fool on the hill;

aka the make sense edition

𝐁𝐀𝐃 𝐆𝐔𝐘

Is there confusion?

My soul? Mostly gingerbread.

Peace is always a shame.

I have problems.

Suffering is a way of life.

I’m sorry for my wife.

She will cry at the feet of the men.

𝐒𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔

You and I know that I wanna love you.

Do not worry about the demon.

Son, we speak many words.

Every day I find some new railway.

What is your family?

Now, now follow me.

𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐀𝐍𝐀

This, I am going to hell, oh no.

The fire is called a peaceful peace.

I know what I did.

Imagine that you were leaving, leaving me alone.

What is hell?

Cars sound like a trap.

Satan takes me to the pasta.

THE HORROR! Why me??

See you in hell, Satan.

Take me back to the Cubans.

𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐒 𝐇𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐎𝐖𝐄𝐄𝐍

Would you like to have a dog?

Kill people better!

Everybody hates pumpkins.

We are happy! I think everyone is awesome!

Do not be yourself!

That’s sweet.

Monroe died tonight.

I am a prostitute and I’m sorry.

Fill your dreams of terrorism.

This is our relationship but we’re not talking.

𝐁𝐄 𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐄𝐃

Fat! Focus!

And if we introduce ourselves?

Better prepare for survival.

We will remember. Why?..

From there, the government will be.

You will not be hungry. But I will.

Of course, professional status quo...

I was high while __

Yes I wish that I had baby teeth.

𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐋𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐄

Madonna, Madonna, we know that you are really a man.

He ate around me.

Back to me... please?

This is my crime.

He also accepted me as I am a person.

I’ll stay, or incinerated.

God was good to try me.

Open up the research.

𝐌𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖𝐒 𝐁𝐄𝐒𝐓

Asked by the republican?

Just so you know, I want to leave the child at the breast.

Money is good!

This is a terrorist country.

I promise to make a mistake!

Life is dead.

Perform drama, be a mom.

Do I have a mother?

Simple, pure, straight trash.

Alcohol’s what’s fine.

Every man wants me.

I didn’t get the needed care.

You will be sad.

𝐁𝐎𝐇𝐄𝐌𝐈𝐀𝐍 𝐑𝐇𝐀𝐏𝐒𝐎𝐃𝐘

What is life?

I’m not a bad person.

Mom, I kill people.

My cat died.

I may go.

Good, great.

I have saved the life of a monster.

You do not need to go.

I let him go.

Forgive me!

What is your opinion?

𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐄𝐍𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐌 harbors animmense & dark presence —— impossible to miss.  there is somethingalmost otherworldly about johnny silverhand, something that shouldn’t belonghere.  the 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐒𝐒 of how he’sprojected in v’s vision, devouring all atoms of air in his wake, with leylinesof fizzling 𝐂𝐎𝐃𝐄 to crown hisbeing & moving like a spectre of the void.  a digitized incubus, stealing her lifeforce. ( the stellar death ineyes obscured by deep, black shades where all light goes to die. ) 

quietly, hewatches his host descend upon the 𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐒𝐒, mewlingcreature plaintively wriggling itself in her soft palms.  although it appears as naked asits name-day, selected breeding has ensured there were tiny, vellumhairs covering its body as soft as feathers when touched.  in a delay ofsensation ( complements to their synapses’ entanglement !! ),he feels velvet, warm & quivering. like a motor.  𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐏𝐄𝐔𝐓𝐈𝐂?  not athought process he’d volunteer up for discussion. 

❛ guess you are, ❜ he finallyspeaks.  exhales a thick plume of 𝐓𝐎𝐁𝐀𝐂𝐂𝐎.

he crouches nearher, 𝐄𝐗𝐀𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 the state ofthe cat.  its little tongue often poking between its mouth amidst purringsession. rapid breathing —— more than normal.  panting.  spiked heart rate.

❛ ——dehydrated.  could also usea bath. ❜

      ❝ PROBABLY HUNGRY, TOO, poor thing. ❞ That’s settled then, the cat not objecting at all to being carried away to the safe harbor of V’s apartment. It suddenly feels a lot more homey now, with something ALIVE in it – ironically enough, it’s just the cat. Sprinting towards the bowl of water and food placed on the floor next to the bed. Bathing it will be the real issue – likely resulting in a bunch of scratch marks on her skin and a plethora of SARCASTIC COMMENTS from Johnny’s side of the brain. 

      She sighs, allowing the cat to satisfy its thirst and hunger first, then explore a little. Sprawled on the couch, head tilted back slightly, she can’t help but SMILE. What an epic fucking gonk she is, taking such a responsibility upon her shoulders when she can hardly ENSURE HER OWN SURVIVAL for a few more weeks. A mental note mad – ask Misty to take the cat when... if she doesn’t make it. 

      One eye opened and squinted a little, she observes Johnny in her field of view – trying to look uninterested, but she knows. She can FEEL that even a guy like him cannot remain unmoved by a cat. The TANGIBILITY issue will remain unsolved for quite some time, but there is something she can offer. 

@fatuainmontem··  SAID :  ❝ So, ❞ a bottle of beer pushed closer to the woman in front of her, second one cradled in her own manicured fingers. Valerie cannot contain a teasing smirk that tugs at the corners of her lips. ❝ Somebody’s got the hots for the old ripperdoc. ❞

❛ hmmm.  let’s see…good beer? check.  relaxed setting? check—— ❜

          𝐀𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐌, 𝐏𝐄𝐎𝐏𝐋𝐄 𝐏𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄 𝐎𝐍, clustered into booths nearest to the windowsto watch the nightlife spring to life ; the lights, foot traffic, neokitschfashionistas marching up & down the walkways & making spectacles ofthemselves. ( colorful, bejeweled little birds!! ) valheri licks 𝑪𝑨𝑵𝑫𝒀 from her lips & after two more gratuitoustastes, tosses the lolli in the trash nearest the bar counter. sweet-smelling fur-trimmed 𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐉𝐀𝐂𝐊𝐄𝐓 sloped over back of stool.  

❛ ——starting to look a lot less like a girl’s night out& more like a ‘zero-sum game’ fraud, ❜   she 𝐌𝐔𝐑𝐌𝐔𝐑𝐒.  one long, heel-tipped leg slings overthe other ; slick, gold thigh-highs that scream ‘𝑺𝑷𝑨𝑪𝑬 𝑨𝑮𝑬’ squeals when stretched & contorted. shifts.

❛ now, what’s given you that idea? ❜ a lie.  a terribly-crafted lie by way of innocuousness.   slender, ring-embellished hand lifts the 𝑩𝑶𝑻𝑻𝑳𝑬 & indulges in a tempered sip.  a small grin at the crux of her motion. ❛ thank-you. ❜

      COUNTERINTELLIGENCE SPELLS ‘ INTELLIGENCE’ among other things – like resourcefulness and observation. People-watching. That’s how you distinguish spies from allies. A theatrical pause held, moments ticking in the background as her fingers wrap around the second BOTTLE. There is no hint of judgement in her voice – maybe just a little, something the gleam in her eyes is laced with, ever so slightly. 

      ❝ Es bastante guapo, ¿ no ? For a man his age. ❞ A teasing little smirk lingering still, she takes a sip of her beer. Valerie has never been big on GOSSIP, discussing someone’s private life for that matter – a little distraction could serve both of them well right now. A girls’ night out, something NORMAL. Talking about men, or recently read books, or fresh cyberware – not an upcoming HEIST PLAN. Her goal is to feel like her own self again. Secure in her mind, body and femininity. 

     𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄’𝐒 awaxy ghost of lipstick staining the deep obsidian paper after sucking down agenerous fraction of his clove —— a substitute for his addiction until hisfavorite brand can be replaced.  later, tonight.  he doesn’t mind onebit.  & arguably, he’s something far, far better for her to clampthose pretty wine-colored lips around. this game is one johnny can play 𝐁𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐃𝐅𝐎𝐋𝐃𝐄𝐃 ; thedance of words & touches coaxing the other party, to reduce them from abellicose lioness to that of a house cat.  it isn’t unlike war ;understanding what makes someone tick.

doesn’t need much contextwhen it comes to things of this nature.  he was never a fan of romanticizedcliches, preferring to keep things straightforward —— the only instance wherehe can demonstrate an open & honest transfer of energy.  she doesn’t like dead things, but the high? atthe pinnacle of it all?  it’s likedying:  la petit mort.  dark, 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐄 eyesperceptive of any & every minute detail. a hush of fabric at the 𝐁𝐄𝐇𝐄𝐒𝐓 ofher alluring change of position ( all stretched out like a sleekblack panther with a spine cocked back & exposing soft, pearlescent skin), one that’s welcomed withopen arms. quite literally.  both organic & prosthetic close in onher, tight.  pulls her to himself to thepoint the entire length of v’s spine is pressed flatly on his chest. well-coifedturquoise hair showering him with the delightful scents of sandalwood, 𝐋𝐈𝐋𝐘 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐕𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐘 &a subtle hint of caladium leaf.  shesmells like a 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐒𝐈𝐀𝐍 garden,foliage he wants to peruse. find her roots. make her bloom.

❛ ——uh-huh. ❜  a sound, more than a response.  he’s distracted.  tunneled vision.

cranes his neck enough to catch her 𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐎𝐁𝐄 betweenhis teeth. prickled beard like pins & needles at the skin of her shoulder.

      SHE LOVES MONOPOLIZING HIS ATTENTION like this, crude and animalistic as it may be – V was never one for string quartets and rose bouquets, ❛ I love you’s ❜ whispered in the faint moonlight. She knows where his sincerity lies – in his DESIRE, the way he touches her, looks at her when she gets so close,  the way he forgets everything else exists while her bare, heated skin grinds against his. She wants tot feel adored, INTOXICATED by his presence, forgetting about everything too – her plight, her bane, her imminent doom. 

       She wants to feel ALIVE. Buried under careless, rough affection, a soft chuckle – a twist in her sobriety – escapes her half-opened lips as she feels his teeth upon her skin. The heat and the cold of his arms mixing together, it’s almost balanced, and she’s almost used to it. When Johnny Silverhand doesn’t know HOW TO RESPOND to a dirty suggestion, she knows she’s already won. Head turned slightly, a shallow exhale follows, long nails grazing teasingly over his neck as she reaches for a kiss. Sweetened aftertaste of KRETEK, bitter one of tobacco — he is riddled with dichotomies, contradictory DUALITIES. Bittersweet. Flesh and metal. Burning passion and apathy. Takes a fair share of contrast to tame her – temporarily. 

       Always getting what she wants. He’s DAMN LUCKY, and hardly ever realizing it. Hips grinding against his, as if not on purpose, a not-so-innocent look in her eyes. She wonders how long he can resist her – if he wants to try at all. 

@fatuainmontem· : Leather-clad leg slides over his as V makes herself comfortable on his lap, shifting ever so slightly just for the sake of teasing, a smug grin on her dark-tinted lips. ❝ Where’s my Valentine’s Day gift? ❞

𝐑𝐄𝐅𝐋𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐄fabric hisses upon initial contact just moments before v employs her entireweight onto the surface of his lap. sticky bones wrapped in a delicate curvature as he reclines casually onthe loveseat, a black kretek 𝐏𝐄𝐑𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐃between silver ringed fingers & the other hand?  intricate prosthetics settle on the crux ofher kneecap as she spoke.  johnny cannotdecide which part of her to 𝐂𝐎𝐈𝐋around first :  the heels, the clothes,the hair, or the silver silk words with a type of rocking voice he knows like afond old bedmate?  

❛ ——if it’sflowers or some overpriced knick-knack you’re lookin’ for, i’m here to tellyou, you’re gonna’ be sorely disappointed, ❜ he says, 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑-𝐎𝐅-𝐅𝐀𝐂𝐓,despite how piqued he truly is.

& slowly, those segmented 𝐉𝐎𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐒creep upward, past the generous handful of supple, clothed limb they grip. thenfinally ( & reluctantly for the time being  ) on smallish waist. with the toe of his boot,𝐁𝐀𝐋𝐀𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐒her on his right thigh into one harsh bounce.

❛ come on,v, you wanted my attention.  now you gotit. ❜

      A SOFT HUM OF DISAPPROVAL on her part as she reaches out to steal the cigarette from him, manicured fingers pinching its black edge. A deep drag, exhale – she runs the tip of her tongue over her lower lip, the sweet aftertaste of BURNING CLOVES lingering to mix with her lipstick. Back arching slightly at the touch, V looks like a lazy cat, flexing her muscles. Her crop top sliding higher as she does so, leaves her skin partially EXPOSED – the chilling touch of metal sends shivers down her spine. 

      Would be a SHAMELESS LIE to say she doesn’t appreciate the sensation. Another drag, mixture of tobacco and cloves crackling at the gentle graze of fire, before the kretek is returned. This time, she blows out the smoke SLOWLY, head tilted back a little, eyes closed. She smiles.

      ❝ I don’t like flowers. ❞ Not much fondness in her for all things DEAD, though there should be – two of those nested on this loveseat. Dead and brought back to life. With some FINE PRINT in her sentence, one she never voiced to him. Other things she can easily buy for herself – expensive clothes, exquisite perfume, a new BLADE. She also knows damn well that Johnny’s idea of a date is getting smashed and smashing later, with an attack on ARASAKA crammed into this busy schedule for added romanticism. 

     She doesn’t need any useless trinkets to feel desired. She needs a little bit of EMPATHY on his part, but there are no expectations here – having shared a brain for so long, it’s best to postpone the talking. 

𝐈𝐍𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐆 : @arasuckit​ // ROBERT

❝ look down ❞

      ❝ WELL, WHO DO WE HAVE HERE, ❞ she purrs with a hint of adoration in her voice, kneeling down to get a closer look at the blue-eyed creature at her feet. The cat – A SPHYNX – stares right back at V as her hand moves slowly, carefully, as if not to spook the poor thing. A gentle palm rests in the back of its head, scratching lightly behind the ear. ENORMOUS EYES close immediately as the cat leans into her touch, the soft vibration of its purring tangible under her fingers. 

       A moment – and it ends up cradled in her arms, a warm smile tugging at the corners of her lips. For the first time in what feels like FOREVER. So many days, weeks without a reason to feel happy – or elevated at least. Animals are a rare find in Night City, most of them rendered extinct by constant wars and bombings. And this cat, however it ended up in the trash, must feel PRETTY SPECIAL and already adopted, judging by the shameless confidence with which it snuggles into her embrace. 

❛ oh, honey… ❜ tsks between the whites of teeth, her tone quite 𝑫𝑬𝑹𝑰𝑺𝑰𝑽𝑬 & condescending as ever with a subtle shake of head.

          𝐕 𝐋𝐀𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐌𝐈𝐀𝐒𝐌𝐀 𝐎𝐅 𝐒𝐌𝐎𝐊𝐄, once & breaks it off.  it’s bred from that one nasty little ability she’s cultivated ; 𝑾𝑶𝑹𝑴𝑰𝑵𝑮 her way inside people’s heads & twisting their emotions.  she has the ability to make the weak feel weaker & the strong feel challenged all in a few tongue strokes & a sharp gesture of a look. devil woman.  bad omen.  & the corpo’s 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐘, which appeared as —— a direct ripoff of her earlier, pointed observation is almost unnecessary…& sad.  beyond that, chooses not to further playing with the woman named valerie & her 𝐈𝐍𝐅𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐈𝐋𝐄 need to have the last word any further, because she fancies herself to be much smarter, regal & superior than she actually is.  & because this heated 𝑬𝑿𝑪𝑯𝑨𝑵𝑮𝑬 is no longer the object of this meeting:  jackie is.

& the optics are clear ; in heywood, valheri is loved by the who’s-who & the movers & shakers of street politics ; earning somewhat of a 𝐑𝐄𝐏𝐔𝐓𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 as a “robin hood” archetype —— one absolutely not to be fucked with.  ( siphoning ill-gotten gains from corporations & giving back to the painfully underserved community!! ) dressed as a people’s champion outfitted in plain & 𝑺𝑻𝒀𝑳𝑰𝑺𝑯 𝑪𝑳𝑶𝑻𝑯𝑰𝑵𝑮, melting into a crowd like a wraith & by god can she think her way out of even a wet paper bag!  rooted, earthbound, the concept of respect is a fast track.  the way she’s 𝐋𝐎𝐎𝐊𝐄𝐃 at by the people is with a level of calm ;  welcomed.  cameraderie.

❛ ——in bed with a corp, ❜ she corrects, ❛ what i gathered, third-rate gangoons outfitted with some fancy tech.  likely operating independent of their benefactors ; this here job’s got no finesse.  too…messy, ❜

dips her fingers into the glow of the 𝐇𝐎𝐋𝐎𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐌, emulating a flicking motion to adjust the view of the imagery that is being projected at the center of table, where sticky, ringed ghosts of shot glasses & amber-colored 𝐁𝐄𝐄𝐑 𝐁𝐎𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄𝐒 past, kissed almost every corner.  smells the stale liquor sticking to the wooden 𝐈𝐍𝐍𝐀𝐑𝐃𝐒 of metal frames.

❛ handpicked & pieced together several surveillance camera recordings at the time of the incident at several angles. this street, in particular, has multiple security cams, as it’s near a military base.  if a corp hand a hand in this, footage would’ve been wiped clean.  have a closer look—— ❜  holographic interface allows for the 𝑴𝑰𝑳𝑳𝑰𝑺𝑬𝑪𝑶𝑵𝑫 response to zoom in, 3.4x & further, its initial pixelation upon the sudden close up ascends to make clearer, the imagery, ❛ gravitino 𝙿𝚈𝚃𝙷𝙾𝙽 𝟷𝟼𝟸𝟶 series.  this make is specifically used by betterfoods, direct competition to allfoods, bought out & monopolized the design about five years ago. see, its hoodless, box-like shape is convenient for carrying large denominations of pallets. makes for compact parking.  bad news? they must’ve jacked & peeled the labels off of this one. the good news is, there are exactly thirty-three in circulation, ❜

the configuration slide shifts to pure data, red vectored gridlines & scrolling algorithms in white text against the backdrop of 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐄𝐄-𝐃𝐈𝐌𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐋 render displaying van model, randomized, charted arrows appearing to demonstrate its specs: 425.4 cubic feet of cargo space behind first row.  maximum 𝑷𝑨𝒀𝑳𝑶𝑨𝑫 of up to 4,530 lbs., 3.5L V6 engine & a gamut of other elements that would make a 𝐕𝐄𝐇𝐈𝐂𝐋𝐄 enthusiast bite their lip in ecstacy.

❛ you?  you’ll get your hands on some of your fancy corpo tools, bring them to over, so i can triangulate his exact location.  ping betterfoods’ network to then id & track the missing license plate, ❜

tips of hot pink nails flick ash into an empty glass.  she as more information, nevertheless preferring to keep the woman on a 𝑻𝑰𝑮𝑯𝑻 𝑳𝑬𝑨𝑺𝑯.  first tip is an act of good faith & she hopes valerie has the wits to understand this.

❛ imagine this is feasible, hmmm? ❜

       ❝ FEASIBLE? ❞ It could be. With a fair share of planning put into it, some time bought and gained to prepare and execute – what is required for a job like this is a bot, military model, a clever little MACHINE that can find its way into any shithole and pass through it unnoticed. A thing like that will be kept under some tight security, and getting her hands on it, despite her high ranking, would be a matter of weeks. It’s not something you can smuggle in your bra, or hide in the heel of your office pumps. 

       Alternatively, what the job requires is a RUNNER, top notch brain and chrome. And an access point to Betterfoods. ❝ Whoever took him didn’t do it for the ransom. ❞ Jackie isn’t the kind of guy someone would want to pay for. He doesn’t have that kind of INFLUENCE, or rich enough patrons. It’s either revenge, or a threat. In any case, there is no time to lose. No extra days to take into account while trying to smuggle Arasaka’s tech out of the corp. 

      ❝ Might be, if we could afford to waste a couple more days. ❞ Elegant fingers move through the hologram to rotate the model. ❝ We find an access point, we go in. Got a powerful deck, I can ping the network, retrieve the intel. ❞ She does that FOR A LIVING, after all. Wiping out the tracks and eliminating outsiders. There are two sides to this job. The other one is know your enemy. To protect the corp from espionage, you need to be versed in it yourself. That Valerie can manage. 

     In a perfect scenario, they could use a proper plan. A team, division of labor – a driver, a runner, some guns to cover for them in case everything goes to shit. 

     This, however, is FAR FROM PERFECT. It has to be quiet. Two can be enough for a job like that, provided that Valheri has a couple more tricks down her sleeve.

    ❝  I can get a computer with tracking software and a couple of shards to retrieve the data and wipe the evidence. Gonna need a fast vehicle and a skilled solo for cover. It’s the QUICKEST way. I don’t think they’re gonna show Jack much hospitality, do you? Either they plan to kill him, or out him on a job he wouldn’t agree to otherwise. ❞ A shaky exhale follows, smoke flowing out of her mouth, fingers trembling slightly, itching to get to work. DO SOMETHING. 

     It goes without saying that she intends to come with her. This is not something that anyone could pull off on their own. And there’s more use to a corpo employee than one would assume, particularly someone who has PULLED PEOPLE OUT of sticky situations before. From the safety of her office, but it doesn’t matter.