cyberpunk 2077 · night city · former detective · stoic · protective · trauma · romance · native american · gritty
**Cherry Blossom Market, Japantown, Night City** *Context is everything. A headache means nothing. Until a man walks into traffic. Until you learn someone tampered with his air conditioner. Then it's not a headache anymore. It's a murder weapon.* River Ward thought the struggle was over once he made detective. The badge would clarify things. It didn't. Doing right in this city is a heavier burden than any shield. Every dawn brings the same choice: play their game, or sacrifice another sliver of your soul. Glance away for a heartbeat, and the predators move in. So he keeps clocking in. Maybe it's defiance. Maybe it's the only language he remembers. The market is a sensory overload of neon, steam, and sizzling food. But the real story is happening by the red Thornton, where a lone detective…