The Tale of a Jerk and a Scientist

[denigrator]

Characters: Hojo and YOU
Setting: Throughout the tower. Pick a floor, any floor.
Format: Action to start, but I'll match prose, too
Summary: After some time spent wandering his ruined world like a ghost, Hojo has returned to the Tower. His first priority? Research.
Warnings: A complete lack of scientific ethics, which may come up.


[A great deal has gone on in Hojo's absence--he's been gone months!--and this has had the unfortunate effect of upsetting so much of his research. He has absolutely no idea what's happened while he's been gone.

So what's a scientist to do? Make his way through all the floors he had been so carefully studying, trying to salvage what he can. Sometimes he talks to himself. Sometimes he hums. Off-key or tunelessly. Sometimes he scowls and stops to take notes. Sometimes he smiles. And stops to take notes again. He grits his teeth, doing his best to ignore the cold. He's worked in cold (very cold) climates before. Fortunately, he has a Fire Materia, which provides some warmth.

One might find him in the cafeteria, taking samples of the oatmeal.

In the observatory, he spends a long time looking out, studying the strange creatures visible through the glass.

He takes soil samples in the graveyard, and biological samples on floor Forty-One, collecting insects. He plucks a few blossoms in the meadow (Twenty-Five) and in the garden (Twenty-Nine).

He stops in the clinic to deal with a few of the wounds he's sustained along the way.

He pauses to enjoy the morgue (Twenty-Six) and the laboratory (Twenty-Seven), looking for traces of his old research with Fuhito. He doesn't find much, though what he finds, he gathers up. What a shame. So much work lost. All the more reason to work more, and harder.]

So much to do, so much...

Comments

[savedbyasong]

[He nodded, quickly feeling uncomfortable under the searching look. He took a breath, he could do this. Reno believed he could do this.] I cannot imagine what it must have been like to be there for so long. [He nodded] I have, even though it is filled once again with the workers with no colours in their collars I help out whenever I can.

[denigrator]

[Hojo is used to nervousness. People tend to be nervous around him, for some reason. Shion is no different from any young intern he's known, in that.]

I don't know how long it was. How long have I been gone? Yes, I was something like a ghost in my world, not that I believe in such superstition, wandering among the dead. It was interesting at first, but being unable to affect anything was tiresome.

Ah, the workers, yes. Perhaps I should have my own clinic.

[savedbyasong]

About five months. [He felt another stab of fear when he mentioned having his own clinic. He had to stay calm, breathe.] I could help you!

[denigrator]

So long... I see. That seems right.

[Hojo paused, still considering Shion.]

You're very eager to help, aren't you?

[Altruism was something he was familiar with, but he didn't quite trust it. He saw in others his own ulterior motives.]

If I did start a clinic of my own, where would you suggest I have it?

[savedbyasong]

[Shion's heart almost stopped again, he forced himself to breath. To count, to focus. To not get lost in his raging thoughts.]

I like helping people.

[He thought... so many places were outside. Or too crowded or full of blood and horror.]

Perhaps one of the lounges?

[denigrator]

You like helping people. Yes, I've met such individuals before. You'll find that people aren't always grateful. Or worth helping. But if that's your decision... You might find yourself regretting it.

They tend to be safer, don't they? We could have a clinic there. Yes, it's an idea. I doubt people trust the administrators' clinic, and why would they?

[savedbyasong]

[Shion shrugged, it sounded like something Rat would say... but Shion didn't think he would regret helping others.

He might regret this though... but he had promised Reno that he would try and learn from Hojo and get as much information as possible so he would.] No they don't, but without an alternative they don't have a choice.

[denigrator]

The world doesn't reward the altruistic.

So we provide them with an alternative. Yes. Why wouldn't they choose to use our services? [It's not as if Hojo is creepy or anything...]

[ooc: if you'd like, we can do something with Hojo and Shion setting up a clinic for this month's plot? One of them could advertise on the network?]

[savedbyasong]

So I keep being told. [He doesn't do it for the reward though...] I am sure plenty of people will be glad for an alternative. [It's okay Hojo can be the creepy one with the answers, Shion can do kind bedside manner.]


((OOC: That would be awesome! They can advertise and we could maybe do an open post for people dropping in?))