chesstotem | fete au Paris (open, dreamscapes!verse)

Time might work differently in dreams, but it was even weirder when an event both anticipated and feared was approaching. The past week or so had occasionally felt to Ariadne like it was speeding along at a breakneck pace towards a barrier, while at the same time crawling up a tall mountain.

And then, almost as soon as it arrived, it was over. Her thesis defense was successful, and the following afternoon she and two of Miles's other students received their degrees.

The mistress of labyrinths was now a master of architecture.

Miles knew how to throw a party. The entire upper floor of a trendy Paris restaurant had been rented out for the occasion - there was lots of food, and even more champagne, to toast Ariadne and her two classmates.

Lots of people were invited, of course, but there were a few in particular Ariadne was especially excited to see. Not that she was waiting, or anything. She was already on her second glass of champagne.

[Okay, this is mostly for dreamscape!verse folks, but anyone else who might reasonably be expected to be invited is welcome, as well as potential party-crashers! Threadhopping is not only encouraged, it is essentially mandatory, so have at it!]

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Eames nodded, even chuckled at the comment about Arthur, and took a nice, long sip of his champagne. "I'll talk to him. She was on my radar about...three weeks ago. I could forge her intimately if I wanted to." That was, really, the best explanation he could give to her of how he knew Olivia. It had all been for his own need to collect people, and he had been an asshole about it. He knew that, but Ariadne didn't need to know how terrible a person he could be sometimes.

Ariadne didn't miss the emphasis - she never missed much. Olivia and Eames? That was a strange thought, but she didn't really know either of them too well, so. "She's been really helpful. Cobb's teaching her a few things in exchange for her help. She'll be acting as a legitimate contact for me if I need one."

"I'm sure she was," Eames commented nonchalantly. Once he thought about it, it did make sense. Her FBI work, her affinity for the mildly illegal, how she hadn't tried to arrest him once. Not to mention all that body language.

"What type of help is she giving you, exactly? Just out of my insatiable curiosity."

"Mostly advice, for undercover work, a little self-defence training and a number to call in case I get in trouble and need someone legit to bail me out," Ariadne said simply. "I think she was about the only thing that kept Arthur from having a heart attack at the thought of sending a total novice into the field, all alone."

Eames nodded again, listening. It made sense, Arthur being concerned and trying to find a good contact for her, but Olivia? It did work, now that he really thought about it. "I'm not surprised that I wasn't the first person on Arthur's list to call."

"Cobb's doing," Ariadne said simply. "Though, Arthur said she's been on his radar for a while." Her lips quirked a little. "She cleans up pretty nice, doesn't she? Almost as good as you."

"Gotta love a dirty agent," Was his only rebuttal, on both counts. A fed who had a thing for criminals? On Arthur's radar? It was hardly a surprise. About cleaning up as well as him, well, there was no arguing that.

"I don't think she's dirty in quite that way," Ariadne said with a little frown. "She certainly doesn't seem to like dealing with criminals, much."

"Funny, because that's exactly what we are." He commented more to himself than anything else before smiling at Ariadne. "So what's the job then?"

"Yeah, I know," she said with a half-smile. "I told you about the job with Suba, right? Designing some test environments for them. Sounds like they're developing some new tech."

And then he gets it, nodding with a chuckle. "Cobb has you spying, that's daring."

"If you say so." She smiled a little. "I'll just be doing the job I was hired to do. Actually, I think Cobb is opening an architectural firm."

"Is he?" Now Eames sounded genuinely surprised, though if he thought about it for a moment he wouldn't be. It was so very Dominic Cobb. "That's new. Is Arthur getting back on the legitimate track or do I have some company in my less than legal dealings?"

"Arthur is his business partner." Well, it was true, though of course how legitimate it was, was another story. Ariadne did relish the genuine surprise her news had elicited, though.

Now that wasn't a surprise. Not one bit. He nodded into another sip of his quickly draining glass of champagne. "Give them my best. Arthur in a more intimate setting, of course," About that secret? Eames had figured it out an hour or so ago, just from watching their body language.

Ariadne rolled her eyes, not willing to engage him when he made wild guesses like that. "Tell them yourself." She leaned up and gave Eames a kiss on the cheek, just to be annoying. "Time to mingle some more. Have fun, don't get into too much trouble."

Eames smiled down at her at the cheek kiss, an almost genuine smile of appreciation for a woman he really does like. He could even consider her a friend, though he tried not to keep those too close, not when he could have to run at the first minute slip up.

"I could tell you the same thing. I'll be fine, I'm an adult,"

fete au Paris (open, dreamscapes!verse)

...Am I actually in on dreamscapes? IDEK.

Pfft if you want, absolutely.

Sure, but I warn you I'm a bit of a flake

Ugh but your Eames is so awesome :D

Why thank you!

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