bakerstreet | insomnia;

insomnia;

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

I know who you are.

[He'll make that clear right away, almost snapping back at him. 76 can't believe that he's here of his own accord, though he's sure it's a possibility. He's not sure what the kid's been up to since Overwatch's disbandment. He supposes it could be any number of things. The unknown offsets any reliance on what he expects from Genji. They're all different now. He can't bank on anything he used to know.

They're both frozen, weapons mere nanoseconds from being drawn or fired, but the fact that 76 hasn't made a move to attack yet is likely telling. Even if he considers himself a different man now, he's not going to kill one of his former team members without good reason.

Genji hasn't given it to him yet.]

You think I'm after agents. Is that it?

[Genji has changed quite a bit over the past years. His voice is even, no hint of cold, bitter steel lying under his words anymore. He watches 76 with calculated patience instead of the recklessness he once possessed. The anger and pain that colored every aspect of his life back then are gone from his demeanor.

The longer 76 doesn't fire, the odder it feels. He had no problem fighting first and asking questions later with anybody else who got in his way, and Genji has him physically cornered. He'd seen the way 76 had tried to evaluate a way out of his position, had been expecting the vigilante to pull something by now, and yet he hasn't. Why? Is he trying to keep Genji talking to buy time or get info? Is his connection to Overwatch more personal than Genji accounted for? More questions to add to the pile.]

I think it is possible.

[Overwatch had a lot of detractors even before it fell, and the existence of the Reaper shows that animosity toward Overwatch is alive and well ten years later. It wouldn't be a stretch to imagine more out there willing to go to such extreme ends to see Overwatch completely erased.]

You could be selling or stealing technology or information. The point is that I don't know what reasons you have for this. Only theories.

[He makes that half-laugh noise again, and it's just as unpleasant as the first time. Sure, there are theories. Lots of theories, but no proof. This is about the closest he's come to getting caught.

76 can't exactly tell Genji what he's trying to do without betraying more involvement with Overwatch than is safe to admit, but any non-answer on his part will just confirm suspicions that he's just as dangerous as Talon. The recall is bad enough. Hostile ex-agents coming after him because he's confirmed himself to be an active threat is a problem he'd rather not deal with.]

So, what's the plan?

[He hefts the rifle again, as punctuation. Reminding Genji that he has it, even if he knows the very fact that he refrains from firing or even trying to escape says plenty.]

Track me down and ask me nicely to stop? Take me back to the space ape if I don't?

[Perhaps, given all the digging he's been doing, it's not out of the question he knows about the recall, too.]

[The problem is that they're at a stalemate, unless Genji feels like instigating a fight and trying to beat the answer out of 76. Which is a tactic that he's fairly sure won't work. At the very least, the mention of the 'space ape' tells Genji that 76 knows about the recall, which means one less topic Genji has to tiptoe around.

Perhaps unfortunately, the silent threat 76 conveys by shifting his rifle only serves to remind Genji of the fact that he hasn't fired yet. And at this point, he's not sure what info 76 could be stalling for him to spill. He knows about the recall; he knows Overwatch is rising again. He may know as much, or more, about Overwatch than Genji had after digging through these derelict bases. So what stops him from forcing his way through?]

I may have to, [he mutters, fingers shifting their grip idly against the hilt of his blade. Take 76 to Winston, that is. But he'd rather not resort to that. He has yet to even respond to the recall personally; he doesn't want to drop in on Winston's doorstep with a dangerous vigilante in tow with no warning. More than that...] But I find it curious that you have yet to fire. I had not pinned you as one to let himself remain in unfavorable positions for long.

[76 still has his back against the wall. His finger is off the trigger. If Genji chose, he could close the distance faster than 76 could blink and put his blade to the man's throat. 76 knows who he is, he must know that Genji is capable of such feats. And yet he refuses to put his finger on the trigger. To truly back up the threat that the weapon in his hands represents on its own.

More and more, Genji is beginning to wonder just what Overwatch means to 76.]

Trying to give you the benefit of the doubt.

[Which he knows is probably uncharacteristic of a wanted vigilante with seemingly nothing to lose, but he's trying to pick his battles, here. It betrays something, not wanting to attack or otherwise engage Genji, but if he can manipulate his way out of this, he'd rather do that.

But he'll test the waters, especially now that Genji is almost challenging to try and get past him to the door. 76 is hard-pressed not to rise to it.]

I don't want to fight you. Thinkin' you don't want to fight me either. Might be best for the both of us if we just go our separate ways.

I don't want to fight you, [Genji admits easily. Even as he says it, his fingers tighten on the hilt of his wakizashi: as much the silent threat as 76 shifting his rifle.] But I cannot let you leave. Not before I know you are not an enemy.

[And if 76 won't offer that answer on his own, then Genji has to find some way to pry it out of him. A straight-out beatdown is off the table, sure, but further consideration has him realizing that if he can incapacitate 76, he could remove that mask or at least threaten it. The secrets of his identity must be ones big enough to make 76 give something up. Enough that Genji can decide whether he'll be a threat to Winston and the others or not. And at the very least, it's obvious that no matter how much they try to avoid it, a fight will happen eventually. Genji won't move, and 76 won't be able to leave without getting him out of the way.

So Genji makes the first attack. There's no warning; he flips three shuriken into his hand and launches them in quick succession at 76. Genji doesn't want to risk closing the distance between them just yet; he needs to keep 76 from getting close to any route of escape as long as possible, even if it means pitting his blade against the vigilante's rifle.]

[Well, this is not exactly how he wanted things to go, but he can't sat he wasn't prepared for it. As soon as Genji springs into action, he's moving as well, the shuriken embedding themselves in the wall he was standing in front of just a moment ago.

The unfortunate thing, he thinks, is that he really didn't want to hurt Genji. Now, however, he's more than content to fall back on his survival instincts and act as he would with any other threat.

And he knows how much Genji can take. The last thing he wants is more speculation about why he could possibly be holding back, but even nonlethal force will send a message to Winston. He ducks low, trying to avoid any subsequent projectiles, closing the distance between them with superhuman speed, flipping his grip on the rifle to swing it upwards like a baseball bat.]

[Fast. Genji knew 76's capabilities of course, but the feeds he watched, seeing it happen on video, can't compare to facing it down for himself. Still, it's not as though 76 is the only fast one here. Genji's augmentations allow him to jump out of the way of that blow, letting the rifle swing harmlessly into empty air.

76 taking this up close rather than opening fire with the rifle strikes Genji as an odd choice, but he shoves it on the backburner for review later. It's clear that 76 needs his full focus or Genji will pay for jumping into this fight.

He's moving the second his feet touch the ground, darting back into 76's space to avoid giving the vigilante too much ground. The hiss of metal being drawn is the only warning before Genji swings the shorter blade out toward his opponent.]

[As soon as he misses, he's overbalanced, giving Genji the opportunity to keep him from making for the door. Indeed, when he gets his footing, there's no clear path. Genji's leaping into it, blocking his exit and unsheathing a blade all in the blink of an eye. 76 is augmented, sure, but Genji is too, in different ways. In the close-quarters speed department, the cyborg most definitely has the edge on him. His superhuman reflexes can only do so much.

Still a little loath to actually start firing the rifle (perhaps he'll reconsider if the tables turn against him), he swings it again, this time trying to block the blade.]

[Genji's blade skids along the body of the rifle. He pulls back once he realizes his attack has been blocked, trying to minimize the window of time he leaves himself open to retaliation. He can't let 76 capitalize on any mistakes. Genji may be faster, but he saw the power behind that initial swing - one good hit and 76 could stun Genji long enough to get the headstart he needs to escape. Genji needs to keep the pressure on until he sees something he can take advantage of.

A flick of his free hand has three more stars sliding out of his arm to rest between his knuckles. They're barely out before he's throwing them at 76 in an attempt to discourage the vigilante from coming at him before Genji is ready for the next move.]

Why are you here? What is your connection to Overwatch?

[Genji isn't expecting much of a response; 76 wasn't eager to share before, and it's likely he'll be even less eager now. But it's worth the attempt, if for nothing else than a possible distraction.]

[76 knows it's hideously impractical to keep trying to fight off Genji's sword by using his gun as a parrying instrument, so he tries to put his greater strength to use. If he can stumble the kid, he can get the upper hand. 76 would preferably like to do this before his gun incurs any damage.

He still can't get past, but when he blocks the next round of shuriken, he settles into a defensive stance and doesn't make a move to strike out.]

Answer one thing for me.

[It won't be an explanation. It might be something like it, however.]

Do you think that what happened to Overwatch was an accident?

[Of course it wasn't--not by any stretch of the imagination. But he wants to know how much Genji may or may not suspect.]

[The question takes Genji off-guard, has him stilling where he stands instead of moving for another attack. It's not an answer, but it's more than he expected to get. He's quiet as he watches 76, as he considers what's he's been asked, before he answers with a simple,] No.

[He'd been too wrapped up in his own personal issues at the time to see anything coming until it was too late, blindsided by the tragedy, but hindsight afforded him a new view on the days leading up to the collapse of Overwatch.

The growing tension between Morrison and Reyes. McCree's disappearance. The quiet whispers in the halls that stopped when he turned the corner. The odd atmosphere that had clung to everything, as if everyone had been waiting for a pin to drop. That, on top of the world's ever-increasing resentment of Overwatch, made it impossible to think of anything that happened as an 'accident'.

Thinking about it brings a dull ache to his chest, but Genji doesn't let it show. He remains as still as stone. Waits to see where 76 is going with this.]

[Yeah, that has his attention. 76 isn't sure at what cost, but likely this is better than fighting. He's still going to be cagey--even this is revealing too much, but it's better than hurting his opponent, even to prove a point.

And it's good to know that Genji doesn't buy the media's explanation of Overwatch's fall. Of course it's wasn't an accident. How could it be? 76 is in the unfortunate but perfect position to uncover the truth. That's why the Recall leaves a bad taste in his mouth. There's only one way it can end, and it's not good.]

Someone's got to figure out what happened.

[Leave the past in the past and let him chase the ghosts, because he's the one who's already dead.]

Might as well be me.

[For a long moment Genji remains silent and still. He observes 76, takes in his words, trying to suss out whether he's being deceived. Tense, poised to attack at any second if he finds himself dissatisfied, but finally he moves: he straightens from his aggressive stance and sheathes his sword.

Despite how inherently shady the man is, being a vigilante and all, there's nothing Genji can read off 76 that tells him that the answer he's been given is a lie. There is, however, something that draws his curiosity. Might as well be me.]

Why you?

[Who are you?

It's impossible that 76 isn't someone with a connection to Overwatch at this point. But the single-minded conviction he's displayed in his efforts thus far, the tone of his words, says he has a far deeper connection than that of any simple agent who had once worked there. Why is he so dedicated to this cause, is this someone Genji once knew?]

[That's a question he can't answer unless he wants to give himself away. He's already shared too much and he has no idea how many pieces Genji has put in place. When the sword is sheathed, he looks a little defeated, shoulders sagging a little. He lowers his gun in return and takes a step, testing the waters to see if he'll be let past.

The real answer to why him is that it was his fault in the first place. The least he can do is set the record straight for the rest of them.]

Who else is gonna do it?

[Not Winston, who's already too caught up in his own idealism and the "new" Overwatch to investigate what ruined the original endeavor in the first place.]

[The sudden slack in 76's shoulders creates an odd look for him. Genji has never seen him in any state but tense and ready, or at least alert. Now he looks... tired. The exhaustion of someone who's been through too much. If he was there for the fall of Overwatch, it only makes sense; it's obviously affected him deeply, far deeper than anyone Genji knows, if it's sent him chasing leads like this. When 76 steps forward, Genji doesn't move to step in front of him. All he does is track the movement, the burning neon green of his visor shifting just slightly with 76's change in position.

The question Genji gets in response to his own doesn't satisfy the itch that's been brought up, but Genji accepts it out of respect. He's gotten the answers he came for: 76 is diving into these ruins of the past in order to find out what happened. The fact that he didn't pull the trigger on Genji, or even curl his finger around it, once during their short skirmish speaks volumes by itself as to the threat 76 is likely to be to Overwatch agents in the future. Genji will take satisfaction in what he's learned.

For now. He already knows the question of 76's identity is going to be burning bright in his mind from this point on.]

Very well. [A bow of his head, and Genji takes a step back. He's gotten what he's came for; he can leave 76 be.] Then I hope you find some luck in your endeavor. I... [A pause, brief but palpable, before Genji finds his voice again:] I would like to know what happened as well.

[He lowers his head and the lights of his armor go out at once, returning him to shadow and leaving 76 alone once more.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

insomnia;

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sorry for the late, heat + work was not conducive to rp this week

no problem!

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