Eames was by no means a coward. He was, after all, both a Forger and a Thief in the dream world, two of the most dangerous jobs as a profession.
Before he had been a Dreamer, Eames had actually studied Theatre at the Conservatory of Theatre in Ireland. He had developed boh prodigious skill in both character study and inhaling large qualitites of alcoholic beverages. His Junior level he had been introduced to a rather wealthy local named Swansen, who had introduced him to the underground gambling scene.
He had dropped out of school after gambling away his school money and instead spent his days being lost in the murk. Swansen got caught counting cards at a casino, and had split with the money while turning Eames in to the establishment's security.
Eames, barely twenty, had been severely beaten and thrown out of the casino, but with no money or transportation he had gone back in and begged for a job. The casino refused to hire him, but the Security Officer happened to have a son his age named Teddy. Teddy and Eames became inseparable, teaching each other the skills of their trade- Teddy, as the son of a cop-turned-security-officer, taught Eames to fight and shoot; and Eames taught Teddy how to count cards and charm ladies.
Several years later the two were working a table in a glamorous casino Stateside when Teddy had been shot during a robbery. Eames had spent the evening with a lovely and graceful Frenchwoman who introduced him to Edith Piaf and told fantastic stories about places she'd seen. Shots had rang out and Eames had turned in time to see Teddy fall to the floor. He had been caught in the crossfire.
The woman had grabbed Eames by the wrist and insisted he leave with her- "because of the danger". They had ran through the casino and out into the night, swallowed by the glittering lights of the City of Sin.
Eames had cried, tears streaming down his face, and the woman called Mal had held him to her and let him cry.
The first time Eames had met Cobb was later that night, in an airport that seemed bright and clean and dreamlike; unreal. Eames had stumbled alongside Mal, who had purchased two tickets and gotten them both onto a plane while he was still dazed and in shock.
At the last possible minute before takeoff, a man in a suit and wearing a wedding ring had bustled onto the plane and sat down with a huff, his eyes roaching wildly. Mal had taken his larger hand in both of her own and whispered comforting things to him in her native language. He had shaken his head and continued to look about, long past the seatbelt light had turned off. Finally, he leaned back in his seat, loosened his tie, and turned to Eames.
Mal had explained, rubbing Eames' shoulder comfortingly. She introduced him as her husband Dom Cobb, an architect. Eames had simply sat there, stunned.
As he left the airport, stepping into the bright sun of the dry African continent, Cobb had handed him a business card and told him to contact him if he ever wanted a job. Mal had done one better and invited him to dinner whenever he wanted.
He had gone to dinner a gambler; more boy than man, broke and beaten down, but he had left a Thief, filled with dreams and ambition once again.
A Thief was technically below an Extractor, though the job was much more difficult than Extracting. Thieves stole information- permanently, ripping it out of the subconscious whilst covering their tracks. It was called Eradication by the experts, and illegal almost everywhere.
Before Cobb and Mal had returned to France, they had encouraged Eames to purchase supplies and a personal PASIV and practice while they were gone- when they had a job they would return for him.
He had wandered Mombassa and found Yusuf, an aspiring Chemist with delusions of grandeur. The two had become acquaintances, and after Yusuf had learned about his theatre background had diligently shifted through his list of contacts (no small feat- he seemed to know everyone) and discovered through a friend of a friend's friend (as it often was in the business) there was a man who could change his appearance in dreams without bringing attention to the strangeness of the dream. He had used mirrors.
Eames had dreamed a Hall of mirrors- from ceiling to walls, walls to floor, and spent ten hours real time until he had Teddy's eyes.
Yet even when he had finally mastered the appearance, something seemed off. He wasn't Teddy- he just looked like him. So he packed his suitcase and traveled to France, asking only for a place to stay. He had discussed with Mal his Mombassa adventures, and she had promptly sent him to her Father, who informed him Forgery was a legitimate skill and handed him several papers on the subject.
Eames had of course skipped he sections on the psychological process behind it and gone straight to the parts that discussed what Forgery could do.
Later, after Fischer, he would go back and wonder why he too hadn't gone insane. He had loved Teddy as a brother, and yet no projections haunted him. He had never lost himself in the dream world, never forgotten his identity. So he had gone to America exactly five months three weeks and four days after the Inception and knocked on Miles' door, begging for answers.
Miles had said most Forgers wanted to be someone else- were ashamed or scared or simply unhappy. They used that want to fuel their desire and actually became the identity they had taken on, losing themselves.
And as for Teddy- Cobb had taken a deep breath and told Eames how Mal had really died. Neither had said anything after that because there was nothing to say. But Eames had understood.
No, Eames was not a coward. But he couldn't bring himself to Ariadne Yusuf was really dead.
AN- this was written on my iPod in the hallway of my English building. Skill. Anyway, I'm taking a break from what's happening now to go back to what's happening then. I want this to be a really full, rich story.
Well, actually my ultimate goal is to make my O.C. somehow fanon, but let's be real- that's not gonna happen.