Private Dress the Part

[Ruby Jaxx]

​

"Wait, wait." Ruby held up her hands. "This isn't a good idea."

Her back was up against the wall, nowhere to run. "We really don't need to do this. Anything but this. Are you listening?"

But, she had a sinking feeling that they weren't listening. Here they were, in Ruby's room -- which was really the cellar of a noodle shop that the owners rented out to her. It smelled of onions and garlic and other aromatics. There were plenty of crates of dried noodles and other things, but there wasn't a closet to speak of. In fact, all of Ruby's clothes were strewn in various piles on the floor: sort-of-clean, definitely-not-clean, destroyed, and just plain dirty.

Sure, they did need to know more about what they were up against. Things had changed since Xopsaloff kicked it. Some things were apparent, shifts within Corpo activity. However, some of it wasn't visible to the masses. With empty seats on the DireX board, anything was possible. There were whispers that at least one of those seats had been claimed by a mysterious someone. But who? Did the existing DireX put up with it or was there some delicious in-fighting? Gossip, probably. But sometimes it was worth it to investigate those little nuggets of maybe true information.

Ruby sighed, resigned to her fate. But, if they were going to pull this off -- she needed help. Big help. Kind of a miracle, actually.

"Fine. Do what you have to do." Ruby frowned.

Daiya | Brie Jaxx

 

[Daiya]

"Houks and Hairless Wookiees..." Two things no one wanted to encounter, much less together. Daiya held her brow pinched between her thumb and forefinger. It was the pose she typically used when the teen could feel a vision coming on, now her head just hurt from the fashion disaster named Ruby standing in front of her. She pulled her hand away, gesturing to the woman she had only recently learned was sibling to her best friend, sparing a glance over at unruly-haired girl standing near them.

They were definitely sisters, alright.

"Relax, I'm not gonna to hurt you, Ruby." Much. A little pain was worth some good looks, wasn't it? Daiya had an uphill battle to win against the two Jaxx sisters, who defied every conventional thought when it came to style and —her nose wrinkled at the musty stink of unwashed clothes joining the sharp food scents which had tortured the teen since she stepped foot inside the place— apparently also hygiene. The young shadowrunner hoped she at least had something of an ally in her best friend. "Brie can tell you, remember when we got all dolled up for that party on Frego?"

Daiya grinned at Brie coyly, her eyes twinkling as she teased her friend, "You know, the one with Ahhhhhhhxel."

Her lips pursed together a few times while making some obvious kissing noises. Even Ruby should be able to catch her drift.

Ruby Jaxx Brie Jaxx​

 

[Brie Jaxx]

It was an odd yet funny sight seeing the older shadowrunner of the trio hard-pressed up against the wall, all frightened about the fact she had to put a dress and maybe some makeup on. Brie had been subjected to Daiya's fashion craze once before, and her best friend were not late to point out that exact time. The mission to Frego, where Brie courtesy of Daiya, had got together with a boy.

"You know, the one with Ahhhhhhhxel." teased Daiya and dropped the big subject, next to their loot, of that trip.

Ughh, thanks again Daiya!

Even though Brie was slightly bothered with her friends revealing statement, she could not help but to blush some, and if you looked closely she got the slightest trace of a twinkle in her green eyes. A twinkle she were quick to hide by looking down at the floor. About the floor, and the heaps of dirty clothes, it was not far from Brie's ship. The difference was that she at least kept her clothes in a cupboard or something.

''And Jezzzper!'' Brie teased back in the same childish tone and stuck her tongue out at her friend.

''That was a long time ago! We are not here to chat about the past, right?'' she added and glanced at Ruby who had given in to Daiya's insisting.

''Yeah... It's...'' she stuttered, put off balance by the mention of Ahxel. ''It's not as bad as you think. I brought the same dress I had then. My only dress. It will feel odd and uncomfortable at first, but it will go away.'' she said, trying to reassure her sister.

Daiya , Ruby Jaxx​

 

[Ruby Jaxx]

Ruby scowled at Daiya . The blonde teen might as well have been holding a vibroblade to her neck. But then, her eyes – smudged liner and all – turned to Brie Jaxx . She'd gotten 'dolled up' for a party before? This made her eyebrows arch ever slightly. And then her brows went up her forehead at the mention of Ahhhhxel – Daiya's exaggerated tone echoed in Ruby's head.

Boys!?

"Wait. Wait, who --" Ruby started.

Did Ruby need to put on her punching gloves and go beat up some guy? But, her little sister put an end to the subject with a remark about the past. Very well then, Ruby filed away a mental note... to be forgotten most likely.

"Not as bad as I think?" She said, incredulous. "You don't know just how bad I think it is."

She stepped over and nudged the bag of clothes with the toe of her boot, like it was a dead animal. Silky, shiny, colorful fabrics were practically overflowing from the bag. It made her head hurt. "Ugh. I don't even know what'd fit me." As far as she was concerned, her size was either: 'yes, it fits' or 'nope it doesn't.'

"Where'd you two get these things anyway?" Ruby asked, interested to know if they'd raided their own closets or someone else's. "Just, just, just... throw something at me, and I'll put it on."

 

[Daiya]

Daiya stuck her tongue out at Brie in return. There was no way she was going to pass up the chance to tease her friend about that boy, not when Brie's cheeks turned such a satisfying crimson.

That complimented her complexion and dress color, anyway.

She giggled at Ruby's confusion, but the teen was content to let the subject fade away. Their first challenge was to get the eldest Jaxx sister into a stunning dress. Daiya rolled her eyes at the woman's complaints, jumping forward when she nudged the bag with her foot.

"Hey, these are good choices!" Daiya crouched down to give the garment bag a protective hug with her arms. She opened it, sorting through haphazard tumble of clothes that had once been folded. "'Sides, you don't get killer looks without a little sacrifice, Ruby. Just be glad we're not headed to the beach again, these are a little more forgiving than a bikini."

Pulling out three of her choices, Daiya handed one of them to Brie. "Hold this," she told her friend, and held up another one against Ruby's figure. She looked her over for a moment, then frowned and shook her head. She offered the last one to Ruby, urging, "Okay, try this one on first. Then we'll do the others."

Daiya glanced around the room, her lips pulling back as she considered. "You got a mirror?"

Ruby Jaxx Brie Jaxx​

 

[Brie Jaxx]

Brie noticed her sisters sudden reaction of surprise. It was definitely not like Ruby at first seemed to think and Brie was quick to shake her head no, almost as if Ahxel stood beside them and was a fraction of a second away to get a nose bleed. As it dawned on her sister, Brie could let go of an inner sigh of relief.

The three girls soon concentrated back to the thought hopeless task at hand to dress Ruby in something pretty and colorful. Considering the attire Brie had seen Ruby in before, she immediately thought that Ruby would rule out the red one, which Daiya handed over to her. Brie looked at her sisters reaction when each of the dresses were pulled out of the bag for her viewing. She remembered her own skepticism when Daiya and Zo'i had convinced her to put one on for their mission to Frego, and she was definitely not comfortable or sure it was a great idea either, and it resembled the reaction triggered from Ruby. As much as it was hard to work with the eldest of them right now, Brie smiled inside to their similarities.

''Well, I think that one looks great on you, Ruby!'' Brie uttered in response when Daiya held up the black one against Ruby's figure.

''There is probably a few boys there that will want your attention...'' she teased carefully, glancing at Daiya with a knowing smile and, if needed, being prepared to run out of the room with her sister close behind.

Daiya , Ruby Jaxx​

 

[Ruby Jaxx]

Ruby offered Daiya an oddly apologetic 'hey, don't take it personally' look when she hugged the garment bag. And then she wrinkled up her nose at the mention of a bikini. In her mixed bag wardrobe of scavenged clothing, Ruby did have one pristine bikini – bought for her by one Gray Venasir . It was embarrassing, but it was also treasured – so much that she'd never actually dared to wear it (love handles can't be hidden in such a skimpy thing), and it remained carefully wrapped in tissue.

"Uh," she started, when one of the dresses was thrust into her hands by Daiya.

She gave her sister a somewhat pained look, but obliged. The black fabric was soft and smooth in her calloused hands. And, much to her surprise, the silhouette was forgiving enough that she didn't have to stuff herself into the frock. When she presented herself for evaluation, Ruby's shoulders hunched slightly due to the fact that her arms were mostly exposed. How they longed to be hidden away from the light.

Brie's compliment... and jest about boys made Ruby's cheeks flush.

A flicker of a smile. A cough. A loud sniff – which was very attractive, she had to admit. "Shut it," she said with a chuckle.

"Fine, I'll wear this... thing." She tugged the skirt of the black dress. "I'm not trying the others." Ruby decided it was high time to divert the attention to someone else. "So, what are you two wearing?"

Daiya | Brie Jaxx (OMG JAXX)

 

[Brie Jaxx]

Brie giggled lightly and smiled at her sister as the tease landed rather well, not causing her to be chased out of the room, but just enough to make Ruby tell her to shut it and with just the amount of twinkle in her eyes. All of the siblings in her holobooks teased each other in one way or the other, so Brie guessed it must go with being sisters.

''As I said, I'm going with the one Daiya picked at Frego. I don't have much else - just wait a second!'' she said and walked out of the room to get it, now when Ruby was all changed into her pick for the night. Brie soon entered the room again, wearing a slightly shorter, steel blueish dress with thin bands over her shoulders. She still had to acquire help for the makeup and hair, though. Luckily, the both Jaxx sisters had an expert in the room to help with that - that being Daiya. Brie knew they wouldn't have to ask her twice for it, but more likely they would have to keep her from overdoing it.

''See? If I can do it - you can do it!'' Brie said to her sister, and spun around on the spot once to model the dress.

Daiya , Ruby Jaxx​

 

[Daiya]

"Oh my stars, you look a-mazing!" Daiya gushed at Ruby as she emerged. The dark fabric draped over her figure, delicately curating an image that even the teen would find attractive. She blinked at that thought, then grinned as Brie made a sly comment toward her. Daiya gave her friend a wink, then watched as Brie sauntered off to change into her evening attire.

"Feth, you both look gorgeous." Daiya gawked at the dress Brie had donned, even seeing it for the second time didn't diminish how good it looked. She started to feel outclassed by the Jaxx sisters, knowing exactly how Ruby's tucked-in shoulders felt. The teen laughed to cover her insecurity, washing away the motion as she watched her friend model for Ruby.

Stepping up behind Brie, she gathered her friend's blonde hair in her arms, sweeping it off of her fair shoulders. "Have you ever tried a twist before?" Daiya used her fingers to comb through Brie's locks, gently tugging at a clump that threatened to knot together under her ministrations. She separated a third of her hair on either side, twirling it around her fingers as she hooked them back behind Brie's head. "It's kinda like this, really easy and doesn't look lazy like a ponytail."

Daiya glanced over at Ruby, "We can do yours, too." She let go of Brie's hair, handing it off carefully if her friend wanted to hold it up herself, and started over do the brunette. "I'm guessing you won't let me cut it? Just the bangs? Half?"

Ruby Jaxx Brie Jaxx​

 

[Ruby Jaxx]

Ruby's eyes flickered back and forth between Brie and Daiya. Her sister had mentioned Frego, where she'd had to dress up like this before. She'd missed out that time – she'd missed out on so much time, actually. Years. And there was a pin-prick of sadness inside her. They'd have been close, she knew.

If only.

However, the soft expression became hard once more. Ruby didn't want them to catch her being wistful. "Yeah, yeah... I guess." She shrugged when Brie said she could do it and dress the part, too. If Ruby could, well... anything was possible. And she'd waved Daiya's compliment away, her face turning red. Her normal look was that of one that'd rolled around in a pile of clothes and came out wearing whatever. She wasn't used to looking like this.

Ruby canted her head to the side slightly tried to duck away from Daiya as she approached. "No cutting," she said with a firm shake of her head. Brie's hair was nice, her light-colored tresses had what seemed to be a natural wave. Ruby's hair hadn't been washed in who knows when – and it probably showed.

"You can brush it, I guess," she said. "If you think it will help."

She'd come to sit on a crate, open to Brie or Daiya's assistance. "This tip better be real. FOR REAL." Ruby wasn't sure if this was going to be worth it, but she supposed that any info on the Corpos next move might be helpful. That, and possibly free food would help, too.

Daiya | Brie Jaxx

 

[Daiya]

The bottom of her mouth dropped in a childish whine. "Awwwww," Daiya pleaded, circling the elder Jaxx on her improvised crate-throne. The woman's hair needed...well, it was in desperate need of shampoo for one. The teen arranged it gently, her fingers running through the clumps of hair dangling down from Ruby's head. "I really wish you'd let me cut it... Fine, we can start with brushing."

If Daiya truly was lamenting the lost opportunity, she showed none of it as she scoured the room. A soft hum followed her while she picked over Ruby's belongings, swirling around as if she'd already dressed like her fashion-adorned companions now. "Where's your brush?" She glanced over at Brie, searching for answers, and then back at her friend's sister. The teen's eyes grew wide with concern. She drew in a quick breath, "Don't you have one?!"

The teen scampered to where she'd tossed it on the floor, the dire situation hastening her moves. "Brie, we've got a lotta work to do on your sister." Daiya sighed as she withdrew a hairbrush from within her bag. Standing up, her chest let out the sound of heavy relief. "Good thing I keep this with me for emergencies."

Ruby's hair might need washing, and probably cutting, but for now Daiya was going to bring her long, unwashed lockes to a greasy sheen. The young shadowrunner dropped a few strands of blonde hairs after pulling them from her brush, then got to work on Ruby's mane. She really did try to be kind, for all the cooperation the brunette's stubborn hair gave to her.

Ruby Jaxx Brie Jaxx​

 

[Brie Jaxx]

''I like ponytails...'' Brie said all contemplative, while she let her best friend sort through the blonde tuft of hair the scrapper girl usually wore without much of a thought to it. Kriff, who cared what it looked like aboard her ship or under the helmet? It was few occasions that would make her give it more than a quick combing to it. Maybe if she were meeting with Ahxel again, which would probably need her sisters approval from here on out. ''A twist?'' she repeated with a frown of scepticism, trying to imagine what her friend meant, before Daiya offered to do both of their hairs.

As Ruby reluctantly surrendered to the two younger girls in the room, sitting herself down on a crate and offering them her brunette hair for the slightest of stylings, Brie were quick to walk up behind her sister and started to gently comb through the dark strands. ''I, uhh...'' It felt kind of odd, not just because it was her much beloved but also recently discovered sister, but also because Brie became desperately aware of that she had never done anything resembling a proper hairdo before. ''Uhmm... I think... Yeeeah...'' That awkward feeling made Brie gladly give way for Daiya, who appeared like a savior, Brie sparing her an awkward look as she took a step back for the beauty queen to do her thing.

''It is for real. Daiya and I got it from the top so, yeah...'' Brie said, walking up to the side of and trying to reassure her sister, while leaning back against a cupboard. ''It'll be a walk in the park for the three of us...'' she added, lighting up somewhat and suddenly lunged at her sisters neck and gave her a hug. ''I'm really glad you are with us on this. It will be worth it, I promise.'' she uttered, before letting go of Ruby to let Daiya to her magic with the brushes.

Daiya , Ruby Jaxx ​

 

[Ruby Jaxx]

Ruby tried to keep her face even and cool when her hair was being fussed over. But a few scowls may have been made, and she scrunched up her face when knots any knots were encountered by Daiya . It felt like her head was being brushed with a rake.

She glanced over at Brie when she mentioned 'ponytails.' And Ruby squinted trying to remember what that looked like. Oh, yeah, lots of girls wore their hair like that. Kinda sporty, right? Her sister's words were something like a balm on her anxious thoughts. Maybe Brie was right, this would all work out and be worth it.

This thought was still slowly turning over in her mind when she suddenly felt Brie's arms around her.

Ruby blinked, stunned for a moment by the sudden affection. She'd never been the hugging type... she'd never had anyone to hug before. Well, no one she'd wanted to hug at least. Until now. Her expression softend and Ruby brought her arms up in an awkward return hug – the kind that gave shoulder pats and didn't know quite when to end.

"Glad to be here," she said (and it was true).

For all the whining and hardheadedness (sheesh), Ruby did really want to be with Brie Jaxx and Daiya, even. She felt her throat getting tight and promptly let go of Brie and waved Daiya away. "Alright, alright... this is good enough, isn't it?" She said, standing up. "I got my hair did and my dress on – shouldn't we get this thing on the road?"

She had one final thought: Please, Daiya, let me wear boots.

 

[Daiya]

It took everything Daiya had to manage Ruby's greasy and limp hair against the woman's impatient mannerisms. She kept having to move Ruby's head back into place, fighting against both knots and their owner, doing her best to be gentle without entirely giving up. At the end of it, Daiya's brush managed to pull the brunette's haphazard mane into something that resembled a woman of confidence and poise.

Now Ruby just had to sell the part.

"Good enou—ugh, stars! I guess, just don't let anyone get close enough to smell you." The teen wrinkled her nose before stepping away, giggling behind the dramatic wave of a hand in front of her face. Her audience of one was waiting her turn, and Daiya curled her finger to pull Brie over to another of her sister's eclectic choice in seating arrangements.

"I swear, Brie, you're gonna look like a princess today! I've known two of them, so trust me when I say it." Daiya told her best friend, giggling and preening the older teen's hair. She was grateful for not needing a brush this time —Daiya figured hers was probably unsalvagable now— even on a ship by herself, Brie seemed to understand the importance of good hygiene. A ponytail wasn't going to suffice today, but it didn't take long for her to arrange her friend's hair into a twist hairstyle, only really missing a ribbon or something to braid through it.

It was only when she was done with both sisters that Ruby declared them fit for their event. Daiya only had to take one look at herself, squealing at the sight of it, to realize she had neglected her attire and hair the whole time she was playing dress-up with the older girls. "Oh my stars, I'm not even ready. I swear I'll be quick!"

She returned in a blue dress she had once worn for the same adventure with Brie, her hair done in a set of quick braids down the middle of her left side. Daiya spun for her friends to see, then giggled and grabbed the items she would need for the rest of their task. She had no more time to chastize or adjust the appearance of her companions, only hoping that Brie would walk as tall as she deserved and Ruby would walk light enough to avoid drawing attention to her boots.

"I'm good to go!

Ruby Jaxx Brie Jaxx​

 

[Brie Jaxx]

Awkward was the word of her sisters hug. To an extent, both of their hugs were odd in their own way. Neither of them wasn't exactly well trained in the art of hugging and cuddling. The only person Brie had really hugged was Daiya, and that was of the friendly and collected type of hug. This one had come out of the blue, uncontrolled and triggered by the pure and happy emotions bubbling inside the scrapper girl of having her recently found sister with them on a mission.

''Tss! The last time you said something like that, I ended up in some unwanted boy-trouble. Stars, was that awkward and I almost made a fool out of myself!'' Brie said chuckling and took a seat in front of Daiya, to let her begin with the hair. ''I guess you are pretty good with doing hair and picking dresses...'' she added, being pretty much oblivious that someone would like a girl who usually wore a space suit and had a ''fishbowl'' on her head. The topic of boys had rarely passed her mind before she met Daiya and got introduced to Darkwire. She had more important things to do while landed somewhere. Like, trying to make a living out of selling her salvaged goods. Besides, the scrapyards of the galaxy were not exactly littered with boys her age. Much less the smart and nice ones, a picture of a certain ginger boy popped up in Brie's mind, which elicited a light giggle from her but she tried to stay still to not mess with Daiya's work.

As Daiya left in a hurry, after realising that she had forgotten herself, Brie checked the hairdo in the mirror and smiled and nodded with satisfaction. Scrapper girl-approved. She glanced over to Ruby who obviously wasn't as satisfied with the situation and more or less forced attire, but stars was her sister grand and beautiful!

Brie stood up and walked over to her datapad, ordering an air taxi for the three of them, before Daiya returned looking a-mazing as always.

''I got us an air taxi. Should be here soon.'' she said, and put the datapad down in a simple bag which would have to do to carry the few items she carried. ''Looks like you are going to see Jezper, Daiya.'' she joked before all three of them seemed to be ready to go.

Daiya , Ruby Jaxx ​

 

[Ruby Jaxx]

Ruby grumbled in Daiya's general direction. Yeah, ugh, no one was going to get close enough to smell her. She wasn't going to let that happen. She liked to keep people at arm's length.

But she had to agree when Daiya said that Brie looked like a princess. She really did. Even though Ruby didn't personally know any princesses. She'd never been good about giving compliments, so she stayed quiet. However, there was a soft smile on her face, reserved just for her little sister. Ruby made sure to avert her eyes and pretend to inspect the fabric of her dress before things could get awkward. Wait, Ruby looked up again, unwanted boy-trouble?

Soon enough, they were all ready to go.

Daiya must be some kind of magical girl, Ruby thought. She'd managed to transform them into presentable ladies for the evening – a far cry from the shadowrunners they normally took after.

The air taxi did indeed arrive – and sped the trio to their destination, a rather fussy-looking building. It looked just like something a Corpo would love, though. There was a red carpet sprawled out and everything. As they waited in the queue, Ruby spotted someone – Gemma Hentz .

"Hey," she whispered to Daiya and Brie. "It's that bank-woman."

Gemma was currently skipping the queue completely and being ushered inside by the pair of bouncers.

Daiya , Brie Jaxx

 

[Daiya]

Daiya swirled, emotions aglow all around her. The chill of the evening air prickled her arms into gooseflesh, the tingle mixing with the rising thrill in her chest at the occasion ahead of them. Her dress fluttered in her makeshift breeze, drawing giggles from the exhilarated girl in line with the sisters Jaxx.

A line that had maybe moved two meters in the last ten minutes.

"Oh typical, she just walks right in," the teen pointed out in a low voice, her comment aimed at the back of the banker woman striding confidently into the event. Holo-cams flashed behind paparazzi peppering the woman with questions, but Daiya wasn't close enough to tell if Gemma Hentz stopped to answer any. All she saw was the impact of wealth and influence on display. Daiya struggled to control her reaction to it, turning around to avoid her irritated face being caught by idle holographers covering the event.

"Someday," she told Brie and Ruby, her voice as calm and even as she could. Daiya took a deep breath, hoping that would help keep her features neutral enough behind the forced smile she wore. "I'm going to watch rich beings wait in line, and I'm going to enjoy it."

"If you'd like to step up here, miss..." the bored tone drifted into her ears, prompting another spin from Daiya. She took far less enjoyment from this one until she saw the empty line ahead of them to the nearest bouncer, and the smile on her face bloomed into genuine happiness. The young shadowrunner stepped up, and the Herglic couldn't have looked any less thrilled to see her in front of him. "Name?"

"Zenitha Chuma," Daiya offered up her alias, presenting the durasheet invitation Ruby had managed to have forged for them. The bouncer barely glanced at it before waving the teen through, and she tried not to react to the deception passing muster.

Instead, the teen stepped past the checkpoint, quietly bouncing on her toes as she waited for the Jaxx siblings to get through.

Ruby Jaxx Brie Jaxx​

 

[Brie Jaxx]

''I thought you, if anyone, had set it all up so we were going to be the ones walking in just like that.'' Brie said plainly to her bestie and partner in crime, as the three girls watched the rich banker woman walk past the line and straight into the event. Some had more benefits than others, but Brie had never felt jealous on benefits like that. Family. Family were something she could get jealous at. Even though her past partially, or rather a big part of it, had been patched with the finding of her sister.

''Uhh...'' Brie begun, sooner rather than better when it was her turn to identify herself for the bouncers to match the guest list. She could almost already feel the piercing stare from Daiya and possibly also Ruby. ''Excuse me! I'm just so overwhelmed with the... ambiance and... fancy decorations. I mean, compared to the other events and banquettes I have been on. Iona Kent.'' she uttered, blaming her behavior on being caught off guard, and held her breath for the guards answer. He waved her on! So far, so good into their sneaky mission.

Brie joined Daiya by her side and took a breather. ''That was close! So! You think they suspect something? That banker woman?''

Daiya , Ruby Jaxx , Gemma Hentz ​

 

[Ruby Jaxx]

Ruby'd been momentarily worried that Daiya's grumbling would expose them, but the young blonde surprised her by assuming an overly enthusiastic expression as they appeared before the bouncer. And her eyes went a bit wide when Brie almost stumbled. Thankfully, she covered herself quickly.

"And I'm Tiffany Vimes," Ruby said, trying her best to sound posh.

Once they were ushered past, Ruby stuck close to the other girls. Ruby aimed a glance over her shoulder. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. And there were no guards rushing them, so that was good. She let out the breath she'd been holding and tried not to deflate completely.

"I think we're good." Ruby nodded. "For now. We just need to you know, not give ourselves away and we're golden. So, we might as well grab something to eat and drink." This might have been the real reason Ruby had allowed them to drag her along.

***

Meanwhile, Gemma Hentz already had a flute of champagne in hand. And there were some other corpo-types around her, glasses raised in an obvious toast. "Here's to First Bank's new endeavors on Quarzite!" It was one of those worlds left behind after Xopsaloff's demise.

Daiya , Brie Jaxx

 

[Daiya]

Daiya nodded as each of the Jaxx sisters passed through the security line in turn. She descended from on tip-toe high, her feet sturdy on the ground again in their plasti-foil flats. The flat cheer remained on the teen's face until they were further along past the line, and delight slowly began to replace it as the trio entered the gala affair. With the cheapest clothes and thinnest lustre, three shadowrunners had managed to pass for the in crowd of Corpo elites.

She nearly leapt for joy out of sheer exuberance.

The bundle of nerves unwound inside the young shadowrunner, displacing the layer of envy that had spread across her outlook. As her tension unwound, Daiya felt a new eagerness inside of her while the trio passed through layers of entrances, decorations, and notable figures caught up socializing in tight circles of their peers. Just being around the high degree of energy put a grin on Daiya's face, and only the crowded quarters kept her from spinning around in delight.

"Okay!" Daiya started, emotion failing to keep her voice too low. She turned to Brie, giving Ruby a quick nod. "That'll help us blend in, look like we're for real. There's s'posed to be some new Corpo bigwig headed for a seat on the Direx Board, at least that's what I heard. Or maybe they're an old DireX finally coming out of the shadows. Whatever, anyone who's anyone is gonna want to meet them, so we just need to look like..."

The teen glanced around, finally spotting some others closer to their age. All types of Corpos roamed around them, the diligent businessbeings and the trust-fund kids alike. Her grin twisted into a smirk, already enjoying how easy this was going to be. "...like fething everybody, really."

Giggling, the teen tossed her pink-highlighted locks toward one of the tables with food. Her eyes found one of the bartenders nearby, serving drinks over a table filled with alcohols and ingredients. She could hardly decide which to attempt first, but grabbed Brie's hand for starters. "We'll try over here, first. Scope it out, get the lay of the land, y'know?"

She tugged Brie over to follow, and maybe even to take the lead to help Daiya, whose head was swimming with which angle to explore first.

Hopefully Ruby had an easier time on her side.

Ruby Jaxx Brie Jaxx​