bakerstreet | who needs sleep anyway

who needs sleep anyway

the i n s o m n i a meme

It happens to everyone - sometimes, you have nights where you just can't fall asleep, no matter what you do. It could be for a number of reasons, or no reason at all. And this is what's happened now: you've been laying in bed for what feels like hours, just tossing and turning, and nothing seems to help. So what's left to do? Get out of bed and go wake someone else up, of course. If you're not getting any sleep, then why should they?

i n s t r u c t i o n s

• Post with your character (note the name and fandom in the subject).
• Other people reply to you by generating a number from 1 to 10.
• Have fun!

o p t i o n s

01 • FEAR. Maybe you're hearing strange, indeterminable noises; maybe there's a severe storm happening outside; maybe you watched a scary movie before bed? Whatever the reason, you're terrified and it's keeping you awake. You just want to wake someone else up so they can protect you from the monster in your closet.
02 • HUNGER. Your stomach is growling and it just won't stop. Or perhaps your throat is so dry you could cough up a tumbleweed? Well, you've gone to the kitchen to remedy this and hey, that was a pan that just dropped on the floor. It was loud enough to wake the dead! Oops.
03 • PAIN. Your body is completely worn out, be it from exercise, battle, sickness, or what have you. Either way you're in enough pain to keep you from sleeping, so maybe someone else has a home remedy or something, or can at least help you take your mind off of it.
04 • SOLITUDE. For some reason, your bed just feels so empty at the moment. You're feeling terribly lonely and really just want someone to keep you company for a while. Maybe it'd be easier to fall asleep if you're with them...
05 • DISCOMFORT. Your room is an oven. Either that or a freezer. Or maybe this bed is just really uncomfortable? Who knows why you can't get to sleep, it feels like it could be anything. Why even bother trying? Maybe someone else can preoccupy you until you feel tired enough to ignore your discomfort.
06 • PENSIVE. Something's on your mind, and no matter how hard you try to focus elsewhere, it's just not going to work. Your body may be tired, but your mind is incredibly busy and it's virtually impossible to get to sleep. Surely, talking it out with someone else will help?
07 • SADNESS. Something terrible has happened that day, perhaps; or you could just be severely depressed. Either way you're trying your hardest not to cry yourself to sleep, and it's not working at all. Better find a way to get it out of your system somehow; you need a shoulder to cry on.
08 • ANGER. You are just... fuming. Who knows why - that annoying dog is barking again, or maybe the people next door are getting busy and keeping you awake. Whatever the reason for your ire is, you'd better put an end to it so you can get some damn rest already! Go wake up a friend so you can complain to them.
09 • RESTLESS. You're far too energetic to sleep right now. Maybe you're just trying to do so out of necessity - you have to be up early tomorrow! But you just don't think you'll be able to fall asleep for a while now, so why waste the time trying to sleep when you could be doing something else? Namely bothering someone else - you're totally jealous because they're getting more sleep than you.
10 • WILDCARD. Choose one of the options above, or make up your own scenario.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[It wasn't exactly unusual to find Reaper up at odd hours of the night and tonight was no different, finding him in the mess at o'dark hundred, still dressed from the day, piling food from the fridge next to the oven. He didn't consider himself a chef but a guy had to know enough to fend for himself. In the process of setting half a dozen eggs next to a bowl, he glanced over his shoulder when someone else came in. Wouldn't be the first time he wasn't the only one wandering around in the dark. A nod when he saw who it was.]

You're up late.

Sarge wasn't exactly a heavy sleeper. In his line of work you couldn't be. So most of the time he laid awake at night listening to his men moving around. They all thought he didn't pay attention but he did. More than they'd ever realize. So when Reaper mentions that he's up late, he chuckles.

"Couldn't sleep. What about you, John?"

There's an easy head shake from John and he goes back to digging through the fridge to add more to the growing pile on the counter.

"Same."

They've all got their reasons for not sleeping. He doesn't ask, the same way he doesn't offer. They know each other well enough not to need to - as opposed to not knowing each other well enough to not be volunteering the information in the first place.

"Making an omelet." Which was code for 'I'm throwing a lot of things in a pan and there will probably be eggs involved. "You want in?"

It didn't surprise Sarge that one of his men was having a hard time sleeping. Most nights they all did and he was oddly okay with that. As long as they got enough sleep in order to be on their toes then everything would be fine. At the mention of making an omelet, he shrugs.

"Sure."

Why the hell not? If John was going to make food then he'd join him. "So what're you going to do on your leave?" They had one coming up and his boys needed it.

Back into the fridge for another half dozen eggs. After that it's just a matter of chopping everything up enough to count and putting it all together. John pulls over a knife and the cutting board and gets to work on it. It feels good to be doing something. He still shots a look over his shoulder at his friend. Leave. Right. Because he's so good at that.

"Borrowing one of Portman's shirts and then hitting the town." If it got any dryer when he said it, the Sahara would have blow in the door. Then one side of his mouth hooks into a sideways smile and he shakes his head. "Or maybe not. Why? What've you got planned?"

Sarge can't help but raise a brow at the mention of borrowing one of Portman's shirts. He couldn't picture the man before him in crap like that. In fact, he can't help it. He laughs and shakes his head. "The day you wear one of Portman's hand me down shirts, John, is the day I get fitted for a dress." Something that would never happen. "Maybe I decided we'd hit the town ourselves. Just not for one of Portman's scenes." Portman could keep the she-boys all to himself.

The laugh is good to hear and some of the tension in John's shoulders relaxes. He honestly wouldn't be caught dead in Portman's fashion wear either - but it had done the job and helped him shake some of the darkness that had driven him out here in the middle of the night. He shrugs and quips over his shoulder:

"You'd look like hell in a dress. Especially since we'd never find shoes in your size."

Something moves through his face then, through his eyes, and some of the joking dies. It's not a bad thing though. Just - closer to who he really is. Sarge knew about the jungle. And he knew enough to just be there. Like he was offering now.

"You got a bar in mind?"

"I don't know. I'm sure we'd be able to find something."

Not that he'd ever dream of wearing a dress or even heels. Though it had done what he'd aimed for it to do. It had gotten Reaper to relax a little. The man needed to do a bit more of that anyway. And he'd get John to do that more often even if it killed him.

"I know of a place. Something that we'll both enjoy."

It wasn't a big place either but neither of them needing a big place. Just some small hole in the wall that would suit their needs.

There's a snort from John at Sarge's quip about the shoes and he dumps the first batch of neatly cubed food into the bowl, starting on the next set. Yeah, he needed this downtime. More than he'd admit. Having Sarge along would mean he wouldn't have to watch his own six.

Wouldn't have to worry about getting drunk enough to do any real damage.

"Count me in."

He won't say 'thanks' but there's a brief shoulder movement before he pulls a pack of cheese over that says the same.

"Hope you like your eggs with a lot of everything."

Sarge doesn't expect a thanks out of John. In fact, he'd probably be a bit weirded out if he did end up with one. So when he's told to count the other man in, he just nods. That was something he could do. It was something they both needed anyway.

"Love it that way."

Then again he would probably eat anything that was put down in front of him.

John's counting on the Marine stomach considering the things he's adding to the mix. 'Filling' is first priority with taste a close second. Whether it's healthy or not does really come into the equation. He pours half the mix into the skillet and starts working it with a fork. Problem of leave taken care of, his mind shifts over to a new angle.

"Anybody else up?"

Because Sarge will know. He always knows.

Luckily for John he could always count on that Marine stomach. So whatever he stuck in it would be fine by Sarge. Giving a nod he leans back in his chair, "Mac and Duke are up. Destroyer and Portman aren't yet. Give them another ten minutes and they will be."

There's a quirk at the edge of John's mouth, just the smallest upward tug. Sarge has built in radar on them all, John would swear to it. There are plenty of rank climbers in the RRTS, if you live long enough for it and even if John's last time in charge of a squad ended disastrously, as far as he's concerned, he's comfortable with taking command.

He'd really rather never leave his position serving under Sarge. The other man has a sixth sense about how to keep his team together and mentally sound no matter how hairy the situation gets that Reaper doesn't think he'd find anywhere else even if he tried. The first vague omelet goes onto the plate and he slides it across the table to Sarge before dumping the rest of the mix into the pan. He doesn't say any of those thoughts. He never would.

"Then we'd better eat up. I'm not mess hall cooking for the entire squad."

It was probably a good thing that Reaper kept those thoughts to himself too. Not that Sarge would ever see anything wrong with them. Despite the diversity of his team he knew he had a pretty damn good one. One that wouldn't let him down and would have his back in any situation. Pulling the plate to himself, he smirks. "No one is asking you to, John. If they decide they're hungry they can fix their own damn food."

[ooc: Sorry so late hun. Knew laptop so had to find my threads.]

There's a noise from Reaper as he mixes around what's in the frying pan, something between humor and a grunt. Destroyer's always got a puppy dog look when he realizes someone's making home cooked food. If the others are around, Reaper ignores it on principle alone but -

it's just easier to not still be cooking when the other man shows up. You can't feed Destroyer without feeding Duke too and then it's just a downhill slide from there. Reaper's got too much of a hard ass reputation going for him to start playing mother hen.

His own mess of egg goes onto a plate shortly after and he drops the pan in the sink for clean up after the chow's not still hot, taking the chair across from Sarge and plowing into his food.

"How do you think the kid's going to work out?"

[ooc: no worries. Good to hear about the new laptop]

For a moment Sarge doesn't answer him. Then again why would he when he's got a mouth full of food? After he swallows though he leans back. Almost like he's thinking about it. Not that he actually is but it might look that way. It's the first time Reaper or anyone's brought up the new kid. Hell, he's not even too entirely sure why the hell the kid joined up.

"He's a bit too damn nervous. Guess we'll see exactly how he is on his first op."

Reaper grunts, busy shoveling down his own food but it doesn't mean he's not paying attention, both to Sarge's actions and his words. They were all like that once, he guesses, even if he doesn't remember it himself and it's hard to imagine most of the guys any way but as they are now, stone cold and professional. His eyes flick up to Sarge's though and hold for a moment.

Nerves get you killed when ops go bad. A slight hint of gallows humor went through Reaper's eyes and he went back to his plate. Not like the team couldn't handle it. The kid would get his trail by fire the same way they all had. If he came out on the other end, they'd have his measure and if he didn't - then he didn't. And they'd still have his measure. You didn't join the RRTS because you liked things easy.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

who needs sleep anyway

Asher "Sarge" Mahonin || DOOM || OTA

2

Re: 2

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject