Noel dropped his head to the counter in front of him. This whole situation was just too inconvenient and frustrating. He was incredibly busy lately, and now, because he thought to do a good deed, he was trapped in an isolated apartment, with even more work. Trying to find the positives in the situation, new scenery might be inspiring, and it wasn't like he had never attended high class gatherings, organizing a party didn't sound difficult. Thanks entirely to his tongue and his brain, he had more than a fair way with words. Of course, the main downside is that the people he was meant to work with were absolutely convinced he was a woman. A common mistake, naturally, everything about him fell just in between distinctly male or female, his features were often mistaken for those of a beautiful woman, and his voice was in a sweet spot that left people guessing as well. Even both his given name and his pen name were relatively unisex.
Of course, he had told them right off that he wasn't a woman, but that never made a difference, everyone made snap decisions on who he was and stuck with it like this. Dividing his focus between the constant chatting, the influx of phone calls and the slow trickle of e-mails and the blank paper in front of him was enough to make him want to cry. No one was allowed to know where he was? How was he supposed to conduct his research this way? The internet only went so far with feeding his imagination, and it was more helpful to have a live visual, from all angles, and even then, his work was only subpar as it was. Forget the awards and the high sales, the people who read the trash he had written had no mind for these things. Probably all blind or, perhaps lacking in intelligence, it was awful drivel, and only he could see it.
It was then that it occurred to him. The people he was meant to work with now, they were from varied backgrounds too. The corporate heir and his assistant, a slacker student with a talent for video games, a musical actor, a hacker and the more mysterious photographer who was even more mysteriously absent, apparently. Surely there was inspiration to be found in them, except that also meant considering how best to study them. Zen was often busy with rehearsals, and just meeting someone out of the blue seemed like a poor idea, Seven didn't seem to want to be disturbed, and on top of that, had little time to do so. Yoosung would probably be more focused on the game he liked or rarely, on his studies rather than him. That left Jaehee or Jumin, and of the two, Jaehee was the most busy, not to say Jumin wasn't busy either, but the options were poor. That and that man might sue if he wrote something too poor with him in mind. Ugh. What he wouldn't give for just an ounce more skill.
A while into his day, he actually caught a bit of a break. Zen had brought up the issue of wanting to meet him, though he mentioned V would never let him come over. That wasn't a problem, he could just as easily go somewhere else. It took a little convincing, but he had agreed to meet him at a small park that seemed out of the way enough to afford them a little privacy. He hadn't brought much, save for a pack of cigarettes, a pen, his phone and a notepad. Noel draped one leg across his knee, waiting patiently, taking in the scenery around him. It had felt like forever since the last time he actually had a bit to take in the fresh, clean air and to enjoy a little nature. He laid his things out at his side, arranging them specifically before reaching for a cigarette, stretching back against the bench, elbows hung over the back side.
He held back a chuckle. From the selfies he had posted, of course it was obvious who he was. It was amusing to watch him look around, trying to find who he thought 'she' might be. Being the only one there, he finally approached, grinning happily.
"Honey, did you wait for me long?" he asked, no hint of embarrassment.
Wow. He had honestly been the one he thought would be the least relatable in the entire group, but to say such things so easily, maybe he was actually the perfect man after all. Someone like that would surely be popular with readers. Noel flicked the growing ash, exhaling slowly before holding out a hand to him.
"I just got here a bit ago, myself. It's nice to meet you, I'm Noel Moon." he introduced himself.
Not content to shake hands, he bent down, his lips grazing the back of his hand. Another person who couldn't see the truth for what it was, even after explicitly stating he wasn't a girl. Oh well. If it was more comfortable for him to think that way, he wouldn't complain. Zen took a seat next to him, observing in silence for a few moments. Long, pale blonde hair, straight except for a single thin braid down the front, clipped at the side with black 'x' shaped pins. His eyes were narrow, but large at the same time, an odd shade of pink, but the RFA was a haven for people with unusual features. Pale skin, a single mark on his face, at the corner of his mouth, itself a soft pink shade. He was dressed fairly simply too, a sleeveless button up in black, with red trim, and a pair of black slacks. His lips twisted in a slight grin, like he could read Zen's mind.
"My father was French. 'I take more after my mother than him, however." he stated factually.
"Was I staring? I was just thinking Seven was right. You really are cute. So eager too, my heart was beating when you asked to meet me here." he said quietly.
"Well, thank you for that. My reasoning is sadly more business than anything. I had hoped to be able to observe you for a little while naturally. Perhaps take a few pictures? I assure you my interest is strictly business related." he explained in a tone that left no hint of ulterior motives.
Zen poked his nose lightly, grinning. "I might be willing. Though I wonder, what's in it for me?"
Of course there was a cost. Even the people he had worked with who weren't nearly famous were notorious for requesting something in exchange. Zen was different in that he didn't seem to be swayed by money, which meant he had to be smart about bargaining with him.
"What would be appropriate compensation, in your opinion?" he asked curiously.
"One date. If you really feel I'm worth it, maybe a kiss, hm?" he said playfully.
His eyes narrowed, looking for a hint of a joke in there somewhere. It wasn't like he had never been propositioned by men before, or even that he disliked it, he wasn't against it in the least, only that he was fairly certain he still believed he was a woman. Dropping his cigarette, he pressed it into the dust-covered ground under his boot, shrugging finally.
"So that's your taste. If that's all you want, and you're certain, I guess it's no trouble." he sighed coolly.
"You make it sound like you aren't even a little interested, that's so sad." he pouted quietly.
"I'm not, not yet anyway. I barely know you. My heart lies in the ink on my pages, I don't have one to give away." he stated matter-of-factly.
"Are you a reporter or something?" he wondered, realizing he didn't exactly know what he did.
Sweeping a delicate hand through his hair, his bangs springing back into place, he glanced to his notepad and pen, aware that it could seem like that. "I'm a writer. Not a very good one, I admit, sales are good, but only because people have no taste these days."
Zen tipped his head with interest, leaning a little closer, just enough to avoid infringing on his space. "Oh? What do you write?"
At the very least, he hoped he had never read his work. He was pleasant company and equally pleasing to the eye, seemed charming and smart, and he would hate for his opinion to change about him. Noel's head dropped to the back of the bench, staring up at the sky, debating how best to answer that question.
"Mmm….ahh...most recently, it was 'Atelier' and 'Song's Secret Love'. There are, of course, others. None very good, but I have deadlines to meet." he said with disgust.
"Is that the one about the butler who falls for his employer's girl?" he wondered. "I haven't read it, but I remember hearing about it." he questioned.
"That's the one. I hear those things are popular these days." he answered, pausing to examine his braid closer.
"So then, you're Florian Na? That's really cool. There are a lot of people who talk about adapting your work. I guess it's pretty steamy stuff." he said.
His eyes narrowed with disdain, barely registering the faint dark circles under his eyes, and the red rim along the bottom. Poor thing, sleep must be hard to get with such a busy schedule to stick to, and the RFA was only adding to it, but it really couldn't be helped now.
"It's drivel. Smutty drivel. There's no need to elevate it anymore than it already is." he said at the end of a long, heavy sigh.
Clearly, Noel didn't want to discuss that topic any further. Trying to put him back in a better mood, Zen snagged his shoulder, drawing him closer with a slight smile. "You said pictures, right? Why don't we take the first one together then?"
There was no end to his energy, and Noel actually envied him a little for it. How anyone could seem so sunny and cheerful all the time was beyond him. Sighing again, he forced a smile, trying not to ruin it for him. This was a lot of effort just for research. On the other hand, a lot of people could identify with the concept of fawning over and even fantasizing for people they viewed as out of their league, so it made sense to conceptualize a story about falling for a celebrity. He was a good model for that, he supposed, someone with high energy and such a nice smile, who could say embarrassing things with ease would be quite popular. His phone made a clicking sound to let them know the picture had been taken, and Noel wormed out of his loose hold, scrawling a few vague notes, not enough for most to understand, but he only needed keywords anyway.
"About this date. I'll need to know the when and where of it. You seem to have an erratic schedule, so I'll do my best to work around yours, I think." he said, switching the subject.
"I'll let you know when I have time for that." he said, putting a finger to his lips in thought. "Will you wear something cute?"
Fighting the urge to roll his eyes he gave a nod. Assuming he was hinting at wanting him to wear a dress, that too wasn't exactly a first for him. He was often encouraged to wear them from time to time during interviews, 'emphasizing the mystery of who he was' which he took to mean 'let's really confuse the world as to if you're a man or a woman'. It was a cheap tactic, one he didn't care for, but not enough to put up with an argument over. Seven seemed accustomed to it as well, though for entirely different reasons.
"For the sake of being upfront, I intend to keep these photos to myself, they won't be released, strictly for research as I mentioned. However, as such, it may be best to take some out of the public view. I don't particularly want people to get the wrong idea about it." he restated.
He seemed to have the wrong idea about it as well, except that the reaction was all wrong.
"Oh, you want something special, just for you? That's so cute. Alright, sometime, I'll invite you over, and you can take as many as you like. Hm... although that will be an extra date and...uhmm...two kisses. Fair?" he asked.
The idea of haggling with such a strange person felt strange. Whatever got the work done, but he wasn't going to be the one troubled when the realization that he really was a man struck him. Either way, the party date hadn't been set, which meant he had to really be on top of all his work if he intended to study every member carefully. He could probably comfortably devote two solid days to each person, plenty of time to decide if the ideas he gained from them would pan out well enough.
"If that's what you want, that's a small enough price to pay for this. It is, of course, appreciated, Mr. Ryu." he said formally.
Zen cringed a little at the name. He shook his head vehemently. "Whoa, that's so weird. If you don't want to call me Zen, then I guess Hyun is fine, but...Mr. Ryu…" he shivered again.
"Very well. In that case, please feel free to call me Noel." he decided.
"Mm. Nope. That's so cold and impersonal~" he refused.
Such a persistent man. Arguing always sapped his energy, already far too low as it was. He waved a hand half-heartedly, letting him do as he pleased. His phone rang, and he frowned, answering it, talking for a bit before hanging up with a dismayed sigh.
"I have to get going. I'll get ahold of you later to work out the details, alright? Bye, babe~" he said with a wink.
He sat in stunned silence, grabbing up his things once more, a small chiming bell signalling a message. Pocketing all but his phone, he opened the message curiously, raising his eyebrows at the picture. It was the same one he had just taken, apparently he wanted him to have it also. Considering it for a moment, he saved it before dropping it into his pocket, heading back to wait for a cab. Hopefully this was worthwhile, and not just going to be one big distraction...