Worldbuilding Thread for 'A Study in Obsession' with @CoupDeGrace147. “You don’t interview a hurricane. You don’t analyze a black hole from inside it.”
A Study in Obsession is a psychological thriller with neo-noir and academic gothic elements. A story where intellect, control, and the way love and power erode the line between observation and participation.
A criminal psychologist known for his writings on compliance and control, Jaden accepts an off-record case observing the charismatic crime lord Kazimir. The line between research and seduction collapses and what began as a study of charisma as coercion, becomes a descent into complicity, where Jaden's own mind becomes the newest site of experiment.
The story is told with forensic intimacy and the slow dread of revelation, dissecting power, obedience and the dangerous tenderness that forms between observers and the observed. Every act of empathy becomes an act of control.
Type: Underground Bar Tone: Low light, amber glow, tension disguised as comfort. Function: Meeting ground for informants, subjects, and the curious. Associated Characters: Oscar, Lionel, Tim-Tam Notable Details: Publicly a bar, owned by Oscar. It's also used to smuggle goods through. Kazimir has moles in the Lounge.
Church
Type: Active Parish / Crime Scene Tone: Cold stone and dusted pews; echoing quiet that feels both reverent and accusing. Function: Place of violence and grief; the aftermath of one of Kazimir’s unspoken acts. Associated Characters: Jaden, Kazimir, unnamed woman (Oscar’s sister) Notable Details: An active church, with a secret basement that operates as Kazimir's organ market. Jaden encountered a woman here long before learning she was Oscar’s sister.
Penthouse
Type: Private Residence Atmosphere: Pristine, symmetrical, suffocatingly controlled. Function in Story: Kazimir’s primary domain Associated Characters: Kazimir, Haste Notable Details: Minimalist décor, all sharp edges and glass. Every object is deliberate, positioned to disarm visitors with beauty. The view overlooks the city like ownership.
Cabin
Type: Private Residence Atmosphere: Muted and quiet; isolated. Function in Story: Kazimir’s other domain, Jaden's 'cage' Associated Characters: Kazimir, Jaden Notable Details: This is where Jaden was taken and held as hostage, reluctant to call it home, considering it a cage now.
Rutherford Institute of Behavioral Science
Type: University Atmosphere: Polished intellect masking quiet arrogance; sterile, self-congratulatory. Function in Story: Board who gave Jaden permission to start his case study on Kazimir. Associated Characters: Jaden, Dr. Martin, Notable Details: Founded as a behavioral research offshoot in the mid-20th century; known for producing controversial but “innovative” field psychologists.
Marauders
Type: Restaurant Tone: Upscale Function: Kazimir’s extended web Associated Characters: Kazimir, Jaden Notable Details: Owned by Kazimir, where Jaden met him off-record.
location template code
Code:
[u][b]Location Name[/b][/u]
[indent][b]Type:[/n] words
[b]Atmosphere:[/b] words
[b]Function in Story:[/b] What kind of scenes happen here? (Confrontations, escapes, research, reflection?)
[b]Associated Characters:[/b] Who frequents this place? Who controls it?
[b]Notable Details:[/b]
• Iconic object or sound (e.g., flickering sign, old piano, static on a radio)
• Secrets hidden here
• Events tied to it[/indent]
