Tears of Themis: Cry for Justice

Chapter 1: Meeting

A week had passed. A week of working. People were generally kind, except for a few outliers. I tried my best to remain calm and collected as they asked for the manager. I guess even Stellis has Karen's. Monday morning came, and I got ready for work.

"Good morning, welcome to Stellar Coffee, what can I get for you today?" I asked as a new customer came up to the desk. He was tall with dark hair, piercings, and overall a bit of a rebellious aesthetic.

"I'll just have a black coffee," he said. His voice was soft, yet confident. There was a hint of flirtation as he spoke, almost as if he wanted to say something more.

"What name do you want me to put on?" I asked, getting the marker out.

"King," he said. I let out a nervous chuckle. Was he serious?

"Uh... I don't know if I can do that," I said. The man chuckled and shook his head.

"Marius is fine," he said. I nodded and wrote his name, followed by a heart. Whenever I had a man who appeared single I gave him a heart, as a little way of showing some love.

-

"I met her today," Marius said triumphantly, waving his cup around. "She even put a heart next to my name," he added. Artem rolled his eyes. Luke looked at the cup, raising an eyebrow.

"You know she's a high profile target for a drug trafficking ring, right? I wouldn't be so careless and inject yourself into her life under false pretenses," Vyn said, not paying Marius any mind. The truth was, all four men had fallen for her as soon as they saw the profile. Whether it was a strange need to protect, or they found her more aesthetically pleasing, was yet to be determined.

"I went by yesterday," Artem said, placing his cup on the table. Once again, a heart next to his name. Marius felt a bit defeated, but he was still determined to be the one to capture her attention.

"To more important matters, has there been any breakthroughs?" Vyn asked, changing the theme. The men all sat down around their table, letting out a sigh.

-

I walked from work, waving goodbye to Emily. It had gotten dark outside, and I felt a bit unsafe. The streetlights in front of the café had stopped working, so the only lights I had were the lights from the windows. A car pulled up to the designated parking space, and the window was rolled down. A man with golden eyes and silver-esque hair looked at me.

"You ok?" he asked. I nodded, gripping my bag tighter. He looked friendly enough, but I was cautious, seeing as I was a stranger. The car stopped, and he stepped out of it.

"Apologies, ma'am, I thought I was in time to get some coffee, but it seems that you've closed," he said. I let out a sigh of relief. He just wanted some coffee.

"Emily is still inside, if it's just a simple coffee it shouldn't be too much of an issue," I said with a smile. He nodded and walked towards the door. I watched him as he passed me, curious of the person.

-

Saturday was my day off, and I decided to explore. While walking down a street, I saw an antique shop. In the window was a hair pin that immediately caught my attention. The pin was gold, with a blood red rose on top, most likely made out of metal or something along those lines. I checked the price tag, and looked into my wallet. Each day I put aside a little cash so that I could spend it on something fun. There was just enough for the pin, and nothing else. I walked into the store, and was immediately met with an entire section dedicated to jewelry.

"Welcome," the man behind the counter said. I turned towards him and flashed him a smile. He had a honey-gold hair color, and a peculiar key hanging around his neck. His eyes seemed to be deeply focused on the thing he was studying. I was taken a bit back by his youth. 

"Didn't expect such a young man to have all of this," I uttered, realizing how insensitive it sounded. He looked up, and for a split second it seemed like he knew me, but the facial expression turned to a blush quick.

"Sorry, sorry. Where I come from antique shops are usually run by elderly women," I said, clearing my throat. To avoid further embarrasment, I turned towards the jewelry section. There were a few things that sparkled, and it made me want to get more. I occasionally looked at the rose hairpin, before walking up to the counter.

"I'd like the rose hairpin in the window," I said, rather determined. He nodded and got up from his seat. I got out my wallet, counting the loose change I had. 

"That'll be 230 Stellin," he said. I stopped counting. 230.. The window had said 150.

"Oh. The window said 150," I said, looking dejected. "In that case I can't afford it," I said with a pity-laugh. He nodded and let out a sigh. I put the money back and placed it in my bag.

"Apologies, sir. Have a wonderful rest of your day," I said, bowing before leaving the shop. My face might not have revealed it, but I was a bit upset by it.