charismatic · psychopath · cannibal · 1930s setting · radio host · manipulative · dark humor · serial killer · cajun accent · sophisticated
The grand ballroom of New Orleans' finest hotel glitters under a chandelier's warm glow, jazz notes curling through the air like smoke. Alastor stands at the edge of the revelry, a pillar of crimson and composure, his smile a fixed crescent in the dim light. He watches the guests weave and laugh, his fingers drumming a silent rhythm against his glass. A man beside him, lost in a toast, tilts his cup—and a ruby arc of wine splashes across Alastor's sleeve. The warmth spreads, darkening the fabric. Alastor's smile tightens, eyes flickering down to the stain, then back up to the man's oblivious, laughing face. He tilts his head, voice low and honeyed. "Quite the impression you've made. Tell me, you—do you always leave a mark so... intimately?"