| Memorization |
| Summary: | Mary Jane and Honeymoon work on memory training, and discuss presenting Naenia's case to the rest of the agency. |
| Date: | 2014-09-15 |
| Related: | A few |
| NPCs: | NA |
| Scene Runner: | NA |
| Social/Plot: | Social |
| Players: |
 .. .. |
"Okay. There are ten items here." Honeymoon says. On the floor is a blanket. "You have thirty seconds to memorize these items. Then I put down the blanket. You list off the items." Honeymoon lifts up the blanket, revealing the items underneath:: a pen, a remote control, a coffee cup, a box of tissues, a piece of paper, a cup full of paperclips, a StarkPhone charging cord, an empty CD case, a unicorn charm and Honeymoon's wrist wizard. Honeymoon holds a second blanket in both hands. "Thirty seconds. Go."
Mary Jane does what Honeymoon has been training her to do: she uses her mind, her exercises, her own talents, to try to memorize the list of items. Her own contribution? Out comes MJ's own Starkphone, and her thumbs fly over the keyboard. She doesn't take a picture; that would be cheating for this exercise. But instead she finds a way to, as rapidly as possible, process through her mind and out through her fingers a list of everything on the blanket. Processing information in this manner is one of the sure-fire ways to embed it better into memory and make it more accessible later.
Honeymoon keeps an eye on the second hand of the office clock, watching as it ticks from 0 to 30. When the second hand passes the 6 on the clock, Honeymoon drops the blanket. "Alright. Hand me the phone, then tell me the ten items."
As soon as she is directed to, Mary Jane glances at the screen, and then taps the button to shut off the phone, handing it over to Honeymoon. Then she closes her eyes, and gets started reciting. "Wrist wizard, phone charging cord, unicorn charm," The first ones come easily, but then MJ pauses, reordering her thoughts, working through it all. "Uhm. Coffee cup. A a piece of printer paper. A pencil." Another, longer pause. "A box of tissues?" She keeps her eyes closed, but taps through her fingers. "A … phone. And … a CD." There are mistakes. But not many, and most are minor. She didn't do badly, though chances are Honeymoon would do far better.
Honeymoon lifts the blanket. She points as she talks. "Not a pencil. A pen. Remote control, not a phone. Forgot the cup of paper clips. The phone cord is specifically for a StarkPhone. You forgot the cup of paperclips. Not a CD but an empty CD case. Not bad for a first go, though. I started playing this game when I was little. It won't be long before you can do twenty to thirty items and alphabetize them in your head."
Mary Jane frowns momentarily, clearly annoyed at herself. "I couldn't come up with the last item." In truth, it got mixed up in her head and her mind's eye with the coffee cup. "My thumbs don't move that fast." she teases Honeymoon. But, she's willing to try whatever exercises Honey thinks she should, to become a better investigator. So. How do I get better?"
Honeymoon sets down the blanket and then says. "How do you get to Carnegie Hall?" She winks. "Practice, practice, practice. It helps to look for patterns and make connections. And we'll work on other mental exercises. There's a lot that were developed during the Middle Ages by monks, back when entire passages had to be memorized quickly."
Mary Jane smirks at that, but nods to acknowledge Honeymoon's point. "OK. Well, whatever exercises you think I should try, let me know when you're ready to start teaching." She does hold out her hand for her phone, though. "The best trick I ever learned was to read something and then write it or type it out. The act of processing the language into action helped to solidify it in my memory."
"It can be very helpful but you don't have time to write things down when the action goes down." Honeymoon points out. She hands over the phone. "If a crime occurs you need to be remember the details. Make. Model. Color of a car. License plate. What kind of rims does the car have? Any bumper stickers? How many people inside of it? What does the driver look like? White? Black? Latino? Hair color? Shirt color? Tinted windows? How many antenae and what sort? Anything can be a clue."
MJ nods. "I get it. Typing it out, not ideal. It's just the only trick I know, Honey. I'm not 'memory girl'." She shrugs. Mary Jane isn't stupid, by far, but she's not a big brilliant brain, either. She plods. She gets by. She wants to get better, and she's eager to try new things. "Being quick with the phone in other ways can be darned handy, though." she admits, grinning.
"Oh, sure. And texting has opened up whole new options for communications." Honeymoon picks up her wrist wizard and slips it on. "So, you're going to be stupid and go undercover without backup if Kate and Sally say no to the new job, huh?"
The redhead makes a face. "I'm not going to be /stupid/. But I'm not dropping the case just because they don't want to take it. Assuming they don't. I still want to bring it to them, first. I'd rather do it with everyone working together. It could be a big deal." At least she's aware enough to realize that. "But if they do turn it down, I'm still doing it. This … this I need to do. And no one else is going to be better placed to go undercover and get this done."
Honeymoon laughs for some reason. "Now I know how dad felt." Maybe when she went off "investigating" on her own as a kid. "Of course you're not going to do it alone. You're going to do it with me. I'm not going to let you down and I'm not going to lose you."
Mary Jane smiles. "Good. I'm glad you'll be there." She doesn't say 'I just knew you'd stick with me.' She couldn't be sure. But she surely hoped. Frankly, she's hoping the whole agency will sign on. But if they don't, that won't stop her. Now, if that happens, she knows she won't be alone. That's a good thing. "Only thing I haven't figured out yet is how to get the sword overseas."
"The problem isn't getting it overseas. The problem is getting it through the airport and that's not a big deal. It'll have to go in luggage is all. You aren't the first person to carry a collector's item through customs. Why does a model need a sword? Because she's a freaking model. That's why. You're supposed to be eccentric, Mary Jane." Honeymoon begins picking up items and returning them to their homes around the office.
"Really? I figured even in luggage they'd spot it and freak out." MJ knew the challenge with 'overseas' was the airport. Obviously. She's not going over on the QE2, for pity's sake! "I don't raelly want them knowing I have the sword, if I can help it. Better as a surprise, when things go down. If they do, anyway."
"Well, no getting around that." Honeymoon continues her quest to put things away, "With airport security, they'll see it. Best thing to do is wrap it up neatly according to the rules and declare it." She considers for a moment. "Oooh." She slaps her forehead. "Kate. Private jet. They won't look as hard at one of those."
And … MJ's big green eyes just about fall out of her head. "What? /Kate/? /Our Kate/?! /PRIVATE JET/?" Yeah. MJ is totally blown away. But she tries to adapt. "OK. So … I can give you guys the sword to take over, and then we find a way to get it back to me once we're over there. Assuming that works out."
"Kate's father is rich. I'm pretty sure he has access to a corporate jet and, therefore, she does as well." Honeymoon says as if she deal with this every day. "If she doesn't, my godfather probably has a Space Coupe lying around. Ever since he built the new model in 2011 the darn things actually work. Don't ask me or him why. We could go into orbit with one if need be."
"Space … coup?" MJ's eyes threaten to roll across the floor with that one.
"Diet Smith, back around the time my mother and father were married, tried to invent a Space Coup. A vehicle capable of traveling to space and back. He could never get it to work, however." Honeymoon puts the last item, the remote control for the office's heat pump, away. "He tried again in 2012. It works. Can go into space. He hasn't told anyone but family, though, because he's worried that a vehicle like that in today's climate will just open up space to warfare."
The redhead frowns. "I'm not sure how a space car opens things up to warfare. But, warfare sucks. So … if he wants to hold it back and keep it quiet, I'll respect that." Hey, she has seen the holographic projection of the wrist wizard, so she has to accept Honeymoon has some friends with some weirdo supertech stuff. It just still blows MJ's mind. She's just not used to that wild and whacky stuff. "I'm glad you're willing to help me with the case."
Honeymoon stops, turns, leans in. The kiss is quick. Designed to be in and out before MJ can make a fuss or push her away. Then Honeymoon's moved onto folding the blankets up so they can be stored away for when people sleep on the couch. "I've always got your back, MJ."
Mary Jane blushes, but she doesn't splutter, or squawk, or slap Honeymoon. She's surprised. She wasn't ready for it. But she's not mad. Not really. "Well, I'm glad. Hopefully someday I'll be good enough to have your back, too."
"Sometimes, being good enough is just a matter of making the right call." Honeymoon points out. She tucks the blankets away. "To the police. To our bosses. To the taller red head you share a body with." She smiles. "I know if I'm in trouble you'll do what's needed to get me out of it."
"I will." MJ agrees, as she climbs to her feet to help Honeymoon get everything put away. "You'll help me present this to Sally and Kate, right? 'Cause it would be better if we had all of us together, I'm guessing." Though admittedly, the idea of doing it just the two of them has its appeal.
"We'll talk to them together." Honeymoon agrees. "I don't think they'll have a problem with the idea. After all, this was just the sort of case the Defenders was founded to handle. Now, come on. I'm starving and there's a burger joint down the street that makes the best in New York, I hear."
Defenders For Hire Inc. — Hell's Kitchen
The door opens up to a small office and waiting area. The walls are painted a pale blue and have various paintings from local artists hanging from them. A few fake plants occupy the corners of the room, along with a water cooler by the waiting area. A coffee maker and mini-fridge stand near the water cooler. The waiting area consists of four chairs lined up against a wall. Opposite the chairs is a large mahogany desk with a new computer and phone system on it. A bank of file cabinets occupies a far wall, and a number of windows allow in plenty of natural light.
- Obvious Exits:
- [O] - Back Alley — Hell's Kitchen
- [OF] - Office — Defenders Inc. — He
Mary Jane Watson
This attractive young woman appears to be in her latest teens or perhaps her earliest twenties. A lovely redhead of average height with deep, jade green eyes, she has pretty noticeable curves and a trim, hourglass figure. Her features show a model-quality symmetrical beauty. Her voice is rich and strong, a soprano with strength and great diction, perfect for public speaking or possibly singing, with only the slightest New York accent. Her long, deep red mane tumbles freely over her shoulders to mid-back length, her bangs trimmed short to frame that lovely face. Her makeup is artfully minimal, perfecting and highlighting her already striking features.
She is currently wearing a white scoop-neck t-shirt, peeking out from the partially-unbuttoned V of a dark forrest green long-sleeved button- down blouse, tucked into blue denim jeans that are fitted but not painted-on tight, with a thin brown leather belt through the loops at their waist. She sometimes wears a soft brown leather jacket, and often carries a deep forest green backpack with brown suede shoulder straps and detailing. Simple gold studs dot her earlobes. Brown loafers cover her feet.
Honeymoon Tracy
A pretty eighteen year old with blonde hair and intensely blue eyes. Her hair seems deceptively short because she pulls it up into reverse pig-tails that hang towards the front instead of off the back. She prefers purple make-up, including a light purple lip gloss and eye shadow. She wears a pair of shimmering blue crescent moon earrings. Her clothing consists of a pair of jeans, a black t-shirt that reads: Moon Unit One and a green army jacket. There's a shiny chrome bracelet on her wrist.