This was supposed to be the original plan for Gen 5. Look how much has changed.
“What are you doing?” Astra exclaimed as Thad swooped down to pick her up.
“Surprise photoshoot. To help you become more comfortable in front of the camera. Modeling is something you want to do right?”
“I guess, but…” Astra bit her lip. “Put me down!”
“Absolutely not. Human interaction is good for you. We’re waiting for the photographer to get here,” Thad said.
“Alistair….” Astra whined. “You said we were going to the movies! I’m not dressed for a photoshoot.” She glared at her cousin.
“It’s an informal practice shoot, nothing huge,” Alistair said.
“Besides.” Thad flashed his pearly whites. “You still look beautiful no matter what you wear. Let’s get real, the modelling industry is tough. If you didn’t have the look, you wouldn’t have even gotten a second chance.”
Astra felt her face heat up. Sure, he was being objective, but he had called her beautiful. No man, other than her dads, had ever commented on how good she looked. But, she was glad that Thad thought so, because it meant that the extra time she spent fussing in the mirror with her makeup had paid off. She wouldn’t admit it, but she wanted to look good for Thad.
“See, babe.” Thad’s voice was velvety smooth. Enough to make Astra blush and look away. “It’s all about the smoulder.”
“Smoulder?” Alistair rolled his eyes. “Where the heck did you find this guy?”
“Eccentric as he is,” Cadence began. “He is a good model. His smoulder is on point!”
Thad smirked. “See, on point. Modelling is an art.”
“It’s stupid, and Astra shouldn’t be doing it,” Alistair huffed.
“Oh shut up you big grouch.” Cadence rolled her eyes.
“Thats my girl!” Thad cheered. “Give them a wink and a small smile. Keep it shy, the camera loves it.”
Astra blushed. She couldn’t stop her stutter as she protested. “Stt-op!” She stammered. “I can’t focus whee-n you talk.”
Thad rubbed the back of his head. “Sorry, sorry. Just thought some encouragement would help you out. You’re doing good.”
“Th-ank youuu,” She stammered. Her face was red, and she hoped she had put on enough blush to cover it up. Thad’s eyes on her made her nervous. He was always watching her, critiquing the way she stood, the way she looked at the camera, the way she held herself. This kind of scrutinization wasn’t good for her, or so Alistair claimed. She herself would have agreed wholeheartedly, but that meant she’d have to quit modelling and never see Thad again. He wanted a model. So, he would get a model.
Thad clasped his hand on her shoulder once the photo was taken. “You did great out there. I’m proud of you.”
She didn’t look up at him, her heart was beating fast in her chest. She hated the attention, but at the same time, she loved it. “We’re going to have to work on that confidence a bit, but the innocent look works for you. It’s going to drive the men mad when they see shots like this in a magazine.”
A Graying World 