Dreamscapes (Attn: Ariadne)

[dreamplanner]

Arthur often went to the Starbucks near his house, but rarely did he do so for any other reason than to buy a cup of coffee to take back to his apartment. He didn't work well in a crowded coffee shop; his mind seemed to function better in the quiet of his own home. Today, however, he'd come here to meet Ariadne, and had, as was usual for him,

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[define_belief]

Ariadne greeted the kitty and looked around. The room was like Arthur's dress and how he generally presented himself: neat, and very together. It was unassuming, but not devoid of character. The paintings surprised her a little, but they didn't really contradict anything she knew about him. She remembered the staircase and touched the picture. Mal looked so different from the way Ariadne had seen her. Not just happier. Lighter, carefree. For the first time Ariadne wished she had met her before. All the other people she had met who did this were men. Maybe it didn't make any difference, but just the same

[define_belief]

So far he seemed nicer than Mal, anyway.

"But who is he?" she asked. "Just a person?"

[dreamplanner]

Arthur shrugged.

"Just my projection of an old man on a sailboat? He's nobody I know."

The man looked at her with a smile.

"Arthur here is mighty fond of you, young lady. Says you're even better than Cobb at what you do. That architecture stuff, I mean."

[define_belief]

Satisfied that she wasn't talking to the manifestation of a beloved uncle or godfather, she replied "Pleased to meet you. I'm just passing through."

She pushed a strand of hair behind her ear and checked again to see that his hands were empty.

"He did?" she looked up at Arthur again, grinning slightly.

[dreamplanner]

Arthur thought it best not to get involved in this, and he lowered his gaze to his suddenly very interesting fingernails as the man replied.

"He sure did. Says you learn fast. Our Arthur, he likes smart girls, but you don't look a thing like Jill," he said with a shake of his head. "She was taller. Red hair."

[define_belief]

"Oh," Ariadne replied, looking back at the man. She wasn't sure how to respond, or if she even should. She wasn't there to pry into Arthur's personal life and she was wary of agitating any of the projections. But she did gather that Arthur thought she was smart, which made her smile. "He's a good teacher," she said simply.

[dreamplanner]

The man simply smiled and nodded as he guided the boat back towards shore. When they reached the marina, he got out and offered her a hand.

"There's a pretty little place up the way a bit, if you want to freshen up."

[define_belief]

While the projection was busy with the boat, Ariadne leaned towards Arthur and asked quietly "You aren't on downers or anything, are you?"

She smiled congenially and accepted the assistance gingerly.

[dreamplanner]

Arthur's eyes widened.

"What??"

[define_belief]

"He's so nice and chilled out," Ariadne replied, still soft.

[dreamplanner]

Arthur looked at the man for a moment.

"I assume you were just joking, but I hope you know how dangerous it is to mix downers and dream-sharing drugs. It's best not even to drink before we go under..."

He trailed off, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Not all subconsciouses are like Fischer or Cobb."

[define_belief]

"I didn't mean- I just thought he seemed way too- It's just not like the other times," she said haltingly.

[dreamplanner]

"There were reasons the others were aggressive," he repeated softly, knowing, however, that the real reason was that he was more than a little subconsciously fond of her.

Consciously, too.

"At times, the behavior of the subconscious can reflect the attitude of the subject to the dreamer," he said rather professionally.

[define_belief]

Ariadne looked around. They had been deposited around other people, but no one was moving towards them now that their activities had settled down. No one so far. There were looks, though. Glances. She thought she saw small grins. It couldn't just be that Arthur's mind was calmer and without much of a reason to go after her, could it? Not based on her experiences and other things Cobb and Arthur had told her.

She looked from a girl with a little smile tickling her lips to Arthur.

"Do they?" Then how would they react if she...

She took his hand, her fingers slipping easily among his. She looked from their mixed fingers back up to him, smiling herself.

No need for anything dramatic.

[dreamplanner]

Everything seemed to stop around them, the projections all turning their eyes towards them in anticipation. Arthur squeezed her hand gently, then softly stroked her fingers with his thumb. The projections around them watched in approval, small smiles on some of the faces.

Arthur's expression had changed little, save for a soft gleam in his brown eyes that had not been there before. He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed it, a very simple gesture, but heartbreakingly tender.

He then lowered their hands - but did not let go - and broke eye contact with her.

"What else would you like to try? Would you like to try building?"

He was not attempting to change the subject, he simply felt that everything he needed to say had been said and understood.

[define_belief]

Ariadne didn't notice those around them, as she focused on Arthur. She felt the wind pick up slightly and for some reason thought she smelled oranges. He wasn't playing with her, she was sure. She suddenly wanted to be closer to him, a little disappointed when he looked away. But still filled with a new sense of assurance and certainty.

"Is that a good idea?"