Private It's nothing personal, just a con

[Kimava Solai]

Late afternoon fading into dusk, one of the few times this city could actually look beautiful. Kimava contemplated her surroundings as she sat in a small city park. Park was a generous word, it was more of an open city center where businessmen took their lunches and tourists took a break from gawking up at the sky-high building. It's not like they don't have buildings on their own planet, where ever they were from, Kimava thought bitterly as she lounged on the bench. Her deep brown eyes scanned the crowds as the work crowd transitioned to the very beginnings of nightlife.

This would be Kimava's signal to begin work for the day. It was at night that people seemed to be more susceptible to suggestion. To the idea that they had just misplaced their wallet, that they had already spent those twenty credits, that they could trust the local girl in the fashionable clothes that they had met an hour ago. The trick had been spending a bit of money to make money and to target the tourists who looked rich enough that they wouldn't miss a jacket at the end of the night. Kimava had decided to go for a more subdued, classy look this day as she had spent the majority of the day swindling businessmen.

As night came, it was time to change targets and to have a bit more fun. She liked the weekdays for this reason, it was a game that she would rather play than forcing a smile to drunk patrons at a bar. Her eyes scanned back over the multicolored crowd before deciding that she should begin to wander and find a target for the evening. Fixing her black dress and heeled boots she took a second to preen in the nearest reflection she could use. Frowning at her reflection she lightly touched the diamond-shaped tattoos on her face before clicking her tongue and making her way into the crowds before she smiled as her eyes landed on her next mark.

"You need help with something, hun?"

Rika

 

[Zo'i Prihm]

Rhé had been saying something about responsibility. All Zo'i heard was "Blah blah blah, you need to yada yada yada, keep your mind on so on and so forth." So she had gone out on her own and had a run in with someone way over Zo'i's head. So what? Not everyone in the galaxy was out to take advantage of poor, li'l Zo'i. Even that guy wasn't really out to get the young Zeltron. He just happened to scare the daylights out of her and then inadvertently tried to kidnap her. Not every interaction that the teen was going to have was going to go so badly. In fact, since being entirely on her own, Zo'i had primarily been the one taking advantage of other people. And she was good at it.

Soooo, all Zo'i really heard when Rhé chastised her for going out alone was a challenge. Zo'i would show her would be guardian that she could take care of herself just fine. The sultry woman was rarely so overbearing. In fact, up until Zo'i's one mishap, Rhé had been mostly content to throw Zo'i to the wolves and make the kid figure everything out on her own. The difference was that Rhé had always been there to supervise, even from a distance. But Zo'i couldn't just depend on Rhé. And the young Zeltron was plenty skilled at the power of persuasion to keep herself safe. Blaster practice? Gross. Knife training? Only for slicing vegetables, thank you. What about driving lessons? What about her heritage? What about literally anything fun?!

Sneaking out by herself was the only way she was going to prove to Rhé that she was ready for all of the things that Zo'i was sure the adult was keeping from her. No more vague answers, half truths, and being gaslighted. Zo'i was ready to move forward. Stop holding me back! she wanted to yell from the highest building on all of Denon.

Eventually, Zo'i's fuming faded and she just enjoyed walking the colorful, neon streets of Seven Corners. She had heard that Luminous owned this cool building nearby called Sakedo Tower. There were supposed to be a ton of super-cute shops and convincing some store employees to give her free stuff sounded like a grand use of her momentary freedom from Rhéala's watchful gaze.

As she walked along, more of a skip to her step with every stride, a green-skinned woman approached. She was a little taller than Zo'i with some neat tattoos on her face. The teen recognized the young woman's species as being Mirialan thanks to Rhé's instruction on culture. The Mirialan was well-dressed and Zo'i dug her style. Finally! Someone older than her that actually wanted to have a conversation and had a sense of style. Perfect company for a day out shopping.

"Hi! Not really. Well, maybe. Love your outfit! I was actually just thinking of going shopping." Was it still shopping if Zo'i didn't intend to pay for anything? She certainly thought so. "You look like you know your way around a boutique. Wanna come with?"

Kimava Solai​

 

[Kimava Solai]

Kimava smiled at the young zeltron. Honestly, did she expect the girl to have bundles of money? Not really but the girl had taste, and those who had taste generally had the ability to experience luxury. Perhaps, Mom and Dad was missing their teen who had wandered away during a family vacation. This could work for a long run opportunity, she mused to herself.

Despite it all, she still genuinely smile at the compliment of her dress, it was a piece she had actually saved up for back when she did more work than cons. However, the jacket was one she has surreptitiously nabbed from some drunk human at a club. Hey, if no one called to claim a "lost" jacket, well it deserved a better owner, didn't it? And if it came with a few loose credits in the pockets, that was just a reward for saving it from an ungrateful owner.

"Thanks," Kimava purred, "Something tells me you already know some of best places to go. Are you headed to Sakedo? I could do with a bit of window shopping."

Window shopping was never just window shopping. It was stopping here, pocketing lipstick there, walking out with a necklace that just so happened to go with her outfit. People, rich people, in particular, were careful with merchandise but careless with purchases. Cons in Sakedo were difficult but if you knew the layout and who was safe to lift from, it could be a breeze. That all hinged on if this girl was going to be a partner in crime or a target to prey off of. Decisions, decisions.

It was a weakness, her attraction to small baubles and finery. Growing up she had dressed conservatively, luxury was hard to come by especially when you had a checked out older sister and parents who spent more time hustling on the black market to get the family's next meal. Did she feel bad for running away in the end... it's complicated.

"The name's Kimava, I'm a bit of a local around here, what's your name? How long are you in the city for?"

Zo'i Prihm

 

[Zo'i Prihm]

Zo'i's eyes sparkled at the mentioned of Sakedo Tower. "Yes! Oh good, you already know the best place to go. This will be a blast!" Shopping had been elusive lately and her wardrobe could definitely use a refresh. When she had been travelling the galaxy, hopping from place to place with different families she had "persuaded" into bringing her along, Zo'i hadn't had much time to shop. Sure, that was often something that families did on vacation, but she almost always split away from the group by then. The teenage Zeltron had always been more concerned with the next ride she was going to hitch. And rightfully so. Catching a lift from place to place was not the easiest thing to do for free. But her closet had suffered, not just from the lack of opportunity but also from the small amount of luggage she could carry on her person.

Yes. This trip was long overdue.

"I'm Zo'i!" She reached out and hugged Kimava all of a sudden, in that social way that only a young person would feel uninhibited doing on a first meeting. "It's so nice to meet you," she said, releasing her newfound friend. And then she just went on excitedly blathering as they walked toward their destination. It had been awhile since Zo'i had a conversation partner with whom she could actually socialize. Adults were just no fun for that kind of thing. And even though Zo'i could tell that Kimava was on the verge of adulthood, she was still young enough looking to not be quite so droll. "I've only been on Denon for a few months but my guardian has me all cooped up. I haven't had much chance to get out and enjoy the sights. I'm not really sure how long we'll be around for. Rhé doesn't tell me these things. But we're always on the move. Spaceports, parties, social gatherings. But never the fun kind. Ughh, I just needed a break, you know?

"Anyway, I heard talk of Sakedo through the grapevine." Zo'i sent Kimava a sideways glance as they walked along. She was proud of her connections, even if they were boring and weird. "I kind of know the owner," she said in a whisper, leaning in a little so that no other passersby could overhear. "My guardian, Rhé, is friends with her. And even if she is like, super strange, she has good style sometimes. So I know that there's gotta be some awesome stuff there.

"What about you?" Zo'i asked. Her attention shifting away from her bragging rights and back to the young Mirialan woman. "What's your story?"

Kimava Solai​

 

[Kimava Solai]

Kimava immediately lifted her arms up Zo'i hugged her. Touch to her was as foreign as well, most of the planets she had lived on, hugs were few and far in between. Especially hugs from teenaged Zeltrons who she had just met. Quickly Kimava picked her jaw up off the floor and recomposed herself awkwardly going to give a pat to Zo'i's back. Thankfully she had sprung off Kimava as quickly as she had latched on. Kimava had a feeling in her gut that this was going to be an interesting night. Subconsciously, she patted her side pocket making sure the money she kept there was in fact still there.

She wasn't the most learned Mirialian, but she was street smart. Not that it wouldn't have mattered too much if the girl ad pickpocketed her. You never put all your credits in one pocket, figuratively or literally. Passing off the check as a move to smooth down some part of her dress she began listening to Zo'i's ramblings. She picked out a few key pieces of information to file away for later. "Guardian", so no parents either that or her parents had sent her off someone trusting her to the care of some qualified stranger. But being constantly on the move, that's something Kimava was familiar with. Really this kid pretty tied to this guardian, Rhé, and it just seemed unfortunate that Zo'i hadn't had a chance to see the city on her own. She wistfully hummed in agreement with Zo'i.

Wait was she feeling sorry for this girl? The mark that she had selected? She really had to pull herself together. Her eyebrows raised at Zo'i saying that she knew the owner. Could that work to their benefit? Their, who was she talking about, her - to her benefit. "Hmm, I could definitely do with a state of the art fashion update," she smirked.

"Ah me? Well..." Kimava hesitated, she had to be diplomatic. Enough truth to keep Zo'i close but not enough to give away the long con. "Well, I grew up on Mirial but, my family left to travel around some of the Outer Rim planets doing odd jobs here and there. I was actually your age when I went off on my own, joined a performance troupe. Learned acrobatics and how to juggle, you know those kinds of useful skills." Kimava laughed lightly at her own joke. She left out getting caught stealing and being threatened with imprisonment or trying to earn her payback by performing. That it had taken years before she had managed to run away once it became evident that "paying off her debt" was as impossible as a flying bantha.

"Anyways, I earned my keep gave myself a bit of a name. Then I struck out on my own again. Being doing that ever since, pays well and well I love doing it." she winked keeping an easy smile on her face. Once again only part of the truth, sometimes she still performed. Mostly she conned and stole until she had to move on to the next city or planet. Looking at Zo'i she deftly changed the subject, "So, I'm guessing your guardian doesn't let you out on your own often? That's bogus." she said emphatically, "Let's rock a night out, this city won't know what hit it!"

Biting her lip in thought, Kimava deliberated over the next question before blurting it out, "How'd you get past the ball and chain tonight then? One city girl to another?" The last thing she needed was to blow her cover over an angry guardian and getting in trouble with people in high places.

Zo'i Prihm

 

[Zo'i Prihm]

Zo'i nodded along at the appropriate moments of her new friend's story. They sounded like two peas in a pod, Zo'i and Kimava. A relatively normal childhood but oh so unfulfilling? Check. Left family behind to find purpose? Check. Falling in with some strange folk, by chance or choice or a mixture of the two? Absolutely. Zo'i could already feel that her "caretaker" Rhéala would eventually no longer be useful to Zo'i too. Eventually, as her Mirialan friend had done, Zo'i would move on again, leave Rhé behind, just as she had her parents. Through and through, the young Zeltron girl was independent, fiercely so. And Zo'i get the same impression from Kimava. Sure, the girl was still an avid socialite. But interactions with new folks in new places were far better than same old, same old.

"Ugh, she so doesn't," Zo'i said, with a little more disgust then she probably felt about her guardian. She was aware enough to know that Rhéala was looking out for her. The only times that the strange human woman put Zo'i through questionable circumstances was when Rhé was there to look out for Zo'i. But still, the seductress could loosen up every once in awhile. After all, Zo'i could see those same flashes of fierce independence in Rhé that she saw in herself. The teen knew that going out on her own in a place like Seven Corners was dangerous. Being lassoed by a strange man was proof enough! That didn't mean Zo'i couldn't look out for herself.

She would never admit it out loud, but the young girl felt a little safer with some company though, older company even. All the better to keep any threats away. There was power in numbers, right?

"We are definitely going to turn Sakedo upside down!" She raised her arms in the air and gave a loud "Waahoooo!" Relief flooded over her as the sliding doors of Sakedo came into view. She lowered her arms with a giggle, almost embarrassed with how childish she probably looked, especially to the older Kimava. Zo'i was especially glad that the Mirialan didn't seem to mind hanging out with an obviously younger teenager. Twenty-somethings were always sooo much more interesting than other kids her age but they could also be really judge-y of teens. Sometimes rightfully so, but Zo'i liked to think she was a particularly fun teen to hang out with. She intended to prove that.

"Heheheh," she gave her best cutely insidious laugh. "Rhé has the whole apartment bugged. Not actually because she's paranoid but just because it's part of her job. So, while she was away, I triggered one of the warning alarms with a careful application of incense. I lit a stick over a stove burner and then pressed the flame directly to one of the sensors. Lumi, my guardian's boss, sends her goons anytime the alarm gets triggered. So I shut off all the lights and then snuck out behind them when they came in. They'll see me leave on one of the monitors but won't have a chance to check until we've already shopped til we drop. Hah!" Zo'i felt triumphant. She hadn't had too many uses for her old tips and tricks. But sneaking out was a specialty of hers.

"I doubt Rhé will come looking though. The last time I escaped her custody, she just waited for me to come home. She knows I won't leave her. Not yet. And if I got into enough trouble to actually be in danger, she would hear about it from her friend Lumi. After all, Lumi literally owns this place." Zo'i gestured to the mall as the doors slid open. Bright fluorescent and neon lights danced throughout the interior, enticing entry into every kind of store imaginable. Luminous Sun was called the queen of pleasure for a reason, Zo'i knew. "So! Where to first?"

Kimava Solai​

 

[Kadora'Tra]

Kadora'Tra was a Captain of Corporate Security, specifically trained from her young age and selected due to her orphan status to operate on the toughest assignments as directed to her by high ranking Direx Board members.

Today she was selected to be a mall cop.

Or at least, that's what it seemed like tonight was heading towards. She worked for Diviak Manfloon's personal task force, but it didn't change the fact that she was still a CorpSec officer, and if she was near something a high ranking member of the Authority wanted to look into, she was obligated to follow those orders.

"Uuuuuuugh, Kyle you're the worst." The Captain exclaimed after hearing the news, "Can't a girl have a day off in peace?"

"I'm sorry Captain, you're the highest ranking CorpSec officer near the Tower, and an official of Luminous Sun wants this girl tailed by someone they can trust."

"Fiiiine. At least upload the latest suspicious activity reported in the tower to keep me busy while baby sitting, and be useful for once." Kadora'Tra rolled her eyes, as her clawed finger flicked across the datapad to end the call. In a few moments, she received a flurry of reports and complaint files ready for her purview. Hopefully she would find something interesting to investigate rather than making faces behind the back of the person she was intended to follow.

After a bit of time, she caught sight of her intended target - Zo'i Prihm - walking into the building along with a green woman - Mirialan? - strange, she wasn't informed there would be anyone else. She chalked it up to some stupid friend this person has she broke out to go see. Nonetheless, she began filtering the reports on her datapad for a woman of her description, might be useful data...

Kimava Solai

 

[Kimava Solai]

The jubilant yell of joy from Zo'i caught Kimava off-guard for sure. Her eyes went wide but, surprising herself, she actually gave a small laugh. Zo'i's joy was absolutely infectious and Kimava could relate. Right before a lift she had always felt a small buzz of electricity as the adrenaline kicked in and Sakedo helped to fuel that fire. As far as Kimava could admit the shopping mall was her kind of gorgeous, the pulsing lights and advertisements were just divine. After all, weren't the holographic promises of love and youth just a con in it of itself. Perhaps if things had gone differently she would be designing the perfect pitch for the products instead of coveting the blasted things.

With incredulity Kimava listened intently to Zo'i escape route from the watchful eye of Rhé. The possibility of someone tailing the teen was not high but never a complete zero. Internally Kimava groaned, well Zo'i was gonna have to get really cool about a few things really fast in case someone had been sent to tail Zo'i. Again Kimava stopped herself, why was she protecting this girl? And again she stopped herself. Y'know if situations had been reversed and she was a teen again she would kill for the opportunity to do something a little illegal (very illegal) at the expense of corporate greed. Especially after escaping a watchful parental eye of some sort.

Smiling slyly Kimava eyed a nearby couture clothing store. "Well, I think first things first, just in case we do have your guardian dearest keeping tabs on you we should do a bit of a makeover," Kimava stated before walking over to the store pointing at a few eye-catching pieces in the store. Specifically some wide-brimmed hats and artfully styled jackets. "Obviously we both stick out a bit so makes sense to play a low profile, doesn't mean we can't look good while doing it."

She hoped that Zo'i was as smart as she looked and picked up the drift. Kimava had grifted enough money to buy one decent item, even though it hurt her soul to spend. But that's where the first con came in. You buy something at the first store and ask for a big bag so that you can put your jacket in since it's so hot in here. Then at the next store slip something else into the bag and each time an alarm went off throw a little fit on how the droid hadn't removed the security tag at the store before. It worked practically every time.

If they were feeling lucky they could try to do it all at once in a changing room and Kimava could deactivate the tags herself but again, that would be a hard lift to hide from her new Zeltron friend. "Besides the last thing I want is for your well-deserved evening out to be unfairly cut short, we'll just ask to wear what we get out of the store," she said smoothly decidedly scanning the area as she did so. She didn't any more CorpSec officers than usual and relaxed a little bit. After all, it was time to have a bit of fun. "Now what's the vibe for tonight?"

Zo'i Prihm Kadora'Tra

 

[Zo'i Prihm]

Her new friend was sneaky... Evading any potential pursuers with costume changes and disguises? All while shopping? The teen felt like she was a secret agent in a spy holo!

Zo'i was that much more excited about hitting up the mall. She contained her excitement this time, all the better to act out the part of the inconspicuous shopper. Most of the time, the young Zeltron was purposefully unbridled. After all, what was the point of having emotions if they couldn't be expressed? She felt the same way about thoughts. Why have a brain if thoughts can't be expressed? Really, Zo'i was just big on expression.

But the quirky girl could act the part too. After all, acting was just another form of expression. She was taking on a role as a representation of another type of person. Zo'i had a take on how she would play out that role, and that was expressing her thoughts and feelings about that type of person. Her take could be sarcastic and mocking, or sincere and reverent. When trying to blend in with a crowd, Zo'i would probably opt for the latter. But she knew herself and would not be able help herself from slipping in a few bits of satire here and there, especially to Kimava's benefit, or so Zo'i hoped.

"A change of costume, you don't say?" Zo'i started in with the overly posh tone right away. Might as well get some of the mockking out of her system before they went incognito. "Why yes I think that's a fabulous idea." Zo'i giggled at herself as they walked over to the designer clothes store. "Well, if we're doing the big, floppy hats, we could rock some casual-designer looks... Hmm. You know. I almost never get to wear a dress. I haven't even owned a good dress since I was back home. I think it's time I added one to my wardrobe. And maxi dresses go soooo good with a big floppy hat." Zo'i's eye twinkled, her thoughts on cute outfits brimming. "Oh! And we'll definitely need to get some good bracelets and necklaces after! Maybe some lip gloss, too. Come on!"

She was tempted to grab the Mirialan's hand and pull her along but remembered that they were trying to be incognito. A moment later, she also remembered that maybe a bunch of physical contact wasn't a great idea with someone she just met. She grew a little self-conscious as they walked through the entrance in among all the racks and displays. "Sorry. I know I can be a little much. It's just been a long time since I could actually get out and relax and just be comfortably me. It's not even all Rhé's fault really..." Zo'i shook her head quick, shaking off the sad thoughts before they seeped into their otherwise awesome night. "Anyway! Thanks for coming along. It means a lot!"

The teenager made off through the store scanning the features for hats and picked out a couple, placing them on her head and making faces in a mirror until she found two she liked, one all black and another two shades: a sandy brown and a mahogany. Next were the dress racks. Zo'i was all about color, but she tried to tone down her typically outlandish tastes to find something a little more classy, a little more inconspicuous, and maybe a little more adult. She was simultaneously thrilled and irritated by that last one, but so what? She'd still make sure her getup was super cute, even as an adult. Zo'i was quite sure that would never change. She grabbed a light blue, a white with little yellow flowers, and an olive green. The sleeve lengths were all different so she had choices to make, but she was sure that any choice would be a good one. The Zeltron sought out her friend. "Shall we try stuff on? And don't worry about paying for the first round. As thanks for coming along, your first outfit is on me," Zo'i added with a big smile.

Kadora'Tra | Kimava Solai ​

 

[Kadora'Tra]

As Kadora'Tra was investigating petty crimes in the local area fitting possible Mirialan description, momentarily she began to realize how suspicious she should look to this crowd. A walking cat everyone is racist against because her kind were playful with other peoples belongings, simply just waltzing into a mall. They couldn't know of course, that she was Captain of CorpSec with a special corporate pedigree, but nonetheless she was becoming more conscious of the glances and glares.

"Ugh, honestly what did I expect," Kadora'Tra muttered under her breathe, as she watched the girls she was tailing go into a clothing shop. It was an innocent enough store to stop by, so the feline Captain decided to look lost in front of the mall map across from it, keeping her ears open wide, and concentrating on the unmistakable giggle of the pink one.

"...try stuff on? ... paying... first outfit is on me,"

It was difficult to pierce through the crowd of noises, but looking lost and concentrating on the heightened sense of her ears allowed her to pick apart enough of their conversation to get a sense of what they were doing. Just buying clothes, big deal. Kadora'Tra thought to herself, perhaps with a pang of jealousy. She didn't change her look often, and technically wore a uniform, but this was her day off. That could have been her in there.

In the mean time, she dug deeper and found a series of product discrepancies, where a green girl was mentioned being in the store within the time frames. It was never enough to conclusively pin an accusation on any body, but even if they did, it require a CorpSec officer giving a damn about looking into the reports. Which at the moment, looked like it was only her doing any digging about it.

This was all chump change to her anyway, investigating for the sake of keeping her mind occupied for such a mindless task as tail a couple of stupid girls...

Kimava Solai Zo'i Prihm

 

[Kimava Solai]

Kimava's heart swelled for a second as she followed Zo'i into the shop. Whatever had come over her at the moment, she had decided not to ignore it this time. She knew what it was like to never have to chance to feel like yourself and to be willfully stifled just to survive day to day. She couldn't tell much about the guardian Rhea nor this Lumi type, she wasn't necessarily a long term resident in any sense of the word. "Well I couldn't ask for a better partner in crime," she winked before taking on a slightly more serious tone, "Y'know you don't have to apologize for being yourself, it stunts your growth I've heard."

She looked on with amusement as Zo'i picked up various hats to try on which gave Kimava some inspiration. Chewing her lip she grabbed a few patterned scarves and a wide-brimmed black hat. Waltzing over to the dresses section she found a few jumpsuits that suite her tastes. Typically she would have gone for the more ostentatious looking pieces with the draping sleeves and small capelets. To be more discrete she picked out a green industrial style jumpsuit that mimicked a pilot's uniform, a black high-necked jumpsuit with a faux midriff-baring belt, and finally a burgundy casual dress which appealed to her flowy desires. Finally, she has pulled an outfit for her newly made friend, a long dark blue skirt, and a sleek long-sleeved cropped top, keeping the young look and mixing with some edge that she thought the Zeltron should at least try on once.

Finally, on the way Kimava snagged a few accessories, including an ear cuff and some interesting looking necklaces. "Let us try these on, shall we?" Kimava mimicked with a conspiratorial grin, "Also, I guessed at your size but please try this on? Cropped tops and maxi skirts are quite chic." she added handing the outfit over to Zo'i. "Oh and after let's definitely head over to makeup," she said before leaning to whisper in Zo'i's ear, "Besides, we can just take the demo pieces since no one will miss them."

In the changing room, Kimava had settled on pairing the black jumpsuit with the wide-brimmed hat and artfully tying a silk scarf around her neck. Although the utilitarian vibe of the green jumpsuit appealed to her she hesitated for reasons unbeknownst to herself. She stepped out of the small room, "Come on girl, show me what you got! I want you to give me the fashion show that you would want to go see!"

Zo'i Prihm Kadora'Tra

 

[Zo'i Prihm]

Zo'i heard the call of her friend through the changing room door and grinned madly. Fashion show? Kimava wouldn't know what hit her. And any other unsuspecting clientele would have their jaws on the floor. Modeling wasn't exactly a passion of Zo'i's. But putting on a show was. All the better to get into different characters that she could use as they walked around the Tower incognito.

The young Zeltron practiced her walk in the small space, giving the maxi skirt a good twirl to make sure she got the move just so. Looking herself over in the mirror, she surprised herself with how good the dark, bold colors looked on her very pink skin. Zo'i mostly opted for bright, playful colors, but maybe she was getting a bit old for all that. The deep blue of the skirt and crop-top gave her a more mature look and the teen saw that growing up had some perks, at least where clothing choices were concerned. She flipped the two-toned brown, floppy hat on her head and opened the door.

Acting a part is all about body language. In that moment, Zo'i channeled a business woman enjoying her night off from work. Wearing something casual and comfortable but sharp after a long day of strict and oppressive but rewarding. Zo'i's face was calm. In her mind, the character she was acting out wasn't concerned with the looks she got. Her only concern was taking the night slow and savoring the moments off before returning to the grind. She took confident but easy strides out of the stall, taking a few steps out into the store proper. Then she turned, throwing a soft smile from under the brim of her hat in Kimava's direction, playing her part, and her skirt twirled just so.

She let out a little giggle, pleased with herself and her performance. Oh yes, she could fool the best of them with the right tools. "Good choice on my outfit! I think this will do fabulously." Zo'i swished the skirt a bit more, looking down, appraising herself one last time before admiring the Mirialan's choice of garb. "Oh, I love the jumpsuit!" she gushed. "We look good in dark colors," Zo'i remarked, as if the thought had never even occurred to her. "When we get to jewelry, it'll be my turn to pick for you. I don't know if I have your eye yet, but I definitely have the flair!

"Let's skip the jewelry and makeup here though. There are waaayyy better places on the upper levels for that. Or so I've heard. The further up you go, the more fantastic everything gets! Come on! Grab your other outfit too. I'll take care of the cashier."

Here was the real test. Zo'i didn't have a credit on her. But her powers of persuasion had done wonders before. She had traveled the galaxy for six months without spending a single chit. She was pretty sure she could make off with a few outfits and a few hats. She gathered her old clothes and the other dresses she'd yet to try and slipped her flats back on her feet, glad that the multipurpose footwear worked with just about anything she could have picked, but mentally adding shoe-shopping to the list of spots to hit.

Still wearing the crop-top and maxi skirt, Zo'i walked over to the girl working the cash register. The human wasn't much older than Zo'i and was definitely not looking forward to the rest of her shift. She seemed bored. Perfect "Hi there. My friend and I are going to take these clothes." Zo'i layered on the schmooze over her words, seeping as much persuasion as she had into every syllable.

The worker was an easy target. She hardly batted an eye. "You can take those clothes," the girl repeated back.

"And we need to remove these sensors," Zo'i indicated the shop-lift-prevention tags.

"I'll remove those sensors," the girl said, once again repeating Zo'i's words back to her.

After a few moments, the cashier had removed all of the tags without complaint and without asking Zo'i or Kimava for a single cred. "Thank youu!" the teen said over her shoulder, throwing a triumphant wink to Kimava and then slipping into her mature-woman-takes-a-casual-stroll character for their super-secret mall perusal.

Kadora'Tra | Kimava Solai​

 

[Kadora'Tra]

Kadora'Tra delved deeper into the petty theft accounts while her marks enjoyed themselves in the girlish game of dress up. Usually stuff like this was work she made Kyle do, but that didn't mean she was incapable of it. She was one of the top cadets of the Disaffected Youth Program and could accomplish any task expected of CorpSec with some decent level of proficiency.

Whoever this Mirilian was, she was good at what she did. There was very little direct record of her involvement in any of these crimes, and she was having a hard time sussing out a name for her within any of the reports. She must be good at what she does, Kadora'Tra thought while considering she hasn't been caught as far as she could tell.

The Farghulian's ears twitched a bit while listening intently to the subtle and muted noise within the shop, barely able to make out the mumbles from such a distance and over the noise of passerby's. Eventually, however, Kadora'Tra noticed that the pair were done selecting their outfits and went to the counter to pay...

Only it seemed as if though they hadn't. The clerk began removing the sensors, and now the CorpSec Captain was gawking towards the store, feigning reading the sign through squinted eyes. How? Why? Were the only thoughts that Kadora'Tra had while she made a careful approach to the shop. It was her intention to bump into one of them, to catch their scent, before moving into the shop itself. A crime like this so blatant had to be investigated, but she had to make certain she could track the pair again after their separation. She would deliver a short mumble of an apology while moving past them into the shop, and would look to be browsing the stores wares until they left out of sight.

When the CorpSec officer had a moment alone, she would approach the counter with the bored looking clerk, carrying in her hand a black leather jacket the cat fancied.

"I want this." She said to the clerk, who looked up to her and the jacket and began ringing it on her register. Before she could finish, Kadora'Tra hissed, "You're going to give it to me." Apparently, the clerk took offense to this.

"Why would I do that?" The clerk said, eliciting a snarl from Kadora'Tra.

"Same reason why you gave those girls free clothes. Wouldn't want a report on you for consorting with known thieves, now would we?" She said smiling, gently placing her CorpSec badge on the counter in front of her, and the color in the clerk's face vanished...

Kimava Solai Zo'i Prihm

 

[Kimava Solai]

Kimava affixed her hat, gently tipping the brim down the side of her face. Catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror she quickly fixed her hair and admired herself. “Dark always suits the brighter skin tones, something about color balance,” Kimava winked at Zo’i admiring the outfit. Smiling brightly, Kimava nodded and followed her to the cashier, curious as to what exactly she meant by handling the cashier. Something told her this girl was definitely more on her wavelength than she previously assumed.

"Hi there. My friend and I are going to take these clothes."

Kimava waited for the credits to be laid out but was shocked to hear the cashier give the clothes to them for free. Then removed the security tags for good measure. All why repeating the exact words that Zo’i had said. It tickled a memory in the back of Kimava’s mind.

Back on Mirial, when she was little, she remembered a stranger that had come to her town. Visitors weren’t common in her town and the stranger quickly began to cause a ruckus, only for the main aggressor to step down and immediately head to his home, repeating exactly what the stranger had said to him. The memory was faint but familiar. But who was Kimava to question essentially free clothes that didn’t involve her having to break out the theatrics?

“Well, I’m not going to ask for an explanation on what use happened, but please know I am adequately impressed, Miss Zo’i.” Kimava stated, copying the aristocratic inflections she heard in some of the fancier lounges in Denon. She shifted her body to avoid a Farghulian walking into the store, her fingertips tilting the hat once again. Her heels clicked on the shopping center floor and her blood was pumping.

“So what else have you got up your sleeve? I was planning on removing those tags myself,” Kimava asked, half-teasing half-curious, tilting a small strong magnetic stylus in her fingers.

Zo'i Prihm Kadora'Tra

 

[Zo'i Prihm]

Zo'i almost broke character to give Kimava a more triumphant 'ha-HA!' But she kept her wits about her as they brushed past a Farghulian girl. The feline being tickled a sense of familiarity in the back of Zo'i's mind but she couldn't quite place them. The teen shrugged off the thought. She had no time to worry about this or that person. She had a character to play. And that character wasn't interested in all the glances or sideways looks or any of the people in the mall save herself and her exceedingly important company. Or so she figured a posh corporate elite might think while enjoying a night out shopping with a friend.

She did her best to imitate an accent similar to what Kimava seemed to flawlessly adopt. "The benefits of being a Zeltron," she responded, as if she knew the answer to her powers of persuasion. "People just like doing things for me. With the right tone of my voice? The whole mall could be mine." Or so that was her best understanding of what it meant to be a Zeltron.

The Mirialan's accent was so much more refined than Zo'i's. She was good at this! "You must be an actress." To Zo'i, her attempted accent sounded so much more like a caricature. She abandoned the attempt. Her movement and body language would suffice. "Like, really, though," she said, moving a little closer to her friend so she could whisper. Her normal voice was so much more comfortable, but she would definitely be practicing her accents in the future. "Have you done this kind of thing before? You seem very knowledgeable."

Zo'i moved confidently through the lower level of the mall, right for one of the lifts. "Next up is the top floor. All the best shops are there. Even Lumi gets things from up top." She keyed the lift and put one hand on her hip, shifting her stance, as she waited. The doors opened and Zo'i stepped in. As soon as the door shut, she let out a big giggle. "Ahh! This is so much fun!"

Kadora'Tra | Kimava Solai​