I woke up.
That's all I seem to remember. I mean, I remember glancing at the rest of the team, and I remember walking off the plane, going through customs, getting my luggage...But that's it. I don't remember how I got to my hotel, or if I ate, or if I slept during my stay in LA.
I think I was just on a high for those few days.
It all came crashing down though, when I got back to Paris, to school.
I had missed a few days, what with the "work placement," but I didn't think I would miss that much.
I'm a good student. That's a given. I was referred to Dom because I was Professor Miles's "best and brightest." But once I got back to his class, and the rest of my other classes, I didn't think it was worth catching up.
I got to experience something beyond any other student's capacity to experience. I was lucky. There was no way I could go back to my life as a student and just forget.
So I went under.
I dropped out of school and I started to make a name for myself. I knew Dom wasn't going to go back to the world of dreams, and I was right: as soon as he held his kids in his arms, he retired. When I called him, however, he said he would refer me to other extractors he knew. And off I went, becoming one of the best architects for hire.
Every once in a while, I would see the other guys from the crew: Arthur here and there; Eames every so often; even Yusuf. This went on for a few years. Some jobs went fantastic, and some didn't go so well.
I loved every minute of it.
~*Author's Note: Just a short little number. I just finished watching it and got a bit inspired. I feel like a lot of people I know don't like Ariadne's character, but I love her. I got to wondering what she would do after Inception, and this popped up. I hope you enjoyed it!