Cruella de Vil poisoned her father and two stepfathers. Her mother Madeline (Anna Galvin) kept her locked inside the house to prevent her from harming others. As an adult, she met Isaac (the Author) (Patrick Fischler), who was posing as a regular journalist; through him, she learned that her world, a perpetual 1920s England, was one of many. Smitten with her, the Author gave her the power to control animals. Cruella used the new power to have her mother's dalmatians kill her, and killed them and made their fur into a coat. In a struggle to prevent the Author from writing another note
Cruella de Vil which Mr. Dearly describes as "a moving zebra crossing", and Cruella boasts that it has the loudest horn in London, which she insists on sounding for the Dearly couple. When Cruella has guests for dinner, all of her food is strangely-colored and tastes strongly of pepper. When Mr. Dearly comments she might find her mink cloak too warm for a summer's evening, Cruella laughs that she never finds anything too warm; she constantly stokes a roaring fire and complains of being cold despite the unbearable heat. The flat is portrayed as a luxurious version of Hell, with all the rooms