IC CONTACT

[culero]

« UN: YACKIE » TEXT ✧ AUDIO ✧ VIDEO ✧ ACTION JACKIE WELLES ✦ CYBERPUNK 2077
RESIDENCE ✦ TBD
GEMBOND ✦ EMERALD

"Leave a message. Or don't. Up to you."

INFO ✧ PERMISSIONS ✧ KINKLIST ✧ EXTRA

Comments

[culero]

Jackie doesn't have as clear an understanding of the situation as V does. He didn't have to go through it--being told you're dying and your consciousness is slowly being overwritten by someone else's with no choice to opt out. All he knows is that Johnny had been in V's head causing him trouble up until the point he would have killed him.

Neither Street Kid or Nomad went into specifics about options they did or didn't take to expedite or slow the process, but he is aware of one instance where Kerry had met Johnny while he'd taken control of V's body. Likely against his will--Jackie doesn't know for sure-- but it's enough that he feels like he can deck Johnny right in his face and he'd fucking deserve it.

"They're just dreams. Whatever this place is, it's not Mikoshi. That ain't because I have any idea what Mikoshi's like but I know there'd be no reason for them to put any of us with people we care about like this. This shit is too benevolent for that." Well, missing Misty aside, the V's seem to be surrounded by their loved ones and that shit doesn't happen for people who have no reason to give out favors.

"Hey, I'm real." Jackie takes the bottle from his friend so he can take the hand that had been holding it just prior. Platonic or not, their friendship is a deep enough connection that the synchrony going on between them is palpable. "And if you can feel that at all you're real too. Ain't much but you can start there, okay?"

[bodyoftheseus]

If Jackie were to ask more questions the streetkid would likely go into detail, but it wasn't really something he liked to mull over on his own - especially not when his mood was that to simply drink until he couldn't remember shit. Though, in truth, V would really love to see his choomba deck Johnny. There were many things that warranted it, but V was so far past the end of his rope with it he wouldn't even consider it himself.

The word hit V and he hears them but he only half believes them. Much of what V took as good things in his life wound up to be either pretty lies or painfully temporary. Things were benevolent now, but surely the other should would drop eventually. Maybe in the form of this actually being a simulation, maybe in the form of this is all real but actually some horror movie situation, or... Well, the list could go on. The rejection from Kerry just felt like the start of this process. Maybe. Sure didn't take long.

V didn't seem to come to until Jackie took his hand. The synchrony sharpened him up a bit, made him come to. Fear, sadness, anger - a confusing and sloppy mess from the alcohol. There's a fondness too, love, even. He could feel Jackie too, and he knew that his choom was right. V had his doubts, he always had his many anxieties, but Jackie'd tempered that well in their time together before.

"Stood on less solid ground 'n that before." He gripped Jackie's hand, confirmation that he'd at least try to accept it. There's a momentary pause, his head a bit sluggish to put words together.

"You know, Jack, I don't think you bein' here's a mistake. 'n I don't mean that selfish. 'Cept Kerry we're all dead men." The gloominess V feels as he admits this makes his body feel heavy. "If any've us deserve this chance it's you. You're the best'f us." V's brows furrowed. "I know Misty ain't here 'n I think I finally got an idea how that feels, but I think this sure's hell beats bein' dead."

[culero]

He'd deck Johnny for V if he thought he could get away with it. And also, even if he didn't. The thing was, though, he's not sure that the guy is so bad. Yes, he's an asshole, and yes, he's hard to be around even though Jackie hadn't had to spend that much time around him, but something tells him that Johnny and V have some sort of connection because the old rocker had no reason to put up with Jackie when they met, but he did.

How much of that was desperation, and how much was Johnny trying to tolerate someone just for being one of V's close friends? It was hard to say, and felt like something he'd give more thought to later. Right now, he's all in for kicking the man's ass for perceived crimes of the past, present, or future. He doesn't care. As V's best choom it's his job, plain and simple.

"Maybe not a mistake when you put it like that. We all have that in common, though." They're all dead men given a second chance. Except Kerry, who Jackie is glad to know lives on to keep putting out hits, providing V with company and comfort when he wasn't able to. "Wait, what? Nah. Ain't any better than you, hermano, and I definitely don't need any special treatment."

Jackie listens to V's words, and deep down he knows his choomba is only speaking facts. Just feels like survivor's guilt, only the opposite, maybe? It's confusing. He's sure of one thing though: "Yeah, you're probably right. I think Misty would want me to try to be happy here, so I'll try that. Let's try together, alright?"

[bodyoftheseus]

A second chance. V felt like he didn't deserve such a thing and he wasn't entirely certain that he wanted such an opportunity. He understood he shouldn't squander it - especially with the way he was encouraging Jackie to take it in stride - but he somehow felt that he didn't deserve it. He chose to throw his life away because of some selfish desire to avoid his fears and anxieties.

When Jackie denies that he's the best of them and tries to put it on V he's met with a chuckle and a shake of the head, but no comment. V knew that was silly argument that would ultimately go nowhere and he knew he was nowhere near sharp enough in the moment to keep up with Jackie in that sort of jest.

V hesitated before answering the question. Being happy wasn't really in V's agenda, but feeling the warmth of Jackie's hand, the grip tethering him to here and now. V gave Jackie a crooked smile. "You're jus sayin' that to try'n get me back to eatin' aren't ya?" The smile faded and was replaced with an earnest, tired expression. "I'll try. I can't guarantee I'll do a great job, but I'll try."