Thread: The Hourglass Archives [ Ariamella & jvj9000 ]

Pink, glossy lips turned up in an easy smile as Stephanie gazed at the professor, a relaxed yet enthused expression on her face. It also showed a hint of relief at Dr. Martensen's decision, partially because it meant she would have a unique area of study for her independent project, but mostly because things were going exactly as planned. There was nothing to indicate, either verbally or through body language, that he had agreed to participate because of any romantic interest, but the young woman was ecstatic regardless. She didn't need him to like her in that sense. She didn't even need him to be sexually attracted to her. At least, not right away. All she needed was for him to keep being his nerdy, professor self, the one that went crazy for historical artifacts and spherical blobs that he liked to show off during class. As long as he kept that up, VISIONEX would do its job in playing matchmaker. But Stephanie also knew that she would have to be careful in the beginning. She would, first and foremost, be a loyal and professional academic colleague to the dear professor before entertaining the thought of being anything else. Even now, she was containing her celebratory mood, confining it to the smile and the expressive sparkle in her hazel eyes. No, no, there's not any tests, Stephanie said, the process is extremely simple. They actually look for a DNA marker that indicates whether you're compatible with the machine that's used. All you need to do is bring a copy of your genetics profile, and they'll determine if we're a match... For the experiment, I mean. She added the last part hastily and lightly laughed to dispel any awkwardness that might have come with the statement. Not that she minded, but she didn't want Dr. Martensen to get any ideas about why she was really asking him to participate in her independent project. She had no doubts that he saw her as near-perfect student. Hardworking. Focused. And she wanted to keep it that way. There was an inkling of suspicion in her mind that tickling an instructor's soft spot for the subject they taught was one of the best ways to open the door to everything else, and hopefully it was a strategy that actually worked. Oh, and you're going to need this too! Just wait a second... Sorry! The brunette quickly hopped up the few steps of the middle isle of the lecture hall and bent to retrieve something from her backpack, rifling through various folders within for a few moments before pulling one out. The position wasn't inappropriate or aggressively suggestiveshe knew that entirelybut she also knew she looked good from behind, even if the skinny jeans she had on did cover everything. After couple short seconds of gathering her things, Stephanie walked back to the front of the room and handed the professor an application of sorts. The VISIONEX logo decorated the upper right-hand corner, and the sections below held empty spots for participant information. She looked up at him with another excited expression. The first page is just information, all self-explanatory. The following pages are a basic questionnairequalifications on research, partner requests, and medical historythen the last page is a liability form. Not that it's particularly dangerous or anything, but apparently some people have been experiencing nausea and vertigo after taking a trip, and hallucinations, but that's pretty rare. Stephanie adjusted the backpack slung over her shoulder, moving it slightly to distribute the weight of the laptop and textbook so it didn't cause an unnecessary ache on the muscle. The address of the facility is there on the application. I'm scheduled this Saturday for an afternoon session at 330, so I guess you can meet me there. And if, for whatever reason, you need me before then, I'm actually heading off to Dr. Rebhorn's class right now. I'm his TA this semester. The smile on her face almost turned sour as she fought the urge to roll her eyes. The course, Anthropology and Classical Studies, was one of her favorites making connections between anthropology and the Ancient Greek scholars was bound to be interesting for any student, but some the male sophomore undergrads were more nauseating than whatever special history machine VISIONEX used. Interestingly enough, she knew they were just trying to impress her with their knowledge and analysis of the material, but it was still a turnoff. Horny 19 year-olds looking to get in her pants weren't her thing, no matter how much they tried to show off their intelligence. No ma'am. No thank you. Thank you so much for agreeing to this, professor. It means a lot to me that my academic adviser is willing to participate in my research, and assuming all of this is true she gestured to the brochure then you won't be disappointed. Have a great rest of your day, Dr. Martensen! Stephanie flashed him another respectful smile, then turned to walk out of the room, the soft expression transforming to a wide grin as the door softly shut behind her.