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sol-consort · 17 days ago

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KITTY!

low-key absolutely adorable how enraptured Johnny is by the cat. Just as you walk into the corridor, he was like:

"V look, come here, look at that V. Hey, look V Look at this just look at that come over V come look"

You can take the man out of the cat person, but you can't take the cat person out of the man

He just sat there staring at the kitty...

So, of course, I joined!

Both of them just kneeling there for a solid minute, staring at the cat, who's cleaning itself in a laundry basket atop V's dirty shorts.

On other news, I've been progressing through the main missions. Specifically, the finding Evelyn Parker one, just finished visiting cloud and this line really stood out to me.

(context: this is said after the algorithm matches V with only two people to spend the night with, despite the vast catalogue)

"Sad." Said Johnny, whilst actively spreading his legs in your direction, sitting on a romantic leather armchair, with a huge "Love" red neon sign hanging behind.

With his sunglasses off.

The symbolism is as subtle as a brick to the face.

Not to mention the most cheerful expression he's ever shown so far

Bro is absolutely overjoyed. A reoccurring pattern I've noticed is how Johnny always looks the happiest while insulting V. The better the insult, the more intense the dopamine hit it seems.

Like, come on.

Could he be any more obvious? Come off any stronger? This is one step behind writing "FREE SEAT" on his lap with red lipstick.

Found a pair of hot pink sunglasses.

Naturally, I made an entire outfit around it!

When I first started the mission, I thought I knew what I was getting into. The obligatory club sex scene to milk the R18+ sticker on the gamebox.

Seeing how over the top and beyond they went with Meredith sex scene, I expected something similar if not turned up a notch or two. It was the party mission! Maybe we'll do a glitter line off of someone's abs, who knows.

Well, my expectations were not met at all.

Pleasantly so.

Instead, I was met with realism, confronted with the uncomfortable reality.

V is lonely.

V is incredibly loney and going through an immensely traumatic event.

Those are one group of people who benefit from the intimacy and comfort offered by sex workers. Sometimes, people go to strip clubs because they're incredibly loney. Why do people pay for onlyfans when pornsites are free? Because they crave a personal connection, the onlyfan models text them, address them by name, notice them, and check on them

It's part of the job. Multiple people are in charge of managing the texting and emotional labour aspect. The subscriber rarely, if ever, talks to the actual person behind the picture. Only to the people who created this caring, comforting persona and put effort into staying in character.

Much like the algorithm in Skye's brainchip is just pattern learning strings of code at the end of the day. Giving general advice that could apply to a multitude of situations, never specific. It's always soothing and doting, putting you first and your problems first.

And you see the stark contrast between it and the real Skye when they snap after V uses the safeword.

Most people who buy sex aren't really just buying sex. There are a lot of side things alongside the sex sold under the table, things that come with the job. The emotional labour, the need to be attentive and open, to school your expression into a smiling welcoming one. To be an actor but never break character even outside the stage. Otherwise, your audience takes it very personally.

Other times, you get people who want to buy the right to make a crime legal for an hour or two. Like that one guy who was talking about how great it is that the dolls can't say no. or mention how much it hurts.

Referring to the holograms as real people, huminizaing the AI chip in the dolls in order to feel the thrill of subjecting a living person to his power fantasises.

On the other hand, you get people who only ever refer to the dolls as sex toys, but instead of skin-safe silicone, they're toys made out of flesh and blood. Completely stripping them of their humanity, and by virtue, stripping himself from accountability of the real harm he does to the bodies of those humans who will wake up bruised with no memories.

That's not mentioning how many of these workers are here because of circumstance. They came here out of desperation. It's a flacky system that could crumble at any moment.

The business not only knows that, but it's built on the very concept. Made to exploit it. Predatory practices, ignoring the lives they're putting at risk, the desensitisation to the abuse and inhuman conditions of their workers.

The horror that went through me when I finally processed what happened to Evelyn.

The very same Evelyn I always thought of as untouchable, who seemed to know everything and play everyone, who I imagined to be illusive on purpose.

To be...

It was like a slap to the face, waking up to the reality of risks she took, she continued to take for whatever reason.

Here I went into this thinking it's a sexy game of cat and mouse where we james bond our way into trailing Evelyn through different clubs, picking up clues and account witnesses from people we take to bed.

Pure fucking fantasy, a bubble that burst. How delusional I was, how grim reality is in comparison to the game tropes logic I was using to think.

It was completely unpleasant, and that's exactly how it should've been. I'm glad it was uncomfortable, I'm glad they didn't give into player indulgence fantasy. I'm glad my expectations weren't met.

I can pinpoint the exact moment this glass-stained view shattered. When the seed of doubt was planted. It wasn't when Skye mention that V was dying—little jarring, but expected—it wasn't the comforting, I knew this was coming.

No, it was the touch prompt. When the choice to touch Skye finally was offered to V.

I thought "oh here we go." Filler out of the way, blah blah, you gave the player the needed emotional foreplay. Now it's time for the crude sex scene, yes?

Well, again, no.

The touch prompt is to hold Skye's hand—kinda. It's more of laying your hand atop theirs.

I expected a kiss, I expected a tasteful face caress. Hell, even a shameless grope that would've been out of place for the set-mood was still on my list of expectations.

I didn't expect this.

Pseudo-handholding that didn't lead into anything.

I was mostly confused. First, the use of the Valerie name tiped me off, then the mention of death tilled the soil, and finally, the held hand planted the seed.

I clicked the prompt.

And it reminded me of a familiar scene.

V holding their own hand before falling asleep.

Each time, without fail, they loosely grab onto their pinky and ring finger with their other hand. It's a way of self-soothing, a small comforting weight against your palm.

Of course it confused me; I'm not V, I'm the player.

This gesture means nothing to me.

But it's oh ever so familiar and known to V.

Just how deep did the algorithm dig into V's mind?

Reading their government assigned name? Sure, pretty standard stuff.

Knowing about their critical condition? Tiptoeing legality by checking medical records, but heyho, they had your permission, so everything is still reasonable. It's just another paper to them, like reading V's horoscope.

But going through V's memories?? Watching through V's own sleepy eyes as they held their hand just before falling asleep each night?

It's not just eerie, it's terrifying. How convincing of an actor an AI can be, how an algorithm can target and pinpoint the most crucial things to you as a person in just a simple scan—things you yourself weren't aware of, things so embedded into your subconscious. It feels immensely violating, your deepest desires laid bare by a stranger, a machine meant to exploit you under the guise of love, OF LOVE!

But that's not the only parallel happening in this scene.

Scroll up to look at the picture where V is admitting their biggest fear out loud. Keep the composition in mind, the position of both V and Skye. A vulnerable V sitting down and someone playing the supportive role sitting very close to them intimately.

Now look at this.

Johnny makes an active effort to sit down.

At the beginning of this scene, he's standing up and pacing around. Afterwards, he takes a stool (or a bucket?) to sit atop of, intimately close to V.

And what do you have? A vulnerable V sitting down and someone playing the supportive role sitting very close to them, intimately even.

He mimicked the Skye scene on purpose, is what I'm getting at, it's an attempt to lower V's guard by unconsciously reminding them of the intimacy they shared less than an hour ago.

Because he was there during the whole thing, he heard all of V's confessions of fear outloud this time around rather than having to dig for them at the dark corners of your mind. He watched the whole thing, how V so easily opened their heart to a stranger, an algorithm, almost an AI, just like him.

He saw a chance and ran with it.

It's not a coincidence that he only softens up after this interaction, after gaining leverage over V by recognising their deep vulnerability he could exploit.

After his brainchip progress jumps from 1% to 10% in overtaking your mind, overwriting your being.

Why now of all times does he suddenly say that he wants you to live when he could've said it way earlier? He had so many opportunities to have this talk, and yet now, after your ice walls melted down, he saw it as the perfect opportunity to strike, to ride off that wave of emotions in you while it's still high, to wedge his foot between the door and the frame before it closes again.

To gain leverage.

Maybe I'm overthinking it and this is a very sweet and sincere moment.

But Idk, it's hard to trust him. He's clever, too clever. His timings are too good. He has both the motives and the means. When he saw that outright killing you wasn't going to do it after the first interaction, he took a moment to think and try a different more friendly approach.

He's a famous rockstar, he played a very important leader-like role in a group of terrorist organisation, he has insanely high charisma, is what I'm saying, and he knows that and isn't above using it.

He's been too cooperative after the first interaction, too willing to let bygones be bygones and throw water under the bridge. An average person wouldn't do that. An average person would hold a grudge and would take time to process reality.

But Johnny seems to immediately adapt to the situation, eerily fast. Not sucking up to you—the opposite in fact with his belittling—instead acting casual, chill, as if this is all business as usual.

As a player, he's a delight and I'd like him to stay. But I genuinely don't know what to make of him, so far, he doesn't seem trustworthy.

As the character V, I see that they're already falling into his web of manipulation. He slithered his way amongst the voices of reason in their head, and now they're more pliant, more willing to hear him out, to take his words ar face value and head by his advice, even begrudgingly.

And honestly that's fucking rad! can't wait to see their relationship progress.

Talking about Johnny, I finally unlocked the 30/40k apart in Japantown, and it really reminds me of him. It embodies so many of his interests and habits.

First of all and the most obvious, the electric elephant in the room, the guitar and speakers.

You see him play at a stage before you ever see him shoot a gun, is what I'm saying. Your first impression of Johnny as a player was the rockstar before the fighter.

But hey, it's just a guitar, god forbid people have hobbies? Sure, yeah, a lucky coincidence. Let's not dwell too much on how V knew how to play it well. Can you imagine the implications if we do?

If you move a little to the left, you find the table.

Oh, the table. I was willing to let the guitar go and chalk it up to artistic choice wasn't it for this goddamn table.

First of all, cigarettes. Johnny asks you for a smoke the first you properly talk, and the hallucination of him is seen to be smoking during stressful or uncomfortable situations a lot—like the clouds visit.

Then, there is the wide open magazine, which just happened to be showcasing what seems to be an article/interview about what it means to be a celebrity, specifically, Jade.

But hey, it's not a John Jane situation, maybe they ran out of names?

Okay, fine, sure.

THE GODDAMN BOTTLE OF WHISKY (and I'm not crazy for this!)

IS THE SAME ONE ROGUE ORDERS AND ASKS THE BARTENDER TO KEEP THE BOTTLE IN THE GHOST IN TOWN MISSION.

I'M NOT CRAZY! YOU'RE CRAZY! I'M PERFECTLY SANE

the implications

THE IMPLICATIONS OF A V WHO CLAIMED THEY DON'T SMOKE WHEN JOHNNY NAGGED FOR A CIG, ONLY TO TURN AROUND AND BE ABLE TO SMOKE A HANDFUL NONSTOP IN THIS APARTMENT WITHOUT A SINGLE COUGH.

OF A V WHO NEVER MENTIONS PLAYING AN INSTRUMENT YER IS ABLE TO RIFF ON AN ELECTRIC GUITAR LIKE NO OTHER.

Of a V who started developing taste for a cerian brand of whisky.

Look, Idk how this Johnny AI mindchip clusterfuck actually functions or where the limits are.

But what if what Skye said was true? That V is already turning into a different person, every single day.

Sure it can be taken in the sense that every human changes little by little everyday, if a man stands in a river for a minute, then after the minute passes he's not the same man and it's not the same river.

Out of context, yes it's a good broad statement to make.

But we've already established that the AI knows too much, digged too deep. It could very well know about Johnny but decided not to mention him to not kill the mood.

So, in context, it could be interpreted as certain aspects of V and Johnny's personas are merging. Yeah, this whole argument falls apart when you point out V's lack of a shocked reaction to their supposedly new found rockband worthy talent and a certain taste of nictone. But I could easily mention how V never refutes it either! They don't sit down and go "oh man, really craving a smoke rn" or reminence about their band practice days.

THE IMPLICATIONS LISTEN TO ME DON'T LEAVE THE IMPLICATIONS I TELL YOU!

I tried to look around the apartment more to see if I find anything of value, nothing much. The only other slightly relevant proof to support my theory is the arcade machine of Roach flappy bird bootleg, and Johnny's a cockroach so :)

On a serious note, I did find these papers on a boardpin near the table.

The transcript reads as follows:

Paper One (Leftmost)

Sometimes loving you makes me hurt myself more.

We all want happy ending in our lives, but how can we create a happy ending?

Maybe it's time to ask ourselves what we really want in this life.

What makes you happy?

What makes your heart flutter?

Start doing the things that makes you happy.

Something that will caught your interest.

Try to go out with your friends, watch your favourite movie.

Soul searching is a way of freeing your mind, your heart, your body and your soul from app the things that aren't working for you right now.

Enough time will help you decide what you should do.

Talk to your friend, seek a company that will make you feel home.

Friends will help you ease the pain but at the end of the day you have all the control of your life

Paper Two (Middle)

Hello There!

How are your feeling today?

How's your travel to work?

Does the heavy traffic makes you angry?

Did you eat your breakfast?

Let's start the day right, even sometimes it doesn't go as we expected.

Let's try to do something that we've never done before.

Sounds fun right? ^_^

Or we can go somewhere nice and quite

Not a cemetery! haha

Yes, it's not what you think it is.

Where there's no wifi to access social media.

Away from stress and heavy traffic in the city.

Somewhere like a paradise where you can just sit under the trees, hearing the chirping of the birds, the relaxing sound of the ocean that keeping you calm.

Watching the sky to see the sunset.

Gazing at night looking for the stars in the sky.

Would you come with me?

Together let's enjoy nature.

Appreciate the things cannot be bought and cannot be owned.

Paper Three (Rightmost)

1. Family is one of the greatest guft from above. Don't take them for granted.

2. They are the people who will never leave you. They will support you all the way.

3. Whatever life hits you, you know they have your....... them close will definitely help you.

......s we have different goals, different.... these may lead to disagreement.

...... to keep a healthy relationship we should... mpromise so we can fix the problem.

........ not be fixed easily but at least we took a..... xing it.

..... should be a give and take on both sides.

I'm not presenting them in the context of relation to Johnny (not that I know enough about his past to make those claims) but in the context of worldbuilding.

This person who owned this apartment before us, the guitar used to belong to them. Add two and two together, and you realise they bought it in order to nurtur a hobby outside of social media. Much like they preferred to print things on paper rather than keep a digital journal.

The rest of the papers on the board seem to be filler assets just to cover empty space. One was for medical expenses that seemed like it belonged to a hospital accountant, the other was the lease of a mango farm? Like full on with the owner name and everything.

But who knows, maybe our journal keeping guitar player happened to dabble in medical accounting whilst maintaining a thriving farm of juicy mangos.

One paper is a repeat of the first paper. The last one is an ad for a car. Yes, images would've been helpful, but tumblr only allows 30 images per post, and I rant out of space + NOT deleting the pics of my V looking fab, so use your imagination.

Lastly, I finished all of Regina's gigs. It's sad :( I'll miss her praise.

I'll miss her.

I'd like to learn more about what happened to Max, what kind of debt she is in, and how the cyberpschyosis patients are fairing in treatment? But alas, I'm a mere merc, she's a fixer, our love is forbidden!!

The last three gigs were all massive hits, tho, especially Tiny Mike. He's like super attractive and charming. I hope we meet him again.