Sneaky Spycraft: Week 3, Period 4

[tricksy-spy.livejournal.com]

Aly was wandering around the classroom as the students arrived.   As everyone took a chair, she smiled at them all and perched on the edge of the table at the front of the room.

"Good morning.  Today is the first day we're going to talk about - and practice - some of the actual tools a spy uses."  She grinned, excited.  "Lockpicking isn't just used by spies, of course.  But an agent can end up in a multitude of situations where a little manual dexterity is helpful."  She winked at Seregil if he was present.  "Some of you already have experience in this of course.  Either from another of my classes or outside activities.  And for you, I have something a bit more difficult planned."

"But before we get into the actual practicing, let's go over the basics of how, exactly, you pick a lock."  With that she took them through a short but information-filled lecture on picking locks.

She gestured them all to gather around the table.  "Now, these are all training tools for learning.  Take a turn at them, see what you can do.  A third of picking locks is the theory, the other two-thirds is practice and steady hands."  Aly smiled mischieviously at the class.  "And I don't want to hear anyone complaining this is too hard.  It's challenging, and those of you who've never done it before may take quite a while, but I learned how by the time I was four.  There are sets of lockpicks on the table.  Feel free to try out a couple different ones.  And for those of you who want or need more a challenge, I have some much more difficult locks over in that corner."  She pointed to where there was an assortment of pretty much any type of lock possible.  Including one that didn't actually look like it needed a key.

he came back to the main table with a smile.  "Right then, any questions before we start?"  She paused to answer any that came up.  "Now, I have one last thing for you.  Part of being aware of your surroundings at all times is knowing who's near you and what they're doing there."

[OOC: Wait for the OCD as is one's wont is up, yo]

Comments

Picking Locks

[tricksy-spy.livejournal.com]

No breaking of lockpicks!

Picking Locks: The "Easy" Ones

[tricksy-spy.livejournal.com]

Not easy, but simpler at any rate.

Try the easier locks or teaching tools first. Help each other or shout if you'd like Aly's help.

Re: Picking Locks: The "Easy" Ones

[willbedone.livejournal.com]

Willow decided to start with the simpler ones. She picked up a lock and a set of tools and got to fiddling with them.

...not dirty.

Re: Picking Locks: The "Easy" Ones

[cantjossme.livejournal.com]

"Need any help, Rosenberg?" Mel asked as she watched said fiddling.

Re: Picking Locks: The "Easy" Ones

[willbedone.livejournal.com]

Willow smiled. "Hey, Mel! Please. Otherwise it's thwarted learning and my world goes topsy-turvey."

Re: Picking Locks: The "Easy" Ones

[sorella-vecchia.livejournal.com]

Triela had been shown how to pick locks before, but hadn't really practiced the skill. The Agency was more of a door-kicking organization most of the time.

Fortunately, Triela was pretty dexterous and had tried this before. Unfortunately, she didn't have all that much patience and it wasn't long before she was scowling at the relatively simple lock in front of her.

Re: Picking Locks: The "Easy" Ones

[tricksy-spy.livejournal.com]

Aly snagged a practice lock with just two pins and slid it across the table for Triela. "Try that one. Once you know how the pins feel when you're manipulating them, it gets easier."

Re: Picking Locks: The "Easy" Ones

[dojima-hime.livejournal.com]

Dōjima had picked out a simple lock, and was already hard at work trying to persuade it to open.

It took quite a bit of time and some creative swearing, but eventually she was rewarded with the desired effect. Grinning, she waved it around triumphantly. "Yay, I win! Dōjima one, lock zero!"

Re: Picking Locks: The "Easy" Ones

[izzyalienqueen.livejournal.com]

The nice thing about alien-fu? It meant locks were never an issue.

But there were times it paid to be discreet. So Isabel picked up a set of lock picks and set to work on one of the more simple locks.

Re: Picking Locks: The "Easy" Ones

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

Anders went for one of the easy locks first as a warmup exercise, if you will.

It wasn't a recordbreaking speed job by any means, but he did get it on the first try. Whee.

Re: Picking Locks: The "Easy" Ones

[sarcasm-guy.livejournal.com]

Sokka set to one of the easier locks with a look of intense concentration on his face -- with his brow furrowed and tongue hanging out.

The skill wouldn't be too useful back home, where the locks were much simpler, except the ones that were opened by bending, but here on Fandom, it'd be really useful to know. At least, it would be once he stopped sucking at it.

Re: Picking Locks: The "Easy" Ones

[ashockingbitch]

Electric locks, sure, she had those little bastards under control. But this?

Yeah, Jenny was doing a lot of fumbling around and muttering 'bugger' under her breath.

Re: Picking Locks: The "Easy" Ones

[ambassadorinara.livejournal.com]

Inara had never picked a lock before, but she could see how it would be useful in either line of work she'd chosen.

Not coincidentally, she started with a pair of handcuffs first. Her hands were steady, but finding the release was more difficult than it looked.

Picking Locks: And the More Difficult Ones

[tricksy-spy.livejournal.com]

None of them are hugely difficult. If it's all too easy, ask Aly and she definitely has some extra hard ones squirreled away.

Re: Picking Locks: And the More Difficult Ones

[socksofcool.livejournal.com]

Seely picked a lock I kill me a random and started working on it.

Re: Picking Locks: And the More Difficult Ones

[cantjossme.livejournal.com]

Mel surveyed the locks on the table. The one that didn't need a key caught her attention.

Re: Picking Locks: And the More Difficult Ones

[tricksy-spy.livejournal.com]

Aly's eyes lit up as she saw Mel's attention settle. "What do you think?"

Re: Picking Locks: And the More Difficult Ones

[thebluespirit.livejournal.com]

This was better and Zuko eagerly picked up some of the locks (because he was greedy) and set to.

Re: Picking Locks: And the More Difficult Ones

[intraspective]

Yeah, Ino gave the easy locks a roll of her eyes before heading straight to the more difficult ones. Ninja training gave her an edge, and sneaking around was one of her family's specialities.

She picked a lock and settled in to work on it.

Re: Picking Locks: And the More Difficult Ones

[therhimineecat.livejournal.com]

Seregil bypassed the easy locks and went directly to the more difficult ones. A few minutes working with some of them proved to him that difficult was a relative thing and he looked around for something more of a challenge.

Re: Picking Locks: And the More Difficult Ones

[tricksy-spy.livejournal.com]

"Need something a little more difficult for the 'clever fingers' of yours?" Aly teased.

Re: Picking Locks: And the More Difficult Ones

[cantgetnorelief.livejournal.com]

And on to the harder ones! These were, in fact, harder (imagine that), but Anders enjoyed the challenge.

Re: Picking Locks: And the More Difficult Ones

[tatooine-doofus.livejournal.com]

Luke picked up a lock and a series of tools and set to work.

With his eyes closed.

It was easier for him to sense what was going on inside that way.

Re: Picking Locks: And the More Difficult Ones

[snow-white-boy.livejournal.com]

Lock picking was fairly childs play for Haku. He hadn't done it a lot while he and Zabuza traveled, but of the gang that they would sometimes travel with Haku had the most delicate touch for things like this.

Picking up one of the more complicated locks, Haku looked it over with a curious smirk.

Re: Picking Locks: And the More Difficult Ones

[blackmagic-eve.livejournal.com]

This was Eve, picking one of the hardest ones she could find and sitting down to fiddle with it.

When magic didn't work on it, she set about glaring while working with the lock picks.