Disclaimer: not mine, cept Ari
AN: I know I said Dal was going to be in it.... He's coming up. You just gotta wait another chapter or so.
Chapter 3: Explanations
She bent to retrieve his spell books for him, but he batted her away.
"A kiss... I think, "was her response.
"You think?!" he snarled.
"Well, I've never kissed anyone before... I- I think that was a kiss, " she faltered, turning red. "I'm sorry. I thought you wanted it." She turned and hurried for her room, more than a little embarrassed.
He stood there, moments after she had left, shivering. Being very good at repressing emotions, he shoved the feeling down, saving it to analyze later. However, his curiosity was aroused, she had said that she thought he had wanted it. He knew that the entire evening he had been acting his usual self-a tactic guaranteed to repel not only women but also everyone. No magic had been cast upon her, nor was she really acting out of pity because no one kissed someone they pitied. He tried to figure out what gain anyone would get out of hid falling for the girl, but she did not even come from this world. So none of the mages on Krynn were responsible-that left the mages of the girl's planet. Of course! They had sent her as a spy to figure out his power then they would steal it and try to rule both worlds.
Pleased with figuring it all out, he magicked his books back into his arms and shuffled off for his room. Just as he closed the door behind him and set down his books there was a scream from the room next to him.
He hurried out the door in time to see Caramon burst into her room, a short sword in hand. This caused another scream. Raistlin sighed, brushing past his brother.
"There clearly are no intruders here, Caramon. Go back to bed and let me deal with this, " he shoved his older brother out of the room, closing the door behind him. Raistlin spun around, "What was that all about?"
"Wordlessly she pointed to a very large spider that was sitting on the wall by the bed. He moved to smash it, but Ariana leapt in front of him and caught his arm with her hands. "Please, " she murmured.
He stood a moment, looking down at her. She hadn't yet changed out of her wet clothing and her nipples were poking at the drenched material. He quickly moved to a safer place: her lips. The top was thinner than her full lower lip and they were colored a light pink. Unwillingly the memory of her mouth on his sprang to the foreground.
Ariana's eyes widened and she shivered. It looked like she knew exactly what he was thinking. She removed her grasp from his arm and backed away. "Open the window would you?" Then, she began to search for a cup and heavy sheet of water. Once she found those, she managed to capture the spider and flung it out the window, shutting it behind the spider.
"What did you mean 'I thought you wanted it'?" Raistlin asked, leaning against a chair.
Ariana moved past him and dug around in her bag, finally finding the light purple garment she was looking for. She turned away from him, peeling off her tank top.
Raistlin hissed, turning his back on her.
"Well, " she started, "I meant what I said. I truly thought that was what you wanted. I'm an Empath too with a bit of a Pretender in the mix. So when I touch things I get pictures and feelings. That's how I thought you wanted to kiss me." She walked so that she stood in front of him, "You obviously weren't going to make a move, so I did it for you. Something I'm terribly sorry about."
Her nightgown was all silk and lace, falling about mid-thigh. She began to braid her hair in one long braid for the night.
"Sorry about the quality or the incident in general?"
"Why are you so obsessed with the kiss? If I didn't know any better I'd say you liked it, " she teased.
He snatched her upper arm, drawing her closer, "Shut up, " he hissed, giving her a little shake, and then released her.
She rubbed her arm, gazing at him solemnly, "Sorry. I was just playing."
"Also, earlier, " Raistlin went on, as if nothing had happened, "you mentioned two mages who traveled here years ago and wrote books. Were they also from Earth? How did they manage to travel? Who taught them? Are they powerful wizards?"
She shrugged, "I don't know. I haven't ever read the books."
He stared at her in disbelief. His conclusions and schemes were shattered. However, none of this showed on his face, having practiced for a good deal of time hiding reactions that might give the opponent the upper hand. Quickly, he pulled at straws, trying to remember if she had any other connections with magic. He usually wasn't this fragmented. "Your grandfather is a mage, " he began.
"Yes, but he mostly uses it for psychiatry-that's what he is: a psychiatrist. I suppose this world travel is just a hobby. He's most comfortable at home." She was now rummaging through the bag again, this time bringing out a button-up shirt, much too large. She put this on, "What else? You're so curious-this is as much as I've ever heard you talk."
He shook his head; wearily sinking into the chair he'd been leaning on. She sat down in front of him on the floor.
"Are you a good mage?" she asked.
"The best in my field."
"Wow. Is everyone black-robed?"
"No. There are also white and red. Black robes are for evil, red for neutrality, and white for good."
She laid her cheek on his knee.
"Have you no sense of personal space?" he mused aloud, trying to move away. "Black robes are evil. You should be fearful and respectful."
Ari moved so that her chin was there instead. "I live with evil people daily. Evil is now something that I can be comfortable with. Besides, one cannot be evil all the time. You're not evil when you sleep, nor when you study. You're not actively being evil. It does not bring respect, anyway. All it brings is fear and pain. Respect had to do with what a person does to earn it." She yawned, hiding it by bowing her head. "Aren't you tired?"
He nodded, trying to shift away again. She rose, offering her hands in assistance. He attempted to sidestep her, but she pulled him into a hug. Instead of relaxing a little into the embrace, as she would have thought that he would have, he remained stiff. She tried not to pry into his feelings to give him privacy, but it was hard. Ari could feel a mixture of desire and hatred for that feeling, for the feeling of need, underlined with a basic confusion for both emotions. She pulled herself away before he had a chance to, "What do you want?"
"What do you mean?" he asked, drawing into himself.
"You're so confused and so much in turmoil, I can't tell what you want anymore. I get the feeling that you want me, but hate me, but are ashamed of both feelings. There are motives-maybe not yours, but certainly there. Suspicion. Fear. Excitement. It comes all so fast I can barely read it, let alone understand it all. So I ask again, 'what do you want'?"
"Isn't that a bit presumptuous of you to go poking through my head then expecting to 'fit in' somewhere? Why would I want anything from you?"
"That's not presumptuous of me at all. I read what was there, nothing more, nothing less. If you're going to insult me then you can leave. Figure out what's in your heart and then we can have a decent conversation. Perhaps you can prove me wrong in my interpretations. Would that suit your bloody cynicism enough?" Ari wrapped her arms around herself, vaguely annoyed at how much his snippy comments hurt. Then she sighed; it would do her no good to be angry at him. It would only fuel animosity. "I would like to be a friend to you. Not out of pity, but because I think you're an interesting person. I don't pity you, you know."
Raistlin nodded, unable to find something to say in return. He had come to find out who had sent her and why, only to learn that she knew nothing about it. She had been able to read him like a text, so the customary masks were useless. And she wanted to be friends. The blunt concept of it all made his head ache.
"Have you heard anything that I've just said?" she asked.
"Yes.
"And your reaction to that would be...?" she prompted.
"Still processing. You're more blunt than even I can be."
"Could you 'process' somewhere else? I'm going to bed." Ari kissed his arm in passing, crawling into her bed. "You're welcome to join me if you don't snore."
Raistlin shook his head, blowing out her lights as he exited the room for the night. In his own room he undressed for the night and lay in bed, unable to sleep. Much had gone on. He replayed her actions are words over and over again, trying to pick out a kernel of meaning or a slip of the tongue that would betray her true intent. Taking what she said at face value was just as hard. He desperately wanted to be friends with her, but that was such a silly idea. Mentally he kicked himself around the room. The magic that ruled his life would not play second fiddle to a woman and he doubted Ariana would enjoy being below his magic. Yet, at the same time he didn't want to give either up. Well, that was a fairly loose sentiment because she only wanted to be friends and if she were merely a friend, the competition would be fairly non-existent. But he didn't particularly want her to be just a friend and he had a feeling that she shared the sentiment. She had kissed him, after all. Friends don't go around kissing one another now do they?
Raistlin could feel himself falling for her. The funny thing was, he didn't want to stop it. She had not shied away from his appearance or personality. In fact, she thought he had pretty eyes and found him interesting. That had to count for something. A nice bonus was that he found her to be beautiful. Being immortal made her safe from his decaying gaze. Of course, he reasoned, she perhaps wasn't even interested. That would be logical. He wasn't much to look at with a skinny frame, white hair, and golden skin. He could be interpreting things as more than they seemed; it wouldn't be the first time. He had a flare for the melodramatic.
As he drifted off to sleep, he could still fell her lips upon his.
Everyone was up and ready for the day by the time Ariana stumbles into the kitchen. She was dressed in short denim shorts and several layered tank tops. On each wrist were several beaded bracelets and multiple necklaces around her neck. Her hair was up in two buns in the back, messily tied with several strands of ribbon. What hair was free was kinked from last night's braiding.
She hugged Caramon and Tika, then sat next to Raistlin at the table and put her head on the tabletop, yawning. "Sorry about waking you all, " she said, "It was a spider. Raistlin helped me catch it and throw it out the window. It just startled me, was all. I don't mind spiders when they aren't crawling by my head."
Tika nodded, "Would you like anything to eat? We're having pancakes and eggs and bacon."
"Eggs and coffee sound good. If you have any coffee."
The red haired woman pointed to a pot of coffee. "Fresh. What do you take in it?"
"Milk and sugar, please." Ariana reached under the table and found Raistlin's knee, giving it a squeeze in greeting, simultaneously assessing his state of being. He was still tumultuous, but a little calmer about his feelings. It was like he had a plan and was still trying to work out all the small details.
She turned her head so that it was facing him and opened her eyes. He was regarding her, a small smile hinting at the corners of his mouth. She smiled at him, trying to encourage him.
"You look ridiculous, " he told her, a smile maliciously on his lips.
Instead of taking it to heart, she grinned even bigger, "Thank you."
The smile faded, "That wasn't a compliment."
"I know, but I'll take it as one anyway.
Tika set the plate and cup in front of Ariana, "We're just finishing up here, then heading over to the Inn. Come over as soon as you're ready." Then she and Caramon left.
Ariana quickly ate her breakfast and got up to clean her dishes in the bucket of soapy water. "Are you done eating?" she asked, turning to face Raistlin, hands still soapy.
He pushed his plate away, barely touched, "Yes. Hours ago."
"No wonder you're so skinny. You don't eat anything." Ari wiped her hands on a nearby towel sat down by him, pushing the plate towards him. "Try eating more."
Raistlin picked it up, taking it to a bin into which he dumped the contents of his plate. "I did." He proceeded to wash his plate, "Are you ready to go?"
"You're such a brat, " she told him incredulously, "dumping your breakfast into the rubbish bin." She stomped out of the kitchen and returned a minute later with a bag slung over her shoulder. "Come on, let's go." Ari slipped her hand into his only to have him try vainly to free it. "Hey, relax, " she told him, "I'm just holding you hand. In case you haven't noticed I like physical contact. Thrive on it, if you will. Are you embarrassed? Is it un-mage-like to hold my hand?"
"It implies feelings of endearment, which are not mutual, " he snarled.
"I think it is mutual. Last night's dreaming reveals that don't you think? Your problem is that you're too terrified to initiate anything. You may be a powerful mage but you can't gather up enough courage to feel something and voice it to another human being."
The look in his eyes could have reduced her to ashes. "You aren't human."
"You are avoiding my confrontation."
They glared at each other for several moments. "We should get going now, " he told her evenly, pushing aside even anger. "This is a conversation for much later and only because you are driving me insane." With that, he grabbed her by the arm and marched her to the Inn so fast she did not have to breath to argue.
AN: I know I said Dal was going to be in it.... He's coming up. You just gotta wait another chapter or so.
Chapter 3: Explanations
She bent to retrieve his spell books for him, but he batted her away.
"A kiss... I think, "was her response.
"You think?!" he snarled.
"Well, I've never kissed anyone before... I- I think that was a kiss, " she faltered, turning red. "I'm sorry. I thought you wanted it." She turned and hurried for her room, more than a little embarrassed.
He stood there, moments after she had left, shivering. Being very good at repressing emotions, he shoved the feeling down, saving it to analyze later. However, his curiosity was aroused, she had said that she thought he had wanted it. He knew that the entire evening he had been acting his usual self-a tactic guaranteed to repel not only women but also everyone. No magic had been cast upon her, nor was she really acting out of pity because no one kissed someone they pitied. He tried to figure out what gain anyone would get out of hid falling for the girl, but she did not even come from this world. So none of the mages on Krynn were responsible-that left the mages of the girl's planet. Of course! They had sent her as a spy to figure out his power then they would steal it and try to rule both worlds.
Pleased with figuring it all out, he magicked his books back into his arms and shuffled off for his room. Just as he closed the door behind him and set down his books there was a scream from the room next to him.
He hurried out the door in time to see Caramon burst into her room, a short sword in hand. This caused another scream. Raistlin sighed, brushing past his brother.
"There clearly are no intruders here, Caramon. Go back to bed and let me deal with this, " he shoved his older brother out of the room, closing the door behind him. Raistlin spun around, "What was that all about?"
"Wordlessly she pointed to a very large spider that was sitting on the wall by the bed. He moved to smash it, but Ariana leapt in front of him and caught his arm with her hands. "Please, " she murmured.
He stood a moment, looking down at her. She hadn't yet changed out of her wet clothing and her nipples were poking at the drenched material. He quickly moved to a safer place: her lips. The top was thinner than her full lower lip and they were colored a light pink. Unwillingly the memory of her mouth on his sprang to the foreground.
Ariana's eyes widened and she shivered. It looked like she knew exactly what he was thinking. She removed her grasp from his arm and backed away. "Open the window would you?" Then, she began to search for a cup and heavy sheet of water. Once she found those, she managed to capture the spider and flung it out the window, shutting it behind the spider.
"What did you mean 'I thought you wanted it'?" Raistlin asked, leaning against a chair.
Ariana moved past him and dug around in her bag, finally finding the light purple garment she was looking for. She turned away from him, peeling off her tank top.
Raistlin hissed, turning his back on her.
"Well, " she started, "I meant what I said. I truly thought that was what you wanted. I'm an Empath too with a bit of a Pretender in the mix. So when I touch things I get pictures and feelings. That's how I thought you wanted to kiss me." She walked so that she stood in front of him, "You obviously weren't going to make a move, so I did it for you. Something I'm terribly sorry about."
Her nightgown was all silk and lace, falling about mid-thigh. She began to braid her hair in one long braid for the night.
"Sorry about the quality or the incident in general?"
"Why are you so obsessed with the kiss? If I didn't know any better I'd say you liked it, " she teased.
He snatched her upper arm, drawing her closer, "Shut up, " he hissed, giving her a little shake, and then released her.
She rubbed her arm, gazing at him solemnly, "Sorry. I was just playing."
"Also, earlier, " Raistlin went on, as if nothing had happened, "you mentioned two mages who traveled here years ago and wrote books. Were they also from Earth? How did they manage to travel? Who taught them? Are they powerful wizards?"
She shrugged, "I don't know. I haven't ever read the books."
He stared at her in disbelief. His conclusions and schemes were shattered. However, none of this showed on his face, having practiced for a good deal of time hiding reactions that might give the opponent the upper hand. Quickly, he pulled at straws, trying to remember if she had any other connections with magic. He usually wasn't this fragmented. "Your grandfather is a mage, " he began.
"Yes, but he mostly uses it for psychiatry-that's what he is: a psychiatrist. I suppose this world travel is just a hobby. He's most comfortable at home." She was now rummaging through the bag again, this time bringing out a button-up shirt, much too large. She put this on, "What else? You're so curious-this is as much as I've ever heard you talk."
He shook his head; wearily sinking into the chair he'd been leaning on. She sat down in front of him on the floor.
"Are you a good mage?" she asked.
"The best in my field."
"Wow. Is everyone black-robed?"
"No. There are also white and red. Black robes are for evil, red for neutrality, and white for good."
She laid her cheek on his knee.
"Have you no sense of personal space?" he mused aloud, trying to move away. "Black robes are evil. You should be fearful and respectful."
Ari moved so that her chin was there instead. "I live with evil people daily. Evil is now something that I can be comfortable with. Besides, one cannot be evil all the time. You're not evil when you sleep, nor when you study. You're not actively being evil. It does not bring respect, anyway. All it brings is fear and pain. Respect had to do with what a person does to earn it." She yawned, hiding it by bowing her head. "Aren't you tired?"
He nodded, trying to shift away again. She rose, offering her hands in assistance. He attempted to sidestep her, but she pulled him into a hug. Instead of relaxing a little into the embrace, as she would have thought that he would have, he remained stiff. She tried not to pry into his feelings to give him privacy, but it was hard. Ari could feel a mixture of desire and hatred for that feeling, for the feeling of need, underlined with a basic confusion for both emotions. She pulled herself away before he had a chance to, "What do you want?"
"What do you mean?" he asked, drawing into himself.
"You're so confused and so much in turmoil, I can't tell what you want anymore. I get the feeling that you want me, but hate me, but are ashamed of both feelings. There are motives-maybe not yours, but certainly there. Suspicion. Fear. Excitement. It comes all so fast I can barely read it, let alone understand it all. So I ask again, 'what do you want'?"
"Isn't that a bit presumptuous of you to go poking through my head then expecting to 'fit in' somewhere? Why would I want anything from you?"
"That's not presumptuous of me at all. I read what was there, nothing more, nothing less. If you're going to insult me then you can leave. Figure out what's in your heart and then we can have a decent conversation. Perhaps you can prove me wrong in my interpretations. Would that suit your bloody cynicism enough?" Ari wrapped her arms around herself, vaguely annoyed at how much his snippy comments hurt. Then she sighed; it would do her no good to be angry at him. It would only fuel animosity. "I would like to be a friend to you. Not out of pity, but because I think you're an interesting person. I don't pity you, you know."
Raistlin nodded, unable to find something to say in return. He had come to find out who had sent her and why, only to learn that she knew nothing about it. She had been able to read him like a text, so the customary masks were useless. And she wanted to be friends. The blunt concept of it all made his head ache.
"Have you heard anything that I've just said?" she asked.
"Yes.
"And your reaction to that would be...?" she prompted.
"Still processing. You're more blunt than even I can be."
"Could you 'process' somewhere else? I'm going to bed." Ari kissed his arm in passing, crawling into her bed. "You're welcome to join me if you don't snore."
Raistlin shook his head, blowing out her lights as he exited the room for the night. In his own room he undressed for the night and lay in bed, unable to sleep. Much had gone on. He replayed her actions are words over and over again, trying to pick out a kernel of meaning or a slip of the tongue that would betray her true intent. Taking what she said at face value was just as hard. He desperately wanted to be friends with her, but that was such a silly idea. Mentally he kicked himself around the room. The magic that ruled his life would not play second fiddle to a woman and he doubted Ariana would enjoy being below his magic. Yet, at the same time he didn't want to give either up. Well, that was a fairly loose sentiment because she only wanted to be friends and if she were merely a friend, the competition would be fairly non-existent. But he didn't particularly want her to be just a friend and he had a feeling that she shared the sentiment. She had kissed him, after all. Friends don't go around kissing one another now do they?
Raistlin could feel himself falling for her. The funny thing was, he didn't want to stop it. She had not shied away from his appearance or personality. In fact, she thought he had pretty eyes and found him interesting. That had to count for something. A nice bonus was that he found her to be beautiful. Being immortal made her safe from his decaying gaze. Of course, he reasoned, she perhaps wasn't even interested. That would be logical. He wasn't much to look at with a skinny frame, white hair, and golden skin. He could be interpreting things as more than they seemed; it wouldn't be the first time. He had a flare for the melodramatic.
As he drifted off to sleep, he could still fell her lips upon his.
Everyone was up and ready for the day by the time Ariana stumbles into the kitchen. She was dressed in short denim shorts and several layered tank tops. On each wrist were several beaded bracelets and multiple necklaces around her neck. Her hair was up in two buns in the back, messily tied with several strands of ribbon. What hair was free was kinked from last night's braiding.
She hugged Caramon and Tika, then sat next to Raistlin at the table and put her head on the tabletop, yawning. "Sorry about waking you all, " she said, "It was a spider. Raistlin helped me catch it and throw it out the window. It just startled me, was all. I don't mind spiders when they aren't crawling by my head."
Tika nodded, "Would you like anything to eat? We're having pancakes and eggs and bacon."
"Eggs and coffee sound good. If you have any coffee."
The red haired woman pointed to a pot of coffee. "Fresh. What do you take in it?"
"Milk and sugar, please." Ariana reached under the table and found Raistlin's knee, giving it a squeeze in greeting, simultaneously assessing his state of being. He was still tumultuous, but a little calmer about his feelings. It was like he had a plan and was still trying to work out all the small details.
She turned her head so that it was facing him and opened her eyes. He was regarding her, a small smile hinting at the corners of his mouth. She smiled at him, trying to encourage him.
"You look ridiculous, " he told her, a smile maliciously on his lips.
Instead of taking it to heart, she grinned even bigger, "Thank you."
The smile faded, "That wasn't a compliment."
"I know, but I'll take it as one anyway.
Tika set the plate and cup in front of Ariana, "We're just finishing up here, then heading over to the Inn. Come over as soon as you're ready." Then she and Caramon left.
Ariana quickly ate her breakfast and got up to clean her dishes in the bucket of soapy water. "Are you done eating?" she asked, turning to face Raistlin, hands still soapy.
He pushed his plate away, barely touched, "Yes. Hours ago."
"No wonder you're so skinny. You don't eat anything." Ari wiped her hands on a nearby towel sat down by him, pushing the plate towards him. "Try eating more."
Raistlin picked it up, taking it to a bin into which he dumped the contents of his plate. "I did." He proceeded to wash his plate, "Are you ready to go?"
"You're such a brat, " she told him incredulously, "dumping your breakfast into the rubbish bin." She stomped out of the kitchen and returned a minute later with a bag slung over her shoulder. "Come on, let's go." Ari slipped her hand into his only to have him try vainly to free it. "Hey, relax, " she told him, "I'm just holding you hand. In case you haven't noticed I like physical contact. Thrive on it, if you will. Are you embarrassed? Is it un-mage-like to hold my hand?"
"It implies feelings of endearment, which are not mutual, " he snarled.
"I think it is mutual. Last night's dreaming reveals that don't you think? Your problem is that you're too terrified to initiate anything. You may be a powerful mage but you can't gather up enough courage to feel something and voice it to another human being."
The look in his eyes could have reduced her to ashes. "You aren't human."
"You are avoiding my confrontation."
They glared at each other for several moments. "We should get going now, " he told her evenly, pushing aside even anger. "This is a conversation for much later and only because you are driving me insane." With that, he grabbed her by the arm and marched her to the Inn so fast she did not have to breath to argue.