Put Your Best Face Forward

[Quinn Wiley]

Quinn’s major might be communications but the assignments he really loved to work on were those of his photography class. That was when he put all of his energy into something. So when his teacher gave a class on how to fully take advantage of both your environment and your model and then gave them the assignment to try on their own, it was only natural that Quinn’s mind kept thinking only of that. He walked around the school to find something to inspire him. He also managed to find some girl willing to model for him. It really was easier to have people say yes when you actually asked them first rather than follow them to take pictures and then ask if they wanted to pose some more for you.

A few days before the shoot though, he got a problem. She fell ill. Nothing major but she refused to have her pictures taken when she had a red and runny nose. Now he was back to square one. He’d need a new model and likely a new background to go with the model. If only his power was that he could make copies of himself. That would be so much easier for him. Now, he had to walk around the school and find someone he could ask help from. He started going through the people he knew. So few. And most of them wouldn’t want to anyway...

He stopped in his tracks. His mind stopped too. He made one step backward, took a peek in the room. His eyes had fallen on a face and immediately sent a signal that this face was interesting. His brain forced everything else to stop so he could inspect said face. It was a red-headed young woman. Her freckles... so many of them but that must have been what made his eyes claim her as interesting. He faced her, still looking at her. His brain was racing right now, trying to find what he could do with that. Too bad his work was not about beauty shots, he would have loved to photograph that face up close. Maybe he could work something out in that regard, or get her to do some of those as well...

Of course, for that to happen, he’d need to ask her first. And all he could do right now was stand there in the way and stare at her. And he looked creepy before.

Tag: Mercedes Allen

[Mercedes Allen]

    Studying. Some don't like it, some can't stand it. Mercedes is the one person on the planet who actually enjoys it. That is, if it's a topic that she likes. Science? She lives for that stuff. English? No problem. Math? She'd rather gorge her eyes out than do that crap. That's why, instead of doing the math homework splayed in front of her like she was supposed to, she was lazily doodling in the margins, her head resting on the palm of her hand.

    She glanced at the first question and after trying but failing to do it in her head she let go of the pencil and sighed in defeat, leaning back in the chair and lifting her eyes from her papers. That's when she noticed a guy around her age with dark hair and green eyes staring right at her. She blinked in surprise, a bit alarmed at the attention. "Um... can I help you with anything?" she asked in a polite tone, tilting her head a bit.

[Quinn Wiley]

Quinn had not realised that the girl was looking at him right now. He was too busy wondering what he could do with a model like that. Too bad this was not the fall season, with the leaves and all, he bet it would have been great. It might be a little cold now to shoot outside. He couldn’t tell for sure, since his power always kept his body temperature high, but he supposed normal people would rather wear some warm winter coat right now. Or not. Global warming and all.

How long had he been staring? How long had she known he was there? It was hard to tell but she noticed now and Quinn couldn’t help, as he suddenly noticed the schoolbook in front of her, that he might have thrown her off her homework. Oops?

She wanted to know what was going on of course. Quinn thought it might be cavalier but he had already been caught staring so he might as well give her the reason why instead of letting her believe all sorts of crazy things. He stepped forward. It was easier for him to ask people now. Not easy though, easier. And since it started off with him just stalking them, you could understand it was not necessarily easy. “I was just wondering... Would you model?” Okay, maybe that was easy. But that was not tactful hence not a great way for her to say yes. “I mean, for pictures. Not naked or anything...”

He scratched his head. This was just getting worse and worse. “I’m in the photography class. And we need a subject. I thought, well, you look interesting...”

[Mercedes Allen]

    Mercedes stared curiously as the stranger spoke, her eyebrows raising a bit in surprise at the request. It wasn't everyday somebody came up to you and asked you to model. She was about to ask for details as to what exactly that would entail, but he beat her to the chase. As he fumbled to elaborate a the corners of her mouth lifted a bit in amusement.

    She was on the rails. It wasn't about him personally, her worries were assuaged the minute she looked inside his head. He was being honest, no hint of tomfoolery to be found about his offer. The question was, was this something Mercedes wanted to do?

    She had never modeled before, though she's posed for a family photo or two in her time, but that wasn't the same. She was posing with family, and she was just a little girl the last time she was in one. At that time she didn't care how the picture turned out as long as she could get out of the itchy mass of clothing she was forced into immediately afterward. Obviously the circumstances would be different this time.

    And when would another opportunity like this come along? What if she enjoyed modeling? Of course she wouldn't go as far as to pursuing a career in modeling, she was too smart for that, but it was a new experience. What's the worst that could happen?

    Noticing that she was thinking too long about this she decided she wouldn't force the poor guy to wait any longer and gave him her answer, "Um, sure. Why not? When would you need me?".

[Quinn Wiley]

Quinn was certain he screwed it up. He must have sound like such a creep, first asking if she was a model like some cheap pickup line then assure it was not for naked pictures. What was he thinking? But Quinn sucked at asking people to model for him. When he tried to get a foot in the industry, he met many others who had the same dream, but as a model or stylist. It was easy then to come to a mutual help and take pictures for them. Here, it was more difficult. And he just proved it.

He was ready to retreat, not even letting her say no or something else he might not want to hear but probably deserved for the way he approached her. It probably explained why he stood there, frozen, eyes growing wider as he stared at her. She said yes? He blinked a little, unable to believe it. She said yes!? Just when he was about to go away and lash at himself, he was stopped in his track.

“R-really? You want? You’re not kidding?” She didn’t look like she was kidding but who knows. She wouldn’t be the first to tell him yes and leave him hanging. And she wanted to know when. “Now6” Then he noticed her books and realised he had no real set. “Uh, well... maybe not. I, uh... I need to think of a set and since it’s winter...” Not everyone had, like him, the ability of being naturally warmer and not need heavy coats when going outside. He really didn’t think it would be that easy to get someone.