Mr. Asche kept a quick pace, Seren had to jog to keep up. They found the way he walked fascinating. He walked in a mix of a forward lean and straight upright. A long and heavy gait that pushed him forward. From behind, Seren watched the way people moved out of his way quickly. Intimidated by his unrelenting pace that neither slowed nor paused for anyone. No one even noticed Seren running behind in his shadow.

Seren was out of breath when they reached the Autumn district. Just after noon, closer to evening, the market was packed. People were shoulder to shoulder and there wasn’t a single cart to be seen. Loud music was playing from every shop front, no shop was playing the same music. On top of the people chatting and the bells ringing, children laughing, steam hissing, and the ringing. Every pocket was singing for Seren, more than just the pockets, some people were chiming in entirety.

They clapped their hands over their ears at the amount of noise. Only able to block out a small amount of the noise. Seren bumped into Mr. Asche’s back when he paused. He glared at them around his shoulder though his gaze cracked slightly when Seren looked up with their hands pressed against their ears pitifully.

“If you can’t handle the noise, get a pair of earplugs.” He said. “This way.” He led Seren into a back alley where the noise was a little quieter.

“What exactly did they tell you?” He asked, motioning toward the end of the alley where the dusty toy shop was bustling with children. Seren removed their hands from their ears. Wincing at the noise but feeling the need to pick their fingernails as they stared at the toy shop.

“They said-”

“Stop that.”

Seren was stunned into silence as their hands were slapped hard. Their jaw dropped open.

“What did they say?” Mr. Asche demanded. Seren’s hands drifted together again as they tried to find their words. “Hands down!” Seren dropped their hands to their sides. Their throat felt hoarse as they tried to force out words.

“Th-that they had gotten it from their parents.”

“Got what?”

“The shop. It was their parents, and it sounded like they had died recently.” Seren said as they began rocking back and forth on their heels.

“Their parents aren’t dead. The two work in the academy, the kid enjoyed making toys and opened the shop on their own. Next.” Mr. Asche responded like a bullet. “Stop that.” Seren stopped rocking and tried to hold still.

“Uh, the shop was really dusty cause no one goes in it and they can’t keep up-”

“Clearly that’s false, next.”

Seren’s hands found the edges of their coat and started playing with the frays.

“Has a family? They made it sound like they had kids.” Seren said uneasily.

“They have no kids but they have two goldfish,”

“Well, that’s nice,” Seren said. Mr. Asche sighed.

“You were lied to.” He said. “Can you not sit still?” Seren dropped their hands again.

“I don’t think I can…” Seren said quietly.

“Figure it out.” He snapped. Seren looked down at the snowy ground. They could say still for a few minutes, that shouldn’t be hard…

“Sorry,” Seren said quietly.

“You let people walk all over you and you’ll be nothing but dirt under everyone’s heels for the rest of your life.” Mr. Asche said.

“I want to be a nice person…” Seren murmured. They crossed their arms as Mr. Asche knelt down, his eyes burning into Seren’s. Their throat closed, and they held their breath, unable to look at anything but the rocks on the ground.

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“Look at me”

Seren tried to hide the shaking and the tears in their eyes as they looked up to meet his intense gaze.

“If you're ‘nice’ to the point of being used by everyone, you are worthless. If kindness is offered to everyone you meet, they will take it from you without your consent. When the world feels entitled to your goodwill, then they will discard you when you deny it. Nice is worthless. You want to be worthless?” His tone was severe and full of sharp ends. Each one cutting a little deeper into Seren’s resolve. Slicing right through and forcing bitter tears to fall down their face.

“You give me an answer, right now.”

“No.” Seren snapped. Their tears were glittery and sparkled like the tears of the fae. Beautiful, but utterly useless.

“Good. Now wipe your face.” He stood up and reached into his pocket while Seren furiously wiped at their eyes. “Here,” Seren barely caught the coin purse shoved into their hands as the man passed them.

“I expect you to be in my office at ten o’clock next Monday and not a second after.” He said before vanishing in the crowded streets. Seren held the purse, the ingts rattled as their hands trembled. They choked and held the purse to their chest. Falling against one wall and huddling into the snowbank. Sobbing into their coat sleeves. The energy built up inside their chest rising until they bit down on their thumb, leaving deep purple imprints of their imperfect teeth.

After they’d calmed down they held up the purse again, surprised slightly at the weight. They peeked inside to confirm what they already knew. Two iron ingts and five copper, as well as some coins. Staring at the money, Seren did the quick math. Their twenty percent rate was still in effect and if a hundred ingts could bring them an ingt higher than what the lowest possible weekly income was…

Seren gasped softly as the math worked itself out. They leaned on the wall and pushed themself up to their feet in awe of the future's potential. Seren ran home. Not stopping or speaking to anyone they passed.

They slammed the front door behind them. Stopping for only a second to reclaim their breath.

"Dad!" They yelled before ploughing through the curtain. Their dad was sitting up on the floor beside the bed, surrounded by worn and old drawing tools that were only barely usable. His sketchbook had a half finished landscape drawing that was too fantastical to be any place in reality, with a large dark scribble where Seren slammed the door and startled him. Seren gasped at the sight and dropped to his side.

"I didn't ruin it did I?" They asked fearfully.

"No, it's fine. I can work around it." Their dad shut the worn sketch book with frayed corners and soft edges.

"What's up?" He asked, "you sounded excited about something." Seren's face cracked into a huge grin. They put the purse into their father's hand. He stared at it with an unreadable look. Seren's grin fell.

"It's a bit over twenty-five ingts." They explained, but his expression didn't change. "And this," Seren pulled the ring of warmth out of their pocket. Putting it on top of the coin purse. Their dad frowned in disgust at the ring

"Fae silver?" He asked.

"Mhm, it's got a sunstone and an enchantment to keep the person wearing it warm." Seren said quietly. "I thought you'd like it." Their dad sighed and closed his eyes.

“You did a good job,” he said, giving in. He handed Seren back the purse and the ring. Seren didn’t feel like they’d been praised.

“I’m sorry… I can do better,” they mumbled. Seren started to their feet, as they rose, their dad tossed the things from his lap and grabbed Seren. Pulling them down into his arms.

“You don’t have to do better, you’re already the best I could ever ask for.” He said, holding them so tightly it almost hurt. “Hey, tell you what. I’ll keep this, and we’ll get you some new boots tomorrow? Does that sound nice?” Their dad took the sunstone ring and slipped it on.

“Do you not like fae silver?” Seren asked, resting on his shoulder while staring at the ring on his hand.

“I don’t like anything to do with the fae,” He said with an obvious hint of disdain in his voice.

“I’m fae,” Seren said fearfully.

“No, the fae touched you as a baby. There’s a difference between fae and someone the fae have affected.” Their dad said, content to sit with them.

“Is that why you don’t like the fae?” Seren asked. “Cause they affected me?”

“Yes,”

Seren watched the curtain move back and forth in the breeze that traveled through the house.

“How?” Seren wasn’t sure how to finish the rest of their question. It seemed they didn’t have to as their dad’s grip tightened. Seren leaned back to look at his face. “Why was it me?”

“It wasn’t you. It was never your fault.” He looked at Seren sharply. He sighed and leaned back, staring at the ceiling without seeing it. “It was your mother. She made a deal with a fae. The payment for the gift was for your mother to give you to the fae. I followed her out and brought you back, but the deal still went through, but instead of your mother getting the gift, you did.”

“What gift?” Seren whispered.

“I have no idea,” He said with a small chuckle. “I’ve been trying to figure it out for years.”

“I can hear things no one else can. Does that count?” Seren asked.

“Not sure, never met a fae to ask.” Their dad smiled, giving them a squeeze to kiss them on the forehead.