#sparkydx

[dxyingyue]

🌙𝓊𝓃𝒹𝑒𝓇 𝒻𝒶𝓂𝒾𝓁𝒾𝒶𝓇 𝓈𝓉𝒶𝓇𝓈

( 𝒹𝑒𝒶𝓇 𝑔𝑒𝑔𝑒 ~ @sparkydx )

there was something so comforting about the night.

the world seemed so different. the darkness could bring a sense of clarity, running away from the distractions that the mundane world has to offer.

the moon, so full, shined so high in the night sky, casting a silvery glow over the mountainous terrain. the air carried a cool breeze, transporting the faint scent of pine and damp earth. luna moved quietly as a mouse, her footsteps were gentle and barely audible as she walked a rocky path. she always found peace in the shadows of the night, when the world seemed to slow down; her mind was in a much more tranquil state.

as she walked further and further, the path began to incline higher, pursuing a deeper path into the mountains. the trees were like a protective cloak, intensifying the presence of shadows; surrounded by an open field of rock and shrubs. for a moment, luna slowed her pace as she needed to allow herself to enjoy the moment. the breeze was thinner up in the mountains, crisp but colder air filling in her lungs.

she glanced at the sky, her eyes gazing upon the constellations that she had memorized as a child - due to her love for stargazing. she pointed with her index finger, specifying the first three stars she witnessed: "the big dipper." "second, cassiopeia." "my favorite is up there! it's ursa major! a bear!" she's smiling from ear to ear, keeping her tone as low as possible, just in case.

"gege, do you know what your favorite constellation is?" she spoke in mandarin happily, her mother's native language; a linguistic feature that she rarely has used ever since she settled in south korea. "let's see if we can find your favorite star!"

[dxdaehyun]

dust and dynamite

(@sparkydx)

the holler of engines filled the air as daehyun adjusted the straps on his helmet, feeling the familiar weight settling against his head. usually, he wasn't one to join in loud crowds or be around loud noises, but motocross was one of the few exceptions he couldn't resist. the rush of adrenaline and the enormous focus required made it easier to shut out from the rest of the world. he glanced around the area, the other drivers were past the starting line and ready to race. but daehyun wasn't here for that. the arena was busy, as always, but there was one person that he was waiting for, sparky.

the last time he saw sparky… he swore that his friend was missing something, like maybe charging his phone, but somehow remembered to show up with a mountain of snacks. it had been a while since they've known each other, meeting up regularly for video games, motocross, and even movie nights. this friendship wasn't one for the typical adulthood but daehyun appreciated how distinct it was-considering it's not easy to come across having good friends anymore, these days.

he wasn't that impatient. he could wait. though, it depended on who the person was and the circumstances of the situation. besides, he had to check his watch, anticipating that his friend would arrive. maybe today is the day that he'd get to see his friend's reaction to his new bike. daehyun wanted a newer one as he thought having two was needed, one for emergencies and the other for personal, everyday use.

when he heard the familiar buzz of an engine coming, he looked up and caught a glimpse of sparky in the distance, grinning. "hey you! took you long enough!" he called out to his friend. "we're not here for a race so let's just get out of here and cruise around town? why not?"

[dxsae]

a spark in the ashes

toast & coffee 24h diner ( 8 years ago ) with @sparkydx

a fresh bruise marred sae’s face—a reminder of yet another fight he’d gotten into. apparently, the kid was just familiarizing himself with his new routine of squabbling with the foolhardy customers ( and strangers ) somewhere in the neighborhood. the dark circles beneath his eyes, deep and prominent, only added to his image as the punk who always seemed to make the headlines for school violence. last night, he did not sleep well. he was bitten by the bugs.

ironically, no matter how much of a threat he posed, sae was still a child in his boss' eyes. hence, as a punishment for punching one of their customers in the face, the kid had to clean every corner of the restaurant in one week straight. leaving behind the thinnest layer of dust and his ass would be fired. and, of course, no more punches.

sae was mopping the kitchen floor with a long face when he saw the new cook walked in. they barely exchanged words since the standard introductions—name, age, job title. truthfully, sae couldn’t care less. in his mind, people took these jobs for one reason: money. there was no need to get friendly, no point in getting to know each other better.

"hello." he greeted sparky in the most dull, monotone and emotionless tone of voice. "good evening, sir. i'm cleaning up your working space, almost done now."

[jaeyongdx]

⎯ ✂ ⎯ late night conversations ⎯

jaeyong thinks he has the landscape of toast & coffee figured out by now.

for example, weekends always have some degree of business no matter what time of day (or night) it is. late week nights tend to be more predictable, and a lot less busy. after six months of coming at least once a week, he's started to recognize some of the other patrons as staples of toast & coffee on that night of the week. sparky, of course, is also a staple. he's been working every late night jaeyong has been a customer for as long as he can remember.

he also knows that on monday night at midnight – tuesday morning, technically – nobody sits at the diner counter except for him.

thankfully, it wasn't "a rough day at the office" today, but he did have to spend time in the labs after his regular enhanced agent duties, and he also had band practice. so goes most mondays, and even when the schedule is different, he usually finds himself at toast & coffee at midnight anyway.

"so," jaeyong begins, resting both of his elbows on the counter and his chin on his hands. sparky is in the process of making jaeyong's requested two omelets – one for himself and one to take back home to his twin brother. "who was the weirdest patron you had today? and you can't say me. that's cheating."

⎯ ✂ ⎯ @sparkydx ⎯

[dxmiyoung]

∆ ⎯⎯ 【 fingerprints 】

tracking people across distances by their emotions is odd. for her, every emotion is like a finger print. emotions are complex, so no two instances of sadness, for example, feel exactly alike.

she doesn't really like to track people via their emotions. to some degree, it feels invasive to her. sometimes, there are special circumstances, though, like today. one of her students' emotions were particularly alarming today, as was what she told her in their counseling session.

she sent her home with mental health resources, but apparently she didn't make it home. miyoung gets the personal call from her student's mother, asking her if she knows where she is. she doesn't, unfortunately, but she tells her she'll find her.

so miyoung zones in on the student's emotional fingerprint, and she tracks her and her tumultuous emotions, growing heavier on miyoung's mind and heart the longer she focuses. as she approaches, however, her mood improves a little, bit by bit.

that's a relief, at least – and when miyoung arrives where her students' emotions are the strongest, on a local playground, she sees why. she's sitting on a swing, talking to a man on the swing beside her. part of her is worried for a moment, but she searches the man's emotions for any deception or ill-intent, and doesn't find anything. another relief.

by the time miyoung reveals herself, her student's mood is significantly improved. she smiles politely at the man, before turning to her student, smile still soft, but warming.

"sohee, i got a call from your mother," miyoung says.

sohee smiles sheepishly and close-lipped.

"can we call her to come pick you up? she's worried about you. we all are."

sohee agrees, reluctantly, and miyoung dials her mother, letting her know their location.

"do you still have those names i gave you?" miyoung asks her. she gave her a list of mental health professionals she suggested she look into. miyoung's name is not on the list – she tends to think it's better for her to remain her students' counselor and someone else to be their therapist.

"yes," sohee replies, voice quiet.

"okay, good. thank you."

miyoung takes a seat on the other empty swing beside sohee, making small talk that sohee clearly doesn't want to participate in, but humors miyoung with anyway.

it doesn't take long for her mom to arrive, and miyoung walks sohee to the car and bids her farewell with a smile and, "i'll see you on monday."

once the car drives away, miyoung takes a deep breath, finally letting herself relax. she remembers she's not alone, though, and returns to the swings and the man still seated on one.

"thank you for talking to her," miyoung says. she thinks it's only fair to offer her gratitude. "talking to you improved her mood a lot." she realizes that might be an unusual thing to say out of context, so she adds, "i'm an empath. and her counselor at school."

⎯⎯ @sparkydx