un: chocobro ( text )

[burstmodes]

[ it's early the next morning when prompto slips onto the network. he really needs to be more proactive about making friends and doing things to cheer people up. so!! ] 

happy new year everybody 🎉
not sure if you celebrated or whatever but hope it was good regardless

anyway!!!

what kinda stuff is everyone looking forward to?
like resolutions and things i guess??
never really thought about it too much before but i dunno
feels kinda weird to want good things when part of me just wants to go home haha

if anyone's looking to hang out or whatever tho i'm around
or i guess if you wanna learn how to shoot or take pics i'm your guy

could find something fun to do and make it a real party 🥳

Comments

[perfectdevil]

[ True enough; Lestat feels that lack of sufficient entertainment more than most, being the kind of man who longs for near constant stimulation... Hence, his habit of wandering, of watching, of scheduling almost midnight meetings with any stranger who'll give him the chance. ]

Hmm, I thought you might be able to help me with that. I am a little unaccustomed to technology in general, and as I said, I've never tried my hand at photography. I can point and I can shoot, but there's always something missing in the angle or the subject. There's no interest in what I take photos of, like there are in the ones I can look at. I thought to read up on the subject, but I've never liked to read about creative vision. I prefer a more hands-on approach.

[ He glances at his companion as they walk, his smile still warm but growing a little sharp, as if he knows something he's not divulging. ]

I saw you taking photos at the Gala. You've quite the talent, so I thought there could be no better person to ask about how to get started.

[burstmodes]

[ it's a lot of words to say something so small, and yet, prompto doesn't mind. he tends to be like that sometimes too. just rambling on about nothing until he finally gets to the point he's making. that thought helps to distract him from the compliment lestat gives.

prompto and compliments are a finicky thing. at least they're talking about photography. ]

You think so? I'm still tryin' to figure it out, but thanks. You've gotta have an eye for certain stuff, I think. [ he likes pics of people, but landscapes are nice in their own way too. ] Okay, so... let's find something we might wanna take pics of and start that way. Like you said, the best way to learn is to do it.

[ he skips on ahead and eventually comes up near a small cluster of trees with some graves scattered about. setting his camera bag down, he digs through it for his old phone. ]

Lighting can be super important. Sometimes, waiting for hours for the right shot is totally worth it.

[perfectdevil]

[ Oh yeah, buddy, better get used to that. Lestat loves the sound of his own voice, and to talk about himself, probably more than anything else in the world. If you think it’s bad in person, you should read one of his books.

He follows Prompto’s lead, enjoying studying his gait, the way his body moves almost light-heartedly, the way he crouches as he starts to rifle through his bag. It might be a little strange, this close attention, but Lestat is helplessly enchanted by even the most mundane things humans do, so this is quite the treat for him. ]

Hours, hm? It’s a good thing all we have in this place is time, then, isn’t it?

[ He approaches, hands lifting the polaroid camera from around his neck so he can study its functions compared to the ones in Prompto’s bag. ]

Did you dabble in photography in your own world, then? Is it something you’ve picked up here?

[burstmodes]

[ he does his best not to be so focused on the fact he can feel lestat watching him. out of habit, he tucks his old phone into the back pocket of his skinny jeans and withdraws his digital camera, easing the strap around his neck and leaving the cap on for now. ]

Yep. Good thing, [ he agrees, moving over to stand near lestat to get a peek at his camera as he speaks. ] I did actually – mess around with it back home. Can't remember when I decided to take it seriously, but it's been a lot of fun learning and developing a style. There's all sorts of things to do to a picture even after you take it.

[ he gestures to lestat's camera. ] So, the one you've got is more for instant pics. It'll develop right after you take the shot. [ he lifts the one up around his neck. ] This one's digital. I can edit it after if I want before printing it. Like... adjust the lighting, change the brightness and a whole lot of other stuff. I have a few others in my bag that are an older style, where you have to develop the film in a dark room. I thought starting out with this one might be easier. Gives you a chance to figure out what you wanna shoot without the added pressure of wasting film.

[ which isn't such a big deal in a place that constantly refreshes things, but he really would rather avoid actually wasting effort on photos they won't keep. ]

[perfectdevil]

[ Lestat raises his eyebrows at that, because even in the 80s photo editing hadn’t really become A Thing in mainstream media – oh sure, his rock star photos were probably edited by someone, but the process of having him printed in magazines was one he didn’t much pay attention to; he merely enjoyed the end product. ]

Fascinating. So the artistic expression not only shines in taking the photo – the framing, the subject – but also in editing it afterwards… judging the best lighting, the mood of the piece, like in painting.

[ He genuinely sounds like a man discovering the wheel, his mind ablaze with all the different ways he could feasibly use this new knowledge to aid his future endeavours. Just wait till he discovers filters someday. ]

And a very smart idea, about the digital camera. I have tried a few photos already with this camera, but nothing too incredibly breathtaking. I don’t think that was the point of the gift, but still, I would like to know the secret. [ His eyes seem to glow as they sparkle with excitement, and he places his hands behind his back as if this is how he thinks a human might look harmless and curious. ] I’d like to watch you work first, to understand it. I want you to show me. Do you mind?

[burstmodes]

[ there's a quiet, amused laugh at that. maybe this guy isn't creepy at all; he sounds kind of sweet. ]

That's not really the point of polaroids, yeah. It's more about making memories, I think. Not that you can't do that with other cameras, but it's sort of, uh, instant gratification? [ to have the pic in-hand and ready to show. ] But nah, I don't mind. Lemme adjust some stuff real quick...

[ because he might be using his digital camera, but there's still the glaringly obvious fact that it's dark right now. prompto takes a few test shots of nothing, checking out the glare of the flash and wondering if he should edit the lighting later before finally settling on moving around. he snaps a few quick pics of some of the gravestones and the trees, changing up the angle and his position every so often.

he does take a few of lestat before leaning in close and holding the camera out to (hopefully) get them both in the frame. ]

Say sassy pickles!

[ which is only meant to prompt them both to smile, and once it's over, prompto begins to go through the repeated shots so lestat can see all the differences lighting and position can make. ]

[perfectdevil]

[ Lestat watches Prompto take his few initial snaps with avid curiosity, his manner all too similar to the way a child might watch an insect scurry around under a magnifying glass, completely unaware of how swift and imminent and close by certain death might just be.

Not that Lestat is planning any kind of attack, but. Food for thought.

He watches Prompto’s fine hands and easy posture as he takes the photos, moving with familiarity into the necessary positions he needs to get the photos he wants. When the camera turns on him, he smiles easily without bothering to pose (he’s all too aware that he’s attractive enough without) and when Prompto says that… well, it surprises a genuine laugh out of him that is undoubtably caught in the shutter of his digital camera. ]

Just as I said; you’re very talented. [ He surmises, looking over the photos with him. The one that caught him laughing is quite cute, and even in something like that Lestat can notice - like with all the others - that the proportions are exactly right, and the lighting looks good even before he messes with the settings. ] Much more than just a handsome face, hm?

[ Okay, that flirting is a little on the nose but, he’s been pretty well-behaved thus far – he’s bound to slip up sooner or later. Suddenly, he taps Prompto on the wrist with a cold finger, insistent as a boy but with the eagerness of a man hungry to rid himself of inexperience. ]

May I try? Will you show me? And while you do, tell me what things you’d take photographs of in your own world, won’t you?