[video]

[hirobotics]

[When the feed switches on, it shows Hiro flushed, breathless, and clearly ducked into a small, dark hiding place with a hand pressed to the side of his head and his eyes shut. He tries to keep his voice down when he speaks so that he won't be easily found, but who even knows what someone might be able to hear. Keeping his voice low also helps with the headache that started pounding behind his eyes; which had happened so suddenly that he'd stumbled into things and gotten him into the mess he's in at the moment.]

So-- here's a question. Totally hypothetical... but let's say you got caught sneaking into areas you shouldn't be in or touching things maybe no one wants you to touch. What would you say is the best way of getting out of it?

[He only asks because his usual tactic of "play the totally innocent/dumb kid card" doesn't seem to work so well on the few staff members he's run into in the engineering area, and even the "I'm so sorry, my head's been hurting and I got confused" angle failed. All of which has ended up with him kind of backed up into a corner. He wouldn't bother asking a whole bunch of strangers otherwise. Hiro bites his lip, glances outside of his little hiding spot, then turns back to the camera with a slightly sheepish look.]

It's not as bad as it sounds. I swear. I just... needed some things.

Comments

[voice]

[circumitus]

[u ok ked]

Depends on which area you're not supposed to be.

[voice]

[hirobotics]

[yes? ...yes. let's go with yes.]

Apparently there are a lot of restricted access areas in engineering.

[voice]

[circumitus]

What part of engineering would you be sneaking into?

[Pause.]

...Hypothetically.

[Video]

[tadashiwashere]

[It takes maybe another hour for Tadashi's big brother senses to start tingling, but the moment he realizes that it's been a while since he heard anything out of Hiro today, he's hopping on the communicator, vaguely frantic and very disapproving.]

Hiro! Where are you?

[Video]

[hirobotics]

[By which point, Hiro has found a way to sneak back into the salvage area and start poking at things. Of course, his head still hurts - way more than it did earlier - but he's not gonna alarm Tadashi with that.]

I'm in engineering. [He says it with a nonchalant shrug, as though he were talking about the weather.] They've got this huge junk pile here. Have you seen this??

[Video]

[tadashiwashere]

[Tadashi just... massages his temples, letting out a heavy sigh. He's dealing with his own headache still.]

Hiro... please tell me you asked before you started digging around over there.

[He feels like he knows the answer. It's Hiro, after all. And he's not sure if he even wants to ask what Hiro has in mind for that junk pile.]

video;

[testis]

[Behold, an accomplished thief. She's got a cat draped around her shoulders, too, because Crookshanks was a complete softie secretly.]

Don't get caught.

[Duh.]

video;

[hirobotics]

[That answer had Hiro rolling his eyes a little. That's definitely the obvious answer, and it does nothing to help him.]

Well, what if you tried everything and you still got caught. What then?

video;

[testis]

Then you're an awful thief.

[She shrugs a little, and Crookshanks looks annoyed.] Listen, you wanted advice. I gave it to you. Don't get caught.

video;

[jondrette]

[Eponine considers this for a few moments. But only a few because it hurts to think.] Depends on what it was you took. And who caught you.

When I was last caught? [She hadn't been stealing anything.] the man I was with took off running and shoved me towards the police. And to think I almost married him! With that particular officer, I played hurt. [But she'd been arrested anyway, simply as she was a Jondrette.

And, y'know, they'd kidnapped a guy.]

video;

[hirobotics]

[Played hurt! It's like that makes the light bulb over his head come to life and Hiro snaps his fingers. That's an option he hadn't tried lately. It would be worth dredging up bad memories to play it convincingly enough.] That's a good one! Did you get away with it??

I mean- This shouldn't even be a big deal. It was basically in the trash, so if they threw it out, they really lost all rights to it.

video;

[jondrette]

No. I was arrested all the same, though not for what they wanted to charge me. [She grins lop-sidedly all the same.]

Ah! So you think like me! If they threw it out, it was no longer theirs.

[private - voice]

[ryuuzaki]

[Hey, it's a guy who sounds slightly bored and at least slightly English!]

You're in Engineering?

It's unlikely that you have the clearance to cause any real trouble. [Although there had been that incident with Charlotte.] Have you spoken to Raven yet?

[private - voice]

[hirobotics]

[There's a pause on Hiro's end, just because he's blinking in a mix of surprise and confusion.]

In the area, yeah... Who's Raven? [They sound important.] Could they, uh, get me clearance to look at stuff?

[ryuuzaki]

Raven is the Chief Engineering Officer -- yes, she could give you clearance, if she wanted to.

Why did you need the things you needed? Hypothetically speaking.

[video]

[foundafamily]

I don't think pleadin' the fifth or playin' dumb really works here. Sorry.

[Wait, maybe he should focus on the fact that there seems to be an actual problem.

He raises an eyebrow.]

Why exactly do you need to know, huh?

[video]

[hirobotics]

So I've noticed. [And it's gotten Hiro kind of down about it.] Why wouldn't it, though? The place is full of confused people, you'd think they wouldn't be as intense.

[Anyway. Hiro just shakes his head and lets out a little sigh, pressing a hand back up against his temple.] I, uh. I'm just gathering up materials. For a project.

[cantfixtime]

Maybe you should apologize?

[She teaches kids this age. He seems pretty honest, but maybe he's gotten himself in trouble. Her face is kind and gentle, but her voice is stern.]

[hirobotics]

[That makes Hiro just look a little confused. Apologies were all well and nice, but they never meant he got entirely out of trouble.]

Well- what if apologizing doesn't work?

[romancekiller]

Sneaking into what area? [because she figures it depends on where he is]

[hirobotics]

engineering

people here are pretty strict, huh?

[video]

[tongueamok]

Better hope you're a good liar.

What was it you needed?

[video]

[hirobotics]

[That has Hiro letting out a slight chuckle. He's a good liar when he has to be. But it doesn't seem like that's enough.] Um- Parts for stuff. And some tools.

[kutte]

Looks like you're gonna have to face the music, kid.

[hirobotics]

No tips to help keep me out of trouble, huh?