AU: A frustrated Eames is pulled over late at night by a strikingly handsome police officer named Arthur. After being threatened with a speeding ticket and faced with losing his final points and consequently his license, Eames is offered a very enticing alternate method of payment… Which he gladly accepts.
Major credit to tomhardysswag and bondurantfeels for helping me out with this.
To recap quickly for any new friends who've joined us here: Inceptiversary is the Inception fandom's annual extravaganza throughout the month of July (which usually also spreads into August). We have a whole slew of events to enjoy and some prizes to win!
But first things first: the Inception fandom has two chat room servers (invite links are hyperlinked)
Discord: You're Waiting for a Train
Inception Slack: InceptionChat
We also highly recommend following @inceptioncentral to keep up-to-date on all things Inception all year 'round!
Jump on in and say hello! If the links are expired, don't hesitate to reach out to the Inceptiversary mods for assistance.
Below the cut is a list of all the events taking place this year!
Most will run from July 1 to 31, but some start earlier and some run longer.
Be sure to follow all the event blogs directly, and don't hesitate to reach out to us mods if you have any questions at all! You can message, ask, or email us at inceptiversarymods @ gmail . com.
Inception 30 Day Challenge (@inception30daychallenge)
The inception 30 Day Challenge is a set of 30+ questions and prompts about Inception, its characters, and you! They're meant to inspire some reflection and creativity about Inception, whether it be through a simple text post, art, music, recs - anything goes! And there will be prizes! Keep an eye on the event blog for the full list of questions to be released before July 1!
Arthur/Eames Last Drabble Writer Standing (@aeldws)
Signups will be open June 19 to 25 or until all 10 slots are filled.
A weekly elimination drabble challenge where all works must fit a given prompt and feature Arthur/Eames as the main pairing. This year's AELDWS will run for six weeks, starting June 26, with a maximum of 10 participants. Prompts are posted on the @aeldws blog Friday at 1AM EDT and drabbles are due Tuesday at 1PM EDT. Voting will take place Tuesday night through Thursday night.
Inception Big Bang (@inception-bigbang)
Signups will be open May 11-18. Posting day is July 31. For the full schedule, see the big bang blog!
An author and artist collaborative event. Authors anonymous submit fic summaries, and artists claim their favorites and create accompanying art! For more details and the full event achedule, be sure to follow @inception-bigbang!
Inception Kitties (@inceptionkitties)
A blog to celebrate all the Inception pawrents in our community! Share photos of your furry felines or follow to admire everyone else's!
Inception Positivity ( @inceptionpositivity )
Submissions will open late June!
Inception Watch Parties ( @inceptionwatchparty )
Inception Positivity is a place to send love and kind thoughts to Inception fandom friends anonymously and receive some love in turn. People submit kind messages via Google form and these are turned into colourful posts that are posted on the blog.
Watch parties will be hosted starting July 1 on the You’re Waiting for a Train Discord server.
See above for invite link to the server or contact the watch party mods. For the full schedule and list of films that will be viewed, be sure to follow the @inceptionwatchparty blog!
Inception Watch Party Bingo (hosted on @inceptiversary)
Come join our annual Inception Day watch parties and play bingo for prizes! Grab a bingo card ahead of time by emailing inceptiversarymods @ gmail . com and enjoy!
Sign-ups May 11-18
Author summaries due May 29
Artist claims start June 1
Pairing announcement June 15
First check-in July 1
Second check-in July 15
Posting date July 31
A Big Bang is a fandom event where authors and artists work together on a two-part project. When signing-up, authors submit a summary of the fic they’ll be working on during the event, as well as the rating and relevant tags. Fics are later claimed by artists during two rounds (if
needed) of fic claims. (Details below the break)
For authors:
Your final piece should be:
an Inception fanfic
written for the Big Bang (no reposting of old works)
at least 1500 words
Other than that, we are open to all ships and gen stories!
IMPORTANT: During sign-ups and fic claims the authors are anonymous. This keeps things fun! We want artists to choose based on the fics alone. Don’t make posts that give away which fic is yours. After claims, talk to your artist! Keep each other updated - the best thing about a fandom Bang is working with each other!
Frequently asked questions of authors:
How much do I need to write before signing-up?
We recommend writing a summary of your story, the rating, and a couple relevant tags. Remember, what you submit is what we send to the artists! Make it easy to understand your story.
Can I change my mind about my submission?
Before fic claims you can send us updates or even send us a different story altogether. All’s fair. After fic claims, any big changes should be discussed with your artist. You cannot change the rating from G, T or M into explicit. If you believe your fic might go down that road submit the tag before fic claims.
Can my fic be a crossover?
Sure!
Can it be a continuation of an older work?
Yes, as long the original fic’s name is not included on new piece and the part submitted for the Big Bang has never been shared anywhere else before. Big Bang projects are secret until the reveal date.
Can it be OT3 / Major Character Death / Kink?
Sure! Just keep in mind that the more specific your work is, the harder it may be for one of our artists to connect with it. This is true for anything you may come up with - crossovers, PWPs, squeamish themes, you name it. We encourage creativity! But use the appropriate tags when you send us your summary and consider being flexible if our artists might have a hard time with that one.
Can I submit multiple stories?
Nope!
Is there the possibility of my fic not being claimed?
We work with artists interested in all different kinds of fics! We also have very cool and open-minded pinch-hitters. In our recent years all fics were claimed. That being said, yes, there is the possibility. It ties back into the OT3 / major character death / kink topic – the more specific your work is, the harder it may be for our artists to connect with it. Also, the harder it may be to actually depict the story. Be considerate of our artists when picking the fic to write for the Big Bang.
Can I sign up as both author and artist?
Of course! Just make sure you have the time and resources available to fulfill all the roles you choose!
For artists:
You will be choosing one (or more!) fics to make art for. Between fic claims and the final posting date you and your author will have one and a half months to work on your collaboration.
Your piece should be:
Art drawn or painted, including digital art
Photo manips
Original music
Gifsets (if you’re making them! don’t re-use/steal gifs)
Fanvids of at least 45 seconds
Physical crafts like sculpture, knitting, and embroidery
If you want to create something we haven’t mentioned here, check in with us first, but chances are you’re fine. As long as it's something you can submit within the deadline it’s fair game.
Frequently asked questions of artists:
How do claims work?
We will make an anonymized master post of all the story summaries available for the Big Bang. To make claims on them, send us an email with your top 3 picks. Fic claims happen on a first come first served basis so try to respond as soon as you can. If needed, we will have a second round of claims.
I'd really like to participate but I'm not sure of my availability - can I still sign-up as an artist pinch-hitter?
Absolutely! We can always use extra help. If you sign-up (only) as a pinch-hitter we will contact you after both rounds of fic claims, or later in the event if we’re needing back-up.
Can I sign-up as both artist and author?
Of course! Just make sure you have the time and resources available to fulfill all the roles you choose!
Most asked question for everyone! XD
Panic time, I won’t be able to make the deadline! What now?
Hey, it’s okay! Life happens, we get it. But keep us updated. Send an email to [email protected] or drop a message to @stormofsharpthings
We can work out extensions, or if you can’t complete your piece, we can talk to pinch-hitters. It’s okay, really, as long as you let us know what's up!
30 Days of Inception - Day Four: What is each character like at karaoke? @inception30daychallenge
Another fun one!!!
First of all, karaoke’s gotta be Ariadne’s idea. I extrapolate a lot about her personality from a two-hour movie, but to me, she’s rambunctious, loud, ferociously intelligent, and helplessly wild. Maybe that’s because I so desperately want her to be the opposite of the archetype of “quiet girl” that so many movies force upon the one female character, but I still think that description matches her movie persona. She is definitely dragging this group to karaoke, and she is singing any embarrassing dad rock song she can. Deep down, she listens to that sort of music because it really does remind her of her father, but also, who doesn’t want to scream American Pie at the top of their lungs?
Yusuf would be having almost as much fun as Ariadne. His personality seems most similar to hers imo, and after a couple drinks, I think he would be belting his heart out a little. I think he’d be pretty susceptible to peer pressure when picking songs. Ariadne wants me to belt out Elton John? Fine. Eames is screaming about The Who? Okay, sure. Just put the lyrics on the screen and buy me a drink, I got you.
Eames would also have a lot of fun, but I think he’d be shyer than anyone would expect. It would definitely take him some alcohol to get on stage, but I think afterward he would form himself into a showman effortlessly. I like to headcanon Eames as a fan of new wave British rock/pop and so I think he’d sing a lot of that. He would also absolutely, 100% force Arthur to sing with him. I think he is the sole person who could convince him to get on that stage. Speaking of Arthur, he’s the in between on the line between characters who would definitely participate and those who definitely would not. There is no shot Arthur is getting on the stage on his own, I don’t care how drunk he gets. He has too much shame, especially in front of a group who sees him as so strait-laced. But Eames could certainly force him into a duet. Arthur would gripe and gripe and gripe on and on about how Eames is forcing him, coercing him, using his tricks on him or something. But really, Arthur’s just fond of Eames, and maybe he likes the way the man smiles while goading Arthur through a verse of Call Me Maybe.
Now, Cobb…there is just no way. I’m sorry, Cobb is not singing fucking karaoke. He’ll show up, he’ll sit in the corner, and he’ll definitely laugh at his friends, but he is not singing. Okay, maybe, just maybe it’s the end of the night, and most of the group is out of it. Ariadne is passed out on the couch, Yusuf and Saito are having a nonsensical conversation about some topic neither of them understand, and Eames and Arthur are giggling in a corner as if no one else is watching. Then, maybe, just maybe, Cobb snakes up to the mic and sings a few lines of Scenes from an Italian Restaurant. Maybe.
As for Saito…yeah that motherfucker actually is not singing. I think he does have a fun side, and he’d definitely be okay with the plan, but he just sits on the couch like a slightly disappointed father as all of the losers who he thought were serious people scream-sing into a microphone.
Oh, yeah, and as for skill — none of them have any. Well, except for Arthur, but he won’t sing loud enough for anyone to hear him.
30 Days of Inception - Day Two: Headcanon about Favorite Character @inception30daychallenge
For his entire life, Arthur has never been able to sleep through the night. Ever since he was a kid, he’d relentlessly toss and turn, back and forth, kept awake by the ramblings in his head and always woken up by the nightmares that followed. After joining up with Cobb and dreamsharing so often that he stopped dreaming, he hoped the problem would be solved, but to no avail. Eventually, he gets used to this aspect of his life. The exhaustion becomes background noise, the slight buzz in his head becomes second nature. He learns to work with the lack of sleep, and, in his very Arthur way, take advantage of it. After all, it’s quiet at three in the morning, and therefore the best time to get ahead on some work. The team’s always impressed with how it seems like somehow, this guy has more hours in the day than everybody else, and that’s because he kind of does. Sure, he’ll probably die a few years earlier, and maybe he’s forgotten what it feels like to be rested, but hell, his job is sleeping. It’s not like he needs any more of it, right?
Then, once they’ve stopped acting like fools, Eames and Arthur shack up. There are obvious perks to this relationship, namely that neither of them are going insane anymore, but there’s an unexpected benefit of Eames’ newfound constant presence in Arthur’s life. See, it doesn’t really make sense. Eames is anything but a pleasant sleeping partner. He’s first of all big, full of muscle, and takes up far more space than anyone reasonably should. He’s not shy about that, either. He will flail out all over the bed, moving pillows wherever he wants, kicking blankets off of the bed, Mr. Eames will do anything to get comfortable. He also snores louder than anyone Arthur has met in his life, so loud he’s certain it seeps through the walls and disturbs the neighbors. All of this, and yet the first time Arthur sleeps next to Eames, he sleeps through the night. At first he thinks it’s a fluke, but then it keeps happening. Somehow, he consistently wakes up…rested? It’s so foreign to him to feel properly groggy from sleep rather than a lack of it, and it quite honestly takes some getting used to. It even bugs him at first. Eames is already a fantastic distraction, and now he’s stolen Arthur’s extra work time, too. But eventually, Arthur realizes that it is much easier to work and function when you’re getting eight hours. He starts performing better at work, getting tasks done more efficiently, and, much to the glee of the team, tends to be in a better mood these days.
The team is so pleased with this outcome that eventually, they buy Eames a cake and thank him for finally erasing the bags from under their point man’s eyes.
i’ve mentioned that i wanted to make a post like this a few times. well, buckle up kids, ‘cause it’s finally here
[note: there may be some things in here that don’t exactly scream ‘omg they’re in love’, but that i wanted to include because they’re important to the characters’ relationship, whether it’s platonic or not.]
[also, this is very messily written and i apologize for that]
Note: This bit of embarrassing late-night Inception foolishness has been in my drafts for a long time. I figured that I might as well post it because the longer it stays in my drafts, the less relevant it becomes…
All of the ship manifestos I’ve read for Arthur/Eames so far that feature screen caps of their interactions seem to end at Arthur putting Eames to sleep in the hotel.
Here’s what I like to think about that airport scene at the end.
Read More (but i’m pulling it from beneath the cut because it’s beautiful)
When they first entered the plane, I noticed that Eames had a duffel bag as his carry-on bag. Very good, sir.
This is the last time our OTP appeared in the same frame, with Eames on the left with his cart, and Arthur on the right claiming his luggage.
And here we have Eames standing around with a cart far too large for just his duffel bag.
He could have left; he had no need to stay to acknowledge Cobb as he walked toward Miles. In fact, it would be safer if they pretended not to know each other. Furthermore, even after he noticed Cobb leave, he still stood there. Perhaps he’s waiting for someone who did have a larger piece of luggage that needed such a cart. A pointman who favors bespoke suits, perhaps? Hmm…
I like to think that Eames was waiting for Arthur and that they left sharing the same cart (and possibly the same taxi and the same hotel room).
Thank you for your time, my fellow shippers. Carry on, then.
If Arthur's near a castle, he’ll always take a quick detour for a visit. He loves the feeling of being surrounded by solid stone walls and he finds it fascinating how successive generations have built layers upon layers of defences to counter each advance in technology. He sketches out all of the little features the defenders have added to make the place harder to attack, and for the next week his notes will be covered in little crenellations and arrowslit designs. Eames, meanwhile, is flirting with the tour guide.
To Eames, castles are for the dead. He prefers going to town squares, where he can feel the connection to generations of ordinary people who've walked the same roads. He listens to the small talk of shop staff and the drunken laughs of townsfolk at night. He eats and drinks as the locals do, and after a few days he's learned a new drinking song, a local proverb, and a recipe for a local delicacy. Arthur, meanwhile, is reading a book while drinking his third coffee for the day and is blocking out all human activity in a 30 foot radius.
They both agree they should've gone to Seychelles for their honeymoon instead.
Inception headcanon: Eames goes by only one name because he’s sick of the “Bond, James Bond” jokes every time people find out he worked for the British government
All the little details!!! I love that idea so much more than the chip multiplying!!!
I love the idea that the secret to Eames' totem is specificity and details (Arthur’s prerogative).
While Arthur’s totem has many faces and reveals the true one in reality to Arthur, like Eames has many faces but only one is the real one, and reveals itself only to Arthur.
#DAMN RIGHT HE IS #HE’S ALSO THE REASON THIS WASN’T A HORRIBLY CRUEL THING TO DO #HE MADE IT CATHARTIC FOR FISCHER #RATHER THAN PURELY A SWINDLE #MAYBE JUST BECAUSE IT WAS THE MOST EFFECTIVE ROUTE #BUT EVEN IF UNINTENTIONAL #IT WAS A KINDNESS
reblogging again because you are all killing me with your tags. inception fandom forever. :(
(also eames is the only team member who ever expressed any empathy for fischer whatsoever. he’s the only team member who ever expressed any concern for what they were doing to the mark (apart from “are we destroying parts of his mind?”) or saw him as more than a target, and he did it before he even met him and it makes you wonder how close they got in sydney okay i’ll shut up now but seriously, from “the relationship with the father” to “we ought to charge fischer,” eames basically constructed the entire job as a therapeutic experiment. (On the flip side of the poker chip, one could assume the therapy was for Cobb.) And then after it was all over: “I’m sorry, Robert.” I’m sorry for your loss; I’m sorry for what we just did to you.
dear everyone on tumblr who needs to host images elsewhere (e.g. to embed on ao3 etc), please give squidge a go!! it's free, it's nonprofit and it's geared towards fandom so nsfw images won't get deleted!! and please stop using imgur if you can because they blocked the uk rather than acquiesce to the fucking internet safety laws, which I can't really hold against em but it does mean all imgur pictures just show up as big purple boxes now
Not only is Squidge still around, it's expanded and grown! It is still run by the same guy, though now it's a nonprofit with a board and everything, and while they maintain all the old squidge sites as static archives, they have a new multifandom archive using the AO3 code at squidgeworld.org. They also host podfics and fanart.
For those younguns in the crowd, back in the day erotic fanworks--especially slash--was not welcome very many places. Walter was willing to host it, and has been a haven for NSFW fanworks since 1994. The various archives and so on hosted at squidge.org were never very large, compared to lots of other archives, but they were a necessary part of the fannish ecosystem, and I'm really glad that there is now a structure in place to keep the whole system running beyond just "Walter's a great guy willing to donate lots of time and money." Walter is a great guy! but like. it's good to have other people to help out and keep things going in the long run.
Eames, half asleep : you see, mal was doms top and her totem was a top and when mal died dom lost his top (mal) but gained another top (mals top), so that dom has a top’s top now which makes him a dom with a top
arthur, also half asleep : if you say “top” once again, I’m gonna kick you out of the bed
people trying to insist a fandom is tiny when it /only/ has a few thousand works on ao3 meanwhile my current fandom is a sixteen book series and has several hundred fewer works than goncharov, a movie that, and i cannot stress this enough, doesn’t even exist
#measuring the size of fandoms based on their goncharov index#this has been a useless text post you may now resume your normal programming#rote has a goncharov index of 0.63#for perspective ofmd has an index of 26.5#spn’s is 360.8#the cosmere is 2.26 for a fantasy book comparison#i am very normal
The Goncharov Index, everyone.
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