"Yup, yup, V-san," Riku said with a playful grin, taking a light jab from Street V and moving forward, dropping the teasing banter with Sasha.
"My friends are over there, Riku. You guys find a spot to chill, I'll be right back," Sasha said, her eyes crinkling with a warm smile. She waved at Riku and the crew before heading off.
She spotted her friends waving at her, clearly worried and waiting for her all this time.
"See that? She's got her own nakama," V whispered to Riku, nudging her chin toward Sasha's group with a sly grin.
Riku raised an eyebrow, glancing at the booth where Sasha had gone. Four people total, including Sasha, all familiar faces. There was a petite girl with gray-green hair tied in twin tails, a muscular woman proudly showing off her secondaries, and a hefty guy who wasn't quite as massive as Riku expected.
Riku recognized them instantly—Rebecca, Dorio, and Mann.
Rebecca and Dorio looked about the same as he remembered, but Mann? His frame wasn't as jacked as Riku thought it'd be. Maybe he hadn't gone all-in on cyberware mods yet.
"I was just testing the waters, y'know? Seeing if we could snag a netrunner like Sasha for our crew. She's got some serious skills, right?" Riku said casually, shrugging off any sense of failure. It was no surprise Sasha was tight with her old squad.
"Yeah, she's got the chops. Shame, though," Jack Welles chimed in, sounding a bit disappointed. He liked Sasha—solid skills, great personality—but she already had her team.
"No rush. Maybe we'll find someone even better," Riku said, plopping down at the bar with the confidence of an anime protagonist waiting for the next big plot twist. He tapped the counter lightly, and the bartender slid over to take their order.
"What'll it be?" The bartender, a woman named Claire, had sleek black hair and a medium build. She'd been working at Afterlife for years, a veteran of Night City's nightlife.
"Three old-school tequilas, some beer, and a pinch of chili," Jack Welles answered before Riku or V could speak, a smug grin plastered on his face.
"Three Johnny Silverhands, comin' up," Claire said with a chuckle, already mixing the drinks. She glanced at Jack, who was clearly proud of himself. "Looks like someone did their homework."
Jack's grin widened. He'd done his research on Afterlife's menu, no doubt.
"What's with all this secret code stuff?" V asked, shaking her red hair, totally lost.
"It's an Afterlife tradition. Drinks are named after regular customers," Claire explained, still mixing with a smile. "That recipe you just heard? That's the Johnny Silverhand."
"Oh? What's it take to get a drink named after you?" V's eyes lit up, her interest piqued. This was exactly the kind of cool, edgy vibe she lived for.
"You gotta die. And not just die—go out in a blaze of glory, like Johnny Silverhand. People still talk about him," Claire said, her tone dead serious. No joking around here; those were the rules.
"Tch," V clicked her tongue. "That's a high bar."
"Pretty badass, though. I'm already thinking about my own mix," Jack said, hyped up. His dream was to become a legend worthy of Afterlife's menu.
"Then we'll use my recipe," Riku said with a laugh, holding up his hand for a high-five.
Smack! Jack laughed and slapped Riku's palm, their camaraderie straight out of a shonen anime.
"No doubt! Vodka, ice, lime juice, ginger beer… oh, and the most important part—a dash of ai," Jack repeated, nailing the recipe like he'd memorized it for a mission.
"Sounds tasty," Claire said, laughing. "You guys might not be legends yet, but you'd make great comedians."
Three Johnny Silverhands hit the counter, and Claire slid them over. Riku picked up his glass like it was a cursed artifact in a mecha anime, eyeing it warily.
"To Night City! To our big score!" V raised her glass, grinning at Riku and Jack, already dreaming of more nights like this.
"Bigger scores to come!" Jack clinked his glass against hers, buzzing with excitement. Riku didn't dampen the mood, raising his glass to join the toast.
But while V and Jack took hearty swigs, Riku only grazed the rim before setting his drink down. The move didn't go unnoticed by the trio around him.
"Not your thing?" Claire asked, unfazed. The Johnny Silverhand wasn't exactly beginner-friendly.
"Haha! It's got some kick!" Jack laughed, setting his glass down. "That's what makes it a Johnny Silverhand, right?"
"Whew," V hissed, the chili's heat hitting her hard despite the small amount. "That's intense."
"Want me to swap it out?" Claire asked Riku kindly. Bartenders like her always had a knack for reading the room.
"Nah, it's not that. I'm, uh, allergic to alcohol," Riku said, scratching his head. It was his go-to excuse for dodging drinks without making a fuss.
"Man, you're missing out on half the fun in life," Claire teased, already pouring a glass of juice. She slid it over to Riku, who stared at it like a character caught in an awkward anime flashback.
"You're not allergic to juice too, are you?" Claire quipped, winking to ease the tension.
Jack and V burst out laughing. They had no idea Riku couldn't drink.
"Uh…" Riku took the juice, racking his brain for a smooth recovery. But before he could come up with anything, someone swooped in to save the day—Sasha and her crew.
"Hey, I'm Mann, Sasha's captain. Thanks for helping her out," the big guy said, stepping forward with Sasha. Mann was straightforward, cutting right to the chase as he introduced himself.
Riku's lips twitched. He noticed Mann staring at him, eyes sharp with a mix of scrutiny and wariness—like a samurai sizing up someone sniffing around his crew.
"No big deal, man. We're all in this together on a job, right? Gotta have each other's backs," Jack said, jumping up with a hearty laugh and shaking Mann's hand, positioning himself between Mann and Riku.
The two were about the same size, though Mann looked a bit bulkier. Jack hadn't gone heavy on cyberware, so it was clear Mann hadn't fully decked himself out yet either.
read finish work inpat***
belamy20