"She's Got a Way" - Billy Joel

Disclaimer: I own neither properties


A/N: This story is a what-if crossover between 2077 and Edgerunners of David meeting V before all the story events. I've gotten really interested in all the recent stories about male V taking on a mentor role, so I wanted to do the same with a female V. They seem like an untouched goldmine.

Anyway, the timeline will be shifted to make things work. Hopefully, it won't be too story-breaking.

- X o X -

Edit: I'll be continuing this story on AO3 since it's just easier to post stuff like this on that site. Plus, I think this is going to end up being more M rated than my other works. I'm sorry for the inconvenience and I hope you enjoy the story!


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Entry: 03 - ( RECORDING* )

MARTINEZ: ...This all feels like a stupid idea; no matter how much Lucy and even 'Becca push me to do this. I suppose it has its purposes though, if not just for documentation if Maine even had one. It's 'posed to keep me grounded and stop me from going psycho. Don't mean I feel any less of a gonk; sitting on my ass and letting this shard journal my thoughts.

MARTINEZ: Oh, fuck it, I might as well start before I waste any more of my time.

MARTINEZ: What... what the hell is this script? 'Start from the beginning. Detail any noticeable events that caused significant changes to your life or personality.' What is this, cheap self-therapy? Might as well just stick with the Immuno-Blockers from Vik. Didn't they shift to yoga or something because this shit never worked? I'm outta-

MARTINEZ: A message from Lucy? 'Get back inside, you gonk, before I short circuit you. XOXO.' Is she watching me right now?

MARTINEZ: Duh, 'course she is. I really oughta rip out the surveillance system one day…

MARTINEZ ( Speaker ): Alright, alright, I'm sittin' back down. Come home soon and love you too!

MARTINEZ: Did she just wink back using the camera light? God, that's adorable.

MARTINEZ: Hah... now, back to this stupid journal. Things that caused noticeable changes, huh? Fuck, where could I start? Begging for a chance with Maine's crew... meeting Lucy... getting the sandy installed... that fucking hit job by the Animals!

MARTINEZ: ...No, it has to be that random as all hell day. I wouldn't trade Lucy for the world and Becca is my ride-or-die, but if I hadn't met her... I don't think I'd still have either of them.

MARTINEZ: Alright, let's start with what happened in '75.

MARTINEZ: As I said, it was a random day; boring and nondescript for half of it too. 'Cept this time, I was walking down the hallways of the 'Saka academy for a change. Prolly why I can still remember everything that happened next so vividly…

- 010101 -

He was staring aimlessly up at the ceiling as he dragged his feet to his classroom. All the while, his clothes were smelling like shit. Once again, his washer was drained of funds and he was left without a clean uniform. So, he was stuck using his week-old casual wear that stunk of sweat and trash.

He was also forced to take the long tram from Santo Domingo to Corpo Plaza earlier. Like usual, though, nothing ever changed in Night City when he had checked its sights along the way. Max-Tac had zeroed a cyberpsycho into a paste, Trauma was scraping some gonk off the sidewalk, and an amped-out dorphhead was jerking it atop a SCSM.

'All-n-all, the usual shit stuff for this shit city.' He got so lost in these thoughts, though, that he inevitably crashed hard into somebody after turning a corner. Hell, he even wondered if he'd slammed into a tank with how much his head was hurting after the collision. It didn't help that he felt broken glass resting against his shirt.

'Oh... I'm so fucked.' Looking up, his gaze trailed up from the black high heels connected to slender legs to the (partly ripped) Neokitsch dress he saw women only ever wear in screamsheets and dollhouses. It hugged her waist and accentuated her curves in a way that'd make him bricked up in any other situation. Mainly, it even had a deep U-shaped chest window which emphasized the Nomad-style snake tattoo that barely covered what the dress didn't.

Not to say, the rest of her didn't seem straight outta his Virtus either. The woman was a bombshell with a surprisingly normal hue of long-black hair, pouty pink lips, and red cyber eyes. The only things that detracted from her looks were the dark bags under her eyes and the large crisscrossing scar across her left jaw.

Looking at her expensive fit alone, it's obvious she's either an elite corpo or a high-end Doll. The last he remembered, though, 'Saka wasn't stupid enough to have whores walking around its educational facilities.

'And I had to bump into her and ruin her shit.' He heard of people who got flatlined for less. Some poor gonk in the Glenns even got crippled and drowned just for glancing at a corpo's aerondight.

"Are you done eying me?" The lady stood over him with a chilling expression. That is before she slid on a new pair of sunglasses from... somewhere(?), which hid her eyes from view. Yet, a crimson glow still peaked through to mark an evil visage.

When she offered out a gloved hand, it took everything not to just flinch. 'Shit, those lines of cyberware means either Mantis Blades or Gorilla Arms. I can just picture them slicing off my arms into ribbons or crushing my fingers into mangled pulp.' Yeah… he really oughta ease up on the XBD's.

When he tried slapping her hand away, his legs gave out from under him and he fell right back on his ass. Dammit, the crash must've done a bigger number on him than he thought. Just attempting to stand up made his head pound and sorta dizzy. 'How chromed out is she? Does she have a pair of launchers under there or something?'

He then gave her the meanest glare he could, as if to silently convey, "If I'm gonna die, I sure as hell ain't groveling to you like a dog for forgiveness."

To his confusion, she just pulled back her hand to take off the half-glove; revealing normal, manicured fingers — all before offering that same hand to him again with a flamboyant gesture.

"S'that supposed to mean something?" At the very least, it confirms that she's packing mantis blades. Judging by the unnatural amount of heat emanating from her synth skin, it's thermal-modded too.

"Means I got nothing to hide." She then snorted after looking down at herself. "Much physically, anyway."

"And? How do I know you ain't gonna flatline me the second I grab your hand?"

"You don't. But if I was going to zero you, it wouldn't be in a public space." He definitely flinched this time when a flicker of blue flashed beneath her shades and a painful jolt hit his chip socket. "Nor would it be so direct. Messy biz like that is a pain to clean up. Especially when it involves organics."

'She's a decker too? Who the hell is she, a 'Saka ninja?'

"So, are you gonna keep laying on the floor like a used doll, or are you going to grab my hand, kid?"

'Screw it.' He reluctantly gripped her hand and exerted a greater amount of force than necessary as she pulled him up. "My name isn't 'kid', it's David. Make sure to remember it, Miss 'Lady Godiva'."

"Oh, is that so? You've got some brass to speak to me like that." Instead of being offended, the woman simply adjusted her aviators a bit with her other hand, before giving him a wider smirk. "Mister 'Peeping Tom'."

'What the hell? Am I... actually smiling back at her?' If he was, it was immediately wiped off his face upon seeing his greatest tormentor at the academy round the corner.

"What do we have here? I spy with my little eye a lost prole out his depth. Martinez, it's nice of you to finally join us... 6 hours late!"

"Hm... Martinez?" Great, the way she tested his last name on her tongue with recognition wasn't a good sign. "Who's mullet-bowl, a choom of yours?"

"Pfft!" Or not, with the way she just brushed it off so casually seconds after. It's strange, there was a huge protest at first when he became the first ever street kid in decades to be accepted into Arasaka Academy. On an academic scholarship to boot. "Does it look it?"

"Now, why the hell do you care whether I'm here or not, Katsuo? I thought you liked the idea of me not being here. 'Cuz, I sure love not having to see your ugly ass mug giving me grief either."

"Yet, I continue finding you in front me; out of dress code and-" He ground his teeth as the fucker mockingly sniffed the air in disgust. "Stinking like the gutter trash you are. Why continue being enrolled here at all? Just scamper back to whatever rathole you call home and die."

"Shove it."

"And who's this lovely thing?" For some reason, it made him sick to see Katsuo lustfully eye her despite their short interaction together. "Tsk, tsk, don't you know it's a crime to bring a Joytoy to Arasaka grounds?"

"She's not with me and it's none of your business if she was." Dammit, he shouldn't allow himself to be egged on but the asshole always knows a way to get on his nerves.

"Mhm. Or could it be the mysterious Ms. Martinez coming to bail you out of trouble again? Oh, who am I kidding, is there actually a difference? Your mother must've offered the board quite the silver tongue to keep you here!"

"YOU PIECE OF SHIT! I'LL FUCKING KILL YOU!" As he tried to lunge forward, LG stopped him in his tracks. He could only flail his arms as she held his neck in a crossbar. 'Tch! Should've realized a corpo would protect another one's kid!'

"Yes... yes, your academic scholarship is of course a lie! I refuse to believe a worthless piece of refuse has higher scores than me! I've been privately tutored by the BEST of Arasaka since birth!"

The death grip holding him back then slackened and LG finally spoke up as he tried to regain his breath. To his confusion, though, it was in his defense.

"Well, it only means three things, doesn't it? One, the 'best' tutors of Arasaka are no more intelligent than the average Dorpher off the street; funny, but unlikely. Two, daddy dearest was so ashamed of you, that he had your grades fixed; very likely. Or, Third... you're as stupid as your 1§ haircut indicates; nothing but empty thoughts in that fat head of yours. Ding, ding, ding, I think we've hit the jackpot." When she gave him a little side wink, he couldn't help but grin back.

"Y-you... you doll bitch! Don't you know who I am?! I am Katsuo Tanaka, the son of a high-ranking executive on the academy board!"

"Tanaka, eh? It's a shame that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree then. You're both equally pathetic in having to hide behind your goons while talking shit. Only, he doesn't call for his daddy at the first sign of trouble."

'Shit, LG. If you weren't dragging me further into this, I'd be raising you on my shoulders.' He was no coward, but messing with the Tanaka Family was asking to be zeroed in the middle of the night. It's why he tried avoiding or ignoring the asshole whenever he actually attended class.

"W-who are you to insult me?! My father could make you disappear with a call!" Immediately after the asshole finished his sentence, he didn't even get a chance to blink before she seemingly teleported from his side to directly behind Katsuo. Laying sprawled out on the floor, unconscious and bruised, were his meathead bodyguards.

"I'm the one your father calls to make people disappear." Her arms then hooked under his armpits with the tips of her super-headed mantis blade millimeters from his eyes, singeing off his lashes in the process.

"Now, you've been an exceptionally rude brat. As someone of your 'esteemed' lineage, why don't you apologize for your actions? To both me and David here."

"W-what? There's no way I'll ever-" Goddamn, how much does this idiot hate him this much to not read the situation?

"Did I stutter?" She dipped her blades slightly closer and Katsuo's screams echoed down the hallway as his optics began to melt.

"STOP! FOR HEAVEN'S SAKE, PLEASE STOP! Okay, okay, I apologize for my behavior and for calling you a bitch!"

"And?"

"I-i'm sorry Martinez! I'm sorry for insinuating that your mother is a whore! There, I said it! Now, please let me go!"

"Good boy, was that so hard?" He definitely busted a gut laughing when she dropped Katsuo like a sack of potatoes. "Don't bother blabbering to your father about this. I know all about his little JK collection."

'JK? She couldn't mean-'

"Now, why don't you run off with your little butt buddies and piss off? Oh, and if you so much as breathe in the direction of David again... I'll call up a couple of hard pipe-hitting Animals to work you over with their Mr. Studds."

Whatever smell emanated from his clothes then became stamped out by the tell-tale yellow puddle that began to quickly trail down the hallway. The crying dumbass even left his goons behind. "No way, I can't believe you actually made him piss himself! Serious props, LG."

Despite his continued suspicions about her, she just became nova in his book. The way she just casually shrugged and strutted back only upped her cool attribute. "Hn. It's a gift with its ups and downs. Anyway, I hope there aren't any hard feelings about me putting you in that chokehold. It's one thing if I manhandled that clown, but if you did it..."

"Nah, I get it, and uh... I'm sorry 'bout earlier too. I 'preciate the save..." He purposely trailed off to hint at her actual name. At this point, she had his full respect.

"V." She must've seen the dumbfounded look on his face because she repeated it again with a stern sigh; leaving no room for questioning. "Yes, just V, and it was no problem. I'd gladly do so again."

"Well, uh... V." Man, her handle sucks. It sounds like something an undercover NUSA agent would use on those holo shows. "It'll be a waste of time for me to go to class now. I'm pretty sure it's just gonna be over in like an hour or two. So, do you want to come over to my place with me?"

"Oh? Bold."

"Goddammit... to fix your dress. Or, at the very least, I can buy you a meal for that show. It's prolly not gonna last, but I'm glad to have that asshole off my back for a while."

"Trust me, he won't dare bother you again. On to that first thing, though, what makes you think you can fix it? Can you sow?"

He didn't mean to, but he laughed in her face at that. Like his hands were ever meant for patience or delicacy. That's more Doc's MO; no matter how much he hated to give that wack credit for his piss-poor work. "Nah, but my mom could probably(?) patch it up when she gets back from her shift. Stitching up wounds is like stitching up fabric, right?"

"No offense, but I doubt your mom can just 'patch up' trilayer aramid-weave. I won't turn down that free meal though. Lead the way."

'Aramid-weave... for a dress?! That shit is barely covering her as is! Okay, who is she to dish out the eddies on something stupid like that?!' This one thought dominated his mind long after they got on the tram toward home.

"You know, I'm kinda surprised. I didn't think you'd even like this kind of stuff. I'm not saying it ain't filling, but..." The shit tasted like wet cardboard and sawdust on a good day. Honestly, it'd be a complete ripoff if the packaged junk in his fridge didn't taste any better.

"You're kidding, right? It tastes like cardboard and sawdust."

'Spot on too! Yet, you're still devouring that bowl of ramen like it's the last thing on earth.' He didn't think this street junk could ever possibly compare to whatever the corps get on the daily. 'I guess your clothes are a separate issue when it comes to standards.'

"Just like the old days..."

"Huh? What do you mean by-" He was cut off when the apartment door unlocked and his mom shambled in. It must have been a rough day as her yellow EMT jacket was practically painted over with dirt and blood.

"D, I'm ho- Who the hell are you? Are you from the academy?" His mom's voice took on a noticeable edge as she eyed V. Which was almost funny considering V was caught off guard and was still stuffing her face with noodles. What ruined it is how his mom's hand was hovered over the iron in her jacket and considering how chromed out V was…

Thankfully and bewilderingly, V just composed herself and bowed deeply to his mom. "Ms. Martinez, it's a great honor to see you again."

"You know my mom?!" It made sense based on V's recognition of his last name earlier, but he didn't expect something like this. A corpo bowing to anyone but their overlords is unheard of.

"Wait... you were that girl that raised hell at the med center carrying that Welles boy! What was your name again? Veronica... Viola... Val-"

"I-it's just V now." Was she blushing? "I'm glad that you still remember me, ma'am." Seeing V humbly shake his mom's hand with such a gentle smile was a whiplash compared to the sassy smartass he's been talking to all day.

"You're hard to forget. Anyhow, you can quit it with the 'miss' and 'ma'am'. I'm not that old, Gloria is good enough. And you've also... certainly changed a lot since then." Why was his mom looking at him like that; sniffing the room and inspecting V's ripped dre-... oh.

"Relax, I'm not a Joytoy he hired. The outfit just helps with a type of work that my higher-ups force upon me. Your son caught me when I was returning from an assignment for the academy board." Okay, if that doesn't clearly signal her being some femme-fatale 'Saka assassin, he doesn't know what does.

"That doesn't explain why you're here, though." His mom still hovered over her iron while joining them on the couch; sitting opposite V and clasping his shoulder protectively.

"He crashed into me; both breaking my aviators and ripping part of my dress in the process. He offered to buy me a meal and let me rest my feet here as recompense."

"Did he now..." Judging by that harsh side glare, he was in for a hell of a chew-out later. She knew just as well as him that any item of a corpo, no matter how small, was always worth a decent chunk of eddies. Something they couldn't afford to spend. "I'm not sure how much it costs but I can-"

"Don't worry about it. Most of my dresses eventually see their fair share of gashes and more. This ramen was payment enough. 'Sides, I owe you a life debt."

While he had even more questions now than before, they wouldn't come to pass. V's eyes flashed orange from a telltale holo call and she looked absolutely pissed.

"Fuck, so soon? Sorry, you two but I got to delta. Thanks for the meal and Gloria, it was a pleasure. Give me a call sometime, otherwise, I'll hopefully see you both around."

With that, she left in a blink of an eye. Except that he was left with a disappointed mother and a new number added to his contacts.

[ *NEW MESSAGE ]

[ V: good night & good luck ;P ]

After that day, a few months passed and he actually did get into contact with V whenever she was free. Sometimes she'd just ride the tram with him after school or take both him and his mom out to some ritzy joint in Downtown City Center. It wasn't his scene, but all that mattered was that it made his mom excited. She'd say it would be a taste of the better life he'd have after making it to 'The Top'.

However, that didn't mean things were entirely good on their end. It actually got rougher than it had been before.

While Katsuo did avoid him at school like the plague, the asshole still managed to strike back at him through indirect means. His old man got the school to increase the tuition to double its previous amount. A minor issue for the other students but for him... it was something that his measly scholarship couldn't cover. V tried to roll back the decision of course, but it seemed no amount of probable blackmail and threats of assassination would immediately overturn it.

So, the overdue bills eventually stacked up to the point where his mom had to choose between paying for his education or them living above water. And it's obvious which one she'd picked.

That's why he currently finds himself, two suitcases in hand, at a reinforced industrial apartment in the Glens. Which, for a place at the supposed center of the reconstruction period, is as sketchy as the MB's. The streets looked partly rundown and the alleyways directly across from it were hounded by 6th street or Valentinos.

Dammit... he just hated having to owe anybody, but he didn't have a choice but to bunk at V's. At least until either the whole tuition thing was resolved or they got an extension on the rent.

"Good, you're here early! I was about to call you." Turning to his right from the reception desk, he was almost struck blind by reflecting light. Squinting his eyes through it, he could barely recognize V for the person he literally saw two weeks ago. Sporting neon pink hair, a white-gold fixer dress/jacket, and gold-tipped ivory boots, she definitely looks... even more unique than her usual outfit.

"Hey, V, looking good and this is a... uh... nice place you got?" She just rolled his eyes at his poorly concealed skepticism and pulled him towards the elevator. He doesn't have any room to judge, but he kinda expected something more... glamorous, to match her clothes.

"Thanks, but I see the look on your face. I know this place doesn't look like much on the outside but just wait till you see what it's really packing. Trust me, my last apartment in Corpo Plaza was a gilded coffin in comparison."

"Corpo plaza... doesn't 'Saka pay for your rent if you live there? I'm surprised you'd want to pay out of pocket and settle for less in Heywood." Not to say, he didn't agree with her decision. It was just hard to imagine that any normal person would turn down saving eddies and making the corps pay all their expenses.

"That's the thing, it means they're able to take it away and leave you with jack-shit. Ever heard of armless Martin? Stories like his are why none of my chrome is on company cred. Anyway, we're here."

The second the doors opened, he was admittedly struck speechless for a moment. "...I knew you were loaded but this? *whistle* What'd it cost you?" Talk about not judging a book by its cover. It's like the modern pad of some rich bachelor in here!

"Besides my vacation days? Padre hooked me up with this place for a steal of 40k, including the renovations. Even better was when I found out that the previous tenant was the strung-up son of my boss. Apparently, the gonk got flatlined by Maelstrom for trying to haggle with their boss for Lace. Heard they're still finding pieces of him in SCOP cans."

"Woah, Woah, Woah! Hold up. The Padre, district fixer for all of Glens?!"

"Is there any other Padre in this godless city?"

"Okay, fair enough. It's just that I don't know what to think now. Like... I didn't know you were that familiar/connected for him to cut those kinda deals."

"It's a given and a must for my line of work. Besides, it may come off as a surprise but I rode with the Valentinos long before I decided to... sell out to Arasaka. Hah... I may be a corpo now, but my heart will always pump Vista blood." What the hell, it's surprise after surprise with her. What's next? She's secretly a Nomad too somehow?

"Is that why you helped me out when we first met?"

"Nah, I was actually going to beat the shit out of you for ruining my stuff." Yeah, he'd prolly do the same. "After I saw your street kid gumption, though, I was just going to let you off with raccoon eyes instead."

At least she's honest. "But?"

"It was only after hearing your name that I decided to help you out." She then turned her face from him, hiding an obvious melancholic smile. "I could never forget what your mom did for me."

That's right, his mom did mention something about her barging into the Med Center with some guy. "I never heard the full story, but I'm guessing she stitched up your choom or something?"

"Mhm. I had dragged him into an Op way above our level against Maelstrom and he took a near-fatal bullet for me. But after carrying him to the center, I couldn't cover the costs of his emergency surgery. Despite that, your mom sacrificed her job to perform it and save his life."

So, that explains why she got demoted from being a paramedic to an EMT. That, and the crippling amount of overdue bills they faced since his adolescent years.

"I owed her a life debt and I couldn't honor it if I was broke or dead in some gangland shootout. That's l why I left the Valentinos to become a corporate samurai. I knew your mom was too prideful to ever accept handouts though, so I had to get creative in helping out in more subtle ways until recently."

"More subtle wa-" ...Of course, the academy – The place his mom did everything in her power to get him into. And while he absolutely loathed the place, it didn't mean he could accept getting in there through nepotism alone. "So, you're the only reason I even got into the academy?"

"Don't cut yourself so short. It was your smarts and your mom's hard work that got you eligible to enroll in the first place. I just made sure your application actually got shuffled in with the rest. It created a huge mess, but even the board couldn't refuse all the good PR they'd get from accepting you into their school."

"..." How could he respond to that?

Thankfully, she noticed the now awkward atmosphere and tried to lighten the mood. "Having second thoughts now, Davey? It'll just be like living with your mom with more... or less panties and bras lying around?"

He appreciated the attempt at least and slumped on her couch while she went to the fridge for something. "Surprisingly less. You're either a clean freak or- Nah, you're too well dressed to skimp on this sort of stuff."

"Thanks, I try to keep this place nice and tidy." Right after she said that his hand accidentally sunk between the couch cushions. Where he then fished out something unexpectedly great from the abyss; black lace, and not the inhalant.

'Huh, score.'

"You and Gloria are free to take the bed. Oh, and I know you're at that age but..." Her form then suddenly flickered from the kitchen counter to directly in front of him. In her now raised hand was the lingerie he just pocketed. "You could've at least waited to klep this until after I left."

"Shit… Sorry." He had the decency to look a bit embarrassed about being caught. "So, uh, you sure about the bed? I'm not a stranger to sleeping on a couch."

"Maybe you are, but how about your mom? 'Sides, I basically live in my office full-time these days. I haven't been able to sleep a wink from all the caff-stims I take."

"Uh, are you o-"

"Nope." The way she emphasized the 'p' with such lifeless cheer was both kinda funny and plain depressing to hear. "I'd gladly continue paying that price though. Plus, it helps that I get a 'technically free' TT platinum plan. The difference between three and five minutes is a real lifesaver after kicking a Militech Eclipse's ass six ways to Sunday."

'I prolly shouldn't even think this, but you look double your age with that haunted/resigned look on your face.'

"Hn... I've seen your records, David. You're a smart kid, so hopefully, you avoid ever getting yourself recruited into my line of work. No offense, but the beat-em-up Security Division is probably more your speed (and less hair-pulling). While it's not as prestigious as your mom wants, they do get first dibs on whatever crazy weapons tech that Manufacturing cooks up."

"Nah, it's preem. I can't imagine myself ever wearing some monkey suit anywa- hold on a second! You have access to my school records?!"

"More than that. I work under the Counter-Intel Division of Internal Affairs, David. Something inconsequential like your report card is literally a click away."

"...That's not terrifying." Wait, counter-intel? If she could do that… "Does that mean you've also see-"

"Hmm, I must say, you should be proud. Whoever's gonna be your input… or output, I don't judge, will be quite the happy camper."

He immediately covered his crotch upon seeing her stare at it with glowing blue eyes. "W-what the hell, V! Women, okay?!"

"Oh? Good for you. Although… women, huh? The girls your age aren't doing it for you? Now, you're the one giving me second thoughts about you crashing here…"

"GRAH! Lay off, V!" Hoping she didn't see how his face lit up like a Christmas tree, he just turned his head and flipped her the bird.

"Relax, I was just joking, no need to get all hot and touchy. My Kiroshis aren't that advanced... yet. 'Sides, all that spying/recording shit is more the job of the netrunning department. As long as you're not jerking it in front of a monitor or name-dropping the emperor in a holo call, you're nova."

"Really?" He recomposed himself and gave her a flat look. "How's any of that supposed to make me feel any better?"

"For now, there's an eensy-weensy bit of preserved mystery about you and that still makes you interesting. To me at least~" He couldn't help but think she was hinting at a deeper double entendre.

"That reminds me. I should say my Congrats."

Okay... now she's lost him. "For what?"

"For making perfect attendance." Shit, he should've realized once she talked about his school records. "I'd be hard on Gloria if she ever got a call for you missing half a semester, don't you think?"

"Look, V, you don't get it."

But she ignored him, simply continuing on instead. "I didn't think much of school growing up. Even less so when I forced myself to attend NCU; getting constantly belittled by snobby assholes. So, I do get it."

"..."

"...the difference being is that I had an end goal to look forward to. I know Arasaka is your mother's dream, not yours... but please don't take lightly of what she's sacrificed to get you to the top. I'm doing everything in my power to make her wish happen too."

"...are you gonna tell her?"

"About what? After I took a look, all it said was that you've been maintaining perfect attendance. There's no need to make a whole fuss or celebration for that, is there? I just hope that continues in the foreseeable future."

"..." Thanks, V.

"Keep strong and stay safe. As long as you live with me and go to class, I'll have your back." She then surprised him by warmly pulling him into a hug until her eyes began flashing orange. "Hah... no rest for the fucking wicked. I'll catch you later, D."

He'd normally get pissed whenever anyone would call him by his mom's nickname for him, but... he couldn't help but grin back like a gonk this time. Over these past few months, while they've certainly gotten friendlier, it was never close enough to call her his choom. Starting now though...

"Yeah, later." She's earned becoming his new confidant.

- 010101 -

Entry: 03 - ( ARCHIVED ) (2077)


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I wanted to make David and V's first meeting as plausible as possible, so this V is a mix between the Street Kid and the Corpo lifepath. I'm hoping to drive this V into the eventual Older Sister/Mentor archetype because I'm a sucker for Cherami Leigh's lighter roles.

I know the dialogue for David/character interactions is super iffy, so I'd appreciate any advice on how to make it smoother and more canon accurate.

- X o X -

Images of V's appearance (nexusmods):

cyberpunk2077/images/37448 Corpo V

cyberpunk2077/images/37449 Weeb V

- X o X -

Until next time, Paz.