FIRST REPLY First night out in the city

[Luna Rothschild]

First night out in the city​

Wearing this

Location: Star Lounge - Westbrook
Objective: have fun
Tags: OPEN

Note: This is a nice club frequented by wealthy patrons and their staff. Not intended as a place for violence and they have a no-weapons policy.

Luna Rothschild had been nervous when she climbed out of the limo in the enclosed parking garage of the nightclub, she had been nervous while she queued and made small talk with Ruthie and a couple of other girls who seemed to know the place. She had been especially nervous when they carded her, hoping that Ruthie's fake bios would come through and they would be waved in. The bouncer, a large man with some serious chrome, scanned the card and looked the pair up and down, she felt like she had eighteen stamped on her forehead at that moment, but he let them in. The Star Lounge was stunning, deep blues and purples covered the walls, with recessed ivory uplights providing an elegant glow to their surroundings. The place was stuffed with the wealthy and well-heeled, she was certain she even spotted one of the members of her favourite pop group but that was probably wishful thinking.

They had been here a little while now and Luna was beginning to feel more comfortable as she danced with her friend. She had had a couple of drinks now but had made the decision not to get drunk so the moment her blood alcohol level got too high her own chrome would kick in and start neutralising it. The Lunarian had decided that the cocktails looked great here, so that was what she had been ordering. The first one, a powderpunk was a delicious pink concoction, but perhaps a little sweet for her tastes. The next round had been bought by a guy at the bar, it was a slightly unstable-looking blue number which she felt might take her head off. The pair had thanked the generous man and returned to the bar where the blue drink had lasted not nearly long enough. At least that had given them both a chance to dance with empty hands for a few songs but now she was thirsty again.

Luna looked up, about to drag her friend to the bar when she spotted her dancing with some guy in tattooed sleeves. Ruthie looked happy so she might as well leave it, the place seemed perfectly safe and everyone just seemed to be here for a nice time. It was a naive assumption from the long-haired blonde girl but in the absence of any other evidence why would she think differently?

The bar was relatively busy so Luna was forced to mimic some of the other short girls and lean up onto her tip toes in order to attract the attention of the barman, from her brief assessment of the bar priorities it went, pretty girls, average girls, alpha males, not so pretty girls then everyone else, she tried her best pretty smile trying to catch the eye of the barmen hoping she wasn't too far down the pecking order. She thought she might be next when a hand appeared and cut her place. "Oh sorry, I think I was next" she said politely to the interloper.

 

[Cameron "Camshow"]

"You are such a fucking idiot, Cam" Trojan complained, his whisper echoing like a tin-can through the pitch-black darkness, "get your ass out of my face!"

"Bruv, you followed me in here! If I'm an idiot then you must be Maelstrom-Mad or an idiot yourself" Cam tried to be quiet, but squeezed into the vent like this was making every breath sound like the inside of a microphone, "'sides, I'm the one who should be knackered! You keep slamming that big head of yours right into my nads!" he kicked into the darkness, struck something flesh and solid and heard his friend stifle a yelp.

A flurry of punches and slaps went wide through the darkness, slamming into Cam's legs and thighs and prodding him to shimmy forward faster, "Ow! I'm going to fucking fry you, man! Better watch out the next time you net-in for those shitty porn BDs!"

"Shit, shit - alright! Calm down mate, fuck!" Camshow tried to keep up his wounded dog pace, feeling his way through the darkness and trying to spare his hands more cuts and bruises. It was times like this he wished he was a fucking sellout. What he wouldn't do for a pair of eyes that could see through the dark...then again, if he was selling out then he wouldn't NEED to be crawling through the pitch-ass-dark of some club vent.

Funny how that worked. He was just about to express his very funny thought to Trojan when the darkness suddenly stopped, very fast and very hard, against his skull. The thud rocked the entire contraption back and forth, sending a screeching chorus of warbling metals singing down the entire length they'd just crawled. Just when the worst seemed over, he felt that big head shoot through the darkness.

He saw stars. Painful, burning stars that must have shot their way up through the aching burn between his legs. "Oh fuck, oh Christ, I think you fucking neutered me!" Camshow squeaked out between heaves of pain, hand shooting back and gripping to his manhood for dear life.

"I fucking should! Asshole! We are fucking dead now. I'm going to get smoked in a vent by some chromed up bartender and it's your fault!" Cam couldn't find it in himself to answer, he was too focused on the pain. He felt around for a moment, just pleased he didn't feel blood and that both boys were about as round as they could be.

"I-I think I'm okay. Oh thank you, Jesus. I know I've been a right twit since that thing with the holy water, but thank you now..."

"I fucking hate you."

"right..." Camshow gulped down the last bit of pain, right himself, then felt around the vent. Well, it was definitely a wall he hit. One mystery solved. His hands felt this way and that until making their way to the floor. Gently he traced his fingers around the seams between floor and wall. He could feel a gentle push of air. A door? "Troj, you gettin' any signals here? Anything you can ghost into?"

"Hold up, let me see..." Cam looked back and saw a flash of blue in the darkness, a thought hit him.

"Them shits don't have nightmode, do they?"

"After this shit they will...and yeah, think I got some kind of panel. A door maybe?"

"Right, hit that would you mate-AHH!"

He woke up on the floor, staring up at a white ceiling with a hatch swinging open in the center. Trojan's horrified face was looking down at him, blue and purple Mohawk hanging in sweat drenched strands down his face. "Dude, are you fucking flatlined?"

"I-I don't think so." His back was on fire though, "this corpo booze better be good."

While Cam saw to crawling back to this feet, Trojan climbed down from the hatch and gracefully swung down to the floor. "If we get that far, I'm shocked they didn't hear you coming from Tokyo. We are about to get zeroed by some borged out suit when we get the fuck out of...wherever the fuck we are."

Trojan eyed the place and Cam did the same. It was a small room, all cleaning chemicals and dormant scrub bots. "Uh, I think it's called a cleaning closet, mate."

Trojan's only reply was a middle finger as he peaked open the door. "I think we're good. Still got that hacked ed-chit?" Cam felt in his jacket pocket and found the thin square still tucked nicely away and gave a wide smile and a thumbs up. Trojan rolled his eyes. "Right. We better get the drinks quick. If the system doesn't pick up the bad eds, I think our ripped-ass clothes might give them a tip-off."

Trojan didn't even leave time for a witty reply before ducking out of the room. Cam followed in short order. The whole place was your typical corpo snob-affair, but hell if he couldn't call a pretty bar a pretty bar. He spared no time making it to the front, whispering out hurried apologies as he barged to the front of the line. "Whatever the most expensive drink you have is, bruv!"

The bartender looked confused, Cam just smiled. An eyeroll from the tender later, he heard the tiniest voice from behind. He looked over his shoulder and saw only a tuft of blonde curls. He quirked a brow and looked down further, finally seeing the cute young thing they were attached to. Oh she was corp boxed and made for sure. Her sharp face screamed genemods and he couldn't have plucked a prettier dress off a damned barbie doll. If she hadn't looked as lost as little lamb...well not that he'd ever SEEN a lamb, but if he had he was sure it'd look just as lost as this girl.

Anyway the girl looked like she might cry just by the thought of having to speak up to him. "Shit, sorry love, um BARTENDER" he said far too loudly, even for this club, "another one of them expensive drinks for my short friend here, right?!"

He turned back with a wide grin, "sorry about that, must have looked right over ya"

 

[Luna Rothschild]

First night out in the city​

Wearing this

Location: Star Lounge - Westbrook
Objective: have fun
Tags: @Cameron "Camshow"

The barman began serving the gentleman who had reached past her, before she spoke she didn't even realise how much taller he was, he had eight inches on her at least. She glanced up at him and blushed a little as he bought her a drink, it would be quite easy to tell that she hadn't been doing this long as she didn't have any of the skills yet to navigate this bar competitively. "I know I'm short but...." she laughed nervously, "But thank you very much." she added with a smirk as the bartender slid over two tall slender glasses of a wonderful-looking drink with little luminescent flecks in it. As the glasses slid over the digital bartop, glowing rings around the bottom of the glasses followed them awaiting the man to tap his edchip and make payment. Once he did the glasses would detach from the bar and Luna could pick hers up.

She took the moment of payment to quickly assess who she was talking to, tall, very handsome, dark-skinned and with the look of one of a punk rocker. There were a couple of old guys on her estate who looked a lot like this man, they had made their money in music before she was born, it wasn't her sort of music, but they were nice enough guys. She looked down at his riding pants and the motifs on them, but then suddenly had to stop herself because she realised she had spent just a little bit too long checking him out to be polite. Her focus was broken as the next muscled patron made his presence known with a subtle elbow to her back, encouraging her to slide along the bar a little towards the stranger. Was it always like this? She would have to ask Ruthie later about that. She glanced across to see if she could spot her friend dancing, she thought she could but wasn't entirely certain whether that whirl of copper-coloured hair was her or not.

The blonde sipped at her drink looking at Cameron and the little sparkles of luminescent algae deposited themselves on her pale lips glowing in the light of the club for a few seconds to highlight her smile. "Yum! I'm Luna, you?" she offered as a way of introduction to the man.

 

[Cameron "Camshow"]

First night out in the city

"Eh, don't mention it, luv" Cam smirked, "truth told, I'm much taller in the boots."

He turned back to the bar and withdrew the Ed-chit from his vest pocket. The thin card was an unusual sight in the world of today, when most chooms blinked over their cash - especially the type of snobbish-uptight-corposquare chooms that hung around places like this on the daily. The rockerboy flew casual though, or what he thought was casual, tapping the card on the glass countertop of the bar as he waited for the drinks. Cam took the few moments of shaking and pouring whatever was in the glowing cocktails to crane his neck around the club.

Where had Trojan gone off to? He couldn't see his cool-but-far-less-cool-than-his-own hairdo anywhere and it was hard to miss a big blue mowhawk amid the boring blacks, golds and natural colors of the corpo scene. Before he had a chance for a thorough scouting, the bartender came back and set the drinks down inside a pair of neon-blue orbs that appeared as the glasses were set down. He didn't move on though, not like he had with the other patron, he stayed and leaned against the counter with both arms splayed out to either side. He didn't say anything either, not with his mouth, but the man couldn't look more unconvinced if he'd been wearing a sign.

"Cheers, mate" he clinked the chit against the counter and both orbs turned red with a low chime. The bartender made a throaty noise that almost sounded amused. Cameron laughed nervously, "that's weird, what I meant was...cheers, mate!"

This time it was the chime that sounded like it was laughing and the orbs were like little red eyes, judging him for how obviously poor he was being. The bartender moved to take the drinks, some snarky comment on his lips - but Cameron held up a hushing hand, "hold up there, man! Let me just..." he rubbed the thin card between his fingers, wishing some magic into it and then, "...cheers, mate."

A much happier chime and the orbs turned from blue to green.

"Yes!" that sounded way too happy, especially since the bartender huffed and stomped away like he was disappointed. That didn't matter, fuck that gonk anyhow! He turned with a goofy, all-too-happy smile just in time to catch Luna's-not-trying-to-be-caught gaze. That made his dumb, overly-excited-about-paying smile even wider. He made a quick, cocky show of flicking his eyes up and down her form, stuck his tongue in his cheek, then handed her the drink without mention of what had happened. For some probably stuck up corpo girl, she was easy enough on his eyes.

Though his eyes usually squatted in run down dorph-dens a lot of nights so, what did he know anyhow?

"Luna, ay? Your parents just big fans of the moon, or is that a handle you picked cause it sounds pretty?" he let the playful comment sit only a moment before sipping his own drink, and taking note of the gentle glow of her lips in her own smile as he stuck out his hand clumsily, "Cam, friends and fans call me Camshow - but that name is far less pretty and the story probably less first date appropriate."

He let the blonde answer, taking the moment to check around for Trojan again. Where the fuck did that bloke go? "You always hang around places so tight with door entry, Luna?"

 

[Luna Rothschild]

First night out in the city​

Wearing this

Location: Star Lounge - Westbrook
Objective: have fun
Tags: @Cameron "Camshow"

She looked a little curious why the man's chip wasn't immediately accepted, they did wear out sometimes but they were also easy to replace and she would hate to be carrying around a faulty one and get caught short. Oh well, it wasn't her problem or her business.

She giggled when he asked her about her name. "My parents were living there when they had me so I got stuck with it, could be worse I guess." She could have been named something ridiculous like Aspen or Hampton given her parents tastes. She smirked when he mentioned the camshow nickname. She had a good guess where that sort of nickname might come from, she had heard rumours of several girls on her estate up to that kind of thing, fortunately, she had never been quite so desperate.

I'll let you keep your secrets, you'll have to tell me where I might find you online though, just so I can avoid it of course." She stuck her tongue out and then blushed. She was into her third drink and was flirting a little more than she would typically do so, but he was cute and she was single so what was the harm.

She thought about the bar entrance, wasn't that normal? She assumed all bars were like that, it helped keep the trouble out so people like her and her friend could have a good time. "Yeah... all the time." her eyes flicked away in a tell that would give her deception away to anyone with even half a brain at reading people. She didn't know why she even lied, she could have just as easily said she had only just turned 21 so it was her first legal night drinking out, but at eighteen the fear of getting caught was weighing on her mind. She needed to get the heat off her. "How about you? Come here much or do you have other places you like to go?"

 

[Cameron "Camshow"]

First night out in the city

Cameron nearly spit out his drink when she mentioned being from the moon. He clocked her as rich, but he didn't think she was alien-moonwalker rich. He kept his cool though, coughing through the forced down drink and playing it off with a wave of his hand. "Swallowed, wrong" he pointed to his throat dramatically and coughed again, "go on". It took him a few seconds of coughing to finally get the ghost of drowning out of his throat, nearly missing the not-so-subtle flirtation sent his way.

He coughed, gave his goofiest, widest smile and tucked his bottom lip beneath his top teeth, "well you know, luv" another cough he couldn't quite suppress, "with all that moon-money, I think you could afford a live demonstration" he was just about to pull out his rockerboy look when one last cough from the drink bubbled its way up. "You're pretty enough for a free sample though!" he rushed the last bit out before slapping his chest heartily.

"Goddamnit, sorry. Hard to be hot and drown at the same time, yeah?" all the other patrons were starting to stare. That wasn't good. But before he could think of what to do, Luna spoke up again. All the time? Right. He'd lied to enough bouncers and cops to know that was a load of horse-shit. But why lie about it? Was she not as rich as she let on? Embarrassed that she wasn't as kick-ass as he was? He would have prodded further, but his mind was caught up in the glares of the other patrons at the bar.

He ignored her question for now, his eyes darting around the room for somewhere more private and spotted a couple standing up from a booth against the wall. "let's grab a seat, ya think?"

He asked, but didn't really wait, taking her by the hand gently and guiding her through the crowd. The place was packed and getting more packed by the second, but this crowd was nothing compared to the guerilla shows he used to hit in Chicago. Pressing past a few corpos in nice clothes was nothing compared to working your way through a crowd of piss-drunk, chromed-up punks getting ready to open a pit. When they reached the seats, Cam released the girl and took a running slide into the booth seat.

"There, much better!" he took a very careful sip of his drink. It was a bit sweet for his taste, honestly. Sure the booze was way smoother than street-hooch but it was a little disappointing considering it probably cost three times the price he was used to. "And me? Nah, this sorta place isn't my digs on the ush'" he took a moment to look around at the lavish surroundings, "too much crystal and working lights if you ask me. The good parties happen when the hole is a bit dodgy, ya know? People in these places are prim and proper and they know the toilet is cleaned as a plate. You know you are in good company when you aren't quite sure the bathroom even works."

He smirked, laying both elbows dramatically on the table and leaning over his drink, "I think you'd like it. Strike me as a girl who don't quite like doing what she is supposed to."

 

[Luna Rothschild]

First night out in the city​

Wearing this

Location: Star Lounge - Westbrook
Objective: have fun
Tags: @Cameron "Camshow"

The guy was goofy, desperately trying to look hot and continue flirting while gasping for air on his drink, she didn't mind that at all if she were honest, it kind of settled her own fish-out-of-water nerves. "You seem to be finding the right balance" She laughed, putting her drink in front of her mouth so she didn't look like she was laughing too much at his floundering.

She was relieved that he got his breath back eventually but when the hand grabbed hers and she was unceremoniously pulled from her position her heart jumped, OK, I guess that's happening then she thought to herself, having little desire or power to resist the sudden change in setting. She allowed herself to be led across the room towards a booth and watched as the man did a running slide into the booth. Luna took a little breath and slid in next to the man carefully rearranging her yellow dress as she sat. She was still getting herself acclimatised to the new surroundings while she chatted, he talked a mile a minute and she found it hard to follow in the noise, she had to quickly activate her chrome and recall his last comment because she was certain she had misheard him, but no she had heard correctly. "Your metric whether a place is good is a broken toilet? Well, that is an opinion I have not heard before." She smirked and placed her hand on the table. A digital screen activated to her touch that surprised her a little and she began scrolling through a menu with small hand gestures.

"To tell you the truth, I'm pretty good at doing what I'm supposed to. It's just... hmm... you can't grow up looking over the wall wondering what's out there you know? That city, so much colour, so vibrant, it must be an amazing place. But... hmm... sorry..." She looked like she was struggling to decide what to order, so many options, so little experience. "Alright then, what would you order? I'll have the same." he had the impression that the glowing cocktail wasn't his thing and she was interested in this slightly out of her-comfort-zone outlook on life, she might regret it but it's not like they were serving gasoline, it might taste awful but it wasn't going to kill her to try the man's tipple. Whatever he ordered she would make sure to pay though, unless he insisted otherwise.

 

[Cameron "Camshow"]

First night out in the city

Cameron flashed another toothy grin when Luna mentioned the trusty toilet-meter-of-partying, "well the toilet gauge prob' don't mean much to a moonwalker, but that sorta thing's what you learn when you experience a real party." He chuckled at her sudden startle, giving a playful point the menu as it populated across the tabletop, "careful there, might break it"

He listened to her talk after that, chin in hand and eyes trailing the length of her slender neck to where she disappeared beneath table. His eyes didn't pry much after that though, instead returning to focus on the side of her face where tufts of blonde hair fell like waves - his mind caught on her words.

All at once he felt a little...sad. The way this girl talked about the city was like rapunzel staring out at the tower window. From so high up all she could see were the flashing lights and all she could hear were the voices loud enough to drown out all the screams. He'd be shocked if she'd ever seen a combat zone, hell, he'd be shocked if she'd ever seen a street outside this block unless it was out an AV window.

Part of him wanted to hate this pretty girl in the booth beside him.

But where would that get him? She was born into that tower - she might literally be from outer space. Besides, talking to her was enough to know that she hadn't chosen anything. Not yet anyway. He couldn't blame her for only seeing what her window showed her.

And right now all it showed her was lights, music, shows, and prince charming - whose crust pants looked like shining armor through the nightclub lit smog.

So he decided he wasn't going to try and hate her. He smiled the warmest, most sincere smile he had all night. "Nothing to be sorry about, luv. In fact, makes me think you could use a night on the town with a true gent of the streets. If'n you think you have the time..." he enjoyed looking into her eyes for a moment, smiled when she offered him next choice.

"Well lets see here" instead of pulling the digital menu across the screen toward him, Cam slid toward her until he gently bumped against her. His right arm swung up and over he head and laid out just behind her shoulders - not touching her unless she decided to lean back into it. He then dramatically raised his left finger before placing it gently down on the screen and scrolling the menu.

If this girl wanted a taste of a street party, he had to make this good. "Short on bar grub, but I think I got something I can use here" he tapped a button and summoned a panel for custom drinks. Two drinks, cut two parts SMASH and one part rum. He then ordered fried soy pickle substitute and SCOP tenders made to resemble chicken.

He turned with a smile, but his voice was serious, "now I will warn you, this SMASH stuff is no joke - cheap but it'll make this the best night of your life. Tomorrow morn' you are gonna feel like tossing yourself from the balcony, but that wears off pretty quick."

He passed the menu over to her for the final confirmation, he didn't want to make that choice for her.

"We can take it lighter if you want"

 

[Luna Rothschild]

First night out in the city​

Wearing this

Location: Star Lounge - Westbrook
Objective: have fun
Tags: @Cameron "Camshow"

Luna's head was gently bobbing as she thought about her options while listening to the music that played, she only half listened to him as he called her a moonwalk, she was OK with him calling her that, it was sort of sweet. She felt a nudge up against him and placed his arm on the rest behind her, she was OK with that too, and he was being pretty gentlemanly about it.

He was quick to suggest to her, whipping through the menu with practised ease that she didn't have yet. She was a little concerned by his choices, this was a decent club, but it was still a club and simulated pickles and chicken tenders were not something Luna had ever tried, even when living on the moon, her dad tried to make sure they mostly ate genuine food. "Be careful what you wish for right?" She dismissed a warning that was flagged up in her Chrome about the contents of Smash, accepting the verbal warning from Cam as enough. With a subtle gesture of touching her fingertips together in sequence, the appropriate Eddies were deducted from the chip in her hand.

Now they just had to wait for service, it wouldn't be long. Luna leaned back, first pulling her long hair over her right shoulder in front of her so it wasn't between her and Cam. Her head flopped backwards and she turned it towards him. "Alright... say I don't throw myself off a balcony tomorrow and say I took you up on you offer? Where would you take me? How does Camshow impress his little moonwalker?" she asked playfully as a barman placed the food and drinks down in front of them. The tangy acidic aroma hit her nose before anything "I'm not gonna lie, those pickles smell awful." she added with a laugh before turning back to the table to admire the spread in front of her. At least they were presented in a way to make them look more appetising than they smelled, and the chicken tenders curled with steam fresh from the microwave. "Drink first?"

 

[Cameron "Camshow"]

First night out in the city

Cameron couldn't help but laugh at Luna's apprehension, it was sweet in its own way and he took her lack of moving away or sneering at him that she didn't mind him being close - so he didn't move. It was a strange feeling, being so relaxed in a corpo club of all places - especially one you technically broke into - but he let the feeling sit with him. What caught him more off guard was the sudden thump in his chest when she moved her hair out of her face.

Why was that? He hadn't felt that sorta of pump in his chest for a minute, and it was a little hair that did it?

Was he going mad?

It thumped again when she flopped her head back against his arm and turned toward him. Yep, he had to have been going mad because the sudden rush through his body sent goosebumps up his arms. He chuckled nervously as she spoke, rolling his own skin before taking the chance and inching closer. He stopped when she was in the crook up his arm and kicked his legs up onto the booth-seats opposite of them.

"Well, assuming you don't become a corpo-pancake, I'm thinking you would appreciate a bit of a tour, yeah?" he smiled at her, "think we start us off in this greasy little spot in Waston called Tom's Diner. That'll be the real Night City Breakfast experience. After that, think we'd head out to Santo, a few mates of mine race their rides out there near the border of the badlands." he thought for a second, "think you'd be too fresh for something crazy, but we could swing by this bar in Heywood - El Coyote - pregame our last event a bit and hit some of the old games they rock there...then for the last bit of the night, think I'd take you to a real, gritty punk show. Not something like you corpo lot are used to."

By the time he finished the drinks had come and he sat up so they both had free access to their hands. "They smell like garbage, but trust me, I've had to eat far worse" on the worst days in Camden Town, they had to bribe badges to sneak in the dumpsters from the places all the royals and their friends ate at. Rotting pig never tasted so good.

He forced a smile past the sudden flash of bad memory, "course! Here, hold on" he took his glass and clinked it against Luna's own, "cheers!" he sipped his drink at first, then he downed a quarter of it. Goddamn that was good. The Rum was smooth and the spice was just strong enough - but that he'd expected. The Smash though? He was used to the yellow car cleaner foam, but even their cheap shit was good here.

He set the glass down with a satisfied sigh. Already he could feel the buzz in the back of his skull, like a thousand little breakers suddenly switching on. "Oh yeah" he looked to Luna, paused on her face, looked at her lips, "that's good stuff" he finished.

No sooner had he inched himself a little closer, then did the entire club suddenly go dark. The music, the lights, even the hanging fountains and filters in the fish tanks. Everything went dark, except the gasps from the people and the footsteps of security. Oh Christ, what was this? Don't tell me we picked the night they sent some solo squad to fuck the place up.

There hadn't been enough time to properly react before suddenly the lights were back...but different. The red and magenta had been replaced with pulsing green and purple and blue...very familiar colors to him. Then the music picked up again and he could have swore he knew that voice. Oh shit he did know the voice.

That was his voice.

When the revolution come, I'll be at the front banging a bass drum the song went on and he immediately stopped listening, he already knew the rest. The entire club looked around, brows quirked and questions on their lips...then one of the Vend-it's in the corner started spitting out cans.

Oh he didn't know what was happening. But he knew who was happening.

With wide eyes he turned back to Luna, "You know what? Hold that thought yeah? You think you could just, um, wait right here for me, yeah Luna?" he didn't wait for an answer, nor did he wait for her to move, he lifted himself up and stomped right across the table, "thanks Luna! Back in a jiffy!"

He threw himself to the floor and pushed through the crowd, "TROJ! TROJ MATE WHERE FUCK ARE YOU?"

 

[Luna Rothschild]

First night out in the city​

Wearing this

Location: Star Lounge - Westbrook
Objective: have fun
Tags: @Cameron "Camshow"

She nodded along as he chatted and edged in closer so they could hear each other better, she could smell his cologne by this point. The places he described simultaneously sounded awful, and terrifying but also very tempting, she was feeling the wanderlust and the man seemed to know it.

When the time came she too picked up her glass and downed a small amount, aiming to copy him but the strong immediacy of the beverage caught her hard and she stopped just short of him, wrinkling up her nose and opening her mouth to breath away the fumes. "What did I just drink?" She laughed before putting it up to her nose to smell it. It wasn't actually too bad a taste, it was just so much stronger and less sweet than her other drink. Cam seemed to enjoy it and she was certain she felt... something, she wasn't sure what it was it felt a bit like static at the back of her mind.

She didn't get much time to assess the new buzz when he noticed him edging towards her and glancing at her with intent in his eye. Her eyebrow raised, she had an idea what that look meant.

But they were interrupted as the lights and music abruptly changed, as did the demeanour of her company. She would have no reason to know that this wasn't a normal event if it wasn't for his behaviour. "What's going on? Is everything ok?" he must not have heard her, or in his haste, he didn't have an answer for her, but she just nodded nervously as he asked her to sit tight.

~~Hey Ruth, you ok? I'm over by the booths, somethings up.~~ she send digitally to her friend as she waited alone in the bar.

~~Yeah shit babe, what's up with the music? Gimme a few and I'll come over, K?~~

Luna shrugged and slumped back into the chair, the music was a bit questionable now but no one else seemed to be panicking so she might as well wait for either Cam or Ruth. She picked up one of the man's fried pickles and toyed with it in her hands before taking a bite. It wasn't good and she had to begrudgingly swallow before carefully placing it back down. And instead reaching for the chicken substitute.

 

[Cameron "Camshow"]

First night out in the city

No one was panicking, not until the motor of the fish tank filter kicked into overdrive. Steaming bubbles kicked up from the vents of the motor as it roared to life beneath the still water. To the tank's credit, it must have been built from some tough glass - because when the motor popped and shot a piston straight through the side of the glass and into the crowd, it didn't completely shatter.

The crowd gasped, buckled away from the tank, and nearly crushed Cam between the chrome of two men with 'saka pins on their lapels. Water shot out in streams through the spiderweb climbing up the tank's side - splashing down in waves and pouring like rain down of the bar and it's tender. Now people were moving, some just away from the spreading pool of fish water, other whisked away by chromed out men who seemed to emerge from nothing.

"Fuck me - move! Sorry! Get the fuck out of my way, please" Cam pressed through the crowd, desperately searching over heads and between asses for Trojan.

He finally found him stumbling from back hallway, a half-emptied bottle of something expensive pressed to the side of his face. Beneath the crystal blue bottle, Trojan's left eye was swelling up like a big purple balloon.

"Troj! What the fuck, mate?! What did you do? What the fuck happened to your face" the song picked up now, Cam's voice joyfully warning the room full of corpos that they "better run" as the nightclub descended into chaos around them. It would have been funny, had he not been right in the middle of it.

"Caught the club's runner coming back for lunch, left the core door open and everything" he sloshed his words, the scent of something expensive on his breath, "gonk got a good swing at me before I stomped him, haha"

"What the fuck, Troj? Did you half that whole bottle already, how the fuck is that even possible?"

"Oh calm down, bro" his words were punctuated by a strobe light making a high pitched whine, then suddenly popping.

"Fuck!" The glass rained down on Cam, who shielded himself with his arms. Luckily he didn't get cut, but that didn't help his mood. With his full strength he shoved Trojan, "first you're bitchin' about getting smoked by the bartender, now you get drunk and get all Legion on their mainframe?! The fuck bro!?"

Trojan spat on the ground and shoved him back, knocking Cam into some corpo walking speedily toward the door. The man tripped up but didn't even seem to notice otherwise, "oh fuck you, man! Don't use that fucking name against me, man!"

"Look I'm sorry but-

"-Oh fuck your sorry man! You know we would have burned this place down with everyone inside, laughed while we did it! Im not that guy anymore man!" Jesus christ he was plastered, but Cam had obviously hit a nerve.

"Bruv I know but we-

"-fuck you man! Why you being such an asshole about this? You fucking hate corps too, and their piss booze isn't even good enough to fake pay for."

"Troj, I'm talking to this girl and-

"-AH THERE IT IS! You're pissed because you are trying to get output from some CORPO"

Cam grabbed Trojan by the shoulders and shook him, "Would you shut the fuck up for five seconds? We need to-

"-HEY" Cam looked over Trojan's shoulder and Trojan turned to do the same. Stepping out from an opened door down the hallway came a skinny man in a skin-tight net running suit. Blood drenched the front of his suit, pouring down from a nose that bent up and to the left at an unnatural angle. If the man had been beautiful before, it was hidden behind the suspiciously boot-shaped bruise swelling across his face.

"You son of a bitch!" Then he charged. Cam yellped and jumped back. Trojan barely moved, he just looked on as his eyes turned a ghostly blue. Suddenly there was sparks and a screech of pain as the charging net runner grabbed at his eyes.

He completely missed his target, barreling past Trojan and straight at Cam. Cam didnt think, he just ran toward the man and stuck his arm straight out across the path of the other man's head.

WHACK

The man bounced off Cams arm, then smashed his head into the ground. The netrunner groaned, looked up blindly, then fell unconscious. Shit at least Cam hoped it was unconscious and for a moment all he could do was stare at what they'd just done.

"FUCK!" Trojan just laughed, singing along to the song as he shot finger guns to Cam and shimmered toward the front door.

"Better run boy, better run! When the revolution come!" He did two short bunny hops, then made a break for the door.

Cam stood dumbfounded, looked to the net runner one last time, cursed, then ran back for Luna at the booth. It still took quite a bit of pushing and shoving, but he finally popped out on the other side.

Luna was still there, but now with a woman he didn't recognize. Cam pulled the brightest smile he could as he ran up, nearly smashing into the table and upending himself.

"WHOOPS, haha, hello there Luna annnd Luna's friend" he stuck a hand out for a quick shake to the new girl, then turned his attention to Luna. "Say, me and my mate were looking to get out of here - you know - continue the party elsewhere abouts. Fancy making that tour a little early, say tonight? Say right now? Friend is welcome to tag along."

 

[Luna Rothschild]

First night out in the city​

Wearing this

Location: Star Lounge - Westbrook
Objective: have fun
Tags: @Cameron "Camshow"

Luna was glad to have her friend back as things started getting out of hand and the shouting from over by the fish tank intensified. Ruthie's evening had previously been going well and she too had been chatting to a guy who seemed to now bailed like her own prospect. There was a little relief on her face when Cam came back, the other girl was already reaching for her bag but Luna hoped they might continue their evening and little longer.

Fancy making that tour a little early, say tonight? Say right now?

Luna's eyes widened with interest in this offer, but then she twitched slightly and Cam would see the copper-haired girl staring at her intently. It only took a few seconds but the he might be able to suspect that they were texting each other using their Chrome. Luna gave her friend a chilling look then turned to smile back towards Cam. "OK, so, I would love to, but Ruth is right I've just met you and... I just can't alright?." It was obvious that she wanted to go but had accepted her situation begrudgingly. Her father would know immediately if she left the neighbourhood without his permission and for all she knew he could track her location. No, she would have to wait for that little excursion until she could work a few things out. But she did like Cam.

"Let me send you my contact profile." she instructed him and assuming she did she would flip over her data, including her first name, surname and her private number. "Alright, there we are. I erm, hope to hear from you I guess?" she said slightly bashfully, remembering herself and how new to her this life was, not the chatting to boys, she had had boyfriends, but those were guys from school, this was quite different.

"Oh shoot, Cam, Ruth; Ruth, Cam." she hastily added. She knew they would be comparing notes once they got back to the limousine.

The blonde's eyes widened again as a message flagged in her head and she gave her friend a look that was replied by a mischievous shrug. Luna took a step forward and attempted to pop a kiss on Cam's lips, a small, non-committal "thanks for a fun meeting" sort of kiss. Before stepping back again and blushing hard. They had better be going.

 

[Cameron "Camshow"]

First night out in the city

"Right, Ruth..." he nodded along as Luna explained to him, in not so many words, where he could piss-off too. And Ruth?! What the fuck did Baby Ruth know? He was a stand-up choom! He only ever started fights with fascists, and nazis, and people who booed at his shows, and cops...and well okay maybe a lot of people but they all deserved it! He managed to keep his face blank of that small bite of anger though, overwhelming it with the deep disappointment he felt.

But then, just as quickly as it came, it was gone. Her deets? Shit she was really gonna shoot them over? "Oh yeah! Right, Right go ahead!" he tried not to sound too excited as he opened up his neural port to accept her info when she shot it over. Luna Rothschild - that last bit sounded familiar for some reason. No time to dwell on that now though, not with the emergent situation and his sudden spark of excitement.

Should he shoot his deets over? Would that be too much? Should he like wait a few days or something? I mean usually he just sorta did what he felt like but, he felt like he needed to actually put thought into it this time. "Yeah, yeah - of course! I'll, um, make sure to send ya a message tomorrow or something." he almost missed Luna's introduction of her friend, but he managed a last minute smile. "Pleasure"

yeah RUTH, didn't see that one comin' did ya? Stuck up corpo type I bet, but ha-ha on you!

Before he had a chance to bid them farewell, he turned to Luna just in time to see her take a step forward. Suddenly, her lips were on his and he forgot what he was thinking about doing for a moment. It took a second for his brain to reboot, his cheeks a little more purple than he'd have liked to admit.

But that was okay, because she was blushing too. Blushing a blush so red that he wasn't sure he'd ever seen such a beautiful blush before. Then, without thinking too hard on it, he smiled and took a quick step forward. His kiss was a only a second longer and just that much more than non-committal. A kiss that wasn't too long and not too fast, but one that meant he wasn't going to forget her when he walked out the door.

"Think about that before you think about ignoring my text, yeah?" he smiled, turned over his shoulder then back again, "I gotta go find my friend, a bit drunk he is. I'll text you though!"

Then he was gone, a puff of green and purple hair disappearing into a crowd.