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unknownseas2020-05-03 02:44 am
bathymetric) wrote in unknownseas2020-05-03 02:44 am
Entry tags:
WEEK 5
That's three murders now - and this last trial got more than slightly out of hand. It looks like you might be in for another tough week... or at least, maybe that's just the refusal of this place to change too much. You lose Saturday again, but maybe six-day weeks are starting to feel normal by now. Who knows? The cycle of day and night continues apace, changing so little.
Speaking of change, though, there's a new area to look through, the biggest and most complex yet. And the end of one wing of the facility, from the looks of it - though you can probably guess where more areas might start to open up.
And speaking of opening up (segues!), this week if you're out particularly late, you might sometimes see Angel out and about! So hey, maybe change is on the horizon.
Just gotta hope it's a change for the better, don't you?
SUNDAY | MONDAY | TUESDAY | WEDNESDAY | THURSDAY
[ ooc: Welcome to Week 5! Remember to turn in AC here, threads for regain coins here, and if you feel so inclined you can visit Angel's office hours over here! Or, if you want Angel to come to you, that's now an option! Simply put a prompt after lights-out into your toplevel and indicate you want Angel in the subject line, same as investigations! ]
Speaking of change, though, there's a new area to look through, the biggest and most complex yet. And the end of one wing of the facility, from the looks of it - though you can probably guess where more areas might start to open up.
And speaking of opening up (segues!), this week if you're out particularly late, you might sometimes see Angel out and about! So hey, maybe change is on the horizon.
Just gotta hope it's a change for the better, don't you?
SUNDAY | MONDAY | TUESDAY | WEDNESDAY | THURSDAY
[ ooc: Welcome to Week 5! Remember to turn in AC here, threads for regain coins here, and if you feel so inclined you can visit Angel's office hours over here! Or, if you want Angel to come to you, that's now an option! Simply put a prompt after lights-out into your toplevel and indicate you want Angel in the subject line, same as investigations! ]
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[ The creativity of some of those arguments she hears in the courtroom...she doesn't think she'd be able to come up with them if her life depended on it. ]
Sure, experimenting is fun, but when you're dealing with chemicals, I think there are only so many ways it can turn out. Not much as much room for expression as a canvas, or a sketchbook...so, I'll leave the monuments and the masterpieces to the real talents. They deserve time in the sun, anyway.
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[ She pauses to eat one of those candies, and to think. ]
I'd say that magic you work at the bar is art, though. I don't drink, but... I'm sure the others would agree.
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[ She says, with a grin on her face and the head of a gummy fish between her teeth, the gremlin-- ]
But as for the drinks...well, you can get a little more creative than just combining this and that, so I'll take the compliment, just this once. You don't know just how many I've had to trash because they just straight-up don't taste good, though. I mean, I'm not a drinker either, but I think if I tried passing off some of my failed test subjects, we'd have a disaster on our hands.
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[ She laughs a little, nudging Ema. ]
Really? Hmm, but that's part of the beauty, right? Finally finding something that really goes well together... kind of like mixing paint. Sometimes you get a weird shade, but other times, you can make something incredible.
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[ She's quick to give her a light, retaliatory elbow to the arm... ]
After all, even the weird shades are probably fun to work with. And I think if anyone can use them to make something gorgeous, it'd be you, based on the stuff of yours I've seen. Besides, I'd probably get more out of that than you'd get watching me mix drinks at the bar, or chemicals in the lab. My enthusiasm can really only take it so far...
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[ She hums a little. ]
I don't know about the drinks, but some chemicals can have some fun effects, right? I'm no chemist, but I did take an introductory class in college. I was terrible at it, but... I'd like to see a master at work.
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[ She quickly reaches into her pocket and pulls out a certain little white spray bottle, for Mira to take a look at and inspect while Ema chews on another Swedish fish.
LUMINOL: Chemi-luminescence Forensic Test for Detection of Trace Amounts of Blood. This is only a presumptive test for blood. It will not discriminate between human and non-human species. Analytical testing should follow to characterize sample origin.]
It's the ultimate tool of the trade. The whole reason I wanted my bag back so badly was because this baby was in it. ...And my munchies, of course, but that's neither here nor there...
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[ And she'll take that little bottle, looking it over. ]
Oh! I bet it was an amazing surprise to get it back. [ And it'll be incredible in investigations, she thinks. She hands the bottle back, and then-- ]
You still haven't found your snackoos?
[ Tragic. ]
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[ Maybe she was downplaying how much of a fanatic she can be over them in the first week... ]
But anyway, I can give you a little demonstration, if you want. Kind of like a magic trick? Do you remember how I told you that those incredibly stylish glasses of yours have a secret? It has to do with this.
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[ She gives a little laugh, then touches the glasses. ]
Ah, you didn't tell me you were a magician, too. Keeping secrets from me, I see. I'm very curious, though--what do they do?
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[ Her eyes are practically sparkling as she talks about it. She clearly feels some kind of way... ]
The thing is, that light's really only visible if the room you're using it in is dark enough. So generally, we turn off all of the lights before we conduct our luminol testing, just to make sure that the glow is as clear as possible. And I already hear you asking, "Oh, Ema, big whoop, what if I'm out in broad daylight, or in a place where you can't dim the lights? Your precious luminol can't help you there!"
[ With a smirk, she lowers the glasses from the top of her head down to the bridge of her nose. ]
And that, my dearest friend, is where our beautiful eyewear comes in.
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Our eyewear, you said? [ She mirrors Ema, and the world takes on a different tint. ] So the pink isn't just a fashion statement.
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It's not just to look cool, but they really do suit you, Mira.
[ She made the right choice, giving her the spares. That much is absolutely clear. ]
Now, obviously we don't have a bloodstain on our hands here... [ And thank goodness for that. ] But let's take a look at something you don't see in the field, shall we?
[ Apparently undeterred by Therion's bullying, she's still taken to just...carrying horseradish around in a jar. ]
There's a special enzyme in horseradish that we call "HRP," in the biochemistry field. HRP activates luminol in the same way an iron or copper compound would, so it's actually one of the very few ways that you would be able to trick the test with a false positive. Thankfully for us, I very, very much doubt that anyone would try to cover up a crime scene with horseradish, and if they did, we'd be able to tell the difference between a stain from that and a bloodstain pre-tty quickly. But! For a quick little luminol demonstration, I think it gets the job done just fine!
[ She really does just carry it around on the off-chance she wants to show off her luminol, huh-- ]
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But then again, she's not sure she could forget that look. ]
Oh, you really have been waiting to show me, haven't you? Where in the world did you get that? [ She's bullying Ema now, too, what a menace. ] But you have me in suspense now. And, you know, if someone does have a horseradish accident, we'll both be able to tell. Two sets of eyes are much better than just one, even if they're very sharp.
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The chefs certainly weren't getting too much use out of it. And since I've made sure to thank them properly for some of the bigger orders I've put in, like all of that dessert I lugged into the library last night, I might just be on their good side.
[ But with regard to some kind of freak horseradish incident-- ]
I don't even think you'd need two sets of eyes, though. Two noses is, I think more than enough to tell. Speaking of, hold yours real quick, alright? I'll make sure to clean it up so I don't stink up the place, I promise.
[ She's got some soap and folded-up paper towels in her pockets, too; just how many compartments does that labcoat of hers have? ]
Here, watch and learn. Oh, and while you're being cheeky, you can hang onto my fish, too.
[ Catch, Mira! ]
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[ She'll catch that bag! ... And help herself to another, how terrible. ]
I promise I won't eat all of them. [ She peers over, watching Ema with slightly raised eyebrows. ] How many secrets do you have in there, Ema?
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[ She doesn't mind her snacking, though. It doesn't take long for her to spread just a bit of horseradish on the floor, and clean it right up as just as quickly. She scrubs it down pretty thoroughly with the soap, absolutely determined to leave no trace... ]
Always gotta be prepared, on this job. Things spring up at a moment's notice all the time. When that happens, it usually pays to be able to jump into action as quick as possible...that's why I always make sure to carry my powder and my luminol, wherever I go.
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[ She... does not hold her nose, because spicy? Absolutely does not bother her. ]
That's only one of the reasons you're so amazing. [ Goodness, she's really giving the floor a clean. It could probably use it, though. ] The luminol can really pick something up after such a thorough cleaning?
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[ Teasing, teasing... ]
But yes, you can scrub and scrub until your hands get pruned up, but once that residue is there, it's there to stay. No amount of cleaning is gonna get rid of it, which is why it's so useful in the field. You'd be surprised how many criminals think that once they clean up their mess with soap and water, it's gone for good. But try as they might, the second that blood touches the ground, their fate is sealed.
[ There. Clean as a whistle. ]
But don't just take my word for it. Keep those glasses on and watch this.
[ She gives the area she just cleaned a nice, generous spray...and sure enough, with the glasses on, Mira can see that the spot Ema plastered with horseradish is glowing a bright, neon blue, in the exact same shape of her smear. And should she take them off to compare, there's no trace whatsoever. ]
Like magic, right?
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But she listens, and watches, and when Ema sprays the spot, Mira lets out a little gasp. She lifts the glasses, then lowers them again. ]
Oh, wow... Exactly like magic! It's so blue. [ She looks to Ema with bright eyes. ] No wonder you were so excited. It's not only useful, but fun to see at work.
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[ Ah, that enthusiasm really takes her back. Ema doesn't think she'll ever forget the first time she begged and begged Lana for her very first bottle of luminol. It took a couple months worth of allowance money to scrounge up the cash for it, and the shipping felt like it took ages, but her reaction when she saw the blue light for the first time...
Well. It was a lot like Mira's, now. And there's something about seeing the gleam in those eyes behind bright pink glasses that gets Ema a bit sentimental, because she imagines this is how Lana must have felt, seeing her amazed little sister all those years ago. ]
To me, there's nothing like the feeling of seeing something invisible. Hands-down, it's the best part of the job, whether you're spraying luminol or dusting for fingerprints. It's like you're catching a glint of a diamond in unpolished rock...like there are amazing things that are happening right under your nose, behind the scenes, and all you need is a new perspective to be able to see it.
[ She brings a finger to the bridge of her nose, lifting the glasses up just a hair. ]
It's not always the easiest line of work. Definitely not the prettiest, either. But that moment where you find something that goes beyond what you can see with your eyes alone...to me, it never gets old. And even better is when I let someone else in on the secret.
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[ It's funny, but... Ema's sort of ignited something in her she thought had burnt out a while ago. A thirst for discovery, to learn; along the way, in the face of everything, she'd lost grasp of some of that passion. She hadn't even realized it, how much she needed something like this...
She's sure she couldn't do what Ema does, but she certainly admires her. ]
It really means a lot, that you're letting me into the secret. [ She nudges her, just gently. ] You're kind of amazing, did you know that? Doing all of this, showing me... You wouldn't make a bad teacher, Ema Skye.
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[ In her opinion, the science is the real amazing thing here. She's not all that special, especially not in comparison. But far be it for her to deny a sincere compliment like that. ]
And if all of my students had the enthusiasm you do, maybe I would've considered it a little harder. You're pretty amazing, yourself, you know. [ There's a small little chuckle that escapes from her throat. ] But the thought did cross my mind, more than a couple times, though. Back when I was just an ordinary old detective on the force, working a job I couldn't stand, I was thinking that might make for a nice change of careers. It was getting to the point for a while where I dreaded going to work, sometimes, so...
[ In the end, she is thankful she stuck it out, because she wouldn't be where she is now if she didn't, but...she's really, really glad that those days are behind her. ]
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Did you know back then what you really wanted to do? I know it would've been hard for me to keep going, if I hated it... but it was something you had to do, I'm guessing?
[ Ema... she's a resilient one. Mira knows that much. ]
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[ As though she's not going to be able to properly explain it if she's not shoveling gummies in her mouth. Thinking about the work she had to do back then just gives her the urge to start stress-eating... ]
I knew for sure I wanted to go into forensics after SL-9 and all. But when I got back from my study abroad, and I took the certification test, I...well, I totally botched it. Not just once, either.
[ Not for lack of trying, either. That just made it hurt so much more. ]
The exercises, I had no trouble with. I'm sure you don't need me to tell you, but it's not like I didn't know what I was doing. But every time I sat down for the written part of the exam...I think I just kept psyching myself out. It's a hard enough test to begin with, but I'd be so stuck in my own head on top of it, and...it was definitely discouraging.
[ And every failing grade just put her deeper and deeper into a funk... ]
In the meantime, I worked as a detective for the LAPD, just like Lana did before she became Chief Prosecutor. It wasn't like I was trying to take her old job or anything like that, though. I figured that working on crime scenes and seeing the actual pros at work would motivate me a little harder to pass that test.
Boy, was I wrong.
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