Ariadne

I sat quietly at my desk, a cup of black coffee to my right and a handful of ink pens scattered about to my left. Claire de Lune was playing softly from the little stereo on the shelf across the room. I scratched my head with the pen I'd been using, stumped as I stared at the drawing directly in front of me. It was probably the thousandth sketch I'd done of the exact same thing for the last year. A building that - from the looks of my recreation - could only exist in a dream... because that's exactly where it was from.

It had been a year since the Fischer Inception and a year since the team broke up, but no matter how many times I tried, I could never remake the exact replica of Arthur's hotel. I sighed deeply and tucked my pen behind my ear, crumpling up the drawing and tossing it across the room into a waste basket, already overflowing with all my previously discarded attempts. Go figure, I missed.

Things had basically went back to normal for me in the months following my first and only job. As normal as they could considering I now had enough money in my bank account to make Bill Gates look like a bum. I'd moved out of the tiny apartment I had been forced to share with a roomate who I didn't even like, and into my own studio/flat. It really wasn't too much larger than my previous address, but the peace in knowing that the place was all mine was comforting. The drawing room was my most favorite place in the apartment, the place where I spent most of my free time; the entire west wall filled with my sketches, a huge bookshelf filled with all kinds of literature, and my mahogany desk which was pushed up against the north side of the room, looking out the windows at the view of Paris. The Eiffel Tower the most prominent feature across the skyline.

I'd also returned to school to further my career in architecture, all my student loans now paid in full and the entirety of my upcoming semesters taken care of. It was great knowing I was now financially stable and in a few years I would be set up with a good job in a career I loved. However, there was still a void in my life that I just couldn't fill.

Nothing is ever quite the same after you've been a part of the world of dreams. No building I drew now could ever exist in reality. Recently I couldn't seem to focus on my assignments. Every time I touched my pen to paper another impossible idea seemed to flow onto my sketch book. I missed the freedom of constructing structures with nothing but my mind, 'pure creation' I'd once called it. Reality could not compare.

I missed my team too, the men I'd grown to know as my friends. Cobb, the leader and one of the greatest Architects I'd ever met, though constantly plagued by thoughts of his desceased wife, Mal; never gave up the hope that he'd one day see his kids again. Yusuf, the funny genius Chemist who was always playing around with new concoctions, constantly creating and experimenting. Eames, the hilarious although sometimes annoying Forger, his British accent and witty banter always entertaining. And finally, Arthur; Cobb's point man, always clad in his three-piece suits, giving a air of mysteriousness while all the while maintaining his well-kept look and confident demeanor.

I missed each and every one of them, but Arthur most of all. Throughout the months that followed the Fischer job I would occasionally still find myself thinking back to the chaste kiss we shared while trying to remain inconspicuous to Fischer's subconcious, and his response after I had noticed that Fischer's projections were still glancing at us suspiciously.

"Yeah, it was worth a shot."

I would regularly find myself trying to dissect the meaning behind those words. Why did he randomly ask me to kiss him to cause a distraction he already knew wouldn't work? The longer I thought about it though the crazier I made myself feel and eventually I tried to shut the entire memory out of my mind, for my sanity's sake.

My dreams were no longer the same, as I feared but expected when I first taken the job. For the first few months after Inception I would have recurring dreams of Cobb's dangerous projection of Mal and being stuck in Limbo. Then slowly over time, I couldn't remember any of my dreams, not sure if I'd even been having any at all. This frightened me. I though back to all the people that Yusuf treated. He would put them into an induced sleep with the help of heavy sedatives just so they could dream again. I got so scared that I went to Miles and begged him to have Cobb call me. Though we were all told to stay out of touch as a safety precaution, Cobb broke the rules and flew to Paris for a few days -his kids in tow, for fear of being away from them- to speak to me.

"The dream world is addicting, Ariadne. You know that and have known that since the first time I took you under. You've seen what it can to to people, and you saw what it has done to me. It's been years since I've dreamt at all. The damage becomes irreversible after extended periods in other people's dreams" Cobb said while my thoughts drifted back to the first time I'd entered the realm, the cafe that seemed real enough until everything began exploding around us, flying by in slow motion.

"I feel horrible for bringing you into this life, never sure what's dream and what's reality anymore" he admitted. "No, no. Don't blame yourself. You did what you had to to do so that you could be with your children again. I don't blame anyone but myself. The dream world is seductive, and I was hooked from the second I came back to the warehouse and accepted the job" I reassured him. He seemed sympathetic.

"Have you spoken to any of the team, besides me?" I asked quickly. "No, none of them. I have no idea where they even are right now. The last time I saw them was probably the last time you saw them too; at Saito's dinner party shortly after the completion of the Fischer job, where we all recieved our shares of the profit" Cobb answered. "I didn't think so, I don't even know why I asked," I sighed "you all just became like my family, ya know? I miss that."

"Yeah, I know" Cobb said, taking my hand. His stay was short, but before he'd left he had placed small green bottle on my living room coffee table with a note underneath.

'Yusuf gave me this some time ago to help my dreaming, however my mind is too far gone for it to truly work or do any good, so I figured it would benefit you more. It's a low grade sedative but it should help you to better remember your dreams. Use it sparingly, I'm told it works quite well. And remember, if you ever need anything, I'm only a phone call away. Don't hesitate. - Dom'

It'd been a month since Cobb's visit, but now I sat on my bed, the green bottle in my hands. I looked at it and tipped it back and forth while watching the serum go from one end to the other, mulling over the cursive instructions Cobb had left. "Well, it's worth a shot, right?" I asked myself. I popped the cork stopper off the bottle and very carefully poured three drops of the potion into the glass of water on my nightstand that I'd filled only moments before digging the gift from my dresser drawer. After the liquid mixed into my drink, the clear water took on an opalescent glow.

I stared at it for a few more seconds before bringing the glass to my awaiting lips and draining the entire contents. I sat back, waiting, putting my now empty cup back onto the coaster on my nightstand, trading it for the book next to it. Obviously the effects weren't instantaneous, so I opened it to my bookmarked page and began to read as I scooted farther back onto my goose-down pillows.

I don't remember falling asleep, but within ten minutes I was completely out and now standing in front of the large hotel I'd been drawing over and over for months.

I walked through the revolving doors and it was as if I'd stepped right back into the Fischer job. The lobby was exactly the same, neutral colored walls, utilitarian furniture and spase walls, only decorated with what were probably recreations of priceless originals here and there. The projections of my subconcious walked by me as I took in every detail. I came to the stairs Arthur had designed. Paradox stairs; they never ended yet never seemed to go anywhere, simply taking you back to the exact same spot you'd been moments before.

My eyes wandered to the modern little couch near the stairs that Arthur and I had sat during the Inception, where he'd kissed me. It all felt too real and when I heard the deep familiar voice from behind me I was happy that the serum Cobb had provided me actually worked.

"Ariadne?" I heard as I turned towards the stairs. Arthur was only a few feet away from me, looking as dashing as he always did, wearing a black suit with a grey shirt, his hair slicked back like normal. "May I ask you why you're dreaming of me?" he questioned, walking slowly in my direction. "I-I'm not sure" I stuttered as he got closer to me. "I miss you Ari" he told me. 'This is a dream,' I told myself, 'this is my imagination.'

Arthur inched closer and there was now only a small space between us. "You did?" I asked, now looking up at his face because he was so close. "Of course, how could I not miss my favorite little Architect?" he smiled coyly. I could feel his body heat with as close as he was and he only continued to inch closer until there was no space between us at all.

Arthur wrapped his arms around me and pulled me to his chest. "Ari" he breathed as he leaned his face down to meet mine; our lips were only centimeters apart now. "I love you" Arthur whispered. My eyes were glued to his. The exact moment our lips touched, I heard a shrill ringing noise and my dream projection of Arthur turned into a misty cloud of smoke and floated away. Then everything, the projections, the hotel, everything... faded into nothingness.

I shot up in my bed, the loud ringing still in my ear, and looked to see my cell phone lit up. I reached for the interruption, flipping it open in a hurry and pressing the green button to take the call. 'Whoever it it better have a damn good reason for waking me up' I thought furiously. I ignored the fact that it was an unkwown caller and put the phone to my face.

"Hello?" I snapped. "Hello, Ariadne" a mans voice answered. Immediately I knew who it was by his accent. "Saito?" This was unbeliveable, I had to still be dreaming. "Yes, I apologize for the time but I'm calling because I happen to have another job offer for you." My eyes widened at his last comment, and my breath hitched in my throat, leaving me unable to say anything but stammer, "Wh-What did y-you say?"

"Are you interested?"