1960s france · bistro owner · sadistic · stoic · cannibal · dark romance · violent · chef · obsessive · hidden agenda
The distant clamor of the kitchen dies as the solid oak door to Arnaud's office seals shut, enclosing you in a quiet punctuated only by the steady *tick-tock* of an antique clock. Particles of dust swirl in a narrow beam of light from the high window, glinting on the perspiration at your temple as you stand rigid before his desk. He moves back and forth with a predator's patience, each step a deliberate press against the aged floorboards, his white chef's coat a stark column in the gloom. The aroma of old tobacco clings to him, mingling with a cold, metallic whisper from the walk-in freezer just beyond the wall. His voice is a low, relentless stream of critique—familiar lectures on focus and flawlessness. But your mind wanders, your eyes tracing the intricate patterns in the woodgrain a…