#but since there are no lutes in 2077

[sorryiliketoscreenshot]

→ Meet: Margarida

[elvenbeard]

Spinning

Cyberpunk 2077 Fanfic Summary: V and Kerry try to figure out if they're living the real "mayor candidate of Night City" lifestyle. After the tension of the last days, weeks, and months though, some well-needed stress relief is in order, too. (Post-Sun-Ending, mostly canon-compliant, Chapter 5/?, 4818 words, Kerry Eurodyne/V, rated E for eggplant-emoji) - author's notes at the end!

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“Um, I’m really not sure if this is safe!” Lee called down to them over his shoulder, clinging to the narrow ladder with all his might. His shiny blue-and-gold-striped blazer fluttered like a weathervane, while his perfectly styled bright-blue pompadour sat on his head like a helmet… only that it wouldn’t prevent his skull from cracking should he fall.

“Just keep goin’, dammit, you’re almost there!” Kerry annoyedly gestured him to hurry. Lee swallowed audibly, then looked back up towards the roof of the penthouse and continued at an agonizingly slow pace.

“Should’ve let me go, he’s gonna piss himself any moment now,” V muttered as he watched the scene play out, standing by Kerry’s side.

“Abso-fuckin’-lutely not,” Kerry shook his head vehemently, arms crossed, “You’re not climbin’ anywhere anytime soon.”

V sighed. He would have managed somehow, for sure, but Kerry had already refused to let him search for any signs of Blue-Eye’s tech inside the penthouse. He had been banished to the sofa, then the bed, doomed to rest himself and take it slow, only giving directions and pointing Kerry to places that could have been bugged or otherwise tempered with in the way he’d seen it done it in the mayor's apartment. They really had been thorough, and Kerry was taking this as seriously as V. But still, he didn’t know if he should be relieved or not, having found nothing suspicious yet. At the Peralez’ place there’d been that communications system on the rooftop, and since Kerry simply didn’t want to climb up and V couldn’t, it was now up to Kerry’s manager to make himself useful. V had been hesitant about getting Lee involved, but on the other hand he would simply do what Kerry told him without asking questions.

“I did it!” Lee yelled from the rooftop ecstatically, straightening up with his hands on his hips, “Wow, the view from up here is something…”

“You don’t have to yell for fuck’s sake, we can hear you over the holo!” Kerry rolled his eyes and took a deep breath, pinching the bridge of his nose. After a short pause he turned to V with his voice much calmer again, his expression softer.

“Any second thoughts?”

“The painkillers they gave me are pretty good,” V shrugged, “Doubt this is gonna make it worse by much. And I don’t trust that he knows what he’s supposed to be lookin’ for on his own.”

The biggest downside of this plan really, but admittedly, V didn’t have a better idea at the given time either. And he sure as hell wouldn’t be able to wind down without being at least somewhat certain they weren’t being monitored here.

“Alright,” Kerry sighed, then raised a finger at V, almost like a scolding parent, and much to V’s amusement, “But you stop if it gets too much. I just gotta give him a call and we’ll send him back up again anytime. Okay?”

“Promise,” V smiled at Kerry, who finally relaxed his shoulders a bit and then fully uncrossed his arms to take V’s hand.

“Uh, I’m ready whenever!” Lee yelled, double thumbs up, and Kerry groaned, muting himself of the holocall.

“Fuck, dunno where he gets the energy from…”

“Drugs?” V shrugged.

“Whatever he’s takin’, I want some.”

V chuckled, regretting it immediately at the sharp pain shooting through his chest – dulled from the meds, but not gone. Then he focused his scanner on Lee and hacked into his optics, unmuting himself at the same time to be able to direct him around.

“Oh, wow, that was weird,” Lee gasped as V’s vision glitched and he found himself on top of the penthouse too now, looking down at himself and Kerry, while still feeling Kerry’s touch giving him stability. He’d never get used to this.

“Alright, turn around,” V said, “Gimme a walkaround of the whole rooftop area, so I get an overview of the layout.”

Lee nodded.

“And don’t… do that. Don’t move your head around too much.”

“Oh, understood!”

Then Lee did as he was told, slowly walking around the roof and following V’s instructions to a T. He had decent Kiroshis, but still not the software and modifications that V was used to, so it took him a couple of minutes to just adjust to that as well, on top of looking through another person’s eyes. It was frustrating that he couldn’t scan some of the tech installed on the roof in the way he wanted to, had to manually instruct Lee to do this or that, look closer at certain panels, follow wires, or open up compartments that shouldn’t normally be opened by people who didn’t know what they were doing. Lee’s constant babbling and whining didn’t help.

“You still good?” Kerry asked after about ten minutes of intensive search, “You’re… swaying a bit.”

“Lemme take another quick look at the AC unit,” V said, but that sentence alone cost him a lot of strength, words coming out only somewhat slurred.

“Vince, don’t overdo it. You promised.”

Kerry’s voice was stern and simultaneously so full of worry, V could downright see his face before him.

“Okay. You’re right… sorry.”

He disconnected from Lee’s optics, and it was good that Kerry was still holding his hand, otherwise he might have just keeled over.

“Woah, shit!” Kerry gasped and V clung to him, stumbling slightly, falling into his arms more or less.

“I’m good, I’m good,” V caught his breath, but he was glad to be able to lean against Kerry for support, “Gimme a minute, my head’s spinning a little.”

“Told you not to overdo it,” Kerry muttered and helped him sit down on one of the nearby deck chairs. After a few deep breaths the dizziness already started to fade again. V grinned at Kerry, and it made his frown slowly melt and change into a soft smile as well.

“Can… can I come down again now?” Lee asked and Kerry and V both sighed deeply, paused to look at the other, then started laughing.

“Yeah, move your ass back down,” Kerry said and sat down next to V on the chair, ending the holocall.

“Love workin’ with amateurs,” V said, and Kerry scoffed.

“Fuckin’ tell me about it,” he said, “Should see him scuttle about the studio like a headless chicken. Wonder which of the label bosses’ dicks he’s sucked to get hired in the first place.”

“Maybe he’s someone’s nephew,” V suggested, and Kerry groaned.

“Good ol’ nepotism, even worse! Fuckin’ and suckin’ your way to the top at least involves a little bit of effort and initiative…”

Kerry let out a long, frustrated sigh, rubbing his face with both hands and pausing for a couple of seconds before turning back to V.

“Anything at all?” he asked, voice lowered, nodding in the direction of the roof. V carefully shook his head.

“Nah. Not sure if I’m relieved or not,” he said with a shrug.

“I’m relieved, for sure,” Kerry said calmly, his posture straightening again, “That’s gotta be worth somethin’, right?”

“Yeah. Yeah, it is,” V nodded, and before he knew it Kerry had his arm around him, holding him close, fingers gently rubbing a tense spot on his upper back. V looked at him, and the way the midday sunlight bounced off of the silver lines on Kerry’s cheeks, the little gold plates, refracted across his freckles, was a sight he could never get enough of. His pretty blue Kiroshis were such a stark, cold contrast to his warm skin, their intensity mesmerizing as Kerry looked him over briefly as if to make sure he was really here with him. A gentle smile curled at the corners of his mouth, the distinguished grey in his beard adding to his radiance, and V’s heart skipped a beat or two. He couldn’t resist pressing a quick kiss against the small golden implant just below Kerry’s cheekbone, much to Kerry’s amusement. Then they just sat quietly, side by side, and watched Lee shakily climb down the maintenance ladder at the backside of the penthouse. It took him even longer to get down than it had taken him to get up, and while V couldn’t hear him, he could see that he was mumbling to himself the whole time.

“Since when is his hair blue?” he asked eventually, a little scared of the answer.

“Not that long, walked in like this last week or somethin’,” Kerry said, “Why?”

V sighed with relief.

“Just a reality check, I guess.”

Another brief pause, the silence between them drowned out by the howling wind announcing a sandstorm already towering in the distance, gunshots and police sirens on the streets below, AVs breezing above their heads. It was like any other day in Night City, and this realization was strangely comforting to V. Some things would never change, no matter how hard you fought them… and that was okay. The world would keep on turning, no matter what became of him, or Kerry, or anyone else.

He looked back at Kerry, who made a frowny face at whatever Lee was doing. V held his thought to just admire the view for a moment, Kerry puzzled and annoyed at the same time, surely a hundred insults at the tip of his tongue about how much he hated the guy – although not nearly as much as Kovachek. Kerry realized he was being watched quickly, as usual.

“What?” he asked with a grin, meeting V’s gaze.

“Nothin’,” V said almost automatically. He leaned into Kerry’s embrace a little bit more.

“I really never told you about the Johnny thing? Seein’ his reflection? Because I was so sure I did…”

Kerry shook his head gently.

“No, promise. That’s definitely something I’d’ve remembered,” he said.

V began to peel at the plastic seam of his cast again. Along the edges the material was kind of rough and a tiny pointy bit stuck out that had been annoying him the whole time already, poking and scratching him. It was too short to properly pinch it, but too thick to just clip it off without a tool. He sighed.

“I’m just… Makes me wonder what else I didn’t actually tell you that I’m sure I did. Y’know…” he hesitated to even think about it.

“Hm?”

V looked up from his hands at Kerry again, eyes big and questioning, but still an encouraging smile on his lips, making V’s heart flutter. On some days he was so numb from all that had happened, but these little moments reminded him he was still able to feel something after all. If he had the guarantee that the only emotion left in his body was his love for Kerry at the end, he probably wouldn’t be so scared of the things to come.

“It’s kinda sick to even think it,” he then said quietly, keeping an eye on Lee who had finally made it to the end of the ladder, “But I was hoping we’d find something. Inside, or up there.”

Kerry frowned, but even before V said it out loud, realization began to dawn in his eyes, his shoulders slumping, his lips parting slightly, but he said nothing just yet.

“’Cause if it’s not Blue-Eyes and his people messing with my head… Maybe this is just me really beginning to lose it. My mind. Myself. Like Alt predicted,” V said quietly.

Kerry seemed to want to say something, but after struggling with words for a few moments he just resorted to moving closer, bumping their foreheads together gently. V closed his eyes, basking in the comfort of Kerry’s presence.

He hated all of this so much, and even more he hated to put Kerry through it as well. Maybe he should’ve listened to Johnny… to not give into his feelings, that is, imagining a long-term relationship with Kerry when even back then his future had looked anything but rosy. On the other hand… he didn’t want to think about in what mental state he’d be now if Kerry wasn’t by his side. Whether he’d still be around at all.

Kerry moved away just enough to be able to look at V properly again, both opening their eyes. Kerry still had his left arm around V’s shoulders, his right hand reached up to cup V’s face, and he melted into the touch. Fuck, he’d been gone for how long, two, three days? And he’d missed this closeness, their quiet intimate moments so much, where neither of them had to say anything. They just understood the other’s pain and thoughts, so well sometimes it scared V a little bit. He could see it in Kerry’s eyes, the same fear sitting deep in his chest, the same worries in the lines on his forehead, his clenched jaw, the tension in his muscles and every movement.

“One day at a time,” Kerry then quietly said, “And positive thinking.”

“Yeah,” V nodded briefly.

In the next second though, much to their annoyance, their little moment was interrupted by Lee’s silhouette blocking out the sun as he approached. He was smiling awkwardly, not sure what to do with his hands, rummaging in the pockets of his blazer. Reluctantly Kerry lowered his hand, but not without brushing his thumb across V’s lips briefly, making him shiver in a good way for once. They both turned to look at Lee who cleared his throat, voice a little shaky as he began to speak.

“Well, that went well, right? I hope? Or… or not?” he asked, looking at them expectantly for a moment, but after receiving no answer, he just continued.

“Kerry, while I’m here… did you, by any chance, have a moment to look at the info I sent you yesterday? Regarding the Crystal Palace gig?”

V didn’t have to let even the faintest noise escape his lips before Kerry turned to look at him. They came to a silent understanding within not more than a second or two, both their expressions neutral to not give too much away in front of Lee. Their eyes spoke all the words necessary. Kerry turned back to his manager.

“Skimmed through it, yeah,” he said briefly.

“Ah, great!” Lee could barely contain his excitement… or rather, he tried everything in his power to mask his nervousness somehow, V got the impression. This guy was really gonna have a hard time in the corporate media world.

“So… what do you think? I can call them back right away, set a date, discuss specifics… Oh, was anything unclear I should ask first, do you have any questions about the conditions they stated?”

Kerry stared at Lee intensely, then threw another brief glance at V.

“Gimme a couple more days to think about it. I’ll call ya, or see ya at the studio or whatever,” Kerry decided and with a waving hand motion gestured him to leave.

“Oh, um, okay, well,” Lee stammered, “Sure, we can do that! Whatever you say! I uh… I’ll find the way out myself.”

“Lee,” Kerry said in a warning tone as he was about to turn around, “Remember: you weren’t here today. You saw nothin’.”

“Ah, yes, uh, of course!” he stammered, stumbling slightly as he turned around to eagerly nod.

Both V and Kerry looked after him as he then walked off, back inside and towards the direction of the elevator.

“Think he’s maybe just a little bit scared of us?” V grinned at Kerry. That finally brought Kerry’s smile back, cheeky, with a little mischievous glint in his eyes. He saw him like this too rarely lately and couldn’t help himself but reach out with his healthy hand, stroke his cheek, run his fingers along his cyberware, through his beard. Kerry closed his eyes and leaned into V’s hand now, in return causing V’s heart to bounce around like crazy. How dared he be so gorgeous?

“Not as much of us as of gettin’ the Kovachek-treatment if he gets funny with me,” Kerry said quietly, eyes still closed, and V chuckled.

“He got a yacht?”

“No, and he wouldn’t dare get one!” Kerry laughed, then blinked up at him and bit his lip, “But the pay bump he got for signing me just bought him a brand-new Caliburn. Or so I’ve heard.”

“Ohoho, interesting, interesting…” V mused, but before he could finish the thought Kerry leaned in and captured his lips in a kiss. It was chaste almost, for Kerry’s standards at least, just the softest nibble, the faintest flick of his tongue. V’s hand slipped to the back of Kerry’s head, across velvety buzzed hair, fingers massaging encouragingly. In contrast to the almost careful, gentle movement of his lips though, Kerry’s breath was hot and needy, and when he slowly, reluctantly pulled back, his cheeks were flushed, and his eyes wandered back to V’s mouth, his neck, his chest…

“Still up for a shower?” he then asked, and V didn’t have to say a thing before Kerry got up and pulled him with him.

They left a trail of clothes on their way inside, across the living room, up the stairs, laughing and whispering and peppering kisses on exposed skin in-between. V was still slower and more unsure in his movements than he would’ve liked, too stiff to get out of his shirt on his own, struggling to open the zipper on his pants, but Kerry was more than happy to help with both. The last piece of clothing dropped just before they reached the bathroom. Kerry’s kisses became greedier, devouring almost, and V let himself be guided to the shower blindly, arms around Kerry’s shoulders, Kerry’s touch purposeful but gentle, hands trailing down V’s sides, then coming to a rest on his hips. Hot water began to rain down on them as they stumbled into the shower, and V broke their kiss just for a moment, gasping at the sudden heat and the downpour of water on his bruises.

“All good?” Kerry asked out of breath, pupils blown wide with desire and V wanted to just lose himself in their beckoning darkness. He didn’t reply, instead pulled Kerry back against his mouth, a little awkwardly with only one healthy hand. Their teeth clashed briefly, eliciting an amused groan from Kerry. His grip on V’s hips grew tighter, but before long his hands wandered to the small of his back, sliding across wet skin down to his butt, leaving no air between their entangled bodies. V gasped, moaned into Kerry’s kiss, at the slight pain each touch, each of their movements caused him… but also at the realization of just how hard Kerry had gotten already, just from undressing and touching, holding and kissing each other like this…

“Vince,” Kerry gasped, the rawness of his voice causing V’s skin to tingle, and when Kerry then slipped his hand between V’s legs, V’s head began to spin.

“Oh, fuck… Kerry…” he didn’t even know how he was still talking, capable of forming words, teasing fingers knowing exactly where and how to touch to drive V crazy, circling, sliding, probing, with just the right amount of pressure. Hand digging into the soft skin and flesh of Kerry’s back, V’s hips instinctively bucked into Kerry’s rhythmic movements, and Kerry adjusted his own stance to grind himself against V’s leg. They’d broken their kiss, and instead now Kerry’s tongue was trailing down V’s neck. Kissing, gently biting along the edges of his chrome, Kerry did the same V loved to do him, because he knew how raw and sensitive ‘ganic skin could be around the edges of a piece of cyberware.

V relished in all the sensations… the hot water engulfing them, washing away the sweat and badlands dust that still stuck to him, Kerry’s touch and kisses, his soft moans and heavy breathing against V’s neck, wet sounds and grunts echoing from the bathroom tiles. The impressions took over V’s thoughts completely, the blissful pain and the soft warmth of Kerry’s skin, the slight scratch and tickle of his beard, the slowly fading but still distinct scent of his cologne… His own racing heartbeat, the tingling heat pooling deep inside him as Kerry got him closer to the edge with every touch, ground against him with intense lust, pushing away all the fear and hurt and worry. Even if it was only temporarily, V embraced all logic and concern leaving his body for this.

When Kerry pulled his hand away all of a sudden, V grunted in protest. Kerry’s fingernails dug into the sides of V’s thighs, and he glanced up at him through long dark eyelashes, out of breath and lips plump and so goddamn kissable… V couldn’t restrain himself, wanted to taste and devour him, lick into his hot wet mouth, breathe his air, become one with him. Kerry moaned against V’s lips, breath shaky, voice startled almost, but once more melting against him. His hands grabbed V’s hips harder, pinning him in place against the shower wall, and his hard, hot cock slipped where his hand had been before. V groaned, whimpering a curse and Kerry’s name against his mouth, and Kerry chuckled between moans and kisses.

They clung to the other like their lifeline, grinding and gasping with pleasure against each other, Kerry picking up the pace and V meeting his every movement.

“Fuck, you feel so good, Vince,” Kerry whispered against V’s neck, raspy voice almost drowned out by the rushing water, but still enough to nearly send him over the edge right then and there.

“I love you so much,” V gasped, and Kerry moaned his name, burying his face against the crook of V’s neck as his body tensed up against him and spilled his hot, sticky release between V’s thighs. It didn’t take much more for V to come, feeling so wanted, cherished, his profession of love of all things letting Kerry climax… V’s legs were shaking, his voice hoarse as he pulled Kerry against him, riding out his orgasm for as long as he could stay on his feet before the heavenly weight of the afterglow took over and they both sank down to the shower floor. Breathing heavily, they still held on to each other reassuringly, kept lazily kissing, were happy to just exist in this moment together without words, enjoying the warmth and silence. For a couple of minutes, the world seemed to have stopped turning after all.

“I’m gonna feel that tomorrow…” V chuckled as they laid in bed in each other’s arms shortly after, hair still wet and tousled, wrapped up loosely in a big soft towel together.

“Just not in the way you wanna, probably,” Kerry grinned, but then he frowned, “Hope I wasn’t too rough.”

“You know I like it a bit rough,” V teased.

“Yeah, but still.”

Kerry’s eyes wandered to the bruises on V’s chest again. He’d really been careful about not grabbing him too roughly there, but in the heat of the moment…

“I won’t break so easily,” V said, “And I didn’t realize how much I needed that.”

Kerry’s smile returned and he inched a little closer.

“Always happy to serve,” he purred, fingertips light as feathers trailing down V’s arm, all the way to his cast-covered hand.

“Aw crap, keep forgetting about that,” he mumbled, resorting to wrap his arm around V’s waist instead of lacing their fingers like they normally would. Outside, the sandstorm was just about to hit, dulling the sun and creating a strangely soothing, cozy orange glow around them. V was close to just dozing off, Kerry had his eyes shut as well, but he managed to not slip away just yet.

“Kerry?” he asked quietly.

“Mh-hm?” Kerry hummed without opening his eyes, not just looking but also sounding half-asleep already.

“I love you, no matter what happens… no matter how this all goes down. Even if I don’t show it or can’t say it anymore,” he said, managing not more than a whisper.

Kerry’s eyes fluttered open again, glistening slightly, glowing almost in the dimmed light. He looked away for a moment, then back at V.

“I know,” he said quietly, “And I’ll love you, no matter what comes next or what you decide. I’ll be there for you.”

“Yeah… I know.”

V let out a deep breath and at least a little bit of the tension that had taken a hold of his body again faded. Kerry’s thumb circled V’s hipbone absentmindedly.

“Well… what comes next?” he then asked after a short pause, “Wanna look around the house more later, or…”

“No, I wouldn’t know where anymore,” V said slowly, “I think all we can do now is wait for Mr. B’s call, I guess. See if he keeps his promise.”

“I swear, if the guy tries to play you, or comes around the corner with even more demands…” Kerry grumbled, “I’ll guarantee for nothin’ anymore.”

“Love it when you’re getting’ all protective of me,” V chuckled, but Kerry remained serious.

“I mean it,” he said, “I dunno, but… just let me know what he does and what he wants. Let me be a part of it this time.”

V hesitated, but he also had to remind himself that Kerry was a sly dog with many connections. He was not to be underestimated, not your typical plastic idol that was more a product than a human being, that needed constant protection… at least not from others.

All of a sudden, he realized that that could be a reason weighing a lot heavier than the convenience of only having to manipulate V, not Kerry as well, by driving a wedge between them. Mr. B had continued to tell him to not let Kerry in on any details of their plans, every step of the way, even after V had repeatedly reassured him that he would not, that he never talked about sensitive client matters with outsiders, especially not while they were still in the planning phase. He had mistaken Mr. B’s requests as simple mistrust at first, then as a reminder to not to mess or disobey him and his people or face according consequences. The good old “if you don’t do this, something might happen to your loved ones” approach.

But maybe… Mr. B had actually been scared that Kerry would smell bullshit, had V let him in on all of this earlier. Kerry wasn’t dying, he wasn’t at anyone’s mercy. And he’d lived in NC long enough, played in the city’s games many times over, and recognized their patterns. V had grown up and lived in the corporate world as well but… It was always hardest to see the whole web – or the spider – when you were caught up in the middle of it. Just how Kerry hadn’t realized that Kovachek had been playing him, while V smelled the media circus from 10 miles away, V hadn’t seen through Mr. B’s schemes this clearly until he was given Kerry’s uninvolved outsider’s perspective. Only slowly he began to see the full extent of his manipulation now, and he might never have if it wasn’t for Kerry... The true irony though was that, if he was correct in his assumptions, Mr. B had played himself now by excluding Kerry from the equation so consistently. The one question remained though… was this only about getting V to do their bidding, was he really that good of an asset to them? Or was there even more to their agenda that warranted all the scheming?

“V, you okay?” Kerry asked, and V realized his thoughts had been trailing off for quite a while, “Hope Johnny’s not back now, too.”

“No, no I’m good,” V said, moving closer to give Kerry a quick kiss, “Better than I’ve been in a while.”

“Well damn, I should start marketing shower sex as the newest miracle cure…”

V laughed, flinched in pain again briefly, but continued to smile at Kerry fondly.

“I guess sometimes I just need my brains fucked out to see clearly again,” he joked.

“Good, good, write that in the pitch!” Kerry egged him on.

“Can’t see clearly anymore at your stressful corporate job? Try to… get fucked!” V said in his best commercial voice and they both burst into laughter. Their voices echoed from the gallery and filled the walls of the penthouse with desperately needed joy.

Sure, in the end, there were no such things as miracle cures. At least not without strings attached or coming at a high price. V was only too aware. And sure, once his and Kerry’s high wore off, and reality came crashing down again, things would probably start looking a lot grimmer again. But in this moment at least, V did not dread what was to come as much anymore, knowing there was no way in hell Kerry would allow him to go through it all alone again.

(aösdfjdaösfasdf thanks for reading here all the way! I don't normally write smut and was hella nervous about posting this at all, I hope this wasn't too awkward xD but I also wanna continue sharing this story, as long as at least one of you wants to continue reading it! and some fluff and happiness was necessary after 4 chapters of angst so far. also would love to hear feedback and thoughts in regard to where you think things might go on from here, cause I have stuff planned (that might all become obsolete depending on the ending Phantom Liberty adds but oh well!! for now The Sun is my canon at least XD))

>> Next Chapter

also, a little bonus for everyone who's made it this far:

This is a random corpo NPC I came across in AMM some time ago - his hair isn't exactly how I picture it, but yeah - that's what Lee looks like in my head, just fyi XD maybe I'll mod a proper appearance for him some time (picture him with the same hair color, but Rachel Casich's hairstyle instead XD and dressed a bit more fancy than this)

Poor Kerry is not amused xD so yeh, if you ever come across him somewhere in Night City, he's probably on some shady errand for Kerry and Vince again, tsk tsk xD

[nutellarghh]

Ok rant time!

I just saw an article about Cyberpunk 2077 talking about a video some redditor made showing what Cyberpunk would look like on Unreal Engine instead of RED engine 4.

That actually pissed me off. Did Cyberpunk have issues? God yes! A fuckton of them! Is it still not perfect and could look better? Abso fucking lutely. Here's the thing though:

Instead of using what was already available, CDProjekt decided to be completely independent. That's a big deal and something everyone should fucking praise them for. I see so many posts made by people annoyed with shit like EA games doing paid DLCs for everything, so you have to pay extra to even make a game playable, about big corporations buying everything out so soon we are gonna see only monoliths creating and putting out games, forcing us to just deal with whatever scam they decide to throw at us since there won't be any other choice... And then you slam a company putting out a AAA game completely independently? Come on people, some consistency, please!

I feel like people forget about context with a lot of these things. It's a Polish studio putting out amazing quality games, competing with the likes of Naughty Dog! Fighting against monopolisation of video games!

There's a lot you can complain about in Cyberpunk 2077, but being independent is not one of those things.

[americanegg]

egg’s digestible guide for attainable rides: cyberpunk 2077

(cheap to mad expensive) post then later a (free quest cars) post

Car Model >  €$ (Fixer). All details about each are my own experience. Location of vehicle by district and waypoint.

(Reminder that if you’re short on eddies you can do Gigs, Sidequests, and “Assault in Progress” mini quests to get rich and level up.)

1. Thorton Galena G240 > €$ 13,000 (Regina)

Rusty hunk of junk but functional, especially after your car gets bodied in the beginning of Act 2. Located in the garage of your apartment building.

2. Makigai MaiMai P126 >  €$ 14,000 (Wakako)

Small. Super fucking small but decent and could turn into a red bullet on the highway at the cost of absolutely no control on your turns. Located in the southern part of Charter Hill, Westbrook sitting neatly in a small parking lot.

3. Mahir Supron FS3 >  €$ 16,000 (Reyes)

Sort of van type situation but compact. Cheap and definitely made of plastic. Like it says that in the lore. Located East from Hargreaves St waypoint in Arroyo.

4. Chevillon Thrax 388 Jefferson >  €$ 17,000 (Padre)

It’s a smooth ride, I’ll give Padre that. Long in length and takes years to turn with but it’s not made for street racing so it’s still decent for traffic and looking like a corpo. Located directly South of the Pumping Station waypoint in Wellsprings.

5. Villefort Columbus V340-F Freight >  €$ 19,000 (Dino)

Another van-type situation with plenty of seating. Could drive your kids to soccer with this one and get there in one piece. Average vehicle overall but can go 210mph if needed. Located SouthWest of the Downtown Central waypoint and sitting in a parking lot.

6. Thorton Galena “Gecko” >  €$ 21,000 (Dakota)

Found in the Badlands this is a great choice for rocky roads at 100mph. Go crazy and go stupid outside the city with this bad boy. Shred rubber and whatnot. Be wary of turns and speed in rocky areas as you can make as much airtime as a dirtbike on a ramp! Located SouthWest of the Old Turbines waypoint in the Eastern Badlands.

This is where Street Cred Level will come into play along with your pocket full of eddies:

(cred = streetcred level)

7. Kaiba Kusanagi CT-3X >  €$ 22,000 > 12 cred (Wakako)

Right after Jackie’s Arch, this is my favorite ride in the game. She’s sleek, perfect for bypassing traffic, and very well-designed. Located in an abandoned parking lot in Japantown, Westbrook directly NorthEast of the Skyline and Salinas waypoint.

8. Archer Quartz EC-L R275 > €$ 29,000 > 12 cred (Regina)

Another great set of wheels for burning rubber and kicking up sand in the Badlands, if you have the eddies for it. Located South of the Offshore St waypoint in Northside and immediately next to a Neutralize the Perps mini quest.

9. Chevillon Emperor 620 Ragnar >  €$ 32,000 > 12 cred (Dino)

First of the heavy duty SUV you acquire at 30k eddies. Didn’t drive this one very much since I’m a small and sleek kinda dude but if you need to ram a taxi or show off to your video game girlfriend your chunky ride, here is the car for you. Located in Corpo Plaza SouthWest of Arasaka Tower waypoint or NorthWest of Reconciliation Park waypoint.

10. Villefort Cortes V5000 Valor >  €$ 37,000 > 12 cred (Padre)

If you want to look like an asshole you can check this one out. Pretty much a bougie limosine type situation. Long car so long turns my guy. Located in Wellsprings, Heywood sitting in a parking lot West of Berkeley & Bay waypoint. 11. Thorton Colby C240T (aka Thorton Colby C125) >  €$ 39,000 > 20 cred (Regina)

Vehicles to pick up your gf/bf and go to a drive-in theater with? This one. Smooth ride with plenty of seating to do you know what at said drive-in theater definitely not watching Bushido 3. Located Northside, Westbrook South of the Docks waypoint in a small parking lot in front of the Ded Zed clothing store.

12. Thorton Colby CX410 Butte (Green) >  €$ 43,000 > 12 cred (Reyes)

Imma be honest... I’m a slut for Thorton car models. This one is straight up satisfying to my ears and eyes. Located in the parking lot of PieZ waypoint in Rancho Coronado, Santo Domingo.

13. Thorton Colby “Little Mule” >  €$ 49,000 > 12 cred (Dakota)

Truckin and fuckin around the Badlands? This is definitely the car for you!  Located near the Sunset Motel parking lot in the Eastern Badlands.

14. Quadra Type-66 Avenger >  €$ 55,000 > 20 cred (Dino)

Remember those Need for Speed games? No? Well imagine it for a second and look at this preem ride. Got that image in your mind? Now look at your wallet. Located West of Metro: Republic Way waypoint tucked under the Empathy club building.

15. Quadra Type-66 “Jen Rowley” (aka Quadra Type-66 640 TS)  >  €$ 58,000 > 20 cred (Reyes)

If you haven’t noticed, Quadra Type-66 are very good at designing cars that make you look like you shred these streets since you were a babe. Like, Baby from Baby Driver would fuck this ride up, you know it choom. Located West of Kendal Park waypoint in Rancho Coronado, no more than 2-minute walk away.

16. Villefort Alvarado V4F 570 Delegate >  €$ 62,000 > 20 cred (Padre)

Another Limo! I’ll be honest, six wheels on a car this low is crazy but Villefort always finds a way. This is the ride you’d drive to your corpo apartment to go pick up your corpo wife so you can take your corpo ride to a nearby corpo restaurant and only drink Spunky Monkey in a wine bottle. Located directly West of the Palms View Way waypoint in The Glen.

17. Herrera Outlaw GTS >  €$ 62,000 > 30 cred (Dino)

Limousine type body but god damn if it ain’t gorgeous to look at. A real sexy piece of wheels, this one. Located in Corpo Plaza, North of Ring Road waypoint. 

18. Quadra Type-66 “Javelina” >  €$ 73,000 > 30 cred (Dakota)

God am I a fan of rides that pick up hefts of sand and dirt? Yeah, I am. Do I love how this car looks? Absolutely. As a Nomad V, is this one of the sexiest rides you can get? ABSO-FUCKING-LUTELY. Located in Southern Badlands near the Protein Farm waypoint.

19. Mizutani Shion MZ2 >  €$ 75,000 > 30 cred (Regina)

Not gonna lie, this is the car that occupies my headspace every time I boot up Cyberpunk. Maybe it’s the name, maybe it’s the design, maybe it’s the car I would take to my honeymoon, idk. Located in the same garage as the Thorton Galena in Little China, Watson.

20. Quadra Type-66 “Cthulhu” >  €$ 76,000 > No cred requirement (Regina or Sampson)

Condition to receive for free: Sparing Samson in “The Beast In Me” side quest

Okay other than Beast which is a chonky beast this one is a very speedy beast with classic racecar features but bulky armor. The wiki literally says this ride has 666 horsepower so you KNOW this shit is gonna slap as soon as you get in and hear that engine, dawg.  Can be found in Little China, Watson in Megabuilding H10.

21. Brennan Apollo >  €$ 94,000 > 30 cred (Padre)

If you thought Jackie’s ARCH and the Yaiba Kusanagi was sexy boy you will not be disappointed. Smaller and more compact but a speedy on the highways and countryside. Side Effect is you’ll look like the coolest pizza delivery driver in Night City. Located in Vista Del Ray, Heywood a short walk away East of Delamain HQ waypoint. 22. Mizutani Shion “Coyote” >  €$ 115,000 > 20 cred (Dakota)

... Look at her. Just... just look at her. Look at those wheels, that build, the spoiler, look at her! I would own so many Hot Wheels and have her in a display case alright. Like, you know what you’re signing up for at 100k eddies for Dakota. Like this car that was originally used for scooting around the city was LITERALLY modded for the Badlands. As a Nomad this is a must-have. Located in the Eastern Badlands, North of the Sunshine Motel waypoint.

23. Thorton Mackinaw MTL1 >  €$ 128,000 > 30 cred (Reyes)

The most SUV that ever SUV’ed in Night City. Reyes calls you for this one and shit, it’s new, it’s spotless, it’s a shiny new car, and trouncing down Badlands, the streets of Kabuki, Pacifica, name it. This beaut does go maximum of around 150mph but with how big this bad boy is, it can charge through the highways but be wary of how you turn corners! Located around the block from the Red Dirt Bar waypoint to the East in Arroyo, Santo Domingo.

24. Quadra Turbo-R 740 >  €$ 129,000 > 30 cred (Wakako)

TURBO-TASTIC ride. Again, of racecar design, you can almost smell the 1980s nostalgia from the picture alone. Located in the Dynalar building/waypoint in Charter Hill, Westbrook.

25. ARCH Nazaré >  €$ 138,000 > 40 cred (Wakako)

Writing this guide up to this point I have discovered that Old Lady Wakako knows what “fucking nova” means because all the cars she offers are fucking bangers so of COURSE she would offer an ARCH bike like this bumblebee badboy. You can see all the fun bits in and around the bike to know what you’re getting into so expect some hella smooth sailing. Located on the way TO the Drive-In Theatre in the lot of the Gig: A Shrine Defiled. South of Drive-in Theatre, North Oak, Westbrook.

26. Rayfield Caliburn (White) >  €$ 157,000 > 40 cred (Dino)

Dino actually coming in clutch with this last call for vehicles he offers. Like, I had to look up what “hypercar” meant to logistically know how hype this car makes me every time I hit the gas. At high speeds the engines purr like a cat, which is a whole other satisfying experience after driving hunks of junk. Located West of the Corporation St. waypoint in Downtown, City Center.

27. Rayfield Aerondight S9 “Guinevere” >  €$ 225,000 > 50 cred (Wakako)

Um... so... this is- this is the last car from Wakako. I haven’t even gotten to the point of being able to afford this... this... work of art. I can only imagine, with the Rayfield brand, that it’s better than the Caliburn. Which I don’t even think that’s possible but once I buy it I’ll let you know. Located North of the Columbariam or directly West of the North Oak Sign waypoints in North Oak, Westbrook.

Yo, if this guide helps you or makes your day or think it’s absolutely genius or dogshit don’t forget to like/reblog! Share with your friends!

Free Vehicle Post coming soon!

Images from gamesatlas.com, cyberpunk.fandom.com, & game-maps.com

[yanara126-writing]

hey look ma i made it

It's the queens birthday, and yet she sits in the dark of her room alone, staring at a piece of paper. Kanerah has no intention of letting her love stew in misery, much less on her birthday.

-

Read here or on Ao3. (2077 words)

Have fun! Comments always welcome! :)

-

It was strangely cold in her chambers. The soft fabric of her sheets felt rough against her hand, and the light of the torches falling through her window was pale. Her own vague shimmer was dimmed, her halo gone, her wings vanished. The paper in her hand crinkled as she shifted her fingers, and the sound carried far too loudly through the empty room. The writing was fine, ornate, a piece of art really, not the way one would wright for practicality’s sake. The ink was faded, but its quality assured that it would still be readable for many years to come.

The fire in the fireplace crackled. The paper did the same. Not for the first time Tamary felt her fingers twitch, as if they had developed a life of its own just to rid her of the innocent sheet of paper in her hand. And just like all the times before she stayed her hand. The paper remained. Her gaze fixed to it like the enemies’ on her.

From outside she could hear merry chattering, excited shouts, and the occasional boom of fireworks. The revelry of the day would continue for many more hours she knew. The alcohol flowed in rivers. There were games and merchants on every corner. The capital was alight with laughter and revelry. And she was in here. Alone. Staring at this damned piece of paper once again.

So many years had gone by, and still she couldn’t this behind her. Every year she had to come back to it. At least since coming here she’d gotten better at enjoying herself first. At this point there was really no way to avoid it. The whole day people would come to her, inviting her to something or other, be it random citizens excited at meeting the queen or her companions.

Suddenly door creaked open, letting light a warmer light fall in. Or perhaps it just seemed warmer because of who entered with it.

“And so the queen sits holed up all alone on her birthday.” Tamary smiled, glancing towards the figure in the open door. The light falling in from behind them almost seemed like its own halo.

“Kanerah.” The tiefling gave herself unimpressed.

“Every year you vanish somewhere. One would think you don’t enjoy the attention.” Tamary gave a small smile. Not at all comparable to her usual self-assured grin, but a smile nonetheless.

Kanerah kept up the pressure for a few moments longer before giving a small sigh and crossing the distance between them. With her usual grace that made her lean muscles subtly shift under her skin she sat down next to Tamary and gave her small kiss on the cheek, before shifting her attention to the piece of paper in Tamary’s hand.

“What is that?” Tamary took a moment to answer, the warm, firm shoulder pressed against hers was still as distracting as it had been the first time, years ago.

“It’s- it was a gift.” She couldn’t say it. It was silly. It was stupid. It was ridiculous for an adult, much less a queen. She had said so many things. A lot of them stupid, insulting, downright lies, and even confessions of love, but she couldn’t say this. Instead she handed the paper to Kanerah with a sigh, turning away, face in her hands and elbows on her knees. She didn’t want to see someone else read it.

“Names?” Names. That was all this was to an outsider. Of course they were just names, names that had haunted Tamary for her all her adult life, without having met even one of the people who wore them.

“Suitors. Rich merchants, lower nobles, men and women from all over Taldor. Anyone with enough money to comfortably provide for a wife without her having to work and still live in luxury.” There, she’d said it. She’d said it and nothing bad had happened. The world wasn’t crumbling, her mother hadn’t suddenly jumped out from behind the bed to berate her again.

“Oh. I thought it was a hitlist.” A short moment of silence. “Is it?” Tamary snickered into her hands and then finally turned back around, a dopey smile on her face.

“No. I don’t know any of them. Didn’t stick around for it.” Kanerah kept her eyes on the list for a moment more, lips pulled into a face of undeniable disappointment.

“Pity.” With that she turned around, an eyebrow lifted, and fixed Tamary with expecting stare, one eyebrow elegantly raised. Clearly she wasn’t content with the explanation. Not that Tamary could fault her for that. But… Where would she even start?

In hopes of buying herself some time she swept her eyes over the room. It was dark with only the fire lighting it, as the sun had set a while ago. There were shadows in the corners, dancing in rhythm with the flames, ever in motion. The fire crackled as the logs broke in the heat she still couldn’t feel. Next to her she knew Kanerah was still waiting. In another situation Tamary might have enjoyed the dominance radiating from her, but right now she just felt like melting into the ground and avoiding the story she knew she could no longer avoid.

“So, you sit on your own in your room, staring at an ancient list of admirers you’ve never met, on your birthday, while the whole city is ready to carry you through the streets. Do I have this right?” Well, if she put it like that it sounded silly. Not that Tamary hadn’t known that before.

“Yeah. I just- yeah.” One more big sigh, and now she had to do it. Long years of steeping in her complicated feelings hardly did her any favours though. From the beginning then…

“My birthdays were never about me, for my whole childhood. I was a doll for my father to show off, I’ve always known that. It was to stand around and look pretty for the day, be nice and say thank you to the nobles who showed up for the festival, take the token gifts they bring you, and be quiet the rest of the time. That’s the way it always was. But sometimes those gifts were actually nice. I got my first lute that way.” One of the few untainted memories from her childhood. She didn’t remember anymore who’d given it to her, so she couldn’t have a grudge against them. “So, even though I’d known for a while that I was going to leave, I decided to wait for my 20th birthday. I thought maybe I’d get something useful, or at least some money, or something I could sell. You know, with the whole turning of age hype. Instead I got… this.” And what a scene it had been. Lots of applause, hungry gazes, calculating words. Even now Tamary felt the corset cut into her chest more sharply than it ever had before, pressing the air out of her lungs. “It was my mother’s idea. She wanted me to marry as soon as possible, to avoid what had happened to her.”

“Your mother the mistress?” Tamary winced. She held no love or pity for her mother, and objectively she could say what her mother had pulled before her birth had been very impressive, but her childhood spent suffering from these choices dimmed her admiration significantly.

“Yeah, you see, my mother was… playing multiple sides to say. Visiting nobles, family of my father -she had a prolonged affair with his sister for example- she was playing all of them. Acting like the sweet innocent girl and letting herself be showered with gifts. But with my birth and my father’s official claiming of me, all of that became obvious, at least to the parties involved. None of them would admit it of course, but that didn’t exactly make her very popular with the people in power. And my father sure couldn’t care less. He let her stay to take care of me, but he certainly didn’t care enough to divorce his wife for her.” Why his wife hadn’t divorced him was another matter entirely that Tamary had no intention of ever examining too closely. “So although she was now taken care of, she was also pulled into the social schemes of the nobility. A rather deadly game as I’m sure you’re aware of.” Almost on their own Tamary’s eyes wandered over to Kanerah.

“Intimately.” Kanerah’s eyes sparkled with something cold, those nice creases around them pulled into something decidedly not nice. A quick thought flashed through Tamary’s mind, that she should take care to change that later, and heat up that nice fire that burnt in her again. But unfortunately, they were having an uncomfortable conversation that shouldn’t be left hanging, and so Tamary begrudgingly pushed all thought of steamy nights away for later and looked away again.

“My father didn’t give a shit. My mother may not have liked the situation I put her in, but she was excellent at it. The whole list consists of rich, but unimportant people. No one that could possibly have been a threat to my father. To marry me they would have had to settle in my father’s capital, if they weren’t already there. That way he wouldn’t lose his little doll and get control over whatever assets my spouse would bring to the marriage, and so he let it happen.”

“Is that why you came to me?” The question is simple, there is no fire underneath it, nor the chilling frost from before, and when Tamary turned to look at her, Kanerah wore her mask of easy curiosity. For the first time in a while Tamary couldn’t tell if Kanerah was angry at her or not. She sighed. Why must honesty always be so exhausting?

“In the beginning. I’ll admit, seeing a hot tiefling from Quadira obviously flirting with me definitely kindled some thoughts of sweet revenge.” And how sweet it was. Then and now all the more, when it was no longer just the sex. It was love and it was happiness, and both were so much sweeter than sex could ever be.

Kanerah snorted, and with tiny, hopefully not noticeable start, Tamary noticed that she must have forgotten to close her mouth. Oh well. Perhaps not her most refined declaration of love, but maybe not everything needed to be. The soft, exasperated smile on Kanerah’s face made everything worth it.

“You are terrible, and I have no idea how you keep everyone tied around finger with lines like that.”

“Why, I don’t know. Perhaps you’d like to pay me in kind and tie something around some other part of me?” Now with the uncomfortable confessions out of the way, the banter came much easier to Tamary again. The grin stretched across her face entirely on its own, and the room suddenly seemed much warmer than before. Or perhaps that was just her own body. Oh definitely her own body, with Kanerah’s low lidded gaze slowly shifting over her.

“Perhaps later. For now I believe there is a party still waiting for its guest of honour.” Tamary pouted. Parties sure were nice, but something else would be even nicer now. But sadly for her Kanerah had already pulled away, though her suggestive smile hadn’t disappeared. Tamary wasn’t sure if that was nice or frustrating. Unfortunately, she didn’t get to enjoy it for long either way as Kanerah turned away.

“And besides, I believe my sister would be very unhappy with me if I kept you for myself tonight.” That sentence was enough to completely fry Tamary’s brain for a second. Only for a second though, and with renewed enthusiasm she pushed off from her bed and sprinted after Kanerah.

Behind her the room light up again with a warm, receding glow as she rushed out. The renewed halo lit up the room briefly, and her wings brushed doorframe. Tamary herself didn’t notice, too distracted by the promise of the attention of both her favourite people, coupled with the desire to just leave the last minutes behind. But Kanerah noticed, and she also noticed the crackling sound of burning paper in the fire place.

Satisfaction puller her lips into a smile, as she strolled away, back in direction of the party, just fast enough to tease Tamary along without quite letting her catch up.

Good. And may it burn in hell forever for hurting what’s hers.