INSEARCHTION PT. I
PASIV Aggressor's Masterpost Pt. I
1. TEN RECS FOR "SPY"
1. we gotta keep running till we see the sun by emms14; There's a young man in a waistcoat waving a file in Collins' face and when he turns around, Tuck has to stop himself from admiring the man's ass. This Means War/Inception crossover.
2. subterfuge by aprettyaway; MI6 would do anything to get the international assassin only known as Arthur. And that includes dressing Eames up in a skirt and stiletto boots.
3. Espionage by adelaide_rain; Robert Fischer sees Arthur and Eames in his hotel and can't shake the feeling that he knows them. Thinking that they may be spying on his business, he plants a camera to see what they're up to. What he gets is a live feed of them fucking.
4. Business As Usual by eight_demands; AU. Eames runs a deli. Arthur is not a typical customer.
5. Your Fake Name Is Good Enough For Me by ladderax; Arthur is actually Nilor Premak, an alien Cardassian spy in the 24th century sent on a mission to infiltrate a rebel group on Earth. En route, he gets thrown through a temporal anomaly and ends up in the 21st century. Star Trek: Deep Space Nine/Inception crossover; WIP.
6. Bright Spark by badacts; Eames is a spy. Arthur is an arsehole.
7. Spy [Art] by superlucky13
8. Once a Spy by OneWhoSitsWithTurtles; Ricki Tarr can’t return to the Circus, but all he’s good at is hunting
secrets. He must change his identity and find work wherever he can in order to stay hidden and alive. But his new job sends him careening into Arthur, a man who could bring Ricki redemption, or undo everything he’s fought to hold onto. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy/Inception crossover.
9. The Spy and the Old Dreamer by starkraves; The first time Arthur became fascinated by the world of dream-share... he was the Mark. Some backstory on our point man.
10. In Bocca Di Lupo by shadesofbrixton; The problem is that they want the PASIV to be a Rambaldi device, but it's not. Alien/Inception crossover.
2. ARTHUR'S TIES
When Arthur was five he was given his first tie. His father, who had been a career military man took him aside and told him that the clothes made the man, while affixing a Windsor knot around his son’s neck. Every day after that Arthur begged and pleaded with his father to let him wear ties to school. But it was only after Arthur could prove that he could keep them in good condition and handle whatever bullying may follow that his father said yes.
From a very young age Arthur knew two things. That his father was his hero, and that one day he too would be as respected and revered as the man he looked up to.
As you can probably imagine wearing ties to elementary school didn’t ingratiate Arthur to many other children. But he didn’t care. If you didn’t like him because of how he dressed, why would he want to be your friend anyway?
By high school Arthur had built a happy little world for himself full of people who loved and appreciated him regardless of his sartorial choices. He even found that his fashion sense earned him some very positive attention from a boy named Drew who always smiled at Arthur and complimented him on his ability to stand out in a sea of unwashed adolescent angst.
The day that Arthur came out to his parents he put on his favourite dark blue tie and polished his wingtips to an impressive shine. He knew how important this day was and insisted on dressing the part. In the end it was almost anti-climactic as his mother kissed him on the forehead telling him they loved him no matter what, and his father looking him in the eye, hand on his shoulder, saying that Arthur was even stronger that he had ever imagined and that he was proud.
The day Arthur’s father died his entire world changed forever. Gone was the man who had mentored, supported and loved Arthur unconditionally. The man who Arthur could only dream of emulating. After a life time serving his country, he had been cut down by a drunk driver in the middle of the afternoon. Inside Arthur was falling apart, but his mother needed him and he knew that even though he was only 16 he would now have to step up and become the man his father always said he could be. So he put on his father’s second favourite black tie (his father would be buried in his favourite), and held his head high, never shedding a tear anywhere that anyone could see. His tie became his armour for the day, protecting him from the reality of how truly lost he was.
In the coming months and years Arthur couldn’t bring himself to wear ties anymore. Though he still had a wonderful sense of style, he couldn’t help but consider himself to be a pale imitation of his father, and he refused to disgrace his memory by not living up to standard that he had set. So he packed both his and his father’s neckties up, placed them in the back of his closet and walked away from them, vowing to only wear them again once he felt he deserved it.
Though he had never really considered it before his father’s death, Arthur enlisted in the army upon his high school graduation. He knew he could never be as revered or receive as much distinction as his dad, but after all the man had done for him, this was the very least that Arthur could do in return. He excelled in every challenge that was presented to him and often heard how he was very much his father’s son. And it was those words that inspired him more than any formal commendation ever could.
As the military soon became his second family Arthur came to a realization. He could not and would not be his father, and that was not a failure of any kind. Arthur excelled in his own right, and he knew his father would have been proud. His mother made sure to remind him almost every time they spoke. So one day during a furlough, he returned to his mother’s home and uncovered the box buried in the back of his childhood closet. At 21 years of age Arthur had since worn ties on occasion, but they were always military issue and had none of the charm of his own.
He sat on the floor of the closet and opened the box for the first time in 5 years. There he sat sifting through pieces of cloth that contained countless memories of his childhood and his time with his father. He knew he could no longer let them stay hidden away; it wasn’t fair to the ties he loved so much or to his father’s memory.
Arthur now knew that while clothes did not necessarily make the man, these ties did help shape the boy he was and he knew they were meant to be a part of the man he would become. He replaced the lid of the box carefully, taking it with him as he exited the closet.
From then on Arthur wore the ties (both his and his father’s) freely and with pride. And in time he would buy more, expanding his collection. They were his style, his armour and his memories all rolled into one, and every time he tied one, he thought of the man that had given him his very first necktie. He thought of his father’s strength and wisdom and love. As long as he had that, there was nothing that Arthur couldn’t face.
3A. MAIN SHIP META: ARTHUR/EAMES
The easiest place to start is definitely that Arthur and Eames have history-it's something that the producers certainly allude to in interviews. And that's on top of what's there on the screen for us to see.
From the moment Eames is mentioned Arthur knows where in the whole world he is. Cobb says he's going to talk to Eames and Arthur doesn't blink or say “Oh, that one guy?”-he's someone Arthur's very familiar with, and in fact, knows is in Mombasa. This gives the impression that Eames doesn't necessarily stay in one place all the time (which makes sense given that extraction is the kind of field where one goes where the job is), and that means Arthur is keeping tabs on him.
Arthur knows Eames is the best but downgrades him to "a thief" as if he doesn't want to admit how versatile he is. It's like he's trying to find reasons to argue against bringing Eames in, but none of them are job-related; the best one he can come up with is that Eames is in Cobol’s backyard (which, admittedly, is not exactly a reason to brush off). They definitely read as at least separated at the beginning of the movie, perhaps in a fight, but Arthur is too proud and/or professional to say anything revealing to Cobb.
Eames, on the other hand, seems fine with the idea of working with Arthur. He may even be looking forward to seeing him again (hence “Mmm, Arthur”). There's still a little distance there too-“that stick in the mud” which, again, is more personal than professional-but it doesn’t stop Eames from admitting that Arthur's the best. The dig at Arthur's "lack of imagination" is once again more personal-even better, it's sort of disguised as professional. (Sort of.)
Once they start working together, Eames appears to be metaphorically armored-he's actively on the smug, smiling defense, batting aside Arthur's attempts to compliment him. And he appears to know that Arthur won't react; Arthur's the consummate professional, after all. But they can't help but let their friction show from time to time, in cheeky or condescending moments, and neither of them poke at anyone else like they poke at each other; they maintain strictly friendly or professional relationships with the rest of the team.
For instance, when Yusuf is pushing Arthur off of his chair, Eames has no reason to be there watching, since we don't see anyone else in the scene besides Yusuf, but he revels in seeing Arthur in a less than composed manner and, maybe, takes a little schadenfreude in Arthur getting slapped and knocked around a little bit.
Throughout the movie, in fact, Arthur appears to be attempting to apologize for something, but Eames is staying aloof and won't let him. The “Eames, I am impressed” line doesn't come across as condescending, really, but Eames chooses to read it that way and announces that he's doing so. Perhaps Arthur questioned his professionalism or skill during their previous fight and he's trying to prove he doesn't feel that way, but Eames can't quite believe him.
It's also fair to assume Arthur and Eames have military and/or government history, probably independent of each other, although not necessarily; popular back stories have them meeting in the military dreamsharing programs.
Eames goes above and beyond on the inception job and maybe that's because he wants to prove himself as being more than a good thief or even a forger. In the dream he is adaptable to pretty much all circumstances, from the grenade launcher (once he agrees not to sit it out) to reacting, to the information he's gotten out of Robert to coming up with his “lovely little number I've used before,” to being able to draw off the projections in the hospital level, and then whipping out a PASIV so Cobb and Ariadne can go down to limbo. Eames also wants to prove his worth in dreamshare to himself; that even if he's not good enough for Arthur he's still the best.
By the end of the job, Arthur develops a new respect for Eames professionally and that is a turn on for him. Eames is willing to listen to what Arthur has to say, since he realizes that he missed him, and I think Eames will totally realize Arthur was trying to apologize now that the job's over and they've got time for feelings. Besides, they just made an obscene amount of money, so they can buy an island and talk (and fuck) it out.
3B. RAREPAIR META: EAMES/SAITO + EXTRA CRACKPAIR META
Eames & Saito: The Subtle Suitors
What appears as a simple employer/employee relationship actually has a lot to offer beneath the surface. At the beginning, Eames thinks that because of Saito's wealth and position, he's never been in the action; that he might be used to playing puppeteer and watching from on-high. Eames is not impressed. When Saito buys the airline, it's a pleasant convenience, and useful, but doesn't validate his intelligence to Eames. After awhile, though, Eames is forced to take note of Saito’s persistent attentiveness, eagerness, and determination. A bit grudgingly, Eames has to admit his new-found appreciation for crisp, professional Saito as he proves himself to be a respectful employer who neither belittles the team nor underestimates the complexity of their crafts.
Because of his traditional, strict Japanese upbringing, Saito keeps his emotions and desires under many facades, composed at all times. Fitting that someone so wrapped up would make Eames get out the magnifying glass for a closer look after coming to realize his initial judgment of Saito was incorrect. Eames sees Saito's true colors when they begin to perform inception, when he takes a bullet and makes little-to-no fuss, determined to carry on the with the team and keep his word-not characteristics of someone selfish or attention-seeking.
By the end of the job, Saito's standing has really turned in Eames' eyes. Cobb's been mostly useless and Ariadne doesn't do much inside of the actual dream. Arthur stays behind a level and Fischer is clueless. Saito becomes someone Eames can rely on, or at least find solidarity with. The fact that he hangs on for as long as he does (not just hangs on, but skis and repels down a mountain, withstands an avalanche, and holds off projections) even as he coughs up blood and faces the prospect of limbo both impresses and affords some relief for Eames. Lesser men would break down under such conditions.
Saito, on the other hand, has been interested in Eames from the start. Eames' brilliance was evident from their very first encounter, and even though Saito cannot be present for the entirety of the planning, he discerns Eames' influence on their decisions and tactics as well as sensing Cobb's unraveling stability and understanding that no one else on the team has leadership qualities.
Saito knows Eames doesn't think much of him at first and strives to disprove those notions as subtly but thoroughly as possible. Something about the intelligence of Eames juxtaposed with his mystery and his rough edges captivates Saito's well-trained eye for treasure, but he wants to earn it instead of simply buying it.
Neither of them have clean morals or clear motivations; neither are simple, or innocent-and yet they possess honorable and clever qualities each. This helps to build the intrigue between them.
After inception, Eames is curious about Saito's life in limbo, and about what he's going to do with Fischer's company out of the way. He's realized the depth of his employer, and can't help his natural curiosity about him. Despite obligations, Eames knows a life with someone as powerful and smart as Saito would never be boring. Saito doesn't mind the intrusion of a charming, gorgeous, multi-talented criminal-especially one he's had his eye on for months.
Recs
Irregular Edges by recrudescence
Thinking About Elephants by recrudescence
Room for a tourist by adelaide_rain
Gift of a Smile by quadratur
Diplomacy by sobota
Saito & Carpet: The Love/Hate Relationship
Saito has spent many days nestled on that rug in his Caracas love nest, avoiding the rest of the world. It’s a love/hate relationship, but it’s his carpet and he knows exactly what it looks and feels like. The carpet knows Saito is easily irritated by it, but the pleasure it gets when he lies upon it is unmatched. Theirs is a passionate affair.
Recs
Saito/Carpet; a haiku by Anon
Saito/Carpet by tomato_greens
Art by sunshee
More art! by sunshee
Your Apartment is the Scene of the Crime by inception_crack
Saito/Carpet, hate sex by Anon
Saito/Carpet by Anon
Airline/Carpet/Saito by newbluemoon
Arthur & Salad: Consuming Desire
Salad willingly subjects itself to Arthur’s rage, as it always has. It will take whatever it can get-negative or positive attention-because salad is so enamored of him. For Arthur, salad is simple but always there for him; a comfort found almost universally. Salad never upsets his stomach or gets in the way, and it can be so efficiently and neatly consumed. Salad sustains him and is everything he needs it to be, its leafy goodness gives him the energy he requires in order to be his best. He relishes the taste on his tongue, and salad relishes the warmth of Arthur-the heat of his mouth, the nips of his teeth, the slickness of his tongue, the smooth swallowing, the tickly villi of his intestines...It’s the best experience any greens could ask for.
Rec
Mini!fill by Anon
Ariadne & Scarves: The Snuggle Party
In the same way Arthur is prone to the security of his suits, Ariadne is to her scarves. Perhaps they were all gifts, hand-me-downs, or just picked up whenever and wherever without any significant meaning, but Ariadne hardly ever goes without them. They are an intrinsic part of her routine: she puts them on with the same rote memorization of brushing her teeth. Without them she feels exposed, a little less strong or put-together, like there might be a gap in her armor. As for the scarves, they adore being snuggled around her precious neck, along her pulse, doused every now and then with a splash of her perfume. They have a job to do and a place to sleep and are happy. She organizes them carefully, touches them fondly, never lets one go too long without wearing. She keeps them on a special scarf tree by the window so those not being worn can just hang out and bask in the sun. They’ve all been there for her through blood, sweat, and tears-literally. Through all their days in the life of Ariadne, they’ve become attached to their mistress, more than just physically. She loves her scarf harem and they love her. And they all rode off happily into the sunset.
Explodey Things & Arthur, Eames, Saito: The Fiery Foursome
Not only do explosive devices help Arthur, Eames, and Saito facilitate their BAMF natures, but the three also get off on how big/loud/how much destruction an explosive causes-basically explosives are the dreamed, physical manifestations of their orgasms. As for the explosives, they know their final purpose and are grateful to be in such capable hands, ones that cherish them beyond their fuses and metal. They are glad to be serving people with bigger dreams and ambitions then your common criminals and crooks.
4. GROUP PHOTO
5. WHAT HAPPENED TO NASH AFTER COBOL
Rec
Deja Fucking Deja Vu by weatherfront
Fanart for rec, made by team:
6. Yusuf's journal
7. TEAM SEX TOYS
1. Ariadne:
Though she is small in stature, Ariadne is a women with enormous desires. She dreams big at work as well as at play. That is why when it comes to satisfying her sexual urges, she only wants the biggest and the best. So when it comes to some solo-at-home loving, she often opts for her John Holmes moulded dildo. Crafted in the mould of the iconic porn star, this dildo is 12 inches of life size pleasure that can be enjoyed by anyone who is up for the challenge. Anyone who knows Ariadne knows that her sense of curiosity and adventure have taken her many places, and with her big boy by her side the sky is the limit.
2. Arthur:
Arthur is a man of sophistication, taste and class. He is also a man who works hard, and given the chance, plays even harder. Unfortunately Arthur is often too busy to find the time for a good fuck, so he often must take matters into his own hands. That is why he is the proud owner of the butt bullet. With its sleek and simple design, it is the perfect blend of elegance and sexual gratification. Once lubed up and inserted, it gives Arthur hours of pleasure that even eclipses many of the men who have been there before. A man like Arthur needs a anal plug as reliable as he is, and with the butt bullet he seems to have found his match.
3. Cobb:
Dominick Cobb is a romantic, however according to popular opinion Dominick Cobb is also quite mentally unhinged. It is a known fact that he had a difficult time dealing with his wife’s death, so much so (it’s rumoured), that she was even able to follow him into his dreams, never letting him rest. Now, Cobb has found a solution to his sadness is the form of a real doll by the name of Carmen, though you won’t be surprised to know that he actually calls her Mal. Mal2 has now become a full-fledged member of the Cobb family, much to the chagrin of his friends and family. And while everyone just accepts the fact that Cobb is now completely divorced from reality, they also accept that it is the happiest he’s been since the original Mal died. Made from the latest space aged plastics, that absorb and reflect both heat and cold, Mal2 gives Cobb the kind of one-on-one personal attention that he has truly been missing. Say what you will about Dominick Cobb’s sanity, but he won’t care, because in his mind he has found his second true love.
8. Plan your own inception! The Silverman Inception, assisted by Team 8.
9. Incracktion, our own Inception soundtrack. Cover art by BakaStar, from here.
10. COBB'S ONLINE DATING PROFILES
Click for larger image.
11. TEN RECS FOR "MARRIAGE"
1. And So The Feeling Grows by duckgirlie; They say an astonishing number of people meet their future spouses at weddings. Unfortunately for Arthur, things are never that straightforward.
2. Signified by duckgirlie & ilovetakahana; Arthur and Eames get married on a Saturday.
3. Say Uncle by eyesofapanda; James is astute, Eames is sly, and Dom is clueless.
4. Imaginaation [Art] by dumbimps
5. The Wedding [Art] by paperflower86
6. Ariadne's Wedding [Art] by jaderaven93
7. Nice Day for a YOUKNOWTHEREST [Art] -- Deviation has since been stored :(
8. Stronger And Harder Than A Bad Girl's Dream by delires
9. Take You Home by qwsedcrfvt
10. I Was Married by anon
12. ARTHUR'S SEX TAPE
Arthur's younger, but not as young as Eames was expecting. What are you doing? Eames wonders as he watches. Are you trying to pay off student loans? Pay your mother's hospital bills? Or are you just bored? Curious? Eames moves to stop the footage, thinking for a second of Arthur's privacy, but then the on-screen Arthur moves up to suck his co-star's lower lip between his teeth, biting either viciously or enthusiastically or both. Eames' hand freezes, and he feels himself grow hard as the seconds tick by, his watchful eyes widening.
In an effort to buy his morals a little time to go left or right, Eames turns his critical attention to the technical aspect of the video. Not only is the definition a sorry state, but the entire production seems to be running on a low budget-the set, for one, is not lit half as properly as any audience would prefer, and the music is obviously coming from some insufficient third party such as a boombox. Eames wonders if Arthur sat there before they rolled, sweating out his nerves with none of the pampering or luxury that high-end porn stars receive. He’s willing to bet they only had one chance to get the whole thing shot.
Shortcomings aside, Eames makes up his mind and settles back into his chair, the hand that was going to put a stop to this coming down to rest on the inside of his thigh, broad fingertips lightly brushing along his inseam. Arthur seems to have adapted to the pressure of the situation marvelously, by the look of it; he doesn’t even appear to be aware of the camera, fastening that singular, driving focus Eames has become so familiar with in dreamshare to his co-star. His co-star throws her head back emphatically, gasping as Arthur laves his tongue across one of her nipples while he rolls the other tightly between his fingers.
Eames stifles a little groan of his own, wanting that mouth, those teeth on him, leaving hot, wet marks in their wake. He dares to imagine it, his fingers moving up to tease the head of his cock through his pants, sparking a frisson of pleasure that makes Eames swiftly unbuckle his belt with a muttered curse and shove his trousers down, fingers returning and teasing himself through his boxer-briefs until he can feel himself leaking through the material.
“Fuck,” he grunts, and then can’t help but grin when that’s precisely what Arthur and his co-star start to do.
Eames isn’t sure why he finds it so hot, this bit, what with Arthur fucking a woman and all. He suspects it has something to do with the way Arthur so visibly blushes even in the dark, the way his eyebrows alternately rise and scrunch together in pleasure and concentration, the way his back muscles flex as he holds himself just above the woman, and the way Eames can barely see a flash of his hips grinding and it’s still so fucking hot. “So fucking hot,” Eames murmurs as he gives in and eases his cock out, gripping it full-on and starting up a proper stroke.
The two on screen climax before Eames does, so he leans his head back and shuts his eyes, and imagines teaching Arthur to fuck him even better than Arthur fucked that girl. If Arthur fucks him well enough, he thinks, he’ll fuck Arthur as a reward. His hips buck, pounding furiously into his own fist, as he imagines Arthur flushed, sweaty, and moaning, maybe above him, riding him, tight and wet, begging for it. Arthur tilting his head back, lines of his throat exposed, and biting his lip is the mental picture Eames comes with, body tense and shuddering as he works himself through it.
“Oh Arthur,” Eames sighs out, drawing listless shapes in a splash of his own come on his stomach. “I think you might have missed your calling.”
13. EAMES PICKING HIS NOSE
Everyone has their bad habits: Arthur tips his chairs back and cracks his knuckles, Ariadne bites her fingernails down to the nub, Yusuf talks with food in his mouth, Dom sticks his hands down his pants to scratch his junk in public. All idle tendencies, little blips of flaws that can be waved away. Except for Eames', apparently.
Eames stares down at his desk, feeling the tips of his ears turning red. Not only embarrassed, but slightly angry, he wonders why nobody else gets called out for their slight transgressions. It's not that Eames is trying to be rude, or offend anybody. Half the time it's mindless impulse, half the time it's because he hasn't got any better supplies for placating the situation.
He clenches his fingertips together round the sheaves of paper in his hands he's supposed to be studying. He can feel the itch coming on. It starts as a tiny niggle and then grows until it's the only thing he can concentrate on, a need that flutters with every inhale and exhale.
Sweating bullets, Eames risks a glance up around the room. Nobody appears to be watching him. Do it now, quick, his guilty conscience whispers to him. Eames is only human; he can only withstand the urge so long! Gathering his gumption, he bites his lip and goes for it, darting his left pointer finger up in a flash towards his nose.
He's just barely breeched the entrance to his nostril-he can feel the edge of the bogey right there-when the alarm is sounded.
"Eames!" Arthur cries, exasperated, from his desk several feet away. "Just go to the goddamned bathroom!"
14. ROBERT FISCHER CHARACTER STUDY
“The puzzling concept is Fischer's national identity: we have an Irishman playing an Australian who sounds like an American but dresses like an Englishman”
- bennet-7
Robert Fischer is an enigma. An enigma, wrapped in a riddle, wrapped in a very lovely suit. In the film Inception, he is the target of the job which the film revolves around. As “the mark” he is preyed upon by the inception team led by Dominick Cobb. However, Robert is unlike the average crime drama target as he is an innocent bystander, who is jut a pawn in Saito’s plan. This creates an interesting conflict as we root for the team, yet realize that Robert has done nothing to deserve such a personal and private intrusion.
But who is Robert Fischer exactly? On paper he is the son of a business magnate, looking to follow in his father’s footsteps. A low key sort of guy who doesn’t look to make waves, who keeps his head down, does what he’s told and doesn’t complain. From what we are shown, he is loyal to a fault and accepts abuse with quiet dignity.
But what else can we extrapolate about Robert beyond what we are blatantly told in the film? Robert is the epitome of mild-mannered. He is a soft-spoken man who most likely developed those traits in deference to his overbearing father Maurice and godfather Peter. Those men were both portrayed as very strong, domineering, and without the support of his mother (who he lost at a very young age) he seems to have faded into the background and simply accepted everything that he was told.
He is a non-confrontational man, as we can see during his “kidnapping.” While that type of response was most likely cultivated as a survival instinct in his home, it was probably also considered a weakness by both of the men in his life. The only time he truly fights back is when he steals Dom’s gun in order to shoot himself out of a dream believing that he will wake up. He doesn’t once consider continuing on in the dream to discover who may be behind the attack on him, he simply wants to find the quickest and easiest way home, which in his case is a bullet to the brain.
When he reluctantly agrees to participate in the dreamscape, it is only because he is shown to have no other choice. And while he doesn’t revel in the chance to risk his life, he does the best he knows how and rises to the occasion. By the third level of the dream Robert really steps up (even though he does complain about the climate wishing that someone could have dreamed up “a goddamn beach”), and takes an active role in defending and protecting his own mind. He faces obstacles and risks unlike any (we assume) he has ever encountered and he does it with a strength he hasn’t really displayed before.
Now that we see that Robert Fischer is more than a shy and retreating character, we have to wonder what kind of effect a successful inception will have one him. Will he come out of his shell and seek to create a life all his own? Provided he did indeed dissolve Fischer Morrow, it may very well be a step in the right direction. It is for this reason that we can root for both the inception team and Robert, because in the long run their actions may be the catalyst to freeing Robert from the chains of his past, and giving him full control of his future.