Forgive me for wanting a little specificity

@inception30daychallenge Day 30: If the characters were all in a band, what instruments/roles would they play?

Dom: band manager. Has gotten a lot more distracted and a lot less reliable since his divorce. Is looking for someone to replace the role of lead singer.

Mal: used to be the lead singer until she and Dom had a falling out, ultimately resulting in divorce.

Ariadne: new singer brought in to try and be the lead.

Arthur: drums. Rhythmic, methodical, always precisely on time and keeping the rest of the band on track, and fueled by a barely contained rage.

Eames: lead guitar. Flamboyant and loves putting on a show, but also highly talented and able to absolutely disappear into a song when he needs to.

Yusuf: bass. Do I really need to say more?

Saito: owner of a record label that really wants to pick up the band but they need to get their shit together first, and also find a new lead singer. Gets somewhat unwillingly roped into helping them get their shit together.

@inception30daychallenge Day 28: What piece of media would you want to see in a crossover with Inception?

The Mummy/Indiana Jones!I think I maybe made almost this exact same post last year, but oh well. LOOK AT MY AU BOY!

Dom: formerly well-respected archeologist who has since fallen into somewhat disgrace after several (false) allegations of mishandling and illegally selling artifacts. Used to work with (and be married to) Mal, but they have gone separate ways since Dom's fall from grace and are now rivals. Both have been searching for a particular artifact for a very long time- Dom wants to find it to preserve it and make sure it's kept safe (and also to restore his reputation). He used to believe Mal wanted to find it for the same reason, but now he's not sure that's true.

Mal: archeologist and Dom's ex-wife. Controversial in the field, both for being a woman and for turning to private collection work after falling out with Dom. She's actually the one who started the rumours about Dom mishandling and selling artifacts after he confronted her about selling artifacts to a private collector. Working for Maurice Fischer and racing against Dom to find the artifact they've both searched for years for.

Miles: Well respected and tenured archeology professor. Trained both Mal and Dom. Believes Dom is innocent of the rumours/accusations against him but also blames him for Mal going down the path she did. Mentors Ariadne and fosters her skill and talent, and when Dom comes to him looking for someone to help with this one last job, he reluctantly suggests her.

Ariadne: Miles' secretary and assistant. She really wants to be an archeologist but the university won't accept her as a student since she's a woman so she got a job working with Miles instead to at least have access to the university's resources. Extremely bright and talented and (much to Miles' chagrin) not put off in the least by the more dangerous (and often less legal) aspects of how Dom works.

Arthur: long time friend of Dom's, and serves as his protection/guy who Gets Things Done (legally and otherwise). He often scopes out jobs for Dom and gets things set up before they arrive. Fought in WWI and was involved in espionage during the war, so he's particularly good with codes and scoping places out. He doesn't think the artifact Dom is after actually exists but he knows how important it is to Dom, so he stays with him regardless. Very loyal and determined and absolutely not afraid to get his hands dirty, both literally and figuratively. Initially distrusts Eames and thinks he's unreliable, but becomes increasingly interested in him as it becomes clear that there's more depth to Eames than his casual and superficially flippant attitude might suggest.

Eames: literal forger with some notoriously sticky fingers. Gets pulled into the job to forge papers for Dom, Arthur, and Ariadne so that they can get into the country Dom believes the artifact is in and then gets further roped into shenanigans from there. Initially pokes fun at Arthur for his posh suits and business-like attitude, but becomes increasingly interested by him as it becomes clear that Arthur has no qualms getting his hands dirty and is in fact quite adept at doing so.

Yusuf: chemist and explosives expert, brought in on Eames' recommendation. Was initially only supposed to consult and provide materials, but gets fully roped in through a series of shenanigans that he never stops complaining about.

Saito: museum curator who's trying to keep this artifact from disappearing into a private collection where it'll never be seen again. Is aware of the rumours surrounding Dom but is also aware of his reputation for being effective, if unorthodox. Insists on being part of the job itself to make sure the artifact isn't harmed.

Maurice Fischer: private collector and Saito's rival who's well known for snatching up artifacts through less than legal means. Has been searching for this artifact for most of his life and is now in very poor health.

Browning: Maurice's right hand man, and the one who takes care of the...less legal aspects of how artifacts make their way into Maurice's collection. He's the one who hired Mal.

Robert: not as interested in obtaining artifacts as his father and certainly less insistent on keeping them hidden away, but wants to get this one last artifact for his father before he dies. If just to have his father's approval for one brief moment.

@inception30daychallenge Day 26: Which summer Olympic sport would each character compete in?

Dom: rowing (he's very good but a pain in the ass as a teammate)

Ariadne: fencing

Arthur: fencing (he becomes Ariadne's mentor)

Eames: gymnastics

Yusuf: swimming

Saito: equestrian

Mal: fencing

Robert: tennis

@inception30daychallenge Day 24: A headcanon about your favourite friendship or relationship

HOOOO DREAM HUSBANDS TIME BABEYYYY

And some regular team friendship hcs!

@inception30daychallenge Day 23: if you had to be stuck on a deserted island with an Inception character, who would you choose?

Arthur. 100% Arthur. Being prepared is that man's job and he's widely considered to be The Best at it. He's probably got at least 3 desert island contingencies in his back pocket at any given moment and if anyone can figure out how to safely get off a deserted island, it's him.

@inception30daychallenge Day 19: Your favourite bit of fanon.

I'll be completely honest, because I came into the fandom pretty late, I don't actually know a lot of the fanon and don't tend to hold too much of it particularly dear as a result. That said, I really like the fanon that Arthur and Eames both got their start in dream sharing as soldiers in the original military training program. I like to combine this with my own hc (I have no idea if this is common fanon or not) that Dom and Mal got involved on the academic side of things, which I feel would create an interesting dynamic of how Dom and Mal approach dream share early on (awe, wonder, intellectual curiosity) vs how Arthur and Eames approach it (this was specifically design to Make You Kill, Die, and Feel Extreme Pain with no lingering physical effects). Which I also think would create a FASCINATING dynamic of Arthur were to ever find out what exactly happened to Mal.

@inception30daychallenge Day 2: Classify each character according to the alignment chart

Dom: Neutral Evil. This sounds a lot crueler than I mean it to. I don't think Dom acts with malice and I do think he often believes he's acting in the best interest of others. But I also think he's very good at lying to himself. Most of what we see of him in the movie, both currently and in the past, is him acting in his own self-interest, without much regard to the impact on others and often to their (usually unintentional) detriment.

Ariadne: Neutral Good. On the other end of things, we have Ariadne. We see her take major risks and break major rules to help people (mostly Dom, though also Fischer to some extent) throughout the movie. I think she's got some True Neutral flair, but ultimately falls best in the Neutral Good category.

Arthur: Lawful Neutral. My boy loves rules and even when he breaks them, he tends to do so in methodical ways governed by rules of their own (e.g., paradoxes). He's also not one to take unnecessary risks and prefers there to be an orderly and well defined plan before going into something. I do think he's got a Neutral Good flair, particularly in the support of Dom and mentoring Ariadne, but ultimately I think his actions tend less towards intentionally helping or hurting others and more towards establishing an orderly way to achieve his goals, whatever they may be.

Eames: Chaotic Neutral. As a forger, I think identity is particularly important to Eames and he strikes me as someone who holds his personal freedom and identity as a priority above just about anything else. Similar to Arthur, I don't think he necessarily tends towards specifically helping or hurting others per se, but his primary goal is maintaining that personal freedom and he will help or hurt others to achieve that if necessary.

Yusuf: True Neutral/Neutral Evil. I think Yusuf kind of saddles the line between True Neutral and Neutral Evil. He strikes me as the one most removed from the actual dream process itself, viewing it much more as a dispassionate science than the others do. He approaches dream sharing in the same way he approaches the chemistry of making a compound, and tends to seek the correct balance necessary for a particular situation. He's also simultaneously very aware of the damage long-term dream sharing can have, especially with a very strong compound, and completely willing to ignore those consequences because doing so is good business.

Saito: Lawful Evil. Saito is a fabulously wealthy man with a very in depth understanding of the systems he works within and enough money to manipulate them to get what he wants. His goals aren't necessarily always bad (breaking up the Fischer-Morrow empire) but even when there are genuinely good outcomes (preventing a full monopoly), these outcomes are secondary to his personal motivations (protecting his business interests). He isn't one to intentionally harm others in pursuit of his goals, but he will manipulate the systems he's in and the people within them to achieve his goals.

Mal: Alive- Chaotic Good. Shade- Neutral Evil. Alive, I think Mal valued freedom above just about anything else and dream sharing encapsulated that, but only as long as she could wake up after. She convinced herself that she was awake in limbo and when Dom interfered with that, the consequences were drastic. And when she came to believe she was still asleep in the real world, she took the drastic steps she viewed necessary to regain her freedom and wake up. As a shade, I think Mal retains that ruthless pursuit of her goals, but she's also been infused with Dom's guilt and regret. And through that, her goal of freedom has been replaced by the goal of ensuring Dom suffers the fate he believes he deserves. Whatever impact that may have on others is no longer her concern.

@inception30daychallenge Day 10: A headcanon about your favourite character

Ohohoho *cracks knuckles* let's get started.

Arthur grew up in a very poor and dysfunctional family. His mother had chronic health issues and struggled with addiction, and he often had to be a caretaker for her when her health was particularly bad. His father was a mean man and an even meaner drunk, and Arthur spent a lot of his childhood hiding and explaining away various bruises. Neither of his parents made it any secret that he was an accident, and an unwanted one at that. He joined the military as soon as he turned 18 to get out of his home and never looked back.

Arthur doesn't talk about his childhood very much and, if you ask him, will say it's something he's long since left behind. Its effects still linger, though, if you know what to look for. Arthur's instance on fitted and tailored suits comes from years of having to wear too large hand-me-downs. Imperturbableness after years of having insults thrown in his face by people who should have loved him. A dogged sense of loyalty from being thrust into a responsible caretaker role far too early. Cold detachment because if he lets anyone get close, then they'll see through the facade of propriety and fitted suits. The lingering fear that maybe his parents were right, he was a mistake, unwanted, and so he has to be the best, has to be perfect, be useful, because that's all he's worth.

@inception30daychallenge Day 4: Arthur's secret phobia

I think Arthur's deepest secret fear is being unwanted. Of being forgotten and left behind because no one wants him. So he makes himself useful. Works to be the best in his field, to be so good and useful that he'll always be needed. It doesn't matter what it costs him- sleep, health, personal goals and interests- all that matters is that he's still needed. Still wanted. He struggles with criticism and feedback because of this- if he's getting criticism then he isn't good enough, and if he isn't good enough then it's only a matter of time before he gets discarded.

Eames is one of the first people to see through to the core of Arthur's fear. To see through the perfectionism and prickly professionalism down to the fear that underlies it. And he's also one of the first people to actively work to prove Arthur wrong. He still expresses his respect and appreciation for Arthur's skill of course, but he also takes particular care to show kindness and care to Arthur when he messes up. When he misses something or drops the ball. He checks in on Arthur when he's overworking himself and forces him to rest and take breaks, even if it means something takes longer to finish or maybe doesn't even get done at all. And maybe, eventually, over time Arthur finally begins to believe that maybe, just maybe, he can be wanted without being perfect.

@inception30daychallenge Day 9: Which character has the most annoying habit on the job and what is it?

Dom is a bit of a micromanager and is the king of "Well, actually..." on jobs and it absolutely infuriates everyone else. He means well and it comes primarily from a genuine love of and skill in dream sharing, but it makes him a bit insufferable and it gets especially bad after Mal dies and he's no longer actually doing architecture work. Arthur's worked with him enough that he just tunes it out, Eames makes a game of counting how many times Dom says "well, actually..." each day, Ariadne usually just tells him she didn't ask, and Yusuf gets him back by "well, actually..."-ing anything Dom says about compounds.

@inception30daychallenge Day 3: A post-canon headcanon

Arthur and Dom don't speak to each other for a significant period of time. I think Arthur built up a lot of hurt and resentment during the period between Mal's death and the Fischer job, and very forcefully shoved it down out of a sense of loyalty and duty to Dom. Dom needed someone there to keep him afloat in the direct aftermath of Mal's death and then to help him try to find a way home, and- in Arthur's mind- those things took precedent over Arthur's own grief and hurt. Over time, though, I think the stress of managing his own grief and loss without much support and the stress and resentment of having to clean up Dom's messes would have built up, and the Fischer job was simply the straw that broke the camel's back. Getting roped into a dangerous job that wasn't likely to be successful in the first place. Being lied to about just how dangerous it actually was. And the catharsis of Dom finally returning home afterward allowing the increasing weight to finally be lifted off of Arthur's back. I think that would finally push all the emotions Arthur's been shoving down back up to the surface in a very forceful way that Arthur doesn't really have the option to ignore.

It's not permanent. Arthur, for as hurt and tired as he is, does genuinely care about Dom and knows that Dom, for all his faults, does genuinely care about him in return. And I think as Dom readjusts to being back home, he starts to process and recognize what the past few years did- what he did- to Arthur. Arthur's keeps tabs on the kids for a while, mostly through Miles, and Dom respects Arthur's need for time and space to process his own feelings while also making it clear that he'll be there if and when Arthur decides to reach out again. And it thinks it ultimately takes about 6 months before Arthur's in a place to do that.

It's slow at first, and different. Things never go back to how they used to be, but they do get better. I don't think Arthur ever trusts Dom the way he used to and is never able to fully open up to him the way he might once have. They talk though. And it's not perfect, it never will be, but it's something

So don't get me wrong, I ADORE nonbinary Eames hcs. I have multiple nonbinary Eames hcs myself, and I love thinking about how being a forger would interact with being nonbinary and vice versa. But I recently have been slightly obsessed with Eames who is cis+. He's spent so much time exploring his expression and identity as part of forging and examining how his own identity is or is not impacted by the forges he creates that he's developed an extremely nuanced and complex understanding of his identity as a man and how he relates to that identity. His experiences haven't changed the identity he feels is most authentic to him but they HAVE led to a much deeper understanding of WHY that identity is authentic to him and what that means. He can articulate his gender in ways that very few people can and Arthur (trans) and Ariadne (nonbinary) are both surprised and delighted when Eames is able to provide a level of understanding, nuance, and engagement when discussing gender and identity. They've all been through similar experiences of identity evaluation and exploration, even if they ultimately came to different conclusions. And I just think that would be a cool dynamic

I don't actually read that much fanfiction so I don't have many recs to give, but a fic I wrote called Mile Deep Hollow might get at what you're looking for, at least a little bit? It takes place during the Fischer job and centers around an epileptic Arthur who is very much neglecting his health and a worried Eames who is trying desperately to change that.

Other than that, I throw it out to the broader fandom! Fic recs, self recs- let's help nonnie find some good fics!