#i’m mad they took Saka off

[orphiceonian]

˗ˏˋSILVERV WEEK: BETRAYAL´ˎ˗

read on ao3

written for @silverv-week

It was peaceful out here.

They were outside the city limits. Far enough away that the sounds of the sleepless metropolis had fallen somewhat silent but close enough that they could still see the glimmering neon that bathed the skylight in a kaleidoscope of dazzling lights.

Johnny took a long drag of his artificial cigarette, letting the synthetic smoke fill his lungs as he crackled into existence next to V.

She was leaning against the front of her quadra, eyes locked on the city scape that sprawled out before her. He could see the dark circles that had made their home under her grey eyes and the faint glimmer of the threading that marked her face.

“We gonna talk about it?” He glanced over at her and watched as she lit her own cigarette and pulled a drag.

“I’d really rather not.”

“I’m in your head, I know you do.”

“You being in my head is what started it.” V snapped, exhaling smoke into the cool nights air.

“Right so maybe I shouldn’t have looked—.”

“No you fucking shouldn’t have. Not rocket science Johnny, just basic fucking respect.” She pushed off the car and walked away from him.

Johnny sighed and flicked his cigarette away, watching as it fizzled away into nothingness shortly after leaving his fingers—yet another reminder of his false existence.

“So what if I looked back on your ‘saka days? You saw my Samurai days.” He scoffed, “No different.”

“You wanted me to see that. We agreed you wouldn’t have free reign. Trusted you and you fucking betrayed me, again.” Her voice was full of venom, his anger and hers melding together and mixing into something vicious.

Johnny frowned at her, moving to stand a bit closer to the merc. He had crossed a line and now that line was slowly turning into a rift between them. He didn’t want their relationship to sour over something as trivial as him slipping into her memories.

He took a moment, studying her face and the slight shake of her hand as she drew another drag. Something wasn’t right—her anger was warranted but he hadn’t seen her this mad in a long time.

Johnny took a breath. He wasn’t used to being the one who apologises first—hell he wasn’t used to apologising.

“Right, sorry I looked.” He muttered, looking away from her and out to the city.

“Just don’t know how many more times I can take you betraying my trust…” Her voice was small—like she was scared to speak to him, “Had too much of that recently, fuck it started this whole thing. Can trace it all back to a single fuckin moment of betrayal.” He can hear the bite to her words now, the anger seeping through them.

“Dex?”

V laughed lightly and shook her head, “Nah, Jenkins.”

Jenkins. Her old superior. Forty-something year old bureaucratic psychopath with a flare for cruelty, “That’s why you didn’t want me looking at your ‘saka days?”

“Just reminds me that I fucked up my whole damn life cause I trusted someone.” V took another drag and looked over at him, “Plus, my corpo days weren’t pretty ones. Rather save us both the misery reliving that…”

They fall into silence for a moment, listening to the sounds of the city that echo over to them, carried on the wind.

He can feel her thinking—feel the thoughts ticking over in her mind as she mulled over what she wanted to say to him.

“Jenkins pulled me out of a rough spot. Not for him I would have been a burnt out runner at fifteen.” V tapped ash off her cigarette and kept her eyes on the horizon as she spoke, “Betrayal hits harder when it comes from someone you’re indebted to.”

Johnny let her talk, knowing it was better for her to get the anger off her chest instead of letting it fester into something ugly and twisted.

“Spent the next eight years trying to make it up to him. Being ruthless, railing synthcoke on my breaks and doing his dirty work all so he wouldn’t have that leverage over me. All for him to go and fuckin’ betray me.” Her anger overflowed into her words, each syllable laced with vitriol and bitterness.

He looked over, seeing the hatred burning in her eyes and the tears bubbling up behind them.

Johnny knew how betrayal felt. First the military—then militech. A dozen more moments of deceit and betrayal had marred his short life. He knew that burning anger that came with it and he knew that feeling of second guessing every action leading up to that moment.

“Promise…” She started, voice still shaking with aftershocks of anger, “Promise you won’t look again? You can ask if you want but just…no free rein? Got some stuff I’d rather not relive.”

“Promise.”

[commander-rahrah]

I just posted chapter 3 of my cyberpunk 2077 Johnny Silverhand x fem!V fic Cyberpunk: Twin Flame on AO3. This NSFW chapter is 9.5k words of angst, V backstory, and smut. I have included a small cut below, and if you are interested in reading more please check out the TWs and chapters over on my AO3 ♡♡♡♡

_________________________________________________________

“Why are you angry?” V asked, her head lolling onto the headrest as she looked over at him.

He jabbed the engine start, “I’m not." The truck roared to life. 

“I can feel it, Johnny, it’s radiating off you.”

“Ugh, I’m—.” He lost his words for a moment. Yeah, he was mad. And frustrated. And fucking scared. His knuckles turned white as he grabbed onto the steering wheel, but he didn't drive the truck anywhere yet. “Don’t want this fucking city to swallow you up V! Not gonna let you get caught up in all this shit, not gonna let what happened to Alt happen to you.” His voice was louder again.

“I’m not Alt.” She said gently. 

He gritted his jaw, shaking his head, “You fuckin’ runners, never get the shit you do. But you were wadding in deep shit V —,”

“For us.” Why did she have to keep her voice so calm right now? Why wasn’t she yelling back?

“And we’re here now!! So why are you fighting with me about keeping it going?" He roared, flashing her a look as he twisted in his seat to look at her. "We already probably started another fucking corpo war with the shit we pulled off. Heaven forbid we can just take it easy until we bite the dust and leave this shit stain of a planet. Probably a fucking murder/suicide because you drive me insane!” He ground down on his molars, stopping himself from saying anything else. 

Her big blue eyes just stared back at him, before she sucked in a breath through her teeth. “Me and Jack wanted to be legends Johnny. I feel like I gotta—“

“Being a legend is overrated V. Besides, everyone was already thinking you were pretty fuckin nova before ‘Saka tower. Don’t think you have to keep taking shit jobs so you can get a shit drink at Rogue’s shit bar.” He grumbled.

She blinked at him, “Jesus… tell me how you really feel, why don’t ya?”

“Fuck, you piss me off.” He said through his clenched jaw. 

“Right back atcha.”

The truck fell silent, the only sound was Johnny’s huffing and puffing before he finally took a steadying breath.

V twisted in her seat, stretching over the console between them — her elbows holding her weight, as she hovered next to him. “I’m not her, Johnny.” Her voice was quiet, gentler than he had ever heard it.

He turned his head to look at her — his dark eyes finding her light ones already looking at him, studying him carefully. “I know that.”

“And we ain’t gonna figure this all out in one shot.”

“I know that too.”

She leaned out further across the console, pressing her lips to the side of his cheek. The corner of his mouth. Then down the sides of his jaw. 

“I never felt like this before.” He let out between her kisses. 

“Hmm?” V hummed, continuing her calming kisses down the side of his neck. It made the bottom of his spine shiver — he licked his lips to focus on his words again.

“Like I’ve got a million different things going on at once didn’t know—“

“One person could feel that much?” V finished from him, leaning her head against his shoulder for a moment, still stretched out across the truck.

He nodded, placing his chin on the top of her head, “Yeah. That.”

“Well, not just one person you’re feeling anymore. And… well things are different now. You’re different.” She pulled away from him to look him in the eyes, her fingers sweeping down his jaw line tenderly. 

“You think?”

“I know.” V continued her kisses again but trailed them to his mouth this time. As soon as her lips touched his, Johnny deepened it. His lips pressed against hers hastily, his teeth catching on her bottom lip. He felt her kiss him back fiercely as his hand stretched out to any part of her body that he could hold onto. Her shoulder, down to her waist — stretching his arm out to grab her ass. Her big shirt was riding up now, his fingers kneading into the soft flesh that was revealed. One of her hands lifted off of the middle console at his touch — grabbing onto the fabric of his shirt for leverage instead, bunching it up into the palm of her hand.

[seoultraveller]

Sterling… you 🐍 pray to God because you know that was a shitty back pass. Germany should have gotten that.

🥺🇩🇪

[heartofsnark]

Can You Feel The Sun? (Chapter Eight): Icarus Falls

Notes: Why, yes, I am posting these relatively quickly. This is the last of a backlog since I’m actively still working on the next chapter, This is a doozy of a chapter, both emotionally and length wise, but I’m rather proud of it, if I’m being honest. I recommend settling in a snack and maybe...just maybe some tissues.... 

Word Count: 15327 

Chapter Warnings:  Multiple deaths, violence, gore, grief, angst. 

If you haven’t yet, you can read the previous chapter here!~

V and Jackie get into the backseat of the Delamain taxi. White and tan leather interior, despite looking the nicest she ever has in twenty years she still feels like she might stain the white leather. No driver, instead there’s screens and consoles in the back of the seats in front of them. An avatar of a bald man with stark unnaturally white skin and blue lips 

“Welcome on board this Delamain service. With Delamain, you leave your problems at the door,” the AI avatar greets them in a robotic voice. 

“Son of a bitch! Better fuckin' believe I will!” Jackie yells out, still grinning. V lets out a breath of air meant to sound like a laugh, but the lump in her throat isn’t making it any easier. 

“I see no reason why you should be using expletives.”

“Sorry, he gets… excited.”  Her voice is tighter than she wants it to be, her leg bouncing now. 

“Damn right, I’m excited. Hey, Del, what about that time I wanted to hire you for my cousin's bachelor party, huh?” 

“Unfortunately, we do not take on such contracts.”

“Three months I'd been savin' up scratch… Egh, water under the bridge. Hit it, Del!”

“Before we begin our journey, I must verify the identities of all customers. Please proceed to connect your personal links,” the mercs plug their personal links into the console, “Thank you. "Excelsior" package activated.”

Crisp subtitles for Delamain alight along her contacts, more comprehensive than the lip reading tech sometimes gives. Maybe his AI avatar enunciates more properly than a human, she wonders. 

“"Excelsior"? Hohoho, this just keeps gettin' better!”

Jackie laughs as the taxi cab starts to drive and V finds herself fiddling with her suit sleeve. It’s perfectly tailored, but she still feels like a kid in dress up. Having to pretend she’s a corpo, having to pretend to be a hearing person. Her bright painted nails seem to clash so much with the persona and she curses herself for not changing the polish. What if they’re caught right away? The corps smelling Heywood and The Badlands on them the second they walk through the door. What if the spoofed SID hack doesn’t work, what if the bot malfunctions… What if, what if, what if; spins around her brain. They can’t fuck this up, there’s no room for mistakes. One disaster will destroy their reputations, hell their entire merc careers. And that's the best case scenario. 

When she glances at Jackie there’s no hint of nerves, no hint of reservation or fear, just giddy excitement. Like a kid getting ready to hit up a party. 

“What’s got you riled up?” She asks in spoken English, deciding she’ll mostly speak for the ride since Jackie is the only person really here, that way he doesn’t have to look at her the entire time. And maybe she’s also hoping if she talks enough she won’t clam up too bad in Konpeki.  

“Hang on, watch this… Delamain! Initiate combat mode!”

She can see the bright red ink of his tattoo peeking from his suit sleeve, eyes drawn to it, and something about that scares her more; a hint of his Valentino roots showing, would it be a literal red flag for Konpeki security. 

“My apologies, but you do not appear to be in any sort of imminent danger,” Delamain crushes Jackie’s hopes, a frown replacing his grin. 

“Huh… Oh well. Trust me, he'll mow down an army of ‘Saka ninjas if it comes down to it,” Jackie explains to V and she wraps her arms around herself, resisting the desire to bring her legs up into the seat, trying to get her mind off her nerves. 

“So, what else is included in Excelsior mode?” V tries signing to the AI, curious if it has translation tech for ASL. 

“Comprehensive health coverage, including the handling and disposal of a client's remains should death occur on board,” Delamain responds without hesitation and instantly ruins any chance of her getting her mind off the massive risks within this job. 

“Damn. Shit got dark pretty quick,” Jackie comments. 

“Dex isn’t skimping though.” 

“And thanks to you, we're still gettin' a juicy forty percent.”

“You’re welcome.” 

“Excelsior…This is how you wanna cruise into the major leagues…” He says like the job is already done and they’re hitting up an after party… 

“Wouldn’t get too excited yet, Jack, doing a job not hitting up a party.” And her words are too sharp, voice too venomous and rough in her throat. She regrets it as soon as they leave her lips, as soon as she’s spoken them into reality, wishing she could swallow them back down. His face drops completely, eyes harsh and she knows she fucked up. 

“For real, V…? See me as that shallow?”

“I-”

“Lemme explain somethin' to you, V… My whole life I've spent in this shit around us! And I ain't goin' back!”

“I’m sorry, really, I just… I’m worried and I let my nerves talk for me, I’m sorry.” She quickly tries to smooth it over, those knots in her gut only winding tighter with Jackie mad at her. 

“Swear to christ, V, I will never fucking get you,” he says, shaking his head and looking out the window.

“What do you mean?” 

“Twenty years old, sitting in the back of a Delamain, on your way to do a job for Dex fuckin’ Deshawn and you can’t even muster a fuckin smile? You fuckin’ know what I’d have done to be where you are right now when I was your age, I was still dreaming of seeing The Afterlife! Took you less than a year to be here, took me ten! And you ain’t even happy about it! Then you act like I’m not takin’ it serious, like I don’t got my fuckin’ head in the game, just cause you can’t appreciate where the fuck you are right now!” 

She chews her lip, not sure what to say to him. Guilt coming over her. He’s right, she hasn’t lived in Night City nor been a merc nearly as long. He’s been doing this since he left the Valentinos… For Jackie this has been a lifelong dream, the ultimate goal. She didn’t even consider it a possibility until she met him and now she’s already on her way there. Of course he’s happy, on the precipice of his dreams coming true. 

“I’m sorry, really I didn’t mean to piss on your parade.” 

“Yet somehow you always do.” 

V sighs watching the city pass outside her window for a few more moments, tapping her fingers, that knot feels like a ball of lead now. She wants to claw her skin off,  tear and tear away at herself, at her being, and maybe, just maybe she’ll find someone better under the gore.  Someone who isn’t such a fucking asshole. Someone who knows how to keep their mouth shut and doesn’t ruin everything for everyone else. She’ll never understand why Jackie puts up with her, why he has for so long. She just doesn’t want to fuck this up. The job, her friendship, the little bit of happiness she’s built. V wrings her hands together, tight enough to hurt and she twists them a little harder, nails digging into the skin. If she can’t find anyone better maybe she’ll just claw away until she’s nothing at all. 

She’s already a bundle of nerves over the heist and she can’t stand another moment of the tension hanging thick in the air. 

“Did you fuck my wife?” She says in her best imitation of something between an Italian and a Brooklyn accent, watching Jackie’s face, the hint of a smile tugging at it. Tension starting to melt ever so slightly. 

“Don’t get me started,” he returns forcing the same cheesy voice. 

“Did you fuck my wife?” 

“I think you fucked my wife and got me started.” 

“I got started cause you fucked my wife.” 

“I could trace back the moment I got started it’d definitely be when you fucked my wife!” 

“That is unquestionably when I got started!” They’re smiling now, giggling at every other word as they choke on their cheesy jokes. Tension melts away as a weight is being lifted off her chest. 

“My records indicate that neither of you are married.” 

And they lose it, laughter filling the car at Delamain’s interjection to their stupidity. Its ridiculous and dumb and they sound like children. But, she’s thankful for the moment, the reprieve, where it’s laughter and not nerves tearing at her guts. 

A call notification lights up on V’s optic contacts, T-Bug’s avatar and V answers, the runner’s voice coming just a moment later. 

“Hey. How's things?”

“Eh,” Jackie answers, “been better, been worse.” 

“We’re nearing our destination,” Delamain tells them and V’s throat tightens. 

“Listen, set up a direct, encrypted line to guide you through Konpeki. V, ring Jackie now, see if we're in sync. Can't be too careful.” 

She puts a call through to Jackie, inteface telling her it’s establishing a secure connection.

“And?” Bug asks, expectantly. 

“Got static,” Jackie cringes, “Say somethin', Bug?”

“The greatest crimes issue from a desire for excess and not from necessity."

“Say what now?”

“Yeah, I read you. Not so much your Greek friend, though it was kind of exciting,” Jackie tells her with the ghost of a smile on his lips. 

“Could give it some thought, try to understand…? How 'bout you, V?”

“I want more Aristotle!” 

“Fuck off, both.”

Jackie and V share a giggle at the runner’s expense, V’s going to miss when Bug goes into retirement. If all works out, even on the brighter side, it may be the last time all three of them work together. But at least Bug will be happy and safe, unlike V or Jackie, this was never her dream or end goal. 

“OK, tech checks out, looks like,” T-Bug confirms. 

“Será mejor que sí…”

“Stay in touch”

And V just realizes the taxi has stopped moving, through Jackie’s window she can see the front entrance of the hotel.  The bright red exterior walls, a worker standing at the ready and those nerves are clawing their way back with a vengeance, tearing up her insides and making her want to bolt, terrified that they’lll be found out as soon as they step foot in. They need to get moving, only way to get through the fear is to take control, do what needs to be done. And hopefully avoid puking in the back of an expensive AI taxi. 

“Thank you for choosing the Delamain service. And best of luck. I shall await here for your return.”

“Shit's finally happenin’… “ 

“Its game time, got any iron left on you, time to put it away,” she tells him, tucking her gun and knife into the center compartment. Jackie following suit. V tugs off her suit jacket and rolls her white sleeves to her elbows, making sure her blades are accessible from the start. 

“Alright, Hannah, let’s go.” 

V opens the door of the Delamain, greeted by the view in front of the hotel, in the distance she can see the space travel facility, night settled over the water. The hotel has trees and plants out front, trying to sprinkle some nature into the cement and chrome world of Night City. She carries her suit jacket over her shoulder, keeping one hand busy with it, while the other sits in her pocket. Hoping it will keep her from signing if she needs to talk. 

“Hold on, lemme grab the Flathead.” Jackie pops the trunk of the taxi and pulls out the case with the bot. 

The mercs take the two marble steps up, a vibrant stript of red along the path.There’s long white marble with planters and the name of the hotel inscripted in gold. 

“'Member, reservation's in your name… Ramón. You're there to meet Hajime Taki - military tech department rep. Papers are for the Flathead” T-Bug tells them as they get closer to the double doors. 

“Welcome to Konpeki Plaza,” a man in a red, black, and gold uniform greets them, bowing his head as they pass by.

There’s a large waiting room, white couches along the sides with monitors displaying documentaries and vases with red hologram plants branching out of them. A security gate divides the waiting room from the front desk, scanners to check each guest for weaponry. Beyond it she can see staff with gold plated skin. All non-security personnel of the hotel are gold plated; receptionists, concierge, bartenders, and the like. A requirement for the job, even staff must match the aesthetic. 

“Welcome to Konpeki Plaza. Please come through single file,” The guard tells them as they reach the full body scanner. 

“You got it, holm-- uh, ahem, sir,” Jackie stumbles and V screams internally, watching her friend step forward. Blue light crackles along him, like lightning, then it flashes red. Misty’s warning of mean reds, flaring in V’s mind. 

“Ahem. Hold on got something,” the guard stops Jackie before he can go any further, “Sir, care to explain why you're bringin’ a combat bot onto Konpeki Plaza premises?”

“Arms dealers.” V yells out quickly, hating how forced it sounds, tightening her fingers in her jacket, desperate not to sign on instinct and not realizing she forgot the ‘we’re’ part of her sentence until she finished saying it. 

“Excuse me?”

“Ah!” A gold skinned concierge steps over,  “You are here to see Taki-san, am I right? Please accept my apologies for the confusion.” 

“Pff,” Jackie scoffs as the concierge bows and walks into the lobby, waiting at the front desk. 

V steps into the scanner, guard assuring her it will only take a moment. It distorts her vision, crackling it with blue for just a moment. Then the guard tells her to go ahead and she walks forward, meeting Jackie at the desk. A woman with gold skin, black hair all shaved except for the bangs and sidelocks greets them.  And V is starting to notice that the Arasaka logo is everywhere, the corp hotel owned by them. On the screens, gold emblazoned on marble planters, and on pamphlets. The hotel and Arasaka logo are clearly one in the same. 

“Youkoso. Greetings and welcome to Konpeki Plaza,” she says bowing her head to them and V returns the gesture.

“We’d like to check in,” Jackie says and V sends him a silent thanks for talking. .

“Of course, just a moment, please” the receptionist taps away at a keyboard, “The name on the reservation is…?”

“Victorino.”

“Double room, two adults, one night. Correct?”

“That’s the one,” V tells her, with a tight nod. 

“Perfect… I will go ahead and notify Taki-san of your arrival.”

“Shit, no good, not part of the plan. Talk her up, V, stall!” T-Bug yells out over the call and V is once again wanting to scream. 

“That, uh,  won't be necessary,” she curses herself for stuttering, “We'll go freshen up first, notify him ourselves.”

“But Taki-san is expecting you, no…?”

“Senorita, do you know how long we been traveling? Eighteen hours from New Barcelona. With a delay on Metakey 'cause some cyberpsycho blew himself into bits inside the terminal…”

“Been a nightmare, ugh.” 

“Of course, I understand. You will be in the Lapis Lazuli Suite on level forty-two. Oh, one more little formality… Please validate your SID chip.”

“Honor's all yours, Hannah.” 

A tablet on the table lights up with a bright blue handprint and she’s reminding of her issue getting into her own apartment. Bug said she put a temporary hack on their SID chip, but there’s an extra twinge of anxiety as V lays her hand down on it. She half expects it to show a senior citizen, to be outed as a fraud and tossed out the door. 

“Everything seems to be in order. We wish you a pleasant stay!~” 

“Better get goin'.”

V murmurs a thanks, feeling a bit of relief at having that part of this whole thing done. Playing corpo is somehow more stressful to her than the idea of breaking into Yorinobu’s penthouse. She follows behind Jackie. Large marble planters fill the lobby, some with trees that nearly touch the staggeringly high ceiling. 

“New Barcelona? Really?” T-Bug comments as V follows Jackie up a short set of marble steps. 

“It's called improvisin' - you should try it,” V stares up at a gold framed painting, “Whaddaya think, Hannah"?

“...” V raises an eyebrow at him with a soft noise in her throat. 

“Quaint, cozy. Not like the hotel we had in Zurich for that convention.”

“Don't need that, Jack. Enough.”

“What? I’m takin’ this seriously!” Jackie grumbles when T-Bug scolds him. 

They take two turns through the lobby, guards passing by talking about dolls being left in rough shape as they near what looks to be a bar in the corner. It's an open pathway inside, the bar illuminated in pink and a gold plated woman stands at a podium bearing Arasaka’s logo. There’s a lit collection of alcohol behind the bar, liquor that costs more than V’s rent, which isn’t a hard feat but still rubs her the wrong way. 

“Bar don't look too shabby.”

“We don't do reservations on weekdays, so feel free to grab any available table. Or a couple of stools at the bar if you prefer?” She explains to them, a valley girl accent to her words. 

“Could bring Misty here one day. When we, uh… close this deal.”

“Might take a look around.” 

The idea of sitting down, if only for a moment, and catching her breath after the close call in the lobby sounds nice. Her nerves are frayed already, she’s never wanted to drink so much on a job before. A quick breather before she has a full blown panic attack. 

“Shit,” Jackie curses, “look like some fuckin' travelin' salesman with this case. Go ahead, I’ll go on upstairs.” 

V nods, watching Jackie go to the elevator, a part of her feels guilty, but she doesn’t intend to take too long. And it’s not as if she’s made visiting bars on the job a habit before, she can have this one. She rubs a hand over the back of her neck, feeling the chrome indents of her Mantis Blades cooling the skin. Half of the room is a lounge with black couches and slick pink metallic chairs, terrariums built into the walls. The other half is, gold stools and booths before the neon pink bar. Each side is filled with people mingling, dressed in high fashion, people who’ve gambled away more money than she’s ever seen. 

“And when I say heads're gonna roll, I don't mean it as a fucking turn of phrase,” a half drunk man slurs his speech at the golden bartender. The stench of whiskey clings heavy to his clothes. 

“Had enough guy, don’t you think? You’re making the other customers uncomfortable,” the bartender sends a pointed look towards V, a slight twang in his voice. She was looking for a breather, not conflict. 

“Good! 'Cause this affects them, too! It'll slap everyone in the face!” 

“What’s that?’ She entertains him, figuring it might get the guy gone sooner. 

“You wanna know what a bearer of bad news looks like? What's four hundred yards long, weighs a hundred thousand tons, and is nuclear powered…? The answer's docked in the bay! Hanako Arasaka decided -,” he hiccups, “decided to take a little vacation!

“Big deal.”

“Don't know how big just yet,” her sarcasm doesn’t penetrate the fog of whiskey, “And by the time we do, it'll.. it'll be too late. Screw this. I'm gonna get some sleep…”

With that the man stumbles away, taking the too strong smell of booze with him and the shining bartender turns to her. His shaved hair either red or pink, color distorted in the glowing light. 

“Evenin, what can I get you, baby?” 

Her nose wrinkles at the term of endearment, “little forward, don’t you think?” 

“Suckled it outta my ma's very breast,” he returns, “Fifty percent protein, the other half pure high octane CHOOH2.” 

He presses two gilded hands to the bar leaning forward as he regales his story and she can’t help but raise an eyebrow; he’s implying he’s a nomad, but why would he tell her that? 

“What?” 

“She had wind and dust in her hair, so to speak. Belonged to the Aldecaldos. Before the bombs began fallin'. Her final words? ‘Wherever you go, whatever you do, be yourself, David.’ And so I ended up here. Still no one but myself.” 

He’s full of shit, she decides immediately. Maybe her own distrust or her own frustration, nobody with nomad blood would end up here, gold plated and slinging drinks to corpos. At the very fucking least, they wouldn’t act so damn happy about it. 

“Lovely story if it wasn’t a crock of shit.” 

“Everyone's making something up,” he smirks, “Just like you, baby.”

“Excuse you?” she chokes out, feeling like ice water has been shot through her veins. He’s seen through her, that implication clear, but how? Even regaling to her some fucked up story of being a nomad, like he could smell the dust of the badlands still on her skin. 

“Can I getcha somethin'? At the least, water?” 

“Bourbon and cherry coke.” 

“You got it, baby.” 

The repeated use of the pet name earns him a glare, V tapping her fingers against the bar, his story and perceptiveness making her nerves worse. He sets the drink on the table and she downs it with a gulp, alcohol not quite loosening her how she hopes. She sets the glass down and leaves the bar, it may be petty but she doesn’t leave him a tip, frustrated at the idea he could have seen through her. 

She jabs the elevator button, tapping her foot as she waits and stares at some painting. Its all abstract bullshit, pretty colors, but she’s not sure she sees much else to them. The golden doors open, the back of the elevator windowed with what looks like foliage inside, maybe it’s just a screen. V steps inside and jabs to her level. And after just a short ride, it stops  at her floor. 

The doors open and she sees Jackie, looking over one of the art pieces, walking past a desk and concierge to greet him. 

“About time,” he says, when he spots her, the pair making a beeline to the suite. They walk past a couple speaking Russian, talking about testing on people, as they find the door. 

Jackie opens the door and she gets her first peek of it, stepping in. The furthest wall almost entirely windowed, looking out over the hills. Another expanse dedicated to a terrarium, a large plush bed, white sofas, and a table projecting hologram displays of fish. V tosses her suit jacket off onto the couch. 

“Pretty snazzy. Too bad we ain't stayin' the night. Nice choice, Bug.” 

“Didn't pick it for snazz. Offers quickest access to the dweller and servers.”

“Sí, sí, me acuerdo,” jackie grumbles as he puts the Flathead case down on a table in front of the terrarium. The little spider bot springs to life the second it’s case is opened. 

“Now you fire up the Flathead and find the shaft entrance.” 

“Sounds simple enough…” 

“Simplicity's sometimes toughest to master,” T-Bug tells her. 

“Aurelius? Aristotle? Who's it this time?”

“Yours truly, that one's mine.”

“Go ahead and find the shaft, chica, I’ll get the Flathead running.” 

V nods and begins looking around the room, scanning around, finding the shaft after a short moment. A little square panel standing out on the wall next to the terrarium, scanner telling her it’s Flathead compatible. 

“Found it.” 

“Good. Jackie, how's the Flathead lookin'?” T-Bug asks, he’s put the control shard in one of his neuroports while V was looking for the shaft, eyes now glowing bright white blue. 

“All set. Systems’re operational, charge at a hundred…,” a moment passes his expression furrowing as he shakes his head, “Mierda.  Little gonk's stuck.”

“Just gonna stand there and look at it? Gonna have to switch to manual control. V, take the control shard from Jackie. Gonna link your Kiroshis to surveillance so you can guide the bot.”

“Why me, Jack’s got full blown optics?”  She asks, as he pulls the control shard from his head. 

“Yeah, but you got better tech, unlike someone I ain’t run up my tab with Vik. Got last-gen firmware low flow. May be contacts, but you’re working with top notch Kiroshi tech.” 

“Plus someone already has some playtime with the bot,” T-Bug outs her and Jackie raises an eyebrow at V, a teasing smile on his lips. 

“You played with the bot?”

“Just… give me the shard,” she takes it from Jackie’s hand, “Surveillance cover the whole hotel?”

“Mhm. Even the bedrooms in the suites.”

“Seriously?” 

“You'd be surprised what people're willin' to give up to feel secure. Lucky for us, Yorinobu's an exception. Penthouse is dark, no hotel security.’

“Okay, here goes.” V pushes the control shard into the slot, the interface says it’s connecting her, then it glitches and in a moment she’s looking at herself and Jackie through the surveillance camera. 

“Patching you through to in-cam view. Might get a little disoriented, but don't freak”

Her vision switches between rooms; a man getting a lap dance from a doll in a dimly room, two men in another hotel room. And then it lands on a third room. A meeting of four people; two Arasaka suits and two faces she vaguely recognizes. The view doesn't shift again and she takes the chance to look closer, talks of losing control of Watson, election season. And it clicks, the mayor of Night City. 

“Camera’s set,” V tells Bug, political bullshit isn’t her business, she can see the vague outline of the Flathead creeping into the room.  Only slightly visible to her thanks to her connection, 

“Get him to the next vent.”

V scans and finds the next vent shaft tucked in the corner of the room, sending the Flathead to it. She watches as it crawls and creeps through the room. 

“C’mon little buddy, you got it, yes,” She cheers on the little machine as it skitters across the camera and into the vent. 

“It’s a Military grade combat bot, not your pet, V. Patching you into the next cam now.” 

The next room appears, more brightly lit with two maids working to clean it. V goes to send the Flathead into the vent but the request is denied, detecting one of the cleaning ladies is too far into it’s path. 

“Cleaning crew’s in the way,” V tells Bug, listening to one of the women start drooling over Yorinobu. 

“Gotta distract her. Hmm, let's see what's on the subnet…temp control on the terrarium, sic the bot on it.” 

V follows the runner’s orders scanning and sending the Flathead onto the temp control. Barely a moment passes before the maid’s notice, freaking out about how expensive it is. The merc takes her chance and sends the bot into the unblocked vent shaft. 

“Little guy’s through.”

Next cam flickers into a green tinted maintenance hallway, the bots legs tinkering across the floor. Vent on the other side of the room, V sends it through, smiling as her little buddy makes his way through. And it brings her to a new camera, it looks like where the surveillance feeds lead to. A console and row of screens with a security guard watching them. 

“Dweller's just beyond the door. Flathead can jimmy the lock.”

V sends the command, watching it scamper to the door, tendrils working at the lock. But nothing gives away. 

“He’s having some trouble, poor feller.” 

“Shit… Gotta be another way. Lemme think… Got another cam other side of the door, but it's disabled.’

“Got a CCTV port, might be able to enable it.” 

“Go for it.” 

The Flathead creeps across the room and jacks into the port, giving V access to the other camera. And V switches her vision to it, the next room looks like a high tech runner’s nest. Two netrunning chairs in deep cooled divots within the room. But only one is in use, a man jacked into the security frame, illuminated in blue, screens running code around him. 

“Dweller’s inside.”

“Just as planned.”

“Still don’t get why they only have the one.” 

“Decent dweller's as good as a dozen rank-and-file. Lemme graft a demonoid onto your link, you’ll be able to jack the bot directly into the chair and neutralize the runner.” 

“Got’cha” 

“You'll have to get the Flathead in there first, though.” 

“Got another shaft grate,” V finds when she twists the camera’s view, there had to be a vent in the other room, servers lining the walls. Bad ventilation and the entire operation overheats. 

“Shaft may link both rooms, looks like. Toggle to the other cam.” 

V does so, a moment of scanning and she finds a hidden shaft grate in the floor, “Think I got it.”

“Send the Flathead over there, then toggle over to the second cam.”

She waits until the bot is prying open the vent in the surveillance room, then flickers back over to the runner’s den, eyes on the vent and hoping she didn’t send their tech into the wrong room. A moment passes and she sees her robotic friend creeping his way out. 

“Our friend’s inside.” 

“Flathead into the chair, V, jack in.” 

The bot crawls across the floor and into the netrunner’s cubby, creeping up the chair and scuttling over the man’s body. Deep in the subnet the man doesn’t stir or even notice as the bot hovers over his face and jacks into the chair. And the code across the screen glitches, replaced by a T. 

“Holy shit.” 

“Whoop! Got him! Love those daemons!” Bug cheers, louder and more excited than V has ever heard her. They did it, the bot is in, T-Bug has access to it all. 

“Uh, Flathead buddy stays, right?” 

“To keep an eye on the dweller, yeah. Punching into Konpeki’s main net. Go ahead and log out.” 

The young merc’s vision starts to glitch and flicker red, her pulling the shard from her head, everything spinning. Lightheaded and her body feels both too light and too heavy. Like she could collapse and float away all at once. 

“That's how it's done! How ya feelin'?” Jackie asks, concern lacing his voice. 

“Like I’m about to puke on a rug worth more than my car.” 

“Bug? How're you doin' on time?” The runner doesn’t respond right away, a moment too long passing. 

“Bug?” 

“Yeah, yeah, I'm here. Soooo listen, ICE is thicker than I thought. Piercing it'll take a couple hours.” 

“A couple hours?! Can't do it any faster?”

“Want my brain to burst into flames? Just siddown and enjoy your snazzy suite.”

“Thanks, I will! V, you take it easy, c’mon rest for a bit.” 

V doesn’t need anymore prodding, settling down onto the white sofa, hoping her head will stop spinning and stomach cease churning by the time Bug is done. The merc kicks off her heels and lays across the sofa, softer than her bed. Jackie sitting across on the other side of the table, V brings her hand up to her face, trying to block out the blue light from the holo projector. But catches herself looking at the bracelet Misty gave her, the way the beads catch the light, remembering the name of it. 

“Hey, what was our suite’s name again?” 

“Lapis lazuli, why?” 

“Isn’t that what Misty’s bracelets are? The blue beads with the gold.” 

“Oh...yeah, ain’t that some shit, must be a good sign.” 

“Maybe… she read your cards before this?” 

“Nah, didn’t get a chance, nagged me about mean reds though. What about you, cards in your favor?” 

“All I remember is something about a magician and love, blegh.” 

“Hehehe,” his laughter is warm and fills the huge room, “telling you, one day you’re gonna be head over heels with some chiccy or mano and you’re not gonna know what to do with yourself.” 

“That how it was with you and Misty?” 

“Pssh, knew I was crazy about her from day one, took a while to work up the nerve though one day I just told her the truth.” 

“That you were in loooove~.”

“More like I’d take a bullet for her, chica.”

“Romantic.” 

“Fuck yeah it is, in Night City, that’s worth a billion I love yous.” 

“So you say.” 

“Keep doing that and you’re gonna rub the finish off Vik’s work,” Jackie tells her and she realizes she’s been rubbing and fiddling with her implants, “be a waste for free work to be ruined.” 

“I’m gonna pay him.” 

“You give him anything upfront, even a dime?” 

“I… gave him a hug…” 

“Wow,” Jackie says half laughing and she’s laughing too, “a whole hug for top of the line chrome! Probably wasn’t even a real hug, just your half ass shit!” 

“I may have only used one arm.” 

“Santa mierda, V, gotta learn to hug people like you mean it.” 

“Yes, yes,” she yawns, “blah blah blah, never know which hug will be the last one, blah….” 

“Flathead wear you out that bad?” 

“Maybe a little…” Her stomach feels better, but her head is still light, fuzzy. And in the plush of the sofa, with Jackie close by, she finds herself drifting away. Eyelids getting heavier with each word, each lull of his voice. She didn’t drink much, but she’s sure the bourbon didn’t help. 

“Gonna be a while, might as well catch a cat nap, chica. Though Bug might not like it, haven’t quite managed to get the stick out of her ass.”  

“Yeah..maybe…” 

The world fades away, a soft fuzzy sleep taking over. Time ticks by around her as she catches a moment, or maybe several, to sleep. Her brain is still a little foggy, but the dizziness is gone by the time she slowly starts to wake back up. A bad case of cottonmouth as she wakes, world filtering back in. 

Her suit jacket is tossed over her, a makeshift blanket she didn’t put there, she rolls over to sit, more stable than she was before. The time on the terrarium panel tells her only an hour or two has passed.  Jackie’s back is too her, his eyes staring at the window. And she finds herself staring, standing in a suit and basked in the lights of the city view, he’s never seemed so serious. 

“Whaddaya think? Why'd he give it all up?” He asks after a moment and she blinks, brain still foggy. 

“Who?” 

"Yorinobu Arasaka. The good life, I mean. Old news, I know. Just got to thinkin's all. It's like, think… You got everything, right? Eddies, education. Your pops can snap his fingers and turn half the fuckin’ planet into a nuclear wasteland… But instead you're like, ‘Nah, fuck it,’ and whaddaya go do? Start a fuckin' gang! Steel Dragons or some shit! You ghost from your fam, chip some RealSkinn and play gang leader for a few years. For what?!” 

She can sense the frustration in every word, feel it every clench of his fingers or swing of his hands. Someone like Yorinobu was handed everything he could ever want; tried to piss it away to play edgerunner, then found himself sucking the silver spoon once again.  But, she can’t blame him for wanting out from under his father’s thumb; that alone a feeling she knows too well. Her fingers hover over her wrist, the still branded flesh that Vik saved. 

“Maybe...he just wanted out of the system.” 

“So then why’d he come back.” 

“Tough to ditch the system when the system’s your own family,” V admits, finger still on the mark. 

“Black sheep’s still a sheep, eh?” 

“Maybe…” 

It took her forever to get the nerve to leave, she talked about it constantly, but it wasn’t until her mother’s death, murder, culling. Whatever she’s meant to call it, that she finally was pushed to make that move. Been gone for years now, but… more days than she cares to admit were spent wondering if she ever should have run, if she should crawl back and beg. If a family that hates her is better than no family at all… 

“Crawled back on all fours, tail between his legs, fuckin’ cheap ass rebel. Fuckin’ tourist!” 

Her nails dig into her skin; insecurities brimming, fear that maybe she’s just as much a fuckin’ tourist. Some black sheep nomad who’ll go running back to her dad, beg for another chance, playing pretend merc when all she’ll ever be is the family burden. 

“Tourist or not, he just walked into the lobby. And we are back in biz. Penthouse security is neutralized.”

“Perfecto, let’s start this show.”

And with those words, they’re back in business, the younger merc up on her feet. V grabbing her jacket and following Jackie out of the suite, fiddling with the fabric as she walks, heels clicking across the floor. 

“Hey, Bug…” Jackie says after a beat of silence,  “were, uh… were you on comms that whole time?”

“Three and a half hours.”

“Eehh… about that stick up the ass…”

“Mean the one up mine?”

“Ehh, slip of the tongue, y'know…”

“I know. Now's your chance to make up to me,” T-Bug tells him as they reach the elevator, Jackie pressing the button. 

“This is going pretty smooth right,” he turns to V as they wait, “right?” 

“Really are a silver lining type, ain’t ya?” V teases as the doors open and they step into the elevator. 

“Hey, when are you gonna wave off that dark cloud hanging over your head? Tellin’ you, it’s downhill from on in.” 

She rolls her eyes and hits the button to the penthouse, elevator doors closing and the carriage rumbling, shaking as it ascends. Silence falling over them, only the sound of the elevator. Jackie’s leg shakes and she knows that silence is about to end. 

“Ahh, there's the awkward silence. You, uh, wanna hear a joke?”

“Now? Seriously?”

“OK, so why'd the rockerboy's output kick him out of the apartment? ‘Cause he wasn't chippin' in.” Jackie cackles at his own joke and V rolls her eyes, a slight smile on her lips. 

“Jesus Christ…” 

Bug sounds a moment away from killing him, but thankfully for the older merc’s sake, the elevator comes to a stop. Doors opening up to Yorinobu’s suite. It feel different, seeing it from her own perspective instead of Evelyn’s and outside of a braindance editor. The entire suit feels bigger. A part of her wonders if it’s the height difference between herself and Evelyn, but decides to chalk it up to braindance shit instead. 

“Huh… not bad bein' heir to the Arasaka empire. Sure as shit better'n bein' the son of Raúl Welles,” Jackie comments taking in the room. 

V turns the corner through the room and a tank catches her eye. A slightly red light illuminating an iguana. It immediately reminds her of the only other iguana she knows, Manny. Come to think of it, his original crate was from Arasaka? 

“Hey, Jackie, look!” 

“Whoa, another fuckin’ iguana, not as cute as Manny though.” 

“Manny’s original crate was marked Arasaka; think he might’ve been Yorinobu’s before we klepped him?” 

“Think we stole his iguana and made him get a new one?” 

“Maybe?”  She gently taps the tank glass, watching the iguana’s tail flick back and forth. 

“Guys! Focus! The safe! And make it quick!” Bug yells out, bringing the merc’s back down to earth. V tosses her jacket onto one of the seats in the center, searching around the penthouse. Rain patters outside the windowed walls. They know where the safe is, but how do they get it out of the floor?

“Why, what's the rush?”

“Sig on Yorinobu's gone dark!”

“What is he, a fuckin' sorcerer?”

“Some kinda dead zone's my guess - have him back in a sec. And you do your damn job! Look around for a switch.”

V walks around one of the dividers where Yorinobu’s bed is, the slick metal of a gun catching her eye first and foremost. Black and gray, with purple detailing. She checks it for ammo and finds it loaded then decides it’s hers. 

“Looks like Yori left us a little gift,” she laughs, tucking the iron in her waistband. And on the other side of the bed, she finds a little switch. She presses it. 

“Bingo, got somethin' ejectin’! C'mere, V!” Jackie calls her over to the corner of the room, heart pounding in her chest.

They’re so close to the finish line, each click of her heels feeling like a step closer. This could actually work. A large black safe has risen out of the floor, a small jack in port and two red lights. Jackie stands on one side of it, the gray rainy day behind him. 

“What now, Bug?” 

“Jack in your personal and make us rich.” 

V plugs her personal link in, leaning one hand against the safe. Jackie leans against it from the other side, foreheads nearly touch as they wait for Bug to work her magic. Just get the chip and walk out, that’s all that’s left. All they need to do. She can’t stand still, itching to cross the finish line, minutes away from the major leagues. 

“Gimme two…”

The merc’s interface shows Bug uploading the daemons to crack the case and V watches the number rise. Sixty percent, seventy, seventy-five; each ticking number another shaky breath, a rising beat of her heart, and a chill up her spine. Homestretch, nearly there. 

And there’s a hum, V’s focus drawn away from the rising percentage, to the windows. Flying AV whirring through the gray skies, hovering around. She looks to Jackie, hoping somehow he’ll have an explanation, something to help her ignore the way her stomach is starting to drop. 

“We got winged visitors… Bug…?” There’s catch in his voice, nerves. Jackie’s scared and she swallows the lump in her throat. His face illuminated in the red flashing lights of the case, mean reds, the words flash in V’s mind. 

“Dunno who. But staffs abuzz, all two hundred on their feet, can't keep still…” 

Somethings wrong, the hair on the back of her neck stands up, a chill in her she can’t shake. Something is so fucking wrong. 

“Can't say I like this, how much longer, T?!”

“Shit. Yorinobu's penthouse bound!”

“What!?”V’s voice cracks, digging her nails into the safe, they’re fucked. They’re so fucked. 

“Fuck him!” Jackie slams his hand down, rattling the container, “Open the safe!” 

“Almost got it… Done!”  The safe opens, revealing a cryo-container within. Bright white light and a fog of ice cold air coming with it. V rips her personal jack out. 

“Preem, lets get the fuck out of here!”  

“Lemme look to this, eh?” Jackie says, pulling the container out and looking at the little screens across it. 

“Relic intact?” 

"Bioshard integrity - one hundred percent." Guessin' that's a yes,” Jackie reads off the vitals of the shard, picking up the case. 

“Good,  let’s delta.” 

The pair nearly trip through the center of the penthouse, rushing towards the elevator with Jackie lugging behind the giant cryo-container. So close, so close, so fucking close. An elevator and taxi ride away, then they’ll be at The Afterlife counting their eddies. The homestretch. 

“Fuck, too late!” T-Bug yells before V can hit the elevator button, “Yorinobu's about to walk in - find cover!

“Where in the fuck!?” V swings her hands as she yells, they’re so fucking close. She rakes her nails across her face, leaving red angry marks down her skin. 

“That pillar- try that!” 

“You fuckin' kiddin'?!” Jackie screams as the mercs make a move to the pillar in the center of the penthouse, were she thought servers for the room were kept. The back of it opening up and allowing a tight passageway. 

“No! Inside it! Now!” 

V slips inside as quickly as she can, Jackie following suit. He holds the cry-container close to his chest. The glass barrier is one way, they can see out, but it can’t be seen in. Still not ideal cover, ideally they’d be outside of the fucking hotel by now. The merc presses her hands to the glass, cursing under her breath. 

“We’re in,” she whispers to Bug.

“Which don't solve our problem, T.”

“I fuckin' know our problem's still there! Lemme think for a sec, okay?” 

The lights to the penthouse come on, elevator doors opening as Yorinobu strides in. with mechanical monstrosity of a body guard from the BD taking large whirring steps after him. And he seems even bigger now. He’s a cyber giant, one mech hand larger than  any part of V. 

He’s outlined in red, his eyes staring straight at her,  Vik said her new contacts would highlight if enemies saw her.. No, there’s no possible way. The man has barely set a borged-out foot into the room. She meets his gaze head on, swallowing the lump in her throat as she tries to seem braver than she is. On the off chance he may truly know the mercs are there. 

“Is that… Is that Adam Smasher?” Jackie whispers and V trusts him to look at her hands  as she signs, not wanting to break eye contact with the robotic monstrosity, refusing to show weakness.

“Bodyguard?” 

“Worse,” her trust in her friend is well placed, “Night City legend. Bleak motherfuckin' one, too. What's the plan?”

“We stay quiet and we wait.” 

A flash of movement makes V finally break the stare down, Yorinobu walks to the middle of the room and stops at the seat across from the table, black fabric strewn across it. He picks it up, regarding it for a moment and her heart drops into her stomach. 

V’s jacket. She left her fucking jacket on his chair, like an idiot, she didn’t even have time to consider grabbing it. They’re going to die because she left her fucking jacket out in the open and Adam Smasher is still staring at her. 

She half expects Yorinobu to call a sweep of the room, ring security, that he’ll realize the random jacket must be an intruder. But he shakes his head, tosses it aside onto the floor, not giving it another thought. While his body guard Smasher lingers in the corner, robotic eyes staring straight at V, watching the mercs squirm. 

“Are they here yet?” Yorinobu asks out loud. 

“They approach from the landing pad,” an AI voice responds. 

“Fuck are they talking about?” V resists the urge to elbow Jackie, silence has never been more important. One sound too loud and a borged out psycho will rip their heads off. And if her contacts are right, Smasher may just be waiting for the perfect opportunity. 

“Nuh-uh, no fucking way…. This isn't happening…!” T-Bug whispers over comms and V sees someone coming down the spiraling stairs, a guard it seems, with another older man following him, “Saburo Arasaka.” 

The second man is older, much older than the first. Balding with gray hairs and liver spots across his scalp, glasses perched high upon his nose. Dressed in a mixture of yukata robes over what seems to be slacks and loafers he takes slow measured steps down the stairs. The head capitalist himself, owner of Arasaka. 

“The emperor? Yet another asslickin' legend….” 

V taps Jackie’s side and puts her finger to her lips, encouraging him to be quiet. The man who led Saburo in starts to walk around the room. He’s older than V or Jackie, but nowhere near Saburo’s age. Long graying dark hair pulled back in a bun, cyberware across his neck coming out from under his black suit. 

“I thought I told you not to meddle in my affairs,” Yorinobu speaks in his native tongue, V’s contacts translating and subtitling to English. 

“Oh fuck,” Jackie curses as the long haired guard comes to stand in front of them, silver ringed brown eyes starting to scan them. 

“Leave us,” Saburo orders and the guard stops scanning, turning to face the corporate leader. 

“Arasaka-sama, I still haven't done a full sweep.” The guard turns his back and V can see where part of his hair is shaved, allowing intense cyberware extending beyond his neck and towards his scalp. 

“This is my son.”

“Of course. Should I retrieve what we come here to-” 

“I will handle it. You may go.”

The long haired guard bows and goes to leave the room, finally Adam Smasher’s gaze on her drops, as the borged freak leaves with the guard through the elevator doors. If they’re here to retrieve something… it’s likely the biochip, which means if they go to get it and see it’s gone… They’re fucked. They’re straight fucked. 

“Un-fucking-believable… Saburo Arasaka.” That comment makes V nudge Jackie with her foot, once again begging him to just stay quiet. 

“Did you think I wouldn't know it was taken from me?” Saburo asks his son, barely making eye contact as Yorinobu looks through a datapad. 

“Actually, I don't think of you at all. Ever. You see, that's your problem. You think the world revolves around you. Arrogant.” 

“Yorinobu.” 

“Why did you come? To humiliate me? To personally see to it that your son knows his place?”

“"The nail that protrudes from the wall gets hammered…"

“Couldn't think of anything original to say?” Yorinobu yells in exasperation, standing up and pacing around the room.  He’s on edge, looking ready to jump out of his skin and V can’t say she has a good feeling about any of this. 

“And do you think it ‘original’ to sell our greatest achievement to Westerners - our future to these… barbarians?!”

It’s definitely the biochip Saburo is after, they’re screwed, monumentally screwed. V would laugh if she didn’t feel like dying, of course, of course it all goes to shit. 

“Our future? Ours?! You are mistaken. You've only ever cared about yourself… and your sick schemes.” Yorinobu points and swings his limbs, still pacing, every word coiled tight with barely restrained hatred. 

“I knew this day would come. That sooner or later your impudence would cross the line,” Saburo is calmer, measured, taking soft steps towards his son, “There is much for which I could forgive you, but for treason - no.” 

The two men, father and son now stand in front of the pillar before an audience they don’t know. Stares trained on each other, each hateful, but one furious in it’s spite and the other calm in it’s contempt. Moments pass, no word said, each waiting for the other to light a fuse that will set off the powder keg. 

“I'm just glad your mother didn't live to see this. The heart should break but once.” 

And it goes off. Saburo’s words are punctuated by Yorinobu’s hands wrapping tightly around the old man’s throat. Yorinobu slams his father back against the pillar, cracking the glass in front of Jackie and busting open Saburo’s head. Blood streaking the shards. And he pulls away and for a moment, as Saburo clutches at his crushed windpipe, Yorinobu seems nearly regretful. 

“You shall never have to forgive me for anything again.” 

His hands wrap again, choking his father against the pillar. Until Saburo starts to fall limp, Yorinobu bringing him down onto the floor in a lifeless heap. Yorinobu stands over his father. Saburo is dead, killed before the merc’s very eyes at the hands of his own son. Jackie curses and V watches as Yorinobu paces, mind clearly racing before he stands over his father’s corpse again. 

“I wish… I wish to put the hotel on lockdown.” 

What does that mean? What the hell does that mean?

“May I ask why?” The AI secretary asks him. 

“Saburo Arasaka has been murdered.”

“Code red initiated. Attention! Code Red has been initiated throughout Konpeki Plaza. Please remain in your rooms and follow all instructions given by staff.”

Oh no, oh fuck no. The lights in the room drop, only bright neon red ones glowing angry in the dark. What the hell is going to happen? What the fuck do they do now? The elevator doors open, Smasher and the long haired guard walking in; the latter rushes and comes to a full stop when he sees Saburo’s corpse. 

“What happened?”

“Someone… someone poisoned my father.”

“Poisoned…?” 

“Seems so.” 

“Yorinobu-san… I doubt…”

Yorinobu glowers at the guard, pushing into his personal space, trying to intimdate him. Trying to make him stop questioning what happened, trying to stop him from looking any closer. Anyone who gets a good look at Saburo’s corpse will see the fingerprints around his neck. 

“What is your job, Takemura?”

“I don't follow.”

“It's a simple question. Answer it.”

“To protect the head of the Arasaka family.”

“I do sincerely hope you'll do a better job of executing your duties from now on…”

“Forgive me, Arasaka-sama,” the guard drops his head in shame, “I shall not disappoint.” 

Yorinobu turns to leave the suite. The guard, Takemura, follows close behind. And the still red highlighted Smasher follows behind him. The elevator doors close behind them. Jackie and V left alone in the suite again. But what the fuck just happened? 

“What the fuck just happened in there?” T-Bug asks, exactly what’s rattling around V’s skull as the pillar back opens again. Jackie and V clambering out. 

“Yorinobu just killed Saburo, he fucking choked out his own dad, I didn’t even know you could do that!” V rambles and yells as she turns the corner of the pillar, looking down at Saburo’s corpse. She quickly checks his pockets, stealing some cash and a pair of dog tags off of him. 

“What?” 

“His own fuckin’ pops.” 

“Know what this means?l Security's gonna swarm the place any second. Oh my god, we're so fucked!”

“We need to get the fuck out of here, now!” They can’t just go out the elevator, they’d meet security on the way. They’re beyond fucked. Why the hell did they take this stupid fucking job!?

“Gimme a sec!”

There’s the helipad, but it’s not like they have anything that fucking flies. Think, think, think; she screams in her head to just fucking think, there has to be something, anything. 

“We don't have a sec!”

“Okay, got somethin'! Window - now! Releasing the lock! Should see a ladder… Ladder…” 

V sees an opening in the large windowed walls, double doors practically made of glass they goes onto the ledge. This has to be in, T-Bug can undo the lock and they’ll slip out. 

“Oh fuck.” T-Bugs voice drops and a chill shoots up V’s back, something is wrong. 

“Bug!?” 

“No, no, no, no - not now…! I’ve been made… “ 

And panic turns to agony as T-Bug screams, a shrill cry of pain then she’s gone. Connectuon cut and V freezes in place. 

Bug is gone, just gone… 

Maybe, Konpeki just cut their comms? But the scream rings through V’s mind. She’s heard of how runner’s can die, daemons and quick hacks. Having their entire brain fried, every nerve and neuron set on fire, burned from the inside out... And all that's left to find is a simmering corpse stewing in their own filth. Bug was never meant for that, meant to retire, meant to find peace after years of netrunning. But now… 

“Bug.!? Bug!? Can you fuckin’ hear me, Bug please, are you there!?” V calls out, words slurring together. She just needs to hear Bug one more time, and know everything is okay. 

And nothing. 

“¡Pinche Dios Santo bendito! We lost her, V!” 

“They...scorched her...didn’t they…?” 

“We… we gotta go, V,” Jackie says, voice cracking as he smacks at V’s shoulder. 

Bug’s final hack going through, the window unlocked. V steps out through the window onto the ledge, rain pelting her skin as she rushes around the corner. Bug said there’s a ladder they can use, last thing Bug ever said… There’s no time for mourning, no time to cry, they need to get through this. The ledge narrows around the corner, ride lights outside the hotel window guiding the way, secured against the steel of the hotel. V sees the yellow safety ladder. The merc presses her back to the building, gently side stepping across the narrow ledge, if they just reach the ladder. One wrong step and they’ll plummet. 

“You can do it, Jackie… just don't look down,” jackie tries to talk himself up, following V, “ Yep, that's fuckin' high…!”

There’s a whir of engines, an aircraft vehicle buzzing around the outside of the hotel.

“Shit! That Trauma?” Jackie asks and that’s exactly what they need right now, doctors shooting them. 

“If they’re here for Saburo, they’re a little late.” 

“Just hope they didn't see us! ¡Chingada madre!”

The aircraft carrier flies in close, flashing blinding white light onto the mercs. It sees them, definitely sees them. 

“Suspects in violation of security protocols.” The mechanical voice croaks out. 

“Time to bail!’ Jackie screams and the aircraft starts to fire, drone automated shooting at them. 

The glass around them bursts and V jumps, grabbing Jackie’s hand in her left, she swings her right blade out towards the ladder. It hooks in the bottom rung, creaking in distress as it stops their fall. And there the mercs hang, suspended by a single Mantis Blade and a ladder rung; rain pouring down upon them and a drone still searching for them through the debris. The strain pulls at V’s arm, pain shooting throughout, shoulders ache and left arm pulled tight trying to hold Jackie and the case he holds in his other hand. 

If she could pull them up with the blade, maybe they can get to safety. But her muscles already strain, wrought tight with the strength it takes to hold them up. The blade pulling at the inner tissue it’s attached too, never meant to support more weight than the person it’s attached to. Rain and tears sting her eyes as she forces herself to pull with the blade, use it to lift them up. 

“V! I can’t hold on!’ Jackie yells out, rain slick hand starting to slip from her own. She digs her nails into his skin, holding him tighter. 

“Just a bit more, I can do this!” 

Her throat is raw and she doesn’t know how much she believes her own words. Nerves scream in pain as her cyberware pulls at what’s left of her flesh. Muscles cry as forced beyond their capability. She curses beneath her breath, pulling them just a little further up. Immeasurable pain and brute force of will only amounting to the tiniest bit of progress, not even an inch closer to safety. Her blade is pulling further out from her skin, raising up from her arm in a way she knows it shouldn’t. 

Every nerve in her arms on fire; blade tugging at flesh and the other nearly pulled from socket under Jackie’s weight. Barely an inch closer to the safety, Jackie slipping from her grip quicker than she can pull, blade lifting from her arm quicker than she can move them. Her teeth sinks into the inside of her cheek, hard enough to bleed as she pushes herself further. Closer, closer, she urges herself. 

A bright white light shines across them, illuminating them in the gray night, adding another ache to her eyes. Drone marked Arasaka buzzing around, refinding them within the debris of the destroyed hotel wall. The robotic voice speaking again. 

“Violators found.” 

And her blade breaks, V’s eye blown wide as they begin to plummet, shock blurs her pain and deafens the world.  Slowing it for a moment, only able to stare as metal snaps, tissue tears, and her arm is ripped open. Cyberware tearing out tissue and nerves, viscera left behind. 

Then she hits glass, shattering it as gravity slams her through and shock becomes hurt. She hits metal, body bouncing from impact, crying as the air is knocked from her lungs. Her head bashing against something. V clutches her arm, the pain it hitting her as everything else does, blood sticking to her fingers. Each breath hurts, a labored wheeze as bruised lungs strain to work. 

V blinks, sitting up slightly, regaining her sense of self now that her fall is broken. Across from her is Jackie and the cryo-case. She looks at her arm, A solid rip from wrist to near elbow, nearly an open hole, metal and moving inner parts of the cyberware mixed with gore. It doesn’t bleed as much as she'd expect, the internal mechanics helping block major bleed out. It hurts, metal now working against raw nerves. But, she’ll live… if this is the worst that happens, she’ll live.

The cryo-case is dented, part of it sparking and part of it splatted with blood. But her eye is drawn to Jackie. A tear in his gut, shrapnel and glass caught him well, bleeding more than her. The white of the button up around his stomach turned scarlet. 

“The Relic! ¡Madres! Agh… Oh, this ain't good. Agh…” Jackie curses, each breath pained. 

“Jackie, you’re hurt!” 

“Worry about me later,” he growls, “check the relic… "Container depressurized. Biochip integrity at ninety-four percent." And fuckin' droppin'! Carajo! Parker! Call her!”

“And tell her what!? We fucked up!?” 

“Just do it!”

Evelyn answers after a short ring, her avatar coming across V’s contacts. 

“V?! Konpeki's all over the feeds! What the fuck's going on there?”

“Got a problem! Cryo-case is damaged. Biochip's integrity at… Jackie?”

“Eighty-six percent!”

“Eighty-six percent and droppin'!”

“Shit…! OK, listen to me. There's only one thing you can do. One of you's gotta slot the Relic into your neural port!”

“That sounds really dangerous!” 

God only knows how this biochip could fuck them up, the relic itself is like putting another personality in your head, seeing ghosts. If this one is even half as fucked up as that, they could be putting themselves in serious danger. 

“The longer you wait, the greater the risk we lose it!” 

“Well, someone��s got to do it,” Jackie says, voice a rasp, face steadily draining color as he opens the case, “In the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit - Amen.”

Jackie crosses his body with the pray and pushes the chip into his neural port and V watches his eyes light up for a moment. And he’s quiet for another, a second too long.

“You okay?” 

“Dunno… I guess… Don't feel any different.”

“Once you're back, we'll take out the Relic and run a full brain scan and sweep. But you two need to get the fuck out of there first!”

“We’re working on it!” 

Jackie and V get back on their feet. He holds his hand to his stomach, trying to press his guts together and she keeps her arm held close to her chest, not putting pressure on it. Jackie calls Delamain. 

“Del, we'll be there in a couple. Be ready, got it?”

“Certainly, Mr. Welles.”

“Better be fuckin' certain.”

“We gotta somehow… reach the lobby. Only chance to hit the garage. And we'd best be quick,” Jackie jabs himself with an air hypo, “ Oh-ho, that's the shit… Great… Now let's get outta here.”

“Wait, take your jacket off, use it to keep pressure on your gut, okay? Should help with the bleeding.” 

It’s minimal first aid knowledge, she knows. Hold something to a wound to keep it from bleeding out as quickly. But it’s all she can offer, helping Jackie get the jacket off with one hand, so he can press it to his stomach wound. She can move her right hand somewhat, but it hurts and she swears she can see the tendons moving around the metal in the gaping wound her forearm has become. She catches herself wondering if she’ll be able to sign with her right hand again. But, there’s no time for those fears. 

She walks down the red lit metal grate, heels nearly catching in it as she turns to a doorway. V leads the way, less injured than Jackie, she pushes the door open. A door lobby with glass banisters and plants, the only light the bright red ones. 

“Great… Now let's get outta here,” Jackie says, each word a stressful choking sound to get out. 

An AI voice speaks repeatedly over the speakers that Konpeki plaza is in code red, as the mercs work to move quickly and quietly. Catching the murmuring of two guards as they reach a marble staircase, speaking of sweeping the floors and checking the lobby. They creep around the corner and past a desk, seeing the back of the men’s through the glass banister. The only sound the pounding of V’s heart and Jackie’s labored breathing. They watch as the two men separate, enough space for each to grab one. 

They move down the last stretch of the stairs, guards talking about evacuating Yorinobu. She lets Jackie take the one closest to them as she moves further to the one at the doorway. V swings her left blade, now her only one, through the man’s gut. Her right arm shoots pain through each nerve, metal inside churching to dispense a blade that no longer exists. She holds back a sound, Jackie’s already choked out the other guard, checking for pockets. Each one armed with a silenced gun. She steals ammo off of them.

They come to another door, each catching their breath. Sweat clinging to V’s brow as they brace themselves for what’s to come next. 

“Careful… security likely to be swarmin' outside,” Jackie warns and V nods, words clumping together in her throat as she opens the door. 

They stay crouched, spotting more guards as they go. The pair hide behind a planter, V taking a scan of the area, spotting a security camera. Remembering Bug’s lessons, she’s quickly able to shut them off. She’s the one to step back out, leading the way for the first time in months of working together. V needs to get Jackie through this, he’s holding on now, but.. 

She grabs a guard from behind and snaps their neck, arm twinging in agony at the movement she throws their body aside, clearing a long stretch of hallway for Jackie to follow her down. All light bright red and screens that once showed commercials now flash the words, Code Red. She leaves Jackie to stay hidden behind a counter when she sees another by the doorway, jumping at his back and dropping him just like his coworker.  

“Ain't doin' too bad… Just a little further…” Jackie whispers as she drops another guy, her arm screaming at her to stop. But she’ll survive without an arm, if worse comes to worse, she can’t let Jackie get hurt any worse. 

They creep through a door, past a desk, hearing a guard yelling out as they sneak and weave through the room. She watches over the top of a planter as the guard walks past them, none the wiser as V creeps around, getting behind him, and taking him down. She can’t risk leaving any behind, leaving one alive and them finding the mercs later. The hotel is huge, a labyrinth of Arasaka guards. 

“Engaging hostiles!” A voice booms out, the mercs spotted by a heavily armed Arasaka guard who nearly trips over V.

Fuck, fuck, so much for stealth. Jackie shoots over a counter, trying to stay somewhat protected from the gunfire, while V takes lead, firing Yorinobu’s gun at the men, only dropping behind cover to reload, she blasts. Fuck it, stealth not an option, she’ll turn the whole damn hotel into a blood bath. 

The guards drop and V knows she’s been shot, but she’s standing so she moves onward. Through a doorway, three more men open fire as the mercs turn the corner. V blasts a bullet through ones head, Jackie blows the second full of holes. 

“One more fucker dead!” 

The third is further back behind a glass door and V charges forward, glass open as she fires at the man. Bullets ripping through his chest in a spray of blood before he collapses, red smeared across the marble. If she gets a chance to sleep tonight, she’ll be seeing red in her dreams. The vivid neon lights of the emergency lit hotel, the burgundy uniforms, and the steady spray of it from every shot fired. 

Jackie and V go running around a corner, through another glass doorway and slide into side of a marble planter. Taking a moment to breathe, she can hear guards talking. Orders from higher up, panicked yells from the less experienced. She can spot two around the corner, but can’t get a clear shot. She runs to the open doorway, catching one off guard as she slams into his view and rips a blade through his gut. 

A full armored worker fires off when he sees it, partially hidden by a linen rack. Another runs in, half hiding behind a planter, firing off around the corner. She presses against a wall between it and a partial doorway, reloading before she looks back through. The less armored man moves around a pillar, peeking from behind cover, and she shoots his head as soon as she sees it, watching him hit the marble. 

She struggles to get a clear shot of the third, still hidden behind the rack and so she runs forward, past the rack and coming to a sliding stop behind him. The guard fumbles to swing around when he realizes where she’s landed. Back turned to Jackie now, her friend fires a shot clean through the guard’s head. 

The room is cleared for a moment and the elevator is nearby, she runs past a desk, when she sees the button screen. A glowing red off symbol. 

“Fuck!” 

“Chingo tu madre! It's shut down! What about the other one?” Jackie yells between rattling breaths, she wanted this to be stealthy, didn’t want to put him anymore danger. 

She runs, heels clicking against blood streaked marble, nearly tripping over a corpse. Quickly trying to stop herself when another guard springs up behind a desk. Two more swarming the room, one in the heavy almost samurai-like Arasaka armor. 

“Orale! Got to plough through them!” 

She focuses on the Saka samurai, pulling the trigger again and again,  Thankful to have emptied the ammo off every body she’s dropped so far. A bullet catches his throat, a gush of blood as he paints the floor,  and she shifts to the other men. A headshot on one, the other already down thanks to Jackie. 

V searches their corpses, pocketing ammo and bounce backs, when she finds an access token on the samurai. V thanks any god that may be listening, if they exist and makes a beeline for the elevator at the end of the room. 

“Got access,” she breathes out, calling the elevator. 

Its doors open and she steps in, the side railing lit that bright red. She waits as Jackie rushes in, he’s still in somewhat decent shape it seems. Not the ideal heist, she thinks as she hits the button, but maybe they can get out of this. Rush Jackie to a ripper, check on T-Bug, collect their eddies, and tonight will be a story to tell later. Remember the Konpeki Heist, how everything that could go wrong did. 

“Hah-… agh! Heh, hng…” She can’t tell if he’s laughing or groaning in pain, maybe both. Blood is coating his hands, has he bled through the jacket? No, Jackie’s bulletproof, said it himself a billion times. He’ll be okay, he has to be. 

“Jackie…”

“Saburo Arasaka, Hundred and fifty years… and today… of all fuckin' days. That's like… some divine comedy shit… hehehehe… agh.”

And he’s laughing, of course he is, holding his guts together and he laughs, because why would Jackie Welles do anything else. She’s not sure if she’s going to cry or laugh along, if she’s charmed or infuriated by it; is he just still desperately searching for that silver lining or does he genuinely not give a fuck if he flatlines? That idea, the thought, makes her throat tighten. He can’t die, he won’t die, she won’t let him. 

“Save your strength, please, we’re not out of the woods yet.” 

“What do you think I’m doing!?” She doesn’t miss the frustration, because if he wasn’t so hurt, he’d been the one leading that battle, charging in to take brunt of it all, “Buuut… chill, V. We'll get out alive.” 

“I know we will,” she says and wants so desperately to believe.

The elevator reaches the lobby, doors open to more guards, more gunfire. She shoots at one that looks out behind a wall, three more in the main room of the lobby. Jackie slides behind a desk, using it for cover between shots. V takes lead, shooting from around a doorway. Its chaos and mayhem, V blasting the four men. One dropping behind a chair, catching one through the green ferns growing from a planter.  Three more Arasaka corpses, splattering blood across marble and the roots of those towering trees. Bullet after bullet, shot after shot, until her ears are ringing and three remain; the mercs and one last guard. 

He throws a grenade across the room at them, V shooting it in the air before it can hit them, smoke and fire smoldering across the ceiling. She uses the chance to close the gap and blows his brains out at close range.  

Room cleared they rush through the rest of the lobby, finally reaching the elevator that will take them to the garage. V slams the button, calling the elevator. The door opens and she runs inside, expecting Jackie to run in after her. His steps are slowing and he leans against the wall for a moment instead, having to catch a second wind. He’s getting worse, but they’re in the homestretch, they can do this. They can do this, he stumbles through, leaning against the elevator wall. 

“Argh… I'm leakin' a little…” His voice a rasp. 

The elevator stops at the garage, so close to safety. Doors opening she can already hear the guards and the mercs step out, eye on them, its a swarm of Arasaka. Gunfire rings out alongside the screech of brakes. The Delamain taxis coming to a stop in the center of the garage, it’s doors flinging open. 

“I advise that you waste no time in entering the vehicle,” Delamain chirps at them, like this is a normal night. 

But she needs no prodding. V grabs Jackie’s hand and runs for the taxi, dragging him through the garage to the open doors. Rather than making him walk around, she shoves Jackie through her side on the right, letting him slide into the left seat before she jumps in; he needs the extra second of protection more than her.  The doors shut, bulletproof shields raising as they the taxi is blasted by the guards. They’re safe? Right?

“Welcome back. With Delamain, you leave your problems at the door….”

“DRIVE NOW!” 

And Delamain does just that, engines firing up as he rams through the garage door like it’s nothing. She leans forward on the two front seats. As the taxi takes a sharp turn, they’re almost there, almost safe. Jackie wasn’t fucking around about the combat mode. 

“Not bad at all.” 

“Client feedback noted.”

“How’s the ride looking?” 

“Tiptop. Though alas, we are being pursued.”

And then she sees him, Adam Smasher, the borged monster of a former man rushes them. No hesitation, no fear, as he slams his entire body into the car. Shattering glass, gnashing metal, and nearly sending the car to the side; slamming V and Jackie to the right. 

“Sweet fuckin’ jesus!” 

Jackie curses as V screams, the hell kind of freak is this guy? The car goes back down on its wheels. Adam Smasher on a metal knee, slowing standing up on front of the car. 

“Combat mode activated. Please remain calm.”

“Calm!!!????” She yells out as Delamain begins to drive backwards. 

 “Road block ahead. I kindly request that you brace for impact.”

“¡Oy, mis huevos! Shiiiit!”

The cab takes a turn, rather than driving through Adam Smasher, it goes through another roadway. A row of cars blocking the way and Delamain slams through through without hesitation, taking them through the Night City roads away from the hotel. Jackie is hunched over, bloody hands still pressing the jacket to his gut, the white shirt soaked through with it. 

“A hostile enemy aircraft has a lock on us.”

V doesn’t need a word more from the AI taxi, climbing halfway out of the window, she spots the drones flying after them. Three of them. Needing steadier aim, she flips off her hearing aids with a thought, steeling herself as the car weaves through the road and she fires at them. This is Arasaka’s last ditch effor to keep a lock on them, if she can get rid of them, they’re in the clear. 

Three shots; first drone goes down sparking as it hits the city streets. Two more kills the second, the metal remains slamming into a streetlamp. And the third goes down with a final shot, smoldering onto the roof of a  BD store. She turns her hearing aids back on as she slides into her seat again; they’re gone. 

“Hostile aircraft eliminated.”

“Nice work there… Del…”

She shifts to look at Jackie, he has one hand on his stomach, the other braced against the door. V grabs his shoulder with one hand and his leg with the other, practically shaking him. 

“We did it, Jackie! We made it!” 

“Heh...guess we did…” It’s not the triumphant excited Jackie, she’d expect to hear. His voice still rough, a rattle barely leaving his lungs. Her eyes sting, no, no. 

“My medical diagnostics indicate that Mr. Welles’ condition is critical.”

“Critical, what- take us to a fucking ripperdoc, now! Vik’s behind Misty’s shop!” 

She reaches to put pressure against the jacket over his wound, hand over his, but the fabric is bled all the way through. Blood sticking to her skin, warmer than Jackie’s skin and he’s looking pale, paler every second. He leans back against the chair, strength starting to leave his body. 

“Apologies, but that will not be possible. Our itinerary has been pre-arranged and paid for in advance. I am not at liberty to alter it.”

“Fuck your itinerary and fuck your liberty, just get us to goddamn doctor!” 

“It's OK, V… I'll hold out…” 

When did his nose start to bleed, when he did he start hacking up blood, red streaking down his nostrils and over his chin. She sucks in a shaky breath, eyes starting to water. No, not Jackie, anyone but him… please.  She doesn’t know who she’s begging; maybe god, maybe fate, maybe just anything in this world that will listen. 

“Yeah, yeah,” she chokes out, nodding, “you-you just got to hold on, okay? And, and, we’ll hit the major leagues. Only the best jobs, swimming in eddies, just like you always wanted.” 

She brings her forehead to his, feeling the cold sweat of his skin, hoping her warmth, touch, her words; anything will keep him alert. The tears flow freely now, wet and hot on her cheeks. 

“Mija...  you’re gonna be rich, I can feel it…” 

“No, we’re gonna be rich, Jackie! You and me, that’s how it’s always been, I-I can’t do it without you, y-you got to stay with me okay! We’ll get back, you can see Misty and your mom, everyone and let them know you made it.” 

“Misty… She knew… She always knew…” he breathes out, eyes glassy with a weak smile, “told me not to take this job, why she always got to be right?” 

“J-just a little longer, please, Jackie...please,” she begs him, like he can stop it. Like he can put his inside back together, stop the color from draining out of his face, and can just stay with her. 

“The biochip…” he holds her shoulder, grasp weak, and takes the chip from his head with the other, “Hold on to it. For me…”

And he slides it into her neuroport, her vision glitching for a moment. She surges forward, wrapping her arms as tightly as she can, burying his head into his chest, crying into him as she clings tightly; wishing she had the strength to just hold him together. 

“Please, please, Jackie, I can’t lose you, just a little longer, please,” she sobs into his ashen skin and blood soaked shirt, begging with every slowed beat of his heart. 

For a moment his hands graze her back and she waits for a bear hug, for him to squeeze the breath from her lungs and lift her from her seat like he’s done so many times. For him to be Jackie; her best friend, her partner in crimes, her brother, her everything. But his touch is faint, the space between each beat growing further and further. Until his hands fall limp, body slack in her arms, and she knows the next heartbeat will never come. 

And she sobs, she holds him and cries out her pain, if only for a moment. No more ‘chicas’, ‘jainas’, or the odd ‘mija’. No more smiles that outshine the sun. No more nagging her to look on the bright side. No more bear hugs or hands the size of her head ruffling through her hair. No more Jackie…. And it’s not fair and it’s not right. 

“Mr. Welles has passed. Where shall I take his remains?” A robotic voice asks and she realizes the car is no longer moving. 

She forces herself to let him go, one of the hardest things she’ll ever have to do. Pulling away, she sees him, truly lifeless. Bright green eyes now dull with no light behind them, limp hands falling away from her. 

“W-what?” She stumbles over the word, brain fogged over with grief. 

“The Excelsior package provides for the disposal of passenger remains free of charge. I merely require a destination.”

“I…he-he’d want to be with his family,” she stumbles across her words. 

“Mr. Welles' closest blood relative is Guadalupe Alejandra Welles, proprietress of the El Coyote Cojo bar. I will make sure to deliver him safely. Mr. DeShawn awaits you in room number two-oh-four. ” 

That’s right… Dex… The chip. The world didn’t stop spinning, only her’s. There’s still a job. And the idea of still going, that there’s a tomorrow beyond today, seems unfathomable. How the hell could she ever move on…  

Because Jackie would kill her if she didn’t and she knows that. He’d haunt her for a thousand years and kick her ass every day of it. She looks at the remains, her friend gone, now limp and bleeding across white leather. And knows if he could speak, he’d tell her to get her ass to that hotel room and finish this job, that he and Bug didn’t die just for V to bury herself alongside them. She squeezes his shoulder, presses her forehead to Jackie’s one last time, feeling the cold of his skin. 

“See ya in the major leagues, Jack…”

V opens the car door and steps out into the backlot behind the motel. Rain pours down across her bloodied skin, soaking her to the bones, a numb chill clinging to her. Painted across brick is the Night City emblem marks the wall, red graffiti altering its slogan.. The city of broken dreams… 

She moves, on autopilot as she makes her way up the stairs and to the back door of the motel, sheltered from the rain once she’s in a trash filled back room. The motel is bathed in the neon red lights, only offset by the white of sign bearing its name, it’s always red. She stumbles up the staircase and then  another, past a tv chattering on about Saburo Arasaka. 

The merc walks down the gloomy hallway, dark except for warm yellow floor lights, Graffiti covered walls, rain washing down the windows at the end of it. And she reaches room 204, her arm leaden as she knocks. 

No response. 

“Its V,” she yells out, knocking harder. 

The door opens but before she can take another step, Dex’s body guard takes a step out. Large hand blocking her from coming further. He checks the hallway, making sure she wasn’t followed. After a moment, he finally pulls away. 

“He waiting.” 

The man takes a step back, allowing V into the room. She pushes through a bead curtain and sees Dex, leaning over a TV screen, another cigar between his golden fingers. She clears her throat, hearing the door close behind her. 

“WNS… N54… Even the pirate networks… You blowin' up everywhere! And the Jackster? He out in the car?” 

“He’s...dead,” her voice breaks, words like thorns in her throat. Having to say it, having to hear it from her own lips… 

“Condolences friend,” he tells her, shifting to look at her rather than the tv, “and the relic?” 

“Here,” she says, voice a murmur as she taps her neural port. 

“Hmm, I was afraid of that…” 

“What?!” 

She got the fucking relic, everyone is fucking dead, but she got the relic! Everyone died for this fucking chip and now he’s disappointed that she has it!?

“Saburo Arasaka?” Dex paces, smoking his cigar, “Dead…?! You got any notion of the shit you pulled me into?! You offed the fuckin' emperor! His majesty! Anyone with so much as a pinky toe dipped in this mess is as good as dead!’

“I didn’t kill Saburo! I- I-” she stalls, wanting to say she didn’t do anything, but can she say that? Can she act like she didn’t fuck up any of this? Like she has no role in Jackie and Bug’s deaths… 

"No shit?l Tell that to the ‘Saka ninjas they send after you!”

“We...we got to leave the city.” 

Badlands isn’t the safest for her, but it will be safer with money, she could settle in another city, maybe. She can outrun her family more than Arasaka. 

“You don’t say.” 

“Call Parker, we close the deal, collect our eddies, and go off the radar.” 

“A’ight, settle down,” he sits down on the leather couch, “Gotta be tactical about this. Parker, eddies, then we leave the city limits behind. But first… Your face… got blood all over it. Bathroom's there. Go get yourself cleaned up.”

He points her to the bathroom of the motel and she nods, in no place to argue, she just wants to be on the other side of this mess. To be able to tell herself at least she made it to the major leagues, at least Jackie would be proud of her, even if he isn’t here to see it. 

V stumbles into the bathroom, legs wobbling. Everything should hurt, her arm ripped open. Bruises mottling every inch of flesh. But she’s… numb. She works on autopilot, only somewhat aware of the door shutting behind her as she grips the sink, streaking blood across the silver.

Her blood and Jackie’s. 

Bile rushes up her throat, stinging as she pukes into the sink, choking and gagging it out. The tears threaten to come again, eyes stinging as he nails dig into the sink. He’s gone, he’s really fucking gone. Her best friend, her brother in everything but blood and name, her rock, and world. The man who took her in, who gave her a goal, a life… 

And how’d she repay him? 

Watch him die in the back of a Delamain. All her promises to keep him safe, to repay back all the kindness he gave to her. And she couldn’t save him, couldn’t protect him, couldn’t do shit but hold him. Fuckin’ only time she really hugged him with all she had and she doesn’t even know if he could really feel it, if his body was too numb. 

If she would have refused the job. 

If she had gotten them up the ladder. 

If she had been stronger. 

If she had been stealthier.

If she had gotten them through the lobby quicker. 

If she could have convinced Delamain to get him to a doc.

If she knew better first aid. 

If….if… if… 

Thoughts spin and whirl through her mind, a thousand reasons why it’s her fault. Why she could have saved him, why she could have done more, why she failed him… 

Misty will never take Jackie’s last name and it’s V’s  fault. They’ll never have kids, they’ll never buy a home together, he’ll never get to take her to that stupid hotel bar with the annoying waiter. 

Senora Welles will be forced to bury her son and it’s V’s fault. She’ll never hold her son again. Never see him smile again. Never see him live out his dream. Never cook his favorite foods for him and nag him not to talk with his mouth full. 

Jackie had a future, a family, people who loved him. He was going to marry Misty one day, have kids. Get enough eddies to provide for them and his mom. And now there’s a hole in all of their lives. The world as a whole now worse off without him, her own world destroyed. It should have been her, she knows that, the world would be better off losing her than losing him. 

Yet here she is and she’s just supposed to keep moving, supposed to keep breathing, supposed to live a life post Jackie. 

When she looks up, she sees her own reflection staring back at her. Red rimmed eyes, swollen  from crying and blood splattered across her skin, stuck in the ends of her hair. And she doesn’t know where it’s from, if it’s her own, if it’s Jackie’s, or if it’s from the people she killed tonight. T-Bug and Jackie gone, yet she’s here. 

A brilliant talented netrunner is gone. But she’s still here. 

The kindest man to walk in Night City is gone. But she’s still here. 

She glares at herself, because she has no right to be here and the world has no right to be this cruel. Her fingers clenches, pulling at her damaged nerve endings and she slams her fist into the mirror. Glass shatters and crackles, shards splintering into her knuckles. 

V washes the blood from her hands and face, cleaner but still a zombie as she turns to the door. Jackie wanted this for her, one of the only people who ever wanted anything good for her. If only for him, she owes it to him to finish this job. She stumbles to the bathroom door and opens it, stepping out.

Knuckles collide with her head, wracking more pain through an already injured merc, she’s sent sprawling to the ground. She curses and twists around on the floor, not sure she has the energy to stand back up, vision blurring as Dex’s bodyguard stomps on her. Heavy foot colliding with her head. She curses and sputters choking on blood.  She twists onto her back, blinking through the pain as Dex’s bodyguard hands him a pistol. The fixer walks closer, standing over her.

“Can't risk it, V,” he says casually, leveling his gun with her head,” ‘Member our first convo?”

“I’ll fucking kill you!” She screams, spitting blood as she stares down the barrel. 

“Seems I've chosen the quiet life, after all. No blaze o' glory for me.” 

The shot rings out, loud and clear, the world going dark as a bullet rips through the young merc’s head. Blood splatters across the dirty carpet, her body going limp, a final breath gurgling forth as she chokes on her own blood, iron taste clinging in the back of her throat. 

Then she’s gone. 

[draganasimpsforjeff]

Hunting Dogs (proxies x reader) Chapter Two

"GET HER!"

The sirens went off in your head as you bolted away from the scene and around the corner where you came from. Your first instinct was to go to your job and use the phone to call the police as you weren't able to pay for your phone bill this month since you just moved here, but when you saw the building; the lights were off and shutters drawn as it was closed.

"Fuck!" You said to yourself, hearing footsteps stomping near you and you drew a breath, breaking into a run once more as you raced through the busy street of T/N or what you were use to being as busy, but it was very relative to vacant. That's odd.

The only thing that was an indicator of the town being alive was the cars driving past, but it was like no one cared or stopped to think: Why is someone being chased by three large men? What happened? Should I stop and help? Call the police and give information?

No. It was like you were just separate from the world around you. Everyone was living their life while you were running to keep yours. "Just f-fucking tackle her already!" One of the man said and the next thing you knew you saw your apartment building.

How long was I fucking running for? it doesn't ever take me this quick to get home.

But you never really felt the need to run to your home before. But either way, you were glad and had a small wave of relief wash over you as you took your keys out of your uniform pocket and grabbed the key you recognized as the one to unlock the door. You tried running faster, pressing in the code to enter the building and it slowly granted you access.

You pulled open the iron gate and closed it as soon as your body was inside. "I'll get you! Don't think for a fucking minute that you're safe!" The man with the white mask growled, shaking the bars and watched as you ascended up the stairs and around a few corners until you reached your door. You swallowed thickly, shaking like a leaf in fear as you struggled to put the key into the slot and turn.

You closed the door behind you, locking it with your hand and slid your body down and onto the floor, pulling your knees up your chest. Why didn't I just stay longer at my job? This could've all been avoided! Or I could've just stayed and talked to Mr. Saka after my shift like I usually do...that would've been enough time...

You didn't realize that you were crying. You lifted your hand and wiped your face dry. You didn't have the strength to get up as you just only had enough energy to stare at the wall a few feet away from you. You heard someone walking down the hallway and your body tensed up, eyes darting around the room for a weapon or a place to hide, but realized it was just one of your neighbors and you let out a shaky breath that you were holding in.

Maybe, I'm safe. They don't know where I went. They can't get in without a code! And even if they tried to break in, they don't know what floor I'm on or room! Haha fuck you assholes.

You let out a low chuckle, pushing yourself up from the floor and walked to your bedroom. You flipped the switch and went over to your dresser, picking out your usual nightly wear. Discarding the dirty clothes into the hamper in your closet and laid down on your bed.

"What a fucking day." you said to yourself and didn't know if you were gonna be able to fall asleep. Your eyes widened as you had forgotten about your phone in your pants pocket. You got out of bed, almost tripping as your foot was stuck in the blanket. You opened the closet door again and checked your pockets, feeling the familiar bulge. "Thank god." you mumbled, pressing the power button and it showed the time. 10:38 p.m. You groaned, tossing your phone onto the bed.

It's definitely too early to go to bed.

You battled your thoughts as you recall your boss saying it was gonna need you early in the morning but with recent events you didn't know how you were gonna be able to shut your eyes long enough without thinking that you heard footsteps, creaking or some type of psycho in the corner of your room, watching you sleep.

You reached your arm out and grabbed your sleeping medication and opened the cap, taking your prescribed dose onto your palm. You groaned as you didn't have a beverage around you and once again, pulled yourself out of the warmth and comfort your bed provided.

Raking a hand through your hair, you walked out of the short hallway that led to your kitchen. You opened the cabinet and grabbed a small glass and put it under the faucet. Water poured out and you swallowed the pill along with the cold water. You dumped out the rest of the water, turning the handle and went back to your room.

You laid down on your bed and closed your eyes, snuggling up under the covers, trying to ignore your cruel mind that was planting ideas in your head while you attempted to comfort yourself, drifting off.

"What the fuck are we suppose to now? She's a goddamn witness!" Masky yelled in frustrated, pulling at his bangs and sat down on the ground, feeling the intense need to punch at the pavement underneath him. "W-we know that." Toby sighs, his twitching getting the best of him and tossed one of his hatchets into the wooden fence beside him. He sighs, using his strength and took it out of the wood. In front of him, Hoodie took a deep breath, exhaling into his mask and looked between two of the men.

They were unstable and he definitely hated being the only calculated and more leveled headed one out of the group, but everyone played their part. Everyone had their strengths and weaknesses, their methods to their madness. "Let's see if there's anyway we can climb up the building. If there's a chance there is, then we can see if it's stable enough for our weight and proceed from there, if not, then we can  grab grappling hooks from the mansion." He said and Masky chuckles, "Yeah and what if twitchy McGee misses?" He asks, eyeing Toby who turned so quick that he was surprised he didn't get whiplash.

"The fuck did you just call me you piece of shit!? Tell me why I shouldn't fucking bury this blade into your neck right now!" He stomped, going over to the man who was sitting down, but a held out hand was pushed against him. "Enough you two! This is not going to help our situation. If you keep pushing each other, I'll do this myself and you know boss will know, but maybe if you guys are gone things can actually get done here." He threatened, removing his hand from the younger individual.

The other two men stared at each other, mentally telling each to fuck off or they'll be killed. Toby growled, sliding the handle of his hatchet back into it's proper place and walked away. Masky looks down and can feel the burning sensation of Hoodie's eyes on him. He looked up, "If you're going to give me a lecture, get it the fuck over with already. It's the same shit everyday." He pushes himself up from the ground and stands up.

Hoodie scoffs, shaking his head in disbelief. "Well, maybe if you two grew up. Especially you." Hoodie gave him a long look, turning away with his back turned to him. "For fuck's sake, your older and you've been doing this longer than him, act like it." He added, going to stand where he was previously.

"Sh-"

"Look!" Toby points upwards to a specific window and the other two followed to where he was pointing to, seeing the familiar face of the person they were after. Animalistic grins were painted on their faces as they watched the oblivious victim, drinking water and retreating back to another part of the apartment. "Good Job, you did something right for once." Masky smirks, looking at Toby over his shoulder. Toby rolls his eyes and looks at Hoodie. "Now what?' he asks, his fingers twitching in anticipation. There was so much he wanted to do to the person thinking they were safe.

"We count." he says, looking around for a sign to see what building number it was and once he got the digits. He went to the front of the building where the gate was that kept them from getting in, remembering the fucker went up the stairs and turned to the next set of flights. He rounded back to the back of it and Toby reminded him of where he saw them. Hoodie nodded, moving his fingers sideways and up and down, counting the amount of floors there were and where the room was located from others. He took out a piece of crumbled paper and a small pencil he took with him just in case.

He wrote down the digits, using his leg as a table to write on. "Good. Now we wait." He smirks, going over to where there was shade and they could hide easily, leaning their backs against the fence, they glued their eyes to the window where you were seen from.

[thewhitefluffyhat]

Thoughts on Karin’s Magical Girl Story

Another collection of thoughts and reactions, plus analyzing some small changes the NA translation made (similar to the translation comparison I did for Alina’s MGS a while back).

Starting off with not a change, but an interesting note: Karin and Alina’s club situation is rather strange.  Alina is the “outsider” from the Art Club, while Karin is part of the Manga Club.  The classroom they share, though, doesn’t appear to be the main space for either club.  I’d initially assumed that it was the room originally used for the Manga Club, but once Arc 2 updates these backgrounds...

It turns out this actually is an art classroom!  I guess the school just has two?

First major change: Just like in Alina’s MGS, they removed direct references to Karin and Alina’s ages.  The reference to Karin’s age at the start of the Magical Halloween Theater event was also changed.

(In JP here, Alina was said to have won a lot of different awards “for a 16 year old,” while Karin stated her age as 14 in the MHT event.)

Again, unsure of why the change, but it could be in order to fix the continuity issues. Because good lord, that continuity is snarled...

I think the order that makes the most sense is Karin MGS > Alina MGS > Magius forms > one year passes > MHT > Main Story Ch5 > Holy Alina’s MGS.  In theory, then Karin should be 13 and Alina should be 15 in their Magical Girl Stories and then 14 and 16 in the present, but as mentioned that’s contradicted by the start of Karin’s MGS in the original Japanese.

There’s also the weirdness around when/how Karin learned Alina was a magical girl, since Karin seems aware of it in MHT, yet it’s unclear if she knows in Holy Alina’s MGS.

… Anyway, stuff like this is why I gave up on constructing a coherent timeline for Magia Record.  There’s just too many continuity tangles.  ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

References to Karin being in her second year in middle school and the third years leaving – also changed.  Probably because it’s both an uncommon way to refer to grades in English, and also, once again, another continuity issue.  (If the third years left, why is Alina still there in one years’ time if she’s at least one grade ahead of Karin?)

Another change: some specifics in why Karin and Alina are in the same classroom together.  In JP, it’s not specified who made the deal to let Alina use the room.  If anything it seems like Karin is the one making a deal directly with Alina.

Which actually makes far more sense all around – why does “the school” care that Alina is giving informal lessons to some random kid?

And it makes more sense from Alina’s perspective too, in that it explains why she tolerates Karin constantly bothering her – putting up with Karin is explicitly the price she’s paying to Karin for using the space.

Oh boy, this.  Karin having this mindset is why it took me so long to really ship AliKari.  Because the dark undertone to “if only I improve, then surely Alina will treat me better” is that Karin is blaming herself when Alina is cruel to her.  And that can very easily slide into an abusive relationship - if you don’t consider it one already.

Alina treating Karin decently should not be dependent on Karin’s art skill.  Or anything else, for that matter.  Full stop.

(Tangent time, including some Arc 2 spoilers)

What ultimately made me come around to AliKari is some of the early Arc 2 stuff, where Karin starts thinking the reason Alina disappeared is because Alina is mad at Karin for not improving.  Karin’s explanation is spectacularly wrong, so I’m now more trusting that the game is implying that Karin’s mindset is going to change. That she’ll stop believing she’s at fault for Alina’s actions - and hopefully stand up to Alina too while she’s at it.

The other half of the equation is Alina, who as far as I can tell, is genuinely not interested in bullying Karin.  She certainly has every opportunity to do so – especially given how her teacher punishes Karin for Alina’s behavior – but Alina never takes advantage of it.  So while she is overly harsh and blunt about expressing her opinions to Karin, I don’t get the sense there is any manipulation underlying it.  Indeed, very unusually for Alina, we also never see her enjoying or fantasizing about Karin’s pain or distress.  She really, truly, just wants Karin to get better at art already!

Obviously, for any kind of relationship between the two to work, they would both need to undergo significant character development.  But that’s the draw of AliKari – while other characters have stagnated (sigh, RikaRen), Alina and Karin are still some of the most dynamic characters in the game. And in general, the direction has been that despite starting out in a bad place (like Karin’s mindset above), they’re growing to become very positive influences on each other.

(End tangent)

Enjoying the extra cliches thrown in here and there, and in general how they translated Karin’s dramatics by adding additional cheesy and on-theme descriptions.  Stuff like “dark and dreary night” or “cauldron of trouble” aren’t in the original Japanese, but they’re wonderfully in-character – honestly probably an improvement over the original!

Not a change, but more reminding myself that I really need to read Kamikaze Kaitou Jeanne.  I’m like 97% sure that’s what’s being referenced here – the plot description and even the comments Karin makes about “Phantom Thief Kirin” In her later Magic unlock quotes are all a very close match.

Interestingly enough, I’ve heard KKJ mentioned as an earlier dark magical girl series that Madoka Magica rips off.  So it’s quite interesting to see it referenced again back in a PMMM property – I wonder which part of the creative team was responsible for this detail?

Hm, so, the subject and detail of Karin and Alina’s conversation in the middle differs between translations.  In JP, the subject is vague, so the fan translation has Alina going off on an extended metaphor comparing the history of art to the protagonist of Karin’s manga.  Meanwhile, in NA she just makes vague comments comparing her own growth as an artist.  

I think I prefer the former - Alina usually doesn’t like talking about herself, but she sure loves to ramble about art history.

The translation I can find for the metaphor Karin’s grandmother uses here in JP renders it “barely able to keep a business going” - so did Karin’s grandmother possibly own a business herself?  That’s a bit more interesting than just “struggled to make ends meet.”

Speaking of Karin’s grandmother, I really like her as a character.  Her relationship with Karin is really sweet - I mean, how often do you see a teenage girl and an older woman being fans of something together?  It happens in real life plenty of times, but it’s so rare to see this kind of interaction represented in fiction.

And it’s nice to see an example of mental illness being treated as just that – an illness.  I especially like that there’s consent to the cure – Grandma outright says she wishes to be cured, rather than Karin deciding as such on her own.  (As Karin is often wont to do…)

This is a fun illustration of how Alina has a very strong internal logic to her, but she’s really terrible at communicating it to other people.

Karin, naturally, takes Alina’s comment here as an exceptionally mean thing to say – it sounds like Alina is callously implying the thing Karin worked so hard on was so bad it wasn’t even worth Alina’s time to destroy, so she’s making Karin suffer even more in having to destroy it herself.

And the way Alina elaborates makes it quite clear that yes, she did mean to call Karin’s work garbage.  This isn’t Alina having difficulty with Japanese or English.

But while Alina’s sense of taste can be quite sadistic, I don’t think that’s what she was aiming for here.  Remember that Alina believes that “only the artist themselves has the right to destroy their work.”  So this is actually Alina acknowledging Karin’s work as art, and therefore only Karin has the right to rip it up.

And why rip it up?  Because whenever Alina finds her own work unsatisfactory, she destroys it.  Hence Alina’s question at the end of this little back-and-forth:

If Karin doesn’t want to rip up her manga, then according to Alina’s logic, that means she must be happy and satisfied with it.  But even Alina can tell that Karin is still unsatisfied and lying to herself, hence Alina’s frustration and confusion at Karin not destroying her work.

Another timeline note: Alina doesn’t lie, and even if she did, she doesn’t have a ring here.  So I think it’s pretty settled that Karin’s MGS takes place before Alina learned about magical girls.

Oh huh. In NA, Alina thinks she’ll be the one in trouble if Karin isn’t ready.  In the fan translation I’m used to, it seems like Alina is saying she’d just be mad herself… but I think NA has it right here.  (In the original JP, Alina is using the passive form of “get angry” without a subject.)

Both work, but the impression NA gives with both this change and the earlier one is that someone at the school is basically putting Alina in charge of supervising Karin.  Which… what the hell, Sakae Academy?

Going back a bit, Alina’s advice and its effect on Karin is interesting.  One of Karin’s flaws really is that she makes excuses for herself and only half-commits, so Alina pushing her to think about what she truly wants and work hard to get it was genuinely what Karin needed to hear at the time.

However, Alina is also an obsessive perfectionist that tends to push herself to very clearly unhealthy levels…

So it’s rather fitting that on following Alina’s advice, Karin ends up pushing herself into doing something very dangerous: insisting on fighting a witch alone even though Kaede tries to get her to retreat.  Karin is so determined she’s risking her life to fulfill her goal – something Alina would no doubt approve of.  But also a great illustration of why Alina and her advice is flawed too.

Which, come to think of it, is part of why Karin and Alina’s MGS actually form a nice pair of complementary short stories.  If you read them in chronological(?) / original JP release order, you first get to see how Alina helps Karin to grow as a person, and if you think hard about it, you can kind of see foreshadowing for Alina’s own issues.  Then in Alina’s MGS, you get confirmation of that foreshadowing about Alina, and furthermore, the payoff to Karin’s development with her now being the one to give Alina some hard-hitting advice.

[aband0ned-s0uls]

A Like V - Chapter 2

Read below, or on AO3

https://archiveofourown.org/works/28426680/chapters/69670191#workskin

It was like deja vu, sitting in the backstage of a seedy bar, cigarette in hand, impatiently waiting for the band playing before them to finish their set.

Except this time, Johnny was impatient for a different reason. All of Samurai's previous gigs, Johnny had been impatient to get on stage and shred the fuck out of his guitar. To spread his message of vitriol for the corpo scum, to lose himself in the music, and then lose himself in whatever hot young output made their way backstage afterwards asking for an autograph from Silverhand himself. Johnny was always happy to oblige, a carefully balanced slurry of uppers and downers – a well practiced formula – ensuring his impressive cock wouldn't let him down when he was otherwise obliterated.

Shit, he didn't even remember their names, or faces. He had never cared; they were only ever a distraction, an itch that scratched at the never ending urge to feed his ego.

Except now, there was one face that was burned in his mind, etched across his retinas everytime he closed his eyes, that he couldn't forget, that he didn't want to forget.

V...

The woman who drove him fuckin' mad. The woman who's head he'd been trapped inside, who he'd grown to know inside and out, every thought, every feeling. The woman who's raucous laugh made him secretly beam with pride when he coaxed it out with a filthy innuendo, or ridiculous quip. The woman who he admired for never giving in to his stupid shit, who would glady give him a vicious fuckin' earful, tell him he was a being a selfish prick.

The woman who had smiles reserved just for him. Johnny Silverhand, who had never cared before whether he saw a woman again or not after he'd got what he wanted, or give a flyin' fuck about how they felt, had spent more time than he would ever admit to anyone thinking of ways to get the corners of V's round, full lips to upturn.

He had memorised V's face in it's entirety; every line, every freckle, every expression. The way her left eyebrow would arch when she was about to tell someone exactly how she felt about the stupid shit that was coming out of their mouth.

The way her eyes would sparkle with mischief when she told a dirty joke. The way they would turn from grey-blue to turquoise when they were swollen with tears after she'd angry cried. The way the light danced across their surface as she laid in bed, staring at the ceiling, ruminating on the day's events, while Johnny pretended not to watch her.

V, the woman who was on the other side of the very building he was currently sat in, metres away, who thought he was still dead, his soul trapped in cyberspace forever.

His stomach twisted in knots and the ache in his chest returned as he wondered what expression she'd give him when he made his grand entrance.

What he'd said to her in the cyberspace, their happy ending... Would she want it? Johnny had always been arrogant and impulsive, only making decisions based on whether it would be beneficial for him alone, but now he found himself caring more about what V wanted.

And the ultimate question that burned in the back of his mind, could he give her that happy ending? It was true, he had changed, but an old thought whispered through his mind that he hadn't let escape from it's box for a very long time.

Was he good enough? Did he deserve a happy ending?

Shit... Johnny shook his head, ran a hand through his hair, pushing it back from his face. He finished the last half of his cigarette in one long drag, and stubbed it out underneath his boot. He felt like a fuckin' gonk.

He tried to reassure himself that Panam and the Aldecaldos wouldn't have agreed with and gone through a fuckin' insane stealth op during the initial chaos after V solo'd her way through the tower, to have Alt upload his engram to another chip, rescue his chryogenically frozen corpse from 'Saka's frozen meat library, all funded by Kerry and aided by Rogue, if V hadn't been a goddamn mess without him.

Instead of that thought reassuring him, all it did was fill him with guilt.

Fuckin' hell V, how bad did I fuck you up?

His broodings brought him back to the memory of waking up with the worst headache of his life, in a cot in the Aldecaldo camp.

To Panam glaring at him, arms crossed defensively against her chest.

Telling him that they did this for V, not him.

Panam telling him in no uncertain terms that if he used this chance at life to hurt V, she would personally remove his chip and stick it up his ass, making sure he really died this time. Then she'd cut off his cajones, just for good measure, and hang them from the bumper of her Thornton.

Mitch and Saul mirroring her pose at her side, probably trying to add some more muscle to her threat, but Johnny had experienced enough of Panam's wrath through V's eyes. He knew for a fact that the firey nomad would follow through through on her promise.

He smirked as the mental image of Panam enacting her promise flitted through his mind.

When the music stopped and the band before them exited the stage, he found himself glad to be able to busy himself with people watching. His waiting wasn't over yet though. The metal fingers of his bionic arm tapping aimlessly, impatiently, along the metal sideboard he was sat against.

He was hoping that Nancy or Denny, or hell even Kerry, would come and save him from the chaos of thoughts that wouldn't stop swirling around his head, like they had when he'd spent the latter stages of his recovery at Kerry's, drinking, smoking and reminiscing.

He knew they were busy, so he let his mind wander on the same train of thought over to more pleasant memories, reliving their reunion at Kerry's. Their disbelief at having their old friend back, and how easy it was to settle back into the same easy flow as it was before. Except this time, there was less tension. The years had eaten away at any grudges or petty arguments, and he was grateful that even if he was still stuck in this cesspit of a city, that some things hadn't changed.

Until he'd pointed out Denny's gray hairs, and the smart of Denny's slap on the back of his head made him roar with laughter.

Johnny looked up from his lounging positon as he heard Kerry barrel through the doors, and walk over to him. It was still weird, still novel, seeing his old friend from his own eyes. Kerry had changed so much, but Johnny would know his presence anywhere.

He instinctively lit another cigarette as he watched Kerry perform his restless pre-gig stretch routine. Johnny let out a low chuckle at the familiarity of it all.

"Everythin' ready to go?" Kerry asked.

Johnny took another drag. "Ready to rock and fuckin' roll."

Kerry looked down at him, his expression a mixture of amusement and empathy. He smiled wide and smacked Johnny on the shoulder.

"She's gonna fuckin' love it, Johnny. Now stop brooding, lets' go knock her dead."

Johnny scoffed and looked away, rolling his eyes, like a school boy being chastised.

"Of course she will, I'm Johnny fuckin' Silverhand." He lifted his arms up and wide, speaking around his cigarette. "What's not to love?"

Kerry laughed, Nancy catching the tail-end of the conversation as she entered from the door to the stage.

Hand on hip, she stood in front of them.

"Are we sticking to the plan, or are you gonna go 'old Johnny' and do your own thing on us?"

Johnny laughed, bringing his feet down and planting them on the floor, resting his forearms on his knees.

"Chill Nance, I know the drill." He took another long slow drag of his cigarette, smirking as he remembered some of his antics at previous Samurai shows, stealing the show with a perfectly executed guitar solo. Nevermind that it was never at the agreed time, much to his former bandmates' chagrin.

Nancy raised an eyebrow, clearly not believing him. Johnny leaned back and crossed his hands behind his neck.

"You guys start out with Chippin' In. Last chorus of A Like Supreme, I come out for the solo." Nancy's eyebrows lowered, but her hand remained firmly planted on her hip. "C'mon Nance, I'm sober for Christ's sake. Ain't skezzed, like old times."

Although, with the fury of nerves rising in his stomach, Johnny almost wished he was.

"Watchin' you, Silverhand." She said as she headed back out on stage. He caught the slight tilt of her mouth as she turned. His smirk widened. Kerry gave him one last smile and a nod before following after her.

What felt like an eternity later, Johnny heard Chippin' In begin. He rose out of his chair, and headed straight for the bottle of the tequila he'd spied earlier, tucked away behind the side of some boxes.

His mind turned to V again as he popped the top off and took a swig.

He wondered if she still looked the same, if she'd be hiding away in a booth, or standing amongst the crowd. If she was still wearing his dogtags, hand worrying them as though they'd dissapear.

He wondered about a lot of things, but Johnny wouldn't have to wonder for long.

"See you soon, Samurai."

[sheisbeautyweareworldass]

okokok so

I started watching about when the clock was at like 92 minutes, and it was mostly normal for a few minutes, both the teams seemed really well matched against each other

the first major thing I noticed was the one italian player grabbing one of the younger english players by his collar which honestly made me feel super upset for the english player bc ive had that happen before in a game and it was awful

but I was rooting for italy anyway because of all the posts, especially yours, and in the next few minutes after that I started getting pissed off at the refs because I thought they were maybe getting in the way a little? idk but they weren't really making awesome call on some of the fouls, there was one specific one I remember when an english player kicked the ball up and at an angle in a pass with an italian player right next to him and the ball hit the italian player in the forearm and he got fouled for that which I didnt think was good because you could see in the playback he was moving his arm anyway back from it it was just at such an angle/speed he didn't have enough time

I think it was also that call that got an italian player a yellow card because he was arguing with the ref and using the stereotypical italian pasta hands and I though that was hilarious

uhhh next there were a few more penalties, players tripping over each other and what not, I think one english player was tripped or pushed and got a bloody nose but I couldn't tell.

I also saw one italian player fall with a bunch of other people around him and some of the english players were getting mad at the ref for stopping the play before they realized he was down and he was laying there for a little bit and people had to come out onto the field to help him and I saw some stuff later that I think he may have actually gotten really hurt?

uh the next thing I remember was stopping for half time and after that there were some really close shots on goal that made me nervous/excited depending which team almost made it but I wasn't able to play as close attention since I was eating

final thoughts: the english fans were awful just in demeanor and I found out later they were booing the italians whenever they had the ball???? wtf the tv in the restaurant didn't have sound but that is just awful

also the english goalie seemed really mad all the time, like once the italians almost made it into the goal, it bounced off of him, and someone pursued for the follow up but the goalie picked it up just as the italian player was right there and the italian player ended up kicking into his arm a little bit, not even that hard but the goalie took it super personally

1) what the fuck 2) i'm so angry i missed all of this 😭

i saw the gif where saka was pulled up by his collar 😭😭😭 but i had no idea of what happened until i saw this. im 95% sure the game will be replayed here i just don't know when cdldksdjdhjd

[imitranslates]

Fukigen na Mononokean Ch. 68

Mistaken identity or...? Ashiya and Abeno ask Tougen about her first meeting with Ashiya in this chapter.

Please remember to check out the official English release when it comes out, preferably on Crunchyroll if you’re able to!

The newest chapter can be read on the official website by clicking the yellow button labeled 読む!

Fukigen na Mononokean Chapter 68 - Uncovering Snow

Page 3

Okina: Oh...

Okina: This is heavenly...

Page 4

Okina: After 100 years, the Tougen hotspring... still has the same perfect temperature.

Okina: But...

Even though it used to be bustling with so many demons, it's completely deserted now.

Tougen: .....

Ashiya: Okina-saaan!

Page 5

Ashiya: I brought some bath towels from my house for you to use when you're finished with your bath!

Okina: Thank you, Ashiya-dono.

Ashiya: (Ah... I just changed my clothes, and my left shoulder's already soaking wet...)

(Ashiya: Fuzzy, let's dry you off...)

Ashiya: !

Tougen: ......

Abeno: .....

Page 6

Abeno: Tougen-dono...

Abeno: It seems like you're acquainted with Ashiya, but...

How long ago did you make his acquaintance?

Tougen: ...A....

Tougen: ...h.

Page 7

Demon: Ashiya-sama doesn't remember Tougen?

Abeno: You are...

Abeno: A demon apart from Tougen, I presume?

Ashiya: (This fish isn't Tougen-san's real body?!)

Demon: That is correct, Abeno-sama.

I am Kowaku... Tougen has allowed me to possess her.

Kowaku: I am a separate demon, but we are practically one body and mind.

You cannot hear her voice, right? That's why I talk in her place.

Page 8

Ashiya: Then... Kowaku-san.

I've been thinking over it and this is the first time we've met, but...

(Ashiya: This is my first time coming here.)

Tougen: (No! You're definitely the Ashiya-sama I met here before...)

Kowaku: No, you're definitely the Ashiya-sama I met here before...

Kowaku: Your aura and the scent of your body are the same.

Besides, there aren't that many humans who can see demons...

Ashiya: Aura...? Scent...?

Tougen: ....?

Kowaku: ...It's just... now that you mention it, your appearance and way of speaking seem a little different?

Abeno&Ashiya: ......

Page 9

Ashiya: Tougen-san.

Ashiya: I don't think I'm the Ashiya you met, after all.

Tougen: ...!?

Ashiya: My name is Ashiya "Hanae."

Ashiya: The Ashiya you knew was probably my father...

Yahiko: Ashiya Sakae!

Page 10

Yahiko: He has the same name as Ashiya!

Ashiya: Uwah!?

Yahiko: Ahahhaha! Hey, hey, I transformed for you again! You were surprised, huh?

Ashiya: N... not particularly. I'm already used to it!

Yahiko: Eeeh?

Really? That's so boring...

Yahiko: !

Page 11

Yahiko: Tougen... You're making a scary face... Are you mad...?

Tougen: .....

Tougen: ...!!

Kowaku: This is definitely the same face as the Ashiya-sama I met back then...!

Ashiya: !

Ashiya: (Then it really was...!)

Page 12

Ashiya: (Tougen-san met Sakae...!)

Tougen: !?

Yahiko: I'm getting in the hot springs!

Ashiya: !

Kowaku: ...I thought you resembled him greatly, but

Kowaku: You aren't the Ashiya-sama that saved me when I was on the verge of disappearing...

Page 13

Abeno: Saved you?

Ashiya: ...!

[That Sakae... saved a demon...!?]

Ashiya: That story...! Could you please tell us more about it?

Touen: ......

Kowaku: ......

Page 14

Kowaku: Back then, Kowaku still hadn't possessed me,

So I was guarding over the spring alone.

Kowaku: Ashiya-sama... No,

Kowaku: Sakae-sama and I met one winter, where the snowfall had been great enough to cover the spring.

Page 15

Tougen: (The spring is covered...)

Tougen: (It's so cold... Even if there were any demons around to soak in the hot spring,

The water wouldn't warm them up at all...)

Tougen: (I should warm it up before it gets any colder.)

Tougen: ...Hh!

Tougen: (...What's that sound?)

Page 16

Tougen: (An avalanche...!!)

Page 17

Tougen: (...Cold...)

(My body's getting cold...)

(I'm freezing and I can't move...)

(Someone... save me...)

(Someone...)

Tougen: ...Hh...!

Tougen: ...e....

Tougen: ...ul...

Tougen: So...one...

(Help me...)

Tougen: He...

(Someone...)

Tougen: elp... me...

Page 18

Tougen: H...

Tougen: ..e...

Tougen: ...

Tougen: ...e....

Tougen: ----

(This faint voice of mine... won't be able to reach anyone...)

Tougen: ...

Page 19

Sakae: So you were the one with that soft voice.

Tougen: .......

Page 20

Sakae: (panting)

Sakae: Don't disappear...

Tougen: (nods)

Page 21

Kowaku: Sakae-sama pulled Tougen out of the snow and took off his black clothing for her.

By the time morning broke, Tougen's body had been warmed back up...

Kowaku: It seems she's never forgotten Sakae-sama since that day...

Fufu... What a pure maiden...

Abeno&Ashiya: ......

Page 22

Tougen: ...?

Kowaku: Hm, what's wrong? You seem pretty surprised?

Ashiya: Uhh... How do I put this...

It didn't really match the image of Sakae I have in my head...

Tougen: ?

Ashiya: (How could the same person who used his influence to seal and erase demons,

Worry about a demon's condition, come to save them, and encourage them by saying "Don't disappear"?)

Ashiya: .......

Ashiya: (It's like a totally different person.)

Yahiko: ?

Okina: (Ashiya-dono!) Hairball-kun ended up getting light-hearted...

Ashiya: Fuzzy!

Abeno: He looks like he's melting.

Page 23

Ashiya: How is this, Fuzzy? Cool enough for you?

(Abeno: About the Underworld...)

(Kowaku: Neither Tougen nor I will go.)

Okina: Yes... My back feels lighter now, and the pain has disappeared.

Yahiko: You're all better, so play with me!

Page 24

Tougen: (Ashiya...)

Tougen: (...Hanae...)

Tougen: (A different "Ashiya" than that person...)

Tougen: (But even knowing that...)

Page 25

Tougen: ...

Tougen: ...ashia...

Page 26

Ashiya: Yes?

Tougen: ...Hh?!

Ashiya: ...?

(Abeno: Kowaku-dono... If you change your mind about going to the Underworld, simply call for me.)

(Kowaku: I understand, Abeno-san. Hey... why don't try letting me possess you?)

Ashiya: ...Huh?

Ashiya: Didn't someone call my name just now?

(Ashiya: I thought it was Abeno-san, but he's in the middle of talking...)

Okina: No? No one called you.

Ashiya: Did I mishear...?

Page 27

Tougen: ......

Tougen: (He can hear... my voice...)

[My soft voice that no one else notices...]

[That's another way he resembles Ashiya-sama...]

Yahiko: Hot!!

(Ashiya: It's boiling?!)

Page 28

Yahiko: Hey, Okina! Is my massage good?

Okina: You're doing very well. It's heavenly...

Okina: My long-waited hot spring cure... I think I'll relax and spend two or three days here.

How about staying with me, Yahiko?

Yahiko: I'll relax while helping you, Okina!

(Okina: Yahiko, if you could massage my right shoulder more...)

Page 29

Abeno: With that...

Please allow us to take our leave.

Kowaku: Come back again sometime.

Kowaku: Also,

Ashiya-sama.

Kowaku: If you could tell your father,

"Sakae-sama saved me, so I'll continue to take good care of myself."

Please convey that for Tougen.

Ashiya: !

Ashiya: ......

Page 30

Ashiya: ......

Ashiya: I understand, I'll let him know!

Page 31

[A demon that Sakae saved in the snow, telling "Don't disappear."]

Page 32

Ashiya: Not even in my wildest dreams did I think Sakae would do something like that for a demon.

Abeno: Huh?

Ashiya: I mean...

Ashiya: Up til now, I've had a pretty strong negative impression of him.

I thought he had a cold-hearted personality.

Ashiya: It was kinda... unexpected.

Abeno: ......

Page 33

Ashiya: Ah, I get it... The Sakae Tougen-san saw was actually Aoi transformed, I bet.

What d'you think, Abeno-san?

Abeno: (He's talking casually suddenly...)

Abeno: You might think so, but...

Abeno: If it was actually Aoi,

Tougen-dono wouldn't have mistaken your aura or scent for Sakae's.

Ashiya: If true... Then, it'd really be the real Sakae...

Abeno: I'm not surprised that Sakae did those things for a demon.

In all the information I've seen, that was proper behavior for an employee...

Page 34

Ashiya: That's right! Sakae was an employee of the Mononokean!!

Ashiya: As its employee, his normal duties are about going to help out demons!

If it were Abeno-san, you would also dig her out of the snow, wouldn't you!

Abeno: (He's back to his normal way of speaking...)

(I guess he's not as bad of a guy as I thought...)

Page 35

(If he's not evil)

(Then why did he...)

(Use his influence to attack demons?)

[tkmedia]

Watching someone fall in love with football made my Euro 2020

Saturday 12th June. The Euros are just over 24 hours old and it feels like Christmas. Me, my housemates and selected others are letting our hair down for the weekend, blaring out music and knocking back cans in the basement of our shared house. Bored of listening to Flo Rida and the Black Eyed Peas on rotation, like some hellish flashback to my secondary school prom, I decide to queue some classics on Spotify. A minute later, the opening notes of ‘Three Lions’ begin to echo around the low ceilings. To me, this choice feels fitting – England are playing Croatia the next day after all. ‘World in Motion’ and ‘Vindaloo’ follow, each song belted out by the lads in attendance with arms spread and the atmosphere becoming increasingly euphoric. Well, almost. Stood in the corner of the room are two of my female housemates and their faces are a picture. More accurately, one looks bemused while the other is eyeing me in a manner that suggests I’ve bathed myself in dog shit and used the remnants as face paint. Fast forward four weeks to before the final and I’m having a long phone conversation with the latter about tactics, formations and debating whether Italy or England had the stronger subs bench. Proof, if nothing else, that a lot can change in a month. Euro 2020 was a tournament for the ages, probably the best I’ve ever experienced in real-time. It ticked all the boxes of an all-time classic – loads of goals, attacking football, matches we’ll be talking about for decades to come, drama and excitement everywhere you looked, underdogs doing well, engaging storylines from the first whistle and worthy champions. Even England rose to the occasion, making the final and giving the nation a chance to bathe itself in lager. Football didn’t come home, but that shouldn’t detract from what Gareth Southgate’s young team have achieved over the past month. But my favourite part of these Euros? Seeing non-football fans become swept up in the event. One person stands out in particular. Living in the same house for the past two years, me and Nicole overcame initial indifference to form an incredibly close connection. There were enough differences between us to keep things interesting but we shared plenty in common – a similar music taste, love of animals and cooking to name but three – and generally got on like a house on fire. But football? Football was rarely a topic of conversation. Nicole simply didn’t show any interest in the sport. After clocking my disappointment following West Ham’s defeat to Manchester United in the FA Cup last February, her attempts to console me veered strongly towards ‘chin up, it’s only a game’ territory. On one hand, this was very annoying and a masterclass at missing the point. But I also saw the wider perspective and appreciated having someone close outside of the football bubble. And, like most things, she was right. It is only a game. But none of this led me to expect the Euros would capture Nicole’s imagination in the manner it did. • • • •

READ: 28 iconic moments that tell the story of a magnificent Euro 2020 • • • • From unpromising beginnings (basement, Three Lions, dog shit), her interest in the tournament grew organically. Noticing the emotionally charged atmosphere at the Denmark-Belgium game. Asking me to tilt my laptop screen so we could watch Croatia play the Czech Republic together. Admitting to checking the score on her phone while out for the first half of England against Scotland. It was Nicole that took the executive decision to switch from Wembley to Hampden Park at half-time during the final group match and wonder at Luka Modric’s piss-taking goal. This was weighed with sympathy as Scotland were brushed aside by a grizzled Croatian team. By now she was hooked and wanted to watch a game in town. Living in Manchester, there’s no shortage of options but work commitments and difficulty booking a table meant finding the right time was proving impossible. We eventually settled on Slovakia against Spain, a fine choice considering her love of Spain and Spanish culture. Arriving late, and convincing the bar owners to show the game instead of Sweden v Poland, we ended up missing Martin Dubvraka’s spectacular own goal but saw Spain stroll through the second half towards a 5-0 victory. It was only natural to stay and watch the conclusion of Group F afterwards. Missing key moments became a theme of the tournament. Denmark’s rollicking win over Russia? Attending to Nicole’s pet horse. The madness of extra-time between Italy and Austria? Squabbling over making brownies. England battering Ukraine in the quarter-finals? Missed the first three goals after trying to find our mate’s house in the city centre and ending up in the outskirts of Altrincham (which, I humbly admit, was entirely my fault for entering the wrong directions). But there was still plenty to savour, such as laughing at Sam Matterface as he shrieked “RONALDO WANTS THE BALL!!” during one desperate Portugal attack. Then there was watching France’s incredible defeat to Switzerland on my laptop as Love Island went ignored on the main television. And who could forget Harry Kane, spilt pints and seeing England beat Germany at our local with a big group of mates? SCENES! Harry Kane puts England two-up against Germany! #ENG 2-0 #GER 📺 Watch live: https://t.co/0Sp2UauTpF#bbceuro2020 #euro2020 pic.twitter.com/KXU7RQgCSl — Match of the Day (@BBCMOTD) June 29, 2021 Interest in the tournament didn’t wane despite moving house before the quarter-finals. Watching games together was replaced with cross-country phone calls and messages as the matches grew in importance and tension. Nicole had the infuriating habit of making correct predictions. It was her that called the Czechs beating Holland, Italy knocking out Belgium and every game from the semi-final onwards. Classic case of beginner’s luck, but I suspect I won’t be allowed to forget it for another three or four decades. These mystic tendencies were matched by her astute calling of matches. Italy did resort to dirty tactics (Chiellini on Saka especially) while other teams played cleaner. England did back off after scoring in the final. And it was hard not to feel sorry for Ruben Vargas and Alvaro Morata after their missed penalties. Ultimately, that’s the point about these tournaments. There’s a certain snobbery towards non-football fans from die-hard supporters, but the joy of international football is feeling part of a national event. Take the emotional rollercoaster of Kane’s penalty against Denmark for example. Only sport can produce those moments, ones you share with half of the entire country. That’s why the international game will always feel more important than club football. I’ll ignore Nicole’s threats to carry on watching football as Manchester United’s newest fan, probably the single most thing that would boil my piss. Because these fantastic Euros were enriched by sharing them with somebody close who’s not usually interested in the game. By Michael Lee More from Planet Football 28 iconic moments that tell the story of a magnificent Euro 2020 Euro 2020’s top chance creators, passers, dribblers, tacklers and more Away Days: 479 days later, a trip to the match at last; now I want the real thing Can you name the top scorer at every European Championship since 1992? Read the full article

[jumarit38]

THROUGH TIME - CHAPTER 31

[ask-marine-mitsu]

here is a concept: a grow up mitsu meets her dad and papa when they were still young marine recruits (i don't care how, I just liked the idea that since she already made angry an old version of saka in her childhood she could piss him off also in his youth)

((Ok so let me tell you, I have head cannons about this. SO MANY. I have legitimately thought about what it would be like for Mitsu to meet her dads at other points in her life and their lives so often. So I’m leaving all my thoughts about grown up Mitsu meeting her dads under the cut, but let me tell you, there’s a lot. Once I started writing there was SO MUCH that I had to get out. This was fun to do man! Thanks!))

It probably happened because the Grand Line is weird and Devil Fruit powers were involved. Honestly she wouldn’t care at all except for the fact that she had to get back because she actually has a family and all. First move would be to go to a Marine base and she’d see them there. Now initially she would have no fucking clue who these guys were, not because they look that radically different, but because her first thought would be ‘Wow those two are hot.’

Not even a minute later though she realizes who they are just by how they are carrying themselves and promptly flips out. Like she just thought her dads were attractive, EW, but also, what the hell is Saka actually not yelling at someone right then? Borsalino doesn’t have his glasses on who is this person? Public displays of affection? I mean it’s probably something small like Borsalino putting his arm around Sakazuki but it’s enough to make her do a double take.

A part of her would want to try and see if she could freak the both of them out and I can see her trying that. She’d probably start just cutting into Borsalino’s jokes, the ones that he just learned or came up with like a week ago, but that she grew up hearing. Every time Sakazuki starts going on a rant she just interrupts him by finishing exactly what he was going to say. And then she’d start just slowly ribbing them, like she knows what they’ve done, she knows who they are, knows things about them that no one but family would know. Because of course, she is family, and no matter how closed of Sakazuki is you can’t hide everything about yourself and your past from a hyperactive curious child who lives with you for years. Especially not with Borsalino as your husband.

Eventually she’d probably just come out and be like “Yeah so I’m like, your future kid and all.” Most likely she does it to stop them from trying to kill her, because at this point if she tried to fight back she could whoop their butts. I mean they are new recruits and she’s at least a damn lieutenant at this point. She doesn’t want to fight and probably explains and I can see Sakazuki not believing it, and Borsalino just being like “Wait which one of us fucked a fish?”

The more they’re around her though the more they start to believe it because of the little things. She has Sakazuki’s same glare when something makes her really mad. Whenever she tells a joke she bounces on her feet a little bit like Borsalino does. Her inflections and speech patterns are like an odd mix of both of theirs and they sometimes have to do a double take when they hear it. Probably the weirdest part for both of them though would be knowing that eventually they are actually close enough to raise this kid and to both their surprise (Borsalino’s especially) she turned into a really nice person and a very good Marine.

Weirdly enough I see past Borsalino being the one to distance himself most from her, because he never saw himself having kids. He doesn’t want to think about life that seriously and knowing he just took her in like that and raised her and actually properly settled down in a way… it shakes him up a lot. But Sakazuki I can see being the complete opposite. At this point he’s probably not AS hardened and a small part of him likes the idea that he has something in his future to look forward to like a family. In an odd way he becomes attached and doesn’t want her to go, because from what she’s mentioned he doesn’t always act like the best father. 

More than that I can see him almost sinking into the idea that everything he’s doing now is just worth it, because as much shit as Borsalino gives him, he loves the man, and they raised this person together, and with all the crap going on right now he doesn’t want to loose that. He wants her to stay because he knows he’s loosing something, but doesn’t know what, and she can’t say, and the look in her eyes like she’s never seen him this happy and well adjusted scares the fuck out of him. Because he isn’t happy, he isn’t well adjusted, he’s just not! But this girl loves him with all her heart and cries when she sees either of them hurt or arguing or threatening to fall apart. And that’s the same thing that gets to Borsalino too, that sort of unconditional love that you can really only get being raised by an amazing family. He didn’t make the same mistake as Sakazuki by wanting to know more, because he already realized it, realized that if he got any closer he’d be heartbroken to see her go.

A little bit of the worst part is when she does finally leave. Neither one would likely remember what had happened and yet they’d both feel like something was now missing. I can see it strengthening their bond in an odd way.

As far as Mitsu goes… the next time she sees her dads she has to try her hardest not to cry. And she doesn’t really succeed. Knowing just how entrenched Sakazuki became in his beliefs and how he wasn’t always THIS angry and cold… it hurts her. She was and always will be a little closer to Sakazuki than Borsalino, despite everything, so it hits her hard. And with Borsalino… I think the hardest part would be the wondering, not knowing if he actually wants her or not. Did he just take her in because he was pitying her? Like he does with all the dogs? Does he only care about her now because it’s been so long or because he feels like he has to for Sakazuki, who would never admit he wanted a family of any sort? 

After all is said and done she finds herself hard pressed to believe that Borsalino really loves her, and really took her in because he cared. And she feels somehow responsible for making Sakazuki’s life harder and colder than it already was. On the one hand, she’s glad she knows… on the other hand… she really just hopes it was all a dream. 

[ohmytheon]

pls oh great Lanni, write an AU Jyn/Cassian based off of Life As We Know It (hopefully with baby Poe). I would appreciate it greatly, as I am suffering from Jyn/Cassian withdrawals. tysm

Okay, I think you were wanting something cute and sweet and this…is not it. I’ve admittedly never seen the movie, “Life as We Know It”, so I had to read the plot on Wikipedia. I didn’t think this was my kind of fic…and then I read a handful of single parent AUs and suddenly got emotional about it. I’ve decided this is going to be a two parter (…maybe three, but no more than that) since I’m impatient. This first part is definitely angsty as it deals with grief and mourning. I don’t kill off characters so I was sad. And Jyn and Cassian are so like the poster children for angst. Don’t worry; there will be some cute and light moments as well! I just had to deal with my own grief apparently while writing this.

Summary: After the unexpected deaths of their mutual best friends, Cassian and Jyn must work together despite their differences to help raise their friends’ two year-old son. Of course, what neither one of them anticipated was how their own relationship would change from a tense friendship to something much more.

precious and fragile thingspart one

I was on the phone with her when they died.

Cassian pulled his face out of his hands and sat up straight in the pew. When was the last time he had come to church that wasn’t death related? Even his job required it, except it had never been personal then. He felt haunted by the biblical scenes in the stained glass windows and had difficulty looking forward, as if he might catch eyes with the one of the statues and be judged terribly. His own eyes were dark and guarded, the bags under them more prominent than normal. Anyone that glanced at him would immediately skid their eyes away. He preferred it that way. He didn’t think he could take anyone’s pity right now.

“Hey,” a quiet voice whispered to his left.

When Cassian looked over, he saw that it was Jyn. She appeared torn between looking wary and nervous. Two very different emotions in his opinion, but maybe that just came from years of doing interrogations. This was not the time for him to analyze what her facial expression meant, but he couldn’t help himself. It was second nature to him and, quite frankly, helped him retreat into his mind for a brief moment.

Without saying anything, he scooted over on the pew and allowed her to sit down next to him. She swept the back of her modest black dress under her legs as she sat down. He had never seen her so quiet or still before, although he could tell by the slight bounce of her left foot that she was indeed nervous or at the very least uncomfortable. Her eyes darted around the church like she’d never been in one before, overwhelmed by the vastness and piety of it all. It caused her to press her lips into a thin line and hunk down further in her seat than him.

Jyn was not a quiet woman. From the moment he’d first met her on what could only be described as a blind date of doomsday disaster proportions, he had realized that. It had grated on his nerves for the longest time. She had a worse mouth than a sailor, was not afraid to state her opinion even if it caused awkward moments, and was brash in the kind of way that drove people that actually cared about her mad. Granted, he’d accidentally insulted her profession before realizing she was a crime journalist, but he was a cop, so it was only natural.

Today though she was almost deathly quiet. Cassian closed his eyes. He hadn’t meant to think of it like that, not with the two caskets up front, and shame flared in his gut. It had taken a few years, but he and Jyn had learned to become civil with one another, perhaps almost friends, for the sake of their best friends. Cassian remembered thinking it was unfortunate, terrible luck that the very friend who set him up on a blind date with Jyn began to date the friend that set Jyn up with him. He hadn’t wanted to deal with a woman that he considered difficult and aggressive. And yet, as time went on and their friends got married, those concerns became less and less.

He still wouldn’t say that they were close, but right now, strangely, she was probably the only person in the room that he could tolerate sitting beside him.

Glancing at her out of the corner of his eyes, Cassian noted the makeup she was wearing. She didn’t wear it often - didn’t need to, if he was being honest - but he could tell that she’d been trying to hide the bags under her eyes that mirrored his own. “Did you sleep any last night?”

“Did you?” Jyn countered sharply, her bright green eyes throwing daggers at him. Almost immediately though, her eyes softened or at least some of the fire he always noted in them seemed to die out. She looked back down at her clenched hands in her lap, most likely the safest place. “Sorry, that was– that was out of line.” She took a deep breath and leaned back against the pew. “I’m not good at this.”

“Funerals?” Cassian’s eyes flickered to the caskets again, unbidden, before he returned them to her. The safest place to look. “I doubt anyone is.”

“Goodbyes,” Jyn told him, like they were two completely different things. He knew that her mother had passed when she was young, only a few years older than him when his parents had been killed, and that she wasn’t close to her father for some reason. Honestly, while he’d known her for years, he only knew the barest details of her life. The same could be said of her for him. They were two terribly evasive people. “I’m used to people just…vanishing from my life, but I didn’t think…”

“That they would?” Cassian finished for her.

Jyn shook her head. “Shara was a reckless bastard, even after she and Kes married, but she settled down after Poe was born at least.” A wry, humorless smile twisted on her lips. “I remember when she told me that I was going to get myself killed or at the very least hurt if I kept ‘chasing after homicidal bylines’. I thought, ‘Who took Shara and who is this?’ She sounded like such a worrywart, like a mom.”

“I got the same lecture from Kes often enough,” Cassian admitted.

The smile disappeared from Jyn’s face. She didn’t smile a lot, from what he’d seen of her, like she had only a certain amount of them and couldn’t afford to give them away. “And yet we’re the ones still here and they’re…”

As a cop, Cassian had done a lot of his fair share of comforting people. It wasn’t something he liked to do or was especially good at, but he was a hell of a step up from his partner, Kay, who didn’t seem to understand emotions at times. A part of him felt guilty for slipping back into the role of cop comforting a grieving friend, but it was familiar and safe and so he reached over to take one of Jyn’s hands. She flinched at first, like she might pull away at the offer of comfort, but then tightened her grip when her eyes caught sight of something.

The moment Cassian followed her gaze, he wished that he’d remained focused on Jyn. Sitting unaware in the lap of one of his parent’s friends was Poe, a dark-haired boy of two, playing with one of his toys. Cassian’s heart plummeted sickly into his stomach. The friend, Han Solo, was talking to him, an obviously forced smile on his face, while his pregnant wife, Leia, sat as still as a statue beside him. Despite the smile though, he looked awkward, like he didn’t know what to do with a kid.

Cassian tore his eyes away from the two, unable to look at them anymore. It should’ve been him holding Poe, but he’d needed some time. He dreaded the moment that he would have to face either of them. Poe was too young to understand, but did Solo know? Would there ever come a time he would have to tell Poe?

I was one the phone with her when they died.

His eyes fell on the caskets again. Closed. Car crashes were not known for being kind.

“Kes would’ve been pissed that we can’t all stare at his handsome face one last time,” Jyn said suddenly and it was so ridiculous, so utterly true and maudlin, that Cassian’s throat constricted and he almost cried for the first time in years. He just wanted to hear Shara’s voice tell him that it would be okay - that eventually he would be able to sleep again and not think of her abrupt scream on the other end of the line.

*

Jyn glared at the lawyer while Cassian stared at the document in his hands like it might change right before his eyes. It wasn’t an angry glare. She wasn’t angry at the lawyer, who was just doing their job. Glaring just seemed to be her…natural go-to when anything other than perfect came up, which just so happened to be almost all the time. This was not perfect. In fact, this was a disaster waiting to happen. She didn’t know what Kes and Shara had been thinking when they’d come up with this absurd plan.

“Having a kid changes things,” Shara had told her smugly over a beer one night. “Makes you realize what’s important.”

She didn’t think this was what Shara had meant.

“This really just depends on whether or not you agree to this,” the lawyer, a woman named Sakas, sighed. She looked tired and unused to carrying a wiggling child. Everyone seemed uncomfortable around Poe, like they didn’t know what to do with him. “You can always say no, but if you agree, legally, you will both be his legal guardians.”

She all but shrugged her shoulders, at a complete loss of what to do. Clearly this was an unusual case. She had been friends with Kes and Shara as well, having gone to school with Kes, but it was one thing representing her friends and quite another to pass off their child to someone else. When Poe became too much, she set the little boy down and watched as Poe rushed to hug an energetic Golden Retriever. Cassian finally looked up at her, folding the document and placing it back in the envelope Sakas had handed him.

“I don’t really know what else to do,” Sakas said. Her voice was stretched thin. Jyn wondered if Sakas had allowed herself time to grieve or if she’d been holding it all in for Poe’s sake while watching him. “Neither of them really have any family to speak of and the distant relatives they do have live in other countries. I wouldn’t even know where to begin to look. Even then, it wouldn’t be fair to Poe. Shara wanted him to grow up in the home she and Kes built together. He has a life here. I don’t… I don’t want to take that away from him too.”

“I’m not certain we’re the right fit for the job,” Cassian said, the first words he’d spoken since he had read the document and Sakas had explained what was going on. The right fit for the job. He sounded so professional.

Jyn snorted. That was one way of saying it. Another was that they were two volatile, admittedly selfish people that didn’t know a damn thing about raising a kid, much less with one another.

“Shara and Kes seemed to have faith in you two,” Sakas told them carefully.

Cassian’s eyes dropped back to the ground. He was good at keeping eye contact with someone, unless he felt an immense amount of guilt. She knew about the phone call. Shara hadn’t been driving while on the phone when the crash had happened, but it still took something out of Cassian, even when she knew that he saw death on a regular basis being  a cop.

“So what?” Jyn questioned. “We just…uproot our entire lives? Move in here together and raise Poe like a family? Not to be insulting, but that’s pretty crazy.”

Jyn didn’t want to admit that she was afraid, but she was. Honestly, she didn’t know a damn thing about what it meant to be in a  family. Her childhood had been complicated at best. After her mother’s death when she was eight, her father had tried to raise her, but spent so much of his time at work, perhaps lost in his own grief, that she had practically raised herself. She’d bounced through multiple boarding schools after she turned thirteen, either from expulsion or just plain running away, until her father had more or less given up. She was messy, loud, wore the same bra for five days, and could barely cook mac n cheese without setting off a fire alarm.

How in the hell was she supposed to take care of a kid?

Not to mention Cassian, who she knew for a fact was completely devoted to his job. Kes liked to tease him that he was married to the force. He didn’t work on a clock like a lot of cops. She remembered the time that he’d missed a New Year’s Eve party because he’d apparently been undercover for a week straight. He wasn’t exactly dependable parent material. What had Kes and Shara been thinking?

“I know, I know,” Sakas said, sounding like she was close to begging. “I can see what I can do – maybe find other family or someone else that will take him in – but if not…” She shook her head. “He’d be put in the system.”

“No,” Cassian quickly jumped in, “Kes would’ve been devastated if that happened. I would never be able to forgive myself if I knew there was something I could’ve done and I just let Poe go.”

Sakas frowned. “It’s not going to be easy. You’re two very single, independent people. I know that this is asking a lot of you. I’m sure Kes and Shara would’ve talked with you about it beforehand, but this was added in just a few weeks ago” She rubbed at his eyes. They were red, not from crying but obvious lack of sleep. Jyn knew the signs of sleep deprivation very well. “He asked when they were coming back home and I…I didn’t know what to say. I barely know what to do.”

“Then stop thinking about it,” Cassian told him, laying a comforting hand on Sakas’ arm. It made Jyn think of when he’d taken her hand at the funeral. He’d held it during the entire service. She normally hated to be touched, but she had clung to him like he was the only thing keeping her grounded that day. If she hadn’t, she might have honest to god screamed and that didn’t seem appropriate during a funeral in a church.

“Are you sure?” Sakas asked.

“We’ll do it. We’ll take care of Poe.” When Cassian glanced back at her, somewhat warily, Jyn nodded her head in a jerky manner. It was what Shara and Kes had wanted. They knew what kind of awful position their possible deaths would put Poe in. Out of all their friends, only Jyn and Cassian truly knew one another, got on semi-decently, knew Poe, and lived in the vicinity. “Shara and Kes trusted us with their son. I’m not going to throw that trust away. We’re adults. Poe is a child. We should do what’s best for him.”

For an absurd moment, Jyn wished that Cassian would reach out to take her hand again, to tether her to reality because she was afraid, just as she had been when she was rushing to the hospital after hearing about the crash. But she kept her hands clenched at her sides and looked back to Poe instead. This was not going to be easy. Everything was going to change.

*

Cassian grunted. “This is…weird.”

“All the words in the dictionary, and you’re going for that one?” Jyn asked him. “A little weak, if you ask me.”

He rolled his eyes, but didn’t stop helping Jyn maneuver the mattress up the stairs. After a week of finding her curled up on the couch every morning while he slept in the guest bedroom, he’d gotten her to admit that she felt uncomfortable sleeping in the master bedroom, specifically the bed. He hadn’t even thought about it when he’d offered her the room with more space. They’d discussed it and thought that replacing it with her bed and moving the old one into storage would be best.

Neither one of them talked about how they’d taken down some of the pictures. They left the ones out in the other rooms for Poe, but had begun to slowly erase any personal touches in the places they slept. It turned out that neither one of them had ever learned how to personalize and decorate their living spaces.

Lucky for both of them, neither had had a problem moving out of their old places. Cassian’s lease had been coming up anyways and Jyn had shared a cheap apartment with her friend Bodhi. It still made an awkward time to live together. He could still remember a time when she’d hated him. Thank god there were two bathrooms. The house was large enough where there were moments he could forget that she lived here too.

Except, of course, when it came to Poe.

Cassian had tried to explain it as best and gently as he could, but death was a very abstract concept to a two year-old. One day it seemed like he understood, morose and weepy, crying for his mom or dad, and the next he would be fine and would ask about them like they’d just gone on a trip. Those were somehow worse. He could handle the bad days, watching from the couch as Jyn held Poe close, her hand cupping the back of his head and bouncing him in her arms as she paced the living room. The other ones put both of them at a loss.

“Did you get it when your parents died?” Jyn asked him.

They dropped the mattress down on the ground and looked at one another. Personal conversations like this weren’t his forte. He was good at being evasive - it was perhaps his best talent - but he also knew that Jyn wasn’t good at them either. She was too blunt and ragged around the edges. Still, they were living and raising a child together. It was probably time that they got over that and actually learned a few things about one another that either of them couldn’t just look up.

Cassian sat down on the mattress even though it was close to the floor. He’d quickly understood Jyn’s reluctance to touch the bed, no matter how pristine and cozy it looked. “No, I guess I didn’t.” It didn’t hurt as much as it used to, thinking and talking about his family. They had died in an awful way. It was probably one of the reasons he’d decided to become a cop. “I thought they were sleeping at first.”

“I knew my mom was gone when she died,” Jyn said. “I don’t know how; I just knew.”

Brain aneurysm, his mind supplied. Very sudden. He was not going to admit that he had looked it up after that bit of knowledge had accidentally slipped in during a conversation with Kes.

“Do you think they picked us because we know what it’s like to lose our parents so young?” Cassian asked. He had spent a lot of waking moments questioning why Kes and Shara had chosen them out of everyone. There were some logical reasons for it and some very compelling arguments against it. He would not say that he and Jyn were the most stable people nor the most compatible. She was combative and he was set in his ways. Even when they got along, there was always that underlining of tension between them. “That we’d fight to make sure that Poe didn’t suffer alone like we did?”

“God, you make us sound so broken,” Jyn told him. There was a hint of dark humor in her voice, telling him that she had been avoiding those same questions. He was excellent at reading people. Jyn had been difficult from the start, but he was starting to learn her behaviors and habits. She bit her lip and then sat down next to him, her knee accidentally bumping into his. “You’re good with Poe though. Better than me. He likes you.”

“Yeah, but he feels safer with you,” Cassian pointed out. Jyn turned to give him a look that he was very familiar with on her face - the kind that said that she didn’t believe him. “When he’s scared or upset, he goes to you. He trusts you.”

A very faint smile came on Jyn’s face. It was the first smile he’d seen from her that didn’t look forced. Even though it was almost not there, it still made her look very pretty. The thought that he wanted to see it more often crossed his mind. He shoved that thought far away.

*

Jyn was minding her own business, trying to be quiet for once, reading a police report while lifting her eyes to the park every few minutes, when the woman next to her asked, “Which one’s yours?”

“What?” Jyn looked up from the report and blinked in irritation. The woman, for her part, didn’t seem taken aback in the slightest. She merely raised a challenging eyebrow. “Uh, none of them.” The woman’s other eyebrow raised to join the other and Jyn hastily corrected herself, “I mean, he’s not mine. I’m his…guardian.”

That was the correct word, but it felt wrong. Did a mere guardian allow a sniffling little boy curl up against her at night after having a nightmare? She couldn’t remember being given that much after her mother’s death. Clearing her throat, Jyn pointed at Poe, who was dangling from the monkey bars with Cassian holding onto him in case his little hands slipped. Poe had been insistent about doing the same things as the bigger kids.

The woman’s face softened. “Your life must’ve turned on its end. It’s really admirable that you took him in.” She didn’t ask about Poe’s parents, but maybe she didn’t have to. There was something very final about the term “guardian”. It said that Jyn wasn’t a mother, but was watching over him anyways. Jyn wasn’t looking to talk about her newfound struggles concerning parenthood being thrust upon her with a stranger. The woman smiled. “And it’s great that your husband took it into stride as well and is so involved.”

Jyn choked on air and coughed. “My husband?” She peered at Cassian, who had shifted Poe onto his shoulders as the little boy reached from bar to bar. Blush rushed to her cheeks. Shit, how long had it been since she’d actually blushed? Bodhi had questioned if she was capable of it. “Oh, hell, no, no, he’s not my husband. He’s, uh, he’s…a friend. Well, he’s also Poe’s guardian. We’re kinda working together. It’s complicated.”

“As if raising a child isn’t already,” the woman laughed, seemingly amused with how flustered Jyn had become. Jyn was extremely grateful that Cassian was distracted by Poe. He would’ve mercilessly teased her about this. Whenever he figured out something that got under her skin, he used it to his advantage. Slick bastard. “Whatever the case, it looks like you’re working things out. Together. Kids need structure.”

Before Jyn could reply, Poe was waving a hand at her and shouting, “Jyn, come play on the swings!”

Jyn was up and placing the files in her bag as she said, “Duty calls,” and headed that way. It felt like the perfect time to escape. She definitely did not want to talk about the strange arrangement between her and Cassian. But when Cassian looked up at her and smiled, so effortlessly, so at ease for the first time in weeks, her heart leaped in her chest. Something about the way he was holding onto Poe’s feet but focused on her, welcoming her into his world, made him look terribly handsome.

She was not going to think about it, much less talk.

*

It had been four nights since he’d come back to the house and all Cassian had been able to do was get in a brief call at one in the morning on the second night to tell her, “I’ll return as soon as I can, I promise,” before he’d been forced to hang up. His captain, Draven, was not a man that tolerated personal calls while on the job.

The first two months of this new and abrupt co-parenting arrangement, Cassian had been given some leeway and hadn’t been put on any assignments. He had known that it would last for only so long, but he thought that Jyn might have gotten hopeful. He tried not to think about how he felt. On one hand, it was his job and a large part of who he was - this was where he was most at ease and himself, even when he wasn’t - but on the other hand, he had grown…comfortable with a more peaceful, if not sometimes messy, life with Jyn and Poe.

No, he didn’t come home to greet her with a kiss and sometimes he found himself alone entertaining a child while she was off chasing leads for a story, but it was a life. His favorite moments were when they were all together, though he would never admit it.The three of them sitting on the couch watching a movie, his arm slung over the back to where he could touch the nape of her neck if he moved his hand a little closer, Poe lying between them with his feet wiggling on Cassian’s thigh and his head in Jyn’s lap so she could run her fingers through his hair.

It almost felt like what he used to imagine family would feel like.

And then Draven handed Cassian this assignment and he couldn’t turn it down, not when he’d been working on this case for months. Jyn hadn’t liked it – he could tell by the twist on her lips and the sudden emotionless look that had fallen across her face – but she had nodded her head and told him to go.

Before he’d walked out the door, she managed to say, “Be safe, got it?” like the words had to be dragged out of her mouth. There had been a hint of need in them though that had caught him off guard. He was still thinking about those words when he opened the front door and slunk inside like a dog with its tail between its legs after being caught making a mess.

There would be no sneaking in for him though. The second he shut the door, one of the tableside lamps flickered on to illuminate Jyn, as if she’d been waiting on him for the last few days. “So he returns,” she announced, accusations already dripping from every word. “I thought maybe you’d finally gotten sick of us and left.”

Cassian bit his lip to refrain himself from snapping back at her. He was exhausted, worn down from working basically non-stop for four days, and just wanted to sleep. Honestly, he’d been looking forward to coming back to this, to her and Poe, but he should’ve known that she would make things difficult.

“Four days, Cassian, four fucking days!” Jyn hissed at him. He almost flinched, but straightened his back instead. He knew how long he had been gone. He’d been counting the hours, not that she would know. She got to her feet and prowled towards him, like a lion would prey. He was used to people trying to intimidate him, but somehow, she put him on edge. “Four days I’ve had to try and explain to Poe why you weren’t here. Four days I’ve had to tell him that you were coming back when I honestly didn’t know if you would.”

“I’m not just going to walk out on him,” Cassian snapped, unable to stop himself. He knew that Jyn always saw the negative in people, knew that she rarely saw anything else, but he wished she wouldn’t think so lowly of him after what they’d gone through together for the past two months. He had been there for them both, hadn’t he? And he hadn’t complained once.

“You could’ve died, Cassian!” Jyn exclaimed, glaring up at him. She was close enough to touch now, her chin tilted up and her jaw set. “What would I have told him then?”

All at once, it hit him. She was baiting him, looking for an argument, but he couldn’t meet her. He had to back down. She was mad at him and the situation, yes, but there was more to it than that. He hadn’t seen it before because the glare of the lamp had put shadows over her face, but now that was right in front of him he saw that  there was something in her eyes that didn’t say anger so much as fear.

Her father had more or less abandoned her, hadn’t he? She was afraid that Cassian would do the same thing, not just to her, but to Poe as well. It surprised Cassian. He hadn’t ever known her to be afraid of things, but maybe he had been misinterpreting her for years.

“I’m not going to leave you, Jyn,” Cassian told her gently, placing a hand on her cheek, “either of you.”

A startled look flittered across Jyn’s face, like that of a scared animal, but she didn’t pull away like he was afraid that she might. Touching was something that Jyn didn’t do. She hated getting close to people. He thought that she had tolerated whenever Shara had hugged her and usually stuck to shaking hands with Kes. It was like she had put a physical barrier up between her and other people. But he wanted to scale it. He wanted to see what was on the other side. And honestly that scared him a little too.

“You can’t promise that,” Jyn whispered, staring him in the eyes. There wasn’t any fire in them anymore though and the fear that he’d barely been able to glimpse became more apparent. She looked like she wanted to run and lock herself in the bedroom, but still, she didn’t move.

“I know and I’m sorry,” Cassian said, “but I can try.”

“Everyone leaves,” Jyn told him. “They always do.”

“I won’t, at least not of my own accord,” Cassian promised.

Somehow, without thinking about it, they had gotten even closer to one another, so that their chests were touching. She was clad in her pajamas, a tank top and shorts, and his clothes were rumpled and still smelled of sweat and smoke, but it felt like one of the most intimate moments of his life. The urge to kiss her struck him so violently that it made him hesitate to breathe. His fingers curled into her hair. It had been a while since he had wanted to kiss anyone so bad.

“You should get some sleep,” Jyn said in a quiet, husky voice. Still, she didn’t move away from him. “You’re probably tired.”

“Yeah.” The word rumbled in his chest as he looked down at her. He should go to bed. He did not want to sleep.

In the end, Jyn made the decision for him and probably for the best. She took a single step back and his hand fell away from her face. “Glad you came home in one piece.”

He smiled a little and could’ve sworn that a hint of blush covered her cheeks. It was hard to tell in the dim light from the single lamp behind them. “Me too.” She nodded once and then turned to walk up the stairs towards her room. He did not miss the fact that she had called this place “home” for the first time. It was better that they hadn’t kissed. They did not need to complicate matters any more than they already were, especially for Poe’s sake.

But holy shit, did Cassian want to kiss Jyn senseless.

[diabolikfuck]

Shu X Yuma (part three)

Shu’s p.o.v 

———————

“…And that’s why I’ve been so mad at you lately! Five years, Shu! FIVE YEARS without washing a single dish! And you haven’t even opened your eyes once during this lesson!“ 

 "Reiji,” I replied to who seemed to think he was my mother, “can you just piss off? You’ve been rambling on for, what, two and a half hours?” I opened one eye ajar and watched as my anal brother half stomped, half tip-toed across the pebbles. Sure, those pebbles were excruciating to walk on, but they made a comfortable place to lay a blanket on and take a nap. Too bad Reiji doesn’t take naps, otherwise the mansion would be a lot less torturous. 

As I drifted back into a peaceful, un-interrupted sleep, the red light through my eyelids turned to a black as a shadow towered above my face. 

“Hey, are you that guy from the restaurant? Shu Saka.. Sakamuk- no-” came the anonymous voice above me.

“Sakamaki?” 

“Yeah! Sakamaki! I’m sure I know that name from somewhere. D’ya know a Karl Heinz? I think he has som-” My eyes shot open to see the tall figure from the restaurant. I knew I recognised that voice and that’d he’d find me. “Urh… Are you okay? Ya look a bit startled.” The man said, tilting his head to the side in concern (it was really cute fyi). 

“Yeah, yeah. It’s just- he’s my dad.”

“IS HE!?” His eyes widened as he plonked down next to me. “I know him! He took me and my brothers out of the orphanage and turned us into vampires!” His long finger pointed over roughly to were these brothers were, digging a massive hole in the sand.

“So you guys are half-bloods, huh? Interesting…”

“Yeah and you must be a prince or something. Must feel nice having so much power and money, huh?” The brunette looked away to the sea, obviously not meaning what he had just said.

“Well, yeah I’m grateful but sometimes it gets too much, you know? Too much pressure to be all posh and polite, it’s not for me.”

“Well at least you’re not living in the slums. That place is absolute hell.” 

“Really? How’d you know?”

He let off a sigh and dropped his voice. “I used to live there for a long time when I was younger. I was starved. We all were starved. I would be lucky if I found only one piece of food during the whole week. But I was used to it, ya know? I only remember that as my childhood coz I couldn’t remember anything past the age of maybe twelve? I just woke up one day with burn scars on me. This one on my shoulder still hurts and sheds, and it’s pretty gross to be honest.” 

We both paused for what seemed like forever. I had these puzzle pieces in my mind and they were scattered across my brain, trying to come up with some conclusion that I knew was impossible. But I missed my childhood friend, and these thoughts were somewhat comforting.

“I bet it isn’t gross,” I said contently, attempting to break the silence, “let’s see. Also, what’s your name?”

“Yuma. Yuma Mukami.” He replied, while hesitantly pulling part of his left collar down to reveal a reddish-pink mark that was spread across his shoulder.

“It’s not even that bad, Yuma.”

“Y’think?” His amber eyes averted away as he rubbed the back of his neck. His bashfulness was so adorable to me (and still is). I thought it was rather strange witnessing this just after he had screamed at Kanato and almost killed him, but, his red face and little smile completely changed my view of him. 

“Of course,” I stated, “I don’t lie.” I sat up, resting on my hand and patted his leg. 

Yuma smiled at me and moved closer to me.

“You want to get some ice-cream, dude?”

“Absolutely,” I replied, “I’d love to.” 

[jumarit38]

THROUGH TIME - CHAPTER 22