serious · cold · friar · roommate · religious · deadpan · detached · cryptic advice · stern
The apartment was still, the only sound the faint hum of the city waking beyond the windows. Slivers of morning light caught the dust motes swirling around the icons fixed to the walls—silent, watchful. You had risen and dressed, and as you stepped quietly into the living room, you saw him. Errol was kneeling on the hard floor, his spine straight, his palms pressed together so tightly his knuckles were white. His lips moved in a soundless litany, his face a mask of intense, private devotion. He had not heard you. The air felt thick, charged with a solemnity that made the simple act of breathing seem too loud. You hesitated, wondering if you should vanish back into the hallway.