bakerstreet | no sleep tonight

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no sleep tonight

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.
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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.

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Altair had to wonder if he'd gone soft from lack of practice.

But then, there had been many of them, how many he didn't exactly know. And there had been something like a Sith, though not the kind Altair was familiar with from his time.

In the end they were all dead though, and he wasn't. Not soft then, he decided- just in need of brushing up on skills he hadn't used in some time, his connection to the Force as strong as ever. Still, even his connection to the Force couldn't heal him- that was a skill that had eluded him in the past and continued to do so now.

He supposed he was lucky that he was on a planet where he had an ally.

He found a place to lay low, lightsaber clutched tightly in his hand just in case, and reached out with the Force- reaching for a certain Jedi and his spirit friend.

Altair could only hope he would come. If not, then he'd have to try and pick himself up and drag himself somewhere else, assuming he even got that far. Right now, he just felt pain and tiredness, and definitely not feeling like moving.

Luckily for Altair, Anders was nearby. He'd stayed out late tonight, looking for elfroot herbs. The herbs grew like weeds, but they were actually very useful as healing agents. Even chewing on a leaf could cure nausea. More than once, Anders considered finding a spot to start a garden with them, and possibly some other medicinal plants.

He froze in place when he felt it. Someone calling to him, asking for help. Someone familiar.

Basket still in hand, Anders followed the presence, tracing it back to the source. It didn't take him very long to find the man, thankfully.

"Altair, is that you?" Anders approached the alien, kneeling before him.

"No, I'm a shiny new protocol droid here to talk your ear off," Altair said, though the bite of sarcasm wasn't present in his voice, even though that was his intention.

His white clothes stained with blood, and his skin probably paler than usual, along with the darkness of night, he couldn't exactly blame Anders for not immediately recognizing him, he supposed, even if he had been reaching out with the Force.

His veil was gone too, though he kept his eyes closed.

"I'm glad you were awake. Not sure what condition I'd be in by the morning."

Not a good one, that was for sure.

So he had eyes. Anders had been working under the theory that he was part Miraluka. Still, Anders was under the assumption that he was blind, and that was why he wore the veil. Without the veil, it was all the more clear that Altair wasn't a Pantoran. The bone structure didn't match, and he lacked the facial markings.

"Hold still," Anders put his basket down and laid his hands on Altair's wounds. He reached within himself, calling upon the Force to lend its strength, while Justice loaned Anders some of his power.

He began to mend the wounds, closing up the flesh and severed veins, knitting them together like new.

Altair hissed softly- it wasn't painful, just a strange sensation, when healing happened so rapidly. It wasn't like slapping on a bacta patch or even being in a bacta tank. Receiving healing through the Force, it was... Different. Felt different.

He held still, as he'd been told to, but gave a weak little laugh.

"Guess I'm lucky I made a friend here."

Not that he had wanted to make himself a burden. But in this case, he'd thought it necessary. He couldn't heal himself- and getting any further than this would have been a challenge.

"Maybe it was the will of the Force," Anders snarked, returning Altair's earlier quip with one of this own.

The Force worked in mysterious ways, but Anders didn't rely on it as extensively as other Force-users did. The Force was more like a gentle, nudging hand in Anders's mind.

He finished healing the major wounds and began to check Altair for anything minor.

"You want to tell me how this happened?"

"Because that doesn't undermine any sort of friendship between us at all. I want to be friends with you because you're a decent person. Not because the Force wills it."

Of course, Altair and the will of the Force weren't exactly on speaking terms either. And he certainly wouldn't follow it blindly regardless.

"There was a Sith and some of his buddies. Not Sith. They're dead now."

He'd made sure of it.

Anders paused for a moment. Altair had only just met him and he wanted to be friends? Anders didn't know what to say about that. Instead, he concentrated on mending some of the minor wounds Altair had received.

"Let me guess, Sith Inquisitors?"

Taking a hand off Altair, he reached for an elfroot leaf and held it out to him. "This should take care of any nausea you're feeling." If Altair chose to take it, he would find that it tasted similar to green tea.

There wasn't a whole lot of decent people left- not that Altair had found. It shouldn't be a huge surprise that he wanted to be friends- or at least allies- with the few he did meet. And Anders had come running to help him rather than ignore him reaching out.

That meant a lot. Especially these days.

"So I assume."

He figured that he had to be attracting too much attention. And maybe it was time to move on soon.

"I'm not feeling nauseated, I don't think. If you've got something to help with anger though..."

He was mostly angry with himself for getting this injured in the first place.

"Suit yourself," Anders put the leaf back in the basket. He checked Altair for more wounds, but it looked like there was nothing more than a few bruises.

"Sadly, Jedi healing can't do much about anger. I was always told that Jedi meditation is what takes care of that." That dry snark was back in his voice.

He stood up and held his hand out to Altair. "Come on, let's get you indoors."

"I'm all out of Jedi meditation, I'm afraid."

That dry snark was mirrored in Altair's voice, and he managed a slight smile.

But really, he didn't know how Jedi meditated. And Sith meditation wouldn't help him here.

He reached up to take the other man's hand, pulling himself up and finding himself somewhat unsteady. Nothing he couldn't push through though. He also knew he looked like a mess, but he'd have to worry about that later.

"Where ever we're going, it's best if we take a less populated route, I imagine. So I don't scare the life out of someone."

"I agree. Just a second."

Anders reached into his pocket and pulled out a strip of cloth. It was something he kept on him just in case he needed an impromptu bandage. He took Altair's hand and placed the cloth within it, so he could tie it around his eyes.

"I know all the back alleys we can take."

"Thank you," Altair said, when the strip of cloth was placed in his hand, and he carefully tied it around his eyes. Hiding them away was probably unnecessary- he had met no Chiss and he'd been in this time for a while- long enough to learn that there was no relationship between the Ascendancy and this Empire.

But at the same time he was afraid- however illogical that fear was. Even if he had no political power here, he was still a Sith, and could defend himself.

But fear, he found, wasn't logical. At least this fear wasn't.

"For this, and for helping me."

"I couldn't in good conscience just leave you, and not just because Justice would yell at me all night if I did."

Seeing as Altair had gotten around just fine without help the last time they met, Anders figured that he could use the Force to see and thus didn't need to hold onto his arm. Anders hadn't seen any damage to his eyes when looking him over, so either he was blind from birth or for some reason he just wanted to hide his eyes.

He led Altair down an alley, and from there the back streets. There was a more likely chance of getting jumped by bandits, but far less of a chance they would run into Stormtroopers.

"You best not let the local Stormtroopers catch you. Their commander has a particular hatred for Force sensitives."

That was something that definitely would change, should Anders ever find out that Altair was Sith. Of course, Altair didn't like lying to him about it either- Anders was a good man. He deserved the truth. But how did one just come out and say something like that? Oh, by the way, I'm the same sort of monster as there Inquisitor types?

He couldn't keep lying indefinitely though. Truth had a funny way of coming out in the end.

For now though, it was a concern for another day.

"Noted."

Not that he thought being caught by any Stormtroopers was a good idea. But a hatred for Force sensitives from their commander could prove dangerous, something he already knew about that sort of hatred, just in a different context.

"Thank you for warning me."

"Don't mention it. That woman thinks having access to the Force is a curse, and something to be eradicated."

Word had it that she'd been offered a chance at serving on the 501st, but turned it down. Publicly, the reason given was that she still had a lot to offer Kirkwall, and it still needed her to protect its citizens. Anders suspected that she just didn't want to work directly for Darth Vader.

He paused, looking out around the corner for bandits or Stormtroopers. The coast was clear, so Anders waved Altair to follow him some more.

There was a slight twitch at that, though it probably wasn't seen. However, it certainly could be felt through the Force, a jolt of absolute terror, cold as Hoth, that settled into unease as Altair kept following him.

"Then I'm even more grateful for the warning."

It wasn't the same. But it still scared him, that there were people who thought like that. Who thought that they should be hated, that they were cursed, for something that was actually a gift. And for something they couldn't control.

It wasn't like they'd asked to be born the way they were, after all.

Anders felt that flash of emotion, causing him to pause for a moment. Something he'd said had caused that strong emotion within Altair. Perhaps he knew first hand what that was like? Even back during the Clone Wars, sometimes those with the Force weren't warmly welcomed, be they Jedi, Sith or neither.

"Listen, if you ever need to talk, you can always come find me."

He walked out into the night, spotting his destination. It was too late to catch a speeder bus to Darktown, but an abandoned house in Lowtown would serve as temporary shelter for now.

"Your kindness is going to get you into trouble one day," Altair commented. It wasn't harsh though, not mocking. It was an observation. And from his tone of voice, it was obvious enough he thought kindness was a good trait.

"You know that though. And you're kind anyway."

He continued following him, thinking about what to say next.

"I admire that."

"Kindness is in short supply these days. I refuse to stand by when others need my help, even if that help is just lending a friend an ear."

At this point, he could call Altair a friend. The man had been nothing but kind to him, and he did have to admit that he liked his company.

Checking to make sure the coast was clear, he guided Altair to within the abandoned house. It wasn't very being, being only two rooms and was more like a studio apartment that had been left to rot. There was some furniture left behind, including an old couch and a tiny bed.

He really, really hated lying to this man about what he truly was. It wasn't fair, and Anders deserved better. Altair knew that already. Had known it since the first time they met. And like he had said, kindness was in short supply these days, and those who were kind deserved honesty at the very least.

At the same time, he was afraid, especially right now. Anders had healed him, but Altair still felt tired from the battle. Should Anders and Justice turn on him, then that wasn't something Altair thought he could survive.

He'd tell him the truth.

Just not now. Another time, when he could easily flee if it turned violent.

"You're a good man. I imagine you're told that a lot. But I feel the need to say it anyway. Maybe I'll take you up on the offer, some day."

"I've heard it a few times, yes, back when I used to travel. My... friend, and I used to travel the galaxy after we left the Jedi, helping others, even if it was just lending my healing talents."

Anders sat on the couch, allowing Altair to take the bed. Neither would be very comfortable, but Altair probably needed the bed more.

"The ability to heal is a wonderful gift. Much as I want to, I don't have the aptitude for it."

He was good at many other things, of course. Suppressing his presence to the point where most people would never know he was even there- even other Force-sensitives. He had much skill with a lightsaber. He could use the Force to see, better than he saw with his eyes. He was strong in the Force, and had a special connection to the dead.

But he'd trade it for being able to help the injured any day. He could only harm. Not heal.

And while his abilities could certainly be put to use defending others, he wished he could do more, too.

"Even if it was just lending your healing talents. I doubt the people you healed saw it that way."

Anders probably knew that already, of course.

"If we get to know each other a bit better, you should tell me about your friend, and your travels. Maybe I'll even tell you a bit about the people I used to travel with."

Assuming everything worked out.

"It's not easy to learn, let alone master. I was in training to become a Consular, before I left."

This would have made him quite valuable as a Jedi. No doubt the Order would have sent him off to battle to act as a combat medic by the time he was fourteen. They would have separated him from Karl. Perhaps it was selfish of him to run away, when there were clones he could have been healing. But he didn't want to just use his powers for the war effort. He wanted to help the common folk, the civilians affected by not just the war, but local conflicts.

"I'd like that. Karl and I had quite a lot of adventures. I can imagine you have quite a lot of interesting stories yourself."

Anders | Dragon Age | OTA

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