Lisel Meyer

Versailles, France.

Lisel brushed the hair out of her face as a stylist tackled her makeup. She had driven an hour to Versailles just for this shoot that involved another editorial model. She almost hadn't accepted the offer, but her strict mother insisted. Signing yet another NDA wasn't on her bucket list, but Lisel couldn't argue. Anything to get out of Romantique for a day. "Versailles recommended you," the stylist told her. He was no Parker Garcia, but he got the job done well. "Your mother was Gisela Meyer, no? The famous German model back in the '90s."

"Yes, Gisela Meyer."

Another woman overheard them. "Un autre bébé nepo," she muttered. Lisel couldn't help but roll her eyes—she had heard the nepo baby comments, which was oddly ironic since Lisel never wanted to partake in the modelling industry until her mother forced her to. "The shoot is in ten minutes, let's go."

Lisel glanced at the mirror before they left the hair and makeup room. Her black sequin dress glinted in the good lighting, parted with a holy cross necklace and golden heels. She liked being taller in the photo shoots, it made her body look longer. "This shoot involves another model, correct?" Lisel asked. Truth be told, she hadn't read the fine print in the NDA with the third party company. "Do you know who they are?"

"Male model. Well-known. East Asian." Wow, that was incredibly helpful.

As they entered the door, Lisel shielded her brown eyes from the instant camera flashes. There were a dozen or more people, all with cameras and a no-nonsense energy attached to them. "Miss Meyer, step onto that white background," a man said, who Lisel could only assume was the director. As Lisel did what she was told, the door opened again, revealing Lisel's partner.

Lisel cocked her head, briefly taken aback. "Takahashi?"

Hikari, dressed in black with a cross that matched Lisel's, blinked at her. "Meyer...?" Hikari Takahashi was a well-known Flore & Faune editorial model, known for his versatility and rank in the industry. Flore & Faune and Romantique people did not mix, they got along with oil and water. Lisel was driven by the company rivalry, it reminded her of home back in Germany. Competition and rivalry was what Lisel thrived on, she was surrounded by it growing up.

The director glanced between the two. "What's the problem?"

"Nothing, let's do the shoot," Hikari said, walking towards the backsplash. He stiffened once by Lisel's side, and she would be lying if she wasn't doing the same. She had encountered models from Flore & Faune... she just never worked with them.

So this is why you always read the fine print.

"Lights... Camera... Action..." The director shouted out orders. Lisel loosened her shoulder, tilting back her hip, and tilted her chin up ever so slightly. They were going for an easy-going yet alluring theme. The director held up his hands, stopping the production. "You two, you need to click. Look at you both, you're doing great separately, but that's not what we paid you for. Chemistry, people, chemistry." He snapped his fingers. "Take five, I'm dissatisfied with these photos."

As the flashes faded, Lisel crossed her arms and cleared her throat. "I didn't expect to see you here, Takahashi," she said simply.

"Hikari," he offered.

"Takahashi," she repeated. "Formal matters, of course."

"Right... Listen, we both got paid a great deal of money for this, and we're both at the peak of our careers. Versailles is a big brand, we can not afford to be lost on their PR list," he said seriously. Now, he had gotten Lisel's attention. "Let's put aside the company rivalry, or whatever it's become, for the shoot."

The director snapped his fingers. "C'mon, let's get it back together, hustle, hustle." Lisel tossed her hair to drape over one side of her shoulder, leaning against Hikari. A classic move, Felix told her, the duo lean. She changed her tactics, tilting her head down a bit, relaxing the rest of her body. Among the clicks of cameras, she heard music playing on the radio in the background. 'Just your two hands on me like my life needs savin'. Let 'em all know, I want your two hands. Can you do it like that...' The radio got cut off.

"Pose switch. Alright, let's see some closeness. Arm over there, please, no—the other side, good. Yup, that's perfect."

Hikari placed his arm over Lisel, but the director stepped onto the backsplash. "Can you hold her cross necklace? Pretend you're toying with it." He stepped back and Hikari's hands grasped the cross, like he was playing with it. Lisel shifted her weight to her left leg, leaning back a bit. She could feel Hikari's breath on her neck.

Just get the job done.

They continued to cycle through poses until the director called it a day. Lisel stepped off the backsplash, finding some bottles of water on a table for them. "Catch," she said, throwing one at Hikari without looking. He caught it, but gave her a puzzled look. She uncapped the bottle and downed the cool water. From the corner of her eye, she saw the cameras still rolling—directed towards their path, in fact—but she brushed it off.

"You do third party shoots often?" she asked as small talk.

"Sometimes," he muttered.

"Not much of a talker, aye? That's fine, I'll do the talking." Lisel crossed her arms, leaning against the wall. God forbid Felix finds out she was having a conversation with a rival. "You did a decent job out of the backdrop, I can see why Flore & Faune wanted you."

"Decent?" he asked, raising his eyebrows. "Only decent?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, did you want me to say outstanding? Amazing? Staggering? Your head is up in the clouds, Takahashi. You should come back to Earth more often, defying gravity seems like your mojo." Lisel didn't have a problem with being conversational, she liked to please the people. Often, they were interested by her charm, which was irresistible to be fair.

"How original." He allowed a tiny smile, though it seemed slightly fake. Hard to please. Lisel assumed he didn't socialize with co-workers at Flore & Faune much, this was probably the first interaction he had in days. Week, maybe months. "For a Romantique model," he added.

Lisel clucked her tongue. "Well, I guess you didn't let the 'decent job' comment slide."

"You're both free to go," the director butted in, giving them a thumbs-up. "Great job, we might give you a callback, we loved the camera chemistry. Have a good day, guys." After that, Hikari grabbed his jacket and made a beeline towards the door. Lisel should have let it go, but she couldn't resist one last remark.

"Hey, Takahashi! Call me back when you get back from Saturn."

Hikari stopped mid-way towards the door. Lisel didn't think he'd turn around, but he did to her surprise. He tilted his head slightly to the left, and smirked lazily. "You know, you never fail to amuse me. I'll see you around, Meyer." Then he walked out the door, only leaving Lisel with her thoughts.

꧁°❀⋆.ೃ࿔.*:･･:*.ೃ࿔.⋆❀°꧂

Fleurette Lavigne

Paris, France.

Fleurette was having a thousand heart attacks as Felix and Hiro led her into the Romantique base. Her heart pounded as dozens of people flew past them, running on their own schedule. Before they hopped on a plane to Paris, Fleurette had read over the NDA contract and agreed to it. Paris was an entirely new city, lots of traffic and tourists, but this was what dreams were made of. "Before you meet Cathy, you'll meet our standard crew, AKA the ones you'll be closely working to," Hiro instructed. He pushed open a door, revealing a room full of busy people and chatter. "Hey, Parker, you got a second?"

A stylist, Parker, busied himself by hanging up clothes on the rack. "Depends, I have to run over to hair and makeup with Esme in a minute," he said, flashing a smile towards Fleurette. "So there's the new lady! Welcome, welcome, I can't promise Hiro won't talk his ear off." He shook Fleur's hand firmly and she laughed.

Hiro placed a hand over his heart. "I'm deeply hurt."

"Ah, so there's the newbie." A dark-skinned woman strolled up to Fleurette, her gaze just as sharp as her features. She was Esme, Fleurette assumed. She tilted her head and smiled at Fleurette, though it unsettled her. It wasn't as warm as Parker's. "Esme La Rue. Pleased to meet you, Fleur. I'm sure you'll fit right into Romantique's... standards."

Felix, who had gone quiet, spoke up. "Alright, we got it, Esme, go on now." He shooed her away, shaking his head. "Sorry about that, Esme ain't really open to new folks. Don't worry, she'll come around eventually. Just... be on guard for some of the crap that Esme pulls."

She swallowed hard, but nodded. They turned around to the corner where Hiro introduced her to Cameron Ryans, a graphic designer, and Serenity Parks, a photographer. They both seemed friendly enough, much more than how Esme was. "They'll work closely with you," Hiro added.

"So get used to us," Cameron added, laughing.

Felix glanced to the corner of the room. "Good Lord—Lisel, you've got a photoshoot in ten!" There was a brunette girl with sunkissed skin, practising ballet positions. In fact, she looked rather skilled and graceful, she must be some sort of dancer. Lisel shot Felix and Hiro a glare, but her gaze softened once meeting Fleurette's. "That's Lisel Meyer."

"Wait, as in—"

"Yes, Gisela Meyer's daughter."

"No, I meant Lisel Meyer, the famous German dancer. I saw one of your plays on TV, back in Germany, you dance like a swan," Fleurette said eagerly. The corners of Lisel's lips quirked upwards as she grinned. Something told Fleurette she'd get along with Lisel.

"Come to me if Felix gives you too much shit," Lisel said.

He rolled his eyes. "It's called respecting your superiors." They glared at each other; Lisel crossed her arms while Felix straightened up. It was clear that they tolerated each other's company when working. Hiro chuckled nervously, clearing his throat.

"So how did the Versillies shoot go?"

Serenity's jaw dropped. "You went with Versillies? Lucky."

"Good, it was a quick shoot," Lisel replied, leaning against the wall. "It was a duo shoot, one of our competitors worked with me. Flore & Faune model, actually, ever heard of Hikari Takahashi?"

Hiro shrugged. "Editorial model. He's not a concern if he's not on the main runway."

"Isn't Catherine keen on a Romantique model—editorial or runway—to win the Award of Beauty? We need to close in on Flore & Faune, they can not win. And quite frankly, I'm not letting them," Felix said sternly. The Award of Beauty was only offered every ten years, it was highly sought after. From what Fleur remembered, Romantique and Flore & Faune were its top candidates. "On the Fourth of July, there's a promotion party, hosted by Flore & Faune. They've invited us—a chance to gloat and intimidate, no doubt—and we need to bring our ace-game."

Fleurette's heart was beating rapidly. If she attended the party, there was a chance she'd see Hugo again. Hugo, her heart ached for a boy who left her so helplessly. But was she ready to see him again? After a whole year? Oh God, Lucille Blanchard would be there too. "Is everyone going?" she asked hesitantly.

"Models, agents, and photographers only." Felix glanced at Camilla. "Sorry."

"Hey, you didn't make the invites, Flore & Faune did," she pointed out.

Fleurette checked the time on her watch before shaking Camilla's, Serenity's, and Lisel's hands again. "Well, I'm glad to be working alongside you all," she said happily. "I look forward to it, have a good day." As they went their separate ways, Felix and Hiro guided Fleurette to the elevator.

As they entered, Felix pressed the buttons to go up. "We're heading up to Cathy's office. Address her as Ms. Laurent though, just to be sure. She wants you to meet someone who will get you trained enough in time for Paris Fashion Week. Hiro and I may be modelling agents, but God, we can't strike a pose to save our lives."

"And that's from experience," Hiro added.

Felix glared. "Gosh, that was so nice."

"So who's training me?"

"Not exactly training, because Cathy isn't paying him—but God, does he just love to get in her good graces—but he's well-known in the runway field." The elevator's doors opened, leading to a crisp and clean hallway which had an oak wood door at the end. Fleurette grew more uncertain as they walked down the corridor, the soft clicks of their shoes hitting the floor. Felix held the door for them when they entered, their setting shifting to a meeting room. Fleurette was expecting to meet Catherine Laurent, but a young man in his early twenties rose. He had sharp features accompanied with fair skin and brown hair. "Cathy couldn't make it," the man supplied. He smiled thinly at Fleur, looking a bit unsure.

He held out his hand and she shook it. "I'm Fleurette Lavigne, it's nice to meet you," she said eagerly. He wasn't easily swayed nor impressed.

"So I've heard." He let go of her hand. "Julian Penn."

"Ah, so Cathy isn't here? That's fine, we'll run right along the script. Fleurette, Julian will be helping you out until Paris Fashion Week. Right now, the media will always have eyes on you. Romantique is banking on you to impress the media and give us a leg up," Hiro told her, leaning against the table. "Sympathy is what we're aiming for."

"Because of the whole Hugo de Valois situation," Felix added quietly.

Keep it together, Fleur thought. "Okay, sounds fine to me."

"He'll show you the ropes," Felix smiled, "and hopefully, we can pull this off."

꧁°❀⋆.ೃ࿔.*:･･:*.ೃ࿔.⋆❀°꧂

Beatrice Visag

Paris, France.

Bea peered over Vincent's shoulder, squinting at the computer screen. "No, that colour's too dark for Lucille's complex, add a different layer. Also, adjust the lighting, it makes her glow." After exchanging graphics, the shenanigans began. It was nearly eight in the evening, and they were one of few who worked late in Flore & Faune. "Man, I need another cup of coffee."

"I already went to Café des Fables earlier today," Vincent said, yawning. "God, my sleep schedule is messed up. Are you sure you're just not some vampire who thrives on the night?"

"Haha, very funny. And I'm sure you're just a troll in disguise." She uploaded the latest of her graphics and sent them to Mr. Brown. Bea hoped that this wasn't an inconvenient time to email him. She rested her chin on the desk, sleepy and tired. "I want to go ho-ooooo-me."

"No one's stopping you," Vincent said pointedly. They shared a desk, which made working rather cramped, but Bea liked him best out of the rest of her co-workers. At least he put in the effort to understand her dark humour. "Let me see what you're working on."

"Don't judge, it's just a draft."

[INSERT PHOTO]

[INSERT PHOTO]

"I'm surprised that there isn't one couple shoot with Lucille and Hugo," he said jokingly. Bea laughed, though it wasn't much of a shock. Dating coworkers have always and will continue to be messy, and Lucille and Hugo were no exception. Honestly, they had gotten into more fights at Flore & Faune, they were on the verge of a breakup. Bea could feel it in her bones.

"Add another shadow layer for Evelyn's," Vincent suggested. "Makes her more youthful or whatever bullcrap that Mr. Brown's team wants us to do." He added an overlay, double-clicking his mouse a few times. "We should do something out of work."

"Hm?"

"We only talk during work hours or when we're staying at Flore & Faune later," he said, mindlessly scrolling on the dozens of files he had. Vincent leaned back on his chair, glancing towards her. "Like, normal coworkers and friends hang out after work, right?"

"I'd hardly call us normal, but sure."

Vincent grabbed a sticky-note and pen, jotting down an address and time for Bea in his scraggly handwriting. "It's called Café des Fables, you have to meet Jolie, she's the owner's daughter and is the absolute best when it comes to making coffees. Oh, and let's try not to talk about work when we're there tomorrow."

"Why?" Bea asked.

"Because then it's like a work date."

"I wasn't aware it was going to be a regular date," she said teasingly. Though, she had to admit it wouldn't be the worst idea. A date with Vincent appealed to her, but she'd rather die than say that to his face. They were coworkers, it would be unprofessional, especially because they worked closely. Perhaps a bit too close for comfort.

He rolled his eyes. "You know what I mean. It's a coworker thing."