[ Used to similar late night intrusions, Yusuf has to take a moment to identify the slightly off feeling that comes with the gentle dip of the mattress under Ariadne's weight. The rest of the house feels still with sleep, as if exhausted from the weekend, and the pale bend of Ariadne's knee is a sight he's yet to see against his duvet. It dawns on him that Ariadne is not necessarily the difference in this equation, it's the way she moves into the room; a detour around the foot of the bed to perch on the side nearest to him instead of flopping down starfish-limbed and claiming his space as hers. She doesn't need grand movements to make her presence known, which is interesting, all things considered. ]

Idly so. [ At first glance, the content of his notebook is probably indecipherable. Yusuf isn't winning any awards for penmanship, his words crowded together and monstrously abbreviated, but he's fairly good at illustrating his concepts and his writing either manages to confine or accompany blocky flow diagrams or timing mechanisms. He turns it more toward her, so she can get a better look. ] Our PASIV lacks a self-cleaning function. [ He taps something that is either an attempt at scribbling something out or a creative interpretation of a spinning mechanism. ] This is a rough version of the cleaning system I developed for the den.

[ Such perfect opportunities for smooth segues rarely present themselves so readily, so Yusuf takes it. ] Has Eames' mouth been clear of biscuits long enough to speak to you about his idea?

[ Perhaps in a while, she'll be a little more forward with her movements; instead of detouring, she'll just crawl right up, much like the cats Yusuf loves. For now, she's conscious of the fact that she's intruding, that this isn't her space, and that despite Yusuf saying she could come in, she may not be wanted.

But he tilts his notebook toward her and so Ariadne takes a look, unable to help the slight grimace at his handwriting. At least she doesn't have to take notes from this. ] Well, if you need any parts or anything for it, let me know. [ It goes without saying, really; they've used her position at City Solutions before. Still, she wants to put it out there -- she really doesn't mind helping.

There's a thoughtful hum before Ariadne shakes her head. ] He has a lot of ideas, but he eats more biscuits. What is it?

[ A doctored doctorate sits rolled up in a drawer back in Mombasa, embossed with gold and bold, striking lettering that spells his name correctly- though the same can't be said for every word on the document. Between his handwriting and his aversion to teaching in more than a one-on-one setting, he's rarely had to take it out to prove anything.

We might, actually. [ Answering a question with a question is usually a tactic reserved for people Yusuf doesn't much care to deal with, but in this case it's necessary. Introducing the idea of a den before Ariadne knows of the already established recreational venues being carved out by other enterprising individuals can only lead them to conversations he's sure they both would rather not have. ] How much do you know about dreamshare?

[ Ariadne's degree, when she finally gets it, will be 100% genuine -- but somehow she doesn't think she'll be teaching either. Still, Yusuf knows his stuff, whether her actually graduated or not. Some of the notes look familiar, chemical symbols she recalls from chemistry class, but the rest of it is mostly a mess. ]

That's why I offered. [ There's a slight sigh, a shift of her legs as if she can't quite figure out how she's supposed to be sitting -- if she should move away, slightly offended, or move closer, intrigued. She doesn't do either. ] Other than the obvious? I know how it started, and Eames told me about arcading a while ago. [ And she'd built deep pools, trees with glass leaves, large green pipes that looked like they had come out of a Mario game. ]

[ Free to fall as it naturally does, Ariadne's hair slips over her shoulder with her slight sigh, and Yusuf isn't sure what he's supposed to do with that. He moves over, making room for her. Though the invitation to come share his space is anything but subtle, he doesn't make a show and dance of it. She's smart, if she wants to get comfortable she doesn't need a written invitation. ]

Good, that makes things easier. [ Yusuf thumbs at the edge of his page, fighting down the inclination to sell her the idea. This is a presentation- albeit an informal one- and Ariadne's honest input is more important than getting her onboard. ] You've come into dreamshare at an interesting time. In the realm of morally grey professions, what- [ The name of the game is don't say Cobb, right? ] Arthur does is more conventionally illegal. Arcades are still illegal, in that the technology utilized to provide and distribute said dreams is illegal, but it could be very convincingly argued that arcades are on the lighter side of the moral spectrum. In fact, if the existence of dreamshare had come from anywhere but the government, it wouldn't be illegal at all; just a staggeringly expensive pastime.

[ Oops. He's getting side tracked...

Yusuf takes a breath, getting to a point but allowing Ariadne the chance to step in; to comment to the contrary or beat him to the inevitable conclusion. ]

[ Moving over is enough of an invitation, and so she shifts to follow him. She uses the time while Yusuf is speaking to make herself comfortable, though she's still listening; it distracts her from interrupting before he has to pause to take a breath, and maybe it gives Yusuf something to focus on other than Ariadne propping herself up on his pillows, leaning into his side to keep looking at his notes. ]

Expensive and highly regulated, yeah, because the government wouldn't want an increase in suicides or addictions or accidental thought theft. [ One knee, the one furthest away from Yusuf, is bent upward and Ariadne's arm drapes across it. ] ... But there aren't any regulations here. No one even really knows it exists. [ Pause. ] And the both of you like money.

[ There's a bit of a grin as she says that; while there's still that unspoken you didn't tell us about the dangers lingering in the background, Ariadne's just fine with poking fun at gamblers and thieves and others who like to line their pockets. ] So... an arcade? Or something similar?

[ His notes rest on his knee and Ariadne's elbow rests on her own and there's a certain kind of symmetry there but Yusuf only notices it in passing, his attention more on Ariadne's thought process. He could get into the politics of it- because even in the underground, politics still manage to muddy things up- but that's a long story for an entirely different day. With Ariadne following barely a step behind, he doesn't have time to anyhow. ]

We are creatures of comfort, this is true. [ Apologies were never exchanged for that; it hadn't seemed important in the light of Robert Fischer's inception and after they'd all come back, miraculously alive and in-tact, it had seemed superfluous. Likely he'll never live that down, but perhaps that is a good thing. Perhaps it will save them all some trouble in the long run. ]

There aren't any specifics just yet, but I believe an arcade setting is the ultimate goal. Setting up a legitimate shop in the city would be, well, simple, if marketed correctly. [ Yusuf's fingers flip the edges of his notebook; Ariadne's lotion a different but not in any way intolerable scent in his room. ] What do you think?

[ It's been so long that Ariadne doesn't expect an apology; doesn't give much thought to it, other than when something like this comes up. It hadn't seemed as important in light of everything Cobb had been hiding, freight trains running through intersections and the fact that he had been the one who made his wife believe her world wasn't real. She had told Eames, shortly after they'd moved into the townhouse -- she wonders, distantly, if Yusuf knows before realizing that right now it doesn't really matter. ]

No wonder you like cats. [ Sleeping in the sun for most of the day, stretching and wandering lazily to look for food, playing when they hunt so even that isn't work -- it makes sense, makes her smile to think of Yusuf as a feline (something that's all too possible in the City, she's aware, but that's not the point).

He's gotten to the point though and Ariadne doesn't even pretend to consider it for long, grinning. ] I think it'd be great. We wouldn't be getting shot at, probably, and I'd get to build -- really build, not just messing around.

[ What Yusuf knows and doesn't know about Cobb is unimportant, because Cobb is not Yusuf's responsibility. He has the barest of ties to the man, and has no particularly strong desire to strengthen those to any great extent. Ariadne is still young and vibrant and violently inquisitive, and Yusuf thinks she must be made of a different stuff, because even at her age he was starting to flag, to see the world for its cracks and dents and not for the greater whole. ]

Yeah yeah, [ Yusuf nudges her with his shoulder, just enough to convey amusement at her fairly well-drawn parallel. He makes a mental note to not take any naps on the sofa- as if she doesn't already have all the incriminating evidence she needs from the past few months of living together. ]

No one here would be militarized, so the risks are considerably fewer. [ A trade off really: less likely to get sniped out of a dream, but more likely to be ripped limb from limb if you got too carried away. The pen is heavy in his fingertips when he says, ] You could rebuild every world anyone in The City has ever lost.

[ When she'd explained it to Eames, it hadn't been Cobb that had been the important piece. It had been what Limbo can do, can make you believe -- that it's your reality, that the reason Mal had killed herself had been because she wanted to go home. It had been at a time when they were considering trying to go into Limbo themselves and Ariadne (who had, admittedly, been drinking at the time) still had fresh memories of it, had panicked, had babbled. Eames had listened -- likely pulled more out than she would have shared under other circumstances, but... it had felt good, to get it out in the open.

Grinning, Ariadne nudges him back, not quite pulling away entirely when the motion is finished. ] But I'm the one who's been turned into a cheetah. [ An exceptionally cute cheetah the first time, when she had been just a cub and still partially herself, but that's not the point. ]

We wouldn't have to use such a powerful sedative either, would we? Since it would just be one level -- less of a risk of dropping down into Limbo. [ But he continues, says rebuild and Ariadne pauses. Never recreate real places rings in her head, but- ] They'd have to give me a lot of detail for it to actually come off as that world. [ But she still has the sketches of Hogwarts, floorplans, blueprints, her notes from grilling Fred about the castle and its grounds. People will give enough detail if they're inspired to. She could show them a little bit of home -- and she could, if they aren't careful, trap them there. ]

The City does seem to favor you, [ Though whether that's because Ariadne is patently unsuccessful at lying low and keeping to herself, or if there's something else involved entirely, is a question for another night. This, is simply an observation— the way he observes the slight lean of Ariadne into his shoulder. He amends, ] If being cursed is something one can be favored at.

[ As a rule, Yusuf is not a fan of assumptions. He's not a yes or no answer kind of guy, but he likes explanations, empirical evidence to back up his decision process. What they're doing here, is assuming. Assuming that they're not dreaming. Assuming that this is the topmost level of an alternate reality. Assuming that because something worked in their world, it will work in this one as well. They have evidence to support the latter, which is the only reason Yusuf is entertaining it without qualm— but that evidence is based on the agreed upon assumption that this is reality. A reality. The merging of realities.

Yusuf's head knocks back against the wall, chasing the cyclical thoughts from his mind. ] Correct, the heavy-duty sedatives wouldn't be necessary. Assuming the clients were willing and eager to dream, we might not even need sedatives. [ Depending on what the client wanted out of the dream and how strenuous it would be to achieve the desired result. The planning and execution of each dream would have to be tailored to each individual.

At her tone, Yusuf lets his head roll a fraction to the side, his curls cushioning where the back of his head is pressed against the wall. ] Are you worried you couldn't assimilate that breadth of information?

It depends on the curse, [ she muses, moving her hand to tuck some hair behind her ear. ] Being a cheetah isn't so bad as long as Arthur's not shooting at me and I'm not being kicked by horses. Some of it's more embarrassing than others, and others are more dangerous. [ A shrug makes her hair fall back down from her ear, but Ariadne leaves it this time. ] I guess I'm just... used to it.

[ It's dangerous, she knows, to get too used to it. But it doesn't do any good to be surprised by each and every curse, either -- especially not when you know they're coming. She rolls with them, adjusts accordingly to whatever it is, keeps her knives and her gun with her whenever she goes out (though that isn't because of curses, no, that's because of one rather adamant vampire). ] It'll be nice to have something to break it up. [ Something new, something that keeps changing. Engineering is fun but it's not dreaming. ]

You might have your work cut out for you, if we get any non-humans showing up. [ Her lips quirk up for a moment, imagining Piglet of all people coming to dream-- though she pushes the thought away when Yusuf asks her question. ]

No, I definitely can. [ That much she knows; whether it's on paper or in her mind, she's good with details. ] It's more... if they'll be satisfied. They miss a few details and it could throw off the whole tone, and while there's no way I can guess and get all the details right all the time, they may decide it's somehow our fault. It'll depend on the individual and how much they'd notice or care, but... [ Her lips press together. ] It's easy to forget things and not remember again until you're back in that environment, especially for the people who've been here for a longer period of time.

[ She's tried to think back to places she's been -- not to dream, but just to test her memory. There are details missing, and she hasn't been here for a year just yet. ]

[ To hear Ariadne explain it would make anyone wonder if she misses being a normal twenty-something; in as much as that was ever possible with her father and her studies and simply being herself.

Probably not. Ariadne doesn't seem to have the patience for could haves when she's got a plethora of possibilities before her. When the right thing catches Ariadne's attention, she's even more focused than Arthur and somehow equally as intimidating. Learning by experience isn't for everyone, but then again, no one ever accused Ariadne of being 'like everyone.' ]

We may have to expand the market slowly... [ Yusuf is thinking of the time Ariadne tried to invite a dinosaur into the house. Putting a line into a human is a talent he's only just perfected.

Ariadne makes a good point, and Yusuf jots satisfaction re dtls other realities- cohesive?? down in his notebook. The letters in his '-ion' and '-ies' blend together into a scribble, but he'll be able to read it later. ] Starting with something smaller scale might take some of the pressure off. Creating a dream that feels like a dream as opposed to recreating multiple, unknown realities right off the bat.

Let you have some fun. Work yourself up to the big leagues instead of throwing you in head first, for once.

[ Does she miss being normal? No, absolutely not. Ariadne wouldn't change her decisions up to this point, no matter how much she may look back on some things with a twinge of regret. If there's something she misses, it's locations, people. If she were to remember this place when she left, she would miss the City and many of the people in it, too. ]

Well, luckily I think the most non-humans the City has at the moment are gods and vampires, and I don't know that either would be too interested in dreaming. [ And in her defense, Janine was a pterosaur and she was completely unsuited to the winter weather. Ariadne ended up giving her a scarf when the two of them realized there was no way she'd fit in the house. ]

I can work with what the customers want, but if we're marketing it as an arcade, then having it feel dream-like is probably going to be more along the lines of what they're expecting.

[ There's a slight pause, Ariadne wetting her lips before she adds: ] It'll be safer for them, too.

For the sake of my sanity I am not going to think about the physicochemistry associated with vampires. [ He stretches his legs out under the covers, like that's the last he's going to have of that conversation. It would seem even Rhada is tired tonight. Absent is the sound of her favorite game (Knock Yusuf's Pens Off his Desk) or her obnoxiously loud midnight cleaning, leaving the ambient sounds of traffic and nature to fill in the gaps. ]

Once we have everyone on board, [ And it's clear he means everyone who is going to back the project, not necessarily everyone. ] We can decide what direction this is best steered in, but just having another mind mulling it over has already been helpful.

[ Missing her meaning (but, coincidentally, not the wetting of her lips), Yusuf assures her, ] The safety precautions necessary in this scenario would be very manageable.

Who regenerate, [ Ariadne adds helpfully -- or "helpfully", as the case may be. Biscuit is likely with Rhada; perhaps he's using her as a pillow and it's keeping her in one place instead of letting her continue her nightly activities. ]

Happy to help. [ It's clear both that she means it and that the fact that she has helped pleases her. She's still new to shared dreaming, despite what she's pulled off -- it's something she's acutely aware of, despite her confidence that she can do what's necessary or needed of her. It's not her confidence in herself that she worries about. ]

No being deported or being put in prison to cover for, at least. [ Now it's her turn to shift, one leg stretching out alongside his as she stifles a yawn. ] What would we have to do?