I'm taking your picture so I can remember

[cannotrest]

WHO: Aegis Force
WHERE: Helix Station
WHEN: First week of June (backdated)
WHAT: Fundraising calendar photoshoot mingle log
WARNINGS: Male presenting nipples and lack thereof

Some time ago, a charity supporting survivors of imPort incidents approached Aegis Force about having its members appear in a fundraising calendar for them, to be sold at FanPort. Though they got a yes, it's taken a while for the Force and the photographer and makeup artist volunteering their services to be available at the same time, and so the photoshoots happen barely two weeks before the con. Talk about con crunch!

It's a sixteen month calendar from September 2019 to December 2020, so every agent who wants a month to themselves is welcome to have their own photo (though agents may also have pair or group photos); any remaining months will be filled with photos of Matches the dalmatian. The charity's fairly lenient: Agents can show off their bodies or their skills or simply be attractive with Matches or a number of props brought along by the photographer. Their main stipulations are that genitalia must be covered (the charity would quite like to put some photos on their Rumblr) and that agents under 21 must be fully clothed and not in anything remotely risque. And yes, that includes the eighteen- and nineteen-year-olds, thanks to the Shieldbreakers' recent criticism of Aegis Force putting teenagers in the line of fire making them particularly wary of skating anywhere near accusations of inappropriateness.

And so through the first week of June, the lobby of Helix Station plays host to a green screen, lights and wind machines, various set pieces, props, and costumes, De Chima fashion and portrait photographer Trelise Matafeo (who's stoked to be photographing cute/hot imPorts, but trying her hardest to be professional about it), and local makeup artist Rochelle Caballero (an old contact of Kanaya's).

Open to action or prose! Go mingle your own way.

Comments

ota

[h2no]

[archie has no shame. anyone who has worked with him for longer than five seconds likely knows this, but if any of his coworkers are unaware, then boy are they about to find out. without a partner to tie him down and the morals to have any sort of decency, archie shows up to the photoshoot in his usual attire, before pulling his shirt off and hopping up on a case of equipment to watch. after a few moments, rochelle encourages him to get some make-on; he'll end up with a gaudy face of neon colours.

if anyone looks like they're having second thoughts or anxiety, archie slips off and saunters over.]

Yo! You alright? Pretty good set up, eh? [says the guy done up in body and face paint. at least he's having fun?]

[loyal_soldier]

[622's wardrobe is still a work in progress after the fire. So's his brain. It's been a complicated month.

So when he sees that Aegis is going to be producing what seems to be a propaganda piece, all he has on offer is a newly-purchased dark gray button-up and slacks--proper boots not yet found, sadly--or his armor. Easy enough to bring both when all he has to do is summon the latter.

It's once he gets there that he realizes things have gone all Earth again.

Archie seems to be doing fine with it, though.]

If you say so. [What's the giant fan for? Why is there a plush lizard in that pile of stuff in the corner?]

I've got no idea how this one is supposed to go.

[lesterzeppelin]

[ deadpan, or as deadpan as Apollo can muster considering he's in a t-shirt, jeans, and toga, not unlike this: ] Depends on your definition of good.

[ Sure, his curls look better than ever, and he has enough make-up slathered on to hide his acne scars and general blemishes. He looks radiant. Like an actual Greek hero, especially since he's holding a sword with a practiced air -

and yet his scowl ruins the whole moment. The fake columns behind him aren't helping matters. ]

They wouldn't even let me set this - [ he grimaces, tugging on his toga, ] right.

ota

[fauxmarth]

o1: September
[want to be in the harvest shoot? you'll have to put up with this poofy, patterned mess. don't bring her down, now! even if the photographer's grimacing, she's pretty pleased with her pick!

she also puts on a sunhat just annihilated with apple blossoms.]

This still counts, right? Even if apple blossoms bloom in the spring?


o2: Formal
Um...well...?

[she frowns at the rack of preselected outfits, pulling at one to get a better glimpse. it's classy, dark, and just a solid black.

it's so boring!!]

Do they all have to be the same? Won't that be...boring...?


o3. Props/scene setup!
Behind you! Please duck!

[she's hoisting a very large kayak and coming your way.]

1

[glowsferatu]

[ Kanaya watches from behind the photographer, mirroring her expression. With her arms folded, she shakes her head ever so slightly before crossing into the scene and offering Lucina a hand. ]

Come on, honey. Let's get you into something...more appropriate. This ensemble just isn't working.

Formal

[forgeabettertomorrow]

...You know what would be nice? If everyone had to wear black and white but then we all wore one item of color that identified us.

Like, I have this flame pendant that Allura gave me. Maybe I can wear that over the suit and that splash of color would make it pop all the more.

Maybe you can pose with Falchion?

OTA

[sonofgold]

Al had been a bit skeptical about the idea of the calendar, but he'd conceded when he figured that Aegis could use any good publicity they could muster at this point. He was just glad there was no pressure to pose shirtless; he was well-muscled, but buff he certainly was not.

However, this meant that he was being encouraged to be the cute/"teenybopper" role, and he wasn't sure he quite fit that, either. This meant posing with plush cats, wearing cat ears, and other such adorable props. Then the photographer and makeup artist began to brainstorm and he found himself instead posing with a helm and a spear, to harken back to his days as armor.

"Uhm... can I... just be myself, maybe?"

[cannotrest]

Carrying in a ladder, Ashley walks in during the cat shoot, and can't help but laugh.

"Oh, this is too sweet," she says, setting the ladder down. "You look like a poster on my baby sister's wall ten years ago."

OTA

[forgeabettertomorrow]

[If Darin had to be honest, Darin was a little surprised that the idea for this calendar bore fruit. He'd heard the rumors and always assumed they were told in jest, but the fact that it was actually being put together?]

[Of course he wanted to be a part of it!]

[The only major issue was Allura. She was...surprisingly possessive of who got to see him in what (or out of what, more precisely) and he wouldn't ever want to disregard her feelings on the matter.]

[But that didn't mean he had to avoid the shoot entirely, right? Maybe he could convince her to let him participate. Furthermore, looking at the costumes...well, he'd be lying to himself if he said he didn't want to see her in some of these outfits. But letting others see?]

[Looks like they were both a little possessive of the other.]

[But still...maybe there was a way they could both be included and both have a little fun. So he keeps perusing the props and the costumes looking for ideas.]

[And when he's not doing that, he's helping the photographer move equipment, adjust lighting, and changing out props and backgrounds!]

[glowsferatu]

[ Across the room, Darin might notice that he's caught Kanaya's eye. She has a hand on her chin, just staring at him in thought for a moment. Her head bobs from one side to another every now and then, usually with a change in expression, as if she's locked in some sort of internal discussion with herself.

Eventually, she ends it with a nod, herself and herself finding agreement, and she calls out to him. ]

Darin! Over here, if you would. I wanted to ask what sort of concepts for a shoot you're currently entertaining.

[ which is to say that she has an idea that she thinks is probably better. ]

ota

[lootsnshoots]

On the one hand, Cayde prefers to be discrete about supporting charities on account of the fact that he finds people who make a show of it are generally jackasses and not actually that interested in the greater good. If he's going to show off, it will be for his talents, not baseline human decency.

But on the other: he is, in his estimation, so very handsome and it can only help more than it'd hurt, right? Right. So it is that it actually takes very little suggestion to get Cayde down to his skivvies and pose with his chicken.

(Who is a hen, so no, that visual pun is right out.)

"So, who's gonna do my hair?" he jokes, with a wink.

[h2no]

Archie, who's sitting across the way with a cup of coffee and watching a few of the other agents do their thing, notices the chicken before he notices Cayde's weird level of attractiveness. He raises his eyebrows and raises his hand to his mouth, blowing a short wolf whistle in Cayde's direction.

"Lookin' good, General!" He calls out with a laugh. "We got any chicken shaped lingerie for her?"

[cannotrest]

Ashley carries a softbox in just in time to hear that comment. Grinning, she sets it down and takes a moment to check him out.

"Looking great already, babe," she says, throwing in the pet name mostly to signal to the enthusiastic photographer that he's taken.

What she'd like to do is... not safe for work, especially with an external's camera around. Instead, she activates her omni-tool and snaps a photo. "I don't even have social media to post this to," she says to the photographer's objection. "This is just for my private collection."

[darkpants_warmfeeling]

"Looking good," Jacob says casually as he walks by, also in his skivvies. "You're going to knock them dead."

He is very clearly talking to the chicken. After a moment, his eyes flick up to acknowledge Cayde. "You look great too, Cayde."

ota

[ralltiir]

Akobi is keeping his photoshoot very professional, modeling a variety of suits and even some winter wear for his December spread. As he poses in front of a fake snowman, with fluffs of fake snow raining down upon him, he wonders why he signed up for this nonsense in the first place.

[forgeabettertomorrow]

Hey! Akobi!

[Darin's been watching the shoot for awhile.]

I gotta know, man.

Where do you get your suits? I only have, like...one. And I think it's time I get a few.

[lesterzeppelin]

Lester was just passing by with some coffee, but when he catches sight of Akobi, he can't help dawdling. The guy knows how to wear a suit, and damn, he wears it well.

"Looking sharp," he calls once the cameras pause to take a break. "Gods, I'm impressed they got you too."

[darkpants_warmfeeling]

And here's Jacob, joining the Impressed Parade. Ordinarily the Commander himself would take a relaxed, casual approach to an event like this, but today his posing and participation is lackluster, half-hearted, like he's not sure what he's doing or why it matters. Even his abs are looking less perfect than usual as he strides around in his swim trunks.

"Damn, Akobi," he remarks. "You're good at this. They teach you how to work it like that in the Empire?"

OTA

[topmeup]

[He may not have been on active field duty, but Max couldn't stay away from Aegis. So in his time bumming around headquarters, he'd heard about the calendar still being a set for a FanPort release. If he wasn't ready to be in the field, he could at least help out with something like this for charity, right? At least he could be useful in some way.

His decided on three different outfits, that he thought were casual but when he shows up for the photo shoot, thinking they'll do something outside, only to be ushered into the lobby. The lobby where there is a huge pile of sand on a twenty-foot tarp in front of a green screen.]

So we're not gonna be on location at all, huh?

[Well, he'd still work it as best he can, even with the beach balls, umbrella, beach chair, different hats, any of it. Of course if the lights flicker a bit and the camera needs a new battery three times during the shoot...well.

He's doing his best, okay.]

[lesterzeppelin]

[ As a dutiful boyfriend and casual onlooker who wants to oogle said boyfriend, Apollo sits behind the camera during the photoshoot. He can't help grinning, even as Max seems a bit perterbed by the green screen - hey, man. Budgets are a real thing. ]

Who needs a location when they've got you, babe?

[ He wishes he could say the same about himself. Sure, he has enough make-up on to hide his blemishes and acne scars, and his curls have never looked more radiant. Scratch that, he looks radiant.

It's just - dude's dressed in a toga. ]

[h2no]

This is cheaper, believe it or not.

[archie's caught max before he really got on his bullshit, so he's still just in the hoodie and jeans he arrived in. he's holding two styrofoam cups of coffee-- holds one out to maxie in a wordless offer.]

How're you doin'? [he may not be in command anymore, but he still cares.]

ota

[glowsferatu]

a. the other september

[ It had been a challenge to herself, making this dress. Not the actual process of making it, of course, that was easy. She could have made this in her sleep. No, it's the thought of wearing it and how far she can push her comfort zone, or her natural resistance to showing any kind of vulnerability.

It's a lovely dress, shimmering green satin and halter straps that scoop down the neckline, and slits up either side of the floor-length gown. The problem is, it's also backless, something Kanaya's been avoiding for very specific reasons over the last eight years. With the backline plunging past her waist, that's a pretty big move she's pushing herself into. As she exits the dressing room, she's of two minds about it, as she is about most things. By the time she's reached the cameras, she's clasped her hands over her back, an inch or two above when the backline begins, as self-consciousness has caught up with her. ]

I think I may have made a mistake.


b. women's work is never done

[ Behind the camera is where Kanaya's a lot more comfortable, and somewhere she's spent years, having staged and outfitted photoshoots professionally more times than she can count anymore. So, while her teammates may be working on a few months, she's wrapped herself up in the goings-on for all sixteen.

If you need help picking a look, she's here, she's got things ready, and she's a world champion speed-sewer if something else is necessary. She wants nothing more than for you to need her help. ]

b

[lesterzeppelin]

[ Normally, Lester wouldn't think about finding Kanaya for something so inane. Normally, he also wouldn't be posing for the camera in what feels like a ridiculous mockery of his heritage.

Between months, he approaches her, dressed in a toga fit for a Greek god, with sandals tied loosely, and armor that could use a bit of polish. ]

Hey. [ he manages a smile, if only because he feels bad anyone has to see him in this, ] Could you help me tie my shoes? The fabric keeps getting undone.

a

[cannotrest]

[With issues around skin exposure of her own, Ashley is the absolute last person to push anyone into showing it, but she gives Kanaya a concerned look as she clocks her hands on her back and puts two and two together.]

I can grab you a scarf or shawl or something, but honestly, you look great. I'm not seeing any mistakes here.

OTA

[faithfulson]

[ Luke was all for doing charity work, he really was! He donated his time at just about any chance he could get, but this was... a little much. ]

[ He really hadn't thought anything of it when he was asked to show up in his usual clothes. They were comfortable, and honestly would make him feel more at ease in the middle of showing off in a photo shoot. What they wanted him to do for that photo shoot, however, was another story. ]

You... w-want me to take off how much?

[ Granted, they just wanted him to take off his shirt. That wasn't that big of a deal. Just... the way they asked him had his entire face turning a vivid shade of red. ]

[lootsnshoots]

[Cayde is finished with his shoot and wandering around in his underwear and cloak, eating a sandwich.]

It's actually pretty freeing. Y'should try it.