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[Friends and a bit more. You know, Johnny’d be more surprised if he didn’t know V—or at least, the old V, apparently—better. The kid always had a way of forging connections with those open to it. Panam, River, Kerry. Even himself.

‘Course, the V as he is currently is a far departure from any of that. And that’s the problem.]

The V I know is nothin’ like what he’s been actin’ like recently. Got it into his head that he doesn’t care a damn about the people who care for him. Acts like a violent asshole. Thinks everyone’s out to get him.

Wouldn’t have liked him so much back in Night City if he’d acted like that. So no, this isn’t him. Something’s happened, something’s… changed.

It's disconcerting to experience it close up I confess [and perhaps Dorian got a bit too close, not that he was going to admit it out loud or even to himself.]

It's not the sort of empathy that disappears overnight so if he is as you say nothing like this then the change is recent [And that comes as a relief, somewhat, knowing that the V he knew before was genuinely the man he thought he was. It was only a small comfort.] I suppose the question now is: what's changed? What inspired this enraged persecution complex?

[Something about this place? Something more personal in nature?] Though I suspect that's not an answer that will come easily unless V is up for sharing it. On a scale of fuck off to not bloody likely I can see that conversation careening thoroughly into the former.

[There's not even a trace of humor in Dorian's voice and at this point, he's only musing.] He seems like a well that's run dry and no matter what he does to fill it, nothing satisfies.

His mind was already fucked before this place, you know.

[He doesn’t know what V’s already shared with this man, and honestly? At this point, he doesn’t care to be delicate. Figuring this all out is far more important to him, even if that means going into details that the merc hadn’t yet shared with someone else.]

Don’t think it takes much to set it down the path of being even more so. [Johnny might have played a part in the expiry date on V’s mind, but that part he does omit.] Even if it’s… what you said, sucking up all his empathy until there’s nothin’ left. Probably not hard, given his neural network’s a mess on a good day.

Issue is finding out what sparked that powder keg. Got a feeling it had something to do with a night out on the town. Probably went sideways somehow. No one heard from him for days afterwards; I had to track the gonk down myself.

I'm not aware of the extent of it.

[Perhaps they avoided conversations that needed to be addressed, perhaps Dorian should have probed a bit more when he had the chance. The mage was aware that V invested himself in Dorian's feelings to the extent that he kept many things hidden.]

I suppose it's because I'm not familiar with much of your world's linguistics, I suspect he might have been trying to think of a way to have that conversation in a way I could digest. [There was definitely a barrier of some kind there, they often had to explain to one another about certain things. V seemed rather excited about dragons and magic and Dorian was fascinated by his cyberware, but he barely understood the workings of a stove. It was a lot to explain.] Though it's also possible he was just trying to ensure my happiness as well, for what it's worth.

[As he was currently V could care less about such things.]

If the mystery of the missing days could be solved we might be able to figure out what went wrong.

Not as complicated as it sounds. [Which isn’t true, but Johnny can certainly parse it down to the nitty-gritty.] He had a piece of tech inserted into his mind. Was real detrimental in the end… It was basically meant to kill him by overriding his personality with someone else’s.

It’s a problem we managed to fix, but it left his brain worse for wear. Had maybe about six months to live before arriving in this place.

[You know, maybe this is something that Johnny should let V tell Dorian. Except at this point, he’s nearly out of fucks to give.]

So like I said, don’t think it would take much. His head’s a delicate balancing act already. Had problems with memory not that long ago.

[In any case—] I plan on sniffin’ around the last few places he was partyin’ before something went wrong. I won’t just leave him like that.

It sounds an awful lot like possession. [Which was the closest reference that someone like Dorian had. He was fascinated by the technology V had introduced to him, but he had no concept of it. He could hardly work a stove yet. ] Who's personality was meant to override his own?

[Maybe it was a personal question, maybe this man didn't know, but Dorian was to inquisitive not to ask the question.

Dorian was quiet, trying to digest the information, V's shortened life, his delicate headspace, and how he should respond to it all. The only control he had in this situation was his own response after all.

Still, it hurt quite a bit, his experience, which he kept to himself.] No...no he doesn't deserve to be left like that, whatever part of him is still V. I- [Dorian hesitated, a bit unsure of himself and what to say.]

-thank you. I don't know what help I can offer, but you can call on me as you will. [And realizing his lapse in manners due to his own distress he followed up with:] I'm Dorian, by the way.

[It’s no big secret, even if the details are lost to most. But Johnny once again can’t be bothered to be delicate about it.]

Mine. [Plainly put-] “Possession” isn’t too far off the mark. Guess you could call me a ghost come back to life.

[Wry. Might as well be one, he thinks; a ghost that haunted the recesses of a merc’s mind. A deadman walking — and given life again in this place.]

Name’s Johnny Silverhand. I’ll keep you up to date if there’s anything I can think of that’ll help. Sure I’ll hear more about you — or from you — if you’re that close with V. In the meantime, just keep an eye out for him.

How your "ghost" or "spirit" came to be in V's possession is, no doubt a fascinating story. [The happenstance must have been incredible.]

I appreciate it and if I do see him I'll inform you as I doubt there's much I can do in terms of helping him, aside from preventing his arrest. [Something he's tried once so far.]

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