bio_nerd (bio_nerd) wrote in marvel_nextgen,
@ 2012-09-14 02:16:00

Entry tags:

The "Dreaded' Yearly Psych Evaluation
Publicly she grumbled just as much, okay fine, more than, most people when it came to the psych evals. Why should she have to leave her lab to sit in someone's office and talk about her feelings? Ugh, what a waste of time. Not to mention all the potential for awkward questions.

But there was a loophole. And that loophole came around whenever Val did the evaluations. Of course it required some secrecy, not everyone could know about this otherwise they'd all want it, so that meant the evaluation was scheduled in the evening, when most of the casual workers had left, and everyone still around was too busy.

There's a light knock on Valini's office door and Lena pokes her head in. For once she's out of the lab coat, a rather rare sight most days. "Hey! Annual proof-I'm-not-too-crazy time?"

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valini_morse
2012-09-26 02:38 pm UTC (link)

"I'm not the one silenced by fried cheese food," she countered and stuck out her tongue to finish her argument. Taking another sip, she sighed in relief and swirled her drink. "Barring the obvious mishaps in the labs, it's a pity we aren't allowed to have a glass or two at work. I remember italian coffees powering many rather decent papers in college. Just enough alcohol to get creative and enough coffee to do something about it."

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	bio_nerd 2012-09-28 01:56 pm UTC (link)
	"I think they're just worried about all the expensive equipment and guns being around people who already have issues. Caffeine is the main form of substance abuse you'll find around here. I should talk, caffeine fueled papers are my specialty." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	valini_morse 2012-10-01 06:41 pm UTC (link)
	"Oh?" she teased. "Not dabbling in making substances with more bang? You do have access to alien things that would probably make peyote seem like a sugar high." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	bio_nerd 2012-10-03 08:17 pm UTC (link)
	"Biochemistry department not mine," she chuckled. "While I may have the access to the stuff there are other things you should be more worried about me making," Lena teased right back. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	valini_morse 2012-10-04 11:20 am UTC (link)
	"Right, sure, blame the biochemists. Excellent ploy for deflecting suspicion. Ooh sounds like someone is plotting already," Val added and wiggled her eyebrows. "They never found the person that put the hiccuping juice in the coffe for that one conference meeting with the other department heads." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	bio_nerd 2012-10-04 04:30 pm UTC (link)
	"I don't reveal my evil plotting," she smirks and takes another drink, her glass was mostly empty at this point. "I found that one funny. I bet they wanted some human testing subjects and a prank at the same time. Who can fault them for that sort of efficiency? I certainly admired it." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	valini_morse 2012-10-08 05:05 pm UTC (link)
	Val waves at the bartender for another round, nodded. "So no new interesting ways expand the mind for you? Mm, and when you're not joyriding in prototype tech to boring ass conferences, how do you kick loose? Remember when Jackson tried to crochet and resulted in threatening people passing the cubicle with the hook? (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

bio_nerd
2012-10-10 01:03 am UTC (link)

"Kick loose? Cute. As if I do much of that. But my god that crochet fiasco? I swear if I tried that I'd be starting the threats way earlier than he did. This is what happens when you try to get people to relax." She tapped the edge of her now empty glass thoughtfully. "Let's see, Tim dragged me out of the lab to an amusement park. But other than that I've been in my lab. Sudoku and reading while waiting for things to run, that's all for me. What do you expect? I'm a lab rat."

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valini_morse
2012-10-11 11:55 pm UTC (link)

"I like the idea of geniuses responsible for saving the world attempting to relax to keep from going a little bibbedly when in a clincher," Val counters mildly. "How useful will SHIELD be in the next invasion if half the scientists crawl under their desks and rock?" The drinks appeared and she took one to sip as Lena explained. "Ooh, which kind of coasters do you like?" She shrugged, not about to make suggestions on relaxing. "A little something-something on the side wouldn't hurt," she adds with a wink.

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bio_nerd
2012-10-12 03:57 pm UTC (link)

"Oh no no," she wags her finger. "We work well under stress because that's all we do. Difference is we don't know how to relax. Stress we thrive in."

"The ones that don't give me whiplash. Though I like that ride, what's it called? Oh well. You know where they strap you and one or two people into a harness, drop you from a ridiculous height then let you swing like a pendulum? It's like flying. Tons of fun though it usually costs extra." Lena took her drink and took a sip to hide a chuckle. "Tim is a sweetheart and a teddy bear, don't listen when he tries to deny that, but we're not like that. It's nice to have a friend who understands the lab rat part though I have to say he's much better than anyone I know at taking vacations. Seriously though, how is climbing an ice wall relaxing?"

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valini_morse
2012-10-15 06:17 pm UTC (link)

Val nodded along, although the sympathetic expression spoke volumes on how much she didn't approve of the SHIELD types working until burn out.

"'Harness swing' works from me," she offered and shrugged. "I never got the point of the straight down ones. Forty minutes of waiting, for a five second ride." Pouting she shook her head at the pointlessness. "Oh no, I just meant in general, not just with Tim. It's a fantastic and natural stress relief, is all." Oh no, ice wall climbing was not what Val would call a vacation. "Well there's the clinging to cold bit I'd hate. Apparently he enjoys trying to kill himself."

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bio_nerd
2012-10-15 10:08 pm UTC (link)

"Well that one there's not much of a wait. The extra fee deters people," she explained. "Is that what the euphemism is these days? Natural stress relief?" She can't but snicker, though she'd blame part of it on the alcohol kicking in. "And that sort of enjoyment I can never get behind. Besides, the cold is just not for me. I even hate it when they skimp on heating for the lab! Freezing my ass off is not going to make me more productive, take note higher ups," she scoffed and took another sip. She could feel it starting to kick in, and after a long week she certainly deserved it.

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valini_morse
2012-10-16 05:03 pm UTC (link)

"Good for that, very sneaky! I always liked the ones with your feet dangling." Val laughed and drank some more of her wine, shrugging lightly. "Another bottle and I might be able to recite the cascade pattern for an orgasm, but no, 'natural stress relief' isn't lewd enough to be a euphemism." She grinned and nodded when Lena complained over the cold. Tim was a sweetie, but batshit insane with his choices of vacations. "Totally. Some of us operate like snakes; too cold and we just sleep instead of diligently do work to save the world."

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bio_nerd
2012-10-16 06:14 pm UTC (link)

Lena burst out laughing. "Oh god, get me drunk enough and a good chunk of the bar might get a lecture on how viagra works on the molecular level. It'll be our weekly education series: breaking lewd things into dry scientific steps."

"I'm sorry, but if it gets cold enough that I'm sitting on my hands, then I go 'screw it' and find the thermostat and crank it up to max. Because if they don't want me huddled under some giant duvet they better heat the place. I think they got the message, because my lab is the only one on the floor that's consistently heated." With a very smug smile she takes another drink. Oh sweet heating, what would she do without you?

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valini_morse
2012-10-18 10:51 pm UTC (link)

"This idea has merit! Buy the scientists a drink and we'll explain a mystery of the universe! We'll be lush by two weeks!" she cheered on the idea and toasted her partner in crime with her drink. "Like reverse Geeks Who Drink. Drinkipedia."

She laughed and had to golf clap on Lena's resourcefulness. "A sit-in protest, or bundle-up, if you will. I have a space heater under the desk aimed at my shins for the winter." Sounded like Lena was 'acclimated to her environment and optimized the area to her optimal potential.' "Maybe we should suggest an extension complex, off in Tahitior Bon Air?"

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bio_nerd
2012-10-20 04:01 am UTC (link)

"Wonderful!" She cheers and gives her partner in crime a toast too. "We'll never buy a drink again and we're helping deal with the scientific ignorance of the average bar goer. Everyone wins."

"Oh I have a space heater in case. No way do I work when cold." 'Acclimated to her environment' and 'optimized' it was certainly true. It was all about hitting key words for these evals. "Hmm I like the extension idea. At the very least they should hold all relevant conferences there. I know I'd actually volunteer once in a while for those." Pause and a mischievous giggle. "Then they wouldn't have to worry about us around prototype cars."

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valini_morse
2012-10-21 02:07 pm UTC (link)

"Well, if they can remember what we said the next day..." she adds and winks to Lena.

"Agreed, even the CIA would be sore tempted to join in on our conferences then, the paranoid grumps." She nods and sighs. I know, no more cars, but prototype speed boats and air craft on the other hand... And we'd invent an sunblock that blocks night vision goggles and heat signatures too. Think of all the tropical-theme Bond toys that'd start appearing."

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	bio_nerd 2012-10-21 07:26 pm UTC (link)
	"Ooh and I think we can manage to get Tim to let us try out all the Bond themed stuff. Maybe at a conference..." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	valini_morse 2012-10-23 06:52 pm UTC (link)
	"Mm, anything gnawing you recently?" she asks after a good drink from her cup. There should be enough booze in them that if Lena needs a push talking, she'll either have it or will at least circle the topic. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

bio_nerd
2012-10-24 11:52 pm UTC (link)

Lena rest her chin in her hand and looks up at the ceiling while she considers the question. That she's actually answering it is indicative that the booze is working. "Hmm...well other than the usual slew of project ideas occupying my mind and the associated problems with it...I think I'm okay. Dream job, got friends and some fun coworkers, other than lack of sleep I'm alright. You can write down on your eval there that I'm busy as a bee! Well...except female because the busy ones are male and...aaaaanyway."

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valini_morse
2012-10-30 06:45 pm UTC (link)

Val taps her glass and merely nods when Lena wraps it up. If nothings bugging her, nothing's bugging her. "That lack of sleep bit, though. That becomes more than a mere annoyance and we can dabble with some of the mild sleep agents. I know how hard it can be to shut off the brain sometimes." Tonight will not be one of those nights, judging from the empty glasses. Flicking her pen off, she smiles and waves at the bartender for another round.

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	bio_nerd 2012-10-30 10:25 pm UTC (link)
	"Well they like it to keep running so they're unlikely to complain," she shrugs. "Now..." Lena sits back and does her best psychiatrist impression. "Tell me, what seems to be bothering you?" (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	valini_morse 2012-10-31 12:28 am UTC (link)
	She bursts out into snickers, covering her mouth with her wrist since her hand is busy holding a wine glass. Putting down the glass, she looks up with a mostly-concerned expression. "Well, I have been having these recurring dreams about cigars..." (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	bio_nerd 2012-10-31 03:36 am UTC (link)
	The alcohol is kicking in a little too much for her to maintain a straight face. So after a moment of snickering into her drink she manages to compose herself. "Cigars? Fascinating. Now...did your father smoke cigars?" One could not try to segue into Freud without bursting into giggles all over again. There was no way otherwise. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)

	valini_morse 2012-10-31 02:26 pm UTC (link)
	Valini ending up giggling into the table top. "Ah, Freud and Jung may be the forefathers of the field and demand respect for that, but boy were they nuts themselves. Granted scientists tasted their chemicals until they realized they kept dying around 40," she giggled and shrugged. Sometimes geniuses were really dumb. (Reply to this)(Parent)(Thread)