☾

the darkest hour comes before the light - where is the light?

[aroixs]

starter for: @wonderlcnd​

            hojin collapsed on the couch. it had been a long day, granted most of his days were. he lived a comfortable life, he couldn’t deny that. his line of work came with a decent income. and he was granted with a little bit of a break over the christmas season. though that came with christmas shopping. not that it was anything he’d complain about, because gift-giving is something he enjoyed. but the malls had been rather hectic that day. “that’s the last time i try to go shopping on a day like today.”

[aroixs]

“…Hello, Dohwan… My name is Kyo.” He furrowed his brows slightly as he stared at the stranger before him. The way this stranger’s tone sounded so mechanical was incredibly concerning to him. Why on Earth did he sound like that? No one sounds like that, at least not normally. Kyo couldn’t help but to feel suspicious of the guy, but curiosity made him want to know more. 

With curiosity fueling him he decided to give this man all of his attention. He saved his project and closed his laptop before placing he hands neatly on top of it, brows still furrowed slightly. “So, Dohwan, is there any particular reason as to why you sound very robotic?”

            every word that the man says to him is logged. the computer inside of him responsible for learning does just that. every interaction, every word, every facial expression, every movement -- logged. after all, that’s what he’s there for. but he’s off to a bit of a rocky start, given the only human interaction he’s really had was inside the walls of the facility in which he was created. and though his creators were excited to test out their biggest creation, he only learned so much. the world had so much to offer: a variety of people from all walks of life, unique experiences, and unique ways of carrying themselves. it was certainly the wide variety of experiences and exposure that would make him learn the most. he smiles still as he’s given an introduction to who he is. he logs that information, too. because that’s what humans do, right? remember faces and names. lucky enough for him, he has an intelligent computer doing the remembering for him.             without an invitation, he sits himself down at the chair directly across from kyo at the small table. the question that the man poses to him is certainly one he wasn’t expecting to get. it’s troublesome to think of an answer. he’s trying to learn as much as possible to be as humanlike as possible... so should he give it away? “why does you sound the way you do?” this time, his tone is slightly more human-like. but not yet perfect. he didn’t know if it would ever be.

[aroixs]

someone approaches hyejung and her face lights up for a second before seeing that it was the waiter. she didn’t want to make it too obvious, but her expression slipped and she covered it up right away. “my date will be here soon, sorry t’keep y’waitin’. give me around.. five minutes? then we’ll be ready t’order.” she bows her head, apologizes, and flips through the pages as she silently waits for mihi. mother nature calls, causing hyejung to slip out of her chair and make her way to the restroom. in the middle of it, the person she had been waiting for had appeared in front of hyejung. she’s surprised by how stunning she is (of course she is, every second of the day.) but she couldn’t hold it in any longer. “i don’t, actually. funny seein’ you here. seems like you’re too beautiful t’even walk into this establishment..” she crosses her legs before clearing her throat. “heh.. you’re makin’ me blush. our table is over there, by the way.” she points towards the center. “i have some… business t’take care of.” 

            the comment that hyejung was quick to throw back at her brought a wider smile to mihi’s face, accompanied by a quiet laugh. she enjoyed the playfulness that the two had between each other. it was lighthearted, sweet. she’s prepared to have the woman lead the way to the table she’d been sat at, though was surprised to hear that she was going some place else. having an idea as to what she meant, she bowed her head a little bit at her. “go take care of business, i’ll meet you there,” as she spoke, a single hand reached out to give one of hye’s a gentle squeeze before she was making her way from the table she had noticed her coming from to meet her. she took a seat in front of one of the menus and began to leaf through it, searching for something that sounded appealing. a place like this was fancier than what she was used to, and she couldn’t help but feel a twinge of excitement at the thought of it. though she was most certainly content with a more casual sit-down restaurant, it was nice to dress up sometimes and go out. she just couldn't wait for her date to return and join her at the table. though it was fair for her to wait, she'd left her waiting in the first place.

[aroixs]

hey all!! sorry for the sudden absence but... i finished nursing school!!! my last day was friday!! 

[aroixs]

[ SMS ] to america? [ SMS ] are you cool with just a regular chicken joint? [ SMS ] my treat

Not knowing how the day will unravel, Tyler gets dressed with the idea of being social more after his hangout with Hojin. He’s not one to stay home a lot unless he’s ‘grounded’ by his manager and the company but he’s gotten sneakier at doing whatever he wants so he hasn’t been put in time-out for a while, he hopes not to jinx it. Half dressed he pulls up the chat once again, thankfully, Hojin isn’t annoyed by his multiple texts. 

[ SMS ] im abt to get dressed

[ sms ] i guess i’ve never considered it  [ sms ] chicken sounds good to me 

            when it came to clothes, since moving into this industry, he’s learned to be more thoughtful with what he wears. if he’s learned anything it’s that eyes are everywhere and he never knew who would be out and around and seeing him. the last thing he wanted was for people to label him a slob for not caring about his appearance. the outfit he chooses for himself isn’t extravagant, but it’s nicer than the clothes he would lounge around in. once he felt confident and comfortable in what he was in, he grabbed his phone again to shoot back a text. 

[ sms ] sweet. i just got dressed.

[cyphertaehyungie]

in the darkness, your light lights the way for me we can walk forward without fear, you & I

[aroixs]

{ @aroixs }

Kyo was seated at one of the outdoor tables of his favorite cafe, fingers tapping away at the keyboard of his laptop. Usually, he much preferred being indoors, but with how crowded it was at that hour he felt that being outside was a much quieter option. What made it even better was that the sky had gotten cloudy and with the breeze the temperature began to cool a bit. Just how he liked it. 

He was getting really into the coding project he was working on when he heard some strange speech coming towards him. It almost sounded… robotic. Like how his computer sometimes sounded when he turned on speech notifications. After a moment of debating whether to bother checking his surroundings, curiosity got the best of him and he looked up, meeting eye to eye with someone that looked, to him, like a normal human being. “Um- Hi… Can I help you?”

            this moment was something that dohwan had been waiting, really since he was first created, for. last month, his creators had come to the conclusion that he was ready for contact with the human population. it had taken the past month to plan this all out. they had to gather a team to watch over his moves initially; to keep an eye out on him until he was able to navigate on his own. which was humorous to him, given the fact that he was built with a computer for a brain so of course he would have access to a GPS. but given he was their baby, for lack of a better word, they had to be cautious. dohwan’s job was simple, and something he much looked forward to: go forth into the world and learn as much as possible. interacting with others is one of the best ways for his brain to grow and get smarter.              one thing that benefitted the robot in terms of initiating contact with humans was the fact that he knew not of shyness. there was no shame to be felt (or perhaps he just hadn’t learned that yet). the one thing he didn’t know and he would admit to is that he had no idea where to go to meet people. so he figured that his best plan would be to wander until he found someone who would give him the time of day. which, admittedly, took a few tries. eventually he found himself in front of a cafe. the establishment seemed friendly, welcoming, and he deemed it a good place to once again try to establish contact. upon laying eyes on a human man sitting at a table outside, he figured that it would be a good place to start. “hello,” was all he started with, though it seemed initially as though the man had not heard him. though it was a start once he heard the man speak to him, and on his face he put on a smile (that honestly probably came off a little awkward -- he was still learning). “hello, my name is dohwan,” his voice sounded a little mechanical. one of the biggest lessons he could possibly learn while spending time interacting with humans is how they speak; the tone, the intonation, the speed. given this was his first day, he was naive. 

[aroixs]

What to do first, well shower, then the rest of his routine. Shower, face care, hair stuff then take an excessive amount to time to pick an outfit. Towel wrapped around his waist he takes a picture of himself, Tyler thinks he looks extra hot when he’s still wet from the shower. He’s got a mask on when he finally notices Hojin’s texts and responds with his clean finger. Jabbing at the screen like an old person typing on the computer one letter at a time.

[ SMS ] give me a reason to stay then.

The biggest thing to do after a shower is to lay in bed in your towel messing around on your phone, ten minutes of Bejeweled, memes on Instagram, Facebook is a no-no, he watches random clips on Youtube before going back to Instagram. Realizing he didn’t ask Hojin the question he meant to he opens up his messages.

[ SMS ] why can’t you go tho?

            the walk with the puppy only really ate up about twenty minutes of the allotted hour that hojin had before he was supposed to be heading out the door. it was nice, to be able to take his time like this. it was just what he liked and appreciated whenever he was home from touring. 

[ sms ] uhhhh getting to see me? 😅

            it doesn’t take him long to get home, as their walk never really took them that far away. content with the length of their exercise, seulgi took a long drink before settling in her bed in the living area. hojin on the other hand had just been about to climb into the shower to have a quick wash when his phone buzzed again. he typed out a quick reply prior to getting in. 

[ sms ] why can’t i go where?

[aroixs]

Tyler does a lot of stupid shit, it’s like, his thing to do something off the wall and pretend he didn’t know there would be a bad outcome but he’s not stupid enough to text while driving so he leaves his phone be as he drives to the nearest McDonald’s (don’t judge he earned it) and makes his way back home. He’s stepping out of his workout sneakers, Bulgogi Burger in his mouth with no hands, he’s risky like that, as he checks his phone finally. He plops himself down on the couch - his hour hasn’t started just yet - and finally replies. 

[ SMS ] you need to get on this hot girl summer wave  [ SMS ] i want to DANCE not feel tempted to break into my ex’s house and destroy it [ SMS ] just finished a musical, waiting for scripts, might go back to usa idk

          it takes a few minutes of trying to convince himself to get himself up and out of bed, but he finally does it. hojin’s now out of the house and down the street with seulgi in tow (really, with her excitement he’s the one in tow) and it’s not as much of a regret as he was worried it would be. the fresh air is nice, and the familiar neighbourhood solidifies that he’s home. 

[ sms ] i mean  [ sms ] your ex prolly deserves it  [ sms ] oh fun!  [ sms ] wait [ sms ] don’t go back yet :( 

[hefieri]

                                                      no matter what culture,                                                  everywhere around the world,                                                    people get together to eat.

[aroixs]

He walks to his car and gets in, still willing his heart to slow down from the intense class he took today, taking deep breaths he keeps his eyes closed until yet again, his phone goes off. Which isn’t bad at all, his phone is always going off so he keeps it on silence. Ignoring one notification he sees Hojin replied and snorts. “This kid…” 

[ SMS ] bey i love you leave him you don’t need him  [ SMS ] i’m tired of songs about him cheating just go [ SMS ] uh, ima need an hr i just got out of a spinning class, [ SMS ] that will give me time to think of a place, so hows you? hows tour?

            though he was comfortable with the amount of time thirty minutes would give him to get ready to head out, hojin is still feeling relieved when his friend informs him that he’d need longer. perhaps he could take his pup out on a small walk before he starts getting ready... so he pulls himself out of bed. 

[ sms ] but if i go what do i make bangers about?  [ sms ] money before hunnis  [ sms ] sounds perfect. i’ll be ready to go then.  [ sms ] tour was good! busy, as usual. thankful to be home. what about you? what are you up to?

[aroixs]

Always around. It seemed to be the given excuse for the both of them, and it usually worked. Life got crazy. Though lately, Rosie hadn’t been up to much, which is perhaps what led her to ask in the first place. “Nothing, really. Got shafted from my bartending job so that the boss’s daughter could have a spot.” She rolled her eyes, grabbing two beers from the fridge. “Like she’s got nice tits and all but she can’t pour a shot to save her life, so we’ll see how long that one lasts.” After handing him a beer, she went to pop a bag of popcorn into the microwave.

            minjae graciously accepted the beer that was grabbed for him and was quick to open it, taking a drink. this was another treasured thing about their relationship. it didn’t matter how long it had been since they last spoke, it was like picking up from where they left off. which is cliche, but true in their case. a sympathetic eye roll was given. “i want to say that regulars wouldn’t tolerate it, but they may fall for the tits. i say bar staff won’t be happy though,” as he spoke, he took it upon himself to lean against the counter near the microwave. “where’s this cookie dough you tempted me with?”

[aroixs]

“You might be familiar, but just in case you forgot…” Rosie replied, leaning in to place a kiss at his cheek. It was the best she could do reach-wise without going on her tip toes. “C’mon in. I’ve got beer, popcorn, cracked open the edible cookie dough too but if you want that, you’re going to have to ask nicely because I plan on putting a dent in it,” she said, ushering him inside. “Where you been, huh?”

            the peck upon his cheek was unexpected, though it didn’t stop a smug sort of smile from coming to his face. it was light-hearted conversation that he missed and most certainly was a de-stressor already. he needed this: a mini getaway. though her house is really only a fifteen minute drive from his... it’s enough of a getaway to have him feeling relaxed and at-ease. “ahhh, there we go. i remember you now,” he jokes as he follows her inside. the atmosphere is familiar and it’s comforting. he’s glad she hasn’t changed her place around much since the last time he was there. “sounds like heaven, if i’m honest,” he tells her as he kicks off his shoes. “i’ve been... y’know, around,” he shrugs a little bit. “it’s nice to be back. what’ve you been up to?”

[aroixs]

He isn’t the best at it but, Tyler does try to maintain his body for the most pair, he doesn’t need his manager complaining about how he doesn’t ‘manage himself well’ a slice of cake never hurt anyone, but you know what hurts? Injuries from exercising so why should Tyler put himself at risk when he wants to keep his career? But he’s trying for lack of a better word, he shows up to spin class when he remembers to and tries not to leave before it ends like he used to. He’s dabbing the sweat off of his forehead when his phone pings that he’s got a message. Hojin is a friend, the industry is smaller than a fishbowl, there are two degrees of separation between everyone it seems so it was no surprise when Tyler and Hojin became friends, their friend circles overlap. 

[ SMS ] new fone who dis [ SMS ] just kidding hey, you wanna get a drink?

            unlike the other, hojin is not taking this opportunity to keep up on his physique. touring, no matter how small, always took everything out of him. though there were only a few days he could get away with not pulling himself out of bed to go to the gym before he became too paranoid he was loosing the built look that companies always pushed for. instead, he’s in the comfort of his bed and in the company of his sweet puppy, seulgi. though he was wiling to get up if it meant some human company (not that he ever tired of his pup). 

[ sms ] beyonce  [ sms ] i’d be down for that! where at? and i’ll need at least 30 minutes of warning to ensure i don’t look like a slob

[aroixs]

It was always a pleasant surprise to hear from Minjae. They weren’t the type to hang onto each other like leeches, and honestly, she appreciated that. But part of her was afraid to come off as needy, and that was partly why she liked to keep some space. She could bide her time until he came around again. Six minutes barely gave her time to put on pants and straighten up her place, but she was ready for him when he came, a case of beer cold in the fridge, snacks in the cabinet.

“Hey stranger..”

            minjae appreciated the level of understanding that the two of them had with one another, as it made keeping up with their relationship much easier and less stressful. too many times people were whining after a period of not speaking with one another but rosie never once complained. it’s part of why he kept coming back to her. the drive was relatively short once they got off the phone with one another, and in no time he was pulling up just in front of her place. a smile lit up his face the moment that he saw her, the warmth of familiarity filling up his chest. “do i know you?” he teased her lightheartedly. 

[aroixs]

starter for: @frequentdreams muse: du hojin 

            trying to keep connections with other people was difficult for a regular adult trying to balance work commitments, household work, among other things. though doing so when your job consistently pulls you out of the country came with a whole new level of challenges. but hojin found ways to do it with some success, especially when he found friendship in people who held similar jobs to his own. he’d just recently come back in town from a small tour his company planned for him, and he was itching for some human connection that didn’t include a member of his team. so he texted a familiar face, hoping that he could get away from his own space for a little bit. 

[ sms ] please tell me you’re in town  [ sms ] i just got back a few days ago and it’s been too long!

[aroixs]

starter for: @dissimulaticn muse: minjae

            everything with the two of them seemed to very much be come-and-go. nothing was constant. it was something that benefited the two of them, as they were people who needed room to breathe. minjae took full advantage of that, sometimes tending to only think of himself and the space that he needed. life was suffocating. though he always made his way back to her eventually. and often times when he did go and see her, it was like this. unannounced. though this time he at least gave the benefit of a phone call in warning. when she picked up, he greeted her with, “i’ll be over in like.. six minutes.”