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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! ]
no subject
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-- ]
no subject
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.
no subject
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! ]
no subject
[ 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?
no subject
[ 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.
no subject
[ 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?
no subject
[ 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?
no subject
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.
no subject
[ 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.
no subject
[ 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.
no subject
[ 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. ]
no subject
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. ]
no subject
[ 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.
no subject
She's quiet as she listens, thoughtful. She's been there--right in an exam room, the answers bouncing around in your head, but when it came to actually getting them down... It had to be frustrating, knowing everything but second-guessing all of it. And going through that more than once...
She leans against Ema, just lightly. ]
In theory, it sounds like it was an alright plan. In practice, it was eye-opening, but... not in a very pleasant way?
no subject
[ She'll scoot in a bit herself, as she picks some fish out of the plastic baggie. She (thankfully) has the decency to swallow her food before she picks up where she left off. ]
But I spent most of the time pushing paper back at the office, and the rest of it locking down crime scenes and watching other people do the job I wanted to do so, so badly. It made me...I mean, I was bitter, and frustrated with myself, more than anything else. My idea to join the force was okay on paper, but every time I watched someone take out their luminol or doing print analysis...
[ "Why isn't that me? What do I keep doing wrong?" ]
Like I said, I thought it'd make me feel motivated. But instead, it felt more like I was kicking myself while I was down...