foulplayed | INBOX

I can do 8. See you then, Joseph.

[He's used to rising early, and so he is at the Gardens well before their agreed-upon meeting time, setting up his tripod, checking the viewfinder and the plates. The photographs he'd taken before of the area had turned out fairly well--he'd thought the lighting coming from the trees themselves would make for a messy composition, but the lighting they'd lent seemed to actually enhance the shapes and shadows... he's eager both to meet with his subject and to see if he can continue his work of upgrading his apparatus to one that could capture and process color.

Yuri would find him deep in thought as he works, the sun rising slowly over them.]

( Joseph isn't the only one accustomed to seeing in the dawn, and Yuri uses the hour and a half he has to spare before their meeting to make himself presentable for another man's scrutiny. He keeps his makeup minimal — just the wing-tips and mascara today, with a gloss of sheer rose on his lips — and dresses himself in a light shirt and a pair of high-waisted, ash coloured trousers cut close and flattering to his form.

It isn't simply his vanity that has him stepping out of his house looking poised and put-together. Yuri is still curious about the process of photography, and he's come to the assumption that Joseph is at least some manner of aristocrat; it could be quite beneficial to have a tech-savvy noble on hand should the occasion call for one.

Business, with a little fun thrown in on the side.

Finding Joseph isn't particularly difficult at such an early hour. The Gardens are quiet and largely deserted, which affords the pale morning light and sounds of nature a kind of presence of their own. Yuri approaches, his expression altogether pleasant as he moves towards the other man: )

Now, you look like a man who's used to early mornings.

( He places a hand on his hip, an easy smile curving the bow of his lips. )

Need a hand with anything before we get started?

Edited (Blows raspberry at self ) 2021-02-09 13:10 (UTC)

[He turns, his eyes running up Yuri's form appreciatively. He has taste...how nice, to have a subject with a sense of aesthetics. The clothes set graceful angles against his nicely-curved body, and the tasteful make-up just tops it all off. He was right to wear something more neutral, it certainly brings out the color of his hair and eyes.]

Not to worry. I have it all set up and ready. You look quite nice. [Where did he get that shirt? He wants it. Or would, but it's out of the question now. Wearing the same thing as another is quite the faux pas.

Joseph's nails tap lightly against the body of his camera, his other beckoning him closer.]

Come. You wished to see how it works?

( You look quite nice. )

Yeah? Well, that makes two of us.

( A little mischief touches Yuri's smile as he moves in a little closer, until he's standing next to Joseph and his alien contraption. It certainly looks different to the little device they were all given on their arrival: the idea that the two things can produce similar effects is a little odd to Yuri, but he's not just here to model, he's here to learn. )

Thanks for agreeing to show me — my time here so far has involved a pretty steep learning curve.

( There's magic, of course, but what he finds fascinating about photography is that reproducing an image is apparently more of a science than anything else. )

Will this camera make the picture right away, too?

It will.

[A pretty thing that knows how to say pretty words... Joseph couldn't have found a better first model. More so that he seems legitimately curious. His fingers stroke the wooden box almost lovingly.]

Usually, a special room is needed to develop the images, but I have engineered a way to make the process near-immediate. You will be able to hold the result in your hand within a minute.

( Yuri raises an eyebrow. )

Engineered as in ... you adapted it by yourself? I've gotta say, that's impressive.

( To Yuri, in any case. The way he handles his camera would suggest he's incredibly precious about the thing - not unlike the way he himself might handle a favoured sword, or a painter might handle their brushes. It makes sense that he's adjusted it to perfection. )

Where does it come out?

Yes, adapted myself. I was the one who pioneered the technology in my time. [IT IS IMPRESSIVE ISN'T IT, YURI? OHOHO]

Once the chemicals have settled, I will be able to open this panel and take the photograph out. [A gentle gesture at the sealed slot.] It took a bit more to figure that out, but it was something I wanted... so much can happen before and during the development process. I even came close to engineering instant color before. It's been done, at least, in other worlds, so I know I'll be able to do it again.

( Joseph's passion for his craft makes Yuri feel a little more at ease with the whole process. Even if he doesn't fully understand it, it's clear that this man is more than a professional, he's an enthusiast, and if what he's saying is true about being a pioneer of the technology in his time?

At least he's in good hands. )

Well that, I've gotta see.

( Yuri steps away and makes a gesture towards the backdrop of foliage. )

How do you want me?

[Oh, he certainly is. Joseph's eyes have always been good at catching and pinning down beauty--that's what made him seek out something that would be able to capture said beauty so accurately.]

By that tree. Against the trunk...is there a way you wish to pose? [Something tells him Yuri isn't exactly inexperienced at this.

( While it's true that he isn't exactly inexperienced in presenting himself for nobles to scrutinise, it was very rarely in a scenario that would lend itself to the great outdoors. As such, he moves over to the tree and considers his options for a moment, before settling on a casual pose to kick things off. )

Like this?

Mmm. Tilt your head up to the side... there. Shift your hips...

[Joseph guides him, though he's dipped behind the camera, peering into the viewfinder, adjusting it slightly. His voice is both authoritative and like he's in a trance.]

Turn now. Lean your front against it...ah. There.

[Snap, snap.]

( The change in Joseph is interesting, to say the least. He has no reservations about telling Yuri what to do: he's firm, authoritative, and offers little room for questioning, and yet there's something about his tone that suggests he might also be experiencing some kind of ... distance, from what's happening. Joseph seems as though the world has drastically narrowed to what he can see through his viewfinder, and he finds himself wondering whether it's an artist thing or a uniquely him response. )

Just a second—

( Yuri arranges himself against the tree, then looks back over his shoulder with a gently smoldering gaze, as though daring the viewer to take a step closer and reach out for him. )

[It's a bit of both really, but... well, is it any surprise that being able to snatch a moment in time, to capture it and pin it perfectly gives him a rush of power? It is something that he'd so longed for, had given everything to perfect: life, youth, ultimately sanity, though all of those are back to him now. Desire born from a great pain.

He rumbles appreciatively in his throat as Yuri poses, feeling his pulse quickening, even as his mind stays sharp and clear and focused. He wants him on the ground, he thinks, to lay him in a field of flowers and catch him with that lovely hair spread in a curtain, to stand over him and pin him with his lens like a butterfly on a mount.]

Good. You may change positions again. Something with that drooping branch, perhaps--? [He can see it in the way he moves, that Yuri Leclerc has an excellent sense of aesthetics, himself. A pity his film plates are limited at the moment...]

Edited 2021-02-10 16:48 (UTC)

( Something with that drooping branch. Yuri takes his instruction with ease, moving behind the branch so that it trails between himself and Joseph's camera, and curls his fingers through the leaves as though holding a fine silk scarf against his body. )

Will you develop all of them?

( Not that there appears to be a way to look through what he's captured before turning it into a picture ... but then Yuri doesn't want to make any assumptions about the capability of his technology. He tilts his head as he continues: )

You've taken quite a few, is all. It seems like a bit of a waste if some of them aren't what you're looking for.

[He chuckles proudly at that question. Yes, usually he would have to put the work in for developing, to spend hours in a darkroom with chemicals that would dry his skin out, but...]

Let us finish this one, and then I'll be able to show you. Immediately. I've made it so, after all. And do have faith... I'm a professional.

Now--Attention.

[That's Yuri's cue.]

( Attention, he says, and Yuri looks to the camera again. He supposes Joseph makes a valid point: he's a professional, he knows what he's looking for, and he likely wouldn't even be humouring this if he didn't think he could get something good from it. )

Yes, sir.

( Yuri teases, an amused smile touching his lips. He does like the idea of seeing the result immediately, and so he poses as elegantly as he can for the final picture. )

... All done?

Mmm.

[He pulls the final plate out of the camera, examining it with a nod, and then curls a finger to Yuri, holding it out to him.]

There.

[He does not apologize for the lack of color; he never does. It will come in time, he will figure it out; he came close on Lunatia, before. But the image holds its own without it. He was right to make Yuri wear a light shirt; it stands out against the shadows of the foliage. The man, to his credit, has excellent coloration, and truly is a natural at posing.]

You did very well. [He's already taking the other plates to show him.]

( He did very well, did he? Yuri merely smiles, a little amused by the fact that he didn't really have to do anything beyond turn this way and that, but then he supposes if Joseph has made a profession of it then the his models must be required to have at least some kind of skill. )

Oh yeah? I guess must be a natural.

( He teases, moving back over to where Joseph is standing so that he can see the removed plates. Unlike the picture on the device, these images seem to be lacking colour, but Yuri is surprised to find that it adds a certain something to the picture. )

Fascinating ... can I touch it?

[He angles the plate to make that the chemicals have settled, and then nods, offering it to him with a smile.]

Gently. [There's something almost tender in his voice as he looks at the picture.

And then he seems to remember, and reaches for the careful little pile he's set aside, laying them out for him to see.]

You have wonderful expressions.

Wonderful expressions, huh?

( Yuri takes the plate gently careful not to spill the chemicals where they're held, and watches closely as the picture begins to form beneath the thin film. It's ... fascinating, that this isn't considered magic in Joseph's world—

But then his attention is drawn away when Joseph reaches for the others. )

Well, thanks. I don't think anyone's ever said that to me before.

( He looks amused. )

I see now how passionate you are about your craft.

It's more than just my craft. It's my creation.

[He's proud when he says it, gently starting to see to breaking down his camera for transportation back.]

This is the first of its kind. [He doesn't mention the years, decades of research it took, the trials and failures. Joseph is like a swan, appearing to glide gracefully and easily to others while his feet kick hard underneath murky water.]

So you can imagine... I like to choose my subjects carefully.

( His creation? )

Wait, you invented the whole process?

( Real surprise crosses Yuri's expression at that, because while he was under the impression that Joseph had refined the process, he didn't realise that he'd actually created it as well. He gestures towards the images Joseph set aside: )

People couldn't capture images like that before you made this machine?

They couldn't.

[He smiles, holding the body of his camera delicately, nails stroking lightly across it.]

All people could rely on were painting and memories...but this captures the moment perfectly. It uses light and chemicals. Eventually I'll find a way to make them able to reproduce colors. I was close before. I'm sure I can do it again.

[The fact that so many people seem impressed at his creations...it makes him rather happy.]

Next time, I can show you how it works in detail.

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