Faction Too Cool to Corpo [Darkwire Teens]

[Daiya]

(Post Soundtrack: "Here's to Never Growing Up" by Avril Lavinge)

D E N O N
Daiya & Hex's Apartment

A sweet scent filled the room from the teen's body spray, an imitation of Blooming Natterbloom that delighted her with an odor of sweet citrus. She watched in the mirror, her lips pulled into the occasional grimace when her head was pulled by her new roommate's hands. Daiya glanced at her through the mirror, a wary eye on the growing lump of hair was being coaxing into shape. When she had asked Hex to help braid her hair, the teen had not remembered it being so uncomfortable.

"Hey Hex?" Daiya asked her older friend, admiring the outfit she had chosen to wear today. It took her breath away the first time Daiya saw Hex wearing it. They had decided on a theme while planning their costume party, and even though Daiya thought she was prepared for it, it still didn't seem right to see Hex dressed up as a Corpo. She knew her roommate as someone who didn't even know most rules existed, much less instituted or followed them, and one that was far too free with her thoughts and trigger to be a very good Corpo. "What would you be doing if you were a Corpo for real?"

Daiya pressed her hands on the front of her own outfit, a fineweave dress she had picked up for a steal. It still smelled like a textile plant, so the teen picked up the spray bottle to give herself another spritz. Daiya drew in another breath, and a pleasant warmth tingled at the surface of her skin, smelling far better than an hour ago after finishing all the decorations for their housewarming-slash-costume party. "We've got the outfits, the accesories," her eyes flicked to the jewelry Hex was sporting, "enough red and black to make a Seccer vanish, and we're working on the Corporate-approved hairstyles. So what do you do, Miss Corpo?"

"Ha! That's easy, weapons tech. Fiddling about with gadgets by day, then stuffing them in my pockets and sneaking out the door by night."

Her lips blew out a scoff as Daiya gave her friend a short giggle. The answer fit Hex a little too well, and she squinted at the blue girl. Her lips froze on a retort, the sudden knowledge creeping over her mind. "You actually have pockets today!" The teen had only just realized, and wondered how it had taken her so long. She giggled again, a set of sheepish nerves soothed by the action. "And I don't, we're totally flipped."

"Think I should slip something explosive in there? I have just the thing on my desk!!"

"Not until you finish my braid!" Daiya grabbed her friend's arm above her wrist, keeping them together until the rest of her hair was done according to the Corpo holo-mag she'd found last week. It still looked a bit unbalanced to her eyes at the moment, but the teen was about to fix that with the braid and pinned-up hat. "I was thinking I'd be a consierge, always with my finger on the local pulse. Or something hospitality for a firm that needs their clients taken care of, y'know, making things happen when they're being courted to sign a big business deal."

"Wouldn't that just make you one of the corpo wage slaves? Dealing with dumb boys!... oh hey, you'd be good at that. What would you do if you could have any position, all the way at the top?"

"I'd be a star, obviously. A celebrity, somebody everyone knows." Daiya barely gave her answer a second thought. She picked up the hat and placed it gently on her head, gazing at her transformation. "You'd only have to hear 'Daiya' and you'd think of me. 'Course that Daiya wouldn't have to haggle for her dress at the Freeport Club."

She gaped at the braid Hex dropped onto her shoulder, her worries forgotten as her hand came up to touch the woven hair to test if it was real. In the mirror, Daiya's new braid obscurred one of the shoulder straps of her dress, forming a seamless part of her attire for the day. "It's a-mazing, Hex!" The teen picked up the hat and veil sitting on her vanity, taking a view moments to arrange and pin it in place. With her outfit finally complete, she took just the barest moment to preen before spinning in the seat to face her friend. A grinning Daiya slapped hands on her lap, and jumped up to ready condition. "Now..."

Daiya stepped over to reach under her bed, and pull out the bottle of lum she had borrowed from the Blue Flame the other day. "...we're ready to have some fun. All we need are the guests."

Giddy and giggling, the teen led the way into the main living space of their new apartment, decked out with neon lights and decorated in all the colors of the Corpo rainbow for their party tonight.

Every teenager they knew was coming, or at least invited.

Hex Brie Jaxx Cartri Keswoll Cassus Akovin Zephyrr Das Lilianna L'lerim Zenric​

(OOC: Hex's character used with permission)

 

[Zephyrr]

Misery-Upon-Dream, Denon
5316 Reflection Hideaway

Zephyrr's booted feet tip-tapped a steady rhythm on the perma-crete as he wound his way up the grungy sidewalk. The young man kept his head on a swivel, turning this way & that... all-too-aware of the fact that he was entirely out of his element. He'd already had to jack some bum in the jaw when the snaggle-toothed old codger had tried to corner him in an alleyway. The old Discrete had called him a Suit... a Suit! Then, the homeless man had hefted a heavy bottle half-full of some foul-smelling hooch and threatened to beat the young man into a pulp if he didn't pay him a toll.

Zephyrr had paid his toll, alright.

Zeph would be long gone by the time the bum woke up. Still self-conscious, the handsome young man allowed himself a grin. He'd even managed to handle his business without damaging the small bundle he kept tucked under his left arm; likely the thing the bum had wanted, and absolutely the last thing Zephyrr would have been willing to give up.

If it weren't for the sudden & unexpected invitation (sent from Daiya's CryptNet account), the courier had never imagined he'd be where he was, and look like he did. It had taken some work, and a favor from one of his pals, but the invitation had been explicit: "Dress like a Corpo!"

How in the hell did Corpos dress?

The first thing that came to mind was a suit. But Zeph didn't have the credits for one of those fancy stores, so he'd used what he could find. With another pang of self-conscious introspection, he hoped he hadn't under-dressed. Rather than go hopping fences, climbing fire escapes, and risking a tumble off a roof, he'd decided to use his own two feet for once along with the assistance of a particularly foul-smelling cabbie. After all, he'd spent a considerable portion of his savings just to meet Daiya's request. Well, that... and then, his housewarming gift.

But that would be a surprise.

With another check on the small wrist-comm on his wrist, Zeph verified he was nearing his objective; a slummy apartment building in a sea of similar buildings down a back street. 5316... 5316...

There.

With a quizzical expression, Zephyrr stood in front of the steps leading up an entryway decorated in graffiti. He craned his head & looked upward; admiring the exterior of the building where Daiya's nav-mark had led him. He was actually impressed. The building was ten times better than the slum in-which he & his parents lived... If Daiya wasn't fooling him, and she really did work with Darkwire, then he guessed she had it better than he did. Clearly, he was in the wrong line of work.

Again, a pang of self-consciousness struck him, and he looked down at himself; brushing off his arms and adjusting the collar of his coat. On a whim, he reached to his chest & undid the top-most button - baring the faintest hint of his tattooed chest. Satisfied, the young man entered the building and made his way to the 7'th floor.

Knock, knock, knock

The door to apartment #717 would report a visitor. Whether the occupants would check their cameras first, or simply open the door, they would find a tall, handsome, cleanly-shaven young man with azure-blue eyes and a small smile on his lips awaiting entry. Although it was easy to miss, under close observation one might notice his canines appeared longer than a normal human's. He was dressed in a black suit-coat & pants, with his feet garbed in black lace-up boots. A clean white shirt, partially unbuttoned, did little to hide his muscular physique. A thin metal cylinder was tucked under his left arm, and his hands were buried in the pockets of his slacks.

Daiya Hex Brie Jaxx Cartri Keswoll Cassus Akovin Das Lilianna L'lerim Zenric

 

[Hex]

Location: Daiya and Hex's apartment
Objective: Have an awesome party
Tags: Daiya Zephyrr

Spoiler: Equipment - not on her person

• Powderpunk armor on loan from Daiya
• ap-25i SIMP pistol
• 'Candles' Heavy particle blaster
• Big Bigby
• 'confetti' Rocket launcher
• Party Poppers (3 explosive, 3 gas)
• Dancer repulsor board
• Dervish Knife
• Cheap data pad and communicator

Gear is stowed in places around the apartment

Spoiler: Hex dialogue colors

Poor Hex hears voices in her head

Hex speech to others
Hex speech to herself

Hexes inner voices
'...Neutral...'
'...Doubt...'
'...Anger...'
Coloured '.....' are also words that Hex can hear , but I decided not to write them to reduce clutter

​

Whose idea was it to have a party? There had been talk of everyone getting together to celebrate the two girls moving in together, there had been talk of a corpo themed horror party? Somewhere along the line that had become a full blown house party?

As fun as it sounded, Hex was stressed, having people come into her home, even a home she hadn't really had chance to make her own yet, was far out of her comfort zone. Everything she had been involved with since meeting Daiya seemed that way somehow. Hex pondered these things as she braided her friend's blonde and pink hair, pulling a band off of her wrist to tie it together. She laughed Daiya's question, the idea of either of them as corporate shills seemed so alien, but the question was fun, it gave her the start of an idea for possible party games.

"Have you ever considered growing your hair down to your calves?" Hex asked to Daiya as she came to the end of the braid, not far below the teens shoulder blade.

Daiya: "That would take five times as long to braid. No way!"

"Yeah... I know! But I love it anyway" laughed the blue haired girl. "aaaand... we're done." She flopped the braid gently over Daiya's shoulder and smiled as she seemed to admire it. Hex also looked at her own visage in the mirror, most of her own hair was in a single braid down her spine, and her fringe had been styled and sprayed to keep it higher than it wanted to lie. The suit was from a goodwill shop but played the part perfectly. The golden starbird was an authentic piece of Alliance jewellery, liberated from some junior political aide in a crowd a few days before.

'...You look ridiculous...'

Hex sighed, feeling the wind taken a little from her, then wrinkled her nose in defiance.
"You know what, I look cool, and you can screw off tonight."

Hex tried to sound strong and be the emotional driver but that little doubt in her own strength was hard to shake.

Daiya stepped over to reach under her bed, and pull out the bottle of lum she had borrowed from the Blue Flame the other day. "...we're ready to have some fun. All we need are the guests."

"Ooh, this looks nice!" she reached and put her hand over Daiya's. Now also holding the bottle, with her other hand, she retrieved her Dervish knife from her pocket and used it to pop the cap. Now it was ready to drink. Hex followed her roommate into the loving area and hit a switch to turn up the music a bit louder. She danced playfully to the music as they made the final checks of their apartment to receive guests.

Then the first knock came... why did her heart race? Why did she feel the urge to reach for a gun, because she was Hex, thats why. "I'll get it!" she called over to Daiya as she reached the intercom and pressed to activate the screen. She saw the face of Zephyrr in the camera. "Hey! Come on up!" There was a buzz at the entryway as the door unlocked and let their first guest enter.

As he made his was up the stairs, she turned to Daiya "You look awesome by the way! If Knuckles doesnt tell you that within 10 seconds of arriving, he is going out the window."

 

[Das]

//: Tags: Daiya | Hex
//: Location: DENON...

Das knocked nervously on the door to Daiya and Hex apartment. She recited the room number all the way up: Apartment #717… #717… #717… Maybe if she wasn’t dressed as a Corpo lackey, she would’ve been less on-edge. The muffled bass from the music inside confirmed she was at the right place, easing her nerves a bit as she waited in the hall. When the door swung open, she saw Daiya and Hex, though recognizing them beneath their CorpSec guises was surprisingly difficult. Das breathed a sigh of relief, greeting the teen and her roommate.

“Wow! You two look very… corporate?” Das said with a giggle. She offered them an over-embellished curtsy, showing off her own Corpo getup: A modest dress and heels that made her look like she had a million meetings to attend. She even touched up her turquoise curls, the fresh dye popping under the neon lighting that shown into the hall. It felt so surreal, dressing like this.

“May I?” Das asked, gesturing to the entryway with a mock-Corpo accent. It looked like the party was already underway. Quite a few teens were already dancing and mingling inside the apartment. She was nervous still, but she couldn’t wait to meet more shadowrunners her age.

 

[Zenric]

Throw on a suit, show up at a party.

That should be easy, right? Zenric stared awkwardly at the door to the apartment, constantly adjusting the suit he had on. Not that he felt the thing, synthskin and cybernetics could only replicate so much, but it felt stuffy? Yeah. Stuffy. Definitely the suit and nothing to do with the fact his conversations with people usually amounted to null in the past.. Ever of his life. The actual conversations he held he could count on one hand.

People his own age, less.

"Screw it.." He muttered under his breath before stepping into the room. Ah, sweet, sweet music. His cybernetic eyes scanned about, taking in the folks already dancing. He practically materialized by the DJ once he caught sight of where the music was playing from and went right to work. Music was his truest jam after all.

And hey, avoiding the dreaded conversation helped too.

Das | Daiya | Hex | Zephyrr

 

[Cartri Keswoll]

Location: Hex and Daiya's apartment
Objective: Dress like a corpo
Attire: Clothing
Tags: Daiya Hex Cassus Akovin Zenric Das Zephyrr

A corpo dress party? now that was something that caught his attention. A week ago Daiya had invited him to the meet up with all the Darkwire teens, the promise of drinks, music, and games was something he simply couldn't pass up. Cartri threw on his finest suit and made his way over to the event, where a night of pure fun was going to happen. His suit was more to signify the show offs of the corpo industry who love to wear flashy suits. Even though he looked good in one, it was simply not his style to do so.

Running a hand through his hair and sniffing himself, he had every confidence to go into the room and introduce himself to everyone. He was curious as to what everyone was going to dress up as, especially Daiya who always had something up her sleeve.

Pushing the door open he smiled at everyone present and jokingly dusted himself off "Hmph, look at me in all my splendor!" the boy mocked as he spun around and showed off his pricy suit. His eyes soon rested on his girlfriend, who was dressed as a corpo should, crazy and messy at the same time. Cartri walked up to her and didn't hesitate to give her a gentle hug "Now who is this?" he giggled before pecking her on the cheek and pulling away to give her space.

"I could have sworn a girl named Daiya lived here..."

 

[Zephyrr]

Zeph peered inside the room then stepped through the portal into the apartment. Upon glimpsing Daiya & Hex , he grinned and nodded in greeting. "Hey."

"Nice place you got here." He said, looking around the apartment - marveling at the mood lighting, cozy space, and lived-in feel. "Thanks for the invite."

He kept the slim silver cylinder tucked beneath his arm, not really calling attention to it. As the teens exchanged pleasantries, Zeph would investigate the small living space as best he could - poking his head into the sun room, looking through the windows; judging angles, distances, and height. It was a habit.

Already, more folks were arriving; another knock on the door, and Zephyrr turned his attention to see Das arrive. He grinned at her, flashing the universal sign for peace & greeting: two fingers held in a V. "Yo." He said, once she'd made her way into the apartment. Once he had an opportunity, he would secret the slim cylinder behind a couch cushion or somewhere he expected it wouldn't be disturbed.

Zenric Cartri Keswoll

 

[Daiya]

(Post Soundtrack: "One Night in Bangkok" by Vinyl Shakerz)

Daiya giggled as her roommate began to dance, following suit into a dark world lit with red, neon lights. Their new apartment was bathed in the heinous glows of Corpo malevolence, but here the mood lighting made the teen grin from ear to ear. She whirled through the kitchen, setting the bottle of lum on the counter before picking up a salt-sprinkled snack, popping it into her mouth with a satisfying crunch. The kitchen island was lined with them, and it was all Daiya could do to keep from standing there all night, just munching.

The knock of the door pointed the teen's feet toward the door, but Hex called out to claim it first. Daiya stopped up two steps in, a hand flying to her sternum as she watched the blue girl take charge in her Corpo-aligned suit. Her mouth fell a bit ajar to see it, her trigger-happy friend was far less eager to jump deep into the socializing pool. And then her mouth twisted into a smirking response to Hex's playful threat, reassured that her friend hadn't gone completely Corpo in the last few hours. "If he doesn't kiss me in 5 seconds, I'll help you!"

Her feet found a rhythmic motion all the way to the door, watching the slow plodding of the young freerunner man making his way into their apartment. The teen stopped short, pausing to let her heart float up into her throat. Zephyrr had ignored her invitations for so long, the teen was convinced he thought her a Darkwire poser. A cautious warmth tingled over her skin to see him, and she brushed her arms to keep any goosebumps down.

“Wow! You two look very… corporate?”

"Oh, thanks!" Daiya was startled to find Das reaching them first, blowing right past Zephyrr and her tunnel vision for him. The teen eyed the turqoise-haired girl's dress, her mouth dropping the rest of the way open. Tunnel vision on the front panel of the black dress now, she nodded and beckoned to the courteous teen shadowrunner before her. Her fingers itched to touch the embroidery on the dress, but Daiya reached out with a smile instead. "That dress is gorgeous, Das." She nodded, eyeing Das from the side with a smirk in her direction, tapping fingers on her palm in near-soundless applause. "Very appropriate. It's just the thing a Corpo would pick, subtle but stunning."

"Screw it.."

A muttering accosted her ears, and her lips pulled down as the teen turned her frown on a face she didn't recognize. The boy walked past her and straight to the auto-DJ they had running on a datapad. Daiya felt the new groove controlling her spin, moving in a familiar rhythm to her. She drew in a breath of air, a giggle gracing lips that had forgotten to greet the shadowrunner she had rarely seen outside of the CryptNet and never seen outside of his armor. "Astral pick, Zenric!"

Daiya waved to the cyborg teen, and yelped as arms wrapped around her in a hug from behind. Her head spun, wondering if Zephyrr was handsier than their snow-hutt had demonstrated, if Hex had finally decided to claim her self-confessed crush in front of all their party guests, or if she needed to try one of those hold-break maneuvers Cartri taught her on the roof of his building. A familiar smell assaulted her nose, and the voice giggling words into her ear really did draw goosebumps on the teen's bared arms. Her cheek turned hot the moment he kissed her there, and Daiya grabbed his retreating hand to anchor her spin as she giggled around to face Cartri.

"I could have sworn a girl named Daiya lived here..."

"She was arrested for impersonating a Corpo," Daiya pretended, offering a fake answer to her boyfriend's jape. The teen drew herself up to her full height, her shoulders as square as a proper Corpo as she delicately brushed off her cheek with all the indifference she could muster. Her eyes gazed past the ginger boy, and the teen clasped her hands in front of her, fingers tight as she struggled to not to shatter the ruse. "Since I conveniently look exactly like her, I was picked to replace her tonight. You may call me Lady of the Glitter."

She held her hand out, dangling at the wrist, for him to take and kiss like a proper gentle-Corpo. Daiya couldn't wait that long, rushing him with a grin on her face the moment he took it, and landed with her lips to his check. She pulled back with a giggle, drawing in a short gasp to see what she had left behind. "Oh chit," came out muffled behind the hand Daiya pressed to her own lips. They tried to stifle another giggle, without much success. "You might wanna check out the 'fresher first, I totally forgot I was wearing lipstick."

With the flick of her head, Daiya motioned behind her to the open door of the refresher, with its mirror and sink, and enough hygiene products to remove any trace of the proud lipstick on Cartri's cheek. Nerves pulsed in her stomach, making her jump as she finally heard the tones of Zephyrr's voice in her head. The teen spun, taking a step to balance herself again, to spy the freerunner inside the door at last. Her cheeks were warm again, blushing as furiously as they had on the day of cold and snow when she'd first met the tall young man, just not for his benefit today.

"Nice place you got here. Thanks for the invite."

The teen managed to nod as he paid their apartment a compliment, only finding her breath again after he passed into the other rooms. She turned to Hex and let it out, mouthing a silent 'Oh my stars!' at the whirlwind of guests to appear so far. Her chest rose and fell with another, deeper breath, before the teen socialite could find her grace once more. Eyes sparked with a rekindled fire, and her feet found the rhythm of the dance music as Daiya found her way into the main living areas where her guests were starting to gather.

Daiya called anyone in who wasn't already there, eyeing to spy if Cartri had returned from the refresher yet, finally placing her palms flat on the edge of the kitchen island. She grinned at all of them, attired in their finest formalwear or whatever inexpensive outfit could be dressed up to pass as some, judging their gathering as a success already. "So welcome, and all that banthachit. You all look a-mazingly Corpo tonight, and I kinda wish CorpSec would bust in right now just to watch their stupid faces when they can't find a single shadowrunner here."

She giggled, and waved away the scene, a better question on her lips. The teen picked up another salty snack from the bowl of her favorites, and used it to point around the room. "Now I wanna know all about these quality people in front of me. What kind of Corpo would you be, like for real?"

Then Daiya popped the snack in her mouth and crunched down, chewing as she waited for the answers.

Hex Zephyrr Das Zenric Cartri Keswoll Cassus Akovin Brie Jaxx Lilianna L'lerim​

 

[Hex]

Location: Daiya and Hex's apartment
Objective: Have an awesome party
Tags: Daiya Das Zephyrr Zenric Cartri Keswoll

Spoiler: Equipment - not on her person

• Powderpunk armor on loan from Daiya
• ap-25i SIMP pistol
• 'Candles' Heavy particle blaster
• Big Bigby
• 'confetti' Rocket launcher
• Party Poppers (3 explosive, 3 gas)
• Dancer repulsor board
• Dervish Knife
• Cheap data pad and communicator

Gear is stowed in places around the apartment

Spoiler: Hex dialogue colors

Poor Hex hears voices in her head

Hex speech to others
Hex speech to herself

Hexes inner voices
'...Neutral...'
'...Doubt...'
'...Anger...'
Coloured '.....' are also words that Hex can hear , but I decided not to write them to reduce clutter

Hex quickly popped her Dervish knife in her pocket at the first guests arrived at the door and she buzzed them in. The people coming were still mostly Daiya's friends so she was a little nervous about so many new people, she cared about this party, why did she care about this party? She took one last breath before the door opened behind her and she spun to see the face of Das come boldly in, looking every bit the corpo woman, behind her was Zephyrr , looking less confident than the first guest, but Daiya led him in.

"I suppose we'd better do this."
'...Enjoy and good luck!...'
'...It's so much fun to watch you crash...'

Hex hesitated and her smile cracked just briefly as she crossed the room, her doubts getting stronger, but she forced the voices back. She stepped in front of and smiled walmly at Emily "Hi, I'm Hex, I live with Daiya here... er... I really like your dress, it suits you." Her eyes flicked rapidly to Daiya trying to somehow absorb her confidence and social talents. The next person she greeted was Zephyrr. He introduction was no more graceful than the first, but she made it through.

'...I wish i had popcorn...'
"That doesn't even make sense" Hex scowled inwardly.

Hex reached out for a flourescent coloured bottle off the side and downed nearly half off the sickly sweet alcopop in one go. She was going to need it to loosen up. Taking the bottle with her she walked back across the room, walking her fingers across Daiya's exposed back as she did, as a gesture of comradeship and affection as much as to give herself comfort that her friend was still here.

By the auto DJ was a man, she recognised him as Zenric , but he was another she had never spoken to. "Do you like our music? Daiya picked most of it but i helped, and she has excellent taste." Hex laughed, and almost in perfect timing to her comment, the door reopened and in walked Cartri Keswoll . She stayed by Zenric as she watched Knuckles cross the room and approach Daiya.

"Hmm, 5 seconds, 10 seconds, oh dear Carts, the window is looking tempting." she quietly joked to herself as she saw him put his arms around Daiya and Daiya kissed him affectionately.

'...Looks like no window for Cartri today, not after her kissing him...'
"huh?!"

Hex shook her head and continued conversing with the guests until Daiya made her welcoming announent. She slid into to the kitchen space and grabbed herself a handful of snacks before answering her friend, it was only right that she followed suit as the co-host, despite her nerves.

"Well I am Hex Hogkinson, owner of Hex-tech and we make and sell explosives!" she made a small finger gun and blasted it towards Das handing her the floor to speak next. "Boom baby!"

'...idiot...'

 

[Cartri Keswoll]

Location: Hex and Daiya's apartment
Objective: Dress like a corpo
Attire: Clothing
Tags: Daiya / Hex / Zephyrr / Zenric / Das / Cassus Akovin / Brie Jaxx / Lilianna L'lerim

"Now why doesn't that surprise me," he said with a funny roll of his eyes as he glared at Daiya rising on her tip toes for a few seconds. She seemed to be happily going along with his ruse, and Cartri was more than grateful to continue "Well, Lady Of The Glitter it is a pleasure to meet you. I will be curious to see what stories you have to tell" he said with a smile, before pecking her on the cheek a few more times to show how much he missed being in her presence.

Cartri seemed to raise an intrigued brow when she held out her hand to be kissed like a true gentleman, something that only the rich did for the people they loved moved. Realising a short giggle, he gently grasped her hand and leaned forward to kiss it only for Daiya to spring her surprise kiss attack on his cheek "Heyyyyyy!" the boy laughed, raising a hand to the cheek to find that Daiya was indeed wearing lipstick. Damn that dastardly girl, she had this planned from the beginning!

"Haha, just you wait Lady Glitter, soon I shall have my revenge" Cartri warned in a spooky, overreactive voice. The ginger teen didn't mind it at all in the end, it was just fun and games that he had been accustomed to throughout his life at the orphanage and here. Trying to rub away the kiss mark he walked into the refresher and began giving the hygiene products a test drive in the quest to remove any traces of it happening. Thankfully it didn't take long to find the right thing, and his face was completely spotless once more from the vicious attack of red lipstick Daiya had brought upon him. In the meantime, he decided to do a slight fix up of his hair in the mirror. No one had dared to ruffle it yet, which meant things were going quite well.

Soon enough, he stood back in the doorway and leaned up to hear Daiya's announcement of the party. He couldn't help but feel proud of how far they had come. At one point they were both hopeless in life and didn't see a future, but now they had more friends and a roof over their heads it seemed like everything was just right.

"I'm the son of a rich CorpSEC official who uses his father to do whatever he wants. I'll be throwing the most legendary of parties each week and use it to live a life of wild proportions. Heck, I'd even buy a planet if I had the chance!" the teen laughed. Not all of it was something he'd personally do, but buying a planet seemed like something anyone would do nowadays.

 

[Zephyrr]

The electronic heartbeat of the music thudding in the background drew the young man further into the apartment, weaving a pattern of light & sound which reminded him of some of Denon's most exclusive clubs - but instead of a dark, dangerous Underworld, he found himself in a friendly environment. Hex greeted him at the door, and he was able to meet Daiya just inside; unfortunately, she seemed so busy welcoming the others that their face-to-face greeting was cut very short.

As Zenric moved toward the DJ setup, Zeph was able to stash his slim silver cylinder underneath a couch cushion - secreting it away for later, when the party was in full swing & he'd have a moment to offer his housewarming gift.

As the tall, tattooed free-runner turned back toward the party, he met Das face-to-face; offering a friendly grin as he tilted his chin upward in a gesture of "What's up?"

"Cool party." He said, giving the pretty young woman a look. "You must be a friend of Daiya's, too. I'm Zephyrr." He said, offering a hand in greeting.

A few minutes later, Daiya would enter the common room after greeting more arriving guests:

"So welcome, and all that banthachit. You all look a-mazingly Corpo tonight, and I kinda wish CorpSec would bust in right now just to watch their stupid faces when they can't find a single shadowrunner here."

She giggled, and waved away the scene, a better question on her lips. The teen picked up another salty snack from the bowl of her favorites, and used it to point around the room. "Now I wanna know all about these quality people in front of me. What kind of Corpo would you be, like for real?"

Zephyrr grinned, looking around the room & waiting to answer. He laughed quietly at Hex's response, eyeing the tattooed crazy chick carefully. He hadn't met this one officially, yet, but he already liked her. He started considering his answer carefully, unsure at first what kind of Corpo gig would fit him...

 

[Das]

//: Tags: Daiya | Hex | Zenric | Zephyrr
//: Location: DENON...

"Hi, I'm Hex, I live with Daiya here... er... I really like your dress, it suits you."

Das performed a playfully haughty half-shrug, trying to think of something Corpo to respond with, but the gesture alone was so stupid it made her giggle. She gave Hex a good look before replying back, “You look like a million credits yourself!”

She smiled warmly, adding, “Wow! Your place is beautiful!” as she looked around the entryway. She noticed a familiar Runner, Zephyrr , who gave her a friendly “yo” as she stepped into the apartment. She gave him a smile and a wave. The apartment was alive with lots of teens, but they all looked like they were at the after-party of a corporate event. The clash of awesome partying and Corpo attire was oddly satisfying, and Das couldn’t help but grin as she mingled into the crowd. She gave a friendly wave to her friend Zenric , who was in the DJ booth pumping out an awesome mix.

This was the first time Das had actually gone to a party like this, and she almost declined the invitation were it not for the costume component. Somehow, everyone dressing up made her feel less ‘seen’ - everyone would be looking at each other, not just her. She shook the thought from her mind as she settled into the beat and began to bounce to the music. After a few songs, she turned to make her way to the drinks, but found herself face-to-face with Zephyrr. He greeted her, extending his hand for a shake.

"You must be a friend of Daiya's, too. I'm Zephyrr."

Das smiled softly, placing her hand in his as she introduced herself. “I’m Das,” she said with a shallow curtsy, keeping with the Corpo guise.

“Yeah, I know Daiya. We outran some Corpos a few weeks back, actually. She was in a cab!” Das explained, trying not to laugh.

“You look very corporate yourself tonight,” she said, eying his getup. They continued chatting, until Daiya made her welcoming announcement.

"Now I wanna know all about these quality people in front of me. What kind of Corpo would you be, like for real?"

Huh. Das had never really thought about what kind of Corpo she’d be. She spent so much time hating them for everything they’ve taken from her that the thought of being one had never crossed her mind. The closest thing she could muster was her dream job before her parents disappeared, before she became a shadowrunner…

"Well I am Hex Hogkinson, owner of Hex-tech and we make and sell explosives!" she made a small finger gun and blasted it towards Das, handing her the floor to speak next. "Boom baby!"

Oh God. Several faces turned toward Das, sending her nerves through the ceiling. She found solace in a few encouraging nods from the crowd. She cleared her throat and tried to free herself in the moment.

“I’m Das Kolburn,” she announced in a positively Corpo accent, “and I design the speeders you sorry lackeys drive around in!” She even added a sassy hand gesture, waving her fingers about like a true corporate brat.

 

[Zenric]

Ah, good ol' social interaction.

Yeah Zenric wasn't sure how to do any of that. He flashed smiles and gave nods to the folks who greeted him, but most were having conversations seven ways with three other people alone. Too much for him to even think about following. Music? That he could follow. So he kept blasting out tunes and smiling here and there. At least this way he could be part of the party without actually needing to talk to anyone.

Or something.

 

[Daiya]

(Post Soundtrack: "King of the World" by Young Rising Sons)

Daiya crunched quietly as she could on the snacks, taking one after another while answers came around the room. Corporate moguls designing explosives and speeders stood alongside trust-fund kids with more credits than sense that soon populated the small kitchen in her apartment, and for once it wasn't out of character for the teen to feel completely at ease with them. She glanced to Zephyrr, eyes narrowing at his odd silence after already making friends with Das, and the corners of her lips turned down over at Zenric's sullen brooding in the DJ corner. Her eyes rolled back to the crowd of partying "Corpos" in front of her, clapping her hands once before announcing her role. "And I'm Dessa Pinkertynn, you all know me as the next host of the Squib Games, as if you weren't already a fan of my outrageously popular fashion line."

For once Daiya could hold her grin without giggling tonight, moving her clasped hands off to one side or another to showcase her good looks to the imaginary cameras. The act was so much fun to inhabit, the teen nearly forgot about their missing members. Her hopes had centered on Cassus Akovin and Brie Jaxx being present, when a thought drew up one side of her mouth into a smirk. If they had finally decided to go on a date instead of her party, the teen was better off not interrupting any new love found between her friends.

Dusting off her hands from the salty crumbs, Daiya stepped instead to the array of drinks on the counter, pulling out the bottle of lum first. Uncorking it with a loud ppPPPOP, the teen tipped a good amount into a small glass on the counter after tossing in a couple of ice cubes. She filled another the same way, catering the drinks herself to the two shy boys with them tonight, setting a glass down in front of each one. "You Z-Boys are gonna be trouble for me, aren't ya?"

If only Zenie were here to balance out their number tonight.

"Right, so you two get to drink the hard stuff first 'cause you didn't answer. Everyone else, pick whatever you want, let's give the shy boys some time to warm up to us." Daiya grinned as she set them free, pointing lavishly to the snacks on the island, drinks on the countertop, and the plush seating in the open living room a few steps away. The costumed teen poured herself a drink from the lum, disappointed not to have the other component tonight in order to complete her customary Meltdown. Instead she opted for the luminous coloring of an alcopop like Hex had picked, swirling the two together with a finger she licked off afterward.

"Thank the stars I took the cab, I'd probably crash one of your speeders," Daiya told Das when she stepped away from the counter, grabbing two more snacks between her pinched fingers. She tossed them in her mouth with a grin, moving on after giving the turqoise-haired teen a chance to answer.

Passing by Hex with her drink, Daiya used a free hand to flick the back of her neck, finally giggling again to return the gesture to her roommate. She tinkled the ice inside her drink to Cartri's ear next, letting her hand brush the side of his elaborate suit jacket before leaning into his shoulder. The teen took a sip of her drink as she eyed the boy's cleaner cheek now, a softer giggle following with the memory of her messy kiss. "How's this party compare to those legendary ones, O Son of Corpo?"

Daiya pointed toward the comfortable couches and plush seats in their living space, ignoring the Daiya-shaped curshion nearest the holo-projector this time. Instead she downed another sip-gulp of her drink before setting it down on the low table nearby, spinning around to twirl her skirt and line up with her shins at the L-shaped divan couch. The teen lowered herself into its soft cushion, crossing a leg in order to make a show of smoothing her skirts out to the partygoers.

If any of them needed something or said a word, Daiya could respond in a heartbeat. Until then, she picked up her glass for another sip, letting the warm liquid flow down her throat and the music flow into her veins.

Hex Zephyrr Das Cartri Keswoll Zenric​

 

[Das]

//: Tags: Daiya | Hex | Zenric | Zephyrr
//: Location: DENON...

Das took a deep breath after the spotlight shifted to the next ‘Corpo’ teen. There was something about having all eyes on her that made her skin crawl. She flashed a nervous smile to Zephyrr , shrugging awkwardly before leaning toward him.

“That didn’t sound dumb, did it?”

She was about to ask him what his corporate life would consist of when Daiya revealed her own machinations. Squib Games hostess by day, fashion designer by night. Das giggled at the girl’s gestures, entirely amused by how well she, and everyone else, had captured the utter ridiculousnesses of the Corpos. Daiya reached for a bottle of lum, busting the cork with a loud POP and garnering a cacophony of cheers and applause. Das let out a ‘whoop!’ of her own, nudging Zephyrr playfully as Daiya challenged him and ever-stoic Zenric to hit the hard stuff first. Punishment for silence.

“We certainly are Corpos tonight,” Das thought to herself as she giggled, eyeing the colloquially named Z-Boys. She looked over to see Daiya, her hand full of snacks, coming over with a smile.

"Thank the stars I took the cab, I'd probably crash one of your speeders,"

Das snorted, covering her mouth to regain her composure.

“I still think about that poor Gran you dragged along! He’ll NEVER drive a cab again!” The memory of his eyes bulging as he sped through the maintenance tunnel with Daiya in the backseat was priceless. Das would never forget it!

 

[Zenric]

Wait, they were supposed to.. What were they doing? Cue a record scratch as Zenric was suddenly called out and his hand slipped. He cleared his throat, glancing to the disk before fixing the track. Then looked back up. Drinking? Z-boys? Alright, yeah. He should probably try to pay more attention. Then again, a more detached smile took over the synthflesh that made up his face as he held up his hands and shook his head.

"I uh- can't actually drink. Or eat. I'll just uh, stick with the tunes I guess?"

Daiya | Zephyrr | Das

 

[Zephyrr]

Tags: Daiya Das Zenric Cartri Keswoll Hex
Song: Ghost In The City, Crystal Method

“I’m Das,” she said with a shallow curtsy, keeping with the Corpo guise.

“Yeah, I know Daiya. We outran some Corpos a few weeks back, actually. She was in a cab!” Das explained, trying not to laugh.

“You look very Corpo tonight,” she said, eying his getup.

The taller young man returned her smile, shaking her hand - locking eyes with the young woman in-front of him. "Thanks. You too. Outrunning Corpos, huh?" Before glancing at Daiya, he gave Das an appraising look - judging for himself if she was serious. Clearly, she was. Okay. Maybe these people were legit. "I've gotta hear that story."

Oh God. Several faces turned toward Das, sending her nerves through the ceiling. She found solace in a few encouraging nods from the crowd. She cleared her throat, and tried to free herself in the moment.

“I’m Das Kolburn,” she announced in a positively Corpo accent, “and I design the speeders you sorry lackeys drive around in!”

Zephyrr was one of the faces watching her, and he nodded approvingly.

As Daiya introduced herself, Zeph had to grin - recognizing how much their host for the evening seemed to blossom when she was in the spotlight. Squib Games Hostess by Day, Fashion Designer by night? That seemed to fit the young woman perfectly. Daiya commanded the room, throwing a little jab as she delivered both Zeph & the guy manning the DJ Booth a drink. Zephyrr accepted his, picking it up and raising it to toast in Daiya's direction. "No trouble from me, ma'am. I just need a drink."

She flashed a nervous smile to Zephyrr , shrugging awkwardly before leaning toward him.

“That didn’t sound dumb, did it?”

The tall young man shook his head, bringing the rim of the glass to his lips & taking a sip - suppressing a sudden cough as the strong liquor set his tastebuds on fire. Strangely, the sudden assault on one sense seemed to enhance all his others - triggering his sense of smell, deepening & sharpening his sense of hearing, and enhancing his sense of touch. Suddenly, he felt alive... as alive as he felt surviving a death-defying jump over the abyss. Das' nudge barely made him move, but he accentuated the motion - fluidly shifting his weight, to make it appear as-if she'd actually rocked his balance.

"No," he replied, "I'd have a whole show-room full of your speeders... and drive a different one every day." His azure-blue eyes flashed brightly, catching a ray of laser-light as it slashed across the room. As disappointed as he might have been that Daiya had a boyfriend, he was determined to make the best of the party. The young woman in-front of him was beautiful, and the attention he was receiving was more than he'd gotten in a while. He watched as Das poured herself a drink, and he offered her his glass in a toast - drinking from it after clinking their glasses together (if she accepted). The young man laughed at Das' joke about her experience on the run with Daiya at her side. Before he could ask her to continue, an idea came to him - his Corpo job. He spoke loud enough for everyone to hear:

"I know who I'd be. I'd be Tobias Rieper, Denon's top Publicity Rep." He said, a sly grin forming on his handsome, rugged face. "You all pay me to make sure you look good, pay me when you look bad to make you look better, and everyone else pays me whether you look good or bad." As-if to illustrate his point, he adjusted the cuffs of his shirt & coat, then smoothed out his collar - feeling a swell of confidence.

Was this how it felt, to have the whole world at your fingertips?

 

[Hex]

Location: Daiya and Hex's apartment
Objective: Have an awesome party
Tags: Daiya Das Zephyrr Zenric Cartri Keswoll

Spoiler: Equipment - not on her person

• Powderpunk armor on loan from Daiya
• ap-25i SIMP pistol
• 'Candles' Heavy particle blaster
• Big Bigby
• 'confetti' Rocket launcher
• Party Poppers (3 explosive, 3 gas)
• Dancer repulsor board
• Dervish Knife
• Cheap data pad and communicator

Gear is stowed in places around the apartment

Spoiler: Hex dialogue colors

Poor Hex hears voices in her head

Hex speech to others
Hex speech to herself

Hexes inner voices
'...Neutral...'
'...Doubt...'
'...Anger...'
Coloured '.....' are also words that Hex can hear , but I decided not to write them to reduce clutter

This was actually fun, the blue haired business woman thought to herself as she rocked her hips back and forth to the music, waiting for all the answers. Most parties she had been to the girl could be content to sit in a darkened corner listening to the party but not being a part of it, this time she was the centre. Well, near the centre anyway, Daiya was, as every the little social butterfly, relishing her position as the host. Hex looked across at Zenric and Zephyrr who had appeared to take charge of the DJ booth and raised her bottle with a big grin, they were doing and acceptable job with the music.

She nearly spat up a little at the sharp suprise to the back of her neck from Daiya and gave her a little look of mock vengeance as she continued on to hang out with her boyfriend.

"Right, my little den of corporate filth, not all of your answers met the high standards of Miss Hogkinson, I would like to propose a game."

'...noone cares...'
"I'm trying to be fun yeah, shut it!"

She smiled sweetly trying to style out her rather public self-interrupt. "So, how about a fun game? Truth or dare? Who is first?" she looked at the room, giving each person a little wriggle of her eyebrows

Cartri raises his hand with a smirk "Go on then, I'll have first dibs. What do you have for me?"
(Character used with permission)

"Ooooh, we have a volunteer!" She grinned and thought, drumming her fingers on her chin. It was at this point she realised her bottle was empty and grabbed another, before turning to Cartri Keswoll with a playful look on her face. She liked the guy so wasnt about to have him do something too ridiculous, but it had to be embarrassing at the very least.

"hmmm, ok, pick the most seductive selfie you have, Daiya can help, and send it, along with a confession of long hidden love to the public socials of the head of Hex corp." she giggled "The real one, not whatever i called my pretend company.... oh, then you have to log out and hand over your pad for 30 minutes so you can't retract it until after everyone has seen it and responded."

Hex looked again at Daiya and raised her eyebrows with a "how was that" expression. She then dabbed a little bead of sweat off of her forehead, the girl usually ran hot and the full business suit was beginning to have and effect on her.

 

[Cartri Keswoll]

Location: Hex and Daiya's apartment
Objective: Dress like a corpo
Attire: Clothing
Tags: Daiya / Hex / Zephyrr / Zenric / Das / Cassus Akovin / Brie Jaxx / Lilianna L'lerim

"Go on then, I'll have first dibs. What do you have for me" he said from the doorway with a small grin. Cartri was pretty much down for anything, as long as it didn't have anything to do with his hair. It was one of the few games at the orphanage that kept them sane, let alone saving themselves from boredom. Listening closely, that grin seemed to fade away when she challenged him to pick out his most seductive photo with Daiya and send it to the head of Hex corp.

For a while, Cartri had technically been wanted by most if not all corporate companies. It wouldn't surprise me if a bounty wasn't thrown on his head after this "Hex... I hate you" he giggled as he walked to a couch and looked at everyone around him "Fine, I'll do it. Knowing my luck I probably won't hear the end of this" he sighed, his hands reaching over to the datapad on the table and turning it on. He motioned for Daiya to come and sit next to him, after all, she was the one who was going to help him choose.

Some of the pictures on there were probably unusable or for Daiya's eyes only, so he needed to choose one that was embarrassing yet quite seductive at the same time "Okay Daiya, please be reasonable here..." he said with a look of mercy and a smile that seemed like he was enjoying it either way.

 

[Daiya]

(Post Soundtrack: "Truth or Dare" by Emily Osment)

"Tell me you're joking!" Daiya gaped at the cyborg boy, her eyes narrowing at the hands held in surrender. The teen was on her feet again, ignoring the rhythm of Zenric's current pick playing over the speakers. The smaller teen stood on her tiptoes next to him, her eyes peeking over his nose to stare at the boy's face. Daiya scoured his mechanical eyes, keeping the gaze as long as she could. With a huffing sigh, the teen set her heels on the floor with a thump and picked up the glass of lum.

Shaking her head, Daiya crossed the room back to her seat, and poured her two drinks together into one. "Who the feth doesn't drink?!"

Giggles followed softly from the party host's mouth as she crossed her legs with a deliberate motion, sticking a pink tongue out in Zenric's direction to tease him behind her netted veil. She lifted it so she could take a drink, turning her gaze back to the party elements willing to partake with her.

Her eyes spotted Zephyrr who, at least, was willing to drink what she offered. Her lips twitched as she saw his dark features contort in response, hiding a giggle of hers behind the back of her drink-bearing hand. She peeked over the top of it, a grin spreading beyond the refractive edges of the glass while the young man described the Corpo version of himself. "Some good PR is exactly what we need for all our colorful characters."

The teen tried to catch the eyes of Das, giving the cushion beside her a few pats when she could. Daiya beckoned for the turqoise-haired girl to sit beside her, her tongue barely able to wait until she could pick up the conversation from where she walked off. "Don't worry about that Gran, if he's smart he'll sell the makeup I paid him with. It's worth months of fares."

Daiya lifted her veil to take another sip of the drink, already starting to feel the strong concoction coursing through her veins. Her limbs began to tingle once again, itching to stand and let the music take her body on any journey it pleased. Before she could start dancing, the words of her co-host stilled her limbs. Instead, the teen could feel the growing grin take shape on her face, finding a ringing satisfaction in Hex's game proposal. "That sounds a-mazing, Hex!"

She rattled her glass and tipped it back against her lips again, eager to prime herself for whatever came. Daiya's ears nearly wiggled in anticipation, secrets were far better than dancing. It was a surprise to hear the familiar tones of her boyfriend, volunteering himself for the first dare. She turned to Hex, her gaze focused intently on what the blue girl would levy for the first challenge in the game.

And to Cartri's misfortune, it was a good one.

"Oh my stars, Cartri," she batted his arm as the pink-haired teen slipped into a seat next to her boyfriend. Daiya looked for someone's glance to catch, and rolled her eyes over Cartri's ignoble fussing. "Just imagine it was me you're sending to, 'cause I'm gonna be the first to see it anyway."

Daiya giggled, turning her glance at the boy's datapad screen. She touched it to scroll through the images, giggling a bit harder when she spied a few of the poses and outfits. Spotting one with an adequate amount of clothes, she pointed and turned to watch his reaction. "How about this one, you've got those endless eyes on display."

"Hmph, I guess you're right," he mumbled as his eyes widened to a few of the images on screen. He'd want to keep reasonable and not give the other girls an eyeful. As long as he somewhat had his top on it was probably going to be fine "Hey, what about this one? This one seems pretty snazzy to me," Cartri said, motioning to the one with the black fur coat.

"I love that one of you, it's very snuggle-worthy!" Daiya was keenly aware that others were listening to them, her eyes flicked up to spot who was looking their way. The corner of her mouth twisted in a smirking grin, turning her attention back to the datapad. Her hand rested on Cartri's as he scrolled through a few more, swiping back to one he passed by. "Oh that's it," she told him, effervescent giggles giving away her teasing truth. "You gotta do this one!" She cupped her hands to Cartri's ear, whispering in a low voice. "Do it, and don't show Hex right away."

"Snuggle worthy?!" he giggled out loud, not caring what the other people around him thought about it. His heart seemed to warm up when her hand rested on his, a bright smile looking to Daiya for a few moments as she looked through the pictures. "Oh... I knew you'd choose that one," leaning close to Daiya's mouth he nodded a few times and took a quick glance to Hex. "Fine... but what are you up to heh?" he chuckled as he scrolled down for more pictures.

"Oh, just conspiring," she told him, pressing her lips tight as an amused sound bubbled up from her throat. Daiya's eyes studied his face close up, roaming over the garden of freckles dotted across his cheeks. She spied a favorite of hers, a cluster of several freckles that all at once made the teen giggle and lean in for a peck on his cheek, right on top of her favorite freckles. Her giggles continued after the private joke, her blue eyes darting quickly over at Hex, then Das, and even Zephyrr, holding her gaze there for a moment before she glanced down to the datapad. "Did you pick yet? I wanna hear that epic love sonnet to that Corpo lady, too."

"You're such a devious girl..." he grinned before leaning forwards to peck her on the lips. His attention looked back to the pad, his eyes skimming over some questionable features. At the same time, Daiya was taking in his facial features and found a spot to peck him on the cheek. Cartri blushed and smiled back at her, a picture brought up on the screen, "I think I've found our winner!"

Daiya pressed a hand to her mouth, ignoring the fasteners from her veil digging into her skin, doubling over with giggles.

With the lum, love, and friendships rippling beneath her skin, the teen couldn't have asked for a better start to the party.

Hex Zephyrr Das Cartri Keswoll Zenric Cassus Akovin Brie Jaxx​

(Written jointly with Cartri Keswoll )