for isnt_the_same

[chesstotem]

The night Ariadne met Aubrey, things didn't turn out as they were supposed to. It started out just fine - they met in the bar they'd agreed on, chatted inside for a while about nonsense like the weather, then stepped outside to talk business.

It was as though the dark figure had been waiting for them - Aubrey was right in the middle of a sentence when suddenly a tall figure swooped in out of nowhere and descended on her like a rabid dog. Ariadne screamed as the person - thing - whatever it was - ripped her throat out, and the next thing she knew she was running blindly back towards the street, something warm trickling down her temple. The time that followed was fuzzy - she knew she must've ran for a while, because she was out of breath, but then she was in a cab (the cabbie was giving her a funny look, maybe to do with that warm trickle), and then she was at a hotel, getting more funny looks as she stumbled into the elevator.

Then she was pounding on Arthur's door, praying to whatever gods might be listening that he was inside.

Comments

[chesstotem]

Ariadne gave the cab driver the name of a department store that was nearby, and on the way there, she took Arthur's hand again. "I don't know how to thank you for all of this," she murmured.

[isnt_the_same]

"You don't have to," he insisted, giving her warm hand a squeeze.

[chesstotem]

She shook her head a little. "If we both make it through this all right, you know I will."

[isnt_the_same]

"Really, Ariadne. You don't have to do anything...well, besides be my architect when I have a job."

[chesstotem]

She leaned over and kissed him. "I know."

[isnt_the_same]

Arthur looked at her for a moment, unsure of what to say after she kissed him.

[chesstotem]

She glanced away, worried she'd been too forward. Fortunately, they arrived at the department store, so she paid the driver and got out. "I'll just grab some basic things... it won't take long, I promise," she said matter-of-factly.

[isnt_the_same]

He nodded to her statement and followed her in to the department store with his hands in his pockets.

[chesstotem]

Ariadne had never been much of a shopper, and right now she was most focused on making sure she had clean underwear and a couple pairs of jeans. So she hadn't been lying - it took maybe thirty minutes before she handed Arthur a couple of shirts to carry and headed for the checkout.

[isnt_the_same]

"Did you want to stop by your apartment to pick up any work you need to finish up?" It'd give her a chance to grab some of her things but he also wanted to see if someone had been in there.

[chesstotem]

"If you think it'll be safe," she said with a nod, paying for the clothes.

[isnt_the_same]

"You can stay at my suite. I wanted to look around your place, actually," he explained.

[chesstotem]

"Okay. There are some things I'd like to grab, just to have with me. So I'm not staring at you or the ceiling the whole time," she admitted.

[isnt_the_same]

"Sure."

After being grabbing the shopping bag, they hailed another cab to her apartment. It was broad daylight so Arthur didn't think they would be attacked.

[chesstotem]

Ariadne was tense, however, as they made it up the stairs to her apartment. She unlocked the door, then moved to let Arthur go in first.

[isnt_the_same]

Arthur opened the door to find her place completely trashed. He walked in and stepped over her things to get to the windows. "No forced entry."

[chesstotem]

"Oh my god," she said, surprised, afraid, and a little angry at the sight of her apartment in shambles. "Who the hell is this? What do they want from me?"

[isnt_the_same]

"I'm not sure," he lied before going through each of the rooms in her apartment to make sure there weren't any surprised visitors.

[chesstotem]

She eventually started digging around, hoping her sketch books weren't entirely trashed. Then she made her way to the bedroom to get a few of her own clothes. "Do you at least have some leads?"

[isnt_the_same]

"A few," he answered vaguely as he tucked his gun back in his holster when he was satisfied it was only them.

[chesstotem]

"It must be someone in the business, right?" she asked. "I mean... other than the dream sharing, I'm just an architect..."

[isnt_the_same]

"Possibly." He was definitely starting to think that maybe he was the target all along and Ariadne was just collateral damage.

[chesstotem]

"You'll have to keep me informed, okay?" She looked concerned - maybe she had been under some kind of illusion that Arthur was all-powerful, but she felt like he probably should have some better idea of what was going on.

[isnt_the_same]

"I will," he said. "Hurry and grab what you need. I don't want to stay here too long."

[chesstotem]

"I've got it," she said. "If you're done, let's go."