Disclaimer: I do not own Inception, although I do wish I owned Joseph Gordon-Levitt. Just sayin'.
Dream a Little Dream of Me
The night air chilled the young Architect's exposed skin. The street was empty and quiet, except for the sound of the clicking of her heels on the pavement. She saw her destination in the distance: a tall, ornate, Neo-Baroque style building with marble columns, and an endless amount of tall, arched windows. From where she stood, she was able to see a beautiful chandelier with light glinting off every single facet. As she approached the entrance to the building, an elderly doorman with kind eyes smiled and held the door open for her.
"Thank you," she said, offering him a small smile.
"You're welcome, miss. Enjoy your evening," said the doorman, with a twinkle in his eyes.
The building's interior was far grander than its exterior, if possible. She stood in the center of the foyer and took in her surroundings. There were so many intricate details that her eyes could not focus on one thing. The light from the chandelier reflected off every surface, filling the foyer with light. The effect was dazzling. Everything appeared to sparkle and glimmer right before her eyes. The beauty of it all astounded her, leaving her in awe. This place reminds me of the Paris Opera House, she thought to herself. That can't be it. Cobb taught her to never to recreate memories. That was the quickest way to lose oneself to dreaming.
She caught a glimpse of herself in one of the mirror-paneled walls. Her hair was gathered in an elegant bun at the nape of her neck, her makeup was simple and tasteful, emphasizing the golden honey color of her eyes. However, what caught her attention most was her dress: a vintage-inspired, blush pink, chiffon gown with the back, shoulders, and sides covered in a soft, feathery lace, the material gathering at her midsection and falling gracefully to the floor. She also noted a hidden slit coming down from mid-thigh. Ariadne thought it was the most beautiful dress she had ever seen.
She heard the faint sound of music and conversation coming from the second floor and followed it up the grand staircase. The sound of her heels echoed with each step. As she continued to climb the stairs, something caught her eye. At the top of the banister was a mask. It was the same blush pink color of her dress with the same feathery lace covering its entire surface. Somehow knowing the mask was meant for her, she put it on. It covered from her forehead to her nose. I'll be unrecognizable wearing this.
As she approached the entrance to the ballroom, the music grew louder. She opened the large, ornate door to find a masquerade ball in full swing. I've always wanted to go to one of these things.
She headed in the direction of the bar. The bartender, wearing a simple black mask, flashed a smile. "What can I get you?" he asked.
"A glass of pinot grigio, please."
She toyed with the rim of her wineglass as she watched the couples spiral past her. Her eyes wandered towards the stage where an elegant, caramel colored woman belted the ending note to a song that had been playing since before Ariadne arrived. As the following song began to play, a man approached her. He was tall with dark hair, clad in an all-black suit with a grey silk tie. His mask, similar to Ariadne's, covered from his forehead to his nose and was black with grey scrollwork near the outside corners of the eyes. In the dim lighting, she could not make out who this man could be. Even as he stood right in front of her, she still could not decipher whose face was hidden beneath the mask. It wasn't until he spoke that she knew who this man was.
"May I have this dance?" he asked as he extended his hand towards her.
She smiled. She'd recognize his voice anywhere. "I'd love to."
Ariadne put her hand in his and let him lead her to the dance floor, trying but failing to ignore the electric current she felt when their hands touched.
The Point Man entered the warehouse that served as their headquarters for the Fischer inception. The job was done. It was time for him to cut off all ties with everyone he worked with and lie low until their next job. This was routine, what he was accustomed to. He felt angry with himself for getting attached. He knew that that would put him and the others in great danger. But he didn't know if he could wait around until the next job to speak to her again. He should have been at the airport, waiting for his flight to go home but instead he went back to the warehouse, hoping to see her one last time. From the moment Arthur met Ariadne, he felt an overwhelming desire to hold her, protect her.
"Hey, hey, look at me. You're ok, you're ok," he said to her as she awoke in a panic from her first shared dream experience.
The first time Arthur and Ariadne shared a dream, he abandoned all the rules he lived by. For once, he did something for spontaneity's sake instead of planning it every step of the way.
He noticed the panic in her eyes. "What's happening?" she asked him.
"Cobb's drawing Fischer's attention to the strangeness of the dream, which is making his subconscious look for the dreamer. Me. Quick, give me a kiss." He said the last bit without even thinking.
Without a moment's hesitation, she leaned into him and their lips touched. It was a chaste kiss but it sent a current throughout Arthur's entire body.
"They're still looking at us," she said, a slight flush crawling onto her cheeks.
"Yeah, it was worth a shot." He noticed the look on Ariadne's face and hoped that maybe, just maybe, she felt the same.
Arthur knew he was crossing into dangerous territory but he no longer cared.
He looked around the warehouse, casting a glance at Ariadne's workspace. It was completely empty, except for the messenger bag she normally carried with her. She must be here, he thought. Arthur looked around warehouse and found her lying in a lawn chair, hooked up to a PASIV machine. He noticed she still had a little less than 10 minutes left on the timer.
Walk away, said a voice somewhere deep within him. He ignored the voice.
Once he set up a chair next to the PASIV machine, he grabbed one of the leads, cleaned the area with an alcohol swab, and inserted it into his arm. Within seconds, he drifted off into a deep, drug-induced sleep.
After hours of dancing, flirting, and laughing, Ariadne was on cloud nine. Despite her elation, she felt a twinge of sadness. This projection Arthur was an exact, physical replica of the real Arthur but Ariadne knew the real Arthur would never behave this way. Projection Arthur portrayed the feelings she wished the Point Man felt for her. There were a few times where she thought he might have felt something more than friendship but she knew she was lying to herself. He was always courteous nods and polite smiles, never more than that. Once she woke up, it would all be over. She'd return to the Arthur who claimed he was her friend, but kept his distance. The Arthur with a fortress surrounding him, allowing no one in. She then remembered she wouldn't be able to communicate with him for months. She pushed away her depression and tried to enjoy her dream. If she calculated it correctly, she had about five minutes left on the PASIV.
"You dance very well," said the man in the mask as they swayed to Ella Fitzgerald's rendition of Dream a Little Dream of Me. Ariadne felt a blush creep onto her cheeks. Thank goodness for the dim lighting, she thought to herself.
Stars shining bright above you
Night breezes seem to whisper, "I love you"
"Thank you," she said. "Do you know what time it is?" She wanted to double-check the time, just to be sure.
Birds singing in the sycamore tree
Dream a little of me
He checked his watch. His eyes widened slightly as he read the time.
Say nighty-nighty and kiss me
Just hold me tight and tell me you'll miss me
"It's almost midnight... Excuse me for a moment. I think I had too much to drink." He said, releasing her.
"Are you alright," she asked, concerned.
"I – I have to go." He looked at her for a moment and held her face in his hands for a moment. Before she realized what was happening, his lips were on hers. It was a short, sweet kiss but it left Ariadne breathless. He held her hand in his for a few seconds and stroked her knuckles with his thumb. Before she could say a word, he was already heading towards the door.
While I'm alone and blue as can be
Dream a little of me
Arthur walked away from Ariadne as fast as he could. According to his watch, he had a little less than five minutes left before the timer ran out. He needed to wake himself up now, before Ariadne woke up and found him lying next to her. She was smart; she would put together all the pieces and realize what has happened. Arthur knew she would be upset so he did what any person in his situation would do. He nonchalantly walked to the bathroom and chose a stall at the far end. It's the men's room. No one uses the stalls. Once he was inside with the door shut behind him, he pulled out his gun. I hate this part, he thought to himself. Without further thinking, he placed the barrel of the gun on his temple and pulled the trigger.
He awoke with a start, as he always does after killing himself in a dream. On instinct, he immediately took in his surroundings and saw the Ariadne sleeping peacefully next to him. He checked the timer. Three minutes and twenty-seven seconds. He took one last look around the warehouse before exiting. That was when he noticed the empty lawn chair next to Ariadne. Shit! I need to put that chair back where it was. He picked up the lawn chair, folded it, and placed it in the corner with the others. He glanced at the timer. One minute and fifty-three seconds. He headed for the door, and left without a glance behind him.
Ariadne woke up feeling several emotions, mainly confusion. She didn't understand why projection Arthur ran off the way he did. He was part of her subconscious. Where did he need to be, other than in her dream? Unless... No. That was impossible. The Point Man was at the airport, miles away from the warehouse. There goes that wishful thinking of mine. She inhaled deeply and stopped. She inhaled again and caught a familiar scent in the air, a scent that made her think of only one person. If she had to put it into words, she would say it was a crisp, clean smell, like a spring meadow in the woods. She knows it well as she has spent so much time wondering what it would be like to be engulfed in it completely. It wasn't until this very moment that she realized just how powerful the imagination can be.
Author's note: So, what'd you guys think? I hope you enjoyed my story. Reviews are highly appreciated it! Thanks for reading!