Scientific Observation Subject No. 275

Ema always had a passion for science. She loved learning, and she loved experimenting and discovering even the weirdest things even more. She was always bound to find something she'd be curious about, and whenever that happened, she'd always put it on a list.

"Things to Experiment On and Observe Scientifically," she had called it; it was a pretty long list, kept in that small notebook she always carried in her pocket. Over the years, she had gone on to use more advanced gadgets, but her notebook remained a constant companion. As she progressed from mere eleventh grader to police detective, the items on the list also moved on to being crossed out, either out of accomplishment or out of the eventual realization of the sheer impossibility of conducting the experiments.

She often looked over those old notes whenever she had free time or whenever she found herself stuck in a dull moment - just like today. Running her eyes over her hurried scrawl, three words suddenly stood out. "Daryan's hair. How?" was exactly what she had written then.

"What?" Ema muttered, eyebrows furrowed. What was her younger self thinking when she wrote that vague line? She held the notebook closer to her face, as if the proximity would make the words make more sense. "No way, I wasn't talking about the Gavinners, was I?" Ema frowned; she couldn't remember if she had been a fan in her younger years. But if she didn't remember, she thought, then surely that meant she wasn't a fan at all. She sighed in relief.

The first time she had ever heard of the Gavinners, she realized, she couldn't have cared less. At that time, she had been too busy following Miles Edgeworth's footsteps—literally—to even remember that she had almost crossed paths with the band of a man who would eventually make his way to her list.

Before meeting him in person, she did remember seeing him in photographs. The Gavinners were everywhere, after all; on posters, in magazines, even on television. Though not a fan, the younger Ema must've found something interesting about him if it had prompted her to write his name down in her experiment notes.

Daryan Crescend.

She knew he was a detective as well, but they had never crossed paths at the police department before. They were from different divisions, after all, and with his being the bassist of the Gavinners and all, he was almost always out anyway. But now that that glimmerous fop had called for her to do some "work" for him, she found the perfect opportunity to get close and personal with this scientifically interesting man.

I can't believe I'm actually here. Ema grimaced as she popped a Snackoo into her mouth. She had been on security detail backstage for the Gavinners' concert. I'm a detective, for crying out loud. Ugh, I swear, someday I'm going to get that fop for this…

Her brooding had come to a halt when the door to one of the dressing rooms opened. There were still a few hours before the start of the show, and mostly it was staff members who had been running around the coliseum, making final checks on the equipment and the stage. The Gavinners shuffled out of the dressing room themselves, carrying their instruments; a final sound check and rehearsal was in order, it seemed.

Ema threw a glance down the hall, at the infuriatingly loud bunch of young men, her twitching fingers accidentally crushing a Snackoo in the process.

"Oh, hello, Fraulein!" A blond man waved, a smile playing on his lips. It was a smile that could charm the hearts of thousands of other girls, a smile that any one of said girls would probably kill to be on the receiving end of. But for Ema, it was a just smile that made her want to kill, period.

She had to admit that she was quite unsure why exactly she always found herself annoyed at the rocker-prosecutor; and though this, too, was on her list of subjects to further inquire into, it certainly wouldn't be a priority for a long, long time.

Don't talk to me, Klavier. Ema thought, scowling as she munched on another Snackoo. The prosecutor was still smiling. Seemingly able to read her thoughts, he muttered something that sounded vaguely like, "I'll talk to you later, so don't miss me too much, my Fraulein Detective!" as he turned away, heading towards the stage. She couldn't be sure, what with the chattering of the staff, but she couldn't care less.

Ema simply rolled her eyes as she brushed off the crumbs from her fingers and got ready to do her rounds backstage, but stopped as soon as the dressing room door closed with a thud. Her gaze immediately darted to the last man out of the room-What…? Is that even real?

The man had turned his head slightly as he slung a guitar case over his shoulder, giving Ema a glimpse of his unique coif.

"Yeah, now I remember," Ema mumbled as she watched the guy disappear into the stage area.

Detective Daryan Crescend. Criminal Affairs Division 3, International Affairs.

And the owner of the most scientifically anomalous hair I have ever seen.

Ema positioned herself near the stage exit, a few steps away from the Gavinners' managers and personal staff. The concert had reached its end (finally, she thought). She listened on as the band gave their final goodbyes and thank yous, backed by the mad screaming of the audience.

The fans chanting their names continued to drone on even after the stage lights had dimmed and the Gavinners had switched off their mics and entered the backstage area. A few production assistants followed the band of five into their dressing room, handing them towels and refreshments. Ema trailed behind them until she reached her detail spot by the door, making a show of not caring while everyone else around her celebrated the success of the concert.

"Fraulein," Klavier said, catching her attention just before he entered the dressing room. A short post-concert meeting was in order, and all involved parties had already settled into the room save for the prosecutor. "Thank you for your hard work today," he smiled.

Ema remained unimpressed, and she didn't hide it.

"We're having an after-party at my place. It would be great if you could grace us with your company a little longer."

The detective sighed, avoiding his gaze. "Sorry, Prosecutor Gavin," she started, her tone completely unapologetic. "I'm not into parties. Besides, I have no plans of coming in to work late with a hangover tomorrow."

"Oh come now, Fraulein Detective. It's a Friday night!" Klavier chuckled, placing a hand on the bit of wall beside her head. Blond locks fell to frame his face as he leaned, looking down at the shorter and more petite detective. "Everyone will be there. You've been a part of this production too, and you deserve to unwind a bit after your hard work. I'm sure security detail has been tiring."

She wished she hadn't finished up all her Snackoos because she was sure Klavier could've used a few to the face. Knowing full well the prosecutor wouldn't drop the case, and wary that he could find more ways to make their current position more compromising, Ema submitted. "Fine. I'll drop by for a bit," she said, following Klavier's every movement with a glare as he retracted his hand and disappeared into the dressing room, leaving her alone in the hallway once again.

Klavier Gavin's bachelor pad was just as glimmerous as his office, Ema thought as she walked through the doors of the penthouse flat. It was generally minimalist and modern, with the interiors' clean-cut lines and solid colors. Most of the furniture had been put aside for the party, but Ema was sure that without contest, the most impressive feature of the place was the large, floor-length glass windows that gave a breathtaking view of the Los Angeles skyline, now glittering with lights. The entire flat could have been ten times the size of her own, she guessed, and could probably have cost a hundred times her salary.

Members of the production staff, from technicians to directors and managers, and a handful of VIP guests from the industry came in droves, and the hurly-burly kicked up a notch once the Gavinners finally entered. Ema rolled her eyes; she really wasn't supposed to be here. She didn't belong with these entertainment types—this just wasn't her crowd. If it were scientifically possible to push herself further enough to blend in with the wallpaper (or better yet, to phase through the wall and out of that party), she probably already would have.

Klavier gave a short speech, thanking everyone for their contributions to the concert's success—an overused and overrated speech, Ema thought—and soon it was time, yet again, "to rock."

Music blasted through the speakers scattered around the flat as Klavier's hired hands—whom Ema assumed he must've brought over from the main Gavin residence—drifted around, handing out drinks.

Avoiding as much eye contact and small talk as possible, Ema headed for the buffet. Hopefully, she thought, if she kept her mouth full, people wouldn't bother talking to her.

Standing at a table at the back of the room, she watched the crowd. The latest party music flooded the room, and at the center of everything, a group of already slightly intoxicated young adults jumped up and down, dancing. The band members dispersed through the crowd, entertaining their own guests, while many others clumped into their own small cliques, attempting to chat while their voices competed with the music.

Feeling her throat dry, the homicide detective searched for drinks. Dang it, isn't there anything non-alcoholic in here? she thought, feeling her car keys dig deeper into her pocket as she slipped through the crowd. I suppose I could have just one. She laughed inwardly at herself at how she found herself thinking about laws while at a party. As part of the police force though, she couldn't help it.

Spotting a butler with a tray laden with glasses of beer, she trailed him, not expecting to soon lock gazes with the last person she ever thought of bumping into that night—Scientific Observation Subject No. 275: Daryan Crescend.

He stopped the butler to get two glasses when he spotted Ema. Handing her a glass of beer, he smiled (or something close to it; Ema wasn't sure, what with the crazy lights) in acknowledgement of the fellow detective. Nodding her thanks, she watched him disappear into the crowd again, only to reappear beside a girl Ema could've sworn she'd seen while she was flipping through channels on television.

She chugged down her glass while watching the couple out of the corner of her eye. There wasn't anything interesting enough to tune in to at the moment, and besides, she had been meaning to understand the dynamics of the guitarist-detective's hair anyway. She stood idly by, discreetly watching the guitarist and his celebrity friend.

The two seemed to be in conversation, leaning close towards each other to make sense of the words. Something Daryan said made the girl laugh, which made him seem pleased with himself.

How he managed to keep his hair from hitting the girl in the face intrigued Ema. Her thoughts were interrupted though when someone whispered into her ear from behind, almost making her jump (if only she had the space to). "You're pretty mean, Fraulein," the whisperer said. Ema quickly whipped around to face him, a scowl on her face to match the playful smile on his.

"What now?"

"You've been paying a lot of attention to Daryan lately. I'm a little jealous." Klavier chuckled, still leaning close to the female detective's ear. Ema flinched; she couldn't help but feel a chill running down her spine as she felt his breath on the side of her face, followed by his low whisper. She chalked it up to a desire to punch him in the face. "But I suppose I can help you out with him, if you'd like."

Her eyes narrowed. "What? No, no, no, it's not like that. I don't—"

"Leave it to me, Fraulein," Klavier winked, completely ignoring her complaints. In one fluid movement, he grabbed another glass of beer from a passing butler and replaced the empty one in her hands. "In the meantime, just enjoy the party."

She watched as Klavier headed towards the guitarist and his lady friend, striking up conversation with the two and handing them drinks as well.

"What am I doing?" Ema asked herself, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand after chugging down the glass the prosecutor had handed her. Resisting the urge to grab a third glass, the detective headed back to the buffet table instead.

Ten songs and four empty plates later, the crowd had diminished greatly to just the band members, a few managers and producers, and a handful of close celebrity friends. Ema was ready to call it a day and take her leave as well, but Klavier stopped her before she could even get past the makeshift dance floor.

"Don't leave yet, Ema," he said, approaching her.

Wow, didn't know he actually knew my name. She rolled her eyes.

"Just let me send these people home." He held up his hands, gesturing as if asking her to sit and wait, despite there being nothing to sit on. "Don't move, Fraulein!"

Ema glanced at her watch and sighed. It was a little past three in the morning already; she had been at the party for almost five hours. I better be paid overtime for this, she thought as she shook her head. She felt a migraine coming, all thanks to her fatigue and made worse by the alcohol, the flashing lights, and the loud music from earlier. The detective went to lean by the window, turning her gaze away from the now-ongoing cleaning and send-off operations.

Another half hour passed, but it only seemed like seconds when she heard the rocker-prosecutor approach her again. She was the only "guest" remaining now.

"Now he's all yours, Fraulein," he chuckled, leaning unnecessarily closer to her. He gestured towards a drunken Daryan Crescend, sprawled over one of the couches. "Once he's like this, he won't wake up, no matter what you do. So don't worry, you can touch it all you want."

"Wait just one second here, Gavin." Ema glared. This has gone too far. Just what did he think she was thinking? "You've got the wrong idea. I'm not interested in Detec—"

"But you're curious about his hair, ja?" He cut her off, his expression turning serious. It seemed he wasn't as drunk as he let on after all. "Well, now's your chance, Fraulein Detective. Examine to your heart's content."

Ema was wide-eyed, rooted to the spot. So the prosecutor actually knew what she was after all along, and he was actually supporting her silly endeavor. It seems the fop can make up for his shortcomings after all, she thought. He's not too bad, I guess.

"This is amazing," the homicide detective laughed, turning to the prosecutor who had squatted beside her. She had just stuffed her entire hand into the male detective's hair. "It's all real!"

Klavier laughed as well. "What did you think it was?"

"A wig. Or an alien. I don't know what I was expecting from it, really," Ema replied, eyebrows rising in surprise when she managed to smoothly extract her hand from Daryan's hair without any tangling. She grabbed the other detective by the shoulders and lifted him to a sitting position. Pointing at the still-standing coif, she continued. "I just didn't think it would be possible. I mean, look at it, it defies the laws of physics!"

"It does, doesn't it?" Klavier nodded. He hid his surprise as he watched her take out a few test tubes from her bag. He had always wondered why she had supplies for forensics tests when she wasn't a forensic scientist. Sticking the test tubes into the male detective's hair, she chuckled at the human test tube holder. "Your conclusions then, Fraulein Detective?"

Ema pouted as she carefully returned the glassware into her bag. "I don't know. I think we'd need further investigation into this matter, Prosecutor Gavin."

"I'm sure Detective Crescend wouldn't mind."

They then dragged the unconscious guitarist to the nearest bathroom, propping him up against the bathtub.

"I wonder..." Ema mumbled, taking out yet another forensics tool from her bag. Slipping on the pink glasses that always rested on top of her head, she sprayed some fluid onto the detective's hair.

"What are you doing?" Klavier asked, bewildered. Although he wasn't as forensics-savvy as other prosecutors, he knew well enough that the bottle the detective was holding contained Luminol testing fluid. "Do you seriously think he uses blood to hold that in place?!"

"What do you think he puts in there?" She shrugged, putting away the bottle and glasses, likely not finding any reaction. "This can't possibly be natural."

She would believe Mr. Wright's hair spikes were natural. She probably would even believe Apollo if he claimed the same thing. But Daryan? No way in hell is this natural.

"I honestly don't know," Klavier sighed, playing with his fringe. Watching the short strands fall back to the sides of his face, he was struck with inspiration. Resting the sleeping detective's head over the edge of the bathtub, Klavier ordered Ema to grab the showerhead.

There was only one way to find out if Daryan's hair was naturally that way, after all.

"You alright there, pal?" One of the department's senior detectives asked as he passed by Ema's desk. He had heard her groan; checking on his junior, he found her with a hand on her head and the other around a cup of coffee.

Noticing the man in the scruffy green coat towering over her desk, she looked up and forced what she hoped was a pleasant expression on her face. It wouldn't do to scowl in front of seniors, she decided. "Oh, I'm alright sir, just-"

"Fraulein Detective!"

So much for not scowling in front of seniors, she thought, as Klavier made his way to her desk.

"After the fun we had last night, I just couldn't wait to see you again," he laughed, leaning against the edge of her desk.

"Ohoho, so that's what it was," the senior detective chuckled, briefly saluting the young prosecutor before walking back to his own desk. The prosecutor only smirked.

"No sir, it wasn't—" Too late. The older detective was already out of earshot. "Ugh. What do you want?" Ema hissed, feeling her headache worsen with Klavier's presence.

Is he trying to make a living out of embarrassing me in front of my colleagues all the time?

She didn't have the energy to flick Snackoos at him, and nor was she particularly daring enough to throw her cup of coffee. She settled for shooting him a nasty glare.

"Come now, Fraulein, that's no way to treat the man who helped you with your experiment," he remarked. Klavier fiddled with his phone, swiping through a few screens before holding it out for her to see. "After you left, I took Daryan back to his flat, you see. And while I was there, I decided to continue your research. I just thought I'd show you the results."

On the screen was a photo of a dresser laden with a mountain of hair care products. In the middle of it all was a barely recognizable Daryan Crescend; his hair, no longer in its hard-gelled glory, fell flat and flowed all over his face. The angry, newly-woken scowl that peeked from beneath his dark locks made him look like he had come out of a horror movie.

Talk about a rude awakening.

Ema laughed. "I never thought I'd say this to you, but impressive work, fop."

And with that, the case for Scientific Observation Subject No. 275 was now closed.

Watching her scribble excitedly into her notebook, Klavier grinned. "So what are we investigating next, Fraulein Detective?"