In the Open Cage

Chapter 5

The captain, Misa decided, was the most arrogant, pretentious, egotistical man she had ever met. It hadn't been more than a few paces from the gates to her home, and he had already started to list the rules, not giving her a chance to recuperate from the emotional chaos her parents instilled in her. Misa wouldn't have minded much had the "rules" been rules at all, but she soon realised that what he was doing was setting her discipline as if she was a soldier in his command so that she would act according to his preferences.

By the time he had gotten to how many buttons she had to wear, Misa was about to give up her newfound freedom and return home. She finished cleaning the blood—red paint—from the swan's neck and shoved the pieces in with her eagle.

"Buttons?" Misa exclaimed, cutting the captain off from his endless list of rules. "Why do you even care how many buttons I have? Honestly, Captain, this is getting quite ridiculous! Five buttons? Do you know how hard it is to find a blouse with five buttons? Unbelievable!"

"I wouldn't worry about that, Miss Carpenter. Your uniform will be provided to you at the safehouse. Five Buttons is essential for this line of work."

"Oh, do tell." Misa tried not to roll her eyes. "How could the number of buttons possibly be essential?"

Clearing his throat, the captain touched the first button of his uniform. "Buttons can act as a quick and quiet signal. They get quite useful during long meets or stealth missions. The first button, for example, signals danger. In a meet, it could mean that there is someone eavesdropping outside, and thus signals participants to keep confidential information out of the conversation without letting the eavesdropper know they've been discovered.

"The second button means that the coast is clear. If used after the first button in a meet, it means that the eavesdropper is no longer a problem. Otherwise, it could be used in different situations. During a sneak attack, for example. Signaling that it is safe to move without speaking can be quite useful."

Misa frowned. "Well...I suppose it does make sense. What about the other buttons?"

With a hint of a smile, the captain continued. "The third button lies right below your breast. That makes it easy to distinguish that it's the third button even from afar. This button asks for reinforcements. In the case of a meet, this button typically asks for someone else's input while there is a speaker.

"The fourth button signals that one is unable to help. During a meet, it could mean that you need to leave the room for an urgent break. The last, and most important, button," he paused and grabbed his fifth button, "means, word for word, 'I have never met anyone more gullible than you.'"

"What?" Misa scowled. He had been pulling her leg! "Are you serious?"

"No, of course not." The captain sighed. "It's a running joke in the purgehouse. I supposed it would have been wise to let you know."

"And that's why five buttons are essential? Because of a joke?"

"'Five Buttons' is what we call our uniforms. If you're going to work for the purgehouse, Miss Carpenter, you have to look like it."

Misa struggled to keep her temper down. "Captain, I don't appreciate your play on words. You might think it's quite clever, but I'll say it makes your audience look like a fool."

"Offended, are we?"

"Why would I be offended?" Misa huffed, hugging her luggage bag close to her chest. "I just don't find your little joke very funny."

"I see you've inherited your father's temperament."

At the mention of her father, Misa's mood dampened. "I don't seem to have a father anymore, Captain. It would do you good to not mention him again."