Flashing, dazzling lights danced along the stage and across the curtains to the tune of the music. Dozens of showgirls kicked their long legs high up in the air, all pointing to the main attraction in the center of the stage- famed magician Dorian Madrino. Standing tall at a statuesque height, with long wavy hair and a chiseled jaw, the well dressed young man knew how to keep a captive audience. Dorian had silvery blonde hair that ended at the middle of his back. With piercing pale blue eyes and a single brown mole on his left cheek, and thick eyelashes which he often fluttered at the female audience members.
Every weekend Dorian performed at the Lucky 7 Casino Hall, and he took great pride in it. He got to do his favorite thing- entertain. The magician had always been a showboat at heart, taking immense pride in both his appearance and his skills. He never felt more comfortable than when all eyes were on him.
Dorian was quite well known in Las Vegas for a reason. He was extremely beautiful, and his show attracted a large number of female attendees. But most of all, Dorian enjoyed their awe and admiration. He had quite the ego, and hundreds of adoring fans were sure to keep him feeling high and mighty.
Bachelorette parties and drunk sorority girls went wild as Dorian bowed, removing his silk top hat and placing it on his chest. With a wink, the magician snapped his fingers, and the unlit candles behind him suddenly burst with flames. The audience clapped their hands and cheered. Dorian smirked as he saw the reaction. He made eye contact with a few women near the front of the stage, winking at them while he walked by. They swooned, and Dorian went on to perform his first trick.
As the show went on, a certain table of women in the front were fawning over Dorian. He kept an eye on them, enjoying the fact that he always had hoards of young college girls admiring him.
Three young women sat at the table, each one in their mid twenties. Two of them were watching him with excitement, their eyes glued to his figure as he made his way across the stage. The third one however, clearly wasn't interested. Dorian picked up on this, raising an eyebrow. Of course he didn't let this affect his act- he was always flawless in his execution. It still bothered him of course.
As he went about his usual routine, throwing knives at his assistant while blindfolded, he made sure to keep his attention focused on the table, listening in on the girls as they gossiped among the massive crowd.
"You know, I think he really might be a wizard. Seriously, how does he do that?" One girl whispered as she leaned in towards the center of the table. She was a redhead wearing a black dress.
"Yeah, I can't think of any kind of way he might be cheating or pulling any tricks. It's crazy!" The second admirer said. She had tan skin and short black hair in a neat bob.
"Yeah right. It's all an act." A bespectacled brown haired girl muttered. She sat in the middle of the table, and ironically had the best view of Dorian. She scoffed at the over the top performance, the magician throwing six knives within the time span of six seconds. The crowd gasped in unison and cheered like trained seals.
"There's no way those are real knives. I bet they're magnets and that wheel has metal in it." She rolled her eyes, clearly unamused.
"Oh come on Claire, lighten up. We're out here to have fun!" Her friend with the bob haircut, Reyna replied.
"Yeah, and who cares if it's fake? This guy is really good!" Morgan the redhead sighed dreamily, cradling an overpriced drink in her hand. "Plus he looks like Legolas and David Bowie fused!" She giggled before taking another sip.
"Hey, you guys made me come here. No way is this my idea of fun." Claire rolled her eyes. The 23 year old STEM student had no idea why she allowed herself to be dragged along to this ridiculous event. Just because her roommates wanted to celebrate the end of their semester didn't mean she had to tag along... Yet here she was.
She didn't care if people called her a killjoy, but when it came to the paranormal, astrology, and tarot cards, Claire called it fake and delusional. Magic was no exception.
"I just find it insulting to my intelligence, that's all." Claire sighed, stirring the ice in her water with the glittery straw. She was of course going to be the sober one for the rest of the night, making sure the trio got home safely. She had to hold back a groan while she watched the spectacle on stage.
She glared daggers at the flamboyant magician. "You don't really believe this crap, do you?" Claire turned her view towards her friends, who were too busy ogling the gorgeous man. Claire sighed and slumped into her chair, waiting for the night to be over.
'No wonder their boyfriends didn't want to come see this crap, this guy is ridiculous...' Claire thought to herself, cringing internally while she and her friends watched the ostentatious magician upon the illuminated stage.
'Seriously, what a phony. I can't believe that some of these people believe he's actually magic...' Claire wondered, clearly unimpressed with Dorian. She couldn't wait to get back to her hotel room.
-------
The curtains came to a close and the crew dispersed. Dorian stood alone on the stage, fuming with anger. Who did that girl think she was? Dismissing his magic and doubting his powers? She clearly had no idea who she was dealing with.
"Disrespectful brat. I'll show her." Dorian said, baring his teeth as he whipped around and marched off the stage, heading out to the main lobby.
The tall male towered above the crowd, and of course attracted quite a bit of attention. He ignored the chatter and instead looked for the group of girls from the front table. The one with this Claire person. He caught a glimpse of the redheaded girl and the tanned girl waving bye to their friend. The pale skinned girl with dark brown hair. It looked like the two girls were headed somewhere else, leaving Claire alone in the lobby.
Dorian immediately headed over, his eyes fixed on her.
"So we're gonna head over to the slot machines. Are you sure you don't want to come?" Morgan said, looking over her shoulder before she and Reyna exited the hall.
"Yeah, I'll be fine. I'm just gonna go see if I can find a quiet place to sit down for a bit. All that flashy pageantry gave me a headache." Claire waved her friends off as the duo walked away.
As soon as they were gone, Claire felt a tap on her shoulder. At first it didn't phase her, it was a really crowded hall after all. A second, more aggressive tap came. She turned her head around to see Dorian hovering above her.
She instinctively flinched, jerking away from the much larger male. She was relatively small compared to him, and she had to crane her neck to see his face. His eyes truly were an unsettling shade of pale blue, it was almost hypnotic.
"My apologies, I didn't mean to startle you." Dorian said, his voice deep and smooth. Claire would think it was attractive if she didn't already think he was a clown.
"Can I help you?" Claire deadpanned, clutching her purse tensely.
"I just couldn't help but notice your table in the front row. I saw all of you, and you ladies seemed truly captivated with me." Dorian smiled, taking a step closer to Claire.
"Yeah, they liked you. They just left though." Claire said, jerking her thumb backwards, gesturing towards the main hall. "And I was just about to leave too."
