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Arjun, livid as always, was once again brooding with his shoulder shoved into the corner of the door and seat where he sat. A spoiled child in his father's eyes, as he took the turn into town to be rid of this thorn in his side once and for all.

"You're living HERE, Arjun, and NOT with us a day more! If I have to hear any more of your mother's-"

"Step-mother..." Arjun muttered.

"-crying over worry, I'm afraid I'd do something I'd REALLY regret. This is what's best for all of us involved, one less knock on the door by the police at night is one more blessing to be counted," his father went on. "You've got your keys, your things have already been moved, AND your mother was kind enough to-"

"-Had the balls to..." Arjun muttered again, only distracted by his own reflection in the car's window.

"-get you a job at that brand new bookstore. I bet hundreds of people will be in there in no time and when you're eighteen you can do whatever you like from then and we won't interfere."

"Thank heavens," Arjun agreed to that, at least.

In another ten minutes or so he was out of the car and watching his father's bumper disappear down a hill. He hated this moment more than any moment he could remember in all his days. He was abandoned.

Arjun would have ignored them both, but something deep down in his genetic material saw the couple and instantly felt that of the two the real sucker in that pair was Jon.

He swallowed every last ounce of that horrendous tension left in him by the sting of abandonment and converted it into a steaming cup of home brewed venom with a lemon twist as he sidled up to Jon, looked him up and down with green eyes, and gave a smile that could slice diamonds...

"I think there's another busboy already in attendance... sir..."

With the heel of one foot, he tipped over an unwatched briefcase and walked briskly into the apartments.

"Oooh, dear, now how did that happen?"

Arjun hadn't caught it, but it was just as well. A "useless hand" was exactly what he was but the comment was lost as he pushed on the elevator's call button more than what was necessary. Room 57 was to be his new home for the time being and he was half eager to see what was his and half annoyed that he'd have to spend a majority of the day unpacking things just to be able to flop in front of a television to change channels until time forgot.

He was half contemplating not even showing up for the job his step-mother had taken great pains in finding for him. As far as anyone knew, it was an elitist sort of town, but its description. Only those fortunate enough to either be hand selected and invited or a friend-of-a-friend were only being admitted at this time to "ensure a safe and enjoyable environment". To that Arjun rolled his eyes, NOTHING was safe. Certainly nothing he'd ever come across.

It was true that the police had escorted him home time and time again, it was the combined wealth of his father, his deceased mother, and his new step-mother that had ensured his life was comfortable for the most of his days but that cushy lifestyle bored him and made his stomach knot with disgust. Life had so much more to offer and chaos was just as profitable as order. Time and time again his father, who knew damn near everyone in town, talked his way into not having his only child thrown into prison. It wouldn't really stain his good name, but he still felt obligated to attempt a good life for the only child he had had with his first wife.

A thought had slithered across Arjun's mind that his step-mother was pregnant and wanted him out of the picture, but she was entirely too... genuine was the word for it. Arjun wrinkled his nose as though he smelled something rancid and stepped into the elevator.

Arjun was fidgeting with his hair on the brass-like reflective surface of the elevator. It was almost mirror quality and not being able to make out any details was bothering him, he'd carry a pocket mirror... but he didn't want to appear vain.

"You left your pet behind," Arjun said, folding his arms tightly against his narrow chest.

Everything about him was narrow. He was lanky but at least he wasn't knock kneed or had the goofy flamingo-like neck that some of his skinny kin had possessed. He was tall but thankful he wasn't the tallest one, it was the tallest ones that people made the jokes about. Though he was getting really fed up with the suggestions from former high school peers to go into basketball. Just because he could reach the hoop didn't mean he would make a prime athlete. In fact, he'd sooner poison every last opposing player to ensure his own team won, anyway. Why even bring it to actual confrontation when you could n** the problem right in the bud?

He chewed on the end of a fingernail thoughtfully, his eyes glazing over as the elevator went up.

Reed Lockhue hated wearing his bartender's uniform, they dressed him to be more of the dealer at a blackjack table. At least the little black armbands made him feel more comfortable - anything black and strapped would.

They allowed him his hair, thank goodness, in a half braid and a neat black binding. He would have been respectable to the eyes of those who knew no better.

Regardless, there he was preparing for the next batch of businessmen and women, wiping down the bar with so much absent boredom that the thing glistened like onyx. He could see the rims of all the hanging wine glasses and tumblers reflecting down onto it.

He was dying for something more exotic, more thrilling... but all he'd get are a few empty promises and his paycheck at the end of the day. What good was buying a king sized bed, at this rate, when all you were was someone's squire?

-------------

"Room fifty-three," he lied smoothly, not even meeting the other man's eyes.

He didn't want this horse's a** to show up one day asking for a cup of sugar one day. Instead he folded his arms coolly and felt the elevator stop suddenly to allow for more people coming in.

It was only a young woman and her tiny dog in a purse. Arjun blinked.

"I do hope you've been declawed," Arjun smirked as the elevator came to a halt and opened to his floor. "Mister Room Fifty-three As Well."

He slid by without even touching anyone or the edges of the elevator's doorway and didn't head straight of his apartment. Arjun wanted to know where everything was on this floor and he knew nothing about the place other than it was an old hotel. Surely there were certain little secrets left in this renovated, old brick monstrosity even after all that.

"I don't want to be that thing's scratchpost more than I have to be," he muttered to himself.

It was true, he had an inner hatred for catfolk. Dogfolk, even. It was all so... unnatural. It made his skin crawl once no one was looking and he was allowed time for personal heebie-jeebies. He realized from the sunlight streaming into the building that each floor was flanked by two enormous arched windows, almost like that of a church. What was once a stoic, Gothic frame was now the victim of tacky art nouveau with strangely fitted drapes, of all things. Such windows were never meant to be burdened by drapes. To either side of the windows were massive, tall enameled plant pots and gigantic false palm fronds. Was he really in Augustine or some high end casino?

"Mercy," he begged at no one.

Not one, but two catmen were bickering at the stairwell as he slipped by to explore another public room. It was a small dining area, he noticed, with two or three vending machines along one wall, a table with six chairs, a sink, and a pantry for dry foods. Arjun opened it expecting it to be prepacked with canned goods or chips or something.

To his disappointment there was only a laminated piece of paper saying "Thank you for keeping this pantry clean. Residents are expected to label their food and to clear out any opened containers by Friday, each week."

Food... now that was something his father probably didn't pack away from him. And there was little money in his pocket. No one trusted him with a bank account.

But who would?