18076/A sketch in black & white

A sketch in black & white
Date of Scene:	26 May 2024
Location:	Molly and Vivian's Apartment
Synopsis:	Viv accidentally hires a deadly mercenary to be her art model. Domino lucks out on an easy gig that'll get her some good publicity with the hero crowd. Everyone wins!
Cast of Characters:	Vivian Vision, Neena Thurman

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Vivian Vision has posed:
With her roomie off on adventures and most of her other art models engaged in superheroics, making for tricky scheduling at the best of times, Vivian Vision has had to use new avenues to find people to draw. Classified adverts, little notes on the wall in the sort of places art models go like... well art colleges mostly, and a few online sites. Possibly one of which was accidentally a front for hiring mercenaries. But given she can generate crypto currency by thinking and her family are all millionaires or richer...

Well it's not like she can't afford to pay well for some very low risk work.

Also the advert promises free cupcakes. Because who doesn't like a cupcake or two?

Her apartment is neat and tidy. A collection of costume choices and props ready. Art easel and sketchbooks ready. All the pencils a girl could need sharpened & ready. A normal young artist might have some nerves at the idea of a total stranger turning up to visit at her home. But when you're the daughter of an Avenger and able to throw a moderately sized tank. Well no needs to get synthetic butterflies in her stomach.

Neena Thurman has posed:
One of the nice things about being a mercenary is you never know what kind of job might be around the corner. Especially in this area, a comfortable cross-pollination between the Big Apple, Metropolis, and Gotham? It's a world of pearl-rich oysters waiting to be cracked open!

Having just wrapped up another job, Domino had been sitting in her car thumbing through the most recent contract listings on her phone when she comes across something...which certainly fits the /different/ description. Person needed, top dollar pay, it's even local. Normally Lady Luck would prefer more fire and explosions along with her paycheck, but money is money and traffic is even behaving for where she needs to go. So, what the hell. She is nothing if not impulsive. It's how her luck works, after all!

But this time... Here she shows up in all of her black outfitted glory with a bag slung over a shoulder, looking puzzled and entirely out of place. A knock at the door before she simply tries the handle and /what the Freaking Fruit-Loopy Hell did she just walk in on!

"Ah..." is all she can offer for an initial greeting, a bit slack-jawed not just at the environment but the only other person currently occupying it.

Pink skin, solid colored eyes... Kinda reminds her of Blink, right off the bat. "You, uh" she hooks a thumb over a shoulder. "Ad. Person wanted. I think."

Vivian Vision has posed:
Certainly Vivian has a striking look. One which would be easy to place for anyone in the know about superhero teams. The green hair and solar gem set in her forehead. No cape or fancy costume. But the canary yellow cargo pants and green sweater certainly speak to more money than taste (JvD Originals one and all!) or perhaps senses that function in another level entirely from Human.

Alas if only everyone has her senses they'd realise just how fashionable Viv really is. Honest.

The apartment itself looks a little more upmarket than a typical college dorm. But it's not a million miles away from it. Even if the big screen TV seems like a bespoke custom model and just about /everything/ is a smart gadget. Including the door, the lock, and the camera doorbell. Why get up when you can simply think the door open? Efficiency is a wonderful thing.

"Ah yes I have posted several adverts. Have you read the terms and conditions regarding the specifics?" Her head tilts slightly and she gestures for Domino to come in. "Please feel free to take a seat. Have a cupcake too if you'd like. It's really not a complicated job. I want art models who are from unique backgrounds. People who would be comfortable talking about themselves while I'm drawing them. So I can try capture the inner essence. Which sounds a little like artist bullshit I know but.. Well it really makes a lot of sense really. If I wanted to simply take a static image I'd just use a camera."

And with both her eyes functioning as cameras it'd be a pretty simple job. Boring really. Just look at someone and done.

Neena Thurman has posed:
There is something to be said about that forehead gem. Like 'you really don't want to be here, Dom.' This lady has the look of someone associated with Those Other Guys and it's already putting her a teensy bit on edge. This prompts more glancing about, subtle as it is. What isn't she seeing here? What's the missing link? Then there's all of the smart devices which she's able to recognize, like this place is /connected./

And here stands a lady who barely trusts the power window switches on modern cars.

With Vivian's first question there's an awkward and prolonged "Yyyeeeeaaaahhh..." as the albino lady is busy pulling out her phone and scrolling about looking for the ad again. Of COURSE she read it over in full, that'd just be silly of her not to! She'd never leap without looking, not THIS gal.

The black nailed finger stops dead on the screen as Vivian explains further. Pale blue eyes flick back up toward her. "Art models" she pointedly repeats. "You want... Me. To model. For an art project."

The thoughts are chopped into tiny slices of data, all of which sound so completely foreign to the mercenary that she's struggling to wrap her mind around such concepts. "/And/ talk about--"

The screen blacks out as she tucks the phone away, Domino suddenly finding her own footing. "I assume the matter of confidentiality is taken into proper account."

Buuut... Well, Dom's already /here/ and the gig still /pays/ and there's tasty looking /cupcakes/ on tap, and...

A roll of shoulders. "Fuck it, let's roll."

Vivian Vision has posed:
Vivian Vision tilts her head to one side and twirling her hair around her finger.

"Confidentiality?" she says brightly. "Oh that is nothing to worry about. I am able to encrypt my memory. Although I do expect candid honestly in return." She motions at the partly open door. "There's lots of costumes and props you can borrow. Some people find it easier if they dress up a little. Adopt a persona from a movie or game. Cosplay I believe it's called."

If it's a trap it's certainly a very strange one. The building seemed like a typical inner city apartment block with lots of college students and recent graduates in residence. The pay is attractive for a task where no-one will fire a gun at Domino. But not so much it was guaranteed to get her attention. Anyone at all could have signed up for it.

And Viv is doing her utmost to be welcoming. There's freshly brewed tea or coffee. Along with a selection of cold drinks. The only downside? There's nothing alcoholic there. It's not like Viv can get drunk and her roomie is on aforementioned adventures!

Neena Thurman has posed:
'Encrypt my memory' -- is this chick for real? When the partly opened door is pointed out Domino glances over and makes an amused sound. "Oh what the hell" she says with some belief. Is this really happening? /Cosplay,/ seriously? Well, if she wanted some deniability here there's always the consideration of wearing some color for once in her life. No one would believe it's her!

Alright, since dollars are being dangled Dom's going to start taking this a bit more seriously. The bag slips from her shoulder to be lightly slung onto the couch. She makes sure the main door is closed and locked. Then she shrugs out of her biker jacket, revealing two sidearms tucked in underarm holsters. This lady wants transparency? It's going to play out Dom's way.

With the stage now reset and the rules rewritten the pale killer takes a seat, kicking up her tall combat boots while reaching for one of those cupcakes. There's a picture for Vivian, right here.

"Let's talk about your art some, first" she suggests. "Been doing this for a while? Get any big names from the hero or meta roster before?" It's almost turning into an interrogation as she methodically peels the paper away from the pastry with oddly dainty motions. Coffee can come later.

Vivian Vision has posed:
Vivian is a real girl all right. If perhaps a lot more synthetic than is typical. For the studied eye of a deadly mercenary she seems very unthreatening though. Not a single gun in sight. Nor anything more than a kitchen knife can be located. There's an unusual level of stillness to her too. She blinks just enough to avoid the uncanny valley effect but there are other oddities. Not quite seeming to be breath as much as normal. Free from those microexpressions and motions an organic might have.

Sadly for Domino's plausible deniability there are just pencils laid out. No paints or colours. No matter how much colour she picks out the finished product will be black and white. The irony!

"I've got some of my sketchbooks if you'd like to look?" she offers brightly. The books already laid out like coffee table reading material. Someone has anticipated this line of questioning it seems! "Big names? Oh. Yes a lot. Several members of the Titans, an Avenger, and I draw a very nice picture of Mrs Storm-Richards on the roof of Four Freedoms plaza."

She gives a little shrug like it's no big deal.

"As for how long. A few years now. I started off simply copying what I could see. But one of my models encouraged me to impart more creative vision in my work. So my process has evolved to be more collaborative. I try to show a side of my models that I can only see with their active participation."

Neena Thurman has posed:
Alright, this is turning out to be more interesting than at first glance. Doing her best not to get cupcake stuff everywhere Domino reaches for one of those books so she has something to idly page through. Some big names are dropped, indeed. "I'll tell you right now, I don't want to end up in one of these books" she says. "In my line of work discretion is the name of the game." Not to mention she would /never/ live it down if word got out into her work sphere. /Never./

That the pictures are all in monochrome isn't lost to her. So much for the color idea, though at least she'd be real easy to shade. White skin, white paper, it honestly might turn out well in this medium.

Vivian does mention something else which gives the albino pause, looking up to the oddly colored one again to ask/repeat "'Active participation?' If you want to draw me shooting something we're probably going to want to find a different location."

Vivian Vision has posed:
"You can keep the original drawing?" Vivian offers with a shrug. "But I retain the data in my memory. It's as much about the creation process as the destination. So that's not a problem." The cupcakes come with little plates to eat them off. Every eventuality considered. Except maybe that Domino might be 'packing heat' and intent on using it. "I can assure you though. I know the secret identities of several superheroes. And I've never revealed any of their secrets."

There's a lot of depth, texture and character you can get with careful use of shading. And with an inhuman level of precision there's a lifelike quality to many of the drawings which make up for the lack of colour.

"While my apartment is sound proof and re-enforced I would prefer no weapons be fired. It'd be against building regulations," she says solemnly. The room was shielded so Molly could launch herself skywards via jetpack without waking up the neighbours. So a bullet or two probably wouldn't be overheard. "When I say active participation. I mean things like.. Sometimes I have a specific costume for a model in mind. Others I prefer the model to pick out clothing which they feel speaks to them." She points out a few specific drawings where the model picked the costume. Valeria Richards. Dressed like a famous mutant businesswoman. "It could also be a concept or.. well anything really."

Neena Thurman has posed:
"Yeah?" Domino asks, feeling better about being able to hang onto the finished design. She's not much for vanity but having something original to hang on the wall of some manner of safehouse wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. Might help break up the grey brick walls in some of them. And if she's being honest here, this is really good work. Either Vivian's got herself some real talent or she /is/ a machine...and has herself some real talent.

It's already starting to feel more like a proper conversation with two VERY unlikely participants. She ends up reaching for a plate to set the treat on, still turning pages to look further into a field she's never given much thought to before beyond stealing paintings for other people who were into that sort of thing.

"Right... Yeah, no. I'm not slinging lead in here" she confirms. But there are other things to consider, like 'are you REALLY going to do this?'

Hell. The heroic sorts might appreciate the notion that she'd be seeing out paying work which doesn't happen to involve illegal activities or intense property damage. This sorta kinda falls into her 'community work' category, doesn't it? Doing good deeds just to help balance out the ol' karmic meter? Maybe? Eh, whatever.

The book gets closed and set back on the table with a long breath and resulting long sigh. Another glance is given toward The Closet. She's only going to have this one life to live, why not try something unorthodox today?

"Okay" she decides. "At the risk of feeling like a complete idiot, let's figure something out and...draw."

For a gunslinger at heart it's not the sort of 'draw' she ever would have anticipated coming up in discussion.