[attr="class","icon"]

if only jayden cross had approached a few moments earlier then maybe he would've caught a glimpse of him and PENELOPE LIVY together and put two and two together. unfortunately, cian's identity will remain hidden for now, tucked away under the thievul mask.[break][break]

"oh not at all!"[break][break]

he turns to look at the stranger, finding their voice familiar.[break][break]

"well you did bump into me a little but it's all good. i take it you're here for a drink?"[break][break]

he quickly waves down the bartender, getting them to approach.

[attr="class","littlejay"]

as the masked stranger speaks, jayden is relieved to know that he hadn't caused any trouble.

[break][break] "oh," he blinks. "how did you know?"

[break][break] there is something easy and familiar about the way that they speak, though jayden can't exactly pinpoint as to why that is. when he turns back to look for fern, however, it seems that his date has somehow disappeared.

[break][break] when the bartender arrives, jayden orders a champagne glass for himself and then inclines his head towards the other.

[break][break] "did you want something too?"

[attr="class","ooc"]

CIAN MAHER

☉

[attr="class","icon"]

"champagne! good choice, friend. i'll have the same."[break][break]

friend isn't quite the same as bestie but the energy is similar. perhaps that's what will eventually give him away. but it's not like he's even aware the man he's talking to used to be his roommate on the submarine.[break][break]

the bartender quickly pours them their drinks.[break][break]

"to...uh..."[break][break]

he holds up his glass, ready to toast.[break][break]

"to masquerades? i have no idea."

[attr="class","littlejay"]

friend?

[break][break] "i don't know you," he says a bit dumbfoundedly, confused at the familiarity of their tone. "do i?"

[break][break] either way, jayden takes his own glass of champagne and lifts to the other, clinking the two simply. "to masquerades," he agrees, before bringing the alcohol to his lips. the alcohol burns on the way down, giving him a bit more courage, as he looks at the other.

[break][break] "do you want to dance?"

[break][break]

[attr="class","ooc"]

CIAN MAHER

☉

[attr="class","icon"]

"nah i don't think so! that's the point of these masks, i think. hehe."[break][break]

but the person does sound and act familiar. he chalks it up to just him being on edge that everyone is out to get him, and to take a step back and calm himself.[break][break]

he toasts, then downs his champagne in one.[break][break]

"yes, let's dance. i'm quite bad at it so you're going to have to guide me."[break][break]

taking the initiative, cian reaches for their hand and leads them onto the dancefloor.

[attr="class","littlejay"]

"okay."

[break][break] even as he takes the other's hand and leads them onto the ballroom floor, there is something prickling in the back of his mind that he can't ignore. it's like a persistent itch, a small sapling sprouted into his thoughts.

[break][break] jayden's steps are smooth as he leads them onto the dancefloor. having spent his childhood partaking in parties with the likes of Summer Atreides and knox prescott prepared him for it.

[break][break] he's not a professional, but he can certainly keep up.

[break][break] "what brings you to the gala?"

[attr="class","ooc"]

CIAN MAHER

☉

[attr="class","icon"]

"oh i'm just here as someone's arm candy. no one too important, though."[break][break]

he can't just be dropping PENELOPE LIVY's name everywhere he goes. someone would put two and two together eventually.[break][break]

he sways to the music, dancing with his masked date.[break][break]

"and yourself? you can't be here alone, surely."

[attr="class","littlejay"]

arm candy?

[break][break] "oh, i see."

[break][break] he can't imagine why someone would want an arm as candy, but he supposes that he has heard stranger things before. absently, his hand is tempted to run along the scars along his arm — remembering the burn of his brother's mark.

[break][break] "i did come with someone," he says, eyes glancing towards the crowd, only to find the fern delaney engaged with someone else at a nearby bar. it made sense, after all, considering how social the other could be. even so, a burn of jealousy stings.

[break][break] "but i also came for work," he says, lips curled into a smile. "it's a good cause to donate to."

[attr="class","ooc"]

CIAN MAHER

☉

[attr="class","icon"]

"called it."[break][break]

of course this attractive masked person isn't here by themselves. that would be absurd. his grin is visible even below his mask, amused that he had assumed correctly. maybe his insight isn't so bad after all.[break][break]

"yeah? what kinda work do you do?"

[attr="class","littlejay"]

"ah."

[break][break] it occurs to him, albeit a little belatedly, that the whole point of this affair was to be masqueraded. then again, jayden had never been quite good at facades like that.

[break][break] "i'm here on behalf of wyndon," he says, clear but vague enough, before his head tilts. "and you?"

[attr="class","ooc"]

CIAN MAHER

☉

[attr="class","icon"]

"wyndon? like the city?"[break][break]

that's in galar, isn't it? geography was never his best subject at school but he remembers that much.[break][break]

when the same question is asked of him, he doesn't shy away from it.[break][break]

"i run around in the upper echelons of the league. no biggie."

[attr="class","littlejay"]

"yeah, and the pharmaceutical company."

[break][break] though he didn't expect everyone to know about it, the company was at least established enough that those who cared to know would recognize it's name. after all, they'd begun their branding right in rustboro itself — jayden had been personally in charge of the project.

[break][break] they'd begun to litter themselves throughout other towns, replacing local pharmacies with the big pharma title.

[break][break] sinister and clever. hoenn would not know the seedy underbelly of wyndon and the pharmaceutical industry until it was too late.

[break][break] "mm."

[break][break] jayden nods in agreement, not finding any particular interest in this fact, as they step across the dance floor. perhaps if masks were removed, he would have taken more effort to try to uncover who this special member of league society was. it could be useful for future use.

[break][break] as it was, he was content to finish the rest of the dance in silence.

[attr="class","ooc"]

CIAN MAHER

☉

[attr="class","icon"]

being so ingrained into the ongoings of rustboro, he is aware of wyndon the pharmaceutical company, and cian is wise enough to connect the dots even if does take him the majority of the song. so much so that their dance almost comes to an end.[break][break]

he leans in closer.[break][break]

"can i tell you a secret, bestie?"