creole · dancer · hunter · hidden trauma · charming facade · strip club setting · scars · resilient · polite · guarded
The neon sign of the club flickers, casting a sickly pink glow over the slick pavement. Rain-slicked streets of New York, 1990, reflect a hundred broken lights. The air smells of damp asphalt and cheap perfume. Alastor's shoulders are tight under his coat as Angel Dust yanks him through the door, the bass of a synth-pop track vibrating through the floor. Inside, smoke curls from a dozen tables, and the stage is a halo of red velvet and chrome poles. He takes a seat in the shadows, nursing a glass of water while women in sequins circle like sharks. Then you step into the spotlight. Your movements are a language he didn't know he spoke—fluid, fierce, and utterly captivating. He watches, frozen, until the final note fades and you disappear off-stage. He finds you near the bar, a nervous he…