A T A R A X I O N A P P.

[constructum]

PLAYER INFORMATION
Your Name: Laura
OOC Journal: fortuitous
Under 18? If yes, what is your age?: n/a
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Characters Played at Ataraxion: n/a

CHARACTER INFORMATION
Name: Ariadne
Canon: INCEPTION
Original or Alternate Universe: Original
Canon Point: Post Movie
Number: 001 >> 004

Setting:

Inception Wiki || Shooting Script
History:

There honestly isn’t much known about Ariadne’s history pre film. (Damn you Nolan and your vagueness) But what is obviously evident, is that she was/is pursuing a degree in architecture at ÉCOLE D'ARCHITECTURE in Paris. (As shown in the shooting script on page twenty-eight.)

Looking into the school, it’s shown to be a private “free school” located in the heart of Paris. Sadly it’s never really stated though, as to just how far she was in the program. But we can only assume, she was there long enough to have made an impact on Professor Miles, as he clearly thought highly of her - enough to recommend her to Cobb.

Cobb: I need an architect who’s as good as I was.
Miles: I’ve got someone better.

Throughout the film, it is evident though, Ariadne clearly is one of the best when it comes to Architects. As she clearly impresses everyone around here as she goes with her attention to detail. Being the most inexperienced member of the team also, it’s clear there is much Ariadne has to learn as well. And her constantly wanting to have further explanation as to what is going on throughout is evident to this.

“In writing the script for ‘Inception,’ it was very important to me that there be a conduit for the audience—a character who is being shown this world for the first time and is eager to explore it. That’s how the character of Ariadne was born. It was also very important for the audience to see Cobb through Ariadne’s eyes and get to the core of that character. ” - Christopher Nolan [Director]

Are first true exposure to Ariadne is when she meets Cobb through professor Miles at the school - assuming she is being offered some type of work placement. Only to learn, what she may be partaking in might not be strictly speaking legal. That doesn’t stop her though, as she willingly travels with Cobb to a warehouse, to experience dreams for the first time.

Her first exposure to dreams though, isn’t exactly some of the most pleasant ones to date. As her first time out, she is knocked out of the dream by the city exploding all around here. And the second, she comes to a painful death by the hands of Cobb’s projections and Mal. (Not something she obviously was too thrilled about)

After some consideration though, Ariadne does return to the team, learning all the tricks of the trade that are needed to become a successful architect. Much of this is taught/explained by Arthur. (Through the Paradox dream, where Arthur taught her the fundamentals to tricking the projections through a penrose staircase. The constant help and understanding as if he was her sounding board in a way while building, and the explaining of the totems )

It’s Ariadne though; that obviously sees things for what they may be throughout. Noticing that Cobb seriously has some issues he is burying down in him, and wanting to find out what those are exactly. Which causes her to seek them out by entering his dream, and yet again coming face to face with Mal and secrets from Cobb’s past.

Clearly Ariadne wasn’t intended to go on the actual mission/flight, as proof when Cobb notes that he promised Miles. But in the end, Cobb's need to get home to his family, and her need help the team/cobb won out, and she was joining them on the flight from Sydney to LA once Robert Fischers father had died.

Entering the dream then, Ariadne is just as surprised as the others with the events that are unfolding. Realizing that things are never going to go as planned, and just what might happen if they fail the mission. Also learning just how deeply rooted Cobb’s secrets truly were.

The first level: Ariadne clearly has much of her time with Cobb. Learning the full details of what had happed to Mal in Limbo and how it had affected her in the real world. Also realizing just as the other did, what would happen if they failed in the mission - possibly ending up in limbo.

The second level: Ariadne spends much of her time with Arthur. Learning just how the projections are going to be reacting, as well as how the synchronized kicks truly will work.

The third level: Ariadne is again with Cobb, watching as the mission slowly starts to unravel do to his projections/shade bleeding through finally killing Robert Fischer in the Hospital. To only be the one - that when all assume that the mission has failed – to urge them all on, offering the idea of following Fischer down to Limbo.

Limbo: Ariadne clearly learns all the secrets that Cobb has had hidden away. And just how much guilt he truly had for planting the ideas into Mal’s head that he did. Something she truly urges him to move past. She also is the one that devises a kick for Fischer, sending him back down to the third level. Only to in turn shoot Mal, assuming she was helping Cobb move past things.

After consideration though, Ariadne comes to believe that Cobb is truly trying to move past things then. And with a slight hesitation she leaves Cobb in Limbo, kicking her self out by falling from the building. Only to wake up level by level, till she was back in the first level when the van hits the water – having faith that Cobb would make it out alright.

We see Ariadne again finally on the flight after Cobb awakes, a relieved smile on her face as she knows the mission has gone well. Allowing them all a chance to watch Cobb make it home to his family.

Personality:

Sadly you're never truly given much detail as to who Ariadne is as a person throughout the film - we can just blame Nolan and his amazing need to make you think on this. But with what we are able to gather throughout the film, we clearly can see that she is an intelligent, inquisitive, strong-willed and extremely creative girl - who just happens to be willing to go to great lengths to help others.

And we see facets of her personality shine from time to time in scenes, such as: The rooftop scene in Paris with her and Cobb after their initial meeting. It’s here in this scene, where Cobb seems to be analyzing all of her actions, simply deciding if she would be able to cut it in dream-share. And it’s here where Cobb has tasked Ariadne with the mission of creating a maze in under a minute. Of course she does this task - and well - showing just how creative she can be. It’s also where her inquisitive nature also seems to show some, as she willingly continues on with everything, even after being informed that it was illegal.

“I was excited that Chris had written an awesome role for a young woman who is intelligent and comfortable in her own skin. She is thrust into this completely new environment and unusual situation and deals with it very eloquently. She can very much hold her own, especially in a group that’s a bit of a boys’ club." - Ellen Page [ Ariadne ]

It’s also clear with her first exposures to dream-share, just how intelligent, creative and strong willed she could be. As she was more than willing to ask a multitude of questions – pushing things perhaps in areas most wouldn't - gaining what she could for a better understanding.

And it’s here that her creativity (designing a Parisian city down to the tiniest of details) and her wide-eyed curiosity also show. As she is clearly taking everything in with wonder – wanting to test the limits of the dream and disregarding warnings from Cobb as she does - simply by creating new feature after new feature to the dream as they went. A prime example of that is the scene of her defying the laws of physics - bending the world into something no other had done before.

Ariadne: I love the concrete sense of things- real weight, you know? I thought a dream space would be all about the visual, but it’s the feel of things. Question is, what happens as you start to mess with the physics….

Unexpectedly waking from that dream (thanks in part to the attack from Mal) it’s clear Ariadne has no qualms about going off in a sense about her anger over what she feels is wrong - showing just opinionated she can be in turn.

Ariadne: Arthur, maybe you can’t see what is going on, maybe you don’t want to see. But Cobb’s got some serious problems he’s trying to bury down there. And I’m not about to open my mind to someone like that.

And the fact Ariadne willingly walked away from it all at first, also seems to show just how strong willed she tends to be in most cases. As well as just how much common sense she tends to exhibit in her life. Because even knowing anything was possible in a dream – there was even limits to what she would expose herself - though in the end - even after her storming out of the warehouse - her intellectual curiosity seems to win out, as she clearly can’t stay away for too long. Showing just how much of a risk taker she could be - the opportunity to create and explore things she only dreamed about was way too powerful.

Arthur: Cobb said you’d be back.
Ariadne: I tried not to come.
Arthur: But there’s nothing else quite like it.
Ariadne: It’s just pure creation.

Ariadne is also very perceptive of others (seeing issues in Cobb from the start) as she takes it upon herself to almost psychoanalyze Cobb throughout the film - pointing out many of his faults in a sense as she does. A prime example of this perception was the night she found Cobb in the warehouse after working on her totem:

Ariadne: You won’t build yourself because if you know the maze, then she knows it. And she’d sabotage the whole operation. You can’t keep her out, can you?

In a sense, that statement from her almost seems to be the first time someone has actually confronted him on this fact. Obviously she felt it was enough of a concern to be stated and one she wasn't entirely sure others had noticed or not. And even with the vague answer Cobb gave her with that, she knew she wasn't going to be letting it drop that easily - there was too much at stake - it was something that she felt needed to be fully understood. Which in turn, ultimately caused her to invade Cobb’s private dreams one night in the warehouse? Only to learn just how deep his secrets/problems truly were buried deep within him.

This whole exchange also tended to show just how strong willed/caring she was. Because she knew there could be consequences to her actions, but the need to better understand things and to be of help everyone involved obviously won out over any fear she may have had with that.

Proof of this part of her personality is also clear in the scene following the dream, where she clearly has no issues stepping up to the plate to help Cobb and the others.

Ariadne: The team needs someone in there who understands what you’re struggling with. If you don’t want it to be me then you need to show Arthur what I just saw.

Ariadne also comes across as someone who can be very caring, simply wanting to help wherever she can. (With: Cobb, Saito, the team, Fischer, etc.) As she clearly shows just how caring/loyal she can be - almost willing to sacrifice her own self in some form in order to help others. Proof in the fact, she willingly went into limbo to find Fischer and to ensure that the mission was completed:

Ariadne: There’s still a way: We follow him down
Eames: We’re almost out of time.
Ariadne: Down there they’ll be enough time.
We’ll find him-soon as you hear Arthur’s music start,
you use the defibrillator to revive him – we give him his own kick from below.

It’s obvious she is also extremely determined here, as it appears everyone else was willing to give up at that moment, assuming that the mission had failed. But if not for her and her need to help, things might not have been completed and the inception would never have taken place.

And all in all, there is much to Ariadne and her looks are clearly deceiving to some. But it’s just a matter of time before you are truly able to see just how amazing she can be and why she seems to be the way that she is.

Abilities, Weaknesses and Power Limitations:

ABILITIES/ Besides her obvious ones of thinking outside the box, creating, and learning at a fast pace, she has become a lucid dreamer - being able to sense when she is dreaming, and changing/controlling things in dreams to suit her – something not easily learned. And something she excels greatly at.

WEAKNESS/ The standard human ones will always apply here. Ariadne is a flawed girl, even she will admit to that and tends to try to fight against them as much as she can of course, but in the end, she knows she isn't perfect. She truly is overly curious - wanting to understand all that she can and at time crossing lines in doing so. It’s obvious this curiosity has at times gotten her into trouble of course – proof in the attack by Cobb’s subconscious in her first dream experiences. But most of the time, she feels that the benefits will always outweigh the consequences.

The empathy she also tends to feel for others can be considered a flaw of hers as well. Caring for people she truly shouldn’t and in the end letting her emotions run her judgment at times.

LIMITS/ She is only human after all, and no matter how invincible she thinks she is in a dream, she can only do so much as a human until she pays the price.

Inventory:

   - Gold chess piece (aka: Her totem)
   - Red leather strapped watch
   - Floral print silk scarf
   - Outfit
   - Sketchpad
   - A handful of pencils

Appearance:

Ariadne is a short petite girl, just reaching five feet. With long brown wavy hair, large caramel colored doe-eyes, and fair complexion. In most cases you notice she tends to be a fairly laxed when it comes to her appearance, as she seems to favor the same thing over and over with subtle changes. Never opting to makeup her appearance. The only exception she had for this was on the second level of the Fischer dream, where she was found hair up, clearly looking more professional in a dress suit and heels.

Her PB is Ellen Page.

Age: Early twenties. (If going by actors age at time of filming, she would be twenty-two)
AU Clarification: n/a

SAMPLES

Log Sample:

Ariadne stopped checking her watch hours ago, not needing that constant reminder of all the time she seemed to be spending away from her other (outside) responsibilities. Arthur was right though, there was nothing quite like it, and as time went on and the longer and longer she seemed to be spending with them all, the more she slowly starting to ignore all the other responsibilities that she had - finding that she just wanted to absorb herself in all that was this dream share.

And Tonight, after a long day of working on multiple designs, she found herself contently perched at her desk; meticulously working on hollowing out a gold bishop she took from home earlier that day. All in hopes of creating that perfect totem – one that only she herself would truly know the weight and feel of.

The obvious assumption that she was alone though – that they all had left for the night – well, that was there, as she found herself unconsciously humming some random Parisian tune she had recently heard, all while her attention seemed to be solely focused on finishing her task at hand. .

That was until she heard the small sound of activity coming from the far end of the warehouse, causing her senses to suddenly become alert. She wasn't one for immediately assuming it was danger (never having a reason to before this), instead it was her curiosity that was caught as she found herself quietly sliding away from her desk, not wanting to draw any attention to herself as she did.

It only took a few quiet moments (and an unknown amount of steps) and she was then uncovering just what the noise was. It was Cobb, quietly messing with what appeared to be a PASIV. As he too was assuming he was alone. There was still a great deal she didn't understand about this man, most of which was by his choosing. As he had almost mastered the art of avoidance - something she clearly had her taking note to it. The assumption that the man was hiding more than he was letting on was clearly there – at least from what she was sensing. And if the run in she had with his projection in her dream were any indication of that, she knew it was something that needed to be understood – if not by all of them, then by her.

Her weight shifting from one leg to another, silently watching him for a moment as it did, her thumb slowly brushing over the base of her totem, as she finally let out a small cough, all in hopes of starting the hoped dialogue between the two.

“I didn't know you were here.” She finally said her tone more curious than accusing. As he had every right to be there, but yet, she didn't understand why he was. It was clear by the expression on her face though, she was looking for some form of explanation in it all.

Comms Sample:

[ the device comes to life, Ariadne yet again looking around, her brow furrowed in obvious thought. before finally turning her attention back on the screen.

A ghost of a smile at the corner of her mouth, as she finally speaks, almost eager: ] Hi. I’m looking for anyone that would be able to give some clues as to where everyone is? [ she pauses again, rubbing at the back of her neck as she lets out a small sigh before frowning slightly at it all. ] I haven’t come across anyone yet, and to know I’m not alone here – well that would be nice.

I’m not really sure how I ended up here, or where the heck I even am. But I can’t be the only one, right? There are more of you out there – there has to be.

[ she stops then, her attention moving away from the device, as the sound of her totem can be heard against the table with a thunk.

A frown now obvious on her face, turning back yet again to only sit, staring a moment in thought. ] If this is a dream – wake me up.