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sunflower-butch · 2 years

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I’m posting Cyberpunk Ronance thoughts because it’s my blog and I can do what I want

I’m just, I know the game isn’t the best in the world, but god if the storyline didn’t break me, okay?

If you care about Cyberpunk spoilers (not including the show), do not read any further

I think there’s a lot of different ways this au could be played

I think Nancy being V makes good sense if you look at V’s characterization as this badass, ambitious person who ends up in a shitty situation but keeps fighting because it’s all she’s ever known. Bonus V and Nancy and GUNS and general badassery. In this version, perhaps Robin is Johnny—chaotic mess of a human who’s life went to shit, although I see her being less of an overall bastard. Robin in aviators? Robin in aviators. The banter between them with Robin literally stuck in Nancy’s head and apologizing over and over for literally being a sentient brain tumor? Kill me now. Bonus, Barb is Jackie, the good natured friend who helps Nancy and gets killed early on as a consequence of her and Nancy’s ambition. As much as my sad little heart loves angst, I like to think the ending could be twisted, like maybe they find Robin’s body so her engram can be put back into it and Nancy can survive. I just don’t want the ending to be sad, damnit. Panam could be Max maybe? Hmmm. Or maybe El.

I’m also fond of the idea of Robin as V, however, and it boils down to the V/Johnny relationship. Picture with me for a moment: Eddie as Johnny. He fits the bill too well. Bastard of a rocker boy who did drugs and has pretty hair. He gets stuck in the head of one Robin Buckley, and it’s instant wlw/mlm hostility (but it morphs into solidarity, I promise). In this version, I think Steve is heartbreakingly Jackie. Their personalities line up too well. Throwing a bone to the Steddies tho, Steve could be Kerry and all the Johnny/Kerry moments become Steddie. Then Barb could still be Jackie? Or Steve is Jackie and Barb is T-Bug, RIP. Who is Nancy, then? Well, I think Panam or Judy are both excellent options. Just think, Nancy Wheeler, the tech genius who reports and edits brain dances on the side, an ex member of the baddest girl gang in Night City, the Moxes? Sick. But! Nancy Wheeler, badass mercenary who strikes out from her clan on her own to follow ambition and independence, but eventually coming back as a leader. Tbh I’m leaning more the Judy route, as much as I love Panam. The underwater date? Nancy finally being vulnerable, showing Robin her flooded home? Memories of Mike—long since moved away—and her family? Nancy saving Robin from almost dying because of Eddie’s damn chip? Robin being so soft with her afterward? Nancy giving Robin her key? Also Nancy is a vengeful woman and the whole Clouds arc would be something she could do, I think—and Robin helps because ofc, it’s Nancy. THEY’RE GAY YOU’RE HONOR. And, because of course I’m choosing the ending where you leave with the nomads, Nancy leaves Night City with Robin, and she promises to help Robin find a cure (and they do because fuck you ambiguous game ending). I’m thinking this is the ideal scenario for me.

Or the above but it’s Eddie as Johnny, Nancy as V, Robin as Panam, I like that too.

Chrissy is undoubtedly Misty in any version, only she’s not dating the Jackie character because she’s a lesbian in my mind and you can pry that headcanon from my cold dead hands. Maybe Vickie is Victor (heh, Vic, same nickname) and they have a little tension going on with Chrissy’s Esoterica being right outside Vickie’s Clinic.

Maybe agent Owens as Takemura? Henry is Yorinobu, Brenner is Saburo. The female agent who’s name I can’t remember is Hanako. I feel like these all fit scary well.

Ofc Hopper is Saul, you can’t tell me he doesn’t fit that role damn near perfect. Most of the rest of the Hawkins crew are probably Aldecaldos as well. I’m thinking Jonathan is Mitch and Argyle could be Scorpion (I know that one is a bad fit but fight me on it, Jargyle boyfriends and also Scorpion/Argyle gets to live because it’s my au and I can do what I want). Thinking about El as Panam more now actually, her stubborn personality and whatnot. It’s vibes, okay? It’s 1 am, let me enjoy my brain worms.

Beyond who’s who: think about Nancy Wheeler with mantis blades. Need I say more? She’s a badass with a katana and throwing knives, and REALLY scary good at hacking. She has a professional cyberdeck and all the best tech. I think she’d be a Corpo background V. Don’t put her in hand to hand combat though, she is small and will get her shit wrecked.

But! Robin Buckley would have less tech. She doesn’t trust it—maybe she’s a conspiracy theorist, sue her. She’s a Nomad background V, and she is really good with bigger guns and weapons that require less finesse. I’m picturing her with a trusty baseball bat and a shotgun that she alternates between. When she does hack, it’s usually cameras and whatnot for stealth missions—but we all know she’s bad with coordination and most stealth missions turn into guns blazing missions. Oops?

#guys I’m thinking so fucking hard about this #idek if any of you have played this game #and if you haven’t this is probably mostly gibberish #so sorry about that #cyberpunk ronance #cyberpunk 2077 #ronance #robin buckley #Nancy wheeler #robin x nancy #nancy x robin #look the game has its issues #but the main story has me in a chokehold #and I love V and Judy and Panam #and the whole V and Johnny coming together as a matched set of chaos causing besties #except this time it’s Robin and Eddie #idk man #it’s late #I had thoughts

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silverhandy · 3 years

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I saw the devil (in me) - chapter 6

Takemura doesn't believe in ghosts, not really, but a man driven to his limit might believe in just about anything. Trapped in a losing game and consumed by grief, he returns to Night City looking for closure. but ends up finding something much more.

ao3 I chapter 1 I chapter 2 I chapter 3 I chapter 4 I chapter 5

When Takemura opened his eyes, he had no idea where he was, the apartment so foreign compared to what he was used to. The dissonance was almost enough to push the grogginess away from his mind, make the heaviness of his limbs less daunting as he looked around, taking in the surroundings. Right, he was at Viktor’s, must’ve dozed off at some point. At first, Takemura didn’t know what awoke him, other than the painful stiffness of his neck and shoulders but as his vision cleared, that, too, became apparent. Viktor was standing by the kitchen counter, motioning to take off his jacket, the snow that covered the material already melted and soaking into it, but froze halfway when he saw Takemura stir awake.

“Sorry, didn’t mean to wake ya. Should’ve taken the bed, though.”

“You did not wake me, I was just about to…” Takemura replied, motioning to get up, but what stopped him was a warning meow from the cat, still lying on his lap. It raised its head, clearly not amused by the disturbance. Viktor raised his eyebrows, a faint smile appearing on his lips as he grabbed himself a chair and sat down, leaving the jacket on the counter.

“He likes you.”

“Does he have a name?” Takemura asked as the cat stood up, clearly deciding it had had enough of its guest’s affections, and jumped to the floor in a swift motion, not even glancing at the two men.

“Nibbles.” Viktor chuckled. “Before you ask, it was not my idea, but V’s. Judy...isn’t in the best place right now, said the cat reminds her of V too much, plus she’s leaving Night City for good anyway. Asked me to take care of it, so I took the little guy in.” he said, looking over at Nibbles, who jumped onto the counter, eyeing the bowls on the far corner of it and finally turning its gaze back to Viktor, disappointment clearly visible in its huge eyes. The ripperdoc shook his head slightly, a soft smile on his face as he engaged in a staring match with the cat, his eyes losing focus behind the tinted lenses as he got lost in thought. Takemura took the time to stretch, the aftereffects of a nap in such an uncomfortable position having stiffened his joints. He didn’t feel rested, more like he had been rather abruptly fished out of a tank filled with warm water. Then again, he didn’t think he knew what feeling rested felt like anymore.

“A fine feline.” Takemura finally said, only to break the uncomfortable silence between them and to shake the doctor off whatever track of thought he found himself on. Viktor only hummed in acknowledgment, turning his gaze back to the other man.

“Glad to see you settled in okay. It’s been slow at the clinic, so I thought I would drop by, just to grab something and see how you’re doin’ while I’m at it.”

Takemura took a quick look at the little screen displaying the time, the digital numbers displayed on a small screen giving off a soft, blue glow. What he probably should have expected, what would have been just a moment of rest turned into a few hours and Takemura had already felt he had wasted enough time.

“Thank you for the clothes,” he said, bowing his head slightly, as if his words weren’t enough to accent his appreciation. In reality, they really weren’t.

Viktor waved his hand.

“Don’t mention it. Figured you’d want to wear something that’d make you feel more...you.”

Takemura let out a deep sigh. Viktor deserved more than half-truths and omissions. He owed him the truth, after everything the ripperdoc had done for him.

“I was let go from the company.” Viktor raised his eyebrows at this sudden change of topic, but said nothing, allowing Takemura to carefully choose his words as he continued. “Completely and irrevocably. I refused to accept the consequences my actions have brought upon me and was punished for it.”

“Letting you out alive was Saka’s idea of a parting gift?” Viktor asked, leaning back on the chair. Despite the calmness of his voice, Takemura could feel a hint of sarcasm, anger even, though it was not directed at him.

“I would say it was the opposite. In their eyes, I did not take the chance to redeem my honor and have to live with that decision weighing down on me.”

Viktor hummed and took off his glasses, wiping the lenses on the edge of his shirt. Even though Takemura never wore them, always having been equipped with cutting edge optics, a new set from time to time, long before it officially made its way into the wider market, he doubted cleaning the lenses like this was effective. It almost looked like Viktor was buying himself time to think about what he was about to say, though the silence didn’t last more than a few seconds.

“And in your eyes?”

The question took Takemura aback, summing up what he’d been thinking about in merely a few words. A rare thing it might be, an ability he never had, never needed back when his life was dictated by a clear set of rules and orders from people he accepted as his superiors, first in the military and then, later, by Saburo-dono’s side.

“I...am not sure yet. I came all this way only to realize that what I fought my entire life to protect, to uphold might be little more than a vicious lie. It is hard to face, how replaceable I am. I had been selfish, enough to believe that after I cleared my name and helped Hanako-sama bring Yorinobu to justice, everything would be the same as before. How foolish of me! Before I knew it, the order of things I fought to help restore, one I have killed for, was distorted into something I could no longer recognize. And the scariest part,” Takemura hesitated for a moment, but it was too late to not finish his trail of thought, bare all his doubts to Viktor the way he would never dare to in front of someone else. “is that it might have always been like that. I was just too blind to notice.”

“Must’ve felt like a rug was swept from under your feet. However painful it might seem, you are your own man now. You can forge your own path, and it’s only up to you if you see it as a blessing or a curse, but it does make a hell of a difference. Trust me,” Viktor said, a warm, knowing smile on his face. “I’ve been there.”

Takemura felt curiosity rise in his chest, remembering the photo of Viktor from his Trauma days, but he didn’t want to push the other man, just as Viktor had not pushed him. As expected, the ripperdoc didn’t elaborate and Takemura didn’t ask him to. There was a time for everything and he felt it wasn’t it, not yet.

“Thank you,” he said and stood up, walking to the chair to grab his coat and put it on. It wasn’t that late, he might still be able to catch Akiko at work, not that she ever left it. “I am going to meet with a netrunner, but will be back soon.”

“A friend of yours?”

“I would hesitate to call her a friend, but we did help each other. That account I mentioned, I set it up shortly before leaving the city. I never thought I would have to use it again, but as you say...better to be safe than sorry.”

Viktor hummed in response. “Alright. Just watch your step out there, the snow is pretty nasty.”

“I will. By the way,” Takemura turned around just as he was about to put his hand on a scanner to open the front door. “what did you do with that car? And the wakizashi?”

“The sword? Still have it, but left it behind at the clinic. Do you need it back?”

Takemura hesitated. Does he?

“Not really.” he silently hoped he never will. “The car?”

“Had to call in a favor to make it disappear. A real shame, it was quite a beauty. Your Arasaka buddies seem to have cleaned their own mess before NCPD caught a whiff.”

“Of course. They always do.” and with that, he walked out.

***

When he finally reached the less frequented part of Charter Hill, the little sunlight that managed to break through the dark, heavy clouds was long gone, giving way to street lights and neons tastefully implemented into the newly built, sleek looking buildings, even though right now they were obscured by the heavy snowfall that made Takemura regret he couldn't just drive there. Even the ever present neons and advertisements were more subtle, on par with the kind of life the people residing in the district were leading - moderately comfortable, a step up from Heywood, but still not high enough up the food chain to compare with those rich enough to reside in City Plaza. Takemura had eventually strayed off from the wide, open spaced pavements into a more dense area, navigating the increasingly narrow streets that exposed the true image of Charter Hill, the middleman district with nothing but a pretty exterior masking the rot that went too deep into Night City’s system to ever be truly hidden, revealing itself in various ways, from overworked corpos passed out the benches despite the grueling cold to the occasional bloodstain on the pavement, only partially obscured by fresh snow, one that the cleaners haven’t managed to scrub off yet. An organic proof of meaningless violence in a place that kept eating its own young and hopeful, entangling them in an endless web of favors and obligations, one that kept tightening and spreading all around the city. Even Takemura, on his first visit to Night City, out of money and resources, found himself entering the untold arrangement that kept the city ticking, indebting himself to people and indebting others for his sake just to keep himself afloat. Some of the favors he already cashed in, others he hoped he’ll never have to, but at least in this case he didn’t walk past the rusty gate to the netrunner’s basement with cautious distrust, as he did with so many others. Akiko was different, much more human despite the fact she interacted with the ghosts floating around the Net much more frequently than with regular humans. Despite that, she still had something that many have lost on lesser endeavors - a conscience and a heart to back it up.

As he walked down the stairs, careful not to slip on the ice the water dripping from the roof has turned into, he pushed the heavy, metal door open, only a small name plaque an indicator of who might reside there. The doors closed behind him with a dull thud, one that almost made him jump as he walked further into the building, following the neon line on the floor, the only source of light in the otherwise completely dark corridor. Eventually, it widened into a large room, the netrunner the only person there. For a second, Takemura didn’t even see her until he turned his gaze to the server on the left side, one of many lining the walls. Before Takemura had a chance to announce his presence, the netrunner’s voice came, a bit muffled:

“Yeah yeah, gimme a sec!” the woman muttered, her entire torso still hidden inside the jaws of the machine as she tinkered with its’ insides, balancing on one foot as she struggled to reach for the cable she needed.

“No rush, Akiko,” he said, leaning on the doorframe, seemingly the only place in the entire room where he wouldn’t have to worry about tripping over or breaking something, the space was so densely covered with cables and spare parts spread all over the floor and running up, creeping up on the walls, some insulated with a dulled glow of tiny LEDs, basking the room in an unnatural, blue light. How the netrunner could work like this, Takemura had no idea.

Upon hearing his voice, the woman jumped, hitting her head on the metal plate with an audible thud. Cursing under her breath, she finally emerged and turned to face him, rubbing the back of her head with a pained expression.

“Takemura, you scared the shit out of me! Some warning would be nice,” she complained as she walked over around the partially disassembled netrunning chair to greet him, a smile on her face despite her seemingly cold tone. She looked different from the last time he’d seen her, her previously long, greying hair now cut short and dyed angry pink, reflecting the blue hues and creating strands of violet that danced around her face every time she moved her head.

“I presume this means you have not expected me.”

“After our last conversation? The only person I expected to see less was Saburo Arasaka himself. What brings you back to Nigh City? I thought you hated the place.” she said, stepping over a box of what looked like fried cyberdecks to grab a chair. “Here, take a seat, you look like you’re about to topple over.”

Takemura sighed and reluctantly sat down, secretly grateful for the offer. The room was unpleasantly warm, servers towering one next to the other enough to bring the temperature up to a point where he had to shake off his coat.

“I came to honor the memory of a friend and stayed to admire the scenery,” he said, his attempt at sarcasm met with Akiko’s expression softening. Takemura saw the way her eyes kept darting to his arm, bandage peeking out from the long sleeve of his shirt.

“Shit, I’m so sorry. It was that merc that you worked with, right? I heard about what you guys pulled at the parade from a ‘runner friend of mine. With what came after, I thought you’d be back at Saburo’s side in Tokyo, so…”

“Akiko-san, excuse me, but I did not come here to gossip.” he stopped her mid sentence, feeling a sudden need to cut this conversation short and get out of this warm, confined room into the biting cold of Charter Hill. The woman looked surprised at the retort.

“O-of course. Whaddya need?”

“That account I asked you to set up before I left. Is it still up?”

This time, she scoffed.

“‘Course it is. I have one of these beauties constantly pulling it in and out of the Net as we speak.” she pointed to one of the servers lining the wall. “Normally it would’ve cost you a ton of eddies to keep it buried as deep as it is, but I honor my debts. You helped me, now I’m helping you, no questions asked. Although…” she trailed off and crossed her arms. “I’d certainly appreciate it if you cared to share why the hell you need to cash that one in in the first place. Arasaka not paying as much as they did back in my day?”

Takemura grunted. Of course, she, of all the people he got to know in this godforsaken city, wouldn’t let him off the hook that easily.

“We had a disagreement of sorts, one that resulted in me being let go in a rather abrupt manner. I did not have much time to make preparations for such an event, hence I come to you. I need to get access to the deposit. Can you do that for me?”

Akiko narrowed her eyes, clearly not expecting such honesty on Takemura’s part.

“Well then,” she said, reaching for a port box propped up next to one of the many screens standing on the tabletop. “of course I can. Just jack in and I’m gonna walk you through it.”

“I am afraid my personal link is out of commission for now. Is there any other way?”

“Good luck getting around the city without one. You had a ripperdoc take a look?”

“I did,” he replied, a bit annoyed at her pretentiousness. “Please Akiko, just focus. Is there any other way?”

“I can put you through a neural port directly, but…”

“What?”

“You’d have to jump into the Net with me and to be frank, you don’t look like you’re at the top of your game. With no one keeping an eye on your biomon, I’m worried you could flatline on me.”

“So I can either wait until my personal link can be fixed or come back here with a ripperdoc?

“A tech savvy one at that. And someone you trust, considering what we’re doing here.”

Takemura was silent for a few seconds, considering. Just a few months ago, he’d probably rush into it, not wanting to stall his progress any further, determined to keep things moving even if it would cost him later, but now, with the unexpected turn his life has taken, he wasn't so quick to act. If jumping into the Net was as risky as Akiko made it out to be, and he had every reason to trust her on that, pushing for it right now would be counterproductive. He thought about Viktor and how his work would go to waste if Takemura was to fry on the netrunner’s chair, so much effort on the ripperdoc’s part for nothing. Other than the need to pay Viktor off as soon as possible, even if only to make up for his kindness, since the doctor not only did not push Takemura to hurry but offered him a place to stay so casually, there was nothing rushing him. No time sensitive goal that required him to push himself far past his limits as he feared not only for his uncertain future, but for his very life. It felt odd, in a way.

“Fine. I think I know just the right person.”

#cyberpunk 2077 #cp2077 #goro takemura/viktor vector #takevik #vikemura #goro takemura #viktor vector #victor vector #cp2077 spoilers #the devil ending #my writing

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