bakerstreet | put you on repeat; play you everywhere I go

Non, Rien de rien
(No, nothing of nothing)
Non, Je ne regrette rien
(No, I regret nothing)

Ni le bien qu'on m'a fait
(Not the good things that have been done to me)
Ni le mal tout ça m'est bien égal
(Nor the bad things, to me these are the same)

Non, Rien de rien
(No, nothing of nothing)
Non, Je ne regrette rien
(No, I regret nothing)

C'est payé, balayé, oublié
(It's paid for, removed, forgotten)
Je me fous du passé
(I don't care about the past)

Avec mes souvenirs
(With my memories)
J'ai allumé le feu
(I lit the fire)

Mes chagrins, mes plaisirs
(My troubles, my pleasures)
Je n'ai plus besoin d'eux
(I don't need them anymore)

Balayés les amours
(Swept away my past loves)
Avec leurs trémolos
(With their tremors)

Balayés pour toujours
(Swept away for always)
Je repars à zéro
(I start again from zero)

Non, Rien de rien
(No, nothing of nothing)
Non, Je ne regrette rien
(No, I regret nothing)

Ni le bien qu'on m'a fait
(Not the good things that have been done to me)
Ni le mal tout ça m'est bien égal
(Nor the bad things, to me these are the same)

Non, Rien de rien
(No, nothing of nothing)
Non, Je ne regrette rien
(No, I regret nothing)

Car ma vie, car mes joies
(Because my life, my joys)
Aujourd'hui, ça commence avec toi
(Today, it begins with you)

Regret. Arthur regretted not contacting her after the Fischer job, but he had his reasons at the time: he was busy, the business wasn't conducive for a romantic relationship (he didn't even know if Ariadne had felt the same way so what the hell was he even talking about?), and she deserved someone a little more stable, but then he felt bad for making a decision she knew nothing about. It led to a lot of confusion and then he forgot all about it. She went on with her life and he with his...

...until he saw her again and all of that flooded back in. Had he been this smitten with her back then? Maybe. Arthur was completely enamoured with how easily she built a dreamscape, how confident she was, how she wouldn't take no for an answer, not even from Cobb. And then seeing her last night...why the hell did he only go in for a kiss back on the Fischer job? Why the hell didn't he contact her afterwards in Los Angeles?

Arthur straightened his tie and then checked for lent on his jacket. He grabbed his phone and wallet next, and the hotel room key before taking the elevator down and making his way to the restaurant. When he entered the building with the blue door and the stag on it's sign, he thought maybe he might've been a little over dressed.

Ariadne did not regret discontinuing her work as an Architect after the Fischer job. She now had the means and the opportunity to continue doing what she loved. Being an architect. She had laughed at the irony of the professional name when she was first hired on; now it was a bitter laugh. But if she did regret one thing, it was leaving so abruptly. They had all agreed that they wouldn't leave the airport together. They were all free to go their separate ways. Her's was a one-way ticket home and no good-byes.

But the evening had felt like a dream. She had dreamed of him before, so she couldn't believe it. Arthur, here? In Paris? No. Okay, perhaps that wasn't entirely outside the realm or reality, but there was no way that they would have run into each other like that. It had to be a dream. Or else she would have been too embarrassed and distracted to go about her day at work, have a pleasant afternoon tea-date with Miles and eventually find her way home, groceries in hand. Absolutely a dream. Until she got home half passed six and saw the note on her fridge: "Dinner is at 7 at the Stag. Be casual. Not a date."

Her heart stopped for a moment. She raced to get ready. 'Jeans. This will be just a casual dinner. Just catching up with an old friend. Jeans will be just fine.' When she walked though the blue door, her friend at the bar greeted her and asked if she wanted her usual. Gotta love an Englishman that wanted to start a burger house in France. Shaking her head, she asked him if he'd seen a slick looking newcomer, American, that was probably overdressed. There was a hearty laugh before he pointed to a corner. And there he was, looking as dashing as ever.

Arthur was fiddling with his phone, a nervous habit of his. Opening up his messages and then checking for missed calls and then his messages again all in the span of seconds. But then he heard Ariadne's voice and looked up and behind him. Arthur slid out of the booth just as she came over, smiling as he did so because she made him smile for some reason he didn't want to dig into too much. "Hey." He didn't know whether to go in for a handshake, hug, or a kiss on the cheek.

"Hey..." His smile made her knees go weak and chest do a somersault. She scoffed at herself for it. She hated cliches. Instinctively, she spread her arms to embrace him in a hug. "I'm glad I didn't have to call out a search party for you."

He laughed, finding that it was easy to do so in her presence. Arthur hugged her back and went in for a kiss on the cheek. Do as the Romans do, he supposed. "It was actually easy to find thanks to your directions," he said as he let her go and then gestured to the booth with his hand.

As his lips brushed her cheek, goosebumps sprouted up and down her arms. "Good to see I haven't lost my touch then." She followed him to the booth, sliding into it as gracefully as she could manage. "So, what's new and exciting in your life?"

He slid in across from her. "New and exciting? Nothing much, really. I've just been working." Working and working, that was all Arthur ever did really. That and the occasional break like he was taking right now. "What about you? Doing anything fun for the summer?"

"You never could get away from it." She said as the waitress brought two tall beers, smiling fondly at Arthur before placing one in front of each of them. She waited patiently to see if they were ready to order. Ariadne selected her usual dinner choice and sipped her drink as Arthur ordered.

"Nothing particular. Besides Miles likes to give me projects over the holiday to busy."

"It's a hard business to get out of," he said, not that he was going to quit anytime soon. Arthur ordered a burger with everything and fries, or rather "chips" when the waitress politely corrected him, indicating the menu. After she jotted everything down, she walked away to put in their order.

"I'm surprised you're not working at a legit firm." He knew how talented she was, in and out of a dream. He could see her quickly rising through the ranks.

"I couldn't imagine." She could. Letting go of dreamcreation sent her through withdrawals for months preceding their departure.

"There was a few offers back in the states, but I couldn't let go of my love of living here." There was also an incident a few years back that she tried to keep as far from her mind as possible. "Plus, I really like teaching. But I do take the concessional contract."

It was tempting to offer her a job. He always had jobs lined up because of his reputation. And he knew he and Ariadne would make a great team like Cobb, Mal, and him back in the day. But she was clearly comfortable with her job right now. It still made him a little sad, thinking of all the possibilities for her. "Well...if you ever find yourself wanting to go under, et me know."

"Are you extending an open invitation to sleep with you?" She gave him a wolfish grin. She drank her beer a little less delicately. It was a confusing reaction for her. Like an itch that could never fully be forgotten suddenly becoming inflamed again. It was an enticing and confusing prospect. She knew they could work well together, but at what cost?

Edited 2014-08-04 23:18 (UTC)

His cheeks reddened considerably before he huffed out a laugh and shook his head, drinking some of his beer before setting it down. "Sure, and more if you'd like," he said, leaving it at that. So maybe Arthur wanted to steal more than just a kiss. He knew how good-looking he was, he knew what he did to people of either gender. And he liked Ariadne. Remembering her hands as she built the models or drew the layout, he wondered what else they could do.

Ariadne started to laugh at his reaction only to have her own face turn a similar shade of crimson at his response. She took another long drink of her beer. She had been very attracted to him during their time together. But she shoved her attraction to the side when she left and tried to forget about those lips that still haunted her dreams. And now he was in front of her and flirting with her. She coughed as beer went down the wrong tube. "Where are-" Cough "those burgers?!" Cough. "I think I-" Cough "need another-"Cough "beer."

Arthur tried not to look too amused. He was hoping for that reaction though. If she could take a dig at him, he could take a dig at her. And yeah, maybe there was some sincerity behind the "more if you'd like" part even though his head was telling him it was a bad idea to get involved. Maybe she'd be into something more causal. That would definitely suit hm better.

Just as she coughed out her last word, the waitress came over with their food. "Merci," Arthur said when she set his plate down in front of him.

She could only smirk and roll her eyes at him when the waitress wasn't looking and smile politely before asking for another beer after she left the plate in front of her. He had that affect on a lot of people. He had that affect on her. She sipped her beer this time as she thought it over. 'It would be a bad idea.'

"Enjoy." she said before she picked up her burger, taking care to make small bites in case he said something else to make her choke.

Arthur picked up his own burger and took a bite. He hummed and nodded. "This is really good," he said after he swallowed his bite. It was hard finding a decent burger without frills in Europe. He ate a fry next.

When he was half way finished with his food, he spoke again. "Would you want to work in the business again?" He felt back for kind of stranding her in Los Angeles all those years ago. She went straight back to Paris, but sharing dreams wasn't something you could easily forget.

"Yeah. I found this place shortly after I started school." She licked the run-off ketchup off her fingers. Very unladylike. Picking at her fries between bites, she let out a slight moan of pleasure. "Homesick and all that."

She was just about to take another bite when he asked. Would she ever want to go back? Sure there were parts that she missed. The limitless possibilities of the dreamscape had allowed her to create impossible but beautiful things. But there was also the part of letting someone into her head again. Opening her mind up to someone and trusting her partners. "I... don't know."

"There aren't a lot of good architects on the scene right now, and even the best can't hold a candle to you," he said. It was the truth. He hadn't crossed paths with anyone even half as good as her. Who could blame him for wanting to ask her to join him? "But I can understand saying no." The business could be brutal at times. She knew that. Maybe not as extensively as him, but it was all a gray area.

She smiled, blushing slightly at his compliment. Miles had said as much when she returned. He had been honestly surprised when she showed up at his office, asking if she would be able to rejoin classes. "If you don't mind- how did you go back? After The Fischer job?"

He raised his brows. "How did I go back?" He asked, not quite understanding the question, and then he shrugged. "I went to Seattle for a bit and then Vancouver before going back to Los Angeles to visit my family. Is that what you're asking?" Fischer had been a big job, but nothing he couldn't handle coming back from.

She gave a small chuckle as she looked down at her food, turning a chip between her fingers. "Not quite. It-it was all... a bit intense for me. I was just- mhmm-never-mind." She sipped at her beer, turning over the thought of returning to the business again. Could she do it? Go back?

"Ah," he said, finally understanding. "That was probably the worst first job that you could've had." She wasn't even suppose to go under with them anyway. Of course, now he was glad she did come, but back then, he was pissed off having to look after her as well. She was good on paper, but on the job?

the music prompt meme

Arthur | Inception

If you don't mind me tagging you again. I enjoyed our last thread.

No worries! It's hard finding a good Ari nowadays.

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