#Gallery owner sirius

[otrtbs]

Hey Nat! You’ve probably already talked about it, but what is your dinner fic about? :)

EEEK! OKAY SO IMAGINE OKAY SO. THINK , OKAY

a group of old friends who know each other from school all get together to have a dinner party to catch up after a while of being out of touch. and the party happens to be at lily's house in the country. and james shows up first and lily's telling him that they really need to sell it tonight because remus is coming. (sell what? good question. what's remus gotta do w it? good question.) and barty shows up and he's a total dick but he brings evan as his date (a stranger to the group) who lily and peter both claim they've never met before but they're acting...strange around him. and pandora definitely looks like she knows him. and what does pandora do again exactly? like what's her job? why hasn't she said?? why can't anyone remember? and where did mary and barty go? did they just come out of the same bathroom together? what business could they possibly be discussing? and regulus is doing everything in his power to avoid dorcas meadowes which is so strange because normally they're so close? what's going on? and james looks ready to lunge at barty because he never forgave him for what he did to frank and alice (what did he do? good question) sirius is staring everyone down like blood-sniffing shark just waiting to attack, and Everything. Is. Going. So. Well.

and there's all this tension. and there are all these secrets. and everything is connected. and it all comes out over too much alcohol and the most elaborate 16 course meal anyone has ever had. everyone is just obscenely rich from their lucrative jobs (best-selling novelist james potter, gallery owner regulus black, world-famous cellist dorcas meadowes, ruthless politician lily evans, etc. etc. ) and there are secretes, lies, backstabbings, betrayals of epic proportions. drunken friends crying in a bathtub, smashing plates and champagne glasses, throwing cutlery at people's heads, and total wreckage of what was supposed to be Lily's Night. *i talk some more about it under the tag ''the dinner fic" which i will tag below if you want to peruse! <- it will be named something else in the future this is just what im calling it rn

[maraudererasmut]

Black and White (Part XXXIV)

Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV | Part V | Part VI | Part VII | Part VIII | Part IX | Part X | Part XI | Part XII | Part XIII | Part XIV | Part XV | Part XVI | Part XVII | Part XVIII | Part XIX | Part XX | Part XXI | Part XXII | Part XXIII | Part XXIV | Part XXV | Part XXVI | Part XXVII | Part XXVIII | Part XXIX | Part XXX | Part XXXI | Part XXXII | Part XXXIII | Part XXXIV | Part XXXV* |

"Remus, James and I can take you home if you'd like..." Lily offered as they pulled up on the street outside of Black and White.

"No thanks, Lily. I think I'm going to get out here…"

Remus followed Sirius out of the car and they walked together in silence until they were inside the gallery. He watched curiously as Sirius turned around and locked the latch on the door.

"Don't really want James to walk in on us again…" Sirius mumbled.

Remus nodded in agreement before crossing his arms and raising a brow at Sirius.

"So are we going to talk about what happened back there?" Remus asked expectantly.

Sirius mirrored Remus' body language, crossing his arms as well.

"What? You want to talk about how you announced that you wanted to leave the gallery right after I helped you get a great opportunity? Or did you want to discuss how you scolded me in front of my friends?"

Remus clenched his fists and felt his anger boil up inside. Sirius was being intentionally obtuse and it wasn't an attractive look on him. As much as Remus enjoyed Sirius' company and respected him as a gallerist, the man could be frustrating and impossible to deal with at times.

"Sirius, you can't just act like a child whenever you're upset! You can't whine and pout until you get your way! It doesn't work like that! Life doesn't work like that!"

Sirius took a step towards Remus, narrowing his eyes in anger.

"So you admit that you want to leave the gallery?"

"No!" Remus began closing the gap between them, his voice rising in frustration. "I never said anything of the sort! You just jumped to conclusions and then decided to blame me!"

"Why would you take his business card? Why would you even consider showing there?!"

"Why would you say that we should keep our business and personal lives separate if you're just going to mingle them anyway?!" Remus knew he was shouting at this point, but he didn't care. He hated Sirius and his stupidly handsome face and the way he made mountains out of molehills. He hated that everything with Sirius had to be a fight and how nothing could ever be easy with the other man.

"Because I didn't want you to leave Black and White if we broke up!" Sirius yelled, raising his hands in exasperation. "Because I thought that was the best way to make sure I could keep you in my life! Because I worried that if you and I didn't work out I'd be… you— you would go! And I'd be alone! I would miss you… I— I couldn’t stand the thought of losing you, Remus..." Remus watched as Sirius' eyes sparkled with lingering tears that refused to fall. "I didn't know it would mean that you'd make decisions that simply didn't take any of my feelings into account!"

Remus closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, trying not to let himself snap.

"You are such an idiot, Sirius! I haven't made any decision! I haven't left you! I don't plan to! It's a fucking business card, you arse!" Remus was panting, staring at Sirius, hating him and adoring him and fundamentally confused about everything that he was feeling.

"I'm— I'm sorry…" Sirius ran his hands over his face, covering his eyes with his palms, his fingers twisted in his bangs. "I'm sorry, Remus! I just— I don't know how to act around you! I don't know how to be around you!"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

Sirius pulled his hands away, revealing a look of strain and anguish.

"I've never— I don't—" The gallery owner looked up to the ceiling, as if it would have all of his answers. "I've never felt this way before. About anyone. And it's confusing! And I'm… I'm fucking jealous! Me! Jealous! I've never— I can't—-"

Remus stepped forward, close enough to reach out and put a hand on Sirius' shoulder.

"You don't have any reason to be jealous, Sirius…"

"Don't I?" Sirius' head snapped down as he stared Remus in the eyes. "When other people approach you, people like Caradoc… and they offer you things that I can't… what happens then? What happens when you have a better deal somewhere else that I simply can't match? Do I lose you? Do I lose this?!"

"You're a fucking moron," Remus groaned, pulling himself into Sirius' chest, wrapping his arms around him. "Why would I leave you?"

"I won't always be able to give you everything you want…" Sirius mumbled into Remus' hair, his hands sliding along Remus' back. Sirius' voice was strained, as if he was barely holding back his tears. "And what happens then?"

"Shut up, Sirius. That won't happen. There's nothing I could want that you can't give me… you're what I want…"

"And what about other galleries?"

Remus pulled away slightly so that he could look his boyfriend in the eyes.

"If you don't want me to do something, say it. Don't pout and grumble and act all passive aggressive. Tell me. 'Remus, I don't want you to show with any other gallery. That would hurt my feelings. I know we said to keep our work separate from our relationship, but that's hard for me.' There's no need to beat around the bush, Sirius. You have to use your words to communicate."

"Okay…" Sirius began quietly, brushing a curl from Remus' eyes and tucking it behind his ear. "Remus, I don't want you to show with any other gallery. That would hurt my feelings. I know we said that business and personal shit should be separated, but I don't think this could work if you chose someone else over me like that. I would be… so jealous. And so hurt."

Remus smiled up at Sirius, craning his neck and stealing a quick kiss.

"Okay. Got it. I'll sign with Black and White. It's not as if it's a bad business decision for me. Your gallery is amazing. You put on a fantastic show for me and you've already found me commission work outside of the gallery space. I don't need to worry that I'm risking my career for you because you are good for my career."

Sirius' expression softened as he leaned down to press a tender kisses into Remus' lips.

"As your gallerist, I am going to make sure that this decision is worthwhile for you. And as your boyfriend, I am so grateful. I'm… going to try not to let my emotions get the better of me."

"Good."

"And I'm going to try to communicate with you more."

"Good."

"And I'm not going to get jealous when other handsome gallerists approach you with business opportunities."

Remus felt himself smirk at Sirius' words.

"Well… you can get a little jealous. Just don't forget to talk about it using words. Don't just throw a fit."

Sirius pressed his forehead into Remus', tightening their hug and gently nuzzling their noses together.

"I'm sorry," he whispered meaningfully. Remus felt the apology in every single touch; in the way Sirius' fingers ran up and down his back, in the way Sirius' lips almost grazed his, in the way Sirius' breath stuttered with his words.

"I forgive you," Remus whispered in return, trying to put all of his complicated emotions into those three simple words.

Remus lifted himself onto his toes and pressed a tender kiss firmly into Sirius' lips, untangling his arms from around the gallerist's body and wrapping them around his neck. Sirius pulled Remus in tighter so that their torsos were pressed together, and the two men lost themselves in each other for a moment.

When Remus eventually pulled away, his head was swimming and his body tingled down to his toes. He smiled up at Sirius, who was staring at him in awe and admiration.

"Are we okay, Remus?"

Remus nodded, cupping Sirius' face with his hand and running a thumb along razor-sharp cheekbones.

"Yeah. We are. Just… no more of that. If this is going to work… if this relationship is going to work… I need full cooperation. I'm far too old to deal with high school shit anymore."

"Got it." Sirius gave Remus a quick peck before his mouth twisted into a smirk. "You wouldn't have liked high school Sirius anyway…"

Remus rolled his eyes at his boyfriend.

"Oh, I don't doubt that," he teased, trying not to imagine a spoiled young Sirius in a prep school uniform. That kid must've been a real prick.

[wolfpants]

Pages of You, Chapter Seventeen: I Came Here to Meet You

He checks his watch, wiping at the screen, the digital numbers flickering away as the seconds tick by.

He shuffles awkwardly out of the way as two young tourists squeeze in to get a better look at the sculpture’s placard, and just as Harry rounds the corner of the boxy plinth, he sees him.

It’s disorientating, at first.

He’s a single point of brightness in the crowded gallery, and everyone around him blurs like the diluted landscape of a watercolour painting. He’s coming closer, a look of nervous determination on his face that hardens as soon as they’re toe to toe.

For a second, maybe two, Harry forgets how to breathe.

--

Title: Pages of You

Follow up story to Led by Light - but not essential reading.

Pairings: Draco/Harry, Sirius/Remus

Rating: E/18+

Tags: AU (non-magical), 1980s setting, FWB, enemies to friends to lovers, secret identity, letters, pen pals, 1980s music, social issues, bookshop, bookshop owner Sirius Black, teacher and historian Remus Lupin, university student Harry Potter, university student Draco Malfoy, period typical attitudes, London, bisexuality, business rivals, coming out, romantic comedy, established Wolfstar

Summary: Summer, 1980. Harry is floating between university and becoming a Real Certified Adult. He's not ready. He really isn't.

In a desperate attempt to have the Best Last Summer ever, he takes a casual job at his godfather's bookshop in London, starts an illicit pen pal affair with a wordy posh boy that he's catching feelings for, all while dealing with the son of Sirius's business rival, one Draco Malfoy, insufferable know-it-all extraordinaire.

A story about trying to figure out who you are, where you're going in life, and who you want to take along with you.

From the beginning (ao3)

Read Chapter Seventeen (ao3)

[greyeyedmonster-18]

hello! for the asks, can we have any harry scene please 🥺

any harry scene? we should be careful with that because i wont stop. but i will give you the conversation from ten reasons (it's short, i stopped myself before i got too into it because i know myself) where sirius asks harry about what he'd think about moving.

(are yall bored of teenage harry yet? because I'm not and never will be so...)

It felt like stepping back into his old life, like stepping into his old designer leather boots instead of ones built for snow and able to withstand ceramic stains, the way Sirius hopped a plane to New York after speaking with Remus. The way kissing upon his arrival had turned into a charade in the back seat that both of them were too old and too big for, Sirius's foot hitting the horn three times trying to get past the console before they dissolved into giggles.

Like teenagers.

Sirius distinctly remembered having an older boy he loved in high school who picked him up on a date and held his hand on the console. The way Remus did, embarrassing lists of reasons being shared between them.

And even though he had walked around in fine leather for a week and played house in an apartment in Queens with a view and a boyfriend who used a paper bag as a recycling bin, Sirius was still hesitant about moving there entirely. Until he found a school in Manhattan that he knew Harry would love. Until he FaceTimed Harry on Saturday when he was strolling around central park, kicking cherry blossoms around, and Harry was less interested in Sirius than he was with the scenery.

The suns out there? Are those hot dogs just out on the street? Send me pictures!

Harry was amazed by the littlest things. What's more, Harry was finding happiness in the tiniest things again, which was perhaps all the convincing Sirius needed.

A city had been a lot for a ten-year-old who had just lost his parents. The different noises and smells and the pace of Sirius's life at the time just...wasn't right. But he was going to be fourteen. And he was ready.

Or so Sirius told himself as he called Harry into the living room where he and Reg were already sitting. They had spoken about it, after Regulus managed to stop making fun of Sirius for the ridiculous smile on his face after spending a week with his boyfriend.

"Yeah? I already dried the dishes," Harry's fingers caught the wall before the threshold to the sitting room, hanging on casually as he spoke.

"Thank you," Sirius told him, "Not about the dishes, can we talk?"

"I took out the trash too."

"Not about chores, babe, come sit."

"Why?" asked Harry though he was moving to sit on the footstool of the arm chair, clearly not intending to make himself comfortable or stay for longer than he had to, "I'm on the Playstation with Ron, is this going to take long?"

"I think Ron will be okay," Regulus cut in and Sirius chuckled as Harry rolled his eyes.

"So...I was in New York this past week. And I was visiting Remus--"

"I don't want to hear about your boyfriend."

"Harry," Sirius said mildly, "Can I finish?"

"I'm just saying I don't."

"Anything else off limits for this conversation?" Sirius asked

Harry thought for a moment, "Snape and...kale."

"Do you not like kale?"

"You made me a green smoothie and it was fine but, Sirius, I got to school and had the shit's all--" Sirius started laughing as Regulus made a noise in the back of his throat, a hand coming up to palm his face.

"Okay, noted. Anything else?"

"No."

Sirius made sure Harry was looking at him before speaking, "I visited Remus there and I met with some gallery owners there, but I also went to look at high schools. And scope out neighborhoods," Sirius said slowly, "Because...my artwork is...getting challenging to keep up here, and I know you don't want to hear it but I'm not a fan of long-distance relationships. So, I was wondering how you would feel about us moving?"

"To New York?"

"Yeah. I know we lived in Chicago but--"

"Yes."

"You can take your time and--"

"Yes." Harry repeated, grinning, "Yes. Yes. When?"

"I'm not...sure. After the school year."

"Can my new school have sports? I don't even care which one, I'll learn how to play chess or whatever if it means there's some kind of team instead of nothing. Should I start packing?" Harry asked and then stood up quickly, "I can start packing now, all my summer clothes into a suitcase, no problem, I won't need them here and--"

Sirius grabbed the waist band of Harry's jeans pulling him back before Harry could rush out again, "You don't need to start packing now, babe, we'll figure it out..."

.....

[mrsackermanbrat]

M.A.S.T.E.R.L.I.S.T.

B E N E A T H

BRIEF SUMMARY

In the Underground, survival is the only thing that matters. Levi's time with Kenny taught him that. As Claire arrives, Levi begins to understand that there is more to life than cutthroat existence. Claire teaches Levi how to feel, what a family is like, and why he needs friendship. But nothing too good could ever last in this hell inside the walls, beneath the City of Mitras.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents apart from the author's (MrsAckermanBrat) original characters belong to Hajime Isayama. Any semblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.

Copyright © 2021 by MrsAckermanBrat

All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, copied, or used in any manner without written permission of the copyright owner.

BYI/TYSK/RULES||AUTHOR’S INFO||FOREWORD

Chapter List:

*PROLOGUE*

Chapter 1: To The Darkness That Awaited

Chapter 2: An Encounter Much Different

Chapter 3: State of Uncertainty

Chapter 4: To Be Understood

Chapter 5: Proper Introductions

Chapter 6: A Taste of Family

Chapter 7: Sense of Normality

Chapter 8: His and Her Reality

Chapter 9: Try As They Might

Bonus Chapter: Unalone From Now On (Levi’s Birthday)

Taglist:

@koulakoukoula2003 @maries-gallery @levi-supreme @lucysarah-c @anjellypoopy @m-jelly @leiriswhore @wall-maria-fritz @galactict3a @xsugarysweetsx @shepfics @annyeong-bishes @lazyarcadebear @angeldi @casspea @surverycorpsslut @smb29732 @ash37474 @jasminperez18 @l1ly-of-the-valley @spacepretzelss @litheclouds @murasaki-taiyoka @teachthec-ntroversy @mistress-riddle @mistresssriddle @ahmedztr @cheezbot @thee-achilles @dead-set-on-sirius @nicoliputski @nicoli-reblogsss @nesli26 @nicoliais @euphoricn @naturenaruto @merinfawleygoestohogwarts @blur-of-colours @eucalii @goldenn-prxncess @caijae @g-arafa @the-ackerman-clan @knightinshiningplastic @itsvedaaa @ejuliet999 @lunar-willows @yesiamabitchwhosementallyill @willowflakez @ackerfics

[bloxdstained]

&.  inbar lavi : female : she/her : free by maria mena  —  It seems talia levy has been seen walking around Volterra. the 32/38# -year-old vampire has been in the city for over a year. Whispers in volterra says they’re part of the london coven. doesn’t paint covered hands, free spirited suggestions, the smell of lilacs remind you of them?   ⸢  penned by sirius : 29 : gmt+1 : pronouns: she/her

history ; 

talia came to England as a ten year old, sent to her aunt with her brother as their parents wanted a better life for them. 

moving from Cairo to the english country side of York was a huge adjustment though the time that the siblings spent there was fairly quiet and filled with scenic and idyllic nature. 

when her brother had just turned sixteen, talia thirteen at the time, their aunt died suddenly of a heart attack. the siblings scrambled, but ran rather than be caught up in social services. 

both worked very hard, talia’s brother making sure she could continue her education when they found places to settle down, but until he was nineteen and able to get a job, they moved around a lot. 

when her brother did land a steady job working construction, they settled down for longer at a time, but since the construction industry was a bit fickle in smaller towns, they kept spending times in large cities. 

talia was a very talented artist and used what money she could gather to buy charcoals, paint and canvases to express her art, which she would sell when she could. 

this was how she met her mate Bentley as he bought one of her pictures. they hung out a little after that, but were mere aquaintances until tragedy struck. at the time she and her brother lived in Barcelona, Spain. 

one night, talia woke to the sound of furniture breaking, rushing into the living room. there she found her brother being attacked. or that was what it looked like at first glance. he was being drained by a vampire. 

the creature saw talia and flashed its teeth at her, demon red eyes shining at her in the dark. but a neighbour had heard the commotion and called the police, which the vampire heard coming, so it fled. 

for a while after that, talia’s life spun out of control. she had just gotten her license as a professional tattoo artist, but her job prospects saw no light in the wake of her brothers death. 

she felt like she was going crazy as no one would believe something inhuman had killed her only family. which caused her to drink and try drugs. 

luckily for talia, bentley realized just how badly off she was after a drunken confession of it all and did his best to help her get back on her feet, back to normal. even if talia didn’t know what normal looked like anymore. 

though with his help she did manage to start looking forward and seeking help instead of spiraling too much further down. she went to grief counseling and AA, and the two of them grew closer. 

they remained close and at some point talia realized they were all but dating, no longer just friends. at that point she didn’t mind, despite being a little apprehensive due to a serious of toxic and bad relationships with men in her past. 

bentley proved to her that not all men are assholes, and that love was worth the risk. not to mention that he gave her life color and purpose again after such a monumental loss. 

had it not been for him, talia wouldn’t know where she would have ended up and she still finds herself thanking god and fate, all that is that he came into her life when he did. 

while the revelation that he was a vampire came as a small shock, she was too in love with him to allow it to break them apart, and relieved to hear that he felt the same way. 

while it took her some years, she came to the decision to ask him to turn her six years ago, ready to spend eternity with him and try to conquer vampirism. 

at first it was a real challenge, the bloodlust so strong coupled with her intense fear of killing anyone. but with time, and her mates help, she got better at it. 

now she only feeds when she really has to, unable to make a sport or game out of taking blood for sustenance. 

she joined her mates coven mostly because he asked her to consider it, as she’s fairly skeptical of other vampires still and unsure who to trust. 

she also came to volterra because Bentley wanted to. the mere thought of the original vampires scares her shitless, but he is the only one she’s expressed this too, not wanting to seem weak or easy to intimidate. 

talia works as a tattoo artist and owner of her own studio in volterra. she also sells her paintings to the galleries in town and frequently visits, loving to be surrounded by art. 

personality ; 

talia is someone who thinks of herself as a good person, and genuinely likes to give everyone she meets a chance. she’s open, kind and curious. 

her kindness and openness is also tied to her religion as a sunni muslim. she believes that allah loves all, and that to be a good person you have to see everyone you meet as equal and as people worth knowing. also growing up in a very set culture made her oh so curious about other cultures and she loves meeting new people with perspectives that differs from hers. 

because she is so open, she often ends up being a little naive, which can at times endanger her or put her in difficult situations. 

with vampires she is naturally skeptical, though this isn’t apparent until she knows for sure that they are indeed undead. until thats proven she is her talkative, curious and easygoing self. 

while she isn’t too fond of drinking or smoking to excess, she’s started to do so more with her mate whom she feels safe to do so with. the smoking more of a habit now that her lungs can’t be affected. 

talia has a free spirit, and isn’t fond of being constricted by the laws, views or common thoughts of society. its lead her to be quite adventurous, even more so as its something she and Bentley share. 

fun facts ; 

used to be a very good cook and even made bentley sick when cooking for him

was the type to hook up a lot without strings and considers her bedroom skills fairly decent. also loves to banter with people, even if its just for fun. 

has a few tattoos herself in very specific places 

can’t sing to save her life but is the type to walk around humming or sing in the shower 

used to have a very messy and scrappy wardrobe because she couldn’t afford clothes, but have since begun dressing pretty clean and modern. aka dress to impress. 

loves to paint abstract as well as realistic 

adores her mates cats and have suggested they get a female one too

drinks red wine but also vodka and rum, sometimes whiskey and bourbon. 

[mahvaladara]

Rylan Roamer for @himbosims​ Mathias

Basic Info:

Name: Rylan Antoine “Roamer”

Age: 29

Gender: Male

Sexuality: Pansexual

[Character Board]

Private Download if Chosen.

About him:

- He is a professional graffiti artist; - He is the owner of the “Don’t Vandalize, Graffitize” atelier and movement,  a small movement that tries to find artistic talents and motivate kids and teenagers to instead of vandalizing abandoned buildings and spaces, to fill them with art. - First graffitied he was 13, it was a school activity and someone left him alone with a can of spray paint, he got detention from that; - He has drawn since he was a kid; - He started doing graffiti because it made him feel like he was actually seen by someone. He wasn’t just roaming around, with his graffiti he was visible, he had where to be; - Due to her work, he barely ever had any contact with his mother that wasn’t in her work; - His mother owned a gay bar, and it was there that he realized he was pan; - His first time was with one of the bar regulars, a male transexual he had the biggest crush on and that always wanted to see what he had managed to tag, they were together for one year, until Rylan suffered an accident; - Despite his mother’s occupation, she was very supportive of his artistic talent; - He was the one who took care of his father in order to lighten up his mother’s work load, the man wasn’t sick or anything, just deadbeat drunk and barely ever sober enough to acknowledge his existence, but because he owned half of the business, she couldn’t leave him; - When he was 20 he was caught tagging an art gallery, and in an attempt to not go to jail, he tripped and crashed through the glass roof of the gallery, he fell from the third floor and got himself impaled and cut by the glass of the roof; - After that, he was 12 months in a coma. When he came back, he had to do physiotherapy; - It was after this accident that he stopped doing illegal tagging and decided it was better to get an education in art; - After this he found a way to do graffiti legally and make it his profession; - He has a black kitten named Sirius that he found in one of the buildings he was painting; - He often wears face masks to hide his facial scars. He gained the habit after having gone to Tokyo for a street art event. After seeing people using the masks as fashion statements he decided to pick the habit; - He hasn’t spoken with his father in 9 years. His father left after the accident, to this day they believe it was because he didn’t want to help pay for Rylan’s treatment. There’s actually a missing person’s report filed for his father, but 9 years and nada; - Despite being one year behind, Rylan graduated college with a Fine-Arts Bachelors Degree, and a Masters in Satirical and Socio-Political Art; - He has a small group of teenagers in his group that he teaches street art; - He’s the mom friend; - “Roamer” is his art tag, he earned it from the type of art he usually makes.

[gabrielismyguardianangel]

Hi 👋 can I get a HP male ship (any era) I’m female, infp, a ravenclaw, a good speaker and a leader, I’m very optimistic, but kinda soft and gentle(until you say women should depend on men), I love to talk, think and dream. I love Virginia Woolf and Bulgakov, crystals, plants, perfume, expensive stuff and vintage things from the flee markets, galleries, arts, French movies. I’m an A-student, very smart, wise, romantic as hell and I love being in love. I hate rudeness and radicalism. Love u

Hi @notsolong-pause !

For Harry Potter males, I ship you with Remus Lupin! He's a gentleman, he'll perfect different fancy tea recipes to bring you, then lay with his head in your lap and drift off to sleep to you reading poetry and prose.

You had known of the 'Marauders' for many years, but hadn't spoken to any of them at length, seeing as you were in Ravenclaw and they in Gryffindor. But you found one of them particularly fascinating- Remus Lupin. He was the only one who was ever alone, usually a few tables away from you in the library, curled up in a vintage sweater, reading some ancient text and running thin fingers over deep scars. How did he get them? You had your suspicions, but didn't know for sure.

What you also didn't know is that whenever you weren't looking at him, he was looking at you. You were the only person in your year to ever score higher than him in Herbology. He had never worked up the nerve to talk to you, but he had worked beside you in potions one time and the smell of an old french perfume got ingrained in his memory. He didn't understand why it was suddenly his favorite smell. Sure you were beautiful with the natural grace of a beauxbaton, but he had never talked to you and therefore couldn't have a crush on you, right?

One if these such days of curious/longing stares being exchanged, James, Sirius, and Peter came to collect Remus from the library, leading to a huge eye roll from the both of you as they 'snuck' loudly through the shelving. You buried your face in your book.

Remus snuck a glance at you while they hurried him out to go sneak out to 3 broomsticks. The others caught him looking and exchanged smirks before pulling him out the door.

Shortly after that, you finished your book decided it was time to go get more. You technically weren't supposes to do this, but you had found ways to get around the rules. You casually left the library and journeyed to a statue in the castle that was you had long ago discovered led to Hogsmeade. Not far from Hogsmeade was a small muggle village, known for having many strange occurrences. It was a bit of a tourist trap, but it had a small music and bookshop that you loved to visit.

You slipped down the stairs and snuck past the owners of the 3 broomsticks, grabbing a hot butterbeer on your way out to sip while you walked through the crisp fall day. You glanced about to make sure no one was watching, and slipped into some trees beyond the shrieking shack. Little did you know, four sets of curious eyes watched you from the windows as you set down the path you had hewn in the woods.

You stepped into the little shop and tosses your paper cup into the trash beside the door, and slowly began moving through the aisles. You waved to the owner who knew you by name. He thought you were strange, but a lot of strange people had come into his shop over the years. He never could figure out who your people were, but as far as he was concerned he was your uncle now.

You selected a few tapes for the walkman you kept stashed in the bottom of your trunk. It had taken some serious magic to get it to work at hogwarts, but you were smart and had manages to work out a deal with Flitwick- you were his TA of sorts, he let you bend the rules without snitching.

As you turned the corner to the art book section, you came face to face with none other than Remus Lupin, who was smiling charmingly at you.

In reality, the Marauders had followed you to the shop, hidden behind shelves, and shoves Remus at you whispering "do it". He smiles awkwardly.

"He-ey... Y/N, right?" He stumbled out.

"Yeah, and you're Remus, unless I'm mistaken?"

"Yeah... So... Come here often?" He asked.

At that, you couldn't help it anymore. You erupted into giggles. "Yeah, I guess I do. You?"

"Ye- no. No I don't. But I think I'd like to."

"Well, we should go together next time." You smiled.

"Yes- Yes, that would be great. It's a date! Wait- no I mean."

"Sounds like a plan Remus." You reached up and pecked his cheek before he could backtrack, and bolted to the counter. He was left in stunned silence, while the others emerged from their hiding places to pat his back and congratulate him.

I GOT SO CARRIED AWAY WITH THIS 😂 lol. It was so fun.

[untildawnremus]

The Art of Falling in Love

Pairing: Young!Sirius x Reader

Requests: Hello, can I please request sirius black imagine where gryffindor reader meets big black dog and has no idea it's sirius, and she pets him and sees him everyday and she paints this dog and marauders (including siris) see the painting in her sketchbook, reader tells them about this dog and they smirk knowingly. after some time she finds out who the dog is by accident, you decide the ending, sorry if it's too specific ❤ - Anonymous

: Can you please write an imagine with the gryffindor reader being close to all the Marauders boys? not a lot of writers really make enough friendship instances with the marauders and can it be heavy on Sirius tho? - Anonymous

A/N: I personally love Art so this was a lot of fun to write. Also THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO OFFERED ME THEIR FRIENDSHIP. I LOVE YOU ALL.

Word Count: 3.6k (I had too much fun)

Art has many forms. There wasn’t a time in your life that didn’t involve art and your love for it. The art of music plays like the melodies coming from your muggle father’s guitar or the myriad of photographs hung around the walls and kept in albums by your mother. You were exposed to almost all forms of art as you grew up and they never faded from you.

“What about this one (Y/n)? What’s it called?” Peter asked, holding one of your smaller canvases in his hand. It had your repainted version of the ‘Birth of Venus’ by  Sandro Botticelli.

“I believe it’s called ‘Naked and Afraid’, Wormtail.” James commented, patting the smaller boy on the back and shared a smirk with his other friend, Sirius.

They had begun calling each other some odd nicknames just a few weeks ago. Neither you or your other companions could understand the meaning behind them and the four refused to give you an explanation. In the end, you figured it was all some inside joke.

“Ha. Ha. Very funny.” You rolled your eyes, taking the painting and placing it back on it’s stand. “You have no respect for the art of painting and the renaissance.”

“I think your work is beautiful.” Sirius said, picking up one of your collections of sketchbooks from the top of your dresser.

“Do you now?” You took a step towards him, leaning over his shoulder. He was busy admiring your doodles of the castle you’d often drawn when you were bored. As an artist, you’d never really considered your art picture perfect. There were always some flaws.

“Exquisite masterpiece, darling.” He laughed, pointing at the drawing of himself. A smirk made it’s way on the boy’s face at his portrait.

The day you decided to draw him was the day he realized how much he fell for you, with your sharp eyes attempting to study his feature as you furrowed your brows trying to sketch his face. You’d bite your lip as you carefully made the curve of his own. He did the best he could to show you of his feelings—with humorous and flirtatious comments layered over one of love.

“Figured you would say that, you narcissist.” You laughed, ruffling his shaggy black hair.

“Is this a repainting of the ‘School of Athens’ but in Hogwarts?” Remus asked from the other side of the room to which you were quick to answer as you sauntered over to him, leaving Sirius to browse through your sketch books alone.

Not long before his grey eyes that were scanning the strokes of charcoal but now of you as you shared a smile with Remus from across the room. He watched as you pointed something in disgust that he would guess is another “flaw” you had made. Sirius smiled to himself before James slid his way next to him.

“If I were you, I’d go for it before she slips away.” The Potter boy said, giving his friend an encouraging nudge.

“Yeah, because you’d have a better chance of not being rejected.” Sirius remarked, sarcastically.

“You know there are a million other girls, Padfoot.” James looks back at you as you laughed at something Remus had said. Your eyes crinkling in the cutest way possible that mad Sirius’ stomach flip.

“But there’s only one girl like her.” He finished, eyes never leaving the sight of your happy state.

~

Sirius couldn’t understand why he did what he did. He knew it was wrong. Yet he did it anyway. A few days after you had given your four mischievous friends permission to look through your “gallery” as they would say (which was basically just your dorm room that your roommates were kind enough to let you decorate with your art work). You found yourself outside the castle, resting against the wood of a large tree that on the softest bed of grass. Your leg was crossed over the other, your leather bound sketchbook laying down on your lap. One of the reasons why you loved the time of Spring were the changes of nature. The blooming of flowers in their iridescent manner.

“Hogwarts...Hogwarts...Hoggy Watty Hogwarts....” Humming the tune of the school hymn for no reason at all, you began to outline the small patch of lilies that fully grown just a few fee away from where you sat.

From afar, Sirius’ gray eyes had been focused on you for over fifteen minutes. He had told his friends he had some unfinished business with his little brother, Regulus but that was all a lie just to be alone with you...or alone by himself while observing you that is. He didn’t consider his action as stalking you, more of protecting you if there was anything to happen, at least that’s what he told himself over and over.

The calm atmosphere had prompted you ponder over the current events of your life. Your younger sibling would be attending Hogwarts next year and your parents were ever so subtly debating whether or not they’d end up in Gryffindor or Ravenclaw. Friends like the four boys you’d grown to love were slowly becoming your family, brothers you’d never expect to have. However, you always thought that one over the other three would hopefully be something more than just a friend.

Sirius was without a doubt one of the most attractive boys in your year alone. Other girls tried to catch his attention but none of them seemed to stand out to him—as he had told you countless times before. It did give you a small pint of hope over the collumn of a little school girl crush.

Just as you had magically twisted your pencil into a self-inking quill, a thick wooden stick had been dropped to your side. Curiously, you turned from the stick to the sky, assuming a squirrel might have caused it to fall. But then a shaggy black furred canine made it’s way over to you in a pounce like manner.

“Hi there...” You smiled, eyes still squinted in confusion but your hand made it’s way to the dog’s head. There wasn’t any sign of the animal being the dangerous, he was calm if not happy so to say, his black tail wagging in excitement.  

“You’re a good dog, aren’t you?” You cooed, scratching the back of his ear then moving to rub his belly once he rolled over. “I don’t remember Hagrid having another dog.”

You were certain Hagrid only had Fang (Who is currently no larger than a quaffle at the moment) and you knew that pup was Boarhound and not a German shepherd. The dog didn’t have a collar of any sort that would aid you in finding his owner of even know the canine’s name. He must’ve been a stray.

“Must be hard not having a name.” You told him. if he wasn’t do adorable, you’d call yourself insane for talking to it. The hound bumped his nose onto your still opened sketchpad, his face clumsily moving the pages until he decided to stop on a certain page that the famous four boys sketched in black ink.

“Those are my friends.” Pointing you each boy, you stated their names. “That’s Peter, he’s kind of the shy type of guy unless he’s told to do something bad then he shows his wild side.”

You pointed to the one with a faint scars, smiling. “This one’s Remus. He’s insanely sweet and charming. Although, i do wonder where he gets the scars from. He said he’d tell me one day.”

When you turned to the dog, his mouth had twitched, almost as if it were smirking.

“The one next to him is James. Bit of an oddball that one, Leader of this little foursome, head over heels for my friend Lily but I know she’s starting to like him too.”

James would be jumping for joy if Sirius told him this, but he knew he couldn’t in case you’d both get suspicious on how he knew.

“This one right here though is Sirius Black.” You grinned, eyeing your own work at the pretty boy. “He’s kinda the second-hand man as I’d say. Causes havoc too many times for me to count. Kinda reckless too and irresponsible no doubt.”

Sirius began to bow his head in shame at your words, until his small head shot up at the sound of you giggling softly.

“But he makes me laugh nonetheless.” You lifted your hand to pet the hound’s fur once more, smiling in content. “I just wish...”

The boy—well dog held on to your words only to watch you sigh and shake your head. You couldn’t admit to yourself that you liked the guy as much as any other girl but even telling a dog that probably couldn’t understand what you were saying seemed to difficult to pursue.

“Never mind.” Sirius slumped his body, pushing his face more onto your hand to urge you one but you only shook your head once more. You turned the page of your drawing of a random girl with a parasol.

“This one is inspired by one of my favorite artists.” You said with enthusiasm. “Claude Monet’s style has always been my favorite. I actually never told anyone that. I even have an unfinished portrait in my dorm of one of his paintings.”

The dog stared at you only to glance back at the drawing before him. You continued to go through the pages until the sky turned dark causing you to frown. “I’m sorry, furball but I best be heading back to my dorm. Wouldn’t want to get into any trouble.”

Closing your book shut, you dusted off the dirt from beneath your skirt and bent down to be in the same level as the black German shepherd. “You should head home now, if you have one. I’d take you in but Hogwarts doesn’t allow dogs in the castle and I wouldn’t want to force Hagrid to watch over you.”

“Just try to find some place safe, okay?”  You rubbed the dog’s head one last time before you stood up but he was quick to give your cheek a quick lick before you did. A laugh escaped your lips as you turned back to head inside the castle. “Bye now...”

Sirius sat on the grass, still an animagus, watching you walk towards the steps of the castle and your (Y/h/c) hair disappearing into the cobbled building. He had a weird feeling in his stomach. He kissed your cheek, as a dog but still, it was a kiss. It felt wrong to deceive you like that. Truth is, he didn’t mean to but something just came over him. A side of him told him it was okay as long as you’d never know, continue to make you smile like he did moments before. But another told him he shouldn’t do it again.

He promised he wouldn’t

And that was the biggest lie he ever told himself.

The week that followed consisted of the same routine from you. After classes you’d go outside and draw while the sun was still shining upon the spring landscape. Everyday, you’d draw something new for everyday you had a different muse. And everyday, that black dog just came back to the same spot you were always on. It didn’t bother you one bit that he found comfort in your presence and company but you knew you couldn’t keep him or anything. When the time comes, you’d have to leave Hogwarts and never see him for a while and your parents wouldn’t let you own a dog. Your father was allergic to dog fur.

Sirius hated himself for sticking around but at the same time he loved himself for doing so.

There’d be a time when you’d play fetch all afternoon and start chasing each other around the area but today you both seemed to be after relaxation. Your was almost finished with only a single page left before you’d have to purchase another. It was a motivation to draw more in the day plus James made a bet to get you a new one if you filled it up by the end of the month.

-

“I bet you can’t even finish a whole hundred pages sketchbook in less than three weeks.” James said, crossing his arms with a boyish smile.

“Is that a challenge?” You rose your brow, mischievously.

“Don’t do it.” Remus advised the Potter boy but to no avail. James held out his hand, confidently smiling your way as you set your deal in stone.

-

You had no clue what to draw of next, the flowers around you were beautiful but none were brand new or stood out. Snuffles, as you secretly called the canine in your head was sleeping soundly on top of your lap. You held your sketch book in one hand and a paintbrush on the other. Remus had aided you in bewitching the brush to spurt out any color you wished, however there wasn’t anything you could paint at the moment.

Your eyes dropped to the black furball that was in deep slumber on your lap, his body curled ever so slightly close to your body. With lips tugged into a shy smirk, your switch to using your quill and began your next masterpiece.

~

“James!” You called in a sing-song voice entering his dorm room shared with his three other companions. Their fifth roommate always stayed away from the room which was one of the smartest decisions ever made in your opinion.

“To what do we owe the pleasure, (Y/n)?” James grinned, placing an arm over your shoulders, catching the attention of the other three boys. Sirius watched from his bed with the same grin.

“You, Mr. Potter owe me a new sketchbook.” You beamed proudly, watching his sly face turn into confusion.

“That’s a whole lot of crap.” He said before grabbing your sketchbook from your hands. He flipped through them, eyes widened in shock. “That has to be a record. It’s only been what? A week since you got this one”

“I love art, Potter.” You placed one hand on your hip and the other outstretched before him. “Now pay up.”

“Do I have to?” He groaned.

“A deals a deal, Prongs.” Peter sang from his place by the desk.

“I advised you not to challenge her.” Remus quipped not raising his head from his potions book.

“You know you’re just fueling her artistic flames.” Sirius laughed, sliding out of his bed to stand beside you.

“Fine.” The boy caved. “I’ll get you a new one this week.”

Sirius watched your face fill with delight, causing his own to do the same. If only he could just tell you how much he fancied you, but his fear of rejection always dominated his mind one way or another. James tossed your sketchbook over to Peter, knowing full well he’d be the first one to look through it anyway. They both began to scan your new art works, pointing out weird shapes and creating voices for the others.

“Did you draw me recently?” He asked, leaning on the wall beside you. “You can’t expect me to think you’d drawn a hundred pages without my darling face in it.”

“Darling face?” in your opinion, he did have a darling, handsome, beautiful face but he didn’t need to know that. You had a knack for hiding your emotions. “I’m guessing you haven’t looked at the mirror recently?”

“You think so poorly of me.” His boyish grin made you weak at the knees. You heart fluttering at the way his eyes were boring into yours.

“Is there a reason for me not to?”

Remus joined the two other marauders as not to bother you and Sirius. They’ll have enough time to tease the boy about it later on. The three of them shared a smile when they saw the drawing you made of the four of them together but instantly had their eyes wide at the last page of your artwork.

They glanced at the other with knowing looks before calling out to you. “Say (Y/n), didn’t know you had a dog.” This caught both yours and Sirius’ attention, turning away from each other to see the three smirking faces from the other marauders.

“What do you mean?” James turned the book to reveal your portrait of Snuffles sleeping soundly. Sirius inhaled a deep breath at the sight of the black dog. He hadn’t known you’d drawn him. He just assumed you just let him stick around as your company.

“Oh he’s not my dog.” You told them. “I found him- well more of he found me by the field just a top of the hill across the castle. He didn’t have a name tag or anything.”

“Yeah, we know this dog.” Peter stated, earning a glare from Sirius who stood behind you.

“You do?” If you weren’t so interested in the thought of finding the canine a home, you would have seen the playful look in their eyes as they nodded.

“Oh yeah.” James continued. “He’s a real rascal. Seen him causing all sorts of trouble back in Hogsmeade one time.”

“Did he try to bother you? We heard it enjoyed bothering some students once in a while.” Remus said, grinning at his dark haired friend.

“Well, I wouldn’t consider it bothering...”

Sirius shook his head not wishing to be in the same room at the moment.

“He just kinda appeared out of nowhere and kept me company. Although he was a bit playful but he was very entertaining the whole week.”

“You spent an entire week with it?” Peter laughed along with the others.

“You know, (Y/n)...that dog is actually—”

“—alright that’s enough.” Sirius butted in, taking the sketchbook from James’ hands and returning it to its rightful owner. “(Y/n) should be finishing her new Claude Monet painting.”

You smiled at him. “Yeah, I guess I should...” Your voice trailed off, giving him a confused look. “How’d you know that was in progress? I don’t remember telling any of you about it.”

And at that moment, Sirius knew he screwed up. “I um...well...”

“I think it’s best if we leave you two alone, ain’t that right boys?” James and Peter agreed with Remus’ suggestion and swiftly left the two of you alone in their messy dorm room.

“Sirius, how do you know about my painting?” You asked once more. “Have you been spying on me?”

“What? No! Well, not exactly.” He mumbled over his words, eyes glued to the floor refusing to look you in the eyes.

“Just tell me, Padfoot.” You took a step closer, bending down trying to catch his gaze. “We don’t keep secrets from each other.”

With his fist clenched tightly into a fist, Sirius took in a deep breath. He prayed you wouldn’t get mad and end your friendship. God know that’s what hurts even more than rejection.

“I’m an animagus.” He stated monotonously, his eyes checking yours to see if you had understood but only saw confusion painted over your features.

“Okay...what does that have to do with...” You gave him a once-over, taking another step closer at the taller boy. Only now did it make sense and barely above a whisper, you said. “You were that dog, weren’t you?”

“That’s why your named Padfoot.” You continued, your lips tugging into a smile. “Are all of you animagi? Why didn’t you tell me? Is that why you all have weird nicknames I couldn’t understand?”

Sirius was shocked to find your excitement filling the room, he watched your eyes twinkle in delight as you rambled. He shook his head, placing his hand on your shoulders to calm you down. You were definitely different compared to other girls. “You’re not mad?”

“Why would I be mad? This is amazing. How’d you even turn yourselves into an animagus? Isn’t that illegal for our age?”

He scratched the nape of his neck awkwardly. “Moony isn’t really an animagus but it isn’t really my place to tell so...yeah...”

Despite the fact that you’ve been happy over the news, there was still a deep pain deep in his stomach. It may or may not have been the time to tell you but there really wasn’t the right time.

“Also...I’m sorry for interrupting your drawing time as a dog.” He said, staring at you intently. “I uh didn’t know what came over me.”

“Sirius, it’s quite alright.” You placed your sketchbook on their desk before turning back to him. “It was actually a lot of fun hanging out with you as a dog. Although, I don’t know why you did it, I would have joined your company either way.”

“(Y/n)...I like you.” Sirius admitted out of nowhere. His eyes went wide at his own confession checking to see your reaction.

You tilted your head and grinned from ear to ear. “I like you too, Sirius.”

“No, I don’t mean it like that.” He said, taking your hands in his and kept his eyes on them. “I meant I like you as more than friends and I always have. You’re just so beautiful and kind and...”

You used one of your hands to lift his chin up to see him properly. With your heart pounding and stomach churning, you leaned forward. “I never said I did like you back as a friend.”

This made the boy’s own heart do flips at your words. You both stared lovingly at each other switching from your eyes to your lips as his free hand went to caress the side of your cheek. Your lips were millimeters apart until the door burst open to reveal your friends who had been eavesdropping, topple over each other.

“Did you kiss her yet?” Peter lifted his head earning a sigh from both of you but smiling anyway.

The greatest artist spent years upon years of finding their calling and their muse and you certainly didn’t think you’d find yours in a matter of five years.

[egyptroyal]

companions that are not in the companion page but, are companions nonetheless include the following:

images from : tardis.wikia.com/wiki/Doctor_W… and @pauljhanley

Humans

Kate “Tiger” Lethbridge-Stewart - Daughter of Alistair Lethbridge-Stewart. Leader of Unit. Owner of Black Gallery. Ally of 11th and 12th Doctor

Lynda Moss - Contestant of Big Brother (Dalek edition). Sweet. Sacrificed her self to further 9′s plan against the daleks. Companion of 9th Doctor

Sally Sparrow - Amateur photographer. bookshop owner. Enemy of the Weeping Angels. companion of 10th Doctor 

6) Canton Everett Delaware III- 60s FBI agent in exile.  Enemy of the Silence.  Ally of the 11th Doctor. (TV)

8) John Riddell -  Somewhat pigheaded big game hunter.   Associate of the 11th Doctor.  (TV)

9) Abigail Pettigrew -Tragic songstress.  Tamer of flying sharks.  Sometimes frozen.  Companion of the 11th Doctor.  (TV)

11) Kazran Sardick - Richest man in Sardicktown.  Master of the skies.  Despised Christmas.  Changed his mind.  Companion of the 11th Doctor.  (TV)

14) Gemma Griffin - Companion of the 8th Doctor.  Slave of Davros. Forgotten. (Big Finish audio dramas)

16) Samson Griffin - Gemma's librarian brother.  Also a slave of Davros. (Big Finish audio dramas)

18) Professor Edward Travers - Anthropologist.  Explorer.  Yeti-hunter.  Ally of the 2nd Doctor. (TV)

20 Jeremy Fitzoliver - Photographer.  Bumbler. Coworker of Sarah Jane Smith.  Sometimes-companion of the 3rd Doctor. (BBC Radio plays)

23) Duggan- Detective.  Breaker of objects.  Dealer of the Most Important Punch in History. Ally of the 4th Doctor.  (TV)

24) Brian Williams- Watcher of cubes.  Keeper of logs.  Rory's dad.  Accidental companion of the 11th Doctor.   (TV)

27) Sabalom Glitz- Associate of the 6th and 7th Doctors.  Criminal.  Scoundrel.  Not beyond redemption. (TV)

34) Richard Mace- 17th Century highwayman.  Out-of-work actor.  Ally of the 5th Doctor.  Took a short trip in the TARDIS, but decided fighting the Great Fire of London was probably a safer activity.  (TV)

35) Adam Mitchell- Genius.  Failed companion of the 9th Doctor.  Cloaked figure. (TV/ IDW Comics)

43)  Abslom Daak - Convict.  Dalek Killer.  Life-giver.  Ally of the 7th Doctor.  (Doctor Who Magazine comic)

46)  Stacy Townsend - Space freighter worker.  Cybermen survivor.  Companion of the 8th Doctor.  (8th Doctor Radio Times comic strip)

49)  Tamsin Drew- Struggling actress.  Contest winner.  Companion of the 8th Doctor and other renegade Time Lords...   (Big Finish audio dramas)

53) Courtney Woods- Disruptive Influence.  Saved the moon.  Possible future US President.  Briefly a companion of the 12th Doctor. (TV)

54) Captain Adelaide Brooke - Commander of Bowie Base One.  Historical figure.  Briefly an ally of the 10th Doctor. (TV)

55) Beatrix "Trix" MacMillan - Con artist. Thief.  Companion of the 8th Doctor.  (BBC Books)

67) Izzy Sinclair - Stockbridge fangirl.  Was a fish for a while.  Long-serving companion of the 8th Doctor. (Doctor Who Magazine comic)

71)  Craig Owens- Roommate and ally of the 11th Doctor.  (TV)

72)  Alfie "Stormageddon" Owens- Dark Lord of All. (TV)

77)  Hannah Bartholemew- Early 20th Century huntress and adventuress. TARDIS stowaway.  Companion of the 5th Doctor.   (Big Finish audio dramas)

80) Molly O'Sullivan- WWI nurse.  Irish.  Dark eyes.  Not easily impressed.  Companion of the 8th Doctor.  (Big Finish audio dramas)

82) Anji Kapoor - London stockbroker.    Companion of the 8th Doctor.  (BBC Books)

89) Samantha "Sam" Jones-  Student and activist.  Companion of the 8th Doctor. (BBC Books)

102) Danny Pink- Maths teacher (not PE).  Soldier.  Boyfriend.  Companion of Clara Oswald and most definitely not one of the 12th Doctor. (TV)

104)  Jackson Lake- Troubled 19th Century schoolteacher.  Ally of the 10th Doctor.  (TV)

105)  Rosita- Former prostitute.  Defender of Britain.  Companion of Jackson Lake.  Ally of the 10th Doctor. (TV)    

119) Fitz Kreiner- Former 1960s floral shop employee.  A lot happened after that.  Companion of the 8th Doctor.  (BBC Books)

122) Lucie Miller- Companion of the 8th Doctor.  Defeated the Daleks.  Saved the bleedin' world. Companion of the 8th Doctor.  (Big Finish audio dramas)

alien

Olla - Dreilyn (easily mistaken as vampire),  lied about being captured. companion of the 7th Doctor, later arrested.

7) Decky Flamboon- Shapeshifter from Sirius.  Lost in space.  Companion of the 11th Doctor.  (Doctor Who Adventures comics)

38) Alex Campbell- Earthly Child.  Susan's son.  The Doctor's great-grandson. (Big Finish audio dramas)

41) The Graak- Amorphous blob.  Creation of the Doctor.  Hero.  ("Destiny of the Doctors" video game)

47)  Ssard- Ice Warrior guard from early Martian history.  Companion of the 8th Doctor.  (8th Doctor Radio Times comic strip)

83) C'Rizz- Troubled denizen of the Divergent Universe.  Companion of the 8th Doctor.  (Big Finish audio dramas)

114) Destrii - Reformed criminal.  Companion of the 8th Doctor.  (Doctor Who Magazine comic)

132) Strax- Sontaran commander turned nurse turned butler.  Died at Demon's Run. Got better.  Enjoys grenades and melting things with acid.  Ally of the 11th and12th Doctors.  (TV)

135) Dorium Maldovar- Criminal entrepreneur.  Sort-of killed by the Headless Monks.  Sort-of ally of the 11th Doctor.  (TV)

mechanical

1) The TARDIS- Type 40 time capsule.  Arguably the Doctor's longest-serving companion.  Alive.  Sexy. (TV)

2) Kevin - Mild Mannered android T-Rex.  Companion of the 11th Doctor.  (IDW Comics)

4) Barnabus - Robot built by the 2nd Doctor.  Maker of meals, preparer of tea, and thrasher of distrustful aliens.  (from the 60s "TV Comic" strip)

21) Idris- Crazy bitey lady.  Other form of Sexy (Tardis). Companion of the 11th Doctor.  (TV)

109)  Kroton - Soulful Junior Cyberleader.  Companion of the 8th Doctor.  (Doctor Who Magazine comic)

133) "Handles"- Decapitated Cyberman.  Longest-serving companion of the 11th Doctor.  (TV)

animals

106)  Antranak - Egyptian cat.  TARDIS resident.  Annoyance of the 5th Doctor. (Big Finish audio dramas)

143) Ramsay - Vortisaur.  Kept in the TARDIS for a time while being rehabilitated by the 8th Doctor and Charley Pollard.  (Big Finish audio dramas)

150) Zog- Cute, furry Aldeberian.  Possible secret despot.  Companion of either the 3rd, 6th, or "Greenpeace" Doctor. ("The Ultimate Adventure" stage play)

[ao3feed-jily]

Black and White

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/32Bo8hv

by Maraudererasmut

Remus, a young artist with nothing to lose, decides to attend a gallery opening in the hopes that he can get a foot in the door of the contemporary art scene. When he happens to bump into a charming stranger with a penchant for socializing, he finds himself thrust into a completely different world: The world of high-society and wealthy art collectors.

(On-going, rating may change as fic progresses)

Words: 4289, Chapters: 3/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling

Rating: Not Rated

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: M/M

Characters: Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, James Potter, Lily Evans Potter

Relationships: Sirius Black/Remus Lupin, James Potter/Lily Evans Potter

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, AU, artist!Remus, Gallery Owner Sirius, Starving Artist, Alternate Universe - Artists, Art, Art within a fic, This fic contains art!, Painting, Remus' art

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/32Bo8hv

[nofomoartworld]

Hyperallergic: Art Movements

Norman Rockwell, “Shuffleton’s Barbershop” (1950). The painting is one of two Rockwell’s owned by the Berkshire Museum (image via wikiart.org)

Art Movements is a weekly collection of news, developments, and stirrings in the art world. Subscribe to receive these posts as a weekly newsletter.

According to Le Monde, authorities are investigating three individuals following the abrupt closure of the Amedeo Modigliani exhibition at the Doge’s Palace in Genoa. Twenty-one works, all considered likely forgeries, were confiscated by authorities last week after art critic and collector Carlo Pepi filed a formal complaint with the Carabinieri art fraud unit. Those under investigation include curator Rudy Chiappini, Massimo Vitta Zelman (president of Mondo Mostre Skira, the organizer of the exhibition), and art dealer Joseph Guttmann.

In a joint statement, the American Alliance of Museums (AAM) and the Association of Art Museum Directors (AAMD) criticized the Berkshire Museum’s decision to auction 40 works of art from its collection, including two paintings by Norman Rockwell. “Actions such as those being proposed by the Berkshire Museum undermine the public’s trust in the mission of nonprofit museums,” the statement reads, “and museums’ ability to collect, teach, study, and preserve works for their communities now and into the future.” The museum — an accredited member of the AAM — plans to deaccession the works to fund a $40m endowment and $20m refurbishment rather than fund future acquisitions — a direct violation of the AAM’s code of ethics.

A number of arts journalists, writers, and cultural figures signed an open letter to Peter Barbey, the billionaire owner of The Village Voice, accusing him of attempting to weaken the paper’s historic union. Barbey’s management team have purportedly sought to eliminate the paper’s diversity and affirmative-action commitments, reduce the amount of leave for new parents, and terminate the union’s ability to negotiate over healthcare. Signatories of the open letter include Hilton Als, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Jerry Saltz, Peter Schjeldahl, and Amy Taubin.

A group of local artists and activists published an open letter to the ICA Boston requesting that the museum pull its Dana Schutz exhibition.

Architect Shigeru Ban signed an agreement with the United Nations to design 20,000 new homes for refugees at Kenya’s Kalobeyei Refugee Settlement.

Vogue commissioned Elizabeth Peyton to paint a portrait of Angela Merkel. The work appears as part of a profile on the German Chancellor.

Alan Boyson, “Three Ships” (early 1960s), Hull, England (via Flickr/El Toñio)

According to the Hull Daily Mail, a request has been submitted to review the decision not to include Alan Boyson‘s “Three Ships” (aka the Co-Op Mosaic) to the UK’s national register of historic listed sites. The mosaic, which contains over one million cubes of colored Italian glass, is thought to be the largest of its kind in the country.

Germany’s State Paintings Collection agreed to retain a Renaissance painting from its holdings by purchasing it from the heirs of its Jewish owner. The work was looted by the Nazis and was later acquired by Hermann Goering.

Brothers Irving and Samuel Morano, the owners of Metropolitan Fine Arts and Antiques, pled guilty to illegally selling and offering to sell over $4.5 million in ivory. According to Cyrus R. Vance Jr., the Manhattan district attorney, the ivory recovered from the Morano’s store was the largest seizure of illegal elephant ivory in New York State history.

An Andy Warhol painting owned by rock star Alice Cooper was rediscovered in a storage locker where it lay forgotten for over 40 years. Cooper’s ex-girlfriend, Cindy Lang, gave Warhol $2,500 for the work — a red silkscreen of “Little Electric Chair” (1964) — in 1972. The painting, which is unsigned, has never been stretched on a frame.

Author Richard Polsky published an unofficial “addendum” to the Andy Warhol Catalogue Raisonné. According to an announcement, the addendum will focus “on genuine paintings that, for various reasons, were not included in the official Andy Warhol Catalogue Raisonné.” The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts ceased to authenticate artworks in 2011 after a number of protracted legal battles with collectors who fought against the foundation’s rulings on the provenance and authenticity of their works.

Cady Noland filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against art dealers Chris D’Amelio and Michael Janssen, collector Wilhelm Schurmann, and Berlin’s KOW Gallery. Noland claims that the group is responsible for a “forgery” of her sculpture “Log Cabin Blank with Screw Eyes and Café Door (Memorial to John Caldwell)” (1990). Noland disowned the work in 2014 after claiming that she was not consulted about its restoration. Her suit describes the work as a “reproduction,” arguing that the restoration process effectively destroyed the work’s original state.

Sydney’s Sirius building, widely considered an outstanding example of Brutalist architecture, was spared from impending demolition after a judge ruled that the former heritage minister Mark Speakman made legal errors when he decided not to include the structure on the State Heritage Register. Campaign group Save Our Sirius have fought against plans to replace the building with a new housing complex for well over a year.

Sirius building, Sydney, Australia (via Flickr/coffee shop soulja)

Paula Pape, the daughter of artist Lygia Pape, filed a lawsuit against LG Electronics, alleging that a cellphone wallpaper created by the company is an “unauthorized derivation” of her mother’s 2003 installation “Ttéia.”

Ken Simons, Tate Liverpool’s art handling manager, will curate a show of work drawn from the museum’s collection prior to his retirement. The exhibition, Ken’s Show: Exploring the Unseen, is slated to open at the museum on April 2, 2018.

Microsoft made MS Paint available as a free app following reports that the program would be discontinued in Windows 10.

The National Museum of American History digitized 80 of Crocket Johnson’s Mathematical paintings.

The British Museum published the first 3D model of the Rosetta Stone.

The British Museum‘s annual accounts revealed that it lost a £750,000 (~$979,939) Cartier ring in 2011.

Transactions

Marcel Sternberger, Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera, 1952, Mexico City (image date 1952, print date 2017), silver gelatin print, gift of Robert and Malena Puterbaugh in memory of Anne Tucker, recipient of the 2008 Harrison-Hooks Lifetime Achievement Award, Polk Museum of Art

Robert and Malena Puterbaugh donated a Marcel Sternberger photograph of Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera to the Polk Museum of Art.

Telfair Museums acquired a Nick Cave soundsuit for its permanent collection.

Jack and Sandra Guthman donated 50 photographs by contemporary women photographers to the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago.

The South Street Seaport Museum received a $200,000 Maritime Heritage Grant from the National Park Service. The grant will be used to fund the restoration of the 1930 Tugboat W.O. Decker, the last surviving New York-built wooden tugboat.

The Robert David Lion Gardiner Foundation awarded a $100,000 grant to the Parrish Art Museum [via email announcement].

The Getty Museum announced a major acquisition of drawings, including works by Michelangelo, del Sarto, Parmigianino, Rubens, Goya, and Degas.

The San Antonio Museum of Art acquired 31 photographic portraits from Timothy Greenfield-Sanders’s Latino List series.

The Nationalmuseum acquired two Italian scenes by Martinus Rørbye (1803–1848) and Constantin Hansen (1804–1880).

Constantin Hansen, “The Temple of Minerva at the Forum Nervae” (c. 1840) (courtesy Nationalmuseum)

Transitions

Janice Monger was appointed president and CEO of the Staten Island Museum.

Christina Olsen was appointed director of the University of Michigan Museum of Art.

Amy Gilman was appointed director of the Chazen Museum of Art.

Philippe de Montebello, the former director of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, was appointed director of Acquavella Galleries in New York.

Neil MacGregor extended his contract as director of the Humboldt Forum.

Sheikh Sultan Sooud Al Qassemi was appointed to the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago’s board of trustees.

Barry Till, the curator of Asian art at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, will retire at the end of September.

Katherine Brinson was appointed curator of contemporary art at the Guggenheim Museum.

Amanda Donnan was appointed curator of the Frye Art Museum.

Rhiannon Paget was appointed curator of Asian art at the John & Mable Ringling Museum of Art.

Karen Lautanen was appointed director of strategic initiatives at the Andy Warhol Museum.

Christopher Turner was appointed keeper of design, architecture, and digital (DAD) at the Victoria and Albert Museum.

Ashley Clark was appointed senior programmer of cinema at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

Laura Paulson was appointed vice chair of Christie’s Americas advisory board.

Accolades

Peter Smeeth, “Lisa Wilkinson AM” (2017), oil on linen, 100 x 150 cm (© the artist, photo by Felicity Jenkins, AGNSW)

The Art Gallery of New South Wales awarded its 2017 Packing Room Prize to Peter Smeeth.

The City of Houston awarded total of $3,463,217 in arts grants for the programming and activities between July 2017 and June 2018.

Merion Estes and Mario Martinez each received the 2017 Murray Reich Distinguished Artist Award.

Sam Durant was awarded the Rappaport Prize.

Jade Powers was appointed the Saint Louis Art Museum’s 2017–2018 Romare Bearden Graduate Minority Fellow.

Galit Eilat was appointed the 2017–18 recipient of the Keith Haring Fellowship in Art and Activism.

Pat Brassington was awarded the inaugural Don Macfarlane Prize.

The recipients of the 2017 Eisner Awards were announced.

Thomas P. Campbell was awarded the Getty Rothschild Fellowship, a scholarship that provides housing and resources to one scholar per year.

Obituaries

David Newell-Smith, a crush of commuters at Charing Cross railway station, London (c. 1965) (courtesy Tadema Gallery, London)

Dina Bangdel (1963–2017), art historian. Specialist in South Asian, Indian, and Himalayan arts.

Keith Bard (1923–2017), linguist and educator. Argued against the use of ‘negro’ in favor of ‘Afro-American.’

Chester Bennington (1976–2017), lead singer of Linkin Park.

Nathan David (unconfirmed–2017), sculptor.

Thomas Fleming (1927–2017), historian.

Sam Glanzman (1924–2017), comic-book artist and writer.

Kenneth Jay Lane (1932–2017), jewelry designer.

Robert Loder (1934–2017), collector, philanthropist, and cofounder of the Triangle Network.

Kitty Lux (1957–2017), musician. Co-founder of the Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain.

Denis Mack Smith (1920–2017), historian of modern Italy.

David Newell-Smith (1937–2017), photographer.

Clancy Sigal (1926–2017), writer and activist. Included on the Hollywood Blacklist.

Dr G Yunupingu (1971–2017), singer and guitarist.

The post Art Movements appeared first on Hyperallergic.

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[maraudererasmut]

Black and White (Part XXIX)

Part I | Part II | Part III | Part IV | Part V | Part VI | Part VII | Part VIII | Part IX | Part X | Part XI | Part XII | Part XIII | Part XIV | Part XV | Part XVI | Part XVII | Part XVIII | Part XIX | Part XX | Part XXI | Part XXII | Part XXIII | Part XXIV | Part XXV | Part XXVI | Part XXVII | Part XXVIII | Part XXIX | Part XXX

Remus Lupin was standing in the middle of a gallery that was hosting his art show.  

This was something he had always dreamed of, but never expected to actually happen. There he was, in Black and White, with his paintings on the wall, each with a price tag next to it. Better than that, there were art collectors and consultants roaming about, viewing this work, considering them for purchase. This was everything Remus had ever wanted.

Why, then, was his mind focused on something entirely different?

As Remus shook hands with wealthy people and smiled professionally at them, his only thought was of his kiss with Sirius. It was tender and intimate, with Sirius' hands holding him, finger tips tangling through his curls.

Every once in a while, Sirius would approach Remus, his Gallery Owner Grin plastered to his face. For all intents and purposes, it felt like a professional dynamic— then Sirius' hand would surreptitiously graze the small of Remus' back, gently guiding him towards something or someone. Was that normal? Did Sirius always place his hand on the small of people's backs? Was his smile always accompanied with that rosy glow of his cheeks? Did his eyes always sparkle that much?

At some point during the evening, Lily caught Remus on his own, approaching him and giving him a tight embrace. 

"Congratulations, Remus. This is an amazing turnout! And people keep saying how much they love your art! You should be so proud of yourself!"

"Heh… thanks, Lily," Remus responded, tearing his eyes off of Sirius, who was standing next to Dorcas and laughing. "And… you too. Your art is also beautiful. I've heard Dorcas is considering buying something for one of their clients."

Lily beamed at Remus, bright red lips parted joyfully. 

"Thanks, Remus! Yeah, they talked to me about commissioning some stuff. It's pretty exciting!" Lily paused, looking at Remus expectantly, raising a delicate eyebrow. 

"What?" Remus asked pointedly, trying to keep a straight face. "You clearly want to say something. Spit it out!"

Lily's ivory cheeks flushed as she glanced behind her shoulder at Sirius before turning back to the other artist.

"He seems to be in good spirits..." 

"So he does."

"Remus, what happened? You two were arguing and now… you haven't taken your eyes off of him all night!"

Remus shifted his gaze away from the gallery owner, who he just happened to be looking at. He brushed his hair from his eyes, trying to detract from the blush that was spreading across his cheeks. 

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Lily."

"Mhmm…" She clearly didn't believe him.

"Look, we'll get coffee tomorrow, okay? For now, I have to concentrate on being…" Remus gestured to himself, as if he was wearing some sort of costume and had to ensure that he was acting the part. 

Lily leaned in to give Remus a kiss on the cheek and a squeeze of the arm. She pulled away and winked at him.

"It's a date. We'll talk tomorrow."

As Lily glided away, Remus felt a hand press firmly on his shoulder. He turned around and grinned at James, who looked completely and utterly satisfied with himself.

"Glad you fixed it," he said, his eyes lingering on the lithe silhouette of his wife. "'Cause I was ready to hit someone."

"I'm glad you didn't," Remus responded with a chuckle. "My face is far too fragile."

"I never said it would be you…" James put his arm over Remus' shoulder and tugged him closer, causing the artist to stumble slightly. James was quite a bit stronger than he let on. "So!" He continued cheerfully. "You haven't introduced me to your friends or family yet! Which of these guests are yours?"

Remus shrugged nonchalantly, trying not to let the sudden heaviness in his heart ruin the mood. 

"I didn't invite anyone."

"What?!" James pulled away from Remus, placing a hand firmly on each of the artist's shoulders and bending down to look him straight in the eyes. Remus stared straight ahead, his mind focusing on the deep, ruddy brown of James' cheeks, the velvety darkness in his eyes. "Why didn't you invite anyone?! This is your first art show, Remus! You should be celebrating! Your family should be here with you! Or your friends! Someone!"

Remus steeled himself, trying not to show any of his anxiety on his face. He thought of painting, he thought of colours, he focused on the man in front of him. James' colours always reminded Remus of autumn, with their warm glows and subtle orange undertones. Autumn and summer— that was James and Lily.

"My friends are here," Remus managed to choke out, trying not to get emotional. "And I'm so glad that you guys came."

Remus was losing his resolve as he watched James' dark brown eyes fill with tears. James scooped Remus into a bear hug, squeezing tighter than the artist thought possible.

"We love you, Remus. So much." James' voice was muffled in Remus' shoulder, but the artist managed to make out the words. He patted James on the back, glancing over to Lily pleadingly, hoping for some kind of explanation.

"I...uh… I love you guys, too? Thanks James…"

James pulled away and held Remus' arms at his side.

"I'm so honoured to be your friend, and I'm thrilled that I get to celebrate this with you."

"Uh… right back at you, James…"

"James, honey!" Lily appeared out of nowhere, placing a gentle hand on her husband's shoulder and offering Remus an apologetic look. "Let's let Remus mingle with the other guests. He has some art to sell!"

"Yes, yes! We'll see you later, Remus. Good luck!"

James and Lily departed, leaving Remus stunned in the middle of the gallery. Just as he was about to go to the bar to grab himself a drink, he was approached by someone he hadn't met before.

"Remus, is it?"

"Yes?" The artist smiled at the stranger and held out his hand. He was used to the routine by this point in the evening. "And you are?"

"Caradoc. Dearborn. Pleasure to meet you."

Caradoc's grip was surprisingly firm as he shook Remus' hand. He was a large man, taller and broader than Sirius, and he held himself with confidence. He had beautifully dark skin, emphasized by the contrast to the bleach blonde of his closely shaved hair. When he smiled, gleaming white teeth showed and his rich brown eyes glimmered with excitement. Caradoc had round cheeks and a chiseled jawline, classically handsome features that Remus' heart responded to with a few sporadic thumps. 

"Likewise," Remus mumbled, lost in the woodsy colours that made up Caradoc's irises, and the smokey scent of his cologne. 

"Figured I should introduce myself to London's next big thing. I want to be in your good books for when you're famous!" He accompanied his grand statements with a cheeky wink.

"Oh, I don't know about that," Remus said casually, trying to remain modest despite the flattering words. "This is still my first show."

"And what a show it is!" Caradoc motioned around him, his arms spread wide in a bold gesture. "Look at everyone! They can't take their eyes off of your art! I've already heard talk from the owner of a second show!"

"Have you now?" Remus raised an eyebrow and glanced over to the spot where Sirius stood, chatting to a group of wealthy socialites. "I hadn't heard that from him."

"Well," Caradoc continued with an almost wicked gleam in his eyes. "If your next show isn't here, you should definitely consider showing elsewhere. It'd be a sincere pity if you didn't continue to ride the wave of your success." Caradoc pulled out a card from the inside of his jacket and leaned in close to Remus to slide it into his breast pocket, giving it a pat for good measure. "If you do feel like showing elsewhere… or just want to discuss the future of your art career…"

He gave Remus another wink and disappeared into the crowd, leaving Remus standing in stunned silence.

Was this really happening? Were other galleries propositioning Remus? Was this show exactly what he needed to kickstart his career?

Remus was so excited by the prospect that he nearly spun around right into Sirius Black, who held his hands out to catch a potentially falling artist.

"Oh, hello, Remus…"

"Hello…" Remus tore his eyes from Sirius', trying not to get lost in their depths. He knew he was blushing, but he couldn't help himself. He felt Sirius' grip tighten slightly on his arm as the gallery owner leaned in closer.

"The show is going wonderfully. You should be proud of yourself."

"I am," Remus mumbled, staring at the pair of lips mounted on the wall and desperately not thinking about Sirius'. "Tonight has been… amazing."

"It's not over yet…"

Remus didn't have a chance to ask Sirius what exactly he was implying before another guest approached the two of them and began discussing Remus' work. 

The entire evening had been a whirlwind thus far, and Remus just had to remain afloat as the rippling crowd tugged him this way and that. It would be over soon, and he would finally have a moment to himself to decompress and wrap his mind around everything that had happened. 

((Author’s Note: I know this chapter isn’t my strongest one yet, but I really wanted to get across that feeling of being pulled from every direction and the hectic feeling of being the center of attention at a show! I also wanted to introduce a few new things so that I have some new plot points to explore in future chapters. Please forgive me for this one!)

[fyeahjamesandlily]

A New Kind of Country

gift for: @lillytalons

A/N: James and Lily log onto FarmersOnly.Com for very different reasons. But they leave with very similar results.

(A quick disclaimer that I come from a family of farmers & grew up in a rural town so all of this is meant in good fun.)

Hope you enjoy!

rating: T

word count: 8,612

-

“That has to be the stupidest commercial I’ve ever seen in my life,” James said.

“Did I not say?” Sirius demanded. He turned his head to address their other friend. “Moony, did I not say?”

“Yeah, but you’re known to exaggerate,” James said.

It was a Saturday night and the three friends were holed up in James’ apartment, watching a Playoff game and drinking beer like their livers had personally wronged them. At some point during the last hour, James had slid right off the couch in favor of lying on the rug. His feet were cold from where they’d extended past the rug and lay on the hardwood floor, but he was too lazy to rifle around for a pair of socks. To live was to suffer after all. He’d read that once.

James didn’t watch a lot of TV, so he’d somehow managed to miss out on the phenomenon that was FarmersOnly.Com. When Sirius had first mentioned it, like two months ago while they were shopping for a blender because Sirius’ passion of the month was some kind of juice cleanse, James had thought Sirius was full of shit. Having never so much as shopped in a Walmart in his life, Sirius was the kind of privileged jerk that would find a dating website for farmers and “country-folk” the height of hilarity. Then again, James was just that kind of privileged jerk too.

The commercial that had just aired, however, proved Sirius perfectly right. In it, the city-slicker was portrayed as an ugly jackass who only wanted to talk about his car, until the heroine ditched her date to drive off in a truck three times her height with a suitable country boy. All of it was hammy, which James wouldn’t have minded as all of those sites promising love were selling a pretty corny idea to begin with, but what FarmersOnly did was unforgivable.

“Well it’s not really limited to farmers only is it?” James said. “I mean, the name’s misleading.”

Sirius nodded sagely. “False advertising’s what it is. Besides what exactly qualifies a person as country-folk? Is it just growing up in a small-town? Are we using the federal definitions on what qualifies? Because there are towns in like, Wyoming or wherever, where there’s only four people in the whole goddamn place, and then there’s that town in Massachusetts with like 60,000. I demand answers!”

Sirius banged his fist on the table, and Remus practically leapt off the couch in his shock. If they weren’t careful, Remus was going to pass out and spend the night there curled up on James’ couch. Not that James particularly minded, but Remus worked on the opposite side of town and the commute in city traffic could be harrowing.

“I just don’t get how it’s different than Tinder,” James said. “Good, old-fashioned hook up sites.”

“Did you not watch the commercial? It’s only for farmers and country folk, whoever they may be. That’s the difference,” Sirius said.

“But Tinder’s algorithm is based on proximity and similarity of interests. So if you’re in the middle of the “country” and say you love, I don’t know, Larry the Cable Guy, it’s going to match you with someone who also lives in the middle of nowhere and loves, I don’t know…square dancing,” James said.

“You two are going to Hell,” Remus muttered.

“What, why?” James demanded.

“Classism,” Remus answered shortly.

“Classism?” Sirius looked positively scandalized at the accusation.

“Maybe the people who use this site don’t like meeting people who think all farmers square dance and watch Larry the Cable Guy. Or maybe they do, but they want to meet someone who doesn’t think those things are worthy of mockery,” Remus said.

“What’s the point of life if you can’t laugh at yourself, Moony? In fact…” Sirius pulled out his cell and started typing.

In the beleaguered way Remus did most things – mouth pursed into a half-frown and eyes aimed heavenward as if for guidance – Remus returned to watching the game. As James’ team was in the process of scoring a particularly harrowing touchdown, James did as well, but he kept half an eye on Sirius, knowing that his friend would be up to something.

The answer came fifteen minutes later when Sirius proudly presented his phone to James for inspection. A picture of James in a plain, white t-shirt– the picture he’d taken at a bar a year ago as proof to his mom that he was leading a perfectly respectable life, explaining why he looked so wholesome – stared back at him from his new FarmersOnly profile page.

“Piss off,” James said, delighted. He pulled the phone out of Sirius’s hands entirely so that he could scroll through his new profile at his leisure.

“I think we’ve discovered why you’ve never found love, James. Looking in all the wrong places,” Sirius said sagely. “But your perfect corn-fed, cow-milking bride is on there somewhere. I can feel it.”

“Corn-fed?” Remus muttered to himself. “Like you didn’t devour that corn bread at lunch yesterday.”

James ignored Remus because, frankly, he was having too much fun to worry about whether it was elitist of them to sit around mocking the many people in the world longing for a more “traditional” approach to dating. Or as traditional as it could be when it emerged from a dating website. Certainly, it was more fun that admitting that he and Sirius were spoiled rotten and vastly underequipped to live in the manner that so many did. The closest they’d ever been to country-living was when they went camping, and even then, it was really glamping with an RV that had a power strip, a mini fridge stocked with chilled beers, and a hairdryer to protect them from going without for even a second.

Since Sirius had set up the profile from his own phone, he’d been forced to use pictures of James that he had saved in his gallery. All things considered, Sirius had chosen generously, and the image of James that began to take shape on the screen was nowhere near as ridiculous as James might have expected. Given time, James had no doubt that Sirius would have broken out Photoshop to place James in any manner of embarrassing locations – the Icecapades, the assassination of JFK, a Denny’s.

It was in the about section that Sirius had let loose, giving James an assortment of stereotypical country hobbies. For James’ description of an ideal woman, Sirius had written: “Sturdy enough to help with the housework and aware that patience is a virtue. I’m a strong believer in the value of waiting.” James read all of this aloud to Remus, who was clearly amused despite his protests.

“Not a single girl is going to talk to you with a profile like that. People can tell when they’re being demeaned,” Remus warned.

Sirius scoffed. “Have you looked at James’ handsome face? Girls will forget about anything when they see a jaw like that. Kind of like men and legs actually.”

“Yeah, Moony, don’t you think I’m handsome?” James said, before giving his most winning smile.

He started to flip through the different profiles to see if any girl caught his eye. His search wasn’t serious, of course, as he had only to switch over to Tinder to find any number of girls, most of whom weren’t touting their interest in traditional values, which suited James just fine. He was a guy after all. Still, he wouldn’t say no to a stunning blonde in denim cut-offs…

“Besides, James is rich,” Sirius reminded them. “These country girls would dream of a guy like him. A hero to swoop in and show them the delights of the city.”

“You do know that farmers have a lot of money, right?” Remus demanded, completely exasperated at this point. “They’re land-owners. You don’t even own this apartment.”

“Not if they’re farm-hands,” Sirius pointed out, his smile screaming ‘check and mate.’ “And I bet most of these so-called land-owners don’t have hair-gel inheritance money.”

“I bet they have more than disowned at sixteen money,” Remus muttered.

Next thing James knew, his two friends were wrestling on the floor. Remus had Sirius in a headlock that forced Sirius to hunch his body nearly in half but did nothing to prevent him from jabbing Remus repeatedly in the ribs. Ignoring them as this was a bi-weekly occurrence, James continued to scroll through his options. He’d already grown bored – eyes drifting to the game as often as to his phone screen – when he came across it. Her.

“Holy –! Guys look at this!” James cried. Since neither of them stopped wrestling to pay him any attention, James slid off the couch and dangled the phone in front of Sirius’s puce and sweat-soaked face. “Look at this girl!”

“She’s hot,” Sirius agreed before getting his finger into Remus’s mouth and pulling him into a fish hook. Remus howled his pained outrage and kicked Sirius in the shin in retaliation.

“Hot? Hot? Try gorgeous. Try the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen in my life. She can’t be real. This has to be a catfish,” James said loudly.

Now interested, Remus slapped Sirius’s hand out of his mouth so that he could look as well. “Oh yeah, very pretty.”

Very pretty? James was beginning to think he wasn’t the only one of their number that needed glasses because Remus and Sirius were clearly going blind. The girl in the pictures was the very definition of beauty, the kind of face that when photographed could be submitted to any magazine and they’d think she was shot by Mario Testino or someone equally talented.

The first thing of note was her hair, deep-red and cascading down her shoulders in every picture – except for the one where she’d pulled it back and given a great view of the long stretch of her neck, an almost equally appealing feature. Her features were nearly elfin, small nose and a rosebud for a mouth, a sprinkling of freckles, and cheekbones that looked like they were drawn on. The only big component of her face was her eyes, wide and green and inquisitive in every shot. Either she was perfectly proportioned or she was tall too, the one shot that showed off her body making it look as if her legs stretched on for six feet like some sort of gorgeous giantess.

And as if life wasn’t already cruelly unfair, she seemed super cool too. There was the photo of her finishing a marathon – makeup free and jubilant at her success. The one where she was vaping, a puff of smoke shielding the better part of her face. In one she stood next to a series of statues at a museum, posed in the same rigid manner so that she nearly blended in with the grey stone. Hiking and giving speeches, and playing the guitar, her interests seemed never-ending. In others, she was less active, just lying around with her cat or reading a book in the sun.

The only word that could rise to his mind was stunning.

So even though this entire profile had been meant as a lark, a way of laughing at a group of people unlike himself that he had never bothered to understand, James started to type.

“Next class we’ll be covering Piaget, so do the reading beforehand and feel free to stop by office hours on Monday if you’d like to talk to me or Professor McKirkland. You can expect your reviewed proposals returned next class. Have a great afternoon,” Lily Evans – TA, Aries, and Masters student in the clinical Psychology department – announced to the auditorium of students.

She always enjoyed the days where she got to lecture because, as she often said, it never hurt to brush up on the basics. After a Freshman year paper on the neuroscience of memory, Lily was all too familiar with how easily the brain discarded facts, even those ones she’d studied for hours on end. Today, she’d been less than happy to take on the additional burden because she was neck-deep in her year-end project for her Social Behaviors class. Hell, who was she kidding? She was drowning.

The issue was a matter of scope. Her original intent had been to observe the way heterosexual men utilized dating websites. Specifically, she wanted to classify their initial approaches and determine whether the four personality metrics could be correlated to how they chose to approach women.  Several problems immediately presented themselves: How was she going to survey these men to determine their personality types at the end? Was a ‘hey’ the same as a ‘hey, how are you?’ in her classification system? And how did she control for the different dating websites?

That last question was her greatest regret. Everything would be going so much more smoothly if she’d just limited her research to Tinder and been done with it. Unfortunately, her eyes had been bigger than her stomach and she’d signed up for a whole host of dating sties: Tinder, OKCupid, Christian Mingle, etc. It was lunacy because they all catered to different demographics, which meant she’d had to create a half-dozen different scales to measure the results. Sleep had been foregone in the effort.

Finally, finally it was almost over. Give her another three days, and she could put the final polish on her research. Hello A+ and goodbye thirsty men of the internet.

With class over, Lily made her way to the café next to the Psych building. She’d made a table there her home over the past three weeks because the restaurant had a download speed of 4.0 mbs waffle fries that she’d want as her last meal on death row. Who’d pick a half-rate coffee shop when there was starchy goodness just down the block?

Lily sat at her usual table and ordered her usual drink from her usual waitress. The stress of the end of the semester always turned her into a creature of habit. She was just debating whether she’d rather a veggie wrap or her beloved waffle fries, when her phone vibrated with a new message. Idly, Lily scanned the reminder from Marlene to bring ice to the party she was hosting on Saturday. The party Lily wasn’t even sure she could make.

Whenever deadlines came around, Lily always dropped off the face of the planet, which was how she’d managed to accumulate nearly six hundred notifications on her phone. Lily almost choked when she saw the number. They were nearly all messages off those dating sites.

Lily clicked into Tinder where the barrage was the worst. Her screen was filled with a page-worth of boring ‘heyyy’ and ‘what’s up, cutie’ messages. Her research had confirmed what everyone knew, that there was no approach more prolific than that of the bland introduction. A little ways down she was assaulted by her first unsolicited dick pic. It was from one of the guys she’d chatted with for a bit, and Lily would have sworn he had seemed normal at the time. Right below was a guy calling her names for not messaging him back.

Pushing the phone out of reach, Lily shuddered. Dating was meant to be fun, not this cesspool of negativity. The real research ought to be on what these jerks hoped to accomplish when they pulled this stuff. Lily imagined girls never fell for it. Or rather, she hoped they didn’t.

A wonderful thought had her reaching for her phone again; the collection stage was over! She no longer needed to belong to any of these sites. Talk about a fast way to handle notifications, she’d just delete all of them.

Tinder was the first to go. Then OKCupid. Goodbye Match.Com and Sayonara EHarmony.

Lily was having so much fun with her social media destruction that a waitress started sending nervous looks toward her table, disturbed by the unabridged glee on Lily’s face as she jabbed at her phone screen. Under normal circumstances, Lily might have cared, but her body was coursing with satisfaction and caffeine. In a time where Lily’s life took on a haze of glowing computer screens, paper cuts, and two-for-one five hour energy shots, she would take her pleasures where she found them.

Going to her FarmersOnly account was an afterthought because she’d ultimately had to cut the site from her research. The default profile Lily had constructed to use across all the platforms simply didn’t fit with the FarmersOnly user base, which meant she couldn’t properly observe how men used the site. Half of them had hit her up with a message along the lines of: ‘You don’t look like any country girl I’ve ever seen.’

Really the only thing she’d learned from her membership was that her decided “city-girl” status did nothing to deter the men. Guys were persistent wherever you went apparently.

Since she’d stopped using the site three months ago, she was surprised to see a new notification from that morning at 2:47 AM. A time that left a poor first impression if there ever was one. (Maybe someday she’d write an online dating advice blog to help these flailing guys.)

The message read: I saw you work at Sonic + I’ve been dying to find one around here. Save a man’s life. I need a coconut cream pie milkshake STAT.

Lily stared, bewildered, at the message for a minute longer. Here she was, ninety percent through a paper on online dating tactics, and this one was entirely new. She felt compelled to answer before she deleted her profile altogether. After all, she didn’t want him dying on her conscience.

Lily: Sorry. I work summers at 1 out of state & go to school at the University here.

There, now that was settled. Except before she had finished ordering (the waffle fries had won out), this guy – James Potter – had written back.

James: NOOOO! And I thought you’d be the girl to save me. But ur just a tease.

James: Wait! Not that kind of tease. A Sonic tease.

James: I don’t want you thinking I mean the other kind.

James: Though honestly that’d be better. I mean who dangles a milkshake in front of a man like that.

James: Rude.

Her paper was waiting for her and she really ought to open her laptop and get to work. Only Lily had no idea how to answer this James, and his bizarre messages warranted some kind of response. He was, well, kind of funny.

Lily clicked into his profile to do some digging, which, if her goal was to quickly move onto her paper, was a mistake because Sonic boy was hot! Hot in that kind of nerdy, unaffected way. In his profile picture he was a big smile of white teeth and impressively rumpled hair. There was an asymmetry to his face, almost like everything was angled just a degree to the side, yet it didn’t diminish from his attractiveness at all. Plain white T-shirt. Eyes that crinkled when he smiled. She couldn’t find a single point to critique.

A quick scroll through the other photos – all six of them – proved the good photo wasn’t a goof. They showed him sweat-soaked and in-shape playing soccer, wrestling with a giant dog, visiting a brewery, and drinking wine with his mates, all of whom were decked out in tuxedos. Lily had to give him a gold star for photo selection. He’d achieved just the balance Lily would have recommended if she was doling out advice.

Moved solely by her shallow admiration of James’ face, Lily typed out a quick response.

Lily: Have you considered travelling to the 1 a county over?

James: You mean drive my car 35 mins to reach the greatest shake on this earth?

James: Don’t be ridiculous.

Lily: Was that your subtle way of telling me you own a car?

James: Impressed ;)

Finding herself laughing at his blatant self-promotion, Lily clicked back into his profile. And here’s where he lost her. He lived in the same city and had graduated from her university, which was good, but his hobbies included mudding, bull-riding, and trout. As if trout was even a hobby! Looking through his photos, it had been so easy to forget that she was on FarmersOnly.Com and she was decidedly not a farmer.

Lily almost closed the app without responding, but the guilt kicked in before she could. What kind of shallow person let a few hobbies scare her off from a guy who seemed cute and charming? It would be the height of snobbery to reject James because of a few cultural differences. And she had no business looking down her nose at anyone considering the part of the city where she grew up. To be fair, she ought to let James chase her away with their incompatibility instead.

Lily: Not really. A car in this city? Not a good investment.

James: Oh I don’t drive it around here.

James: I like to take it out on the weekends. Speed down the highway with the top down and the music on blast.

Lily: Well aren’t you just an Eagles song.

James: What can I say? I like to Take It Easy.

James: Your profile said you like Oscar bait movies.

James: You mean like good cinematography or Meryl Streep in literally anything?

Lily: I mean sweeping biopics about suffering and triumph.

James: Eww. Bad taste L

Lily: Don’t try to neg me.

James: I would never. You’re gorgeous & you know it

James: You just also have bad movie taste.

Lily: Fine. Favorite movie?

James: Fight Club.

Lily: You have to be joking.

James: Dead Sirius.

James: That was a pun.

James: Which I now realize you can’t get because you’ve never met Sirius.

James: My best friend, Sirius.

Lily: Weird name.

James: Tell me about it. His parents name on a theme. All constellations.

James: I mean who does that?

Lily: My parents named me & my sister after flowers.

James: …So apparently your parents do that…

James: All I can say is OUR children won’t be named on a theme.

James: I’m thinking Trudy and Blaze.

James: Thoughts?

Lily: I’m speechless.

James: Kewl. I want you to WRITE your answer not speak it.

They continued in much the same manner for another hour and a half until Lily realized the sun was setting and she hadn’t so much as glanced at her research. James Potter appeared to be many things – contrary and confident and contradictory to name a few – but he was decidedly a distraction as well.

Despondently, Lily decided it was time to bid James a goodbye because she’d rather see the back of him than her destroy her average. Surprisingly, James accepted that she had work to do without complaint. Lily had half-expected him to start rattling on about the possibility of him dying without her company or something equally extreme. In the short time she’d known him, she’d picked up that he was prone to that exact type of exaggeration.

Just before she logged off, however, he did ask whether he could have her number so that they could keep texting later. Lily deliberated for another minute before typing out her cell number. After all, what could it hurt?

“He takes aim. He shoots. He scores!” Sirius practically roared, upending a bowl of popcorn as he threw his hands into the air. His controller tumbled off the couch in all the excitement. “Prongs, did you see how I just outmaneuvered you there? …Prongs?”

“What?” James asked absently, not bothering to look up from his phone.

He almost fell off the couch like the controller when Sirius reached forward and yanked his cell right out of his hands. James blinked a few times to adjust. After hours of staring at a phone screen, his eyes were no longer accustomed to making out shapes in his dimly lit apartment.

“What the hell?” James demanded, making a move to snatch his phone back, which Sirius deftly evaded.

“It’s not fun kicking your ass in Pro Evolution when you don’t even bother! I invited you over to play, not to stare at your phone,” Sirius complained.

“You sound like, really old,” James said, amused even as he plotted how to get his phone back. “Like ‘those darn millennials always on their phones’ old.”

Sirius made a highly offended noise in return and switched off the TV, interrupting a montage in which Sirius’s team was rewarded for their goal. “First off, rude. Second off, you could have stayed in your own apartment if you didn’t want to play. What are you even doing?”

“Just texting,” James said ambiguously.

Purposefully ambiguously because James had found through years of experience that Sirius was a menace to a man’s love life. Not only was he the kind of handsome that could have any girl questioning her choices, but Sirius was also the kind of jackass that could send a girl running with a few well-placed stories. James would let Lily in on his secrets one day, but that would only be after he was confident she was invested. He would need to trap his dream girl just like his ancestors before him.

“This isn’t that farmer girl is it?” Sirius asked. When James didn’t answer, Sirius’s eyebrows shot up practically past his hair line. “It is! A farmer! Really, James?”

“She’s not a farmer. She was born in a city and she’s at the university,” James corrected quickly. “I think she just must like the farmer type, you know? That’s why she was on the website.”

Sirius gave him a long, assessing look. “You do know that you don’t exactly fit that mold, right?”

“Yes.”

James was unfortunately aware of his failings in just that area. Lily had joined FarmersOnly.Com to find a good, old country boy, and James hardly qualified despite his profile’s many false claims. So far, the disparity between the James of reality and the James that had first attracted Lily hadn’t been an issue. Their conversation flowed smoothly, better than any experience with a woman that James could remember with both of them alternating between flirtation and serious conversation effortlessly. So much of that fact was likely due to Lily being perfect: clever, beautiful, accomplished with a variety of interests and experiences to keep him on his toes. The only trouble was that he didn’t meet her desired mold at all.

“Just give me my phone back, dude,” James pleaded.

“I don’t know. Maybe I want to see what’s so special about little Miss Cowbell,” Sirius said.

“Please don’t play around right now. She’s going to think I’m ignoring her if I don’t text back,” James said.

Since they’d started talking three days earlier, James had been quick to respond to every one of her messages. The longest gap between her writing and him replying stood at four minutes. She had texted him about dying for a caramel latte but being too lazy to leave her apartment just as he got out of the shower. He’d nearly pulled his hair out when he realized he was keeping her waiting. Because when it came to someone as perfect as Lily, James didn’t want to take any chances.

Knowing that Sirius didn’t respect little things like privacy and might actually start reading through his conversation with Lily – Sirius always figured out James’ passcode no matter how many times he changed it – James figured it was best to just answer. “She’s just asked if she can psychoanalyze me. She’s got a Bachelors in psychology and is getting her Masters right now.”

“I can psychoanalyze you,” Sirius snorted. “Low-degree narcissism and a weird aversion to cramped spaces that can only be you remembering back to your time in utero.”

“Aren’t you funny,” James said drolly.

“Yes, I am,” Sirius said, but then, “Seriously though, dude. Put the phone down on hang out with me. That or go home. I could still be in bed playing Tetris but I put on clothes to hang out with you.”

Reluctantly, James surrendered his phone to Sirius. The rest of the afternoon was spent in the typical fashion – eating too many Doritos and arguing over who had played better when they’d both won an even number of matches at FIFA 2014. Bit by bit, James forget that there was a beautiful girl on the other side of the city, going about her own life like something out of a fairytale. One filled with pen stains and haunting deadlines, but a fairytale all the same.

“So you gonna meet her?” Sirius asked.

James struggled to follow the question as he was currently on the phone with the pizza place down the street and he was trying to do the math as to how many pizzas to order. Two would be plenty for the two of them, but there was the very real possibility that Peter and Remus would come over later, and that would be two pizzas too few.

“What?” James asked stupidly, before quickly telling the guy on the other end of the phone that they’d take three pizzas.

“The girl you’re texting. The farmer,” Sirius said, “Are you planning to meet her?”

James stared at Sirius as if he was questioning whether his friend had suffered a braincell destroying accident. Sarcastically, he said, “No. I don’t want to meet the hot girl I’ve been texting non-stop for days. Distance makes the heart fonder and all. I want her to stay far away forever.”

“Okay, okay. Just asking,” Sirius said placatingly. “I’m happy for you two. Honestly.”

It was nearly two A.M. and six Yuenglings into the night when James Ubered back to his own apartment. He’d have slept over at Sirius’s, but the cushions of the couch had been worn down to the point that sleeping there felt like lying on the floor, and as James’ buzz had grown, so too had his desire for a night’s sleep surrounded by fluffy pillows. He favored as many as seven on an average night. Only as James was walking out the door did Sirius think to return his phone, which James had altogether forgotten about after Peter had arrived with a deck of cards.

He skipped over the texts from his parents – forever anxious about how he was holding up in the city alone, as if all his friends didn’t live a few blocks away – and the snaps from girls he’d known at one point or another. With the ease of muscle memory, he moved to check for more messages from Lily, and he nearly dropped his phone in horror at what he found there. The last thing that had been written before Sirius had stolen his phone was Lily’s request to psychoanalyze him. In the absence of a reply, Lily had assumed the worst.

Lily: James????

Lily: I was just joking. You know that.

Lily: Right?

Lily: Shit. I’m really sorry. I wasn’t trying to annoy you or anything.

Lily: Okay…well good night.

James swore he was going to gut Sirius when he saw him next. What had he been thinking letting Sirius talk him into abandoning his phone for the night? James knew all too well that most of Sirius’s ideas about relationships were toxic, and, worse, that he was all talk, never applying them to his own romantic endeavors. If Sirius had been talking to a girl, he never would have surrendered his phone in the name of friendship.

Quickly, James typed out his response.

James: SORRY

James: Definitely didn’t mean to drop you like that. I was just caught up with friends and lost track of time.

James: Sorry if I freaked you out.

Lily didn’t immediately write back, so James figured she’d fallen asleep for the night. He was forced to content himself with the idea that she wouldn’t see his apology until she woke up the next day. The lights of the city blinked as his driver took him the rest of the way home, a glint of color that would blaze brightly and then fade away into darkness a second later as they rounded a corner. These lights acted as a replacement for the stars that were muted by the many competing colors of the city.

Maybe that was why Lily was spending her time looking for men on FarmersOnly. To a degree, James had to admit that he could see the appeal. Out in the country, where the sky stretched for miles into the distance, James imagined a person could breath. A person could lay out in a field, staring up at the night sky with no fear that he might be mugged. More importantly, a person could be truly alone.

The prospect made him sigh longingly.

His phone dinged.

Lily: whewww, no worries. I just didn’t want you to get the wrong idea or anything.

Lily: Glad everything’s okay :)

Maybe he ought to have respected that it was late and Lily was likely tired, but James was in an uncharacteristically sentimental mood, and he wanted to talk to her. It seemed ridiculous, but he’d missed her in the few hours they hadn’t talked. They’d known each other for a few days and already she was a fixture in his life.

James: I missed you today.

It took her a few minutes to write back, but when she did, James grin was exaggerated enough to make his cheeks ache.

Lily: Me too.

James: Tell me something abt when you were growing up.

Lily: Like what?

James: anything just a story

Lily: ummm growing up i lived on a really busy street & we were pretty far from any parks or anywhere we could play because we were on the wrong side of downtown.

Lily: so my sister and I really wanted to play tennis but we couldn’t safely.

Lily: like one time I literally almost got hit by an SUV so my mom forbade us from ever taking our rackets outside for any reason.

Lily: so we developed this version of tennis where we played in the house. Like actually lobbing balls over the kitchen table and up and down the staircase.

Lily: It was WILD. We destroyed half the house by the time my parents realized what was happening. Broken glass everywhere. The dog traumatized from running back and forth so much. But it was so much FUN.

Lily: it’s still like my best memory with my sister.

James: I guess I can see why you find the country lifestyle so appealing.

James: Seems like the right way to raise kids.

Lily: Trudy and Blaze would certainly like a little open space.

James: Yea they would

James: Do you think you want to meet sometime soon. Face to face?

Lily: No.

James: No?????!!!!!????

Lily: No.

Lily: I’m pretty sure you’re like a 60-year-old man and I want the illusion to last a little longer.

James practically collapsed in relief.

James: What if I promise I’m not 60?

Lily: Are you 59?

James: I promise I’m not a day over 58.

At this point he’d arrived back at his apartment and he had to focus on finding the key to his building. When he looked back at his phone, Lily had answered.

Lily: my friend’s having a party this weekend. Do you want to meet me there?

James: it’s a date.

And right there in the middle of the sidewalk, with the lights blinking down on him and pedestrians sending him dirty looks for taking up so much space, James thrust a triumphant fist into the air. It was a date.

As was typical, the party was overcrowded, the combined tempo of the occupants’ thundering pulses almost overpowering the heavy bass of the Tropical House music that Marlene had come to favor. A step in any direction was guaranteed to encroach on at least one guest’s personal space, so stubbed toes and muttered ‘excuse mes’ became the theme song of the night. The problem was that Marlene was far too popular for her own good, a former debutante with a practiced smile who knew when to ask the right, probing question. Lily would have sworn that every familiar face on campus was crammed into the studio apartment that night.

It had long ago crossed into the realm of the embarrassing how often Lily glanced at her phone, which Marlene was quick to remind her whenever Lily failed in her stealth attempts, hiding the phone beneath her leg and glancing down for a message from James. She couldn’t help that he was late, nor that the fact of his lateness had unleashed a hurricane in her stomach. Still, a man didn’t text non-stop for a week, just to stand you up on the first date.

Seated by the TV, with Marlene practically sprawled across her lap, Lily had the perfect position, able to socialize as she pleased with the court that naturally surrounded Marlene wherever she went and able to keep an eye on the door, her visibility only blocked when the basketball team – all of whom were too tall for their own good – crowded into her line of vision. Whenever that happened, Lily’s foot would start to tap in double-time, outpacing the beat of the music currently playing. Lily wanted to believe that her nerves were subtle, but the amused curl of Marlene’s smile belied her hopes.

Somehow, despite all the precautions she’d put in place, Lily missed when James first strolled into the party. Just about no one else did because, well…he stood out. Lily was delicately scooping the remains of vodka-tinted jello out of her shot glass when James appeared at her shoulder like something straight out of a Nicholas Sparks movie, one of the ones about rodeos, a pseudo-Western hero with none of the gruff of Clint Eastwood. Lily nearly choked, as the jello slid, slimy and sweet, down her throat.

To his plaid button-down and worn blue jeans, Lily couldn’t complain, but she had some major objections to the enormous cowboy hat that perched jauntily on his head, sliding slightly to the left like it didn’t quite fit. His belt buckle was enormous, easily the size of her clenched fist and bronze. In a room full of university sweatshirts and non-descript tees, James stood out like a sore thumb; a thumb that had been beaten with a hammer and then become infected with gangrene.

“Sorry I’m late,” James said. He shouted to be heard over the music only the song switched over mid-sentence, so half his apology was just yelled in her face.

“No worries,” Lily said, pushing Marlene’s gaping form to the side so that she could stand up and greet James properly. “I didn’t see you text. Did you find the place okay?”

James didn’t answer for a moment, too busy staring at her to remember his manners. He shook his head like he was coming to himself and said, “Sorry. Sorry. Yes, I found the place fine. I just…wow, I can’t believe you’re real.”

“I could say the same to you,” Lily said, and then prayed that had somehow sounded less cheesy to his ears than hers.

Lily wasn’t quite sure what to do with her hands: present one for a shake, move in for a peck on the cheek. Maybe James was feeling the same anxiety because he lowered the tip of his hat – thumb resting on the braided leather – and said, “M’lady, do you like my hat?”

The creepings of embarrassment were already making themselves obvious in the blush that appeared across her cheeks. She ought to lie, of course. It was the socially acceptable course of action. Unfortunately, one of the main lessons she’d taken from her studies was that the truth was imperative. She could never expect people to truly know her, let alone develop a healthy relationship when it was built on dishonesty. Even the little white lies that most people excused as a normal part of social interaction were inexcusable.

So, horrified with herself even as she spoke, Lily admitted, “Actually I kind of hate it.”

Taking off the hat, James looked between her and the infernal thing, obviously perplexed. Evidently he’d thought that sort of thing would appeal. Then, in a move so smooth she would have thought it was practiced, James tossed the hat like a Frisbee in to the crowd of dancing bodies, lost forevermore.

“There. No more hat,” James declared pleasantly.

His hair stuck flat to his head from where the hat had plastered it down, looking nothing like the pictures. Before her eyes though his hair appeared to engage in a battle against gravity, slowly unsticking from his skull and rising in disordered clumps. She wanted to pet it down back into place, but something told her that any effort on her part wouldn’t be enough.

Smiling brilliantly, Lily stuck her hand out for a shake. “Since we’re meeting formally for the first time, it’s nice to meet you, James.”

Instead of shaking her hand, James picked it up gently, running his thumb – so much longer than her own – along the vein at the center of her hand. She half expected him to pull a goofy move like raising it to his lips for a kiss, but instead he pulled her entire body forward for a hug. Lily had to remind herself that it was just a hug because the gesture felt so intimate that she half-expected everyone at the party to stare at them with disgust, and this was the same party where a few freshman had been grinding in one long train for the last hour. It only lasted for a few seconds, but the hug was warm and exciting. Just like James.

When they broke apart, Lily said, “Want to find somewhere to talk? I’m excited to see if you’re half as witty as you like to think you are.” James cocked an eyebrow at her, so Lily elaborated, “You’ve had an unfair advantage when we’re texting. It gives you a couple of seconds to think. For all I know, you’re googling your best lines before sending them.”

“I respond pretty fast,” James pointed out. “Either I’m every bit as clever as I’ve led you to believe, or I’m the speedy type.”

“And you know that’s one of the main things that I look for in a man,” Lily said.

Rapid fire, James said, “Well then it may interest you to know that I can type 70 words per minute. Thank you high school computer class. These fingers are agile.”

He wiggled his fingers in her face, giving Lily the perfect opportunity to grab him by the hand and pull him toward the balcony. It was the only place in Marlene’s apartment that wasn’t brimming with people because she’d hung a curtain to cover the sliding door that separated the apartment proper from the narrow balcony outside. Anyone who wasn’t familiar with Marlene’s place wouldn’t even realize there was a door behind the gauzy drapery, but Lily knew to just peel it away for a quick escape.

Why the architects had thought adding balconies to the units here was a good idea was a mystery to Lily as the view from Marlene’s apartment was bleak, blocked off entirely by the towering brownstone across the street. All that anyone could really make out from there was the comings and goings of the passersby on the street. Since the view wasn’t impressive, Marlene hadn’t bothered to decorate much, setting down two low-sitting, white-plastic chairs and a cardboard box to act as a table. It was in these uncomfortable chairs that Lily and James settled, repositioning them so that they half-faced each other.

“These remind me of being in kindergarten,” James said, tapping the chair in question idly.

“That’s funny. They remind me of my Grandma. She had chairs like this in her garden,” Lily said.

Lily suddenly was unsure of what to say, which was funny because they’d never run short of conversation when they were texting. Their banter had flowed naturally like how she’d only ever witnessed on television. Maybe that was the problem though. All of the normal getting-to-know-you talk had already occurred between them.

Fortunately for her, James wasn’t the type who ever wanted for something to say, and he quickly launched into it. “So you said you’ve been busy with the end of the semester. Did you finish up all your work? You should know that I expect good grades from such a bright young lady.”

“I don’t know. My work’s been better,” Lily admitted.

She’d finished her paper and expected an A considering all of the work she’d poured into it, but some of her other projects were lacking. Plus, she’d barely studied for any of her test. She’d pass, but she’d be lucky to score above a B minus.

“I’m gravely disappointed,” James said, in a tone that suggested he was trying to mimic a stern father.

Lily snorted. “It’s your fault in the first place.”

“Mine?”

“Yes, yours! You kept distracting me when I should have been working. I’m lucky I got anything finished at all what with you blathering away all the time,” Lily said with more vehemence than she actually felt.

“I feel…oddly proud,” James smiled. “If you really need me to stop texting for a week so that you can get some work done, just say the word.”

Lily’s lips remained pressed together. It was mortifying really, how she couldn’t force herself to ask he stay away for even a minute, let alone a week. That was when she made a decision.

Looking him directly in the eyes, Lily said, “Maybe you can take me mudding sometime.”

If she wanted the rise of feelings – swelling and hot and shiver-inducing – that came with James, that meant acceptance of who he was. Mudding and all.

“Mudding?” James asked a bit nervously. He must have picked up on the fact that Lily, for all her appreciation of casual attire, wasn’t exactly the mudding type.

“Yeah, it was listed as one of your hobbies on your profile,” Lily said. “I don’t have a clue what to wear, of course. You’ll have to help me out a bit. Would sneakers be the right call? Or do I need some special kind of boot? Mudding sounds, well…muddy.”

James winced, scratched at his knees, looked away. All signs of a man with a secret. It set Lily a bit on edge to watch him so obviously nervous.

“I mean…if you don’t want to take me that’s fine,” Lily said.

“No! Of course, I want to take you. I mean, I want to take you everywhere. Try everything,” James said, such a shockingly unexpected declaration that she was left blinking and confused.

“Then, mudding,” Lily said firmly because they both had something to prove.

James remained silent, allowing the moment to stretch and turn awkward. Her intuition that James was keeping something from her grew unignorable. As much as Lily loathed dishonesty, she didn’t want to pry. Everything they had felt so tenuous, as if the smallest mistake might dash her image of James forever, send him back into the realm of her daydreams.

“I have to tell you something,” James said, like he had no idea that those words brought with them a million allusions to heartbreak and betrayal.

“What?” Lily said, feeling just that heartbreak and betrayal.

“I’veneverbeenmudding.”

“What?”

“I’ve never been mudding.”

Under normal circumstances, Lily would have responded to such a statement with a shrug, but James was sweating like he’d just let her in on one of the darkest secrets of his life. Faced with his inexplicable solemnity, Lily felt like she ought to treat the situation with the same level of gravity.

“I don’t understand…that’s fine,” Lily tried uncertainly.

Head in his hands and elbows propped on his knees, James sighed. “I don’t think you understand, Lily. I’ve never been mudding. Never been mudding, or to the rodeo, or to Nashville. None of it.”

“You’re still young. Plenty of time to cross things off your bucket list in the future,” Lily said.

The only sense she could make of the situation was that James was poorly handling his death anxieties, coming face-to-face with the reality that he still hadn’t done so much of what he had planned in life. Perfectly natural if a little poorly timed. She patted his shoulder in sympathy.

“No, you don’t get it,” James looked up at her with wild-eyes. “My whole profile was a lie. I got you to meet me under false pretenses. I’m not a country guy at all! I’m born and raised in the city, and I love it. The closest I have to any country-credibility is I like that one Rascal Flatts song.”

As Lily listened on incredulously, James filled her in on the entire, ridiculous tale. He was genuinely terrified that she was going to dump him on sight for being too urban. What struck Lily as the most ludicrous of all was that two city-bred people with their northern values, had managed to find each other on FarmersOnly.Com.

She began to laugh.

“Lily?” James asked nervously.

She kept on laughing.

Only after several minutes did she find the voice to explain why she’d been on the website in the first place. Overcome at the realization that he hadn’t ruined his chances for her, James leaned forward seemingly at an impulse and kissed her. Almost the second his lips touched hers, a car alarm set off down the street. Startled, James tried to pull back to see the source of the commotion, but Lily yanked him forward by his collar, not letting him separate from her by so much as an inch.

James kissed her back then. The sharp point of his nose caressed along her cheek. His hands combed a soft path through her hair. All of the sounds of the party behind them and the traffic below faded to nothing. Their chemistry was undeniable, heat sparking between their lips and and casting fire down her spine like a series of sparklers.

“Well, what have we here?”

Hesitant to end what had been gearing up to be an earth-shattering kiss, Lily turned to see Marlene standing by the open door with a bottle of Merlot held high. Lily gave Marlene her best intimidating look, a silent plea for her to go back inside so that things could continue but Marlene’s eyes were slightly unfocused like she was already four or five glasses in and she missed the signal.

“You two look so adorable together,” Marlene sighed pleasantly before sliding down to sit on the balcony with them, back propped against the door.

“Thanks, Marlene,” Lily said tightly.

James gave Lily’s hand a light squeeze and smiled. It was a promise that there would be plenty of time for kisses later. Lily felt something relax inside of her. Plenty of time.

The city really was beautiful at night, even their limited view from the balcony. Here, Lily had a view into so many different lives, all of these people bustling about in different directions with loved ones and decisions to make that she could never guess at. Hubs of humanity. That was what cities ought to be called.

“So where’d you two meet anyway?” Marlene asked.

Funny as their story was, Lily liked that it lived as a secret between them. Someday she’d tell the truth to anyone who asked, but for today…today it was theirs.

Like they’d rehearsed it, James and Lily said in unison, “Tinder.”

Their subsequent grins matched just as perfectly.

They matched perfectly.

[wildlyhardphilosopher-blog]

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