damned_institute | Day 25: Doctor's Office #3, Dr. Muraki

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Day 25: Doctor's Office #3, Dr. Muraki

It looked like he would be seeing two more children this morning. Muraki wondered vaguely if this should be an homage to his years as a pediatrician or just a treat to keep him interested in his work for a while longer. At any rate, he wasn't complaining. Working with children kept him young; they were small but endlessly pliant.

Speaking of plaint, he couldn't help but think back on his last few sessions. They'd all been so very...interesting in their own way. He could only hope today's batch proved to be more of the same.

But he had a few minutes before they came in for therapy. Muraki arranged a chair in front of his desk, then took a seat behind it while he finished his cigarette. Tea was once again laid out, the aromas mixing in a way that was not unpleasant.

He pinched his cigarette out and tossed it in the trash. It would really be a shame if they didn't appreciate the work.

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Kairi didn't know what to expect.

This was her first "therapy" session, after all. But how much therapy could a doctor inside a fake mental institution really do? Frowning to herself as she was led to the door, Kairi waved goodbye to her nurse before knocking on the door gently, looking around with curious eyes.

"Um .. I'm one of your patients for today, apparently?"

It would be the little princess first, then. Muraki walked to the door and held it open for her. "Apparently." He agreed, smiling down at her. "Please, step into my parlour."

Kairi looked up at the man with a curious expression, wonder filling her as she moved into the man's room.

Looking around, she sat herself down in a nearby chair, unsure of what to do or say. "I've never really done this before, so ..." She had to try and act nice. Even if this man was suspicious because he worked for Landels, he was still a human being. At least, on the outside, he appeared to be a human being.

Muraki's hand rested on the back of her chair for a moment, friendly and famiar to all appearance. The amusment in his voice could be easily misconstrued. "Ah, your first time? That's quite the privilage."

He released her chair without desturbing it and went to take a seat behind his desk. "For today we're just going to talk so I can get to know you better." The doctor crossed his legs and folded his fingers neatly, aloof despite his warm demeanour. He inclined his head slightly. "You can call me Dr.Muraki."

There was a pregnant pause in which he waited for the girl to intoduce herself. Would it be Claire, or the princess?

"It's nice to meet you, Dr. Muraki." Kairi whispered, watching the man with cautious eyes. He wanted to get to know her any better? She could do that, she figured.

She opened her mouth to speak then, but stopped herself. If she said her name was Kairi, would they decide that she was crazy and still keep her stuck? Biting her lip for a moment, Kairi thought to herself, and came to the best decision that she could. If she acted as these people wanted, maybe she could find something out about this horrid place.

"My name's Claire."

Mentally, Kairi gave herself a pat on the back for being so smart. Maybe she could get out of this faster than she thought.

Clever girl. This one was actually catching on to the obvious. "Nice to meet you too, Claire."

Muraki's smile faded into a neutral, open expression. "How are you feeling today? At your age it must be hard being away from your family."

Kairi smiled and nodded her head in greeting, her eyes never leaving the man's face.

At the mention of being away from her family, she had to think for a bit. Truth be told ... no, she didn't miss her family all that much. Then again, she had never really been around them for very long in the first place, so it wasn't a big change to be away from them now.

But she wouldn't let Dr. Muraki Know that.

Her smile fell a bit, playing the role of the patient. "Yes ... it is a bit hard. But I know they sent me here because they love me. And besides, it's not too bad ... I have made some friends who help me get through the day."

"That's good to hear." Muraki smiled, playing the role of the doctor. He looked genuinely pleased. He didn't elaborate further.

"Have the days been especially difficult for you?" The words 'my dear' seemed to hang unspoken, sincere to the point of mockery. The doctor's expression remained contemplative.

Kairi smiled right back, eyes guarded. Tricky, tricky man.

Shaking her head a bit at Dr. Muraki's second question, she lifted a hand and ran it through her hair for a second, twisting a few strands around her index finger for a moment before allowing her hands to once again rest in her lap. "Oh, not really. I mean, most of the time I'm either in the sunroom or somewhere else, just thinking to myself or watching others play games. It's not that boring, actually!"

"You enjoy watching the others play, then?" ~~Kinky~~. Curious. Muraki raised his eyebrows slightly. And here he thought little Claire would be the social type.

Haku smiled politely to his nurse and bowed his head as he was shown into the room for his 'therapy'. He'd read a few things about such an activity, but had yet to comprehend the reasoning behind it. Taking the briefest of moments to note the room, as well as where everything was placed, the young man turned and smiled warmly at the pale man seated on the other side of the table.

"Hello," he said, bowing his head.

And this would be the boy. He had such a delicate appearance, and a pair of rather sharp-looking eyes.

Muraki couldn't help but wonder what had marred his face like that.

"Good morning." The doctor greeted in kind, inclining his head slightly. "Christopher, isn't it?" He flicked two fingertips at the chair across from him. "Have a seat."

Something about this scenario made Haku tense inside, while outwardly he remained calm and smiling. He took the offered seat and didn't bother to say anything about his name. It would be useless anyway.

He looked down for a moment at his lap, projecting nervousness (which he did indeed feel, though not that intense), and he reached up to tuck hair behind one of his ears while he allowed the other side to fall into his face and obscure the marks there. He looked up and offered a small smile.

"I'm sorry sir," he began. "The nurse didn't tell me your name..."

"Where are my manners today?" Muraki mused, though the smile remained his eyes were empty and watchful. "I'm Dr. Muraki Kazutaka. Is this your first time as well?"

They really were spoiling him, if that was the case. But of course that was just a lie for his own amusement. Dr. Landel didn't know his tastes quite so well, and he had no intention of discussing them at length.

...But back to the nervous young man at hand.

Haku bowed his head again once before looking back up at the doctor. "It's a pleasure to meet you sir," he said. He fidgeted slightly. "Yes, this is my first time. I've..." He took a breath and then tried a warmer smile. "I've never been to therapy before."

This man's eyes bothered him greatly, but he didn't allow this to show on his face.

"The pleasure is mine." Muraki replied. His gaze might be considered inappropriate if it wasn't so detached and analytical. "I only ask because you're acting so nervous." He chuckled quietly to take the bite out of his words.

"Help yourself to some tea, if you'd like. Most people find that it has a very calming effect."

"I'm not quite sure what to expect Doctor Muraki," Haku said. "I haven't been sure what to expect since I woke up here."

He smiled happily at the offer of tea, mostly to stall and give himself time to think. If he denied the tea, was that normal behavior? Was there something in the tea? If he accepted it, was that normal behavior?

Haku reached out and took the offered cup with a hesitant and shy smile. "Thank you very much."

Rather than drink it though, he simply held the cup in his hands and looked over the pale doctor.

"What, exactly, does one do in therapy?"

"The routine will set in soon enough. By this time next week you might be asking for further entertainment." It looked like the doctor had misinterpreted Christopher's concern. He watched as the young man accepted the tea, and nodded in response to the gratitude.

Charming, though perhaps a little too meek. But dolls of all kinds made a for a beautiful collection and, after all, the doctor was rebuilding his collection.

"Ideally, one discovers a way to rejoin the world." He said, a smile flickering across his lips. "The length of the process depends entirely upon you, and how much you're willing to divulge in these sessions. Therapy is, very simply put, a lengthy discussion."

Haku relaxed slightly. When Muraki did not insist that he drink the tea, Haku wondered for a moment if he wasn't being needlessly suspicious.

Of course, this was Landel's so a bit of caution was required.

His smile was warmer and more friendly. "What shall we discuss then?"

Muraki thought for a moment. "Why don't you tell me about your experiences so far?"

It was a broad question, but hopefully the boy would take it someplace interesting.

For a moment, Haku's eyes grew cold and, once he realized that he was trying to play the part of a meek, fifteen year old ~~effeminate~~ boy, he looked down at the cup in his hands.

"So far... things haven't been, um, unpleasent," he said, voice soft in an effort to keep it under control. "I've made a few friends."

Muraki met his eyes, but it looked as if he missed the coldness somehow.

"I imagine this is a difficult time for you." He allowed, subtly mocking beneath the apparent sympathy. "Have your friends been helpful in getting you through the days?"

Haku smiled again, every inch the quiet boy he was trying very hard to be. "They have all been very kind," he said. "And I like my roommate very much."

He looked down at the tea he still held. He hadn't touched it. "Of course, there are a few people I don't get along with."

Honestly, he really didn't care about them. If they were a threat, they would be dealt with. Otherwise..... they meant nothing to him.

Very mild concern drew itself across his features. "No fights, I hope. It would be a shame to sedate someone so young."

Not that the boy looked like he would need it. Passive, yes, but he was also intelligent. The doctor followed his gaze to the teacup. "If you don't drink it soon, your tea will get cold."

It sounded like an afterthought, full of gentle kindness Muraki did not posses.

Haku thought quickly. Finding out he'd already been in one fight would be simple for the doctor to find on his own. Best not to lie.

"Actually," he fidgeted for a moment. Seemed like the thing to do. "I did get into a fight yesterday. A boy my age was trying to attack another with some knives he'd stolen. I tried to stop him and wound up in solitary." He sounded very ashamed of it, though in reality he was simply sorry he hadn't killed the little brat.

He blinked and looked at his tea. "Oh! I'm sorry," he said, as though realizing he'd still held the cup of tea. It was long cold by now, and there was no way he'd be able to get out of it by simply stalling so...

Lifting the cup, he took a very small sip of the drink (still didn't trust anything he was given by the staff here) and then smiled warmly at the doctor.

"I'm sure that's not how the nurses saw it." Muraki said. It was hard to tell whether this was meant to be sympathy or an indication of disbelief. The doctor continued soon after, obviously curious. "I wonder how a patient was able to get hold of knives... How would you go about it, Christopher?"

He smiled slightly, the tea apparently forgotten.

Haku smiled, looking somewhat shy. "I wouldn't want to get a hold of anything like that," he said. "I'd be worried I'd hurt myself with it." He took a hand off the cup of tea, noticing how Dr. Muraki didn't make a fuss over it at all, and touched the side of his face currently hidden by his hair.

"The nurses here said I had hurt myself when I first arrived," he said. The fact that they would even hint at such a thing was laughable. He would never mar himself like this. "I don't recall it though..."

Taking a breath, he looked up and smiled warmly at Muraki. "I think that he probably got the weapons during day shift. I've noticed that many of those who are my age or younger aren't watched very carefully. He may have picked a pocket or something." Almost absently he brought the cup to his lips and took another small sip.

He really did miss properly brewed tea, and even though this wasn't his favorite style... it was still tea.

Muraki smiled. "Don't be modest. With a history like yours, you can do better than that."

That shocked Haku to his core. He looked up, eyes wide. "W...what do you mean sir?"

The smile didn't fade. "You would know better than I do. After all, what is ink on paper compared to the experience?"

He shifted, uncrossing his legs. His elbows rested on the table now, fingers laced. He said, perfectly pleasant; "I know it's difficult for you, but I think it's time we talk about your past, Christopher."

"I don't know what you could mean, sir." Haku's heart was beating faster now. He didn't know what to expect from this.

"No?" Muraki raised his eyebrows. Christopher looked like a startled rabbit with nowhere to bolt. "Why don't you just tell me what you remember?"

Haku frowned, trying to seem as confused as a normal fifteen year old would be. He was trying to think of a response to such a question when he realized that he could use this time to find out more about his 'real' self. Perhaps it would be something Zabuza-san would be interested it.

"Uh," he began, looking down at the tea he held. "I ... I don't remember much. I ..." He tried to think back to the 'visit' he'd gotten earlier in his stay here from his 'father'. "I remember Mother... she-" He frowned suddenly, as if trying hard to recall something. "She died. But..."

He sighed and shook his head. "I can't really recall anything important though after that." He raised the cold cup to his lips once again, looking up at Muraki when he'd replaced it in his lap.

"I don't even remember coming here."

Muraki waited until Christopher stopped talking. Then he frowned. "According to your records, you were conscious when you were brought in. It's unusual that you don't remember that much."

He said he had no memory of events, but he did remember his mother's death. That wasn't unusual, considering the visit with his father. "Do you recall any other members of your family?"

Haku gripped the cup in his hands as he thought furiously. In an effort to stall, he finished off the tea and leaned forward to set the cup on the desk.

"I can remember my father from before," he said, pitching his voice to sound soft and slightly frightened. "He... he came here afterward, but I can remember him from before." He folded his hands in his laps and tightened his grip until his knuckles were white.

Haku disliked speaking about his father. A man that would turn on his own family like that... It disgusted him.

"How do you feel about your father?" Muraki asked, looking down at Christopher. The false warmth was gone from everything but his voice, his features drawn into an unreadable mask.

This was dangerous territory.

"I'd really rather not discuss Father," he said, voice still soft, though there was the slightest undertone of ice in it. "I would think that my reaction to seeing him would be enough." Haku frowned in thought, seeking to change the subject.

"I have a question," he said, looking up. "Everytime I am around a certain patient here, either he or myself is led away. Do you know why this is? His name is..." He pretended to think. "Well, the staff here call him Mr. Fortune." He shrugged one shoulder and turned his gaze up to focus on the cup he'd set down.

Interesting that Christopher's father seemed to elicit more of a response than his uncle. Was the boy teasing him now? That had to be the case.

"Like I've mentioned before, you would know better than I do." Muraki said, annoyance underlying the words. "Mr. Fortune is your uncle. He took you soon after your mother's death...and he left a lovely map of his handiwork on your body."

Haku blinked at this, honestly confused. He leaned back a bit, trying to form a response and failing.

"I... I don't understand," he said, voice soft now. "I..." He brought a hand up to his forehead. The mere concept was not one he had even considered. "What are you talking about?"

"He didn't tell you?" Muraki asked, his own surprise barely masking the delight. "Mr.Fortune is your mother's brother."

Haku could only blink. First, the idea that Zabuza-san could lay an unwelcome hand on Haku's person was ludicrous! Haku had been able to defeat Zabuza-san in combat before he'd even reached ten years old.

Secondly, that Zabuza-san had KNOWN his mother, let alone been RELATED to her was nothing more than madness. What did this place hope to accomplish with such insane claims?

Haku simply sat back in the chair, too stunned by the sheer stupidity of the situation to form a coherent response.

Muraki settled back into his chair. "I think that's enough for today, Christopher. Enjoy your lunch."

Haku sat there, trying to wrap his mind around this mess. When the nurse returned for him, Haku allowed himself to be led from the room, but pleaded an upset stomach and instead was allowed to go lay down in his room.

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Day 25: Doctor's Office #3, Dr. Muraki

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