If you kept your head down no one would bother you, well, you hoped they wouldn't and this was therefore why Zacharias Cain, the eighteen year old scottish magician was doing just that. It would be hard for some to remain silent and distance from the hubble and bubble of the cafe, not even looking up to gaze around the room or make eye contact for a split second. For Zach however, this particular task was extremely simple. He liked it this way; shutting out all those squeaky, whiney, shrieky voices that made his toes curl and the hair on the back of his neck prickle. He'd allowed himself to seep back to reality briefly so he could acknowledge one of the workers yet all the waitress managed to get from him was a quiet, almost unaudible 'thank you' and a fleeting glance. At least he hadn't ignored her completely. That was just rude. Then again, Zacharias Cain wasn't far from rude to be perfectly honest. He wasn't exactly a pleasant human being, if that's what you could call him. Those icy, mist filled eyes and that cold exterior really begged to differ. Sometimes you would find yourself wondering if he was even human at all or some kind of cranky polar bear who just wanted a bit of piece and quiet. Many had wondered, but none had stuck around to find out.

Tapering fingers traced the edge of the scone the waitress had set beside him. Subconciously, for Zach was staring at a pack of cards in front of him, the tip swept around the middle before delivering the excess jam and cream to his mouth. The magician cocked an eyebrow and allowed his gaze to be torn from the small deck. Now that was a good scone! For a moment he simply observed it, running his slate blue gaze over its spongey surface as if he was expecting it grow legs and do a little jig. Wouldn't that be magical? A dancing scone. How lovely. The corner of his lips flickered up for a moment in a crooked, fleeting smile, before dropping back in line with the rest of his mouth. Carefully, Zach lifted the scone from the little china plate it had been placed on. His free hand slid into the air beneath it, ready for any crumbs that got dislodged in the transfer from plate to mouth. The magician took a small bite, mulling over the tastes before taking a larger, slightly more ravenous one. He replaced the scone, brushed his hands of stray crumbs and flour and returned to looking at his card deck.

To everyone else it would look as if Zacharias was simply staring at his cards like some weirdo who had no one to talk to. Well, half of it was right. He did indeed have no one to talk to and he was staring at the cards, but seeing as people couldn't read minds, they weren't able to see that Zach was in fact thinking. Thinking was something Zach often did and today he was thinking about many things. He always came to the cafe to think. It was an odd place to do so what with all the noise, but Zacharias was able to shut it all out and seeing as it offered you a decent drink, snack and a place to sit, it was alright in Zach's books. So, Zacharias continued to run through his thoughts, these thoughts being what tricks he could use the cards for. He knew many card tricks, each more amazing then the next, but to be perfectly honest Zach had never really practiced card tricks. Sure he could do them, sure he knew the secrets behind them, but he never really took them on stage. Small tricks like that never really seemed to impress the majority, but he wanted something new and card tricks seemed to be the answer. He couldn't move onto the huge, extremely professional tricks just yet like sawing a person into many pieces or making big ass snakes disappear into thin air, no, he needed to be more advanced and a bit more well known for that so for now, card tricks would suffice. With that decision made, Zach began to shuffle his deck.

Even though his mind still raced with the prospect of card tricks and of which ones he wished to practice, Zacharias didn't intend on doing any at that minute. For now he was going to play Solitaire. Humming softly to himself, Zacharias began to lay out the cards in their pacific places, gazing at the current upturned ones, already planning how to use them. He placed the deck to the left of the others before allowing his mind to let itself loose on the challange he'd presented himself. Those challanges were best.

He'd reached a bit of a predicament. There were two possible ways he could swing this game, but he was having trouble deciding which option would be more beneficial. Zach's brow furrowed as his eyes flicked from one set to the next. Well, he should assess their qualities first. Well, one column, if moved, would allow him to uncover another card which could possibly help his gameplay yet on the other hand might not. Then there was the other column which, if transported to the same sport the other column needed to go, would reveal a three and a two he needed to place in their respective places at the top. Now the option he should take seemed pretty obvious. The aim of the game was get all the suits, in order, up the top which his second choice would allow him to do whilst the first was simply a risk, the card he would be able to flip over probably having no value to him at that point what so ever. Happy with his move, Zach sat back and observed what he had left available. Hm, not that much to be perfectly honest. Ah well, he could make this work, he'd already managed to pick out about three potential moves.

Then, everything went a bit wrong, not with the card game, but with Zach's little world. It was disrupted, something, or in this case someone, tugging him back into the world of the living; the world he'd been pleasantly shutting out for the past half an hour. His head snapped up, icy gaze settling on a boy opposite. Either he had hurt his nose or the smell of coffee, which Zacharias personally found enchanting, was disgusting him. If it were the latter then why had the kid been so idotic enough to come into the cafe? Cafes always reeked of the little beans. If it was the first, did he expect Zach to help him or something? Zacharias Cain didn't tend to help randoms who had seated themselves opposite him with no valid reason in why they had done so, well, unless they were children that is. Zacharias adored kids. It was very odd how someone like him could love something so noisey and wreckless, but he loved watching their little faces light up as he produced a little chick or a rabbit from his cloak or from a hat. It was such a wonderful sight, seeing rows of faces that were glowling like moonbeams.

Unwilling to deal with the boy, Zacharias bowed his head. If you ignored someone they usually went away. This was not the case with this boy however. Fifteen minutes later he was still there and frankly, it was freaking Zach out. The magician looked up again, wondering how such a small person possessed so much patience. He certainly was a persistant little bugger, huh? Zacharias stared at him for a minute, drinking in his features. Well, Zach couldn't lie, he was very cute, but Zacharias Cain wasn't one for relationships. He could barely grasp a firm friendship and probably would be terrible in one that required love and sexual intamacies. Heck, he hadn't even lost his virginity yet and he was what, eighteen? Ah well, he could take as much time as he wished, it was his body after all. Zacharias cocked an eyebrow and leant forward, folding his arms upon the table so he was close enough for the boy to hear his quiet, icy, scottish tones.

"Do you want me to do a magic trick or something? That usually amuses ones your size and calibre."

yeah! i like that idea muchly. we'll have to do a thread between the three, no? funnnn. and yesh, liam will be welcome though zane will have to persuade zach i'm 'fraid.

It had been a rhetorical question. It was supposed to deter the boy, but apparently it hadn't worked. Ice blue eyes scanned the boy's face before staring straight into his own blue ones, searching for something unknown. A few seconds passed before Zacharias averted his gaze. It may have only been a few yet, from experience, it usually was all it took to give the other person the shivers. There weren't many who could hold Zach's gaze and for good reason. It was cold, dark; almost feral. If looks could kill, Zach's would be the first to strike the fatal blow and what a blow it would be. The magician allowed a single corner of his lips to curl upwards nto a crooked, very minute smile. You couldn't tell if he was simply amused by Zane's reply or happened to be plotting something that would lead to a very lonely Zane. "Fine," he replied quietly. "Cover those pretty little eyes of yours, try and count all the way to ten, say the magic words and I'll be gone. No peeking now, hm?"

With that, Zacharias sunk back into his seat and looked down at the cards which, by now, had been spewed across the table in a messy pile. Damn. Ah well. He swept them up and, just to see if the kid would leave if he actually did show him a trick, took the deck, which he had placed in its box, into his hand, snapped his fingers and then opened the hand to reveal nothing but air. Oh, he was no simpleton when it came to magic. No way. He was quite the genious actually. Then again, Zacharias was pretty much a genious at most things, but he didn't brag. Bragging wasn't his thing. Most rich people seemed to do it yet, due to his past and sheer hatred of excess, uneeded money, he never did. he kept deathly quiet, only allowing his talents to show in his work. Besides, bragging just attracted attention and it was already clear Zacharias didn't wish to have that.

When the woman appeared he simply shook his head, motioning to the drink he already had...the drink he hadn't even touched yet. Fingers curled around the cold, slightly wet glass, lifting the strawberry smoothie to his lips. The cold, slightly solid liquid slid down his throat, tickling his tastebuds and soothing his throat. After replacing the glass, he plucked the cherry from the top and sucked it from the stalk in the most delicate of manners. With a simple flick of his fingers the stalk landed on the china plate, accompanied by a soft chink. He looked up when the boy began to speak again. Zach couldn't help but roll his eyes. Didn't the kid ever give up? Obviously not.

"A magician never reveals his secrets kid and my name is one of many," Zacharias paused, looking at the boy's eager, slightly geeky smile before sighing. He wasn't going to leave. He wasn't going to give Zacharias the peace and quiet he craved this very moment. It was a hopeless cause really. "If you must know, its Zacharias, Zacharias Cain."