Guilt: Part 1

Topaz Shield continued to stare off in the direction that Celtic Mist went off in with an expression that could only be described as a mix between pure shock and pure guilt. The shock he could understand but why guilt? Wasn't giving paid sex this mare's job? He sighs, turning his gaze towards the table now while he thought.

Maybe it's just because he's seeing her at a normal job? Or, perhaps, it's because she isn't coming across as a paid partner at this very moment? Topaz let out a frustrated sigh, 'I should probably just try to ignore this.' he thinks, lightly tapping the wooden table while he waits for Mist to return with his juice.

After about five good minutes the tall mare returns, levitating a tall glass of orange juice within her magical aura, “Here you go, sir!” she chirps happily, lowering the glass down to the table. Topaz gives a small nod in response and looks up at Mist, getting at good look at her face.

She looked totally exhausted – physically and mentally. She hid it well, though, and if it wasn't for his guard training he probably training as a guard he probably wouldn't of picked it up.

“So, anything else I can help you with sir?” Mist ask after a few moment, tilting her head to one side cutely.

Topaz snapped out of his daze and shook his head lightly, “Erm, nah, I'm fine...perfectly fine ma'am,” he says softly, adverting his eyes from her. Mist gave a sharp nod in return before trotting off to tend to another costumer a few tables over.

The light blue guard groaned a bit, tapping his hoof against the table again for a few moments before using his magic to bring his glass of OJ up to his lips and gently taking a sip. His mind continued to race back to the night before and right now, 'No, you're just going to get yourself worked up Topaz. Let it go. She probably enjoys both jobs.' Topaz thinks to himself, biting his lower lip a bit as he glancing back to where he last seen Mist, the mare now gone. He breathed a sigh of relief and returned to his tasty juice drink, trying to forget about the mare for the time being.

He was left along to his juice for fifteen minutes until Mist returns, using her magic to levitate a hearty plate of hash browns, two eggs over easy, and two slices of buttered toast. “Here's your meal, sir!” Mist grins, gently sitting the plate down on the table in front of him, “Be careful the plate is very hot.” she warns before pulling up and noticing his almost empty glass of juice, “Oh, and would you like a refill of juice?”

Topaz looked down at the food before him, his stomach rumbling loudly, “A refill would be nice,” he says, not wanting to look up into her tired eyes.

“Alrighty! I'll be right back.” she grinned politely before trotting off, returning moments later with a pitcher of juice, gently pouring more juice into his glass.

The stallion muttered a thanks before finally getting the started on his breakfast, starting with the hash browns. Everything tasted great and reminded him of his foalhood summers with his Grandma Hickory.

'What would Grandma Hickory think of all this?' he wondered, slowly eating his meal. She definitely wouldn't approve, that's for sure. Grandma Hickory was an old fashioned mare, finding most forms of affection outside of marriage immoral. She was even in favor of arranged marriages as a way to prevent couples from 'fooling around' before being married. Still, she was a sweethearted old mare and loved the summers he got to spends over at her house.

Topaz found himself lost in his foalhood nostalgia while he ate his breakfast, his mind not worried about Celtic Mist at this particular moment of time.

The large stallion continued him meal in peace, idly looking out the window every so often and watches various ponies walk by as they go about their daily lives. He sighed a bit and looked down at his meal, about half gone now. Topaz reaches for his juice when, suddenly, a stallion let out a loud yell from a few tables down.

“I asked for black coffee you dumb mare, not decaf!” a large stallion yells at a terrified looking Celtic Mist.

“I-I'm s-sorry s-sir...I-I must of gotten the orders mixed a-and-” Mist tried to explain before the large earth pony splashed the hot coffee on Mist's chest, causing her to yelp out loudly in pain.

Topaz gritted his teeth and quickly rose to his hooves, quickly making his way over to the earth pony stallion, “Hey!” he says loudly and sternly.

The stallion looks over towards Topaz before getting a strong hoof to his jaw, causing him to stumble back and fall to the ground, “You bastard!” the downed stallion yelled, rubbing his hoof over his now bloodied lower lip.

Topaz braced for a fight before an older, more heavy set mustard yellow unicorn stallion comes rushing onto the scene, “You two stop fighting and leave my restaurant! You're scaring away my customers!” he yells sternly, although his higher pitched voice makes it somewhat hard to take his seriously.

The yellow stallion continued to glare at the two fighting stallions before turning his attention to Celtic Mist, “And you! I already warned you plenty of times before about showing up to work only half awake! You can't keep mixing up the orders Mist!” he says, his voice softening a bit but still stern.

The green mare's ears fold back tightly against her head in submission, “I-I'm trying...please, I'll do better! I'm really trying and I need the bits!” she tries to explain, her lower lip quivering a bit.

The yellow stallion averts his eyes for a moment as he watches the earth pony leave the restaurant before turning his attention back to Mist, sighing deeply, “Listen, Mist, you're a good mare but I'm trying to run a business here and I can't have my reputation tarnished by bad service. I'm sorry but I have to let you go...I'll send your last check in the mail.” he says, shaking his head a bit.

Mist sniffled and gave a weak nod, “O-okay...t-thanks.” she says weakly before heading towards the exit of the diner.

Topaz watched Mist head for the exit for a few moments before, perhaps against his better judgment, following here. Once outside Topaz quickens up his pace to catch up to her a bit, “Hey!” he calls out. Mist stops in her tracks and looks back at Topaz, sniffling a bit before speaking,

“H-hey.” she says weakly, turning so she was facing Topaz.
“You alright?” Topaz ask, pointing at the large red spot on Mist's chest where the angry stallion had splashed her with the coffee.

The tall green unicorn looked down at her chest a bit, examining it for a few seconds before answering, “Yeah, it just burns a bit but I'll be fine. I've had worse spills with coffee.” she says, giving Topaz a tired grin, “And, um, thanks for sticking up for me back there. That was...that was pretty cool.” she adds, giving a quick nod and grinning a bit more.

Topaz grinned back a bit, “No problem, ma'am. It's my duty as a royal guard to protect those in need.” he says, stepping a bit closer to Mist, “And, um, I-I'm sorry about your job Mist.” he adds softly.

Mist sighs sadly, “Yeah, but it was bound to happen...” she says, pausing a bit, “My 'night' job forced me to work until three in the morning. It wouldn't be so bad if I didn't have to show up to work three hours later.” she adds, seeming a bit hesitant and vague about her 'night' job even though Topaz already knew all about it.

Topaz felt a tight ball of guilt build up deep within his gut, feeling horrible about this now. Perhaps if he left before she got to the room last night she wouldn't of been so tired and lost her job? And from the conversation she had with her boss a few minutes ago she relies pretty heavily on the paycheck she was getting at her old job at the diner. “S-so, um, yeah...i-if you're not doing anything I was thinking that maybe you would wanna go out and do something...y-y'know...to get your mind off from losing your job.” he says, his voice getting more shaky and awkward as he went on with his sentence.

The green mare raised a brow at him as Topaz spoke, “Hmm, well, it's the second week on the month so that means that I have two days off my night job this week...and I just lost my day job.” she pauses a bit, “Eh, maybe, but it all depends on what you have planned.” she adds, giving him a small grin.

Topaz scuffs his hoof awkwardly against the pavement, “W-well, I was thinking t-that maybe you'd like to go to the...Canterlot Art Museum since they just added that new statue garden and, um, after that maybe go to that free jazz concert thingy they're holding in the park.” he says, looking over at Mist a bit.

“Hmm,” Mist thinks, tapping her chin with her hoof, “I do museums and jazz music...and you do seem like a pleasant stallion to be around.” she says, winking a bit at Topaz, “So, sure, I'll go along with ya!” she says with a slight giggle.

“Y-you will? Erm, I mean, that's great! Let's get going then, shall me?” he says with a weak grin before turning around and heading towards the direction of the museum.

“We shall.” Mist giggles and trots forward to meed Topaz, walking along side him.