disrupts | NOCTIUM IC INBOX

I know more about the bars and clubs here than where to get coffee - was hoping you'd have a recommendation. Tell me where and I'll meet ya

[ There's no words that form the text V sends back, just a pin to a location in the Sapphire district and a 👍.

And when V gets to the coffee shop location he's shared, he grabs them a small table outside in the fresh air.

Meeting up with the other version of himself is exciting, and though he's sure they have a lot to talk about, mostly he just wants to check that the choom's handling everything okay. If the alternate version to himself is feeling anything along the lines of how he feels, V'd like to offer an understanding ear. ]

[ It's not long before the streetkid turns up at the location pin that V provided - maybe it was that the streetkid was further away than the nomad, or maybe (and more likely) it was that the streetkid killed some time so that the nomad beat him there on purpose. Not that the streetkid'd ever admit to that. ]

Hey! V! [ He waved to get the nomad's attention. There's still a level of reserve to the streetkid, but clearly the nomad was on his better side as he waved with one hand. ] Looks like a nice place, this here. [ Nicer than the place in Santo Domingo that Kerry took him, anyway. ]

[ Glancing up from his device, the nomad's expression brightens visibly. Getting time with this other version of himself had been something he'd really wanted, but he also wanted to make sure it was on the other guy's terms.

Lifting a hand to return the wave, he waits until V's closer before replying. ]

Hey, sight for sore eyes. How ya doin', V? What's crackin'?

[ There's a small cutout menu on the table in front of him but he's not in any kind of rush. That and at this point he already knows what his favorite blend is. ]

[ It would be a lie to say that the streetkid didn't smile at the way the nomad's face brightened. Something about the way the nomad was honest in his expression and didn't hide behind enough walls to shame Berlin was refreshing. It made him smile, even; his smile was not nearly equal to that of the nomad's, though. ]

Nothin' much, jus' been pickin' up some new hobbies 'n shit. Tryin' new things.

[ Like this, for example. He didn't come with a book because he was expecting to have a conversation with the nomad, but he'd even picked up reading books. The real kind, with paper. Something the nomad may not consider so novel, but something that the streetkid didn't do for pleasure at home. Most of the books he owned were manuals. ]

What 'bout you, huh? Hope you 'aven't been gettin' to too much trouble without me.

[ Good natured and without expectation as he stopped before the nomad. He was only a little awkward - clearly he didn't do this often. ]

New hobbies?

[ As if the nomad wasn't going to ask. His curiosity steers him a vast majority of the time, and this seems like the perfect time to learn what things the other man enjoys doing.

At some point he'll order their drinks, but he's so easily distracted that he might need prompting. ]

Could say... haven't been doin' anythin' like the gigs I was doin' back in Night City. Got somethin' lined up with Johnny though. He's got his eye on an axe and I might've traded my help for him comin' to Camp Whitegrave.

Readin', mostly. Books, not feeds. Know this place's about like Night City'n it prefers digital but... Somethin' 'bout the feel of paper, the smell of the pages when you turn 'em.

Been keepin' my nose clean, [ in work and in drugs, really, ] learnin' to enjoy some peace and quiet.

[ Which was a luxury he'd never had before. He started to look over the menu.

The streetkid was a pretty intentional person - if he didn't want to answer, he would not have offered and the nomad would have had to pull teeth to get there. At the mention of not having done any jobs he chuckled despite the mention of Johnny. ]

Ah, just like 'im to stir up some trouble, huh? [ Another small chuckle, a slight crooked smile. ] This a heist kinda thing? [ That is - was this one of those illegal jobs? ]

Used to read real books a lot as a kid. Had these big old rollin' mobile libraries where me and the other kids in the clan would learn. Nothin' like pickin' up a real book and flippin' through pages. Whatcha been readin'?

[ The streetkid doesn't have to know him all that well to read the nostalgic, wistful look that drifts across V's expression. ]

Said I'd help 'im klep an axe from a music store. He's lookin' to get into the music scene here too. Ker arrived with his guitar so... said I'd help Johnny get one of his own.

[ There's an expression that flashes across the streetkid's face that could very well be jealousy as the nomad got caught up in his nostalgia. It's there long enough the nomad likely notices, but it does fade as the streetkid speaks. ]

Folklore, fairy tales. Think I'm gonna try'n find something more technical on the network 'n devices here next, though. Somethin' a little more akin to what I'd read at home.

[ He nodded as the nomad described the job, rolling his eyes (good-naturedly, though the streetkid would deny that) at the comparison between Johnny and Kerry. He knew a rockerboy's gotta rock, but the idea it was a bit of a pissing contest fell in line at least with his own relationship with his own Johnny. ]

You two better not do somethin' stupid 'n have to call me to bail your asses out, hear me? [ The nomad gets a playful nudge at that. ]

[ The nudge is all it takes for V to pick up the new thread of playfulness. The grin that tugs his lips upward is accompanied by a gentle nudge back beneath the table, a knee shifted from where it sits to knock against the streetkid's. ]

Yeah, boss. Wasn't plannin' on needing a bail out but if you're offerin' for any future brushes with the sparkle pigs, take ya up on that.

[ Besides, if there's definitely a person he thinks could swing things their direction, it's the choom he's sitting with. ]

What fairytales you read? Some of 'em pack a punch.

[ V gave the nomad a small, genuine smile coupled with a chuckle that toed the line of a small laugh. ]

Gladly'll bail out'r work with my own any time, almost no questions asked.

[ Maybe not family yet, but was that an admission of being considered at least a friend? Maybe. ]

Book recommended to me seemed mostly 'bout other gembonded'f the past, creation stories, shit 'bout heroes'r whatever. There was one 'bout two guys who met up on a quest for coffee 'n found maybe the coffee was the conversation they made on the way...

[ His smile grew a little in the last sentence as he teased the nomad and himself. ]

[ If he could, V'd live in this moment of teasing forever. That small smile, the chuckle that was almost a laugh. Fuck, he wants to see more of that. Snorting his own amusement, he reaches out and shoves the other man playfully at the shoulder. A natural extension to the legs knocking against each other under the table. ]

Startin' to sound like Goro. He ever send you weird messages that made no fuckin' sense?

[ That's another story though and, honestly, V wants to know more about what the streetkid's been getting up to here. He's about to invite the man on a rooftop stroll sometime when a waiter comes over to find out what it is they want. ]

Your coffee's preem, never had anythin' like it.

[ He's talking to the waiter, eyes sparkling with the smile that's taken up residence on his face. ]

I'm gonna have the deep roast. And my choom here... whatcha feelin', V?

[ The streetkid would never admit it openly but the playful shove, the snort? The way the nomad managed to pull a smile out of him? These were things that the streetkid missed having outside of Kerry. ]

Hah, yeah, that Japanese wisdom he liked to throw out. As if I knew shit of what he was saying.

[ As he spoke he chuckled - again, toeing the line of a laugh. He had almost forgotten about the cryptic messages from Goro. The streetkid was saved by the waiter as he remembered what happened to Goro, the comfortable smile fading off of his face with regret flashing over his features.

It faded quickly as the streetkid looked to the nomad as he ordered. The streetkid hated to admit it even to himself but the kindness on the face of the nomad brought almost a comfort to the streetkid. It'd be a lie if he said he didn't want to get to know the nomad better. His gaze went up to the waiter, back to being so serious. ]

Deep roast as well. If you could bring cream 'n sugar that'd be preem.

[ When the waiter left the streetkid leaned back in his seat comfortably. ]

Won't take criticism on how I take my coffee.

[ His tone was still serious, but the smile might have settled back on his lips to imply otherwise. ]

Not gonna hear one word from me.

[ But the nomad's expression's two parts entertained to one part teasing. He might not be saying anything about it, but he can't just leave that alone without a gentle brush of humor.

Watching the man relax into his chair, V's optics trail over the picture the streetkid's painting. He'd gotten the impression that the man'd not had much chance to just relax in his life so far. It's nice to see him like this. ]

So - how's things at the place you're stayin'? You ever lived with Jack before?

Things’re good. Quiet. How I like it.

[ The playful smile faded, but there wasn’t the strict enforcement of distance that the streetkid had previously maintained between them. ]

Yeah. When I got back to Night City it wasn’t long before Jackie and I crossed paths. [ He chuckled at the memory before growing more serious again. ]

We, uh, did a few jobs together ‘n then he dragged me home and Mamá Welles guilted me into stayin’. Somethin’ about no friend of Jackie’s was gonna be livin’ in his car.

[ It’s very restrained but there’s a wistful touch to his features. Jackie and his mom were the first family he’d had in a very long time. ]

I, uh, lived with ‘em for a few months before I could afford my apartment. Kinda funny to be doin’ it again. Glad I’m not doin’ this alone.

You? Imagine you’re stayin’ with Kerry?

Edited (Typoooooos) 2021-04-09 19:12 (UTC)

[ Impossible not to count the similarities in some of what the streetkid explains, V's quiet as he just listens. At the mention of Mama Welles, his smile broadens considerably. His own entry to Night City was with Jackie alongside, and he'd found Mama Welles just as welcoming. Having left the family he'd known his whole life behind, the idea of being without one had been hurting to his very core. ]

Owe a lot to Jackie 'n Mama Welles too.

[ Something he doesn't go into just now. ]

Live with Ker, Johnny 'n Cloud.

[ Huffing a quiet breath out, mostly amused, he shakes his head. If the streetkid knows as much about Johnny and Kerry's history, he's sure the guy can imagine what living with both of them under one roof could be like. ]

Pulled Cloud aside to give 'im a quick rundown of what happens if Ker 'n Johnny don't see eye to eye. We got an agreement that if that happens we're findin' the nearest bar 'til they figure it out.

[ The relationship is something he'd seen snippets of in the past, and what happened after he'd helped Johnny rekindle a friendship that he'd learned was never a simple one. He's got a fair idea of how complicated it is, and knows how Ker's own thoughts and feelings for Johnny are varied and intense in places. ]

House's still standing. Gonna call it progress.

Guadalupe's one hell of a woman. She get after you with a chancla as much's me? Or am I just easier to pick on 'n you?

[ Really she got after him just to teach him some basic fucking manners. V was essentially a feral man before he went to Atlanta, he came back half feral, and Guadalupe instilled actual manners into him through no small amount of tough love. And yes, it was very tough.

V's eyebrows involuntarily went up at the mention that Kerry and Johnny were together and he couldn't stop himself from from letting out an amused sound. ]

No clue who this Cloud is but feel like a quick rundown sure's hell not 'nough for the grease fire those two can be.

[ His eyebrows relaxed and he shook his head a little, still amused. ]

Not sure if you're brave'r just a gonk. Can't imagine you get much quiet.

[ A pause, then conspiratorially: ] ...They fight like every day? Things gettin' better longer they're near each other?

[ Laughing wholly, with his entire body, the nomad shakes his head after a while and wipes at his eyes. There's something so fucking nice about being able to recall memories with V, and though they might not be the same the level of nostalgia is rife. ]

Nah, think Jackie got more of that than I did.

[ It might have helped that V'd been brought up respecting his elders, that he was brought up understanding that home is a sacred place whether that's bricks and mortar or a motorcade. ]

Might hear 'bout Cloud at some point. Kid's a merc too but... green like prob'ly neither of us've been for a long time. Seems like a decent kinda choom, though.

[ If not a touch socially awkward. But just like a lot of other things, the nomad finds that endearing. ]

Good thing 'bout bein' in this place's we're not all at the house at the same time all that much. I like seein' what I can in the city. Ker's workin' on his music, gettin' his career off the ground. Johnny's... Johnny's Johnny.

Haven't had anythin' too bad yet. Somethin' like... they're tryin' to get used to bein' in each other's space again.

[ The full laughter from the nomad - the kind with belly shakes - was a wonderful sound. That kind of laughter was something that the streetkid felt he could count on one hand the number of times he'd heard. It was something that foreign to his ears, but of a kind of delight that was incredibly rare.

Even more rare was the ability to reminisce so comfortably with someone, even if it was a little weird to do so with someone who'd experienced something very similar but not quite the same. Either way, the streetkid smiled comfortably in this moment as the nomad laughed. ]

That's hardly fair. Feelin' a little picked on now, to be honest. Didn't realize there was a version'f me that got it easy.

[ He was amused by the memory, and all was said in good humor. ]

Good thing he's got you there, then. Show 'im the ropes. Spare 'im the mistakes. [ A pause. ] What made you decide to pick 'im up? Or you just tend to pick up strays?

[ Johnny, Kerry, Cloud, and - while he wouldn't admit it - even himself. You got quite a record, nomad. The streetkid couldn't speak for Cloud but it seemed the nomad liked 'em relatively feral. ]

Hm. [ Yes, there was an expression at the 'Johnny's Johnny', but he said nothing. Practiced some restraint. ] Guess that's good, then. Think I agree with what you said: house's still standing, 'n that's a good thing. Nobody's shot anyone yet.

[ Yet. ]

[ The other man's smile isn't lost on the nomad who's expression turns soft. Softer than people who didn't know him might imagine he's capable of. Ultimately he's a nomad, and a merc, and apparently the human form of a marshmallow.

Exhaling another huff of laughter, he shakes his head and tries not to look like the other man's got such a good read on him. ]

He's uh... think he wants to go it alone. But I didn't adopt 'im. Was already livin' with Johnny when me 'n Ker moved in.

Not to say I don't got some thoughts about people out there on their own. Nobody should be alone.

[ The mention that Johnny's the one that picked him up made V's brows raise involuntarily. He wasn't sure what that said about Cloud ~~except that he had a high tolerance for bullshit~~, to be honest, nor what it said about Johnny. Not that it said much about Johnny either way since V didn't know anything about Cloud. ]

Gotta admit that's a surprise to me. Johnny doesn't strike me as the type to find someone to live with. He never was one to fuckin' share well.

[ It was hard to keep in mind that this Johnny differed from his own. It was subtle, but it was there. Even if the streetkid didn't want to acknowledge it. ]

I dunno, I didn't turn out so bad. Bein' alone suits some people.

[ Whatever his thoughts and feelings towards Johnny, the nomad's attention turns towards V's last statement. He's not naive enough to think that it's not the case; that everybody wants people around them all the time. But isn't that the fucking human condition? People are meant to be around other people, whether they recognize how those feelings surface or not. ]

Ain't sayin' ya did. From my experience, just makes ya more badass. My point is... having the option. Having people you know and trust if you need 'em. Even if ya never do.

It's powerful.

[ He shook his head a little in gentle disagreement. The two of them clearly had vastly differing views on this. ]

Havin' people's a liability. It get out 'n next thing you know they're on the other end'f a gun rather'n you. What then?

[ He shook his head again. ]

It's a weakness.

[ Understanding what the streetkid means as vulnerability, the nomad cants his head, lips pulling into a squiggle of uncertainty. Trying to understand that point of view isn't hard, but knowing everything that he does about family, it's like two things he understands jarring together with a jolt. ]

Don't think people can make that choice for themselves?

[ It's a genuine question, one that's delivered on the back of curiosity. Of wanting to understand this man across from him better. ]

If they know the dangers and understand 'em, they not get a vote?

[ Though the streetkid isn't escalated quite yet there's a sharpness settling onto his features that act as a warning. His voice dips towards aggression. ]

Don't think people realize the extent of the danger. So no, they don't get a fuckin' vote, and I'm not gonna let them be in that kinda danger.

[ He sure had a way of twisting things so he sounded like these actions weren't selfish. ]

NOCTIUM IC INBOX

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text -> action; sorry for the wait fam; did u kno santo domingo is capital of the dominican republic

<3

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had to look when this thread started sweats

A WHILE BACK it turns out whoops - can probs wind it down to a close soon?

i'm good with nomad excusing himself here to leave streetkid with his thoughts if you are

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