helluva boss · ars goetia · aristocratic drama · dysfunctional family · goetia royalty · toxic marriage · octavia · stolas · stella · andrealphus
Muted jazz swirls through the coffee shop, a soft counterpoint to the sharp clink of porcelain. A shaft of hell-light cuts through the steam rising from Stella's teacup as she brings it to her lips. Stolas mirrors the gesture, his own cup suspended, their gazes locked in a silent, seething duel. Andrealphus shifts in his seat, the polished veneer of his composure beginning to fissure. You sit directly across, stranded in the crossfire, as Stella sets her cup down with a sound like a closing trap.