#cyberpawn : vale.

[prvtocol]

dynamic '🌅' | vale entropy + clarence turay. @cyberpawn

[madeofthreads]

@cyberpawn | X

There isn't always rhyme or reason where the younger Goddess ventured. As was the way of the wild, she simply was. Unlike other deified beings within the Reborn Pantheon, she drew no strength from the worship of man.

The untamed shrine was a testament to that fact. What others might see as a place to be pitied, a site of forgotten mythos steeped in lonely abandonment, all Maea saw was life.

The dense forest — the gentle, daily chattering of creatures foraging and nesting — where the ground was moist with fertile soil. This was not only home, but the central pillar of her strength. Though mighty her power may be, there was a subtle waning, one that she sought to balance before it tipped beyond control.

Perhaps that was why her eyes turned towards a reclaimed shrine. No human had set foot there in an age. Yet one dared, and she found herself drawn, draped atop the roof as a silent observer, judging, waiting, head tilted as they knelt before the cold hearth...

The human was not greedy. She would not mind if they tasted the fruit from the branches. Only if they took too much, spoiling the gifts of food for others.

Flames crackled to life and the eyes of the goddess glinted in the light up high. Curiousity lured her closer. Maea descended from the vines and landed with a dull thud behind them. When they turned, it was not towards a goddess in the form of a human, but a large white wolf.

Crouched, the beast advanced in slow, circling steps. This one wasn't a disappointment. When no threat of sharpened metal came for her, she stretched up on hind legs — an imposing, unnatural height for such a creature — and snapped her great maw at one of the thick branches overhead.

Her teeth pierced the flesh of the crimson pear that she ripped free from the branch, and she gave a subtle shake as small droplets of water rained upon them both. The wolf stared at the human again and made a bolder approach. She wasn't polite in the way she nudged at their hand with her big, bossy nose. They might not know a blessing when they saw one.

[soldier-lodbrok]

"Coffee!! Wait actually I don't like coffee... Hot cocoa, please!" vale says hi!!! :D!!!!!

My muse works at Starbucks. Send me "Coffee!" to see what terrible name/misspelling my muse will write on your cup. @cyberpawn

[rebelichor]

@cyberpawn | X

The torchlight went from a sweeping motion to a sudden jerk towards the direction of Vale's voice. One moment they were shrouded in darkness and the next they were assaulted by light shining directly into their eyes.

Ari gasped — but had enough common sense to lower the light. That natural movement illuminated Vale's injury. "What happened??" she immediately demanded. Her tone sounded pushy, when really it was a mixture of concern and fear.

Did they trip in the dark? No, probably not, there was too much blood on their lower clothes for some simple trip, unless they had landed in a hunter's trap. The lack of cruel metal contraptions meant it had probably been something else. Something like the bears that Mr. Hackett had warned them about.

The poor teddy bear was spared little more than a glance. In her own shock, Ari brushed it aside. It wasn't important to her in that moment.

"This looks bad. I need to roll up your pants to get a better look, okay?" The flashlight was shifted to rest between her cheek and her shoulder as she dedicated both hands to checking over them. Her movements were very careful, easing the fabric back to reveal the damage.

"Oh fuck." The swearing didn't sound natural coming from someone like her. It was her honest reaction when confronted with the size of the bite mark. "Okay. Alright. Okay." The words coming out of her mouth didn't serve much of a purpose, she was speaking out loud while her mind shifted gears.

Just like that Ari pulled out bagged saline water from the med kit. "I'm going to clean the bite and slap a quick bandage on, just something to cover it until we're back at camp." She barely, barely poured the water onto Vale's calf.

[cyberpawn-arc]

what if I moved to a main blog

[unrclypirxte]

@cyberpawn - Cont.

---

It was always a grim day when Hoyt appeared and Vale was over. Usually, she'd have them go upstairs, play or watch TV, and she'd go get them once he was gone. But today, the timing was awful. There was no time to plan, nor time to come up with a way to get Hoyt to leave.

She had rather POLITELY asked him to come back, but the corpo didn't take too kindly. They exchanged some words, some very loud words from his end, before he directed his attention to the kid. It was one of the first times Beth felt something so close to a motherly instinct.

Immediately, casual to an IMPRESSIVE degree, she was at Vale's side, sat down and watching. Observing Hoyt's gaze, that condescending grin, the glint of mischief in his eye. Beth averted her eyes only when Vale tugged at her, quick to peer back up at her friend.

If Hoyt had been in a good mood, she'd be a lot less on edge.

"V wants to know your name," She knew better than to sign and exclude Hoyt from this conversation. He'd already staked claim to it.

"Ah," Hoyt flashed shark-like teeth for a brief moment. "I'm Hoyt! I'm Beth's boss!" Oh how he knew she hated that fact, a once anti-corpo hotshot now devolved to his puppet. "Did she not mention me? I thought we were close," A tense beat. "But no matter!" He leaned down a little now, still towering vastly over the child. "You're Vale, correct? Why don't you talk?"

[engrm]

"Hey Johnny? Do you think pigeons have feelings?"

🐝  *  ―  𝑭𝑶𝑹𝑻𝒀 𝑹𝑨𝑵𝑫𝑶𝑴 𝑸𝑼𝑬𝑺𝑻𝑰𝑶𝑵𝑺. ( ACCEPTING. )

lips   almost   curl   into   a   grimace   at   the   question   as   his   mind   flips   and   flaps   with   a   ton   of   replies   he   could   eagerly   give   in   this   moment,   anything   that   would   make   vale   shut   the   fuck   up   with   the   midnight   ramblings   of   a   mad   person.   but   for   once,   johnny   doesn't   allow   the   displeasure   to   show   (   look   at   that,   he's   learning   self-control   !   )   on   his   face,   but   does   let   out   one   lingering,   dramatic   ass   sigh.   "   only   you   would   think   about   somethin'   so   fuckin'   useless.   "   arms   unfold   from   across   his   chest   and   the   engram-rocker   is   suddenly   standing   near   the   bookshelf,   metallic   digits   hovering   over   a   particular   datashard   that   vale   had   thrown   so   carelessly   to   the   side   after   finding   it   on   jig-jig   street,   assuming   it   to   be   another   nomad   recipe   randomly   discarded   in   the   oddest   of   places.

       "   those   feathered   fuckers   had   more   than   just   feelin's,   but   also   enough   damn   diseases   to   give   the   sewer   rats   a   run   for   their   money   on   who   could   nearly   wipe   out   night   city   the   fastest.   tough   call,   yeah,   just   wipin'   'em   outta   existence   like   that,   but..   "   he   suddenly   trails   off,   the   conversation   hitting   home   with   their   current   situation   and   another   sigh   fills   the   small   space   of   the   apartment.   the   fact   that   he   even   has   to   think   so   deeply   about   birds   makes   him   want   to   put   a   cig   out   using   the   moisture   from   his   fucking   eyeballs.   impossible,   he   knows,   yet   it   would   be   a   lot   less   irritating   than   the   topic   at   hand.   "   point   is,   it   doesn't   matter   whether   or   not   they   had   feelin's   because   they're   dead   and   gone.   a   fuckin'   shit-stain   on   the   timeline   like   the   rest   of   us.   "   johhny   snaps,   his   tone   holding   a   sharper   edge   than   usual.

[trapton]

🔧 @cyberpawn (𝙵𝙾𝙻𝙻𝙾𝚆 𝙼𝙴)

"𝚝𝚎𝚕𝚕 𝚖𝚎.. 𝚍𝚘 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚐𝚊𝚖𝚎𝚜, 𝚟𝚊𝚕𝚎? [...] or how about prizes?" he darts -- from one side of their shoulders, to peek over the other. phantom hands on shoulders, while giggling... 𝚘𝚛, 𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚜 𝚒𝚝'𝚜 𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚊 𝚕𝚘𝚠 𝚌𝚑𝚞𝚌𝚔𝚕𝚎. "oh.. ̸i̴ ̵ ̶k��n̸o̶w̴.̶ ̴ i bet you're a cake person..." afton's low accent curls, trailing their chin, directing them to turn around. "well i can offer you all of that and more.... not to mention arcade machines -- as far as the eye can see.." a moment passes. his nose twitching, with a wiggle of rabbit whiskers. 𝚠𝚊𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚒𝚗 𝚊 𝚐𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚎. urgency in his slight bend at the knee. "allllll you have to do is come with me. you know vanessa, don't you? w̵e̷ ̵ ̷c̸o̵u̶l̵d̶ ̸ ̴a̴l̶l̵ ̶ ̷h̶a̴v̷e̴ ̶ ̵s̷o̵ ̴ ̵m̵u̷c̶h̸ ̸ ̸f̵u̷n̵ ̵ ̶t̷o̵g̴e̸t̶h̷e̶r̸.̷"

[loqis]

"maybe don't mention my past indescretions?"

"Your past indiscretions?", Loqi looked the punk up and down with a slight look between disgust and utter judgement.

The young Corpo seemed to not even want to look at the other one. Much less answer their questions or show them any of the newest tech and cyberware that Arasaka had produced and showed off at this open presentation.

"I don't think I have to mention your past indescretions with the way you look. You do that all on your own."

@cyberpawn

[prvtocol]

@cyberpawn : What to get the person who could have everything she wanted, well, besides a low blood pressure. Vale was pretty sure that corpo work would make it impossible to have a normal blood pressure. But! Vale can get cool things! In a bag that was decorated in snowflakes, Vale packed it full of goodies! Bri was gifted a calligraphy set, a small, plush mouse, and a teapot with Beatrix Potter's art on it. "Tada!!! Merry Christmas, Bri!!" | wonderfully random asks (always accepting) ᠂ ⚘ ˚

The festively decorated package left on her doorstep the night before was scanned by security before it even made it inside the director’s estate. It would be placed alongside a row of unopened holiday cards, a crate of French wine from one of the Guyots, a bouquet of flowers from her mother, and various other packages mostly from corporate clientele that were delivered over the past week. As usual, work was unrelenting, the upcoming holiday pressing projects to completion that the mail accumulating on her kitchen island fell into neglect. Not until Christmas mid-morning when making her second cup of tea did she have the headspace to sort through it all. 

The snowflake-decorated bag stood out among those that came through the post, and she wondered, who on earth in Night City would hand deliver her something? It wasn’t until opening it and seeing the note that she realizes V, that friendly young merc who made her acquaintance, is living up to their sincere and generous nature. 

“My goodness.” With surprise, she muses, the habit of speaking to herself shining through as she pulls out a wonderfully anachronistic calligraphy set, a quaint and decoratively familiar teapot, and a small stuffed mouse, which she is a bit baffled about. She can’t recall the last time she was given a plushie as a gift (not since she was a child).

“Cute,” she says, wiggling its round ears and finding herself smiling in the process. Just when you think the youth today have no hope... How easily she forgets they once broke into her estate. ...Old water under the bridge.

[exigencism]

@cyberpawn --> [also for johnny!] we need to get out of here ,  come on .

BLOOD RUNNING hot, dripping from his metal fist, chest heaving from the exertion. He can't remember the last time he'd seen red like that, nothing but blind fury, pure rage, all bared fangs and loud barks. He can barely register the blows the former-merc had landed before their face got smashed into nothing more than a gore pile, their stolen optics broken beyond repair. A swift kick, not even for good measure, just the thrill of coming out on top. Johnny doesn't even register Vale's words, but he can understand the meaning through the tone; let's delta the fuck out.

Sunglasses readjusted to something a little more presentable. He wipes the blood from his nose with his forearm, smearing it across his cheek; he wants out just as much. "Car. Now." Unceremoniously, he grabs Vale by the arm, sparing no thought. It was hard for him to admit still, but he had grown overprotective of them since they'd split minds again. Nobody dares lay a fuckin' finger on 'em. The last mistake one could ever make.

[divinejudge]

"I'm proud of whoever you turn out to be, as long as that's who you wanna be, y'know? I'm proud of you, because that's a decision no one can take from you."

The words gave Alexander pause. He blinked, and he had to blink again as he swallowed down an uncomfortable lump in his throat. Those were words he had always wanted to hear... words that his father denied him...

He exhaled a breath and a smile twitched on his lips. Then that same smile grew a little more. "Thanks kid." He didn't mean to sound so stiff and formal. Didn't mean to offend by acknowledging their gap in ages either. The younger clearly had their head screwed on a lot better than he did.

"Not sure I deserve it. Not even sure who I want to be, or where I'm headed..." He cleared his throat again, sniffed, dipped his head in a short nod. "Still. Feels kinda nice knowing someone's proud of this big lump."

[rebelichor]

[ disaster strikes ] a lightning storm has hit, our muses have both taken shelter from the dangerous weather inside an abandoned structure.

Medieval interaction scenarios.

This wasn't ideal. It would have been an inconvenience to anyone, but pin-pricks danced over her skin and made the hairs raise at the back of her neck.

It was a familiar thrum. The song of magic calling to her. She had a sense for it, and this unassuming traveler wasn't all that they seemed. She had a feeling they were keeping a lot to themself... but so was she, Ariadne supposed. Like it or not they were stuck together.

Another flash of lightning in the distance, chased by an almighty clap that shuddered the land in its wake. The storm was close. Too close to risk leaving their shelter, an abandoned old farm building.

Pulling her hood down firmer, she turned away from the doorless entry, walking to the back wall where she dared to lean and cross her arms. It was going to be a long wait. "You live here, don't you?" she questioned out of thin air.

There was hay bedding off to the side. Little belongings that spoke of someone sheltering here, for longer than this storm. If she had to guess... she had walked right into their home.

[sirenaceae]

❓ >:C

The first word that crosses my muse's head when they think of yours!

"Pawn."

[unrclypirxte]

@cyberpawn - Cont.

---

Beth simply set Vale with a humorous look, her lips quirking into a smirk. She wasn't OLD. Or, rather, her taste in music wasn't OLD. It was CLASSIC. There's a reason those bands are still popular!

Hey, she even knew some of them, performed with them! That made them COOL.

"Hey! Watch your mouth. THE BEATLES are an iconic band that revolutionised the music industry. If you're not careful, I'm calling Ringo," She threatened Vale, though it held no weight. She was good friends with the drummer, and would just end up having a little catch up if she called him. "What do you listen to?"

[holyguardian]

Aerith huffed an amused breath, and her lips peeled back in a wider smile that showed off her teeth. Now she truly felt at ease — it was the magic of friendliness, something that could be given freely, but was rarely the case in this city.

Like the quick-thinker that she was, she immediately lifted one of her hands to give them a high five. Maybe it was reflex from her line of work. Or maybe she just really liked to give high fives and rarely had the chance.

"For what it's worth, I don't think you're just the backup." she replied, easing her much too much ponytail of hair over her shoulder so that it draped down the front of her holo-suit more-so than their kindly offered flannel shirt. She didn't want to completely drench their kindness within mere moments.

"Ah, I may have heard about you before. Truly. Sometimes people confide in me even when I'm off the job," in times where she could remember interactions, "and I feel like I have heard about this V before. A real professional trouble maker."

There was a sudden smile on her face, paired with a quick little glance away. It was always a good feeling to actually meet someone new. "Little old me?" Her eyes lifted again, "I'm Aerith," and with that, she lifted her hand for a high five of her own, "nice to meet ya! What is that smell?" The question was sudden, a little jarring even, but a few steps brought her closer to the source of the incense sticks. Seemed... old school. "Sooo, when you're not on a gig, you're setting things on fire huh?"

Since they were a child, Vale spent plenty of time out on the streets of Night City. Even when Jack wanted them to stay inside, stay safe, keep their hands clean from the corruption that spread throughout Night City like a sickness, Vale was sneaking out through windows in the middle of the night and returning home before the sun rose again. They met criminals, convicts, conmen, all walks of life. They remembered being a kid, they remembered the kindness of Dolls who would keep Vale same from sadistic Fixers who promised big pay days and bigger lies. After the quick scan, they managed to feel even calmer with their new guest.

They paid no mind to the skintight suit, no reason to make her feel odd when she already looked out of place inside the spiritual, cozy feel that was presented by the esoterica. The walls and different countertops were filled with miscellaneous herbs, crystals, and other spiritually-involved trinkets. Candles, tall and short, big and small, all were lit to provide a soft, warm light to all visitors. A stick of incense burned, plumes of smoke floating into the air with gentle spirals.

"You're just special! First visitor I've had run in during a storm! First visitor I've ever had at the esoterica, actually! Misty usually runs the place, I'm just the backup!" Vale hopped over the countertop, brazenly holding up their hand for a high-five greeting. They thought for a moment, trying to decide how to introduce themself. While they weren't on the clock for their mercenary stuff, they could actually share their name! They didn't need to look cool, well, as cool right now!

"The name's Vale, but most people call me V! Normally I just get into trouble professionally." Mercenary. "And who's the person in front of me with the cool pink coat? I don't think I've ever met you before!"