#moxwrites2077

[cp2077promptevent]

Cyberpunktober 2k21

Hello All~

We are coming up on October very quickly, and what makes the spooky season better than some spooky writing prompts?

Not much! So from October 17- October 31, please join us here and over on AO3 for 15 days of spooky writing fun! 

The collection is HERE

To share your fics here on Tumblr, please use the hashtag #cyberpunktober so everyone can find and share your writing!

Here are the prompts:

Day 1- fancy dress/costume party or masquerade Day 2- Cyberpunk Vampires Day 3- seance Day 4- Going to a haunted house together Day 5- "Trick or Treat?" Day 6- SO confesses to you that they're a werewolf. As a human, you respond with a simple okay then go on. Your SO is shocked and can't accept your easy acceptance. From then on, they start trying to test if you're also a mythical creature. Day 7- “I think there’s something wrong with me.” Day 8- An object found in a pawn shop or on the road is calling to your character. What does it do? Do they buy/take it? If not, does it show up in their path again? Day 9- Hunter/Prey Day 10- Haunted secondhand cybernetics Day 11- Black Cat/Darth Nibbles Day 12- Samhain/Day of the Dead Day 13- Making the mistake of stealing from witches Day 14- Urban Legends Day 15- Haunted Abandoned building

Hi! This event is a small group endeavor, so if you’d like to show your support, you can do so here: https://ko-fi.com/ryynstrange

[lion-hearted-wolf]

Electric Blood

My 2nd entry for the Cyberpunk 2077 Prompt Event @cp2077promptevent

Prompt: 15 April – dialogue: “Here. See/feel how much I want you.”

Pairing: Alt Cunningham / Johnny Silverhand 

Note: Alt Cunningham’s a rockstar, Johnny Silverhand too. They met in college, started two different bands, but still keep in touch to exchange ideas about songs and… do other fun things. It’s a bit of a random story, written only following the prompt’s mood, and veeery different from what I expected.

The “take your broken heart” quote isn’t mine, of course. The song Alt’s singing is “Kandy Krush” by Kim Wilde, idk why but I’ve always thought about her while listening to it.

Smut under the cut. Read at your own risk.

(Thanks to @spectrum-nebula for her translation and beta-reading work, and for being the wonderful creature she is.)

“I only feel alive when I sing.”

Alt smokes her cigarette, for the last time before it runs out. She shakes it to get rid of the ashes, then throws it in the ashtray. The ink is drying up, a sentence still uncertain: it would take very little to erase it, replace it with another, less fragile feeling, but it’s alright. It’s sincere. She had promised herself before she started singing: never tell lies about yourself. If anything, change the words to express a feeling, but never erase it.

Take your broken heart, and turn it into art.

And she knows a little something of broken hearts.

She rubs on her temples: he asked her to open for the next Samurai concert, and no matter how many times she repeated herself it doesn’t mean that much to her, that it’s just an offer like any other, in the end she can’t stop thinking about it. Because Johnny is just like that: a summer storm, a hurricane passing by once and leaving you counting the damage for weeks. A damn distraction she cannot do without. A cocky smile, metallic fingers always brushing against her side in the same way after they have sex, as if they’re searching for a trace left long ago. Lips tasting like alcohol, like rattled off promises kept one time of out ten, yet beautifully enticing. The powerful voice with which he improvises for her the lyrics she’s written only a few hours ago, filled with rage and an energy he pours out between the sheets while touching her. She’s known him for a lifetime, and another life wouldn’t be enough to get used to him.

She sighs, knowing far too well she’s gonna end up in his arms again after the concert, the same way it’s always been: there are scripts that, no matter how edited and rewritten they can be, lead to the same ending. So it was for the first one, when from the front raw she would catch every single glance he threw at her between one refrain and the other, as so it was for the last, when she waited for him in the dressing room and they had sex, passionately, barely closing the door without even thinking about Kerry and Denny and Nancy out there and Henry who’d surely come by to drink something after he finished signing autographs for his groupies…

You’re the safe place I come back to every time, he had whispered once, head laying on her chest. She would gladly give away half the money she’s earned throughout her career to know if he was sincere or not.

And then the concert comes, and she’s on stage with the girls, first tuning their instruments, a moment after singing in front of a cheering crowd, people pushing each other and screaming their names. Rogue’s eye sparkle, fingers tight around the guitar. Alt breathes in, closes her eyes, then reaches out for the mic. It’s all there, that instant the audience stops, waiting for the song to start, hundreds of faces holding their breath, anticipating that moment they’ll never forget. When her voice starts singing, with a hint of hesitation she manages to conceal after the first notes, the roar is back with even more energy.

There’s a light there’s a light there’s a light in your eyes tonight…

Johnny is there, backstage, waiting: his eyes never left her for a minute. He watches her moving on stage, leaning down, and touching the fingers of the nearest spectators while delivering the last note to the audience and Rogue finishes her solo. He peers at her, throwing glances that say everything without speaking. Those eyes keep promising something, and perhaps this time they’ll oblige: asking her to open for that concert has to mean something, right? He waits for her to come down, under the stage, and brushes her side again, in the same spot, then tilts his shades to take a better look at her. He’s smiling.

“Good luck, Silverhand.” She’s breathless: never holding back when she sings, and that’s part of what made her irresistible in his eyes, she just knows that. She always gives her everything, one hundred percent, because she couldn’t, wouldn’t do otherwise. He smiles again, fingers lingering on her hips. Denny is looking at them, but who cares? They already know everything, after all, it would be impossible not to notice.

“See you later.”

And here’s the promise. She licks her lips, but only because they’re dry, and she urgently needs to drink. Another lie. She nods at him and he does the same, then glides towards the dressing room. Rogue knows everything, there’s no need for more explanations: she’ll find a way to tell the other girls. After all, they too need their post-concert time to unwind a little.

The dressing room is dark and quiet, perfect to think. She only turns the lights from the wall mirror on, then drops on the black leather couch. She waits, as she always did, this time with certainty of a reward: it’s only a matter of time. She just needs to wait for the roaring crowd to calm down, for the last notes to run out in the darkness of the room, for Johnny to lay down his guitar and walk away from the mic to say goodbye to the audience by waving his hand, as he always does. Then she needs to count the sound of his steps, holding her breath as they stop in front of the door and the doorknob turns and he enters a place they can finally be alone.

Until he’s in front of her, so real it makes her tremble. Finally, all to herself.

She breathes in his scent with a bit of arrogance, holding to his shoulder while he kisses her neck, taking her clothes off and helping her do the same with his. It’s a hurried and urgent homecoming ceremony, where every word is barely murmured and it’s suddenly lost among fingers brushing, grasping, holding to each other and letting go a moment after. The safe place he comes back to every time, the space he can truly let the mask he wears fall, and finally be himself.

He brushes a strand of hair from her face, kissing her again and lifting her leg to adjust it around his waist. Alt breaths in his scent again, intoxicated by that contact, back against the cold wall, fingers on his face. So close, so close, so hers. At least for a little while. An illusion that, for now, will have to do.

“Here. Feel how much I want you.”

His voice is hoarse, warm, and breathless: it’s weird he still has enough to talk. How many times was she about to confess she adores him, that she’d listen to him talking about small things for hours or even singing happy birthday to you or any other nonsense, being able to just listen to him would be enough, until she’s tired of it (and it’d never happen). Complimenting him only to be silenced by a kiss, in the aftermath of sex where everything is funny, and every single thing looks beautiful. Enjoying that sex without thinking about what comes after, because what sense does it make ruining everything before it’s over? Thoughts flow while she tries to stop them from filling her mind, and Johnny’s organic hand – not the metallic one, the warm fingers of his right hand – takes her hand and places it between his legs. As she brushes against his erection, a moan escapes his lips.

She was also about to tell him how much she likes his moans, and maybe she will, sooner or later. Maybe later, when they’re done again and in the aftermath of sex, maybe next time. She likes the idea of leaving him hanging, of always having something different to confess him: it adds a little magic to those encounters. It gives her a reason to mark on the calendar every single day separating her from the next concert. Something to anticipate with joy.

He takes her while brushing her hips once more, laying kisses on her neck that get more and more desperate and soon turn to bites, sinking his fingers in her skin while she breathes in, holding a little moan at first and then letting it go, following his pushes with her hips, leaving little white half-moons on his back with her nails. She climaxes a moment before he does, her sweaty leg still searching for a contact but inevitably slipping down, muscles delightfully numb. If she only had the strength to murmur even a single syllable, she’d propose him to move to the couch to start again, but figuring out what will happen within even a few minutes is impossible with Johnny, and maybe it’d make no sense or…

Until he lifts her up, carrying her right to the couch. And while he slides on top of her, surrounding her in a warm and sweaty embrace that smells like both of them, he leaves her enough time to feel incredibly happy.

 He never mentioned loving her voice, but maybe the way he looks at her while she improvises her songs means much more than she could think. Maybe. Those careless caresses, the way he leans his head on her chest and falls asleep after tracing random figures on her skin. His songs. There’s much more to him than he wants to show, beneath that thick skin of a person who does nothing more than shout to the world how much it’s going down the drain.

Sometimes she wonders if she’s the only one who noticed that.

She thinks about it again later, when they make love slowly, once again, after the fire has gone out and their gestures become slower and measured. The hotel room she followed him to is large, smells good and there’s even a soft carpet she can sink her feet into. She can’t help but wonder what it would be living together for more than a week, having a home to come back to and fill with music and more words.

Morning comes, always too soon, leaving the concert and its exciting confusion behind and a new date has been already scheduled, and the girls are waiting for her to add more songs to their setlist, maybe even with a new unpublished work. He’s sleeping, head sunk in the pillow: better leave before he wakes up. Her eyes linger on him for a while and – even if she doesn’t know how – she manages to stop herself from caressing his face. So calm, so far from that life. He doesn’t even look like the same person but, after all, she loves him for what he is. She wouldn’t know how to do without that feeling.

She gets up slowly, collecting her clothes and putting them on, trying not to think too much about what’s going to happen next: by now she’s learned how little that helps with living the present, how much it can poison her days. She smiles at his sleeping silhouette, picturing in her mind his expression in the moment he’s going to find the note she left for him, squeezed in a corner of the wall mirror and signed with a simple A. under the lyrics (a confession, more than an actual song) she drafted while he was sleeping, and smiles.

“It’s all here… see how much I want you.”

[pheedraws]

Virtù e Fortuna

Pairing: Arthur Jenkins x Female V (Vic. Deckard)

Word Count: 3.3k

Summary: On V’s list of “Ways I Do Not Like to Spend My Friday Nights”, rubbing elbows with Night City’s elite at stuffy Arasaka parties would definitely take the top spot. That is, of course, until someone changes her mind... 

Warnings: Canon-typical language, use of alcohol, suggestive themes but nothing explicit (Rating- M)

A/N: I’m trying to get back into writing a little more, so I figured I’d try my hand at some of the prompts created for the #MoxWrites2077 challenge! Specifically in this case: Day 3 - First Meetings. Thank you for hosting such an encouraging, supportive event! I’ve honestly never felt so inspired. 

Charter Hill, 2071 

On V’s list of “Ways I Do Not Like to Spend My Friday Nights”, rubbing elbows with Night City’s elite at stuffy Arasaka parties would definitely take the top spot. 

Breathe. Relax. It's just a party, not a firing squad. 

Though admittedly, if faced with the choice, V wasn't confident she could wholeheartedly say she'd prefer the former to the latter. 

Arasaka spared no expense when it came to parties, and tonight was certainly no exception. The uppermost floor of the corporate hotel had been entirely transformed, staff from all departments mingling in the grand function room. The suite stretched out onto the balcony where the deep aquamarine ripples of the pool shimmered invitingly, glass and chrome furniture glittering in the light of the setting sun.

Had said party not been full of corporate sharks waiting to strike at the first scent of blood, V may have even described it as beautiful.

Not for the first time that evening, V surreptitiously adjusted the plunging neckline of her dress, silently resenting herself for choosing one that left her lacking on the brassiere front. For the most part, she had been lucky when it came to avoiding these functions, her role within Special Operations landing her in combat more often than it did black-tie events, but her luck had seemed to run dry on this occasion.

Said occasion being the promotion of her trainer, commander, and corporate leash-handler to the position of Director.

It made sense. Kiran Keller was, on paper, the perfect candidate for director of Special Operations; ruthless, efficient, and not above shoving a rifle in the face of whoever stood in her way. V both respected and feared the older woman in equal measure, but even that was not enough to coax a feeling other than discontent from her when faced with the prospect of a party in her direct superior's honour. 

On a Friday night, no less. 

Mandatory attendance for all Counterintelligence, Defence, and Special Operations staff. Plus ones permitted. 

Jackie had almost laughed his ass off when she'd suggested he tag along. "Vicky, you know I love you hermana... but fuck no." Not even the promise of an open bar had been enough to sway the man, and with a loving pat on the back, he'd pushed her out of the door with nothing but a smug "Buena suerte, chica!" to keep her company. 

And now, here she was; alone, painfully sober, and regretting ever allowing herself to be talked into buying the black patent abominations currently chafing away at her ankle bones.

Thanks, Jack. 

This was not her typical Friday night. Friday nights involved wine- lots of wine- takeout food of questionable origin, and playful repartee with the only person able to keep her head above water no matter how many times Arasaka- Keller- tried to sink it. Jackie... Jackie didn't know everything concerning her sudden backtrack into the corporate world, but he stood by her anyway; a friend through thick and thin.  

No, not a friend. A brother. Family.

V sighed, a small smile pulling at the corner of her mouth despite her distaste for the situation she found herself in. She never could stay mad at him for long.

She made her way over to the bar in the centre of the suite. V knew she’d have to face Keller at some point, be the polite, courteous corpo-rat her grandmother had once tried to morph her into, but the prospect of dealing with the woman sober struck fear through her gut like a hot poker.

Whiskey, don’t fail me now.

Hailing the bartender, V braced her arms against the countertop, newly lacquered nails tapping nervously against the sleek black marble. "Bourbon, please. On the rocks." 

The room was abuzz with voices conversing in jargon she didn't understand, filled with faces she didn't recognise. I don't belong here. It was the world she had been born into, sure, but not the world she had grown up in; mercifully whisked away at an early age following her parents' divorce, never having to endure the falsehoods, the corruption, the brutal backstabbing... 

Well, until recently, that was. 

Mom's probably rolling in her grave right now... 

It was easier to ignore at work; that sickening feeling of shame, of guilt. It was easier to convince herself that she had no choice, that she was doing what anyone else in her position would do to keep themselves afloat when she was cutting down enemies, doing exactly what Arasaka told her to do like a good little corpo-rat. 

But now? Dressed to the nines, sipping complimentary whiskey that no doubt cost more than her first apartment had, kissing ass and masquerading as someone who belonged in this world outside of working hours? V felt sick, a tightness that was becoming worryingly familiar as of late crushing her chest, stealing her breath. 

I need air. Now. 

Clutching her glass, she weaved through the crowds as gracefully as she could, forced polite smile on her face. Just a few more steps. Large doors beckoned her out into the cool evening air, relief washing over her as she made it onto the balcony unscathed and with her dignity still- relatively- intact.

The chatter was quieter out on the roof, and V felt the suffocating brain fog slowly start to dissipate, leaving only tendrils of tiredness in its wake. How many hours until she could leave without Keller hunting her for sport? V couldn’t be sure. Too many, at least.

She walked towards the quieter end of the balcony, only a few lone partygoers occupying the space, enjoying the last rays of the setting sun before it gave way to night. The music from inside the suite drifted lowly on the breeze, and V stopped to lean against the glass balustrade, gazing out at the bustling city below. Out of the corner of her eye, V noticed a suited man to the left of her doing the same, looking out at the city as the sun set on the horizon, bathing the towering corporate monoliths in a warm, orange glow. From her vantage point, V could faintly see the mismatched structures of The Glen in the distance, not quite gleaming with the same abstract beauty as the sleek buildings of Charter Hill, but emanating an aura of their own nonetheless.

Home.

"Quite the view, isn't it?" The man to her left had moved a few steps closer, body turned to face her. 

She hummed, feeling the breeze toy with the loose strands of hair framing her face, the sensation a soothing balm after the buzz of the party inside. "It's almost peaceful when you can't hear the traffic." 

V allowed herself to glance over at the man beside her, taking in his features in the golden light. His attention swept back to the guests mingling on the rooftop, before settling on her once more. "Not enjoying the party?" 

She tried not to grimace. "That obvious, huh?" 

"Not really, I just know a fellow reluctant participant when I see one." The man smiled warmly then, holding out his hand. "Jenkins, Night City Counterintelligence." 

She took his hand. "V, work for Keller over in Special Operations." The firmness of his shake was grounding, a much-needed anchor amidst the swirling cloud of anxiety that had hung over her head since stepping foot on the premises, and V found herself enjoying it perhaps a little more than she should have. It didn't hurt that the man himself was easy on the eyes; six-foot-something of toned muscle hidden beneath sharp suits, dark hair and bright blue eyes that had V mentally calculating exactly how long it had been since she'd last gotten laid- anything to excuse the way her pulse had spiked at the slightest touch that wasn't accompanied by barked commands or the sting of combat. 

Ah, fuck. 

"Keller, huh? The woman of the hour." 

"That she is." For better or worse.

Then, as if posing a scandalous question, Jenkins dipped his head towards hers, voice lowering, a look of mirth shining in his eyes. "She as scary as the recruitment vids make her out to be?" 

V laughed. Between the warmth of the whiskey and the man's- Jenkins'- presence, the discomfort she had felt moments earlier was already melting away. "'Fraid so. Never met her?" 

"Never had the pleasure of working with her, no. She likes to keep her department... contained, so to speak."

That was putting it mildly.

"Don't I know it..." V muttered, downing the last mouthful of bourbon. She tried to ignore the way his gaze trailed from her lips down to her throat and lower still, the stubborn spark of heat that had ignited in her stomach at his touch steadily growing into something more. 

"Can I get you another?" Jenkins nodded his head in the direction of the bar, charming smile toying at his lips. "Might as well make the evening as bearable as we can, since we're both stuck here indefinitely."

Fuck, he was good at that. All charm and smiles and smooth words... V had no trouble believing he was ruthlessly efficient at his job, thriving in this world that was eating her alive. 

"Lead the way." 

Jenkins held out his arm for her to take, and the gesture did not go unappreciated, V’s discomfort melting away into something almost foreign to her.

Enjoyment.

The bar was impossibly busier when they arrived back inside, the pair clearly not the only ones with alcohol in mind to ease the almost glacial passing of time. They found a space towards the far end of the suite, Jenkins ushering her in before taking up position next to her, propping his arm against the countertop as V mirrored his stance. He leaned down to speak over the noise, a warm, firm hand pressed against the small of her back as his breath tickled her ear. The scent of his cologne washed over her, and V found herself instinctively leaning into him, heat rising to her cheeks as she willed him not to notice. "What's your poison?"

"Bourbon, please." Jenkins turned to catch the attention of the bartender, ordering two whiskeys that were swiftly placed in front of him. V took the glass handed to her, grateful for the sweetness on her tongue as she took a sip to calm her nerves.

"So," Jenkins began, swirling his glass, "how long have you been with spec-ops? Can't have been long, I imagine." 

"What's that supposed to mean?" Though her tone was playful, a part of V- the part she had been trying to keep on a tighter leash since swapping the streets of Heywood for trouser suits and espionage- bristled at the implications of his words, that this man she had met not even an hour ago thought he could read her, could see past the walls she had so carefully built up to keep her neck intact in this cutthroat corporate world...

Jenkins grinned, picking up on her irritation immediately. Guess that leash needed to be tighter. "Your eyes." At her puzzled look, he continued. "There's fear in them- hidden, of course, but it's still there. You look around this room, you see threats. If Keller's anything like the stories I've heard about her, well..." Another smile, this one tinged with the slightest hint of sympathy. "She's got your balls in a vice, hm? Something held above your head? And you think everyone in this room is in her pocket, too- that you can't trust anyone." 

Well, shit. 

"The thing is," Jenkins continued, sparing her the embarrassment of attempting to retort with her tongue tied in knots, "once you've been here long enough, you soon realise everyone else has their balls in a vice, too. Everyone's out to save their own necks." He took a sip of his drink, piercing blue eyes meeting hers once more. "You stop seeing them as threats once you know you can ruin their day with a few special words whispered into the right ear. Power and control... S'all it is, V. Gotta take what you can from this world before it ruins you."  

V stood in stunned silence, equal parts admiration for the man and annoyance that she had been so easily read. Jenkins saw through the silence- because of course he did- and laughed good naturedly. "So… how did I do?" 

V smiled despite herself, shaking her head slowly in disbelief. "That's quite the party trick." She took a drink from her own glass, savouring the burn at the back of her throat before continuing.  "Been there just over nine months now, did some freelance work before that." 

"That how they sunk their hooks into you?" At V's pointed look, he smirked. "Thought as much. They never have played fair- guess they just like to make everyone else's jobs around here all the more complicated." 

V paused for a moment, studying the man before her, all confident smiles and charming words. "And you? Who's got your balls in a vice?" 

Jenkins laughed, shaking his head. "Can't tell you that, V. Speaking her name often has the unfortunate effect of summoning her, and I'm enjoying my evening far too much for that right now." 

The pair fell into a somewhat comfortable silence then, watching partygoers pass by, some more inebriated than others. V thought back to what Jenkins had said, reluctantly admitting to herself that perhaps he spoke a lot of truths, no matter how… grating those truths may be. She was about to speak when a new voice halted her train of thought.

"Jenkins, there you are." 

V didn't miss the way Jenkins' demeanour changed almost instantly; posture stiffening at the sound of the woman's voice as she neared the pair, stopping in front of them with her arms folded tightly across her chest. The look she gave the man was cold, calculating, and V noticed the same look mirrored in her drinking companion's eyes. 

Ah, balls and vices.

When Jenkins spoke, his voice was firm, any traces of the man who had joked good naturedly with her all evening effectively brushed away, hidden beneath effortless professionalism. "Abernathy. Enjoying the party?" 

The woman rolled her eyes. "Cut the bullshit Arthur, I'm not in the mood." V watched as Jenkins' jaw twitched in irritation, turning to face the bar to avoid being drawn into a conversation she really had no business being in. She flagged down the bartender once more, and soon enough another two glasses were set in front of her, condensation glistening under the soft lights. 

"Logistics need to run something by us before we leave the city, and I'd rather not drag that out any longer than needed."  Her cold gaze shifted from Jenkins to V, and then down to the glasses on the table, lips curling with thinly veiled disapproval. "We leave in five minutes. Do not make me wait." 

Almost as quickly as she appeared, Abernathy turned to leave, heels clicking across the polished hardwood. Wordlessly, V pushed one of the glasses across the countertop, Jenkins taking the offering with an appreciative nod, knocking back a mouthful of the amber liquid as she turned her attention to the retreating form of their unexpected guest. V waited until the woman was safely out of earshot, watching as she stepped around drunken interns dancing amongst themselves with the same look of distaste she'd presumably been wearing all evening. "Friend of yours?" 

Jenkins grimaced into his drink as if the very notion were offensive. "Colleague. We've been stationed in Osaka for the past ten months- longest fucking ten months of my life." 

"Wanna swap?" V propped her elbow up on the bar, hand resting beneath her chin as she levelled Jenkins a playful smirk. "Think you could charm your way through an 0500 hours training session with Keller while I jet off to Japan?" 

Jenkins barked a laugh, shaking his head in mock disapproval, any lingering traces of tension disappearing from his shoulders. "Isn't that Director Keller now?" 

"Mmhmm, lucky me, right?" 

Jenkins opened his mouth to retort, only to pause as his gaze locked onto Abernathy stood in the grand doorway across from the bar, glaring daggers at the man while jerking her head in the direction of the AV pad.

"Well, V. I suppose that's my cue to leave." His eyes shone a brighter blue for a second, the familiar flash of incoming data lighting up her own optics. "I'm flying back to Osaka tomorrow morning, but I've flicked you my details." He paused. "Should you ever need them, of course."

Maybe it was the whiskey, maybe it was the dress... Or, hell, maybe it was the ten-month dry spell that inspired a sudden surge of confidence within her. Whatever it was, V didn't have time to question it before her mouth acted of its own accord, brain cell lagging about five minutes behind it. "Is that strictly for business? Or for pleasure, too?" 

Preem. Smooth, V. 

She tried not to recoil too visibly at her own words. Jesus, where did that one come from, you gonk? She could almost hear Jackie's affable mocking in the back of her mind, delighting in the way she fumbled through any and all dealings of the romantic variety. Shit, maybe it really had been too long since Lola... 

To her relief, Jenkins' smile only widened in response, the man laughing as he placed a hand on her elbow. "I suppose time will tell in that regard." His voice was low, smooth, and V hated the way her stomach flipped at the sound. The crowded bar left little room for personal space, and- not for the first time that evening- she found herself wondering just who the hell deemed it fair to make his eyes that goddamn blue. 

V didn't realise just how openly she had been staring until the man before her smirked, his thumb stroking soft circles in the crook of her elbow as heat rose to her cheeks, brown eyes widening in realisation. 

So much for subtlety.

Amused, Jenkins leaned in closer once more, speaking low enough that his voice was only just distinguishable above the music. "Goodnight, V." She shivered at the closeness. "Don't let this world swallow you whole, hm? Be a damn shame to lose that fire." With a wink, he stepped away from the bar, making his way over to the doorway his colleague had disappeared through moments earlier. V watched until he, too, had vanished from sight, sighing before finishing off the remaining whiskey in her glass in one undignified gulp. 

That... could have gone worse. 

The man... Jenkins... was charming, dangerously so, with just enough carefully concealed hot-headedness to send her mind wandering to less than professional places. V groaned inwardly, sending a silent prayer to whichever god her mom had thought so highly of that she hadn't been too embarrassing. She wasn't sure Keller would ever let her know a moment's peace again if not.

Right, Keller. 

V sighed. Reality calls. But as she went to leave the bar, track down the newly appointed director seemingly committed to making every day of V's mandatory twenty-year loyalty obligation a living hell, she paused, and noticed the flashing notification in the corner of her optics.

New Contact Added: Arthur Jenkins. 

A strange feeling settled into her chest. It wasn't fear, no... Something new, something good. A lightness of sorts; a buoyancy aid thrown her way when all she had felt prior was a sickening sinking feeling, tied down by suspicion and disquietude and fear like a lead weight. 

Power and control. Maybe she could work with that after all. 

She squared her shoulders. For the first time since joining the corporation, the first time since selling her soul away on a dotted line as if it meant nothing... V didn't feel so utterly alone in the lion's den, and she smiled. 

Well, who would have thought. Maybe these parties aren't so bad after all... 

AO3

[anaisonfire]

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Cyberpunk 2077 (Video Game) Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply Relationships: Kerry Eurodyne/V Characters: Kerry Eurodyne, V (Cyberpunk 2077), Male V Additional Tags: Established Relationship, midnight visits, sometimes you just gotta go hang out with the bf at 3am, neither of them knows what a sleep schedule is, (neither do i DO NOT ask me how long i've been awake) Summary:

“What’s gotten into you anyway? Not that I’m complaining but you don’t generally come over in the middle of the night.”

“Hmmm… nothing much,” V continues to smile widely. “Just had a good day- night, I guess.” His eyes flicker to the side in a tell-tale motion of listening to Johnny. “And too much leftover adrenaline, yes. Felt like I had to come over… hope that’s fine.” He suddenly turns bashful.

Seriously. This guy.

---

Prompt fill for Day 1 of #MoxWrites2077 the CP2077 Prompt Event! Had a lot of fun, but also I can’t enjoy this song now bc I’ve sucked it dry of any emotion by listening to it for 8 hours straight hjksjdfhj

[nereol]

Cyberpunk 2077 Prompt Event (21/30)

As usual you can read this on AO3. (Yes, I skipped Day 20)

Daily Prompt: April 21 - dialogue - “I’m leaving now, or I’m going to say something I’ll regret.”

Technical Prompt: none

Again just a short drabble.

"I’m leaving now, or I’m going to say something I’ll regret." Val stands up without looking at him, hands raised in a dismissive gesture, she turns away from him and walks off.

For a moment, she had thought they were having something of a moment, would understand each other better, become closer.

"V?" He calls after her. "Just leave me alone for a moment... need some space." She answers without turning back to him.

They shared childhood memories. And then he told her she had no right to judge him - only to judge her with his next sentence. Judge her and Jacke. Jackie's name in his mouth. Your friend Mr. Welles.

She could have punched him in the face right there and then... or gave him a short circuit. "Or blow him in his knee with your revolver..." Johnny's voice in her head suggests, and Val sighs.

Built-up grief mixed with anger as she wanders the construction site, panting through her open mouth. Goro's words echo in her mind. Something about taking the easy path. Something about having no principles. Something about lack of honor.

As if anything in her life had ever been easy... His beliefs are so twisted and conflicting. "Brainwashed since he was a kid..." Johnny says while glitching in her view, back against a pillar, puffin a cig.

Val just nods at him and reaches into her pocket to light an actual cigarette. When did she start to have cigarettes with her..?

---

I love Goro. But everytime he starts talking about Jackie and principles during Gimme Danger, I get angry af!

[tinmunky]

Notes on the Bathroom Wall - Cyberpunk 2077 Prompt Challenge

Found on AO3 Here: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30383652/chapters/75362817

Prompt: April 6 - sitch - Takemura cooks a meal (for whomever

Technical Prompt: Prose Poem, under 150 words

Characters: Goro Takemura, Female V

Relationships: Goro Takemura/V

Chapter 6 - An Act of Love

~~~~~

Cooking for someone is an act of love.

He believes it is an intimate gesture of care. To nourish the body with a portion of one’s soul. For every meal requires that contribution, otherwise it is just fuel.

He is meticulous in the selection of ingredients. He wants the elements that come together in this synergy of flavor to be pure, real, unmarred by synthetics.

He applies honed tools and skills to prepare each item. A sharpened knife, an extension of his hand. The movements, fluid and precise.

He coaxes the flavor to its fullest, before arranging his art on the blank canvas of a porcelain plate.

He places the culmination of his feelings before her.

Cooking for someone is an act of love.

~~~~~

[boltsandbonecharms]

CP2077 Prompt Event - Day 1

Prompt: song - Dear Future Self (Hands Up) - Fall Out Boy

Just a quick scene that came to mind from the vibe of the chorus. f!V & Johnny.

Hands up, ready for the boom. Never mind the rocket launcher, talking 'bout a tune. You can hear us comin' with the zoom. Listen to the "Boom, boom" we are breaking through

- - -

The car is parked in the shade, the windows down and radio playing softly, across the way from the new gig. Inconspicuous, waiting to make a surprise visit to an asshole who definitely has it coming.

V's elbow rests on the window frame with a cigarette between her fingers, occasionally flicking ash down the side of the car; her other hand is on the stock of the tactical shotgun laying across her knees. 

Beside her, Johnny taps out a half-hearted rhythm on the door panel with his 'ganic hand. His metal one rests high on V's thigh, thumb sometimes joining the rhythm, fingers flexing with the urge to join too. The song ends and so does the tapping, so he squeezes her thigh, shifts his hand a little higher. 

V doesn't react. She raises the cigarette, takes a long drag, never looks away from the target. 

Johnny pulls on her thigh, just enough to rock her leg.

"How long we waitin'?" he asks, already knowing the answer. 

V exhales smoke through her nose, flicks the ash. "Long as we have to."

[okayish-omens]

Aaaand prompt fic 7. Prompt was Blood // Water by Grandson

Kerry is still poetic but now he’s mad as hell

[gloryride]

Chapters: 20/? Fandom: Cyberpunk 2077 (Video Game) Rating: Mature Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Female V/Male V, V/River Ward, Johnny Silverhand/V, Evelyn Parker/V (Cyberpunk 2077), V/Original Character, Judy Alvarez/Original Character(s) Characters: V (Cyberpunk 2077), Female V (Cyberpunk 2077) - Character, Evelyn Parker (Cyberpunk 2077), Male V, River Ward, Goro Takemura, Johnny Silverhand, Original Characters, Jackie Welles, Regina Jones, Judy Alvarez Additional Tags: MoxWrites2077, Prompt Fic, mantra, drunk, sweet but sad, Kissing, Flirting, Angst, Japanese food, Haiku, Arasaka - Freeform, Smut, Badlands, Music, bros Summary:

On the roof of the building, Virgil and Judy smoked in silence. By night, the view was dazzling, attractive but dangerous. Watch out for the naive, thinking of finding a good life in Night City. The two disillusioned didn't believe in it for long time, each torn from their lives and thrown into the pasture. She had devoured them, stole their souls and took a person they loved. Two weeks after Evelyn's death, everyone was mulling over in their own corner, what they could have done, change an event so as not to arrive at this fatality. Virgile was only beginning to move on after their story when he learned what happened to her. With Judy, they took turns watching over her, protecting her. Only an hour, a single hour and she's gone, forever. After the funeral, they didn't see each other, need to mourn, to blame themselves. And this evening, Virgile had rang at his friend's apartment with cigarettes, a bottle of bourbon and his eyes darkened by the lack of sleep.

“I've dreamt of her nearly every night this week. I can't forget her."

(...)

[silverhandy]

Verbatim

read on ao3!

Summary:  Having climbed all the way up from Heywood’s slums to Miyabi, one of the most high end casinos in Night City, Santiago "Sanny" Garcia thought himself a lucky man, right until the point when his employer, an Arasaka board member with a gambling business on the side, caught him stealing and offered an impossible ultimatum. Forced to pay off his debt or die trying, Sanny has to renew some old friendships and form some new ones to keep himself afloat.

On top of everything, when his cyberware starts malfunctioning, there’s only one person on his long contact list that he can call.

“Where’s your Trauma platinum when you need it, pendejo?”

“Kicking a man when he’s down? Never expected that from you” Sanny groaned, burying his face in a pillow. He’d give anything for the world to stop spinning, just for a second. Faced with a heavy silence, he cracked one eye open to see Maria’s disgruntled expression on the holo. “It got revoked, okay? I’m literally begging here.”

“You're not,” she replied, the frown still not leaving her face. Sanny could swear at least some part of her was enjoying it. “At least not yet.”

“C’mon, hermana. I’m-” before he could finish that sentence, he was cut off by another wave of nausea strong arming its way through him. He barely had the chance to haul himself over the edge of the bed to vomit into the bucket he put there, anything to avoid ruining his ridiculously expensive, silk sheets.

Sanny could practically feel Maria’s judging stare on him as she got a front row seat on her brother puking his brains out. He understood her, in a way - their last conversation wasn’t exactly a pleasant one. Maybe he went a little overboard with his bragging. Still, she was his only sibling that still kept in touch with him, all the rest a step away from declaring him a total stranger.

As he wiped his mouth, desperate to get rid of the bitter taste of bile, he entertained the thought of apologizing to her. Was that his new low? At the mercy of his older sister? Certainly not a position he thought he’d find himself in, not after he decided to say goodbye to Heywood for good. She had every right to resent him just as the rest of the family did, but despite it all, they still kept in contact. A sporadic, passive aggressive contact, but a contact nevertheless.

She let out a heavy sigh. “Fine. You’re lucky my day freed up, otherwise you’d have to call some other sorry fucker. Text me the address, I’ll be there in an hour, maybe two.”

“Two hours? You for real?”

“Don’t push your luck, Santiago.”

                                                              ***

“That ripperdoc of yours, how reliable is he?”

“He knows his stuff. Just bear in mind he doesn’t usually take on corpos.”

“Not a corpo.” Sanny mumbled, resting his forehead on the cold glass of the passenger's window.

“You sure as hell look like one” she replied, not taking her eyes off the road.

“When in Rome, do as Romans do…”

The car hit a bump, making Sanny smack his head against the glass. An explosion of pain followed as an array of angrily white stars danced in front of his vision, sprinkled with not less alarming system failure warnings. If he didn’t know better, he’d say Maria did that on purpose, but she wasn’t responsible for the state of the neighborhood's roads. Not directly, at least.

“We’re here.” Maria’s voice snapped him out of his stupor. Some time must’ve passed because when he opened his eyes they were parked on the edge of a wide, busy street, various shops, and nightclubs drawing customers in with their loud neons and whatever else they had to offer. Luckily for Sanny, they didn’t have to walk all the way through it, loud sounds and aggressively bright lights coming at him from all directions, mercilessly aggravating his headache before they turned the corner and walked through the gate leading to a small, crumpled backyard. Maria led him down another set of stairs to an unlabeled basement, one of those places you needed to know were there to find them.

“Hey Vik!'' she said as she passed the gate to the underground clinic, walking in as if she owned the place. Sanny followed behind, his usual confidence shrinking. If what Maria said was true, there was a real chance that the ripperdoc would turn him away and he doubted he had the resolve to drag himself to another one. Suddenly Fukuzawa’s offer of a bullet to the head seemed much more appealing.

When the ripperdoc turned his head towards them, a warm smile appeared on his face as his eyes landed on Maria. Tossing the screwdriver he’d been holding aside, he got up to greet her, though Sanny could tell he was eyeing him over her shoulder as well. He couldn’t blame him - he probably looked like a breathing trainwreck.

“Hey, good to see you.” the ripper said to Maria. “So you must be Sanny?” he asked, suddenly shifting his attention to the younger man, extending a muscular arm towards him. The ripper was built like a fucking truck and Mal could feel his mouth go dry, and only partially because he must be severely dehydrated at this point. Suddenly regretting that he didn’t at least take a shower before Maria came to pick him up, he took a step forward to shake the man’s hand.

“That’s me.” Sanny smiled nervously, his paled face twitching with the effort.

“Viktor Vector’s the name. Heard a lot about you.”

“Oh yeah?” Sanny could hear his voice cracking, mind racing at all the things Maria could possibly say about him while in her ripper’s chair. There were many and only a few made Sanny proud of himself.

“I’ll leave you boys to chat. Don’t want no part in this.” Maria said, a crooked smile on her face. “I’ll wait in the car. Vik, feel free to add this to my tab.”

“Sure thing, sweetheart.”

And just like that, she left him there. Great.

“Alright, let’s get you seated, don’t want you to crack your head open if you fall.” Sanny heard Viktor say. Too busy trying to keep down the few sips of water he got before leaving the apartment, he didn’t even notice how his silhouette started to sway to the side, only stopped by the ripperdoc’s strong arm on his shoulder, steadying him and gently ushering him in the direction of the chair.

Looking back, the whole thing couldn’t have happened to him at a worse time, shortly after he got dropped from the Trauma Team health plan, his regular ripper bidding him farewell with an apologetic smile, even taking a step further to wish him luck. So much for the Hippocratic oath. Sanny watched silently as Viktor kicked himself a chair and sat down to fire up the monitors, typing away at the beat up keyboard until eventually, he reached out a hand.

“Your personal link, please.”

“‘f course” Sunny mumbled, handing him the cable and watching as the doc jacked it into the port, on the first try even. Must be the practice, Sanny thought and allowed his head to rest on the headboard, the blue leather cracking slightly as Viktor started running diagnostics on his cyberware.

“That’s an impressive set you got there”

If he wasn’t feeling so damn miserable, he'd smirk. Impressive was an understatement, with his array of the state of the art cyberware, from behavioral boosters to those refining his fine motor skills to a point he was practically a magician with a deck of cards. Or a lockpick, but he was yet to get desperate enough to give that career path a try.

“My job has its perks.”

“You a croupier at Miyabi?” it seemed that Viktor was rather keen on small talk, a quality that Sanny didn’t quite share, but hesitantly welcomed.

“Figured it out from my tech or did my sister tell you?”

“Bit of both, I suppose.”

Jacked and insightful. What more could Sanny possibly want?  Then again, it wasn’t a time in his life for romantic pursuits, both this specific moment, lying sick on the ripperdoc’s chair and in a broader sense, when he had a figurative gun to his head, a literal one soon to follow if he doesn’t resolve the mess he got himself into.

“Other than dizziness, anything else bothering you?

“Uh,” Sanny turned his head to look at the other man. There were many things bothering him and most had little to do with his current physical condition. “I haven't been able to keep anything down for a few days now. Not even the damn pills for the headache. Running self diagnostics didn’t spit out anything useful either.”

Viktor’s brows furrowed as he shot the younger man a glance from behind his shades. Disapproval? Concern?

“It’s been this bad and you’re only now seeing a ripper?”

“Maria told you where I work but didn’t share why I’m visiting a back alley doctor? How considerate.”

“You guys don’t get along too well, huh?” Sanny frowned at the direction this conversation was going, but there was nothing he could do but enjoy the ride.

“It’s...an on and off thing between us.” he just mumbled, desperate to avoid Viktor’s gaze. Lucky for Sanny, the ripper’s attention seemed to be entirely on the monitors in front of him.

“Just remember, kid,” Viktor said, finally turning to look at Sanny’s face. “she cares about you a lot. Wouldn’t bring you here if she didn’t.”

Sanny just hummed in response. Deep down, he knew the ripper was right, but the whole exchange only made him even more curious about what exactly Maria had been saying about him. It couldn’t be half as bad as he thought he deserved because not only had Viktor not kicked him out of the chair, but was even nice to him. Go figure.

“Alright then,” Viktor said, unplugging the younger man’s personal link. “had to do some cleaning in your CPU, you should be up and running in a few hours. Take this before going to bed for the night,” a strip of pills was placed in his hand “and in the future, watch what you plug your personal link into. I know you guys working in high end casinos get a fancy firewall as part of the package, but it’s not foolproof.

“It sure ain’t, doc. Thanks for the advice,” Sanny smiled, motioning to get up from the chair. “and everything else.”

Whatever Viktor did, the effect was immediate; the clinic was no longer swaying and his stomach didn’t threaten to twist itself inside out every time he moved his head. He still felt like he was experiencing a crescendo of the worst hangover of his life, but it was nothing that couldn’t be managed with a shower and a fresh change of clothes. Who knows, he might even get bold and eat something, though he still wasn’t sure about that one.

“Don’t mention it, I don’t often get the chance to tinker with Miyabi tech. And if you’re open to some more pieces of advice, you should be thanking your sister, not me.”

“I’ll make sure to do just that.”

“Should you run into more trouble with software, my clinic’s always open. I’ll send you the number, so don’t hesitate to give me a call.”

Did he just…? No fucking way, Sanny thought as he walked up the stairs, leaving the clinic behind.

                                                            ***

“So...how’re the Valentinos treatin’ you?”

“Actually, I…puta madre!” she shouted, blasting her hand against the car’s horn as she slammed the brakes to make her disdain loud and clear to the driver who tried to cut her off at the intersection. A litany of insults from the would-be culprit followed, another sound in a cacophony of Heywood’s streets. Maria shook her head, dark locks of her hair shaking with the movement like a swarm of angry bees. “I left.”

“And here I was thinking the position of the family’s black sheep was already taken.”

“Don’t ever think you’re the special one just because you shuffle cards for the big guys.”

“Oh, I could never. So what do you do now?”

“Independent. It took a while, but a friend got me hooked up with some reliable fixers.”

“A “friend”? Don’t tell me that on top of everything, you got yourself a man. Or a woman?”

Maria shot him a warning glare. “It’s nothing like that. Jackie just helped me get back on my feet, introduced me to some people. I’ve been fending for myself since then.”

“And how’s that working out for you?”

“Way better than for you. The hell did you do to piss off your corporate overlords?”

“All I can say for now is that you can leave Heywood, but Heywood never leaves you. Took one too many risks and all it did was land me before the one and only Akio Fukuzawa, who apparently doesn’t take kindly to humbled employees when his eddies are missing.”

“And yet here you are, still alive.”

“What can I say? I’m a charming guy.”

They spent the rest of the car ride in silence, Maria’s eyes fixed on the road, maroon painted nails tapping on the steering wheel in the rhythm of whatever was playing on the radio while Sanny pretended to be mesmerized by whatever they were passing on their way, in reality pulling up his comms interface to scroll through all the text messages he sent to fixers before the damn virus made it impossible to see straight. Almost all of them were left on read and unanswered. Sanny presumed they were bound to remain so. He didn’t have the reputation necessary to land any of the bigger contracts and no time to build it up before Fukuzawa’s minions showed up on his doorstep.

They parked in front of his building, mere centimeters away from bumping into a lampost. Sanny choked down a sigh. There was no escaping it now.

“Thanks, hermana. I owe you one,” he uttered, motioning to get out of the car. Just as he pushed the door open, his comms chimed with a text message from an unknown number. Getting out of the car, he waved to dismiss it, thinking it must be another of those spam chains that’d been flooding his inbox from time to time, but froze halfway through when his eyes landed on the text. The contract was vague on details, but the reward was crystal clear. Sanny could almost feel his jaw dropping as he looked at the impressive number of zeros that followed the first digit. It should be enough. More than enough to pay Fukuzawa off, even if, as per the fixer’s demand, he’ll have to cut the amount in half and share with a partner. He was so dumbfounded he didn’t hear Maria’s reply, or if she replied at all, but when he turned back one last time, she was eying him from head to toe suspiciously. Then she just shook her head slightly as if shushing away a thought.

“And Sanny?” she said, rolling down her window and shooting him a glare from behind her shades. “don’t you dare fuck my ripperdoc.”

[cp2077promptevent]

#MoxWrites2077 ||CP2077 Prompt Event!

Hello everyone!  This is the first post, just to get an announcement out and hype spreading for this content creation event! 

Please follow the  #MoxWrites2077 tag to ensure you’re seeing all the hard work everyone is putting in, and use it when posting your own work so that others can find it as well! I’ll be posting the rules/prompts/etc in the following days leading up to the event, starting on April 1! 

We’re encouraging ALL content creators who’d like to, to participate. Moodboards, Artwork, Writing, whatever you make! We want to see it all! 

This is going to be a month long event, with a prompt for every day, and additional challenges for extra points! It’s very informal, and there’s no prize for getting the most points, but there will be a callout post celebrating those that hit certain markers or point levels! 

We hope you’ll join us in this endeavor, or that the prompts will inspire you to create something new, or breathe new life into a project! 

[pastelgothgamermom]

Chapters: 1/30 Fandom: Cyberpunk 2077 (Video Game) Rating: Mature Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Relationships: Johnny Silverhand/V Characters: Cassius Ryder, Claire Russell Additional Tags: Fluff, i guess?, Will update tags as we go Summary:

Welcome to my submissions for Lizzie's Prompt Event. Mind your feels- this is probably gonna get angsty.

[lion-hearted-wolf]

A taste of smoke and words

“Without any doubt, she understands her more than Johnny does.”

Prompt: April 8 – Song: Tessellate by alt-J

Technical Prompt: 15 (palette on coolors.co)

Relationships: Alt Cunningham/Johnny Silverhand; Alt Cunningham/Rogue Amendiares; Rogue Amendiares/Johnny Silverhand

(My first entry for the @cp2077promptevent )

READ IT ON AO3

[ryyn-strange]

#MoxWrites2077 || Day 1

As will become the usual, can also be found on AO3.

====================================================

Day 1 - song - Dear Future Self (Hands Up) - Fall Out Boy

Dear future self, I hope it's going well, I'm drunk on cheap whiskey in an airport hotel, yeah

Female V & Johnny & Kerry || Modern Rockband!AU ish type deal

“Fuck, c’mon guys, we’re gonna miss our connection!” V exclaims, turning to walk backwards so she can face her two hungover bandmates and keep an eye on them before they wandered off and got lost again. 

Kerry and Johnny look at each other blearily, then back to V. Rolling her eyes, V lets them catch up to her, slotting herself between them and grabbing the hands closest to her so she can drag them along. 

She’s sure they make quite the sight, a motley crew consisting of a silver haired rocker both arms tatted up and wearing ripped jeans and a torn up leather biker vest; a scruffy, lanky rocker wearing leather pants and a worn-to-hell band tank top. And her, a tiny force of nature in a skater dress and leggings, dragging the two taller men along with her. Or trying to anyway. 

...They miss the flight, of course. V consoles herself with a bottle of whiskey at the bar of the shitty hotel they ended up in, since the next flight they could catch wasn’t until tomorrow. She’s already planning her revenge on the boys. 

[wanderingaldecaldo]

Characters: Rogue Amendiares, Johnny Silverhand, V (Cyberpunk 2077), Jackie Welles, Misty Olszewski

Additional Tags: Cyberpunk 2077 Prompt Event, No Beta we die like arasaka, Poetry, Bad Poetry, Unreliable Narrator, Drunk Dialing, MoxWrites2077, Prompt Fic

Summary: A series of one-shots for the Cyberpunk 2077 Prompt Event. I have no idea where this is going. Let's find out together, shall we? 

[nereol]

Cyberpunk 2077 Prompt Event (10/30)

As usual you can read this on AO3.

Daily Prompt: April 10 - sitch - Only one bed

Technical Prompt: 8. Reversed madlibs: four adjectives: perpendicular, radiant, discombobulated, preposterous; three nouns: cat, spaghetti, momento; two verbs: thrust, capitulate; one adverb: petulantly

2K+ words RipperMerc fluff and pining

It's the first time, after Jackie's ofrenda, that they wanted to meet as a group. Well, that already doesn't work out as planned, because Misty canceled. 'At least Vince will be there, too... it's not like I'm alone with her...' Viktor leaves the elevator. He had never been at Val's apartment before. They had met mostly at El Coyote Cojo, sometimes just in the back of his clinic, at different diners....

He knocks on her door, the bag of food in his other hand. He can hear music playing quietly. "¡Espera un momento!" Val's muffled voice from the other side. Viktor can't help but grin. He leans one shoulder against the doorframe and waits. The door opens, Val stands in front of him with a grin. She has no makeup on, looks different to her usual dark purple lipstick. With one hand she pulls down her tank top as if she had just put it on. Her grin is - as always - catching and Viktor smiles down at her. "V, I don't speak Spanish." "Me neither." She chuckles and shrugs. "I understand much more than I speak."

Viktor holds up the bag with the take away. "Spaghetti?" Val's eyes grow wide and with a small joyful squeak, she takes Viktor's other hand in both of her smaller ones and pulls him into her apartment. Viktor laughs. "Hungry, huh?" Val lets go of him and pushes the button to close the door. "Pasta is always good!" She says firmly.

"Misty sends her apologies." Viktor looks around her apartment. "She has a migraine." "Oh, poor thing, I'll write to her right away." Val walks to the couch and picks up her agent from the coffee table. As she leans over, her purple braids, which she has not tied into a bun as she does when she works, fall forward over her shoulders. "Why are ya still standin' around?" She looks up at Viktor. "Get comfy."

Viktor flinches for a second, then walks over to the couch, puts down the food bag, and sits down. Val frowns as she goes through her messages. "Everything okay?" Viktor knows her well enough to see that something is bothering her. She shakes her head slightly. "Vince gets here later, he's still at a gig." She puts the agent back on the table and walks around the couch to the storage room. So they are alone after all. At least for now... "Beer?" Val's voice snaps Viktor out of his thoughts. "Eh, sure." Viktor nods, although she cannot see him.

A meow makes Viktor look towards her bed - something he had actually been trying to avoid. The naked cat jumps off the bed, remains sitting in front of it and looks at him suspiciously, while the tip of its tail twitches petulantly. Val puts the beer on the table. "Just ignore him, he doesn't like strangers." She sits down opposite Viktor and grabs a box with food out of the bag. "So, if Vince is late - more pasta for me." She grins. As she leans forward, Viktor can't help it, his gaze falls on her cleavage. She wears, as always, no bra and her pierced nipples outline through the top.

Viktor has seen Val only in panties already after the Delamain cab dropped her and Takemura off, when Misty helped him take off her suit, he cleaned and bandaged her wounds. But he had been so focused then that he hadn't paid attention to her body - not in that way. She leans back on the couch and opens her takeout box, clearly happy. Viktor reaches for a beer. "You okay?" Val asks with her mouth full. She slurps up a couple of spaghetti that was hanging out of her mouth. "You're so quiet." She wipes her mouth with the back of her hand.

Viktor takes a sip to buy himself some time. Then he puts the bottle down. "Sure," he says without looking at her and takes a takeout box as well. "Long, busy day." "Hmm..." Val humms, as if she was thinking. As she swallows the next bite of pasta, she reaches for her beer. Viktor's gaze is on her mouth as she takes a few sips. Her pout mouth. He glances down at his food so she doesn't catch him staring at her.

"I've been thinking, now that I've finally paid off my debt ..." She threads some spaghetti on her fork. "Next, I need Mantis Blades." A low chuckle from Viktor. "You need?" He looks at her with raised eyebrows. Val nods eagerly as she puts the fork into her mouth. After she has swallowed, she continues. "And a better cyberdeck. Somethin' with lots of ram and slots." Viktor nods as while chewing. "I'll get you one," he says, after swallowing.

"Nova." Val puts another way-too-large bite into her mouth and looks around as if she's thinking. After swallowing, she points at Viktor with her fork. "Bet you know what else I need." "Hmm..." Viktor hums his mouth full, eyes her. "Matching the new cyberdeck some RAM update, Memory Boost..." Val nods her head while chewing. "Detoxifier... or maybe at least a basic Cataresist until you can afford better."

Val swallows. "I also want some tendons or ankles." She lifts her bare feet and wiggles her toes. Viktor laughs and shakes his head. "V, I'm eatin'." But he doesn't really sound bothered - it's hard for him to be annoyed by Val. She pouts and lowers her legs again. "They are clean - I just showered." She looks at him with big puppy eyes. Viktor sighs, pushing aside the pictures of Val in the shower. "Anyway - that'd be pretty expensive."

Val finished before him, puts the empty box on the table. "Don't tell me you're going to eat more." Viktor asks with amusement, eyebrows raised, fork halfway to his mouth, as Val looks down at the bag which still contains Vince's serving. "Hmm..." She takes her beer and leans back. "Maybe later." She grins at Viktor and takes a sip. Then she reaches for her agent again. Viktor watches her while he eats the last bites of spaghetti. "I texted Vince that if he isn't here soon, I'll eat his pasta." She grins widely as she leans forward to place the agent back on the coffee table.

"You've got..." Viktor points at her mouth. "Sauce?" Val asks, and he nods. "Wanna lick it off?" She winks at him with a smirk and Viktor chokes on his food, but Val is already reaching over to grab a napkin. As she looks up again and sees his expression, she laughs out loud. "Oh, come on, Vik. You're way to easy to tease." "You can't do this to an old man, V." He takes a sip of his beer and shakes his head, avoiding her gaze. "Your not that old, Vik." Val giggles and Viktor puts down his empty takeout box.

"Did ya bring the movie?" That was one reason for the meeting. Val and Vince wanted to see Viktor boxing. Viktor takes a shard out of his pocket. "Don't wanna wait for Vince?" Val looks at her agent - no new messages. "When he comes, we can watch it again." She takes the last sip of beer and stands up. "Turn it on." She gestures to the TV behind Viktor and then goes into the storage room to get two new bottles of beer.

Viktor slots in the shard and stands up to go around the coffee table and sit on the other side so he can see the TV. Val sits down next to him. He had not hesitated when Vince had asked if there were records from Viktor's active days. But watching them now, alone with Val, in her apartment, made him feel a little uncomfortable. Viktor says nothing, sipping his beer from time to time and watching Val out of the corner of his eye, who is watching the TV.

"I have to admit, you were pretty hot, Vik." She looks over at him with a cheeky grin. "Yeah, well..." He shrugs. "It's been a while." He takes a sip. Val giggles, and Viktor looks over at her. "What's so funny?" She looks back at the TV. "You underestimate yourself, Vik." He does not know what to say in response. Does she mean... No, she can't mean that. "Oh, that's a cool move!" She suddenly says enthusiastically and points to the TV. Viktor, torn from his thoughts, looks at the screen. "What?"

Val rewinds. "This." Viktor chuckles low, her enthusiasm is adorable. "Show me!" She looks over at Viktor, who looks at her in disbelief. "What?" Val pauses the movie. "Show me!" Val says again and jumps up. She takes his hand, which is not holding a beer bottle and pulls on it. Well, if he didn't want to, she wouldn't have a chance to move him even an inch. "Come on." She looks at him with big green puppy eyes again. Viktor sighs and stands up. "Yes!" Val rejoices like a child at her triumph.

Viktor explains, showing her the positions. Val looks concentrated and tries to follow his instructions exactly. They stand opposite each other in the middle of her apartment. Nibbles lies on the desk chair and watches with annoyance. "Okay, hands up like this." Val mirrows his position. "...okay and now your feet perpendicular to your shins and..." Viktor points to Val's feet. "Wait, what?" She looks down with a puzzled expression on her face. "You can't explain that even more complicated, can you?" Viktor chuckles. He has to admit that she looks cute, totally confused.

"Hey, you're makin' fun of me." Val looks up at him and Viktor shakes his head, chuckling. "Yes, you are!" She walks up to him and punches him playfully in the chest. Val's agent on the coffee table beeps and she turns away from Viktor to check the message. Viktor sighs with relief and sits down on the couch again. "It's Vince..." Val sits down next to him, closer than before. Probably unintentionally, because she didn't even look where he was sitting, her eyes still on the message. "He's still on his gig." She sighs and puts the agent aside. "He'll not come anymore - it's getting too late."

Viktor frowns a little. He had hoped that Vince would come over. Now it was clear that he would spend the rest of the evening alone with Val. This almost feels like a date now - even though he knew she'd never call it that, even if it was a date. They finish watching the shard, Val asks a few questions now and then, but most of the time it's quiet. She sits so close to him, he can feel her radiant body heat.

When the recording is over, both have emptied their second beer. Val reaches for the empty bottles on the table. "Another one?" "Sure." Viktor nods and stands up to put his shard back in his pocket before sitting down again. She thrust a drink into his hand and sits down beside him. "So, what to watch now?" "Whatever you want." Viktor says and opens his beer.

"We could watch my old movies." She winks at him with a naughty grin. Viktor almost chokes on his beer. "Your..." he coughs and Val laughs. "Your BDs?" He looks at her in disbelief. Val shakes her head, giggling. "Why not?" Viktor notices how he blushes slightly and Val notices it too. "Oh, Vik - it's not porn." He avoids her eyes. "Still... I... no..." he stuttered. Val pats his shoulder with a giggle. "Okay, okay. Calm down." She turns on the TV and browses through the channels.

They stick with some action movie. Val has been leaning against his shoulder since a few minutes now, her legs pulled up on the couch. Viktor doesn't pay much attention to the movie. He is busy convincing himself that it doesn't matter that she is cuddling up to him. Val is a very flirty and handsy person. She used to cuddle with Jackie as well. She hasn't said anything for some time and her breathing is calm and steady. "Don't fall asleep on me, kid." He can't help but grin. "Vik..." She actually sounds a little sleepy. "If ya don't stop callin' me kid, I'll start callin' you daddy."

Viktor only swallows. His mind's going places and his thoughts straight to his dick. He can feel himself blushing. When he says nothing, Val looks up at him. He clenches his jaw and avoids her gaze, looking at the screen. "Oh, you're blushing." She giggles. "Guess you'd like that, huh?" He still looks straight ahead stubbornly. "Leave it alone, V." She giggles and kisses him on the cheek. "You're adorable, Vik." She leans against him again.

His cheek feels as if it has caught fire where her lips have just touched it. "Just teasing a lil'. You know that." She shifts a little to make herself more comfortable. Viktor puts his arm around her. "Yeah, I know..." He knows it very well. She enjoys teasing him, testing his reactions. But that's it. As if a pretty young woman like her would want anything from him. Anything more than just a friend or a shoulder to lean on. She could have anyone - and she has anyone she wants, Viktor knows that very well.

When the movie ends, Val yawns heavily as she sits up. "I should leave and let you get some sleep." Viktor says and stands up. "Hmm..." Val looks up at him with tired eyes. "It's late, you don't have to drive all the way home." Val looks at the empty beer bottles on the coffee table. "And you drank." "Oh, I didn't drink that much." Viktor also looks at the bottles to avoid her gaze. "Vik, come on." She stands up and looks at him with raised eyebrows.

"Okay, okay." Viktor looks around. "I'll take the couch." Val sighs as she turns off the TV. "That's preposterous. First - you are way too big for the couch. Second - we are adults, we can share a bed." Viktor sighs and nods, still without looking at her. He capitulates - he knows arguing with Val is useless. Adults... Yes, he always says that he's an old man. But sharing a bed with this woman. He feels more like a fucking teenager. Viktor swallows hard while taking off his shoes.

---

Okay, the "only one bed" situation isn't an actual part of this, cause it's already 2k+ words. I tried to fit in all the words for the tech prompt and then I came up with more and more details. So I hope this is still fine for the prompt.

Val grew up in Heywood with lots of 'Tinos and speaks broken Spanish. I'd guess she uses several phrases and wordings in Spain, kinda like I and my family uses particular in Danish. Val was with the Mox and a dancer at Lizzie's before she left NC for Atlanta. Many people asume her old BDs are XBDs but they are in fact lap dances, striptease and other stuff - sexy but not sex.

I like the scene, I like some of the dialogues and I like how giddy Val is in the first part. I'm not totally happy with the writing, but it's to long to rewrite it. So for now, for the event this has to be good enough. I'll rewrite it and continue (have a draft already) at some point after the event.