hadriel | video;

[ The man who appears on screen is wearing white hospital clothes, despite attempts to get him into something a little more him. They're comfortable, he protests. Over this he's wearing a much loved and heavily dry-cleaned (thanks, Dean) beige colored coat, the combination of the two making him look like a businessman - or perhaps a P.I. - who's had a little bit of a mental breakdown. Which...it's not far off from the truth.

In any case, he's sitting in the dark, looking drawn and tired, like he's either been trying very hard not to sleep, or the sleep hasn't been very good. It's a combination of the two, actually. ]

Did you know that human minds are most susceptible to influence when you're dreaming? If you wanted to teach yourselves how to communicate telepathically, for instance, it would be far better to do it when you're sleeping, when your brain isn't fettered by the constant needs of your body. Itching. Twitching. Fidgeting. All its aches and grumbles and complaints. Emotions. Recollections. Listening to other people chatter incessantly. Television. Arousal. You get the idea. It's all very distracting.

[ Seriously. Who let Castiel talk? Like ever.]

And let me tell you, some of those thoughts take up a lot of your time.

I--where was I? Ah. That is to say, I haven't ever slept before. I've visited dreams, of course, but experiencing my own is something else entirely. Something I'd rather avoid, if it's at all possible. So-- [ Deep breath. ] --I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions. Mnemonics, perhaps. The opposite of counting sheep. I'd drink coffee but I'm afraid I've discovered it has much the same effect on me as alcohol, which is to say I'd have to drink most of a plantation in order to have any kind of success.

Your assistance, please. I can't repay you, per se, but... Oh. [ He lifts his hands in front of him, and cups them together, and when he lifts them apart there is a little origami swan between his palms. ] I can do this.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It's nice to meet you too. I don't really know everyone here by name, or really, not all of Creation. That would be an awful lot of names to remember.

Yeah, I can see how that might get a little overwhelming.

[Seven billion and counting of anything is hard to fit in anyone's head.]

So this is really your first time sleeping?

It's less the sleeping that I dislike as the...the exhaustion. Losing consciousness--it feels like dying. I have no idea how you do it every night.

To some extent, it's not voluntary. There are things you can do to prolong wakefulness, but at some point, the human body typically overrides the will to stay awake, one way or another.

But you don't enjoy it?

Not especially. [Especially not when there are dreams involved like the kind they've all been experiencing.] It's a necessary part of life, but I usually find there are other things I'd rather spend my time doing.

Such as?

Wait. Is it drinking and scantily clad women?

No.

[JEEZ. Mello just. Drags his hand down his face. It's a good thing this is audio only.]

While I'm sure a large portion of the world's male population would list those two things as their priorities, I'm not one of them.

Oh--then you must have a great deal of time for other things. Good for you!

Yeah. I do. Thanks.

[Which all comes out sounding a little strained. But it's true; attempting to rule and/or save the world takes a lot of focus.]

Honestly, I can't understand people who set such a low bar for themselves.

Perhaps, not. But it's... To err is human, I suppose. Though I'd hardly call it erring to be human. Sexual arousal is perfectly natural, and--alcohol, of course, is a drug, and quite addictive.

[Mello almost cannot believe this is an actual conversation he's having. What is his life.]

Sex is one of the things included on the very bottom of Maslow's hierarchy of needs. People should at least try to aim higher than the bottom of something.

Edited 2016-05-29 05:06 (UTC)

Well, that's very cynical. In fact, I'd say that the person who made that hierarchy likely wasn't getting enough of it himself--or herself.

Edited 2016-05-29 10:35 (UTC)

Him. And I don't have any data on that one way or the other.

[How exactly did Mello get caught up in speculation about Abraham Maslow's sex life. FUCK HIS LIFE FOREVER.]

Mm. Well, in any case, I suppose priorities are different for everyone. The pace of civilization doesn't seem dependent on them.

Yeah ...

[Some people have the wrong priorities. A Mello's Opinion.]

Well, I'm sure this place fits a textbook definition of "civilization," but I'd argue just barely.

I wouldn't call it that. It's hardly a sufficient number to guarantee any kind of survival, and civilization, of course, has time to make art.

Well, you've got the market cornered on origami, anyway.

I suppose. It's not very useful.

Is any art useful?

There are useful things which are also art. I suppose I'm flawed in that I can see the Creator's hand in everything. Bees, for example. They're so very beautiful up close.

Bees also serve a function - pollenating plants so they continue to reproduce.

And they make honey. [ He perks up, at once. ] And dance.

There aren't any here.

Maybe we can trade in some of the combustible fireflies.

Do you think they would? I miss the sound of their happy humming.

(no subject)

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