Ariadne scanned the room, examining the suitcase. "If you're going to experiment with it, be careful, and just in case something traumatizing happens, Arthur will be in the other room over there, hes working on some plans. If you need anything just ask him alright? I got to get going now." Cobb said throwing his jacket on. Ariadne gave him a hug tightly and thanked him.
Cobb rushed down the elevator. Ariadne glanced over to the room, and saw Arthur with his head down, his hand placed on his forehead keeping his head from falling, scribbling onto papers, occasionally crumbling up some papers and throwing them across the room. She pulled the chair back and sat down, opening the suitcase and strapping the equipment to her wrist, and pressing the button. She took a deep breath, just before she fell asleep.
'Where is this?' Ariadne thought to herself and looked around, sitting outside a cafe, with coffee in front of her.
No familiar faces, people chatting with each other, drinking their coffee.
Ariadne stood up and walked over to the sidewalk, when she saw a familiar face.
"Mom?" She said to herself and walked over to the lady, with dark wavy hair, wearing a black fur coat.
"Mom, what are you doing here...are you...with me? In reality?" The woman looked at her strangely.
"Who are you, and what are you talking about?" She said, and Ariadne knew for sure it was her mother. Her mother had a birthmark on her wrist she couldn't miss, she had freckles under her eyes, and a tiny scar on her cheek from a childhood accident, there was no doubt this was Ariadne's mother.
The lady looked at Ariadne waiting for her reply, but Ariadne was dumbfounded, and simply just said "Never mind." and walked away.
'Cobb didn't tell me people I knew could be in my dreams. I thought they could only be in my dreams if they were hooked up to the equipment with me...' Ariadne thought to herself and leaned against the wall, watching everyone pass by her.
"Strange, isn't it?" Arthur said, behind her with his hands in his pockets.
"Arthur? What are you doing? I thought you were working on plans." She looked at him strangely, a bit annoyed about how he let himself into her dream.
"I still am. This is your dream, Ariadne." He said and smiled.
"You mean...you're just my subconscious?" She said.
"Am I, Ariadne?" Arthur winked at her, pacing around with his hands in his pocket.
"Stop messing around with me Arthur. I haven't even gotten used to this whole thing and you're going to try and mess with me, and bring yourself into my dreams?" She hissed.
"Think, Ariadne, would the real Arthur do this?" He quickly leaned in and kissed her on the lips lightly. She looked at him speechless and lightly brushed her lips with the tips of her fingers.
"Exactly. The real Arthur wouldn't do that." He chuckled and began to walk away, crossing the street.
"W-...Wait!" She yelled out and ran up to him, but he kept pacing. "This...just doesn't make sense, how come Cobb never told me about th-" She cut herself off, realizing the things he had showed her earlier. She remembered how Cobb always has Mal in his dreams, how shes always in them, but shes not hooked up to the machine with him, shes just his subconscious, always with him. 'But why Arthur? Why is he my subconscious? Out of everyone why him?' She thought to herself.
"Get it now?" He smirked, walking down the street together, never taking his hands out of his pockets. She swallowed hard and nodded slightly.
"It just doesn't make sense though, why are you here, out of everyone, why you?"
"I feel insulted." He pouted.
"It's not an insult it's a question."
"I'm here because you brought me here."
"No I didn't."
"Think, Ariadne, when you dream you don't exactly dream of the people you want to dream of they just happen, no matter if you want them there or not, their just there." He turned around and faced her. "Now enough with the questions." He turned back around and continued pacing.
"But why-" Ariadne began.
"Ah-ah, I said no more questions." Arthur said.
"You said 'Enough of the questions' not 'No more'." She shot back.
"Same thing."
"For my subconscious, you sure are a dick." She said and rolled her eyes, Arthur chuckled, turning into a grin.
"Where are we go-" Ariadne got cut off once again by Arthur.
"I said no questions."
"I was just wondering."
"Nowhere in particular, just wandering I guess, and besides, this is your dream, I don't know my way around here, only you do." Ariadne looked around, but noticed everyone was staring at Arthur as he walked passed them. He was in front of her, and only the eyes were only locked in on him. 'Cobb told me the subconscious would only stare at the intruders...wait a minute...' She thought to herself.
"Arthur!" She yelled.
"What now?" He turned around and tilted his head back, unamused.
"You are the real Arthur. Your hooked up to the machine with me. You're not my subconscious, I mean, look, they're all staring at you, meaning you're the intruder in the dream!" Ariadne put her hands on her hips.
"It's just because I'm so good looking." Arthur said.
"Liar." Ariadne shot back.
Arthur finally took his hands out of his pockets, and pushed Ariadne against the wall, locking her in by placing his hands on each side of her. "How many times must I prove you wrong, darling?" He said with his lips dangerously close to hers, brushing against her lips as he talked.
"Ju-..just because you kiss me isn't exactly proving me wrong." She looked him in the eyes and felt her face start to burn. A smile curved onto Arthur's lips.
"What must I do to prove you wrong then?" He said quietly and softly.
"I don't know..." She looked around.
"Exactly. If you don't know, I don't know." He unlocked her from his arms.
"That's it, I'm getting out of this dream and figuring out whats going on." Ariadne said and looked over the bridge they were standing on, nothing but concrete and traffic at the bottom. "Your not really going to jump are you?" Arthur said.
"Of course I am. Cobb told me if you die in the dream you wake up."
"And whats that going to prove?"
"I will wake up and figure out if it's the real Arthur in my dream with me, hooked up to the machine, or if you really are my 'Subconscious'"
"Darling, would the real Arthur do this?" He took two steps back into the street.
*VROOM*
Bam, A bus hit Arthur faster than the speed of light, his body vanished as soon as he hit.
"Oh my god!" Ariadne panicked, putting her hands over her mouth. 'He was my subconscious?' She thought to herself, still in shock. She looked around, nobody notice, or seemed to care that Arthur has just been hit by a bus. 'This is too much..' She thought to herself. 'I can't do this...this is too confusing...' She put one leg over the rail of the bridge and looked at the concrete below, and watched as the cars flew by below. 'Okay...I should wake up as soon as I hit the ground..' She put the other leg over the railing but before she could jump-
"You sure about that?" Arthur said behind her, hands in his pockets, looking perfectly fine.
"Arthur!" She swung her legs back onto the bridge and hugged him tightly.
"Did that prove you wrong yet?" He smiled.
Arthur and Ariadne wandered around in the dream. Exploring all the places Ariadne had made in her mind. They walked into a hotel, gold flooring, statues of angels alined the ceiling, butlers waited beside the elevator, and Arthur and Ariadne both walked in. "What floor?" The butler said. They looked to see there was only one floor.
"Well, looks like we'll be going to floor 2, today sir." Arthur said kindly and the butler pushed the button as the elevator doors closed.
"Having fun?" Arthur smiled at her.
"Of course...but I'm still just a little..."
"Iffy?"
"Exactly."
Ding The elevator doors opened to a long hallway, seeming like it never ended.
"Wow.." Ariadne admired. She ran down the hallway running as fast as she could. "This is amazing! It never ends!"
Arthur smiled, and chased after her. Ariadne looked behind her as she ran down the never ending hallway, and let out a yelp and giggle when she realized Arthur catching up to her with the biggest grin on her face. Arthur leaped and tackled her, both of them falling to the ground, him on top of her. They panted, trying to catch their breath. They both exchanged laughter and Arthur rolled off of her, laying next to her on the floor. "Heh...so you're really...a...*pant* my subconscious?" Ariadne smiled at him and all he did was return the smile back at her. She looked up at the doors on each side of them. "Room 703 huh?" She chuckled and stood up, opening the door. The room was bigger than the whole hotel, she thought. Marble floors, a huge dining table on the right side of the room, a chandelier made of real diamonds hung above the room, stairs that led to a balcony above the room, with only one door atop.
"Pretty big dreamer I see." Arthur said as he examined the room, taking a few steps in with his hands behind his back.
"This is amazing." She said and ran up the stairs onto the balcony that looked down at the room.
"Why, hello up there." Arthur waved up at her.
"Oh, Romeo!" She laughed waving down at him and he climbed up the stairs with a grin. She yelped with excitement, running away from Arthur as she opened the single door.
"Wow." they both stopped at the door way, in awe.
"Nice bedroom." Arthur winked at her, and Ariadne blushed as she walked into the room.
"I really can't believe that I made all of th-" Ariadne was cut off, by Arthur spinning her towards him, crashing his lips into hers. He snaked his arms around her waist, and licked her bottom lip.
"Ar-Arthur-!" Ariadne said, breathing heavily.
"Yes..?"
"What are you doing..." She had her arms around his neck.
"What you want me to do." His lips curved into as smile, as he began to breath hard.
"What are you talking abo-" Ariadne got cut off. He crashed his lips into hers again, and pushed her against the wall, holding her hands above her head. He kissed her tremendously, and passionately, like there was no tomorrow. He kissed along her jawline, and made his way down to her neck. Ariadne gasped. "Arthur.." She felt his lips curve into a smile as he continued to kiss her neck. She finally lost into the lust, put her hands on each side of his face and kissed him passionately.
"Mm, Ariadne, darling." He pulled away and smiled at her, and she looked up at him, a bit of confusing of what exactly was going on, why she was doing this, and why he was allowing her.
"I hate to be a tease dear, but it feels like I'm turning your dream into my dream."
"What do you mean?" She said softly.
"That I don't want to take advantage of your dream." He winked at her. "Which means I will end it here." He walked toward the balcony beside them, and looked down at the street below, which seemed like it was 800 stories high.
"Arthur no-!" She reached out for him but it was too late, he hopped the railing and she watched him fall to the bottom, and his body vanished. She sat at the ground, holding the rail bars, and felt the tears slide off her cheeks. She stood up and looked down, wiping her tears, she put both legs over the railing, hoping for him to come back and say 'Are you sure about that?' but there was no luck. He didn't show up. She took a deep sigh and pushed herself off the railing. Falling so quickly it felt like falling in slow motion. She watched as the ground got closer, the cars moved faster. The car horns honked, the voices sounded louder, and she hit the ground, she heard her own splat, her vision went white.
Her eyes shot open, and she shot into sitting position, gasped for air and started breathing heavily. She looked around the room desperately, Arthur was not hooked up to the machine. She tore the equipment off her wrist and looked around the room, spotting Arthur in the same spot, sitting at a desk, his head hanging low as he scribbled into papers. She stood up, looking at him in awe. She walked up slowly behind him.
"Awake I see! How was it?" Arthur said putting his hands on his knees smiling.
"It...was...was strange." She looked at him, dumbfounded, tilting her head to the side looking at him.
"Yep, can usually be strange. Nothing Traumatizing though right?" He stood up and looked her face to face.
"..A bit.." She blushed and looked away.
"Hey Arthur?" "
Yeah?"
"You didn't um...Come into my dreams did you? Like...hook yourself up to the machine?" She asked and rubbed the back of her neck. Arthur looked at her for a long time, until he burst out chuckling.
"Of course not, that would be intruding...Why, were you dreaming of me?" He looked at her suggestively.
"Yeah.. a couple of times is all." She blushed again and he chuckled.
"I see." He pulled her into a hug and she hugged him back tightly, letting out a deep sigh.
"I should be getting home now.." Ariadne said to him, a look of confusion still on her face.
"Of course. Be safe, and we'll see you tomorrow." He did a casual two-finger-salute to her, and winked. She exchanged a smile as she walked down the elevator. Arthur walked across the room, running his fingers through his slicked back hair, with the biggest grin on his face. He looked at the open suitcase, with all its equipment. He began to assemble it back into its case. He reached down and put two of the cables that connect to their wrist back into the case and closed it. A smile never leaving his face as he let out a deep sigh of satisfaction.