"really?" he says, voice pitched with curiosity, unable to help himself. he's nosy. "what do you do?"

[break][break] they reach "his" room, and caden pauses the conversation to survey the area with a critical eye. it's not bad... but not great either. it's the kind of thing that Antoinette Spina would snub her nose at. but when you have a boat load of medical debt bills waiting for you... well, you can't be picky.

[break][break] "i'll make it work."

[break][break] and he will — caden maher isn't a man who says it lightly. he's already planning what furniture he'll need to purchase, and what he can mooch off of CIAN MAHER and boruta maher.

[break][break] "that sounds good — where do i sign?"

[attr="class","ooc"] @symon [break]


[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-munna"]

[attr="class","cadentop"]

[attr="class","littlejay"] "mmm, same."

[break][break] the buzz is a pleasant break from normal wear and toll of his everyday life. after all, there's no drinking when you have to go into the OR at a moments notice.

[break][break] maybe he's tipsy, which is why when his brother shouts out a name with the crowd, a laugh bubbles out of him. uncharacteristic.

[break][break] it sounds so lame.

[break][break] "adrian!" he shouts the name alongside his twin, though, caught up in the moment. if Antoinette Spina saw him, she'd bully him.

[break][break] his eyes shift towards the crowd, but the only person with bright red hair in the crowd that he can see is @symon. his roommate.

[break][break] "fuck if i know," he says, taking a sip of his beverage. "that guy over there? he's my roommate though. looks like he's having a grand time."

[break][break] he glances towards his brother.

[break][break] "you see bo anywhere? or dad?"

[break][break] the idea of their father attending one of these events is enough to make him snicker.

[attr="class","ooc"] CIAN MAHER [break]
+1 yells adrian [break]

☉

"hmm."

[break][break] the shirt is discarded, thrown against one of the tables. his fingers reach down to the button of his jeans, ready to slip out of them as well.

[break][break] "and you know me, love. i'm not cheap either."

[break][break] the entourage of people on his phone who ping him daily, asking for photos or videos, are proof enough. some even just want a sentence of his time, anything to get their hands on a minute of his time. one man in particular (paxton concordas) seems particularly needy, but caden doesn't mind as long as he wires the money directly to his bank account.

[break][break] his lips curl into a smile. starlight dances on his skin as he steps over to her, reaching forward and pinching her jaw gently between his fingers. "i suppose i can give you a discount. just for you."

[break][break] with a laugh, he steps away and slides into the warm tub. a groan of relief slips out of him as the hot water touches upon his very sore muscles.

[break][break] he leans back, head dipped backwards, to look at her.

[break][break] "are you going to join?"

[attr="class","ooc"] Antoinette Spina [break]


[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-munna"]

[attr="class","cadentop"]

[attr="class","littlejay"] it's a rare chance that he gets a break from work, but when he does, it's always somehow still tied to work. he and the other residents are asked to be on-call for the festivities, in case anyone gets too drunk or rambunctious.

[break][break] given the looks of some people — his eyes dart towards a group of men followed by a obnoxiously blue-colored person (mint frost ) — he's not surprised.

[break][break] at least for today, he's not on-call.

[break][break] "drink?" he offers the other. in his hand is a fruity cocktail, one of which he is slurping on his own with a swirly straw. he heard dahlia goode speech over the scream of the crowd and Melody Miro starting piece; neither of which is particular interest to him. he's sure their father would have a choice of words, but these days, he couldn't care less.

[break][break] as TERAVOLT so aptly put it — don't tell me what to believe. don't tell me when to be free.

[break][break] "where's your better half?" caden teases goodnaturedly, eyes flicking over the crowd to see if he can spot the girl who's made his brother so very smitten.

[attr="class","ooc"] CIAN MAHER [break]
+ react to speech [break]

☉

caden follows @symon as he leads them around the apartment. sure, caden is looking at the furnishings and making sure that he's not accidentally walking into some creepers' house. he keeps look-out for all the red-flags and warning signs, of stuffed dead pokemon hanging on the wall or bloody knives.

[break][break] his gaze does follow the arch of his tour guide's shoulders, appreciating the wonderfully sculpted muscles of his broad shoulders. @symon wasn't bad to look at, he noted.

[break][break] "nice yard," he comments. not that caden's the type to own a dog. maybe CIAN MAHER, or even boruta maher. too much mess for him to clean up. his gaze flickers towards the sound of t-pain playing in the distance, and his brow arches, but otherwise does nothing else except slip his hands into his pockets as he follows.

[break][break] "i'm warning you," he starts idly, as they walk up the stairs. "i have weird hours 'cause of my work. hope that won't bother you."

[attr="class","ooc"] @symon [break]


[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-munna"]

the area was surprisingly nice — nicer than caden anticipated, especially since his main motivation for this was out of sheer pettiness. that being said, it was a nice positive to note that at least he wasn't going to be living in the slums just because he was bitter at a colleague.

[break][break] the man who opens the door for him was —

[break][break] a beach bum? no. himbo?

[break][break] he was attractive, but not quite caden's type.

[break][break] still, he isn't the type to argue if someone is willing to put up the cash.

[break][break] 'wait. this guy's supposed to be your roommate.' way to be horny, caden.

[break][break] "yeah," caden nods at the other, offering his hand out to give the other a firm shake. "name's caden. symon, huh? nice to meet you." he looks around the abode with an appraising eye, before his lips slide into a smirk.

[break][break] "you going to show me around, handsome?"

[attr="class","ooc"] @symon [break]


[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-munna"]

once upon a time, caden had been a child who was enamored by starlight. he had wanted to be a star. in fact, his whole future had been laid out in front of him — a dazzling red carpet for the successful athlete. the only person — then — who had stood in his way was his prodigy of a brother.

[break][break] but those dreams were long crushed and buried, far away.

[break][break] these days, his skies were dark and blackened — the only pinprick of light offered was when he met people like Antoinette Spina.

[break][break] even in the shade of the night, with their only light the moonlight that gleams through the cityscape of mauville in the distance, caden's smile can be seen. or rather, it's a smirk as he slowly unbuttons his shirt. one by one, his gaze meeting that of his best friend's without fail.

[break][break] "will you pay?"

[attr="class","ooc"] Antoinette Spina [break]


[attr="class","pkspr pkmn-munna"]