Wɪᴛᴄʜʟɪɢʜᴛ {ᵃᵈᵛᵃᶰᶜᵉᵈ ʳᵒˡᵉᵖˡᵃʸ} discussion

Skylar waltzed into the diner with a small skip to her step. The stench of grease filled her nose. She collapsed her umbrella in one swift motion and winced against the harsh neon lights. The diner was vacant. She liked it the most when it was that way. This way she could observe people as they came into the diner. People were so fun to watch. Her gloved fingers drummed impatiently against the cool table.
A human waiter crossed the checkerboard-tiled floor, arms filled with trays of drinks. A mischievous grin flickered on Skylar's face. With a whisk of her right hand, the waiter lost his footing. He tumbled down to the floor as soda crashed down on him. The man attempted to stand, but slipped once more, but this time in a puddle of cola. A giggle escaped Skylar's lips as she watched him stumble, soaked in soda.

"Are you okay?" Rocket rushed out of the kitchen and helped up her employee. Ryan was his name, or at least she thought so. She had just hired him the other day and didn't know much about him other than he was a total klutz. But no dishes had been broken as of yet. Just a lot of food has ended up on the floor. She looked up to see a girl with a distinct silver eye. By the looks of the grin on her face, Rocket had the impression that this time Ryan had nothing to do with his clumsiness. "Go get a mop to clean this mess up." Rocket sighed and picked up the now empty glasses. She put them behind the bar and as soon as her waiter was out of earshot, she turned to the Witchlight with a frown on her face. "Pull a stunt like that again and I will be calling the Academy. I know from past experience that they don't take kindly to deviants from their purpose for good."

"Oh, calm down." Skylar rolled her eyes. "I was only having a little fun. Besides, he's just a human, nothing more." She stared longingly at the waiter moping the mess. Her eyes flickered to the girl standing in front of her. Her name tag read, Rocket . So, this must be her diner , Skylar mused. She leaned forward, dusted a few crumbs off of Rocket's shoulder, and smiled. "I would take precaution to whom you threaten."

"I would say the same to you Dear." Rocket snarled at the girl. She was not the first Caster to enter Rocket's Diner, nor would she be the last. Rocket has made a lot of enemies in the Caster community over the years, but she has made many more friends. Some of them powerful friends. As a human, Rocket would have no shame in calling one of them for help. "A little fun around here is dangerous to Casters. It draws the attention of unwanted human eyes. The ones with big guns and a passion for burning casters alive." Rocket knew a thing or two after running her diner for a few years. She knew a lot about casters and a lot about hunters. Both were equally dangerous in her eyes. "Now either leave my employees alone, or you won't be on my list of Casters to protect when the hunters come around asking questions." She shot one last glare at the girl before returning to the kitchen, listening intently for anymore funny business.

"Trust me, sweetheart." Skylar leaned back in the booth. "Protection of Casters that are in alliance with humans is the last thing I need." She watched the girl head back to the kitchen. Skylar frowned, hoping she would have more of a violent reaction. Her fingers itched to use magic one last time to create havoc. She gritted her teeth, ordered a chocolate shake from Ryan, and waited quietly.

Rocket made the shake quickly and took it out herself, not wanting Ryan to be tripped again with magic. She could see the hurt in Ryan's eyes because he thought it had been his fault that he fell. It probably looked like Rocket didn't trust him. But the truth was, she didn't trust the Witchlight in her diner. "Here you go. Enjoy." Rocket smiled at her and went back to the kitchen. Years of dealing with people she disliked, but still needing a tip taught her to be nice as she served people. Even if that person had earlier bullied her employees. Rocket clenched her teeth at the thought and tried not to ruin her own day by thinking of what one caster had done.

"Thank you." Skylar mumbled. One last time, and then I'm done. She took one sip of the chocolate shake, snapped her fingers, and it hovered over the table. She directed it across the room, making sure that no human eyes were watching, and it floated above Ryan's head. Chocolate coated his head and shoulders. He spun wildly to see who had dumped the shake, but couldn't figure it out. He let out a yelp of confusion. Skylar barked a laugh, but quickly covered it up with a cough. She slid back in her seat, waiting for the lunch rush.

Hearing Ryan cry out in surprise made Rocket rather angry. She exited the kitchen with extreme grace and saw him covered in a chocolate shake that she had made moments before. Her face became set in fury and she approached the Witchlight. "Leave my diner now." She said in a steely voice. Rocket had no concern for the thought that she might become the girl's next target. rocket new how to handle herself. But Ryan didn't know the truth about magic, which meant he had no way to protect himself.

"But I haven't finished my shake." Skylar feigned a pout, and studied the girl in front of her. Yes, she could threaten the girl, but it was simply too early in the day for threats. Skylar remembered Rocket mentioning some hunters a few moments back. She pondered this for a moment. "Let's make a deal." I smiled a little too sweetly. "You tell me the names of these hunters, and I won't harm any of your human pets. Deal?" With a wave of her hand, Skylar made a thin roll of parchment appear between her gloved fingers. She pulled out a black box containing a quill pen, and offered it to her. "All you have to do is sign on the dotted line."

Rocket barked out a laugh. Give up the names of the hunters? Rocket wasn't foolish enough to even give out her own real name, let alone give someone a name that wasn't her's to give. She was neutral in the war between Casters and Hunters and would remain that way. She helped no one unless she was attacked. "Sign on the dotted line my ass. You hold no leverage in this bargain. I have friends of both Casters and Hunters who would be outraged by your behavior. Not only could you have exposed magic, but you could also have hurt someone, to which I would have no problem telling Hunters about you if you did. I want you to leave my diner because your conduct here could get you expelled from Elysium."

"It's a pity." Skylar sighed as the contract vanished into thin air. She put away the quill pen in the box, stood, and dusted off her dress. "I'm such a dangerous enemy to have." Skylar straightened Rocket's name tag, while holding her gaze. Skylar's eyes glittered darkly. "And I was growing oh so fond of your human workers. It would be a shame to have something awful happen to them." She grinned and headed for the door.

"Watch your back Hon. Anything happens to my workers and I'll have to toss a coin for who to call. Hunters, or the administration at the academy you attend. Both are very against attacking humans. And both will end you for killing one." Rocket spat and watched the Witchlight leave. Good riddance as well because Rocket was ready to take her own hand at hunting right about then. A bonfire behind the diner didn't sound so bad at the moment. But Rocket decided to let the girl leave and to not cause trouble. Although, she would most certainly change her mind if the Witchlight attacked one of her employees.

Willow walked into the diner swiftly. It had been busy this time of day and she just wanted to eat and get out of there as quickly as she could. She hated when it was crowded because it ment that that there were a lot of humans to many for her comfort. She slumped down in her seat. As she waited to be servered she opened up her Grimiore and looked through it carefully. She looked up a few times to make sure no human eyes wandered her way. She bit down on her lip as she looked even though she had it for a while it still fasinated her.

"Hello, I'm Rocket, yes THE Rocket, I'll be your server. What can I get for you?" Rocket asked as she stepped up to a new customer's table. Ryan was in the back trying to clean chocolate shake off his uniform and Rocket was still in a bitter mood from the Witchlight that had been there earlier. Rocket felt her heart fall when she noticed the girl had a grimoire with her. More casters. Lovely. Lord save me. She thought to herself, but kept a smile on her face. She needed tips and a bad attitude never got her those.

Willow noticed the woman talking to her, and she quickly put her Grimiore away. "Hi Rocket." She said smiling. "I would like a salad and a chocolate shake please." She said as she glanced past her at the guy behind the bar. "What happened to him?" She pointed out at the man whipping what looked to be chocolate shake off himself. She got a bit nervous after seeing the man. "Great doubt that was a normal accident." She thought to herself as she waited for Rocket to answer.

"Oh, just one of your academy folks who seems to have a death wish." Rocket shrugged as she implied Elysium in her sentence. "Shame too. I wonder how long it'll take for her to figure out he is dating a hunter. PS Honey, Hunters are all over this town. I'd save reading that book until you're safe inside somewhere... Less public." Rocket gave Willow a look of warning before writing down the order and returning to the kitchen. Helga, the chef, was a big and burly mean lady with a soft spot for Rocket and cats. She took the order and added it to her list of things to cook.

Willow watched as the woman walked back to the kitchen. "Of course it was someone from the academy to cause trouble." She mumbled. She really wanted to look at her book one or two peeks wouldn't hurt. She opened it up again just enough so she could see it. All these spells she would learn. She could play jokes, and learn how to battle using it. Most of them she knew, but they were the smaller tricks like making a fire or lighting a spark, but she wanted to know the spells that were a step up from that. She wanted to take her powers to the best of her ability.

Rocket spent several minutes taking orders and walking food out. Ryan ended up just deciding to take the pay cut and went home to wash his uniform. Rocket decided to slip some of her tip money into his pocket when he came back the next day. He hadn't deserved the torment, especially since he didn't know Casters existed. Finally she had Willow's order and she brought it to her table. "Here you are. One shake and a salad. Will that be all?"

Willow nodded not looking up from her Grimiore. "Yes thank you." She said. She was so fascinated by the book she had not realized Rocket had brought over her food until she said something. That's one of the flaws Willow decided long ago. She could stay focused one one thing so intently that she could shut the world out unless someone spoke to her or touched her other than that she wouldn't even notice. (If I don't post again tonight then I'll post tomorrow.)

"I'm telling you. You should wait until later to read that book. Hunters and Casters alike eat here in my diner and I don't pick sides. If you get caught by a hunter, it would be against my neutrality policy to help you." Rocket shook her head. This girl was beyond crazy. Hunters were crawling all over Eden like fleas on a stray dog. This girl either had guts, or was extremely naive. Hopefully she learned how things in Eden worked. And quickly for her sake.

Willow finally put her book down, and looked up at Rocket. "I understand about the hunters and all I think I could handle them on my own if I had to, but don't worry I won't be causing any trouble here unless someone picks a fight with me." She says with a wicked grin. She usually didn't like people telling her what to do or rules for that matter she knew that hunters would burn her if they saw her Grimiore, but who would dare to pick a fight in an open place? She hoped it would be safe here.

"If you say so." Rocket shrugged. "But don't say I didn't warn you. Hunters are a lot more dangerous than you think." Rocket just shook her head and walked away. How was it that she was the only one who didn't underestimate hunters? She was human on top of that! She had seen casters underestimate hunters before, only to see them reported as missing or their face in the obituaries of the Sunday paper. Rocket knew that hunters were dangerous. She also knew that if casters didn't stop putting themselves on a pedestal, they wouldn't be around much longer.

Willow shrugged she knew hunters were dangerous, but she was sure that she could take one on if she needed to. She finished up her shake, and her salad, and looked back down at her Grimiore she traced her finger over the simple star on the cover. She smiled slightly over the simplicity of it. She put her Grimiore on her lap, and looked around the diner. Most of the humans were still there, but they were all chatting it was so noisy. She didn't understand how they could be so loud.

Dai walked into the Diner with ease, smiling at the cute little place. He'd been living here for just about all of his seventeen years on this planet, and the Diner was no new scene to him. Glancing at the empty tables he spotted a familiar face and an easy going smile broke out on his face. "Hey..." Trailing off he did his best to recall her name before continuing, "Willow, right?" Dai asked, wanting to be sure rather then going on believing that was her name if it wasn't.

Willow jumped a little when she heard the voice, and glanced up. "Crap a guy." she thought. She tried to act as cool as possible, but knowing her she was going to fail miserably. "Y-Yeah." She stuttered, and she failed. Her face turned a shade of pink. "Why did it have to be a guy." She thought. She briefly glanced down at her Grimiore then quickly back up at him.

Rocket looked up at the sound of another customer entering her diner. She wasn't surprised to see a somewhat familiar face. Her diner was popular and many casters that attended the nearby academy were regulars. She finished putting away some of the clean dishes behind the counter before going to take his order. "Hello Dai, what can I get for you today? The usual?" She asked him. She glanced at Willow as well to see her still reading her blasted book. Well beggars can't be choosers and she was a customer.

At Rocket's sudden appearance he made the impulsive decision to sit across from Willow before replying. "Yup, the usual burger and fries, with a milkshake should be just fine." Dai answered, absentmindedly running his fingers through his hair for a moment. Despite thinking of himself as a complete socialite he couldn't recall exactly where he'd seen Willow, or if he'd ever even talked to her. But, at least he hadn't managed to embarrass himself by getting her name wrong. "My names Dai," He said, introducing himself even though Rocket had already mentioned it herself. His eyes flickered over towards the book in her hand and he paused for a moment. It was a Grimoire. Didn't she know how crazy, and dangerous, it was to carry that out in a place that was so public. Shaking his head he decided to avoid saying so, she thought it was fine and she'd let it be. Besides Dai was known to have a short temper and he wouldn't be the one starting fights over such a silly thing. Though if some witch hunters happened to stop by, she was on her own.

She put her Grimiore next to her on the seat hiding it. She glanced at him, and smiled. "It's nice to meet you." She said. Finally she actually said something without screwing it up, but that would probably change. She had seen him in school, but she never noticed him seeing her. She looked down at her jeans, and whipped her hands on it not that they were dirty it was just a habit. With her other hand she started playing with her amulet absently.

Rocket took down the order and went back to give the ticket to Helga. Rocket didn't know what she would do without the burly chef. Probably crash and burn was the answer. Helga could cook and Rocket could manage. At the moment that was all Rocket needed for her diner. Rocket then went behind the counter to make the milkshake, her eyes kept falling on Dai, and more importantly, Willow. Or at least that is what her name appeared to be. Rocket didn't know why, but she was worried for the girl. Maybe it was because she was so naive and reminded her of her sister. Rocket shook her head and finished the shake, bringing it over to the table for Dai. "Here you go, your burger and fries will be out in a minute."

"Nice to meet you too." Dai said with a slight grin. Staying silent for a moment he noticed her whipping her hands off, and decided it was best not to comment on that one. "So, I've seen you around at Elysium, what are you?" He asked curiously. Often when asking a person what exactly they were one would get awfully defensive, but this was the town of Eden and it was always safe to be sure. When Rocket came back with his drink he looked up at her for a moment, "Thank you." Grabbing the milshake he took a few sips before setting it back down. He had a habit of finishing his drinks way before his meal was ready, so he had to remind himself to slow down.

Willow glances up at him, and slightly smiled happy that he asked her. Most people never ask her they just see what she could do. "I am a witch." She said simply. "What are you? If you don't mind sharing." She said nicely. She wasn't use to asking people what they were, but maybe she should get use to it. Again she started playing with her amulet. She liked to twist it, and just having it in her hand it calmed her somehow. She didn't understand it.

Inwardly he sighed, as if in relief. Honestly he thought Wizards were a bit stuck up, at least the ones he'd been associated with. To them it seemed that since they were half angel they were above everyone else, which often made them look down upon the lower two castes. "Warlock Half-demon. I hope that doesn't scare you away." Dai said, crossing his arms over the table with a cocky expression before his eyes flickered downwards. "What's that you have there?" He questioned, motioning towards the amulet.

Willow smiled a little, and laughed at his cockiness of his expression. "Nah that won't scare me." She said smoothly. She actually found Warlocks fascinating since her father was one. She looked down at her amulet, and shrugged. "Not sure my mother and father never told me much about it, but they said it was special, I don't know what they mean though." She said looking up. She figured out that she might want to look up this type of amulet sometime so she knew what was so special about it.