injustices

[injustices]

Solomon Reed 01/??

[injustices]

" DEFINE TRAPPED, " he speaks. night city felt like a ring of hell, torturous and eternal. the death of solomon reed had landed him here, caught in a repeating pattern. once a great asset to his country, now reduced to attack dog again ( and bouncer on the weekends ). the bone dangling in front of him was an old friend. and that - that reminder that nothing seemed to matter, no matter what you do, no matter how this pans out, was what felt like a trap, more than anything. " everything about this damn city is a trap. but if you must know, i did. once. thought i was doing something good, makin' a difference. "

IMPROMPTU STARTER. @injustices , SOLOMON REED.

a lifetimes worth of silence came to pass ; at least for those used to v's normally incessant yapping. with the younger pinned down by her own repetitive thoughts, it took several moments for gaze to return to solomon, lipstick smudged on the edge of paper coffee cup as she moved it to the side in order to speak clearly. " you genuinely like it? your job? don't feel ... trapped, constantly? "

[injustices]

continued from here with @pamurais.

PERHAPS IT WAS THE CYBERWARE THAT STILL RIDDLED HIS BODY. the name arasaka was hard to shed. a snake's skin that will not fall away. even now, it is a blanket he yearns to crawl beneath for security. it was that same name that made him an outcast on the streets. he could not, and would not, escape this fate. for people like tom, who ran a small business in the booming city, the corporations are an overbearing parasite on society. they take and they take and they take. though his ties had been severed, it was the looks of judgement cast upon him in those small booths, that garnered suspicions.

" how you have managed to befriend such a man, i do not understand, " he speaks, plainly. as kitty begins to lead the way, it is only instinct to follow. goro pushes his weight off the railing and shuffles his feet in her direction. there is a playful energy bouncing between them. he doesn't know how to embrace it, but it's never met with genuine resistance. regardless of tom's feelings about an arasaka affiliated man in his diner, it's clear that this woman's pull would come out on top.

the aroma of food still lingers in the air. his stomach twists, reminding him that he hadn't eaten since yesterday's breakfast. a sad meal for a busy day. together, they walk through a mindless crowd. takemura can only blindly follow. " i find it difficult to allow myself the luxury of relaxation. my mind is fixated on the job i've mapped out with v. but i am quite hungry. so, i must ask, before tom tortures us with his intense gaze. what is your favorite dish? any recommendations? "

[injustices]

@pamurais said: lately i feel like i’ve been ranting and raging, so i just want to make sure you know i appreciate what you did for me.

HEART SHAPED LITTLE SMOKE RINGS RIPPLE THROUGH THE ROOM. the cigarette between ivory plated fingers is burning to its end. they're not the cheap shit johnny burns through. they leave a lingering smell of strawberries. something sweet, something inviting. she eyes the rockerboy across the room, analyzing him and the situation laid out before them. it always seemed fame attracted danger, and his rising stardom had put him in the iron sights of a netrunner. someone who saw eddy signs in ransoming one of night city's resident rockerboys. kerry fuckin' eurodyne. but the runner forgot one little thing. these were her streets, these were her people.

kerry had something complicated with johnny silverhand. it was some convoluted mess. the kinda shit she didn't dare pull at the strings, for fear of unraveling something endless. but they had a common demon. like two fools, they find themselves attached to the same problem. and that meant, his importance to the man she found herself tangled with, garnered her attention.

the netrunner had been dealt with swiftly. didn't even know what hit him before she was inside him, like a fuckin' virus, clawing her way out. she was one of night city's best. second only to people like rache bartmoss. though, her reputation had begun to blossom beyond his reach.

she finishes her cigarette, tosses it in a nearby bin. brows furrow as gaze continues to study the man before her. an arm crosses her body, propping up the other as it gestures toward him. " ranting and raging. soundin' an awful lot like him. you'll be fine, kerry. i did you the courtesy of updating the internal securities of your self ice. no one will be remote hacking you any time soon. " a hand extends towards him, gently pulling him closer to her, if only to get a good look at his external neuralware. " i'm no ripperdoc, but you should come by sometime. i think i can upgrade this for you. "

[injustices]

what if yall plotted with alt.

[injustices]

the vision continued

do we see the vision

[injustices]

i'm parking my ass here to maybe write some things up. but also toying with my nomad group + maybe a 2020s character because i love having younger + older fcs to use.

[injustices]

@pamurais said: you ever wake up in the middle of the night…and not know who you were for a second…? you ever feel like you weren’t really ‘you’?

there's a puff of smoke that fills the air between them. evelyn is nursing at a cigarette that's nearly burnt out. one of many from a decorated case. the smoke smells like cherry. sweet, inviting. the night is long. everything seems to have gone quiet, at least from the comfort of judy's apartment. outside, the world is still turning. night city is still bustling. and their problems? well, they were hardly put to rest. but that was another problem for another time.

evelyn leans against the windowsill, inhaling the cold air that filters through. her shoulders are tense. dreaming wasn't the same, not after everything. and judy's words - they hit too close to home. she glances over her shoulder, tries to muster up a smile. anything for judy.

" more often than you think, " she admits. " but lately, i guess i've been waking up in the middle of night, realizing i don't want to be 'me' anymore. don't want to be here, don't want to be stuck in all of this. "

she gestures out the window, at the towering city line in the distance. her gaze slips to a couple down below. they're fighting about something trivial. it's likely the same fight they've had countless times before, and when midnight hits the following night, it will be a simple rinse and repeat.

[injustices]

NIGHT CITY, CITY OF DREAMS, CITY OF DEMONS. a fitting name for the cesspool, to call it something akin to hell. he has fallen from the heavens, crashed through every trash covered street along the way. this is no place for the weak of heart - no place for good intentions. but he supposes it is growing difficult to speak ill of these streets, especially when she had crawled out throught them. kitty was not what was to be expected. if fate had not dealt him a shitty deck, they would not have even bumped shoulders in the corporate world. the mox and arasaka do not mix. but somehow, there was some unspoken, unestablished connection. one that goro was having a difficult time translating.

" forgive me," he speaks. " i have been preoccupied with some reconnaissance. v suggested i take a break, so i am here." their connection was the merc who conveniently looked out for their well-beings around the same time. goro assumes that kitty was instructed to let loose a little too. though this place may be a stagnant hell, there was always something happening, always something moving. now, he leans against the railing of some bridgeway overlooking the streets of japantown.

" the last time i went to tom's - well, let us just say i do not think tom has much love for me." he admits. but the place was small, quiet. it checked enough boxes to call it relaxing, and it meant that they could spend what little time they had left in each other's company. " but i have no other suggestions. the pan-asian food selection here is terrible. "

@injustices said : there are no pan-asian supermarkets down in hell. takemura @ kitty.

something in her mouth twitches at that, it looked like a smile. Takemura was not .. what she expected. Not really — for someone who went from head bodyguard for one of the most protected men in night city .. fucking arasaka level shit, he sure did fall far from that tower. not like most men, either. her eyes shift , stares at one of the holo - cherry blossoms she likes to lose herself in most nights — her eyes were stinging , feeling too big for her skull & blurring awful — never really got used to the cyberoptics. fingertip pressed against the corner of her eye, it usually passes like the worlds worst fucking migraine.

“ we’re in hell , takemura. “ she leans up against the ledge, brushing against his arm for the briefest of moments. “ and there’s lots of pan asian supermarkets . “ any good ? debatable. “ come on, how long are you gonna keep me waiting on that dinner ? it’s not polite to keep a girl waiting like that. “ kitty tilts her head in his direction, silver strands pool over her shoulder.

“ unless you’re still .. busy, then I .. I understand.. for now. “ the corners of her lips turn up slightly, almost a muted smile.. “ don’t know when I’ll be free again, but I enjoy these .. moments with you. nice to have somebody, and all. “ fingers dig out a real thin cigarette, shoving it between rouged lips, lighting it all the same. " we could always go to tom's.. "

[injustices]

" yeah? it takes a certain level of not givin' a fuck to achieve that," he admits, looking up at her with interest. the black metal of his hand soon finds a place at her hip, keeping her there with him. being around rogue felt so natural. she wasn't chasing his reputation, wasn't trying to use him. at least, not in the ways that made night city infamous. morgan was a celebrity in the solo world. a regular night city legend. people wanted him, wanted to be with him. shit, some people just wanted to exist in the same room with him. but now? all eyes are cast in their direction, not because he's standing out in any particular way, but because rogue has secured his attention. a feat half of them didn't have the damn balls to even attempt.

" got somethin' on my mind. been itchin' at this thing, this fuckin' job. gotta get some air, feels real suffocating, " he admits, voice tinged with vague annoyance. they're always working jobs. always nose deep in some next level bullshit. it's something neither of them can never escape, the regular night city special. it sucks you in like a blackhole. the cigarette in his mouth is burning away, ashes falling to the ground. he uses his free hand to take a drag, offers it to her a moment later.

maybe it's the clothes too. that suffocating feeling. he is dressed better than half the people here, but the warmth it provides isn't ideal for a crowded scene. his gaze fixates. there's something in his eye, something like he's about to ask her to get out of here. so, maybe it's not the clothes, but it's a damn good excuse.

@injustices , NOT-AT-ALL-PLOTTED STARTER , MORGAN.

" that was pretty smart, ya'know. " no time was spent waiting for permission ( spoken or otherwise ) before rogue made her way to his side, each stride more confident than the last before finally a seat would be taken on the arm of the chair where she'd found the man parked.

if asked, many would claim to have found the aura of morgan blackhand to be unapproachable, too this, too that, too something that made a lazy approach feel out of reach ── their reluctance, however, was the very thing which caused rogue to feel the opposite ; the need to push back blooming within her when even the slightest of barriers was presumed.

the scent of cigarette smoke hung heavy ( sweat not far behind ) as a hand would come to land on fabric covered arm, lacquered nails scratching at the material like a house cat looking for attention.

" your whole ... look, i mean. the rest of us, we're so rigid. but you? you look as snug as a bug over here. " sure, rogue was recognizable from across a room ( which was the entire point ) but had she known when starting out just how intolerable it would be to consistently look the way she looks ... she may have opted to go the cozy route as well.

[injustices]

JEFFREY DEAN MORGAN as Sharkey in Angel in Red (Uncaged) (1991)

[injustices]

GENERAL INFORMATION

full name: beckett rourke cross, other names: cross, date of birth: october 29th of 2035, place of birth: night city, california, gender identity: cisgender male, orientation: bisexual, biromantic, marital status: single, never married.

EARLY LIFE: the only son born to a decorated and disillusioned war veteran, beckett cross didn't have the free will lifestyle that most in night city were afforded. his childhood was harsh and regimented. with a father who hailed from the texas free state, despising corporations, he was raised with military-grade discipline and frequent violence. with no softness in the cards and few alternatives, he enlisted into the military when eligible, seeking both freedom and purpose.

SPECIAL OPS / MILITECH: his military career was considered unremarkable until a covert mission in south america went catastrophically wrong. after having his unit wiped, under unknown circumstances and officially classified, beckett emerged a sole survivor of one of nusa's most controversial interventions. with him came encrypted data, which militech sought out in his recovery and extraction. recognizing his value, they offered him complete absolution and anonymity, following the media shitstorm. the mission was officially scrubbed from all records. to this day, not even rosalind myers has access to his files.

CONNECTIONS & AFFILIATIONS

mother: euphemia cross, father: merrick cross, siblings: n/a, affiliations: nusa (formerly), militech (not so formerly), barghest, career history: special operative (nusa / militech), leader of dogtown, religion: n/a.

MILITECH'S SCALPEL: cross quickly became one of militech's most effective assets. operating under deep cover for over two decades, his specializations were extensive, but not limited to: urban wet work, targeted assassinations, corporate sabotage, and high-level espionage. he is often referred to as a shadow, as he is rarely acknowledged by name and has never left behind a trail after each successful mission. within closed circles, he had eventually earned the reputation as "militech's scalpel", a precise tool used against their enemies. surgical perfection.

his loyalty to militech isn't exactly ideological. it is practical. the corporation gives him structure, extensive freedom in gray areas, and the resources to do what he does best ... removing any and all obstacles by any means necessary.

DOGTOWN INFILTRATION: militech's interest in cynosure recovery had their interests pointed in pacifica's direction. more specifically? dogtown. kurt hansen had been a necessary evil, one they knew would manage a lawless land with ease, but he wasn't a pawn in their game anymore. when kurt hansen is killed by a mercenary, they identified a strategic opportunity to reclaim hold on pacifica.

under cover of defection, cross "leaked" select classified intel to barghest and disappeared. official militech channels had branded their loyal soldier as a rogue operative and enemy of the state. in reality, this was a sanctioned false flag operation. cross eventually resurfaced in dogtown with the help of various connections, seeking to assume the role of leadership. some of barghest's best were former allies, rivals and operatives who had fought beside him in past campaigns. so, it was no surprise when his reputation and leadership capabilities earned him the title of hansen's successor.

PHYSICAL ATTRIBUTES

hair: brown, eyes: hazel ( green kiroshi optics ), height: 6'5", weight: 257lbs, body type: athletic, ethnicity: caucasian, cyberware: kerenzikov boost system, self-ice, cox-2 cybersomatic optimizer, militech berserk mk. 9, militech "falcon sandevistan, gorilla arms, kiroshi optics, epimorphic skeleton, bionic joints, titanium bones, ballistic coprocessor, synaptic accelerator, biomonitor, second heart, defenzikov, subdermal armor, reinforced tendons, and various cosmetic cyberware upgrades and additions, face claim: alan ritchson.

LEADERSHIP STYLE: cross governs dogtown with an iron fist. unlike his predecessor, he does not benefit off the chaos. there is no winning if there is no structure. while certain values are honored, it is clear that there is more of a militaristic presence against the backdrop of anarchy. dogtown remains brutal, but under his command, it is efficient. trade routes are secured, cynosure retrieval operations are underway, and the chaos is controlled. if anyone has any oppositions to the change? they're dealt with, swiftly and decisively.

though few speak openly of it, many suspect militech's influence has quietly returned. shipments vanish, operatives appear and disappear, and talks of old cynosure conspiracies resurfaced. cross neither confirms nor denies his ties. he simply continues to lead.

CURRENT STATUS: cross now serves as the official mayor of dogtown, and news has hit the outside world. he is considered a dangerous defector. within his circles, he is a powerful and respected leader, feared more than he will ever be loved, but followed without question.

the nusa presence has been removed from the area, and barghest has completely reformed. in most situations, they are not aggressive to those who approach, including the mercenary who assisted in the removal of kurt hansen and the nusa presence that followed. however, this is not to be mistaken as weakness. militech’s influence in the district continues to grow, and many believe cross remains their embedded asset, biding his time until the final phase of their plan unfolds.

[injustices]

#INJUSTICES: a private, low activity multi-character writing blog, containing an ensemble of original + canon characters within cd projekt red's CYBERPUNK 2077 universe. this blog will not be advertised to secure small followings. all inspiration is drawn from source material + personal headcanons. please do not follow or interact with this blog if you are under the age of twenty-one.   all personal blogs will be blocked without question.

CANON CHARACTERS ... ► MORGAN BLACKHAND ► ALTIERA CUNNINGHAM ► RACHE BARTMOSS ► YORINOBU ARASAKA ► JEFFERSON PERALEZ ► VIKTOR VEKTOR ► EVELYN PARKER ► GORO TAKEMURA ► SOLOMON REED ORIGINAL CHARACTERS ... ► BECKETT CROSS, THE MILITECH DOG ► BENJI LUXE, THE CELEBRITY GOSSIP ► TOMOE AIZAWA, THE RIPPERDOC

affiliated with ... @novastrella / @xitmusic / @amatorial alternate blogs ... @edgeruns / @countrys

FOLLOWING: do not follow this blog if you're looking for another number to your list. i understand personal life issues, as i manage a salaried position + deal with health complications, but i am genuinely interested in plotting with those who mutually follow. my lack of response ≠ lack of interest. however, if you show general preference for my male muses and have made no effort to interact with my female muses, i have no interest in doing anything with you. i am not shipping fodder for you. stop being weird about female ocs / canons.

GENERAL GUIDELINES: do not be an asshole. this is a simple request. this means : do not write problematic content, do not use problematic faceclaims, do not write genderbends, etc. it is worth mentioning, do not follow me if you support / write with characters like billy hargrove. much like other people, i genuinely enjoy writing villains. however, there are villains that do not need screen time on this website.

general roleplay etiquette is expected. do not control my muse, do not assume to know more about my muse than what is available, do not include my muse / portrayal in other threads with other people.

DRAMA: do not involve me in petty drama unless i go asking for information. you can, however, inform me of problematic people i may be interacting with. while i am not interested in general callout culture, i am not interested in writing / befriending people who have bothered / harassed / etc. those i call my friends.

ACTIVITY: as stated beforehand, i manage a salaried position + deal with health complications. i am a cancer survivor and this is very recent. i still am dealing with the aftermath and long lasting complications. please understand that i may disappear off the face of the earth, and it does not reflect my opinion of you or our writing / plotting. please do not take it personal. i am older than most in this community, and i have a healthy boundary set with my playtime here.

COPYCATS: please do not lift things from this portrayal / my blog aesthetic / headcanons / etc, without asking for permission. i promise you, if you like something, i'm chill af if you just ASK. that being said, i generally try to stay in my own lane. i am extremely duplicate friendly, i love vibing with other writers, but please do not take what is not yours. it says more about you than it says about me.