The Perk, Saturday Morning

[myownface]

Sparkle hadn't slept in his bed last night.

Hell, come to that, Sparkle still hadn't slept. He hadn't even been on the island. He'd been in Baltimore, in Dr. Lecter's former neighbourhood (it was familiar enough), causing the sort of minor chaos that had gotten him into trouble more than once back in Toronto. He hadn't broken into anybody's houses, no, but more than a few of the rich snobby sorts would be waking up to find their garden sheds broken into, mostly worthless items missing that they probably wouldn't notice were gone for months. Or until their gardener brought it to their attention.

Sparkle sighed and clutched to a coffee that was too big for sane human consumption, and poked listlessly at the contents of his open backpack.

"Stupid," he muttered, pulling out a spool of weed-whacker twine and turning it over in his hand. "Stupid stupid stupid stupid."

Apparently it was going to take more than a night of petty theft for him to start feeling more like himself again. But hey. It had been worth a shot.

[OOC: I have the apartment to myself all weekend, so clearly the thing to do is camp out on the couch and RP. Open!]

Comments

[future_sandworm]

"It isn't surprising," Leto said softly. "Or unexpected. Sometimes sleep is evasive."

[myownface]

"Yeah, I can't say I'm surprised either," Sparkle admitted. "I never used to have this many problems getting to sleep at night, but I guess when I was little, sleep was harder to avoid when I was tired."

He could stay up half the night after having a nightmare, but when he was good and tired, he'd conk out basically anywhere he could hide himself away. Maybe now he just fit in fewer places.

[future_sandworm]

"In my universe there are drugs that help you sleep. There must be something similar in Fandom," Leto said, wondering if he should assume that Sparkle knew how to look after himself in situations like these, or if he truly needed advice. He didn't always know, and most of all, he didn't always want to be the one to give it.

"But I see why you need the coffee."

[myownface]

"Yeah, we have sleeping pills on the island and back where I come from," Sparkle replied, feeling a little silly as he said so. "I'm just stubborn, I guess."

He guessed? Sparkle didn't know many people who were more stubborn than he was, really.

[future_sandworm]

Leto rubbed his temple, considering for a moment what to say. "If you don't mind me saying so, that sounds like an unhelpful way to be stubborn."

He just couldn't help not giving advice here.

[myownface]

"I don't mind," Sparkle offered, tiredly. "I bet Atton would agree with you, too. He's already chased me off to bed, before."

So at least he was consistently bad at this?

[future_sandworm]

"Don't worry, I'm used to people stubbornly refusing to follow good advice." Sparkle had met his family, after all.

"Is the coffee working though?"

[myownface]

"It's successfully kept me from passing out in the coffee shop," Sparkle reported. "But it probably won't last me for the whole day, so I do have to go home and try to sleep eventually."

He was kind of dreading that part, admittedly.

[future_sandworm]

"Had I been there I would have offered some help there," Leto replied with a soft laugh, "But as it is, my advice is still sleeping pills."

[myownface]

"I will take that advice under consideration," Sparkle replied with a sort of playful solemnity that was too tired to sound too serious. "It'll probably come down to somebody just getting fed up and sitting on me until I give up and pass out, eventually."

At the rate he was going, it would.

[future_sandworm]

"Please, do find someone who will help in a more pleasant way," Leto said cheerfully. "Or I can send Hania to you to tell you bedtime stories. They never end."

[myownface]

"And she wouldn't take it personally if I were to fall asleep while she's telling me of epic adventures?" Sparkle's voice sounded fond, there. He liked Hania. She was a good kid. "I don't think I'd want to fall asleep, anyway. I'd miss something."

[future_sandworm]

"She is used to people falling asleep," Leto told him. "If you don't she will try to make you do it. I end up feigning it sometimes."

[myownface]

Okay, Sparkle had to laugh a little at that one.

"Oh yeah? So she takes it as a point of pride that her bedtime story worked?"

[future_sandworm]

"Yes." There was warmth in his voice when he spoke of his daughter. "You would be quite a challenge."

[myownface]

"I'm sure I would be," Sparkle agreed. "I mean, Atton is already despairing of me. Dr. Lecter actually hypnotized me to sleep a while back. I'm definitely a challenge in the worst possible way."

[future_sandworm]

"Maybe I'm just a proud parent, but I do think Hania is very talented when it comes to this," Leto said, mock serious.

[myownface]

"Well, maybe she'll get a crack at it yet," Sparkle decided. "I mean, if people around here don't resort to hitting me across the back of the head with bricks, first."

[future_sandworm]

"Just let me know," Leto said with a laugh. "Although you might have to pay her back by letting her play dress-up in the shop."

[myownface]

"I mean, that would probably sound like a bigger hardship if I didn't play dress-up in the shop," Sparkle pointed out. "Any time she's on the island, she's welcome to stop by to try things on."

[future_sandworm]

"She will be happy to hear that," Leto said. "You made an impression on her, so I'm sure she will insist on it."

He added: "I would invite you to visit to hear the bedtime stories, but there is some unrest, and it's not the safest of times. I actually considered sending Hania to stay with my friend Karla in her world."

[myownface]

"Blonde spitfire Karla?" Sparkle had to check. "Used to be a student on the island? Sometimes teaches here now? I know her, sort of."

Sparkle was also easily distracted when he was tired.

... In fairness, Sparkle was easily distracted when he was wide awake, too.

"Isn't your sister on the island, too? Could she look after her? Or, I mean..." He paused. Okay, no, even he wasn't tired enough to think that he was capable of looking after a human child. "... You've probably got options."

[future_sandworm]

"Yes," Leto said, chuckling at the description. "She mentioned that she knew you."

"Ghani is back on the island teaching, and Hania finds the added security restricting. It's an excuse too. I wish she had more friends her own age to play with."

[myownface]

"I wish I knew of any I could suggest," Sparkle sighed. "I know a couple of twelve year-olds in Toronto who could always use a friend, but... uh."

Sparkle suspected that Leto wasn't looking to drop Hania off in a group home with a bunch of troubled teens.

[future_sandworm]

There might be a bit of a culture clash between the troubled teens and the eccentric emperor's daughter.

"She has met Karla's children before," Leto said. "It is a kind offer, but I don't expect you to find friends for her. But if you want to when you're feeling better I could let her invite herself to visit."

Unless Atton objected.