kick (1/?) [arashi rps/inception AU]
Title: Kick [1/?]
Author: waxrose
Rating: PG
Pairing(s): Gen (eventual Jun/Aiba, Jun/Sho, Ohno/Nino, and possibly others, who knows?)
Length: ~750 words
Notes: This is just a fun little universe I was tinkering with last year. I know that it's not the first Inception AU out there, but I wanted to see where I can take it. Hope you enjoy this - it's a short first part, but think of it as a pilot episode - I'm still deciding what directions to take this in, and I need some feedback to help with that.
limits.''>"The problem with architects," Jun says over drinks with Nino, "Is that they have no limits."
Nino taps his fingers on the table. "Imagination really shouldn't."
"This guy is too unpredictable." Jun argues. "He could get us all killed. This job is too important."
"We need him for this job," Nino shrugs. "What else are you going to do, break Ohno out of jail?"
There's a long pause. Jun peels off bits of paper off the label on the beer, avoiding Nino's gaze.
"That wasn't your fault, you know," Nino adds, "Sorry."
Jun sighs. "Call him. Tell him to be there tomorrow."
+
Walking through Aiba's dreamscape is a little like being on drugs.
"The subject likes babies," Aiba explains. "If we begin the dream in a daycare, he'll relax and let his guard down."
Jun is not convinced. "We need to extract critical government information from this guy. What the hell are Nino and I supposed to do in this level?"
Aiba's smile doesn't even waver a little in the face of Jun's lack of enthusiasm. "A daycare needs workers," he presses on, determined.
"No." Jun says flatly.
"Jun," Nino says from his perch on a banana-shaped swing, "It's actually not bad. This guy's not some corrupt jackass out for his own ass, he's just too complacent with the system to understand the need for change. He's going to protect the system and the information unless we can appeal to his better side. He wants to be a good guy; we just need to get him to understand that it's the right thing to do, even if it means implicating his own dad."
"We need to work with positive emotion," Aiba agrees, and Jun wonders if it was at all possible for Aiba to do any differently.
+
Getting an appointment with Sakurai Sho was turning out to be one of the hardest parts of the entire operation. Jun had done his research, he had connections, but it all boiled down to time. Jun wasn't entirely sure that the man slept - which could be a definite problem for their plans.
"Oh, it's all good. I did some research, too." Nino says, "I think we're going to have to go with the Kamenashi Plan."
"You can't be serious," Jun says, from where he's unpacking the Thai takeout Nino had brought over to his place. "He's gay?"
Nino's smile is a wry curl. "My sources are trustworthy. He's still going to be a tough nut to crack. Has all these propriety and control issues, you see. But that could be part of the fun, right?"
"I'm not doing it."
"Junbug," Nino says. "Honey. This is for the team. Think of the mission. Think about his abs - "
"Why don't you do it, then?" Jun puts a bowl of green curry on the coffee table in front of Nino.
"I could," Nino says, "He does have a very nice ass."
"You're a sick man." Jun digs his chopsticks into the pad sew. "How long do you think we need to keep him under for?"
Nino hums, his mouth full of curry. ''Bout six or seven hours," he said, after swallowing. "That should give you time to navigate him through the three layers Aiba is cooking up. But I don't know - this guy seems pretty unlikely to talk, even in a dream."
"It's our only shot," Jun says. They need this - otherwise it's back to backstreet financial hackwork. Jun is sick of living in the cracks, pulling part-times to keep them going. Their apartment is tiny and cramped, and as clean as Jun can keep it. Nino never complains, but Jun has seen him flip through gaming magazines during down time in the combini he works at, his eyes solemn.
"I'm going to visit Ohno tomorrow," Nino announces. "Want to come?"
"No. Tell him I said hi."
"He misses you, you know. You could give the guy a break and drop by once in awhile."
"It's not like he's going anywhere." Jun stands up, picking up his bowl. "I'm going to do the dishes."
The doorbell rings.
"Oh," Nino says. "That reminds me. I hope you don't mind, but I invited him over."
"Who?"
Waiting behind the apartment door is a grinning Aiba, his neck wrapped in a ridiculously long scarf. He looks, despite his smile, extremely nervous.
"Hi," Aiba says, holding out a case of beer in front of him like a peace offering. "Can I come in?"
TBC
Author: waxrose
Rating: PG
Pairing(s): Gen (eventual Jun/Aiba, Jun/Sho, Ohno/Nino, and possibly others, who knows?)
Length: ~750 words
Notes: This is just a fun little universe I was tinkering with last year. I know that it's not the first Inception AU out there, but I wanted to see where I can take it. Hope you enjoy this - it's a short first part, but think of it as a pilot episode - I'm still deciding what directions to take this in, and I need some feedback to help with that.
limits.''>"The problem with architects," Jun says over drinks with Nino, "Is that they have no limits."
Nino taps his fingers on the table. "Imagination really shouldn't."
"This guy is too unpredictable." Jun argues. "He could get us all killed. This job is too important."
"We need him for this job," Nino shrugs. "What else are you going to do, break Ohno out of jail?"
There's a long pause. Jun peels off bits of paper off the label on the beer, avoiding Nino's gaze.
"That wasn't your fault, you know," Nino adds, "Sorry."
Jun sighs. "Call him. Tell him to be there tomorrow."
+
Walking through Aiba's dreamscape is a little like being on drugs.
"The subject likes babies," Aiba explains. "If we begin the dream in a daycare, he'll relax and let his guard down."
Jun is not convinced. "We need to extract critical government information from this guy. What the hell are Nino and I supposed to do in this level?"
Aiba's smile doesn't even waver a little in the face of Jun's lack of enthusiasm. "A daycare needs workers," he presses on, determined.
"No." Jun says flatly.
"Jun," Nino says from his perch on a banana-shaped swing, "It's actually not bad. This guy's not some corrupt jackass out for his own ass, he's just too complacent with the system to understand the need for change. He's going to protect the system and the information unless we can appeal to his better side. He wants to be a good guy; we just need to get him to understand that it's the right thing to do, even if it means implicating his own dad."
"We need to work with positive emotion," Aiba agrees, and Jun wonders if it was at all possible for Aiba to do any differently.
+
Getting an appointment with Sakurai Sho was turning out to be one of the hardest parts of the entire operation. Jun had done his research, he had connections, but it all boiled down to time. Jun wasn't entirely sure that the man slept - which could be a definite problem for their plans.
"Oh, it's all good. I did some research, too." Nino says, "I think we're going to have to go with the Kamenashi Plan."
"You can't be serious," Jun says, from where he's unpacking the Thai takeout Nino had brought over to his place. "He's gay?"
Nino's smile is a wry curl. "My sources are trustworthy. He's still going to be a tough nut to crack. Has all these propriety and control issues, you see. But that could be part of the fun, right?"
"I'm not doing it."
"Junbug," Nino says. "Honey. This is for the team. Think of the mission. Think about his abs - "
"Why don't you do it, then?" Jun puts a bowl of green curry on the coffee table in front of Nino.
"I could," Nino says, "He does have a very nice ass."
"You're a sick man." Jun digs his chopsticks into the pad sew. "How long do you think we need to keep him under for?"
Nino hums, his mouth full of curry. ''Bout six or seven hours," he said, after swallowing. "That should give you time to navigate him through the three layers Aiba is cooking up. But I don't know - this guy seems pretty unlikely to talk, even in a dream."
"It's our only shot," Jun says. They need this - otherwise it's back to backstreet financial hackwork. Jun is sick of living in the cracks, pulling part-times to keep them going. Their apartment is tiny and cramped, and as clean as Jun can keep it. Nino never complains, but Jun has seen him flip through gaming magazines during down time in the combini he works at, his eyes solemn.
"I'm going to visit Ohno tomorrow," Nino announces. "Want to come?"
"No. Tell him I said hi."
"He misses you, you know. You could give the guy a break and drop by once in awhile."
"It's not like he's going anywhere." Jun stands up, picking up his bowl. "I'm going to do the dishes."
The doorbell rings.
"Oh," Nino says. "That reminds me. I hope you don't mind, but I invited him over."
"Who?"
Waiting behind the apartment door is a grinning Aiba, his neck wrapped in a ridiculously long scarf. He looks, despite his smile, extremely nervous.
"Hi," Aiba says, holding out a case of beer in front of him like a peace offering. "Can I come in?"
TBC