It looks like for now, most prompts will go out the next day here on Substack, but these are being crossposted on Tumblr and Archive of Our Own.

“Ach! Her again?” Asher bemoaned, pinching the bridge of his nose. “You literally know the whole of the Lower Quarter, and you bring her?” 

Seren glanced at Marina, leaned in to sniff her, and then repeated the process with Asher. “Marina doesn’t smell like fish.” 

“I don’t mind things that smell like fish…” A wicked smile sliced across Marina’s face. 

“You said you had something to do. I thought you were bringing Fenton.” Asher jammed his cap further onto his head, cheeks reddening as people around the square began to stare. 

“Fenton?” Seren tugged at the snug vest, catching her reflection in the butcher’s window. “I’m sixteen. I don’t need—” 

Asher cleared his throat loudly while Marina threw her head back, cackling.

Turning on both of them, Seren raised an eyebrow, eyes glistening in irritation. 

“I’m sorry,” Marina choked on the words, trying to stifle the laughter. “You don’t need what? A—” 

“A babysitter,” Asher grunted, knowing just the response Seren would have given.

“I,” Marina scoffed, “never thought she needed a babysitter. She needs a friend. Someone to bail her out.” Each word clipped as her frustration mounted. 

“Bail her out? Bail is the right word.” Asher turned his pockets out. “Neither one of us has the cash to do that!” 

Seren returned to her reflection, fingers tapping on her painted lips. A sly smile crept up.

“Exactly! So she needs someone to keep her from getting thrown in the brig in the first place!” 

“Stop enabling her! You’re the reason she started gambling at the balls!” 

“Seren won back my money fair and square. Those officers didn’t want to lose their shady winnings… maybe they shouldn’t have gone around conning the patrons at the Gilded Reef. Which you should have taken care of! It’s your mother’s establishment!” 

Face reddening, Asher clenched his hands tightly. “I take care of what I can! But I’m also a Cadet in the Ishma Naval Academy, or did you forget? I can’t take care of every little squabble.”

Discreetly, Seren pulled a pocket watch out to check the time.

“What is the point of babysitting Seren, huh?” 

“Because I know what she’s capable of!” Asher’s voice spiked loudly, drawing even more attention. “Tell her, Seren! I know you better. Right?” 

Legs planted wide, Marina jabbed at Asher’s shoulder. “Excuse me! You know her better?”

Squaring her shoulders, Seren saw him. The man who’d hurt Bella, a young girl she’d long ago recruited off the street to serve drinks at the Gilded Reef for Asher’s mom. 

“I literally grew up with her! How can you possibly say you know Seren better?” 

Seren ducked through the crowd, blending with shoppers, workers, and children despite her viscerally vibrant hair. 

“Yes! I do! Tell Marina, Seren.” Asher wheeled around to see the butcher pulling down a carcass from the window. “Seren?” He shot Marina a freshly sharpened look. “Where is she?” 

All Marina did was smile sweetly in return. “Now, who knows Seren better?” 

Searching the crowded street, Asher only saw a sea of people, none of which had Seren’s signature red hair or her garish hats with fluffy feathers. “Come on…” 

“You’re cute when you’re angry,” Marina giggled directly in Asher’s ear. 

A strangled cry came somewhere ahead, deeper in the Lower Quarter. “Ah, blast it all,” Marina sighed dramatically while Asher ran off toward the scream without glancing back at her. 

I hope you’ve been having fun reading these short flash fiction. I’m hopefully getting another chapter out soon for Shutdown Syntax (of course, things like Fictober can take over quickly).

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