Paris in Springtime

[loadedparadox]

((Rp for dreamsofmazes for Iris verse))

They had been back in Paris for two weeks. Despite returning with her, Arthur had given her space. Assuring the warehouse was clean, he released the rental and then set about finding his own place. Settling in, he made himself do what might have made him nervous otherwise. Furniture, his clothes shipped in, even plants in the kitchen and bathroom, offering a hint of hominess to it all.

Only after it was all done did he send the invitation to Ariadne, inviting her over for dinner. Preparing, he set the table, ordered the food and then moved it all to pots and pans to make the pretense that he might know how to cook more than the handful of meals he tended to make for himself the few times he had kitchens in his hotel rooms.

Dressed careful, button down shirt, tucked in but sleeves rolled and collar unbuttoned, slacks and loafers. Lighting the candles on the table, going all out, including pastries waiting for dessert.

Comments

[dreamsofmazes.livejournal.com]

"God no." She snorts, eyes watching him curiously, a smile playing on her lips. "I burn toast. Fairly sure we'll starve if we have to rely on our culinary skills."

Shaking her head, an amused smile on her face as she went to dig in the said drawer for the corkscrew. "It's odd you know so much about me. Yet I know so little about you." She stated, her eyes glancing over to him. "Not that I mind of course. Just find it funny." Her eyes back on the task at hand then, as she went about opening the bottle.

[loadedparadox.livejournal.com]

"Mmmm, burnt toast," he said with a grin. "I'm sure I'd love it." Getting out the heavy duty paper plates, he started serving up the food. "Maybe later we can go online and you can help me pick out dishes," he suggested, turning to look at her.

"Well, I'll make you a deal. You can ask questions but I reserve the right not to answer, but if I answer, I'm telling the truth and not going to try and hide from it. Deal?"

[dreamsofmazes.livejournal.com]

Her smile grew a bit wider at that, a fond smile on her face as she went searching for stemware. "Or I could just take you on a date to IKEA." Pausing, eyes turning back on him. "Less that's not your sorta thing." She asked, more teased then anything.

"Suppose thats fair, Arthur." Nodding as she pulled the glasses down. "Where you from?"

[loadedparadox.livejournal.com]

"Upper cabinet, left hand side," he said, nodding once more. "A date to go shopping. I think we could make that work. You could help me with the entire issue I'm having with pillows. Never can find the right ones."

He paused a moment, nodding. "I was born in Upstate New York but grew up in the City."

[dreamsofmazes.livejournal.com]

"of course you can make it work. It's what you do best after all." A tease to her tone, watching him out of the corner of her eye, as she went about filling the glasses. "And I will gladly throw my taste at you. Even with pillows. Though I tend to like fluffy comfy things."

Head canting to the side, she smiled, nose crinkling as she attempted to picture that. "Can I say, I can see that. Only been there once. But I can see that. You in the city that is. Not sure you could handle calm and empty places." Pausing, her eyes lit up at the idea of it all. "Not that, that's a bad thing at all."

[loadedparadox.livejournal.com]

"Yes but shopping is something else entirely. I have to say, I don't tend to do well with social situations, as well you've learned before now." Smiling though, doing rather well with the entire social thing between them. "Am I going to end up with a bed I have to strip down just so I can get into it?"

"No, not bad, but you're right. I grew up with the bustle and excitement of the city. My father taught physics," he said, glancing at her with a grin. "And my mom taught music. I grew up pretty much on my own but I loved it."

[dreamsofmazes.livejournal.com]

Her brow arched, curiously more then anything. Only attempting to try, picturing him in a social situation. Or well, what he considered them to be. "Honestly? I thought, well I think, you do fine in them. You always impress me with how you are." She paused, head tilting to the side with a smile. "Perhaps it's all just an act?....I don't know." She shrugged, only to give him a playful smile before she continued. "Arthur, do I look that girly, that I would even let you have a bed like that?"


Her lips pursing together only to hide her smile, forming on her lips. "So that would be where you get your amazing teaching skills? Impressive."

[loadedparadox.livejournal.com]

Chuckling, Arthur picked up the plate, giving a nod. "Come on. As for social situations, there's a difference between work ones and outside of work. I wouldn't even invite you here until it was finished, though I was wanting to since before now," he admitted, setting the plates down on the perfectly made up table. "My designer finished this morning."

Nodding, he looked proud. "There is that. They wanted me to go into education as well but I found something I was better at."

[dreamsofmazes.livejournal.com]

Quickly glancing at the table, she smiled. Only to then look around again a moment, again admiring all that he did. "Why didn't you then?" She asked, her attention now on him, with a curious brow. "It's not like you have to impress me. Though you know, I do love your place."

Nodding in agreement, she leaned up against the chair, watching him a moment. Unable to hide her smile that was on her face. "Well can I say, I'm glad you didn't go into teaching then?"

[loadedparadox.livejournal.com]

"I know I don't need to impress you but I wanted to show something a bit more solid than a hotel room and room service, though I had a thought yesterday that made me almost cancel things." Setting the plates down, he came to pull out her chair.

"Do you plan to return to home after you graduate?"

[dreamsofmazes.livejournal.com]

"And that would have been?" She asked, head tilting to the side quizzically. Now curious what would make him cancel on her.

Her lips pursed together in debate, sliding into the seat. Her attention still on him, and his ever chivalrous ways. "I don't know, I was offered an internship with, Atelier Zundel Cristea after I graduate. And well I can't see passing it up. It's too amazing of an opportunity. But...well." She paused, head bobbing in thought. "A lot has changed you know. Just trying to figure out the best way to go."

[loadedparadox.livejournal.com]

He was quiet a minute, moving to sit into his own seat after assuring she was settled. "It hit me you were graduating soon and I was thinking about what you would be doing and if I would keep this place for long if you went back to the States." Why christen it with a meal, an evening together, if he wasn't staying.

"You should do what feels right to you, Ariadne. In all things."

[dreamsofmazes.livejournal.com]

"Oh." Her nose crinkling at the idea slightly, not sure why her plans should be a reason to cancel. But she was more excited over the idea of seeing the place, worrying it could have been canceled was not something high on her list of likes. "You telling me, if I left, you wouldn't keep this place?" She asked now suddenly curious over what his answer to that might be then anything.

[loadedparadox.livejournal.com]

He shrugged, moving to pour them both wine. "I didn't come to Paris for a nice view, Ariadne. Not to sound that stalkerish, but I wanted to explore a friendship with you. If you're not here, there's only texting and Skype."

[dreamsofmazes.livejournal.com]

Nodding her brow furrowed briefly in understanding. "Friendship..I get that. Not stalkerish." The corner of her lips curled into a ghost of a smile at it, before setting her napkin in her lap. "I'd like to have my own firm one day. So sticking around here seemed to be a good plan as of now. And well, I honestly didn't know how much I would be working with you all again. So it seemed like a good place to figure things out."

[loadedparadox.livejournal.com]

"Good. I'd hate for you to see me as a stalker. Though I would be amazing at it, should I choose to. How do you think Dom found Eames," he said, smiling crookedly.

"When we finished Fischer, the life I'd had for three years was over. Dom was going home. I had no where to go and then you... So I came here to see why that bothered me so much," he admitted. "Why don't you think you'll be working in dream share much? Or you just don't think with us?"

[dreamsofmazes.livejournal.com]

Her brow rose, a smirk settling on her lips. "So you have a thing for stalking Eames then?" She asked, a slight tease to her tone, though laced with curiosity.

"Like I said, I'm glad you came back." There was a ghost of a nervous laugh at that, only to give him a sincere smile. Before bobbing her head again in thought, brow furrowing in thought of his question. "Well honestly? Figured I was just needed for that one job. Help get what Cobb needed. And then you all had your own things going. I don't know. Figured you would all need me, when you needed me." She shrugged at the thought of that, not sure if it was the write words she wanted or not. "As far as working with others. No. I don't see that."

[loadedparadox.livejournal.com]

Picking up his glass and taking a drink, Arthur nearly choked on his wine. "Not... I do it for professional reasons. He's the best and that means, when I need him, I need to know where he is. I do the same with others in dream share."

"You're damn good. One job and you're one of the best out there," he noted, leaning forward earnestly. "You're also young, got sidelined by Cobb and maybe I put out word that you aren't to be bothered but through me. Speaking of, I have two jobs that want you. I'm not on either. Eames is on one. I haven't found a new extractor so not doing much field work yet."

[dreamsofmazes.livejournal.com]

"Oh I see. Curious was all." Biting back an amused sound, she smiled, nodding in understanding.


"You did?" Leaning against the table, resting her chin in her hand. "I should be flattered you're looking out for me, shouldn't I?" She said, a tease to her tone as she smiled a bit brighter. Pausing though, brow arched in thought, as she leaned back into her chair. "Why are you on them?" She asked, more curious then anything over why he wouldn't be.

[loadedparadox.livejournal.com]

"Do you think I don't keep track of you," he asked, giving her a sly look before taking another drink.

"Or pissed that I took over," he said, admitting it was another option. "I can accept if you were pissed but I didn't want some of the dangerous ones out there coming for you because you have a hell of a reputation now," he noted.

"I'm not good with freelance. I work with an extractor. I like the connection where I know I'm more than hired help."

[dreamsofmazes.livejournal.com]

She gave him a look more torn between amused, and are you serious? Just shaking her head, she let out a content sigh, finally reaching for her wine and sipping. "I'm not that hard to keep track of, fairly sure it's not that hard to do." She said it, giving him a playful smirk at the end.

"No honestly, I'm fine with it, Arthur. Just never really thought about it." She admitted, a small hum in thought coming out. "I mean, I know I'm good. But for some reason, I'm not that excited to work with others. I don't know, maybe it's just a phase with school and all? Who knows."

Taking another sip of her wine, she just watched him a moment over the rim of her glass, debating on her question. (Or how to word it.) "So what are you going to do now, if Cobb doesn't come back?"

[loadedparadox.livejournal.com]

Silent, taking a bite of his dinner before offering her a smile. "You ever used your phone to map you way? Turns on the GPS. It can be used by the right people to track you. Why people should still use maps."

Considering her a moment, thinking about it. "Well, I'll tell you now. I take on a full time job any time soon and I'm insisting they ask you first. You say no, fine but I'd rather work with you. I know I can trust you work. Why I like working with the same extractor. If he stays away? I'll start looking for a new one to work for."

[dreamsofmazes.livejournal.com]

Her expression scrunched up at that, obviously trying to put together his statement. "Wait? You've followed me on my phone?"

Her expression softening, a smile settling on her lips at his statement, nodding in understanding again. "I like that idea, Arthur. Besides trusting you, I like ya. Can't see me working with anyone but you for point, if we want to be honest." She admitted again, picking her fork up to move around her food a moment, honestly happy he had said what he did.

"If he doesn't come back." She started, attention back on him again. "Folks will be lucky to have you working with them."

[loadedparadox.livejournal.com]

"No, but I could. I have others. It isn't that hard a program, and it's why I disable the GPS the moment I get a new phone. Safer that way, though I'm glad most don't. How else do I keep track of what matters," he asked, rakishly winking at her.

"I like you too, Ariadne," he said, almost shy for a moment, pausing as he moved to take a bite. "If you're interested in working, let me know. I'm sure I can arrange something with us working together, if you wanted."

A small frown crossed his face. "Chances are, he's not coming back. I'll start actively seeking a new point soon enough."

[dreamsofmazes.livejournal.com]

Her head tilting to the side, pondering all of the facts with that statement. Only to shrug, giving him a small smile. "Call maybe?" She said, a smile on her lips.

"And I'd like that, Arthur. And I will, you know that." She replied, smile not failing as she watched him a moment.

Adjusting in her seat a moment, she nodded, taking a few small bites before saying anything. More knowing, the idea of Cobb not coming back, might not be the easiest thing for Arthur. Or she assumed that was the case. And that seemed to have her stuck on words on how to make it better. "I know you'll find the perfect one. Or you'll figure something out, I have all the faith in the world in you."