fandomhigh | As seen on tv: Forensic Science, 1/9 5th Period

When the students came into the danger shop they entered into a lab that seemed straight from the heart of a police department or right off the set of a TV show. There were computers, microscopes, containers and tubes and just about every forensic doodad that you could imagine. Abby stood at the door and handed labcoats to everyone and pointed them to a row of stools around the edges of the room.

"Hey guys, I'm Professor Abby and I'll be teaching you the basics of forensics science this semester. Since I would be bored out of my brain teaching you things on paper, we're going to take a more hands on approach. I'm assuming that at least most of you have seen a TV show were they solved the case by using forensic science. They matched the fingerprints on the gun. They traced the carpet fibers. They figured out whodunit by using forensics."

"In this class you're going to be learning forensics by doing the same thing as the scientists on those shows. You're going to solve a crime." Abby pulled her lab coat tighter and motioned to a door on one side of the lab. "Follow me."

As the students stepped from the lab they walked into a dark deserted parking lot. A single flickering street lamp illuminated one corner of the lot where a blonde girl lay half against a wall amidst broken bottles, trash and puddles of water.

"This is Isabel. She's dead." Abby said, stopping about halfway across the lot. From this distance they could see that Isabel was unmarked, but it was hard to tell in the light if she was breathing or not. All in all, a pretty convincing display. "You're going to try and figure out how she died and who killed her using what you know and my nifty handout. You can work alone or in pairs or teams. Whatever you want. This week we're going to be focusing on prints that aren't fingerprints."

Passing out the handouts, Abby continued talking. "You're in high school. I'm not expecting you to know everything yet. So don't worry about knowing how to do everything on the handout. When in doubt...ask a question. I'll be around and there's always Isabel. You'd be surprised at how talkative a dead person can be."

[ooc: ~~ocd coming soon!~~ OCD up! Play!]

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"I don' think we're supposed to ink the shoes directly," Zero said. "'Cause then they're all inky. D'you remember how they do it on TV?"

Parker frowned. "Something about... casts. Molds?" She looked around for anything like plaster-of-paris or PlayDough. "Or am I thinking of the wrong shows?"

"No, that sounds right," Zero agreed. "'Cause then you can ink the cast. Or make a cast of the cast and ink it? Or something. Or maybe there's no ink involved here..." Zero flailed a little.

Parker frowned at her shoe, and wrinkled her nose. "Cast. Then ink. I think?" She looked determined. "Okay, there's stuff here. And it has to be clear from what we're given, doesn't it? Yeah."

"Yeah," Zero said, frowning at the supplies. "I'm supposed to be smart," she grumbled.

"I know. You are. So am I. Allegedly." Parker grimaced at the materials, then sing-songed, "'If you already knew how to do it, you wouldn't need a class.' Thank you, Sydney."

"Squall it," Zero said. "Hand me the plaster. Let's get this show on the road."

Parker handed over the plaster, then grabbed a pan to hold it. "Ooo. Gloves. No contaminating the evidence, et cetera."

"Squall, yes," Zero said. "Good idea."

"We can do this. We're brilliant and intimidating." Parker looked around for a bucket to mix the plaster in, and grabbed one from under the bench. Plus a stirrer... thing.

"Not to mention incredibly good-looking," Zero said with an impish grin.

Parker snickered. "Exactly." She filled the bucket with water, then handed it over so Zero could put the plaster in it to be mixed. "Not to mention our devastating fashion sense."

"My devastating fashion sense, maybe," Zero said, gesturing to her thrift-store chic outfit. "Not so sure about you." She carefully measured the plaster and poured it in, then started stirring.

"Hey, a classic is a classic. All my stuff is classic. Just like yours. Just -- in a different fashion spectrum." Parker watched Zero stir, and cocked her head. "More water?"

"No, I think it's good," Zero said. "We don' want it too wet. S'just that it needs more stirrin', an' I'm but little."

Parker grabbed another stick-like thing to stir with, and kept back far enough not to splash it anywhere. "I don't think I could do this as a regular job. Not enough patience."

"An' think about those shows on TV, where they have to do half a dozen takes of the same thing!" Zero said. "I'll pass."

"Fame and fortune through music, much better. Reminds me. Must put up posters tomorrow. Unless someone breaks another limb, you guys are playing on Friday." Parker tested the plaster, and frowned. "Okay, when is it ready to set?"

"We'll be there with bells on. Well, not actual bells. Unless you want there to be," Zero mused. "When there are no more dry bits?" Zero guessed. "So...now?"

"Let's leave the bells for Christmas. Besides, that always makes me think of harem bells." Parker grabbed Zero's shoe, then hers, and put them both in the plaster. "There." She paused. "Now what?"

"Now it needs to dry." Zero glared at the plaster. "Get a hairdryer."

Parker came back with one after a trip to her room, since the Danger Shop didn't seem to think that was standard lab equipment. Over the whining of the hairdryer, she yelled, "So could you play a corpse?"

"I guess so, sure!" Zero shouted. "It's the lying still part that's boring as squall!"

Parker pulled the hairdryer back so it wouldn't overheat the plaster. "Not sure I could right now. Maybe by the end of this course, though," she yelled back. "Gotta get used to dead things. People."

"They're not really dead!" Zero pointed out.

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