Who needs sleep? (CLOSED)

[d33tached]

WHO: D33 + Archie
WHERE: Between Heropa #001 + Heropa #002
WHEN: Sometime in the first or second week of September, idk.
WHAT: D33 still can't sleep and neither can Archie - insomnia neighbors unite.
WARNINGS: None atm. Will update as/if needed.

[Following D33's little sleep-deprived meltdown on the network, he had been given some advice (some good, some bad, that is) on different ways to solve his little insomnia problem. One in particular had succeeded in doing the trick - it had also succeeded in giving him the most miserable hangover he could possibly imagine. So, with the whiskey option having been thrown out, D33 finds himself awake yet again. He's been sleeping a bit better since his initial crash, at least, but most nights are much like this one - droopy-eyed and heavy-bodied, trying to find things to do aside from banging his head against the wall until he knocks himself unconscious (which has actually been quite tempting a time or two given the chronic insomnia).

[Tonight, however, he opts to go take a brief walk outside rather than inflict a head injury upon himself - he keeps within his shadows, of course, strolling pacing anxiously and irritably around his back yard until he notices something over the fence - is that someone in Heropa #001's pool? It can't be any earlier than four am. The man's brow furrows, he steps out from his cover and approaches the fence, peers over it and utters a perplexed:]

Archie?

Comments

[h2no]

[he's bobbing along in the pool with sharpedo, like he does frequently during the day. one could easily assume he just fell asleep on the shark's back, but the soft glow of his comm device proves otherwise. it's cold at this time, of course, and being in the water for so long isn't actually good for him, but he's past caring at this point.

he barely inclines his head towards d33 when he calls out, instead just raising a hand in greeting.]

Yo.

[d33tached]

[Skeptical look.]

What are you doing out here?

[Aside from, like, the obvious.]

[h2no]

Havin' a cook out.

[WHAT DOES IT LOOK LIKE D33]

[d33tached]

[You think you're funny, but it actually takes D33 a moment of utter confusion to realize that you are being sarcastic (which probably makes it even funnier, tbh).

[His face falls into a familiar, flat frown.]

My apologies. [He does not sound sorry. At all.] I didn't realize that it was typical to go swimming at four o'clock in the morning.

[Because it isn't-- Is it? It's not like he would know.]

[h2no]

[he presses that hand to his forehead.]

It's not.

[his tone says it all. he's too tired for this.]

[d33tached]

Then why are you doing it?

[You're not the only one who's tired, Archie. It's way easier to just answer his questions and get it over with, okay?]

[h2no]

Because I can't sleep.

[THEY ALREADY HAD THIS CONVO, D33.]

[d33tached]

[Okay, well. That's a pretty fair point, actually. The man gives a brief sigh, rubbing a bit at his own eyes and nodding.]

Of course. I see.

[Then, a bit bitterly:]

Clearly you are not the only one.

[He's getting a little tired of yelling at you over the fence though, so. He's not even going to ask, he's just gonna open the gate and step through into your yard, moving a bit close to the pool but keeping a healthy distance from the water even so.]

[h2no]

Nope.

[he doesn't react to d33 coming through the gate. why would he? he doesn't mind.]

You been up all night? I actually just woke up about midnight.

[d33tached]

[The man nods and it's a bit weak looking. Oddly enough, overall D33's usual cold and prickly demeanor seems to be at least the smallest bit diminished as he rubs awkwardly at the back of his neck.]

I'm afraid so. [He shrugs the statement off a bit as he says it.] What woke you, do you suppose?

[Keeping the focus on the other person, as usual. He doesn't really want to talk about his own issues just yet (or ever).]

[h2no]

[he seems to shrink back behind sharpedo's dorsal fin at the question like he's subconsciously trying to hide from d33 to avoid answering it.

eventually, he gets out:] Bad dream.

[d33tached]

[D33 simply nods as he takes a cross-legged seat on the ground - he's tired of standing. He keeps a safe distance from the edge of the pool though, eyeing the dark water a bit nervously before leaning back on his hands and scooting a good extra foot back on his butt.]

What about?

[Who would D33 be if he didn't pry? His voice is a little absent, though - distracted himself. He can relate, Archie. And when he asks the question, it's not with his usual vaguely irritated and entitled tone. He's just making conversation. That's all.]

[h2no]

[he's quiet again and for a moment the only sound is the movement of the water from sharpedo shifting occasionally.

archie closes his eyes and presses his forehead against the shark.]

Drowning.

[spoiler: he wasn't the one drowning.]

[d33tached]

[If Archie happens to look up from Sharpedo in time, he might catch D33's shoulders jerking as a shudder runs through him. Drowning. His eyes go back to the water and then immediately down to the pavement at his side - very pointedly not at the dark, shifting surface of the pool.]

I despise the thought. [He can practically feel the water in his lungs as he says it - there's one common nightmare you two can check off your lists.] Have you been close before?

[h2no]

Couple times back home. Where I come from, the town floats on a strong current of water. It's custom to swim across the currents every morning... there's another current on the other side, where adults swam. I went there once as a kid. Almost drowned.

[he shrugs, not looking at d33.]

While I'm here, I gotta drown myself to make my powers work.

[d33tached]

What?

[The man surprises himself with the sound of his own voice, quite shocked-sounding in its own right. His skin his prickling with goosebumps just thinking about it.]

What are your powers? How can that be?

[h2no]

Underwater breathin', ironically.

[sharpedo grunts; it feels guilty that it was the one that "helped" archie discover them. originally he hadn't believed it and was fine not trying to find out if he actually could breathe underwater. then sharpedo swam into him a bit too hard.

didn't go as badly as it could've, at least.]

[d33tached]

Ha. [A humorless laugh - another sound to surprise himself with. But I cannot stress "humorless" enough. A moment later and he's swallowing the sound back down his throat with a shake of his head.]

I suppose that would mean that you can't actually drown after all. [He pauses.] Underwater.

[And another.]

Would you know whether or not the same applies above?

[He'd seen it happen before. All you need to drown is some water in your lungs - it doesn't matter whether or not you're submerged. He shudders again, shifting his legs and pulling his knees up against his chest where he sits.]

[h2no]

No. Feels like it though.

[not for long. only until he's inhaled enough water to fill his lungs up.]

I don't know. Maybe not, because I think it's just if I get water in my lungs I can still get oxygen from it.

[he shrugs again, then returns sharpedo and swims to the edge of the pool, climbing out and shaking off.]

You wanna come in?

[d33tached]

[D33 tenses a bit, sitting up a little straighter as Archie exits the pool and firmly shaking his head as his eyes go back to the water.]

I can't swim.

[He says so flatly but a bit panicked sounding - it doesn't occur to him that Archie might be inviting him into the house, not the shark-infested swimming pool.]

[h2no]

...There's no water in the house.

[the exhaustion is clear here in how d33 doesn't understand archie and it takes archie a few seconds to parse what d33 means.]

[d33tached]

[Right. Well, now he feels silly. He puts his head toward the ground, clears his throat, nods, and then pushes himself up to follow Archie into the house.]

[h2no]

[archie just rolls his eyes and holds the back door open for d33.

mightyena is curled up by the back door. it looks at them when they enter.]

Coffee?

[d33tached]

[The man shakes his head, eyeing the dog a bit nervously, taking care to avoid stepping on its fur as they enter the house.]

No, thank you. I don't drink coffee.

[His eyes are still on the dog as he speaks, but eventually he turns to Archie.]

Am I allowed to touch her or will she bite me?

[h2no]

Alright. Water? ...There is water in the house.

[he blinks dumbly. god, he's tired.

archie rubs his face and goes to fix himself a coffee. with copious amounts of grains poured into the mug.]

Naw, he's fine. [mightyena is already wagging its tail; simply trained well enough not to bound up to strangers barking.] Just watch his front paws, yeah? He don't like being touched there.