Inside the Lucky Lilac Cafe was cozy and quaint. The decor was pastel, and various plants hung from the ceiling or sat in front of the windows. There were two registers. Jackie stood at one of them, and at the other was a young girl with pink hair and a name-tag that read Cherry. Work was slow, with only one customer ordering, and two waiting at the counter.

Skyler was behind them, making drinks as she nodded her head along with her own music from her headphones. She spun around on her heels, setting a drink on the counter. "Order for Barry!" She turned back to keep making drinks.

A customer ducked inside, glancing out the door as they did. They approached the counter, almost hesitantly. "Hey..."

Cherry smiled. "Hi, how can we help you today?"

The customer smiled. "I just want a regular coffee, but I thought you might want to know that, well, there was a man here the last time I was here, and he was kind of... rude. And I saw him coming down the street."

Cherry glanced towards Jackie and then to Skyler. "Big and muscly? Sorta dirty blond?"

The customer nodded. "I don't know if he's coming here, but I... thought you should know?" They shrugged. "Just in case."

"No, I'm glad you did. Thank you." Cherry turned, tapping her fingers against the counter. "Hey, Skyler?"

Skyler didn't immediately respond, but she paused when she turned and spotted Cherry looking at her. She pulled one side of her headphones away from her ear. "You good?"

Cherry bit her lip, gesturing towards the customer. "They saw Darren outside. Heading maybe here?"

"Do you want me to take over the register just in case?"

Cherry closed her eyes and nodded. "Yeah... I'm sorry, I just-" She shook her head. "Sorry."

"Aw, it's no biggie." Skyler shooed Cherry away from the register, smiling at the customer. "What can I get for you, today?"

"Just a regular coffee."

"Solid choice." Skyler tapped the screen, "What's the name for the order?"

"Alex."

"Alright, Alex, is it just coffee today?"

"Yeah."

"Cool. Your total is five o' two. Cash or card?"

"Card." The customer pulled out their wallet, fishing out their card as the bell above the door jingled.

Skyler glanced around the customer, then towards Jackie, whose customer had already moved to a table to wait for their drink. She reached over, snagging the sleeve of his cardigan and pulling him away from the register.

Jackie didn't resist, smiling at the customer after they paid. "Do you want your receipt?"

The customer paused before nodding. "Yes, please." Behind them, a figure stopped.

Jackie handed them their receipt. "You can sit anywhere you'd like and we'll call you when your order is ready."

The customer nodded, scurrying away with their head ducked.

Jackie looked up at Darren who had been standing behind the customer, quiet.

Darren smiled. "Hey, Jackie, it's been a while since we chatted."

"Yup." Jackie smiled, taking a step back from the register. "Hey, Cherry," he turned away from Darren. "I'm gonna help you with those drinks."

Darren's smile faded, and Skyler slowly slid in front of the register with a wide grin. "Welcome to the Lucky Lilac Cafe, how can I help you today, Darren?"

Darren sighed. "I really don't want to do this right now."

"Then leave." Skyler's smile never faded. "The door's behind you."

"Or you could just let me talk to him."

"Absolutely not."

"Look, just-" Darren pinched the bridge of his nose. "We can stay inside the cafe. We'll just sit in a corner booth and can watch us from here. I just want to talk."

"About what? He broke up with you. It's over."

"This is just a misunderstanding." Darren laughed. "You know I would never hurt him."

Skyler leaned forward, speaking in a sing-song voice. "No." She laughed, clapping her hands. "Can I help you with anything else today? Our specials this week are our blossom bliss latte and citrus zest scones."

"I don't want-" Darren started to shout, but stopped, shaking his head. "I'm not the villain here."

"Pretty sure I said no." Skyler tapped her chin, "Maybe I wasn't clear enough?" She started counting on her fingers. "No, nope, nu-uh, no way, never. Not happening." She made robot motions. "Negatory, voltron."

"Skyler, you know how dramatic Ourias gets. Just let me see him and we'll clear everything up."

"Dramatic." Skyler blinked, "Dramatic? That's what we're going with today?" She shook her head with a laugh. "Nah, I don't think so."

"Please, Skyler."

"Diddly-darn, 'fraid I can't do that, pardner."

Darren dropped his hands against the counter with a roll of his eyes. "Come on, Skyler, we used to be friends."

Skyler's laugh sounded like a bark. "That's hilarious. I didn't know you were a comedian" She shook her head. "Absolutely not. You're whole vibe gives 'micro-dick' energy. And I," She gestured to herself. "am very much gay. A 100% genuine titty-lover. An admirer of women. A lesbian." She leaned forward. "I would never even associate myself with a dick."

"Why do you insist on insulting me every time I come in here? I'm just trying to have a conversation."

"Because it's funny. And you make it so easy." Skyler shrugged. "Also the cops won't do anything unless you're actually breaking shit or trying to assault someone. So I'm hoping to speed up the process a bit, y'know, so those of us with real jobs can go back to doing them."

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"If you really want to go back to work that badly, just let me talk to Ourias. You could go back to work. You're literally the only one being difficult right now."

"Oh my god." Skyler swung her arms out in exasperation. "He doesn't want to see you! And he isn't even working today. So even if he did want to talk to you- which he doesn't- he couldn't." Skyler rested a hand on her hip and made a shooing motion with her free hand. "Now go. Buh-bye. Have a terrible day, hope you die. See you never."

"He lives upstairs. I'm not an idiot."

"He's not home."

"Then where is he?"

"Not home that's for sure!" Skyler grinned. "And far, far away from you."

"Why are you like this? I've been nothing but nice to you. I didn't like you much when we met, but I genuinely tried to be nice because you were Ourias' sister and he cared about you." Darren gestured to her, "Why can't you do the same? Is it really that hard just to be a decent person?"

Skyler blinked slowly, deadpanned. "You know..." She tilted her head, squinting at him. "Sometimes I want to spend a day in your head because there are times I just cannot fathom what happens in there, for you to say the things that come out of your mouth." She pinched the bridge of her nose. "I was civil, when you were with Ourias, because he's an adult, and is allowed to make his own choices-or mistakes, in this case." Skyler looked pointedly at Darren.

Skyler leaned over the register, sneering at Darren. "But what you seem to forget is that I am the one who he came to when he ran away from your apartment. I am the one who drove him to the hospital and sat in the waiting room for five goddamn hours after what you did to him."

"You don't know what the hell you're talking about!"

"He dumped you three fucking months ago!" Skyler raised her voice louder than Darren's. "Get the fuck over it! Go away and be fucking grateful he didn't press charges!"

Darren slammed his hands against the counter. "Shut the hell up!"

Jackie turned towards them, taking one step forward when Skyler raised one finger towards him. Jackie stepped back again, but still watched.

Skyler looked at Darren again. "I am not scared of you. You can yell and hit things as much as you want, because I know you won't touch me."

"Is that right?" Darren was in her face, hissing between his teeth.

"Yeah." Skyler nodded. "Because there are other people here. And if you hit me here, I can press charges and I've got a dozen witnesses on my side and security footage. You will lose your job and go to jail. And you don't want that."

"You sound pretty sure of that."

"Because I am." Skyler opened her mouth to say something else, but stopped as Abe walked into the cafe.

"Alright, time to leave. We have customers."

"I'm not done."

"I am. Leave."

He glanced between the empty register, and then to Skyler and Darren. He eventually approached, stopping a few feet away from them, next to a hanging plant. He reached up slowly, nudging one of the vines hanging from the pot curiously.

Skyler leaned around Darren, shouting with a bright smile. "Hello, sir! Welcome to the Lucky Lilac Cafe!"

Abe paused, looking at her. "...I don't mind waiting."

"Oh, you're fine." Skyler waved her hand. "We were just finishing up. How can I help you today?"

Abe glanced at Darren, who was glaring at him. He then stepped forward, putting his hands in his pocket. "I actually had a question-"

"Do you mind?" Darren interrupted.

"She asked me a question."

"And we were in the middle of a conversation."

Abe looked Darren up and down once before looking at Skyler. "Was I wrong?"

"Nah, I was talking to you." Skyler said. "You're all good."

"Well," Abe gestured to Skyler. "She asked me a question."

"Cool." Darren took a step towards Abe. "Now you can wait your fucking turn."

"She said you were done talking."

"Skyler doesn't know what she's talking about."

Abe looked over Darren's shoulder to Skyler, who was flipping him off with both hands while his back was turned. Abe looked back at Darren. "Are you certain?"

"Yeah, I am." Darren shook his head. "Now could you just go mind your own business? This doesn't involve you."

Abe chuckled, tilting his head. "She asked me a question."

"And you can answer it, later."

"She said you were done." Abe looked at Skyler again. "Unless I'm misunderstanding?"

Skyler shook her head. "Nope."

Darren shot a glare at Skyler, who smiled. He stepped up to Abe. "You need to back off."

Abe raised his eyebrows, the corner of his mouth twitching. "I haven't moved."

"Are you fucking stupid?" Darren scoffed.

"Might be." Abe shrugged, "Stupid people usually don't know they're stupid."

Skyler laughed sharply and immediately covered her mouth when Darren swiveled to look at her. Abe took a step closer to him while his back was turned.

Darren looked at him again, immediately taking a step back. "The fuck is your problem! Back off!" He shoved Abe, only to stagger back into the counter when Abe hardly budged.

Skyler cackled, hitting the counter with her fist. Darren looked at her, then around the rest of the cafe. The few customers who were watching quickly looked away. Cherry, who had been watching over her shoulder while preparing drinks busied herself with the drink she was making, her shoulders trembling.

Darren eventually looked at Skyler, hissing between bared teeth. "We are not done." He stormed out of the store, an entering customer scrambling out of the way.

"Yeah, we are." Skyler wiped her eyes, still giggling. She sniffled before looking at Abe. "What was your question?"

"Your sign in the window said you were hiring."

"Oh, yeah. There's a QR code. You can scan it and it'll bring you to the application online. You'll download some paperwork and submit it to the website after you're done."

"I saw." Abe grimaced, rubbing his neck. "I was wondering if you had paper applications?"

"We don't..." Skyler drummed her fingers against the counter. "But I think we could make an exception. If you're willing to wait."

"I can wait."

"Cool. Do you want a drink while you wait? On the house, as a thank you for helping with... him." she gestured vaguely.

Abe looked up at the menu on the wall. "I....I'm new around here. I don't know what anything on the menu even means."

"Do you want me to pick something?"

"That would be nice."

"Hell yeah," Skyler looked at the screen. "Do you have any food allergies?"

"No."

"What do you like? Sweet, bitter, tangy, earthy?" Skyler gestured.

"Sweet."

"Ooh," Skyler put a hand to her chest, "a man after my own heart. Would you prefer something light and refreshing, or something heavier, like, dessert sweet?"

"Something light."

"Damn, I like you already," Skyler nodded, "Hot or cold?"

"Hot, preferably."

"Alrighty, I'll try to pick something good and you can let me know what you think."

"Thank you."

"Of course" Skyler didn't look up from the screen. "What's your name?"

"Abe."

"Abe..." Skyler nodded. "You can go sit down if you'd like, I'll go get your drink started and then go print an application. I'll call you over when everything is ready."

"Thank you."

"No. Thank you. Seriously, I can't even begin to explain how much shit you stopped us from having to put up with. Just trust me, you are a life saver." She walked through the door to the back of the cafe. "I'll be right back, Jackie!"

Jackie held up a thumbs up as he put in new customer's order.

Characters:

Darren:

6'2", 250lbs. A muscular white man with short dirty blonde hair and a god complex(not in the fun way either). His fashion is generally very athleisure, most of his shirts are have open sides for more convenient use of his mutation ability. Pretty on the outside, fugly on the inside.