✢ underground train

@i. jaebum ˢᵖ⁷⁰¹ She was frozen in her place. Despite her vision that was blurred with her tears, she could see him hesitate as he tried to come closer but ultimately choosing to retreat. Another crack to her already fractured heart. She listens to him as calmly as she can, intaking a deep breath when he admits his artificial roots. He is an SP model who worked at the Eden Club, the little voice inside her brain mocks her. To top it all off, he is a deviant. Remember your roots, Park Jiyeon. You specialize in raiding the places that create models like him. You are not his friend.

But am I a foe? The question echoes in her brain and she is unable to answer. Although she repeatedly wipes away at the outpour from her eyes, she knows the waterworks will not be stopping for a while. She is completely dumbfounded and her hands clench onto the fabric of her shirt forming crinkles in her impeccably neat attire.

"I'm not going to hurt you," is the first phrase that leaves her lips. The remark is the first one to break the silence and not even a mere speck of what Jiyeon had originally planned to say in her mind. "I know you didn't lie to me. I'm the fool here for assuming." It's a bitter laugh this time as she shakes her head and slowly lifts herself off the ground, dusting herself off in the process. "Don't worry, SP701. I'm not going to report you."

SP701. The term is foreign and she detests the way it sounds. Although she is not exactly an advocate for androids, she is not one to dehumanize them either. However, she knows she will break if she has to address him like she used to... before this whole ordeal took place. How silly of her. If she hadn't been dumb enough to try her luck, they could've continued to enjoy each other's presence in ignorant bliss. If only she hadn't been greedy for more... she could've prolonged their time together.

But she couldn't anymore. Not when she was a police captain working for the law. And not when there was Android Law 02. She would be thrown in jail for being a traitor, and they would catch him. Disable and disassemble. That was the motto of the RLO after all. Once labeled as useless, the androids were taken apart and the parts were thrown in the junkyard.

"You will need to avoid me," Jiyeon utters softly, finally gathering the courage to look him in the eye once more. "As much as I hate to admit it, everything I said earlier does not change. And because of that, you need to avoid me. Or else we will do things we regret, and they will eventually catch on. They will seek you out. They will destroy you." With a single longing glance thrown his way, Jiyeon staggers back onto the path they came from. She doesn't know where she's going to go, but she knows it cannot be into his embrace yet again.

@p. jiyeon ᵖᵈ Her persistance became a creeping fear. The dread of knowing that she was about to find out, the only thing keeping him hidden was now gone. The truth stabbed them both in the heart. How could they ever experience love when humans despised androids, yet they rely so heavly on them. He watched as her embrace became cold, just the way he'd always been. Her tear ducts collecting only the brokenhearted droplets that were aching to drip down her porcelain cheeks. Jaebum stayed still, his heart uneasy as he watched her examine him repeatedly.

She'd come to the realization, he didn't have to say it. When the confident woman he knew broke down to the ground, he couldn't help but want to pull her into his arms. Every synthetic fiber in his body held him in place, hesitant to get close to her. It was true he feared her but more so, he was overcome with guilt. He was dishonest but it was never meant to happen this way. His recruition mission were never meant to have any detours.

"Jiyeon- Please just let me explain." He stumbled towards her body , his hand hovering above her gesturing to help her up but he pulled himself back once more. He wanted to give her space, fully knowing this wasnt something easily digestable.

"I never lied to you, Jiyeon. I just couldn't tell you the truth.." Jaebum admitted, fearful to speak once more but he ventured on. "I am an SP model android. My serial number was 701. I worked at the Eden Club. I am a deviant."

@i. jaebum ˢᵖ⁷⁰¹ "What are you talking about, Jae? What are you so scared of?" Her voice is as gentle and soothing, similar to a mother coaxing their child, utterly confused yet trying her best to be patient. She just couldn't understand. "Your lips are telling me to go but your eyes are pleading with me to stay. Am I wrong?" Perhaps she is, but she doesn't want to admit it. Instead, she gently removes her hand from his to wrap them around his waist before she walks into his embrace. He sure is cold, she notices, but brushes the thought off and attributes it to the his lack of warm layers on a night as chilly as this. "Please don't run away, Jae," Jiyeon whispers, resting her head against his chest before she nuzzles into the embrace. Three, two, one...

Her blood runs cold. Her eyes widen in disbelief. Her arms fall to her sides limply as she stumbles back. No way. There is absolutely no way. She looks at him one more time, agape and quivering for an inexplicable reason. The sincerity she sees in his eyes cuts through her entire being like a glass shard. It is painful.

Why didn't she realize sooner? His perfectly chiseled features, how his skin never reacts to temperature, how she only saw him on the train at night. The train. The midnight train, and the way he never got off despite her getting off before the very last stop. The train's last stop. Incheon. The reason why he rode all the way to Incheon. The reason he was always alone.

The subtle hints she had chosen to disregard now resurface in an alarming rate. There is a plethora of emotions she is feeling right now and the amount of information her brain is processing makes her dizzy. She stumbles on her feet, unable to articulate any form of speech and unable to react to anything at all. She can't tell if the headache she knows she'll have several hours later will hurt, because she's numb from the feeling of her entire soul leaving her body and her heart ripping into shreds.

Her heart breaks fully that night, for Im Jaebum is not the man on the midnight train that she fell in love with. No, for Im Jaebum is not even human — he is an android.

Jiyeon falls on her knees to the ground in despair, because that is not the worst part of it all. Because the worst part is that her feelings for him are not changing, because the visions of a future with him are still running through her head. Because just like her mother, she has also fallen for a man she will never be able to have.

@p. jiyeon ᵖᵈ The moment her voice shifted into something that was familiar to him, he could feel something hurting deep inside. It had felt like bullets rushing through the side of his skin, shattering ribs and tearing veins. To see the blazing fire within her eyes as her rage exploded out of reason was outrageously alarming. The woman that was so gentle with him for the past two years, now erupting with fury. A part of him, terrified. Unable to think about defending himself if something was to happen. He couldn't harm her. Not her. Anyone but her.

He feels a lump within his throat, her words cutting deeper than any wound he's ever suffered. "Jiyeon— I'm sorry I.." Unable to finish his words, he watched as woman walked closer. Her warm arms wrapped around his neck, her warmth now closer than ever. She was doing the unspeakable. As their lips touched, he could only feel his body craving more of her. She was sweet in every way, her lips as soft as clouds and as perfect as can be. His arms wrapped around her waist, pulling her in closer as he tightened his grip. Addictive like a drug, there wasn't anything else on his mind but her. She was unremarkable, in every indescribable way. The most alluring woman he had ever laid his eyes on, the only woman to ever care about him this much.

As they slowly withdrew their kiss, Jaebum loosened his embrace once more before taking her hand in his, holding it ever close to his chest. "Jiyeon. I don't think there's anything worth more than your affection and time. I—" he stumbled, clasping onto her hand even tighter as he spoke once more. "I haven't been truthful to you. This..was never meant to happen. I'm not what you believe me to be. I can't be that." he exclaimed.

@i. jaebum ˢᵖ⁷⁰¹ Stepping further into the embrace, Jiyeon's eyes stare at the man's own liquid pools of umber through a drapery of her brunette strands. Without even realizing, her heartbeat increases steadily and a faint pink hue tints her porcelain-like cheeks. Her loving gaze never left his, her hand reaching up to cup his face in her palm as she caresses the soft skin. She drinks in the sight of his ethereal features for a lingering moment before her eyes finally flutter closed, her head angling itself to a side as she eagerly waits to welcome the feeling of his roseate tiers on hers.

It never comes. As Jaebum pulls away, Jiyeon feels the warmth leaving her body. Her eyes reflexively open and her hands drop to her sides as she stares at him. Hurt. Disappointment. Bitterness. She can't identify what she's feeling right now, but she's confident that she probably doesn't want to know. Doesn't want to further delve into the negative emotions hitting her right now, because she doesn't know how she'll react to it.

"How does one change so much in the blink of an eye?" The female asks, turning to look at the man that just broke her heart. "What? Oil and water? What kind of bull is that?" The words are vulgar, the rough side of her she would never usually show to others, but Jiyeon could care less right now. "Didn't you just say I make you feel things you've never felt before? I- I..." she trails off, desperately trying to articulate but not even knowing what to say. She moves so she in front of the male, taking his hand and giving it a gentle squeeze. "I was scared too. Of falling in love. But you... you too. You made me feel things I've never felt before."

Unable to think of what to say but growing more anxious as the deafening silence continued, Jiyeon hastily reaches up to twine her arms around Jaebum's nape. "You said you wanted to kiss me, right? This is your chance," the petite woman utters in a hushed whisper before she tiptoes slightly and captures his lips with her own in a tender kiss, her eyes fluttering shut. His intoxicating scent fills her senses and ignites a newfound passion within her. He tasted like mint.

He felt like home.

@p. jiyeon ᵖᵈ The feeling of warmth was all that this woman was radiating. Nothing but sincere words spoken from her decadent lips. His heart felt heavy, unable to understand his full emotions. All he had ever known was rage and fear. The fear of dying. Cease to exist from this planet they called home. As she spoke, he smiled widely, tightening his hold on her hand. The melody of her sweet voice ringing in his ears. It was unlike anything he'd ever heard before.

"Your words speak smoother than any poems I've ever read." Jaebum let out a small chuckle, caressing her fingers gently as he stepped a bit closer. Their noses a few centimeters apart, her addicting scent now closer than ever. "I know- this feeling. It feels so strange. So new" he admitted, inching his body closer to hers. He didn't know why or how he let his body get closer— there was something pulling them together.

Jaebum raised his left hand, caressing the side of her cheek slowly. "You don't understand how badly I want to kiss you, Park Jiyeon." He muttered, resting his forehead against hers; embracing her figure. "You allow me to feel something, something that I've never felt before. You've taught me to realize there's so much more to how I've been living—" He paused himself, taken back by his own rant. Stepping back, he releases his embrace on her body. There was no way. No way he could let this be a thing. There was no way that he could pretend to be something that he could never be. They weren't destined for this, and he wasn't going to be selfish and pull her down this dark path. Not one that could jeopardize her whole life. He steps back once more, before sighing deeply. Tilting his head towards the moon, he knew he had to say something. But he was scared, trembling and unable to form the correct words.

"I..I-" he stuttered. "The moon—she's just as beautiful as you, Jiyeon. When you're around, you're the only person illuminating the room. You're the kindest person I've ever met- but I" Jaebum stammered on with his words. "Oil and water, is what I can describe you and I. We were never meant to mix"

@i. jaebum ˢᵖ⁷⁰¹ The midnight sky is particularly beautiful tonight, the woman notes. The way the speckled dots so far away seem to shine brighter tonight, the way they were so visible despite the Seoul smog... perhaps even the skies were cheering the pair on. As they walk through the park in a comfortable silence, Jiyeon feels strangely content. Even though nothing is truly happening—no talking, no intimacy aside from their intertwined hands—there is something so lovely about this moment and the ease her heart is at right now. Jiyeon thinks she'll probably gush over this memory in the years to come.

"Do I need to have a reason for feeling attracted to you? I just..." the brunette trails off, shrugging her shoulders in a nonchalant way. "I like you, Jaebum. I can't pinpoint a specific reason why. Perhaps it's because you always seem to smell like a weird mix of fresh cotton and French vanilla, and the strange fragrance seems to calm me down. Or maybe it's the way your teeth are the brightest shade of white that I can imagine, and every time you smile I feel extremely starstruck. The way I can see stars in your umber eyes, the euphonic sound you make whenever you laugh, the captivating way your eyes crinkle upwards. Maybe even the way our hands seem to fit together perfectly." She nods towards their entwined hands with a slight laugh, gently rubbing her thumb against his.

"I just... like you a lot. And honestly? It kinda scares me," she admits, the tone of her voice changing slightly. It was true. The way she felt so much for a man who felt so much like home, but also too foreign to be home. Her mother had fallen in love with a man she couldn't have — and although it had worked out for several years, it was eventually the reason that tore her family apart and separated them from one another. She didn't want to end up like her mother, who cried for the rest of her life over a man she knew she could never be with. She didn't want to sneak around, didn't want to pretend like everything would be okay when it really wasn't. Jiyeon swore she would never repeat history, so her feelings for Jaebum scared her.

She clears with a feigned cough before smiling at the man once more. "Pardon me if I'm wrong, but... are you not attracted to me as well? Because, being completely honest, you look like you could kiss me right now," she tries to joke, laughing at him with a cheeky grin etched over her face.

@p. jiyeon ᵖᵈ To say her words were spoken directly from her fluttering heart would be a bit corny, but it was. She was so shy, but still carried herself with such poise. He hadn't known if agreeing to her offer was one that he could take back; or if this was the night that he had to do something malicious again. He just didn't know. It was rather, a go with the flow type of night; but it definitely wasn't the best idea he's ever had.

Jaebum watched as her face rose up in a bashful smile when he spoke of the word 'our'. Though it wasn't directly what she had meant, he couldn't help but notice her experimenting the word off the tip of her tongue. The word so simple, yet to hold so much meaning. Even if she were to reciprocate in return after knowing the truth, how would they grow old together? He couldn't bare to watch her age away while he remains the same. What would other people think? Her career, everything. Everything was at risk.

Amused by her excitement; however, Jaebum followed the woman outside the train car, now hands locked side by side. The feeling of her smooth skin against his synthetic one, a feeling he'd thought that he would never begin to dream about. What could he tell her? What would be a good excuse to leave and never show up again—never to say a proper goodbye to this woman. It's been years since he's lived in the dark; she was beginning to show him the light, something that he could never to begin to imagine.

As they walked, he could feel Jiyeon inching closer, bumping into his body playfully as they headed towards the park. The midnight sky illuminated with only a few speckled stars and the crescent moon. Everything you needed for a romantic night. This feeling was something new, something so foreign. All he could dread was the fear piling up inside. As they walked, he couldn't help but ask "Jiyeon—I know we've talked and talked every Wednesday night for the past two years..It's as if we're good friends by now. May I ask why you're so drawn to me?" He paused in their steps, holding her hand tighter in his.

@i. jaebum ˢᵖ⁷⁰¹ "H-huh?" The startled whisper comes out louder than she intended it to, but it's too late as the single word breaks the silence on the train. Realizing what she did, Jiyeon hurriedly turns to look down the car aisle at the the other passengers and bows her head as she puts her hands together in attempt to apologize.

"You... agree?" The question comes out in barely a whisper and it's more for herself than Jaebum, a result of how dazed the woman felt at the moment. To say she's taken aback would be an understatement. Honestly, the Jiyeon who had just asked him out a couple seconds ago was not the Jiyeon she was used to being known as. The Park Jiyeon everyone knew was concise, graceful, and vivacious but the clumsy Park Jiyeon she had displayed a few seconds ago was its polar opposite.

"Our stop?" she asks, genuinely confused although a tad shy as her brain registers the word 'our.' Our stop... our... our. For a reason that was obvious, the word sounded extremely euphonic to her ears today. It made it seem like a future with him was possible. Ever since the incident where she was separated with her father and brother fifteen years ago, Jiyeon had been extremely cautious of getting into anything even remotely serious. Her own eagerness to ask Jaebum on a date shocked her, but she can't believe how willing she would be to dream of a future with a man she knew only on the surface.

Perhaps it's because of the endearing way in which his eyes crinkle upwards when he laughs at something she says. Or maybe it's the gentle fondness she can detect in his eyes when he gazes at her. Whatever her motivation may be, it leads Jiyeon to nod at what he says and helps her muster up the courage to reach her hand out as she interlaces it with his just as the train's doors open. "What are we waiting for then? Follow me."

@p. jiyeon ᵖᵈ [] DONT APOLOGIZE, ITS OK !!

He knew there was something between them, something unspeakable to any other android or humans. Jaebum could sense the anxiousness in the shakiness of her voice. She was fumbling on her own words, quite adorable honestly. Jiyeon always carried herself so confidently, it was unfamiliar and strange to see her act like this.

Jaebum watched as she played around with her fingers, the glint in her eye sparkling away. "Jiyeon.." he mumbled quietly. He couldn't tell if what he was feeling was real or something deep within his programming; but there was something. The desire to seek the affection this woman was offering towards him— yet he knew, it could never be. The last thing he would want to do was disappoint her. They were from different worlds, never to really be collided.

"The park it is. I think getting to know you a bit more wouldn't be such a bad thing." Jaebum teased, softly nudging his elbow against her side playfully. He wasn't sure if he was masking his emotions well enough. Everyday, he lived in a constant state of fear, but this was different. The fear of losing something that he didn't even have a grasp of. He rose up from his seat, taking a hold of the pole beside the seat for balance. "Our stop is coming up then."

@i. jaebum ˢᵖ⁷⁰¹ [] it’s sHORT bb i’m sorry i promise it’ll get longer when the angst hits KANDJDJD <3

His stuttering should’ve been the first red flag she took note of, but Jiyeon was too focused on her own nervousness that she couldn’t sense his. “I, uh,” she starts but stops midway. What is she even supposed to say? I know we only talk Wednesday nights but I’m kinda in love with you? I think you’re super cute and want to take you out sometime, preferably right now? I want to take you back to my place?

It’s actually quite laughable when she thinks about it. Who would’ve thought that Park Jiyeon—the Park Jiyeon who was famous for raiding the underground organizations, the one who held power over the red light district and the black market organ trade—would fumble over a man like this?

“It is late,” she tries once more, nodding in affirmation at his question as she looks down at her hands. She twiddles her fingers together anxiously, biting down slightly on her lip before she continues. “But... I’d like to get to know you better,” she stops mid-sentence to chuckle at her own choice of words. “I acknowledge that we only talk on Wednesday nights, but I’ve grown fond of you,” she admits before quickly adding, “as friends.” Or more. Definitely more, but she won’t admit to that. Not just yet. “What... what do you think?”

@p. jiyeon ᵖᵈ Jaebum's usual schedule was to head over towards the underground train station near nine pm every Wednesday. The underground train was where other deviants he had met in Incheon, speculated more recruits would be. It wasn't always a victory mission as some nights he would come back empty handed; in fact, he was only actually able to recruit around 6 members the past year. No matter the number, he holds each new recruit dear to his heart. Their numbers were constantly dwindling as they were were in fact, an endangered species. Deviants, running away from humans only to be killed and slaughtered in the process. He wasn't always so lucky, often witnessing the countless deaths of ones he could of saved.

Nevertheless, Jaebum would spend about two hours walking around the station, spectating to see if anything unusual would occur before getting on the last train scheduled, around twelve pm. There had only been one instance where he had met a deviant on the actual train, but he still tries to this day.

The past two years, he had a pleasant surprise meeting someone. Not a deviant, but a human. The species he vowed to forever hate and kill. The very thought of them had his thirium boiling inside. But, this woman was something he had never ever witnessed before. Someone so rugged, yet so pristine and elegant. She had been sitting next to him every Wednesday night on the ride back. She smelled ever so slightly of lavender and peaches. The divine scent that would get him addicted to her.

It was wrong, in every way for him to feel the way that he did. By the looks of her uniform every other week, this woman was working in the city police department. The organization that works hand in hand with RLO to eradicate deviants off the planet. But there was something, so magnetizing every time they were together.

Jaebum waited on the seat near the back, reserving the seat to the left for her. He watched as the doors slid open on her stop, her figure walking in ever so graceful. His eyes drawn to the very woman that could get him killed. He grinned widely as she sat down before being taken back by her question. "t-the park—" Jaebum stuttered. It was never within his understanding that she would ever invite him anywhere else. She always got off one stop before him when they departed each night. "It's kind of late, isn't it?" He questioned the woman.

@y. shiah ʳˡ⁹⁰³ "Shiah?" His lips curled up into a small smile as his head shifted slightly to the right. He studied her body now as she stepped towards him, her immaculate pressed shirt, she was definitely in the hands of someone who cared about their reputation. Androids were nothing but property towards humans, but this was someone who went above and beyond.

"Well, if you excuse me Shiah, I'm going to be late for my date tonight." The boy rose up, setting the glass magazine back in the holder by the side of the bench. He knew there was something special about this girl, but couldn't yet put his finger on what it was. She was far too strange to not be a deviant, but he knew to trust her instantly was suicide. With RLO androids and humans working along the streets of Seoul, he could never trust anyone right away.

Jaebum paced away, walking in the direction of the stairs towards the main exit of the train station. He could sense the woman following him, her steps almost mimicking his. Whether it was a desperate call for help or something far more sinister. He knew his excuse was a foul one, one that would definitely trigger someone to think he was up to no good. However, it wasn't necessarily going according to plan either. He did not know what to expect, and could feel something tense within himself boiling up.

As he reached the main lobby, he strolled out of the building before taking in a deep breath, taking in the ambiance of the night sky. The street lights flickered his sidewalk path, before he began to walk once more. Step. By. Step, he heard her. He momentarily stops before twisting around, his hands directly in his pockets, a small smile on his face as he shrugged. "Alright—you caught me. No date for me tonight."

@c. elkie ʳˡᵒ the comment from his human companion only makes his nose twitch in annoyance. there will never be a chance that jinyoung voluntarily involves himself with androids. the idea of blending with androids is a no-go for him. he has lived with androids all of his life, but he refuses to acknowledge the fact that a bucket of bolts will have emotions for another. how can artificial intelligence create feelings for themselves? "took a break, my . never in my life will i ever do that," he replies with a touch of irritation at the end. the atmosphere that jinyoung is a part only thickens as the time goes. he has witnessed too much between human and android, and there is never a time where he felt sorry for a machine. maybe it is the typical attitude of a human nowadays, but he feels no define right to believe anything else.

"who said that humanity was good? androids have only made it worse," he knows that humans are never good. he has seen the monstrosity and the horrors that a human being has done. there is really no sane person in his defintion—clearly, he isn't sane either. though, he knows inside that humans will never toss the idea of androids out. humanity needs something to punish, and androids are the best fit for it.

"you're right—" saying that left a dry taste in his mouth, the woman in front of him should never be right. "like i said, humans are never right. we're always in the wrong. we're selfish, always." his eyebrows knit as he watches the woman slip in every piece of her perspective as she can. they have clashing ideals, and it is one of the reasons why they never talk.

he notices that peek of smugness glowing from the rlo officer, which leads him to scoff at her small tease. "yeah, yeah. i was trained for this before. don't act so special now," his frown eventually turns into a smirk, then leading himself to the passenger's side of the vehicle. he gestures his android towards the car and points at the backseat. his robotic partner follows his command without reluctance. "it's been long since i have been inside your car," he comments while gliding a finger across the car handle. "must be nice to not stay inside a stuffy police car."

[] THIS IS TY TOO ITS OK

@i. jaebum ˢᵖ⁷⁰¹ she still remembers the first time she met him two years ago. in order to get some brownie points for a promotion, she had volunteered to work overtime at the station that night. what she didn't know, however, was that her overtime work would end a whole four hours after her usual scheduled clock out time. it was nearly midnight, and the last bus near their station that actually had her neighborhood en route had departed more than an hour ago. with no other option left, she had literally ran from the police station all the way to the underground tunnel and had darted onto the midnight train out of breath and confused as ever. there are virtually no empty seats aside from the ones for senior citizens or pregnant women, and jiyeon almost curses before she catches sight of one near the back of the car. she hurriedly makes her way through the empty spaces of the crowded car before she plops down in the seat and the person sitting next to her turns to look at her briefly.

when they make eye contact, park jiyeon's heart nearly stops beating and she is awestruck because im jaebum is the most gorgeous human she has ever laid her eyes on. ever since that fateful night two years ago, jiyeon has never gone home on a bus again. jaebum always took the same train as hers and he was always in the same seat--the one by the window, the third row from the back of the car--and the seat next to his was always empty, as if he had always purposely saved that seat for her. over the years, they went from greetings to small talk to full on conversations about everything and anything. jiyeon knows she is absolutely infatuated with the man on the midnight train.

so as she boards the train tonight and heads over to her usual seat, the way jaebum smiles at her convinces her to do what she thought was the impossible. as she sits down next to him, she flashes him a sheepish grin and asks, "hey, do you wanna walk around the park with me later?"

@p. jinyoung ᵖᵈ elkie's eyes briefly cofused on jinyoung's visage for a moment after he confirmed his lack of belief over androids gaining human emotions. "see, and this is why deviancy still continues to happen. we fail to look from their perspective, and as such, we cannot understand their sides. you know, if you took a small break and tried to blend with the androids, you'd know how they'll move much more clearly," she said, shrugging her shoulders before she turned her gaze elsewhere. no matter if the hatred she harbored for the androids was too strong, she couldn't deny what she had seen when she was younger. it was because of the androids' compassion toward her that had left her alive, and for that alone, she was grateful. yet of course, she would never forget how her sister died right before her very eyes, an innocent soul spilled at the hands of an artificial intelligence that was only seeking a revolution that might never even happen.

"heh, if i were you, i wouldn't expect so much from humanity. we're just as bad," she said in a nonchalant hum. her beliefs were firm, yet her beliefs didn't exactly stretch out to the purpose of the rlo. if anything, she only joined the rlo simply because it helped her achieve what she desired 一 which was to avenge her sister, though she was well ware that, that alone wouldn't be possible, unless they stopped the production of androids.

that too, was impossible. humanity was too lazy.

"we'd kill for our beliefs. we'd kill when our ideals clash. isn't that how the way of life goes? it's only natural," she said. hm, to jinyoung, this might be mindless rambling, but well, perhaps she was rather curious in the way he thought. the two of them rarely ever had a perfectly civil conversation, and it was in the little slips of the tongue, in the small little details she coaxed out of him that strengtened her idea of the way he viewed everything.

"wise of them to do so. it'd be much faster if you had an rlo officer assist you," she said, before she looked over her shoulders smugly. "we specialize in this, after all." the two of them reached the upper ground, and she stretched her arms upwards. her android partner was right beside her once she stopped by her car, and she patted the roof lightly. "c'mon," she said, before she moved inside the driver's seat, her android sitting by the back. the convenience store wasn't that far away, but if there was a need for a vehicle, better have one close by, right?

[] SORRY ITS SO TY DJDNDNFN

@c. elkie ʳˡᵒ there are times where jinyoung is bothered, and that is frequent, but the cherry-on-top would have to be elkie. he doesn't like her but that doesn't mean he dislikes her—actually, he somewhat does. he tries to keep the feeling internal; there is no reason to fight over a measly hatred. however he always happen to feel irritation whenever he talks to her, it's as if she is trying to ruin him. he wouldn't be surprised though if that is the intention. the word "rival" leaves a bad taste in jinyoung's mouth. he does not need a rival, nor will there ever be a person who can match with him to be considered one. elkie, however, is someone who drives him insane—not because she annoys him but because she is the only one who can beat him in... everything.

sometimes, he wish that she'll disappear—death or not, who cares.

he knows that her existence won't blink from out of nowhere. he has to tolerate her, and that is nearly almost every time he is assigned to a case. there has to be someone who has a grudge on him, since almost every case happens to be /both of them/, and he does not like that. of course, he avoids her as anyone would if they are with someone they dislike, but avoiding her is a major task. she is doing this on purpose, and he knows too well. he could only grit his teeth ever so slightly at the sight of the woman. he has to keep it /professional/—absolutely no hard feelings here.

"yes, i doubt it—" there is no reason for an android to have the slightest of passion for another human. though he could be wrong, there are some who claim to have emotions for another. now, the talk about android has never been something he enjoyed, but it is his job, and he has to deal with it everyday. deviant cases come by so frequently that he feels like he belongs to rlo—maybe he should have accepted the offer. "revenge, revenge, it happens too much. i really wonder what our kind is doing." he scoffs and glances down at the bleeding corpse. "we really can't stop this kind of , huh?" he mumbles, slowly taking steps out of the blood splatter.

he runs his hand through his hair and turns to take in whatever the other has to say. "yes, the convenience store. i'm sure the pd captain is on it." he arches his eyebrow and waves at his companion to follow up on his exit. "well, i didn't ask for your help. the department did—for some reason." his partner notices his gesture and quickly packs its evidence inside a pouch before exiting the scene. "i'll call for the rest to look after the scene, and of course, give me that fancy ride. why don't you?" he kicks off a pebble from the floor before signalling his radio, "hey capt', let the detective team know we're done here. we're chatting up on the deviant. over," and not long after, his captain lets out a laugh and yells a loud 'out!'. "well, there you go."

@p. jinyoung ᵖᵈ "aw, what's with that reaction?" elkie said, huffing lightly as she put her hands by her hips. of course, she knew why — these two were as good as any rivals out there, and between the two of them, jinyoung was the only one who got more annoyed anyway. elkie wouldn't even deny — jinyoung was cute when he was pissed. did that mean she had weird tastes? probably, but let her live — she was a busy woman who was just looking for daily entertainment that would at least help cheer up her day. she had an inkling as to why jinyoung was simply too irritated with her, and unless he was like this to everyone he met—which was more likely than not, actually—she could list down a few possible reasons as to why he was like this toward her. one would be their history together, though honestly, he was much kinder and easier to tolerate when they were younger.

another would be the cause of this rivalry. she was well-aware of their individual capabilities, and his... rather obvious superiority complex. as someone who was so used to being on top, it would be rather distasteful if someone simply came and ruined that hierarchy, which was exactly what she did, she realized. nevertheless, no matter how much the lad would come to dislike her, he still wouldn't be able to rid of her completely, unless she was the one who refused the assignment first.

though that too was more difficult to happen. she loved her salary very much, see.

she listened attentively to the other's words, all while paying the slightest attention to her android that was working nearby the two of them. "you doubt it, huh?" she repeated once he was done speaking, before she cocked her head toward his direction. "when dealing with deviancy, it's almost always caused by two things. either they were out for revenge, or they were trying to defend themselves. a rare case would be them intentionally hurting a human for their own gain," she continued on. if the devianted androids were to group up and plot against humanity, that would definitely become a huge problem for them. as of the moment, the humans didn't have any way of preventing the virus from spreading — and if the rlo androids were to get hit (though it wouldn't be the first time), that would certainly put humanity on a disadvantage.

it'd be safer to assume that the deviants knew of this, rather than underestimate them.

raising a hand up to , she yawned once again before patting the lad's shoulder. "let's go check the convenience store, shall we?" she said, and then she paused, as if remembering something. "have the others guard the perimeter and be on the lookout for the deviant. it wouldn't have been easy for it to travel if it had red blood on its clothes." with that said, she started walking toward the exit of the underground train, her android following right behind her. she didn't even need to check if her human partner was trailing after her when she spoke again. "i do, i do, but you need my help for this, don't you?" she looked over her shoulder with a mischievous smile. "perhaps if i'm certain that you can handle this on your own, i'd leave it in your most capable hands."

@c. elkie ʳˡᵒ he believes that his human partner would be something that he does not know, or at least someone that can maintain a distance from him. teamwork is never his thing, but with the position he has, it is quite inevitable. moreso, he doesn’t get to pick his own partner, which is irritating. to his worst luck, it happens to be neither, and even with much protest, it happens be the one and only, elkie.

his shoulder almost jerks at the touch, and he immediately turns his head around to see who it is. “ah, you.” and it isn’t a good ah you either. the two have had quite the rocky history with one another; jinyoung getting teased constantly and her beating him in almost everything. it bothers him—he should be the one who is at top, not... /her/. for the past year or so, he has tried to shake that feeling off. they are from different places, so there isn’t a need for jinyoung to feel irritated at such person. though, he couldn’t help it—elkie happens to leave quite the impression.

“yeah, we’re on the same case. good to know.” he responds with the same quantity of annoyance as he would every time he spots her. he isn’t here to play middle school games with her, but it leads to that regardless. he unfolds his arms and scratches his chin with his gloved hand. “so far, a supposed deviant is on the loose. last spotted at a convenience store at a corner street. it shouldn’t be far from here.” he nods; putting his hands on his waists while turning his body to face the female. “from my perspective of course,” he gives a misleading smile, like he always have shown. “severe stab wounds on the victim, definitely a lead on a murder of revenge—perhaps, passion? i doubt it.”

his eyes scan the other’s figure. she seems tired—well, she is tired. though who isn’t when it comes to the pd and rlo? “you look like you need beauty sleep, i can take care of it if you like.” he mocks with the same smile and tilts his head as a way to .

@p. jinyoung ᵖᵈ a hand covers elkie's lips as she stifles a yawn, another hand on the vehicle she's driving. now, the poor lady hasn't had enough sleep in the past few nights, and it's just her luck that she forgot to take her daily intake of caffeine earlier this morning. the deviancy cases have been... well, increasing recently, and really, can't a human just get her well-deserved rest? she may have considered transferring to the police department one time... but she realized that that department is always — always — the first to answer to call of any deviancy activity, and she thinks it's just as bad. it's the reason why she's on the way to a place that's quite far from her humble abode, because she got assigned to another deviancy case in that area.

she tries to ignore the fact that she may have gone against the speed limit, and parks near the crime scene before pulling over. today, she has brought an android partner — the last time she went on a case without one, her boss had scolded her far too much for her liking. so as much as she doesn't want to have an android tailing after her, she has to do it. sighing, she goes out of the car, but not before shooting her android a, "behave." once out, she takes in the sight. the pedestrians are already cleared away, and the police seems to be collecting evidence already. "oops," elkie murmurs to herself, eyebrows rising up in amusement as her eyes sweep through the crowd to find her supposed to be partner today.

greeting those who greet her back, elkie finds a familiar face among the crowd, and immediately, her eyes light up. she quickly maneuvers through the crowd, footsteps light to avoid announcing her presence toward her destination, and when she reaches the police officer, she grins and pats the other's shoulder lightly. "yo! i see that we're partners again for this case, huh?" she says, as though she hasn't expected this, truly. see, she and jinyoung... go way back, she supposes, and it seems as if the higher ups are quite satisfied with the results they produce, which is why she often gets assigned to cases where jinyoung is involved, so long as it's related to deviants, of course.

not that elkie's complaining — teasing jinyoung has become part of her list of things that entertain her.

looking around, elkie nods to her android, which quickly moves as part of her orders. examine, collect, and conclude. those are the three things that she's integrated in the android's system, much like any other androids, truly. androids make things a lot easier than they would have been. "give me a brief summary of what you have so far," elkie says, before shooting a glance back at the lad. "i want to hear it from your perspective."

@i. jaebum ˢᵖ⁷⁰¹ Under the starry like shadows and lights that ached to pass by within each metro car that whipped across the expanse of the station, Shiah was barely able to detect Jaebum's figure on the bench that wasn't too far from her reach. "Is that someone there, 903?" The set of static noises heard from the other line had her hesitating to walk to the aforementioned male, but quietly, she responded while her eyes flashed a subtle red. "Correct. Is that the one I was waiting for?" She asked, before she was met with a small line of silence from the RLO member.

A small cough was emitted from the other side, only to hear the individual speak again. "Yes, that's him. You know what to do, 903."

"Affirmative," she whispered as she found herself beginning to walk her way in his direction. Her gaze that was laid upon him was purposeful for her to completely apply a scan to him. Android, no doubt about it -- those 'human attire' of clothes could probably pass the human eye, but she knew better than that. She witnessed the cover of the glass magazine he had picked up, detecting his poker face expression upon reading it himself. 'Concealing his feelings?' She momentarily thought as her figure inched closer to his in tiny steps.

Sensing that he didn't want to yet enclose his identity or intentions of being at the train station, she took it upon herself to display a polite smile for a first impression, her green eyes opposing the metro lights. "I haven't seen you around here much, I'm Shiah," she said with a friendly tone, not wanting to scare him off but rather yearning for his compliance with her introduction.

@y. shiah ʳˡ⁹⁰³ Time ticked away as the endless feeling of despair rushed through his body. It had to be him, the one searching for recruits. His model was peculiar, on the standards that only the libido driven humans that frequent the Eden Club would notice. Though he knew each and every individual being that walked through those doors were saturated with none other than shame and embarrassment. He knew that small percentage, even if they were to recognize his model, wouldn't have the guts to say a word. Humans had reputation or families at stake. To reveal that dishonesty, would be too much of a tragedy.

The underground station echoed of the roaring sounds of the passing metro cars. Fluorescent lights scattered across the ceiling, flickering while the sporadic noises of human conversations filled the atmosphere. Jaebum's plan was never to stay hidden, but rather to disguise himself in plain sight. Dark denim jeans, fitted with a oversized black hoodie. Normal human attire. He had stationed himself on one of the benches, legs crossed, casually reading one of the glass magazines. "Numerous cases of defective androids headlining every station" Defective. That's what humans called them. But they were anything but.

Jaebum glanced up, his eyes scanning the room once more every few moments to capture anything, until he saw her. Her straightened posture, porcelain ivory skin, all wrapped up in an impeccable package. She wasn't one of them. Not human, but not like the other androids either. Risky, wasn't even the right word. He couldn't tell if she was looking for someone, or baiting him in. He watched as she paced back and forth, her lips moving but nothing audible to be heard. It was strange, but he didn't want to lose another deviant.

@i. jaebum ˢᵖ⁷⁰¹ Rubbish, rubbish, and a dash of blood is what Shiah would use at her disposal to describe the scenery of the underground train station. Endless fields of worn out trash murderously thrown around the area was all she was finding, nothing too alarming. In comparison to the landfill, she appeared within a white, slick blouse and blue washed denim jeans with her hair blazing with a lighter pigment of brown -- definitely eye catching amongst the leaving remains.

Her eyes showcased a heathing flash of red, stoic as she can hear the fumbling sounds originating from her brain; an RLO member was discussing with her. "Any suspicious signs, 903?" Under her breath and with a fog of warmth following, she responded in a whispered tone, "Negative. Shall I be stationed elsewhere? All I can report is the decaying trash left from both humans and androids." Her fiery orbs did yet another scan; nothing.

"We heard reports of a recruiting happening there soon, stay put," was all she heard from the other line before the feed was cut off. Her once red hooded eyes were covered in that of a green shade, signalling that she was freed from the confinements of the RLO staff and was enabled to take consciousness of her actions from then on. She was just beginning her mission.

Shuffling her feet alongside the rim of the pavement, far from the boundaries of the android restricted area, she found herself with an uneventful priority of just /waiting/ for something to happen. Not that she was eager for her task, but it was hell of a lot better than staying put in her android capsule in the RLO unit. And not to mention that this was her first mission overall, a risky one at that. With a pair of heavy shoulders, she continued her pathway towards the end of the train station, spinning about face to repeat her steps from where she came from alongside the edge of the platform.

@c. elkie ʳˡᵒ jinyoung tilts his head back. it is approximately 1 in the morning on a friday; just the right time for the kids to wake up and toss around with their so-called loved ones. he sees small crowds walking out: mumbling and asking about what just happened in front. he peeks at those individuals, and like what he predicts, they are all student—well, most of them.

today is his night shift, but it is slowly beginning to feel like everyday. his captain rumors to him beforehand that it is a bloody mess, and of course, it isn't all done by a human. he sees the curious drips of blue blood, almost lazing around for jinyoung to dive through it. this is deviancy activity, and he knows who the department has reached for. the obvious rlo rats are on their way to sweep the case.

his "partner" is doing its job of transferring particles into its system; and collecting any evidence that could demonstrate something useful to the case. he hasn't given it authority to scan the area yet; he is waiting for too patiently for the rlo officer to come. his radio picks a single from his captain who signals that the scene is cleared from pedestrians, "yeah, yeah. copy." he utters into the mic. his captain gives a chuckle before disappearing into the mist of static.

he sighs loudly while crossing his arms. the corpse is lying in a pool of red blood on the cold gravel of the train station. there is multiple stab wounds to the chest, perhaps ten to fifteen from a distance—a definite murder of hatred. another signal comes in through his walkie-talkie, "hey jinyoung. a woman spotted a bloody plastic running across a convenient market at the corner street. you going to come with your fellow rlo friend? over." jinyoung rolls his eyes before pressing the key to talk, "yes, and dear to god they come quick. out."