Only a shadow of what it seems (backdated to the 6th)

[warriorscribe]

Characters: Enoch and anyone
Setting: Floor 48, backdated to the 6th
Format: Doesn't matter!
Summary: Enoch has a new job! While he wouldn't necessarily mind being given something productive to do, this doesn't exactly count as productive considering they aren't real graves...
Warnings: Grieving I guess? Mention of a child's death.

He cut an eerie figure, himself, dirty brown cloak wrapped around him with the hood pulled all the way up. Only the duster in his hand marked him as working here, and only the gleam of white armor occasionally visible as he walked hinted at his identity, with his head constantly bowed. There were few flowers that survived the snowfall, so the watering can hadn't been necessary.

Enoch didn't like this floor. Each and every grave marker represented someone completely isolated from other people, all alone with nothing but the ruins of their world to call home. Perhaps some could starve to death; that one young man had said he foraged for food. Perhaps they would find release. But to die that way...

Oh, he didn't want to be here. He was actually somewhat glad the tower had doubled in size, taking it away from the dorms. But he'd received a letter in the morning telling him he was now in charge of maintaining it. And as much as it may hurt him, he knew disobeying would probably bring consequences.

Even though it wasn't the same at all. Even though it wasn't maintaining a peaceful rest. Even though reading names he remembered and seeing flashes of distraught faces in his mind's eye was worse than any instance of realizing they're dead now ever was on Earth...

...okay maybe he didn't want to do this. He fell to his knees at the grave that read Ryotaro Dojima - his first roommate here, someone who, like him, dearly wished for the presence of a loved one. Did he grieve over his daughter's little corpse even while she was right here in the tower he had just left? His eyes stung with tears - he'd only been gone a week. He hadn't seen Dojima in months. Was the man even sane anymore?

Wrapping his arms tight across his stomach, he forced himself to his feet and moved on, cleaning the newest rows of graves and again collapsing at the pain of considering each person here, trapped and all alone... Even if he didn't know who they were.

But he had finished the first day of his job, so he could afford to sit here on his knees and quietly weep, shaking with the pain of reopened wounds.

Comments

[lightofhumanity]

[chaos came up to this floor occasionally when he was feeling too depressed, too nostalgic. He would stand by the fifteen wooden planks he had put into a corner of this massive graveyard and think back, only leaving when he was tired of thinking back and ready to move on and help with the present.

He was just about to walk away from these markers and move on when he sensed Enoch a few feet away..and, if his senses and powers were still working normally, he sensed that the man was not in good shape. Quietly, chaos walked away from his markers, walked through a line of graves, and turned to see Enoch sitting on his knees in front of a grave, shaking and weeping quietly.

Quietly, chaos walked over, knelt beside Enoch, and put a hand on the man's shoulder, using some of his powers to help calm him down. He wouldn't talk unless Enoch wanted to..but he would be here if he did.]

[warriorscribe]

*Enoch felt the pain slowly seep away with the warmth of a hand on his shoulder, and he looked back to see the white-haired young man, the one with the "guess" that still made him uneasy...but one who seemed good overall.

His breathing slowing as the calm took him, he lowered his head, letting his acquaintance, for once letting anyone, play with his mind, if it was a respite from the pain.*

[lightofhumanity]

[That was the only way chaos did help Enoch though, just some calming powers and being there. He may have pried through people's minds, but it wasn't like he altered or twisted them to hurt themselves, others, or even for fun. He liked free will. He still believed in humanity, and if he started altering humans, he would become a hypocrite.

However, it was good that Enoch was calming down, that it was working. In the back of his mind, chaos sighed. He couldn't have children, thanks to what he was, but he had lost friends, seen children die, had his lover and counterpart die, and had seen Earth die. His long life had not been kind to him, so he understood Enoch's pain..even if the man did not trust him.]

..I shall listen, if you wish to speak. And if you do not, I shall be here for as long as you need me.

[warriorscribe]

*It was strange. This was the same situation he'd found others in...and now here he was, mourning for the entire floor, for the people left to the emptiness of their ruined worlds...*

They're alone...they have nothing and no one...

[lightofhumanity]

[Perhaps it was to Enoch. For chaos..it wasn't that strange at all. However..upon hearing of what happened to people who did leave the Tower, who's universes weren't like his, he sighed.]

..Which is a cruel, unbearable fate that no one should have to suffer. I do not know exactly what has happened to the other universes..but if that is the fate that falls onto the people who return home..then it is tragic. More so than words can describe. I am sorry..that you had to experience that..and that these people have to as well.

[ghostytrainer]

[What a coincidence: John got one of those job letters a few days ago too. He hadn't really complained, because if nothing else it gave him something to do. And his ghosts seemed to enjoy the fresh air and spooky ambiance while John worked. Though...admittedly, there were a few graves here that kind of disturbed him and he didn't like to think about.]

[Anyway, John arrived to do his day's worth of work shortly after Enoch had finished his own. However, John didn't notice the man until after a good ten minutes of grave dusting and flower arranging.]

[Shooing away his Litwick for a moment, John approached the man from behind, looking concerned. He stopped just behind him, bending over a little.]

Enoch? What's wrong?

[warriorscribe]

*Enoch caught a sob mid-breath at the sudden voice; clearly he hadn't heard John come up behind him.*

They're... *Give him a second, it's hard to get his voice to sound normal like this.* They're alone...

[ghostytrainer]

[That certainly wasn't the answer John was expecting, judging by the quirk of his brow.]

Err...who is?

[warriorscribe]

The people... the ones represented by these markers.

[ghostytrainer]

I'm still not sure I follow. Aren't these graves just here to mess with us?

[He saw his own name and Rose so he can only assume...you know, considering they aren't dead.]

[alephbet]

Aleph could now be found on this floor of the tower more frequently than before, visiting one grave in particular. Today he was sitting silently beside the headstone marked with Lucifer's name.

Today he'd brought a book there - at a glance, it seemed to be one full of pictures of flowers, with notes to the side about their names and other information. He'd been thumbing through the pages when he noticed Enoch's distress.

He hesitated for a moment, then got up to approach him.

[warriorscribe]

Enoch didn't seem to hear Aleph approaching, his shoulders shaking more violently with the occasional strong sob. It was only when Aleph was almost right next to him that he looked up at the other man with tears in his eyes, moisture tracks down his face.

And he didn't know what to say. Aleph's friend - some other version of his friend too - was here now. Or rather, out there, on their world and all alone and he couldn't tell him that, he couldn't say that or he'd make things worse...

[alephbet]

Gently, Aleph crouched down and put a hand on Enoch's shoulder, not saying anything just yet. He wouldn't have know what to say - nothing would change the reality of what was going on.

[warriorscribe]

"I'm sorry..."

It was all he could think to say. Sorry that his friend had to be stuck out there with nothing left for him, sorry that Aleph had to be left behind and sorry that the arrival of his own friend tore open a wound that was trying to heal.

[alephbet]

"It's nothing that was your fault."

Even as much as he was grieving, Aleph understood that Enoch would have done anything he could to fix things.

[brbtalkingtogod]

[Well, now that's new to him. Lucifel hadn't thought that this place would have its very own graveyard even. But what surprised him even more is the fact that Enoch was one to take care of it. Were some friends he made buried here even?

One thing was sure. Lucifel has little to no idea how to deal with crying humans. Compared to others, they could actually feel sadness and be sad about something.]

...

[warriorscribe]

*Enoch's tears didn't seem to be letting up anytime soon. Whatever it was, it was a very deeply painful matter for him.

Eventually, he makes out the tips of black shoes before him, and he looks up to see Lucifel standing before him. His tearful gaze is a pleading one, begging for him to stay close to him just like that time over a century ago.*

[brbtalkingtogod]

[Lucifel looked back at him in silence. It had been a while ago since he had seen him like this. If his presence was enough then he would stay there, but he couldn't expect him to speak words of comfort.

Instead he moved a tad closer to the scribe.]

[warriorscribe]

*There was a long moment of silence, broken by Enoch's damp gulps of air as he tried to get his sobbing under control.*

These graves...don't mark the dead...

*It was the best he could get out through the tears that refused to be quelled.*

[brbtalkingtogod]

What purpose do they have then?

[If they weren't for the dead, then what are they actually for?]

[goldendays]

He didn't mean to come to this floor. Rather, he didn't know what floor he was going to. Surprises came with every exploration, he supposed.

It was a graveyard. One would think this was no place for a child--pre-teen, but what's the difference? They would run in the direction from where they came and not look back; it simply wasn't a place for them. But him, he was familiar with graves. Walking through the graveyard reminded him of the House of Memories in Lavender Town. Hibiki really had no business coming here, but it wouldn't hurt to just take a look around. There were so many graves, ones with worn headstones and unreadable names, ones that were nothing but markers, opened graves, just so many. No matter where you are, death is the same and life still goes on, huh? He whispered a silent prayer--a channeler had taught him to, to pay respect to the dead--and noticed someone in the corner of his eye.

Curious, he made his way towards the hunched over figure. He thought he saw his name on one of the graves, but it was probably his imagination. It was impossible, anyway. Getting nearer, he could hear quiet sobs.

"It's quiet here, huh?"

[warriorscribe]

*Enoch looked over his shoulder and nodded, both to acknowledge the boy and to answer him.*

Well enough...even if it isn't what it seems, graveyards ought to be.

[goldendays]

[He hums in agreement, but wait. For some reason he feels like he knows this person.. Hibiki shakes his head, what was wrong with him today?]

But it's a nice quiet, isn't it? Even if it's a graveyard. Are you visiting someone?

[warriorscribe]

*Enoch lowers his head again.* I'm afraid this isn't a resting place for the dead.

[goldendays]

[Well..now he was confused. He cocks his head to the side.] What..is it then, if you don't mind me asking?