The tourniquet? It's to restrict blood flow in your arm - make your veins more prominent, so they're easier to locate.
[ He is starting to relax again, a bit. She may lack a lot of foundational knowledge, but sincere curiosity is a quality he instinctively likes, and feels drawn to cultivate in others. He takes her arm and gently turns it palm-upwards on the table. ]
Clench your fist for a moment? Yes, like that.
[ He goes into his kit and pulls out the little gun-looking thing, which he presses against the inside of her elbow and moves it around for a few seconds, keeping an eye on whatever kind of readout it has. In a moment, though, he frowns slightly. ]
Hmm. [ The vein should be right here, shouldn't it? It's not showing up. He widens the search slightly. Everyone's body is different, so it's not that unusual, but... ]
<s>12 years later</s>
[ He is starting to relax again, a bit. She may lack a lot of foundational knowledge, but sincere curiosity is a quality he instinctively likes, and feels drawn to cultivate in others. He takes her arm and gently turns it palm-upwards on the table. ]
Clench your fist for a moment? Yes, like that.
[ He goes into his kit and pulls out the little gun-looking thing, which he presses against the inside of her elbow and moves it around for a few seconds, keeping an eye on whatever kind of readout it has. In a moment, though, he frowns slightly. ]
Hmm. [ The vein should be right here, shouldn't it? It's not showing up. He widens the search slightly. Everyone's body is different, so it's not that unusual, but... ]