Scene #2185: Distinctly Possible

Owner	Pose
Marinette	Music is in the air, and people are using this time to relax. It's a good time to get together, to talk. Exchange gifts, perhaps to find those gifts at the last moment. And with all that's happening this week, there are still some people who badly, BADLY need extra credit. The Club Building has a few signs posted outside, something that people passing by might encounter. Wanted, damaged old electronics for repurposing. Kittens for adoption. Someone tutor me please! The one that might be most interesting however is posted on art paper. Desperately needed, models for drawing project. No experience needed, going to fail out of my classes here. Help me out! Otherwise, there are also some happy lists, suggesting that there are some people who have too much time on their hands. Dance lessons written in unreliable print, such like that. Maybe though, two people might be out and about? And possibly, perhaps, want a moment captured in an artist's pencils? It would help, apparently. Also it's why we're here. :)
Phantom	Hand settled in Chiyo's, Philip is leading her down the hallway of the Club Building. "Was I supposed to get you a gift?" he asks Chiyo curiously as he sees all the messages about last minute gifts and the need for them. Yes, he's seen all the Christmas stuff, but it seems to be that it wasn't something that he had latched onto. "I'm sure I can find something if it's needed." he offers in his polite British tone, "Maybe a kitten. There's one right here. But what about Bonito?" A small frown. That won't do. "Oh hey. A dancing lesson. That could be fun together!" he quickly points out. "It'll be like when we used to fight. Except not as harsh?" A grin of amusement shows on his face before he notices the one about art and failing out. "...oof. Last minute model needed." Where's Adrien when you need him.
Chiyo Sakai	Chiyo Sakai squeezes hold of Philip's hand as they walk and pause to look over the board. The question of gifts earns a little grin of amusement from her in response. "Some people give gifts, but it's not a huge deal for Christmas. Usually it's about spending time with the person you like." Which she was doing right now so that was okay. "It's different in other countries I'm told." Lightly clearing her throat at the mention of a kitten she shakes her head. "No, but maybe we should pass that information on to Mamoru-kun. He's got a cat cafe that runs out of the building his apartment is in. Maybe they could help the kitten out." Plus Bonito was already there playing 'Uncle Cat' to a bunch of them. And getting any food that might accidentally get too close to his endless maw. The part of modeling though earns a lift of eyebrows. "Wow, failing out of their classes at this time of year? That's pretty bad. Not that dancing doesn't sound nice," she adds with a little laugh. "But maybe we should see if they need some help. Shall we?" She'd not had much luck with dances in general so... Art it was! Plus that person sounded awfully desperate. "I think it's just down there," she suggests pointing to one of the doors not far off. "I used to come to Manga Club here a lot, and would always pass the art club room."
Marinette	"No, no no no, this isn't right," a voice can be heard from said club room. A lady's? There's an accent, as well. As the pair approach, a blue-haired young lady would come into view inside. It's very likely that this is the artist in question. Also, the sign says so. 'The artist in question'. Well, that's...distinct. She's got open an internet browser, trying to flip through images. People, standing on beaches or in the snow. Posing, as if for a camera. "Why is it always stock photos? I need angles, come on!" She says something in French, which may or may not be misheard, but is likely less than complimentary of her situation. Pulling at her hair with one hand, she bites a pencil with another. "Left side, left side." She does seem to fit the titles involved. Those titles being: desperate, disorganized, and a day late for whatever project is likely due.
Phantom	"Ah, if it's the person you like, I have it covered!" Philip responds cheerfully enough, tilting over to kiss the side of Chiyo's head. "Okay, no kitten. But the offer to dance still stands." the young man points out as Chiyo leads them down the hallway towards the art class. "Did you draw or was it just reading manga?" he asks curiously. But as he hears the French from the room, he's momentarily distracted. Shaking it off, he steps in after Chiyo, noticing the bluenette hard at work on the computer. "Wouldn't drawing from the computer seem more flat?" he asks as he stands on his tiptoes to peek over a shoulder. "What is it that you're looking for?" A pause and he probably feels Chiyo's stare on him for not using his manners. "My apologies. I'm Philip. This is Chiyo. We saw your advertisment for an art project?"
Chiyo Sakai	Chiyo Sakai says nothing about the little kiss to her head, though she does look a bit pleased. Just a bit. "I only read it. I never really tried drawing. We can go dancing sometime," she agrees with a quiet chuckle that dies off as soon as she hears the frustrated tones of the artist within the room. Eyebrows rise at the unfamiliar French words though. It's Philip that goes over to investigate first so she lingers a few steps behind with arms crossing over her chest to give him a look. One that he catches onto at least as he introduces himself. Softening her expression she smiles toward Marinette. "It seemed like you could use some help?"
Marinette	Manners or not, there's something called knocking. It keeps things like this from happening, when the bluenette flails as she's frightened half out of her wits, and almost falls out of her chair! She ends up half-on, half off, as her heart goes for its yearly high-level stress test. I'm fine, really! "H...ello!" Managing a recovery that'd get her a 6 out of 10 from the Russian judge, Marinette pushes to her feet and holds her chest for a second. "Hello! Yes, sorry! I don't want to use the computer images, but it's all that I had to work with! Are you here to model? Both of you? Either? Honestly at this point I'll thank you if either one of you is willing to hold still for me." She presses her hands together, then bows her head to both. "Please help me. I can't do this alone."
Phantom	When it seems that Marinette was about to fall, Philip arrives to catch her by the shoulder. "Whoops. You good?" he asks, but steps back just in time for the miraculous Marinette recovery! She seems fine. Really! "Yes, we saw your page and thought you could use assistance, especially since it is late in the year and I would not want you to fail." He glances over at Chiyo. "What do you think? Would a solo be easier? Would you get higher marks for a couple?" he asks, his attention moving back to Marinette. "Of course you can't do it alone. That is why you asked for help."
Chiyo Sakai	Chiyo Sakai tilts her head to the side a bit causing her hair to slip from behind her ear. It happened all the time with the curls she had, so her hand goes up automatically to catch at it. It lingers there holding her hair out of her face while watching Marinette recover herself. "It is late in the year so if you're asking for help, you really must be in a pinch." Where had she heard that term before? Something about that phrase and Philip's red hair was nagging at her to remember. Eh, not important right now. Again she smiles with a nod. "Well I'm not sure what the assignment is, but we both have some time. I'd be happy to model if you need and Philip as well. Either together or seperate, or both, if you need to fill out your portfolio some. Would that help?"
Marinette	Okay. "Okay. Not failing yet, okay. Breathing important, all good. This is good." She really doesn't have a handle on things, does she? "I'd get a better setup with two, but I really need general body models from a certain angle." Standing...wait, I was already standing. STILL STANDING, Marinette moves her hands to reach out and touch boh Chiyo and Philip, then pauses before doing so. "Can I touch you? To put you in the place I need? It's an angle issue, I need to get the right perspectives and with two models I can get done faster. Also maybe take off your shoes, this can take a moment and I don't want you to be uncomfortable. Or don't, I don't know how your shoes are." She pauses, looking at Chiyo. Then at Philip. "Are you two comfortable touching each other? I don't mean anything dirty, I just generally try to get things looking ...not weird. And that means looking like you're okay with each other, at least."
Phantom	Pinch? Redheads? Doesn't make a lick of sense to Philip, but Chiyo is cute when she has her head tilted in thought and her drills are all over the place. Ahem, back on topic. "Yes, breathing is important." he reiterates before Marinette approaches the pair. "Okay. So angle, perspective. Got it." comes the response as he considers the situation. "I guess we should take off our coats and stay awhile, Chiyo." Philip quips when Marinette asks them to take off their shoes. Slipping out of his jacket and the school issued shoes to walk around the hallways in, when the question comes up about if they are okay with touching each other? Philip's cheeks darken for a moment. "I.. don't know." he says, trying to hide the sarcasm in his voice as he leans over to Marinette to whisper to her, in not really a whisper. "I hear if you stay touching with someone you really like? You catch cooties." Yes. He's teasing. Utterly. Look that slightly crooked smile.
Chiyo Sakai	Chiyo Sakai slips her bag off her shoulder while half-turning to set it aside for now. "I'm okay with it. We're actually--" she begins only to lift an eyebrow at the uncertainty that Philip offers. Her gaze moves back to him with a look of 'Oh really?' as she watches them interact with amusement. She toes off her shoes to stand in her socks, and sets them aside near one of the empty chairs in the room. "I'm okay with it," she assures Marinette with amusement. "Just tell us how you want us, or you can pose us how you want, too."
Marinette	Marinette pauses, her face flushing as Philip leans close. She looks at Chiyo, then takes a step back. Okay, that's too close. Yup. "So, yeah, that's more information than I strictly needed," she offers. "About the cootImean let's get started shall we?!" I begin to see why she's had problems with models so far. "Right!" she says, responding to Chiyo's words. "Could I get a left-side angle, from you both? Chiyo, stand behind him. Put your head on his shoulder, and both of you look somewhere." Pausing, she looks at the both of you, then says, "I'm going to have to take some liberties with your hair. ...do you want a copy of this? I'll probably have a few copies of this." She manifests a pencil from her hair, as artists do. "High cheekbones, hrm..."
Phantom	The smile that Philip gets is pure victory. Chiyo remembers Phantom and how he liked to taunt. Apparently Philip has kept a ghost of that trait as a smug little smile shows up. As he moves to join Chiyo. "Oh, it's the romance novel pose!" he says suddenly, as if realizing what it is. "I can put my arm around you, and head on shoulder... and oh, are you going to draw me shirtless?" Worst model ever. But he finally decides to behave before someone stomps on his foot (even odds on which girl at this point), and clears his throat. "Ah yes, I am moldable. And I would like a copy, please." With that, he takes his position, waiting for Chiyo to join him so they can both gaze at that faraway point off in the distance. Or the cobweb in the corner of the classroom. One of the two.
Chiyo Sakai	Romance novel pose? Apparently Philip had more ideas about that than Chiyo as she steps behind him per Marinette's orders. Head on his shoulder... And then he comes out with the gem that causes her to go wide-eyed and blushing. "Philip!" Though she does pause to shoot an uncertain look toward Marinette. "D-do you need to draw him that way?" Focus, Chiyo. Trying not to be embarassed she leans her head against Philip's shoulder keeping as much of her gaze at Marinette as possible during it. "Oh, my hair, yes do what you want. I know it's a bit of a mess." The curls were just. THERE. Always there. While she kept them neat and tidy there was absolutely nothing that really kept htem from being curly. It had a life of it's own. "I wouldn't mind a copy, sure, if it's not a problem."
Marinette	Marinette? She's already sketching. "What? No, don't move! Don't ..." She shifts to one side, pulling her easel with her. She turns it, showing what looks like a box-frame of the human body. Two of them, actually. "This is the base of drawing. If you move I get to start over. Hm, might start over anyway.." Coming out from behind, Marinette looks at them both. "The hair's fine, but.." She reaches, then suddenly Chiyo would find her left hand held in Philip's, at his side. She tilts her head, then mumbles, "Angles, don't see the angle.." then she dashes back to her work. Her head keeps coming out from behind, looking at the models, then vanishing again. then she says, "Oh god, what did I do with the moon? Wow, yikes." She looks back, her eyes kind of squinching, then says, "Tilt your head back a bit? No, not you. You!" ....which person is she talking to? "You!" She indicates Philip, with a pencil. "Perfect." Wait, he didn't move, did he?
Phantom	Dammit, as much as he wants to bark out a laugh at Chiyo getting flustered, Philip /behaves/. As they are moved and shifted into position, the former Pretty Cure hunter seems used to directions and the like. Though when Marinette settles Chiyo's hands in his, he immediately twines his fingers with hers to hold her properly. "Wait, moon?" he asks in confusion. Which gets more muddled when she starts calling out directions. And he starts to tilt his head back when Marinette yells at him not to tilt. "Names! Use your names!" he chides playfully. "...I heard your accent. You are from France?" he asks curiously. "I've spent quite a lot of time there."
Chiyo Sakai	This was far more awkward than Chiyo originally imagined it would be. Leaning against Philip and just holding herself unmoving against him. Even when he grasps her hand to twine their fingers together, something familiar to her by now, it didn't help much. She could feel the rise and fall of his chest with every breath. She was certain he could probably feel the beating of her heart as she begins to feel more aware of just... Being. Here. She's careful to adjust when Marinette says, but she starts to tilt her head, then pauses when told no, and goes back to the position she was in before. This WAS difficult and she was NOT used to being told how to stand or act. She's trying. "And to think you wanted to go dancing." Joking aside she does flash a little grin only to school her expression back as it was before in case that's also necessary to draw. "I think there's a few exchange students in the school."
Marinette	Marinette's response? "Okay, take a break." It's been all of two minutes. Maybe five? Five. Definitely ten minutes. "I've got most of it, you can stop." What? She's still drawing, but she isn't looking at the pair now. "France? Yes. Lots of France. I was France. Hair, draw that way, falls there, you can do that, okay." Sounds of pencil on paper come out, and she tears off a sheet. Then places it aside. "I messed up the moon on that one, but I added some colour." Then she starts again, on a new sheet. And looks out from her easel. "Did either of you want anything? I can get something to drink." Her eyes glance around, looking to see if she brought anything other than her own water bottle. Beat. She holds out her own water bottle, in both hands. Guests, who are helping you. Don't be stingy, Marinette. "...you can stop posing now?"
Phantom	Ten Minutes Later... When she says they can stop, Philip lingers a bit longer and leans back against Chiyo. "You smell nice. Not like candy." he teases the candymaker as he pulls forward from her. "And yes, I totally would do a dance lesson with you. As long as you don't throw me out of a window afterwards." Apparently he has heard ''that'' rumor around the school. He was about to say more when Marinette offers her water bottle. "Ah... I can go get us a couple of sodas from the vending machine, if you're thirsty, Chiyo?" he asks as he finally fully seperates from his girlfriend.
Chiyo Sakai	They can stop now? Oh, right, yes. Chiyo steps away with a mumble of, "Thanks," about the smell. Was it candy? Or perfume? Or... Or he has to hit that topic again. "It was ONE guy and he totally deserved to be thrown out a window! I can't believe he ditched me at prom for another girl and then had the nerve to come to me a week later claiming he'd fallen for me and couldn't stop thinking about me." A shudder comes from her as she recalls the whole situation. Though she doesn't really explain the 'thrown out a window' part... "Some drinks would be nice, yes. Green tea, or juice would be good for me." She flashes a smile, and steps away to move toward Marinette to observe what she'd been drawing. "Oh, that's really nice!"
Marinette	Marinette lowers her water bottle, looking embarrassed by having offered it in the first place. She runs a dirty hand through her hair, shuffling her feet a little, then says, "yeah that makes more sense right." Nod. Right, this is okay too. Then her head turns. "It's awful. I ruined the hair, the colours all went together, and the moon looks like I couldn't decide where to put it...it's a work in progress." She pauses, then says, "But I got the basic postures I needed. I can probably work out a finished pic from what you've both given me. Sorry to be so distracted. I've got an hour to get it in to the Professor." She shrugs, then puts her pencil behind her ear. "Did you want it? I have to make another anyway, one with realistic perspectives. And sorry about the hair. And the cheekbones,and the outfits are all wrong, and that's not how tall you are." It sounds like she's got more. Artists, always seeing what they did wrong.
Phantom	"Green tea, got it." Philip offers, getting ready to leave himself. But as Marinette starts to self-depreciate, he turns his attention to come over and look at the picture himself. He scans over it. And yeah, he can see all the imperfections. "It's a good start. Look, you got the shape of Chiyo's chin just right. And her hair. Her hair is hard to imagine in real life, much less in an animation." But he doesn't say if he wants it. Instead, he reminds himself. "Drinks. Be right back!" And with that, he's out the door, leaving Chiyo to do the heavy lifting of a pep talk!
Chiyo Sakai	"Of course it's a work in progress. You drew it so quickly! It's not like a finished product yet!" Chiyo purses her lips together as she looks toward Philip giving an encouraging nod as he, too, starts to give a pep talk. A silent 'thanks' is mouthed his way before her attention returns back to Marinette. Lightly resting a hand on the girls' shoulder she gives a reassuring squeeze. "I'm not an artist but I know everything takes practice, and time to perfect. Once you have the right ingredients and know how to put them together, you can make the right thing. Up until we modeled for you, you were missing one of the ingredients. Now you've got it laid out and can perfect it."
Marinette	Marinette looks as if she's ready to give up. "I won't give up," she says, though she might if left to her own devices. "I just had to get this in, it's a favour. For a professor. Whose daughter is upset. I mean, not like my being upset is an issue, but oh no, hey, someone knows an artist who can draw you something nice and now you won't be upset for your holiday and maybe just maybe we can give Marinette another week for her physics paper. Because she might be willing to do that kind of thing for a bit more time." The hand on her shoulder is the only thing keeping her up. "I swear, sometimes it's like trying to juggle chainsaws." Then she pauses, looking at Chiyo more directly. "You're a cook, aren't you? My family are bakers, you talk like they do." She motions toward Philip with her hand blocking, and mouths to him only 'keep this one!'
Phantom	It takes a few minutes for Philip to wander to the vending machine. Getting a green tea for Chiyo and a blood orange Ramune for himself, he ponders. Making another purchase, he makes his way back to the art room, sweeping in just as Marinette is gesturing at him and mouthing at him to 'keep that one' and he gets a knowingly amused smile. "Green tea." he offers the container to Chiyo. And then to Marinette. "Fresh bottle of water to top you off." And with that, he pops the marble on the ramune bottle so he can take a drink from it. He apparently missed the rest of that conversation.
Chiyo Sakai	"Favors are always tough, especially when people don't really realize the extent of the work you put into them. That doesn't mean they're not worth it, just that you need to know when to draw the line." Chiyo looks at Marinette with sympathy over the whole situation. "Once this is done, you ought to focus on studying a bit more to get ahead so you don't fall behind again on physics. Then you can honestly say you can't do the favor because you're too busy." The guess about being a cook earns a sheepish grin from her as she ducks her head. Guilty! "My Ojiisan and I are wagashi makers. Traditional candy," she explains. "Although there's a lot of similarities, and I can cook as well. It's just..." She gestures at the drawing again. "I get it. How things don't always turn out exactly how you want. Sometimes it's easiest to start with what you need it to be, and then you can build on that solid base... Ah, but you probably know that. It's like having a good sweet bread recipe and then deciding to add some dried fruits to it to make it better." Japanese bread was way different from French, though. When Philip returns she reaches out for the tea smiling fondly at him. "Thank you!" Again she looks toward Marinette. "I think for now we ought to let you finish up though, if you're working on such a tight deadline."
Marinette	Taking the water with a 'thank-you', Marinette stands up straight. She makes a fist with her free hand, and looks straight ahead. She lifts her chin a bit, then nods. "Okay. I can do this," she agrees. Then she says, "...." and stares into space for a moment. Aaany time now. "Right! Thank you both! Merry ..." She's not sure what to say again, or she's lost in thought. And then she's walking to her easel, and pulling out her pencil, slashing lines into the paper. I think that's all we're getting from her, but at the end, she manages one more word. "Jawlines," she manages to mumble out loud. But it sounds a lot like Merry Christmas, to me.