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

[isnt_the_same]

"He saw you with me. He probably thought it'd be fun to ruffle my feathers by messing with you."

[chesstotem]

"So that was just fun for him. Threatening to feed off me."

[isnt_the_same]

"Like he said, you're just cattle."

[chesstotem]

"That's how you see humans, too?" she asked.

[isnt_the_same]

"There are always exceptions, Ariadne."

[chesstotem]

"You have to explain all of this to me," she pointed out. "So you drink blood to survive, but you don't have to kill us to get it. Are your meals, ah, willing?"

[isnt_the_same]

"More than often they are."

[chesstotem]

"Do... Do they like it?" Malcolm had said something like that.

[isnt_the_same]

"Some find it to be like...foreplay."

[chesstotem]

"Oh." She studied her toes. "And, how is it for you? I mean, can you even feel anything like that?"

[isnt_the_same]

Arthur laughed a little. "Why do you want to know?"

[chesstotem]

"I always want to know everything," she pointed out. "This is kind of a big deal. What's different for you, from being a human? Do you even remember? How long have you been like this? Are you like they are in books and movies?"

[isnt_the_same]

He sighed at her barrage of questions. "I was turned right after my first job with Dom and Mal. ANd books and movies get some of it right, but not all."

[chesstotem]

"Tell me," she said.

[isnt_the_same]

"Later," he said before getting up. "I didn't get sleep last night and I barely got any sleep today."

[chesstotem]

Ariadne was still running on adrenaline, but she nodded. "All right. But I don't want you keeping things from me anymore, okay?"

[isnt_the_same]

He studied her for a moment before saying, "Okay."

[chesstotem]

"Be ready, when you wake up," she said firmly.

[isnt_the_same]

He huffed out a laugh. "Sure." Arthur walked away a moment later and went to the bedroom.

[chesstotem]

She watched him leave the room, a thoughtful expression on her face. Eventually, she curled up on the sofa with her sketch book.

[isnt_the_same]

Completely exhausted now, Arthur stripped back down to his boxers and got into bed after leaving the door opened just a crack.

[chesstotem]

Ariadne sketched for a while, until she finally started feeling tired again. Strangely enough, now that she knew the truth, she wasn't afraid of Arthur anymore. She slept without nightmares.

[isnt_the_same]

It was in the morning when Arthur finally. Contrary to popular belief, people like him can sleep during the night and be up during the day.

[chesstotem]

Ariadne was still sound asleep on the sofa when he woke up.

[isnt_the_same]

Arthur went ahead and took a shower. When he was done, he wrapped a towel around his waist.