Private Thieves Don't Win Any Prizes

[Zoey Bradiss]

One of Denon's arenas for sports and events. Two standard hours til face-off...​

Zoey stood, hands in her pockets, looking in awe upon the cup made out of chromium, which was on display in the main hall and protected by a glass showcase and the general security of the arena. A cup very much sought after prize by every hoverblade hockey team participating in the youth system tournaments. Would her team have their name written on its base? She'd put a bet on it! She were luckily unaware that guests with completely other agendas than to just watch the game was visiting tonight. So, it would turn out that the cup was sought after by others than the teams themselves. Her main focus though, was on the game itself. As a stand-in for their main center, who had called in sick, it was Zoey's job to win the face-offs. A position and task that didn't come with a just a little pressure and expectations on her, and fortunately Zoey weren't a total softie when it came to that. She were determined to show her worth in the rink.

Caleb had supported her in all of this, as had of course her parents and her sister, even if her mother had taken her time to agree that Zoey signed up for such a sport. Zoey had begun dancing and playing instruments at a young age, two much more relaxed hobbies that was more appealing to her mother to approve for their young daughter. Zoey liked those too, in another kind of way. In the last year though, she just loved to break out and have a pause from her usually strict everyday life in Coruscants upper class, and she had an advantage from the dancing when it came to balance and agility on the hoverblades. She could not think of a hobby that were more fun than this, and it brought a slight smile upon her lips.

The arena was still mostly crowded with staff and team members still, but a few early enthusiasts had already checked in with their tickets. With less than two hours left, she knew that she had to get back to the locker room, but the cup was worth just a moment more of admiration... Before they would conquer it, that was!

Daiya ​

 

[Daiya]

Her face slammed against the barrier.

Daiya cried out, squirming against the rough hands that held her there. Her cheek was bruised at least, probably cut as it scraped against the hard duracrete surface.

A hiss slithered into her ear, worming its way through her brain and down her spine as a shiver. Hands rough with scales and callouses wormed their way through her clothes and pockets. The teen pressed her hands against the duracrete, pushing enough to lift her face away. She looked back at the red-and-black CorpSec outfits behind her. "What the feth is this? I'm just trying to get in to see the matches!"

The handsy brute hissed again, her hands' battle against the pressure on her back was the only reason she didn't clamp them to her ears at the sound. The young shadowrunner looked up and down, from her sideways vantage she could only see one of them in full view. Just the edge of the Seccer frisking her with green, scaly hands.

"I don't speak SSSSssss!" Complaining only earned Daiya a shove to her head, pushing it back against the harsh barrier.

"If you don't hold still, we'll have to do this the hard way." Daiya's eyes strained to glance at the speaker, the other officer standing watch behind them. He was Human, flaxen hair standing out against the black of his uniform. She shot him a contemptuous look, and the man seemed to flinch. Once. He recovered enough to explain, "She means we can do this here or at the station."

"Yeah? Well, maybe she shouldn't be so rough on a little girl." Even so, Daiya relaxed a little, letting the reptilian woman kick her legs apart to search them as well. It earned her more of her face smashed against the duracrete. A moment later, her 434 Blaster dangled in front of the teen eyes, narrowing at the accompanying hiss. She needed no translation that time. "I have a permit for that!"

"I doubt it applies in the Sunlight Zone," the blond man told her haughtily. He might have been right, Daiya couldn't technically afford to a blaster permit for anywhere but the Twilight Zone levels below them, but he didn't have to be so smug about it. This time, the man didn't wither so much when she opened her mouth to debate it, quickly adding, "Well, it could, but I doubt it."

Another hiss and the man spoke again, "You look like the kind of gutter trash we picked up three blocks from a robbery yesterday."

"I didn't rob anybody!" Daiya's protests fell on deaf ears. Though the Trandoshan —she decided that's what the woman had to be— was done with her search, but still held the teen in place. Now the man stepped up, picking up her bag from the ground and rifling through it. "That's all mine, I swear!"

"What does an innocent little girl need with all these tools?" Now the omnicutter came out in front of her eyes, and they dimmed as she grew quiet. Daiya maintained her contemptuous glare while the Seccer pulled out the contents of her satchel one by one, examining and setting aside her datapad, ident, apartment keycard, and eyeliner, but pocketing a few credit chits, a view masker and the omnicutter.

He handed her bag back, and the Trandoshan Seccer let go. Daiya spun around, hurt in her eyes as she finally faced her accusers. They looked bored, almost looking past her as she demanded, "Can I go now?" She glowered at them, her eyes desperately shifting to the items they'd confiscated from her. It would take the young shadowrunner weeks of jobs to earn all of that back, and all without the proper tools now. An ear cocked toward the sounds from the arena beyond, prompting her to say, "You're making me miss the first quarter."

"Aren't they periods, Captain?" Blondie swiveled his head toward the Trandoshan woman, who snickered and hissed some more. He turned back to Daiya, "Are you sure you're a hover hockey fan?"

Daiya clutched the bag to her chest, more violated now by the questions than the invasive search. "Oh my stars! It's my first game, okay?"

"Really? I thought everyone had seen the Globex-Sun Galactic Games before. You should have watched last year, even the holos were..." Blondie started babbling before a hiss from his Captain shut him up. She hissed in Daiya's direction, too, followed up by the man's translation. "Go. Just don't look suspicious around here again."

She stuck her tongue out at the retreating figures of the CorpSec pair. They didn't even have the courtesy to give her a second look, so the teen added the one-finger salute. She brought the hand to her cheek a moment later, brushing away the debris and wincing. It came away streaked with red.

"Fething Corpos," Daiya grumbled as she packed her things away, wiping back tears that mourned for her cheek and her blaster most of all. Slipping the satchel over her head, the teen headed into the arena at last. Bitterness followed quickly, a cloud of misery she tracked in behind her until an idea stopped the young shadowrunner in her tracks.

There, adorned in chromium and framed with the laurels accorded to past winners, sat the trophy for today's tournament. A shrine to Corpo excess, and one that would look a lot better sitting on the shelf of her apartment instead. Daiya grinned as a plan began to take form in her mind.

If CorpSec was going to bully her, Daiya should at least get something for all her pain.

Zoey Bradiss​

 

[Zoey Bradiss]

Across the enterance hall, from behind the showcase, Zoey suddenly noticed a figure stopping in its tracks. Seemingly to also admire the grand chromium cup - the prestigious prize being awarded to the winning team of the Globex-Sun Galactic Games. The figure was a girl, just about her age, but none that she recognised from either her or the opposing team. She must have been a spectator then, maybe even a Coruscant Cloudcutter fan. Zoey peaked out curiously from behind the showcase to get a better view of the stranger. She looked to be alone, but Zoey guessed that she had her friends or parents around somewhere to see the match.

The girl actually looked very interested in the cup and also friendly enough, and if she also was a fan, of course an extrovert and easy-going girl like Zoey had to have a chat with her. Without a second thought, Zoey simply rounded the barrier of bands keeping people from touching the clean showcase, and headed straight over to the girl, wearing a friendly smirk as she did.

''Pretty neat piece of prize, huh? Which team ya think is gonna walk out of here with it?'' Zoey asked forthright as she ended up beside the girl, folding the arms across the chest while they both were now admiring the shimmering cup. The girl might yet have to notice the player pass hanging in a band around Zoey's neck, which was the only thing that exposed Zoey as a member of the Cloudcutters. Zoey felt the excitement and anticipation for the game grow even bigger in her as she gazed upon the cup.

''Man, I really wish we would beat 'em tonight...'' she said in a hushed voice after a while of silence, without taking her gaze from the cup before them.

Daiya ​

 

[Daiya]

"Huh?" Daiya cocked her head in the direction of the speaker, her eyes widening from a squint to appraise the new girl standing next to her. Dirty blonde and about the same height, the other girl wore a look that screamed the enthusiasm that even crossed arms couldn't obscure.

Just another fan.

The young shadowrunner nearly rolled her eyes in displeasure. She could taste her own sour mood, a melancholy flavor that made her want to spit. Her limbs itched to be doing something worthwhile, like finding a way to haul that trophy out before getting caught. Talking to someone was the last thing Daiya wanted to be doing right now.

"Oh yeah, it's real pretty," she muttered, just enough to keep the conversation going. It was, the teen had to admit that much, the polished chromium was far more than just a highlight of the prize. Her expression gradually softened into a glow, a slow smile blossoming from her lips. That trophy would catch eyes no matter how she kept it, so maybe the better play was to fence it or get it melted down.

Daiya was sure she could fetch a pretty cred for its pretty rare metal.

When the fangirl asked for her prediction, it took everything Daiya had not to blurt out 'Team Daiya' as her answer. Crass as the situation deserved, she wasn't dumb enough to actually say it...yet. "Well, obviously I'm rooting for the—" her eyes caught sight of the lanyard around the other girl's neck, half-crushed beneath her crossed arms, "—Coruscant Raiders!"

She glanced toward the fangirl for confirmation that was the right name. Daiya found herself scanning the pass on the girl's lanyard, wondering how she could get her hands on it. That pass would open up plenty of doors in the arena, the young shadowrunner was almost certain of that, and could only wind up helping her.

"I'm Daiya, you?" She gestured toward the lanyard, "Does that mean you're here for the team? Player's family?"

Daiya expected that the actual players would be getting ready for their game, not gawking at the prize. As if to answer herself, she added, "Who am I kidding, I'd be standing right here if I was a player. Gotta know what's on the line." She nodded to herself, then nudged her elbow playfully into the other girl's ribs. "No reward: no risk. Am I right?"

Zoey Bradiss​

 

[Zoey Bradiss]

Zoey snorted sharply at the other girls statement about the Coruscant Raiders. The Coruscant scrogging Raiders. She wasn't given the time to react to how the girl looked upon the trophy.

''Hmpf! The Raiders!? Really!?'' she blurt out and looked at the other one, frowning with utter scepticism like she looked at madness itself. How on Denon could this girl root for the Raiders? Back on Coruscant, most teens their age would say the Cloudcutters were the ones to root for. Maybe not put all of their weekly allowance on, but they have had a few wins in a row now and were the most likeable team. Zoey never being far from a smile, even though it might occasionally be a sassy one, soon cracked a smirk at the girl and shaked her head in hopeless disbelief.

''Well, obviously you're rooting for the wrong team!'' Zoey said and threw an extra glance over the girl who, despite her totally wierd and wrong conception of the world of hoverblade hockey, felt like she could be kind of fun to hang around. ''The Raiders are just a bunch of lame sheb cheaters that doesn't know what a fair game is.'' she added, before she turned to glance upon the trophy.

Soon afterwards, the other girl introduced herself as Daiya and once again drawed Zoey's attention. She had almost forgot the pass that she inadvertedly covered with her crossed arms. Zoey looked perplexed for a moment, before she got a gentle but definitely noticeable elbow in her ribs. Confusion turned to surprise and Zoey uncovered the pass on her chest. Looking down at it and with an ''oh'', she forgot the elbow and turned to this Daiya girl.

''I am the player, silly!'' Zoey said with a chuckle, proudly smiling and felt her shoulders rise a bit and her chest puff out some, as she this time placed her hands on the hips. It felt great to say it, that she was part of the Cloudcutters and not only that, but in a very important position for this particular game. ''Zoey.'' she returned the introduction. ''Zoey Bradiss. I'm with the Cloudcutters. Center position. Well, I'm covering for our regular one who called in sick, but let me tell you... We're the only team that this bad boy is goin' to fly home to Coruscant with.'' she explained with confidence before the fan girl and nodded sideways at the shining trophy.

Zoey gave the girl another good, slightly suspicious, look. ''You're still rooting for the Raiders? I mean, have you seen them play?''

Daiya ​

 

[Daiya]

Well, that was the wrong name.

Daiya was taken aback by a girl who could talk as fast as she could, huffing and puffing about how awful the Coruscant Raiders were. The teen could feel a crimson cloud growing behind her eyes again, even if Hockey Nerd's jabbering about a misplaced fandom didn't offend her, she was still put-off by the girl's hubris. She feigned interest, fighting back the urge to roll her eyes. They glazed over despite her efforts, and Daiya could live with that compromise.

Luckily, Hockey Nerd gave her a clear view of the pass now. Daiya had gotten the team name wrong, but not the access level. Her eyes were focused again, zeroing in on the holographic details present in the laminated flimsiplast card, the way it was strung on the lanyard. Her mind considered approaches to liberating the lanyard from Hockey Nerd's neck, even while the girl was introducing herself.

"Huh?" Again, Daiya found herself taken aback by Hockey Nerd's comment, and had to rewind. The young shadowrunner didn't like this, it wasn't like her to be so locked in a rage and blind to the world. Actually, no, it was very much like her, she was just usually better at paying attention to stories. Something about Hockey Nerd made her zone out. Probably the nerd part. Her mind fought to recover the details she'd missed, willing herself to pay better attention despite the boredom.

She just had to think of it like another job.

"I had a friend with that name once," Daiya muttered, still a bit distracted. She turned to look towards Hockey Nerd —Zoey— whose attention was now almost entirely on the trophy. A good time to make her move, grab for the lanyard, and dash off before the nerd could bog her down with another lecture. Her feet stayed rooted, her instinct to stay too compelling for Daiya to ignore. "Her name was Zo'i though. A little different, but blame it on her Zeltron heritage. She was fun, though."

Daiya shrugged, still feeling some soreness from where the Seccers had roughed her up. The teen realized she still hadn't gotten a chance to clean her cheek up, and for a split second she was mortified that it might still be bleeding. That stung worse than the cuts still did, and suddenly her feet wanted to move after all. "I—Come with me, Zoey. I gotta use the 'fresher, but convince me how great the Cloudcutters are and I might change my team."

"Maybe I'll even buy a jersey." Daiya becked to the nerd girl, hoping to pry her away from the public area. An enclosed space would make it easier to get the pass, and she really needed to wash her face, too. "Or just get really crazy and paint my chest...do they do that on Coruscant too?"

Zoey Bradiss​

 

[Zoey Bradiss]

''Huh, how do you spell that one?'' Zoey chirped at the mention of the girl used to have a friend named almost like herself. She was about to ask Daiya what happened to her friend, when silly said and beckoned at her to follow. Zoey being all enthused by the trophy, the game and the chance to talk to a fan, agreed to come with the girl. She had time for another minute or two, telling by the large clock on the wall next to them.

''Well, just take a look at the league tables. We might be in the middle of it, but if you've seen the three or four last games we've climbed rapidly. It's just a matter of time before we push the Raiders off the first place.'' she explained, proud of the whole teams efforts. ''They can't win all the time with their dirty tricks!'' she added and shaked her head. The junior leagues were known to be a bit rough. Teenagers participating in a competition usually stirred up a few feelings, especially when two teams from the same planet met. It was important to every one of them to be the number one representing the planet.

''Buy? I can get you one for free! You seem to be just about my size.'' Zoey uttered while looking the girl over, making a guess on her size before giving her a friendly smile as they walked towards the refreshers. As they arrived at the ladies, Zoey stopped guessing that Daiya would like to enter herself.

''I'll wait here. I gotta go change and prepare for the game soon, but... which seats you got? I can probably fix you first row ones. Close to the Cloudcutter booth, or a bit higher up the lower bowl if ya want...? How many you got with you?'' Zoey added with enthusiasm. She begun to like hanging around the equally aged girl and it just felt right to show her that kindness offering her some free stuff and upgrades.

That was when Zoey noticed a sore spot on the girls cheek and nodded at it casually. ''Hey, you got somethin' on your cheek? Stumbled on the stairs up, or what?'' she said with a chuckle.

Daiya ​

 

[Daiya]

Daiya still reeled from her encounter with CorpSec, the bitterness still clinging to the inside of her mouth. Yet Zoey's willingness to follow, and the nerd girl's bubbling chatter on the intricacies of hover hockey —if a little annoying— put a bounce in the young shadowrunner's step. The energy here was infectious, and none more so than Hockey Nerd's, that Daiya was almost feeling a little bad about her plan today.

Almost.

"Yeah, someone threw me into a wall," Daiya mentioned, a bit more honestly than she'd intended to Zoey's inquisition to her wounded cheek. "Probably thought they were practicing that one move, ummm, checking."

Trying to sell the story, the teen shrugged with as much nonchalance as she could muster. She looked straight into Zoey's eyes, searching for something inside them. A glimmer of trust, a tell for weakness. Anything to lean on, hard, to get Zoey to give up more than just a free jersey. "That's why I need you in there. C'mon, it's not weird, I'm just using the sink and mirror."

And this wasn't like the refreshers common in the Twilight Belt, either. Those were barely big enough for one person sometimes, much less the half dozen this one could fit inside. Stalls separated the wash basins from the toilets, and timing had graced the teen with an unusually empty room. Slipping off her satchel, Daiya set it down against the open door, keeping it ajar in case that made Zoey more comfortable.

Anything to make Hockey Nerd let her guard down.

"Stars, they really got me good." Daiya stretched and prodded the injured cheek with her fingers, turning her head to give the mirror a full view of it. She touched the scrape, hissing as the finger drew back. The teen gave her hand a shake, "Chit. That's going to be fething obvious."

Daiya ran the water, scooping some into her hand as she brought her cheek down low. Clenching her teeth, the girl splashed water against the cut, rubbing with her fingers to clean up the bloodied sides of it. She couldn't help but groan a few times, a stab to her cheek would feel more pleasant. Looking around to find the towel dispenser, the teen caught Zoey's watching eyes, "You got any concealer on you? Mine's at home, and this is going to make me stand out like a sore..."

She laughed at the first conclusion her mind drew, "...cheek." Daiya grinned at the nerd girl despite that terrible attempt at humor. "Especially in the first row."

Zoey Bradiss​

 

[Zoey Bradiss]

Zoey thought it was just a bit too friendly to invite someone you just have met into the refreshers, but while it was an odd request, she went with it after another look at the clock. How long could this girl take to wash herself up for the game? Truth to be told, Zoey understood why the girl didn't want to show herself out in public with that sore cheek. She were pretty, otherwise.

''No, not wierd at all.'' Zoey replied after the girl, her full sarcasm shining through and rolling her eyes as she entered the refreshers just after the other girl. It was wierd as Most of the spectators were probably warming up with jawa juice, ale and hot dogs in the different kiosks, and the ones who didn't had yet to arrive at the arena, because the stalls were actually pretty empty. A lone, tall and slow ithorian were leaving just as they came in and only the slight buzz from the halls could be heard along with the girls attempt to throw some water on the rash of the cheek.

Zoey stood beside the girl and leaned backwards against the sink, once again folding her arms across the chest as she studied the girl tending to her cheek.

The girls question elicited wide smile and an amused giggle from Zoey. ''No, sorry. Doesn't usually carry around concealers and stuff in my trunk.'' If they were at Zoey's, she could have offered the girl just about anything in the known range of makeup. Not because Zoey herself used a lot of it, but much thanks to her mom and sister. The latter being the beauty in the family. ''You're funny, Daiya. I like you.''

''I must say, it's pretty unique gettin' yourself cross-checked outside the rink... Especially if you doesn't even play hoverblade hockey.'' Zoey chuckled, wondering who would play such a mean trick on this poor girl. ''Who'd you say did that to you, again?'' she added, putting a hand on the edge of the sink and the other one on the hip, nodding at the sore cheek that were now mostly cleaned and looked half as bad.

Daiya ​

 

[Daiya]

"Seriously?" Daiya asked, glancing over incredulously to the nerd girl. The teen scanned Zoey's face, a longing look that poured over the other girl's pores. "You have like no zits, how the feth do you do that?"

Daiya turned back to the mirror, leaving one more glance at the rest of Zoey before she focused on her face again. She scrunched her jaw this way and that, but her thoughts were on the girl next to her. Daiya was happy that Hockey Nerd came in with her, the public refreshers always felt safer with another girl. Still, the young shadowrunner was probably about to ruin that feeling for Zoey. With the girl's arms finally uncrossed, though, Daiya had the perfect shot at the lanyard right now.

"I guess that's the best I can do..." she remarked to her cheek, pulling back to stand up straight again. Daiya grinned at Zoey's amusement, while the shadowrunner in her was far more pleased. Anything to get the nerd girl's guard down. She had to keep up the pretense, lean on all of her acting and talent for charm, at least for the moment. The teen was still a bit put out by the rough encounter with CorpSec, an emotion she let play over her face as the smile dimmed.

"Oh, you would have been so mad, Zoey. A couple of thugs, these guys were a bit older than us, and they were wearing Hoth Aurora jerseys." Daiya still didn't want to alarm the Coruscanti girl, Zoey probably wouldn't take it well to learn that the local cops harassed teenage girls just for walking around. She threw out the only real hockey team she knew of, well everyone knew of them, and just had to hope that the Hoth Auroras had the kind of reputation for mean, territorial players that would make her story work. "Fething bunch 'a—"

The teen sniffed, surprised at her own emotion telling the story. She relaxed her closed fist, swallowing back the anger. Not knowing exactly how she was going to accomplish her goal, Daiya stepped toward Zoey anyway. Hockey Nerd was just posed there casually, a hand on her hip and one on the sink. Daiya placed hers on top of Zoey's, looking down at the way their hands arranged on the porcelain basin. Then she looked up into the other girl's face, putting on a mournful show for her audience. "They wouldn't have stood a chance with you there..."

Daiya plucked the pass from where it hung around Zoey's neck, giving enough slack for the lanyard to dangle intact. She studied it for a second. "...Zoey Bradiss, Center position with the Coruscant Cloudcutters."

She looked back up at Zoey's bright blue eyes, and grinned at the nerd girl. "I'd love to see you in action, Zoey Bradiss."

Then she gave the pass a hard yank and took off. Without even time to check if she'd actually kept her prize, Daiya bent low to scoop up her satchel on the way. If luck was with her, the bathroom door would shut on Zoey automatically, giving the teen one more moment's head start as she dashed down the halls of the arena.

Zoey Bradiss​

 

[Zoey Bradiss]

What the kriff did this girl think? That she would have a whole separate bag of makeup stuff in her trunk, just because she happened to be a girl? That she would want to primp herself right after a game and a shower? The only time she would have to do that would be if she were going out with her parents on some business meeting, or if they had people coming over. And even then she would be pretty much forced to dress and paint herself into a proper lady, as her mother would say. She liked Daiya, though. She were funny.

''Uhm... I don't know! I guess it's running in the family?'' Zoey uttered and gave Daiya a shrug and a wry smirk, thinking of her sister that were the most gorgeous woman there was. ''Thanks, though. You don't look half bad yourself... except for that... rash.'' she continued and pointed at her own cheek area, intending to return the, while oddly expressed, indirect compliment. Zoey listened carefully to Daiya's explanation to the minor yet noticeable injury that she had sustained and had now successfully managed to cover. A couple of jokers running around and harassing young girls did make her mad and sorry for Daiya. The Hoth Auroras were to play later tonight, so it made sense if they had been wearing their jerseys. Probably fans that didn't know how to behave themselves.

Zoey's eyes went wide when Daiya approached and laid her hand on hers on the porcelain basin. Now, things were getting kinda wierd but Zoey kept her pose, maybe because of the confusion that ensued. Bewildered, her blue gaze went down to the pass and up into the other girls eyes. Then, as quick as a jawa stealing droid parts the girl were dashing out of the refreshers with the pass in hand.

''What the- HEY!'' Zoey blurted out and bolted after the little thief. While the closing door to the refreshers where heavy, Zoey knew how to counter it and tackled it open. She quickly looked around and tried to spot the back of a girl running from the place. It was easier said than done because of the crowds that had really started to gather in the halls, but in the next blink of an eye Zoey spotted a blond tuft leaving in a hurry and ran after. She managed to avoid bumping into too many people but the girl had a pretty good head start. She needed a better idea than just trying to catch up with her. They turned a corner and were about to pass a crossroad of corridors left and right. Knowing the arena well enough, Zoey anticipated which exit Daiya were heading for and took a right turn to intercept her. This corridor was much less crowded also, and people were just minding their own business not caring for two girls running through the arena. She could not allow herself to miss this game! The coach would be furious!

A short moment after, Zoey jumped out in front of the girl, cutting her off from the emergency exit in the less crowded part of the complex.

''Heh, okay... now I'm mad.'' Zoey stated sassily, wearing a cocky smile that said she would not back down from a fight if one came her way. ''C'mon, queenie - hand it over. Kinda need that to get to the locker rooms and prepare for the game, but right now it looks like I'm gonna miss it because of you.'' she said and with slow steps approached the thief, with a hand outstretched as if she would simply surrender it. ''You don't wanna make that happen, trust me... and I don't wanna go rough on ya.''

Daiya ​

 

[Daiya]

She got it!

Laughter rang from the teen as she dashed down the hall, dodging slower members of the crowd to keep up a steady pace. Her curly hair streamed behind her, delight close on her heels. A steady urge grew inside her to pop out her heelies and glide. Frustration faded away from her, and for a moment she even managed to forget about the persistent threat of Zoey behind her, savoring her one moment of triumph for the day.

Her mind slowly regained control, prompting her to take a side corridor she spotted ahead. Daiya ducked into a small alcove immediately inside the turn and waited for a moment. No Zoey yet. Given the extra time to think and catch her breath, the young shadowrunner considered her options. The easiest among them was to evade Hockey Nerd completely for long enough so she could return without contest. Her mind traced over the last few exits she'd spied, and since her pursuer hadn't shown her clear-skinned face for a minute, Daiya set a more leisurely pace out of hiding and back the way she'd come.

The crowd had thinned by the time she approached the emergency exit, signalling another game or period having started. Daiya wore a grin on her face, taking long strides near the door. Who exactly was going to stop her.

"Heh, okay... now I'm mad."

Fething Hockey Nerd, that's who.

"Seriously? What the feth does a rich girl know about need? Try having nothing and still getting mugged!" Daiya wasn't about to just hand over her prize, not after she had so deftly stolen it. It wasn't like she had great options at the moment, but bluffing had gotten her this far. "Look, you might be new to this world, but step into any of the shadows and you'll hear my name. And what I do to people who cross me."

The young shadowrunner turned around before Zoey could spot her expression breaking, marveling at her own tough talk. Surely it was equal of anything Eiko or Phelaan had once said to her. Daiya managed to bring her mouth under control enough to shout back, "Don't follow me again."

She launched into another sprint after that, a plan forming in her head. The teen brought her hand up to her cheek, exhaling sharply as she drew a nail across her cheek. It might scar after this, and the thought made her grimace.

It even lent itself to dampness welling at the edges of her eyes. The look was useful when Daiya skidded to a stop in front of the nearest security guard she could find, wiping at her bleeding face before pointing frantically back the way she'd come.

"This girl, she tried to take my pass. You gotta help me, please. I'm Zoey Bradiss, I play with the Coruscant Cloudcutters, and I'm pretty sure she's gonna hurt me more just to get it!"

Zoey Bradiss​

 

[Zoey Bradiss]

Zoey were about to close in enough on the girl to nick the pass out of her hand, when queenie tried to blame her for being rich and queenie being poor. It was a statement that, despite the girls deceitful ways, felt genuine and striked Zoey at her inner most person. So much that it made her stop and instantly drop her cocky smile, in surprise blinking at the girl. Had the girl been robbed instead of getting harassed by those Hoth Aurora guys? Both was bad if she really was that poor as she made it sound. What was even more confusing to Zoey, was that the girl apparently knew of her wealth.

However, she was not given the time to reflect upon it much more, before queenie indirectly threatened her and turned to run in the same way that she had come from.

''Uhh, you couldn't hurt a fly, princess!'' she called after the girl as the heat was on once again with the chase.

''Hey, look now, officer...'' Zoey begun, stopping at a short but safe distance from the two, pulled her bangs back and tried to catch her breath after the second chase through the corridors. ''She's a fraud! She doesn't even look like me!'' she complained, frustrated over the girls dirty tries to fool the guard, and gestured at the obvious fact. ''I haven't hurt a hair on the girl! Even if she tempts me to...'' she continued and gave Daiya an angry look with her icy blue eyes.

''We can get coach here to sort this out! She'll confirm that I am Zoey Bradiss!'' Zoey once more begged to the guard.

To tell the truth, Daiya could very much succeed with her little deception if the guard did not recognize Zoey. He might not even be into hockey, for all she knew. Things were looking dark as the guard were about to approach her, but suddenly she got an idea.

''Just wait a minute! I can prove it!'' she blurted out at the guard before directing her attention onto Daiya, a chit eating grin growing on her lips. ''Alright, miss Bradiss... What's your jersey number? Without looking at the pass!'' Zoey demanded and crossed her arms in a victorious manner, awaiting the girls defeat.

Daiya ​

 

[Daiya]

The guard seemed to be roused from slumber at Daiya's request. The teen held her purloined lanyard in one hand, the pass dangling freely to catch the light. She wielded it as a prop, indignantly hoisting it up into view of the waking Iktotchi security guard. He looked at her with blank eyes, only gaining focus when Zoey pulled up next to her.

Oh chit.

Daiya shook her head at Hockey Nerd, unwilling to give up the act yet. Her eyes widened at Zoey's denial, prompting the teen to reach up to her cheek again. "Are you kidding? Look at this mark, I'm gonna get a scar thanks to her!"

It was a lie. She should have felt bad for it, Daiya hated lies from anyone else. The young shadowrunner just kept telling herself that she wasn't hurting anyone less fortunate than her. The nerd girl's clear skin, her clothes, the way she talked, and how she could afford to travel just to play hockey, they all smacked of rich kid syndrome in Daiya's mind. Really, she was just raising her own fortunes to get a little closer if all went well today, what was the harm of a little lie in the process?

"WHAT?!" Daiya threw hands to her hips, rounding on Hockey Nerd. There was nothing the teen would have liked better than to wipe that smug grin off of Zoey's face. In front of the security guard, her first resort would have just made things worse, so instead the girl just held up the pass so the guard could see it. "Whatever, it's not like it's a secret."

Only to her now.

She sucked in a breath, her mind reeling with the possibilities. Had she glimpsed the number before, looking at the pass in the refresher? Or while running away with it? Think! Daiya came up empty, forcing a different technique. She could just guess...or maybe she could find the answer a different way.

Daiya tried to find opportunities to practice what Yula taught her, but the Zeltron woman only had her work with technology. The teen was far more comfortable with organics, beings of flesh and blood. And thought. If she could feel the spark inside a battery, a thought inside Zoey was no different, right?

The teen snaked her hand alongside Hockey Nerd's face, until her fingers rested against Zoey's cheek. She didn't dawdle, letting her mind open up to the presence under her fingers. The once-throbbing pain was only a minor nuisance now, though that didn't help Daiya find what she was looking for. A second or two was all she could spend on it, her mind scrambling for answers that wouldn't come. Her hand followed through, patting Zoey on her cheek, and then it was over.

Daiya had nothing left but to guess. "My jersey number is 42, of course."

She felt the pass slipping from her fingers, the Iktotchi's gaze sliding over to Zoey. Horror played out over Daiya's face as her chance died before her eyes. "I'm sorry, Miss Bradiss. Here's your pass back," the guard told nerd girl. The wrong girl. He turned to look down at the blonde failure, whose face was fading as quickly as her hopes. "And as for you..."

Oh chit!

Zoey Bradiss​

 

[Zoey Bradiss]

Zoey's smirk grew considerably wider as princess Fraud took a wild guess out of the blue, and were off by several digits. She had successfully called the other girls bluff and watched in delight how the anxiety spread in the girls face. This Daiya played things well, Zoey would give her that, and had she not picked the wrong number, the guard would have probably believed her. Twenty-one was the number she carried on her back, not forty-two. Zoey took the lanyard from the guard and hung it around her neck.

''Thanks, but I don't wanna... push charges or anything...'' Zoey said sincerely to the guard, inspired by the many holomovies she and her sister had watched together, and put on a poker face herself. ''It's alright, officer. I'm sure it was all just a joke or somethin'...'' she continued, lowering her gaze and seemed to fall into thoughts she were not supposed to talk about. ''We've have been at each other for sometime now, me and Daiya here... Ya know, things at school... It ain't easy for two girls to fall in love with the same boy... I'm sorry if we bothered you with our little quarrel. Thanks for your help, though.'' she explained, looking at the guard as if everything were alright and Zoey wouldn't need his assistance anymore. The guards gaze jumped between the two girls in front of him, a moment of silence laying itself like a blanket upon the trio, before he finally tipped his hat at Zoey.

''Any time, miss Bradiss - and good luck with the game. My credit's on the Cloudcutters tonight.'' he said before strolling off down the corridors now filled with spectators heading for their seats with about an hour left to face-off.

In a moment with everyones backs against them, Zoey flung out and with all her might, like going up against someone on the ice, shoved Daiya into a narrow space of the corridor where they would be less exposed.

''WHY THE KRIFF YOU DID THAT FOR?!'' she blurted out while her icy blue eyes looked for an answer in the other girls also blue eyes. While definitely being a little angry at the girl, she appeared mostly disappointed. ''Who are you, really? And why'd you steal my pass? Really, I was just startin' to like you... Being all nice and and stuff...'' Zoey continued, giving Daiya a disgruntled face. ''Rich girl? What's that supposed to mean? What are you? A stalker?''

Daiya ​

 

[Daiya]

Daiya took a step back as the guard rounded on her, her heart pounding a steady code for: RUN. Her eyes darted to Zoey, who had seized back the young shadowrunner's prize with the help of the guard, watching the nerd girl's smug expression grow only wider. The deck stacked against her, Daiya placed one boot behind her, her muscles tensing just a bare moment away from the pivot and dash.

There was something in Hockey Nerd's words that made her hesitate. The lies came so easily to Zoey's lips that Daiya might have believed them herself, and her eyes grew in admiration for the nerd girl. There was at least that in common between the girls, Daiya noticed, not that Zoey was ready to bring an end to their private war but just to end the outside interference to it.

On that much they agreed.

Daiya might have grinned at the nerd girl if she hadn't been thrown against the wall the moment they were ignored once more. Instead, her eyes searched Zoey's face, watching and waiting while she dressed her down. A shock of satisfaction rushed through the teen's veins, a twisted thrill by Hockey Nerd's belated reveal to be a worthy opponent for her at last.

The teen gave her opponent a plaintive look, preparing her appeal to the nerd girl's wounded pride. "Please Zoey..."

It was just a whisper while Zoey continued unabated, her final accusation lashing out like a whip. Daiya turned her head aside as if slapped, lowering the dam behind her eyes for the first time since she'd watched the Seccers walk away with chuckles and half her belongings. "Please, I need your pass. It's my only way to..." She swallowed, knowing the nerd girl would hate her for the plan she'd set before herself. "Look, you don't understand. On my planet, this planet, we're nothing but meat for the Corpos. That's who cut my cheek, not some hockey fans. I didn't think you'd understand."

Daiya pulled at the satchel from her shoulder, wiggling against Zoey's strong arms to bring it out in front of herself. She hoped to open it, show the Hockey Nerd just how much CorpSec had taken from her, she couldn't see it herself through blurry eyes. "This is all I have left after CorpSec shoved me into a wall. They held me down, went through my stuff, and took what they wanted."

Now the teen finally did cry. She didn't wipe at the vanguard of tears that plowed down her cheeks, letting them stand in memoriam for her stolen blaster and credits. "That trophy could earn it all back for me. Please, I know it's a lot to ask, but it's just going to sit on someone's wall after today right? How's that any better?"

Zoey Bradiss​

 

[Zoey Bradiss]

Disappointed and a little angry, Zoey searched for the truth in the other girls face. It was easier said than done, as her first, good impression of the girl had been frayed at the edges by the ultimately failed attempt to steal her pass. Right now, Zoey didn't really know where she had this girl called Daiya. As Daiya begun to tell another story, Zoey had the high ground pinning the girl against the wall, but wether the story being true or not, it was a position Zoey felt less comfortable in the more the girl told her. Remorse started to grow in the young, possibly slightly stronger, Cloudcutter player.

''Hey. Hey!'' Zoey chimed in and nudged Daiya by the shoulder while listening to her story, all in an attempt to get her attention from the gaze turned away. ''Don't worry, I'm not gonna hurt you or anything...'' she reassured honestly, wanting the other girl to meet her on the same premise and level.

''Look...'' Zoey continued, searching for a way to express herself in answer to the girls questions and suggestions. ''Ya know how much work is put into the journey towards that trophy? How much is needed to win it?'' she said and gestured out towards the corridor. ''The Globex is a pretty big deal to us. We play for it. We compete for it. Kriff, we fight for it in the rink!'' Zoey continued, growing a bit softer face than before, and made a short pause.

''It ain't exactly like you could sell it, anyway. It's a unique piece of item, but it's also so much more worth to us than the precious metals in it... It's an achievement and proof of our hard work. Kriff, I use the garage to our apartment complex every day to practice and reach achievements like that one. You ever tried sports yourself? You get what I'm talking about?'' Zoey continued to explain, hoping that Daiya would understand at least some of it.

It dawned on Zoey that she had done exactly the same as the Corpos had done to Daiya, and she felt even more bad for it. Things were made worse when Daiya displayed the empty satchel. Zoey had just behaved much like Lora did against her, and it was not her intention to go that hard on the girl.

''I... I'm sorry to hear that, Daiya... and I'm sorry for the push. Really, I am. I was just so mad, and... anxious to miss the game and all, I guess...''

''Are what you've told me now true?'' she asked, then pulling her bangs to the side, shining up and cracking a more friendly smile than the smirks from before. ''Hey, what'd you say about a bite after the game? I'll buy, but only if you promise to keep your paws off the trophy!''

Daiya ​

 

[Daiya]

Daiya had a hard time believing Zoey's promise not to harm her. Not when Hockey Nerd had the young shadowrunner pinned up against the wall, and especially not after what she had done to Zoey. In her place, Daiya would have been ready to hurt someone, not reason with them.

Instead, Zoey was trying to explain the trophy's value. Daiya couldn't find herself agreeing with the object's real value, in the nerd girl's terms, the young shadowrunner was sure she could find a buyer who would admire the work it took to acquire. Her fingers and limbs itched for it, promising that some collector or some curios dealer on the black market would buy it off her at some point. Daiya curled her hands and tensed her muscles, trying to ignore it.

She just couldn't ignore the itch that plagued her heart.

"I don't do sports," Daiya admitted, shaking her head. The teen looked back at Zoey and her foreign concepts, wishing she could understand what it felt like. "I know what it's like to win, though. That taste of success, the payday at the end of it all. When I'm in the middle of a blasterfight or crawling through dusty vents, that's the adrenaline that keeps me going. I guess it's a thrill by itself, too, but getting paid for it is even better."

The teen shrugged, though her slender shoulders were eager to get back in place. "I get it, Zoey. I'm—I'm just tired of always losing. It's all I ever do these days, I wasn't lying when I said the Corpos treat everybody else like chit. You think you're anxious, try living here. You step one toe out of line, and BAM! CorpSec's breathing down your neck."

"Can't even go to a fething hockey game without them shoving you against a fence..." she muttered, bitterness dropping her voice low. Daiya sighed, considering the nerd girl's offer. "Fine, you can keep your trophy."

A lopsided grin grew from the young shadowrunner's face at last, feeling somewhat normal again. Her muscles relaxed, and she stood straighter again, enjoying the rare height equivalence she had over Hockey Nerd. Cocky again, Daiya had one last taunt, "If you can win it..."

Zoey Bradiss​

 

[Zoey Bradiss]

Zoey could see that her reassurance towards the other girl was hardly believed. Feeling like Lora, the schools biggest bully, was not a good one, even if the girl had attempted to steal her pass and now revealed that she were after the grand Globex Trophy. Zoey meant every word of it, though. That feeling, together with the initial good impression and likeable person of Daiya made Zoey choose reason in front of a fight. Roughing it out in the rink was one thing, but outside it, Zoey were not that kind of person. She were prepared to give the equally aged girl one more chance.

''Well, in that case... maybe you can see it from my perspective? Have you really seen the arena and the amount of people coming here?'' Zoey asked and threw a hand out the corridor. ''I guess you've never seen a game then, huh? Sports is a pretty big deal for a lot of people, and it takes a lot of work to win trophys like that! Really, we've been training for months to have a chance at it! The day we're on the top of the podium, that is our payday!'' she explained, trying to highlight the similarities that she saw in each of their pursuits.

''I don't get paid very much, but I guess we got the adrenaline in common... rushing down towards the goalie and the net, meeting the defence is just...'' Zoey continued to explain and got something dreamy in her eyes. ''So awesome! And when you nail that goal, it really feels like you've won a battle!'' she uttered and one could see a wide smile spreaing on her face. A smile that revealed how much she liked playing this game.

Zoey returned to the situation at hand, the small hideout beside the corridor and the girl in front of her. ''I can teach you... It's easy, once you get the hang of it... I think you would be great at defence!'' Zoey offered, taking a step back to give Daiya some room and not appear so menacing, despite her slight disadvantage in height compared to Daiya. Zoey were always open to introduce a friend to the world of hoverblade hockey, if the two girls would part as that.

''Heh, yeah the Cloudcutters definitely got what it takes to win it, if you're trying to tease me.'' she stated in self-confidence with a chuckle and the smile lingering upon her lips.

''These things you tell me...'' Zoey continued, coming back to what the girl said about this CorpSec organisation. ''These... CorpSec's and everything... I mean, I believe you but... Why are they treating you like that? Who's everybody?''

Daiya ​

 

[Daiya]

Daiya tried to picture what it was that drove Zoey so much, the talk of all the effort and training just for a mere chance drew the teen close to rolling her eyes. Her face drooped a little, her eyes hovering at a point on Hockey Nerd's forehead, boredom creeping in as she heard about all the privilege afforded to the rich girl in front of her.

Then her face snapped to a bewildered grimace, staring at Zoey like she was from another world completely. "Wait, you don't get paid that much?"

Now that Zoey wasn't pressing in on her, Daiya relaxed and managed a step away from the wall. She shook her head at the nerd girl's offer, "I would be chit at your game. But you, you could turn all that skill for empty promises into real money here on Denon. Seriously, girl, they aren't paying you for all that work?"

Daiya turned to the side, and slipped a hand over Zoey's neck. She gripped the nerd girl's shoulder, gently guiding them back into the main thoroughfare. "Do you realize the opportunities you're just letting go to waste here? You promised me a jersey and front-row tickets earlier, you could make bank on every world by offering, let's call it a 'selective upgrade', to friends you make there. Paying friends, you know what I mean?"

The game was about to start soon, and the teen could feel the urgency in her newfound friend to get back to it all. "Look, you know how broke I am right now. Why don't we get those front-row tickets for me, and a jersey, and then I'll answer any question you have over that bite after the game."

At least Daiya would get something out of the day, even if it was just a new friend. Especially if it was a new friend willing to push limits and bend rules for her. She grinned at Zoey, drawing back to offer her hand to the Cloudcutters player she was eager to watch now.

"Deal?"

Brie Jaxx​