Fan request. A mistake in the compound has Ariadne accidentally invading the private thoughts and memories of her team.
The Bleed
1.
~ 'I'm lost.' Ariadne thought as she wondered why the dream had turned so strange. She looked around the nameless, generic hallways and wondered where she was. This was not the dream she had designed and she wondered where her team was.
Normally, she had no trouble finding her team down in the depths of the dream. She always arrived where she was supposed to and Arthur, Cobb and Eames would quickly find her or she them.
Now... what was this place?
She slipped down the darkening hallways as strange sounds emanated from haunted corners.
~ "Ariadne?" Arthur was shaking her awake.
The Architect cried out as she felt the claws of that dark dream loosen; and she was released back into the waking world. She opened her eyes and realized the fear had followed her out. Her heart was beating wildly and she couldn't shake the feelings and images she had seen as she tried to breath normally again. Her body shaking from all she had seen and couldn't forget.
"Ariadne?" Arthur was asking her gently. His hands on her arms as he made her look at him. "Hey. It's alright. You're alright now." He told her.
She stared at the Point Man for a long time before she remembered where she was. She was in the workshop, laying on one of the lawn chairs. She had been teaching the team member a maze she had designed when the strange thing happened. Now, she looked at the Point Man for clues that he was real. Not more trickery from the darkness.
"Arthur?" She whispered. She could feel tears stinging her eyes. "It that really you?" She asked.
Arthur sighed and nodded.
"Check your totem." He told her as Cobb and Eames were in the room. The Point Man in him seeming professional and almost curt in front of the others.
She glanced over at the Extractor. Cobb looked fine. His face wasn't clouded with fear like hers was. Eames glanced up at her, looking confused. They were both in the lawn chairs with the white cords from the PASIV still attached.
She fumbled a hand into her pocket and felt the unusually light weight of her bishop. Her thumb rolling over the scoring she had put on it to make it so unique.
"Yuseff, what happened?" Arthur barked at the Chemist.
"I don't know!" Yuseff exclaimed nervously.
"We couldn't find her!" The Point Man said gruffly.
"Ariadne? Are you alright?" Cobb asked. The Extractor's hand going to her arm in an attempt to comfort her.
The Architect flinched away at the threat of him touching her. Her breathing still labored from the dream and all the horrors that she had seen there.
"Ariadne?" Arthur was back. The Point Man kneeling in front of her as she tried to convince herself she was safe and in the real world.
"You're awake. You're alright." Arthur said making her hand clasp his own.
"I know!" Ariadne started to cry. She couldn't help it. She had to get away.
She was around men she normally felt very safe with. Now, she knew things about them. She knew all their secrets, and she was terrified.
"I have to go." She stammered as she brushed off Arthur's hands and stood. She almost tripped as she grabbed her red jacket and raced out the door.
Arthur and Cobb trying to call her back.
~ It was raining in Paris that day. Not a cold rain, but the air was clean and a faint hint of the seasons changing flowed through the streets.
Ariadne tried to ignore the rain falling on her as most of the people in the streets walked with umbrellas.
"Ariadne!" Came Arthur's voice.
She turned and saw the Point Man drive beside her in the Teams car. A black, luxury thing that was impressive yet forgettable. She was g;ad Arthur had come alone. She didn't want to see Cobb right now.
"Ariadne! Get in the car!" He barked as the rain started to fall heavier on her.
The Architect looked up and down the street. She could always duck into a shop and wait the storm out, but Arthur had pulled the car up to the curb and was wanting her to get in.
~ "What happened?" The Point Man asked once a dripping wet Architect was safely cloistered in the cabin of the car.
He felt his face tighten at the idea of the leather seats getting wet, but he ignored it.
"Nothing." Ariadne whispered.
She still looked upset as he drove her home.
"You need to tell me. We lost you on the first level. Couldn't find you at all. Where were you?" He asked. He was starting to feel a little panicked.
"Nothing happened." She looked like she might cry again. "Nothing's wrong."
"Ariadne." Arthur said. His voice becoming calmer. Something had happened in the dream and she wasn't telling him.
"Just take me home." She said abruptly.
"Did you check your totem? You're out now. You're safe." Arthur told her. It was the only comforting words he knew to tell her.
"I know that." Ariadne said looking out the window.
"Tell me what happened. Cobb's really worried." Arthur said.
"Cobb's worried. Are you worried?" The Architect accused.
Arthur glanced at her.
"Of course I'm worried." he said. He felt slightly insulted. They had both agreed to keep their feelings for one another to themselves. They didn't show affection in front of the team. Arthur thought it was unprofessional.
"I just want to go." Ariadne said shaking her head.
"Alright. We'll go home." Arthur conceded.
~ The Point Man drove her to the trendy district when Ariadne lived. He loved her loft style apartment. Loved how it was filled with color and feminine things and smells. Loved how comfortable and open it was. His own living space was barren and modern, but her's felt like a home.
"Do you want me to stay?" Arthur asked as she grabbed her kettle off the stove and put some water on to boil.
"No." She told him bluntly. She was pulling off her red jacket and smoothing out her wet hair.
"Please, go put some dry clothes on, before you catch cold." Arthur told her. He could just see her in bed and sick from running out in a fall rain for no reason.
She nodded and retreated to her tiny bedroom. A sheer curtain partition separating her bedroom space and he caught small glimpses of her changing. The Point Man stood in her living room and watched the rain beat down outside. His back to her bedroom to give her move privacy.
"How well do you know Cobb?" Ariadne suddenly called out as he was preparing to leave.
"Pretty well. Why?" Arthur asked.
"No reason." Ariadne said as she dressed. "How well did you know Mal? Did they get along well?"
"Like something out a fairy tale. They were very much in love." Arthur told her. "Why do you ask?"
"Arthur, are you sure Cobb didn't kill Mal?" Ariadne asked.
"Yes. He loved her more then anything." Arthur said turning back to her. She was dressed in simple lounge clothes.
"Arthur, I trust you. I trust you more then anyone else. I lost myself in the dream." Ariadne whispered. "I found myself in Cobb's memories. I saw him murder his wife."