No Crime Here. Just Blight. (Mal)

Isabel was wandering. This was usually one of her favorite parts of the city. Mostly because she really liked nighttime, and the bar areas of town seemed to have a similar nocturnal schedule as she does. At the right angle, it almost looked like a red light district. There were bars next door to each other, people stumbling out of one to go into the other. She was tempted to go in and test her luck. She'd never had gone out drinking, and was always curious.

"But I'm not even of age yet, am I? I might be in dog years, though..."

She mused aloud, some of the people that partied a little too hard were sending her strange glances. She was dressed rather funny, but chose to ignore the occasional drunk pick up line that was slurred out to her as she hovered outside the bar. The smell was retched, seemingly trying to deter her from entering, but she was a curious little corpse above all else... and the strange smell only encouraged her strange desire to adventure in. So she did. The crowd was strange. The bar was like a dive bar, but filled with drunk college students. She probably wouldn't get carded here, that's for sure.

"Can I have that?"

She asked in her most polite tone to a man that seemed like he'd had his share for the night. She pointed to a bottle of clear liquid in front of him. His response wasn't audible. A long strange grunt that sounded more like someone had just hit him in the gut than an answer to a question. So she reached out and took it. He did not stop her.

"Well... bottoms up?"

She mumbled to herself, taking her first sip.

Malan'tai was out to enjoy the evening he was sitting in a bar just enjoying the music and watching various people interacting. He was drinking lightly from some sprite he'd never much liked alcohol it had.. affects on his race. The man was humming along to some bad kareoke he watched a young woman come in, she was different, special. He smirked seeing the fellow meta in the bar.

He rose from his place by the bar and walked over as she picked up the bottle. He sighed and shook his head placing a finger on the end of the bottle to keep it turning up. "Hey there sweet thing, what are you doing there? Mind showing me some id?" He gave her a wink and a smile he was in his usual vest and button up shirt, his hair messy but well groomed. His eyes would lock on hers if she looked up the black eyes with red irises made him stand out from all the others in the bar.

Isabel's first thought, embarrassingly, was that the bottle was defective. She made a slight move to lower her head and catch the drink at a lower level, but quickly realized it was pointless. A guy was holding the bottle. Duh. She scanned him over once. Then again. And a third time just to be sure. Then she met his eyes, and couldn't force herself to look away. She felt her cheeks flush red a bit as she shifted her weight from one foot to the next.

"...there's no way you work here, right?"

She tried to dodge his question with her own, but it was an unworthy attempt. She knew she hadn't put effort into that one. Usually she was a real charmer and had a nice way with words, but the mans eyes had her ensnared in a trap that she'd made no attempt to escape.

"If I told you I was old enough, would you have a drink with me..?"

Malan'tai laughed and took the bottle setting it down by the passed out drunk. "Not somewhere like here. I only drink at home, I have an image to maintain for the public." He offered his arm to her with a smile. "And as long as it's at home with supervision you can drink at 18."

Mal started backing up toward the back door keeping his eyes on her, the crowd parting behind him for some odd reason. In truth he had extended his forcefield like a wedge behind him to push everyone aside lightly. He didn't expect the hormone fueled teen could resist but he'd been wrong before.

Isabel raised her eyebrows at the offer, things like stranger danger and the likes going off in her head. Which was just fascinating to her, because she'd never been one to care much about other people or the possibility of harm. She found the thought quite thrilling, actually. Something about the man made her insides tingle in the unfamiliar sensation that she could only assume was fear. She felt her heart rate rapidly increase, a strange feeling, yes. She'd never really felt it before, the beat of her own heart reminding her that she wasn't quite dead, not really.

"An interesting one, you are..."

She said, keeping herself locked in his visual trap he'd unknowingly ensnared her in at first contact. She reached out for his arm, one part out of curiosity, but another part because she honestly didn't want him to leave her. Not yet. She didn't like seeing interesting people leave her life.

"...then I'll follow you home, hn?"

Malan'tai just started at this girl, he was quite intrigued by her he put his hand over the back of hers. He took her out into the back alley. "You seem uneasy, don't worry any danger you're feeling is from my distant past. I won't hurt you. I'm Malan'tai Ralin, I own the H.E.A.L. Corporation." He smiled at her genuinely and brushed her hair back with the back of his fingers settling it behind her ear.

He continued leading her back to his car finally looking around to spot it easier. "Do you want to drive or shall I?" He smiled genuinely looking back at her, his teeth gleaming white as though cared for by a personal dentist.

For some reason, the mans words reassured her. She felt her heart beat flutter as she nodded quickly, trying to dispel any doubts he might have had about her confidence in him. She skipped at his side, looking around with wide eyes as he led her to the car. When he asked if she'd like to drive, she gasped a bit.

"Would I ever."

She said like an excited kid, skirting around to the drivers side and looking inside with awe. This really was a treat for her. She knew going with this guy would be cool!

Malan'tai held the keys just out of reach and asked. "So do you know how to drive then?" He should have thought to ask that first but... tonight was more about fun than anything else. And he could protect them both anyway. He slid in the passenger seat and closed his eyes extending his forcefield around the main body of the car but leaving the bottoms of the wheels exposed.

He handed the keys to her and if she'd never driven before he'd reach over and touch her cheek gently implanting his memories on how to drive and various lessons he'd had. "I'm sure you'll do fine dear."

Isabel paused at the question. She didn't want to bother trying to lie again, it just wasn't going to work and she knew it. She looked around, thinking quickly.

"I've driven... some things before!"

Like she'd driven people crazy. She'd once played an arcade game with driving in it. It couldn't be too much different than that, right? She snatched the keys quickly, then he reached out and brushed her cheek. It felt odd, like she suddenly learned the proper way to drive and the likes. Unfortunately she'd never been one for proper. She was far from it. She got in the car and started the engine, licking her lips as she waited for Mal to get in.

Malan'tai buckled himself in and leaned back in the leather seats. He extended the protective field as much for them as for others. He looked at Isabel and said. "Just letting you know, I can shut the engine off from here if you don't keep things under control. I'd rather not pay my way out of trouble." He grinned and shifted the car into drive for her. "Lets head back to my place then."

Isabel visibly deflated at the statement. What fun was her first time driving if she couldn't go crazy? In fact... what fun was ANYTHING if she couldn't go crazy? She didn't nod or acknowledge that he'd spoken, instead put it in reverse and started going. She was a little faster than need be, and took her turns sharp, but she made it to the road with ease. "Where's your house anyway?" She asked, her voice still a little pouty from being told she couldn't drive fun.

Malan'tai said laughing a little, "Head to the north edge of town. I live in the woods a little ways." He put his hand on her knee gently and gave her a wink. "They don't patrol outside the city streets you know." He then took his hand away and gazed out the window at the passing city. He tapped his fingers lightly on the dash and turned on the radio tuning it to some rock figuring that's what she was into.

Izzy rolled her eyes a bit, feeling like a kid in time out for some reason. She hated trying to fit in with regular people. She wasn't regular! She sucked at being regular! She gripped the wheel tightly when they came to a red light. Mal pointed out that the police didn't patrol outside the city and she let out a sigh, repeating the mantra in her head as her frustration grew with traffic. "Driving isn't as fun as it looks on TV, y'know." When the light went green, she went. She made engine noises with her mouth, imagining that she was in a very slow and stop and go space ship. For some reason the fantasy did little to liven up the road for her.

Malan'tai rode along with her calmly humming and saying as they got out of the city. "Like I said, no one patrols out here. That was me saying go nuts outside the city." He laughed and patted her leg with a grin. He looked back out the windshield ready to see exactly what she thought was fun. Mal would give directions on how to get to his house as they drove along.

Isabel nodded in acknowledgement, trying to regain her excitement for driving she had at the start of the trip. She tested out the pedal, revving the engine then slowing down quickly. She giggled a bit, a little amused at the motion. She hoped Mal didn't get carsick easily, because the rest of the ride was like a roller coaster of stop and go. "Just let me know when we're there!" She said as she took off again, then started to slow once more.