Isis
"I have come to be a protector unto thee."
The funeral chamber speech of Isis
The sun was out, and shining. Warm, though the chill of fall was creeping ever closer to the large, country house.
The Team had withdrawn from Ariadne's mind for the night. Thanks to the sedative Yori prepared, the Architect would have no memory of the Team invading her dreams. Or so they hoped. Arthur stayed close to his wife as she slept peacefully.
When she finally woke, hours later, she seemed confused to see him. She looked at him very carefully. As if she was suspicious of him. But after a few minuets, the fog seemed to lift from her eyes.
Cobb had been right about one thing. Ariadne didn't question it when Arthur said he wanted to feed Audrey. She watched them both contentedly as her husband gave the new baby a bottle.
"That's so sweet that you want to bond with her." She told him kissing his temple. Arthur pretend to laugh. To hide the memory of her stabbing him and the very real fear her felt for her.
Alexander was curled on his mother's lap. Jealous of this new creature taking away all his parents attention. Not understanding why such a thing was.
Around noon, Sybil's hired gun arrived. Ariadne was not expecting any more visitors and was surprised to see the warm older lady at her door.
"Oh my!" The Pleasant Lady exclaimed with laughter at seeing the Architect. A bright smile was lit on her face. "What a pretty face you have, my dear!" the lady had bright brown eyes and graying hair in a mess of lose curls. Her figure was pleasingly endowed. Her skin was fair, but reddened by the sun. Her accent, obviously British. Her clothes were a colorful mismatched array that was showed the lady dressed for comfort and function only. A sharp contrast to the elegant and classic taste the family always wore.
The Pleasant Lady wasted no time in entering the front door. Not waiting for Ariadne to invite her.
"Oh, and what a splendid home." She said looking around the original wood paneling that adorned the great room.
Ariadne caught herself smiling. The Pleasant Lady seemed to have brought the sun inside with her. It's warm beams falling on the Architect's shoulders as she stood in silence at the door.
"Who's at the door?" Arthur said coming into the great room. He stopped abruptly when he saw the intruder. There was nothing about her that suggested they were in any danger from this woman. She smiled warmly at the Point Man.
"Now you must be the husband, so handsome. And you my dear," She turned to Ariadne. "Your his lovely wife, with the little ones?"
Ariadne couldn't help but smile again as she went to stand by her husband. Something about this woman gave her no fear at all.
After all the Teams bad luck with strangers, nothing alarmed them now.
"Um, yes a little boy. He's two. And we just had a little girl." Ariadne admitted. Arthur wrapped his arm around his wife's shoulder as the Pleasant Lady beamed at them.
"Oh, how wonderful. You know, little boys are for their mothers. Little girls, are for their fathers. Boys always love their mothers, and girls always love their fathers. People think it's the opposite but it's not. Not at all." The stranger sighed and looked at the Point Man. "You mark my words young man, there will come a time when you think the only person who loves you is that little girl."
It was Arthur's turn to laugh softly. He turned to his wife who couldn't stop smiling.
"Um... I'm so sorry but... who are you again?" Ariadne asked. Feeling embarrassed. The Pleasant Lady threw up her hands and rolled her eyes.
"My Dear! Oh, I would lose my head! I do apologize, I get so flustered sometimes. My name is Isis*." The Pleasant Lady told them. Her warm smile never leaving them. Like a yawn, her smile was contagious.
"Hello Isis." Sybil said coming into the great room. "I'm Sybil. Thank you so much for coming." the Control took the Pleasant Lady's hand and they greeted one another.
"Um.. Sybil?" Ariadne said. "Who's your little friend?"
Ariadne was told that Isis was a friend of Sybil's mother. Like Hagion had been. The rest of the Team knew better however. Isis was one of the Dreamers Sybil had told them about.
A powerful Dreamer who would help them bring the Architect back. For now, they had to lie to Ariadne about who Isis really was. They could not let her know they were planing to go into her dreams again.
Isis was easily welcomed into the tightly knit family. She was like a beloved mother come for a much anticipated visit. The Children, were especially drawn to her warm nature.
"Nothing at all like Circe's other students." Eames whispered to Cobb. The Pleasant Lady was seated in the Large Parlor with the Team as well as the children around her. Warm sunlight shown through the windows on the visitor as she chatted endlessly.
"My Dear Pippa*, lets brush out these snarls from your hair." Isis said to the girl as Phillipa allowed the Pleasant Lady to comb and braid her long blond hair.
"That's what the Bennett sisters* next door call me." Phillipa beamed. The Extractor smiled.
"She's always over there when she's not here." Cobb told Isis.
It was an easy and comfortable few hours with Isis around. Jokes were shared over lunch and when Ariadne went to put Alexander down for his nap, the talk turned to the real reason for Isis coming to see the Team.
"I was trained as an Extractor." Isis said. Her manners still kind and easy. "When dream sharing was just getting started, I was recruited because I was working as a therapist in London. I've always had a way of getting people to tell me things. It works well in the Dream."
"I thought you were one of Circe's students." Eames said. Isis nodded.
"She was our Team leader. Circe... was a great mind. Capable of doing things in dreams no one ever dared to think of. She was not only an Extractor, but an Architect, Forger and Chemist." Isis explained.
"She took all of us to heights never thought possible before." Isis sighed at the memory. "Reality... never seemed enough for her after the dream world."
"We haven't had a lot of good experiences with Circe, or her people. How do we know we can trust you?" Saito said. The Businessman was still distrustful of the Witch and her students. With good reason.
"Because, Ariadne is losing herself to the dream. And from what Sybil has told me, we don't have much time. Soon she will chose to remain in the dream." Isis said, her face and manners growing desperate and worried.
"She'll kill herself?" Arthur asked softly. Isis shook her head.
"She won't try to kill herself, she will just stay in the dream."
"How do you know that?" Saito asked. The Pleasant Lady looked at the Businessman.
"Because Sir, this is exactly how we lost Circe." She said sadly.
*Isis, Egyptian, Goddess of Motherhood, Children, Magic and Fertility. Isis was the friend to slaves and the downtrodden. Protector of the dead.
*Pippa, Common nickname for Phillipa
*Bennett Sisters, From Pride & Prejudice.
~I like to think of as Isis as Brenda Blethyn, She played Mrs. Bennett (the Mother) in the Joe Wright's 2005 version of Pride & Prejudice. I thought she was just so warm and wonderful. I also think the large country house the Team now lives in would be the same house (Longbourn) from the movie.
Pride & Prejudice is my favorite movie. Inception is a close second. The first 5 min in, I was thinking "I want to go and live with the Bennett family!"
If you like Arthur and Ariadne, you will LOVE Lizzy and Darcy. Trust me, Mr. Darcy has that sexy "Arthur" vibe working for him. I would not me at all surprised if Nolan based Arthur's personality on Mr. Darcy.~