Private The Search for Sleep

Some people adapted well to having little rest. Some were born to be "night owls" while others simply need to stay up late because of work or other obligations. And while Kalvin did his best as a student and part-time employee at DB Holdings, he made sure he always got his 7 hours of sleep at night. Out of anybody else here, he understood well the effects of lacking sleep. After all, he needed to keep in tiptop shape for his bi-weekly escapades. So, if there was anything Kalvin hated, it was sleepless nights.

Then again, hate was one thing. Terror was another. And Kalvin was terrified of ghosts. For all the punches he could throw and take from healthy, living beings, the presence of ghosts always paralyzed him. So, when the rumor about the ghost haunting the dorm rooms in the school reached him, Kalvin remained on edge. His unexplainable fear forced him to go back to his dorms early while other students were still milling about or before the sunset. If he was still outside at night because he had a fight, Kalvin would wait until after the haunting hour has passed before he went to bed. He did everything in his power to avoid any possible encounters with ghostly figures.

He encountered it anyway. That one encounter left him so afraid that Kalvin had trouble sleeping anywhere. Because his body was unconsciously sacrificing hours of rest, his studies and his work began to suffer. Kalvin never encountered the ghost a second time and almost a full week later, he still couldn't sleep. That was when he knew he needed help.

It's why he stood at the threshold of Manta Carlos Hospital, appearance mostly unkempt and disheveled, with deep and sunken eyes. He walked to the front desk lifelessly. "I'm looking for Briar Rose?"

@Fox Tarts

Kalvin forced a smile when the man approached. He may be suffering from an immense lack of sleep but he wasn't going to be rude to the only man who could help him get through it. Though, he barely had the energy to wonder if his smile was anything at all like a smile. The fact that Briar Rose was typically a woman's name and yet a man stood in front of him went over his head too. He gave a nod as he let Briar lead him to an empty room.

Kalvin was mostly quiet on the way there. However, his mind was sluggishly abuzz with the things he needed to do. He had asked for a couple of days off. he wants to sleep. He needed to make up for it when he got back to work. was the manta carlos hospital haunted too? He'll miss class. It didn't matter that he was one of the very few students taking med classes. what if this Briar dude can't help him? The fear of ghosts wasn't his professor's problem. He could probably borrow some notes from his classmates. what if he encountered a different ghost here?

Kalvin sat down on the bed in the room as he waited for a nurse to finish checking his fluids. He wasn't able to hear their conclusion on his fluid levels since he was still buried in his thoughts. "What if two nights of rest isn't enough?" Kalvin unconsciously wondered aloud.

"No, it's not bad dreams. I just can't sleep," Kalvin said. He wondered what Briar could do that can help him sleep. Maybe he had a voice that could put people to sleep. Kalvin vaguely remembered a high school teacher of his that had that kind of "superpower". Not that he was going to make fun of Briar for it. If anything, he'd be really thankful for it.

"Yes, please. Right now, if you can do it," Kalvin said. With that, he positioned himself on the bed and awaited Briar's hand-waving, hypnotism, or whatever magicks he had. After a bit of hesitation, Kalvin added, "Pardon me for being so... curt. I just want some rest. I hope you'll understand. We'll talk later, or in my dreams, or whatever. Just knock me out or something. I need to get as many hours of sleep as possible at least until tomorrow evening."

Kalvin watched as they prepped the room. He idly wondered what Briar planned to do to give him sleep. Why would he need so much space for it? And then, the shift happened.

For all the exhaustion that was wearing him down, Kalvin's entire mood changed as he witnessed Briar turn into a dragon. At first, he thought he was beginning to see things. That Briar became a blurry mess of colors while everything remained sharp and focused alarmed Kalvin that he began to sit up. And as the dragon form re-emerged into focus, Kalvin let out a scream--less of fear and more of shock at the unexpected sight. "Wha--" he barely managed to say before the glittery cloud took effect.

The next thing that Kalvin knew was that he was sitting by a soft, gurgling creek. His entire body felt lighter somehow; like he'd been wearing a wet, heavy winter coat only moments before. He looked around when he heard the soft call of birds in the distance. The trunks of the trees in the forest around him were in light, pastel colors. The leaves remained rich and green, however, allowing the early morning sun to pass through them in golden beams. Kalvin stood up--he didn't even realize he was seated--and as his point of view shifted, he saw that beyond the trees in the forest was a view of a pink beach a little ways below. "Huh," he mumbled, cocking his head at the two hammocks that were set amidst the empty white sands.

Kalvin turned his head when he heard the words, not at all surprised by the sudden arrival of Briar in his dream. It was strange, to be standing in the forest one moment and then stood by the hammock the next. Though, Kalvin can almost remember the trek from the hilltop to the beach. He took his seat on the hammock, resting his head on the left side so he could still look at the dragon form as they conversed.

When Briar asked about the transformation, the memory returned to Kalvin. "Oh. Yeah," he said, getting a proper look at Briar's form now that he mentioned it. He took notice of the colors and the patchwork that rested against the fine sand. He noted the velvet horns and how the material looked in the midmorning-sunset light. "I've never seen a dragon transform before. Let alone have one change right in the same room and in front of my eyes."

He looked at the gently shifting waves in front of them. Nothing filled the horizon but pink hues and the line that segmented the sky and the sea. "So, that's what your abilities are," Kalvin mumbled after a lull in the conversation. "You can become a dragon and... put people to sleep. Huh, nifty. Wish I could do that to myself sometimes."