Tuesday afternoon. Finn had left Signature in the capable hands of his staff. As they had argued he needed time off and he needed to trust them. He argued back that he did trust them, to which he was met with sceptical expressions. Eventually he had relented and agreed that he was due some time off. At that he washed his hands of the club for the rest of the day and decided to go and spend an hour or so laughing at Arius getting fitted for one shoot or another.

Magique Couture Clothiers was Arius' favourite boutique store. It was the place that he was only seen when he needed new clothes, and needed fitting for one of his impending photo shoots. Finn knew that Arius was there every Tuesday afternoon like clockwork, getting re-measured just in case he had gained an extra inch in muscle - unlikely.

Finn apparated from Hogsmeade to Diagon Alley and walked down the street. The heat from the sun was beating down on Finn's back so much that he felt it necessary to remove his light jacket from his back, leaving him in a white tee shirt and brown curoduroys. He slung his jacket over his arm and walked purposefully down the cobbled street towards the boutique. It had rained overnight and he could smell the sun lapping up the water from the puddles that glistened in small pools on the ground. He stepped over a puddle with a little spring in his step just outside of the shop, and made his way to the front door. Finn pushed the door open and made his way inside. The shop was decorated very tastefully, like one of those Paris boutiques Arius raved about more often than not.

And there he was. Standing on a stool in the middle of the store, wearing just his signature shiny turquoise briefs that left little to the imagination. "Nice." Finn grinned shaking his head at Arius - he was sure he saw one of Arius' pecks flex involuntarily.

[Godmoding approved by Mena]

Four days had passed since his last fitting and Arius was back in Magique Couture letting Aurelia Snark and her assistants work their magic. He generally preferred to have the woman herself doing the work - he was important enough to warrant that at least - but he didn’t mind if the other women buzzed around and gawked. That was what he was there for wasn’t it? He was to be looked at, admired, worshipped, drooled over, etc., etc. Otherwise he might not have entered the career he had. It was not exactly a career path for those who were uncomfortable with being in the spotlight.

Fortunately at Magique Couture one was always comfortable even if this shop was not so magnificent as her Paris location, Aurelia had made do with what the British called architecture. It was more lavishly decorated than other boutiques in the Alley at least and was probably the best decorated boutique in London. No expense had been spared and everything was very tasteful - not that anything less should have been expected. There was nothing about Snark that did not scream style, well, maybe her family, but Arius knew them little only on the surface from what he read in the newspapers.

Someone else entered the room and Arius arched an eyebrow, wondering who was being let into the back now. Was it a crazed fan? They did exist and loved to follow him around. He would have moved to snap his fingers at his assistant so she could clear matters up entirely until the person who had entered spoke. “Finnley!” Arius exclaimed at the site of the man, a broad smile appearing on his face. “What brings you to Magique Couture today?”

Arius greeted Finn with nothing less than his usual 'I'm almost naked and I like it' gusto.Finn looked at him. "I can't get a woman!" He cried out. His hand lifted up and clapped over his mouth. Had he honestly just blurted that out in the middle of a shop, in front of his friend who was almost butt-naked? Yes. He had. He looked around, hand still clamped over his mouth to make sure that no one had heard. No head had appeared, so Finn assumed the coast was clear.

He slowly took his hand away from his mouth and lowered his voice to little above a whisper. "Its been..." He looked up at Arius and quickly averted his eyes, gulping. His voice went hoarse as he tried to get the words out. "...nearly three months." He shot out quickly, trying to skim over the words as though if he said them fast enough they wouldn't be true.

Then the word vomit took over, and Finn began babbling. "I mean...its not like I can't-" He looked at Arius again. "I mean, I can - you know." He jerked his head to the side. "you know." He sighed. "The club...I spend so much time there. I get details off nice girls. Gorgeous girls. And I just never contact them." He threw himself dramatically into a chair and picked up a magazine that had Arius on the front cover, grinning back at him lile a bloody cheshire cat. he threw it back down on the pile. "I need your...help..." Much as though it pained him to say it, he clearly wasn't prioritising right.

When Finn blurted out those horrific words, the look on Arius’ face went from pleased to see him to slightly horrified. Was he honestly standing in a public place talking about his personal life so openly? Had he been drinking already? Would Arius need to write Ava about her brothers interesting habit of being drunk at an indecent hour? It was one thing to own a club and quite another to gallivant around the Wizarding World in an inebriated state prior to five o’clock in the afternoon.

This would never do. He waved away the women that were moving around him and snapped for his assistant, ordering her to go feel Finn’s forehead and check for a fever or a cold sweat. When she found neither present, Arius was unsure of what to say. This was an interesting dilemma and one that Arius wished he could solve for the younger man. Maybe they just needed to go out together more often instead of letting him go and do whatever it was he was doing alone. After all, something was wrong with that.

He moved towards him and patted Finn on the back sympathetically. “Three months is a long time, it’s true. Though I’m not entirely sure why you haven’t simply picked up a pretty bird from your club.” He laughed when Finn mentioned contact details, however, and shook his head. Maybe that was where Arius was smarter or where Finn had more morals. The second idea made Arius wonder if his friend was actually going soft. He hadn’t suddenly gone and gained morals now had he?

“Why do you even bother with contact details. If you see interest and the girl is throwing herself at you wait until the opportune moment and slip into one of the private rooms mate, or your own room or whatever. Believe me, that works better, and you never even have to really learn their names.” Arius was so good at giving advice, not.

After a look of complete horror graced his face, Arius snapped into action and sent his assistant over to feel Finn's head for a fever. Finn swatted her hand away like an annoying fly. "I'm fine - leave me alone...stop fussing!" The assistant stopped and shrugged at Arius, as though to say 'he seems fine to me'.

Arius stepped down from where he had previously been getting measured and moved towards Finn. He patted Finn on the back and the younger man felt himself wince at the pity he was being shown.

“Why do you even bother with contact details. If you see interest and the girl is throwing herself at you wait until the opportune moment and slip into one of the private rooms mate, or your own room or whatever. Believe me, that works better, and you never even have to really learn their names.”

Finn thought for a moment. "I guess so." He sighed, defeated. "I don't know. I just feel under pressure. The club is still just a baby, and although for the most part the staff are very good, I still feel that some of them would be incompetent if they were left to their own devices."

Things went silent for a moment as Finn pondered what had been said.

Suddenly he looked at their reflection in the long mirror opposite them with wide eyes. Arius still had a comforting arm draped over his friend's shoulder. "Um....Arius?" He asked warily. "Is it weird that you're only wearing shiny turquoise briefs?"

Arius shrugged and waved his attendant away since Finn seemed not to want her fussing over him. Perhaps it was only Arius who enjoyed such things. She went away happily, likely relieved that she had escaped Arius' clutches and she would have at least five minutes to herself. Being his assistant could by no means be an easy job. He enjoyed being spoon fed and mollycoddled as much as possible without seeming like a giant baby. Then again he did often go out without her, leaving her to settle his appointments. She only had to come with on important things such as this. Other than that Arius supposed he really did not need her. She would be fired soon enough anyhow to make room for his new intern.

"Dear, dear, Finn, nearly everyone is incompetent if left to their own devices." This was, perhaps, not entirely true, yet Arius wanted to try and comfort the man. He was not especially good at comforting people, but was willing to give it a shot in earnest. "Everything with the club goes smoothly, I'm sure leaving them alone for a few hours while you take care of your own personal business won't bring the club crashing down. There is a reason you hired them you know." He patted the other man's shoulder gingerly and smiled. He could only assume he was right.

A brief silence overtook them and Arius wondered perhaps if he could have said anything better than what he did, though he soon realized that Finn had more important matters on his mind than what Arius had said, more like Arius himself. Not that this was odd or anything. He laughed at the question and shook his head. "I always wear them to fittings. I believe they create the best fit. They aren't my normal briefs though, I promise." He mockingly crossed his heart before leaving Finn's side for some water.

"We need to start going out again together, we used to make a killing. The birds all loved us, no?" It came out as an afterthought and he took a sip of the water before turning back to Finn. "Then perhaps we'd really find you a girl."

Arius seemed in no way bothered by the fact that he was comforting his friend in briefs that left little to the imagination. As he went away to get a drink of water, Finn brushed hishand over his shoulder where Arius' hand had been, as though subconsciously trying to rid himself of any almost-naked-man-cooties. He pulled a face as though he'd just stuck his hand in something revolting, but quickly straightened his expression to a grin and removed his hand from his shoulder when Arius turned back to him.

"We need to start going out again together, we used to make a killing. The birds all loved us, no?"

Finn nodded his head as he reminisced slightly on the 'old days', where the two friends would go and cause mayhem in the community. "Ah," Finn pointed at Arius. "The girls loved you. No one ever bothered with me - I'm not famous, afterall." He stated with a sidelong grin.

"Then perhaps we'd really find you a girl."

Finn grinned at that and sat back in the chair he had orginially occupied. "Well, that does sound like a good plan. Although I'm not too sure I'd trust you to find me a girl." He picked up another magazine that had Arius on the front blowing kisses at the camera and couldn't help but pull a face as he held the magazine up to Arius. "Really?"

He shook his head in Finn’s direction and waggled a finger. “Don’t even start to pretend that the girls didn’t like you.  I may be famous, but you are handsome as well. Women like you, it’s just easier, perhaps, to go after someone who is as famous as me and notorious for being with a different woman every other week.” This was likely true, though he supposed that some women might be too terrified to go near him. After all, when one was as beautiful as he was it tended to be intimidating. Of course, the girls that the tabloids showed him with were all exceptional.

Arius laughed heartily and shrugged when shown the magazine cover with him blowing kisses at the camera. “You have to remember that pictures move, Finn. Not to mention that many young women look at this and think that the kisses are meant for them and them alone.” He scoffed and shook his head. The things he did for money did not really amaze him, after all, he enjoyed every minute of getting to show off what he looked like and being in front of the camera, especially when stunning women were around him. He could not complain about his job at any rate.

“You honestly mean to tell me that if you were offered a modeling job, you would not take it?” Arius arched an eyebrow and a bemused smile played on his lips. Finn really would make an excellent model if that’s what it came down to. He was handsome and well-built, a good specimen certainly. He would be an excellent model, and still so young. Perhaps Aurelia needed to do some convincing. Arius made a mental note to mention it to her. She was, after all, always on the look out for new people to put into her fashion shows each season and Arius was positive she would love Finn. That might also be the answer to his girl woes.

Finn listened as Arius talked about being with a different girl every week. "Yes, well. I think that all the time we've been friends, I have never seen you with the same girl more than once. And come to think of it, I've never seen you without a girl..." Finn cocked his head to one side and studied his friend. "Where do you get them from?" He asked quizically. "Surely, they're not all from shoots and shows? I wasn't aware that there were so many beautiful women in this country. Surely its about time you were having to head abroad? You must have been through almost all of them?"

“You honestly mean to tell me that if you were offered a modeling job, you would not take it?” Finn gave a chuckle. "Psshh!" He waved a hand. "My life belongs behind the camera, Arius. You know that." It was true, whenever Finn was out with the model, the cameras would follow them, and Finn always tried to slink away into the shadows for fear of being caught unawares in one magazine or another as 'That friend of Arius Tristisa'. He didn't like being labeled as belonging to someone else, and he knew that was how it would be with Arius. "I mean, the clothes? Of course. Nice clothes. I wouldn't complain at having to wear them." He motioned to a rail crammed with clothes in various colours and materials. "And the girls? Well, that wouldn't be such a hardship..." He trailed off as his imagination led him to a place he had never considered; himself in a photoshoot, being waited on hand and foot.

Finn shook his head. "But apart from that, it doesn't appeal to me." He said resolutely, putting the magazine back on the top of the pile. "Now, if you were to invite me along to one of your photoshoots, just to have a nose around." He grinned. "I certainly wouldn't complain then. You could introduce me to some of your friends." and by 'friends', both men would know that he meant female followers.

Arius smiled roguishly and sighed, it was so difficult being him. "I get bored easily." It was true, he really did and women failed to hold his interest for very long. Actually, very few people managed to hold his interest for very long. He had his few good friends and they were fortunate enough to have the ability to keep him entertained for long periods of time. Besides, their ability to keep him entertained long enough for him to grow to like them was probably what made them his friends now. They would not have lasted long had they been anything like the women he frequently cavorted with.

"Women aren't hard to find mate, it's simply that you likely stick to the Wizarding variety, I don't mind going into the muggle world, in fact I'm there often what with work and all that. They are easier to find when one can look at more than simply the ones with magical ability." Muggles weren't all that bad in Arius' opinions. They couldn't pull out their wands and hex him if he made them mad either. They were actually incredibly easy to convince to go home with him too. It was as if they were more amazed by him than the wizarding women were. Maybe because there was little choice for Wizarding celebrities but to be seen out in public in the midst of it all at Diagon.

To each their own, if Finn did not want to model then Arius would not be the one to push him to it, he would simply push someone else to do the pushing. "Being behind the camera would get annoying I would think. You are in the thick of the action but not getting any of it. Watching rather than being watched. I could never resign myself to such a lifestyle." He drank more of his water, positive that he was right about himself, though he supposed that Finn had other things to worry about. There was his club, his reputation that was staked on that. Everything was different for people who had actual responsibilities, and Arius tended to forget that. He wasn't very good really at recalling that not very many people felt the way he did.

"Simply let me know when you are free to stop in, would you prefer muggles or witches?" It seemed like a stupid question, but it was what it was at the end of the day. Arius may have been good at playing dumb, but he certainly wasn't all of the time and he had no ability really to discern whether or not Finn cared about the magical status of the women he bedded. Arius had no problem with them being muggles, so long as he wasn't marrying them, then there really was no issue.

He was a child. Simply a child. Thos were the thoughts than ran through Finn's head when Arius sighed and claime he got bored easily. He was like a child who got bought a toy wand for christmas, but by the third of January had decided he wanted a toy broomstick instead. Finn shook his head and rolled his eyes. "Insatiable, I think is the correct word." He pointed out to Arius. Finn had seen the way Arius acted with the women he escorted out on various nights, and knew that he was not the type to settle down. Not for a good few years yet. Perhaps when he felt his looks were starting to fade. That would be more likely when he would take his pick of the bunch and settle into a life of monogomy.

At Arius' comment of sticking to the wizarding variety of women, Finn gave a slight 'hmm', his lips stretched thin and an eyebrow raised. "I don't trust myself to not reveal our secrets." he said simply, shrugging. "Who knows what would happen in the throes of passion? I have been known from time to time to shout things..." He stood up as his face began to redden. "..Embarassing things." He waved a hand. "But enough of that. The point is, I wouldn't want the threat of the Wizarding world to be on my shoulders."

Finn made his way over to the rail that held all of the clothing. He picked up the sleeve of a cloak made from silk and let the material slip through his fingers.
"Simply let me know when you are free to stop in, would you prefer muggles or witches?" Finn shot a look at Arius that simply said 'Have you been listening to me at all for the last two minutes?'

“Whatever you say, mate.” Arius shrugged and made a mental note to have his assistant look over his appointment book. She could then let Finn know when he could pop in for a Wizarding photo shoot. Then he could meet the top of the Wizarding models and perhaps the odd fangirl that managed to make her way in. Not to mention perhaps a yummy young designer or two. If all else failed, Arius would take Finn out of the country with him, but he didn’t believe that was absolutely necessary. There had to be some girls in England that would go after Finn. If only he didn’t feel like he was going to go ahead and reveal every secret of the Wizarding World while in bed.

He paused for a moment and arched an eyebrow. “What sort of embarrassing things do you shout that might put the Wizarding World at large at risk?” Was he going around in bed shouting about ‘who wanted his wand’ and how he was going to have magic coming out of it? Perhaps asking people who was the biggest baddest wizard? Maybe insinuating that his was the biggest wand they had ever seen?  If that was the case, then Arius understood why Finn had trouble getting girls anymore, stories like that would spread.

Any look of disdain on Finn’s face was entirely lost on Arius, he was too busy observing his reaction to the silks. Then again, there was one thing that Finn had clearly forgotten, Arius rarely paid attention to anyone but himself for very long. It was part of having a short attention span and being easily bored. That or it was simply part of being full of oneself, the inability to pay attention to others. No one could deny that this was a quality that Arius clearly had. Then again he liked to argue that it was part of being a model. You had to be full of yourself, it was the cockiness that enabled you to sell yourself like expensive wares on the open market.

The arched eyebrow was enough to tell Finn that he had said too much that time. He groaned inwardly at his stupid loud mouth. “What sort of embarrassing things do you shout that might put the Wizarding World at large at risk?” Merlin's willy! How was he going to get out of this one? "I...erm..." He scratched behind his ear, a nervous tick he tended to adopt whenever he was in an awkward situation. And situations didn't get more awkward than this. "Does it really matter?" He asked in earnest. "We have more pressing matters at hand!"

In a desperate attempt to steer the conversation in a different direction, Finn geared back to the previous discussion of him becoming a model. "Anyway, I thought models had to be fit?" He lifted up his white tee-shirt to show a stomach with a few hairs leading down from his belly button to his brown corduroys. He slapped his stomach a couple of times. "Five hundred sit-ups a day, you told me!" He looked down at his stomach and twisted his face. "Not by drinking a pint of beer a night and eating crappy food. I don't have the stamina to do five hundred sit-ups in a week, letalone a day!"

Oh no, there was no way Finn was going to get away with that one. Now that he had mentioned it, Arius was going to pester him until he had no option other than to tell precisely what he had meant. "No, no, now that you mentioned it, inquiring minds need to know! Let me get this started..." He paused for a moment, waving his hands to get himself into the moment. "OH FINNLEY!" He cried the other man's name loudly, wondering how much further he would have to goad him. "It just.. feels... so.... OH!" He actually had no idea how to act like a woman in bed, but he assumed that whatever Finn had last feasted on must not have been much better than this. "Now, you respond with what you would say in bed in that precise situation." He looked at him eagerly, waiting for the younger man to respond.

Arius was still waiting, and he would continue to badger about this until he knew precisely what Finn shouted in bed. He might need to send his assistant out on a reconnaissance mission to the house of one of his previous girlfriends, if it was anything that embarrassing then surely they would recall what exactly had been said. People didn't tend to forget the embarrassing things their lovers shouted in bed and Arius had enjoyed many an evening regaling later lovers with tales of how foolish some of the former ones had been.

Of course, then Finn decided that he needed to prove to Arius why he could never be a model. Perhaps no one had ever told him not to bait those who were already set in their mind on what to do.  He moved quickly over to Finnley and began to tug at his t shirt. "Alright, then, let me get a good look at you! I can tell you then if you can be a model or not and what precisely you need to do!" His other hand went for the pants button, those should just fall down once Arius unbuttoned and unzipped. He needed to see what Finn really looked like under all that!

It was one of those rare days that Aurie found herself strolling into the business after it opened and had even left one of her girls to tend to a few appointments. Aurelia could not deny that there was a bit of excitement in the young girls eye when she realized who she would potentially get the chance to measure the Arius. The fact Aurelia measure famous people had long ago lost its luster and excitement. When a fit lad was getting fitted she was not drooling over his frame, but if she saw one clothed out on the streets she was much more inclined to take a double look as it was no longer business. After all how else was she to find new talent to be modeling her fall designs?

Aurelia strolled into her store moving quickly to the back to hang up her cloak and her purse. From the corner of her eye she had seen Arius and a young man she did not know. Aurelia was more concerned as to why Arius was still here, was his appointment not to be done by now? Where was she? Why was she not measuring him? Aurelia was now about ready to fume, which was why she had made quick strides out of the backroom. To her surprise the turquoise underwear clad Arius was pulling up the other man’s shirt. What had gotten into this place?

“Excuse me?!” Aurelia stood looking at the two men her hands on her hips. She really needed to learn not to be surprised by Arius anymore. “Where has my shop assistant gone? Why is your fitting not done yet?” Still her eyes drifted towards the other man she did not know. If he got a bit of sun on his upper body and tightened up a bit more he could make a wonderful model, though he already could pull off the fully clothed if given the right outfit.