#As corpo V I can fix him

[mossspond]

Been playing Cyberpunk after not clicking with it the first time around and wow. I am a Takemura girlie. It's like watching the titanic moving towards the iceberg except worse bc he's 100% confident that the iceberg will listen to reason.

I'm early act 2 rn do NOT spoil me

[scaryanneee]

VEILPUNK 9:52 ⚡️

Narrative parallels between [and MAJOR SPOILERS for] Dragon Age: The Veilguard and Cyberpunk 2077

Wake up, Samurai, we have a Thedas to burn. Let’s play a game:

Meet [V]/[Rook]. She is living her life as a [nomad/streetkid/corpo]/[Dragon/Crow/Lord/Watcher/Warden] when circumstances (aka, some kind of fuck-up) lead her to begin a new adventure with her friend [Jackie Welles]/[Varric Tethras]. 

The pair embark on a mission that involves a history lesson about a mercurial and rebellious [rockerboy]/[ancient elven mage] who made a questionable choice [50]/[8000] years ago when he [detonated a nuclear bomb]/[created the Veil]. That decision had dire consequences, but was done with good intentions: to take down a corrupt and powerful group – the [Arasakas]/[Evanuris]. 

Anyway, the job that [V]/[Rook] is on goes really, really bad: needless to say, we won't be working with [Jackie]/[Varric] anymore. [V]/[Rook] finds herself injured but alive… and the previously mentioned grumpy old [rockerboy]/[elven god] is now living in her head, somehow?! 

[Jackie]/[Varric]’s fate is not the only consequence of [V]/[Rook]’s actions. In fact, the clock is ticking: if [V]/[Rook] does not find a way to fix her mistake soon, she faces certain death. Not to mention, she promised [Jackie]/[Varric] that she would take care of the [biochip]/[team] for him. 

As she works to undo what she has done, [V]/[Rook] either bonds with the [Johnny Silverhand]/[Solas] living in her head, or hates him, or something in between. There’s lots of snarky jabs traded between mind-resident and host, but also moments of genuine understanding that build over time. 

It is kind of weird walking around the world, though, because you see symbols of [Johnny]/[Solas]’s legacy in the form of [Samurai memorabilia]/[Fen’Harel statues] pretty much everywhere... anyway.

In an optional questline, [V]/[Rook] can watch some of [Johnny]/[Solas]’s memories. She learns that his [nuclear bomb]/[creating the Veil] was about more than just fighting [corpo]/[godly] corruption. It was also about avenging the death of a woman he cared for deeply: [Alt]/[Mythal], who was killed by the [Arasakas]/[Evanuris]. [Alt]/[Mythal] and [Johnny]/[Solas] may have had a complicated and at times turbulent relationship, but there was no doubt he loved her. There’s also no doubt that [Johnny]/[Solas] feels, in part, personally responsible for her death.

[V]/[Rook] also gets to meet some of [Johnny]/[Solas]’s old friends: [Kerry]/[Dorian] and [Nancy]/[Morrigan], who both worked alongside him in [Samurai]/[the Inquisition], and [Rogue]/[Inquisitor Lavellan], a highly competent woman who [Johnny]/[Solas] had a romantic relationship with at one point (and who [Johnny]/[Solas] regrets not having treated better). [V]/[Rook] also meets some of [Johnny]/[Solas]’s greatest enemies from his past – like [Adam Smasher]/[Elgar’nan] – and gets to make [Johnny]/[Solas] proud by kicking their asses on his behalf. 

Finally, at the very end of the game, [V]/[Rook] can choose to either redeem [Johnny]/[Solas] or condemn him. They can even get help from a version of [Alt]/[Mythal] to do so!

Roll credits.

This is all to say: I love both of these franchises very much and, so it is very delightful to find all of these parallels between them. To be very clear, this is not an accusation of stealing or anything – stories echo, history rhymes, etc. – just an affectionate observation.

BUT.

It also highlights, for me at least, a few things Cyberpunk did well that Veilguard would have benefitted from incorporating. Namely:

A prologue based on character origin, where Rook meets/bonds with Varric, like V does with Jackie

More interaction between Protagonist and Guy Living in the Protagonist’s Head

Deeper engagement with the universe’s lore, particularly the setting and its impact on our protagonist. Night City feels like another character in Cyberpunk in a way that Veilguard's Thedas really does not.

The protagonist having a smaller scale, more personal investment in the outcome of events – V’s race against the biochip is instantly understandable, and her tenacity and strong will to survive make her very easy to relate to and like. I never quite felt the same level of investment in Rook, and I think that’s in part because her fight against the gods is so enormous in scale that it feels quite impersonal at times. 

Story parallels aside, these two games are also both examples of games that were rushed through development and suffered for it. For Cyberpunk, that meant infamous technical failures; for Veilguard, that apparently means writing that is inconsistent at best and baffling at worst.

Fortunately, CD Projekt Red was able to add tons of post-release updates (and the excellent Phantom Liberty DLC) to Cyberpunk, that really helped it ultimately evolve into the game it was intended to be. 

Unfortunately, I think it is extremely unlikely that EA/Bioware will ever give Veilguard the same treatment.

But if I’m looking for something to hope for about this franchise (despite the long odds)... I think that would be it. 

Anyway, if you read this far: thanks, [chooms]/[lethallen]! 🖤

[aggravateddurian]

"Attention Dogtown residents! This is V. As of this moment, I am imposing a state of emergency during the transition of power. Colonel Hansen's death at the hands of Arasaka agents is a shock to us all, but I assure you that they paid the price with their blood." "There will be changes to the way we do things in Dogtown, and there will be some who will attempt to resist change. This message is directed towards them: fall into line, leave Dogtown, or suffer the consequences of doing business the 'old way.' There's a new vision for Dogtown: my vision. If you can't handle the idea of making Dogtown a true beacon of freedom, then the gate is right there."

A self-indulgent AU where V becomes leader of Barghest and Dogtown, and decides to use Hansen's wealth to make Dogtown a place people want to live. Cue numerous assassination attempts and Myers seething and throwing her agent at Reed every time she sees him (yes, this will be this AU's running gag, like Mitch's coffee machine for Brother's Shadow).

I'm going with a softer approach than I initially intended. I was going to turn V into just as much a warlord as Kurt, but a discussion I had yesterday with @wayfaringellie made me realise that I don't really think V would become that, unless she was a completely amoral corpo bloodsucker. None of my Vs, or V-adjacent OCs, are ever like that, except for Vince at the start of Brother's Shadow (but he was also a Corpo, so it makes sense).

There are some (like Takemura) who would swear to kill V, or cut V out of their life, but I think that most people in V's life would at least be optimistically wary (knowing V) to downright supportive (enter Rogue, Mr Hands). This leads me to V's relationship with Judy, which will be tried at times.

In much the same way that Judy believes in the idea of the Mox, she likes the idea of V using all of Hansen's misbegotten wealth to actually help the people of Dogtown, to make it a place where the downtrodden can actually live a life of dignity. V aims to make the old Barghest propaganda true. She's also worried that V's drive to make Dogtown an actual paradise might drive V down the same path as Hansen.

She wants to believe that V is still a good person, the same V she fell in love with, before she fell in with Barghest, and became enamoured with the idea of fixing Dogtown.

Ultimately, V proves to be the same V she fell in love with before she underwent her treatment using the Neural Matrix she stole from Hansen, but V is so worried that she's slipping down Hansen's path (and more than a little worried that she might lose Judy) that whenever she's worried her plans might be extreme, she checks to see Judy's reaction. This means that essentially, Judy is, to a degree, dictating the future of Dogtown.

V always jokes that Judy has her leash, ready to pull it if she starts barking at the neighbours. Trust me, the double entendre of Judy having V on a leash is not unrecognised, but I need to fit as many dog puns into the Barghest AU.

"Has anyone noticed that all the serious decisions in here are being made by a girl who edits smut BDs for a living?" - Jago Szabó, 2078

[deadendghoststory]

just finished phantom liberty and god vik i love you and i'm so so sorry you have to be this sad. I've always had a soft spot for that man and was so happy to see him as a call option not just before the surgery but also after. Finding out he's the only one actually willing to meet with V and it wasn't just me being super whipped and getting the Vik ending??? Devastating. The thought of everyone else around V moving on, with the cruel pace of night city, believing V dead or worse and Vik in the middle of it?? The man who lived through the corpo and unifications wars, always rejecting change and refusing to conform. The man who became a ripperdoc to help his friends become night city legends and then watched them find an early grave one by one. That man meeting V, taking them under his wing, living through Jackie's death together and ultimately diagnosing them with a slow and grueling death that he in part, again, enabled. That man getting the "I'll be on medical leave" text and then not hearing from V for two years. Two years full of grief, of little solice, of guilt, doubt in his own medical abilities. If he enabled his friends he should at least be able to fix the consequences of their own decisions instead of standing alone at their graves. Shutting down his own remorse with a cynic view of not being able to change it, having made the right decisions because he wouldn't have made it. Taking morality out of the equation because logic is easier and god is he tired. There's change happening all around him and he's having a harder time resisting it, his emotional capacity scarcely being enough to lie to himself that he is happy and even if he's not this is what he knows how to do and he does it god damn well. And then V comes back. Calls, says they'll be there and then actually shows up. There's hope and there's newfound confidence in his abilities. He will fix this and it will be fine and all the conforming he's done will be worth it because he can still provide this service and he can still fix V. Except that he can't. There is nothing he can do. He can try to sell V on change being good and confirming to new lifestyles being challening at first but ultimately rewarding; V sees right through him. They see that he's unhappy and they blame him for selling out to zetatech. There is nothing he can do, suffer defeat, let V work through their disappointment, hope they won't resent him. There is little left for Vik in NC, already old school in '77. '79 doesn't hold much for him, but at least there's V now. If nothing else, they're somehow alive, trying to find their footing.

[thesupernaturalhouse]

So I don't really think i gave enough info whe I introduced the redone bio for V, so imma redo it

Here's the link to the 1st post

So, this is C the caretaker unit, shes an old modle that was made to be, as the name states, cartakers for nurserys or to babysit kids, they ended up getting scraped for easier and cheaper made drones though

Eventually Tessa is born and, he parents fucking suck so they have C fixed up, implanted with an ai and all that, and turn her on and kinda just, hand Tessa over to her. Which eventually leads to C seeing Tessa as her kid as, mother instincts

Which eventually expands to the drones Tessa pulse out front he scrapyard on her freenights(yes C had dragged her out of the grave/scrapyard)

I do have a comic coming, or at least the wins of one, that show C and the solver. What basically happens is that C notices a change in Cyn, the solver finally fully corrupting her code, and follows her one day into the bars pantry. The door getting locked behind her snd the solver revealing herself

Now, of course, C is ready to go full on swinging at this thing, but she's not dumb so she doesn't, which leaves the solver enough time to manipulate and play on her emotions

After all, wouldn't a mother do anything for her children?

It's successful, and C promises not to tell anyone about it or to try and kill it as long as it doesn't hurt them and only kills Tessas parents. The solver agrees, though we all knwo that's a lie

During the Gala, C is filled with dread and gets locked out of the main room, not able to stop Tessa or anyone else being killed once she realizes that it was never going to keep up its end of the deal, not when it turned V into a half baked experiment

It eventually appears behind her and she screams at it before feeling one of its claws peirce clean through her chest, oil trickling down her jaw as her processor fades to black

......and then she wakes up on copper 9, and of course beign starved for oil, wakes up hours after landing covered in oil, much like V, J and N

Now, N doesn't remember anything but C does FEEL fimiliar to him for whatever odd reason also she's nice and let's him ramble on

V only remembers some and tries to ignore her and pretend she doesnt remember anything, though with C being so insistent on taking care of them, it's hard to do. She's definitely emotionally distant, or trying to be

J rememberd fucking everything, get this girl some therapy, I feel like she'd try to boss C around with her corpo persona but it's hard to do when the person you're trying to boss around to make yourself feel better is also the person who your system recognizes as a parental unit, so she 'puts up' with Cs constant hovering

C herself is trying to cope by hovering over all 3 of them and making sure they don't get hurt again and are happy(as happy as they can be), maybe lightly scolding them on things such as a hole being in the wall of the spire

All while blaming herself for everything and being terrified of any if the 3 figuring out she knew the solver existed and allowed it

Not that she could've actually done anything if she hadn't made a deal with it, she likely would've just been killed and used as scrap if she had tried anything else the only reaosn the solver entertained the deal in the first place was that it's host was attached to her

Shes also rather deadpan, pointing out the obvious most of the time with a (T_T ) on her visor

[argentumcor]

Cyberpunk 2077: Living Through the Ghost

You can find my completed SilverV fix-it fic for King of Pentacles (a Phantom Liberty ending) here.

Some notes below the cut, as this was an experiment in many ways:

Johnny being a version of himself that had been to therapy (well, rehab) was one of the interesting aspects of the idea. I didn't have him go in hard for the corpo life- I think he isn't constitutionally capable of it- but he's less angry. Him not getting back his full memories and "reverting" to Johnny Silverhand came organically. It felt wrong to just have him not have lived the life he had, to in essence erase him again, and it was something he definitely wouldn't want to happen.

I wanted to explore V having to be not just ordinary for this world but even less capable than a normal person. Most people have neuralware and optics are very, very common. A BD must interface with neuralware, otherwise it's just a movie! So that's why V is totally allergic to cyberware and Johnny as well.

I wrote all of this before posting and hope it was more integrated than the more piecemeal, rollercoaster things I've written.

I expect to see Aguilar pop up in fics more often because boy was that a dangling thread so I opted to use it.

I cannot easily imagine a version of V who opts to betray Songbird. It's a bad ending, like The Devil, but I wanted to explore how that would mess with her if she did take it. Some of The Tower ending is meant to convey a complete loss of hope, of people negatively affected by V's absence, most notably Mist leaving the city and Vik's compromise with Zetatech. I changed some of that to keep in line with the edge of hope in Living Through the Ghost.

[chevvy-yates]

WIP WEDNESDAY THURSDAY

got tagged by @morganlefaye79 and @elvenbeard. Thank you!!

Gonna tag: @hydrasshole, @arcandoria, @gloryride, @humberg, @dreamskug, @wraithsoutlaws, @a-pirate, @just-a-cybercroissant, @r3d-f0x-blog and @therealnightcity

——

I. A sneak peak graphic:

:)

II. A rp snippet of @nervouswizardcycle's and my story I finally found time and muse to write after a long long while. This is the next chapter in chronologically order. This idea exists since last year shortly after I created Ryder. I had problems to write him so he's in character, hence it took me so long (and therefore I practised privately writing snippets with Ry and Thy to get into it). Thought I could share this short entry scene with V and Ry ready to visit a party where Arki is hanging around as well (not in this snip here tho):

The door to the elevator closes. “Next time ask Hizumi to do this job with you and leave me out of it, V,” Ryder addresses, arms crossed, his best friend who is currently pushing the button for the elevator to bring them up to the level where a party took place. “You out of all know best how much I despise this snob society,” Scharfenberg adds to it as he watches Vijay steading himself before the elevator would vomit them out in their extra chic Corpo dress code — attending a rooftop party full of wealthy Corpos. Big and small assholes gathering together who rule parts of the city accompanied by low corporate rats who would do everything to get to the top as well some day. He can already smell the various types of them because they left different cologne and perfume scents in the elevator for him to know this party is just full of liars, double-crossers, loan sharks, It-girls and It-boys trying to stand out amongst the overall b- to z-prominence. This party wasn’t too exquisite to have the a-prominence attending; it was just a casual corporate party. No big fish either. He knows the difference. Ryder had to attend numerous such events because he was born into it — being of royal German Corpo blood himself, he just hides it tremendously well. There’s nothing he hated more than Corps gatherings. All these false masks he is able to see through. Snakes who will stab you in the back once you sign their shady contract, ripping you of all your money if you do not manage to be the smarter snake amongst them. “I know Ry. But you do know as well, I need ya to come with me because I can’t speak these gonks’ fine language. You do!” V answers looking at Scharfenberg, who just grits his teeth looking back judgingly. He then turns to look into the big mirror built inside the elevator, fixing a hair strand. “I look ridiculous in this Corpo Kitsch.” “At least it's black.” Ryder makes a grimace at the statement giving him a side glance as well. “You noticed it glitters, right?” “Yeah, you’re gonna shine bright like a black diamond,” V answers with a slight giggle. “Fuck you, V.” “Naww, c’mon, be a lil’ more enthusiastic. It suits you well. I like your look.” "Great, I don't!"  The elevator rings and the door opens. Ryder is first to step outside with a big sigh. “Let’s just get this job done and be outta here.” V is right behind him, already looking around, a smile on his face. He's excited about being at a Corpo gathering. He’s never been to one and everything looks expensive and shiny to him, he doesn’t know where to look nor to go first. “Sure ya don’t wanna stay afterward? Looks marvelous!” V asks, looking almost fondly at the pretty waterfall in the entrance hall. “Yes I am! So let’s go through the plan again before we head to the dude with the guest list,” Ryder says as he lights up a cigarette. He needs some nicotine before going in there. He’s only glad that he knows not a single name on the guest list Vijay hacked earlier to add their names to it. That told him it’s definitely lower Corpo class they got to deal with this evening. “Alright. Once we’re inside we split. You get the cam-bugs in position where you can manage without bein' seen while I try to find that dude under those people in there. Best we meet outside on the balcony once you’re done and then we just play like them while I watch the cams in my runner window if we can’t find him without.” Ryder has smoked up his cigarette pretty fast. He takes a last deep inhale, then proceeds to push the stub out in a nearby ashtray. “Okay!” Dann mal ran an die Drecksarbeit. Both of them walked over to the person with the guest list to get inside. Ryder managed the talking since Vijay would just sound too stiff trying to be a Corpo. “Richard von Reineck and Vinzent Steinbach von Kranichstein” Ryder tells the man in a very calm and clean voice with his German accent coming out now, adding: “Our plane got delayed. We’ve come a long and stressful way from Germany.” The man in front of them scrolled the list, finds the two names and pleased them to go inside.

III: further (old and new) tasks:

I still got my idea to do a Trigun inspired shoot with Ryder, Thyjs and Jaysen. But didn't find the muse for it yet.

When July (Thyjs month) is over, I'll load Vijay's save data and get Ryder in to do some brotp pics — no plan yet but I just want them to be in one pic as well

Same for Arki — Ryder and him need to meet as well. I have two ideas but won't say a thing about it.

Ryder and Ívarr need to meet up for a Bierchen at Totentanz as well — decided to wait until @dreamskug's latest version him is ready but it will happen!

More Ry'n'Thy content ofc — I have a few ideas but nothing special yet.

Need to redo all outfit shots for Thyjs (maybe beginning to decide for outfits for future npv (not decided yet when he's going to be one). He's got so many it's not normal anymore.

For Ry's next backstory part I thought a certain oc could play a bigger part of it, so I guess Ry and Dagger need to meet now too, right @wraithsoutlaws?

Still get info PDF for NPVijay done (my planned Sunday task).

and I'm happy to create more content with @gloryride's Enzo as well. Ideas? none. They always happen spontaneously, right? :D

I also have to answer a shitload of asks. Their time will come! Those who asked me: you'll get a notif anyways once I've answered.

update a shit load of mods but don't want to because my game is very stable for now (no cdpr udate, no core mods update yet) but at one point I guess I have to do.

That's it for now. Not very spectacular I know :)

[another-corpo-rat]

you ever get bored enough to make up some missions for your V if they were an NPC in the game instead? cos i did. instead of fixing up my CV. Productivity? never heard of her

GIG: WHEN THE CAT’S AWAY Gig Type: Thievery Objective: Steal Data from Victoria Crane's laptop Location: Corpo Plaza Apartments, Union Street Details:

Y'know some people you just swear live in some shitty soap opera? Well, enter Angelo Morris and Victoria Crane. Our dear paying client Angelo got written out of their father's will and he swears it's cos of her. Now, do I give a shit? No, but he's paying well so I'll pretend to.

Victoria is out of Night City courtesy of a business trip, and Angelo reckons now would be the best chance to sneak in and klep some shit, just some harmless personal data. To show father dearest that his daughter isn't the best to carry on the family legacy.

Oh, and do this on the quiet. Crane's a netrunner, I don't want her coming back and deciding to dig into my business cos of some broken vase or shit.

Job Completed: [INCOMING CALL - Dino Dinovic]

Failed Stealth: "Jesus V. Got Morris crying in my ear. That data you klepped? Clean as a fucking whistle. Not even a goddamn search history. He's adamant it's cos you tripped the alarms, it activated some protocol on her devices to wipe anything of use or something. So, client's not happy, I'm not happy. Gig closed, one more like this and I'll be striking ya from my list V."

Successful Stealth: "And that's that. Beautiful work on your end V, shame Morris is crying in my ear. That data you klepped? Clean as a fucking whistle. Not even a goddamn search history. But, eh, what can you do? We did what he asked, and besides she's a chair jockey, they tend to be paranoid fucks at the best of times. Shooting your eddies, and closing the gig."

GIG: WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND Gig Type: Agent Saboteur Objective: Upload a virus to Angelo Morris's Network Location: Charter Hill, Palm Street Details:

Caution is wise when treading on a path of vipers. Angelo Morris was not cautious, and now his sister knows what he did.

Our client, one Victoria Crane is hurt, of course, at such an obvious breach of trust and privacy. And so, she has asked us to help even the odds. Sneak into Morris's apartment, and infect his local network with the virus on the shard. She has also requested that caution be thrown to the wind; the louder you are, and the bigger the mess, the better. Odd, I must admit, but she is paying us well and has provided the necessary access to get into her brother's home. Already, half of the job is done. It is up to you to complete the final steps.

Job Completed: [INCOMING CALL - Unknown]

CRANE: "V, was it? Wakako was kind enough to send me your contact so I could thank you personally for your part in this. I have to admit, it's...interesting that I managed to get the very same merc who broke into my apartment on that bastard's behalf to pay him back for me." V: "How did you--?" CRANE: "Angelo can't keep his mouth shut even when he should. Any discretion went to waste the moment he had a bottle of broseph in his hand." V: "Uh huh and there's no hard feelings 'bout that...right?" CRANE: "Oh, not at all. We wouldn't be having this conversation if there was. Thank you for your work V, I'll be sure to keep you in mind next time I need something done."

[corpocyborg]

Secure Your Soul: A Cyberpunk 2077 Fanfiction

This fic was previously published under the title "Before the Event Horizon."

Summary: Six months ago, V's boss at Arasaka ordered her to assassinate his rival. Instead, with the reluctant but invaluable help of her old friend Jackie Welles, she pushed them both off their thrones and claimed one for herself. Now the new Director of Arasaka Counter Intel has a problem. She's uncovered information that indicates that Yorinobu Arasaka, the heir apparent to the Arasaka dynasty, is a traitor. But without solid proof, she's forced to take matters into her own hands.

An AU in which Corpo!V never leaves Arasaka.

CHAPTER THREE: ALL THE RIGHT MOVES

[read on ao3]

Whenever V finally managed to climb to a higher income bracket, she'd have to buy herself one of these. The AV was incredible. She gave it her destination, and watched from out the window as it took off into the air. As usual, the view was much better from above.

She grabbed a champagne flute from the built-in bar and crossed her legs. Normally, she wouldn't drink while she was still working, but tonight, she felt like celebrating. In fact, she decided she would. She called Jackie.

"Hey, V. How's things in the viper pit?" he asked.

"Beautiful," V responded. "If you happen to be a snake charmer."

"Snake charmer, huh?" She caught the skepticism in his voice. "Sounds like you fixed your problem."

"And a few others since then. I'm headed to Lizzie’s. Do you want to meet me there?" 

"Lizzie's, really? What's gotten into you, chica? Normally, you're all biz before pleasure."

“Well, to be honest, I do have some biz to take care of there. But you know I’m not opposed to mixing the two.”

“Uh-huh.” Jackie’s skepticism was back. “All right, then. See you there.”

“See you.” V ended the call, and sat back to enjoy the rest of the ride.

—

She made it to Lizzie's with plenty of time to spare. Of course, the bar didn't have a designated landing pad, but V instructed the AI driver to find a suitable spot as close to the bar as possible. It ended up choosing a nearby basketball court. After it touched down, she stepped outside.

Someone threw a basketball at her head, but she caught it before it hit her. The source was obviously one of the three irritable-looking men off to the side of the court. “Fuck’s your problem, psychosuit?” he yelled at her. “This look like a landing pad to you? Coulda fucking crushed us.”

V tossed the ball back, putting the full force of her cyberware-enhanced strength behind it. He caught it, but it staggered him slightly. 

“You seem fast enough to me,” she commented. “You’ll be fine.”

“Corpos.” He said the word as if it were an insult. “Fucking do whatever. Think the world’s yours.”

“What is it you want? An apology for landing my AV near you? Or maybe you just want to pick a fight? Work off some of that rage? You have… let’s see…” She looked him up and down, analyzing his chrome with her Kiroshi. “A Kerenzikov. Useful tool. Unfortunately not as useful when facing an opponent who can also boost their reflexes. Gorilla arms too, I see. Older version, but not too shabby. I work for the company that manufactures them, actually. They gave us the latest model as a holiday bonus last season. Quite the upgrade from previous versions. I’d love to show you what they can do.”

With satisfaction, she noticed the uncertainty brewing in his eyes. He looked away from her. “Whatever.”  

“Good. Then we’re done here.”

As she walked away, V felt the gratitude she’d felt many times before at getting to live in the age of cyberware. If it’d been a few centuries ago, she could never have dreamed of successfully intimidating a man twice her size. He’d have a permanent advantage against her just because of the body each of them had been born into. But in 2077, the hard work and dedication she’d put in to earn her superior cyberware was all that mattered.    

She was reminded of an old slogan from the 1800s she’d learned in her History of Firearms class at Arasaka Academy. A clever turn of phrase by the man who’d first made the mass production of revolvers commercially viable. God created men, but Colt made them equal. She made a mental note to herself to suggest a reworded variant to Arasaka’s advertising department. 

“Couldn’t use the front door like everyone else?” the bouncer asked her when she tried to enter the club.

"I'm in a hurry," V answered. "Can you keep an eye on the AV for me? I don't trust those three."

"That's not my job." 

V motioned with her hand, transferring a sizeable sum of eddies to the bouncer. "It is now."

"Fine. But I'm keeping an eye on you too." 

She moved aside to let V pass. 

—

Jackie had claimed them a corner booth on the lower floor of the bar. When he spotted her, he greeted her with open arms. “Don’t come here often, do you? It’s good to see you, chica. Now sit down and tell me what’s got you and that stick up your ass out celebrating.”

V grinned and sat down beside him. “It’s good to see you too, Jack. How’ve you been?”

“Got sparks flying between the Valentino boys and Maelstrom. Eddies there for the taking. Long as you don’t get flatlined.”

V didn’t doubt it. She’d often been impressed by Jackie’s keen nose for profit. It rivaled many of her coworkers’. If she didn’t know him so well, she’d try to recruit him.

“You know how it is,” he continued. “Can’t complain. What about you, hermana? Sounded pretty damn cheerful on the phone.”

V launched into her story about outsmarting Jenkins, in as many details as she could without treading into overly confidential territory. But Jackie didn’t seem to find it as amusing as she did. 

When she finished, all he said was, “This job and all the rest of that corpo bullshit? You know what it is? Un pacto con el diablo. You may have gotten out clean this time, V, but how many times do you think that tactic’s gonna work? You sell out enough of your allies and soon you’ll find you don’t have any left.”

Wow. And he said she was the one with the stick up her ass. 

The first of the two entrees V had ordered arrived then, and she was momentarily distracted. She dug in immediately. When she’d had enough to tide her over for a bit, she was able to focus on Jackie’s words again. “Been saying it all along. Sold your soul to those Arasaka fuckers.”

She was starting to wish she’d gone out with someone whose mindset better matched her own. “Those are the rules, Jack. You wanna be top, you gotta have some skin in the game.”

“Yeah, but you’re not on top. Saburo Arasaka is. And you’re the pendeja who keeps him there.”

V resisted the urge to roll her eyes at Jackie’s fundamental misunderstanding of her opinion on hierarchy. “It’s all right not to be at the very top. As long as those above you deserve their place.”

“And do they?” Jackie asked.

“Not all of them,” she amended, thinking of Jenkins. “But the ones that don’t deserve it don’t last very long anyway.”

She turned back to her spaghetti and synthballs, but Jackie wasn’t ready to let go of the topic. “Work for yourself, live for yourself. That’s the only way.”

V smiled. Now that was the kinda talk that reminded her why they were friends in the first place. “I’d love to. Someday. But for now, I’ll take the best deal I can get.”

“That kinda deal? There’s always a cost.”

V didn’t respond. She’d just noticed a group of Arasaka agents dressed in HQ’s uniform moving curtly through the dancefloor. She hadn’t expected Abernathy to send more than one operative. 

“Hey, you lost?” Jackie yelled at them. “Got a problem?”

Luckily, they all ignored him. The apparent leader was focused on her. “Valerie Locke?”

“That’s me,” she confirmed. “You must be here for this.” She moved to pull out the datashard, but he grabbed her by the hair and slammed her face into her plate. 

“Not another move,” he warned her.

“What the fuck is your problem?” she asked, spitting out bits of soy paste. 

“You’re under arrest for the attempted framing of Arthur Jenkins.” He tugged her head back up. “Stand up. You’re coming with us.”

“Whoa. Hold on.” Jackie interjected. He squared off with one of the other guards. “I think you might’ve forgotten just how far from home you are. Not sure this barrio’s your style. Let alone a healthy option.”

“Is that a threat?” the guard asked. 

“Jackie, don’t,” V interrupted him. Even if he could scare the guards off, it wouldn’t be over. They’d just come for her again. “It’s all right. Let them take me.”

Jackie stared at her in concern. “You sure?”

“I’m sure. I’ll settle this misunderstanding properly.” She moved to stand up, so the guard let go of her hair. He’d ruined her updo, not to mention gotten food stains all over her face and suit. That was a tactic, she was sure. To make her look undignified if she had to prove her honor in front of an investigator. 

The guard deactivated the offensive capabilities of her cyberware. With her gorilla arms unpowered, she felt uncomfortably vulnerable. But at least they couldn’t take her mind. She had even more experience thinking her way out of a problem than she did fighting.

“It’ll be alright,” she assured Jackie one last time. He watched silently as they dragged her out of the bar.   

[hcndsomejck]

cp verse thots and ponderings.

ever since mina / @neuroslayyer​ answered that ask [i am vibrating] i have been ferally thinking about the different types of verses jack would have in cp2077. mind you i have not finished the game (my adhd makes it hella difficult to bulldoze thru games, but i love it so much, pls be patient with me) but HAVE gotten to anders hellman so!

he is literally so easy to port over.

verse one: he’s a corpo codemonkey pretty much like his position in tps. corpo suits are very hyperion in nature from my observations [my main v is corpo]. arasaka especially from what i have gathered. it’s a very man-eat-man world even in the shiny, ‘civilised’ towers. [it’s a mirror of the streets, just played on a board meant for 4-dimensional chess.]

story may be relatively similar to tps as well; a suit desperately wanting to climb, being instead climbed himself by those around him until he manages to outmaneuver an exec or director and gets to sit in the cushy seats. [OR] he could be in the throes of lording himself over the rungs below him. 

perhaps not as delusionally insane as in borderlands? i’d love to examine jack in a space where he errs closer to sane than ‘emblazoned by eldritch vault magic making his already massive issues larger than a fucking planet’[1] (see below).

verse two: he’s an engram, akin to tftbl but given how engrams seem to be literal copies of living memory, personality, and soul matter (to my knowledge) it’s less an AI and more actually jack himself. cue anyone getting to suffer his delusional (or not so much as stated before) hero complex, sadism, and flippant disregard for certain groups’ wellbeings!

a few ideas for this one could be for v’s. another jack-in (puns!) gets them a second engram that may, or may not fix their issue w/silverhand. jack erasing/easing johnny’s hold and cruelly shoving him in a box? he’s a hero- he’ll save you! it’s ‘what he does’! jack and johnny fighting and v holding the mental popcorn and despertely needing a drink? 

i don’t think he’d actually replace johnny- unless it’s a post-game verse where; because v has had an engram before, something just easily moves in? johnny and his bits are too integral to the story (it literally drives it) to overwrite him entirely.

UNLESS it’s an au where jack himself basically takes johnny’s place as the anti-corpo, larger-than-life, narcissistic ‘hero complex badass’- where... .... well i just realised they are rather similar aren’t they? HMMM.

borderlands may be an insane space western but it can also be shifted to cyberpunk easily and idk i am noodling and yelling into the void.

[1] -  pls talk to me about a verse where he is actually soft for his angel in the way a more healthy society defines it, rather than [genuinely] thinking entrapment is protection and abusive ‘tough love’ is actually fine. (yes victims can become like their abusers without help but what if- what if his defiant bullshit served him well there? idk. the victim to villain trope IS more convoluted than how most tend to write it.) 

i am notorious for giving layers to shitty father figures [eg; professor hojo in ffvii]. like fuck yes he’d still be awful but staunchly refusing to do to angel what his grandmother did to him.

[gloryride]

Motion for Virgile

Favorite for Oscar

Alternate for Vanessa

Hey, thank you for asking about them 💞💞 i really had fun to imagine Virgile moving, and i'm happy you asked !

[OC ASKS : CHARACTER DESIGN EDITION]ask if you want, love this one

VIRGILE

motion: How does your OC move? How does their clothing help or hinder their range of motion? Are they flexible, coordinated, clumsy?

Virgile walks quickly, back arched, head bowed, halfway between feeling out of place and not wanting to be seen. He avoids glances, cameras and reflections, often with his hands in his pockets. His movements are sometimes nervous, a little brusque, awkward and clumsy… except when he's working. The netrunner is precise, focused, his movements quick but effective, he's in his element. Just like when he's working on his motorbike or his cars, everything is almost instinctive, gestures done and redone over and over again, thanks Dad. But the rest of the time, Virgile is an uncoordinated boy. And don't ask him to dance, he has no sense of rhythm, apart from a few basic steps to avoid looking ridiculous on the dance floor ! That's also why he often wears neutral colours, cool enough not to be too noticeable, almost invisible. White, black and navy blue are his colours, jeans or cargo trousers, tank tops, short jackets with no frills, sometimes even sunglasses or visors. He's a discreet boy, nervous and still wanted by NetWatch since he finished his contract, so he tries to stay under the radar. He abandons this posture when he's with Panam, more proud, chin up and heart eyes. He's a man in love, what do you expect!

OSCAR

favorite: Does your OC have a favorite article of clothing or accessory? What is it? What's the meaning behind it? Do they wear it all the time or do they wear it sparingly to keep it safe?

His sunglasses! Oscar often wears a pair of sunglasses on his eyes, with yellow lenses most of the time. Not only does he think it's stylish, but it protects his eyes from the blazing Pacifica sun. Because he still has an organic eye, and he wants to take care of it. It's become a trademark, almost a part of himself, as he sometimes forgets to take them out, continuing to see life in yellow until late at night, or even until bedtime.

Nothing special behind them, Oscar needed glasses, and he liked these yellow ones. He has several pairs because he often loses them, breaks them or just gives them away! And without meaning to, they've become almost inseparable from him!

VANESSA

alternate: What would your OC's alternate universe look be? If they're a fantasy character, what's their modern look? If they're sci-fi, what's their fantasy look? What AU would you want to see your OC in, and how would they dress themself? Bonus: Prompt an AU!

Oh Vanessa has so many variations! She inspires me a lot, and I can easily imagine her in lots of different worlds. As for Cyberpunk, I already have her nomad version, which is really my favourite AU. Vanessa, aldecaldo, less fancy, less crazy in style, but still just as adventurous and stubborn. I'm really having fun with this AU, not quite defined, but I love taking photos of her in the Badlands ^^ I've also created her corpo version, which is more of a lifepath swap with Valentin (where he's a streetkid). I like to dress her glamorously in her canon, but I love suits and chic, sober clothes on her. No pink in this version, but damn, she's beautiful!

I didn't take any photos, but I have a timeline where Vanessa turns down the Heist, stays at Coyote for a while and eventually becomes fixed at Heywood. It's still very similar to her canon appearance, but I've got some plans for custom outfits for this other timeline, especially used when she's with other V/OCs ^^

She also has these AUs: kpop (poke @bnbc ♥ also thank you for this !) james bond 70s (poke @dustymagpie ♥♥) rocker burlesque wrestling (even was only for Halloween)

And teasing for a new AU ...

I love her so much that I love creating it in other games: Fallout (4 & 76)

Outer Worlds (anticorpo in space!)

(i want to do her in Dragon Age one day, as Baldur Gates if husband has the game for his birthday) ((and many moooore !)

[merge-conflict]

The first time I played through the devil ending was with my corpo V, and I actually remember being a little miffed that Arasaka is like "we shredded him, like you wanted", because I don't actually think there was a point where I agreed to that in-game? I need to rewatch my recording of it, but I also remember being kind of surprised the Johnny left in your consciousness is like "I'm definitely just a memory, but I was never real" and it's like... well, no you are but I killed you. I just am in love with the idea that a corpo V can sort of get along with Johnny in a cats and dogs sort of way, and even can see his point when he's not ranting away but... it's a big thing to give up the comfort and security of a corpo life to become an anarchist and try to change the world, you know? It's just like in real life, people don't want bad things to happen right in front of them, but they'll tolerate all manner of awful stuff if they think there's really no way to fix it, or as long as it doesn't affect them personally, you know? Takemura gets into that a little in that rooftop conversation like "well you can't fix everything at once" which is him rationalizing the fact that Arasaka has created a lot of the problems it will position itself as fighting, just like a real corporation. And, I don't know. I think it's just interesting to have a V who knows what they're doing isn't the Right Thing, but also can't deal with the reality of giving up everything to do it. Especially when Johnny isn't wrong, but also doesn't really have a Plan outside of resisting as openly and violently as possible. That makes it easy to brand him "terrorist" and everything he has to say. Anyway, I definitely don't claim for this to be the only interpretation, or even the right one, but it's something I think about a lot. When I was developing Valentine I wanted her to be someone Johnny thought he could "fix" in the same way he woke up after being a soldier and realized it was all shit and he needed to do something about it. I do also really love the devastation of a corpo V who doesn't believe in any of Johnny's shit but is haunted by him for as long as they might live. But there's also something deliciously tragic about half-agreeing with Johnny, and then realizing after the panic of trying to get back in Arasaka's good graces and survive, for V to realize they can't quite ignore it all the same way they used to.

[sorserah]

Chapter 7: Gimme Danger

Outsider No More | Goro Takemura & Female V/OC

And then he understands, clearly understands what she had been feeling, trying to tell him. And he now realizes too, he does not want to lose her either. 

An interpretation of how a romance between Takemura and Corpo Female V could have been. Changing between Vs and Takemuras POV. Mostly following the main story of the game, adding bits and pieces here and there for a little bit more depth. So spoilers ahead.

18+, Hurt/Comfort, Slow Romance, Panic Attacks, Death, Blood and Injury, Corpo V (Cyberpunk 2077, Takemuras POV, Vs pov, Alcohol, Sexual Tension, Flirting, Denial of Feelings, Internal Conflict, they are both idiots, Guilt, Overthinking, Smut, Sex, Romantic, Gestures

https://archiveofourown.org/works/28434627/chapters/70742016#workskin

You are a coward, you know that. V moans and opens her eyes a slit. Johnny’s face is resting on a pillow next to hers. What are you talking about? She replies tiredly. You two were half-naked, pressed at each other and drunk. And you didn’t even have the guts to kiss him. Fucking pathetic, he smirks. V rolls onto her back, her apartment already lit in bright daylight. She could hear the shower running. She rubs her eyes. First of all: Why do you care? I thought you hate the thought of me doing anything with him? He leans on his elbow. Hell, I do V, your high-class date yesterday was absolutely disgusting but even worse, you have no balls to do what you feel like.

It’s not that easy okay, flirting is fine but more would be stupid. And why is that?  He sits up straight, leaning against the wall on her bed. Because I need him, we need more intel about the biochip and I want to have as many options as possible to fix this - taps onto her head — no offense. He dismissed it with a wave of his hand. And if I initiate anything and he isn’t interested, well, one option less and a vital one less. Listen V, these are completely stupid concerns you didn’t have yesterday, so shut it and just admit that you are a coward, he's lighting up a cigarette, one thing I can tell you - because I like you a little bit, and I can’t keep watching this shit show - is the ‘Saka Scum wants you as much as you want him. You just don't see it. Trust me. He disappears again. There is only one way to test this V, Johnny whispers insider her head. Ugh, leave me alone, she thinks, knowing full well he is right.

Takemura steps out of the bathroom, still rubbing his head with a towel. Only wearing his pants. „Morning, Goro. Shirts, not your thing?“ She asks boldly, letting her eyes wander over his upper body, not even trying to hide it „It is midday already.“ Observing her eye movement with his eyes, he throws the towel over his shoulders and puts his hair up in a bun. Flexing his muscles unintended. Damn. V just let her turned on countenance show and Takemura continues seemingly unperturbed „Also I cannot wear my shirt when you are wearing it.“ She looks down, she must have thrown it over her sportswear after they left the gym yesterday and simply went to bed with it.

„Uh, sorry. Wanted to shower as well anyway. And I think I have a fresh one your size in the closet. But..“ She stands up from her bed, crossing her arms lifting his shirt over her head, revealing yesterday's outfit. Walking unnecessary close to Takemura, handing him his shirt. Tilting her head „...Here.“ It was difficult to see any reaction in his eyes, the brown faded almost seamlessly into the black of the pupil and the white edge of the augmentation made it even more elusive to see any contrast. To her, his eyes looked black, through and through. He grabs his shirt, holding her gaze „There is iced coffee in the fridge. In case you want some after you finish your shower.“ He states breaking the silence. „I knew you would like it and thank you very much, I will.“ She walks gracefully into the bathroom, in the mirror seeing pleased that his eyes are still lingering on her.

„V, could you come over here?“ Takemura asks her as she steps out of her weapon room, freshly and completely dressed, lastly tying a knot into her shirt. „Sure.“ She walks over to the fridge to get her iced coffee and drops across him on the couch. His blue-lit eyes turn to their normal color again when he starts to speak „The information of Okada-san is very useful. I am observing the area of the parade. I am trying to find out where exactly what is. Which entrances we could use…“ She grabs her phone from her pocket, „Here wait, give me the data shard please.“ She casts aside the radio and puts her phone down in the middle of the table. When she accepts the shard from him she makes sure her hand strokes his softly, before inserting the shard next to her personal link. Even she could feel this light touch trailing down her arm. Her eyes light up blue and an identical holographic map of Night City shows up over her phone.

„Impressive technology.“ Takemura raises his eyebrows „Thanks, Kiroshi Optics, newest firmware.“ She turns the map and zooms into her apartment „Okay, on this way it will be a bit easier to show you where everything is and discuss detes.“ Zooming in and out of the map she shows Takemura Japantown and interesting spots, entrances, and exits there. They also debate how they might approach the whole mission. „I need to see this market myself.“ He concludes minutes later „Get an idea of the area. Connecting dots I have been working on the last few days. Will you accompany me?“

V presses the button of the elevator and the door closes, making its way up to the food market. Takemura is leaning against the wall, arms crossed, a slight grin on his face „You seem a bit different today V. More energetic I think. Is there something I need to know?“ She is leaning next to him, facing him. „Uhm no. Just had a great evening yesterday, a nice morning view, hyped up on caffeine. You on the other hand seem a bit unimpressed today.“ He frowns again, „I try to concentrate on our mission.“ She walks over to the elevator door, so her back is facing him „And so do I. But that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy it, you know. You are missing a bit of your impulsivity.“ She enhances the last word, looking at him over her shoulder, before taking the first out of the elevator.

They access a bridge with numerous illuminated paper lanterns crisscrossing the overhead canopy. Takemura passes V and turns on his heels, walking backward while talking to her, again a slight grin on his face „While you were working, I acquired some information on my own. Do you know who most wished to honor Arasaka-sama with the parade?“ V shakes her head. Takemura stops, grabs her lightly at one shoulder, and leads her to the nearby railing of the bridge. They both lean over it, facing the street underneath. He continues to speak in a hushed tone „His murderer. The irony makes me sick.“ She contracts her eyebrows „What is in it for him? Doesn't seem like the kind of who’d care to honor tradition.“ „That is so. Japanese heritage is one element. Yorinobu will also put on a display of power. The floats are sure to be beautiful, but the wizened eye will see in them a hidden message to his foes.“ „And that would be..?“ „I am here gumin-domo. Watch your backs.“

„Huh, not one for subtlety. But how will this get us anywhere?“ He turns around, leaning his back and elbows on the railing „I have an idea, you helped developing it today. Look at the sky.“ She mirrors his movement and puts her head in her neck. Several transporters are flying over their heads, Takemura continues „The dash floats will pass precisely this way. If I could get onto Hanako-samas float, I could speak with her in private.“ V rubs her forehead with both of her hands, shaking her whole head before grabbing the railing with one hand, letting herself hang casually, and pointing a finger at Takemura „I hope you are not telling me next what I think you will.“ Takemura grins, turning around to face her „I will jump, of course.“ She rolls her eyes „Expectations way too high Goro. Couldn’t pull that off even if you still had your fancy implants.“

„I came up with a solution for this, too. I learned more about the floats. They are all kept in one place - Arasaka Industrial Park. It is there that they prepare them. We need only to break into the compound, find the right float and inject a virus into its system. You will be able to disable any security before I sneak inside, lower the float if needed. And before you say anything“, he adds while seeing her open her mouth and retrieves a small shard from his right pocket.

„I know what you need. It is taken care of. I have an infected shard.“ V closes her mouth, opens it up again, and states „I…I am seriously impressed, Goro. How...when did you do all of this?“ He smiles proudly „As I said, while you were doing your thief activities. Okada-san recommended a man across the canal. The shard wasn’t cheap, but is guaranteed to work.“ „Kabuki huh, might be decent soft then, I will test it later. And if doesn’t work I have some tricks up my sleeve.“ „This is what I was hoping for.“ He grins smugly and hands her the shard.

They keep walking along the bridge, while the data uploads. „To take control of the float is one thing, but not all. The security concerns me - the snipers especially. I will be an easy target.“ They cross the bridge and move to the side. Takemura and V sit down at the nearest food stall and he turns to face V once again „But I may have an answer. Okada-san mentioned the city cameras. If we gain access to them, we will see exactly where these snipers are. And you can deal with them as I advance.“ They sit down at a nearby food stall.

She simply nods „Sounds like a plan.“ Though she doesn’t like it at all. This is more difficult for her than she thought. Takemura had clearly grown on her and the possibility of losing someone again because of her past mistakes - because of Arasaka - was unimaginable right now. His enthusiasm made it even more difficult for her. Reminds her of Jackies before he died. He must have noticed the sorrow in her eyes „Is everything okay, V?“ His voice slightly worried „Sure…it’s nothing. Just been thinking about the plan.“ As much as she wishes to tell him right now how stupid his plan was, she didn’t. It was too crowded and dangerous to talk about it in public anyway.

Can’t believe I’m saying this, but this ‘Saka scum might actually prove useful. He is a well-trained dog - needs orders, that’s all. Please don’t talk like that about him. Johnny grins, and when he outlives his purpose, we’ll flatline him. Fuck you, Johnny, we sure as hell won’t. We’ll come back to this later, he rolls his eyes. No, we won’t and that’s my last word on this.

„Good. Getting into the said park will be my next action and I will not be such a ‚bed of roses‘. We part now. Reconnaissance is required.“ He states, she shakes her head „You’re a stranger in a strange land. I’m goin’ with you. I don’t know why you are even considering going alone.“ „Are you not busy with something else today?“ „Nah.“ But even if there was any work for her today, it can wait. He raises an eyebrow. „Okay, we will do it together.“ Music of the news intro strikes their ears, they both look at the TV hanging from the roof of the food stall. „Yorinobu.“ Takemura spits derogatory „He eliminated the last obstacle between himself and complete power.“ „And they…“ „Surrendered it to him. Arasaka an empire build to last. Before Yorinobu set fire to it dorm the inside. All of this began with him.“ He turns away from the TV, face disgusted.

„What I don’t understand, why would Saburo tolerate it all? Could have kept him on a short leash.“ „Arasaka-sama was a strong and disciplined man. The strongest man I have ever known. Yet, at a critical moment, he showed a weakness.“ „For Yorinobu.“ He shakes his head „For his daughter. Arasaka-sama could have crushed him with one word. Yet he did not. For he did not wish his daughter to suffer. She persuaded her father to give him a second chance. Do you understand? Hanako-sama saved Yorinobu from the consequences of his deeds.“ V thinks about this before replying „Feels like that’s about to change. As long as we get Hanako to believe our version of events.“ Takemura nods quickly „We must reach her first. And for this“ And rises from his chair „Let us go from here.“

“Come, I have found a good place to observe.” She follows Takemura closely behind on the construction site as he is climbing over a fence. “Fortune smiles to us, no one is here today.” he says over his shoulder. The two of them keep walking into a giant concrete building, cables hang loosely, metal posts that have not yet been covered poke out of the walls on the left and right, and water drips from the ceiling while their footsteps echo off the sheer size of the entrance hall. They arrive at an elevator and it needs both of their technical abilities to open the metal doors in front.

On the top floor, Takemura is heading straight two staircases upwards to the highest point of the building and leans over a railing to the left. Orange beams of sunlight lighting up his face. „We must look for vulnerabilities, weaknesses, while I try to think of a diversion. Arasaka can not discover our intentions. A bit of sabotage is just what we need to divert their attention. You will have the best view here..” he points to the left, “I will try here. This old scope should be good for something.” “Alright, let’s do this.”

The next fifteen minutes they spent discussing possible entrances and weaknesses of the facility. Finally, they decide that V should take the path over the fence and then through the main security building, from which a path should lead into the warehouse. Takemura puts his scope back in his pocket „We have what we came for. But I wish to be certain, we have not overlooked anything. We should wait and observe.“ “Sound sensible. Better get comfy. You still hungry?” He turns to her, his face slightly curious. "Actually, I am. Any recommendations?“

They ordered takeaway to the construction site. V did recommend a pizza. For quite a while they just ate in silence and watched the building. He suddenly grabs her by her arm „V, no sudden movements, look.“ Cautious, she looks to her left, but only sees a cat. „Oh a cat.“ She whispers, „Sometimes a stray - Nibbles - visits my apartment.“ He raises his eyebrows from surprise „Oh I would love to meet them! This one is the first animal I see in Night City. Except for cockroaches of course.“ „First it was birds, then dogs - cats actually put up a fight longest.“ „Maybe it is a bakaneko?“ V looks at him with a questioning expression. „It is a cat spirit“ he explains „it brings misfortune, can restore the dead back to life.“ „Huh, sounds familiar.“ „Exactly.“ He studies the cat curiously „My grandmother knew many, many stories about kitsune, kappa - bakaneko, too.“ He smiles, but the cat disappears „Mhmm, it seems to be tired of us.“

They keep eating for a few more minutes. Takemura didn’t say anything positive about the food but didn’t complain either. „So..“ She begins, still wanting to know more about the rest of the plan „Just to go through the plan again. First we hack the floats,“ she moves her head to the facility, „next I will detect and mark all snipers, taking them out during the parade. And then…you jump on the float, break in and casually talk to Hanako trying to convince her, her brother killed her father?“ her voice dripping with sarcasm.

„That is the plan, yes. I thought you missed my impulsivity?“ He was grinning, but she remains serious, not a sign of a smile on her face, tossing her food to the ground „Yes, but not like this. What if something happens to you?“ His grin vanishes, too, as he sees her expression „Worst case I will die trying to do what is right.“ She could feel a familiar stab in her chest. Fuck it. Fuck being only flirty, not crossing her own boundaries. „But what about me?“ He looks at her wondering, also placing his food next to him. „You will run, hide, change your hair again, hope to seek help from someone else.“ She is getting angrier, clenching her fists, but her voice still firm. „No. I meant what about ME if you die.“

„V. I do not understand.“ He contracts his brows „Clearly.“ She shakes her head, turning towards him, holding his gaze „I don’t want to lose you Goro.“ She said it. Taken by surprise he looks at the ground „V, I…“ Searching for words, he looks back at her, his eyes soft, he takes her hand again, squeezing it lightly „That is very kind of you V. I will not forget your concern and I will do my best to survive.“ „Thank you.“ They look at each other intensely, his hand still holding hers, Vs eyes wandering again from his eyes to his mouth. But before she could shift towards him, he lets go of her hand, almost alarmed, quickly standing up and leaning over the railing.

He exhales audibly „I would call this a beautiful view of the city if..” V tries to behave as if nothing happened. With suppressed confusion, she asks “If?” But she couldn’t suppress the feeling of being rejected, especially because of the sudden change of topic. “If there was anything to admire.” She clears her throat, looking at the ground “Hate Night City that much?” He pauses for a second, glances over the nearby building, and then on to the mountains in the distance „Mh, perhaps I am simply a little bit ‚homesick‘ as you say.“ „Just a little bit?“ „It has gotten better, especially the last few days.“ She looks back up at him. He is still glancing into the distance.

„I am from the slums of Chiba-11. Once when I was desperate to leave there I...egh, bad memories too. Washed away by time. I long only for the simple days of childhood.” He turns around, leaning backward, elbows resting on the railing like he so often does. “I remember the chemical stench of the canal, where we boys washed our shirts. Corporate transporters sometimes passed through our slum. Arasaka selecting children - but only the clean ones.” He said with a monotonous and empty voice, staring over Vs shoulder. She still could quite catch why he was telling her this.

“What did they need kids for?” She asks. “To be corporate soldiers.” he answered bitterly “When they chose me. I felt I had won the lottery. In the army, I was given everything I lacked before - discipline, regular meals, and when I proved I was gifted - an education.” V nods “All you had to do was kill Arasakas enemies.” “I sense that you judge me.” “I’m not judging you.” He makes a small pause. “I thought you were wrong to oppose the corporations, their order, their world in a mindless way.”

Takamura begins to walk up and down in front of her “but yet, the longer I am here, the longer I am here with you...the more it occurs to me, you might have a valid point.“ He walks back, sitting next to her again, leaning forward and kneading his hands „You show me filthy streets, tell and show me what Arasaka does, did to you and your friends as if no other worlds exist. And then wealth, your other life with Arasaka, more than even I used to see. As if everything is possible…I am just so confused V.“ He buries his face in his hands.

„I understand. This must be hard for you.“ He sits up straight „It is. I started to ask myself the other day ‚What of the millions who work for Arasaka and receive stability, safety?‘ What of the rest of the Arasaka family, which feels like my own? My responsibility for them?’ But also ‚What about Chiba-11? What about the people in this city?' What about your friends and" he pauses "and you? The corporations are here and there, scraping what remains out of the people. Arasaka decided that, too.” Takemura puts his index finger and thumb over both of his eyes, sitting still for a minute.

She moves closer to him, patting his shoulder softly “I understand this is very difficult for you. But we cannot fix everything at once if it will be even our choice to make. For now, I try to live as freely as possible. You should try.“ She suggests lighthearted. He chuckles „Sometimes I wish to become a nomad. To leave this world. Forget everything.“ „Sounds like a dream, too good to be true.“ V scratches the ground with her boots a bit before she continues talking „Thank you though, Goro. For opening up. Letting me know what’s going on. You are hard to read, I’ll give you that.“ He smiles, looking at her. “We should get some rest now, you look tired. I will keep an eye on those guards.” He strokes over her back and stands up to get back into position. She lays back, closing her eyes and tries to calm down, before drifting into a rough nap.

The air has cooled down. The darkness of night only punctuated with beams of light from the nearby facility. She rises again with an awful headache, „Fuck it’s getting worse“. She rubs her head and eyes for a slight relief of pain. “Now, I think it is time to do something”, she hears Takemura whisper close to her. Her eyes haven’t adjusted to the darkness yet. With her knees still shaking, she stands up and staggers over to Takemura who seems to be standing at the railing, watching the security building.

Now several things are happening at the same time: On the way to the railing, she stumbles and bumps into the concrete column, kicking an old beer bottle over the edge of the roof while holding onto the railing. Takemura jumps to her side and grabs her, holding her tightly by her waist pressing her to the steady column behind to stabilize them. A transporter flies overhead and lights up the roof and the splintering of the bottle echoes in the empty walls of the building. They are now guaranteed the full attention of the guards on the footbridge. Accordingly, they heard machine guns and rifles being reloaded, aimed and heavy shoes running up and down the bridge. „Who‘s up there?!” One of the guards shouts.

She still feels too dizzy to think clearly about what to do now, so she turns her head back to Takemura, but she could only see his lips forming the word „Fuck." Since the noise the guards make increases incessantly with every second. The next thing she notices are Takemuras hands wandering from her waist up to her head, grabbing it tightly, both hands over her ears and hair, thumbs on her cheeks. His eyes protruding the surrounding dark night, slowly drifting to her mouth. The air she was breathing thick. Intuitively, she closes her eyes and seconds later, she feels his lips on hers.

The soft touch of his thumbs on her cheeks, his hands shielding the surrounding noises and the intimate and vulnerable moment, made her feel an inner peace she hadn’t in a very long time. She lifts her hands up to his neck, feeling the cold metal of his augmentations. Crawling upwards to his jaw, as she returns the kiss more passionately. She tilts her head slightly and opens her mouth to press her tongue against his lips to grant access.

His lips part and he moves even closer to her, tongues softly caressing. As they take a quick breath, a moan slips away from her. While her closed eyes are suddenly drenched in the bright light of a spotlight, she could only hear her heart racing. However, sudden loud whistles and laughter make them tear apart „Damn, get a room next time!“, the guards were walking back to their normal positions. The night dark once again.

They are standing there, awkwardly, still wrapped around each other. Takemura steps away first, she clears her throat “Well, this was actually the kind of impulsivity I was referring to.“ Vs breathing still quick and heavy, she wants more. He smirks but only for a second before asking earnestly „Are you alright?“ „I am feeling better yes.“ „Good,“ he turns around, „we should start now, not lose more time“ walking back down the stairs to the elevator. Rain had started to fall. She follows him. V, remember what I said, she heard Johnny's voice inside her head.

Takemura and V enter the elevator. The air between them still feels thick, electrified. Takemura presses the button and crosses his arms, facing her. As the elevator starts moving, V walks over, pushing Takemura with her right hand slightly against the wall. Eyes on his shirt, the top unbuttoned again. She traces along the line of his collar, looking up at him, his eyes pitch black, lips parted and suddenly they are exactly where they had stopped. Though their tongues are now wilder, the kiss hungrier, Takemura groans as he grabs her hair tightly. They feel the elevator hit the ground. He pulls away, his face tormented, eyes closed tightly „V. We need to stop.“ She strokes her hand over his shoulders under his heavy jacket „Why?“ She asks her voice low. He grabs her hands carefully but with intention, removing them from his body „V, I cannot do this.“ And he brushes past her.

They make their way through the building and over the fence to V’s car, they didn't exchange a word. The feeling of being rejected creeping back into her mind. He opens the door, but hesitates and explains with his back to her: „We stay in touch, the diversionary action - is mine to do.“ She nods, not sure what to say, „I…Goro, do I have to be sorry?“ Takemura turns around „I, I do not know. I don't think so. It is complicated. I am sorry, V.“ And he gets into her car, closing the door, driving away. She stops for a moment, closes her eyes. Fuck. 

[musesbykai]

Aaand there’s the reaction V feared. They really should have kept their mouth shut.

“You rather I run all that way?” V questioned as they fixed their many braid. “Beside, I never suggested letting her in your home. That’d be insane!” They held their hands up to either side of their head, fingers spread out like claws, to emphasis how much they think it insane to even be living in the same place as this woman.

“But we gotta find her first before Smasher, Lachlan or Achim do.”

V could practically feel Johnny glaring daggers at them. And they knew exactly why. But they’re ignoring him, for the moment, in favor of looking Oron in the eyes.

“What I was thinking was finding her some place that’s secluded, alright? Give her a run down of how this universe works. That way she can leave you, me, and Chai alone. And she gets the solitude she prefers. Besides… I kinda owe her for the time she helped me get a couple Militech bombs.” ~ kaiju-crimson-storyandask

The Australian remained silent during V’s testimony and defending of this corpo. It didn’t sound like them at all, he only had a feeling on how Johnny would feel about the situation at hand. He continued to glare V down before his eyes returned to the front. As they did so, the foot was lifted off the break and the truck started to cruise along the back road.

“So you snuck out again.”

Oh no, THAT tone. That tone of disappointment that dad’s used to truly express how they felt about their kids breaking the rules. He gave a sigh to REALLY hammer in just how upset he was.

“I’m gonna do this one thing for you… then we’re gonna have a chat when we get home.”

@kaiju-crimson-storyandask

[elf-trash]

SilverV Recommended Reading

Wanted to do a post where I share some of my all-time favorite multi-chapter SilverV fics, in no particular order. Highly recommend checking all of these out, as well these authors' other work! I stg this fandom has some crazy talented writers.

cut loose (before it gets late) - cherrykiss Literally cannot recommend this one highly enough!!!! Set post-game, Johnny has his body back, but V is still dying. It's about Johnny and V getting together and is wonderfully painful and incredibly fun. Read this one, you will NOT regret it.

Run To You - JaneOfTheChoir Also set post-game, Johnny has his body back. Featuring Ambrosia, a Nomad V. The main plot involves her being kidnapped. Still in the early chapters, but an extremely exciting start!!!

Smoke and Retribution - madelinek Another one of my absolute favorites. This one is an AU where V is a popular musician during the same years as Samurai, and she enlists Johnny's help in getting out of her record deal with Arasaka. Really really fun and spicy!

Cyberpunk 2003: Never Fade Away - bubble_bones Another AU where V is alive during Johnny's time, but in this one, she's a fan who meets him after a show (and loses her virginity to him lol). It's the first part of a series, so if you dig it, there's PLENTY more where it came from!

Phantom Touch - teeterss This one is a new one that just started posting recently, but it's such a strong, promising start and I personally am very excited to see where it goes, so I'm including it on this list! Follows the story of the game but doesn't rewrite or include scenes from the game.

Can You Feel The Sun? - heartofsnark This one follows the story of the game and features a V named Aidan, the author's deaf OC. Top tier Johnny banter and dialogue in this one, and a super unique and fleshed out OC if that's your thing!

Feedback Loop - Cantique Covers the story of the game, also heavily features a V/Takemura romance. A classic for a reason! Also, there's a sequel.

Take Me Home - KettleBlack This one focuses more on River/V than Johnny/V, but still goes on this list for being EXCELLENT. This one really stuck with me and remains one of my all-time faves.

Do You Dream of Me? - ruruie If you've read my fic you know I am a SUCKER for dream tropes. This fic is a reimagining of the Devil ending and it absolutely ruined my life in the best way. Features a corpo V. Highly recommend!

The Rebel Path - elf_trash And last but hopefully not least, this one is mine!!! Covers the events of the game and beyond, including a rewrite of the endings and a fix-it. Features Vero, my street kid goblin daughter and has a Kerry/V romance arc as well. Very angsty, you've been warned.

Do yourself a favor and click on these links you won't regret it!!!

[saevus-brutalis]

oc interview questions —

██-██ 2077 lead interviewer: [REDACTED] >> main video file corrupted [̲̅███_̲̅_̲̅] 30% partial reconstruction complete. wasn't tagged by anyone but it looked fun so 😌

Name?

V. [The interviewer leans forward, gesticulating for him to continue.] Just V.

Are you single? 

[He rises an eyebrow, clearly not amused. It seems like he was expecting that question.] Yes, but don’t get your hopes up. I’m not interested.

Are you happy? 

Point me to someone that is. But no, can't say that I am.

Are you angry?

[Shrugs] It's a well-known feeling to me. Used to experience it more commonly in the past. There are a lot of things to be angry about. The state of this shithole, ever-rising rent prices, crappy food, even crappier people…

Interviewer: And are you angry right now?

Trust me, you don't want to find out.

Are your parents still married?

[Silence, dark eyes dart to the side, jaw appears to be clenched.] No. Hard to be married if you’re dead. [He shrugs, acting nonchalant.] She never took his last time, didn’t want to be tied down like a dog on a leash. Good for her, honestly. Think she wanted to file for a divorce, too. She was just too late.

Interviewer: Let's start with some basics.

Birthplace?  

Here.

Interviewer: Here?

[Sighs] Night City, born and bred. Grew up here, probably will die here. Corpo Plaza was my playground, not an idea place to rise a kid, but where, here, is really? Haywood was my true training ground. I’ve lived all over - different neighborhoods, states, countries, different military camps. Yet I always find myself back here, back in NC.

Hair color?

Black. All natural. Started graying like 8 years ago maybe, used to try and dye them to hide it, but I gave up after a year or two. Couldn’t be fucking bothered, really. Besides, I’ve heard people were into silver foxes these days.

Eye color?

Used to be green. Had my mother’s eyes. Beautiful shade, people always complimented her. Me too if I’m being honest, always ignored them though. Sometimes I regret ever getting optics. But I had to, it was in the job description. Now I can’t imagine having ‘ganic ones. And I don’t think I could bare her looking back at me every time I stare in the mirror to shave.

Birth day?

November 12th, you can tell I’m a scorpio.

Interviewer: And what year were you born?

2019. Just before the Fourth Corp Wars. Weird times, but I can’t really remember shit aside from the red sky. Put my childhood way behind me. Stopped celebrating my birthday a long time ago too. No one to celebrate with either, aside a handful of friends, but it’s only just beer at my place anyway.

Mood?

Indifferent. Tired, mostly. Nothing a good hookup can’t fix.

Gender?

Born male, identify as a man. It’s not something I really questioned ever. Always have been comfortable with my body and masculinity. Never lost touch with my feminine side though, [He gestures at his painted nails, silver jewelry, piercings, and smudged eye makeup] guess I got it from my ma.

Summer or winter?

Winter, full stop. Ever seen snow? Best shit ever. Too bad it never snows here. Sometimes I wish I stayed on that mountain and never came back. I’d rather freeze there than sweat my balls off in the summer in Cali. Funny, considering I still live here and don’t plan on moving any time soon.

Morning or afternoon?

Early mornings beat everything. Before the sun even rises. It’s calm, quiet, everyone’s still asleep. It’s when I feel the most rested, even when I haven’t slept the whole night. Yoga sesh on the balcony during the sunrise gotta be the best way to start your day.

Interviewer: Not, let's get a little bit more personal. Some listeners are dying to know these questions.

Are you in love?

Yeah. After forty years still am. It’s mostly repressed by now. ‘m trying not to think about that.

Do you believe in love at first sight?

Yeah. Fell victim to it four decades ago. It sucks, hurts when shit doesn’t go your way and I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone, but fuck if it isn’t the best fucking feeling ever in the beginning stage.

Who ended your last relationship? 

We both did. ‘‘twas a mutual decision. We split on good terms. Still got his number on speed dial. We don’t talk much these days, too busy, proud, or butthurt over the whole situation. But we’re still friends, yeah.

Are you afraid of commitments?

Again, who isn’t? Hard to trust people these days, in my line of work especially. Too many secrets, too many money-hungry people willing to take advantage and sell you out for a quick buck. Takes too much time too, committing to someone I mean. If we haven’t known each other for at least a full year I don’t trust you enough to have my number. With some exceptions, of course.

Have you hugged someone within the last week?

Yeah, my friend and ripper. We served two tours together, guy’s been having a rough time lately. Came over with a couple of beers, then couple of beers turned into more beers, and you know what intoxication does to people. Don’t regret it, seemed like both of us needed it.

Have you ever had a secret admirer?

People aren’t too secretive about being a fan - or rather an admirer as you called them - of me online, that’s for sure. Can you believe they’ve made a forum dedicated to me? Yeah, me neither. I don’t know why these kids choose to spend their free time documenting my life, achievements, writing down every piece of clothing I wore and what’s my coffee order, but as long as it’s something as innocent as that I don’t really mind. I don’t have it as bad as some BD stars, I hope at least. Some of the candid pictures they take of me look really good I can give them that. And don’t even get me started about video edits I’ve seen resurface here and there.

Once I had someone send me a package to my private home address, no idea how they found it, glad it was the only instance and it never happened again. If anything I value my privacy and I rather not have an obsessive stalker sending me love letters. Online forums? Be my guest, but don’t go digging too deep, I know my fair share of netrunners.

Have you ever broken your own heart?

Yeah. It was a choice. A stupid one. I could’ve avoided it, but I was young and dumb, a scared nineteen year old. But what’s past is past. Hard to tell if I ever recover but you gotta move forward. I wouldn’t have gotten this far had I been stuck dwelling on the past. There’s not a day I don’t regret doing what I did, the broken heart is very much deserved.

Interviewer: Okay, that was intense. Let's cool off with some light 'this or that' questions.

Love or lust?  

Love, easy. I’m too old to rely on lust, learned that the hard way. In short: been there, done that. All of my hookups were fueled by lust, there was no love there. You can only enjoy lustful relationships so long before it starts wearing you down. It fades quickly, doesn’t fulfill you, makes you feel empty.

Lemonade or iced tea?

Iced tea. It’s the closest thing to iced coffee. And you can always add lemon to your tea. So many types of tea too. Lemonade is too plain and most of the synth stuff tastes like ass anyway.

Cats or dogs?

Cats. Don’t get me wrong I love my dog, love going on a run with him, but I’ve always been a cat person, would choose to reincarnate as one, a black panther perhaps? They seem to like me too, while some dogs snarl and bark. People say I give off tiger vibes, maybe that’s what I was in my past life.

A few best friends or many regular friends? 

A few best friends. You can never be too careful picking who you choose to hang out with, trust enough to lower your guard. Too many fake people, all too eager to stab you in the back when you’re least expecting it. Lived long enough to know, when it comes to people - the less is better.

Wild night out or romantic night in?

Mix of both you can say. My job gives me enough wildness as is. In NC everything happens fast, so a chill night in is a nice change of pace. It’s more private too. But I won’t say no to blowing shit up in the air or wild chases with the cops - that’s what a good night out is, right?

Day or night?

Night. There’s a reason I’ve stayed in NC as long as I did - it’s the city lights. There ain’t nothing more beautiful than Nigh City, well… at night. The air is cooler, you can’t see the grime and smog, only the neon lights. It’s when the freaks come out, it’s when you can get your hands on the best food, best drugs, best guns. Nighttime here has its charm and it definitely charmed me.

Interview: Now for the classics. Have you ever...

Been caught sneaking out?

When I still lived with my dad, sure, a couple of times. It was my stepmom who would always catch me, my dad more rarely, he was out of the house most of the time, always working late shifts. Chalice she… Was always home, monitoring me ever since she moved in. It was hard in the beginning but once I had figured out her schedule it was much easier to sneak out, especially at night.

When I was in boarding school maybe once or twice, but never again after that. It’s where I mastered the art of not getting caught. And as you can see - it worked, I’m still here.

Fallen down/up the stairs?

My room was downstairs, never had any reason to go up to my parents' bedroom, especially after my mom passed. Definitely did when I was a kid, now not really. I trip sometimes over my cat when walking down the stairs but never fall down. The artificially boosted reflexes are a lifesaver.

Wanted something/someone so badly it hurt?

Someone, rather than something. Nowadays if I want something I just get it and if I can’t, I get over it. Maybe it wasn’t meant to be mine. But I did, I did want someone bad, still do. And yes, it still hurts.

Wanted to disappear?

More times than I can recall. It’s a constant thought, something I’m going over with my counsellor every now and again. I did disappear for a few years back in 2046 - went totally off the radar. It wasn’t planned or anything. Pretty sure I was pronounced legally dead by the time I came back in 2051. Sometimes I do wish to leave, have any trace of me wiped, I feel like I’ve done enough damage here.

Interviewer: Now, for those who still have their hopes up, despite you saying you’re not looking for a relationship. Tell me…

Smile or eyes?

Smile. The eyes can be changed, switched and swapped. Too many Kiroshi models available on the market to count.

Shorter or taller? 

Pretty much everyone is shorter than me. I prefer people close to my size. As long as I don’t have to physically bend to be on the head level with someone, its alright. However I do prefer tall people, someone I can look in the eyes.

Intelligence or attraction?

It’s all about vibes, man. I can be into a dumb hot himbo as much as into a mildly attractive genius, babbling about quantum physics like it’s his entire personality. If the conversation’s flowing and you’ve piqued my interest I don’t care for neither, as long as the sex is good.

Hook-up or relationship?

Both, neither. Hookups get the job done. It’s nice while it lasts. Clouds work for me too, it’s just a transaction, no feelings, zero expectations. Relationships on the other hand - I got burned too many times. Been in two serious ones and I don’t think I have the strength for another one. Not for a while at least.

Interviewer: You don't talk much about your family, do you? Mind if I ask you a few questions about them?

Do you and your family get along?

No. I’ve gone no contact since I got my first job and moved out at 21. It’s not like they bothered to reach out either. Dad died in ‘69. Wasn’t welcomed to his funeral but I went anyway, wanted to see the dead bastard one last time. He’s still out there somewhere, copied his psyche onto a shard; some corps have him stashed away behind sealed doors.

Was never close with my dad’s side of the family, definitely wasn’t close with his latest spouse. Never knew my grandparents or my mom’s cousins, all lived in Geneva, not once have they visited the States. My mom’s older brother on the other hand - the black sheep of the family - met him a few times, we don’t keep in contact however. He shut down after her death, scurrying off to the Badlands, cooking skiff is his trailer. He’s alright, one last person I can call family, really. Besides my stepsister. She’s the only person I truly get along with, only family member I care for. Never knew I had a sister until she turned 7. We keep in contact daily.

Would you say you have a “messed up life”?

Yes. Definitely. Climbing to the top of the food chain takes a lot of sacrifices. Still question if it all was worth it.

Have you ever run away from home?

Yeah. Went through my rebel teenage era, running away for a few day and crashing at my friend’s house or my then-boyfriend’s camp. I would do and go anywhere to just be out of the house. I was a total edge-lord back then.

Have you ever gotten kicked out?

Technically yes, by my dad when he sent me away to the boarding school. But no, not really.

Interviewer: What about your friends? Even a dangerous veteran solo like yourself must have someone to drink beers with.

Do you secretly hate one of your friends?

A part of me hates a some part of them. I think it’s only normal. But no, why would I be friends with someone I hate.

Do you consider all of your friends good friends? 

Sure, most of them yeah. We’re all totally different people with different goals and ambitions, but they stuck long enough to be considered good friends.

Who is your best friend? 

Was. Mickey. Miss the bastard every day, I carry his dog tag with me at all times. Rache is next line even if we don’t talk much. I guess the military can really bond two people together.

Who knows everything about you?

No one. I guess I tell Felix a lot of stuff, but there are a lot of gaps I keep to myself. Rogue claims to know everything about me, found my real birth certificate after all, but even she can’t know the whole story. No one, but the people involved, know what happened between 2046 and 2051. And I plan on keeping it that way.