The dinner announcement came as something utterly unexpected. Rather than Harrington's excited tones, the calm accented voice of the General drifted through the intercom speakers
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"Huh" was a good way to put it. Tsubaki wasn't opposed to using poisons on people if the circumstances called for it, if the vermin poison was indeed the reward for making it through the mission, it was a morbid gift for an already morbid system of forcing people into dangerous labour.
She didn't know what to do with the box, either, and settled for putting back inside her storage container along with Rapunzel's painting. They would be relatively safe inside there. The poision just wasn't something she was ready to try and take out of the room with her. She wondered if Rapunzel was going to leave the dagger behind, too; it obviously hadn't invoked good feelings.
Tsubaki looked over as Rapunzel brought up their plans and straightened up. Right, the other item they were storing in their room. "Yeah... hey, before we worry about that, maybe you could give me an opinion on something else I'm working on. You have an eye for art." Shielding her journal from view, she scribbled out a quick message and moved closer to show it to Rapunzel, who had taken out a long, pink dress from her box in the time that Tsubaki had had her back turned. Was that also a... frying pan?
On the page read:
Let's keep being careful about what we say and do over that. They have ways of watching us, and probably listening, too. I have an idea for when things die down, but I think we should keep it with us as much as possible so there's less chance of it being found.
There were only so many angles a camera could get of a room, and Tsubaki positioned herself and the journal to block as many as she could think of within reason. Avoiding the Institute's invisible eyes and ears was likely a futile cause, but the only other option was to become paranoid of all forms of communication, and that was... well, that was kind of impossible given the situation.
To keep the flow of conversation natural, she added, "Um, how come you have a frying pan?"
"Oh?" Rapunzel was confused. What did wanting an opinion on art have to do with the disc? It wasn't until Rapunzel carried her things over to Tsubaki and her journal that she realized what her friend was doing. Ohhhh. Duhh. She shouldn't have been surprised. She had been half-doing the same thing herself, if only out of vague paranoia. Now that she knew that yes, the Institute did have ways of watching and listening, she knew that she had to be extra careful to keep up that kind of talk.
"Looks good to me! I think you should keep it up," she answered, eyes shifting back and forth for a moment over the paper to make it look as though she were appraising it.
And then the conversation turned to her choice of weaponry. "Oh, this?" She had to grin a bit, thinking back to Eugene and his "daring" duel with Maximus. "Only one of the most underrated weapons in history," she answered, striking a "Flynn Rider"-like pose with the pan in hand. The movement just happened to create a curtain of hair hanging off her outstretched arm, which just happened to provide Tsubaki with an opportunity to either add to the note or slip it away, whatever she wanted to do next with it.
Not the most covert operation in history, but unless all eyes were rooted on their cell and what they were doing in it, the message would do the trick. Realistically, it was likely they were being watched extra closely because of the mission, but the entire day had passed without so much as an out of place look from the soldiers. Tsubaki thought there was no immediate reprisal in store, at least.
“Thanks. I’m glad for the input,” she said, folding the paper closed with one hand. Even if Rapunzel didn’t have firsthand experience with the security cameras like Tsubaki did, the other girl had an idea now. Time and secrecy would let the heat surrounding their theft die down a little, if nothing else.
Rapunzel was clever, though! Watching her display her “weapon,” Tsubaki almost missed what the blonde was up to until there was already a veil of hair shielding their secondary exchange. For someone who had spent so much of her life in isolation, Rapunzel wasn’t somebody to be underestimated under pressure! Not wanting to push their luck too much more, Tsubaki just used the opportunity to give a concealed thumbs up, and slip it into her clothing with a little sleight of hand of her own. She gave a small laugh where the posing was concerned. “Is that so? I’ve never tried. It’s useful for you?”
A frying pan was kind of a blunt force weapon, she supposed. Enough to distract an enemy and get away quickly.
She didn't know what to do with the box, either, and settled for putting back inside her storage container along with Rapunzel's painting. They would be relatively safe inside there. The poision just wasn't something she was ready to try and take out of the room with her. She wondered if Rapunzel was going to leave the dagger behind, too; it obviously hadn't invoked good feelings.
Tsubaki looked over as Rapunzel brought up their plans and straightened up. Right, the other item they were storing in their room. "Yeah... hey, before we worry about that, maybe you could give me an opinion on something else I'm working on. You have an eye for art." Shielding her journal from view, she scribbled out a quick message and moved closer to show it to Rapunzel, who had taken out a long, pink dress from her box in the time that Tsubaki had had her back turned. Was that also a... frying pan?
On the page read:
Let's keep being careful about what we say and do over that. They have ways of watching us, and probably listening, too. I have an idea for when things die down, but I think we should keep it with us as much as possible so there's less chance of it being found.
There were only so many angles a camera could get of a room, and Tsubaki positioned herself and the journal to block as many as she could think of within reason. Avoiding the Institute's invisible eyes and ears was likely a futile cause, but the only other option was to become paranoid of all forms of communication, and that was... well, that was kind of impossible given the situation.
To keep the flow of conversation natural, she added, "Um, how come you have a frying pan?"
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"Looks good to me! I think you should keep it up," she answered, eyes shifting back and forth for a moment over the paper to make it look as though she were appraising it.
And then the conversation turned to her choice of weaponry. "Oh, this?" She had to grin a bit, thinking back to Eugene and his "daring" duel with Maximus. "Only one of the most underrated weapons in history," she answered, striking a "Flynn Rider"-like pose with the pan in hand. The movement just happened to create a curtain of hair hanging off her outstretched arm, which just happened to provide Tsubaki with an opportunity to either add to the note or slip it away, whatever she wanted to do next with it.
Reply
“Thanks. I’m glad for the input,” she said, folding the paper closed with one hand. Even if Rapunzel didn’t have firsthand experience with the security cameras like Tsubaki did, the other girl had an idea now. Time and secrecy would let the heat surrounding their theft die down a little, if nothing else.
Rapunzel was clever, though! Watching her display her “weapon,” Tsubaki almost missed what the blonde was up to until there was already a veil of hair shielding their secondary exchange. For someone who had spent so much of her life in isolation, Rapunzel wasn’t somebody to be underestimated under pressure! Not wanting to push their luck too much more, Tsubaki just used the opportunity to give a concealed thumbs up, and slip it into her clothing with a little sleight of hand of her own. She gave a small laugh where the posing was concerned. “Is that so? I’ve never tried. It’s useful for you?”
A frying pan was kind of a blunt force weapon, she supposed. Enough to distract an enemy and get away quickly.
Reply
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