[first note is unsigned, undisguised handwriting; second note is signed, placed far away from first]

[ham_fisted]

[A few ink marks where he tapped his pen against the page.]

Suppose someone wanted to take fingerprints. How would they go about making fingerprint powder from scratch?

----

Paramedics! (aka Tear & Co.)

Did you want to try again?

Comments

[complicatedliar]

I am unfamiliar with "fingerprint powder." What physical properties define it?

- Lingormr

[not signed]

[ham_fisted]

Well, it's [pen taps] white? Really fine stuff. You brush it on to surfaces to see if anyone's fingerprints show up.

Re: [not signed]

[complicatedliar]

Does it have any specific properties of flow or adhesion that mark it?

[not signed]

[ham_fisted]

[Er...?]

I don't know?

[fuukaenbujin]

If there is any available, I believe the spores of plants of the Lycopodium genera are often used as fingerprint powder.

If not, I believe a good substitute is any sort of chalk, charcoal, or graphite. Those materials seem to be readily available.

[fuukaenbujin]

[ajkshg pretend the above comment was written in this font. Sorry for multiple edits!]

[not signed]

[ham_fisted]

[ooc: No worries about the edits! ♥]

I'm using the chalk, pal. It'd be hard to find the right plant in the greenhouse they have here. It's so big!

Thanks for the information!

[anonymous writing, different from the writing below]

[fuukaenbujin]

[He'll be making notes on the existence of the greenhouse from this. Big greenhouses are of interest to him.]

You're welcome.

[scientist_skye]

You can make a passable substitute for fingerprint powder using starch powder and soot from burning a porcelain plate!

I can teach you how, if you think we can find either of those things.

[not signed]

[ham_fisted]

[ooc: I assumed Ema's note wasn't signed. Let me know if it is so I can edit!]

Is it alright to use chalk instead of starch powder?

Sure, pal! That'd be really helpful.

[scientist_skye]

((ooc: That's totally fine! There's no indication that she did sign it, so that's a fair assumption to make. I pretty much always have an "-Ema" at the end of messages she does sign, for future reference. :) ))

I don't think so. Chemically and physically, starch and chalk are very different. But they might have something hidden away that could work.

I have plans tonight, but maybe tomorrow night?

[not signed]

[ham_fisted]

[ooc: Okay. :) Also, I don't know if you know, but the reason Gumshoe wants to make fingerprint powder is so he can give it to Ema as a gift. :'D )

OK! I'll find out as much as I can about where to get those ingredients. Where should I meet you?

[disguised - laboriously neat print]

[quarter_english]

They would get a sheet of paper and a sharp pencil: a mechanical pencil would be ideal.

Fold the paper in half, unfold it, and place it on a hard surface.

Select a small area about 1cm or so square near the center of the fold. Fill in that area with the pencil while pressing hard (as if coloring with a wax crayon).

If you continue to move the pencil around in the same area, you'll grind the lead down into powder that will gather on the surface of the paper. Collect the resulting dust by folding the paper again and shaking it into a small container. You'll know what to do with it.

Clear or translucent tape will be helpful for lifting prints.

[not signed; previous note removed]

[ham_fisted]

Whoa! You really went all out.

This is cool! I didn't know you could do it with pencil lead. I'll be sure to keep a hold of these instructions. Thanks, pal!

[posted later, in reply to the second note, unsigned]

[fuukaenbujin]

I read elsewhere that there was a medic team being put together. Is this the group it was referring to?

[signed]

[ham_fisted]

Yeah, it sounds like it. Why? What did you want to know?

[in the same writing, unsigned]

[fuukaenbujin]

Just confirmation. I may have an interest in it. Are you the one in charge of this group?

[later, same writing, unsigned]

[fuukaenbujin]

[Arrow pointing to this this post.]

On second thought, this post answers my questions. But thank you anyway.