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[originallutece]

Rosalind Lutece

Doctor of physics, professor at Recollé University.

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[erythristic]

Let me count...five? But none that line up to give me a bingo. You make the sixth. Some of these things I'm lost on, like finding someone's item to steal. I'm no thief - or the one about siblings. That'd make for such an awkward first impression.

[originallutece]

You could always simply steal it for a moment, I suppose. Almost like a game of keep-away. Though really, most of these seem designed to make the user feel awkward. I refused to do half of them right off the bat.

[erythristic]

You're not alone. There are some I simply cannot bring myself to go and do - I'm not going to slap someone for breaking in. I'd congratulate them instead.

[originallutece]

Oh, I don't know. I could live with slapping some of the people on here. Though yes, not for the crime of breaking in.

What other impossible ones do you have? Mine typically include dancing.

[erythristic]

You can't dance? If you want help with that, I could always offer. With a promise of no judgement attached.

[originallutece]

It depends on what kind of dancing you mean. I'm perfectly comfortable with a waltz, and once upon a time in the past I even took ballet lessons, but no, beyond that, I've no talent to it.

[But--]

Any lessons offered beyond that?

[erythristic]

In dancing yes, I know more steps than that, but this talk of lessons reminds me that I offered you the chance to see what I do. That is, if you're still interested? I've come into possession of something quite fascinating, if rather strange.

[originallutece]

Of course.

[It would be hard for her to answer faster.]

What is it?

[erythristic]

A severed arm. Mildly burnt due to the recipient's panic, but nothing that can't be treated like anything else.

[oh, civilian panic.]

I have it in the freezer right now, I was going to take its fingerprints today.

[originallutece]

I-- sorry, was this arm originally attached to the recipient, or did he simply stumble over it?

[erythristic]

He got delivered it in the mail. Courtesy of Retrospec.

[yeah.]

[originallutece]

Good god.

[Still: she sounds mildly perturbed at best.]

When shall I come over?

[erythristic]

When you like, so long as it's before four. I usually don't take later shifts than that. It's not hard to find the office, it's on the basement level, and there's signs.

[she'll be expecting her, so no one should get in Rosalind's way. simple as that.]

[originallutece]

I'll be by within the hour.

[There may just be people who try and stop her, but Rosalind has an arm to puzzle over and Grell's name to drop. Add her own natural arrogance to the blend, and it's not so long before she's knocking eagerly at Grell's door.]

action.

[erythristic]

[Dr. Sutcliffe can be found getting the door, actually. she had been waiting for Rosalind, fairly itching to get back to the arm but telling herself to wait. when she sees Rosalind - because who else would seem so ready to see her? - she breaks into a smile.]

Dr. Lutece. It's a great pleasure to finally meet you in person.

[originallutece]

The feeling is mutual, Dr. Sutcliffe.

[Well, technically this is their second time meeting in person, but you know what, that doesn't count. Rosalind waits just long enough to shake Grell's hand before she's slipping in the office, eyes darting around.]

Tell me about this arm.

[erythristic]

[the office is cozy, disconnected from the lab itself. a few personal touches to distinguish it as hers, and there's a chair in front of it for her visitors, but Grell goes back around the desk, hitting save on her laptop before she shuts it.]

I'm swearing you to general confidentiality first. Things like the recipient's name, age, what I've truly found - the more specific details aren't to be posted up on the app, okay? I trust you understand discretion, but seeing as the person who brought this in doesn't even know what we're looking for, I'm treating it with the same level of decorum I would for a regular case.

[originallutece]

Naturally.

[She is taking this seriously; though there's still eagerness in her gaze, she nods in agreement.]

Do you wish for me to sign something?

[erythristic]

Your verbal consent is enough - I suppose it's habit to make sure anyone who isn't police or my coworkers knows how serious this is.

[originallutece]

Not a bad policy.

[Still: now that that's settled, Rosalind tips her head.]

Well? Give me the details, I'm beyond curious.

[erythristic]

There's a number of strange factors about the arm. Firstly - the condition isn't exactly fresh, but preserved in a decent enough state. Given the absence of chemicals present, which is a theory I'm putting forth given the look and scent of the limb and most likely going to be testing in your presence, the only thing that would keep it so together would be a deep freeze. It's fairly healthy in spite of that, indicating a minimum time spent in such conditions.

Not to mention what severed the arm itself. Given the injury at the site of detachement, it was blown off, instead of cut or chopped. I want to check for gunpowder traces as well - see if we can narrow the field as to what sort of explosion did this. And there's the fingerprints, but unfortunately I have to make sure to discredit a lot of them, because not everyone was as careful with it as I'd like. The owner, I can understand, panic sets in. The arresting officer...I'll scold him another time.

[originallutece]

You'd hope someone in that position of authority would be more intelligent, but I've found it best to simply assume most people are stupid until proven otherwise.

[But oh, all of that is fascinating. Rosalind had read up on this kind of thing in idle preparation, but her knowledge is nothing compared to Grell's, she knows.]

Which test would you like to start with?

[erythristic]

Fingerprints. The chemical search may ruin them.

[she beckons to Rosalind to follow her, leading her down the hallway into the morgue proper, and shutting the doors behind them. once that's taken care of, she goes to put on gloves before she looks for the proper cold storage container.]

You'll want to stand back once I actually start...I'll get you a mask as well. Lifting prints from bodies requires some fumes.

[but she finds the box, taking it out and opening the top. that certainly is an arm there, muscular and intact saved for the mild burns and the section at the top.]

[originallutece]

Good god . . .

[Rosalind knows better than to touch, but still her fingers curl at her sides, because that's absolutely her first impulse. It's a stomach-churning sight, true, but it's also a fascinating one. Why this? Why on earth would Retrospec send someone something so horrific?]

I'm a bit shocked it's not a gory sight. I would have expected more blood.

[erythristic]

I as well, but this was the condition it appeared in. Like someone washed it beforehand, odd as that sounds.

[turning to another cabinet, she pulls down a box of disposable masks, taking out two and giving one to Rosalind. so they don't cough when she opens the fuming chamber later.

taking the arm, she moves it to the device, busying herself with setting things up.]

It's fascinating, how cyanoacrylate offers itself to investigation - usually I'm using this for items only, but under the right circumstances, it applies to flesh as well...

[placing everything together, she closes the door and hits the right buttons to vacuum seal the chamber.]