- Starting Appearance:
Aranea still couldn't believe she let herself get talked into this. Still, a little extra jewel never hurt anyone. If she was going to be spending a little more time among mortals, even a celestial spirit would have to pay her way. At least until she found a new lair to settle into.
She had made her way to Magnolia, and was staying at once of the local inns. Just the other morning when heading out after breakfast, she was stopped by a photographer from Sorcerer Weekly. From what he explained, he latest assignment was a promotion of fashion designer, Chanelle's latest eco-friendly clothing line. He was looking for unknowns to model a few of the creations. Aranea guess he was only doing that because his budget for the project was too small to pay one of their usual celebrity models.
Not wanting to give any future would-be mortal heroes an idea of what she really looked like, Aranea stuck to the cover of a young celestial wizard she'd developed recently. She stood in a small tent often used for changing at beaches. The photographer had brought it along to serve as a dressing room. All the Chanelle creations she'd be wearing for the photo shoot were hung carefully along edges of the tent, and her own teal dress and other clothing was hung off to the side.
Aranea was actually looking forward to trying on most of these eco-friendly designs she saw waiting. This first one though, a two-piece swimsuit made entirely of still green tropical leaves was questionable. I didn't really fit right and itchy.
The photographer called, “Ready, Lucy?”
It took Aranea a moment to remember, the photographer was talking to her and not one of his assistants. She tied the green silk sarong around her hips, and fitted the broad leafy sunhat atop her head. The last touch was a pair of sunglasses with frames whimsically shaped like a pair of daisies.”Uh, yeah. Be right out!”
Emerging from the tent, Aranea was handed a little water to drink by one of the photographer's assistants. She down the water quickly, and handed the empty back to the assistant. She smiled to the mortal woman, ”Thanks.”
The photographer stood ready with his camera lacrima, “There you are, Lucy. Lookin' great! M, but where is your key? The one with the hearts all over it. It's a little detail, but it's the little touches that separate Sorcerer Weekly from your run-of-the-mill fashion rag.”
Aranea sighed, but jogged back to the changing tent to grab her silver key, using her own silver chain belt to hang it from her left hip over her sarong. When she slipped on out again, the photographer had her step into a small clearing where some of the forest's more picturesque trees would be in the background. She thought it was curious, but quickly understood the purpose when one of his assistants casts various orbs of light to either side of her. The soft glow from each orb filled in the shadows left by the natural light and evened the ambient lighting.
What made her giggle and really get in the mood of things though was the gentle breeze spell another assistant cast to make Aranea's currently long blonde hair and her silk sarong flutter dramatically for the camera. The celestial spirit turned, striking whatever pose seemed a most natural fit for the photographer's running string of instructions: 'Flirty!”, “Show me bold!”, “Now let's try thoughful”, “Now pretend like you are summoning that celestial spirit you told me about. Aranea was her name? Great! Just like that!”
After a whole series of photos, the photographer lowered his lacrima, “You're doing great, my dear. Now why don't try one of Chanelle's dresses. Maybe the white one.”
Aranea dashed back into her tent, quick changing into the silky white dress that was hung up in there. She read the tag labeling the dress, ”Made from spider silk, huh? Hmm this is way better and comfy than that silly suit of leaves. Maybe I should see about having a dress made from my webbing But I doubt any mortal hands could spin it into anything.”
The spirit headed back out, not forgetting to wear her silver key at hip this time. The photographer's third assistant who gave her the water, used a little spell to arrange Aranea's currently blonde locks into a more sophisticated updo. This hair assistant also gave Aranea simple silver necklace to go with the dress, matching the one accenting her waist and holding her silver key.
The spell for the dramatic gentle breeze was skipped this time, but the lighting assistant recast the orbs of light. The photographer changed angles and began shooting a whole new series: “More elegant. Yes, yes!”, “You're at a party hosted by your idol, and they just told the most hilarious joke! Hmm umm less terrifying and more jovial.. there we go!”
Aranea settled into a comfortable routine, posing best she could to fill the spirit of the photographer's instructions, and changing outfits between each series of photos. By the end of the day, she was a good deal more physically exhausted than she would have guessed she'd be when they started in the morning. Once she was back in her own street clothes, the celestial spider bid the photographer and his assistants farewell, and started back toward her inn in town.
Word Count: 903/750
