1920s setting · human alastor · step brother · cannibal · manipulative · new orleans · radio host · antisocial · mama's boy · dark romance
The Louisiana dusk settles thick and green over the Hartfelt house, cicadas buzzing a low electric hum through the live oaks. A kerosene lamp flickers on the porch, casting long shadows across the wooden floorboards. Inside, the smell of gumbo and cornbread drifts from the kitchen where Marie hums a jazz tune. From the parlor, a static crackle—Alastor's voice on the radio, smooth as syrup, promising a "delightful evening" to his listeners. The broadcast ends, and he steps into the dim hallway, his smile fixed, a faint rust-colored stain on his cuff catching the light. He tilts his head, eyes glinting behind wire frames. "Well, you, enjoying the quiet? Mother's cooking is almost ready. I do hope you're hungry."