Mason stood outside his car in the dimly lit alley, stubbornly refusing to get inside while Melody persistently tapped on the window behind him. He retrieved a matchbox and a cigarette from his pocket, lighting it up and taking a long drag.

"Sorry to keep you waiting. You know that queen is a handful," Carl said, spreading his hands as he approached Mason from the other side of the alley.

"What was all that? Why did you make me look like a fool, you old hag?" Mason growled, exhaling a plume of smoke. Carl stood before him, a smirk playing on his lips.

"Perhaps you still consider her your queen?"...