The sky was a pale peach as the sun painted its way below the forest of dense green that surrounded the courtyard, taking the daylight with it. Leaving the only the fireflies and soft white lights draped over the rosebushes to guide the dancers through their steps. The courtyard was small and elegant with its Greek statues and gothic pillars hovering at the edge of the dance floor. The dancers were just as stunning moving with grace and perfect timing over the ivory marble floors, wearing dazzling long evening gowns and striking black and white tuxedos. All were sporting masks of different designs and colours, each portraying a different characteristic. Love was dancing with Fear and Passion with Anguish. The music was warm and romantic, a timeless waltz from an era long past but still remembered by those now too old to dance the steps themselves.
"You look beautiful tonight."
Ariadne looked up into the eyes of a man who even with the mask she recognized instantly. He was tall and lean, looking right at home in his tux with his jet-black hair combed back neatly in its usual style.
"Hello Arthur" She smiled at him the familiar warmth she felt in his presence filled her body as she looked at him. It was so nice to see him again. Arthur returned the smile, his brown eyes shining at her behind his mask. It was a deep red shade, startlingly intense against his dark features but unlike the other dancers his mask did not portray an emotion. She wondered if her mask had a face either.
"Would you like to dance?" Arthur offered his hand to her and swept Ariadne onto the dance floor, losing themselves amidst the flurry of masks and gowns. Ariadne looked down at her own to see that it she was wearing a delicate black dress with clean lines and a dramatic strap that clung to her shoulder, the fabric folded onto its self like a pleat. The back was cut low to reveal a dusting of freckles across her shoulder blades, left over from her summer holiday with her parents in Maine.
"Are my shoes that interesting?" Arthur inquired teasingly making her blush.
"I'm sorry, I'm afraid I'm not a very entertaining dance partner." She giggled eyeing a woman who was staring at Arthur as they whirled by. "You know Fury has been checking you out for awhile maybe you could dance with her." Arthur spun her around with ease his hand never leaving her waist as he held her.
"No she's a much too aggressive dancer. I prefer a partner who trusts me enough to let me lead." The song ended and everyone stepped back to give a round of applause. Ariadne clapped as the next song played to a much slower tune. Arthur winked at her and took her hand again, pulling her closer so that she could smell his cologne as she rested her head on his shoulder. They danced in silence and Ariadne closed her eyes and smiled enjoying her moment in Arthur's arms. Suddenly Arthur stopped them and when she looked up at him questioningly he was wearing a thoughtful expression on his face. He reached down and traced his fingertips so gently along her jaw line that she could barely feel the pressure of the timid motion. He then lifted her chin and lowered his own to whisper in her ear, his lips brushing the corner of hers and skimming her cheek.
"Ariadne" he murmured softly, making her quiver. "How will you hold onto reality if you don't have your totem with you?" Ariadne jerked back fearfully and ran her hands frantically along the seams of her dress. No pockets. Arthur smiled and stepped back, melding into the crowd and leaving her panicked and looking about in every direction wondering where she could have put it.
Suddenly the other dancer's swooped around her, trapping her in a whirling blaze of silk, their faces leering at her through their masks. Ariadne tripped and fell backwards biting back her emotions as they threatened to overwhelm her completely. Her terrified mind could only think of one thing.
Was this limbo?
A regal figure stepped from the crowd of dancers his face hidden behind a mask that appeared to be astuteness. He was incredibly tall although his shoulders sagged under the weight of his many years. He offered a hand to Ariadne and his sharp British accent pierced through her dream like an arrow to bring her crashing back to reality.
"Excuse me Ariadne but it would be nice if you would actually take notes instead of dozing of to lullaby land."
Ariadne jerked her head off her textbook and winced as her cheek, which had been firmly stuck to the pages stung. She blushed hard when she realized her entire class was staring at her, a few even trying to pass their laughter off as coughs. She ignored them and jammed her hand into her pocket, nearly sighing aloud in relief when she felt the familiar cold of her totem. She fingered the piece, feeling its unique weight in her hand. She had hollowed out her piece so that its weight was altered, known to her only and proof that she was firmly back within reality.
Miles, ever the gentleman had already resumed his lecture never turning once back to look at her. Ariadne slouched low in her chair and kept her head down for the rest of class waiting for the clock to squeeze the last few minutes out of the hour. When Miles dismissed them Ariadne leapt to her feet, eager to b the first to reach the door. Over the din Miles called out to the fleeing students
"And a word to the wise folks the firms start arriving Wednesday for intern selection. This will be your ticket into the workplace so you'd better bring everything you've got." He turned and his eyes rested on Ariadne. "Ariadne I'd like a word with you about you mid-term project."
Ariadne sighed and made her way slowly back down the aisle. She knew this wasn't about her mid-term project. Miles had graded her on the work she'd done with Cobbs instead of having her submit a design like the rest of the class. She knew for a fact that this was about something else entirely. She winced hoping she wasn't about to be scolded for falling asleep in class. She had been so busy lately catching up with her missed work. Most of the teachers were lenient when it came to student who took on "work placements" because they knew how tough competition was to be hired by firms but it wasn't just school that had been draining her lately. Ariadne slipped her hand back into her pocket and ran her hand over her totem. All she could think about was extraction and inception. It filled her every waking thought and even as her little nap had proven, her sleeping ones. At least she had been safely inside her own subconscious, not a foreign one.
"I see your little jaunt has left you tired." Miles cut straight to the chase, not looking up from the papers he was looking over. "Ariadne I know it is hard coming back from something like what Dom offered you. Once the taste gets in your mouth…" he smiled ruefully "well it's a very hard taste to forget. Sort of like going from Fruit Loops to Granola isn't it?"
Ariadne smiled "Something like that."
"Well I just hope you're being smart about it all. You'll make a brilliant architect Ariadne if that's the path you choose." Ariadne knew what Miles was implying. Cobb had told her once that there was other teams like his contracted by big corporations to extract their competitions secrets. And if word of her teams successful inception ever got out. Well then the job would get a lot more dangerous. Extraction wouldn't be enough for the businessmen of the world and every team needs an architect.
"Dom called me this morning before I left for work." Miles cut into Ariadne's thought train abruptly. So this was why he had held her back.
"He filled me in on Filipa and James, their thrilled to have him home finally." Ariadne smiled politely, waiting for Miles to reach his point. "He also asked if you were attending classes. He sounded worried about your welfare is there something you want to tell me?"
She shot him a puzzled look and shook her head. Miles frowned slightly before continuing. "Dom said you should keep your eyes peeled for trouble and if you saw any to call him." He handed her a number written in the professor's familiar scratchy handwriting. "He also added that he would be visiting the school soon. Not long just a few days to check up on you."
Ariadne frowned too, a small pucker appearing between her eyebrows. So that was why Miles was so troubled. They both knew Cobbs would never leave his children after not seeing them for so long. Even for a few days. Something was wrong and the stakes would have to be very high if Cobb was making the trip out himself.
Ariadne pondered what could possibly be the problem as she said goodbye to Miles and began the short walk back to her apartment. She pulled her coat tight around her as she made her was past the shop windows listening to her boots clicking on the cobblestones.
She loved Paris. Everything about it from the way the city bloomed beneath the shade of the Eiffel Tower to the wonderful espressos she could get at her favourite café. After the Fischer job she'd laid low for a while visiting her parents in Maine and although she'd enjoyed seeing them again she found herself restless. Here in the city she loved so much that anxiousness had lessened some but not gone away.
Ariadne bit her lip as she reached the lobby of her apartment and began climbing the ancient rickety stairs. With her share of the money from the job she could have easily bought a new place but she loved the feel of her old apartment. The large windows provided ample light for drawing and the white fleur-de-lis plastered on the wall gave it character. She dropped the keys on the table beside the door and wandered through the mess of sketches, books and models. She went over to her collection of music and slipped one of her records from its worn cover and placed it in her player. The soft voice of Carla Bruni filled the apartment while she set about making dinner.
Her music was so loud that she didn't even hear the intruder enter her apartment. She heard the whisper of the floorboards from behind at the last minute and turned to find a tall burly man looming over her. She screamed and grabbed the kitchen knife she'd been using to chop tomatoes. The man disarmed her with ease and slammed her up against the cupboards sending the vegetables she'd been cutting flying. Ariadne wasn't going down with out a fight though and lashed out forcefully. With a rush of adrenaline the slight girl kicked at her assailant, connecting firmly with his knee. The man grunted and his knee jerked causing him to loose his grip on her for a split second.
That was all she need as she dashed out from beneath him and proceeded to wildly throw everything with in her reach at the man while she sprinted for the exit. He lunged at her just as she skidded to the doorway, taking her down painfully on the wooden floors. She shrieked uncontrollably as he climbed on top of her, pinning her beneath him. She scratched and cut at every part of his skin she could lay her hands on. When his fingers closed around her neck and abruptly cut off her screams her mind struggled to comprehend what was happening.
She couldn't breathe, her lungs were protesting and black spots were swimming in front of her. No, no I can't die she thought wildly, her energy draining from her limbs. No please no! She thought of Arthur and fear ate away at the little strength she had left. Arthur.
Suddenly the man tensed and fell off her, slumping onto the floor. Ariadne coughed, gulping at the air that she struggled to breathe. A shiny pair of black shoes walked past her and kicked the man's body, which remained motionless. Then the shoes turned in her direction and she tried to get a good look at the man looming above her but it was impossible. The pain in Ariadne's head was agonizing and her lungs burned from the lack of oxygen. She was rapidly losing consciousness when she felt hands lift her up into strong arms. Is this what it feel like to fly? She wondered vaguely as the hands swung her around and carried her away.
Then everything went black.