“Shin” Park Shinhae

Age: 19
occupation: kpop idol (trainie)- main dancer, vocals
genre- hip-hop, rock, bad-ass type?
Appearance: average height, a little on the thin side, but still strong in his arms and such. Pretty, but closer to masculine than cute. Korean.
~hair- light blonde and short. styled messy or sometimes spiked.
~eyes- brown
~clothes- partial to black and simple things. often long sleeves or hoodies, maybe a scarf. torn jeans and graphic tees when he's trying to look cool. practices in tank top and sweats. piercing in one ear (usually a dangly type earring)
Personality- wannabe bad boy. Slightly short tempered, occasionally shy, and even more annoyed because of it. Wants to have a cool, silent-type image. He is also very serious about practice/working, perfectionistic, and tends to hard core sulk when he's lost or been made a fool of. He's also extremely camera shy, so he's quiet when people are watching him. He hates to make a scene, but his temper gets the best of him and he'll explode and act violent toward someone or throw away all his reserved speech and body movements. He's also not very creative. He will stare blankly when told to think creatively
Random Facts: has a stuffed dog he keeps under his bed and loves in secret. hates being called cute. dislikes skinship

Char Basten

Age: 22
Occupation: Graphic Novelist
Genera(s): Horror, murder-mystery, apocalypse
Appearance: Tanned skin, sharp features with a slight fluidity. Tall, strong arms and chest from work on a farm. Described more as 'handsome' by others. French heritage.
Hair: Rust or (depending on the person describing it) dried blood-colored hair, more than shoulder length and straight, so generally tame. Often seen with a braid or parted down one side of his head as if indecisive.
Eyes: Emerald or grassy-green, watchful
Clothing: Usually dark. Black, dark gray, or other very dark tones such as purple, green, or blue. Usually a short-sleeved hoodie and scraped-up black jeans, heavy-soled boots or thick sneakers. A leather wristband and cross necklace sometimes, a few earrings, usually silver or onyx.
Personality: Very quiet and reserved, usually mistaken for shy. Char isn't much of a people person and has a very dark personality in general. He's relatively obsessed with death and the end of the world, but not to the point of dysfunction. He tries to keep to himself and has a very even, bordering on eerie, way of dealing with anger or annoyance, in which he simply states his facts and disregards anyone that won't drop a subject. He is obsessively detailed in all his illustration work, becoming nearly catatonic, bent over his work station with a pen or pencil in his hand and barely moving. He's well known to go the extra mile in being active because of his rather sit-still occupation, and as such is very strong and fast.
Random facts: He plays piano, guitar, and violin by ear and practice, adores red fruits. Certain types of people disgust him and he's not shy to say so.

Shin waited at the bus stop, his hands stuffed in his pockets and his shoulders hunched against the morning's chill wind. Even though it wasn't really cold, he hated any kind of chill and there was a perpetual grumpy look to the face when he had to spend any amount of time in it. When the bus finally rolled up, Shin got on quickly, not paying any attention to the people around him and even shoving past a few people in an inconsiderate matter in order to get to the comfort of the bus's interior.

The bus wasn't quite how he expected though. He wasn't yet used to riding the bus every morning to the practice studio, since he had recently started staying at a new dorm with his other band-mates. Before he had been able to walk, but such a thing was impossible now. He really hadn't be expecting to see so many people on the bus. At first, he thought that there were no more seats, but finally he spotted one in the back corner and he headed back quickly before someone else could steal it.

Sitting down next to a man with reddish hair, he let out a sigh. He hadn't wanted to sit next to someone, being a person that preferred lots of personal space, but it didn't seem he had a choice today. He felt a small obligation to acknowledge the person next to him for some reason though, so he turned slightly and said a simple, "Hello." That was a perfectly acceptable acknowledgement and he expected nothing more than a head nod or a return of the greeting, so he turned his attention to untangling the cord of his ipod.

Hopefully this would be the last time he’d have to rely on a bus for transportation. It was crowded, yes, loud, annoying---but cheaper than a cab when it all compiled upon itself. And his money hadn’t yet come through---since his first publication Char had been amazed at the sales, upping themselves into the millions all over the country. It was a beautiful thing to see, really, the numbers steadily growing with each copy purchased, and suddenly his phone was ringing off the hook with publishers and agents and editors and... He couldn’t even begin to understand. Anyone else would probably be fidgeting in their seat, trying to tell everyone they possibly could about their first successful novel. Char, however, stared out the window in the back of the bus, letting out a little breath of relief every time someone decided to stand or squeeze into another seat.

It was his chilly disposition that had people avoiding him. The way he presented himself as closed off with crossed arms, a low head, and unintentionally sharp gaze. When the bus drifted to a hissing stop, Char glanced up as the door opened and someone stepped up onto the vehicle. That was the problem with public transportation like this---one has to endure the close proximity of others, even if they don’t like to. And it was ever more grating when the newcomer chose to sit alongside him, though his stop was, luckily, not that far away.

He acknowledged the greeting, however, with a low nod and a simple, “Mmm hmm.” His focus was primarily on the smartphone in his hand, something he’d saved for ages to finally get before his deal went through. He couldn’t quit reading the email he’d received the day it had gone into production, hit bookshelves, and started flying off as if a tornado had hit them all consecutively. Did they really love his story that much? Perhaps it was his cynical view, but Char almost didn’t believe it would last. Surely it’d be a one-hit wonder, his horror book, and he’d fade out of existence with a paltry few royalties now and then in a few years... But it didn’t stop him from working night and day on a new one. He glanced sideways, at the blonde next to him. He hadn’t seen the young man on the bus before, and Char knew most of these people by image alone.

The bus hissed its air brakes again, and jolted forward, adding itself to the mix of vehicles on the road once more.

The barely cursory greeting that Shin received from the person sitting next to him actually made him sigh audibly in relief. Good, this person didn't want to talk. He felt released from his obligation to make nice, so he slipped in his ear buds and turned his ipod to the song his group would be debuting with in only a few weeks time. If he closed his eyes and forgot he was on a crowded and smelly bus with an awful atmosphere, he could run through the dance moves in his head. In reality it was the lyrics he needed to practice since he had never been strong in singing, but he preferred to expend his energy thinking about dance. Dance was something he would find a way to do even if his legs were broken beyond repair. Just the thought of that sent a shudder through him.

There were people standing in the aisle and when the bus started moving again, some of them shifted and someone bumped into Shin. He scooted further over in his seat toward the stranger. It was really picking between two evils, but he'd rather be close to someone sitting down than be elbowed in the face.

"Sorry," Shin muttered, glancing over at the other man. "Totally hate buses." He wouldn't be able to hear much of anything over his music if the other responded, but it would be rude to say nothing.

Char gritted his teeth and tensed a little as the newcomer neared him a bit too much. He didn't at all like to be so near someone he didn't know. Didn't like how close they would get to him every day. Every day, at least twice a day, to and away from home. Now, though, he'd be able to afford a car of even relative consideration. Something that wasn't a totally useless bucket of rust and oil. Still, it seemed this one shared his hatred of mass public transport. "There's a good reason bus transport doesn't cost as much as cab." He commented offhandedly, leaving his email and staring at the temperature gauge. It was fifteen degrees warmer on the bus than off, all because of the living bodies crowded like small fish into the tin toppling down the road.

Restlessly, he returned to his phone and opened a folder that had a series of his own pictures. Not photos of him---photos of the cover of his graphic novel, Seven Days. He had five concept covers and one that he'd settled on. It was hard to settle, really, when he was never really happy with his work. Never happy with what he had finished but had to make a decision. Seven Days, a story about the seven sins escaping Hell and wreaking havoc on the world. He didn't know it would become so... popular. Perhaps the monochromatic design with splashes of red---a term he was sure art students had a name for, though he was self-taught as an artist---was just as enticing as the story itself.

He chuckled, rolling his eyes to the ceiling of the bus and pocketing his phone. He was headed to a discussion and a Q&A about the book and himself, which he was warned about two weeks ago, but still didn't necessarily feel ready for. He didn't talk about himself---hated talking about himself, and trying to see his book in a light he was happy with just... set him wrong. He didn't like his work as much as he should, perhaps, and didn't think he ever would. Char pressed his face against the window, staring at the cars that passed.

Shin just barely heard the other over his music and though he hadn't heard well enough to hear all of what had been said, he could understand the sentiment just by the tone of it. He nodded once, then closed his eyes again. He leaned forward, holding his hands over the earbuds to block out both the ambient noise and symbolically to separate himself from the rest of the world around him. He hadn't gotten nearly enough sleep to deal with a day like this. And he wouldn't be getting any decent sleep until he'd made his stage debut. The time right before a debut was always the busiest, worst, and most wonderful of an idols career, as he'd heard from his seniors in the world place.

The fact that he was on a bus and not alone in the studio could not be forgotten though. He let his eyes slip open and he found himself watching the images on the phone of the person next to him. He felt like he'd seen one of those images before and he told himself he would look into it after practice. He found the art interesting although he rarely found anything besides dance and music to grab his attention for long.

He went back to staring forward, trying to ignore the nagging press of people around him. Someone's phone was beeping low battery and every time it went off, he grit his teeth in irritation. He wanted to snatch the phone away and throw it out the window, but that would hardly be appropriate. He didn't want to bring any attention to himself, especially if he hoped to be a face on tv. Just five more stops until he could get off. But if that person's phone didn't shut up before then, he really was going to make a scene.

He had not had enough sleep to deal with this. All these people and their... noise... It was ridiculous! And frustrating. One wouldn't put a pair of headphones in his phone to spare the rest of the bus his idiotic rap music, another behind him tapped on the window every now and then for some God-awful reason. People wouldn't move the hell out of the way for others to get by, and that would create temporary shouting matches that ended in one stomping off, adding to the bus's rattling as it was. And what was that? That... high beeping. That incessant high beeping. It was coming from in front of Char and the woman on the phone wouldn't stop bothering with it. Her dying phone that no doubt had only a few minutes of battery life left. This was the same woman that, when she actually remembered to charge her phone in the morning, cackled away on it like a mad witch and screeched at her boyfriend or husband or whomever was on the other end and simply not listening as much as she wanted them to. God, he hated her, but she always sat across the bus or down the row so he could never get a good swipe at her. And others, he would normally see, glared at her moved away from her. Char wasn't alone in his hatred.

It beeped again and he hauled himself up just enough to look over the seat. With an amount of civility he thought was exceptionally restrained, got her attention. "I'm sorry that you might not understand this, but when your phone screams at you the way you scream at it, it tends to mean that you'll want to let it rest for once in its pitiful life." He managed a smile, though knew it was more of a grimace that had the woman trying to rant at him.

"... Excuse me? I don't know if you know, but I'm an extremely busy woman and I need---"

"What you need to do is shut your goddamn phone off before I smash it!" Char snapped back with more mental an attitude than she could muster. "I tell you what, I've only had a few hours of sleep these past four days and I am not in the mood to play nice with you! Or anyone else! Why don't you try me, and I'll make sure you're out on the street searching for the shattered remains of your lifeline while hoping to God your warranty hasn't ran out yet!"

He sat back when the woman---a young thing, with brown hair and overly made-up face---switched her phone off and slid it into her bag, cradling his swimming head in his hands. Char could vaguely hear giggles and mutterings, but they didn't mean anything to him. He didn't care---who were these people? They didn't know his face, probably wouldn't remember him if he actually managed to get off the ground. And they didn't seem to mind that he'd flown off the handle as it was. At least he only had a few more blocks,then he'd be in a quiet bookstore.

The scene that started to unfold before Shin caught his attention in a way that was unexpected. He actually pulled out his ear buds so that he could listen properly. It was funny, but a sense of satisfaction ran through him as he heard the other man's words. It was almost as if the guy was speaking how own words, the things that Shin had been wanted to say, but was too proper to do so in public with strangers around. There was an eery feeling to it because for a second, it really did feel as if Shin was the one doing the talking. He had to remind himself that he was slipping off into the realm of imagination.

When the other guy sat back down, Shin almost reached out and tapped his arm to get his attention, but then he decided not to. It seemed obvious that they were alike and this other guy also wanted to be left alone. Still, Shin wanted to acknowledge the brave act of snapping at that woman. The other's might have been muttering rudely, but Shin had only compliment's in his mind. He leaned back and glanced sidelong at the guy next to him.

"thank you. I really wanted to do that myself," he said quietly. He could understand where this other guy was coming from. No sleep, hating buses, the dislike of irritations. Moments of clarity could never come in the hell of a bus after all. "But I still think that phone should have gone flying out the window," he added with a quick smirk drifting over his face.

Then why didn't you? The words were in his head when the one beside him spoke, but Char had to remind himself that his qualm wasn't with this one, but the one in front of him. He glanced around in time to hear the man specifically, and snickered a bit. He would have loved to grab the phone and toss it into the street at a red light, watch the woman gasp and run after it as if it were the only one in the world. "So long as the threat works, it doesn't bother me much." He admitted. There was certainly a line. And that line, now, would have to be watched much more closely. Now that he might be rising through the ranks, he would have to quell his general distaste of bulk humans. It was little wonder that he drew stories of after the apocalypse, or during it, or of a loner investigator that tried to do more than he could. A bit of a struggling character, him, but Char hadn't made him much of a story yet.

Still, this one beside him wasn't so terrible. He was quiet, with a knowledge of personal space few seemed to have anymore. Sad, he thought, that it had to be so temporary a meeting, but the city was big and there certainly were others like him. Others like Char as well, no doubt. The bus turned sharply to the right after its stop at a red light, and pressed Char's bare arm to the cool glass and metal beside him. A couple blocks left, and he would be free of this tin can...

A chuckle escaped Shin for a second, but the humor was short lived as emotions often were with him. "Perhaps," was all he said. He knew well enough about threats. He threatened a few of his band mates daily when they were overly clingy and friendly with him. Of course, he'd never strangle someone in their sleep, but the threat did wonders. He slipped his ear buds back in, but didn't bother turning his music back on. He wasn't going to get anything productive done until he was off this bus. He was almost kind of glad that he had been forced to ride today though. As awful as it was, he thought that he had found some kind of kindred with the person next to him. Briefly he wondered if the other felt that way also, but the detail didn't seem important. Shin could have a one way kinship with a person and not feel the least bit bothered by it.

A quick glance out the window told Shin that they were almost downtown. It seemed all the entertainment based activity took place there and even though he spent a lot of time downtown, he was glad not to live there anymore. The rest of the ride passed in relative peace and as much quiet as one could expect from a bus ride. Perhaps it was the other's outburst, but things were more tolerable for the rest of the ride. When the bus finally rolled to a stop where Shin needed to get off, he stood and stuffed his ipod back into his bag. Then he glanced over at the other guy.

"Maybe I'll see you around?" he asked, very purposely keeping any sign of hope out of his voice. Just a cursory farewell, like it wouldn't matter if he saw the other guy again or not. Because it really didn't matter, except maybe he would have minded if they did meet again.

Char couldn't help but run again and again through his later process. His publisher had told him to dress relatively nice for the event, though Char hadn't really seen why. Of course he didn't hate dressing up for events, but he didn't have much of a wardrobe outside dark and casual clothes. One was a full black tuxedo he'd worn for his sister's wedding, and no doubt that was a little much. When the bus came to a stop, he looked around to the one next to him and followed suit in standing, nodding as he was spoken to in a way he hadn't really expected from this type of person. "Maybe." He replied, turning toward the back of the bus and its second exit since it was closer to the bookstore. "It's a big city, after all." Sliding his hand into his pocket to deter thieves that might see his phone sticking up a bit, Char went to the back and stepped out onto the sidewalk.

It was warmer now that the morning chill had faded away, and Char only had a few yards to walk to his destination. Finally, into the shop and out of the constant roar of people's voices and vehicles! He went past a few people and toward the back, where he'd been told to go. It seemed as if his publisher might be expecting a big turnout, since he'd set up the sitting area here with smaller folding chairs in front of an upscaled image of his book. Apparently it had done much better than he'd anticipated, even from the emails.

He called his publisher Johnny, though he was usually intent on asking people to call him John or Johnathan, which was his actual name. It seemed Char had gained some leniency, though. The middle-aged man was wearing clothes that reminded Char of a rather close-minded CEO of a major company, and the stern look he was given was a pretty good indication of Johnny's annoyance at seeing Char in street clothes. "Are you serious?" He sighed, approaching him quickly. "I asked you to wear half-decent clothes!"

Char looked down at himself. "What? These are half-decent!"

"No. Thank God I brought some just in case." He stepped back and grabbed a blue plastic bag, thrusting it at Char. "Go into the restroom and put these on!"

Growling, Char snatched the bag and stalked off. He expected this, of course, but it still annoyed him.

It was indeed a big city. It seemed that in a place like this, any meeting was possible. Shin made his way off the bus and had already put the events of the ride behind him by the time he had his feet on the sidewalk. He pulled out his phone to check the time and muttered a curse under his breath. He was late. But of course, late was only his standard of the world. In reality, he was 45 minutes early instead of an hour like he had planned, which was why he was riding the bus by himself instead of carpooling with another of his group's members. He wanted to have some time to warm up and stretch and start dancing before he had to practice with the whole group.

When it came to work, he was always the one with the highest standards and the one who pushed himself hardest. Perhaps some of it came from what he saw himself lacking. If he couldn't sing well, then he had better become the best dancer to make up for it. That was why he was going to the practice studio early instead of hanging out at the river side with the rest of the band. It wasn't like he didn't feel he was invited, but they sensed he would only be a party pooper so he hadn't received any texts asking why he wasn't there.

Shin quickly changed into a pair of sweats he'd ripped into shorts and a tanktop. He enjoyed the silence for one brief minute before he plugged his ipod into the speaker and counted off in his head 1, 2, 3 before he started to move across the soft tiles of the floor, his sneakered feet tapping out a steady rhythm.

The restrooms in this particular bookstore was a single-room thing, more private than a line of stalls, and it was more friendly, almost, since not many people were in the shop at a particular time of day. It seemed Johnny was hoping that to be otherwise come noon, so he and Char had a lot of waiting to do. The budding author studied himself in the mirror after changing and huffed, unbuttoning a couple of the shirt's buttons at the neck. It felt too... starched around the neck. Johnny was so damnably worried about his own appearance that he probably didn't think twice about any spare clothes being just the same with Char. Though the shirt was a little undersized around the shoulders, and he rolled his shoulders to try to get it right. Sighing, he grabbed the bag again, which was full of his street clothes, and brought them out with him.

Johnny ambushed him almost at once. "Jeez, Char, don't you brush your hair?"

"Of course I---!" He backed away when Johnny produced a comb, but didn't have anywhere to run, and had to resign himself to being forced into a chair and the fine-toothed comb being run through his hair until it laid down and and was carefully parted down the left side. Though it wouldn't stay out of Char's face no matter how much manipulation was played, and Johnny eventually sighed and said, "good enough!" He pocketed the comb. "So, Char, you think you'll ace this one?"

"Ace it? Are we back in school?" Char stood and ran his hands through his hair, messing it up again. "This is my first... conference, I guess you'd call it. I don't know what'll happen."

Johnny laughed. "I'll by nearby in case you need anything, you know?"

"I know, I know." Char was staring at the tripod that held a scaled image of his book's cover. Black and white, splashed with red. A few of the seven sins embodied as monstrosities and disgusting humans plagued the front, one of greed, one of gluttony, and one of envy. The others were silhouetted in the background. He wasn't overly in love with it, but he was told that an artist was never happy with their work if they were truly great. The thought made Char snicker.

Shin had already worked up a sweat and perfected the first third of the song when the other four idol trainee's waltzed into the studio, chatting animatedly. "Shin buddy! You practice too much," Kris exclaimed, clapping a hand onto his shoulder. Shin ignored the older male and turned off the music to go sit and drink some water. He did practice too much, but that was just the way he liked things. The others went to go change while Shin laid on his back, trying not to stare into the wall of mirrors because he knew he must have looked like shit after practicing. His hair was sticky and darker than it's usual dyed light color. At least he never turned red and blotchy.

Five minutes later, they settled into the rhythm of practicing and were the most part serious. Shin wasn't the only one worried over their upcoming debut. He just wished that there was less chatting during the practice...and less nagging for him to sing as he danced. As great as the practice at that would be, he thought his crappy voice would be too embarrassing if he were the only one singing besides Kris with his godly voice.

Practice slipped by quickly. Lots of run throughs, break downs, solo dancing and critiques, and even more water breaks. Someone even ran out at some point to buy a pile of corn dogs from a vender. Not exactly work out food, but they were all so starved that the junk was welcome. Practice lasted a full hour and they even stayed a little after that for once. After practice was over with, Shin changed back into his day clothes and slipped his jewelry back on. Running his hand through his hair did little good and eventually he decided that he didn't care.

Kris offered him a ride back to the dorm, but Shin decided that he didn't want to go back just yet. He'd just have to spend the majority of the day around the other guys. He left by himself and meandered down the street in the direction of the bus stop. He was in no hurry though. It was about ten after noon and he was considering buying lunch before he tried to catch the bus back since he had remembered to bring his wallet with its meager amount of cash with him. But rather than some small cafe, Shin stumbled onto a book store and for some reason, it caught his interest. He didn't have much time to read these days and he knew he looked like he'd been swimming in sweat and dust, but he decided to push the door open quietly and see if he could waste a few minutes looking at books he'd never have time to read.

He was pacing incessantly, feeling nervous, and he hated feeling nervous. Char had to force Johnny to let him use his clipboard---which Char knew was stowed away in the man's bag, and as he paced, drew. Drew his next story idea---it felt as if he had to keep working, but not on the second part of Seven Days. Each novel would follow one of the deadly sins as they wreaked havoc on the world and turned friend against friend, rent families inside out and brought modern days down to a Hellish nightmare while Hell itself seeped into the earth. He didn't make the earth open up as it seemed prone to do when Hell literally froze over---it came down from the sky and he decided it would look a little more like a... an alien attack. Any 'logical' person would think so, right? He laughed bitterly, having sketched out a concept image of Sloth. It had long, thick arms and an almost pear-shaped body, four jagged claws and a jaw that hung perpetually open and seeped foul-smelling liquid. The vision made Char grimace, but that was what he wanted.

Johnny stared at him, though, as he cursed once more as the image just didn't turn out right in Char's eyes. "Settle down, eh? Look, give me that... It's almost noon." he nodded to the temporary stage that the bookstore tended to keep on hand for these situations specifically, as it did have many known and budding novelists promoting their new or upcoming book or books.

Char gave up his paper begrudgingly, huffing. True, a lot of people had come around, some from the media, even. His face would be on the news...? That made him purse his lips and turn to the wall. Damn it, he didn't know it would be so big! He didn't know he'd get published. He didn't know people would like his very first book as much as they did... How much...? He could see everyone mulling around the area had a copy, if they didn't have cameras or extended mics. Johnny went forward before Char could stop him and called them to attention:

"... It's about time, I'd hope the larger cameras can sit in back and we can make a well-formed seating arrangement! Let everyone see, yeah? Get the small cameras over in the middle, turn flash off please, in case of light-sensitive people... Thank you... Reporters, up in front..." Char couldn't help but feel uncharacteristically self-conscious. All these people... And they were regarding him as if he were Stephen King! At least Johnny was well accustomed to doing the direction and introduction.

It was the noise that first told Shin that he had probably stepped into the wrong bookstore. Considering he had been looking to chill for a few minutes in silence. At first it seemed like that, but then he turned around the corner of a bookshelf and came face to face with the rest of the room...and a great deal of people. He ducked back behind the shelf instantly. The only thing his eyes had caught sight of was camera's and they had him feeling like he needed to run away. Despite the fact that he was going to spend the rest of his life with cameras following him, instinct told him to get away fast.

But then there was curiosity. He could heard a man talking, so Shin poked his head back around the corner. Now he could see the crowd that didn't look like it belonged in a book store. There was a small stage set up in a clearing and a large picture of what looked like a book cover caught his attention. Now why was that familiar? Shin narrowed his eyes at the image as he finally made the connection in his mind and he quickly started to scan over the people present to see if a certain red-headed man was around. He was.

Shin spotted the guy from on the bus right up at the front of the room and undoubtedly the subject of whatever was going on in the bookstore. The sight of the guy had Shin back to hiding out of sight. Great, now he was going to seem like a stalker even though he had no idea the other guy was going to be here. Not that him hiding like a lurker was any better. He almost considered turning and running back out of the store maybe a bit like a coward, but finally he decided to stay. Shin leaned his side against the shelf and watched the stage from a distance. If anyone asked him later, he could just say he had no reason to leave, that he was curious. As long as he wasn't noticed, he saw no harm in sticking around to see what this was about.

When Johnny gave him the floor Char was relatively uneasy, though the questions seemed to be simple enough at first. After the initial introduction questions about his childhood were asked, and they were easy enough to respond to if he left out some fluff and a couple sob stories. He was born in France, La Rochelle to be precise, a coastal city. Not more than two years were spent there before his parents moved with him and a couple sisters to begin a farm, where he was a quiet child, usually seen as 'disturbed' or 'depressed' by those that weren't accustomed to a young boy being silent and sullen for not much of a reason. It simply was the way he was. He found an interest in arts---and not just drawn or painted, but sung, played, acted out. Though he never found quite as much interest in anything as much as he adored drawing and painting, and telling stories through his drawings. So he struggled, came here, and worked menial jobs while spending the bulk of his extra money on high-end art supplies. He never used electronics to digitize his art, though, preferring to leave that up to whomever decided to take him on as a beginning author.

Then the more intricate questions came from both media and those that had wanted to come sit in. "What gave you the inspiration to write Seven Days?" This one came from a journalist.

"Um..." That was certainly difficult. But he squared his shoulders and regarded the man evenly. "I don't see why there has to be some form of outward inspiration for something dark or terrible. Why can't a functioning part of society have dark or strange thoughts, after all? I feel it's just in my nature to think things like these up, and instead of seeing them as hallucinations, I write them down in stories and draw out the scenes. I enjoy making my monsters as well as my humans---only my monsters aren't dedicated to childhood bullies or enemies I have now, they're just... there."

A bit of muttering spanned the crowd, and another question was fired at him. Char sighed, but kept it inward. This would take a while. As he was considering his answer, Char raised his head above those sitting and spied someone in the back. Standing. The young man from the bus? He didn't seem like the kind to be at a thing like this. Char shook himself, replying quickly as yet another question about the next book's release date was going to be set.

Shin found himself listening more carefully than he had planned on. From what he could gather, considering he hadn't walked in right at the start of this talk, was that the guy from the bus was some kind of author. Somehow Shin had still managed to miss his name though. That could be overlooked, he was finding out more interesting stuff. He was starting to get antsy though. For a brief second, he was almost certain that the other man had noticed him, causing Shin to duck back, one hand clutched over his now quickly beating heart. The whole situation was utterly ridiculous. He didn't want to be seen as some kind of fan considering he hadn't heard of this graphic novel thing until today. Could he help it that he was curious?

But eventually he'd had enough of hiding. The average person would probably go to sit with the others at the talk, but Shin was too stubborn for that. Even if he wanted to listen, he convinced himself to turn around and walk out of the book store. It was afternoon and he wanted to eat lunch and he looked like the one person who didn't belong in the store. He kept his ears trained on the talk the entire time he was walking away though, trying to pick up random clues about this strange guy. He was the sort of strange that was fascinating.

When he was outside again, he found a small cafe a couple store fronts down and ordered a sandwich. He sat outside even though it was noisy and the road was feet away. He watched the bookstore and waited. If he timed it right, he could avoid the people while he ate, then slip back into the store and buy the other guy's story after he was gone. Even if Shin didn't have much time to read, he felt like making an exception in this case.

He was gone in a second, though Char didn't notice. He was focused on answering the last question in relative clarity, but keeping the others at bay enough so that speculation could grow, as Johnny had recommended. "What sin is the next book gonna be about?" Someone asked at last.

Char laughed, a genuine laugh this time. "Oh, I'm not saying. I've already gotten the first chapter written out and I won't tell you so I can have my time being wasted. I think you understand." He stood as Johnny started willing them to leave, closing the meeting with a few moments of quick conversation with the media and journalists. His next in the Seven Days series would be Vanity, of course, humans murdering each other under the influence of their own self image and mutilating themselves in rage as they never lived up to their own concept of utter perfection. When the people finally dispersed, Johnny approached him with a bright gleam in his turquoise-toned eyes. "God, Char, you did so damn well! I swear I never saw a group so... ugh, so enthralled with a book! You've got good ideas in your head, Char, I know it, you'll be immortal!"

Char rolled his eyes. Why did he have to choose such an overly-dramatic agent again? He shook his head and stepped off the small stage. "Let's not get ahead of ourselves." He said, patting Johnny. "So... can I go change? I'm hungry and lunch passed a long time ago..."

"Oh, sure!" Johnny clapped his hands together. "Go on, go on. I'll call you tonight to get an update on book two?"

"I don't know what's to update. I told you as well as everyone else I've finished chapter one and I'm working on two. I don't need anyone's input on what I write and draw."

The man raised his hands as Char turned with his bag of clothes and went to the restroom again to change. Finally out of the somewhat-too-small clothes, he rolled his shoulders and ran his hands through his hair, lying it down before going back outside and pausing. A whole shelf dedicated to his books, and now that everyone had dispersed it was already half-empty. A lot of people had come in after seeing the media vans and had grown ever more interested in buying the book. Though where was that other one, the young man he'd recognized from this morning? Probably left, no doubt. He seemed like the sort to find other, more interesting things to do. Leaving the shop, Char went to a sub shop he liked for its quiet interior, his hand in his pocket and running against the concept image of Sloth he'd sketched while waiting for the event to begin.

After Shin finished his sandwich, he spend most of his time waiting in a sort of open eyed sleep state. Despite being tired, he would never be able to fall asleep so this was the best he could get. He and sleep had a relationship like that. As time passed, he slipped further down in his seat until he was slumped so far down he could have passed for a midget. He was so out of it that when people started to spill out of the bookstore, he didn't notice until they were mostly all already down the street. He jerked into a full awakeness and looked around furtively. He spotted the redhead and quickly turned so that he was hidden. Yep, he was definitely acting like a weirdo today.

Shin let an acceptable amount of time pass before he headed back to the bookstore, even if his idea of an acceptable amount of time was barely a minute. He walked at a sharp, quick pace and ducked back into the store. Was he being sneaky enough? He didn't think anyone had noticed him lurking around, so he grabbed a book off the nearly empty shelf and quickly paid for it with the remains of his money. He really hoped it was worth it because his wallet was pretty much empty and he still needed to take the bus home.

With the book in hand, Shin walked back out into the sunlight and looked around. He couldn't find anything else to stall with, so he walked back to the bus stop and flopped onto the bench. He pulled the hood up on his jacket and let it slip down over his face to block some of the sunlight. He wasn't exactly sure when the next bus would come, but he was content to wait as long as it took. He flipped to the first page of the book and started reading.

His Italian-raised cousin ran the little shop, and while Char refused to accept charity from anyone, especially family, Gene gave him a free sandwich as long as Char came around to mow his lawn each week. A more than acceptable exchange in Char's opinion, and as soon as he entered, Gene started putting together a roasted chicken and Parmesan sub that the older man knew Char would ask for. "Big business a couple doors down." He said, smiling as if he'd been there. "Got me some good business, too."

"My gain is your gain, Gene." Char said with a light smile. "Surprised I didn't see you there."

Gene shrugged, wrapping the sandwich with nimble hands. "Lunch rush, couldn't get away!" He handed the item over the counter and Char snatched it, undoing Gene's work and biting rather savagely into soft bread. At his cousin's expression, Char shrugged. "No breakfast." He offered as an excuse. Gene only rolled his eyes.

"So what you up to for the rest of the day? Any plans?"

Char shook his head, pausing to swallow hard. "I got work to do, Gene, you know that---I have chapter two to start of my next book and I have to make sure it's as good as the last..."

Gene rolled his eyes. "I can't figure out why you write that gross shit, Char. It's... I dunno, could worry anyone I think."

"Are you worried?"

"N-no, but... I just don't read that kinda stuff. Just come by on Thursday and you'll be set for all week."

Char nodded and said his goodbyes to Gene, stepping out of the shop to finish his sandwich and toss the paper into the garbage outside the door, wandering toward the nearby bus stop to head back home---whenever that might be. The bench there was long enough, so the occupant might not mind if he took up residence on the other end. Even if he did, Char didn't necessarily care. Settling on the hard public-handled metal, he leaned forward and pulled a pencil out of his shoe---a just-in-case item if inspiration hit without warning---and pulled the paper featuring a concept image of Sloth out of his pocket, using the sunlight to show any mistake he might make. He wouldn't mind if the bus didn't come for an hour, as long as he had space to work and a knee to use as a temporary table.

Shin was quiet as he read through the first few pages of the book. He took his time going over the images rather than just flipping through idly and hurrying to the end like many people might. He found the art fascinating, but even from the start he was a bit turned off by the content. He just hummed to himself though and kept reading. The act of reading like this was a nice change from the frantic state of working toward his debut or the movement of dancing.

He turned the page and suddenly grimaced. "Is this guy disturbed or something?" he groaned aloud, not having noticed the amount of time that had passed since he sat down. He finally looked up from the book and when he did, the real world came back crashing down. Hard metal bench, still no bus, smelly sidewalk, another person on the bench...

"Eh?" Shin said a bit dumbly as he turned to look at the person who had managed to sit down next to Shin without him noticing. And it was that person. He slammed the book closed. "You? When the hell did you get here?!" He exclaimed as he shoved the book off of his lap and tried to hide it behind his legs, which of course just made him look even more suspicious. He could feel himself starting to freak out, so he covered it up with anger. Hopefully that was the only emotion the other would perceive. This was just getting too weird. Why did they keep running into each other like this, and all in the same day?

For once in his life, Char was actually happy with his first concept image. A small head with long bottom jaw spilled sharp tooth and lolling forked tongue, matted hair sticky with foodstuff that looked as if it rolled in a garbage pile. A long, squirming rat-like tail... It looked disgusting, and something that would probably crawl out of Hell. He smiled a little at it, though the head looked somewhat bare. He leaned over to add horns to the head of the thing, which were long and a little splintered here and there. It could make it easier for the embodiment to impale anyone that got near enough, as it preferred not to move---thus the personification of Sloth.

He shaded here and there, hoping the bus would suddenly just get here so he could get home and use his pens to clean up the sketch in a larger manner. He drew them all large so that he could get the desired detail, and later they were digitally shrunk to the size of their printed finals. He just needed the clear lines, the thick dark tones of black and gray and pure white that gave it that monochromatic tone, the splashes of red here and there as needed, but never overdone. He needed his workbench... Get started on chapter two that didn't necessarily focus on Sloth, but would be an outlet for his inspiration. Today he was skipping his exercise routine, but he just had to get back home! Soon he'd get a car, and this wouldn't be an issue. Then he heard something nearby and glanced up.

That... quiet one again. Char didn't know his name, didn't bother asking the first time they met. He raised a brow. "Twenty minutes." He responded in a stony manner. "Is it a crime to wait on a bus on the same bench now?" He couldn't help but look at what the young man was trying to hide. Something with a red spine, then he caught his last name. So, his book? He didn't take this one for much of a... reader. Hell, maybe it was the art that had him take a chance on the book---it was what got Char into drawing them, all in all. He narrowed his eyes, pocketing his pencil. "What's it to you, anyway? Next bus takes me home, why wouldn't I be here?" He didn't get defensive, so much as somewhat curious and moreso annoyed at being prodded for waiting on a bus.

Shin glanced over at the book, then at the paper the other man had been drawing on, then finally up at the man. The fact that the other was so calm and obviously not the least bit disturbed by the fact that they kept running into each other just made him more irritated. Or defensive, they were pretty much the same thing with Shin. "No of course it's not a crime to sit on a bench, but geez, do you have to be so sneaky sitting there like that?" he grumbled. He couldn't believe that the other had been there a whole twenty minutes. The idea was totally unfathomable in his mind that he could get so drawn into something besides dance that it would allow for him to lose focus on the outside world.

Dropping a hand over the book to cover it better, Shin took a deep breath an managed to calm himself to some degree. "It's just weird we keep running into each other like this," he said finally. "Not that I care or anything." He tacked that last bit on too quickly and cursed himself in his head. He definitely did not sound cool at all. He was just embarrassing himself over and over again today it seemed. If the bus wasn't like it had been this morning, Shin would definitely make sure not to sit next to this other guy...Char...so said his book. That was the first time Shin thought of the other by his name since it felt too weird to be familiar with someone he didn't know.