interstellar5555 | Locked in a Room

Well, this is a new level.

[What kind of level it happens to be isn't worth specifying. 'Cabin fever'/'not taking care of yourself'/'emotional despondence'. It's ... Something not good. That's the point she's making while plucking the cigarette buts out of his hair.] How did these even get here.

[If there's any definition of a question that doesn't really need answering it's that one.]

....You know, I'm wondering that myself.

[Koumei peered owlishly up at Nariko and watched her work through his mess of tangled hair. No amount of energy drinks could get him up to full functioning....but actual sleep was hard to come by as well. Between his weird dreams, his frustrations with Predator and plans for the LP, and now the bizarre lockdown they were all trapped in, he had taken to weird habits.

Although a glance down at the floor surrounding him would reveal several dozen cigarette butts, and Koumei was notorious for his habit of catnapping with his eyes open. Somewhere, between the haze of caffiene and disrupted sleep, he must have rolled into the middle of the mess.]

I wonder if it has something to do with not sleeping.

[She doesn't sound nearly as chiding as she usually would, there's no real energy in her, it's almost like playing at the gestures and normalities they'd usually have. Nariko flicks a used cigarette butt off to the side. She really should gather them up and get the trash but, eh.]

Honestly, it's not like you to ever actually be sleep deprived. It doesn't suit you.

[They're locked up in this place and now she's worried about him not sleeping instead of keeping him up. What a strange world.]

And being this gentle about it doesn't suit you.

[He pulled himself up into a sitting position now, a tangle of wrinkled clothes and hair that was long overdue for a good brushing, and tried to stifle a yawn as he rubbed at his burning eyes.]

...You haven't been having any weird dreams, have you? [The question was sudden, as if he were struck by a thought because of her prior question.] I think Cabin Fever is hitting me in the worst way possible.

So basically you're asking me to pull you around like usual? [It's an attempt at humor but it falls short by more than a few degrees.

But, in an attempt to answer his question she shakes her head, and begins to try and pat his hair into obedience. It's not going to work but she tries anyway.]

No, sleeping is about the only relief I ever get. It's being awake that feels like it's driving me nuts.

[Koumei made a soft, dissatisfied noise.]

Perhaps we should trade problems then; it might help the both of us.

I would if we could.

[It would help him out, and save her the force of worrying about him.]

What are they about? [The dreams that he's refusing to have.]

[Koumei sighed, knowing full well that this was the next stage.]

...It's like watching everyone prepare for a battle in a Three Kingdoms era war, [he muttered, shaking his head.] And it feels like details are missing-- which is weird.

Maybe you watched a movie about it and your mind is recreating it?

[The excuse feels thin even as she voices it but, hey.]

Nariko.

[Koumei looked up at her, unflinching.]

You know I don't watch historical films-- nonetheless Chinese Romantic War Dramas.

[Ahh, he's always a little scary like that. Haha. Hah.]

We could use it for the new album! At least that way we turn a negative into a positive!

[She doesn't even try to pursue the other line of thought because he's too smart and she isn't smart enough to outsmart him. Yeah.]

....Pardon the parlance, but Page will be wondering what we were smoking.

[Cosmic Indulgence? Chinese War Drama? Please. That said, he does reach for a sheet of crumpled paper to show Nariko.

On it was a curious star.]

I was thinking that this could be incorporated into a cover, though. It fits the 'cosmic' part of our theme.

[Would that be before or after they tried to sell the general idea to him with only a 50% chance of success? Not that she stops to ask since he's pointing out one of his ... Drawings. Or whatever that is.]

It's really cool! It would definitely fit.

[She has no idea what the hell it is, of course! But still cool.] How'd you come up with this?

It was something I saw in my dreams...I think.

[Headscratch. It was all very hazy, to tell the truth. And uncomfortable-- that was part of the reason why he was avoiding sleep so much.]

The dreams you're refusing to have?

[Why would he want to use it if whatever he's seeing bothers him so much? Something about that feels terribly illogical, but it might not be best to try and pull apart Koumei's logic.]

That's one of the more innocent parts of it.

[The other parts, though....those were the parts that bothered him.]

[She traces the design with her finger and can't help asking:]

And the less innocent parts are about ... What, exactly?

A fan.

[He shifted his position just enough to pull out his fancy little paper fan he liked to carry around.]

One more ornate than this. It was made with feathers....

[And had a broad, golden handle that was engraved with such a star. It felt like it was important, somehow.]

And here I was thinking it was about crazy murders or something.

[But even though it isn't serious in that respect she doesn't doubt it's still relevant to him, somehow. It has to be if he's so hell bent on never seeing it in his own dreams again.]

Why's that so bad, though? You like fans.

[Or they're at least generally useful to him. However you want to put it.]

I do like fans...

[He mused, trailing off as he flipped his paper one open. The delicately inked mountainous scene in the classical chinese style was displayed before the both of them, and a dull, aching need to get out of the building worked it's way to the foreground of Koumei's thoughts once again. The scene from the dream played out in his memory again-- and, when he spoke, his voice was low and almost harsh.]

And it wasn't about murders; it was about waging a war.

[It was the only sensible conclusion to come to. The atlas, the soldiers, the multiple advisors that had circled around him underneath that tent...it all made sense.

He drew the fan closer, until it almost hid his expression.]

War and murder are a lot alike, aren't they?

[Nariko can't recall hearing Koumei sound so cold, with all the subtlety and danger of a well sharpened knife. It's surprising enough that she doesn't react immediately, and the stillness of her could be mistaken for calm when she's really kind of intimidated. It's one of those moments that reminds her that even though they've spent so much time together, and even though she genuinely loves him, that doesn't mean she knows every last bit of Koumei.

It's scary to think about which turns his question into a relief.]

One has politics, the other doesn't. [She shrugs.] The former isn't as honest, so I guess that they are.

[Things that were alike could only be separated by the thinnest of differences.]

[Koumei lowered his gaze, feeling the spike of guilt at the subtle glint of wariness that lurked in the depths of Nariko's eyes. He hadn't meant to unnerve her so badly...but, the level of cool he was able to maintain in the aftermath of Predator's hazing was surprising even to him.

He didn't know what to do with it any more than she did.]

And so you see why I'm trying to avoid the dreams.

[A sigh. There was no hiding how tired he was.]

I do.

[Wait for it ...]

But you can't not sleep Koumei. Even if you look at it in terms of practicality we have a show to do right after this, and then we'll be getting back to work. We can't do any of that without you.

[The overtly logical route into usually her style, but it seems necessary here.]

[At this point, Koumei snapped the fan shut and buried himself further into the pillows.]

Then please, find me a way to sleep without dreaming that doesn't involve raiding the bar. That isn't a habit I would be terribly fond to pick up.

I could always drug you.

[She's kidding! Right? Right. Definitely kidding.] Or maybe hypnosis or calming sounds or if you really want to go out there I could sing while you slept!

[Weren't people's heads affected by what they heard while sleeping? That's the idea she's sort of going with, anyway, that if his unconscious mind knows someone good is nearby it might not drift off into anything bad. ... No, it doesn't make any sense, but she's trying.]

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dishevelment - 2015-11-12 20:13 (UTC) - Expand

Locked in a Room

November 3rd.

November 3rd.

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