a night at the theater (for tnioprorrim)

[chesstotem]

Comments

[tnioprorrim]

Nothing about the night had gone well for Arthur. Rising late as the cold temperatures of the city kept him longer in stasis than usual. The tie for the suit he was wearing couldn't be found. His usual haunting grounds had been taken up by some protest group that while nice to see in youth once more, had slowed him down.

By the time he arrived at the theater it was nearly quarter after, wondering just how he would find someone of Ariadne's diminuitive stature in the crowd.

[chesstotem]

Ariadne was getting worried, standing up on her tip-toes to watch for him. Finally, she spotted him and waved her arms to get his attention.

"Hey!" she said, snaking her way through the crowd. "I was wondering when you would get here. Didn't have any trouble, did you?"

Of course, by "trouble" she meant "job-related".

[tnioprorrim]

He caught that gesture, giving a nod and making his way to her side.

"I apologize," he said, another incline of his head to acknowledge his mistake. "No, not that sort. Personal issues," he said, cheeks flushed and spine straight.

[chesstotem]

Ariadne took his arm with a little smile. "I'm glad you made it, regardless. Feeling all right?"

[tnioprorrim]

The crowd was muted for the moment, a relief for a man that worked so hard to avoid others. "Quite. Thank you. A bit peaked but I'm sure it will pass. You look quite lovely," he said, looking down at her.

[chesstotem]

"Thanks," she said, her smile growing. "You look good, too."

It was a Noel Coward play, so the audience wasn't exactly going to be rowdy. Plus, Ariadne had really good seats.

[tnioprorrim]

"You're too kind," he murmured, leading the way for the door. "Do you have the tickets or do we need to get them from will call?"

[chesstotem]

"I've got them," she said, pausing a moment to pull them out of her purse. "Orchestra center and everything."

[tnioprorrim]

He paused at that, arching a brow. "Well then, impressive," he said, moving to open the door for her.

[chesstotem]

"I try," she said with a little grin.

They found their seats just as the lights dimmed. Ariadne liked the play quite a bit, and she thought the actors did a good job with it, too.

[tnioprorrim]

Arthur settled into his seat, overcoat carefully laid over the back of the seat and prim and proper in his seat. In the dark so much was magnified and he was careful to keep his eyes on the stage, forcing himself to remember to breathe though it brought scents with it.

[chesstotem]

When the intermission came, Ariadne went to the bathroom. When she got back, she smiled at Arthur. "Pretty good so far. What do you think?"

[tnioprorrim]

Rising when Ariadne left, then rising once more when she returned. "Different than I thought it would be,' he admitted. "Though not reminding me of the things I was concerned about. You're enjoying yourself?"

[chesstotem]

"Yeah, absolutely," she said with a smile. "I hope you are, too." She tilted her head a little. "When this is over, you want to go back to my place for coffee or something?"

[tnioprorrim]

"I am," he agreed with a nod. "Definitely entertaining."

He didn't answer right away, considering what all he still needed to do. "I could for a short time but I do have some work to do tonight. Time zones can be a pain, you know."

[chesstotem]

"What, do you have to call China or something?" she asked with a smile.