for isnt_the_same

[chesstotem]

True to her word, Ariadne showed up at Arthur's hotel room the next afternoon, a bag of Thai takeout in her arms and an anticipatory smile on her face as she knocked on his door.

Comments

[isnt_the_same]

Arthur looked into the peephole, but he already knew it was her. She had her own distinct smell that was entirely Ariadne. "Hello," he said after he opened the door. The blinds were closed inside his suite with a few lights turned on.

[chesstotem]

"Hi," she said, giving him a smile. "I hope you're hungry, I got enough food to feed five."

[isnt_the_same]

"Uh," that made him pause for a moment. "I'm sorry, I'm not at the moment."

[chesstotem]

Her face fell a little. "I see. No, no, I'm the one who should apologize. I didn't bother to ask you if you wanted to eat, or even if you like Thai food or anything like that. It's my fault." She still looked rather deflated, though. Like she wasn't sure what to do with herself now.

[isnt_the_same]

He stood there awkwardly for a moment before moving aside. "Want to come in?" He asked.

[chesstotem]

"Okay," she said, stepping inside, her arms still laden with the food she'd - admittedly rather carefully - chosen for the meal that wouldn't happen now.

She felt really stupid. "I'm really sorry," she said again. "I should've realized you'd have had a big lunch..." It was probably a business meeting. Or maybe a lunch date. She shoved that last thought aside.

[isnt_the_same]

"It's alright, Ariadne. You don't have to apologize," he told her. Arthur was still full from his feeding last night, not that he would eat the food she brought with her.

[chesstotem]

"I don't suppose you have a fridge I could put this in, until I take it home?" she asked awkwardly.

[isnt_the_same]

"Uh, there's a mini fridge over there," he pointed in the direction of the head of the living area of the suite that had the television as well as a mini fridge.

[chesstotem]

"Thanks." She put the bags of food in the fridge, her plan sort of ruined. "Well, I guess I thought we could eat something and hang out. So... nix the eating and just... hang out?" she asked hopefully.

[isnt_the_same]

"Sure," he said, before asking, "what would you like to do?" Arthur could count on his hand how many friends he had. Most of them he didn't "hang out" with, but Ariadne was an exception now.

[chesstotem]

"We could talk," she suggested with a little smile.

[isnt_the_same]

"Alright." Arthur led her over to the couch. "Have a seat."

[chesstotem]

"Like, you could tell me all that stuff about yourself that you wouldn't tell me the other day," she continued, sitting on the sofa.

[isnt_the_same]

He sighed. "Any particular question you had?"

[chesstotem]

"Mostly, I'd like to know how you went from being a law-abiding military man to a career criminal."

[isnt_the_same]

He shrugged. "I got injured and while I was recovering, the Cobbs came and recruited me to run point for them."

[chesstotem]

"How'd you get injured? How'd you meet the Cobbs?"

[isnt_the_same]

"IED in Afghanistan," he said. "I met the Cobbs through the dreamshare program. After it lost its funding, I was deployed to Afghanistan."

[chesstotem]

"Wow. I had no idea," she said, rather wide-eyed.

[isnt_the_same]

Arthur shrugged off what she said.

[chesstotem]

"How... How long were you there?"

[isnt_the_same]

"Where? Afghanistan?"

[chesstotem]

"Yeah."

[isnt_the_same]

"A year," he replied.