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𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠: first light - hozier
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"Looks like death's delicate darling has morphed into a stern taskmaster." Alfie quipped, reclining leisurely with a glass of rum in hand. He found amusement in the reshuffling of their roles, no longer the puppeteer but now dancing to Marianna James' tune.
She shot him a cutting glance, her words honed to a razor's edge. "Dodging the Reaper hasn't dulled my senses. That was just a little slumber. Now, did you understand what I've just told you?"
The Camden Town gangster rolled his eyes, a resigned sigh escaping him as he reluctantly rose. "Easy for you to say, Miss Bossypants. But taking orders isn't exactly my forte, you know?"
Marianna scoffed, her demeanor unapologetically brazen. "Oh, spare me, Alfie. If you hated it as much as you're complaining right now, you would've threatened me already, maybe even walked out the door. But you're still here, and I don't sense any form of reluctance in you."
"Ah, you've caught me fair and square, my dear," Alfie remarked, his voice rough yet filled with a hint of amusement. "So, let me see if I've got this straight. You're asking me to be your messenger, your eyes and ears beyond these walls, while you remain concealed in the shadows—"
"Until I can discern how to navigate the reality of my demise." Marianna interjected, her tone cool and composed, though a flicker of desperation danced in her eyes.
"Hmm," Alfie mused, stroking his overgrown beard thoughtfully as he cast his gaze downward. "And what might be the name of the gentleman you wish for me to handle?"
Marianna's piercing blue eyes met his own, a silent exchange passing between them as she drew nearer. Her countenance, once warm and familiar, now seemed veiled in an icy resolve that gave Alfie pause. "James Monkland. I require him to divulge a name for me, and you shall deliver him a message: if 'he' should ever seek him out, he must disclose everything."
"He?" Alfie echoed, his brow furrowing in confusion.
Marianna fixed him with a steady gaze, a silent understanding passing between them as the gravity of her words sank in.
