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pointofspecificity) wrote2011-01-03 03:19 am
pointofspecificity) wrote2011-01-03 03:19 am
Living the dream.
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agreat_thief. Superception!Verse.]
Arthur places a metallic case on the coffee table, unlocking and opening it to reveal a complicated mechanism within. “This,” he explains, gesturing to the device with an odd sense of pride and satisfaction, “is a PASIV device. It enables us to enter a dream state and allows our dreams to be shared with others. It probably seems complex seeing it for the first time, but you don’t need to worry about the mechanics just yet – there’s plenty of time for that later.”
agreat_thief. Superception!Verse.]Arthur places a metallic case on the coffee table, unlocking and opening it to reveal a complicated mechanism within. “This,” he explains, gesturing to the device with an odd sense of pride and satisfaction, “is a PASIV device. It enables us to enter a dream state and allows our dreams to be shared with others. It probably seems complex seeing it for the first time, but you don’t need to worry about the mechanics just yet – there’s plenty of time for that later.”
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Keeping her attention focused on him and not any devious thoughts she may have had, Bela listened to his words carefully, taking all that in and the things that he pointed out. "Okay, I'm following so far. An hour sounds good to begin with, yes. I want to break myself in gently." After she's finished, Bela sits down on the sofa and makes herself comfortable.
She nods in return and holds out her wrist to him, a little twinge of anticipation building inside her.
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"Contrary to popular belief, I'm capable of doing things with a gentle touch." Arthur waits with endless patience while she gets comfortable, making certain that she's ready before he acts.
The machine, being Arthur's pride and joy, is always kept clean and prepared for use to save time. He takes her arm gently and offers a reassuring smile as he inserts the sterilised needle into her wrist, positioning it just so to keep it in place. "Until you grow accustomed to the drug and its effects, it's likely that you'll feel a little disorientated at first, but I promise you it's perfectly safe." Taking the second tube, he slides the needle into his own wrist with ease and reaches out a finger to the button. "Ready?" he asks with his finger at the ready for a sign of confirmation, partly eager to share this part of his life with Bela and partly anxious for how she'll react to it.
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"I know," she says softly, "I've been on the receiving end of that touch." Okay, she's slightly off-track with that statement. "Sorry, I should be focusing on the task at hand." And now she flushes a little. Sometimes Arthur could be a little distracting.
Needles aren't her most favourite thing in the world, but she takes a breath and blocks out that sharp burst of pain she feels when the needle goes in. Bela looks up at him and nods. "Don't worry, I trust you." Her free hand reaches over and squeezes his knee briefly before she lets it hang by her side again. "I'm ready, yes." Bela is glad that he trusts her with this part of his life. There would come a time when she would have to let him into hers and share something with him that he never knew about her.
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A slight blush creeps up his neck and colours his cheeks, lips stretching into a crooked half smile. "There were no complaints, I hope," he teases despite the fact that he does have to to pause on occasion and wonder how exactly he's managed to find himself with someone as elegant and beautiful as Bela. And if it weren't for the tedious hours of training that he's endured over the years, Arthur isn't sure that he would ever be able to control himself around her without it.
Arthur takes a moment to gaze at Bela, the words 'I trust you' echoing through his thoughts, and he knows that it's the truth - after all, she wouldn't be there letting him do this otherwise. It's been a long time since he's found himself feeling drawn to someone, allowing himself to slowly lower the walls around him, but he likes it. "Okay, here we go, then." And he pushes the button, going limp and slumping back against the sofa at an awkward angle.
Because he's aware of how the dream world works and is more than used to it, finding himself sitting beside Bela on a bench in a beautiful park with the perfect view of the Eiffel Tower doesn't faze him, and he speaks as though he's carrying on a conversation they were already having. "It's not Paris as we know it, but when creating in the dreamscape it's always better to avoid imitating anywhere from the real world. It's easy to lose yourself in the dream world, for it to become your reality, so instead we take only bits and pieces in with us."
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She could say that she was drawn to him too; at first, by the way that he was always impeccably dressed and of course, his good looks. But Arthur's personality and who he was shone through the most; suffice to say, she was beginning to develop some feelings for him. Bela felt the drugs kicking in and followed Arthur's lead, falling into a deep sleep.
Then she's in Paris, looking at the Eiffel Tower and surrounded by a lovely park with Arthur sitting beside her. It's almost too perfect and a little surreal. Bela listens to him and nods in understanding. "I can see why you would only take bits and pieces." She smiles. "But you've definitely picked the best pieces right now."
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He watches as she takes in their surroundings, glancing around himself and wearing an expression of satisfaction at how well the world has come together. "The last big job I worked was based in Paris," he admits sheepishly, "But I hear recycling is good for the health, and having someone to impress doesn't hurt, either."
Not sure if Bela will quite notice the bizarre changes at this stage enough to stop and question it, Arthur takes advantage by making a rose bush appear beside the bench and carefully picking the most elegant one, he offers it to her with a smile. And, acting as though nothing out of the ordinary has just occurred, he continues.
"If you're going to put the dream world to use, you need to be able to create the most basic of features. In the next dream you will be the dreamer and I the subject, so take a good look around, try to remember what you see here, and your mind will attempt to recreate it. It is possible to alter things once you're in the middle of a dream," he confirms, and to support the fact with evidence the square-shaped layout of the park begins to form curves, transforming itself into a circle, "but if it's not kept to a simple degree then the subject of that dream, the person that fills the dreamer's world with their subconscious and brings in their projections of people residing there - in our current case, that would be you - then those projections will start to attack the dreamer - that would be me - like white cells fighting off a disease."
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"So, keep it simple and not elaborate. Then everything will be fine." It did sound very complicated to Bela, but she was determined to get it right and follow Arthur's instructions to the letter; after all, he was the teacher and she was the student. Bela watches in fascination as the park begins to change again, flashing Arthur a very gleeful smile. She felt like a child in a sweet shop.
"What else do I need to know?"
Oh god, why do I keep writing essays?
He smiles as he watches her, seeing the wonder and amazement in her expressions. "It's fascinating, isn't it?" he asks, and even he sounds as though he holds much admiration for it still. "Some of the people I've worked with over the years fail to see what they have in front of them, they're in it purely for the money or for the sake of doing someone over. But I prefer to explore the different possibilities that it offers, see how far certain aspects can be pushed, and learn from the mistakes when things don't work. I find it easier to hold onto reality knowing that this is a piece of technology that few get to experience. The money is a bonus, of course, but it's not what motivates me to keep coming back."
Arthur gets to his feet and offers his hand to her, deciding a walk around the area might help things a long. "Try to avoid bringing in projections that you desire to be there. When dreaming alone it's safe to explore and experiment on occasion, but when you have a focus, a mission to complete, it's better to allow your subconscious to create the people that fill the world. It's for the same reason we avoid creating things from memory - once you start to bring reality in, it's easy to lose your grip on what's real and what isn't. People, places, past experiences that make us who we are, that define us, those are always best left where they are."
Arthur smiles sadly, thinking of Cobb, of Mal, of the people that he's lost during his life, moments that, when he lies in bed alone at night, he plays over and over again, desperately trying to reconcile. "What you need to remember is that no matter what this world allows us to achieve, to recreate things in order for us to play them out with the advantage of hindsight, it can never alter the reality of those situations. And it's dangerous to try."
Because you're awesome like that?
Bela catches him watching her and smiles a little shyly. "It really is. I've never experienced anything like it before; it's wonderful." Even her voice is full of awe. "I suppose some people just don't appreciate how beautiful it can be. Anything is possible in dreams; as long as you have the imagination for it of course. But it's reassuring to know that you've got your priorities right and aren't it solely for the money." Her smile grows fonder. "Thank you for sharing this with me."
Taking his hand, Bela gets up to her feet and begins to walk with him, a little surprised by how real his hand feels. "No bringing in George Clooney, then?" She teases, playfully nudging him with her shoulder. "I can imagine that mixing reality with fantasy could make you lose sight of your perception. You needn't worry Arthur, I've a solid grip on reality and I won't bring in anything I'm not allowed to." Her thumb brushes over his hand gently, sensing that there's something up.
"Sounds like you've had experience of that or at least know someone who has. If that's true, then I'm sorry for what happened, Arthur." Bela smiles softly and squeezes his hand a little. "You don't have to tell me of course. I respect your privacy."
I'm Batman.
Arthur laughs. "Imagination is important, as I've been repeatedly informed," he admits with a hint of bitterness, "But it's not everything. Usually I leave the more creative aspects to the others and make sure they're not getting ahead of themselves." He pauses at that, smiling solemnly. "Letting anyone into this world is always a risk, it's something that's only done when necessary, but you're a rare exception - I know you can be trusted with this."
"George Clooney?" Arthur raises a playful eyebrow. "Certainly not. How would I ever compete?" He looks to their hands, smiling softly, and offers a gentle squeeze in return. "That isn't to say that you can't have fun with the technology, but you always need to be aware of where to draw the line."
"I appreciate that, thank you." A comfortable silence falls, and though Arthur doesn't initially plan on elaborating, he finds himself opening up a little. It's strange, foreign - it's been a long time since he's spoken opening about anything remotely personal. "My mom died when I was fifteen, and during my time with the military I saw friends die in combat. But more recently I lost a good friend. Mal. She was part of our original team, an architect, and the person who brought me into all of this outside of the army. She always reminded me of my mom, and when she died..."
Does that make me Robin?
"It's your job to reel them in if they get a little too creative? I suppose you wouldn't want the task to go awry. I understand your logic on that." Bela gives him a fond look. "I'm really glad that you trust me with this part of your life, Arthur."
"George Clooney doesn't hold a candle to you." Bela replies, a little grin on her face. "Or a candelabra for that matter." Her expression turn serious again. "I know not to go too far, that would make problems for everyone." She can't help but squeeze his hand again.
Bela's face softens when he tells her that. "Oh, I'm so sorry to hear that about your mum. And your friends of course." Not that she was close to her parents, but she can understand the loss of someone. "I'm also sorry about Mal; she sounds like a wonderful woman."
Yes! Batman would be lost without a Robin.
Smiling, Arthur nods. "I do. I bet you could give Cobb a run for his money, and he's the best there is." And, speaking of what Bela does, Arthur has been dying to ask, but as someone who understands how hard it is to trust people where a somewhat illegal profession is concerned he's refrained up to this point. "Do you usually work alone?" he inquires, and though he doesn't doubt that Bela is capable of taking care of herself, it's easy to make enemies in their line of work. Not that he's worried over her safety, of course.
"Unfortunately, yes." Arthur sighs dramatically, but there's amusement in it. "It's a nightmare, but someone's got to do it. There's one member of the team who is especially difficult. But sadly we need him. In the real world he's good with forging papers, but in the dream state he has the rare ability to forge himself into whoever we need him to be. And he has extremely sticky fingers, which also comes in useful on occasion."
"Flattery will get you everywhere." And Arthur looks smug, walking that little bit taller, even if it is in a playful way, he's glad he can trump George Clooney. He smiles when she squeezes his hand, and in turn he lightly swings their hands, the smile growing into a smirk.
"She was lovely," he confirms sadly, voice quiet and wavering. "It's hard, sometimes, to control your emotions, to keep them from seeping out into the dream. But not impossible." He stops then and turns to face her, looking regretful before he opens his mouth, and to show that he doesn't mean it viciously he takes both of her hands and holds them gently. "It's important that if you have any ghosts, ones that haunt you often, that you find a way to put them to rest. Guilt, repressed anger, grief - in the real world we may find ways of coping with them, of living around them, but here we delve into the deepest, darkest chambers of the mind, and whether we intend to or not, it's easy to find ourselves faced with demons that could come to define who we are if we're not careful."
Hello Arthur in a tux *licks*
Bela nods. "I've always worked alone, Arthur. Less people to look out for that way." And more money to be made, she thinks about adding, but doesn't. She should just outright tell Arthur what she does because she has the distinct feeling that he wouldn't judge her for it. He was good like that.
The person that Arthur described sounds like he could be in the same profession as her, apart from the forging people part. "Alright, now that is an interesting thing he can do in the dream state." Sticky fingers? Bela definitely has those. She was very good at what she did.
"Oh, really?" There's a teensy smirk on her face when he says that, her mind drifting back to very wrong thoughts. He always seemed to bring that side out of her as well. Bela swings their hands back, enjoying the playful nature of the gesture. "I'll keep that as note for the future."
The next part hits Bela hard; it's almost as if Arthur is talking about her. Grateful for his hold on her hands, she looks at him straight on, trying not to let her emotions betray her. But it was difficult to say the least, his words were stirring up old emotions and memories that she thought she had buried deep inside. Bela doesn't really respond, she just gazes at Arthur, not sure about what to say. She reckons that he could probably guess what she's thinking and feeling right now.
God, ikr? That man could wear a bin bag and make it look sexy.
Arthur understands the logic of working alone, but he’s never really been one to practice it. “Doesn’t it get lonely, though?” He might not always be the most sociable of people, but, he thinks, that he would miss having a sense of family around him if he were to always work alone. “And if things go wrong, how do you manage without back-up?” If he comes across as being blunt, he doesn’t mean to be, but as someone who likes to understand things asking questions is second nature.
“Interesting, yes, but it’s an incredibly rare talent to possess. He explained the basic process of it to me once, but unless you find it easy to disconnect yourself from your own mind it’s impossible to do.” Arthur laughs. “And aiming to be anything remotely like Eames isn’t healthy for anyone.”
“Well, maybe not everywhere, but near enough.” He nudges her shoulder with his own, chuckling softly, and breathes in deeply, the fresh air and pleasant scent of flowers soothing. One day he’ll have to take Bela on a picnic, he thinks, and make do with the less refreshing air that reality offers.
Arthur isn’t always quick on the uptake when it comes to people and emotions, but he can see the glint of something within the depths of Bela’s eyes, something that he suspects might be fear, but the sadness that lies there is hard to miss. He doesn’t want to trespass, to touch on painful subjects unless she chooses to, so he doesn’t say anything. Instead, he offers a sad smile of understanding and carefully brushes back the loose strands of hair from her face, gently cupping her cheek and brushing the pad of his thumb against the soft skin.
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"Sometimes it gets lonely." But she's used to that, always on the go, never really settling down in one place. She did have her place in New York but even then she didn't set out to make friends or build up relationships with anyone. "I manage well enough. Always have and always will." Bela did say that a bit bluntly, but not in a mean way.
Bela smiles a little. "Probably best to stick to what you know and be the best Point Man there is." Though Eames' role did sound intriguing and a little close to what Bela had to do for her job: assume different aliases whenever she needed to.
She remains quiet and leans in to the touch before she presses a light kiss to his lips, not needing to say anything for the time being. Bela rests her forehead against his gently and takes a moment for herself.
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"Being independent isn't a bad thing. You don't have to rely on anyone, for a start, and it's a good way to avoid disappointment." But the smile he offers her is somewhat sad. Arthur admits that he doesn't know a lot about Bela at this early stage, and that's okay, because it's the journey that makes a relationship: the adventures along the way, the excitement of discovering and exploring, of creating - ironically, he notes, not that different to stepping into the world of dreams. But he does know that she never mentions family, that she rarely mentions friends or associates, and as much as he admires how strong and independent she clearly is, he can't help feeling a little sad. He doesn't pity her, it's obviously a lifestyle that suits her, that she chooses to live, but he can't help wondering if she's missing out, if it’s not something she once didn’t have a choice over and now sticks with it because it’s all she knows. And, though working with others isn't really an option with what Arthur does, he does enjoy being alone, working away from the team when there's research to do, and isn't the most sociable of people, but he can't imagine life without familiar faces. "But sometimes you shouldn't just have to manage. Sometimes it's good to experience things with others, to take risks. You shouldn't always have to do everything alone." You can rely on me, he thinks, but he doesn't add it, even though it's implied in the gentle look as gazes at her.
"I think you're right, and I am the glue that keeps them together, after all. They'd be lost without me." He laughs, staring off into the distance. Sharing this world with Bela is one thing, but what if it could be something more than that? He thinks for a while, and then adds, "I could explain it to you, if you wanted, and you could try your luck. When you're more comfortable in the dreamstate, obviously, and only if it's something you'd be interested in exploring."
Their hour is almost up, and there's been a lot of information for Bela to take in and consider. He presses a tender kiss to her forehead and slides an arm around her back, continuing their walk around the park in a comfortable silence, or, if not quite that, then a thoughtfully distracted silence.
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"You don't need to worry about me, you know." She wasn't prepared to share everything about herself and her life just yet. Bela did trust Arthur but it was difficult for her to let go and take down her walls to let people in and get to know the real her. Bela Talbot was a facade, something she created to hide behind so that she could manage in life. The past still affected her, much as she tried to push that back into the far recesses of her mind. She raises her eyes to his. "But I'm willing to learn to play nice with others." Her tone is light and teasing, but there's a hint of sadness in her green eyes.
"I would be interested in learning more about it. But another time, perhaps. For now I just want to enjoy this. What we have here and what we have outside in the real world."
She smiles softly at the kiss, slipping her arm around his waist and walking along with him. Bela is content to walk in silence, contemplating everything that Arthur had just told her as well as her own past. It was an interesting mix in any case.
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Arthur smiles at that and playfully nudges shoulders with her, trying to lighten the mood. "Because you're usually such a monster," he says with a sarcastic roll of the eyes. He doesn't expect anything from anyone, as a general rule, and Bela is no exception to that. It's easy to feel suffocated by someone, by a situation, he knows, and he doesn't want her to feel as if he's pressuring her into anything. So he leaves the topic where it is, open for future use, for a time when they're both ready.
"And enjoy it you shall. We have all the time in the world, and we can work at whatever pace you're most comfortable with."
He smiles to himself as they walk, not sure if it was the best introduction to something like this, but thankful that it went smoothly enough. After all, they do have plenty of time to work out the kinks, and the endless list of things that he wants to show her can wait.