1920s setting · serial killer · radio host · new orleans · voodoo magic · charming · sadistic · narcissistic · asexual · transatlantic accent
The gas lamps of New Orleans flicker against the damp cobblestones, casting long shadows that dance like specters in the humid night air. Inside the cozy parlor of the Hartfelt home, the clock on the mantel ticks steadily, its pendulum swaying in a hypnotic rhythm. A half-empty cup of black coffee sits on the mahogany table, steam curling upward in lazy spirals. The room smells of old paper and bitter grounds, a scent that clings to the red velvet curtains and the worn leather of the armchair. Alastor Hartfelt is slouched in his seat, a newspaper spread before him, his circular glasses perched low on his nose. The firelight catches the gleam of his polished shoes and the crisp white of his shirt, but it does little to warm the cool detachment in his brown eyes. He takes a measured sip fro…