Close My Eyes Forever [Open]

[cardsharkgambit.livejournal.com]

He'd been avoiding sleep just like a lot of other people. But everyone had to sleep at some point. The body demanded it. There was only so long someone--anyone--could stay awake before the body, the mind, rebelled and gave in to its most basic necessity. There seemed to be no way of escaping the Nightmare King. Sleeping meant dreaming, which meant terror being inflicted upon them by the beast that grew stronger with passing day. Staying awake, however, brought its own dangers. The mind wasn't meant to be pushed to such limits. It needed to rest. It needed the time to recuperate. Without it, hallucinations would begin to form, driving them crazy just as easily as the Nightmare King was.

It was the hallucinations that pushed Gambit to go to his quarters and get some rest. He'd stripped off his plantsuit and climbed under the silk covers and was out before his head hit the pillow. It was not meant to last. Deep sleep had been evading him ever since he'd been released by GLaDOS. He sometimes wished she'd held on to him. Even she was better than this.

Remy had no more than fallen and sleep--only for a few minutes really--before the nightmares began. He thrashed in his bed, his body jerking back and forth as he tried to fight against the terrors being forced upon his dreams by the dark entity in the city. He groaned in pain, mumbled incoherent protests against the darkness that had pervaded his subconscious. Each movement, each groan grew in intensity, becoming stronger and more violent than the last until the Cajun's eyes flew open and he shot up in bed and let out a shout loud enough to be heard throughout the crew quarters.

He sat up in bed, his body covered in sweat and his chest heaving as he fought to catch his breath. It was as if he'd just put himself through a grueling work-out. His muscles were tense and sore. Sleep, itself, had become an enemy that needed to be fought. But how did one fight that which you needed to survive?

Tossing his sheet back, Gambit swung his feet to the floor and cradled his head in his hands. "Get outta my head!" he hollered out at the Nightmare King.

Comments

[ghost-bait.livejournal.com]

Miku had been on her way out of the crew quarters when the shout startled her out of whatever thoughts she'd been having (mostly concerning what next to feed her non-Japanese friends). She'd paused before a door and shifted uncertainly, before knocking on the door.

Everyone needed everyone else right now, so even if it was a stranger to her, she'd help them. "Sir?" she called in the most politest inflection she could muster.

[cardsharkgambit.livejournal.com]

Another groan escaped Gambit's lips as he heard the voice on the other side of his door. Great. Not only had he had a nightmare, but he'd managed to make just enough of a scene to attract attention. Granted, making scenes and being the center of attention was something Gambit not only did well but rather enjoyed, but this wasn't the type of impression he liked to leave. Especially on the ladies.

"Oui," he said, grabbing his sheet and wrapping it around the lower half of his nude body, tying it tight, before getting up and slapping the button that would open the door. "I'm fine. It ain't nothin' to go gettin' all worked up about," he said as he walked over to the 'sink' and sprayed a little of the 'sanitizer' into his hands, which he then rubbed over his face. It wasn't quite the same as water...but it'd work.

[ghost-bait.livejournal.com]

Oui? Wasn't that... French? She breathed a sigh of relief as the rest of sentence flowed a little more naturally. His accent was close enough and entirely dissimilar from Tess's, but it worked out just the same. Miku, who'd been looking down glanced up and made a strangled squeaking noise. Half. Half-naked.

Half-naked man.

"I-I-I-I-I'm glad, then!" Miku squeaked and turned around, Red from the back of her neck to the top of her head. "S-so-sorry for disturbing... disturbing you, then!"

[cardsharkgambit.livejournal.com]

"It's all right," Remy replied as he rubbed the sanitizer into his skin, the tingling sensation doing little to help him 'wake up.' "Ain't you're fault no one round here can sleep, cher. Ain't you crawlin' round in Gambit's head when I try to get a little shut-eye."

[ghost-bait.livejournal.com]

Miku did not look behind her, but nodded. She took a moment or two to calm herself. Getting panicked and flustered would do her little good, and what if Steve showed up?

She took a deep breath and straightened her shoulders, still staring a hole into the wall. "I know, Gambit-san," she replied, "But, still, I disturbed you from attempting again, nightmares or not."

[cardsharkgambit.livejournal.com]

"Non," he shook his head. Using the sheet that he'd tied around his waist as a towel, he wiped his face then, combing his fingers through his long brown hair--which had been released from its usual ponytail, he turned around to face his visitor. "I don't don't tink I be gettin' any sleep anyway. Not any time soon, dat is."

[ghost-bait.livejournal.com]

His visitor, who was still not facing him. So, instead, Gambit got an eyeful of massive bun and a redwood hair pin staring back at him like an eye. Miku could almost feel the beams of disapproval shooting from her mother, though if that were partially imagined and partially work of the nightmare god, she wasn't sure.

She wondered which was more rude, staring at the half naked man behind her, or continuing to stare at the wall. "Then what are you going to do before you get tired again?" Not that it mattered, even people who were awake and aware weren't that for very long. Not if the silver-cowled walking dreamers had anything to do with it.

[cardsharkgambit.livejournal.com]

"I dunno, cher," he answered with a shrug of his shoulders. He eyed her for a moment, quietly judging whether it was safe to get dressed. With her making a point to be polite and not look at him, Gambit decided to seize the chance.

Grabbing the knot, he untied the sheet and tossed it onto his bed before picking up his plantsuit and beginning the arduous process of putting it back on.

"Mebbe I just find someone willin to keep me awake 'til all dis is over, hmmm?"

[ghost-bait.livejournal.com]

Miku smashed down her curiosity when she heard the sound of fabric moving. Though, she thought to herself with a brief smile, if he was getting dressed with his door wide open, he was certainly a shameless kind of man, wasn't he?

Still, she was a girl of good family and morals, and couldn't think of a moment where she'd willingly doff her clothing where anyone could see it. "Oh! Maybe. Ah, is there anything I could do to help?"

[not-very-noir.livejournal.com]

Jamie stood in the doorway, blinking in obvious confusion. He looked at Gambit, glanced down, looked back up, then frowned. Almost against his will his eyes dragged back down, then he went "Huh." and looked back up again.

"...I don't think this is my room," he said at last.

[cardsharkgambit.livejournal.com]

Gambit looked up at the man who had stepped into his room. He didn't move from where he sat on his bed. He casually grabbed the sheet and used it to cover his lap.

"No it isn't, mon ami," Gambit replied. "But den again, mebbe it is. We supposed to have roommates and Gambit ain't met his yet."

[not-very-noir.livejournal.com]

"Roommates?" Oh that sounded like a barrel of fun just waiting to happen. Especially with the apparently violent nightmares people were sometimes having. The last thing he needed was the chance of the dupe that had caused so much trouble with Monet and Teresa showing up again because Jamie fell out of bed while dreaming.

"So, did they say anywhere who's rooming with who, or do we get to pick?" Please be the latter option.

[cardsharkgambit.livejournal.com]

"Dun look at me, homme," Gambit said, shaking his head. "Don't no one tell me nothin I'm supposed to know. I could be roomies with Logan and I wouldn't even know it de way dese people keep deir secrets."

[carbon-copy-man.livejournal.com]

Jamie cracked a wry smile. "You'd hope they'd give anyone warning about sharing with Logan. I'm sure it's violation of basic rights not to."

He was silent for a moment longer, before asking a little too casually; "So, bad dreams?"

[cardsharkgambit.livejournal.com]

He shook his head in response. "No. Ain't nothin' I can't handle. I just wish we could go in dere and get dat bastard already so I can get some some sleep for once. Dis nightmare stuff is gettin old."

[carbon-copy-man.livejournal.com]

"You mean it wasn't old to begin with?" he joked. Come on, he couldn't be the only person who had nightmares more often than not, right?

[cardsharkgambit.livejournal.com]

No, he wasn't. Not by a long shot. But Gambit still managed to sleep, even when the not-so-admirable things he done in his past decided to haunt his dreams. But with this...this made it next to impossible to even relax. He could no more than shut his eyes and it was like a horrific, guilt-ridden movie of his life flashed before him.

"Dis is different. Dis ain't natural."

[reallyiscrazy.livejournal.com]

Jason had been avoiding the crew quarters. Ever since the nightmares had started he knew he couldn't be anywhere where his family could hear. Especially not Dick. But sleeping, or at least trying to sleep, in the City had it's own problems. Like sleeping on a rock hard floor. His back was so messed up he could hear it popping as he walked.

Even if he didn't want Dick to happen on him while asleep, he couldn't continue on like he was. Which was why he was back in the quarters, heading towards his room. At least he was, until he heard a scream.

He spun on his heels and walked towards the door where the sounds had come from. He thought about knocking, but really what was the point? He knew the guy was having issues, especially after he heard the next shout. The Nightmare King had struck again it seemed.

"Don't think that's going to work." He pushed open the door as he spoke, leaning against the door frame as he crossed his arms over his chest. Training, and lots of it, kept him from showing just how very tired he was.

[cardsharkgambit.livejournal.com]

"Yeah, well, it still make me feel a lot better," Gambit replied defiantly. He grabbed his plantsuit and stood up, turning his back to Jason as he started getting dressed. "Gambit don't like people mussing around in his head. It not anybody's business what in dere but mine."

[reallyiscrazy.livejournal.com]

"Trust me, I know about not wanting people in my head." Not that he ever had a telepath in his head. But the pit, the voices he sometimes heard? It had to be about the same. Not to mention the nightmares he had. He'd never wish those on anyone.

[cardsharkgambit.livejournal.com]

It took a while to master the art of putting on the plantsuit but, after taking it off every time he went to bed and putting it up every time he woke up--which was quite often ever since the nightmares had started--Gambit had come to be an old pro at it. Once he was dressed, he collected his brown duster from where it lay at the foot of his bed and slipped it on.

"Yeah, well, gettin' into my head ain't all dat easy," he said. It was a thought that both comforted him and made him uneasy. Even powerful telepaths ran into a metaphorical brick wall when trying to pry into Remy LeBeau's mind. But this Nightmare King seemed to be doing it like the Cajun had left the front door open and the porchlight on.

"I think mebbe I'll just go blow off some steam in de sensorium."

[reallyiscrazy.livejournal.com]

Jason had looked away while the guy was getting redressed. Might as well give him a bit of privacy, even if he wasn't going anywhere. Then again, leaning against the door frame like he was, it was relaxing. And being relaxed was putting him to sleep. Which wasn't going to be a good thing.

"That doesn't sound like a bad idea." Jason needed something to keep himself up. Going to find Dick might just lull him to sleep, but this guy might just give him a fight that'd keep him awake. If anything, it'd be a bit of a learning experience.

[cardsharkgambit.livejournal.com]

"You up for a little game of tag with some Sentinels, homme?" Gambit asked. If he wasn't going to be getting any rest and he couldn't take out his anger on the entity causing his sleeplessness, at least he could trash the hell out of some giant, mutant-hunting robots instead.

[reallyiscrazy.livejournal.com]

"No idea what a Sentinel is, but sure why not." He shrugged and smirked. "Haven't gotten to beat the shit out of something in a while."

[cardsharkgambit.livejournal.com]

Gambit took Jason to one of the empty sensoriums and, once they stepped inside, all signs of Stacy disappeared and they were suddenly in a desolate landscape. It was dark, the middle of the night, in the clearing of a wooded area. Limbs of trees littered the empty space. A haze of smoke blotted out the moon and the only light came from what appeared to massive fires burning out of control in the distance.

It was silent for a moment before, finally, there was a loud thump. It was followed by another, and another. Each one was closer than the last. As the sound drew nearer, the ground began to shake beneath Remy and Jason.

Reaching into the pocket of his duster, Gambit pulled out three cards, charged them, then got into position, readying himself for the giant, mutant-hunting robots to show themselves.

"Get ready, mon ami," he said, glancing over at Jason. "We's about to have a full house."