inezistent·:
Ezi raises an eyebrow when the human starts speaking, and looks away at a random direction to show the other man that he is not interested in listening to yet another stupid excuse, as he had just said â he isnât sure if Xingwei didnât understand that part, or if heâs doing exactly what Ezi told him not to do just to annoy him. The android hopes the hacker wouldnât be that stupid, but then again he canât expect anything else from the manâs species. Heâs thankful when the other is done talking and walks after him into the junkyard.
âAre you done? I thought I said I didnât wanna hear excuses.â He says, already looking around the pieces and parts that can already be found on the floor before they even reach the piles of metal. Nothing but broken and small pieces of plastic and garbage on the floor, nothing that could be useful to them or to an injured android just yet. Ezi sighs.
The android picks up the pace and walks right next to Xingwei and keeps his gaze on the floor, still hopeful that heâd find at least one thing before they reach the mountains of lifeless bodies. âAnything that could be reused, and do your best to find androids that still arenât deactivated. Those should be the priority, you know.â
honestly, xingwei isnât surprised at eziâs remark to his excuse. it wasnât said with the intent to annoy the android, no, but even xingwei likes to flirt with death on the occasion and at least ezi is a nice face to look at if he happens to be murdered by him. but anyway, wrong train of thought there, which he quickly gets back on track and focuses on the task at hand. which is⊠doing the same thing they usually do when they come to the junkyard: gather parts.
â yes , iâm done , â  xingwei finally hums, eyes on a part that wouldnât be useful to ezi, but would  be fun to tinker with on his own. itâs small enough to fit in his pocket so thatâs where it goes. he never comes here with the intent to only help ezi  ( why would he? )  but he does heed eziâs words. he might have his own motives for being here, but he isnât that much of an asshole.
at one point he finds a long piece of metal, round in shape, probably rebar but xingwei doesnât know and doesnât care. he uses it to poke and prod around a pile of parts, pushing things aside to be examined.  â hey , how useful would a whole foot be? got a little scratching on it but uh ⊠looks like a foot at least , so you know ⊠â
as xingwei describes said part, he grabs it up and holds it in eziâs line of sight.  â might need to replace some of the connectors , but it does look usable . â
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there is a thin line between being sassy and being an asshole and i cross it every day
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shiwoomoon·:
( ... )
he scans the menu mostly for show. itâs habit to prepare his order and do his research before he even arrives. maverick is particular about contamination and picky about the poisons he indulges in, wanting to have control over how he destroys his body. cesium-137 in the fish, pesticides coating vegetablesâ thankfully the restaurant gets a pass (farm raised, cultured indoors) and when the waiter arrives at the table maverick seizes control. âan order of the uni. two of the wagyu and duck. and the kanpachi and amadai please, on two plates.â his expression is pleasant. a mild sort of warmth thatâs more out of propriety than any genuine sentiment.
ânot sure if you eat raw fish.â the napkin on the table was formed into a delicate lotus flower, and maverick takes his time unfolding it. âso i ordered some cooked dishes. did i keep you waiting long?â
XINGWEI WATCHES THE FRONT, eyes knowing exactly what his target looks like and when the man walks in, he almost snorts. itâs so strange to see the man in something like this, but he leans back in his seat and awaits him. heâs completely aware that heâs being eyed as well, it doesnât bother him. the man canât place him due to his mask covering the bottom half of his face.
only thing thatâs bothering him at current is how hot  the restaurant feels this afternoon.
sharp eyes follow the other male all the way to the table, eyebrows raising as the other actually appraises the ambience only to subtract points due to the lone dish with one bite taken. itâs a good thing xingwei isnât petty ( read: he totally is ) or else heâd have to give the man a flipped finger. he resists that temptation and instead chuckles derisively. see, he can be a snob too.
the entire time, xingwei doesnât dare stop mav, head nodding along to each thing the other orders so the waiter knows heâs good with it as well. itâs right now that xingwei has decided it probably wasnât a good idea to meet here â not in a restaurant he frequents with his mother. thankfully his mask prevents it⊠but hell, itâs itchy.
â it wasnât long, â xingwei replies, fingers laced together on the table in front of him. he sits straighter, rolling his shoulders. â itâll take a few minutes⊠why donât you give me a rundown on what youâre expecting and i can tell you if iâll do it. â
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moonmccn·:
@kal0ps1aÂ
moonieâs one day off every now and then he wasnât interested in studying, or when he wasnât busy trying to figure different things out were spent doing mundane things. like drawing. or what heâs doing now, swimming. he enjoyed it, but he felt like he hadnât done it in so long that maybe heâd actually forgotten. but he scoffs at the thought because of course he can swim. heâs moonsoo. he doesnât forget things. ( total lie ). he sits with his feet in the water, bottle of water in one hand as he kicks his feet. much like a child would.Â
  he looks around because thereâs nobody he knows, really. until his eyes land on him. his eyes narrow into slits because heâs trying to figure out if he knows him or not, and WHERE he knows him from. he doesnât realise heâs been staring longer than necessay until heâs caught and he swiftly looks away, pretending he wasnât.Â
ITâS  NOT  OFTEN  he  comes  here  to  the  public  pool,  but  his  mother  had  mentioned  he  looks  more  tired  than  usual.  and  if  thereâs  one  thing  xingwei  wonât  do,  itâs  worry  his  mother.  the  best  way  to  train  his  stamina  is  making  laps  in  the  public  pool  because  he  damn  sure  isnât  for  other  types  of  exercising.  xingwei  and  exercise  donât  mix  â  heâs  a  hacker,  goddammit.
so  his  afternoon  finds  him  swimming  laps  in  the  public  pool  â  well,  as  much  in  the  way  of  laps  as  he  can  manage.  the  pool  is  a  bit  crowded,  but  thatâs  probably  what  xingwei  gets  for  coming  here  on  a  saturday.  thereâs  kids,  their  androids,  parents,  and  a  few  of  the  university  students.  xingwei  groans  to  himself  and  retreats  to  the  quieter  side  of  the  pool.  here,  he  finds  himself  being  watched  by  a  younger  male,  probably  another  university  student.  or  maybe  heâs  really  a  kid,  xingwei  isnât  surprised  by  much  anymore.
â didnât  your  mom  ever  teach  you  itâs  not  nice  to  stare? â  xingwei  grunts  out  as  he  hoists  himself  onto  the  side  of  the  pool,  legs  dangling  into  the  water  like  the  other  maleâs.
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I may think of you softly from time to time. But Iâll cut off my hand before I ever reach for you again.
Arthur Miller, The Crucible
(via wordsnquotes)
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© ⹠do not edit
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jia-sonae·:
@kal0ps1a
[ ... ]
After giving a nod to a flustered stock worker they headed toward the repair section, stopping short upon seeing a very familiar face enter the store. Unlike most people theyâd greet, Xie got the most formal of introductions each and everyâŠor at least until heâd straight up told them to just call him boss or Cai, the latter making them cringe slightly but itâs what he wants. He hadnât ever come off as a cruel man toward them so really it was just overcompensation on their part anyway, personal preference. âHello boss, anything I could do for you? I was just about to check the repair area but I can do something else.â
along with being a matrix business, xingwei actually finds himself enjoying coming to the cyber-maison. usually itâs to pop in and intimidate any workers who might think they could get away with things ( aka: the sort that need the boss man and not his right hand to behave themselves ). right now, itâs just a pleasure visit and he makes sure itâs known, especially since heâs well aware jia should be here somewhere. his presence simply ensure they listen to jia â not that heâs doubting theyâve got it handled.
becoming leader hadnât been something xingwei planned â he just wanted to be the best hacker and make inchirou proud. he never thought the crazy old man would have left him in charge after his untimely death. being a leader isnât so bad â his second in command had to prove themselves, but jiaâs done fairly well over the last couple of years. heâs okay with it now and he can give them a compliment every now and again ( without wanting to throw himself out of a window anyways ). xingwei doesnât give compliments unless theyâre thinly veiled insults.
heâs jolted from his thoughts when he hears jia behind him. â ah , â xingwei hums as he turns around from where he was hovering over a rather nervous worker. â no , thereâs nothing , jia ⊠not right now anyway . â he has a hard time admitting when heâs just around for a pleasure visit, but jia never seems to mind. â just dropping by to look around . see whatâs new ⊠just came from my motherâs . â it had been a nice time, but his mother hadnât felt well enough for a visit today so he hadnât stayed long. but now heâs without a thing to do after a brief lunch with her.
Just another day on the job
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leonsat·:
LOCATION: matrix headquarters, shibuya
DATE: 08/09/2140
STATUS: closed for @kal0ps1a
[ ... ]
  the guards at the door already know of his arrival, so he slips inside easily, someone asking if he needs help, which he shakes his head immediately. quick feet take him to where xingwei is working, and when he steps inside the room, he canât help but feel⊠nervous again. he suspects the other has no idea about why leon is here; this is an appointment to figure out the bank account after all, but then again, xingwei is one of the smartest people leon knows. so, tentatively, he raps his knuckles against the wall to get his attention, and tries to speak clearly. âhi, i hope iâm not interrupting anything ?â
itâs been one whole year ( and then some ) since xingweiâs take over from ichirou. the old man had put him in charge â why? well, xingwei was the best hacker and he worked right underneath ichirou as his second in command for a while before his demise. it only made sense, but itâs not really something xingwei had planned on. nonetheless, the matrix had come to mean a lot to him, so heâd taken it over and things have slowly begun to even out. itâs not something that needs every bit of his attention and any of his workers know how to get in contact with him. the matrix and his mother are the only ones he picks the phone up for immediately after all.
he sits at his desk shuffling through screens. the hologram in front of him has various things displayed â part orders, a news site, some junk ads heâs yet to swipe away, and thereâs one screen tucked at the back that has numerous numbers running from bottom to top â thatâs his favorite one because itâs a new program heâs been working on.
he reads through the news site and frowns at the weekly news. itâs the usual â woe is mankind due to their very creations. he snorts at the headline of one article â â how to tell if your android is refusing your orders â â and then swipes it away with the flick of two fingers. â junk , â he says, then repeats the words as he finally clears the screen except for the program of numbers. he places his tablet aside just as the door opens.
leon.
â no , youâre not , â xingwei replies, voice sounding more awake than the last time leon came a few days ago. all around his door are old computer parts. the pieces are set down on cardboard to prevent any damage to the parts which makes his room look junkier than it really is. he brushes a wrapper or two off of his desk before pushing away some parts he was working on, so his desk is cleaner. â so , what do you need again ? â
he canât really be blamed for forgetting, can he?
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hcvthn·:
( ... )
a smirk nestles itself onto his features as he gazes at his partner with an amused expression. he couldnât help but almost laugh at the otherâs discomfort. reaching for the bottle, digits engulfing the crystal as he changes itâs direction. âcould be, but itâs just vodka, wei,â he responds as he proceeds to take a swig and letting the warm liquid settle in the pits of his stomach before speaking once more.Â
âyou up for going somewhere?â he probes gently as he takes another swig and motions it to xingwei.Â
xingwei is used to being laughed at by ddaeng. the other finds it amusing how unused to some things xingwei is and, well, heâs kind of a fool for that little chuckle ddaeng gives him. if he looks like a complete idiot, so what? he knows heâs a frightening hacker for the matrix, he knows how to tag people and get them back later. ddaeng is allowed this chuckle, as always.
â how do i know i can trust that ? â xingwei teases, sitting down on the ledge, the corner of it digging into the back of his thighs. he smiles lazily at the other, but shakes his hand at the offered bottle. one sip is plenty for him, thank you.
instead, xingwei leans his head over to rest on ddaengâs shoulder, eyes admiring the other. â â somewhere â ? â he asks, â arenât we already somewhere ? â he chuckles softly, pressing a kiss to ddaengâs cheek. â where to ? â he smiles, â iâll pay the subway fare if itâs out of the district . â
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cvthexiis·:
[ ... ]
she calms herself down before entering the cafe, making sure to drop by and order a simple coffee, before zeroing in on the hacker and heading straight towards him. he looks for all of the world like he wants anything but her attention and so itâs satisfying when she finally reaches his table and settles into the seat across from him. âiâm going to hope one of these adorable cats stole your phone and not that youâve been ignoring my calls for the past two hours.â she says, a sugary sweet smile on her lips as she looks at him.
as expected, he hadnât been near as sly as he thought. on the internet, things are easier, but out in the real world he has to face anyone he annoys. itâs fun, sure, but heâs come to realize that he actually doesnât like when skye nags at him. somehow he keeps forgetting just how naggy she can get until it comes time for them to meet up once again and then heâs thrust right onto her shitlist for something or other. itâs not uncommon anymore and he just continues to allow it to happen.
â at least sheâs cute when sheâs pissed ? â his inner thoughts provide as she settled across from him. it really doesnât help him.
â uhhh ⊠â xingwei hums, rubbing underneath the droid-catâs chin for a moment before using that same hand to point at it. â his fault . yeah , uh , i got here and he just ⊠gobbled it up . â he gives a shrug, as though sheâll believe it right off. â you canât really punish the cat , right? â
as he tries to convince skye ( subtly ) not to nag him, his phone rings in the seat right by his thigh. his gaze drifts down to it and then back to skye, but before her expression can darken, he presses the mute button on his phone. and then, he drinks some more of his coffee and acts as though that hadnât just happened.
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inezistent·:
He doesnât lack the motivation to kill a human being, but the two things holding him back are 1) Skye would be disappointed in him, and 2) the human being he wants to kill has provided him an ID, so Ezi owes him that. So he stays motionless when he finally sees the said man walking in his direction.
âYouâre late,â he says and finally lets a small frown form on his forehead, his eyes are fixed on Xingweiâs. âDonât give me another dumb excuse, itâs not the first time this happens.â
if thereâs one thing to be said about xingwei outside of his excellent hacking skills â itâs also his amazing sense of laziness. on a good day, he can get all his work done without much of a fuss ( mild complaints, yes, because he is nothing without his complaints ). on the opposite side, the bad days, xingwei puts off work, puts off everything, to sleep ( or some other mindless task ). if cai xingwei were an android, he would have exactly two modes of operation â low efficiency and super powered mode.
one really canât expect much from him when it comes to being on time. itâs just not in his character, most days, to be the one thatâs there on time. still, even xingwei has to admit that an hour and a half is too long to keep people waiting. especially the android ezi, who would just as soon punch his lights out as to glance at him.
xingwei doesnât care, not really. if he gets punched, then, well, thatâs on him. itâs his bad â because he decided to piss off the android by falling asleep on the damn train.
heâs not one to job, but jog he does ( or maybe some form of power walking with a few stumbles along the way ) up to ezi, exhaling long and loud as if heâs just run a marathon. â well⊠i wonât give you an excuse â iâll just say that i fell asleep, had to stay onboard, then fell asleep again. third time we stopped by the right exit i finally was awake to get offâŠâ xingwei shrugs a shoulder at his non-excuse excuse, cause can, and then walks past ezi into the junkyard.
â so, anyway, what parts are we looking at today? â
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hcvthn·:
áŽáŽÊáŽÊᎠÊáŽÉȘÉŽ | áŽáŽsáŽ
or so he tried to convinced himself.Â
fingertips tingled as he placed the glass bottle beside him, a light buzz consuming his body as his mind drifted towards the possibility of hitting the casino again as the first time had been rather successful. it was what had endorsed the bottle he was drinking. yet, he had wanted the company of anotherâ and who better than the warmth of another.Â
âi told you it would be worth it,â he says slowly, as he makes his eyes break focus from the sight of the city and finally acknowledging his partner. âisnât the view to die for?â
the world is oddly quiet this high up, only the mock wind blowing his hair, rustling his clothes. itâs nice, xingwei thinks, to be up here where heâs a different person with a different life. he can pretend, for a moment, that he isnât cai xingwei, isnât loki of the matrix. where this desire to be someone else comes from is anyoneâs guess â though heâs sure his mother would have a few philosophical things to say about it, were she to know.
xingwei doesnât plan on telling her. as much as he loves her, would die for her, he doesnât like being psychoanalyzed by anyone.
his attention is drawn from his thoughts with the light clinking the glass bottle makes as itâs set down on the rooftop edging. sharp eyes move from it to the man sitting down on the ledge, as he stands behind it. maybe thatâs what it is â he feels too safe sometimes. ddaeng obviously is fine, his life always on the edge anyway, if xingweiâs picking up the clues right.
the hacker sighs a bit. okay, this topic is too heavy for him â time to forget it.
â it really is, â xingwei mutters softly, his usual monotonous ( lazy ) tone replaced with a lilt of contentment. he steals the bottle and takes a small sip and then quickly regrets it as it burns down his throat and leaves his eyes teary. â fuck, whatâs in there, bleach? â
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fanbaobao: Beijing â âą do not edit
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{location: lux/nox nightclub, harajuku ( âupper layerâ );
time: 1.03am;
@icouldbcgodâ
}
maybe some would see him as lonely if they saw him right now â leaning on the counter, off to the side in his own little space, while bodies move around him. some are dancing, some are pouring their attention into something playing on the huge hologram television, and the rest? well, the rest are spending their time annoying the androids on display for renting.
there are androids wandering around, some personal, some belonging to the club to advertise their offerings of said androids. one such android looks to be having a bit of trouble with some customers. xingwei glances over and then turns away, downing his shot of whiskey. he doesnât drink often, doesnât really like the taste of alcohol, but he canât smoke in here which is bullshit, really. who decided that? but xingwei doesnât want to cause an upset and get kicked out.
the ruckus behind him calms down and he hopes thatâs the end of it all, but of course, the world is constantly against him. a new issue pops up right in front of him. and this one is big enough to cause some dancers to back away and continue their fun a few feet from where thereâs a human harassing an android.
â oh jesus, fuck me, â xingwei mutters to himself before standing up, glass slammed down on the counter top before he rounds it. â âey! â he shouts lazily, shoving the man away from the android, getting between them. the guy is about a head shorter than him and, with the light dimmed, xingwei must look pretty terrifying at this angle ( must be his eye-bags ).
still, the guy puffs his chest out and tries to fight back, but xingwei shoves him back again before yanking out his wallet and handing a wad of money to the android. â here. iâll pay for you for the night, â he says to her, and then smirks back at the guy, â guess youâll have to find another toy. â he shrugs a shoulder at the guy who finally relents and storms off, shoving people out of the way.
â rich bastardsâŠâ xingwei sighs a little, turning to the android then and looking at her. â you good? â
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{location: abe gastronomy, ginza ( âupper layerâ );
time: 3.50pm;
@shiwoomoon
}
for once, xingwei is early â around ten minutes early, in fact. heâs so pleased with himself, he ordered a small snack for himself before his business meeting partner arrives. itâs a new appetizer and he wants to see if itâs something his mother might enjoy. for her, he doesnât mind trying these new things â though his taste is vastly different from hers, he knows what she likes and dislikes.
he can only have his mask off until the other arrives, so he enjoys it while it lasts. once the dish is brought to him, he knows right away that heâs going to hate it. itâs sweet and sour something something, but thereâs sesame seeds too and, well, thatâs just not his cup of coffee if heâs at all honest about it. but, he plows through because he promised himself heâd try it for his momâs sake.
as expected, he hates it and nearly spits it across the table, but there are just some things even he doesnât do. the bite is swallowed down, tears coming to his eyes as he forces himself not to gag as it slides down his throat. the plate is shoved to the side after that and he checks the time. almost time.
he slides his mask back in place and sits back against the seat heâs in. heâs chosen a darker corner, the dim lighting of the led lights above the table cast a barely there shadow over his face â but itâs enough to make him look menacing, which is exactly how he wants to look when the other arrives.
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{location: neko cafe, shibuya ( âmiddle layerâ );
time: 12.05pm;
@cvthexiis
}
â no smoking! â
the cigarette is barely brought to his lips when a barista scolds him from the front counter. he sighs softly and shoves it back into the pack before tossing it on the table in front of him. â then can i get another coffee? â he asks over his shoulder. he hears a huff at his rudeness, but he doesnât apologize nor offer a nicer wording. one of the android cats trots over to him and hops up on the seat beside him, bumping against him for attention.
itâs strange to see an android cat in xingweiâs opinion, but the thing is just as soft as the real ones, so he doesnât discriminate against it and scratches behind its right ear. it purrs aloud and he cracks a little smile, which is wiped away the second a coffee cup is set down in front of him. it isnât slammed, but itâs no secret that heâs annoyed this barista.
â thank you, â he turns his head to say, tone sarcastic. his eyes gaze away from the barista to the front door where she stands. â oh greatâŠÂ â he grumbles a little and sinks down in his seat, trying to remain unseen. but if he knows her â and he does â sheâs already seen him.
all the while, the cat-droid purrs loudly and bumps against him some more.
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