Inception fic snippet

[wildestranger]

This morning I staved off a minor anxiety attack by cleaning all the things. I now have many ironed pillowcases. I feel this was a good life choice.

Also, I feel slightly guilty about not posting very much porn lately (or, you know, in the last couple of years. Oops.). In order to stave off this particular guilt, here's a snippet of a thing I've been working on. Just to reassure you that I am still a pornographer. :D

It's in Inception, though, so that will be fun for...five of you?
Um, I am still working on other things (Remus/Sirius, Frank/Gerard, Adam/Kris, Draco/Neville etc...), but, well, Eames.EAMES.

This is the first part of a fic titled "Five Drinks", because I like to explore characterisation through alcoholic beverages. Here are my thoughts on why Eames drinks sherry.




Dominic Cobb drinks his whisky like a serious man; hunched shoulders as he leans over the bar, his knuckles tight around his glass even though he swallows it smoothly enough. He looks like every serious man who drinks serious, manly drinks like whisky in American films. Eames sips his sherry and considers pointing out how easy it would be to forge him.

New York is cold, but he likes where he’s living, and the sherry is warming up his toes. Cobb is telling him about the new job, and how he doesn’t really want to spend too much time away from his kids (at this point Eames gets a good old-fashioned squint and a “you know?” followed by a wobbly smile, which Eames decides is sufficiently strange and endearing for him not to say “no, what?”) so they’ll try to do as much prep work as possible before meeting up in Vienna. Which, apparently, means that Eames gets to fly around the world so that Cobb won’t have to.

Cobb looks at him as if vaguely thinking that this might be asking a lot, but not yet aware of the implications. Eames downs his drink, licks the last taste from his lips (Cobb’s look of vagueness morphs into confusion tinged with unconscious arousal at this, and Eames thinks yeah, I still can), and gestures to the bartender to bring the rest of his bottle. He doesn’t look away from Cobb until it arrives, at which point he smiles at the bartender (inspiring entirely conscious desire this time, and a phone number scrawled on the napkin under his glass), and lets the smile seep into his voice when he says, “And what does Arthur think?”

Cobb frowns, the change of topic warring with the familiar aggravation brought on by Eames’ bringing up Arthur on his forehead. The aggravation wins, and Cobb sighs.

“He’s fine, he agreed with me that this was the best way. He doesn’t want to…”

“…doesn’t want to do anything you don’t want to do? That’s very charitable of him, to be sure.” Eames notes a slight tinge of Irishness creeping into his voice, which he decides is wasted on Cobb. He coughs before continuing with the usual drawl. “Considering that you must know he’ll hate working like this, with less time for practice, for all of Arthur’s contingency plans and overall coordination, considering that you won’t give him a margin of error any wider regardless, not to mention his own ridiculous standards of overcompetence.”

He’s forgotten where the sentence was supposed to go. Eames pours himself some more sherry, thinks these glasses are so bloody tiny, and waits for Cobb shake out of his thinking face.

“What do you want me to do?” His voice is rough, not thoughtful.

Eames closes his eyes, briefly, and when he opens them again the whole bar is bleary. There isn’t really anything to say to that. He downs his glass and pours another.

“M just saying, mate. He’s not going to be happy about it.”

Cobb chuckles, then winces at the forced cheerfulness of it. Something about this cheers Eames a little.

“Arthur is never happier than when he’s overworking himself.”

Eames makes a dubious noise, but nods. Then he orders another bottle for Cobb, also on Cobb’s tab. He shouldn’t be the only one with a hangover tomorrow.

Comments

[stepps]

you writing Inception interests me very much! I like the description of Cobb's serious man -.- Also Eames kind of looking out for Arthur, pointing out Cobb's being a dick to him :)

[wildestranger]

Thank you! Cobb's manpain calls forth my sarcastic tendencies.

[secondsilk]

Oh, I love Eames's thoughts on Cobb and Arthur, and also the way that he does consider things.

[flamewarrior]

I am interested in all your things!

(Erm. That's less rude than it sounded.)

[raitala.livejournal.com]

EAMES!

I really like your take on him - you've really caught his fluid, chameleon character: not just that he can forge people, but that he is at it all the time, slipping, if not from one persona to another, at least from one range of inflections to another. Hee, and poor squinty Cobb! :D

Also, EAMES!

[wildestranger.livejournal.com]

Eames indeed!

And thank you, yes, that's exactly what I was going - and what I like to see in Tom Hardy's performance, which might just be in my head but oh well, when you're that versatile an actor things bleed through.

[violentviolethp.livejournal.com]

There is no reason to apologize for being moon-eye over Eames.

This was lovely. I'm excited to read the rest at some point.

[wildestranger.livejournal.com]

Well, who could resist him? ;)

And thank you! I have two parts out of five done so far, so hopefully it won't be too long.

[http://users.livejournal.com/_emeraldgreen/]

Argh, my dad is coming this weekend and I have to clean all the things so I cana prove I'm a Grown Up. I am therefore much in awe of your ironed pillowcases of adulthood. ♥

Also! Yay snippet! I am v pleased that you have fic plans, especially those involving alcohol. And also, Draco!

[wildestranger.livejournal.com]

My ironed pillowcases are awesome. I listened to Patrick Stump's new album while I ironed, it made everything more wonderful.

And of course, there will always be Draco. :)

[airgiodslv.livejournal.com]

*clappy hands of delight* Your characters are so brilliant here, even Arthur in absentia. I can't wait to read more!

[wildestranger.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I don't have a very clear of what Arthur will be yet, but as long as Eames does I reckon it'll be fine. :)

[weatherfront.livejournal.com]

Oooohhh, I would love to read how this continues! The performativity of Eames's smallest actions is so fascinating *_____*

[wildestranger.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I rather like thinking of Eames as being constantly performative.

[klena.livejournal.com]

Oh Eames! I agree with what everyone else has said, that you manage to capture something about all the characters, even those not present. I love that Cobb tries to be cheery but still bears that heavy guilty of everything.

Also, I love that Eames is a Sherry man. And that you ironed your pillowcases. I would do that more if our iron got properly hot :(

[wildestranger.livejournal.com]

I enjoy thinking about Eames' drinking choices as slightly sarcastic, and serving as commentary on other people's drinks. :)

[klena.livejournal.com]

You mean that he drinks the sherry because it helps to perpetuate the stereotype of the British bougeois lush? I like that it also serves as commentary on other people's drinks. I like the idea of Yusuf being a dedicated Ale drinker. All the different tastes and flavours, perfect for a chemist

[wildestranger.livejournal.com]

That as well, but mostly that idea that since Cobb is drinking whisky like a manly man, Eames is drinking sherry like a little old lady, and finding it hilarious. Okay, it's mostly that I find that hilarious - I'm thinking about the identity-related stereotypes that inspire people to choose their drinks, how this affects one's choice of beverages and what one tries to project about oneself through one's choice of drink. The premise of this story is Eames having a drink with every member of his team, and how he comments on their choice of drink with his (and then thinks about Arthur a lot because he can't not. :D). Does that make sense? Basically I just like thinking about drinks and their social and cultural signification. ;)