Secret Science [CLOSED]

Nobuharu watched the man "watch" him. Nobuharu had instead just put his 'special' replacement up. It was a mannequin used for testing new devices on. It was life-sized, the right color of skin, and it bent right. All it needed was some automation, hair, clothes, and bam, Nobuharu would always been seen as "hard at work." Nobuharu did his paperwork absurdly fast, so he didn't want to get more thrown at him just because he was done. He had his own experiments.

Lately, Nobuharu had been looking over his shoulder more often than not when in his lab. Someone was watching him. At least that's what he thought. After it got too much, Nobuharu decided to spring a trap. Using Kidō, some goggles, and some very, very sticky gloves, Nobuharu was clinging to the ceiling. He was looking downward, scanning the area. He blended in with the ceiling tiles, but that wasn't all. He had used Kyokkō, an invisibility Bakudō, to hide himself. So he watched all night. And that was when he spotted the first figure.

As the log records never showed exactly what terminal, someone could easily use the same room that someone else was in to hide their presence. But that wasn't the case. Nobuharu saw this through a small ventilation duct into the adjourning laboratory. It wasn't one normally used, so no one would be there. And yet, he could see the glow of a computer screen. Nobuharu slid one hand out of the rigid gloves and adjusted his goggles. They were more like mounted binoculars than anything else. He could only make out some of the words on the screen. Besides the annoying glare, the vent got in the way. One line caught his attention. It was the end of whatever this person was reading.

"End of Report.
12th Division Lieutenant, Kurisu Nadeshiko"

Nobuharu's eyes went wide. Once the computer screen turned off, Nobuharu dropped down and placed Nobu No 2, as he had named the stolen mannequin, under his desk. After accessing files he shouldn't have been able to access, Nobuharu learned very quickly... someone was looking into this lady. Most of her past research notes had only been opened by this mysterious person in the years since Kurisu was thrown into the 2nd. Nobuharu thought this might be someone trying to blackmail her. As he had looked into her public research notes, he knew she was a brilliant scientist. Maybe... they were looking to steal something of hers! "I CAN'T LET THEM DO THAT!" Nobuharu stood, his labcoat billowing dramatically. He grabbed his cane and ran out of his office. Only, he returned a few seconds later to place the gloves and goggles back into his hidey-hole of other 'failed prototypes.'

Nobuharu was not an athletic man, so it took him a while to get to the 2nd Division. Well, it took him an hour instead of the normal twenty minutes. He blamed the sun, as it was just getting to be high enough to peek over the buildings of the Seireitei. The 12th and 2nd were, after all, neighbors. Nobuharu somehow avoided the first few guards before making it to Kurisu's office. He held up a finger of silence as he gently closed the door. "I'm the 12th Division Lieutenant, Nobuharu, a big fan of your work, and an overall nice guy. But, we need to talk. In private. More private than this. And now. There's something important that I need to tell you, and it'll be better if no one else hears it. Come with me, please." Nobuharu had a pleading look in his eyes. He had something to tell her, and he had to tell her soon.

Nobuharu gave an apologetic smile. It was simply him saying "Well, I didn't really mean to..." But he couldn't say that out loud. That would be another can of worms. And secrets. Neither of which were good to spill out on the floor, especially of the 2nd Division. Nobuharu was visibly relieved when she agreed to follow. "Oh thank God. I was afraid I might have to try to drag you out of here." And then, Nobuharu led her to an alleyway next to one of the walls around the interior complex of the Seireitei.

It wasn't a dead end, and Nobuharu kept looking around to make sure no one was coming. With a deep breath, Nobuharu began explaining. "Someone's been watching my office. I don't know why, but they have. Today, I noticed someone in the laboratory next door. I could just barely see it... but I saw they were looking at a report you made. Since no one was supposed to be in there, I decided to look into it. Someone has been accessing all of your research files that they could get their hands on. I was able to see when the files were accessed, and no one had accessed them between the time that you were transferred and now. So someone is looking into you, and... I don't know if they're looking for something to steal or if they're trying to blackmail you. I'd say they're looking at something to steal though. I've read your public papers and notes, and I have to say I'm very impressed. Your... theory and experiments on how stabilizing the Dangai negatively affects Denreishinki service actually spearheaded a design of mine to negate that. And that's just the first one that comes to mind. And I expected you to have glasses. Not sure why."

Nobuharu ran his hands though his hair. "Nobuharu." He thought of a better way to word this, but she didn't seem to care. She seemed disinterested, which wasn't good. "Then here's something. The person that's been watching my office is the 2nd Division's third seat or someone that looks a hell of a lot like him. But the person that looked into your files? They weren't wearing a shihakkusho. Beyond that, they knew exactly what terminal those reports were logged on. They weren't accessing the server. They were accessing the files directly. That means they're smart enough to go through a method that doesn't leave a big fingerprint now that the security system has been rehashed."

"There's something else." Nobuharu looked like he was thinking for a moment, then raised a finger as if an idea had struck him like a lightning bolt. "Research Report October 30th, Number 62 Version 9. That file was downloaded. Out of all of the files, only that one was worth taking. Because I don't have access to that file without going around some hefty protection, I don't know what was in it." Nobuharu looked at her very seriously. "But it was obviously hidden well. So what was in that file?" Nobuharu had no idea this was the file on the poison she had created.

Nobuharu definitely noticed her change in demeanor. Okay, so she wasn't entirely aloof and distant, yay! Nobuharu was slowly developing a profile of her. And the main thing he had in there: "She likes getting interested in things. What does it take to get her interested? Unknown." The chalkboard in his head was filling up slowly with his thoughts on Kurisu. "You know, I don't really know what you're supposed to do. I just thought to warn you, nothing past that." Nobuharu spoke very bluntly, not really showing any remorse.

"Scientist's code? I don't know, really. I just thought that was the right thing to do. That, and I know I don't like people looking into me. And if people stole something of mine, I'd be rightfully pissed. Unless it's my paperwork. That, I can gladly do without." Nobuharu nodded. "And, actually, I am a fan of your work. I actually have to say that overall, your quality of work is even better than Captain Yamanaka's. She might be smart, but there's something about the passion you obviously put into your work that puts you ahead of her. There... is something else I would like to ask about though..." Nobuharu decided to go out on a limb. "Are you seeing anyone?"

So... he had caught her off-guard? Success? Maybe? That wasn't actually his intention. Nobuharu was, well, lonely. He thought it was worth a shot to ask. But to catch her off-guard and not immediately get shut down... it was a first. He was just as off-balance as she was. In fact, he only caught himself once Kurisu was staring at him. He blinked. She stared. He blinked again. She stared. As he leaned to one side, she followed him with her gaze. So Nobuharu leaned to the other side. Kurisu's gaze continued to follow him. He almost made a game out of it when she spoke up again. He straighted up and decided to listen.

"I've had people tell me that I'm the smartest idiot they know, that I have the common sense of a squirrel, and that they have no idea how I survive outside of my laboratory. I at least can agree with the last point." Nobuharu smiled slightly, but then nodded back to it being serious time. "To answer your questions... both. Uh, I don't.. actually have very good luck with women... But I thought I'd ask someone I looked up to out. And I do like to gauge my peers, so knowing you're single does help my profile. Anyways... do you like snowcones? I... actually have a snowcone machine, and I could, uh, make some for us. If you'd like."

Nobuharu's smile slowly grew larger. By the end of it, he was grinning like an idiot. He had a date. Something he never expected, but he had it. And with someone he admired no less. "I have no need to prepare the red." Nobuharu's smile somehow widened as he grabbed Kurisu's hand and led her (rather quickly) to what was once Blast Lab 3. This type of lab was designed to be used in experiments requiring explosive materials. Blast Lab 3 was no longer used when Nobuharu was 'gifted' it. Truthfully, his experiments were too dangerous to leave with the general population. He had to be away from people.

Blast Lab 3 had a series of large windows up front. These windows were blast-resistant and quite thick. Large curtains were drawn, preventing people from seeing inside. This wasn't Nobuharu's only office, it should be noted. This lab had terrible connectivity to the outside, so to get anything done with electronic paperwork, Nobuharu had to go to a smaller office consisting of a single chair, desk, computer, and bookshelf. That was where he had seen the intruder earlier. Blast Lab 3, however, was far enough away from people that it didn't really matter. Nobuharu took a good minute trying to find the right key on a set of keys that were obviously too many for one or two offices. He turned on the lights and the lab was revealed.

The main feature of the lab was the large u-shaped counter. It had six sinks and countless vials of chemicals spread on top. The middle of the u was inaccessible from this side. One would have to go through the dividing wall to get to it. The second room was an observation room, where communication with the outside could be held. Nobuharu pulled up a stool from the counter and placed it beside another near a surprisingly-clean snowcone machine. Nobuharu slid across the counter, digging beneath it until he finally brought out two containers full of colored liquid. Each had a handwritten label with a flavor on it.

Nobuharu grabbed a handful of the vials and slid back across. He cranked up the machine and within a minute, the two of them had a snowcone. Hers was red. If someone had tested it, it was perhaps the most red thing in the room. It was true red. It had a tropical flavor, and oddly enough a citrusy flavor dominated it. Nobuharu's snow cone... was glowing. It was a purple so vibrant that it actually glowed a little. As he began to eat his, Nobuharu spoke up. "So, is it any good? I hope it's red enough for you. I could only guess, but I think it's an exact match to the color 'red.' No hue or shade different, just pure old red."

"I prefer to test it on mannequins. Or stuffed animals. Or really whatever inanimate objects I can find and roughly cobble into a humanoid shape." Nobuharu stayed silent for a moment, then continued. "Aaaand sometimes myself, yes. I never do experiments on people without getting their permission and their signature on a release form." Nobuharu dug around in one of the drawers as Kurisu spoke up. He nodded along to show he was paying attention.

"Exactly. You can't just go within the boundaries of safety. Some of the best inventions we've had came out of something not safe. I remember reading about the creation of the Denreishinki and how many times it took to create something that didn't completely destabilize the Dangai. Weird how we could open up a passage though it, but trying to communicate caused issues. Never understood that, but I'd rather not go into the Dangai to experiment on that." Nobuharu finally pulled out a manilla envelope.

"Hm? Oh, no, no no no. I didn't do anything like that. When it comes to cooking and sweets and the like, I flavor-test them myself. Word of advice, never try to make a mushroom-topped-steak-flavored snowcone. It won't work." Nobuharu shivered as he remembered the horrible, horrible taste. "But no, nothing is mixed in it." Nobuharu opened the envelope and pulled out a waiver. "If something had been mixed in, I would've had you sign this before you took a bite. If you don't mind me saying, you seem really paranoid about this. Did what I tell you earlier upset you?"

Normally, someone would be put-off by what Kurisu just explained to him. Even Nobuharu did find a bit of an ethical concern, but... he agreed with her. Everything she said was true. Kurisu was a brilliant scientist, just like he had surmised from her research. What he didn't know was just how alike they were. "You... have just put into words what I haven't been able to." There was a minor sparkle in the Lieutenant's eyes. "See, the reason our methods differ is because I don't dabble into the biological aspect of research. It's not my thing. Sure, I could probably create something similar to what you described—which is an amazing idea—but I'm... actually a little squeamish around blood. Just can't deal with it."

"So I experiment and research on things that people would hold, wear, or something that wouldn't affect their bodies. This could be anything from a Kidō gun to a suit of armor to an artificial soldier. All of those are things that are dangerous, but I can't really get people to test something like that against their will. So I make sure that I have it recorded that if, say, my Kidō gun explodes and takes off an arm... well, they can't blame me. Well, they can. I just can't have anything done to me." Nobuharu was a cautious man when it came to protecting himself. He didn't want to go to jail. Someone like him wouldn't survive there. Then again, Nobuharu's vision of jail was effectively the 11th Division.

"Ah, okay. That makes sense. I had just been worried that you were paranoid because of what I told you. Is.. is it really odd for someone to ask you out? I mean, I guess I can understand where most people would be intimidated by a woman being smarter than they were, but you're actually very pretty. I'm surprised no one has gotten over that bit. Maybe..." Nobuharu leaned over and studied Kurisu's face very closely, his hand scratching the scruff under his chin. "I think it might also be the eyes. They're a pretty color, but I think some people might find the way you stare to be off-putting. It's a little off-putting to me, but for a different reason than most. I'm just surprised your eyes don't dry out."

Nobuharu just continued to watch her. While she didn't blink, he did. But he didn't break eye contact. They just looked at one another for a while. Nobuharu was slowly but surely getting a feel for this woman. She was... interesting. She had an air about her that screamed disinterest but a want to get interested. It was as if she were begging people to be more outlandish. That was what Nobuharu was attracted to. Of the few women who had talked to him before on a more personal level, all of them asked him to tone it down. They wanted him to calm down. And he just couldn't do that. But Kurisu seemed to want more. That drove him nuts. "Huh? Me? Attractive? Well, thank you. Never thought I'd actually hear that." Nobuharu blinked in surprise, having never heard that before. "But yes, I do find you attractive. And you do have a piercing stare. It's one of those things I'll have to grow accustomed to. ...Odd question, but do you sleep with your eyes open too? If you don't blink, maybe you do that too."