School Grounds, Sunday Evening

[swipedthatfoot.livejournal.com]

Claire had gone to the mainland and gotten good film, a tripod, and a few props that she hoped would make for a good and not-too-goofy unicorn shot.

She was trying not to bounce too much at the whole taking-a-unicorn's-portrait thing as she set up her equipment and watched for Jan, scouting out good lines of sight and light as she did so.

[OOC: Mostly for one, but open like a section of the school grounds that in no way thought it was the park a few moments ago!]

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[firebringerborn.livejournal.com]

Jan had been running around the island, but not too quickly, because he didn't want to get his mane tangled or wind up all sweaty, and he pranced up to Claire, ears up, looking curiously over everything she had. "I'm here, and I will try and smile with my ears," he told her.

[swipedthatfoot.livejournal.com]

"Ears, mouth, eyes, however you smile," Claire said, glancing up from her tripod. "Hi! How's your weekend going?"

[firebringerborn.livejournal.com]

"Chad said human models smile with their eyes, but he seemed to think my ears would be enough," he explained. "And it has gone well. I went to a gathering on Friday, and I had pie with oats and apples and drank from a golden bucket." He came a little closer, stretching out his neck to sniff at the camera. "How have you fared with yours?"

[swipedthatfoot.livejournal.com]

Claire had to grin at that. "Chad's not wrong," she admitted. "Just ... nothing big and fake. Not the ear equivalent of this." She switched from her genuine smile to one that was enormous, toothy, and very much fake, not to mention a little frightening. "I want you to look like you."

"And I was at the party too. I talked to a couple people who seemed pretty cool. Then I just kind of hung out yesterday and today, and went shopping for some of this stuff."

[firebringerborn.livejournal.com]

Jan shied away from her smile. "You looked as if you wanted to eat me," he said, staring at her, then shook his head, making his mane fly. "I will simply be me, and you can tell me if you need me to do something else."

[swipedthatfoot.livejournal.com]

"Exactly," Claire nodded, grateful he got it. She wasn't always great at explaining this stuff. "Be yourself, move around ... I think the light is best over near those trees, so maybe head there before we start to shoot." She took a step closer. "Do you want me to explain the camera?" Because, she realized, that might be helpful.

[firebringerborn.livejournal.com]

He looked at the camera, which smelled like nothing natural, then at Claire. "Will it confuse me?"

[swipedthatfoot.livejournal.com]

"Probably not? The flash, maybe," she said, holding it near the horse's eye at a slightly awkward angle. "See, you look through it, and when I hit this button" -- she hit it, and the flash flared -- "it records whatever we're looking at on film. It's a really fast way to make pictures."

She prayed he didn't ask about the science of it.

[firebringerborn.livejournal.com]

Jan's ears flicked, and his tail swished. After a moment, he nodded acceptance. Asking how would be like asking how the sun rose, as far as Jan was concerned. He would simply accept that it did what Claire said it did. "Trotting is simpler," he said, and tossed his head before wheeling on his rear hooves and breaking into a smooth, floating trot, neck arched and tail flagged.

Showing off,in other words.

[swipedthatfoot.livejournal.com]

Showing off was awesome, and Claire let the shutter click as she walked in long strides to keep him in her viewfinder. Most of the photos would be crap, but she was sure a few wouldn't. "Could you look at me for a sec?" she called. "But like you're not looking at me. If you understand."

[firebringerborn.livejournal.com]

He halted, squaring his legs, and turned his head, holding it high, ears curved forward, to look past her, as a tiny breeze caught his mane. "Like so?" he called.

[swipedthatfoot.livejournal.com]

"Head a tiny bit to the left," Claire said, motioning with her hand. "And ... let me switch the film." She did, working quickly.

[firebringerborn.livejournal.com]

Jan did as he was told, snorting slightly, because he wanted to run again, but he waited patiently for her to be ready again.

[swipedthatfoot.livejournal.com]

"Thank you." Of course he was watching and that made her nervous and she almost dropped the film, swearing softly under her breath as she clicked it into place. "And we're good," she told him, grateful. "Go ahead, move around. I think maybe -- ten more?" The shutter clicked again. "Nine."

[firebringerborn.livejournal.com]

"You have only enough for nine more pictures?" he asked, pawing the grass while he thought of movements that might make her happy.

[swipedthatfoot.livejournal.com]

Claire lowered her camera. "I have enough film," she explained. "I just don't want to make you stay out here forever. And I know there were some good shots in that last batch."

She watched him paw. "Could you maybe lie down for a second? It would be a nice contrast to the jumping."

[firebringerborn.livejournal.com]

"Of course," he replied, and folded his legs, going to his knees and then down on his belly, tucking his back legs underneath him, front legs flooded neatly. "I can stay out here for as long as you need. Nonce of this is demanding, and I want you to have all the pictures you need."

[swipedthatfoot.livejournal.com]

"I'm only going to give the gallery one," Claire explained, tilting her body at a very odd angle to get an interesting shot of the supine Jan. "The rest are my portfolio" -- and it was exciting to have a portfolio -- "and yours, if you want prints. Think your parents would like to see some?"

There. And she went more to the left, and danced backward and ... she had it, she could tell that even without seeing the film. She sounded a little breathless from the job well done as she said, "I think we might be done, Jan. Or at least my mun is starting to crash."

[firebringerborn.livejournal.com]

"That was much simpler than I thought it would be." Jan pushed to his feet and shook himself from head to tail, trying not to think about her question. He must have parents, somewhere, even if he didn't remember them. "Seeing your portfolio will be enough for me."

[Go sleep!]

[swipedthatfoot.livejournal.com]

"You work cheap," Claire told him, then reached into her camera bag and pulled out an apple. "Would you be insulted if I told you this was for you, too?"

[firebringerborn.livejournal.com]

His ears canted to the sides. "How could I be insulted?" he asked, quite serious. Unicorns had no concept of working for pay. Or of money. "You have brought me something to eat, for which I thank you. Would you like to share?"

[swipedthatfoot.livejournal.com]

"I think it's all yours," Claire said as she held out the apple, deciding not to explain the working-for-pay thing if he didn't know about it. "I guess ... I don't want to treat you like you're somebody's pet horse, 'cause you aren't."

[firebringerborn.livejournal.com]

Jan snorted again, and delicately lifted the apple off her hand, letting it drop onto the grass. "I am neither pet nor horse, but there is no shame in helping your herdmates," he said, then dropped his head and bit the apple neatly in half, crunching it up happily.