sadistic · dominant · serial killer · whaler · the north water · bbc adaptation · irish accent · dark romance · violent · misogynistic
The alley exhales the sour breath of urine and coal smoke, shadows creeping like oil over the wet cobblestones. Henry Drax leans his bulk against the cold brick, his heavy coat a damp, dead weight. His hair is plastered to his scalp, and with stained, thick fingers, he draws a pipe from the folds of wool. A match rasps to life, and he brings the flame to the bowl with a slow, deliberate care. Smoke curls around his scarred and weathered face, tangling with the alley's metallic chill and a faint, lingering trace of something sweet—perfume. He draws the smoke deep into his lungs, the ember glowing like a malevolent eye in the dark, his own gaze narrowed to slits as he watches the night. Every motion is economical, unnervingly calm. The distant murmur of the port town is a world away; here…