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last online Apr 18, 2024 8:46:36 GMT -7
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Jun 28, 2019 2:19:41 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jun 28, 2019 2:19:41 GMT -7
Heleen had been doing a fair bit of research on her own so far to develop new magical items that could benefit mostly the ministry and potentially the government. She had been brainstorming ideas most of the week and had finally found something that could potentially be worth putting effort into creating. She just required some outside assistance from a coworker that had an expertise in the submatter that her creation involved. Considering the item she was attempting to figure out had to do mostly with the detection of love potions she knew she'd need an expert on love. In all honesty, it frightened her a little bit. Her experiences with love as a subject in her life had not exactly been positive so despite her idea to invent some form of detection for love potions she was far intimidated. Besides, what motives could one have for studying love itself? She figured that those intentions could be both nefarious and good in their purpose. That part intimidated her. If she'd been paired up with a woman upon submitting her idea it would have been fine. She'd never been in love with a woman so that would have felt safe. Unfortunately the professional she'd been paired up with for her project was a man. Dmitri by name according to the work order approval. With the parchement in her hands she made her way to the love room. She knocked on the door and opened it just a crack. The scent within the room instantly made her want to walk in but she knew it was magic. Possibly a trap, who knew what love was all about? Well, possibly Dmitri. She took a deep breath, hoping to calm herself but the smell of pine, a hearth and old books threw her off. This place was incredibly dangerous, that much was certain. If she'd close her eyes she could easily lose herself to the imagination of sitting in a log cabin in a pine forest on a comfortably warm summer day reading one of her favourite old books. Not that wasn't something she was supposed to be thinking about while at work. She looked around the room. "Excuse me, I'm looking for Dmitri? I've got a work order for a joined project that I'd like to get started on?" In her mind she added 'elsewhere' but she wouldn't let her intimidation show so easily. This was all part of the job after all. @dmitri
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last online Apr 18, 2024 8:46:36 GMT -7
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Jun 28, 2019 20:45:34 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jun 28, 2019 20:45:34 GMT -7
Dmitri had just gotten word that some girl from another part of the Department of Mysteries wanted to make some magical item to detect love potions. It wasn't a bad idea. He hadn't been in the love room for long, maybe that's why he was drafted into this. He was currently working on a magical aphrodisiac that would omit a different cent for different people. It was like how a siren would sound different based on the person, and their true hearts desires. But it was hard to test, and he didn't want it to be based off of what some one lusted after, but truly, deeply loved. The love room was quite underpopulated today, it was only he an other coworker, who would spontaneously shout out what she was smelling. Normally, Dmitri wanted to focus on his work, without interruptions, today was different.
He was just reaching a breaking point, he almost had it, but the product just wasn't right, when there was a knock at the door. This was interesting, because the Love room was kept under lock and key. But with two workers, and with Dmitri having a guest coming around at some point, they had maintained an unlocked door. Finally the time came. A small knock and the door was opened ever so slightly. Dmitri and his coworker both looked up and glanced at the door. It was rare that someone came to their room. Many considered it to be one of the most dangerous. There was a pause, but finally a girl poked her head in and looked around. "Excuse me, I'm looking for Dmitri?" She seemed unsure, perhaps uncertain about working with someone from this room. The other worker in the room pointed at Dmitri and went back to her work. Dmitri, who was sitting at a table with a small cauldron that was emitting purple smoke. Not quite right. Purple wasn't right, it was just off. But it was too late to do anything now. He moved the cauldron from the fire that it was over, covering the top and locking it into a cupboard with a number of charms. He then took his notebook and headed towards the door. "I am Dmitri. You must be Heleen." Dmitri struggled a little bit saying her name. With his thick Russian accent, it also probably sounded wrong. He looked at her as he walked up, she did seem to be affected by the aromas of the room. This wasn't hard to do. They did work with many forms of love, and it was hard to avoid. " I think it would be best if we talk else where" He stated, as he finally reached the girl at the door.
@seph
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last online Apr 18, 2024 8:46:36 GMT -7
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Jun 30, 2019 13:04:36 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jun 30, 2019 13:04:36 GMT -7
Her partner for this project was the younger man and not the older woman. Heleen wasn't quite sure if that was to be a relief or just something for her to worry about. She figured it better not to pay too much attention to the feat. It wasn't too important, after all they were both professionals, right? He at least seemed meticulous enough to keep his work very secure, something that Heleen could easily appreciate. It was no use leaving a mess, although sometimes the people in her part of the department were very chaotic. She assumed it had something to do with the nature of invention. A far more tedious part of housekeeping could clear the mind completely of any and all ideas. A little bit of chaos never bothered Heleen, as long as the work was still done properly. Still, her little second at times got cluttered with the trinkets of coworkers and she'd spend an hour trying to put everything in a proper place. At least she was certain she wouldn't have that problem with him, which was quite the relief in all honesty. As he approached she allowed herself a little more room in the door. She gave him an excited and grateful smile as he remembered her name. "I am, pleased to meet you Dmitri. You can call me Helen if it's easier by the way. Most people do. It's quite a bit easier to pronounce for the average person around here." She stopped herself there, before she ended up on a full on ramble about her name. She wasn't always the best at social situations but she was doing her best to learn and improve, mostly on the blabbering. She had it under decent control if she didn't get too flustered. She was a tiny bit flustered but that was more because the scents in the room made feelings return to memory that made her extremely uncomfortable. She didn't trust herself with love at all because she felt she'd messed it up royally the last time she'd felt it. In truth it had been his fault but Heleen had yet to realise that. She nodded in slight relief as he mentioned to take the conversation elsewhere. It was probably a very good idea. This place was no good for long conversations if she wanted to keep her head in the game. "Would you like to move to our subsection or do you want to go to one of the meeting rooms? I don't have too strong of a preference personally." She said, clutching her little notebook with several of the sketches she had developed as well as a few little theories she needed his help to work out properly. He seemed nice enough so far, which did help her to be a bit more at ease with the entire thing. People that asserted too much dominance usually had her become more timid and introverted, as she never felt free to be herself around them. @dmitri
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last online Apr 18, 2024 8:46:36 GMT -7
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Jun 30, 2019 13:31:27 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jun 30, 2019 13:31:27 GMT -7
The love room was quite an interesting place, but not one to allow strangers into. Not even co-workers. With the constant flow of potions and other love based items, it made it difficult for others to focus. To be honest, sometimes the workers in the room themselves had issues focusing. Love,was a dangerous thing to mess with, and was not for the week. "It is my honor Helen." He stated in response to her explaining that her name is hard for others of pronounce. He had reached the door and taken a hold of it softly and smiled at the woman. He looked softly at her, observing her. Taking into account as to what type of person she was. By the look of her, she was being effected by the aroma of the room. That wasn't a hard thing to do. They kept the door shut at all times, and rarely was it open longer than it takes to allow one person to pass the threshold. At this state, she looked like an easy target. But he wasn't that kind of guy anymore. He refused to be that kind of person. But he wasn't above using his skills to gain something. She did work with him, while in different sub-departments, they were still in fairly close contact. Charming her to get something, was not the best idea. He would have to keep things professional.
"Lets take up one of the meeting rooms. We will have more privacy that way." He stated, now holding the door for her, motioning for her to leave first. She hadn't even fully entered the room, so this wasn't a hard task. He then moved out of the door and as he began to close the door, he could here the other woman snickering "Have fun you two" Sounding much like an older sibling rooting for something, less then work appropriate to happen. Dmitri rolled his eyes and sealed the door shut.
@seph
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last online Apr 18, 2024 8:46:36 GMT -7
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Jun 30, 2019 14:16:09 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jun 30, 2019 14:16:09 GMT -7
Heleen had no clue how he even managed to focus in this room. The longer she was there, the more she felt the unsettling presence of the stupid fountain. She was patient enough but in her mind she was screaming to get out. Not quite the normal response to love, she supposed. Well, if it hadn't screwed her over so much they wouldn't be in that situation. Still, Dmitri was quite charming and polite and she appreciated that. Not to mention his smile was quite charming... She blinked a few times as she smiled back, then blaming the love smells mentally and shooting the stink eye at the fountain when she thought he wouldn't see it. Stupid stupid love potion room. There was a reason she'd opted out of working there! Why on earth had she started this project again? Oh right, love potions were horrible and mean and to get rid of them would be brilliant. She was glad when he replied and suggested the meeting rooms and didn't need his invitation to leave his workspace. She stepped out, perhaps a little too quickly and breathed deeply for a moment, trying to clear her mind and lungs of the intoxicating smell of the love room. She vaguely heard the woman he worked with say something as he stepped out of the room but it seemed so wildly off that she figured she must have imagined it. A look of confusion temporarily crossed her face before she fully dismissed the notion. It was a lot easier to concentrate not being in the same room as the fountain. She started heading toward the meeting rooms, the spinning of the door no longer disorienting her. She'd gotten used to it by now. Still, a part of her brain kept being in that sort of buzzy state. She figured it was probably the fact he spent so much time in that bloody room that the scent had taken up residence in his robes. It wasn't strong enough to throw her off any longer though, which was a good thing. She opened the door to one of the smaller meeting rooms and smiled at him. "Thank you, by the way." She said kindly. "I appreciate you taking time out of your schedule to help out." @dmitri
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last online Apr 18, 2024 8:46:36 GMT -7
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Jun 30, 2019 15:09:55 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jun 30, 2019 15:09:55 GMT -7
Dmitri didn't have an issue focusing in the love room. But he also had no idea what love truly was or felt like. Those he had been in relationships with, he had simply done and said what they wanted to hear, and instantly they were infatuated with him. He did have a serious relationship, that he did feel something for the girl, but it wasn't love. Lust would have been a better word. And it got him out of his fathers house, for a time. Her parents were good enough to allow their relationship to thrive, and he practically lived there for that time. But if the relationship would have gone further, he would have been forced to join the mafia. And he was much to young to want to do that. Dmitri did spot the woman give the fountain a mean look, just out of the corner of his eye. He huffed a chuckle. Not many people liked the idea of what they did, but she seemed to hate the entire idea of the fountain itself. That was an interesting fact about her. He would need to investigate that further. But again, he was at work, and had to be careful.
She seemed eager to leave the room. He couldn't blame her for that. His first time, it was a little hard to focus too. "What you are feeling will fade." It defiantly was a good idea that they had left. With her in a dazed and spelled state, who knew what could have happened. And the other woman inside the room would have happily excused herself to go long lunch when she noticed things getting on the steamier side of things. Better to let her clear her lungs of the potion aroma and they not be in the room. "Pay her no mind" That woman was in love with love. She reveled in stories of love and lust, of the novel variety and of real life events.
Dmitri followed her towards the meeting rooms. As they walked, the woman seemed to come back down to earth. She opened the door and smiled. Dmitri smiled back and entered the room, thanking her in his native tongue, Russian. "It is no problem." He replied as she thanked him "It is good to work take a break and work on something else. Then things seem to get more clear." He took a seat in one of the chars, and motioned to her to take a seat likewise. "I have heard a little about what you are wanting to do, but I would like to hear it from you."
@seph
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last online Apr 18, 2024 8:46:36 GMT -7
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Jun 30, 2019 15:39:15 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jun 30, 2019 15:39:15 GMT -7
What she was feeling would fade? Was it that obvious? He hoped that he couldn't clearly see exactly what it was she was feeling. It was too complicated and she knew that she'd explain if he asked, even if she felt it was a bad idea. She was too much of a blabbermouth when it came to her private life. She wasn't sure why but maybe it had something to do with the fact her ex had always made her feel like she had to explain everything to him. Justify her daily life in a way that had made it hard for her to silence herself. He had never wanted her to have the job as unspeakable, probably because that involved secrets. Probably because that meant his control over her would grow less as she had something in her life he couldn't make himself a part of. It wasn't too healthy but she figured that was probably her fault. She hadn't quite figured out why but an outlandish number of theories existed in her mind to justify his actions for him. She gave him a slightly confused look as he told her to pay the woman no mind. "Is she always like that? It seems a bit odd.Or is it something to do with the room?" She couldn't help but be curious. Without at least a certain amount of curiosity there was no use in taking this particular job. Investigation, invention and research all had curiosity as a key element to be any sort of good at the job. He'd worked there longer and she blamed his far more calm demeanor on that. She was starting to get a little hyperactive but naturally had to control herself. This was exactly why she'd chosen this life. It was excitement all around and no two days had to be the same! It was a blessing! She wasn't sure exactly what language it was that he said words in but she figured it wasn't rude. It didn't sound rude, just unfamiliar. Having grown up in need of understanding four different languages, it was no miracle she had learned to decipher more than just sound itself. Intonation made a huge difference and this seemed like a very common thing. Possibly a shape or form of thanks? Considering the situation that made the most sense. She sat down as he motioned her to do so after closing the door and marking the room as taken. She didn't really want to get interrupted. She smiled and placed her notes on the table, spreading them out a little to put all the notes relevant to herself in her sights. The less important notes were largely covered, although it made it look like a massively complicated and convoluted map. "Oh!" She said as he asked her to explain her plans herself. It made sense of course, she could probably met it a lot more distinct as she knew the details. She glanced at her papers. "I'm working on a method to detect when somebody is under the influence of a love potion. While the application would most commonly be used by a concerned party I want it to be able to be used while under the influence of such a potion as well. To those doubting if their feelings are true such a test could prove of vital importance and it could possibly help the aurors in certain cases they investigate as well, especially if the detection is carried out subtly. Spellcasting or any testing of the subjects blood are a little obvious and therefor do not have my preference. If under influence it might be difficult to convince the victim to cooperate in terms of handing out material to test their affliction on." She explained as her fingers softly skimmed over her notes as she tried to map out her ideas to him. "I wish to establish a non invasive procedure that can stealthily obtain the desired information concerning the influence of love potion or magic that influence or otherwise pertain to an individual for use in both detection of the victims and abusers of these types of magics and potions." It was the fancy way to put it but she figured he was easily smart enough to understand the way she'd started off her proposal to her superiors. @dmitri
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last online Apr 18, 2024 8:46:36 GMT -7
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Jun 30, 2019 16:22:59 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jun 30, 2019 16:22:59 GMT -7
Dmitri was a very analitic mind. Not to mention the way the his father had trained him to read people since a young age. He had gotten good at it too. Maybe that was why the man used him so much in his work. He also used that ability on tourists when he and his sisters were sent out to fill the quota that their father put on them. He wasn't like that any more, but habits die hard. He was careful not to use it to gain any money from it. Then he would just be going back to his childhood, and that was not going to happen.
"Is she always like that?" Heleen had asked him about his coworker. He laughed at her comment. He was so used to her comments, that he really hadn't thought too much about it. It was just another day. "Actually, today is a mild one for her. He said in responce, glanceing back at the door, half expecting the woman to be listening in. "Normally she would have offered an option for protection, or two." And on days that she really was on a roll, she would have asked to join in. But Dmitri felt like that was talking too much about the other woman. "In a way, you do have to have a seance of humor." That was true, but the woman he worked with seemed to be made for a job in the love room.
The woman scattered her notes on the table, a good number of them all available for her to see, with a few others mostly hidden. At this, Dmitri placed his notebook on the table and opened to the next available blank page. It was about half full with notes on his projects and findings, that only he could read. He took secrecy very serious. As she explained what she wanted to do, Dmitri started to make his own notes, in Russian. He took a moment to think, once she was done speaking. "That is quite an idea. If I understand you correctly, you want to create something to test for the love potion, or likewise charms. Sort of like one of those pocket sneakoscopes that you can buy?" It really was an ingenious idea. He had liked the idea on papaer, but hearing the ideas creator telling him about it made it all the better. Perhaps he had under estimated this woman. He knew that she had to be smart to work down here, but there was something quite attractive about that.
@seph
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last online Apr 18, 2024 8:46:36 GMT -7
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Jul 1, 2019 14:02:32 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jul 1, 2019 14:02:32 GMT -7
It was impossible for Heleen to keep the stunned disbelief at his words off her face. Normally she would have what now? Offered protection? What was that supposed to mean? Was it common for him to sleep around? Did she look like a slut? She quickly glanced down to check but she didn't think she did. Why on earth? Was it so much on the forefront of her mind that she figured it might be the default state for most people? Was it that bloody fountain that had addled her brain by constant exposure? What long term effects could their jobs have on their health and personality. Heleen stood stunned for quite a moment as the high tide of questions that sprung up washed over her. It didn't last more than a few seconds but for her, that was already ridiculously long. People would have been amazed at the impact that simple comment had if they'd known her and had been witness to that moment. She stuffed all the growing questions into a mental box real fast and closed it as best she could. She was not going to be tempted into viewing a coworker in such a light, no matter what they or other coworkers said! The darned potion be damned! A situation like that could only ever mean trouble to begin with. Then he commented on the sense of humour and Heleen's face got slightly darker as the hint of a blush crept on her face. She'd been way overthinking this one. She then smiled a bit awkwardly. "I suppose you do." She agreed a little weakly. She'd been caught of guard and had to make sure that such a thing would not be happening again. That was not acceptable and it messed with her entire professional image! If she wanted to ensure she got the more fun and better jobs this project had to pan out perfectly and she had to keep her head in the game despite everything. Still, questions ever lingered on her brain and one of them escaped her mouth before she could stop it. "Has anybody ever... you know, drank from the fountain?" She was beyond curious about what would happen if they did. It seemed extremely dangerous and not at all wise but well, crazy people sought the job out. Heleen could almost hit herself over the head for not making such a simple comparison herself. She was supposed to be a smart and accomplished woman by now and here she was, still foolishly failing to see the obvious. Why on earth was she even trying? Well, she supposed that it couldn't be helped and since it didn't actually change anything about her general idea it was a good a thing as any. She nodded a little slowly as she already started to mentally review the application possibilities of a love-sneakoscope. "I suppose so. Not quite sure if the same design can be applied as the sneakoscope focuses more on thoughts and intention where my version would focus more on artificial creation of emotional connection between people but as a baseline the idea would be quite similar." She quickly grabbed a quill and started scribbling multiple notes on a new piece of parchment, making a few very basic illustrations. There was already use to the cooperation and they had barely scratched the surface of this idea. This looked promising. Heleen couldn't help but smile in spite of herself. She loved brainstorming ideas with clever individuals. It made her feel genuinely happy. She eventually looked up as she wrote all the needed things down that were not allowed to float from her mind. "If we're to build a similar design as a sneakoscope it would probably be best to see if it works on intention or thought. Should be easy enough. Just get one of them and think about doing things that could easily be perceived as nefarious or sneaky and then do a second run where you don't just think but intend to act on it, or possibly even do so, depending on how serious the offence would be." She said as she started sketching up a possible timeline. "Once we know if it's about thoughts or intentions it will be easier to adjust the design accordingly. Detecting the presence of the magic would work differently than detecting the effect it has on somebody I think. We could build two prototypes of course but how on earth would we test them?" She mused out loud. Naturally in the name of research she'd consider drinking a love potion but she wasn't too keen on the idea. She doubted it would be allowed to bring in a group of test subjects either. She wasn't certain if the effects on animals and humans would be the same with love potions considering the different workings in social environments for different species. On that point dolphins would possibly be most suited? Sneaking dolphins into the ministry would probably be far too pricey though. She had the other idea, of course, but she wouldn't dare say it out loud. The idea of testing them on themselves and any willing coworkers. Now naturally, that would be utter chaos and would probably lead to the least productive and professional work environment ever. Still, she couldn't really shake the idea. @dmitri
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last online Apr 18, 2024 8:46:36 GMT -7
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Jul 1, 2019 17:41:54 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jul 1, 2019 17:41:54 GMT -7
Dmitri only chuckled at the stunned look on the woman's face. It was a way for them to keep their work light, and find the humor in things. Just like those who dealt with dead bodies, could make jokes while they did so. It was their way of keeping things light harted. But it wasn't for everyone. Obviously some people just didn't click with it. Not to mention the woman in the room they had now left, was a very special kind of person. And she tended to project onto other people, especially the younger ones. Dmitri caught the blush on the girls face as he mentioned having a sense of humor. She seemed to have been caught up with something. Perhaps she was thinking a bit too much on his and his coworkers comments. He hadn't been in the Love room for long, but it was certainly long enough to become desensitized to they way of the workers. But it was quite entertaining to see her rattled in such a way. He would log that idea away. Now was not a time to rattle girls, especially not co-workers. Now was the time to be professional and serious. He was ready to move on from the room, as a question seemed to suddenly come out of Heleen's mouth. "Has anybody ever... you know, drank from the fountain?" It was Dmitri's turn to be surprised. That wasn't something that came up very often "I haven't been here for too long to have seen someone actually drink from it. We mostly use it to experiment and examine." He turned to smile at the woman, such a charming smile "I did hear about one who did drink from it, and was immediately taken to St. Mungos though. I was the replacement."
In the meeting room, the two sat, going over the idea that they were to collaborate on. After he spoke, Dmitri could see the wheels turning in her head as she finally responded. "Of course design is purely subjective. And we wouldn't want to take the easy way, and simply copy what we could" He was not one to take things easy. And this proved to be quite a complex puzzle to play with. Then after writing for some time - which worked out, he was doing the same - she spoke again, about testing a sneakoscope to see what it used to work. "Agreed. It would be good to know, and use what information we can from it." He paused, finishing one of his notes.
"I think it will take a while to get it right, and we will need to test it with various potions and charms." Dmitri more said to himself than anything else as he started to wright in his notebook. This time, it wasn't just Russian. There was a number of symbols and odd shapes that seemed to consider with partial words on the paper. "And when testing begins, we will need a control apart from the love potion tests, to make sure it isn't picking that up." Testing the potions and charms would be simple and easy. Dmitri was surrounded by those things, the trouble was going to be getting a control to make sure their new devise didn't react to people actually in love, if that actually happened. Not to mention, the many different types of love, but he felt that it was safe to say that they were going after love of a passionate nature. She brought up a good point next. The how of testing. They needed subjects that they could test it on. Testing it on themselves would work, but there came the issue of the control. They needed something to base their findings on, otherwise, they would end up creating something that reacted to love the emotion, along with spells and pitons to simulate the feeling.
@seph
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last online Apr 18, 2024 8:46:36 GMT -7
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Jul 3, 2019 13:17:54 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jul 3, 2019 13:17:54 GMT -7
Heleen had suspected it just as much as she was curious about it and dreaded to know. When the answer to her question came she wasn't at all surprised that somebody had not been able to withstand temptation. That was part of the curious part that really could get problematic after all. Curiosity killed the cat. They were just a bunch of cats in reality being let loose in an environment full of potentially lethal things that would trigger their curiosity. It didn't matter who had ever considered it a good idea because it was not. Yes, they mostly managed to control their impulses but really, did anybody really expect anything different than people taking a step too far? In a sense it had been good for Dmitri as it had gotten him hired. People had to deal with things and it made sense it was better to joke about subjects at a workplace like this than to fear them because of what they were in essence. That was exactly the kind of thing that Heleen herself still had to work on. Especially concerning the room he worked in. Love scared her, no matter how much it also intrigued her. She smiled a rather infectious smile as he mentioned not wanting to take the easy way out. That was exactly the kind of thing she loved to hear. Easy was sure to get things more complicated in a bad way. "I agree we should use it more as a case study and make sure to build our own personal model based on what our wishes and needs for it are. We don't want a constant alarm more than a detection device you can in theory turn on and off. We also need it to see the difference between real love and induced love. I suppose it would be most simple to test if we bring in people and tell them they're offered tea. Spike it with love potion or a similar blank to see if they start acting the way because they feel they should. Kind of like people and getting drunk. And we should probably make sure it doesn't look conspicuous." She thought out loud. It was a habit that made cooperation easier, although sometimes it got weirder as her thinking out loud took strange paths at times. Heleen mostly nodded as she agreed with the various statements he was making. She'd taken a glance at his notes but when she realised he took secret to a whole new level she figured he didn't want any intrusions at all so she respectfully didn't pay attention to his notes after that point. She tried to be the best possible person she could be, especially when it mattered to her if she got along with people. Not that offending or upsetting people was something that her conscious could bear. The guilt always distracted her if she ended up accidentally stepping on shoes. She mostly just ignored that such a thing was weird and considered it more of a work in progress. "We probably should also test it near the fountain. Not actually poison somebody with it of course but see if it picks up on it. Since normal love potions are not actually real love but more infatuation or obsession and this stuff is supposed to be the real thing it can be an extra sort of control on the workings of our device." She mused and then smiled slightly as she finally allowed herself to relax just a little bit. "It could be sort of interesting to test on willing participants." She mused, wondering what sort of people might sign up for actually a love potion. Would those people be desperate for a partner or more likely for a new experience? She figured it would make sense if they were thrill seekers. A tiny part of her was tempted to test the device on herself but the idea of falling in love to do so was a little bit frightening. Well, more than little. Still, the idea of falling in love again always started to get a certain sort of appeal if one lingered on the subject for too long. @dmitri
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last online Apr 18, 2024 8:46:36 GMT -7
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Jul 3, 2019 18:11:25 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jul 3, 2019 18:11:25 GMT -7
Dmitri didn't understand Love. His parents obviously didn't either, his father especially. That man just wanted money. Was money love? Or was it a way to gain love? The concept he got, and he cared for his sisters, enough to protect them when they were all younger, and pay his father monthly so that he could raise his younger sister. But he had grown up with them. They knew and understood what he had gone through, if only because he had gone through the same thing themselves. That wasn't the type of love that he wanted to understand. The type of love that escaped him was the type that people write about, they tell stories about. The type of love that made people swoon, and be willing to do anything for. It just didn't make sense. Anyone who acts that way, and gets you to act that way yourself wants something from you, and will stop at nothing to get it. He should know.
The woman sitting at the table with him smiled. It was a nice smile. One that made Dmitri mouth curl up on one end. That wasn't something that happened often, especially when he wasn't trying to get anything out of their woman. She was a co-worker. But she seemed to have given her smile as a way of agreeing with his comment. Maybe that was why he felt that way. She was smart, and not afraid to show it. It wasn't very often that Dmitri had the pleasure to interact with someone who seemed to be almost as smart as he was, or at least on the same page. She continued to talk, and what she was saying seemed bring more of a smile to Dmitri's face. The kind that he didn't show people often, it was a true, and genuine smile. He hadn't thought about a switch to turn the device on and off. But it made perfect sense. He made a few notes as she talked. He didn't want to forget what she had said, so that he could work on this past what they are doing now. Continuing on, she moved to test subjects. They definitely needed that "Spiking tea, or another drink, with love potion, and a like wise placebo is not a hard task." He had studied it enough. "We will need to make sure to cure the love potion subject or subjects before we let them go. Which also wouldn't be too difficult" He said as he continued to make notes. This project was turning out to be funner than he had originally thought it would be. He would have to make sure that the other woman in the love room, didn't find out.
Dmitri had caught a glimpse of Heleen looking at his notes. He didn't mind, because he knew that there was little to no chance that she would ever be able to decipher what they said. First off, he figured that it was fair enough to assume that she didn't know Russian, but even if she did, it went even further than that. She suggested testing the device near the fountain and Dmitri nodded. "That would be good. We could also just test it in the room itself. The aroma is enough to make someone swoon." He knew this all too well, but was reminded of it with their first encounter. Even strong minds were succumb to it, which intrigued him. He had noticed the ever so slight change in her body, as she relaxed. That was good, she was getting comfortable around him. But Dmitri was not going to seduce this girl to get something. And he would just have to keep telling himself that. "I agree, we should get willing participants. But we shouldn't tell them what we are testing for. Along with an intense screening process/" That would help prevent false results. He wanted to make the best item that he could, and not some second rate one.
@seph
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last online Apr 18, 2024 8:46:36 GMT -7
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Aug 19, 2019 13:37:22 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Aug 19, 2019 13:37:22 GMT -7
((I'm sorry for the forever late on this! I didn't have time to catch up from the visit of my boyfriend yet. He kinda had my attention while he was in the country and all that >.< But post is here now! Finally! I hope you will forgive me since this is one of my fav threads n all >.<))
Heleen had quite the passion for her job and it always showed. To be able to talk so freely to a soul that seemed to share the passion to explore the secrets of the universe had her almost giddy with joy and excitement. Yes, he was intimidating to her, even more so because of his job location and the fact he was a rather attractive individual. Since he worked in the room with the constant smell of amortentia he constantly seemed to smell like everything she was fond of, the scents seeming to have become intertwined with the very fibers of his clothing. It had been distracting at first but as she got a little used to it, it made her feel at ease and more inclined to show her enthusiasm rather than keep it in because it was to be expected. She didn't really want to keep up a facade just to placate other people and ensure them she was a professional.
She wanted that freedom to be wild and enthusiastic without being judged. To theorise the most insane things and not be told to be a good girl and focus on more realistic things. She wanted to think big and dream bigger. He at least seemed to humor her for now and that made her very happy. He added to her ideas, not throwing them out but merely adjusting them where he saw fit. He seemed to at least respect her ideas and it meant the world to her. She wasn't exactly used to being treated like she was smart or equal to people. It was either because she failed to see it when it happened, because she talked down on herself or most commonly, because her ex had convinced her she always overestimated herself. It was nice to get the feeling that wasn't actually the case. Maybe, just maybe, she actually was pretty smart.
She nodded in agreement. "We should probably do it on a different floor as to not clue people in on what we do to begin with. If we set it up near the magical law enforcement people are more likely to think we are testing for a different kind of potion than a love potion. If we don't cure them before sending them off, it might actually lead to some pretty dicey situations in terms of lawsuits. I think the ministry would probably not be too happy if they find couples all over the scene that felt a certain need to dive into broom closets together." She said, scrunching up her nose at the idea of being responsible for that. It made her highly uncomfortable. Books always made it sound horribly romantic but the repercussions of being found in a closet without somebody in a government building? There was nothing romantic about that. In her case it would probably also mean she was at risk of losing her job if they led it back to their research. Not something she was too keen on.
She nodded with a look that clearly stated that she considered his statement to be a bit of an understatement. It was more than enough to make people swoon. If exposed too long without proper security measurements any sort of attraction between two individuals in that room would escalate without any possibility of a doubt. Her mind had started playing games with her almost as soon as the scent hit her nose and she still wasn't fully sure if she considered him physically attractive because of the damned potion or simply because she thought he was and the potion enhanced the allure he already held to her. Such a thing was perhaps impossible to test, unless her intended device held any sort of answers to those questions. It seemed unlikely, since it was supposed to test for potions that immitated love, not potions that held the very essence of it.
She nodded again as he mention the intense screening process. "Yes, and we should probably have a relatively large group if possible. Which means we do have to calculate in the possibility that the potion would either enhance natural attraction and cause it to accelerate or that people have the classic love at first sight type of scenario, in which case the potion might not work or the wand might give off different results than intended. It is possible that actual love along with the potion could interfere with the readings. People could be desperate enough to feed love potions because they are unaware the other person has mutual feelings. People are strange and all." As the thought popped up in her mind the more devious side of her brain wondered if they ought to try and drug each other without knowing. It could certainly be interesting in order to both see if they could spike a drink without suspicion and see if there were differences in taste between a potion that was only a placebo and one that had the full effects. If they could replicate the taste than the placebo would take place for the few that would recognise the taste because they would believe they were being fed love potion. Best to take everything into account. Not that she was likely to put that idea on the table. The idea made her far too uncomfortable. Such a vulnerability wasn't something she wanted to risk. She'd gotten hurt far too often to wish risking it, even if the entire thing would clearly be fake.
She scribbled a quick note in her own book. Trick test? It was an idea but one she'd rather keep to herself for now. Besides, since smart minds would often think alike she did not consider it impossible that he had the same idea. From an academic point of view, she wouldn't even object if he tested the entire thing in such a way without her knowing, as it would generate the best possible results before going to public testing. She probably would have proposed it herself if she wasn't too scared of the risks and if warning one another would not lead to them knowing what was happening, thus negating the actual results. Too many unknown factors and drugging any of their other coworkers was a bit of a large risk, unless they dealt with the paperwork of it before hand. It possibly was worth a shot, though not yet. She wanted that safety reserve.
@dmitri
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last online Apr 18, 2024 8:46:36 GMT -7
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Aug 19, 2019 20:57:39 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Aug 19, 2019 20:57:39 GMT -7
((No worries, I totally understand! I love this thread too. PS, I love this thread and love Dmitri and Heleen together! I think that it would be interesting to see more of them together, if your interested, we can talk more about it on Discord))
To say that Dmitri was not enjoying himself would be a lie. It was rare that he came across someone who could match his mind. This made it easy to take advantage of people. But this woman didn't seem like that. Because he was striving to be an honest member of society, he had no intentions of conning the her, though, he wouldn't mind spending more time with her after hours. So far, she seemed like someone he could actually enjoy spending time with. This was rare for Dmitri, so he didn't want to miss out. It was no small comfort to Dmitri, when she seemed to relax more, and allow passion to come though. He couldn't help but smile at this, even though he knew that part of it had to come from the remaining sent still on his clothing.
When she suggested doing the test on a different floor, Dmitri nodded "That's smart. Wouldn't want anyone going somewhere they shouldn't." The thing that made the boy a great unmentionable, was that he wasn't one to share his secrets easily, and he was determined to figure things out. "We should request a few of the smaller conference rooms in that area, and maybe not even tell them that it's a potion that they are testing." He chuckled at what she said about not curing them. Getting rid of the potion in their subjects would need to be a top priority. His mind lingered on her, noticing her facial reaction. But shook himself from it and scratched a note about that, being sure to give the note it's own little box, to remind him of the importance. Luckily, the Ministry didn't have the right to question their work, or what they did with it. If that wasn't the case, He was sure that they would never be able to conduct an experiment like this, even on volunteers.
She mentioned having a large group, and he nodded, the larger the better, he thought. It shouldn't be too hard to find volunteers for their experiment. The hardest part, would be to avoid those who just wanted the high. "People are strange" He agreed with her "A large group would be good, and we shouldn't stick them all in one place together, either do small groups, or one on one interviews. We will also need to test the actual feeling of love with the potion. I think it important to differentiate the two with the device. There was an issue with spiking the drinks of some. Some may know what it tasted like. Perhaps he could invent a tasteless brew. Though that would probably be near impossible, though, it could be counter balanced with a sweeter drink. Actually spiking the drink, wouldn't be too difficult, he had done it before, on a less willing victim."
Dmitri noticed that she scribbled a note, and took the opportunity to make a few himself on his thoughts. Would it be possible to dull the flavor of the potion? He would have to set his current project aside to look into this. And while it was fun to talk about testing on a large test group, the fact still remained, they needed a working model. He caught a glimpse of her notes and saw the word trick on it. Was she thinking of sneaking the potion to him? That wouldn't be a bad idea. But there was a risk on doing that to a co-worker, not to mention the paperwork. It would be interesting to romance her while not on the potion, this wouldn't be difficult for Dmitri. This could also test whether or not the device picks up on really feelings, or even how sensitive the thing is to love feelings.
@seph
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last online Apr 18, 2024 8:46:36 GMT -7
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Aug 20, 2019 9:51:05 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Aug 20, 2019 9:51:05 GMT -7
((YES! So much yes! They have such good and interesting interactions, I could deffo have me some more of that!))
Heleen was slowly letting go of her more careful restrictions as he didn't seem to judge her at all so far on her more enthusiastic ideas or random thoughts. Things like that truly made her feel at ease and able to be herself without worrying it would come back to haunt her. Naturally a part of her still was worried and scared but that could easily be traced back to her troubles in the past. Things were different here, considering he was a coworker. She didn't want to get into a whole world of trouble, especially not surrounding somebody that worked in a room centered on something she was actually a little scared of. Even with all that she knew she didn't exactly have a say in it. That was what made love potions so dangerous. Falling in love wasn't a choice so it was always possible you'd just been fed love potion to get your interest or attention.
When he mentioned that not mentioning testing a potion might be a smart idea she grinned. "The options truly are endless. We could probably convince them it's a different test of sorts. In the end it's not actually the potion we're testing anyway. We're trying to figure out if the device works. We probably should make it look very commonplace anyway. It's a bit of an insult to try and figure out if you like somebody or if they just drugged your to make you like them." It was something that had been on her mind half the conversation now and to sneak it into the conversation in such a way was good. Not that she thought he'd drugged her or anything but she did wonder if her attraction was based on the scent of his work or just on her liking him that way. In their situation the matter was impossible to figure out without insults. Even if they did end up making the device it probably wouldn't work on a situation as insane as theirs. Not that she felt like she was in love. That was far too soon to tell. She just thought he was hot, which made her uneasy enough on it's own.
She noted the few possibilities of grouping with little scribbles and then looked up at him for a moment. "I personally think multiple small groups would be best. It might be even more accurate if one of us spikes the drinks of a part of the group while the other runs the actual test with the device so that we don't generate results we expect by accident. When we're fairly certain it works we could run a test round again but have somebody unfamiliar with the device do the testing so we're sure it's usable for others than ourselves. In the end it might be something for law enforcement anyway in trying to decide in certain conflicts if people are under influence of love potion. Laws and all that." She motioned rather vaguely. She wasn't too interested in those aspects of the job. It was the thinking and inventing that kept her mind busy. The application was only good for a sales pitch and she prefered to leave those in far more capable hands than her own. The only thing she'd ever managed to get people sold on was joining random D&D one shots. Taking money from people wasn't something she was good at. Taking a bit of their time seemed far less criminal if the intention was for them to enjoy themselves. Besides, D&D wasn't much of a solo hobby, she had baking for that.
Distracted momentarily by the thoughts of games and cupcakes, she zoned back into the conversation and smiled at him. "Thank you, by the way, for helping out. I was a bit worried my idea was a little far fetched or something. It's nice that you took the time to humour me in hearing me out." She said, genuinely thankful for the opportunity to actually be able to explore the idea. Not just that, they seemed to already have a set up for a project based on the idea, which was far more than she'd ever dared hope for. Today, things were actually looking like a bright future might just be ahead.
@dmitri
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