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 Posted: Wed Dec 14, 2011 8:50 pm
It was a cold, but clear afternoon and Teddy had just finished up at the gym. Sporting a white tank top, red work out pants, and a matching red jacket, he quickly made his way towards the nearby coffee shop. Usually he made his own smoothies, but he had stuck around for two yoga classes. Physically drained, he didn't bother to thank the parking attendant as he drove straight into the parking garage. The older woman's gaze let him know she noticed his lack of concern for her position. However, Teddy could care less as he could only look down on her as he quickly headed into the coffee shop.
Thankfully, Teddy didn't have to wait too long as only a few customers were ahead of him in line. Though he had missed the afternoon rush, he guessed a few stragglers had come late to get their afternoon caffeine fix. The young lady in front of him seemed to be taking her time as she listlessly read the menu aloud to those around her while pointing in the air at various parts of the menu. Teddy grew impatient with her very quickly and began to incessantly tap his tennis shoe to let her know that her daze was a great annoyance to those around her. Though she turned around to discover the source of the noise, she didn't bother to speed up and continued to take her time as she ordered some kind of latte. Once Teddy reached the counter, he was ready to order. Looking down from the menu, he found that the smoothies didn't list the ingredients and he would have to ask the young barista before him. Staring at her name tag for a moment, he then asked her his question.
"Harmony, is it? Do you happen to know how they make the smoothies? I would like to know if they have any kind of protein powder?
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Posted: Thu Dec 15, 2011 1:26 am
Harmony was in the middle of any other workday and was happily busy for it. She hadn't brought her camera out in a while. She rarely did during the rush. But he was the last in line and for that she was grateful. She liked down time as much as her work time here and it came and went in waves like anything else in life. She was happy, though, that at least he was easy on the eyes. She gave him a charming smile partly to apologize for the wait and partly cause he was cute. Harm, despite recent setbacks, still believed in flirtation as a source of fun. And those that could return the game were still few and far between but that didn't stop her from trying.
"I can make you anything you want any way you want." she promised and was generally good to her boast. She'd been here a long time now and there was nothing in this shop that could challenge her in the making anymore. That was why she loved her job. It was simple, made people happy, and afforded her other opportunities like photography and flirtation. Both of which were high in her book. She went on. "We have protien powder, B complex. C vitamin for a health boost. Any add on you can think of."
Their list of smoothies was short but distinct. And she herself created many more including one she thought he'd like that wasn't on the menu called the "horsepower" which included apples and peanut butter for a natural boost. Everything they used was local and organic except for the Italian imported espresso and coffee. Some of the teas, too, were imports.
"That's some great hair, by the way." she added. Jasmine, her shift companion, rolled her eyes. Typical Harmony...
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Posted: Fri Dec 16, 2011 2:10 pm
A bit conceited, he pretended to ignore the tone of her voice and the way she so skillfully played with her words. Though he couldn't help, but to smirk at her comment, he continued the ruse and pretended to be completely innocent to her remarks. Making direct eye contact with the young barista, he gave her a warm smile and then leaned down onto the counter. Turning his gaze back to the menu, he mused over a few different options.
"Oh, all of that sounds good. Hmm.. I guess I'll go with the one called the 'horsepower' in a large size, but I would like to add protein powder. That sounds like the best option for me."
Focusing back on Harmony, he continued to play innocent to her remarks. Running his hand through his hair and then carefully fixing the curls back to where they had originally been. His bad mood had quickly dissipated. Though he was usually disinterested with most people, he was unfortunately a sucker for any kind of attention or praise.
"You think so? I'm actually very envious of anyone with naturally straight hair. Curly hair, even when cut short, takes a lot more time to manage and control."
Truthfully, Teddy loved his hair, just as he adored everything else about himself. However, he found that stating such facts to others was generally a turn off and would quickly end any kind of praise or attention. He may have been conceited, but he wasn't stupid, at least when it came to compliments.
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Posted: Mon Dec 19, 2011 12:55 pm
"No! That's a great color! And I like curls!"
Obviously, as her own hair was cascading over her shoulders minty emerald waves. She found them to be occasionally frustrating. She often had to work to make sure she didn't frizz out into a poof ball of frosty green hair but she found she'd never trade them away. Much like the color she found they made her feel unique and unique, to a teenager, is as good as gold.
"Lemme get you that smoothie."
She loaded it up and blended everything smooth, sliding the cup across the counter when she was done. It was perfectly blended, a balance of sweet apple and slightly sweet peanut butter. Oddly, the peanut butter didn't clash with the fruit. She was confident in that, at least, and pulled out her camera. He was handsome in his own way with a look she liked. Harm, ever the photographer, wanted to take his picture. Even get him to model if she could.
"May I?" She indicated the camera in hand. If he looked around a cork board of her handiwork was displayed along with the other artistic creations donated by coffeehouse patrons. They were known for being an artist's hangout and it usually guaranteed them repeat business. Lots of DCU students came in making the place kind of trendy. Harm didn't mind so long as she kept getting tips and the chance to take new pictures.
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Posted: Tue Dec 20, 2011 1:18 pm
As the girl turned her attention away from him, Esperite reached into his pocket for his wallet. Pulling out his black card, he couldn't help, but to smirk as the girl had her back to him. He was certainly eating up the attention and he knew he could play it up further. Though he did a take a second to check his appearance in the mirror on his phone to make sure his hair hadn’t been ruined during their conversation. While the two of them had a good back and forth, as far as Teddy was concerned, that wasn't an excuse to let his appearance go down the drain. Once he was satisfied, he returned his attentions back to the young barista. Taking the smoothie as she slid it down to him, he handed her his credit card with a smile. Pretending to be bashful about having his picture taken, he continued the ruse.
"Oh, I don't know. I'm in my gym cloths . . . but if you think I'm camera ready..."
Taking another moment, he gave her a practiced pose. His smirk purposefully posed to a look he thought was devilishly handsome. Teddy also took the time to lean onto the counter and pose his neck just right so that it didn't look too long or too short. Arrogant to a fault, Teddy had obviously spent some time in the mirror, finding the perfect angle for pictures. Fortunately, his eyes were a dark red that would prevent the need to worry about a flash since they always turned up red, regardless of the camera. Once he felt his pose was perfect, he casually signaled the young photographer.
"I'm ready, thank you for waiting. I'm so nervous when it comes to this kind of thing."
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Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2011 1:31 pm
A black credit card? For a smoothie? That seemed like overkill to Harm and though she swiped it she had to suppress the giggle that formed in her throat. Either he was very rich and that was all he had on him or he was very rich and trying to impress her with it. Either way it amused her. Once the transaction was complete she went back to her camera.
Then he popped a pose.
Harm worked with a lot of models, some experienced and some not. If he wasn't experienced he was certainly practiced, knowing just how the light would compliment his features and what position suited him best. He looked amazing but Harmony wasn't buying his sheepish act anymore. She didn't know why he was trying to pretend to be humble, anyway. He looked good and to his credit the practice had done him some good. She snapped a few photos, trying various angles and using the lighting to her advantage.
"So you've done this before?" she asked him, trying to be conversational. It was possible he hadn't but if he hadn't she was determined to snag him up for photo shoots. He was interesting and handsome and she thought she could create some good photos with him. Already ideas were whirling in her head: costumes and setting. He'd be good in nature, she thought.
"You should model for me." That wasn't phrased as a question.
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Posted: Wed Dec 21, 2011 8:38 pm
While obviously self-absorbed and a little conceited, Teddy wasn't stupid and knew by the time she had taken her last picture that Harmony wasn't falling for his act any longer. Inwardly, he was disappointed as he was truly a glutton for praise and a captive audience. Though he did remember she was a barista and he was posing on the counter in a quaint coffee shop. He guessed that anyone else would have been embarrassed at being put in such a situation where he was sure a few of the shop's customer's were curious about the situation at the counter; however, Teddy was far from regretting his actions. His only real regret was not being able to play up the humble act further. He immediately dropped the bashful act and returned to his more arrogant, cocky self.
"Not professionally, I'm afraid, but I do make a habit of always looking my best. That of course coming with the a little bit of face time in the mirror. Never would I allow myself to be photographed poorly. That's just common sense after all."
Pausing to smile at her, his grin served to affirm that he was indeed a little stuck on himself and of course, doing his best to flatter the young barista/photographer. Recently, he had dated mostly men, but only because they knew to shower him with gifts and praise. Not to say these affairs lasted very long since they either burned out or someone's wife had a problem with Teddy having their husband as a sugar daddy. However, unlike his past conquests, Harmony seemed to possess that certain familiar fire that Teddy was all too aware of. He wasn't so blinded by arrogance that he didn't recognize another person's zeal and determination.
"Hmmm, usually when someone asks me to do something for them, I decline, but I like you. You've got spunk and I like a girl with spunk. Besides I could use the practice if I'm going to take this little hobby of mine any further."
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Posted: Mon Dec 26, 2011 12:45 pm
Once the fake humble act was gone and the cocky attitude took its place Harm snapped a few more candids while he spoke. Candid shots, she felt, got to the heart of the person. After all, he wasn't posing anymore, he was simply being himself - the real self. The bulletin board full of her photography in the corner of the shop was filled with similar shops of people caught in moments of life. Some were warm and some mundane. Some she managed to snap that perfect moment of life when an emotion lit the face so noticeably that you cannot help but see the person inside for who they really are.
Those, of course, she kept for herself.
"It's not attractive, you know, pretending to be something you're not. I bet I'll like the new shots more than the others because you're being yourself."
Harmony was used to the two things she'd probably just done: pissing people off with her honesty and being blunt about how she felt. She often put people off this way but this was her world view, no one else's. Behind her camera lens she was God and could show the world in the image she saw it fitting into and not the other way around. All day she seemed belted by the images of life how others wanted her to see it. Fashion, commercials, billboards, magazines. Behind her camera life was how she wanted it to seem and she strove to make it real. Or, as real as possible.
When he agreed that he'd model for her, though, her smile broadened. It wasn't often she got to work with someone practiced. Model shoots were different than random shots. Then she'd want him to pretend to be something or someone else. She'd certainly give him all the practice he could stand if he wanted it. She could always use the right guy to take her photography further. She scribbled her number down on a business card and handed it to him.
"Call me. We'll work something out. I have a space I work in."
By space, of course, she meant the mock studio on her basement.
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Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2011 5:55 pm
Very little intimidated Teddy and he was already expecting a comment on his earlier show. As he had said, Teddy liked her spunk and spunk meant she had a little kick to her personality. Never had he ever met anyone who possessed a fire, but not the heat to go along with it. This isn't to say he enjoyed being called out on his earlier performance, but he also wasn't shocked that she had noticed the obvious change from the mask to the real thing. He would give credit and merit where it was due, though honestly; he was still pissed to be spoken to in such a way. A boy who grew up as spoiled as Teddy did was certainly not used to anyone addressing him so bluntly. He would have to make sure he didn't sugar coat anything around the young barista. For now, he simply ignored the flashing camera and the girl's straightforward nature and focused on future prospects as he took the handwritten card.
"Do you mind if I ask if you have others working with you? Or should I contact a few people about the wardrobe and hair. Though I should ask if any kind of wardrobe will be necessary? Do you have a story in mind?"
Removing the lid, he took large gulps of the smoothie. Their conversation had distracted him from his original purpose of entering the coffee shop. His mouth was beginning to feel dry and if he were going to inquire further, which seemed to be the case given his penchant for detail, he was going to have to regain some energy. The thought of being photographed with a smoothie in hand felt like a free advertising of sorts, which didn't really rub Teddy the right way, but necessity overruled these thoughts as his body would have to come before his pride.
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Posted: Wed Dec 28, 2011 5:59 pm
“Oh, I don’t need a lot of people working with me.” She breezed, tossing off the question. More people just tended to complicate her vision. “I was thinking something kind of old world for you. You have that kind of look. Maybe a new take on the old Greek Gods.”
She tended to do styling and make up herself. In fact she had a vanity in her workspace with mirrors and lights for just that purpose. Costumes tended to be borrowed from Crystal Academy with the permission of her mother or else bought special for the occasion and hung in a locked wardrobe in her basement studio. It was stuffed with old garments and utility pieces meant to be interchangeable. Her work with models was generally limited to her friends or the occasional experiment with herself.
When she snapped the photos it wasn’t publicity she had in mind. She was pretty sure he’d become a regular. They all did, eventually. Those photos she took to capture the real Teddy, so to speak. She imagined him in the role of a few of the Greek Pantheon. He had the look of it, though a little lanky for some. He’d be a good Pan, Dionysus, even Hades. She also wanted to imagine him as Hephaestus, wondering how he’d pose if she blurred his beauty. The idea of that intrigued her as a study of the God and of the model. That was the idea, wasn’t it? To dig a little deeper. The costuming and makeup would be simple enough.
“Then again I like your lines. I might just strap you in a bodysuit and throw you in a shadowbox to capture that body of yours.”
That set up, too, would be interesting. In a shadow box he’d be nothing but shadow, the only light coming from behind him to frame his lines, not his features. Obviously he took pride in his body but could he move it? Was he agile enough to stretch and bend and show himself off without being directed too much? And would he like an idea where he would not be distinguished at all by the photos. With no small sense of personal pride would he consent to be photographed without any sense of his face or emotion in the pictures?
No matter what she chose it would be a challenge for the model. To embody a role or become faceless to the shadows.
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Posted: Mon Jan 02, 2012 1:28 pm
Teddy very much enjoyed being told he could pull off portraying a Greek God. Though, honestly, he had similar thoughts about himself. He figured he could portray any figure that represented masculinity or even some universal ideal of male beauty. It was a wonder sometimes that he didn't collapse under the weight of his massive ego. However, unlike before, he didn't try and play it up with the young barista. Teddy had already tested the waters and knew how to deep to go before he would be in over his head.
"A modern take on the Greek Gods? I very much like that idea. It certainly raises the question of which style of toga would be appropriate or even some kind of armor or armor-like pieces to accompany the set. Hmm . . . I can work with that."
However, he didn't rule out the idea of the shadowbox either. A vain, arrogant creature, Teddy had no shame and he didn't have any qualms about stripping down to a form fitting body suit. How different could it be from his Negaverse uniform? His pants left little to the imagination and he wore them proudly, with any fears of worries. The more he thought about it, he would probably be comfortable with nudity. It seemed his mind was only fueling his ambitions and leaving more modest thoughts to sit on the sidelines.
"Though I also like the idea of removing the face and working with the shadowbox too. I think that would be good experience when it comes to posing with one's entire body."
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Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2012 1:02 pm
"We could do both." she responded, happy that he was eager to work with her. Willing models were so hard to find and yet here he was allowing this to play to his ego. So long as he could be directed this was kind of a happy dream for the young artist. "Not in the same day, of course."
But that meant more than one session and if he enjoyed it perhaps more after that. Her mind was already plying though costuming and set pieces. She could recover the old Divan and have him draped over it as Dionysus. A golden chalice perhaps, or grapes to adorn the god would suffice as props. She wanted to make these as stylized as possible and that would take work to set up props and situations. She imagined a forge for Hephaestus, seeing the boy sweating over it, metal work in his hands. She wanted to see the more humble of the gods. Many portraits were done of Zeus and Ares. The idea certainly had merit.
Of course, nudity didn’t cross her mind. If it had, the words Jail and Bait might have joined it. Her, obviously, not him. It would be highly inappropriate for that to happen. She had no idea he had at least some preference for the same sex, in not a whole preference for male companionship. The topic hadn’t come up and she didn’t think to ask. For once she wasn’t flirting. She was talking business and pleasure, getting down to brass tacks, as it were.
“Your hair should be easy. It’s pretty much in the right style. I’d like to add gold streaks for Dionysus to give it a shine, temporary of course, and maybe darken it for Hephaestus. It’s perfect for Hades except maybe with a dark wash over it.”
She was musing out loud still, considering him as she stood back and let the light hit him. She hadn’t even thought about the shadow box. That was much easier to plan.
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Posted: Mon Jan 09, 2012 6:11 pm
Casually taking in her words, Teddy continued to sip on his smoothie until he heard the rather unsettling sound of the straw pulling in mostly air and the small remains of the smoothie. Continuing to keep eye contact as she spoke, he looked through her and mused over the different roles and parts she wanted him to portray. He had honestly never experimented with different hair colors and the thought was enough to provoke him to ponder on which colors would suit him and which would be the most undesirable.
"That's an interesting idea. I hadn't thought of trying different hair colors and highlights to add to the photo shoot. As a photographer, which colors do you think would suit me best? I honestly haven't changed the color of my hair and I'm curious which colors you think would work and which ones wouldn't."
While Teddy wasn't a very compassionate or thoughtful guy, he did realize he was taking up the entire front counter space and blocking any incoming customers from ordering. Placing his empty cup in the nearby trash can, he moved over to the side of the bar and pulled out his phone. At this point, he removed the sport jacket and leaned up against the counter in his tank top and work out pants. Folding the jacket over his shoulder, he pulled out his phone.
"Since you have so many ideas, I suggest we go ahead and trade numbers. I think there is the potential for multiple shoots from our brainstorming session."
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Posted: Thu Jan 12, 2012 1:10 am
She studied him again, trying to figure out how to answer his questions. She wanted to keep his hair as close to the natural color as possible, just highlighting different aspects to better fit the picture or the God he was trying to portray. Costuming would be simple and reflective, too.
"Earth tones, obviously. Browns and deep greens." She critically eyed him again and shrugged. "But you can handle jewel tones, too. Anything pale like pastels would wash you out too much. You need bold colors."
Yeah. With his physique and his skin and hair tones jewels would really stand out on him. For his hair, though, she didn't want to get rid of the color (he'd name a killer Poseidon) just add to it in new ways to bring out whatever she was trying to do. The dark wash would only make the color look antiquish which would suit Hades well. The gold for Dionysus hedonism look and dinge for Hephaestus.
"Yeah, sure."
The girls behind her rolled their eyes and sighed. Yet again Harmony was getting the number of a cute guy customer while they were barely noticed. This was rather par for the course and breeded some resentment among the employees. The only thing that added and silver lining to this storm cloud was that despite getting the number Harmony always seemed to stay single. Lots of friends, never a boyfriend. The jealous ones at the shop reveled in that fact while Harm just seemed to find it annoying.
She handed Teddy her phone to program in his number. She realized for a moment that she didn't actually know his name. He'd seen her name tag and knew hers but had never introduced himself. She rattled off her number for him to put into his phone and took hers back.
"How do I save this? I mean, I don't have your name."
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Posted: Sun Jan 22, 2012 12:33 pm
Pausing for a moment, Teddy thought on how to approach the subject of his name with the young barista. The name "Teddy" often led to strange looks and younger girls especially seemed to enjoy it in a way that made Teddy cringe. Often he simply shortened it to "Ted", but truthfully, he felt his name was very underwhelming, especially for someone he considered so great and well off. As he got older, and he was barely able to pass it off, he preferred for people to simply address him as "Mr. Deòrsa" or at the very least "Sir". Begrudgingly, he did recognize that this wouldn't work for Harmony and he casually handed his phone over to her and said his name. Though inwardly, he was annoyed each time he had to give his name for the first time. Growing up, the kids at school weren't so appreciative and he was ironically dubbed "Teddy Bear" throughout elementary school.
"Oh, sorry. Where did my manners go? Haha. My name is Ted, Ted Deòrsa. Here's my phone, so you can give me your number."
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