[center][h3]Michael and Diana[/h3]
Collab between Scarifar and [@AtomicNut][/center]

Michael and Diana entered the cafe, noting that there were a rather large number of customers. Fortunately, they seemed to be lucky as a pair had began to leave from a table. “Table for two, please,” Michael said to the waiter in the front, and the two were quickly directed to the small table after it was cleaned off. Taking a look at the menu, Michael remarked, “Hmm, apparently there’s a couple’s special today, for ‘Lover’s Pancakes’.” Looking around and realizing that the majority of customers consisted of couples, he added, “Well that explains that.”

Diana had followed with careful steps and a neutral expression, before taking a seat and taking a look at the menu. “Might as well order.” She said as she did not spare a second glance at the whole atmosphere. “You’ll probably be too hard pressed to keep up appearances and I can exploit that.” She added nonchalantly, and decided to go on a small splurge herself. Sweets and calories felt great after burning some magic to nonchalantly torch some fools. “I will have one of each of these.” She added, not even hinting a smile on her face, while mercilessly picking an assortment of pancakes with full extras.

“Still cheaper than the usual fee. Proceed.” She indicated to Michael.

Michael raised an eyebrow at Diana before nodding in agreement. It made sense, after all. “Very well,” Michael said, closing the menu. Michael flagged down the waiter and ordered, then turned to Diana as the waiter left. “While we wait, I’d like to discuss a few topics with you,” Michael said, taking out his cell phone and opening a Notes app. “For a starter: What is magic, and what is needed to use it?” 

“Heh.” Diana’s face seemed to smile for the first time. “Magic is… simply put… the lifehacks of the universe.” She added. “Imagine that the abyss between mortals and gods was a ladder. Normal people never become aware of it, because barriers are in place. But there are seams, cracks… and sometimes people find a way to squeeze through. Magicians have climbed one or two stairs and gained skill to manipulate and bend reality.” Diana went on. “It’s also what humans used to fight demons before the Blessings were handed by divine hands.”

Diana paused for a moment. “Oh, interested in magic? Well there is always a price to pay. The one inescapable rule of magic. Nothing is free. Unlike blessings, Magic needs to be paid, always. Just the mere thought of thinking to use magic requires the sacrifice of something really precious.”

“And no, your most valuable object won’t be enough. A loved one will do… but that is considered heinous nowadays. We pay with our blessings the price. In order to do magic, you need to renounce to which has been granted by the gods, and then figure how to walk on your own.”

Michael stared intently at Diana as he listened, not even looking at his phone as he typed in important info. When she got to the price to pay for magic, however, Michael’s eyes widened, then sighed in disappointment. “I had hoped that wouldn’t be the case,” Michael said. “Nothing is ever free.” Their order soon came, and placed in front of Michael and Diana were stacks of pancakes, complete with all the decorations they usually came with and additions Diana had ordered. Taking his own plate, Michael poked at the meal with his knife nonchalantly. 

Diana let a hint of childish glee, before slipping back to her usual mask and mercilessly dissecting the plate of pancakes. “No, nothing ever is. Someone asked me to make them more powerful, once. He was bad, but now his sociopathy is full blown. I gotta ask him what he owes me, though.” Diana said. “You came to me with hopes of getting strong… but I am afraid that starting with magic now will be subpar to your blessing.” Diana added, as she licked some chocolate from one of the slices.

“However, your blessing might be kind of easy to read. I can apply whatever wisdom I have and see what comes up from it.” Diana added. “I dispelled it once, so I guess these ten years of practice might yield a few pointers.”

“You mean that?” Michael asked incredulously. “If you’d do that for me, I wouldn’t be able to thank you enough.” Michael poured on a few lines of syrup onto his pancakes before cutting them up into neat squares. “But I’m assuming this won’t come for free either, will it? As you’ve said, time is money.”

“I do not say things I cannot back up.” Diana added, as she continued to chew the pancakes at a vigorous pace. “I assume you don’t have enough money, so I will take something else as payment, besides these pancakes.” She paused, leaving the fork and knife to a side. “Contacts. It doesn’t hurt to move the eggs into different baskets. You seem to be pretty chummy with the Vigilantes.”

Michael nodded. “That I am. I also have a connection or two with the Ascot family, though admittedly we haven’t contacted each other in a while. I could call them, rekindle that connection as well. If nothing else, knowing someone within the police, or at least some division of it, isn’t exactly a bad thing.” 

“Unless you’re a peddler of corpses.” Diana add, an icy edge in her voice. “Not much harm in trying though.” Diana announced as she finished her plate, and quickly began scribbling on a napkin, then sliding it to Michael. “Draw your glyph for body reinforcement there, I want to see it side to side with… mine.” 

Michael took his own napkin and conjured up his paintbrush, having it take on a small head. As he drew his symbols, he noted that it was rather easy to see their meanings. Diana was right in saying that they were easily telegraphed. Still, what’s done was done. Michael quickly finished drawing and passed down the napkins back to Diana.

“We have our Rosetta stone here.”Diana added, nonchalantly, as she grinned while drawing a second symbol, different to her first one. “Now, you need to translate this into your glyphs.” The Witch mentioned with a whisper. “And try it outdoors and in private.”

Michael raised an eyebrow at Diana again, then examined Diana’s symbol with great scrutiny. “I would ask you what this does, but something tells me you want it to be a surprise,” Michael said.

“Not really.” She drank her drink greedily as well. “But people freak out when they see people flying sometimes.” She deadpanned. “All good witches know this spell.” 

“Wha- oh,” Michael said, realizing what Diana had just given him. All he had gotten his Body Arts to do was merely to improve his own movement and abilities while reducing his opponents’, and trying to produce a new ability from it had never crossed his mind. It was just another path of possibilities he could explore with his blessing. He wondered what else he could learn to do. “Well, this will be a challenge. Never tried to make something like this before,” Michael said after a moment of thought.

“Healing. Reinforcement and Flight. My mother taught me these spells first. She said that they’re unlikely to win a fight on their own, but they can be the key element. Alongside something else.” She grabbed one more paper, as she repeated the reinforcement glyph… before placing some scribbles on key parts. 

“Dispelling. This is done in two ways. Identifying the key points and changing them, or… brute force by sending od to break the pattern.” Diana finished her spiel, before looking at Michael once more. “I trust this lesson covers the value of what I have asked for.”

Michael nodded. “It has. Thank you, Diana. It really does mean a lot to me,” Michael said, smiling at Diana, taking the napkins. It would be another period of experimentation and practice for him. Just another day, but now it was more exciting. 

“Yeah sure. No chance at being my boyfriend though. That was too contrived.” She added as she raised from her table, leaving Michael to pay the bill. “I have stuff to do, places to visit. If you die, I will take care of your bones.”

“Sure, take care,” Michael said as she left. As he paid the bill and began to leave, a realization just struck him. [i]Wait… boyfriend?[/i] Michael thought to himself. Looking back at the day’s events, he realized just what she meant, and blushed in embarrassment. [i]Oh by the gods, how did I not see that?[/i] Michael then sighed and shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. [i]Forget it, Michael. You got shit to do,[/i] Michael thought as he left the cafe.