Insomnia

[celebratory]

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.

Comments

[pilfeline]

That is genius. What's on the menu?

[secondcatch]

Lots of grease and no apologies. I'm looking at the toad in a six feet under hole meal.

How's your night going?

[pilfeline]

That pun actually made me laugh a little so clearly I'm starting to lose it.

What's keeping you up?

[secondcatch]

A cold case recently reopened. I was starting to get cross-eyed looking over files, so I found someplace that was still open.

The picture on the menu looks huge, so if you're awake and want to try any, you're welcome to join me.

[pilfeline]

That actually sounds great. Am I allowed to ask questions about the case or should I direct my incurable curiosity in other directions?

[secondcatch]

I can't guarantee I'll be able to answer the questions. The company though would still be appreciated, with the curiosity or no.

[pilfeline]

Don't worry, honey, I was coming either way. Send me the location and I'll be over as soon as I can.

[secondcatch]

[He sends her the address, along with a picture of the menu item in question.]

[pilfeline]

That looks incredible. On my way.

[ And about fifteen minutes later a motorbike comes to a stop outside the diner, with an overtired Selina on it.

Exhaustion aside she still looks genuinely glad to see Will, giving him a little wave as soon as she spots him before heading over to join him at his table. ]

Hey.

[secondcatch]

[Will isn't looking any better on the tired front, the shadows beneath his eyes near-matching the dark liquid in the cup of coffee in front of him. He's held off on eating until she's arrived, but not on the caffeine. The top button of his shirt is undone, and his hair is unruly, but it's an appearance that he normally holds. He's only polished in rare instances where a job causes him to put in such effort.

He smiles at her though when she arrives, his gaze meeting hers briefly before dropping. Out of habit he rises a little out of his seat, gesturing towards the one across from him for her to take. The coffee pot left on the table he nudges towards her, it looks like she could use it, too. He's gotten them a table well-positioned to where they're not in clear view of the window from the outside but can scan the entrances and kitchen exits.]

Hey. The waitress was nice enough to leave us a pot. Help yourself.

It feels a little pointless to ask 'long night?' since you're up and here with me at this hour. So I'll just say I hope your night's at least not been long and terrible.

[pilfeline]

[ If she was asked about her preference, she'd say being a little dishevelled looks better on him anyway.

Aside from her own dark circles, she on the other hand is looking fairly polished. Not dressed to the nines or anything, but there's all the same something effortlessly chic about Selina almost no matter what she's doing, and she did put some makeup on as well. ]

Thank you.

[ She eagerly pours herself some coffee, and holds the cup up to her nose to breathe in the pleasant scent. ]

My night... you don't want to know.

[ She means that pretty literally. Knowing about what she does at night when you work with law enforcement is a recipe for having some serious conflicts of interest. ]

[secondcatch]

[Getting into specifics about her night, she's not wrong. Not that Will has always stayed on the letter side of the law himself in order to get his job done. There are shades of gray that he operates in and he knows she does too, but neither of them veer too much to openness with regards to details. Still, he accepts her answer with a nod even if he hadn't intended it to be more than a vague response at most. She's alive and he doesn't see any visible injuries, he'll take it.]

I can't believe there's still a late night diner I'm trying for the first time, but I'm not complaining about it. I'd probably be bummed if I ever did run out of them.

[pilfeline]

Let's hope there's plenty left for you to discover. Is there a time crunch on this case of yours or is it just not letting you sleep?

[ If it's cold, she imagines a night of sleep might not change things too much one way or the other, but she also knows he gets really swallowed up by his work. ]

[secondcatch]

Just not letting me sleep. But I'm not much of a sleeper, anyway.

[If it isn't a present case, often it's a past one, or worrying about the next. Quieting his mind has never been a trick he's learned, so instead he simply has adapted ways to survive on little sleep and filling in his time with other activities.

He takes a sip of the coffee, the bitterness tasted on his tongue and the warmth pleasant throughout him.]

So, do you have any specific activities you do when you can't sleep? Warm milk, reading, trolling online...

[The last suggestion is meant as a joke.]

[pilfeline]

[ And it does get a quiet chuckle out of her. ]

I hang out with my cats. Doomscroll on my phone. If it's really bad I head outside. Roam the city like an alley cat.

[secondcatch]

The cats and roaming sounds nice. I'm pretty much the same, except replace cats with dogs and just wandering around any green or forested areas I can find rather than alleys.

[pilfeline]

How many dogs do you have?

[secondcatch]

Seven. Thankfully, I have a lot of land just outside the city for them. Also helps keep neighbors from being too friendly when they're not that close.

[pilfeline]

That's hilarious, I have seven cats! And sounds like living at your place is a good life for a dog.

[secondcatch]

[That earns a little laugh from him.]

Thankfully, I also like cats. Although if I ever meet yours and come home smelling like them, it might be seen as an act of betrayal.

Yeah, I wouldn't take them in if I couldn't give them what they need. They give me back just as much, you know?

[pilfeline]

I do know. My place isn't actually big enough for that many, only four of them are there to stay forever. Working on finding new homes for the other three but I figure being with me is still better than nothing, you know? At least they're safe, and fed.

Hopefully your dogs won't hold the permanent cat smell against me if I ever meet them.

[secondcatch]

It's better than nothing to foster them, yeah. I'll ask around, see if I know anyone interested in giving one a forever home. The four that are yours to stay, do they have names?

Little trick, if you bring anything with peanut butter, they'll look past just about anything to be your friend.

[pilfeline]

Really? Thank you, that's such a huge help!

They all have names, mine are Isis, Hecate, Julio and Otto. The other three are Slinky, Miss Kitty and Diablo for now.

I'll remember about the peanut butter. I'm definitely not above bribery.

[secondcatch]

Of course, I'm happy to help. I'll put the word out in my classes. One of my students or someone they know might be wanting a furry friend.

Good names. I hope Diablo lives up to theirs. Mine are Buster, Winston, Ellie, Max, Harley, Jack, and Zoe.

Likewise. Are yours big fans of tuna wet treats?

[pilfeline]

He's actually the biggest cuddlebug of them all but he looks super mean, so I started calling him that as a joke.

Tuna wet treats would definitely make you a hit with the gang.