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]

When Arthur turned back towards her, he looked totally alien. She cowered at the sight, truly afraid of what he could do to her for the first time.

[isnt_the_same]

"Sorry you have to see me like this," he said before he walked back inside and came back out with the trash can.

[chesstotem]

"What - what -" she couldn't even find words.

[isnt_the_same]

Arthur picked the head up by the hair and dropped it into the trashcan before taking the bag off the sides and tying it up. "Do you mind waiting int he bedroom? I need to call someone over to clean this up and it'd be better if they didn't see you."

[chesstotem]

She shivered. "Promise me something, first."

[isnt_the_same]

"What?" He asked.

[chesstotem]

"When you're done, you tell me what the fuck just happened, and who you really are."

[isnt_the_same]

He sighed. He knew he had that coming. "Fine." Arthur walked back into the suite and washed up in the bathroom before calling someone on his phone.

[chesstotem]

Ariadne shot him one last, fearful look, then hid herself in the bedroom. Normally, she would've chafed at being sent into hiding like this, but she wasn't about to encounter another of Arthur's friends, if he was anything like the last one.

[isnt_the_same]

There was a knock on the door ten minutes later and Arthur made sure that Ariadne was in the bedroom before opening the front door. He wasn't dressed in his boxers anymore, but was wearing one of his suits.

[chesstotem]

She pressed her ear to the door, nonetheless, listening.

[isnt_the_same]

Three men came in and exchanged a few words with Arthur. He told him what happened and that the body was out on the balcony. They went ahead and walked out of the balcony to collect the body and head and cleaning up the remains before leaving.

[chesstotem]

Ariadne stayed as still as she could, barely daring to breathe until she heard the strange men leave. She knew Arthur would come to get her when the coast was clear - not that she felt particularly safe with Arthur right now, either.

[isnt_the_same]

Knowing that she was pressed up against the door (he could hear her heartbeat), he opened it and looked at her.

[chesstotem]

She glanced up at him, backing away in alarm. "Well, at least you don't look like you just took a bath in a pool of blood," she said.

[isnt_the_same]

"It was going to be messy either way," he pointed out.

[chesstotem]

"You can't expect me to accept that as an explanation," she pointed out. "What the hell, Arthur?"

[isnt_the_same]

He sighed. "Let's talk out here," he said, pointing to the couch. Arthur went and sat in the arm chair.

[chesstotem]

Ariadne perched cautiously on the end of the sofa farthest from him. "All right. Start from the beginning."

[isnt_the_same]

"I..." He paused. He honestly wasn't sure where to begin. "I'm not human...at least, not anymore."

[chesstotem]

She frowned. Well, that might be one explanation for what she'd just seen. "What are you, then?"

[isnt_the_same]

"I don't eat human food. I need blood.

"Can you guess what I am?" He asked flatly.

[chesstotem]

She sighed, and rubbed her face. "That's kind of difficult to take in, Arthur... I don't even know where to start.

"...I suppose I could start by asking you why you haven't... hurt me."

[isnt_the_same]

He shrugged. "I have no reason to hurt you. I have no reason to hurt anyone, to be honest, unless, of course, you get on my bad side. But you saw what I do if that happens."

[chesstotem]

"It... Certainly explains a few things. So that... That guy. He was after you?"