AN: Good evening everyone. Old readers and new. It has been a while for me and a lot has happened. I'm a Professor now, who would have thunk it? I hope everyone is doing well too. Because of my busy schedule, this story will be inconsistently updated and probably have long periods between updates. Just a warning now. However, I believe it will be far better than my previous stories and, therefore, worth the wait.

I hope you all enjoy. And now I present 'The Gilded Lily'

Doctor Crane,

I am writing to you because I am interested in attending Gotham State University next year to pursue my graduate degree in Psychology and I had a few questions if you would not mind answering them.

Firstly, I was wondering if you were taking students next year under your advisement. I know that you are a new professor with this being only your first year, however, after reading a summary of your previous work, I cannot find someone with whom I am more interested in working with. Forgive me, I do not mean to flatter, it is simply that in my research into graduate schools, I cannot find anyone with as much interest or knowledge about the psychology of fear as you.

If you could not tell, my area of interest is also the psychology of fear. During my undergraduate schooling, my independent research focused on the intersection between the disgust factor present in seeing someone with unfavorable circumstances (like homelessness or illness) and fear (of being in that situation). Though I am currently taking a year off from schooling, I have kept up with the research within the realm of the psychology of fear.

Which leads me to my second question. I cannot seem to find any of your current research interests on the university webpage or your faculty page. Though I know your publications are recent, I am simply wondering if you are still studying the same concepts, or have moved on to other hypotheses.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and for responding.
Sincerely,
Lily Taggart

Miss Taggart,

Thank you for expressing your interest in working with me next year. I will indeed be taking on students to work with me and in my lab. Space is limited, however, and I will only be taking on a maximum of two students; though you are the first to contact me as such, therefore I do not believe there will be much competition for the positions.
My current research is delving further in depth with my previous research topics. My work this year is a more concentrated focus on the coping mechanisms after a fear incident. However, with students, I will be able to broaden my research to include other areas. By your description, we do have similar areas of interest and I encourage you to apply to the program. If your academics and references are good enough for the reviewing board to accept you, I would most willingly take you on as a student.

If you have any other questions about my research or would like any of my research to help you keep up to date, feel free to ask. If you have any questions about the program in general, please direct them to Bill Pigeon as he is the current head of the department.

Regards,

Jonathan Crane, Ph.D.
University of Gotham
Associate Professor of Psychology

Doctor Crane,

Thank you for the quick reply. I am glad that you will be taking on students next year, and I hope to be among them. As for you offer, I will take you up on it. I, unfortunately, cannot seem to find your most recent paper "Fear as a Control in Media" anywhere that is not behind an expensive paywall. I would be most appreciative if you send me that so that I may read it. Just looking at the abstract I can tell it is an interesting topic and paper.

Thank you,

Lily Taggart

Miss Taggart,

Naturally, so far this topic has been one of my favorites to experiment with and learn about. Please find the paper attached below. I have also attached the current write-up of a similar topic that is still undergoing peer review for you to read as well.
Regards,

Jonathan Crane, Ph.D.
University of Gotham
Associate Professor of Psychology

Dr. Crane,

Thank you very much. I will be sure to read them as soon as I have time. As you probably know, applying to graduate school eats up a lot of free time. Both look fascinating, thank you for your consideration.

Thank you again,

Lily Taggart

The late summer air in Gotham was thick with humidity, even in the morning, and the stench of pollution permeated the streets near the river and harbor floating up towards the higher elevations with every passing minute. The homeless moved about, vacating the stoops and public benches they had slept on before the police forced them out. Already, traffic jams were forming on the highways into the city.

And it was in this urban hell that Lily Taggart awoke. She stretched as she sat up in her newly purchased but used bed. Through the rickety white blinds the sun peeked in, shining its rays on the dust floating in the air. The sleepy silence of Lily's morning was suddenly broken by the ringing of sirens outside. Another day in Gotham.

This day was very special to Lily however, this was the first day of her graduate school career. Getting out of bed, Lily smiled to herself. After a year off from college so she could pay back some of her student debt, she was ready to get back to the grind. Gotham University was her dream school and she was going to be studying under her dream professor: Doctor Jonathan Crane. Not only was he going to be her advisor but to subsidize her tuition, she was going to work for him as a graduate assistant.

Opening up her closet, Lily's eyes perused the clothing inside. She knew she should have chosen her clothes last night. Now she did not know what to wear. This might be one of the most important days of her life. It was her chance to make a good first impression on Doctor Crane. So far she had only communicated with him by email. During the tour of the campus, she took after she was admitted Doctor Crane had been away on a personal emergency, meaning today was her first time meeting him face to face.

What should she wear though? Nothing casual, that was inappropriate. But a suit was too formal. Could she wear jeans? Maybe her new dark blue ones, but better to wear slacks or a skirt. Not her long skirts though. Maybe she should wear a dress. It was hot out, pants would kill her and seeing how she had just shaved her legs yesterday she did not have to worry in that department.

With the decision to wear a dress or skirt, Lily pulled her selection of those items from her closet. She did not have many, preferring pants for the most part. One instantly caught her eye, however, her family tartan. Though Lily had not been born or raised in Scotland, her grandparents had instilled a great love for their family's heritage in her at a young age. It would be perfect for today. The comfort of it would give her courage and perhaps it could even be used as an icebreaker. Skirt chosen, Lily moved on to finding a top.

This was far easier. The mostly dark blue and black pattern only went with a few of her blouses. Seeing how it was summer though, she chose to wear the white one with short puffed sleeves and ruffles down the front. The blouse, her tartan, some basic black shoes, and a thick black belt would combine to make the perfect outfit for her first day of graduate school.

Noticing the time, she headed into the kitchen, just a few steps away in her small apartment. She would eat a quick bowl of cereal before hopping in the shower and then getting dressed. In her kitchen, Lily poured herself a bowl of cheerios, added some sugar, and then flicked on the TV to catch the morning weather. According to the weatherman, it was going to be muggy all day but tomorrow was supposed to be nicer out with the temperature dropping to the low eighties instead of the mid-nineties like it would be today and had been all of last week. Finishing her meal, Lily rinsed out her bowl and took her pills with a large glass of water.

Lily started to strip as she made her way into the bathroom. Turning on the showerhead, she brushed her teeth as she waited for the water to heat up. After a few minutes, she stepped into the pleasantly hot water and washed. She also made sure to touch up her legs with care, as bloody or nicked skin would mar the first impression of her. When she was done with her shower, she dried off and used the hair dryer to speed along the process. Usually, Lily let her hair air dry, but she had to arrive at the University earlier than she usually would. The reason being that Doctor Crane wished to meet with her before his morning class to have their first official meeting and get to know each other a bit before the scheduled department welcoming get-together tonight.

Once her hair was dry, Lily put on the bare minimum of makeup to hide her old acne scars and the shadows under eyes. Just for good measure, she also put a tiny amount of dark blue eyeshadow on and some natural looking lipstick. Makeup was not something she often wore but until she got to know the rules and expectations of how she was to look while working with Dr. Crane, she would wear some. With her face and hair prepared, Lily changed into her outfit. The final task for the morning was to go through her bag and ensure that she had everything she needed.

'Books? Check. Notebooks? Check. Writing utensils? Check. Map of the campus? Check. List of classrooms? Check. Wallet? Check. Cellphone? Still charging.' Rushing over to her bed Lily grabbed her phone and charger and shoved them into her bag. Now that should be everything. Double checking once more, Lily gave herself a nod. Yes. She had everything she needed. Slinging her bag over her shoulder, Lily grabbed her keys and headed out the door.

The psychology building she needed was a brisk thirty-minute walk from her apartment but given the humidity, Lily decided to take the bus. It was not much faster however due to the wait. The buses around the University were run by the campus and were, therefore, nicer than the others in the city, being equipped with fans and something that might pass for AC. She waited five minutes for the bus before it arrived. It was fairly empty, with just a few students with their coffee staring at their phones already seated. Lily took an empty seat and twenty minutes later she was stepping off in front of the psychology building.

Straightening her hair and clothes, Lily centered herself before entering the building. The building was old and the scent of dust lingered in the air. Lily smiled to herself, the scent was that of academia. Checking her watch, she saw that she had five minutes before her meeting with Doctor Crane. With quick steps, Lily climbed the staircase to the third-floor offices. He said he was all the way down at the end of the hall in the corner office. The third-floor floorboards creaked underneath her feet as she walked down the hall. There was a garish salmon-colored carpet with lime green flowers padding her steps and it made the building feel even older.

At the end of the hall, she could see another person standing outside the corner office's door. He looked around her age and was wearing an ill-fitting suit, ill-fitting due to his frame unless he were to special order suits did not come for someone so tall yet skinny. Despite this he was moderately attractive, his large nose and sharp features were not conventionally handsome but he certainly passed Lily's threshold for nerdy-cute. Lily hoped that he was another of Doctor Crane's grad students, she had thought she was the only one but it was possible she was wrong, and she would not mind getting to know him better. Stopping next to him she peered into the window of the office. It was dark inside. Apparently, Doctor Crane was not here yet. She smiled at the other student.

"Are you waiting as well?"

The man raised an eyebrow. "Yes, and you are?"

"Lily Taggart, I am Doctor Crane's grad student," Lily said, sticking out her hand.

A smirk crossed the man's lips, and he took her hand. "Doctor Jonathan Crane."

Lily felt herself flame red with embarrassment. "I-I," she stammered as he continued to smirk down at her and shake her hand. "I am sorry Doctor Crane. I knew you were younger, but I didn't expect…."

"Someone nearly your own age?" He suggested, breaking off their handshake. "That happens quite often. The perils of obtaining your doctorate at the age most are entering graduate school."

Lily laughed awkwardly, "I bet. Well, it is a pleasure to meet you at last."

"And you. I would let you into my office, but I cannot seem to get in myself. The door has a habit of becoming stuck due to the settling of the building and the humidity. The janitors will have to come up and realign it again."

"Ah, I will just come back later then?" Lily asked wanting to be as far away from her embarrassment as possible at the moment.

"No, no," Doctor Crane said, running a hand frustratedly through his hair and glancing at his door once again. "They will not show up for at least an hour. There is a cafe down the street, we can have our meeting there, a bit more informal anyways."

Lily gave a forced smile. "Sounds good to me."

Doctor Crane gave a nod of his head and then lead the way down the narrow hallway. It was a short walk that they took in silence. The cafe was small for one nearly in the center of campus but well designed and with a wide array of options on the menu. As it was only just after eight am, it was mostly devoid of students except for a single slightly feminine looking man, with bright blue hair and wide bright green plugs in his ears, typing away on his high-end laptop.

"I will buy," Dr. Crane offered as they approached the counter.

"Oh, are you sure? I have money," Lily replied, rather embarrassed at the offer.

"No, it is fine. An apology for the inconvenience."

"That isn't your fault, but thank you."

Dr. Crane gave a short nod before looking at the cashier. "I will have a Cappuccino, large. Miss Taggart?"

"Oh, um," Lily glanced up at the menu quickly, "a small white tea please."

"Alrighty," the cashier said in a tone that was too tired to be cheerful, "that will be six eighty-nine, would you like to round that up to seven and donate the rest to the Gotham children's fund?"

"I will," Dr. Crane said with a nod, handing over a ten to the cashier. The second worker who had been crouching down doing something, stood and began to make their drinks. Dr. Crane's was finished first and he waited for Lily to get her own.

"There is faculty seating upstairs, we can talk there, Miss Taggart."

"Lead the way, Dr. Crane," Lily replied, following him up a set of rickety wooden steps hidden behind a door to the second floor. There were two other professors up here, both reading and sipping on their drinks. They looked up when the pair entered and both gave a slight nod to Dr. Crane but did not say anything. Dr. Crane chose a small table with old plush armchairs for them to sit at in the corner of the room.

Sitting down, Lily took off her book bag and took the first sip of her very hot tea, burning her tongue slightly. She massaged it against her teeth before realizing how silly she must look. With a slightly awkward smile at Dr. Crane, Lily straightened in her seat.

"Now then, Miss Taggart, you are not from Gotham correct? How are you finding yourself so far?"

"Good, good, Gotham certainly is different than the suburbs of Vermont but I like the public transport system. I really do not like driving in city traffic if I don't need to."

"I agree, though might I advise caution in riding them at night. There has been an increase in gang violence on some of the routes recently."

"Thank you, Dr. Crane, I have to admit I am not comfortable enough with the city to go out at night by myself, however, so that is not a worry for me. Not that I go out often anyways," Lily chuckled awkwardly.

Dr. Crane gave a short nod. "You focus on your work and studies, that is good."

Another awkward chuckle escaped her, "Well, more than I am quite introverted. I'd rather read or play my video games than go out with my friends."

"We cannot all be social butterflies. Like you, I prefer to be alone rather than with a group," Dr. Crane replied, setting his coffee down and resting his hands on the table. "What genres do you enjoy to read?"

"Oh, everything really, though for me it is more about the writer or story itself than the genre. I suppose I could say I do not like True Crime, Westerns, or Religious Fiction as a rule but other than that, it does depend on the author. I do love non-fiction, however, as long as the subject matter is something interesting. Do you like to read, Dr. Crane?"

"Most assuredly, the walls of my house are covered in bookshelves. I too have varied interests in reading material. Though I have to say I am surprised that Horror is not a favorite of yours? Psychology of fear after all."
Lily laughed genuinely, this time feeling much more comfortable. "I am sorry Dr. Crane, it is just that I get that comment a lot. I actually do not find horror novels scary at all and I don't find them that interesting on the horror front but when combined with a mystery, then I love them. That being said, horror video games can really freak me out and scare me. It is just something with the interaction ability of video games compared to books that seems to do it for me. You like horror novels then?"

"No, in fact, I feel the same way about them. Not frightening in the slightest. I have never tried horror video games, however, I am not really a games person."

Lily looked at him a bit confused, "then, why did you ask me?"

"I wished to know if you had the same opinion. Most people do not understand my neutrality towards horror novels."

"Oh yes, they think that just because I am interested in the psychology of fear, I love horror and am obsessed with fear. They do not understand that they are completely different. Of course, these are the same people that do not realize how much of a role fear plays in their everyday lives."

Dr. Crane truly smiled for the first time since they had met. "Though this is not alcohol, I will drink to that," he said, raising his coffee cup. With a smile of her own, Lily knocked her tea against his cup and they both took a sip.

Feeling much more at ease, Lily was able to relax back in the chair. The worn plush was actually very comfortable. "I am sorry Dr. Crane, but I must inquire or else it is going to drive me mad. How old are you actually?"

"It is alright since we will be working closely, we should be comfortable with each other as well. In answer to your question, I will be twenty-seven in a few weeks."

"Wow," Lily said amazed, "only four years older. You must be wicked smart to have accomplished a Ph.D. so young." Lily internally groaned, she was going to develop a complex about her intelligence working with him.

"One could put it like that, thank you. Though I must say I was impressed by your writing sample. You certainly have a solid grasp on the working knowledge of the psychology of fear and the insight to draw new conclusions. I will be interested to see if your hypotheses work out or not."

Lily flustered a little, though she was not the most humble person, she had never taken compliments well. "Thank you, Dr. Crane, you are really overselling it though. I could have done much better in my research."

"Naturally, but that is why you are pursuing a graduate degree, to hone your skills."

"Well, yes, you are right there." Lily glanced down at her watch. If she remembered correctly, Dr. Crane's morning class started soon, they should be heading back.

Dr. Crane said while looking down at his own watch. "Maintenance should be finished with my door by now, shall we head back?"

"Yes, I was just thinking that," Lily said, standing. "Oh, before I forget. Here, in case you need to get in contact with me. I don't know if the university gave you my contact info or not."

Handing him a slip of paper with all of her information on it, Lily picked up her bag, slinging it over her shoulder. "Thank you, I will gather my information for you as well and give it to you next time we meet. Do you have plans this afternoon, say two o'clock?"

Lily thought, then shook her head. "No, I do not."

"Good, do you mind stopping by my office again? My classes will be finished for the morning by then and we can work out a schedule. I should have a key for you by that time, along with my contact information."

"Of course, thank you." Together, they left and walked back over to the psychology building. More students and faculty members were arriving now. A few professors greeted Dr. Crane and Lily smiled at the few she recognized from her tour. In the entrance of the building, before they went their separate ways, Lily and Dr. Crane stopped.

"It was a pleasure to meet you, Miss Taggart," he said extending his hand.

"Lily, please, and you Dr. Crane," she replied taking it.

"You may call me Jonathan. I will see you later, remember two o'clock."

"Yes, I won't forget." Lily turned and left, a smile on her face. All things considered, that went pretty well.