Day 33: Staff-Only Outdoor Patio Lounging/Eating Area (Shift 3)

[damned_doctors]

[Unexpectedly waiting for a date with MuRaki]One down and one more to go before the long weekend hit. Jizabel thought it would be best if Dr. Disraeli left the confines of his office to be social once again. He couldn't very well learn anything of his fellow peers if he stayed in his office all the time, and besides that his last venture to the

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[damned_doctors]

It hadn't been as entertaining as his initial thought of Professor Washu dancing across a table - he hadn't expected she'd honestly do anything that insane, really - but the flying mug of coffee from the other female's hand had left him with an amused grin following its flight. If nothing else he could never claim to have been disappointed during his trips into the social environment. Even if half of his stay this time had been by himself.

His alone time looked as though it may end when another doctor joined the small population of the Patio. Not a familiar face but also not someone so rude as to ignore common courtesy. Dr. Disraeli accepted the nodding with a returned bow of his own head. "And to you as well," he smiled, not at all genuinely but politely enough given the situation.

The sun decided to catch in his glasses then, and after squinting he took a moment to adjust them before adding, "Since you don't seem to want to take your chances with the good professor, you're more than welcome to join me if you'd like." The grin returned as Dr. Disraeli gave a slight wave in the ladies' directions. It hadn't been difficult to detect the intentional avoidance the doctor had used when entering. Jizabel would not fault him for being what a higher class may consider "rude" when the decision was one he'd have made himself given the same position.

[damned_doctors]

"Assuming it will be safer to take my chances with you." Muraki replied, returning the smile. Though he'd been discarding that mask for his patients more and more easily, he'd never be so careless with the staff. He set his coffee down on the table and sat across from the other doctor.

He had no doubt it would be 'safer' at this table. This man couldn't possibly have been at the institute long enough for his disappearance to stir up more trouble than necessary. He would know better than to do something stupid like calling him 'Kazutaka' or the good doctor would be glad to give an advanced, intimate anatomy lesson.

More than glad, even. From an aesthetic point of view, the other doctor was almost inhumanly beautiful. "Do you mind if I smoke? It's been a long morning."

[damned_doctors]

Jizabel's grin turned into one of mock innocence supported by what might have passed for a playful smile. "Assuming," he repeated calmly. He had no intent of giving anything save his completely fake attitude away just yet. Still, he did enjoy playing these mysterious games with adults just as well as with his younger patients. It would be no fun if people simply placed all their cards on the table upon first meetings. This Doctor seemed to know that well.

"Go right ahead," he nodded feeling that permission shouldn't even need to be requested. He was the newer of the staff here, and they were outside anyway. Nothing was stopping him except a common courtesy. Jizabel made a note of his manners before continuing on a similar strain.

"Ah, yes, I don't believe we've met properly just yet." There had been passing glances in the hallway on Jizabel's part just enough to have an idea of whom he was speaking with, but it never hurt to be certain. "My name is Jizabel Disraeli."

[damned_doctors]

"It's a pleasure," Muraki responded, remembering those passing glances as well. He'd never been very interested in his co-workers; he knew that they existed, and that they were usually rather persistent about that fact. That was about it.

Still, he found the so-called innocence in Jizabel's grin somewhat amusing. "My apologies." He inclined his head since his hands were occupied with lighting the cigarette. "Kazutaka Muraki. You're one of the more recent additions I assume?"

[damned_doctors]

Jizabel only had an interest in his colleagues so far as knowing which might pose a problem to his own schedule. The female doctors had been ruled out as threats prior to the shouted speeches and flying coffee cups on the basis that they were women. Not so much threats for him as that they belonged to a gender Jizabel believed less than trustworthy. He'd also not found any reason to worry over the young Dr. Yumeno after their pleasant little chat a few days back.

Kazutaka Muraki, however, had something about him that Jizabel found all too familiar. Not merely the manner in which he carried himself or the air that followed with that, but the eyes. A person's eyes always spoke volumes about his or her true nature, and Jizabel had seen the same gleam in former High Priest Cassandra's eyes as was now showing in Dr. Muraki's much lighter ones. That look had once been enough to gave him shivers, but just as back then Jizabel showed nothing external in response. He kept his set face as Dr. Disraeli, only letting his smile fall back to one that was much more natural. Remaining playful under such a gaze, while doable, would nonetheless be trying, and Jizabel still had one more patient to deal with. There was no need to waste his energy here.

"Indeed I am," he nodded, then gave a look back at the main building "This is the first I've been at a facility such as this, however. I am more accustomed to the role of a simple house doctor." Simple referencing the house and not himself. Dr. Muraki was welcome to take that however he liked.

[damned_doctors]

Muraki turned a way a little, releasing his first smoke-laced breath. By now Dr. Disraeli's smile had lost its more playful edge, which Muraki found almost disappointing. Their conversation had barely begun and he'd kept his claws neatly sheathed. Perhaps he was losing his touch?

Regardless, he continued on the same vein as if he were oblivious to the change. "This isn't an easy place to begin when you're accustomed to patients who wish to be treated. I've worked in large hospitals before, but none quite like this." Let the other doctor think whatever he wanted of that. It was a...unique hospital; even without experience, that much was easy to notice. "What do you think so far?"

[damned_doctors]

"Of the facility, or of the patients?" he asked, though the question had probably meant in reference to everything. That much he was fine to answer if there had been no specifics involved. "But in general it is not all too different from what I expected. Quite the contrary, actually."

He'd expected things to be a bit more manic, in all honesty. Things here so far had been relatively calm in comparison with his usual work, and that wasn't even factoring in when he played at being a credible doctor. Those in Delilah were far more insane, but he supposed that personalities taken by the patients here were allowed to be stoic. And it wasn't as thought Mr. Federline hadn't lived up to Jizabel's expectations and then some.

"Admittedly the biggest difference to get used to is having an office of my own," he threw in jokingly.

[damned_doctors]

"Ah, that's good." Muraki replied, another brief smile gracing his lips. "I wouldn't keep anything of value in the office. There seems to be a slight pest problem."

[damned_doctors]

"I'm already well aware of that." Though this was the first time he'd heard of the other Doctors having similar issues. "My poor furniture has been suffering as a result."

He had to consider for a moment that this was a confession to exactly who had been messing with his left-hand drawer, but he decided it better to pretend for now that Dr. Muraki only had a similar case and wasn't himself one of the problematic "pests".

"Fortunately though, I've yet to have anything taken. Just left lying about."

[damned_doctors]

If Muraki noticed the other doctor's suspicion, he didn't comment on it. "I've lost a few things. Books, mostly. And I can never seem to keep a pack of cigarettes there for more than a night. It's unusual, isn't it?"

[damned_doctors]

"Not so much so if the both of us are having the same issue," Jizabel gave a glance at the other doctors there on the patio, "or so I would guess." Was this a common occurrence in all offices, or had some been singled out? And more importantly, was this really the doing of patients? After the story he'd received from Mr. Chen about being in the hallways at night (and with a vicious, man-eating cat, no less), Jizabel could only wonder if there really was more to this place than what he saw in daylight.