#agghghhhh tumblr xss controls eating my beautiful formatting

[merge-conflict]

💻 🚓 & ❔ (Adam Smasher) for the core memory ask? 😘

Ok, these got a little long (or at least in one case I couldn't bear to cut out the scene I already wrote :3). So I'm going to do a reblog for the two long ones. First 🚓 (River Ward): Unfortunately in my canon run Valentine and River never met, so I don't have much here. If they had met before the heist they probably would have gotten along okay, but she would find his need for justice to be too naive to get attached. They'd be unlikely to interact outside of the job. 💻 (Judy Alvarez):

V found the body first, face down with a bullet wound to the back of the head, which just proved the man was an arrogant fool. She then found Judy in a little alcove where the building doubled back in on itself, a sliver of the city just visible to the northwest, still in shadow in early dawn. Her interface was invisible to V, running passive and quiet. She turned just as V was about to call her name, expression tight with desperation.

“Hey,” V said, soft and low. “Sorry I missed all the action.”

Judy tried to smile, but it turned quickly into a frown. She began to pace, agitated, and V stopped a few feet away to give her space. “I just couldn’t– I was going to follow him when he left. but he saw me and I just–“ She broke off suddenly, shaking her head.

“You okay?”

Judy made a sound halfway between a laugh and a sob. “I’ve never killed anyone before. Y’know, I uh- I didn’t even know if I had it in me, even after seeing her in that place.”

She’d had a chance to, but she’d hesitated. V had been more than happy to let her keep her hands clean, to save her from that anguish. But perhaps it had been inevitable. Vengeance was always bloody.

“It’s done,” V told her, gently. “He deserved it.”

Judy laughed bitterly, until it seemed to catch in her throat. She wandered close to the railing, gripping it with both hands as though it was the only thing keeping her upright. “He deserved a lot worse than that.”

“No argument there.”

V hesitated before she joined Judy, a few steps away from the edge. She pulled out Evelyn’s cigarette case from her inside jacket pocket, lit one, and passed it to Judy. Her hands were trembling so badly she nearly dropped it onto the streets below, but after a few long drags she calmed a little.

“What do I do now?”

V glanced behind her, where Woodman’s body was just visible. “Leave it. Your friend Maiko will take care of it.”

“She is not my friend.”

“Doesn’t matter – no one’s crying over that monster.”

Judy did not reply immediately, clearly wrestling with something she was not ready to reveal. V waited quietly, slowly relaxing enough to join her at the railing, resisting the urge to look down. Despite the tension in her shoulders Judy leaned a little into her arm.

“Before I got here I had this plan–“ she said finally, “–like I was going to really avenge her, you know? Between all the shit I managed to pull from his office and the stuff from that hellhole, figured it couldn’t be that difficult to build a bomb, or…” Her laugh was humorless. “Now I think it’s just time to leave this city for good.”

The declaration felt like a knife to the gut for some reason V could not fully understand. “Where will you go?”

She exhaled, a laugh mixing with a sigh. “When I know I’ll tell you.”

“You’re just going to leave everything behind?”

“Like what?” Judy’s lip curled. She tossed the butt of her cigarette down to let the wind take it. “Nothing keeping me here but bad memories. Got all the equipment I need – I mean, hell I don’t know maybe I’ll just pack it into the van and go.”

“Sounds lonely.”

“Could use someone I trust to watch my back. Might even be cozy.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

V cautiously put her arm around Judy, her fingers light on her shoulder, and felt her melt in against her, face pressed into her collarbone. She held her tightly, relieved at the physical contact, at the reassurance that Judy did not hold her responsible. But she could not give her what she wanted.

“I wish I could,” she said, finally. “But I was born here, and I’ll die here, too.”

“What?” Judy’s voice had an edge, but she softened it. “What about in between? You don’t want to see what’s out there? I mean, hell it’s– it’s gotta be better than this, somewhere.”

<It is,> Johnny said, quietly, <And it isn't.>

“If I make it through this week,” V said, feeling detached from her own voice, her own body. “I’ll go with you.”

Judy pulled back just enough so she could see her face, but V turned her head and found herself looking at Johnny instead. His mirrored shades were all wrong, not reflecting any of the neon signs or lights. He rubbed at his chin, a nervous tic.

“You in some kinda trouble?” Judy asked. When V did not answer immediately she reached out, gently stroking her cheek. “If I can help, V– I just can’t lose anyone else right now, you know? And I owe you one.”

“You don’t owe me anything.”

There was a vast wasteland of loneliness growing in her chest, and it was difficult to resist the urge to tell her everything. But Judy had her own grief to deal with, and burdening her with more death would be cruel. It was too much to ask, and V wanted to be remembered as she was now, not the way she was going to end up, transformed into someone else.

“V–“

“I’m glad you called,” V interrupted. “I’m sorry I couldn’t do more.”

“I know that voice,” Judy said, and she pulled away, a physical loss. “Whatever it is, don’t do that, V.”

“Not that,” V said, quickly, “It’s just been…a long few weeks, and I still have some things I need to take care of.”

“Alright.” Judy didn’t look entirely convinced, but some of the worry eased from her expression. “Just don’t give up on me, okay?”

“Of course not.” V managed a small smile. “If you need anything, you’ll call, right? I’ve still got your back.”

“Good.” Judy relaxed a little further. “If there’s any way I can help…I think we both deserve a fresh start.”

“Wouldn’t that be nice?”

“I’m going to do it,” Judy said, firmly. “You should too.”

She sized V up for a moment, and then stepped in for a hug, holding her tightly. V returned it, feeling her defenses start to crumble. Then it was over, too soon, neither of them with dry eyes.

They parted at the ground floor of the megabuilding, bound in separate directions. V found refuge in one of the building’s cafes, the kind that would a wide range of suppressants to their catalogue for a modest fee. She bought herself something far too expensive for her dwindling funds and slumped into a small booth. <Chin up, V, at least she likes you. Which does say something about her taste, but nobody’s perfect.> <I’ll send her a card for my funeral.> <Don’t be so dramatic. Alt will get you fixed up and then you two can drive off into the sunset together.> <Are we driving off a cliff into the ocean?> <Into the sunrise then, asshole. Whenever you’re done feeling sorry for yourself and are ready to do something about it.>

It was foolish, she knew, to be so fragile about a future she hadn’t even considered a few hours ago. She was in some sort of prolonged shock, but knowing that wasn’t enough to shrug it off any longer. Whatever had been holding her together was starting to come apart, and she felt too raw for open air, like an exposed nerve.

After a few sips the coffee started to do its work, carrying her a little further from the edge. Johnny watched her, working almost a little too hard to appear exasperated. She was worried that he was actually trying to make her feel better, which would mean she really was starting to lose it. Being pitied by Johnny Fucking Silverhand had to be the ultimate low.

“V.”

She felt a flash of something hot and sharp over her neck as Goro slid into the booth across from her, into the place where Johnny had been. It was shame, burning quickly into irrational anger, that Johnny had not warned her of his arrival. The feeling lingered. She had forgotten, for a moment, that he was only a ghost.

Valentine and Judy hit it off really well to start, but unfortunately in V's head, Judy is a reminder of everything that could have been, so it's a little bittersweet.