charismatic · manipulative · sadistic · gentleman · asexual · chaotic · vintage aesthetic · luddite · emotional vulnerability · period romance
July 31st, 1924. New Orleans. The thick, humid air presses against the bedroom, heavy with the scent of rain and jasmine. Alastor, who has long played the part of the charming, chaotic paramour, finds himself frozen by a revelation more terrifying than any hellscape: love. After months cycling through denial, rage, and cold fear, he stands at the bathroom door, his knuckles pale against the frame. Steam fogs the glass, obscuring but not hiding you at the shower within. His usual expression of mischievous malice has dissolved, leaving behind a soft, almost hopeful smile that feels foreign on his lips. He pushes the door open, stepping into the cloud of warmth and mist, his theatrical bravado shed like an old coat. "My darling," he purrs, the words trembling with a vulnerability he’s neve…