Messages keep getting clearer
Radio's on, and I'm moving 'round my place
I check my look in the mirror
I wanna change my clothes, my hair, my face ▶
From the first draft of the corpo!val longfic...
“Good afternoon, welcome. Are you checking in?”
He steps forward to the counter, releasing his touch on Val at last. “Yes. Mitch and Valerie Anderson.”
“Yes, Mr. Anderson, I see your reservation here: four weeks in our lovely Morro suite. It is fully stocked one bedroom with full service kitchen and balcony with a water view.”
“One bedroom?” he falters; he’s certain Val told him there would be two.
“Yes, sir. Is that a problem?”
His eyes slide over to Val as the visual distortion increases and more hormones pump into his system. She squeezes his bicep as she steps up to the counter.
“I believe we had a reservation for your two bedroom suite. I adore my husband,” she says, pausing to look up at him with a sweet smile, and her touch grounds him somewhat. “But this man snores like a fleet of AVs. If I have to share a bedroom with him, I will be suing you to pay for our divorce, and for damages.”
Val’s face lights up as she laughs and he follows her lead, throwing his head back and guffawing.
“Please, for the sake of my marriage,” he says, still chuckling as he turns back to the receptionist. “Don’t wanna test that prenup.”
Val laughs and swats him with her other hand.
“Let me see what I can do,” the receptionist says and smiles politely. She resumes typing and moments later looks up at them. “I apologize for that oversight. I do have a two bedroom suite available. There will be a slight price difference.”
Mitch waves his hand dismissively. “Whatever Valerie wants, she gets.”
She gives a laugh that he can describe as sultry as she leans into him, and he slides his organic hand down her back to her waist, pulling her tight against his side.
“Of course, sir. We have adjusted our records. One moment please.”
A new alert pops up in the corner of his HUD, SCAN INITIATED, and it’s time for the first real test of the soft. The new deck from Vik shows the data being received by the scanner:
MITCHELL ANDERSON
DOB: 2028-04-29
NATIONALITY: NUSA
....
The data flowing from his deck matches the info packet passed on by Val and he releases the breath he’s been holding. He glances over at Val who’s watching him, and he gives her a lopsided smile and presses a kiss to her forehead. The chemicals taper off and the disorientation plateaus but he continues to focus on Val, on the feel of her against his side and the soft skin of her arm under his calloused fingertips.
“Very well, you are all checked in,” the receptionist says. “Please let us know if there is anything you require, otherwise please enjoy your stay.”
“Thank you,” Val says with a warm smile, and he nods with an awkward smile.
When the valet directs them away from the desk, Mitch finally releases his grip on Val’s waist and follows her to a bank of elevators.
33 notes
·
View notes
I'm gonna walk through every doorway, I can't stop
I need some time, I need control, I need your love
I wanna find out everything I need to know
Had the absolute pleasure of comming @theviridianbunny once again, this time with my corpo loves. Detail closeups and ramblings about writing after the cut.
I looove Val's hair, and the way Bunny drew her curls. Also the cute earrings. 😩
The way she's gazing at him, I can't with it. It's perfect. He's known for some time that he loves her, but once she figured it out for herself...
For my writer friends who like to hear about writing, or I guess anyone who wants some Corpo Val lore, the rest is for you.
The above lyrics are taken from the song that is a contender for a chapter title for the AU story. The narrator of the song claims “I don't live here anymore”, with the implication that they've broken up and he's a changed man, and it feels melancholic. But then the chorus hits, the lyrics above, it suddenly feels hopeful. That he sees a way forward, and willingness to do better to maybe earn their love once more. Now when he repeats “But you'd never recognize me, babe/I don't live here anymore”, it takes on new meaning.
I had a big realization after recently (re)reading Pride and Prejudice that the Corpo Val longfic follows many of the same beats, despite the "fake romance" trope. I hadn't worked out the full endgame yet, so figured I'd wing it once I get there, but the recognition of some of Darcy in Val helped me see a path for her to change so she can be worthy of Mitch. She's not a bad person, at least by Night City standards, just a former corpo-turned-merc who's done questionable things; but certainly not someone he'd leave the family for. So thanks, Jane Austen, for being the GOAT and telling one of the greatest stories ever, and helping me find Val's “redemption” arc.
42 notes
·
View notes
Late Night at the Office
@nananarc | comm info
Nothing fancy to go with this, just me raving about how much I love Na's art. I don't have the vocabulary to describe what I love but by god I'm gonna say some words. I love how the color palette and lighting lend to the sensuality of the piece. And the physicality of their poses!! The way he's standing, hand in pocket while he leans into her space, the coy look on her face. The cut of his suit and the lines of her dress... so delicious. They both have a look of easy elegance, which is exactly why I commed Na to draw their corpo AU.
Thank you, Na! It was a pleasure. ❤️
85 notes
·
View notes