End of Night 64: Head Doctor's Office - 3rd Floor

[head_doctor]

While it wasn't uncommon for patients to black out at the end of Nightshift, a select few would have a wrench thrown into their normal routine. Rather than waking up bright and early in their typical bed, they would find themselves propped up in a comfortable leather chair.

The room itself looked like an office straight from the 1950s – almost cozy, in fact. None of them would recognize the oak table in the middle of the room, or the two bookcases, which were neatly arranged with all kinds of texts and books. Between those bookcases, though, was a picture of the Institute, framed with wood that perfectly matched the rest of the room's décor.

The knickknacks scattered across the bookcases -- staff photographs, a golfing figure made of business cards, and some prestigious-looking awards – didn't seem out of place for a regular office, either. The desk itself was the centerpiece, and was obviously well-used. That wasn't to say it was messy, exactly, but the inbox and outbox resting on top of the glass-paned surface were stuffed with a variety of paperwork and envelopes. Though most of the room looked old-fashioned, the keyboard and two flat screen monitors contrasted with the rest of the office.

These things would probably escape the notice of most of the people visiting this evening, though. After all, anyone who woke up in this office would be treated to the sight of a man peering through his oval-rimmed glasses as he leafed through some folders. Although his face was distinct enough for anyone who'd had the opportunity to see the Head Doctor in person, the small microphone sitting just inches away from him said volumes about who he was.

As soon as the patient awoke, the man looked up, offering an unexpectedly amicable smile. After closing the folder, he set it down next to the outbox and leaned back in his seat.

“Ah, good evening,” he greeted as he pulled the glasses from his nose. “I've been expecting you. You've been brought here because I thought you might be interested in making a deal, so let's discuss things like gentlemen, shall we?” Nodding toward the newcomer, he chuckled. “Take a moment to regain your bearings if you need it. I realize this must be a bit disorienting.”

Comments

[doctor_voodoo]

The Shadow man remained calmly seated at Landel's laughter, his false face unchanged except for a slight narrowing of his eyes and an unpleasant curl in the edges of his lips. Facilier had dealt with tough customers before, but this meeting was a whole new flavor for the witch doctor, and it was a very bitter taste indeed. He could feel his ego twitching at the subtle insult, and he knew an angry retort accompanied by his more aggressive methods of persuasion would be in order to remind those just who was boss here. But such action was not possible; the Shadow man was no longer at the near top of his game here, instead he was trapped beneath the mercy of a mere mortal man with enigmatic powers and elusive explanations. Doctor Landel wanted to talk over this like gentlemen, did he not? If that was the sort of game he desired, Facilier could play that too.

"Oh, nothing makes me more happier than to source of comfort for your insecurities, Doctor Landel," Facilier replied, giving out a series of hollow chuckles of his own while his eyes remained narrow against his twisted smile, "As the Head Doctor of a mental institution, I'm surprised you even needed that! But I digress! Let us move on to business, shall we?"

As he listened to Landel's proposal, Facilier leaned his elbow upon the armrest, resting his cheek in his hand with an impassive expression as his long finger placidly tapped against his temple. Yet the more Landel spoke, the higher Facilier's eye brows arched, and for once a true smile curved his lips. "Well ain't that the most twisted request I've heard yet!" Facilier exclaimed, his impression of his captor tilting away from downright disgust to begrudged admiration. So the Head Doctor hexes his own prisoners and then just watches them kill each other off? Not the most efficient plan to extermination, but it was an amusing one nonetheless! It was a shame that they weren't working together on an equal level instead (or at least 60/40 sort of level in Facilier's favor...), but for now he had to work with the cards he had been dealt with.

"So y'all want me to sic some wolves on them poor sheep of yours while you just stand about and watch? Don't want to get them hands of yours dirty, am I right?" Facilier laughed. "My, you make the most terrible shepherd! You ought to be fired!"

Once his chuckles died off, Facilier's smile faded slightly as the conversation approached the topic of payment. "Rest assured, I do find your plan truly amusing, but there's just a little problem with your delightful proposal..."

Getting back to the more serious business at hand, Facilier leaned forward in his chair and returned Landel's stare. "As you probably know, I'm already on a 'mutually beneficial' connection with another employer..." he explained, "At least a certain group of them from the Other Side, whatever makes most sense to you," he hastily added with a little wave of his hand.

"You see, it would go against the ethics of my business to work with another employer, 'specially one who's behind the loss of my very freedom and other things..." he said in a darkened voice, "Whatever payment you are willing to give me, it had better be a good one before I can even acknowledge your offer."

[head_doctor]

Landel's response to this game of theirs was an amused chuckle. "As a shepherd, I prefer to call it... Tough love." Truly, these patients would learn that the things he did to them, he did out of love for a greater purpose to which they would all inevitably serve. And on that day he would be a proud father.

"Ah, yes. How perfect of you to bring them up..." For it was a topic that the Head Doctor would need to breech sooner or later. "From one business man to another, I am certainly the last man who would want offend any ethical sensibilities, yours or your friends on the 'Other Side'. However--" Sitting back in his leather chair, the fine-quality furniture creaked under his weight as he leaned back and folded his hands over his stomach. "--I am simply too intrigued by your work in your, shall we say, specialized field not to broker, so let's cut to the chase, am I right?" His grin and laugh certainly said he was.

"It can hardly be called a business deal any longer now that you can't even use the gifts the 'Other Side' has given you. Seems rather stacked in their favor--But I digress, excuse me. What would you say to placing that business deal back on equal footing, and all it would take is a few well-placed scare tactics and a few negligible deaths--Something you seem to excel at."

[doctor_voodoo]

Facilier's arched eye brow twitched. Tough love... Just what exactly did Landel mean by that? Had he gathered up all his prisoners to punish them or to train them? What was the purpose behind it all? Was some form of sadism involved? The Head Doctor's remark was another precious piece to the puzzle but it was too small to reveal the whole picture. Facilier bit back the urge to inquire more into Landel's foreboding statement. From the impression Facilier received over Landel's elusiveness towards the population of his institute, he knew this was a very delicate situation, and blurting out such questions so soon during their first conversation would not work in his favor. If he could remain on good terms with Landel (or at least the best terms a captive such as himself could bear to have with his captor) then perhaps he could earn the privilege to learn more...?

"Well, technically speaking, you stole me from my employers, and I'm quite sure they're not too happy about it," Facilier replied with a crooked smile. As a matter of fact, his entire soul had become the Loa's property the very moment Tiana destroyed his amulet. In a sick sort of way, Facilier had Landel to thank for saving him from such a fate... "If me working for you offends them in anyway, I have a feeling you'll be the one who has to face them, not me. Just a little warning for y'all..." he darkly added with a small twist to his already unpleasant smirk.

"But I see where you're getting at here..." Facilier said as he leaned back in his seat and rested his large foot upon his thin knee. "You want to give me back my gifts in exchange for the slaughtering of your sick little lambs..." The Bokor's eyes slowly grew wide with greed. "How much y'all be willing to pay me? A price for each dead sheep? Or a whole paycheck to cover them all in advance? Tell me..."

[head_doctor]

"Warning taken," Landel said before getting to the nitty gritty of their contract. It was too bad Facilier was so seasoned in these tricky business deals; it made slip ups all the harder to implement. Alas!

"I would be agreeable to loaning your gifts back to you during this little experiment. It should make this witch hunt all the more enjoyable to watch! But I expect a little more than just some clever hocus pocus, as I'm sure you can understand." The Head Doctor paused for a moment to make sure the patient was listening to the catch. "I need at least five deaths before I will guarantee to return your gifts to you permanently. Any less and you may have to kiss your new and improved shadow friend good bye. Granted you do not have to be responsible for all five of them. It would be a treat to see groups of paranoid patients take out some of their own--Of course, if you want to be the one doing the killing, by all means." The man's laugh was more bright and wholesome than it should have been.

"On that note--!" He returned his seat back up straight and leaned over his desk as he watched. "Let's talk about what will be returned to you, shall we? Yes, I think we shall! I will loosen the collar on that delightful shadow of yours! It is free to roam the nights just as long as you can. Now then, it will only be as physically strong as you are, so bear that in mind when you are trying to beat, dismember, or strangle someone or something--Or however you enjoy utilizing those final moments! I leave the choice up to your judgment, of course!

"Comments, questions?" The Head Doctor waited patiently, a delighted smile stuck to his face.

[doctor_voodoo]

"Five deaths you say? Sounds doable, 'specially if my powers are part of the equation!" Facilier was feeling increasingly amiable towards Landel's deal -- even towards Landel himself in a way. It meant going against his own fellow prisoners, but what did they ever have to offer him? Just meek promises of weakened powers and foolish beliefs of the "power of friendship", that's what! That wasn't what Facilier wanted! Most of them were just obstacles and possible threats to him anyways! To gain back his abilities and even a chance to climb up the ladder towards the "real" power of this world was far too impossible for the greedy Bokor to resist. He couldn't help but join Landel's laughter over their despicable plans. "I had not expected such generosity from you! Men of your stature would never bother to cast me even a sideways glance! You've made the right decision in approaching me with your deal..."

As soon as it was mentioned, Facilier's Shadow peeked its caricature of a head out from behind the leather chair. At this point, there was no need to hide, and just hearing about the possibility of regaining its powers made the dark entity squirmy with excitement. With his Shadow revealing its full form against the wall beside him, Facilier appraised Landel and pondered over his offer. What Landel described was the same as Facilier had before when he still worked for the Loa. It did bother him that the man sitting before him had such relative ease of access to his powers in the first place, but the opportunity to get some of them back was tempting... And as he warned before, if the Loa didn't like this arrangement, they can take it up with Landel. Simple as that.

"You've got yourself a deal, Doctor Landel!" Facilier exclaimed, leaping to his feet and stretching out a long hand towards the seated man. "I promise y'all get your little show and then some!" he declared as his grinning Shadow let out an eerie chuckle from behind. "Your poor sick sheep will be taken out of their misery in no time!"