Day 65: Intercom, Evening

[damned_intercom]

As some of the clouds from earlier began to clear, the intercom jingle sounded over the intercom once again.

"Hello, patients!" came the Head Doctor's cheery voice. "I hope you're all feeling fresh and clean this evening! To top it all off, we've prepared a scrumptious herb chicken dinner for you to eat before bed. Of course, we have vegetarian options available, so please don't hesitate to ask the nurse if you're interested in that.

Also, since we have the pleasure of welcoming a few new patients into our family, some of you will be receiving new roommates. Let's do our best to give them a nice, big Landel's Institute welcome, shall we?"

The Head Doctor gave a friendly chuckle. "Well, anyway, enjoy your dinner!"

With that, the intercom shut off.

[Note: All dinner threads are posted in response to this entry. Be sure to check the Roommate Assignments if you're not sure what room/roommate your character has! Thanks.]

Comments

[doctor_voodoo]

"Good evening." Facilier didn't even bother to look up from his book as he heard Hakkai shuffle into the room. He had hoped he could cut out the pages he needed before his roommate arrived, but had to hold back on that for now as to not rouse any suspicions from the bespectacled youth.

Speaking of which, Mr. Hakkai did sound more tired than usual tonight, as Facilier heard the telltale sounds of a chair being tiredly dragged back and the creaking of the desk being leaned on. Frowning a little, Facilier shifted his purple eyes to the side to catch a glance at his roommate. He frowned. For some odd reason Hakkai's arm was all red and blotchy--

Oh no... Oh no, no, no, no, no....!

Facilier jerked his head away from the book and stared at his roommate with barely repressed horror. Mr. Hakkai! He was... He was...

MERDE...!

It was a good thing Hakkai had his face covered, as Facilier barely had time to cover up his shocked expression and ease his panicked posture. He just couldn't believe it! He was trapped in the same room with an infected patient who could suddenly transform into a monster any moment now! Just when Facilier finally had some confidence in his power and survival here ever since he made that deal with Landel, this had to happen! Was this some cruel joke of the Head Doctor? How was he going to deal with this?!

Stay calm now... It was obvious that Hakkai wasn't too happy about this infection either and wasn't dangerous yet. Although, Facilier didn't know what was worse, transforming into a monster or being eaten by one. He still hadn't forgotten those hungry armless creatures with more mouth than body! The Bokor had to think fast. He had no idea how to remove this hex of Landel's yet, and he barely had any supplies to make even the measliest of charms! He had no chance of curing Hakkai, and little idea on how to defend himself if the lad did change!

On the other hand, Facilier could kill Hakkai now before he transformed. But the last thing Facilier needed was to get his hands dirty without any sort of plan to back him up if others found out. He had to remain on "good terms" with both Landel and his fellow prisoners after all. What to do, what to do...

Finally, Facilier went for the warily "compassionate" route. He could still salvage some use of Hakkai before taking him out. "Mr. Hakkai?" he said carefully, putting on his best concerned expression. "Is there something wrong?"

[vinesofregret]

Hakkai was lost deep in his own thoughts - trying to forget that creature that attacked them last night, even as it had haunted him all day. He still wasn't sure if that was simply a figment of his imagination, his own insanity finally catching up to him now that he didn't have the distraction of the others, of their quest, reining him in. But Gren had sounded worse than usual, too - but he had said everything was fine. But on the other hand, he still hadn't saved his friend from that creature last night. There was no telling what that meant - other than that he felt it was entirely his own fault.

The question from his roommate, then, came as something of a surprise. His head snapped up, automatically, before he realized that no, it wasn't actually a threat.

"Hmm?" Just a question. He let his usual mask slide into place, though the smile was more brittle than usual. It was hard to pretend things were all right when they most decidedly weren't - but he didn't want to worry anyone. "Ah, no, I'm fine."

[doctor_voodoo]

[Real sorry for my lateness! orz Needed to go on hiatus for a bit.]

With his own mask of compassion secured firmly upon his face, Facilier easily spotted the cracks in Hakkai's own attempt to appear untroubled. Hiding his newly founded fear of his roommate, Facilier's worried frown deepened as he slowly rose from his seat and carefully approached Hakkai's desk. "Now, now! You can't hide such a miserable-looking rash like that from me!" he chided the other man with a wag of his long finger, "I'm a doctor after all!"

"Y'all be looking pale too!" he said with a click of his tongue. "Even though I'm no gambling man, I'd wager that you got that nasty bug that's been spreading 'bout the place lately..."

On the outside Facilier posed as an expert therapist appraising a patient's ailment, but inside he felt like a researcher approaching a new and very dangerous creature. The Bokor's purple eyes may have been observing the red blotches on his roommate, but his true concern was for any signs of transformation in the skin, muscles, teeth and nails...

So far so good.

"Now don't you be ashamed of it!" Facilier exclaimed before the other man could say anything, "Like I said before, I'm a doctor and I could help you..."

As long as he wasn't ripped apart and eaten alive first of course.

[vinesofregret]

Hakkai pushed a little more of himself behind that brittle smile, tried to prop it up into passing for normalacy, even as his mind was screaming at him to get away, that other people weren't safe around him, that he didn't deserve this pity and should be killed like the monster he was, before he could hurt anyone. He clamped down on that train of thought as hard as he could, before it could grow out of control.

"Aaah, maybe. But I think it's been starting to go away." A bald-faced lie, but it wasn't as if that was a new skill to him. He'd been lying for years, to the people he called friends, to himself. It was almost as easy as breathing.

"You don't need to worry about me, really."

[doctor_voodoo]

Facilier stared right back at Hakkai, his eyes angrily narrowing at the young man's pathetic lie. How dare he brush off his offer like that! The youth was either truly in denial or just plain stupid! Facilier's safety and success was on the line after all! How dare he!

It was then that Facilier's inner panic was set loose with his growing agitation with his roommate. Scowling, Facilier leaned in closer towards Hakkai. "Now don't you derogate my doctoral judgement!" the Bokor snapped, firmly slamming the palm of his hand on the desk. "How could you take something serious as this so lightly?!"

How could he indeed! Especially when Facilier had bigger, better goals to live for than this sick, gibbering boy! "This hex of Landel's can be reversed! But I need supplies and your corporation!" Facilier moved away from Hakkai's desk and opened his closet in preparation for the night. "If you're thinking of going out there tonight with that bug, you best be thinking of getting whatever will help me help you."

"If you won't take my offer now, you best hope it won't be too late for you next time we talk!" Facilier warned with a low grim tone, "I'd much rather be a healing doctor to you than a veterinarian who takes rabid dogs outta their misery!"

[vinesofregret]

Hakkai instinctively leaned away from the sudden invasion of his personal space, and he couldn't help but jump when the hand came down on his desk. He was starting to get the sense that he didn't like his new roommate very much. For a doctor - if he actually was a doctor - he had an absolutely terrible personality.

"You're going to have to give me more information about what this plan of your's is before I agree to help you with it." He hoped he managed to sound somewhat calm. He certainly didn't feel it.