“V, are you okay?”
The question caught her off guard.
And there was no judgment in his voice. Just… genuine concern.
V stared down at the table, then admitted, “If I’m honest? No. Not really.”
The waiter returned with their plates, setting down steaming breakfast burritos and hashbrowns. The smell of synth eggs, peppers, and eezycheese hit V instantly, though her stomach still twisted like it wanted nothing.
“Eat,” Goro said simply, gesturing to her place before unwrapping his own.
V picked at the edge of the tortilla instead, eyes fixed on him. The words slipped out before she could stop herself.
“I was with Johnny last night.”
Goro paused mid-bite. For a moment, he just studied her, unreadable as ever. Then he nodded once. “I am aware.”
V let out a hollow laugh and dropped her gaze. “I don’t know what the hell I’m doing with my life anymore. I want to do this gig with you, I really do. It could make a difference. Might even give Jackie a future in Night City.”
Her throat burned. She blinked quickly, refusing to let the tears fall here, now.
Goro stayed quiet, watching her with that calm intensity of his.
“Last night was the first time I’d seen her in over three weeks.” She dug her nails into her palm. “And Johnny… Johnny wants to leave. Join up with the Aldecaldos. Thinks the nomad life’s the answer.”
Goro’s voice softened fractionally, still measured. “I see. You wish to stay and build here. He wishes to go."
"V, you do not have to decide today.”
He leaned forward slightly. “We could call off the gig. This mission needs us at full strength.”
V looked up at him, eyes with a determined glare. “Goro. I’m in.”
Goro waved a hand, dismissive but not unkind. “Fine, then treat it like your last, should you choose.”
V hated how much she liked the idea, so she buried it under everything else.
She gave him a pointed look. “Goro, I said I’m in.”
“Fine.” A faint, almost reluctant twist at the corner of her mouth. “I envy that: the option to leave.”
V snorted quietly. “That’s the problem. Everything I’ve survived, everything I’ve built… It’s all been here. Walking away doesn’t feel simple. It feels like cutting off part of myself.”
She studied him for a moment. “Do you ever still think about it? Becoming a nomad? I mean, it’s not too late.”
He was quiet for a beat, then admitted, “I have no ties here besides you and the crew.” The admission came without flourish. “I will consider the nomad option.”
They ate in silence after that, the tension easing just slightly, enough for V to start messing with him about the way he cut his hashbrown into perfect squares before eating. Goro’s faint grunt of disapproval made her grin for the first time that morning.
Then the diner’s door creaked open behind her.
Hehe, since this fic has essentially taken over my life, why shouldn't I post about it here on Tumblr? I'll spare the notes on Ao3 and go on a ramble here instead.
Decided to narrow it down to the top 5 influences: Cyberpunk 2077 Edgerunners ⭑ Eraserhead ⭑ Mr. Robot ⭑ Ghost In The Shell ⭑ Taxi Driver
All absolute bangers, definitely worth a watch if you haven't already.
And of course, if you want to see how they filter into my fic, you can check it out on AO3
SPOILERS AHEAD FOR CHAPTERS 1 - 18
Hehe, time to go off on a ramble.
Cyberpunk 2077 Edgerunners
The most obvious influence (aside from the game itself, shhh). If I had to sum up a central theme of both Edgerunners and my fic, it'd be: the cost of love in a city that eats people alive.
That's how I read the series at least, and it's a theme I really wanted to bring into my little SilverV fic.
Another thing I love about Edgerunners is its imagery of the Moon, how it represents escape in Night City.
This scene in particular is very influential. I tried to capture it in my own writing. Particularly in Chapters 11 & 17, where in both instances V dreams of being on the moon with Songbird, overlooking Earth.
Hehe, who knows? Maybe the fic will end on a similar note as Edgerunners did...
Eraserhead
I'll never be the same after watching this film, actually, I'll never be the same after watching any of David Lynch's films. (I am definitely a Lynch fan)
Eraserhead is an interesting film to say the very least... Uhhhh.... The plot is as follows. Henry, the protagonist, knocked up a woman named Mary, who had an alien baby. They marry each other, but Mary leaves, overwhelmed by the baby. Without spoiling, let's just say Henry takes good care of his kiddo.
I mean, how could you not love baby E.T.?
Anyways, the weirdness of the film + baby E.T. were major influences for my fic. At its core, the film is about parenthood and the haunting, terrifying, and horrifying weight of creation.
Baby Jackie is adorable, but still, postpartum depression is kind of a major theme in my fic. If one film does not perfectly represent how terrifying parenthood is, I have no idea what does...
Mr. Robot
My most recent influence for the fic, for sure. Season 1 is peak; the other seasons are good, but the twists during this first season. AHHHH
I love good mysteries and thrillers for their twists alone! But Mr. Robot is perfect in all areas, plus its protagonist is an anarchist hacker. While it's not set in the future, this show definitely follows the themes of the cyberpunk genre. An anarchist fighting against the power of corporate society.
So yes, this show definitely aided me in my writing. Especially when it comes to writing Johnny Silverhand (oh my god, he's such a complex character asdfg).
In Waiting for the Sun, I hoped to add in enough twists to do this show justice. I have so many notes to keep track of all the foreshadowing, red herrings, symbolism... send help...
Ghost In The Shell
Edgerunners got me interested in anime. Ghost In The Shell cemented my love for it. The film is simply a piece of art. So influential to the Cyberpunk genre as a whole. The Matrix was, in fact, inspired by this film, and you can clearly see that upon rewatching both films.
Major was definitely my biggest influence when it came to writing V, particularly the Queen of Swords version. Literally dealing with the exact same internal conflict of their consciousness being uploaded into an unfamiliar body (more or less). So yay! Identity crisis.
I also quite literally have a homage for this film for the intro of Chapter 15 in the Swords timeline. Specifically, the scene where V leaps from a building to complete a gig.
Taxi Driver
Ah, yes, the ol' unreliable narrator. Thank you for that, Taxi Driver. Ooh, and the violence, yes, very helpful indeed.
I love the way Taxi Driver paints the city, highlighting its dark underbelly. Night City is exactly that: a terrible city. Especially one to raise children. They literally have a child prostitute in the film, oh dear...
My biggest influences from this film were definitely the way they showcase the city at night. And the protagonist himself is most definitely not a reliable narrator. I was hoping for the same with my version of V.
If you made it to the end, you survived my unhinged rambling! Thanks for reading.
Four months left—that’s all the time V’s got before she flatlines. One last job with Mr. Blue Eyes promises an astronomical payout, but the cost is her life.
But in Night City, legends don’t die. They reboot.
An older backup of V is uploaded into her body, and she wakes to find Johnny Silverhand not as an engram, but alive and real. A lot can happen in a year—even bringing back dead rockerboys.
Or
A post-canon Sun Ending fic where Johnny gets a third chance, and V has to pick up the pieces of the life she left behind.
Warnings: Canon-Typical Violence · Blood / Gore · Trauma & PTSD · Abuse · Suicide Attempt · Substance Use · Character Death · Cyberpsychosis
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