video;

[strangelic]

[ 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.

Comments

permaction

[kickingand]

[ Dean is meandering his way out of the kitchen with his five hundredth mug of coffee. No more dreams, please god. No more. Which is where he finds Cas speaking to the network and he outright cringes behind the rim of it, rubbing at his face blearily. ]

Hey. Cas.

[ The damage control he's going to have to do because of this... he can feel it now. ]

[strangelic]

[ The smell of coffee is intricate and interesting, but it doesn't affect him; his angel physiology protects him from those kinds of drugs and vices. Unfortunately. Not that it seems to be doing Dean much good anyway, he looks just as exhausted.

He couldn't exactly fix lack of sleep. The best he could do would be to knock Dean out, and that probably wouldn't stop the dreaming, only bring it on.

But he smiles at him, and offers the swan toward him. ]

Here. Take it.

[kickingand]

Uh.

[ Dean rearranges himself and his mug so that he can reach down and take the little crane, picking it up gently and looking it over in his fingers, eyebrows furrowed. Before speaking he takes another sip, mulling to himself for a moment before he gives a quiet 'oookay.' ]

When'd you take up the ancient art of origami?

[strangelic]

It wasn't always an ancient art, Dean. I first tried it when it was brand new, in fact.

[ He carefully puts all his things away and gathers himself up off the ground. ]

Do you like it?

[kickingand]

Course you did. [ But he nods, making his way over to the couch to gently plop the little crane down onto the arm rest. ]

It's great. Better than anything I could've done.

[strangelic]

[ He seems to sense Dean's worries, because a moment later he's stepping closer, smiling warily. ]

I was just asking... I was wondering how people keep themselves awake. You and Sam seem to have your methods, but I've found they don't work for me. I'm tired of sleeping, Dean. I don't enjoy it.

[kickingand]

[ Dean finally drops down onto the couch, tucked in against the corner where he scrubs absently at his check, staring down towards his knees. ]

Yeah, well maybe you'll cut it out soon. Might just be a, I don't know- phase.

[strangelic]

I hope that's all it is. If it endures longer than that...

[ What? What threat could he make, which could end how miserable it made him feel? He'd even heard that he couldn't die here, which should have been reassuring, but all it did was make him feel more afraid, more powerless. ]

My dreams aren't like yours, [ he admitted, miserably, and he sat at the other end of the couch, looking up at the ceiling as though it provided some kind of escape route. ]

[kickingand]

There's probably a reason for that, Cas. [ You know, the really obvious one. The you're an angel reason, the same one he gives for a whole hell of a lot of things. Dean sighs though, glancing over briefly towards Cas before giving his head a shake and suppressing his words for another moment against the rim of his mug. ]

It'll stop. Eventually.

[strangelic]

[ Dean would have to see his dreams to understand what Castiel actually meant. Fear and more fear. But he didn't want Dean to see them; he was ashamed of them, after all. If Dean saw them, he'd only know just how afraid of them he was. Just how deeply his guilt ran.

He changed the topic, hastily. ]

Do you have your cards?

[kickingand]

You want to play a hand?

[ The answer was yes, always yes. ] Course you do. [ Which was why Dean was already settling his mug of coffee on the floor so he could push up and off the couch and wander back to get his deck, returning only after another moment. ]

permavoice.

[torrefied]

[Dryly:] Folding paper. That's ... real helpful.

video;

[watashinonamaewa]

[ Talking about humans like you aren't human, hm? Yes, hello. Here is Cibo. ]

Lights on, for one thing. Helps the brain observe more detail in your surroundings. That'll keep it busy for a while. Except nothing to really cure the boredom when that hits. A long, thoughtful discussion, maybe? I just don't think there is an easy way to stimulate the human mind like you want with what is available to us.

[ There's a lot more science to it. Those are just the basics. ]

[strangelic]

[ Always yes. Castiel pulled his coat up, so that he could clamber onto the couch unfettered, sitting crosslegged with his hands folded in his lap. He waited patiently for Dean to return, picking at a loose thread in his pant leg, and for all the world looking like he could sit there waiting for hours. ]

May I deal first?

[strangelic]

I can fold other things. What would you consider helpful?

video;

[strangelic]

I see as well in the light as in the dark, but I suppose it's worth trying.

[ He raises his eyes away from the screen for a moment, and every light in the apartment comes on at once, shining brighter than perhaps they're meant to. Then, with a satisfied nod, he looks back down. ]

Your other suggestion--a long, thoughtful discussion? It would be enough to discuss things with the other people trapped here?

[kickingand]

Knock yourself out.

[ Dean tosses the deck towards Cas as he makes his way back around, stooping to pick up his mug of coffee before he drops back onto the couch as well and makes himself comfy, turning to face Cas with his legs tucked up underneath him. ]

[strangelic]

[ Castiel catches the cards, and settles back calmy, shuffling them with all the ease and flare of a Vegas magician, or dealer. It's much too clever, but then as a rule he generally is. He deals them each two cards, then lays down the river, and sets the rest of the deck aside, before gathering up his own hand.

And then, remembering their problem last time he played, he raised his other hand to his ear, gave it a little shake, and then produced dozens of tiny white and brown pebbles, which spilled onto the cushion in front of Dean. ]

Brown pebbles count for one, white pebbles for five.

[ Yes, he does look immensely pleased with himself. Remembering all the rules, go Cas. ]

[watashinonamaewa]

[ Well. She wasn't expecting that. Very neat trick there, mister. ]

Yes. At least I'd think so for a short time. Perhaps over whatever books there are in the library or something that is important to you?

To be fair, I don't need to sleep like they do. And I don't dream either. I've never tried to stave it off, though I've found my own ways to pass the time.

[strangelic]

[ His specialty is lights. But mostly exploding them. ]

I didn't, until I challenged this place's god over the process. [ It's not true, but he's not about to discuss his catatonic coma just now. ]

What are you, that you don't sleep?

[kickingand]

You good to go it alone this time?

[ Dean watched Cas finish up his shuffling, watched as he carefully laid out the cards all where they were meant to be and finally scooped up his own, splaying them out between his fingers and looking over them to Cas, his question entirely honest. He didn't think Cas would need help any longer - he'd wanted to learn badly enough - but the offer was still there.

On the table, as it were.

Pushing a handful of the pebbles towards Cas and then moving some towards himself to leave room for the pot, Dean finally settled in to play, inspecting his hand, expression bland as he found himself already coming up with a pair. ]

[strangelic]

I have a handle on it, [ he agreed, throwing in a chip and turning over the first three river cards. He hummed to himself, thoughtfully, counting chances in his head, and rubbing his thumb over the little A in the corner of one of his cards. The other was a little less interesting, but--well, it was a good hand, in his opinion. A high card was better than nothing. In games between two people, a high card might even win, with less chance of a stronger hand all around.

So he nodded to himself, and added another brown stone to the pile, blinking up at Dean. ]

This is far more enjoyable than sleeping. I can't imagine why humans seem to enjoy it so much. [ A pause. ] Unless going to bed is merely an excuse to get naked, in which case I do understand. It is how God made you, after all--made all of us. More activities should require compulsory nudity.

[watashinonamaewa]

Augmented clone. Synthetic android. However you want to say it, I guess.

[ It's still odd having to explain that. Especially coming from a world where it's the absolute norm. ]

Name is Cibo.

[notjustinthemirror]

There's a serial killer who leaves those things on his victims. You could take up a new hobby to avoid sleeping.

voice

[unitas]

Have you downloaded Pong for your phone? [ if he hasn't, well, here's his lucky day. she sends him the download link, made by Hadriel's own Rhys. ] It's a good time waster.