On Falling Into a Fandom Backwards (Or: HOW THE INCEPTION FANDOM IS SKILLED AT INCEPTION)

[earlgreytea68]

So here's what happened.

I was reading all these AUs, right? And I read a bunch of different fandoms. But what I realized was I kept coming back to Inception. I read this newspaper AU, I read this quick little AU where Eames is a writer of novels and Arthur is his editor, I read this Viking slave AU. They were all utterly fabulous.

And then I realized that, somehow, I'd stopped reading AUs and was just reading straight fic, this one and this one and this one.

And around the time I stayed up until 2 am reading this ABSOLUTELY INCREDIBLE Pretty Woman AU (that isn't finished yet, so beware on that one, but, like, SO GOOD, you guys), I decided to admit it: I am absolutely in love with Eames. It is no good trying to pretend otherwise. I am fond of Arthur, too, of course, very much, but I *identify* with Arthur, I *am* Arthur, so of course I am in love with Eames, so is Arthur. One of the authors' notes on one of the fics I read said something about how the fandom is full of love letters to Eames and I didn't think anything of that except that then they sidled their way into my brain and now, forget it, I could write him a love letter, too, and I hope these fic-writers are happy about that because I am fully convinced that they planted that idea in my brain and now I hear him making sarcastic comments about everything in my head.

So then there came a day where I was reading a fic where Eames is a knight and Arthur is his stable boy, and at first I was like, "Please look at your life choices here," and then Arthur was complaining about how a jousting tournament has no purpose and is stupid and Eames said, "Could you possibly try to contain yourself, Arthur? I can't think all the fun you allow yourself to have can be good for your health," and I laughed and laughed and laughed at how much I love them and so basically at that moment I was like, "OH, FORGET IT, I WILL GO AND BUY THIS MOVIE, THEN."

Thereby proving my own theory that fandom does nothing but increase the value for the original copyright holder.

And so I came to watch Inception tonight. I'd seen it before, actually. But I saw it on a plane, which is the worst for catching what actually's going on in a movie. So the first time I saw it, my main takeaways from it were: (1) Everything you do can be made to seem SUPER-IMPORTANT if you do it to Inception music; and (2) I didn't really care for Leonardo DiCaprio's character. And I watched it again wondering how I had missed Eames. HOW COULD I HAVE MISSED THIS CRUSH?

Here are my takeaways from my second time through this movie:

(1) Oh, my God, does Joseph Gordon-Levitt look good in a suit. I have no idea how I missed this the first time around, but no wonder Eames spends every fic waxing poetic about this, because yes.

(2) FANDOM IS THE BEST THING EVER. Because Arthur and Eames have, like, three minutes of screentime total and exchange maybe a dozen lines of dialogue and do you know what you gorgeous, wonderful fangirls did with that? YOU CREATED ALL OF THESE FICS THAT HAVE GIVEN ME SO MANY HOURS OF DELIGHT RECENTLY. You took *that* and you made all of *this* and we are just the BEST EVER.

I know that fandom doesn't need much. I mean, I write Mystrade, who had never actually shared a scene ever when I started writing them. But I came at them from the canon first, before arriving at the fanon. Inception? I know the fanon. And it was fantastic, to see where it all came from, how incredibly clever all of you were. Like, Eames uses a single term of endearment the whole movie, as far as I can tell, and, granted, it's a good one, when he calls Arthur "darling," but you guys took that and you made one of my *favorite* Eames characteristics (my absolute favorite is when he calls Arthur "petal," WHAT IS THAT IT MAKES ME GO INSANE WITH DELIGHTED SQUEALING EVERY TIME HE DOES IT).

I see where the ship came from, even with only the couple of minutes. I mean, if you watch the movie *for* the ship, it does feel like it's right there. From the first time Eames's name is mentioned and Arthur *immediately* knows where he is to the fact that practically the only time Arthur smiles in the movie, as far as I can see, is when he tells Eames that he's going to lead security on a merry chase. And, actually, just the moment when Eames gives Arthur the kick was probably enough for fangirls to hang an entire relationship on.

And that is what is SO GREAT about fandom. The *creativity,* it kills me. From those very bare bones of two characters we get only the merest glimpse of, you made *so* *much* *stuff,* and it's all so fantastically wonderful, and I cannot tell you how much I love fandom, basically. I love your Arthur, and I love your Eames, and without you guys, I would never have met them, because I watched that movie and didn't *see* them, and then you showed me and I re-watched it and I was like, "Look at that, there's this whole epic unrequited love happening here, and I never would have *seen* it."

So, basically, fangirls: If we set our minds to it, I think we could take over the world. But I'm very pleased that instead you gave me *Eames,* you clever, clever people.

Comments

[catko]

This is simply awesome, and a glorious reminder of how fandoms can and do enhance the original source material. It also gave me warm memories of an Inception fanfic, Eames/Arthur which I wish like hell I'd bookmarked, because I don't remember enough about it to even post on a ficfinder, and lastly but not leastly, yes, of course, Eames.

[rifleman-s.livejournal.com]

"And that is what is SO GREAT about fandom. The *creativity,* it kills me."

Yep - absolutely!!

Eames/Arthur

[katwillow.livejournal.com]

Oh, yes. I went out on IMDB for quick refresher in the flick and saw a line referring to the two as an embodiment of the left-brain right-brain duality. So cool ship.

Re: Eames/Arthur

[earlgreytea68.livejournal.com]

YES. They complement each other so smoothly and perfectly.

[starsparkle333.livejournal.com]

:') This is an awesome post.

And now I want to go re-read all the Inception AU fic I have bookmarked.

ps - if you haven't read the Steinway-verse Inception AU, I highly recommend it.

[earlgreytea68.livejournal.com]

Oooh, thanks, I've bookmarked it!

[cathexys.livejournal.com]

Oh, marvelous!!! I'm like you. I started with Inception AUs (long podfics), made my way to canon ones and THEN watched the film. And was a tad surprised that this apparently was a movie about Leo??? Like those longish Mel and Dom moments...bah. So, yeah, Inception's like the arche! whitecock verse... Little screen time; even less screen time together; and yet it's this marvelous fandom springing out of thin air...

And I love it and the fic it's created :D I love the narratives build in and through and mostly around the canon....

[earlgreytea68.livejournal.com]

Hahaha! There are many of us out there! People on Tumblr have been concurring, and I've been enjoying everyone's tales of watching Inception and being like, "...Oh, I didn't think this movie was going to be about *that.*"