fandomhigh | History of Poisons, Thursday Per 2

"Some might consider today's class to be fairly gruesome," Karla warned the class outside of the Danger Shop. "I make no apologies for that. Hopefully this will be the closest you come to seeing someone die by violence, but I'm fairly sure that hope comes too late for at least half of you. And for those of you who wish to make your living as healers, warriors, or keepers of the peace, well, this is just one in what will doubtlessly be a long line of corpses. Take comfort in knowing that these, at least, are only an illusion. Simulation. Whatever. If, however, you decide that the class is too much for you, you are excused to the library to spend the rest of the period researching a poisonous plant and writing a two-page essay about it, due in my email by the end tomorrow morning."

The inside of the Danger Shop was set up to look like a private dining room. Around the table were five people; two were dead and the remaining three were in various stages of extreme distress. "Dinner was served two hours ago," Karla said calmly. "Each man was given a different poison. Based on the reaction times and displayed symptoms, it's your job to figure out what each poison was. You may be able to talk to some of the victims, for the rest, you'll need to rely on your observations and the strength of your notes. Feel free to work alone or in pairs. When you are ready, put on your protective gear--" she gestured to several shelves to the immediate left of the door "--and begin."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It was a struggle for Karla to keep a straight face. "I completely understand," she gushed, matching Mara's innocence with a similar level of sympathy. "It's rough having a delicate stomach. But don't you worry, you can head right down to the library and figure something else out."

SHE WASN'T BUYING YOUR STORY HERE, MARA JADE ONE-DAY-TO-BE-SKYWALKER.

"Do you know what poison you'll be studying?"

"I haven't decided yet," Mara said. "I'd love to hear your suggestions!"

Like maybe what they were studying with the fake dead bodies she can't see?

"Curare," Karla said immediately. "Or oleander. We haven't covered either of those in class yet, but they're fun. Alternately, you can go into more detail about the poisons we covered two classes ago, as I used five of them for this class."

"Oleander's a flower, right?" Mara said. "I was studying up on this Valentine's Day thing."

"Please don't give anyone an oleander!" Karla said quickly. "Yes, it's a flower, but I'm pretty sure the only meaning it has is 'I intend to kill you quickly.'"

Which, you know, she could absolutely see Mara sending to someone, but she'd prefer it not be anyone on the island.

Mara gave her an innocent gasp. "That would be terrible!"

She had a list of at least ten people back home to use it on already.

This time Karla couldn't help but raise a skeptical eyebrow. "I'm sure," she said dryly. "Do let me know if the very idea makes you feel faint. I can program in a couch to catch you."

And a mint julep to help her recover.

"We'll be studying oleander the week we get back from break," Karla said. "Like lilies of the valley, their poison is so virulent, honey made from oleander flowers can kill."

Karla had several jars at home.

Don't say "oooh," Mara.

"And the droids that check for poisons probably wouldn't recognize ones from this galaxy," she mused. "Would you like an essay comparing and contrasting some of our flower-based poisons?"

Karla's first instinct was to pretend surprise that an innocent dancer like Mara would know enough about flower-based poisons to be able to write that essay. Karla's second, far more intelligent, instinct was to leap on that offer with both hands.

"Hell yes I would!" she said. "That would be excellent!"

So professional.

"I'll have to do a lot of work because I don't really know poisons from home that well," Mara lied.

"Of course," Karla said, not bothering to hide her disbelief. "I'm sure it will be very well-researched."

History of Poisons, Thursday Per 2

Re: Write An Essay

KRe: Write An Essay

Re: KRe: Write An Essay

Re: Write An Essay

Re: Write An Essay

Re: Write An Essay

Re: Write An Essay

Re: Write An Essay

Re: Write An Essay

Re: Write An Essay

Re: Write An Essay