Street-corner preacher in the cold

[warriorscribe]

Characters: Enoch and anyone!
Setting: Room 3-18; Dormitory levels 1-3; floors 1-9
Format: Either is fine!
Summary: Enoch's illness has made itself apparent as Jason's lab rat in the most annoying way possible.
Warnings: None yet! Aside from Enoch actually acting like a grouchy old man, I guess.

For the first day since the nagging thoughts had grown worse, to where he couldn't keep them all to himself anymore, Enoch had managed to mostly keep the scathing thoughts he had to a minimum. He had a better sense of propriety than that, and knew they would only aggravate people.

But since this isn't a grave matter like taking someone's life (and because Jason was obviously doing better than Ruana), his mind gave out after that day. When he woke up, the first thing he did was direct scolding at the dorm room ceiling he knew to house the administrators' eyes. "Why aren't you doing anything? You're captive too, aren't you? Are you all cowards!?"

For a moment, he paused, thinking on the jarring harshness of his words, at their lack of his normal softness and how inconsiderate they were, compared to what he'd said before. But between his sluggish, heavy body and the cold sinking into his bones, the full impact of the change failed to hit him. He summoned his armor and put his Arch in its rightful spot, then pulled his cloak tight around his shoulders, pulling the hood as far over his head as it would go. He couldn't just talk to the cameras and his roommates if they were there, after all.

He'd snap at people passing in the halls - "Why aren't you doing something!?" "Are you going to just go about life here when all our lives are gone?" "We need more than idleness and aimless riots!"

This would continue into the cafeteria, where he was only stopped from approaching others by virtue of his mouth being full of food, or when he'd double over in a coughing fit. If someone was really lucky, he'd be cut off by coughing or sneezing. When he was done eating, he continued up the stairs, slowly for his flu-worn body, giving out the same admonishments to anyone who happened to be near.

His body finally gave out on the stairs of the dark ninth floor. Those passing through will see a cloaked, hooded figure huddled on the lit stairs...still scolding people for their inaction. Or perhaps they'll catch him in the middle of a coughing fit, or taking a nap. Or, sometimes, one might find the staircase empty, a monster prowling around. When it moves on, that figure emerges from the shadows of the darkened floor and resumes his usual routine.

Comments

cafeteria

[puppy_lancer]

[Lancer raises an eyebrow. This man had been nice and helpful just a few days before. Now, however, he seemed more aggressive and argumentative.]

Hey, are you okay?

[warriorscribe]

*The question earns him a startled pause. Okay? Of course not, he's sick!

...And he's just spreading his misery, isn't he? Oh, he tries so hard not to do that...he can't believe he slipped.*

I'm sorry. I'm...frustrated. And this illness isn't helping.

[puppy_lancer]

Maybe you should go lie down. You're clearly even worse off than you were before.

[facedthetruth]

Margulis had been part of that rioting group and had suffered for it, but he had also gleaned some interesting information. So when Enoch came commenting about it, while Margulis was sick no less, the swordsman was not amused.

"Aimless? Perhaps for some of those fools involved, but I had my intentions in mind. And before you make accusations of idleness, consider what might be going on out of your sight."

[warriorscribe]

"Perhaps they should-...."

Wait. He may have gotten snippy but he didn't get stupid. Being more visible would be dangerous.

"...No. I'm sorry. This illness and constant cold must be wearing on my nerves..."

Outside of the Third Floor

[tohko_amano]

It was hard getting around when you couldn't see or feel things. Tohko had spent the night in the library, sleeping against a bookshelf. While she couldn't see them or feel them, knowing that she was around them gave her some comfort. However, while she didn't feel it, she knew that she had to eat to live, so she had eventually tried to go down the stairs to the cafeteria. Going down the steps was harder than going up, but using her memory and her fists, to hear where the walls were and weren't, she managed to get to the cafeteria.

Getting food was another problem, but she managed by using her memory and lightly tapping things and hearing the sound that came back. Using this method, she managed to find an unwrapped nutrition bar and ate it.

As she went back up the stairs to the library, she heard someone pass by her. "Oh, hello! I'm sorry..I can't see you or feel you, so I'm not sure if we've met before..but if we haven't met, then it's nice to meet you!"

[warriorscribe]

Good thing she spoke up first. Enoch was about to scold her too. But on hearing her words, concern took over. "Tohko? You can't see or feel anything?"

[tohko_amano]

Oh, so this was Enoch..Tohko sighed and nodded at his words.

"I can't. This bloody illness has taken all my senses except my smell and my hearing. I can't taste, see, or feel a thing. It's incredibly frustrating not being able to read or help people. I want to do something..but in my state, I'm not sure what I can help with."

She sighed again.

[crouching_sin]

Naoya glared at Enoch as he passed and the man - boy, really - scolded him for his perceived inaction. A hand shot out from under his haori to make a grab for Enoch's collar.

"And what makes you think I haven't been working on something?"

[warriorscribe]

Well, that collar would be under the cloak, but Naoya does get a handful of that. Enoch doesn't protest it, staring at Naoya with widened eyes, barely visible with his hood pulled all the way up like that.

Eventually, his upper body goes slack with a sigh, and he hangs there in Naoya's grip. "...I'm sorry, great-uncle. This weather and illness must be wearing on my nerves."

[crouching_sin]

"Tch. If you're ill, you should be resting. Come with me." He starts attempting to put an arm around Enoch's torso. "You need to be in bed."

Dormitory levels

[cutestprogrammer]

[Chihiro cowered a bit when he heard a familiar voice scolding him. He turned round to see Enoch admonishing him.]

... I-I'm sorry! I-I'll do more!

[warriorscribe]

*Oh...well, he wasn't quite sure what to do with this. He'd genuinely scared the poor kid...*

I...I'm sorry if I sounded harsh. I'm only frustrated. A tower with so many people...and not one of us...

*He sighs.* I...you know how to work with those terminals. Is there a way to bring something back once it's gone?

[cutestprogrammer]

I see... I can understand that...

[then he brightens up] Yes! I do know how to work with them. Bring back something? You mean like a previous entry or log that's somehow been deleted?

[firstofthefallen]

That was unexpected. In a way Lucifer appreciates the sentiment; in the end more could be done here. Lucifer was certain of it. But what confounded Lucifer was as to what it was that could be done here. He stops, and pauses, and turns back to face Enoch.

"And what would you suggest be done?"

[warriorscribe]

Enoch stares at the oddly eloquent child for a moment before curling back up on the steps. "I'm...not certain. But in a tower so full of people, surely someone must have found something by now..."

[firstofthefallen]

Lucifer runs a hand through his hair, slowly and annoyed, as he stares down at Enoch.

"And yet that someone is not you.

By what right do you have to judge, when like all others you have nothing to present."

In the halls

[silentsacrifice]

Itachi stopped and turned when he was shouted at. He glanced at the man, and with his vision improving, it was easy to see that this was one of the people he met his first day in the Tower. That was a long time ago, though (or, at least, it felt longer than it was).

"Excuse me?" he asked. His voice was low and steady, almost artificially so.

[warriorscribe]

"There must be something none of us are considering. With so many minds in the tower..." Enoch shook his head. "I didn't mean to sound so harsh. I'm only frustrated, and this cold wears on my nerves."

[divinitysoiled]

"And you will just stand around like a fool, shouting idiocy at those around you?"

Catarina was starting to have enough of this place. Cold, then this 'sick' thing, then everyone being worthless backstabbing idiots... no, this tower had given her enough, and she was sick of it. Especially of this noble... thing.

[warriorscribe]

"There are so many people here. We need to band together more. Surely, we'll come up with something..."

If only they would try...Enoch huddled under his cloak, sniffling.

The halls

[pengeen]

[Kidou had just been returning from a visit to his sick girlfriend, and he was unaware of Enoch's presence in the hallway. That is, until he was suddenly scolded by the man. Living in such a quiet atmosphere has placed a bit of a fear of people yelling in Kidou, and he found himself freeze as soon as Enoch had spoken.

He took a small step back and looked over to the man down the hall, his voice a bit quiet.]

...are you feeling well, Enoch? [It didn't really seem very.. Enochy to yell like that.]

[warriorscribe]

*Enoch paused and shook his head. He'd seen that immediate freeze, and it definitely made him feel guilty for alarming him. It wasn't like him at all, but he hadn't figured out yet that it wasn't just nerves.*

I've fallen ill, myself. *If he couldn't tell from the congestion.* It must be wearing on my nerves. I'm sorry.

[whiteblackknight]

!!!

[This was probably about that Cerberus thing, wasn't it?...

Yeah, you're right. I was being stupid, wasn't I?

[warriorscribe]

*He was aware enough of himself that he knew this was...not normal. He was being annoying and part of him knew he'd just irritate everyone. And yet...maybe if he could get someone into gear after all...*

Do you have any idea how to go about getting out of here, then, or learning more useful information?

*That might have sounded more demanding if he wasn't so congested.*