[ICarinae]

username: NotaBear
kalon name: Jillian
what do they do when they can't sleep [700 word limit]:
Jillian stared at the ceiling, the warmth of her bed made her uncomforable. Something she didn't think was possible. Everything at that moment felt uncomforable. The way her pillow was shaped, and the patterns on the walls. she twisted every which way, but still her skin crawled.
She pouted to herself, and at her general situation. And finally lifted herself from the bed.
She thought to herself that lying there wasn't helping anything, and that she needed to do something. Luckily she already had that something in mind.
She did this quite a bit. The struggles and stresses of the day would get to her. Especially before finals and big tests. She had trouble sleeping on these types of days, and had her special remedy.
Jillian padded through the kitchen, through the living room, and to the front door. Her rented home wasn't to big, wasn't to small, very modest. But that wasn't the point.
The door clicked open, and gently swung open with a small push. The cool campus air filled her with life. Street lights gleamed softly over her fur, and a gold tint coated her eyes. She strolled over to the sidewalk, her eyes watching the stars the whole way.
She loved taking walks at night, and watching the stars. It always calmed her anxiety, and helped her sleep. She used to take these walks with her father when she was a child. It always reminded her of these innocent and simple times, and made her happy.
She always tried to take a different route every time, but this time she walked her favorite. Jillian took a path that cut away from the main sidewalk and zig-zagged around study halls and dorms. She knew the way well, being a sophomore, and had traveled this way many times. A quarter of an hour later, she was at her destination.
The perfect study spot rippled under the moon. A small man-made lake sat surrounded by benches and pavilions. A wide path traced around the gentle body of water. Small street lights layered everything in a soft white hue. Everything about this place was lovely and calm.
She walked the track, breathing in the music the cricket played for her. She could feel her mind clear and her body relax. She gazed up at the stars and at the moon all the while she walked. Soaking in the light of the night sky.
She started on her way home after a bit of soul searching. Finally feeling tired, and ready to sleep. She was free from her stress for the first time in weeks, and felt a yawn creeping up on her. She crept through her front door, and silently slipped under her cool sheets.
She stared up at the ceiling, this time completely comfortable and calm. Warmth seeped through her body, and she gave a faint smile at nothing in particular. Her eyelids drifted closed, and she let out a deep sigh. For the first time in a long time, she fell into a deep sleep.

(only for her alarm to wake her up three hours later)


one art extra [optional]: None, sorry, my laptop broke.

[lemm]

username: carousel.
kalon name: Romea
what do they do when they can't sleep [700 word limit]:
Romea is not one to practice the fine arts. Though she is surrounded by musicians and writers, she’s never been inspired to act or paint a picture. However, on these sleepless nights, she tries. And though it’s just one stanza a night, or just coloring in one fine detail in the dozens of mandala books in her closet, it’s something. During rainy witching hours when not a soul dare be up, she sits with a lamp on trying to memorize the script to her favorite play or singing the vocals to their favorite musical.
And so it was on one of these sleepless nights when she had a bright idea, a light bulb turn on in her mind. The activites never worked, and so she experienced too many restless nights. Some other idea had to work. She listened to the sounds inside her small apartment and outside of her window, hearing the light blowing of the air conditioner and the familiar tapping of the rain drizzling onto the top of her building. She wrote what she heard, felt, saw, and thought. And though it was just a jumble of words, she continued to do this each time she couldn’t get her rest, and would listen and look for these words until she fell asleep. drip, drop.
one art extra [optional]:

[elio.]

username: pineapples
kalon name: darcie
what do they do when they can't sleep [700 word limit]: theeyy uh doodle in a sketchbook that sits on their nightstand, usually little night themed sheep doodles
one art extra [optional]:

[happysparrow]

username: happysparrow

kalon name: Mag

what do they do when they can't sleep [700 word limit]: It had been hours, many hours, and Mag found herself staring tearfully at the wall opposite her bed. She had tried everything from counting sheep to getting up to take a walk, and nothing had worked! Giving a frustrated sigh, Mag pulled herself up to sit, wrapping herself in the blanket like a huge burrito. Maybe... maybe there was still an option she hadn't tried! Shuffling out to the kitchen, Mag put the kettle on to boil some water, rummaging through her cupboards for her favorite floral mug and a bag of Chamomile tea. This was step one on any sleepless night, after all! At least it would take her mind off the frustration. Now, at least, she could focus on her plan!

As she allowed her tea to steep, Mag headed back to her room and threw open the windows. Chilly winter air seeped in, but it gave the room a cozy coolness, and it made Mag's bed seem more cozy than threatening. That, of course, was part two! Grabbing a tiny vial, Mag got the third and final step prepared before hurrying to grab her tea and bring it back.

Once snuggled cozily in bed, Mag yawned, setting her tea momentarily on the night stand as she snatched the vial. Inside was a bit of lavender oil, and Mag dabbed this delicately on her fur. It gave a relaxing aroma that soothed her mind and made her yawn again as she reached out for her tea. Curling up in her blanket until resembling a tiny cocoon, Mag sipped her tea until she could barely keep her eyes open. When she reached this point, she gently set the mug down and yawned one last time before finally drifting off to sleep.

one art extra [optional]: I will if I have time 0:

[StormSerpent]

username: StormSerpent
kalon name: Vanilla
what do they do when they can't sleep [700 word limit]: When Vanilla can't sleep, she usually gets up and watches a movie, she also can go through huge bags of candy, and tubs of icecream while doing this
one art extra [optional]:

[theexileofkiem]

username:
theexileofkiem

kalon gender:
agender

kalon name:
Mara

a demon in many differing culture's folklore. they are said to cause nightmares.

what do they do when they can't sleep:

[661/700]


A long, difficult, even torturous, day. Mara was exhausted. Yet every time they closed their eyes, they saw nightmarish figures that frightened the sleepiness out of them. Mara was practically falling asleep standing up but they couldn't relax due to the horrors they saw every time their eyelids fell. "Time to get ready for bed I suppos--YAWN-- aw man I am tired." Mara said to themself.

Mara was quite used to having issues getting to sleep. Although, once they got to sleep they usually stayed asleep. They had even slept through a fire alarm and many a loud thunderstorm. But due to Mara's trouble with actually getting to sleep, they had a near nightly "ritual" if you will, that they preformed.

Mara walked--stumbled sleepily--to the bathroom, getting ready to take a hot bath. They soaked for about an hour in a glorious bubble bath with some added essential oils like lavender and mint. Taking a quick shower after the bath, they rinsed off, making sure all the soap was out of their fur. Then afterwards they used their favorite fur moisturizer, and a lavender perfume. Lavender was proven to aid in sleep and it smelled to relaxing and peaceful to Mara. The smell reminded them of a field of flowers in an alpine forest right after a rainstorm. Soft, sweet, and earthy. The next thing Mara did was dance to some music, I know, not something one usually does to get ready for bed. Mara wouldn't dance too vigorously, but enough to just move around a bit and feel the beat. They also usually danced in front of a mirror so they could laugh at the silly faces that they made. After a few "dancy" songs and having fun making silly faces while softly singing along to the music helped them let go of any strife they were still holding on to. Not to mention, the movement helped tire them out even more, while promoting circulation which helps in relaxation and dopamine production. Singing also just relaxed Mara, they weren't sure why, but it just felt nice. After dancing, Mara continued with other various bathroom rituals like brushing their teeth and hair. For some reason they couldn't sleep without having done these things, even on nights when they weren't plagued by waking nightmares.

The ritual was nearly done. Mara put on their favorite night clothes, a comfortable t-shirt and...no pants. Who needs pants when you are a kalon? I guess kalons don't really need shirts either but they made Mara feel comfortable and warm...even though Mara frequently managed to take the shirt off sometime during the night. Anyways, Mara had dry eye even though they were pretty young due to a hormone imbalance and they put some eye drops in while climbing into bed. The cool eye drops made their eyes feel nice, no longer like their eyelids were made of dry sandpaper. Relaxing. The sheets had that fresh linen smell and they were all cozy. The window was cracked and it let cool air creep into the room. the sheets were perfectly cooled and comfortable. Mara had a few stuffed animals that were all super soft and cute as they seemed to help with Mara's overall anxiety. They all smelled nice and it really relaxed the kal. Mara grabbed their favorite stuffed animal, a creature called a croconana, it was a soft yellow color. Made out of minky fabric it was extremely soft and it resembled a crocodile crossed with a banana. They hugged the plush toy tight against their chest, snuggled into soft blankets and clean smelling sheets. One more thing before bed, Mara listened to a few relaxing songs that they played out loud from their phone. Soft Celtic music carried them towards sleep. Mara closed their eyes, drifting into darkness. They could feel their heart rate drop and the oncoming peacefulness of sleep. Deep breaths filled their chest. Soon, all Mara seemed to know was their dreams.

As mentioned in the writing above, Mara managed to slip off his shirt in the night and that's why he's not wearing one in the drawing. Drawing by me.<3

[Mysticalpup]

b]username:[/b] mysticalpup
kalon name: Lavender
what do they do when they can't sleep [700 word limit]:
one art extra [optional]:

[peach punk.]

username: space boy
kalon name:
what do they do when they can't sleep [700 word limit]:
one art extra [optional]:

res

[teddy.]

username:
147 141 171
kalon name:
Ammy
what do they do when they can't sleep [700 word limit]:
they count sheep
When Ammy can't sleep, they often find themselves working on music. It's always on their mind, but they never have time to actually MAKE music, so why not do it in the middle of the night while the neighbors are sleeping? Just Ammy, their ukelele, and their rough and bumpy singing voice. In the summer they leave the window open, letting the crickets' songs inspire them as they churn out a happy tune. In the winter they turn on the space heater and listen to it hum as their finger's strum away a slow, sad noise. The music seems to pour right out from their heart, each note a quiet whisper to the noisy world around them. They turn off the overhead light and plug in the christmas lights that are hung around their room to set the mood as the night begins. The minutes tick away and their fingers start to slow, eyelids drooping as they fall into the soft pillow, dreams of music already forming as they drift off to sleep. When morning comes they find that the tunes that ran through their head in the night were gone, their fingers suddenly clumsy against the ukulele strings. Their voice seems to crack more, protesting singing. With an annoyed sigh, they'd set their ukulele down again, rubbing at the dark circles under their eyes. The magic had faded as the sun had risen, shining through the curtains and dancing on the floor and across their exhausted face. But the hours passed fast, and soon the sun was setting, it's final orange rays striking Ammy's ukulele where it lay as if to remind them of its nighttime magic. And as they lay back with the ukulele excitedly, stars slowly popping up into the night sky, their eyes droop shut and they dream of magic and music and sunshine.
one art extra [optional]:

[iBrevity]

username ;; iBrevity
kalon name ;; Tolliver


what do they do when they can't sleep?
It was Calli who suggested the midnight walks.

"To clear your head," he'd said, "So you can sleep."

Tolliver had considered and then dismissed the idea. He'd always been something of a night owl growing up, and his illicit activities as the spymaster of Rossore only further stretched his waking hours. The notion of meandering around a garden at night, in an attempt to encourage sleep, seemed foolish.

It remained that way until Tolliver fumbled into his fifth day without sleep, and found himself quite suddenly standing in Calli's office. The doctor himself was eyeing Tolliver from a seat at his desk, and raised both eyebrows when Tolli looked blankly at him.

"Have you heard any of what I've said?" Calliope drawled, and Tolliver blushed, raising a hand to sheepishly muss his hair.

"I'm sorry, Calli. I'm just so--"

"Tired, I know." Calli scrutinized him, then said finally, "Get out, Tolliver. Take a walk, go to bed--come talk to me in the morning."

Tolliver opened his mouth to rebuff him when Calli said more sharply, "I will not repeat myself, Tolliver."

Chastised, Tolliver slunk into the hall. He escaped the castle's medical wing without running into anyone else to heckle him for his drawn, tired eyes, and when he hit the doors to the garden he was genuinely surprised to realize it was already dark. He stood in the doorway a moment, frowning while he rearranged his schedule around his apparently missed afternoon. He had a half dozen things still to do, actually, and he nearly turned around to go inside when he heard it. From the willow trees, a strange, haunting sound. Tolliver was entranced, his plans derailed.

He reconsidered the garden, as the noise faded into the quiet rustling of crickets and field mice. He supposed a half hour jaunt wouldn't kill him, and as he ventured the pathways to find a bench he kept an ear unconsciously turned to the trees.

When he woke some time later, it was with a quiet kind of startling that meant only that he was disoriented and trying to minimize his noise. He understood he had found and promptly fallen asleep on a garden bench; and a breath later he realized what had woken him.

Sitting on his knee, as blase as any bird could possibly be, was a loon. A common loon, if Tolliver wasn't wrong, what with the deep black head and maroon eyes. It came to him then that Tolli had heard the loon singing; the bird was infamous for its call, mythologized as a shapeshifter for the lupine edging to their nocturnal wails.

"I'm sleepin'," Tolliver said hoarsely, his voice rough with sleep and his eyes heavy with it. The loon turned its head, gave a soft, eerie call that Tolliver shut his eyes at.

"That's nice," he mumbled, "Thank you."

+++

It was Calliope who found him in the gardens the morning after, prodding him awake with a careless boot. "Tolliver it's ten o' clock," he said boredly.

Tolliver stirred, put both hands over his mouth to smother a yawn. The loon lingered half-remembered; but there was no evidence of its visiting, and Tolliver would feel ridiculous bringing it up. He let Calli tease him for falling asleep out here and followed the doctor inside, thinking all the while of that bird. Surely Tolliver had simply gone too long without a good night's rest; surely there were no loons here, for Tolliver had never seen them before. He branded the memory as a dream and put it out of mind, and there it stayed until Tolliver found himself in the garden again three weeks later.

"Just a little nap," he said groggily to the woods, stumbling to his bench where he had some meager room to stretch out. "If one of y'all would like to oblige."

He lay there in silence for a minute longer, his thoughts muddling to the confirmation that the loons must have been imagined; until there, somewhere to his right, a loon gave an inquisitive, peeping tremelo. Tolliver smiled indolently against the bench seat and promptly fell asleep.

[685/700]

[art by demilusionality]