[HeartBrokenIceQueen]Behind the camera lens[AnnaWinters]

[AnnaWinters]

Name: Jake Lyans


Age: 24


Bio: Jake used to be bullied in high school when he looked more like a geek then everything else, but then he went to college and became an expert is editing pictures. And now he words for a huge agency and he even helps with making the models look even better. He is the graphic designer and he actually had some friends there.

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Name: Lilith Roberts


Age: 22


Bio: Lilith aka Lilly her mother is the famous Helena Roberts, a model that worked for numerous brands and that then became a well known actress. With her first and only love she had Lilly and she kept Lilly out of the spotlight, making her live a normal life as much as possible. Lilith is nothing like her mother, she is the girl that dreams of being an actress but that doesn't want the fame. She is now studying to become a pharmacist and wishes to stay out of the spotlight because she is quite shy. She is more of an introvert that prefers to read and stick to herself or hang out with her friends in the park.

 

[The Empress of Ice]

Name; Alexander Esmond


Age; 20 - Ooh, younger man? O.o


Bio; Not much is known about Alexander but his age, his love for photography and his oh-so-lovely British accent. Though it is known that he does not approach woman, he does not find drinking fun and his a party-pooper in every sense. All that you will ever see him do is stare through his camera-lens, producing nearly perfect pictures.


What they didn't know was that he had a murky past, an eye for detail and a love for far more than photography.


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Name; Clarissa Autumn - E. Model President


Age; 24


Bio; Raised in a semi-normal life as she grew up next to all the the top models like Lester Marford, Helena Roberts and Jay Simmons; in a large company owned by her mother. She had enjoyed watching them, seeing their dreams come true and she found it an honor to take over the company her mother cherished so much. She can be a bit complicated, unclear and she loves throwing things at people to make them leave her office before they have the chance to say no.

Name; Kathen Armani


Age; 17


Bio; Born and raised in a small town, away from N.Y. and its busy streets; comes Kathen. The girl that stood out from her peers with her eye for fashion, coming trends and eyes for details that can make any outfit seem extravagant. A stylist which Clarissa cherishes since the day she was found, Kat is the epitome of comfort and a great friend. And also a pearl in the company with her outstanding skills and keen eye. Used rarely though it seems like she will finally found herself being given a model to work with.


Summary; What happens when an aspiring photographer finds the former Queen of Modeling own daughter? Well life gets a bit tricky as this girl takes a ride down memory lane, reliving her mothers dream. Unknown to the public yet, the current President of Choco-nano-maniac Model agency has plans made for her two new-found talents. With the annual Queen of Modeling contest coming up, she uses these two hidden cards and her aces. A mix of love, glamour, gossip and drama is about to unfold!

 

[AnnaWinters]

At a large house at the best side of the road, a girl moved out of her home from the back, it was the way that her mother had kept her out of publicity and how people would just see her as a normal person. That was something that her mother valued and something that Lilith always had loved. At least she knew who her real friends were and that was also the reason that she could just take her tiny car to the park so she could just play music or read. She just loved to be on her own at time, leaving her hair in a bit of a mess. It would take hours for her to make her hair look good and so she mostly pulled it back in a ponytail. At least then she didn't look like she just had stepped out of bed.


Lilith also knew that she didn't have the looks to be a model, her mother was much better at it all. And Lilith had another dream, to be a singer and actress without all the fame. A dream that might not have been the most easy, but she just wanted to be an example to people. To show that you didn't need photoshop and makeup to look good. Lilith was a more down to earth girl and also able to just go to the park.


She then parked her car and pulled out her guitar case, she often went to the park to sing covers and so she could get some money that would be used for a good cause. She knew that playing music was the only thing that made her feel like she belonged somewhere and it was also a way to show the world who she was and what she was about. It was a way to show her emotions and she always sat by the fountain and this day was no different.


She then sat down at her usual bench and started to play the strings and then took a deep breath, her case standing at her feet as she closed her eyes before she started to sing. "Leave me out with the waste. This is not what I do.It's the wrong kind of place. To be thinking of you.


It's the wrong time. For somebody new. It's a small crime. And I got no excuse." She sang, her voice sounding breakable and silent. She even sang the lyrics of Damien Rice, it was a song that she adored, she always had loved the more depressing song.


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Jake on the other had was sitting behind is computer, working on the pictures of models once more while there was music playing in the background. He always loved the soundtracks to work with, and he also had added some rock songs. Just when he was working on a picture where a model was portrayed as an icequeen 30 seconds to mars started playing. He couldn't help but hum along as he added a snowleopard to the picture and then hoped that he had the colors right. He knew that he had to prove himself and he also didn't get that much help from some of his photographers.


That was why he was very tempted to call Kathen, because she was a wonder with colors. But he didn't want to seem like he had no clue on what he was doing. It was just hard to work with only blue and white, it wasn't as easy as it looked. His grey eyes focused on the screen and his one hand supporting his face as he bit at the flesh of his thumb. A nervous habit that he had when he tried to thin of something original and edgy, but what was he supposed to do?

 

[The Empress of Ice]

Click, click, click the camera went.


"Charlene, straighten your back a little, please. Austin move a bit to the left of Hawa's shoulder!" A smooth, dark voice echoed through the loud chatter. It was thick with a British accent making the ladies of New York swoon slightly and the models obeyed without hesitation. James, the director of the shoot found it astounding how the models were arranged and he wouldn't dare to meddle with the young mans work at all. It wasn't that shocking for the thirty-seven year old man, he had after all worked with many legends of the model world but then again, this young man was not well-known nor talked about; heck, the only reason he had even let him come was because of Clarissa and her pestering words. But never had he believed the youngster to be a living example of a true, hard-working prodigy!


At first James had found him to be an amateur as the boy decided to blend all the 'wrong' models together but instead he had found the easiest ways to deliver the message 'The Four Seasons'. The background of the shoot was a garden with a swing, the garden itself had been decorated so that each part of the garden was a different season. The small swing was on the right side of the garden, hanging from a slightly crooked tree which had fiery autumn colors, the leafs being either yellow, brown or red. They had left small drops of rain continuously fall on the swing. Underneath the swing was fallen leaves which seemed to have flown down from the tree, but only halfway across the swing, from its started frost. The frosty trail soon turned into snow with naked trees behind the small opening. The snow on the openings far left side seemed to melt before buds of flowers came to be, and soon enough flowers bloomed in what seemed to be a field of flowers. As one continued to the left, the flowers turned even more beautiful and the trees gained green clothes once again as summer entered the scene. A little pond with 'jumping' frogs and fish was placed there.


Hawa, an utterly gorgeous Somali woman was dressed in a fluttery green summer dress as she was bent over the pond on her knees, one arm stretching out and touching the water. A soft smile graced her lips and her eyes seemed to remember something. To her right, a dark haired young teenager which goes by the name Jared, was laying in the field of flowers as his eyes closed with a content smile on his face. He was complemented with Charlene to the right, her pale skin and red hair made her stand out in the winter-like scene. She was dressed in all grey and black, her emerald green eyes and freckles seemed to pop out. Last but not least there was Austin, the 'heart-broken' boy on the swing, tears dripping down his face as he stared right into the camera. His clothes and hair had a slight dampness to it due to the fake rain. It was utterly enchanting.


James never would have imagined those four together in such a scene and he found every picture taken to be both heart-wrenching and soothing. They had first taken pictures of them as a group, then individual pictures on every season and now the models were simply wearing different seasonal clothing as they posed in front of a white background. They would wrap up rather quickly and James did not miss the seductive glances thrown the young photographers way from both the crew and the models. Yet the young man never gave them an indication at all, he was far to concentrated on his work as he discussed the pictures with the editor.


His hand was on the back of the editors chair as he leaned forward, his black t-shirt clinging to his body as he pointed with his other hand on certain pictures. His hair wasn't a mess nor fixed but simply combed and his eyes scanned over every picture, discussing the cons and pros of using them. "You don't need to worry about that Alexander, I do believe you said that you had an appointment with some shop after this no?"


James voice traveled over to Alexander and with his eyes widening he frantically nodded. "Ah yes! The new camera is out and I wanted to have a test run with it, in case I was to buy it. Excuse me then, it was a pleasure working with you Sir." His thick accent was easy to spot as he hurried over to the clothing rack and took a black long coat before quickly muttering out good byes to passing co-workers.


Arabelle, the owner of the shop was an old friend of Alexander and had known the man ever since he moved to the city of New York. He was such a loyal customer to her little, barely known shop which was on the side of the road across a park. Alexander would go there for simple test runs on the camera before either commenting on them, telling Arabelle that she should perhaps sell them to another store since they wouldn't be a success or buying them. Arabelle had come to use his words for her business as he would indeed always be right.


Another fact about Alexander was that he was rarely late and huffing he came through the door, precisely at three o'clock in the afternoon as promised. Arabelle greeted the boy cheerfully, "Alexander, my boy! How are you?"


"I'm just fine, Arabelle; a little tired but fine. How have you been?" He replied with a small smile on his lips, the middle-aged lady shook her head at his rather mundane words.


"I'm still 'kicking'! That is what you youngsters say nowadays, right?" She brought her fist up to her while doing a determined grimace, making Alexander chuckle ever so lightly. He'd never get tired of her antics even after seeing them for years, the woman always tried to seem trendy and modern. Though with a simple glance at the shop, one would know immediately that she was but an old lady.


The shop itself had black walls with light white flower designs, a counter at the end with a door behind it. The brown mahogany door had a small beautiful handwritten sign with the words 'Staff Only'. Another door was to the right of the glass counter which had multiple picture frames with different cameras next to them. The pictures all had some sort of difference, and everyone of the pictures were meant to evaluate the quality of the camera. A price tag was on the left of each camera, neatly tucked to the side. The other door was the storage room and it blended into the wall.


All around the shop were different displays of cameras, old and new, some were displaying new equipment; stands and what not. Paintings graced the walls and light came through the glass display at the front of the shop. And the very last 'decoration' was Arabelle herself, with her black hair tainted with a few gray strands and soft dark brown eyes. She, in Alexanders eyes, was a beauty both inside and out.


For anyone passing by it was a simple shop but for Alexander it was a haven of its own. Thus he skipped the pleasantries with simple words, taking good bye of Arabelle as he left with the new camera. It was the very new Fuji X100S and he had been itching to try it out. For now, he would go to the park and take some variations of pictures. Some would be in motion and others utterly still.


One was of some falling leaves, another of a child and a mother playing around. He had even taken a picture of a crying girl with a journal underneath a tree. So far, everything was going great; the pictures came out good and he planned to go home. Until he heard the song, and for some reason that voice made him turn around and walk down the small path in the park. "Fo... so..body...ew. It's .... sma...crime... and got...n...excuse..."


The song was hard to hear but as he got closer and closer, it became more clearer. He was captured by a sight far from what he imagined. A girl, dressed in simple clothing sat on a fountain. Her ponytail seemed to follow the find and her singing attracted a small crowd. A couple sat down at her side and nodded to her voice, a child stopped her mother from leaving just yet as she stared at the older girl. A few leaves fell behind her and the wind had just blow her hair to the side.


It was like a scene from some photo shoot and as a photographer, Alexander couldn't resist but taking at least one photo. But it went from one to two, two to three and soon he found himself having nearly thirty two different photos of the girl. Nearly taking his thirty


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Kathen was exhausted to say the least, her soft brown hair was a mess and her eyes, lined with red angry veins, were puffy as she took a step out of the cab. Quickly she reached into her purse and took out her beige wallet. The beige seemed a bit out of place in this weather but she had not cared to notice as she sauntered into the all to well-known building of Choco-nano-maniac Model Agency or better known as E. Model. E standing for both Elegant and Everlasting depending on what one prefers.


The lobby was full of chatter as managers discussed schedules with their arriving models, photographers carrying their equipment on their shoulder, the back-stage crews moving different props and the counter had cute, uniformed desk ladies standing patiently. Kathen showed her ID to the guards which were stationed at every hall leading away from the lobby. They seemed horrified as they double-checked the girl in front of them, to see that indeed it was Kathen. Kathen, the girl which always came dressed in trends before they came out, which coordinated her clothes from her neck down to the tip of her shoes. Kathen, the girl which had her hair in almost always different styles, every single day.


But what they didn't know that Kathen's mother had called, they didn't know she sobbed in front of the TV with a bowl of ice-cream, watching the lion king. They didn't see her fall asleep on the coach with tears streaming down her face. They simply didn't know she woke up in a sour mood and without care of what she wore but went directly to work after getting some extra strong, extra large black coffee at Starbucks.


No, all they saw was her in a blue, loosely knitted sweater with a white tee underneath and a black coat to finish it off. Her legs were hidden by some tight, black skinny jeans and her silky hair was put in a low pony tail, the tip of the pony tail laying fashionably on her shoulder. Her shoes, some black sneakers, and black shoulder purse complemented the whole laid back style. Kathen had for once left her face nearly make-up less as she had only applied some lip palm and mascara. This wasn't a bad style at all but this wasn't the trend of this fall, nor was it possibly any coming trend and Kathen always, as in always, wears whatever trend is going on or one that is to come.


The girl in question had already entered the crowded elevator to exit it three floors later, her feet made no sound as she walked down the hall. An opening was at the end, leading into a massive room with desks. The desks had either equipment on or it would be an editing desk for photographs which came in. These massive room was meant to be used for three purposes. The first was to allow photographers come in and review their photos, create portfolio or what not. The second was to print out pictures for the agency or a model, edit them etc. The third was a special case, since Clarissa rarely asked to see a personal portfolio sent to her.


This was so she could evaluate any progress made by her workers and who they could work with. Those people had a small section all for themselves with all sorts of equipment ready. Kathen would have moved past that section quickly had it not been for Jake. The man seemed to stare at a picture for too long and Kathen couldn't help but observe the photograph too. The photo obviously was supposed to portray some kind of Ice Queen but the snow leopard was a bit discolored.


Taking three long strides and she was beside the man, with her lips sealed tightly. Her eyes concentrated on the photo and with a deep breath, she pointed out whatever she found wrong. "The snow leopard seems to shine more brightly then the actual snow, it feels unrealistic. You should also adjust the color of the dress to a more eye catching one; it seems dull compared to the girls porcelain skin."


She shoot Jake a small, strained smile before she heard that deep, British accent which she had gotten used to. And without doubt, it was Alexander. He seemed to be in a rush for something as he took long steps to get to them quickly. His eyes widened when he saw Kathen dressed like that. It was... Unusual. "Jake, Kathen. Good evening! I hope I'm not intruding..."


"Not at all, I was just finished here. I suppose I'll see you guys later, if not I wish you a good evening." Her voice traveled through the air before she turned on her heel, waving good bye to the boys. Alexander gave her a polite smile, nodding and giving her a small wave back before he turned around to Jake. His eyes were frantic, excited and a bit crazy even. He gave Jake a pat on the back as he put down a stack of pictures on the desk. They were all of the same girl, that girl in the park singing.


"Jake, would you pick out the three best of this stack and give them so lighting, perhaps make it seem more magical? I don't know who else to ask, especially as these aren't involved with work but of personal interest." He said determined, running a few fingers through his hair. "You could always refuse, I really don't mind since they are some simple pictures."


They seemed to be simple pictures at first but turned out to be the opening of our lovely story. - Narrator, unknown.

 

[AnnaWinters]

When he was chewing his thumb for an answer, he hadn't even heard Kathen come in, he was so worried and in thought that he barely even heard what she was saying the first few moments. It was just hard for him to get things together after working a long time on the same picture without being stuck. And now thanks to her advise he actually knew what to do, instantly doing what he was telling her and even using a filter to make the lighting look more like a cold winter light that would fall on the girl. Instantly the picture became almost magical and all that was left of him to do was to make the girl on the picture her eyes stand out before he glanced at Kathen. Usually he never really knew what to say to that stunning girl that always seemed to look perfect. But now she seemed to look better then he had ever had in his eyes, to Jake it was not as attractive to wear much makeup because he saw those models every single day and he knew how much it hid their natural beauty. Some models weren't even that stunning without all the props and so he never felt like he was sure if a girl was pretty when they decided to wear heavy makeup.


That was why he was so stunned to see Kathen with that laid back style, just like any other girl that usually grabbed his attention. "Kat, you look absolutely stunning today. You should do that kind of style more often. It's much better then the heavy makeup. At least that is my honest opinion. But it must be because of what I do, I constantly see overly skinny women with too many makup in my profession." Jake told her before he heard that all to familiar buzz of the door. He wanted to tell the person that he was busy, since it was the first time he had actually been fast enough to make such a long sentence around Kathen. Usually he would just not and humm around the only girl that ever had captured his attention, to him she was more stunning then any other model and so it was hard for him to talk. That must have been the geek in him, even when he flirted with the models all the time. That was just so they would be happy to see the pictures, even when they looked completely different.


But when she left, he was once more tongue tied, a thing that always seemed to happen around her. He was just hopeless when it came to women, even when he had his fair share of one night stands. That didn't mean that he was a player, he just had needs that had to be quenched before he went to work the next day.


But what was even more strange was the look that his friend had, the way he talked about those pictures as if he had seen heaven. A look that he rarely had and so he just nodded and grabbed the camera. "Relax man, I will work on those pictures if you want me to and you can come and get them in 2 hours orso. I'm not going to spend more time on it because I still have to work on Kathen her stuff and you know that there is a deadline man. Though I will do it for you." he said as he then looked at him. "Just go so I can work on them, I hate it when people look at me when I finally get to that perfect mood to work all right?"





And it was after his friend had moved that he went to work, instantly spotting the girl that he had pictured. A rare natural beauty, not as stunning as 'his' Kathen, but she was indeed stunning. That girl would make the perfect model, one that didn't need much to work on and that didn't need too much makeup. The first picture he worked on was the one where the girl held the guitar and where he could add the more autumn vibe. Changing the lighting and even the color at some places until it was perfect. The other two were just pictures of the girl her face and where he added and changed a lot more. So it seemed that she was wearing more makeup and everyhting. It was only the face, but he then knew those pictures would be perfect for a portfolio. And he then made sure he saved them, not knowing that he was also sending them to kathen before he printed them.

Spoiler