelance vigilante serial killer, and ended up dismembered and dumped in the ocean. The usual. But not, this time, the end of the story.
Viktor's dying warning-- "I have very dangerous friends--" is proven true when Isaak Sirko shows up to find out why Viktor never made his flight back home to Kiev. Isaak is very highly placed in the Koshka organization; he outright claims that he owns the Fox Hole chain (among other businesses), and implies he is acting with total autonomy. Through the judicious application of threats of torture and casual murder, Isaak manages to learn that Viktor is dead, and that Dexter Morgan is at least partially responsible. When he confronts Dexter, acting under the assumption that all of Miami Metro was involved (as an act of vengeance for the dead police officer), Dexter assures him he was the sole perpetrator of the crime. And here, Isaak's quest for vengeance begins in earnest.
Dexter sets Isaak up for an ambush, walking into a bar frequented by Colombian drug-runners and namedropping the Koshka brotherhood; instead of conveniently dying, however, Isaak massacres the three men inside, stabbing the last to death with a shattered bottle off the bar when he runs out of bullets, and then calmly walks out. However, the defensive wounds he incurs leave enough blood evidence to have him arrested. Luckily for Isaak, the Brotherhood has enough dirt on one of the Miami Metro cops to get that blood evidence conveniently lost, and Isaak Sirko walks, though he's put under police surveillance. He assures Dexter that though his desire for vengeance blinded him once, he won't walk into another trap.
Unfortunately, that single-minded fury has unsettled the other U.S.-based members of the Koshka Brotherhood (particularly George Novikov, who runs the Fox Hole and doesn't much care for Viktor or Isaak); they're starting to question whether a man hell-bent on killing a cop ought to be in charge of their already troubled drug operations. The major players at home, apparently, agree, and Isaak ends up with a price on his head and nothing at all to return to in Kiev.
When Dexter next confronts him, Isaak explains that he's got nothing left to lose; he's been cut off from his money and power, and moreover, Dexter is responsible for taking away the one thing that made his life worth living: Viktor. He waxes poetic on the mysteries of love for a while, comments that "under different circumstances, [they] could have been great friends," and takes his leave, silently reaffirming his promise that next time, he won't walk away.
(Subsequently, he will end up hunted by his own best men, team up with his worst enemy, and end up by his lover's side on the seafloor with a bullet in his gut, but that's a whole other story.)
The wiki pages for Season 7 and Isaak himself may also be of interest.
[character abilities]:
Upon seeing the carnage he leaves in the Colombians' club, Lt. Debra Morgan refers to Isaak as the fucking terminator, which ought to be fairly indicative of what he's like in a fight. He's ruthless and relentless; aside from considerable physical strength and agility, his greatest asset is the fact that he does not hesitate to start a fight, and he's quick to finish them. Though his accuracy is spotty over longer distances, he's a fairly good shot, but does not shy away from improvised weapons, such as broken bottles, screwdrivers, and power drills, which he wields with surprising grace and efficacy.
Otherwise, there's not much to say; he's an excellent businessman and nearly unflappable, but really, he's just an average human being. It is reasonably certain that he is fluent in Russian, English, and Ukrainian. He is very slightly farsighted, and so wears reading glasses.
[character personality]:
A man of iron will and self-control, Isaak is first and foremost a pragmatist, willing to set everything aside in the interest of attaining his goals. He is a romantic, but knows love is impractical and life is dangerous; he doesn't care for lies, but has a lot to conceal. In general, he takes no particular pleasure in killing, except the satisfaction found in a job well done, but neither hesitates nor regrets the necessity. Vengeance, on the other hand, he understands all too well... and will go to any lengths to attain it.
Though he's got a considerable (and frankly terrifying) temper, few people get to see it; even fewer see it and survive. When he does lose control of himself it's a brief and destructive moment, followed by a swift return to composure. There are suggestions that he was rather more prone to violent outbursts in his youth--he once threw a teacher down a flight of stairs for giving him an F--but as a boss of the Koshkas, he knows he can't afford to be ruled by his passions; of course, this means that the less he has to lose, the more he's willing to sacrifice that control to accomplish his aims.
Glimpses of his softer side are rarer still; until Viktor, he admits, he more or less didn't have one, remaining totally closed off to other people. Of course, the social stigma of their relationship necessitates secrecy; it's implied that no one in the Brotherhood knows, except his bodyguard Jurg and (probably) his secretary, and that, were the secret to get out, the rest of the Brotherhood would turn against him. He claims that his "love of opera is all that's left of [his] sensitive side." It's not strictly true, of course, but that's the public image he seeks to project.
Generally speaking, until such time as violence is called for, he's a charming and pleasant gentleman, well-spoken and with a taste for luxury. He smiles a lot, especially when making threats. He's intelligent and well-educated, and has very little patience for people who are neither, be they his competition in the narcotics business or the patrons of his strip clubs. This means he is, to an extent, a lonely man; but power has its rewards, and (at least until Viktor Basko's death) he's satisfied.
His primary goal in life right now is revenge, but left at loose ends? First and foremost, he's a businessman, and he's willing to do whatever is necessary to get ahead, to get what he wants.
[point in timeline you're picking your character from]:
Just after the end of the episode Argentina [7.08], after threatening Dexter and going home to listen to Viktor's last voicemail on repeat.
[journal post]:
It's funny, really.
Only the other day I said I'd like to find some quiet corner of the world to retire to. I hadn't once considered finding a quiet corner of another world. This is hardly Micronesia-- or even Argentina-- but I suppose I've made the best of worse situations.
Of course I'd rather expected to have more in the way of resources, but I wasn't given the opportunity to pack before this delightful abduction. Which means, for the first time in quite a long time, I'm looking for a job.
A city of this size must have something more interesting than waiting tables to offer. I've always found a certain satisfaction in making myself of use. So, tell me: what do you need, my fellow captives?
[third person / log sample]:
"Incompetent," he growls, dropping his phone on the armrest of the sofa. Leaning back he shuts his eyes, rubbing the bridge of his nose. This sort of thing, he knows, is inevitable; the larger the operation grows, the more he will be forced to rely on men he has not personally vetted. The more of their foolish mistakes he will be left to clean up. In time, of course, the growing pains will end; the fools will be culled, the capable will inherit the earth. But, for now...
"I'll have to go to Miami. George Novikov is less than useless; we'd be better off putting the Colombians in charge."
He grimaces. Miami is hot and garish, and he has little fondness for the businesses he nominally owns there. Isaak has always felt that a man should not consider himself too good for any task he asks his subordinates to perform; but he does not relish the necessity, in this case.
"Send someone else," Viktor advises from the other end of the couch, looking up from whatever trash he's reading. His feet are in Isaak's lap. It is, Isaak thinks with a trace of a smile, hideous in its domesticity. Without moments like this, he could easily disappear. To hell with George and the Colombians alike.
"I can't spare anyone I'd trust to manage the situation. Besides, George may be a fool, but he's an ambitious fool. Someone ought to make him uncomfortable."
Drawing his legs back, Viktor laughs. "Is that why you spend so much time with me?"
"Don't worry, he isn't competition." He leans over as Viktor draws himself up to sit, so they are shoulder to shoulder, face to face.
"So, I will go. I don't mind Miami." He doesn't bother to reassure Isaak that he can handle the situation; never once in his life has Viktor Baskov doubted his own abilities.
It is... not the worst idea. He recoils from it at first, but in truth either way they're bound to be apart for the time, and certainly Isaak is not eager to go himself.
(And, it is dangerous. This is the fact he will return to, later; that he knew all too well what might occur. That he should have said something more, the last time they spoke. That he should have gone himself.)
"Besides," Viktor murmurs, "it will be good for you to miss me, for a little while."
Isaak leans in to kiss him.
"I'll have Jurg make your arrangements. Tomorrow."
[character]: Isaak Sirko
[character history / background]:
Our story really begins with Viktor Baskov of the Koshka Brotherhood, a Ukrainian crime syndicate specializing in heroin and human trafficking. Viktor came to Miami to attend to the Brotherhood's interests in the former: to keep the Colombians from taking over the trade. While there, he spent the bulk of his time in the Fox Hole Strip Club (one of a chain owned by the Koshkas), and somehow or other ended up with a dead stripper-cum-drug mule in the trunk of his car. Unfortunately for him, he was stopped by a cop. Even less fortunately, after shooting said cop, Viktor caught the attention of one Dexter Morgan, blood spatter analyst and freelance vigilante serial killer, and ended up dismembered and dumped in the ocean. The usual. But not, this time, the end of the story.
Viktor's dying warning-- "I have very dangerous friends--" is proven true when Isaak Sirko shows up to find out why Viktor never made his flight back home to Kiev. Isaak is very highly placed in the Koshka organization; he outright claims that he owns the Fox Hole chain (among other businesses), and implies he is acting with total autonomy. Through the judicious application of threats of torture and casual murder, Isaak manages to learn that Viktor is dead, and that Dexter Morgan is at least partially responsible. When he confronts Dexter, acting under the assumption that all of Miami Metro was involved (as an act of vengeance for the dead police officer), Dexter assures him he was the sole perpetrator of the crime. And here, Isaak's quest for vengeance begins in earnest.
Dexter sets Isaak up for an ambush, walking into a bar frequented by Colombian drug-runners and namedropping the Koshka brotherhood; instead of conveniently dying, however, Isaak massacres the three men inside, stabbing the last to death with a shattered bottle off the bar when he runs out of bullets, and then calmly walks out. However, the defensive wounds he incurs leave enough blood evidence to have him arrested. Luckily for Isaak, the Brotherhood has enough dirt on one of the Miami Metro cops to get that blood evidence conveniently lost, and Isaak Sirko walks, though he's put under police surveillance. He assures Dexter that though his desire for vengeance blinded him once, he won't walk into another trap.
Unfortunately, that single-minded fury has unsettled the other U.S.-based members of the Koshka Brotherhood (particularly George Novikov, who runs the Fox Hole and doesn't much care for Viktor or Isaak); they're starting to question whether a man hell-bent on killing a cop ought to be in charge of their already troubled drug operations. The major players at home, apparently, agree, and Isaak ends up with a price on his head and nothing at all to return to in Kiev.
When Dexter next confronts him, Isaak explains that he's got nothing left to lose; he's been cut off from his money and power, and moreover, Dexter is responsible for taking away the one thing that made his life worth living: Viktor. He waxes poetic on the mysteries of love for a while, comments that "under different circumstances, [they] could have been great friends," and takes his leave, silently reaffirming his promise that next time, he won't walk away.
(Subsequently, he will end up hunted by his own best men, team up with his worst enemy, and end up by his lover's side on the seafloor with a bullet in his gut, but that's a whole other story.)
The wiki pages for Season 7 and Isaak himself may also be of interest.
[character abilities]:
Upon seeing the carnage he leaves in the Colombians' club, Lt. Debra Morgan refers to Isaak as the fucking terminator, which ought to be fairly indicative of what he's like in a fight. He's ruthless and relentless; aside from considerable physical strength and agility, his greatest asset is the fact that he does not hesitate to start a fight, and he's quick to finish them. Though his accuracy is spotty over longer distances, he's a fairly good shot, but does not shy away from improvised weapons, such as broken bottles, screwdrivers, and power drills, which he wields with surprising grace and efficacy.
Otherwise, there's not much to say; he's an excellent businessman and nearly unflappable, but really, he's just an average human being. It is reasonably certain that he is fluent in Russian, English, and Ukrainian. He is very slightly farsighted, and so wears reading glasses.
[character personality]:
A man of iron will and self-control, Isaak is first and foremost a pragmatist, willing to set everything aside in the interest of attaining his goals. He is a romantic, but knows love is impractical and life is dangerous; he doesn't care for lies, but has a lot to conceal. In general, he takes no particular pleasure in killing, except the satisfaction found in a job well done, but neither hesitates nor regrets the necessity. Vengeance, on the other hand, he understands all too well... and will go to any lengths to attain it.
Though he's got a considerable (and frankly terrifying) temper, few people get to see it; even fewer see it and survive. When he does lose control of himself it's a brief and destructive moment, followed by a swift return to composure. There are suggestions that he was rather more prone to violent outbursts in his youth--he once threw a teacher down a flight of stairs for giving him an F--but as a boss of the Koshkas, he knows he can't afford to be ruled by his passions; of course, this means that the less he has to lose, the more he's willing to sacrifice that control to accomplish his aims.
Glimpses of his softer side are rarer still; until Viktor, he admits, he more or less didn't have one, remaining totally closed off to other people. Of course, the social stigma of their relationship necessitates secrecy; it's implied that no one in the Brotherhood knows, except his bodyguard Jurg and (probably) his secretary, and that, were the secret to get out, the rest of the Brotherhood would turn against him. He claims that his "love of opera is all that's left of [his] sensitive side." It's not strictly true, of course, but that's the public image he seeks to project.
Generally speaking, until such time as violence is called for, he's a charming and pleasant gentleman, well-spoken and with a taste for luxury. He smiles a lot, especially when making threats. He's intelligent and well-educated, and has very little patience for people who are neither, be they his competition in the narcotics business or the patrons of his strip clubs. This means he is, to an extent, a lonely man; but power has its rewards, and (at least until Viktor Basko's death) he's satisfied.
His primary goal in life right now is revenge, but left at loose ends? First and foremost, he's a businessman, and he's willing to do whatever is necessary to get ahead, to get what he wants.
[point in timeline you're picking your character from]:
Just after the end of the episode Argentina [7.08], after threatening Dexter and going home to listen to Viktor's last voicemail on repeat.
[journal post]:
It's funny, really.
Only the other day I said I'd like to find some quiet corner of the world to retire to. I hadn't once considered finding a quiet corner of another world. This is hardly Micronesia-- or even Argentina-- but I suppose I've made the best of worse situations.
Of course I'd rather expected to have more in the way of resources, but I wasn't given the opportunity to pack before this delightful abduction. Which means, for the first time in quite a long time, I'm looking for a job.
A city of this size must have something more interesting than waiting tables to offer. I've always found a certain satisfaction in making myself of use. So, tell me: what do you need, my fellow captives?
[third person / log sample]:
"Incompetent," he growls, dropping his phone on the armrest of the sofa. Leaning back he shuts his eyes, rubbing the bridge of his nose. This sort of thing, he knows, is inevitable; the larger the operation grows, the more he will be forced to rely on men he has not personally vetted. The more of their foolish mistakes he will be left to clean up. In time, of course, the growing pains will end; the fools will be culled, the capable will inherit the earth. But, for now...
"I'll have to go to Miami. George Novikov is less than useless; we'd be better off putting the Colombians in charge."
He grimaces. Miami is hot and garish, and he has little fondness for the businesses he nominally owns there. Isaak has always felt that a man should not consider himself too good for any task he asks his subordinates to perform; but he does not relish the necessity, in this case.
"Send someone else," Viktor advises from the other end of the couch, looking up from whatever trash he's reading. His feet are in Isaak's lap. It is, Isaak thinks with a trace of a smile, hideous in its domesticity. Without moments like this, he could easily disappear. To hell with George and the Colombians alike.
"I can't spare anyone I'd trust to manage the situation. Besides, George may be a fool, but he's an ambitious fool. Someone ought to make him uncomfortable."
Drawing his legs back, Viktor laughs. "Is that why you spend so much time with me?"
"Don't worry, he isn't competition." He leans over as Viktor draws himself up to sit, so they are shoulder to shoulder, face to face.
"So, I will go. I don't mind Miami." He doesn't bother to reassure Isaak that he can handle the situation; never once in his life has Viktor Baskov doubted his own abilities.
It is... not the worst idea. He recoils from it at first, but in truth either way they're bound to be apart for the time, and certainly Isaak is not eager to go himself.
(And, it is dangerous. This is the fact he will return to, later; that he knew all too well what might occur. That he should have said something more, the last time they spoke. That he should have gone himself.)
"Besides," Viktor murmurs, "it will be good for you to miss me, for a little while."
Isaak leans in to kiss him.
"I'll have Jurg make your arrangements. Tomorrow."