Ko Girls

There are strange gangs, but few are as strange as the Ko Girls.They appear in public places, wearing customized school uniforms. When I saw customized, I'm not talking about adding school monograms or initials. The skirts are slashed up the side, or cut short enough that they become miniskirts or micro-mini skirts. There is an entire pecking order determined by the length of the skirt in relation to the length of the socks or stockings worn by the girls. New and low ranking member have long skirts and low socks, The leg between the ankle and the knee is visible. As the rank or importance of the member increases, their skirts become shorter and the socks grow taller and eventually make the transition to stockings and garter belts. The leaders have the shortest skirts and the tallest stockings. While they might show the least amount of bare skin, the flesh on display is very high on the thigh.

Appearance

Ko Girls are easily recognized in public. They are women ranging from teens to their 30s, typically of caucasian, Polynesian or Asian heritage. They affect a uniform adopted from local high schools, especially prep, boarding, and private schools. Skirts and socks or stockings are universal across all the branches of the Ko Girls. Ko Girls will also style their make up and hair after anime characters, producing a veritable rainbow of haircolors. Shocking, bright, and outlandish colors are considered better than just non-standard. Hair is more likely to be platinum pink rather than strawberry blond, or the truly bizarre such as animal patterns, metallic finishes, or having the hair sculpted into various forms of art. Facial make up follows the same general lines. The entire face is covered in one basic color, while the eyes are painted in a different, often lighter and contrasting color. The original color pattern was orange face with pink eye shadow. Lipstick was typically hot pink and was then known as ganguro. Modern Ko Girls will adopt color patterns, but they are seldom uniform across more than just a single circle of gang members.

The Ko Girl Code

Also known as the Kogal, the code defines the actions and goals of the Ko Girls, and while it is not written or actually codified, there are common themes among almost all Ko Girl circles.

Conspicuous Consumption: I Shop; therefore I am

Ko Girls are seldom poor, most come from at least middle class backgrounds, while many are the children of the upper middle class. To be a Ko Girl is to spend money on luxury goods, or more importantly, be seen spending obscene amounts of money on frivolous. Jewelry, electronic devices, premium beverages, shoes, clothing, and the like. In the Cosmic Era, many Ko Girls own one of more androids, cyberware, body modifications, or other applications of hypertechnology.

Blatant Materialism: I am the sum of my possessions

Similar to the conspicuous consumption, the code of blatant materialism requires brand name merchandise be purchased and displayed at all times. Fake and knock off merchandise is not allowed, and many retailers and merchants who peddle knock off goods can expect to be harassed by Ko Girls, while authentic vendors can expect a steady and reliable flow of business from some strange customers.

Welfarism: Losers Work, Winners just get Paid

Ko Girls demonstrate their contempt for society and economics by countering their spending sprees and extravagant lifestyles with seeking out avenues of public welfare. Most are unemployed and technically qualify for basic welfare as well as 'food stamps' and other forms of government assistance.

Softcore Pornography: Flash for Cash

Shame is non-existance among the Ko Girls and they are willing to pose for soft core pornography and indulge in things like self shot holo-vids and a very popular export are Ko Girl SQUIDs. These SQUIDs are basic activities such as taking a shower, making out with other ko girls, and other popular voyeuristic material. Ko Girls are also frequently found as dancers and strippers in exotic clubs.

Non-Penetrative Prostitution: Teases, not Whores

Ko Girls are frequently dirty, rebelling against social norms and restrictions on personal behavior. Most Ko Girl gangs are in areas that have a strong religious tradition, strong social codes of behavior, or sexual codes of behavior that hold women to different standards than men. Ko Girls will perform many sexual and semi-sexual acts in exchange for money, but none involve penetration. Manual stimulation, oral stimulation, teasing, fetish play and the like are more than fair game, and many Ko Girls are good at what they do, especially when they develop a niche or specialty.

Economic and Cultural Impact

Despite being unpopular in local opinion, Ko Girl gangs can typically be expected to lead the way in terms of art and entertainment. If the Ko Girls are buying something up now, it can be expected that the masses will be buying en masse in four to six months. Ko Girls are also social demonstrators, especially against authoritarian and religious organizations. The American Christian Political party particularly loathe the Ko Girls, as they are frequent targets of Ko Girl pranks and raids.

But there are also negative sides to the gangs beyond public opinion and their activism/vandalism. They are still a gang, and an integral part of gangs is violence. Ko Girls are frequently armed, and while knives are the most common weapon, some carry firearms and others mix exotic or improvised weapons and martial arts. Gang raids can cause extensive damage, and people running afoul of Ko Girls can be brutally beaten, and then if the gang is particularly angry, tortured or maimed. These more violent gangs are only found in the cores of megacities and major arcologies. Outside of dense urban settings, they are either rare, or are much less intense and can more resemble social clubs around radical fashion and bad behavior.

Plot Hooks

Girls Gone Wild: A local Ko Girl Gang has stepped up its intensity. No longer content to hang out in commercial areas buying expensive shoes and displaying their female power, they are now engaging in blatantly illegal actions. The gang is running drugs, and with the surplus of money buying weapons, jewelry, and other high end purchases. Several rival drug pushers have been brutalized or even killed. You don't even want to know what the medical examiners determined was done to the bodies of the two men recovered from the junction 113d access panel.

Crazy, Not stupid: The local Ko Girl gang is locked in a conflict with the local branch of the ACP. The ACP has been pushing their special interests, paying off people and generally assuring that their agenda is met, legally or not. It is easy to side against the Ko Girls, because no one expect the ACP official to be working with criminal underground.