Private On This, the Day of Your Daughter's Celebration

[Daiya]

Surrounded by dozens of beings her age was something Daiya couldn't remember experiencing since she was a youngling, something that should have made her skin crawl. It would have been obvious to the others, today she was showing legs, arms and shoulders she ordinarily kept under more modest clothing. The more revealing dress —and it was a dress today, a slim-fitting blue dress whose satina folds and gathers accented a body the fourteen year old hadn't appreciated enough until seeing herself in the mirror today— was far from the girl's normal wardrobe and gave her far less places to hide the weapons that provided her self-assurance. On any ordinary day, she should be feeling like a Mon Cala on Tatooine.

Instead, Daiya was having the time of her life.

She didn't know Kanner Cobral's daughter, a Human-Zabrak girl named Kasathé, but Daiya had come to the Cobral family's house for an extraordinary day; the girl's fobobaroy, her fifteenth birthday celebration. She wasn't on the guest list, either, but the Frego crime family's party was easy enough to bribe access to. The sweet music that drifted out from the start had turned into a techno-synth mix, perfect for dancing and mingling with the other partygoers. Most of them were complete strangers to her, but she wasn't alone in that respect either, it seemed like half the Core's youth had piled into the courtyard today.

Daiya wasn't alone in crashing the party, either, she was accompanied by others today. Four teenage girls like her, all dressed up to look like guests, and all the right ages to blend in with the other partygoers. On an ordinary day, they would have been content with merely crashing the party and enjoying the fobobaroy to the fullest extent. Then again, this was no ordinary day.

And they were no ordinary partycrashers.

Daiya knew the spacer girl, Brie, best of all, making fast friends with her on Denon and working together on a handful of missions before. They had been joined by a new girl, a Zeltron girl named Zo'i, who seemed as eager to get away from her chaperone as Daiya often was with Tawrro. Finding safety in numbers, they had teamed up to take a job on Frego, leading to partnering up with a Mikkian girl named Thalassa. Thalassa was not like the other girls, and if her shapeshifting demonstration in front of them had been any indication, Daiya wasn't even sure if she was a girl in the first place.

Still, the fobobaroy was well-supervised, attended by the Cobral family's trusted enforcers as well as adult members of the family. That made the girl feel safe about accompanying a questionable girl into the party, but all those mobsters made their task once inside a bit more difficult to pull off. But as Thalassa had put it, posing to them in her uglier form before she had shifted to the more pleasant tentacle-haired version she used now, they needed those family members for their knowledge not for their wisdom.

Or, in simpler terms, blackmail. They were there to dig up dirt.

Whether it was for revenge, or information trading, or just fuel for a Corpo plot, the rationale didn't much matter to Daiya. It all worked out to attending a party and getting paid for it, which drew a grin on Daiya's face. Now that she was in its midst, Daiya felt that grin with every fiber of her being; the unfamiliar music was gorgeous, the diverse crowd was affectionate, and the beings were stunningly dressed.

"Hey Brie, I think that guy is looking at you," Daiya said, taking a sip of the fizzy beverage she had selected from the colorful array available at the punch table. Their group was taking a well-earned respite from the exuberant dancing music, which had mellowed now into a slow ballad for which none of them had the right partners. No doubt Thalassa was going to use the opportunity to remind them what they were there to do again. "He keeps staring at us, but he only looks away when you turn toward him."

The teen giggled, considering the thought of catching a boy's eye at a party like this. If it had been Daiya, she would have been blushing through her foundation. Or disgusted, depending on how attractive he was. She eyed the enraptured youth who had picked her friend to ogle, he wasn't too bad looking, and the girl had to admit it was pretty cute to see him trying to hide his glances their way. "You should go ask him to dance!" Daiya suggested, and then after a moment added with a wink towards Zo'i, "And if he has any friends to share."

Oh, Daiya knew they were there to do a job, but they couldn't well do it if they didn't first act like they belonged.

Brie Jaxx Zo'i Prihm AMCO​

 

[AMCO]

Appearance: Teenage Mikkian, female, blue skin; elegant grey Gildenweave dress.
Objective: Explore abilities and blackmail some mobsters.
Writing With: Daiya | Brie Jaxx | Zo'i Prihm
---

It was difficult to explain what madness had persuaded him to opt for this plan, proposed by one of his more eccentric Sithspawn. Goodness knew he could have hired Darkwire from a distance, or sent a demon or two, or even brought the Cobral family to its knees through force of arms - Hell, he didn't even need what this was all about to begin with, it was simply one of many projects currently in the works.

Still, for all its flaws this little scheme would be undeniably challenging to the fledgeling Shapeshifter.

Entering the rather disappointing party (he prefered ones where everyone was over the legal age and drugs flowed like water) alongside a trio of genuine teenage girls, Adrian's focus was directed almost in its entirety to properly simulating the appropriate movement of Mikkian head-tendrils. A bit perfectionistic, perhaps, given that his present company was unlikely to notice, but he was who he was.

Except, you know, when he was someone else.

"I'm just glad he's not looking at me." Tone dry, the faux-Mikkian's senses drifted outwards, confirming that they were not being spied upon before getting down to business. "Play it natural, have fun if you can, but stay on target, personal computers or datapads are preferred - and do use those little gadgets I gave you, still not saying where I got them. I'm sure the Cobrals have skeletons aplenty in the closet."

 

[Zo'i Prihm]

Wearing: This dress
Tags: Daiya | Brie Jaxx | AMCO
Objective: Stay on target, don't lose focus, keep head above Luminous Sun's metaphorical sea

And she was failing...

Because this was a party! Finally! Finally Zo'i had a chance to go to a real party with other people near her age where the weirdness was at a minimum. How long had it been since the weirdness was at a minimum? So long! Well ok. So maybe not completely unweird. There were mobsters and criminals everywhere. She could see the blasters and other various weaponry either openly displayed by some or concealed by others. But that had been Zo'i's new normal for long enough that she barely even noticed. Ok, obviously she noticed. But she didn't care.

But whatever. This was a party! Music was bouncin'. Drinks were fizzy and sweet. And the company was, well, much improved. Three other teenagers around the same age had accompanied her on their "mission."

So what if Luminous Sun had sent her here. She had managed to do well enough on Belazura to get on Lumi's good side again. That crushing feeling of disappointment and the fear of repercussion were mostly gone. Why had Lumi given her this task if Zo'i wasn't deserving of a little fun? Right?

Right?

Ugh. She sighed and shook all of the thoughts from her brain. She was spending too much time in her head and not enough time in the moment. She wouldn't be able to follow Lumi's orders or have fun if she wasn't present enough.

The other girls were focused on some guy checking out Brie. Brie was a little older. The older teen seemed like the quiet type but she was also fiercely independent in a way that Zo'i could appreciate. Then there was Daiya. Headstrong. Definitely headstrong. But she was also Zo'i's exact age and for some reason, that made hanging out a lot easier. She also seemed to have a pretty outlandish background which helped to make her relatable to Zo'i. As for Thalassa, she was harder to read. Aside from being completely unfamiliar with the species, she could apparently shapeshift too. Zo'i wasn't sure how to read the girl but, well, it was going to be a fun night. There'd be plenty of time to socialize!

"Why don't we go dance? Who needs boys?" And with that, Zo'i made her way over to the dance floor.

 

[Brie Jaxx]

Wearing: Dress
Tags: Daiya , Zo'i Prihm , AMCO

There was a first time for everything. The older one got the bigger and more kind of grown up those things tended to be, like trying some exotic food and buying your own ship or something. Wearing a dress for the first time was not one of those things. On many planets kids would be wearing dresses at school and on other occasions. At the later teen age of seventeen, some of the folks involved in this mission had given Brie surprised and funny looks, when she told them she never even had laid her hands on a dress before. As funny as it might have been, she got all the help she needed to find one for this mission, and maybe even afterwards. She was a bit sceptical to the latter, though.

As the newly arrived quartet of girls stood there, well except for Adrian in his true shape, Daiya advert Brie on something that she instantly found hard to believe but also sparked some concern inside of her.

''He does n-'' she was about to answer Daiya with disbelief, but was cut short when she looked the boys way and their gazes met, before he once again tried to hide his ogle.

''-ot...'' her sentence ended in a lower voice and thoughtful face, as her gaze inadvertently stuck to the human boy. It was hard to tell the boys age, it could have been spot on the same as hers or one or two years older.

Was he realy...? She took a thoughtful sip from the mug of punch collected by the drinks table.

Dancing. Flirt. Attraction. Love. She had only read about it in her holobooks. Much like the case with the dress, this put her into another first time, and it frankly put her in a corner not knowing what to do. She broke the gaze and again looked at Daiya.

''Is that such a good idea considering the mission? What if he's with the Cobral's?'' she said while side-eyeing the boy. It might have sounded like she considered the mission being the perfect cover to avoid any adventuerous flirts. Though he looked kind of cute, he might not have been that cute if he knew why they were here and if he belonged to the Cobral Family.

That was when Zo'i spoke up and suggested they would go dance just themselves. They could as well do that, she thought and took another sip of the punch.

 

[Daiya]

Daiya smirked at the response from Brie, rolling her eyes when their shapeshifter friend mentioned "her" relief at not being admired from afar. Not everything had to be taken so seriously, she was far too young for that. Watching Brie's attempt to hide her own gaze from the boy made the teen want to giggle again, and she bit gently on her lower lip to stop herself while Brie looked a gift bantha in the mouth.

"If he's with the Cobrals, then you really need to dance with him," Daiya said, bouncing her eyebrows suggestively. Her spacer friend was in desperate need for some actual social interaction, but the girl wasn't naive enough to think Brie was about to seduce a mobster's son and win their mission for them. Still, one more distracted family member was good for their cause. "Maybe he'll talk to you, and talk freely, you know? 'Cause—" Daiya clasped her drink in both hands, pushing her shoulders forward in an girlish pose, "—we're young and innocent, what could it possibly hurt to brag about a few secrets?"

She couldn't help but giggle at that part, bringing her drink back up to have an excuse to stop. Daiya sipped it as she watched Zo'i stride off, confidently single at an event full of eligible youths. The girl sighed as the blue-haired girl disappeared into the crowd, giving her head a slight shake. "Forget the Cobrals, now there's one to look out for," she warned her friend, not caring too much if Thalassa heard as well. Their mysterious shapeshifter had probably already caught on to the same conclusion. "Sticking to your group, or alone by yourself, in a crowd? That's a surefire way to get noticed and caught."

It wasn't that Daiya didn't expect the Zeltron girl to be able to handle herself, far from it given her species' reputation. She was just unsure if their newfound "friend" was as dedicated to the job as she should be.

Daiya tossed back her blonde hair, it had fallen forward in her dramatic pose earlier. She had bleached out her customary pink-and-blue highlights for the day, mindful of how much it made her stand out. Ordinarily, she adored that feature, but blending into a crowd at a formal party required not standing out too much. She looked mournfully at the spot where Zo'i had disappeared again, her eyes long as she remembered the dazzle of color the Zeltron girl had with her body alone. Daiya's own, pale-colored Human skin was more peach than pink, and a very light peach at that. Light skin, blonde hair, it was great for blending into a crowd of bland Humans but hardly the life-size work of art that Zeltrons were.

She tucked a lock of hair behind an ear, sweeping the rest behind her back along with her jealousy. Focus. Daiya had three goals for the day: mingle and blend in, gain access to a Cobral family member or the house itself, find some dirt that would satisfy Thalassa's needs. The mental reminder made the girl subconsciously tighten her grip on the clutch purse she held in her free hand, containing the absolute minimum she needed for today. Besides her holdout blaster —always with her and too small to have raised the eyebrows of the party's chaperones— was the device the shapeshifter had given each of them. It seemed like some hacking or slicing device, the only instructions Thalassa had given them was to put it near an electronic device to steal its secrets.

That is, if those didn't reveal themselves on their own.

"You can go dance with Zo'i if you want," Daiya offered with a shrug of her slender shoulders. She tried to make it look casual, as if she truly didn't care what path her friend chose. "But I'm going to go talk to that boy. Galaxy knows I need to meet more of them than just Cassus..."

Words trailed off as the girl made her way over to Brie's admirer. She hoped the older girl was following her, but Daiya could make it work either way. Part of her secretly hoped she could capture the boy's attention herself, a selfish desire she somehow knew was an ignoble treatment of her friendship with the sheltered salvager. As she got closer, Daiya could tell that the boy was a Balosar, his antennae flattening against his skull once he noticed she drew near. The girl hid a smirk at that, pulling her face into a warm smile instead.

"My friend is too shy to come over here herself, but we saw you looking at us. I'm Daiya," she said to the sheepish-looking teen. He looked uncomfortable at having been called out, but yet somehow relieved by it. Daiya didn't understand boys enough yet to figure out their perplexing ways, if she ever would. All she knew was, it was fun to catch their attention, and dancing with them would help their mission. Win/win.

"I'm Ahxel," the boy admitted to her, his cheeks flushing slightly as he did. His eyes wandered, finally giving Daiya a look over herself, where he had only seen Brie before. Now it was the girl's turn to blush, as she had known she would. As the moment stretched on forever, the teen began to wonder if she had been confused for a statue instead of a living, breathing person. Daiya sighed, finishing her drink to have something to do, and an attentive light-haired friend next to Ahxel nudged him out of his shameless staring. "Uhh, nice to meet you Daiya."

"Want to come dance with me and Brie? You can bring your friend, too." Daiya winked at the other boy, grateful for his rescue. His luminescent, silvery-white hair was striking in a way that reignited her jealousy for a second before curiosity took over. What was he, Arkanian? Echani? It didn't matter, he was kind of cute, and the mystery only made him more interesting. Her stomach gave a silent giggle at that thought, tickling in a way that felt like nervousness. It wasn't nerves, though, but something else. Daiya tried not to let it bother her.

The two boys looked at each other, and whatever passed silently between them was over quickly. Ahxel and his friend both agreed with a quick nod. With a grin, Daiya nodded back. She quickly found a place to toss her beverage cup, before leading the way back to where she had left the two remaining girls, beaming with pride at being escorted through the crowd with two handsome young men.

This mingling thing was going well so far.

Brie Jaxx Zo'i Prihm AMCO​

 

[AMCO]

Appearance: Teenage Mikkian, female, blue skin; elegant grey Gildenweave dress.
Objective: Explore abilities and blackmail some mobsters.
Writing With: Daiya | Brie Jaxx | Zo'i Prihm
---

That was the problem with hiring teenagers, wasn't it - a lack of focus. Then again, he probably hadn't earned the right to complain, given his tendency to wander off during official Sith-Imperial business. Perhaps he should have offered to pay them more, but oh well...

... there was a chance he would be positively surprised yet.

Cool eyes sliding across the crowd, he quickly sorted them into different categories. Guards? Useless. Teenage guests? Unlikely to know anything of note. The Cobral family's retainers? Likely to be on guard, but perhaps. The birthday girl's bored-looking older sister? Perfect.

Noting that Daiya seemed to be succeeding in her effort to fetch Brie's admirer, the faux-Mikkian turned towards the blonde with a shrug.

"He's your problem now, thank Daiya." Who knows, perhaps the boys would even know something, but Adrian had no intention of being tied down in a conversation with teenage boys - he had been a teenage boy, no thank you. After a moment's consideration, he instead opted to make his way towards the Zeltron, all the way paying attention to his potential target. Looking more bored by the minute, excellent.

"Just us, I suppose." Deciding that what came next was best left unspoken, he projected the follow-up directly into her mind. <I know some Zeltrons have an uncanny ability to read and/or influence emotions, are you among them?>

 

[Zo'i Prihm]

Wearing: This dress
Tags: Daiya | Brie Jaxx | AMCO
Objective: Step 1 - Solve this weirdly emotional internal debate. Step 2 - ...? Step 3 - ...? Step 4 - have fun!

Zo'i thought of herself as a good actress. She was pretty good at projecting feelings that she didn't actually feel, convincing others of a pleasant state when in fact she might be feeling quite different. This was no different, as she danced alone like no one was watching. But she really wasn't all that into dancing. Her head was filled with doubts and questions and no matter how hard she tried, those intrusive thoughts just didn't seem to want to go away.

Still, she moved to the music on her own, all around her oblivious to the teen's inner turmoil.

The job on Belazura had ended up going in Zo'i's favor. The Zeltron had been so determined and she actually accomplished what she had set her mind to do. But why? What had driven her in the first place? Zo'i kept coming back to this idea that she wanted to make her guardian proud of her. But why? Rhéala was overbearing, aloof, and unhelpful. Yet, the Zeltron felt such respect for her mentor. She was knowledgeable, confident, crafty. And somehow, in a way that Zo'i was still struggling to understand, she knew that Rhé cared for her pupil. Almost like a mother would care for a daughter. Zo'i couldn't explain how she knew. But there was something deeper there that the teen could just feel. And even though Zo'i had a different kind of respect for Lumi, the teen could tell that Rhé looked up to the powerful CEO. They were kindred spirits in a lot of ways and Zo'i wanted to prove that she was worthy to be of the same caliber as both of these great women.

But did all of that mean that she had to give up fun? Was life going to be one long job? Achieving something on Belazura had felt good. But that good feeling had been so fleeting. There seemed like no end to the work that Lumi and Rhé were faced with handling. When was enough, enough? She had never seen either take a real break to enjoy themselves. She wasn't even sure what either did to have "fun." Probably some gross adult things that Zo'i didn't even want to consider.

Ugh!! This was all so frustrating.

Her mental struggles were interrupted when the Mikkian named Thalassa joined her on the dance floor. She tried once more to shove her thoughts away to focus on what was right in front of her face. "Eh, no harm letting the other two flirt. They might actually get something useful that way." Zo'i couldn't believe the words coming out of her mouth. Was she thinking about the job over the fun? What was this sickness and was it permanent?

She dropped her voice to match Thalassa's whisper. The insinuation was exciting. Maybe the "job" could also be fun. Was that how Lumi and Rhé got through their day? "Reading others? I'm alright. Persuading people to do things or think things or feel things? I'm a pro. Did you have someone in mind?"

 

[Brie Jaxx]

Wearing: Dress
Tags: Daiya , Zo'i Prihm , AMCO

Brie silently followed the Zo'i with her gaze as she strode away into the ocean of guests. All while listening to Daiya's word of advice about the pink zeltron girl that just left them out on her own little adventure. If they got caught at a place like this, god knows what would be in store for them, even if they were young girls. Still, Daiya had a point that mapping and exploring their battlefield before striking was a rather good idea.

"You can go dance with Zo'i if you want,"

"But I'm going to go talk to that boy. Galaxy knows I need to meet more of them than just Cassus..."

Wait! Wha-?!

Before she could react, Daiya was also on her way out through the crowds - and towards that boy!

One part of her wanted to just join Zo'i, staying safe out of any uncomfortable situations - like those ogling eyes! She had never experienced this before! There wasn't that many boys around the scrapyards or the cantinas in the Outer Rim, and even if there was, she wore her practical rather than flattering spacesuit most of the time. If not wearing the helmet, it was not uncommon that her face was half covered in grease. No boy would notice her, she had thought. At least until Rajo Sobek made her aware of the fact that certain people with hidden agendas would. What did this one even see in her? Why her?

The other part of her was curious about this boy. Curious of how it would be to experience the same things that she had read in her holobooks, while looking out on the passing starts and systems on the way to the next salvaging location.

Her head turned and her gaze jumped between her two friends, trying to decide which way to go and turning the glass of punch in her hand as she did so. Her glance might have once landed on Adrian for advice.

"He's your problem now, thank Daiya." said Adrian, before he also left! It was just typical, wasn't it? Suddenly, she saw two(!) boys cruising and escorting Daiya across the dancefloor.

''Oh, god...''

The second after, the glass touched her lips for another quick sip and she tried to steel herself for meeting this boy. The nervousness shoot through the floor for a second. What would she say? How would she say it? What if he caught them?!

Brie turned to the punch table for a refill. Her hand didn't make it to the ladle in time, before it was picked up by a slightly rougher looking hand than her own - oh, it was him!

''The... the punch is realy good around here. May I...?'' said the boy with the ladle full of punch for her refill.

Brie quickly turned her head in surprise and cracked what must have been the most nervous and silly smile in the entire galaxy.

''Hi! Uhm... Yeah, why not!'' she chirped, holding her glass forth to him while her gaze flickered between the glass and the boy who apparently was of the balosar species. With another look, he seemed rather nervous himself but now somehow had mustered the courage needed to offer her a refill. A small gesture on its own, but not so much considering the situation.

Great! Just great!

''I'm... I'm Ahxel, by the way...'' the boy said, seemingly trying his best to make a good impression while pouring her the sweet punch.

''Nice to meet you, Ahxel! I'm Brie,'' she said, feeling equally pressed to make a good impression but also concentrated to not blow their cover.

Brie threw Daiya a glance. A glance that mostly questioned why she had done this, but her feelings were slowly starting to gather themselves again. Another boy was with Daiya, and she gave him a cautious smile and a greeting nod.

 

[Daiya]

The first thing Daiya noticed when she returned, her two catches in tow, was that Brie was still there and she was alone. Her eyes brightened, wrinkling a bit at the corners as she watched the older teen trying to look busy and ignore Daiya's triumphant return. Maybe her friend was nervous. She pointed Axhel to the punch table, where Brie was fumbling around, "There she is. Compliment her dress, she'll like that."

She tried to watch for a moment, waiting for some magic moment to occur. But somewhere between his brazen looks and the punch bowl, Ahxel must have lost his courage, delivering a line about how good the beverage was. The teen had to stop herself from rolling her eyes, and turned her focus back to the silver-haired boy still standing by her. Hopefully this one wasn't as nervous.

"Can I buy you a drink, too?" The boy's almond-shaped blue eyes looked down at her, expectantly.

"Aren't the drinks free?" she blurted out, a little disappointment seeping into her voice. This wasn't how she had imagined enticing a boy at a party, according to common girl wisdom, they were supposed to sweep her off her feet instead.

"Oh, right." He seemed a little deflated by that, but mustered up the courage to ask once more, "So do you want one?"

"Nah," Daiya shook her head, jostling her hair enough to tickle her shoulders. Wearing a dress must be having an effect her. She didn't feel like standing around and talking, the girl wanted to just do something. Her limbs itched with a desire. Maybe she should have just followed Zo'i onto the dance floor instead. "So, what's your name? You haven't even told me!"

"Well..." he trailed off, looking askance at Axhel, who was busy pouring out some punch for Brie.

"Your name is 'Well'?" Daiya was puzzled. He didn't want to tell her his name now?

"I don't know if you've earned it yet," the boy finally said, casting his eyes back her way. They twinkled in the slightest amount before he gave her a serious, if thin, expression. "I'm feeling a bit under-appreciated."

"Oh, really?" Daiya had to hide a smirk. Was he being coy with her? She gave her head a little tilt, turning her cheek at him so she could look up through the corners of her eyes at the boy. "And why is that?"

"First, you let me tag along after setting up my friend. Second, you gave him advice on how to woo your friend. And then you won't even let me get you a drink. Are you sure you actually wanted me around? You seem like the kind of girl who's already got it all figured out for herself."

Touché.

Daiya gave her lower lip a gentle bite, this guy had sized her up pretty fast. Her shoulders slumped a little as her eyes fell down, following the lines of the boy's jawline down to his sternum. The layers of his formal wear disguised the contours of his chest, but the materials and craftsmanship spoke highly of the wearer. She should have probably felt impressed by it, but instead the teen was just tailoring her approach.

She batted her eyes a few times as she looked up, keeping her chin tucked down, "Well, what can I do to make it up to you?"

Now the boy brought his arms up to pose as he tapped a finger against his chin, "Hmm, now there's an interesting question." He gave her a wolfish grin, which she feigned surprise at before returning her own, furtive, grin. "I suppose if you don't want another beverage, miss, then you'll have to let me ask you to dance."

Daiya put a hand over her heart, the last sarcastic gesture she offered for their little exchange. "Why sir, I'd be honored."

His grin softened into something warmer as he placed a hand on his stomach and bowed to her. Coming alongside Daiya, the boy offered her the crook of his elbow to escort her by. The teen giggled at the old-fashioned gesture, she had watched enough old holos to recognize it. She thought of offering him a curtsy, but realized she didn't even know how! Instead, she simply placed her hand on his arm, hooked around his elbow, and looked up at him, searching the boy for a reaction.

A gentle face greeted her, the smooth chestnut-colored skin of the boy's face pulled back in a taut smile as he beamed with the same warmth she felt in her stomach. It migrated to the girl's face, her cheeks flushed as Daiya felt his other hand settle on top of hers. His eyes didn't waiver from hers when he leaned down to whisper, "My name is Jezper."

The heat in her cheeks only increased as her heart swelled. That something as simple as his name felt so precious to receive, the girl didn't understand it. She didn't understand the tingling in her hand, either, as Jezper covered it with his palm. Daiya only had eyes for him now, it was as if the rest of the crowd just bled away into infinity. All that was left were Jezper, Daiya, and the music that must be meant for them alone.

She felt herself pulled along a few steps, and the girl didn't mind. Jezper said something along the lines of, "We're going to hit the dance floor, if you two want to come." The girl didn't care if more people joined them, not when she held the secret of Jezper's name and his hand over hers. Linked in the space between them was something that no one else could have, and it delighted her.

Giddy with her secrets, the girl looked up at Jezper to ask about another one as he pulled her somewhere new. "So, I know your name now, and we're about to dance. Does this make us even now?"

She felt him grasp her hand as he unhooked it from his arm, unwrapping himself so they could dance properly. "Hmm, I don't know," Jezper confessed as they began to move to the music that was playing. He gave her a wink, his eyes dancing as much as his body was. "You made me feel pretty bad...I think you still owe me."

That just made Daiya dance harder. She was determined to impress this boy the way he had impressed her so far.

Brie Jaxx Zo'i Prihm AMCO​

 

[AMCO]

Appearance: Teenage Mikkian, female, blue skin; elegant grey Gildenweave dress.
Objective: Explore abilities and blackmail some mobsters.
Writing With: Daiya | Brie Jaxx | Zo'i Prihm
---

If the Zeltron was particularly attentive, she might notice the Mikkian looking just a bit older than she had when they entered, almost as if her intended crowd had shifted. Such an interpretation would right on point, seeing as the birthday girl's older sister was just right for what he needed.

"Fair enough. At the very least it should make us less likely to stick out." As if to emphasise the point, the slender alien continued to dance lazily, a casual smile upon her features. There was little or nothing to indicate that she was actually a male shapeshifter out for family secrets and even less to indicate that she was actually a bloody Sith Lord. "Understood. Let's seeeeee here."

After a few long moments of her icy eyes sliding across the crowd, her smile widened ever so slightly.

"I take it you know how to be subtle? See that guard, the one trying to blend in? Would be lovely if her mind was on something other than the job."

 

[Zo'i Prihm]

Wearing: This dress
Tags: Daiya | Brie Jaxx | AMCO
Objective: Play the game, gurrrrl

Zo'i inconspicuously scanned the crowd until her eyes landed on the guard that Thalassa picked out. The Zeltron smirked and threw a sly glance to the Mikkian teen. "That I can do."

Without much additional thought to the matter, Zo'i departed the dance floor. She enjoyed "acting." After gaining experience duping people with her skilled application of her Zeltron-y ways, she was gradually coming to appreciate the show that was required to pull off a skilled deception. Of course, that made her also consider what Rhéala had tried to tell her on Cato Neimoidia: that her attire, her mannerisms, her act was all just a means to achieving an objective. Was Rhé really just bring Zo'i along to all of these things so that she would eventually appropriate her guardian's own skill set? She wasn't sure about the attire part, but if "acting" was what Zo'i needed to do to impress Rhé and Lumi, then she was all for it.

The female, incognito guard was leaning up against a wall, trying way too hard to be a fly-on-the-wall. Her body stance was all about someone who was checking on safety, looking for threats. If the woman was trying to look like she was scoping the crowd to people-watch or find a dance partner or whatever else adults did at parties, she was failing miserably. The guard might have been out of uniform, but that was the only thing she was doing right.

"Hey there!" Zo'i said excitedly as she approached. She injected as much glee into her voice as possible without being cloying. "What are you doing stuck on the wall up here. That doesn't look like any fun. You should come down and dance with us!"

The important part of her deception was in trying to convince the guard that Zo'i was oblivious to the fact that the woman was a guard. If that truth was uncovered, there would be no going back and the Zeltron girl would be kicked out waaaay too early. Getting kicked out was for later, after she'd already had plenty of fun! ...Or managed to accomplish whatever they were supposed to accomplish.

The woman's brow tensed but, after sizing Zo'i up, saw nothing but a Zeltron teenager seeking amusement. "Sorry... I'm- uhh, waiting. Waiting for a friend."

Zo'i laughed lightly but dismissively. "So while you wait you can dance with me. Come on!" As she spoke the last sentence, she put as much weight into the suggestion as she could and focused her effort directly at the unsuspecting guard. Zo'i grabbed the woman's hand and held, giving a solid tug as she turned to walk back towards the dance floor.

As her dupes often did, a blank expression crossed the woman's face for a moment. "While I wait I can dance with you," she mumbled in response.

Walking back to the dance floor, hand-in-hand with the female guard, she threw a wink towards Thalassa.

 

[Brie Jaxx]

It was not without difficulties Ahxel gave her a refill of the punch, the first connection between them turning to a rather uptight one. It was all but a surprise, though. The young Darkwire girl realy was the one to get them into all sorts of situations. Thanks, Daiya. A realy big thanks.

The not so appreciative attitude towards her friend was slowly begun to change, though. She could do this! What was some boy compared to the things she had encountered on her salvage trips? Right?

Brie took a sip out of the newly refilled glass. She looked out on the crowd, trying to gather her thoughts and fight the nervousness inside her. She saw Daiya and the other boy leaving them for a dance. How could she be so calm and casual about all of this?!

''I like your dress!''

The compliment came at her like an Imperial star destroyer leaving hyperspace, making her almost choke down a sip of the punch. It sounded slightly forced but honest, not like he did not mean it but rather as a result of the tension between them. Maybe he was not that experienced himself. She flashed Ahxel a nervous smile and chuckle, feeling her cheeks had already turned red!

''Oh, thanks! I... I had help picking it.'' she uttered, adding a few nods to the fact how it ended with her.

Their gazes became stuck to each other for a moment, soft yet nervous smiles on their lips, before he Ahxel also looked out into the crowds and took a sip of his glass of punch.

''I would have done the same... I mean, pick it for you!'' the handsome balosar boy suddenly said and glanced over at her.

The blush would not go away anytime soon, that was for sure!

''Shall we tag along your friend and Jezper?''

The question was both welcome and frightening. Welcome because Ahxel brought something else up than her attire and a dance would keep her mind on something else. Frightening because not only did it bring them together even closer, but she did not even know the dance!

''I-I... I'm not sure... I'm not that good of a dancer, realy...'' Brie tried to explain, hugging and twisting the glass in her hands.

''It's easy! Trust me - I lead and you just have to follow. C'mon...'' he countered, suddenly mustering up some hidden courage with his statement. He then put his glass down before offering Brie to hook into his arm in the same way as Jezper had done with Daiya. His smile gave her some comfort and reassurance, which with another blush, made her hook up with her now cavalier for the night.

Ahxel led them to the same area of the dancefloor that Daiya and Jezper were at, probably to further comfort her with the presence of her friend. He gently took her hands in his and with soft and slow moves begun leading a dance to the ballad that was playing.

''See? Pretty easy, right?''

Brie gave him a nod and a soft friendly smile, trying to relax in the balosars gentle grip of her hands.

Daiya Zo'i Prihm AMCO

 

[Daiya]

Their first dance was awkward, and despite her earlier confidence, Daiya felt embarrassed when she stepped in the wrong place or moved in the other direction from Jezper. His face was mesmerizing to her, and it lit up with a series of expressions every time their intentions collided. The way his teeth rolled back his bottom lip in frustration, the way he tried to hide a light-hearted chuckle at their collisions, the way his brown tones became a lighter orange when he blushed. The girl tried not to let it distract her from learning Jezper's cues and how to move with him.

Even being joined by Brie and Ahxel, and watching her tense struggle with the interaction, didn't put the teen at ease. She was grateful when the song turned from a slow ballad to a faster-paced song. The need to stay close disappeared, giving Daiya more room to plant her feet and move without fear of running into the boy. She grinned at him as her confidence returned with a force, able to show off moves common in the nightclubs of Denon but seemed beyond the Core-addled repertoire of the attendees today.

"Your dancing is schway, where'd you pick that up?"

The girl had almost forgotten she was dancing with a partner, but his admiration was a good reminder of it. Daiya grinned up at the boy, "Oh, this is how everyone dances back on my homeworld."

Jezper cast a skeptical look her way. "Your homeworld? Where are you from?"

Well, it was good to know that she didn't stick out like a sore Hutt as a city girl. "Denon, she returned. "Where are you from?"

"I'm from here," Jezper said with a shrug. He pointed through the crowd where the day's being of honor stood, gossiping with a few of the partygoers. "See that girl over there? The one in the frilly dress, with the sash and tiara? That's my cousin, Kasathé." His smooth face filled with creases and lines as it showed off his true feelings about her. "It's her birthday today, but I guess you knew that."

Daiya giggled at Jezper's explanation of his cousin. She hadn't realized he was the birthday girl's relative, but that was even better for her now. "Yeah, she's kind of a big deal today."

Jezper looked as if he wanted to vanish from the party at that moment, and the girl gave him a sympathetic look. Then Daiya took his hand and pulled him in the other direction. No longer facing his cousin, the boy looked uncomfortable for a moment as they continued to move with the music, before breaking the ice again with a different subject, "So Denon, huh? Isn't everyone there out to murder each other for credits?"

Daiya grinned slyly at the cheek from the silver-haired boy, "Well, not everyone. Only some of us."

She winked at him, causing Jezper to flash another skeptic look at her. "Should I be worried?" Daiya just giggled at that, and bounced her own eyebrows at him coyly. Jezper just shook his head. "I guess I'll have to keep an eye on you, then." That just made her giggle harder for a moment, before she flattened her mouth into a sweet smile and flashed it at him. He gave a chuckle in response, but changed the subject again, "Will you show me some of those moves?"

"Well..." Daiya left him hanging on ambiguity. She normally enjoyed honesty and a forthright answer, but the teen was having fun playing with Jezper's reactions today. She figured he must be playing along, too, because she didn't figure he would be that sensitive.

The tip of Jezper's frown looked a little too comical for Daiya to take it seriously, confirming her guess about him playing along. She resisted a giggle as he pouted and told her, "Come on, you owe me!"

She pursed her lips at him, as if it was a hard struggle to decide. Finally, Daiya relaxed her face, relenting to his big lips and dreamy eyes. Even if they weren't just teasing each other, that would have been enough. "Oh, alright."

Daiya slowed down her moves, going through each one deliberately and watching the silver-haired boy follow along. He fumbled with some of it, but seemed to catch the gist of most. Even if he self-consciously grumbled a little at some of the flashier moves, causing the girl to offer another set of giggles in response.

She straightened her expression again, trying to not to just be the ditzy girl. The teen had noticed Jezper wasn't always receptive of her amusement at his expense. "So, is Jezper an Echani name?"

The boy's eyes lit up at the question, "Arkanian. I'm surprised you noticed that."

"It's hard not to notice that your cousin is Zabrak and you're not," Daiya pointed out.

"Half," the Cobral boy said, nodding. She couldn't really tell which features of his were Arkanian and which were Human, even with a close study of his face. "Our fathers are both Human, but I guess they didn't like many Human women. Our grandmother isn't really happy about it, especially with Kasanthé's mom."

Daiya's eyebrows rose at that remark, "Really? Why?"

"I don't know, something about keeping the bloodlines strong." Jezper made a show of rolling his eyes, and fumbled his next move. Daiya giggled at the mishap, but the boy just carried on as normal, too focused on his train of thought. "She'd like you, though. She's always pointing out Human girls to me."

"But I'm from the murder planet, remember?" Daiya tossed him another sweet smile as the song finally faded, bringing their session of dance lessons to an end.

Jezper finally laughed again, and the girl smiled to see his eyes light up again. The dour look was not a great one on him. "Yeah, we'll just skip over that part. You can be a nice girl from Alderaan."

Daiya held her arms akimbo, "And she'd believe you found a nice girl from Alderaan?"

"Oh, you're making me feel bad again. I think you're going to owe me another one." Jezper's eyes glinted with amusement, but his face played it straight. The mobster's son was picking up tricks of the trade pretty well.

Now it was Daiya's turn to put on the pouting act. "I'm not even trying!"

Jezper gave out a low chuckle, and it was the first time that Daiya had considered the implication of being in 'debt' to a member of the Cobral family. "Oh, don't worry about about it. My favors are pretty easy, like teaching me to dance."

"Nothing sinister, Daiya. I promise."

Brie Jaxx Zo'i Prihm AMCO​

 

[AMCO]

Appearance: Teenage Mikkian, female, blue skin; elegant grey Gildenweave dress.
Objective: Explore abilities and blackmail some mobsters.
Writing With: Daiya | Brie Jaxx | Zo'i Prihm
---

It was quite interesting watching the Zeltron work - despite her youth, she seemed a natural at the art of manipulation, convincing the subtly-placed guard to join her on the dance floor in no time at all; not bad, not bad at all - there was no way he could have pulled that off without the Force.

Responding to her wink with a slight quirking of her own lips, the faux-Mikkian began to drift through the crowd, smiling and dancing as if she had no concerns in the world. As if she had no destination in mind, even though that could not be further from the truth.

Sampling something tasty from a snack table, she turned towards a bored-looking girl, older than many of the rest and wearing a dress seemingly engineered to be short enough to annoy a parental figure without provoking too strong of a reaction.

From her scowl, it was clear how she felt about attending her little sister's - half-sister, given her lack of horns - birthday party.

"You wouldn't happen to be hiding the good stuff somewhere, would you?" Startled out of her sulking, the older Cobral sister turned towards him with a mixture of annoyance... and curiosity. "Afraid not, it's a kid-friendly event." Eyes flickering to the slowly undulating head-tendrils of his assumed form, a slight smile made its way onto her lips. "I would've remembered meeting you - I'm Kelani."

Smiling mischievously, the Mikkian's response was quick. "Thalassa - and you're not exactly forgettable yourself."

Her slight blush was promising enough - and the things he was picking up with his telepathic senses even more so.

 

[Zo'i Prihm]

Wearing: This dress
Tags: Daiya | Brie Jaxx | AMCO
Objective: Maintain focus... and dance

Ok, so she had distracted the guard and no they were dancing among all of the other regular party-goers. Great. Now what? Her interest was flagging, especially when she saw Thalassa move off to a different target. Looking around for her other companions, she saw both Daiya and Brie dancing with their targets. Was she supposed to keep duping this one person or was there something else she could do? This was why she wasn't good at responsibility. She had finished doing something in her mind, and now she was looking for something else to do and she hated waiting. She would make a terrible getaway driver.

Whatever. If she had to keep this lady occupied, she supposed there were worse things in the galaxy to do. Maybe there was something else she could get out of the interaction. Some nugget of information. She'd seen Rhé do the same thing time and time again. She could do what Rhé did. Right? "See? Isn't this fun?"

"I suppose," the woman responded noncommittally. The guard seemed uncomfortable. "Though it's kinda weird to be dancing with a kid."

"Pff. Come on. I'm not that young. And you don't look that much older yourself." Zo'i looked the human woman up and down, sizing her up. "You're what? Early twenties?" Her dance partner didn't respond, she just kept moving to the music. So Zo'i continued. "Besides, there's nothing wrong with harmless dancing. People do it all the time. Of all ages. I won't do anything to threaten your morality. Promise."

Hearing a genuine reasoning from the teen seemed to put the woman more at ease. "Grown-ups" seemed to get bothered by this kind of thing all the time. Zo'i got bothered too when someone got skeevy. But she had a good eye for telling the difference between the corrupt and the respectable. The Zeltron girl was too smart let someone older than her take advantage. She wasn't even interested in romantic entanglements with those of her own age group. And if her guardian's interactions were anything to go by, she wasn't entirely sure she ever wanted to go there.

"I'm Zo'i by the way. What's your name?"

"Vistri."

"Nice to meet you, Vistri."

"You too... hang on." Vistri placed a finger on the lapel of her pantsuit. "What?" Zo'i was confused for a moment, but quickly realized the guard was talking to someone and said nothing, listening intently. "On the dance floor. ... You said to blend in. ... Of course not. ... I can see more from here. ... Ok." Vistri let go of the hem and returned her full attention to dancing. "Sorry about that."

"No worries," Zo'i said. But in her mind she was silently cursing herself. Of course the guard would be missed if she wasn't at her post. She needed to keep the woman occupied and not raise suspicion. "You're not actually here to party, are you?" Zo'i gave a sly knowing smile. She continued to apply what she had come to consider as her "persuasive charm" that made people want to do what she said. She was still learning how to apply that to making people tell her things though. She put more emphasis on this weird ability to compensate.

The woman grimaced. "No. I'm supposed to be working. Security."

"I didn't mean to get you in trouble. Should we go back?"

"No that's ok. Someone else will cover for me."

Frell! "Oh cool. Hey, I know. If you work security, I bet you know this place really well, huh?"

Vistri shrugged. "Yeah, I guess."

Zo'i's eyebrow twitched and she leaned in to her new "friend." "Then let's go check out the house," the teen whispered pushing her influence sense. "I bet they've got great stuuuuuff..."

 

[Brie Jaxx]

Spoiler

Dancing. What was her earlier experiences of that? More than the occasional bobbing and swinging of her head, to the music that streamed from her headphones, she had not done much that could have been called dancing. Some of her holobooks described scenes of it. Scenes which she painted images of in her mind - A girl pursuing her dreams of becoming a dancer. A handsome looking boy inviting that shy girl of the school. A gentleman making the most unexpected friendship with a woman from a different class than his. The stories were many and sometimes she could imagine herself being in them, interacting in a world and a life that she had never had. Now, she was right in the middle of one! With help and guidance from the balosar boy, her steps and moves became more relaxed as the piece of slow music played and carried them all through the early night.

''Yeah, pretty easy...'' she said coyly in response to his claim that it was easy. She kept her gaze on his chest and past his shoulders into the crowd. The few glances she could give him was shy and quick, small but friendly smiles shining through as signs of slowly building up content of the situation. Like by a gust of wind on Tatooine, the thoughts on and worries about the mission was blown away. Their whole purpose for being here forgotten for a moment, actually.

Ahxel seemed understanding about her reserved demeanor, as them both became silent for a moment while he led them on through the music. She could feel his blue gaze upon her, though. Even though understanding and accepting, he must have been curious. That trying to be discreet ogling from before was evidence enough.

''Look - Sorry if I looked at you the wrong way before... I didn't mean to ogle, y'know.'' he said apologizing for the not so well hidden looks from when they arrived.

The conversation made Brie look up and find him trying to make eye contact with her. His gaze reflected his true apologies.

''Uhm, yeah... I guess... I guess that's okay. I'm... not realy used to this kind of meetings.'' she said, his eyes making her end with a slightly nervous chuckle.

''Think your friends are okay with it too?'' he continued, apparently being slightly worried about his ogle being caught by Daiya and the others before herself knew anything about it.

''Oh? Yeah, they're probably fine with it! It was just a look, after all...''

Looks which she definately was not used to recieve, other than setting her foot at a banquett like this with an abudance of good food, beautiful music, pretty boys and rich people. Yeah, rich people! She better not forget the mission!

''Good. Good. Cuz'... I don't want to have the whole girl squad after me!''

Ahxel's last sentence got Brie to burst out in a giggle against his shoulder.

The music faded and the dance ended with them gently coming to a stop.

''What'd you say about a drink before the next dance?'' Ahxel asked and took one of her hands. She was not about to fight his wishes. With a nod and a smile, she followed him over to the punch table filled with all the sorts of drinks you could imagine.

From a big expensive looking crystal bowl, Ahxel poured up two drinks glasses of a chilled red looking punch. He leant casually against the table, with his other hand in his pocket before making a toast with her. The punch had some bite to it, being wine or something else.

''So... Where are you from, Brie?'' he asked after their taste of the punch. It struck her that she might have to lie on this one, not only for the mission but also because... What would he think of her background and job? Sure, she had a more permanent home now, but anyway? She glanced out over the dancefloor, scanning for Daiya, Zo'i and Thalassa while she thought about it.

Daiya Zo'i Prihm AMCO

 

[Daiya]

After all the dancing and talking so far, Daiya was starting to get a little weary. The afternoon sun bore down upon the courtyard party, its rays seeding fatigue within her, and she could feel a dampness forming on her back and under her arms. She needed to get out of the sun and take a little break, so the girl motioned to Jezper with a beckoning of her hand.

"Come on, that's enough dancing for now. I'm parched, let's go get a drink." When Jezper reached her, Daiya took the Arkanian boy's hand to lead him back towards the beverage table. "They've got some red punch!"

He gave her a curious look before saying, "You know, red isn't really my color. I like more yellow or blue."

Daiya tossed her head, giving a little chuckle at Jezper. He was a little weird, but she was having fun regardless. She hadn't realized his connection to begin with, but befriending a nephew of the Cabral leader might be just the ticket she needed to find the dirt they were here to uncover today. The task ebbed at the back of her mind, always there even when she was just enjoying the moment.

At a party full of teenagers, there were plenty of moments to enjoy. The dancing was just one of them, almost as many of the partygoers had stepped off to the sidelines to talk or watch the party for a while. While Daiya never understood the interest of standing around and just people-watching, she sometimes found a wealth of insight from talking to them. Jezper seemed far more observant than most, and Daiya wondered what insights he held in store for her.

Approaching the table with the punch bowl, Daiya found Brie and the other boy, Ahxel, standing around and chatting. Her face lit up with bright eyes and a devilish grin, she had wondered how her friend was getting on with her 'date' for the party. Ahxel seemed so shy and deferential, the girl was selfishly glad his eyes had found Brie first and not her. Besides, Brie looked so cute in her dress, she deserved someone to admire it properly. Jezper, himself, hadn't said a word about hers.

"Hey, you," Daiya said, knocking an elbow into Brie as she went to the punch table. The girl picked up a pair of glasses, holding their rims pinched between her first two fingers as she filled them with the red liquid, which seemed truly bottomless for such a well-attended party. All the better for her friends, new and old.

The girl brought the glasses back to Jezper, who was standing near Ahxel again. That caused Daiya to take up a pose near Brie after handing the Cabral boy his punch. She tipped her head up to the taller girl's ear, and whispered, "I'm sweating like a Wookiee, I don't know about you. It's hard work dancing!"

Daiya let out an involuntary giggle, at her comment and Brie's response if she had one. Then she glanced back toward the boys, turning to them with a coy grin. "This party is a-mazing! Are you guys having fun?" she looked to Ahxel, raising an eyebrow at him before taking a sip of the punch. The sweet liquid had a sharp taste to it as well, and she instinctively looked around to see if anyone near the table looked guilty. No one would dare spike the punch at a clean event like this, now would they?! "You are sticking to the chaperone-approved activities, right?"

She winked at Ahxel, and turned to let her grin show to Brie. She was joking, of course. Across the courtyard, Daiya spied Zo'i enamered with one of the family adults who had been guarding the afternoon's affair. The girl motioned with her head, "Huh, look at that. You know what they say, if you can't beat them, recruit them."

The girl grinned again to herself, taking another drink of the punch, as a new song started playing over the speakers. The tune seemed familiar to her, but it wasn't until the vocalist started out with a bold declaration.

"This is something new,
the Duros Slide Part Two!
Featuring the Platinum Band
all the way from Kashyyyk.
And this time,
We're going to get Smazzo!"

A familiar beat accompanied by an invasive electronic pulse began, and the dancing crowd began to cheer before clapping along to the vocalist's commands. Daiya found her hips moving again, finishing her drink so she could free her hands to clap along. "Oh, I love this song!"

Brie Jaxx Zo'i Prihm AMCO​

 

[AMCO]

Appearance: Teenage Mikkian, female, blue skin; elegant grey Gildenweave dress.
Objective: Explore abilities and blackmail some mobsters.
Writing With: Daiya | Brie Jaxx | Zo'i Prihm
---

Chuckling merrily, Adrian leaned just a bit closer to Kalani in his Mikkian form, grateful that the elder Cobral sister's chaperone was distracted, at least for the moment. That was all he needed, after all, to keep their attention elsewhere until he had properly ingratiated himself.

Until he had her dancing by his tune entirely of her own accord by appealing to her subconscious as much as her conscious mind.

"She really did that?" Stealing a glance at the birthday girl, Thallasa's grin was mischievous. "Second-rate sister from a second-rate stepmother?"

The shush and quick glance was to be expected, though he could not but notice the way her lips quirked upwards in response. Amusement and a quick reminder of some good old familial animosity, if he was not mistaken. A perfect mixture for what he had in mind.

Leaning closer yet, the Mikkian's voice was soft, meant for Kalani and Kalani alone. "No one's watching. Why don't we find somewhere more private."

 

[Zo'i Prihm]

Wearing: This dress
Tags: Daiya | Brie Jaxx | AMCO
Objective: Keep up the distraction before the distraction falls apart

Zo'i was an overboard kind of person. Everything she did, she did big. She didn't think about it, she didn't always even want "big." Big just kind of happens when the Zeltron teen is around. Not like impulse control. Zo'i knew that she could control something like that, she just didn't want to put limits on herself. No, "big" applied more to events and happenings. Like when she wanted to prank her old teachers. What would start out as having one or two accomplices planting hilarious audio recordings in very obvious places became a classful of students planting their own versions with little coordination. Sure the end result was chaotic but that was still plenty of fun. Or, while she was traveling the galaxy with different families by "convincing" them that she was a part of their group, one time several families in one area believed that Zo'i was with them and tried to pull her in different directions.

She had gotten the heck out of there and tried to remember to focus her persuasiveness when she applied her skill to a conversation.

But sometimes, she didn't always know how much effort she needed to put in to her suggestions. And those were the moments where she was more likely to lose a bit of control. But to her, overboard was ok. After all, what was better than one person following her lead? A ton of people!

So it was when she slathered on her persuasive tone to her words and directed them to the guard, she wasn't sure exactly how far to go. Sure, she had managed to get the guard to dance, but the guard definitely believed they were still on guard duty and was doing their job accordingly. The point of the distraction was to get the guard to drop the ball completely. Maybe even a bunch of guards. That would give Thalassa, Daiya, and Brie the opportunities they needed to do whatever digging they could.

So, yeah, obviously Zo'i would go as overboard as she needed to make that happen. And, of course, it worked well. Too well. Suddenly, several groups of teenagers around started talking about how they wanted to go inside the mansion and take a look around. They'd never been to a mansion like this before. There must be cool things inside as well as outside. Let's take this party on the go and check out the cool house!

As the mob of teens around Zo'i and the guard moved in the direction of the mansion, she glanced over her shoulder and saw that a quarter of the dance floor was emptying out. Maybe a dozen or two dozen kids were headed away from the main source of entertainment. Most of the teens still on the dance floor were casting quizzical looks to the sudden departure of their friends. Plenty of others started following along with the large group, not sure what was happening but knowing they should follow the crowd. Especially since the crowd also included a family member who Zo'i clearly heard echo Zo'i's persuasive suggestion to the guard.

"Oh my god. Yeah. You guys should check out the house. My cousin has suuuch cool stuff! We could totally crash her room while everyone else is dancing."

"Oops...," Zo'i said under her breath. But also, "Oh well..." If this wasn't a good enough distraction, she didn't know what was.

"Did you say something?" asked Vistri, who now seemed to be hanging on Zo'i's every word.

"Hm?" Zo'i said, pulling her attention back to the guard who she had intended to deceive. Maybe, with the massive diversion caused by the meandering teens, she could sneak off using the crowd as cover and convince the guard to get them in somewhere more sensitive without alerting anyone else. Yeah. That was a plan! "Oh, nothing. So are you going to show me around?"

 

[Brie Jaxx]

''Uhm... Well...'' Brie started to say, while feeling the pressure from the boys cute blue gaze, partly curiously searching for an answer about her usual wearabouts and partly admiring her much in the way he did before, only now he did not turn it away when she met his glance with hers. She could feel all this. His presence beside her was very tangible in several ways, and she could not decide which was it the most; the fear of him finding them with their hands in the cookie jar, or the odd and to her unfamiliar feeling of starting to like the boy. ''I'm from... Denon. You ever been there?''

She instantly added a countering question and turned her head towards him, meeting his gaze and looking for a reaction. Hopefully, he bought it and picked up her question. After all, she was spending most of her time there now.

''Hmh...'' he uttered with a soft nod, holding onto her gaze making he blush slightly again. She gulped carefully and waited. ''A city girl, huh?'' he said and cracked a smug but charming smile. Oh, how she would lie if she confirmed that. Sure, Denon was a large urban world and Scintilla was a cluster of spacestations, but to call her a city born and bred girl would be wrong. ''No, can't say I have... Well, not yet. How do you like Frego, then?'' Ahxel continued, seemingly not suspecting something. It made a silent sigh of relief leave the spacer girl, as they both took a sip of the punch.

''So far so good, I think!'' she chirped. ''I haven't realy seen much of it outside the mansion... but it seems like a nice world.'' Brie continued and offered a soft and genuine smile at the boy. A nice world with the Cobral family, running it? She would not think so, but... In a way, Ahxel made it more pleasant.

Then Daiya and her cavalier emerged from the dancing crowd and joined them by the table of refreshments. Daiya, the personification of mischief, and her elbow was easy to foresee and Brie braced herself and held onto the glass. The boys seemed to be very close friends and Jezper whispered something in Ahxel's ear, before Daiya arrived with the punch and joined Brie by her side. The thought of Daiya suddenly turning into a sweaty wookiee got Brie to burst out in a light giggle along with her friend.

''Oh, miss can count on that!'' Ahxel uttered innocently and reassuring in response do the young girls question, which carried a tiny note of sarcasm in it. He offered the girls that charming smile again before turning back to Jezper.

The dancefloor in front of them suddenly started to empty, and with Daiya's mention about Zo'i everyone could see what was going on in front of them. Maybe it was the punch, or the as usual persuading ways of Daiya, Brie did not know but she joined her in the dance after finishing her glass.

Zo'i Prihm AMCO