Jaxon had no idea what to expect when he showed up at the Witch Weekly photo shoot. He had been a subject in front of his ex's camera before, but that was never in a serious or professional environment. Still, he was a pretty face with a damn sexy body. He totally understood why Witch Weekly wanted him to grace their pages with more than just his words. Pictures of his ripped chest and washboard abs were much more likely to get attention from the rag's target audience. Arrogance was not what brought him there though. His motivations were not fully understood by the seeker just yet. ...all he knew for sure was that he wanted to solidify himself as a likable public figure, so if someday he was able to come forward as a werewolf that he might be able to actually make a difference.

The seeker showed up a little early. It gave him time to watch everything come together: the photographer's assistant fiddling with cameras and lights, the hair and makeup crew getting all their materials laid out just so, clothing rolled in on huge silver racks. Jaxon had been informed to bring his uniform, but he had no idea what he would be wearing for the majority of the shoot. Less was probably more when it came to the ensemble for the American Adonis. His agent had not informed him of many details regarding what would happen through out the day. He'd just given him a time, a place, instructions to shower beforehand (like he needed to be told to do that...) and said there would be at least one model working with him.

A warm friendly smile graced his features now as he waited to meet the photographer he'd be working with. The seeker might up his flirting as the day progressed, but for now, he was content to play the charming gentleman with no ill intent. It was a role he knew well. There was honesty in his demeanor then, no matter his reputation.


@oriel

Oriel wasn't dumb, in fact, he was very smart. He had finished his alchemy apprenticeship early, after all, and was the youngest alchemy professor Hogwarts had ever had. Which was how he knew that getting the job as Witch Weekly's main photographer wasn't just due to his abilities with a camera. He was pretty good, but since he already had a -not so demanding- job, he wasn't an ideal employee for such high end fashion magazine. Then again, he only gave four hours of class a week so... maybe he had more free time than he thought, 

But he digressed. The truth was that Oriel was a very attractive person. He knew that and usually paid it no mind; it'd gotten him into more rotten relationships with even more rotten people than he'd care to admit. But he'd be lying if he said he hadn't used his appearance -which had the whole artistic vibe to it- to his advantage. If the magazine's photographer was beautiful, it kept up with the norm, gave them a better image. Or... better superficial appearance. It was all rather shallow, but it worked. Which was why he made sure to stay in top physical condition. Besides the his usual morning runs he'd taken to going to the muggle gym some blocks away from his apartment... on the nights he didn't have to stay at the castle, that was.

Today he was photographing a Quidditch player, Jaxon Cole. If Oriel wasn't very much mistaken, they'd been in the same year at Hogwarts, only Oriel had been in Ravenclaw. And he hadn't had much contact with anyone outside his house in those years since he was always immersed in some book -muggle or magical- of literature or come complex theory for alchemy or some art project he was working on at the time. He remembered the other man's childlike face only in passing as he'd never paid him much attention or spoken to him at all, but that face had been replaced by his older, more mature one. The one that showed in the papers and in other shoots. 

Oriel never read much about Quidditch. In truth, he'd always found the matches in Hogwarts to be entertaining, but he wasn't the type of person to keep up with a team or to actually pay to watch a match. So, until now, he'd had a vague inkling of what Jaxon was up to, but he'd never read any articles on him.

Well, that had changed. As soon as his boss had told him the day and date of this shoot he'd started reading up on Jaxon -he'd never known they were both american, though he was adopted in DC- and on the Appleby Arrows. From there he'd gotten multiple ideas which he'd presented to the editor... which she'd turned down. They were beautiful, she said, and so artistic, but not... appealing enough. By appealing, she'd meant sexy. Which... Oriel got. He appreciated all sorts of beauty but he supposed that the physical appeal had to be there.

So he'd gone back to work and come up with three more, which the editor had accepted. All three of them, Oriel could choose which he'd go with once he saw Jaxon and spoke to him a bit. So here he was, coordinating everyone and making sure they knew which sets were which and what to do when he said so and that they also knew to please please not get distracted by Jaxon. Which was easier said than done since they were already distracted enough by Oriel himself. Merlin help him.

He turned to look at the door once it opened, revealing Jaxon himself. Oriel cast the two women he was talking to a quick smile and dismissed them, stepping over to Jaxon while rolling up his sleeves. Really, it was far too hot in the room, he'd already opened his shirt a while ago and he was this close to tying up his hair.

"Jason!" He greeted when he was close enough to not shout. "Oriel Hammond, but Oriel is just fine. It'll be a pleasure working with you."

Oriel gave the other man a once over, admitting to himself that he was an attractive man, but he had told the others not to get distracted so he couldn't either. 

outfit

A male voice called out a name--not his name, but one quite like it--and simply out of curiosity the seeker turned to see a beautiful man approaching. Merlin, surely with a face like that, the man was a model not the photographer than Jaxon had been waiting on.

Jax held out his hand as Oriel introduced himself. "Jaxon Cole--Pleasures all mine, Oriel. Real nice to meet you," each word was drawled out in his low gravely bass. The Southern drawl of his youth had never truly faded--and was enhanced every time he made a trip home or shared a conversation with one of his hillbilly relatives. This morning, he'd dug up the little cellphone he had and spent a couple hours talking to his grandfather, which meant the drawl was particularly pronounced at the moment.

"I gotta say, I ain't got much of an idea about what I'm supposed to be doin'," the seeker confessed, grinning boyishly. Even at twenty-five, the muggleborn wizard still had a youthful exuberance about him. His dimple and the little sparkle in his umber eyes--they all just added to the charm.

Oriel's smile turned slightly more mischievous as he heard Jaxon's accent. Well, while Oriel himself had lost all hints of being america, the Quidditch player definitely hadn't. That certainly explained why all the interviewers he'd talked to turned slightly glassy eyed when discussing him. It was attractive, to be sure, and Oriel had to suppress a shiver.

He shook the man's hand. "Well that's all right, I haven't decided what I want you to do yet anyway." Oriel resisted the urge to wink, but the slight twinkle was in his eyes.

He cast a glance over his shoulder to see the two models he'd picked sitting in the corner in their fuzzy robes. Undressed, of course, since he hadn't told them what to wear yet. One was male and the other was female, since Jaxon's sexuality had come up in the joining interview. There were multiple angles he could take on this and he wasn't yet sure which. Sure, the more promiscuous angle fit better with what the public knew about Jaxon, and it was what his editor wanted. But somehow Oriel didn't want the flashy, almost completely naked, shallow, common uptake on things. For once in his life, glitter was not something he wanted.

"I'm supposed to ask this, of course, because my editor is dead set on certain things; how much skin are you comfortable with showing?" He looked Jaxon up and down once before unabashedly meeting his eyes again.

A wolfish grin played on the seeker's face as Oriel spoke. Little devilish gleam coming into the wizard's dark eyes at the comment. Devious, deviant thoughts came unbidden into Jaxon's mind. The nature of them evident on his face as he tried to feel out the long-haired brunet before him. While there was nothing blatantly indecent or sexual in the other man's speech, the hint of flirtation was still present... Or perhaps, Jax's ego was so inflated that he just assumed everyone who was friendly was flirting, because he was such a shameless flirt himself.

Following Oriel's gaze over to two people in robes--both aesthetically glorious--the models Jaxon deduced--making the man before him, not a model--but the photographer...Interesting. So, Oriel was not just a pretty face with glorious hair.

The man speaking again drew his attention back to their conversation- A laugh was Jax's immediate response to the photographer's question. His delight in the way Oriel's eyes had drifted over him was obvious. Jax knew he looked good--and loved when others appreciated the work he put into his body. It took effort to keep muscles like his. "I'm shameless, darlin'," he drawled. "Completely and totally...so however much you wanna see, I am down with showin'." Jax did wink then, more out of habit than conscious thought. He was just so damn flirtatious--couldn't help it.

"Well good, because so are they." He motioned to the models without breaking eye contact. "Try not to distract them too much though, if I don't get anything done I don't get paid. Though this isn't all that much work, to be honest."

He loved art. He loved beautiful people. This was an ideal job. The only thing that would make it better is if he could blow things up too, but he had alchemy class for that. This was for his creative outlet, except it needed to be a bit more sexualised than he thought was strictly necessary. But then again, everything about Jaxon screamed sexual. It was a juxtaposition.

"Technically we have to incorporate your team's logo, but let me get back to you on that. For now... Take off your shirt."

Technically the slightly suggestive tone he took on wasn't necessary, so he didn't support it with a wink or anything of the sort. With a hand he motioned for one of the make up artists to get closer. Which they did, blushing slightly, and he started talking without looking away from Jaxon.

"Mr Cole will be showing a lot of skin. Please get the basics done, light protection, shine treatment, the works. I'll tell you the rest once I make up my mind." He smirked at Jaxon. "I take it you won't mind walking around shirtless for a while?"

Jax gave a nod of understanding- his grin and air of confidence never faltering as the photographer gave him a little line on behaving and staying focused. "I'll be a good boy," was his coy little retort. A soft laugh of agreement came to the comment about the activity not being particularly laborious.

The seeker had figured that Puddlemere would want him all decked out in blue and gold--but making sure that was so was not his job--and far from his area of expertise. He'd happily leave that to Oriel. The command came from the other man and Jaxon complied with a "Yes, sir," as he peeled off the tee shirt he wore. It was first the dip in his hip that was revealed--then each ab, perfectly defined--and finally his chest and broad shoulders were left bare for the photographer's inspection. The glamours were all perfectly in place--hiding every bit of evidence of his wolf encounters. He'd made sure of it--even getting another were to help him reinforce the magic so it would go undetected in the photographs. It was magic he had long mastered. There wasn't even a flicker of fear, hesitation, or nervousness as he stripped off his shirt.

Another joined them--a petite thing, obviously effected by Jaxon's presence. He enjoyed the way the slight flush crept onto her cheeks and neck--all the little tell-tale sings of just what sort of power he had. A gravelly chuckle rose from the seeker's chest at the half-statement, half-question thrown his way once Oriel returned his attention to him. "Nah, I don't mind, not one bit. Hot in here anyway."

Oriel almost laughed at his comment. "Somehow I doubt that."

As he started peeling off his shirt, Oriel's eyes followed the movement. He was quite proud of himself for keeping his composure, because the man sure was sculpted. The man had an air of confidence about him that he, personally, always appreciated. If they'd met at a club or some other setting, Oriel's behaviour might have been different. Because Oriel liked beautiful people, and Jaxon was beautiful, almost outrageously so. But he was working, so he got to it and he stepped around the man slowly, taking everything in. It was for professional purposes, of course, but he did maybe take a few seconds too long.

When Jaxon talked again he let out a low laugh, never doubting for a second that Jaxon liked being looked at. It was written all over him.

The witch got to work, movements mechanical and nervous, and Oriel went to lean agains a table right in front of them. He watched with a slight smirk. Well, there went all the more glamorous shots he'd considered. No mirrors, no feathers, no silks. No, Jaxon had a more uncontrolled edge. He wanted to capture that.

Eyes were on him, but he hardly noticed. He was busy thinking about two things: his secret and curious thoughts about how what was to come today. Team photos--and time under Azzie's camera--were about the extent of his experience with photography. He was very interested to see what this man would turn him into.

He didn't have to remind himself to smile--that came easy. Even shirtless when that hint of worry creeped over him at the notion someone might figure out his affliction, his posture remained visibly the same. A little pep talk to himself telling him everything would be okay. There was nothing to be self-conscious about. None of his scars would show. They wouldn't. Can't even think like that--he reminded himself. And so, he pushed the thoughts from his mind--along with any musings of what Alex might do to him, if Jax got outed by freaking Witch Weekly.

But the petite woman seemed to be too nervous to notice even if something had been off...Good--he could make that worse. Jaxon started talking to her as the photographer orbited him. He made her drop things twice before she declared to Oriel that she was all done. Amusement was evident on the seeker's boyish facade. He liked messing with people way too much. But it was easy, free entertainment--and he hadn't always been blessed with a Quidditch pro's salary. Growing up in a single parent home with only teacher's salary had made for a life of financial struggle. They always got by, but never really managed to get ahead. All that was changed now--he took care of her and even though his mama still worked, she did it, not out of need, but out of enjoyment.

"So, O, what do I inspire?" Jaxon asked of the man in front of him. That coy mischievous side of him still shining through, as the seeker stood there, one hand on his hip--the other pushing the dark curls back from his face. His hair was compared to many men's, but not even half the length of the photographer's. Quidditch probably wouldn't tolerate all that hair well with the wind, but Jaxon has to think, he'd look damn sexy with locks that long.

Oriel hummed, now fixing his eyes on Jaxon's. He didn't smile at his behaviour with the make up artist, but that didn't mean he hadn't been amused. There was a glint of humour in his eyes but his gaze -he knew- was pretty intense when he was concentrating. Even more so now when his mind was going a mile a minute. Shapes and colours and all sorts of other imagery flitted around the shirtless man as Oriel watched him, imagining the possibilities. The seeker certainly was aesthetically very pleasing, and that was easy to work with.

He stepped closer to the Jaxon, noting that the other man was about an inch taller than him, and cocked his head to the side.

"You inspire..." He trailed off, looking for the right words as he resisted the urge to reach out and turn Jaxon's face over in his hands. "a bit of mayhem. Something unruly and uncontainable... is what I see."

He clapped twice and the room went quiet. "Felicia, Camden, over here please. I need to see our colour palette." He called out to the models. "And someone please bring me the third blue combination. I need to make some adjustments."

As the models started walking over he turned back to Jaxon with a smirk. "Somehow I don't think rich and royal blues will get the effect I want to get. Though I'm sure you look lovely in those colours too."