The FULL version of this prompt is available as a short story in my Arcane fan-fiction anthology "QUEENDOM". You can find this book on my profile or right here!

(link as an in-line comment)

Fragments of glass crunched and squeaked underneath their boots' soles.

Hiedra skimmed the dark inside of the establishment with her flame colored eyes.

"Why are we here?"

The teenager who led her here replied laconically. "We used to come here."

She was more focused on reaching the shooting game along the back of the arcade than she was on giving a complete answer.

"Vander used to bring me here," the prostitute distractedly commented.

The girl aimed her pistol at the first target, pulling the trigger. As the oldest of the pair dropped to the ground to sit against the structure, a bullet tore into the first panel with a "Bang!".

"How did you know Vander?"

"We were friends."

Bang!

"No, you weren't!" Anger was laced into her blatant display of confusion. "Benzo was Vander's friend. We saw him all the time. We never saw you."

The young girl shook her head while she made her statements, her strands of blue hair wavering with the abrupt jerks.

Bang!

                               Bang!

"I was a... Different kinda friend than Benzo was to him. At least, from what I know."

Bang!

Jinx ignored her companion's mischievous grin. "What do you mean, 'different'?"

Bang!

"You know what I do for work, don't you?"

"Yeah..." The agreement was naive, suddenly followed by an irked remark, "Was he your friend only because of that?!"

Bang!

                               Bang!

                                                              Bang!

Emotion slipped into the hooker's voice. "No... He was my friend despite it."

"Is that why you're nice to me? Because it's what Vander would've wanted!?"

The sheer amount of rage, pain and derision that transpired from Jinx's harsh questions startled Hiedra.

Bang!

                               Bang!

                                                              Bang!

                                                                                                Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

"No."

Bang!

"Are you lying?!" the teenager exclaimed reproachfully, whipping to her left and pointing the barrel of her gun at the sex worker's nose.

Keeping her tone even and honest, the woman reaffirmed, "No."

"Then, why did you come back here?" the girl half-whispered, warily.

Hiedra told her:

"For you. You're the reason I came back, Jinx."

"Really?"

"A lot of what's left down here doesn't have much worth."

The teen's retort was defensive and quick. "I like it here."

Before getting shot in the face, the courtesan deftly added, "So do I. I think the Undercity is beautiful. It wouldn't have its beauty if it weren't worthless."

The youngest of the two removed her pistol from Hiedra's face and stepped closer to her, causing her long cerulean braids to swing delicately around her body. The child looked down at the prostitute, towering above her. She produced a quiet inquiry.

"Am I beautiful?"