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

[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.

[d33tached]

Water. Thank you.

[D33 mutters as he turns to the dog, slowly coming to squat beside him and hold out his hand, waiting for Mightyena to give it a sniff before cautiously running it over the top of his head and around behind his ears.]

Is this what that little one will grow into? [He says so somewhat idly, keeping his eyes on Mightyena as he pets.]

[h2no]

[a couple minutes later, d33 has a nice cold glass of water, and archie has a hideous cup of coffee that has the consistency of glue more than water.]

Yeah. I don't think they'll evolve here, though. If they don't, then they'll just get some characteristics-- darker back fur and stuff.

[d33tached]

He's evolved.

[The man mutters so idly, thoughtfully - Blue had mentioned something about Pokémon evolving, hadn't he? Growing into new stages with new powers as they got older. He still hasn't pulled himself up from his squat yet, preoccupied now with running his fingers through the Pokémon's silky fur. But, after a moment he finally straightens, taking the glass from Archie with a nod and sipping it.]

Thank you.

[Surprisingly mild for D33, even he realizes. But he's a little too tired to question it - he's been up just long enough now that he's too tired to act like an asshole but still lucid enough not to be devolving into the late stages of paranoia - it's a good look on him.]

You spend a great deal of time in the water, don't you, Archie? Despite this fear of drowning?

[Well, he's still D33, after all. He wouldn't be him if he didn't ask at least a couple more invasive questions - but he's genuinely curious. Seems counter-intuitive.]

[h2no]

Yep.

[archie replies equally flatly, far too tired to bother trying to explain it. if d33 asks, his answer will simply be "magic,".]

I do, but I'm not scared of drowning. [he's already forgotten that he didn't want to tell d33 the circumstances of that nightmare woops.] No-one who grew up in Pacifidlog was ever afraid of drowning.

[d33tached]

I am. [D33 thinks-- Oh no, wait. He said that out loud. Cue his body stiffening uncomfortably as he looks to the floor and clears his throat, sips some water and tries not to choke on it (wouldn't that be ironic).]

But, you, ah. You'd said you'd had a nightmare regarding it.

[h2no]

I figured that. You looked like you thought the pool as gonna come alive and eat you!

[he snorts.]

Weren't me drowning. I'm goin' into the livin' room, it's cold in here. Come or not, I don't care.

[d33tached]

[Well, he...might as well? He pauses for a moment at the doorway, turning to see if perhaps Mightyena will be following them - hoping he will be, maybe. Then, back to Archie.]

Who was drowning, then?

[h2no]

[of course it is, it's gotta look after its dumbass trainer.]

Nnnope. Not tellin' you. Don't wanna think about it. Why are you scared of drowning?

[d33tached]

[Fair enough. And, for once, D33 doesn't press the matter. But he doesn't look too keen on answering Archie's question either, lips tightening as he shrugs his shoulders. He keeps his eyes on the opposite wall as he speaks.]

I don't know how to swim. [Like he said before - that should be a simple enough answer, right? Even so, a moment later, he adds quietly:] You know how it feels. You've said so yourself.

[He doesn't stop to think that that would imply that he knows how it feels as well, but even as the thought occurs to him, he simply shrugs his shoulders again, crossing his arms over his chest.]

Given that, I would wonder why you aren't afraid of it.

[h2no]

I could show you. I get paid to do it on weekends.

[he thinks of d33 in water wings and a rubber ring with the 10 year olds in his class. funny. then his brain decides to supply the image of d33 doing what he does best to them. far less funny. he winces.]

Guess I'm just stupid. I don't know. I was scared the first time and when I almost drowned back home... I guess I just know I'll have Sharpedo to save me if it happens.

[d33tached]

[Somehow, the idea of having a gigantic shark in the water with you doesn't make D33 any more keen on the idea of swimming and/or drowning, but, he supposes to Archie, that "Sharpedo" is just as much a pet as his Mightyena is - who, by the way, D33 has taken to scratching again as he invites himself to take a seat on the couch next to it.]

I suppose it might be a useful skill to posses. [Or an essential one, but he winces a bit at the thought. He really, really does not like the feeling of water in his lungs, and he really doesn't like the idea of being submerged in it - but not knowing how to swim had made the flooding in Heropa a couple of months ago far more terrifying than it probably should have been. Anyway, he doesn't give a definitive answer on whether or not he'll accept the offer just yet either way.

[Yaaaa-aaa-aaa-aaa-aaawns, though.]

Pardon me.