“It’s only stealin’ if what you’re takin’ isn’t yours.” From the looks of utter devotion surrounding him, Malek knew it was clear that nearly every woman in the building was very much his. Still, it wasn’t in his nature to deny someone refreshment or companionship and he flexed his influence like a familiar muscle – creating a space between beauties for the stranger to sit in and briefly taking his eyes off the “fondling” pair to address his new acquaintance. “I’d say I wuddn’t makin’ them do anything they wouldn’t ordinarily do but. These city girls are just so eeaaaaaaaaasy…”
He pulled back the veil from their eyes, his expression neutral and muscles at ease. In his youth such exercises had been a challenge of his ability but now they were as easy as breathing. Their stunned silence was thick with horror and embarrassment but even then they did not direct their wrath to the boy who had made them humiliate themselves. The dagger only amplified his powers, after-all and enough of his charm shielded him from what might have been an ugly scene of accusations. Instead they gathered their belongings and shuffled off; giving Malek a good laugh when their shoulders brushed and they recoiled in horror from one another. A few drinks earlier and he might have thought more about showing-off his degree of his control. But in his inebriation he found both the liberty to be open and the bravery to face the fact that his long-missing best friend was going to walk through the doors any minute and give him an earful.
Judging by the standards of Licia’s best and brightest, Malek was nothing. And while it was true he might not have known much of their world, the considerably seedier tones of places like the club he was currently inhabiting were very-much familiar. It would be foolish to traipse around Celeste City with his true name on his lips or those of anyone else. Granted, this realization had only struck him halfway through his own name and “Maki” seemed a serviceable choice at the time. It slipped easily from him now, one of a dozen false names he’d given to avoid capture or commitment. “Ferenc, Ferenc, Ferenc…” Male chortled, “Tid be a crime ta let anything happen to this tongue when it’s brought so many women joy. But now I’m the one wonderin’… where are you from that you’ve seen people handle a dagger atall?” The grin that followed spread slowly, mirroring his drunken wits. Information was valuable and the boy in front of him was clearly of the Third Realm – a thief’s eyes had to be accustomed to the dark. But his interest in the question waned when one of his admirers threw himself onto his lap and slipped her pretty mouth against his. He could not correctly interpret the look that crossed, “Ferenc”’s face then. Thus he assumed it was the same look every other man in the world would give him whenever they recognized his superiority with the fairer sex.
“Don’t get yurself all worked up.” He chortled, brushing the women off him like flies as their tender gazes became more and more irritating. “Ya can have ’em when i’m done. Jus’ killin time afore my girl shows up. Truth be told she’ll probably take this back then and I’ll only have this gorgeous mug to lure them in with.” Bored and curious, he slouched forward and leaned in close to the darker skinned male. “O’course that’ll be more than enough…” To illustrate his point, he tilted the blade just slightly to let the hilt press against his companion’s thigh. At the same time he turned down his own charm. It was eerie to feel the change of energy in the air. Like predators, the eyes of the harem shifted their focus from Malek, to the blade and then to Ferenc. Then he let the dagger rest on the table before them, touching neither and the balance again moved to him “See whatta mean?” He chortled, snatching up the blade with quick and experienced fingers and putting it safely in its sheath.