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

[tohko_amano]

Tohko smiled and nodded. She had finally worked up the courage to do this..and even though she knew it might hurt, she had to let him know in some way. This way was probably a little odd, but it would work. Or, so she hoped.

"Alright then. Thank you." Tohko couldn't feel Enoch's hand, but she did hear the tapping, even though she did have to strain her ears. While they worked, they weren't working as well as they should have. Tohko nodded again. "I will. Just make sure to make a little bit of noise with them, alright? That way, I'll know for sure that I'm following you."

[warriorscribe]

With the way he was forced to breathe through his mouth, and the fact that his steps were heavier from fatigue, it would be easy to hear him move.

"I make more than enough noise, I think." Carefully, he started making his way up the stairs, slowly for Tohko to follow. He had her hand in case she fell.

She might get a little more noise than she expected when he snapped at someone a couple of floors up, though.

[tohko_amano]

While Tohko's hearing was still there it was weakened. However, she could tell that his footsteps were heavier-and thus, easier to hear. She nodded.

"Alright then." Tohko started following Enoch up the stairs, smacking her foot up against a step every now and then to make sure that her memory was working. She was slowly getting used to just using her memory instead of just smacking all the steps, but it still took some getting used to.

However, when she heard him snap at someone-she couldn't tell who, only that he had yelled at them-saying that they needed more than just aimless and foolish riots, she tried to force her hand to squeeze his a bit tighter, trying to snap him out of it and stop yelling.

"Hey, Enoch, we do need more than mobs, but yelling at random people isn't going to help either. At least, that's what I think."

[warriorscribe]

Enoch did snap out of it, with a sharp, surprised huff. He sank to the floor where they were, somewhere on the ninth level, his body tired.

"...It's been a long time since I was ill, Tohko. It must be wearing on my nerves." A shame he couldn't apologize to the person, who'd moved on.

[tohko_amano]

Tohko sighed and tried to smile and shake her head. Not being able to feel did not help her body language.

"I understand. It must feel rather odd to be sick after so long. But I do understand your frustration. I wish I could help out too, and that mob probably didn't accomplish a whole lot. However, instead of yelling at people, you could try organizing small groups. One to hunt for food, one to garden, things like that. That might be a bit more helpful than scoldings."

[warriorscribe]

"That isn't...planning escape or gathering information. I won't plan to settle..."

He couldn't even work up the breath to sound harsh, leaning on the stairs. He may be averse to planning in the long term in this warped state of mind (not that it was anything more than a subconscious thought made conscious), but it certainly seemed his body wasn't up for any effort soon.

[tohko_amano]

Tohko sighed.

"I know. I don't think anyone here thinks of the Tower as a permanent home, but while we are here trying to break out, we need to make sure we can eat and survive planning. We can set up groups for gathering information and planning as well..and if you're too sick to do so, I will."

Even though she couldn't see or feel, gathering around a couple of people shouldn't be that hard, right?

[warriorscribe]

"If they don't plan to live here permanently, they should try harder." Enoch coughed and tried to get to his feet again, but his aching body didn't cooperate. He sunk to the stairs again, sighing heavily.

[tohko_amano]

"I admit, they should..maybe that's why we should have a meeting or something. We could get everyone organized and back up to speed so that we can keep going."

Tohko heard him try to get up and fail and nodded her head, thinking. "If you're trying to get up, use me to support yourself. Don't worry about me. I'll be fine."

[warriorscribe]

Enoch shook his head before he remembered Tohko couldn't see it. "...Would you be all right if I rested here a while?"

[tohko_amano]

Tohko shook her head. "No, not at all! It sounds like you need it..but it might be better if you rested in bed."

Tohko moved backwards until she heard her back bump the wall and then slumped down next to Enoch.

[warriorscribe]

Considering the floor they were on, that "wall" was likely the next stair up, but it was all the same. Enoch curled up, resting his head against his knees (or as close to it as he could without hurting himself on his own armor).

[tohko_amano]

Tohko sighed to herself, thinking as Enoch rested. She wanted to help out, she wanted to help him..but she was almost useless without her eyes and her nerves. She wasn't sure of what to do or even what she could do to help out.

..She felt like telling Enoch to get to bed or to use her as a support so that he could get there, but she guessed that if she brought it up, he'd feel about as useful as her, so she kept her mouth shut.