bakerstreet | the i n s o m n i a meme

Entry tags:

[meme] gen

the i n s o m n i a meme

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 | Expand All

[ Inside is a much more sedate scene, no bones or viscera, just a man calmly sat on a fallen bit of masonry and writing something in a journal. His eyes lift once Lasulahn returns, and he quickly huffs a breath across the ink to dry it before letting the pages fall shut with a heavy 'thmp' ]

My friend. Ah. What's this?

[ He smells it first, rather than sees the food that he's seen fit to bring, and his expression softens somewhat. Oh. Isn't that dear.

He can't very well turn it away. That'd just be terrible manners, not fit for a prince at all. ]

You know, I was just thinking I still had some room in me. Should we dine here?

Good morning.

[ He glances around the room. It seems to have remained warm, though the fire he'd lit last night flares a little at his passing for good measure.

The smile he gives Wrathion is sheepish, like an apprentice comparing their work to a master's after being proud of their efforts and then realizing how much it pales in comparison. ] Yes, that's fine. I ah- had thought you might be hungry.

[ He delicately avoids the topic of the carcasses outside, but it's clear he's connected the dots. Still, he sets out a cloth on the masonry next to Wrathion that's mostly level, followed by the food, and procures two tin cups from his pack for the tea. ] Did you sleep well enough?

A light doze and little more. Something about this place, perhaps. But it is no matter. Please.

[ And he sweeps a hand graciously for him to join him on this fallen pillar, which is luckily flat enough to support the makeshift spread. It's terribly quaint, but if anything that only makes him smile.

To have so little, and still find enough to spare for a stranger, is no small thing. In his travels, he'd noticed the difference in reception enough times to know that his intuition served him well. Lasulahn was exactly the sort of person he'd been hoping to find. ]

I imagine we will all sleep more soundly tonight, at any rate.

Between the cold, the red lyrium, the rifts and the Red Templars... well. [ Yes, perhaps it was better to leave it at 'something about this place'.

He spreads out the options, sparing as they are, but it's a healthy amount for at least one person. The elf pours tea, and picks up his cup, apparently set on that rather than eating. ]

I cannot say camp is any more comfortable than this. At the very least, these ruins seem to have kept the warmth in well enough.

[ He pauses for a moment, hands curled around the cup for warmth, the rim brought close to his lips. He looks up to Wrathion. ] I mentioned you to my companions, and they've agreed if you're still of the mind to join us and aid our cause. We will be ready by midday to march on Suledin Keep, though it will be at your word.

[ He taps the cup with a fingertip as though thinking, then continues. ] I don't wish to deceive you, so I will say it plainly: Corypheus is the creature in possession of what I assume is the item you seek, but I cannot guarantee what will become of that item, nor it's effectiveness now that the Anchor has become separated. Corypheus told me I had 'spoilt it' somehow, and I do not know if that merely means his plan, or the artifact itself. But, I will do all I can, and you will have the Inquisition's resources at your disposal.

I appreciate your honesty. I find it's much easier to speak plainly, even when the news may not be pleasant to hear.

[ In this, he was quite different from his brethren, who preferred lies and manipulation. Pointless theatrics meant to stoke the ego, as far as he could see. Hardly of use, particularly when the deceptions were uncovered. Poor Aunt Onyxia had never understood her crucial error.

But nevermind that now.

Taking a bit of bread and meat, he leans back against the rubble, one foot propped up, looking every bit the lord of this ruined hall holding court. As if he were entertaining the elf, and not the other way around. ]

From the sound of it, this Corypheus is an enemy of yours. So it would seem our goals are somewhat aligned. Should I find a way to track the power of this item, knowing his location would undoubtedly be of benefit to you, no?

I wish more felt as you do.

[ Lasulahn sits far more demurely, knees and ankles tucked together at a slight angle, hands still wrapped around his cup of tea. ]

He is the one that caused the explosion at the Conclave - a gathering of leaders of a growing conflict that now sees no easy path to resolution. He has killed the Divine - the head of the Chantry. If what we know is true, he also seeks to do a great deal more damage than he already has, and that is with the sky already torn open and rifts everywhere, demons pouring out of them.

It would be of great use, yes. We might be able to prepare, and to end this finally. [ Without stopping to put out fires, as it were, with the Wardens, Empress Celene, the Venatori presence... ]

[ While he has little in the way of context, the methods are that of a tyrant, undoubtedly. Killing off important faction leaders, causing chaos that threatens everyone and divides attention from whatever plans he might actually have for this very powerful artifact...no doubt he needs to be stopped.

But he notes, also, the weariness in Lasulahn as he speaks. This struggle against Corypheus has clearly been going on for some time, and the toll of war is a familiar one to see. Kind hearts often suffer worst, as he quietly remembers a friend from home.

No wonder he wasn't asleep last night.

That rather settles how he feels on the matter, then. There's a resolute nod as he reaches for his own cup of tea. ]

Then I see no reason I should not share what I discover with you, along the way. Perhaps an outside perspective might prove useful, should you wish for my input.

There were many such tyrants in my own world, and I've studied them over the years. Their methods...and their ultimate downfalls.

I should be grateful for the opinion of one not mired in the politics of this world, yes.

[ He sips quietly at his tea. ] Solas, an elf similar to myself, may prove a good resource. You'll meet him shortly. He has a great deal of knowledge on such things.

[ Green eyes lift back to Wrathion's gaze. ] Corypheus claims to be a man that is integral to the stories of human religion- that he was a man who broke into the Fade physically, into the center of what was once called the Golden City. If he speaks true, he is both ancient and powerful, and one of the original Darkspawn- a constant blight on this world in the eras since. There have been five Blights thus far- the last ending only ten years ago. Darkspawn still infest the Deep Roads and occasionally break through to the surface.

[ He sighs. ] Getting rid of Corypheus wouldn't get rid of the Darkspawn, but he is trouble enough on his own, without his being one of them.

One threat at a time is generally the way to go about these sorts of things, yes.

[ Mildly, he sets the cup upon his knee, head cocking just so. ]

Though if what he says is true...the idea of him being able to pass one barrier is troubling enough. I shudder to think what would happen if he ever learned what you have.

[ That there are other worlds. Other realms he might seek to make his own. Such things the inhabitants of this world could only dream of. Certainly he'd need to be stopped before it ever came to that.

Preferably before this world suffered irreparable damage at his hands. ]

...how was it you came upon all this, then?

[ Lasulahn feels much like he is fighting a war on all fronts, wisdom though there may be in Wrathion's words. ]

I am from a clan in an area to the north called the Free Marches. My Keeper- our leader- sent me to the Conclave to... keep an eye on matters, and report back the results of the peace talks.

[ He sips at his tea, gazing somberly at the surface of the liquid. ] I stumbled upon Corypheus, in some manner of ritual or spell with the Divine. I don't remember what happened after. The entire Temple of Sacred Ashes where the Conclave was held was destroyed. According to the agents who found me, I 'fell out of the Fade'. Presumably because of the Anchor.

So entirely at the wrong place, at the wrong time. Or the right one, depending on who one might ask.

[ Poor fellow. Wrathion sits up slightly, leaning forward to take another piece of meat, leisurely popping it into his mouth and chewing thoughtfully. ]

Not the news your Keeper expected you to bring back, I'm sure.

Yes. [ Lasulahn certainly thought the former, while he remembers Cassandra's words 'I will not pretend you were not exactly what we needed, when we needed it'. ]

Well, there is always a risk for things to go awry, being around human affairs- particularly being both Dalish and a mage. She received a letter from someone that I was being held prisoner by the Left and Right Hands of the Divine, though the situation was a bit different by the time her reply made it back to Haven.

I would say it's disappointing that they immediately turned suspicion towards you, but I suppose not surprising. Such a catastrophe would have inspired a great deal of confusion and mistrust, to say the least.

[ Leaders dead, a high-ranking member of the faith slain? People would have bayed for blood, for revenge, for something to return life to the way it once was. How little changes from place to place.

Though now, two things in particular have caught his interest, and the beginnings of a frown settle onto his face. ]

'Dalish?' And what should being a mage have anything to do with it? Surely the humans have their own, as well.

The only survivor of an explosion that killed everyone else in the immediate vicinity... yes, it is not surprising.

[ And with being an elf besides... he supposes he was lucky. ]

...Ah. It's a little complicated. Elves have been slaves to humans for much of history, and subjugated for much of the rest of it. After obtaining our freedom from servitude, some chose to remain in human cities. Those of us that didn't, who left to try and reclaim what we could of our heritage, are called the Dalish. We are mostly small and nomadic clans, though not all of us. I am from Clan Lavellan, we roamed the Free Marches, to the northeast. In Tevinter, to the north, slavery is still very much alive and well. Here, it is... not entirely different. City elves live in squalor and are mostly relegated to servant jobs.

And yes, all races except dwarves have mages. The Qunari have their own ways of... handling their mages. [ It's clear from his tone of voice that whatever the elf means by that, he doesn't like it. ] This far south, there are very few Qunari.

Dalish Keepers are almost always mages, as well as their First, like myself. Some clans take a Second, but beyond that, it is too dangerous to have more mages because of the humans. The humans built Circles, and human and city elf mages live their lives there, locked away because of the supposed danger they present to society. Some Dalish end up there, too, whether forcibly taken from their clans by Templars or abandoned because their presence would make their clan a target.

[ He runs a thumb around the edge of his cup. ] The conflict was between the mages and Templars. The Circles rebelled, and full-scale war broke out all over Thedas.

[ As he speaks, explaining the horror of what is happening in this world, Wrathion's expression tightens. It's not quite anger, but an almost reptilian coldness, and he doesn't reach for the food or the tea once during the elf's explanation.

It doesn't seem real. He can't quite wrap his head around this being the state of things, and how could he? Mages locked away as threats, and the elven race as a whole enslaved? Treated as second-class citizens? Certainly it might be the case if some conquering warlord had the world in its grip, imposing their iron will and subjugating their subjects, but this...this just seems to be how it is. Everywhere. And there's no righteous anger in the Inquisitor, simply a matter-of-fact tone, as if he's explaining things even the children of this world already know to be true.

This is the world that this elven mage wants to save.

When he is finished, at least for the moment, the cold look shifts into something approaching concern, and his tone takes a quieter turn. ]

So. In stopping one tyrant, your people still contend with countless more.

Injustices, in any case. Most people are simply making their way in life, though their silence helps no one but themselves. [ He can't really blame them. His whole life thus far has been the same - protecting his own clan out of necessity. And the only reason it's different now is because he's the only one that can do anything about much of what is plaguing Thedas. ]

There is much to be done, and I won't say Corypheus is the only problem, but at least in focusing on him, first, there will still be a world left. The death of tyrants does little good if everyone else is dead, too. [ Or turned into abominations.

He offers a small shrug. ] I hope, with the humans having put me in this position, that things may improve. As a Dalish mage, I am everything this world wishes to keep locked away. And yet, many believe I was sent by their saint to save them. [ As uncomfortable as that thought makes him, perhaps it can be a small start to improving things. ]

You certainly have the patience of one.

[ It impresses him all the more, to be honest. ]

But...while I can't imagine the suffering your people, elves and mages both, must endure, I do know a little of what it is to dedicate yourself to saving a world that despises what you are. Such a path is not for the faint of heart.

You grow used to it, even if you don't agree with it. [ Lasulahn isn't the type to be able to be angry all the time. ]

I'm sorry. [ His voice softens to something sympathetic. ] It is a difficult thing. [ His tone lightens then, and he smiles. ] And yet you're all the way in another world. That takes dedication, indeed.

Dedication is all I've known, in truth. I am what I was created to be. I don't know that I could ever be anything else, or choose any differently.

[ He huffs, reaching for the tea once more, realizing it's gone a bit cold and focusing on it a moment. From his palm, the tin appears to glow slightly, then fade back with the liquid within now steaming once more. ]

Though the option to make that choice myself is always a welcome one.

Were you... raised that way? [ He's not entirely sure if that's the right way to phrase it- dragons aren't exactly common fare here... much less dragon princes that can take the form of a man.

He watches curiously as the cup seems to glow. Magic is magic, it seems. It feels a little different to his own, but not entirely foreign. ]

It's difficult to know, sometimes. [ Is he helping because he's choosing to, or is he just making the best of a situation he otherwise has no control over? ]

Given the conditions of my early years, I don't think I'd credit anyone with raising me. But certainly there were intentions for me. Quite grand in scale.

[ He sighs, running his tongue over his lips briefly, considering the tin cup for a moment. ]

The experience was not a pleasant one, to say the least. It certainly changed me for the better, in the end, but I resented those who tried to shape me in the way they wished. I resented the idea that I would not be in control of my own fate. Yet even after having escaped, after being able to forge my own destiny from the moment I hatched, I still felt...compelled?

Hm. Perhaps that's not the right word.

[ Lasulahn finds himself all the more curious, but doesn't wish to pry.

Still, he can certainly commiserate with the idea of people having ideas for his choices and his fate- he's dealt with much the same, since becoming Inquisitor. ]

It's difficult, when someone has opinions about what you should do, or who you should be... particularly when it runs counter to the choices you yourself would make.

Ah, but that's just it. They didn't. All I've ever wanted was exactly what they intended to use me for in the first place.

[ His smile is almost bitter as he polishes off the last of the tea, before gesturing idly into the air. ]

The irony.

[ He wonders what that is, and whether that has anything to do with why Wrathion is here.

It makes him nervous, though he supposes even people with good intentions can do bad things for their goals. ]

I see. [ He holds up the flagon of tea again, a silent offer to refill the other's cup. ]

[ Seeing that brief flicker of nervousness cross the elf's face as he offers up the tea, Wrathion smiles and offers his cup across. ]

Thank you. And no need to look concerned. As I said, my goal has ever been the protection of my home. My world. I simply choose to act as my own agent in that regard, rather than follow the orders of others.

If you're curious, you can ask. I've certainly bothered you enough about your own past, haven't I? It's only fair.

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

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject