fandomhigh | Sneaky Spycraft: Week 6, Period 4

The class met in the Danger Shop which had apparently produced racks and racks of clothes of all sorts and a variety of fun props.

Aly was waiting for the students to arrive and take a seat before starting. "Today, if the massive amounts of costumes and props didn't give it away, we're going to be talking about disguises. The whole point of a disguise is to be unnoticeable in the company that you're keeping. To blend in so that you don't occasion comments like 'I've never seen that person before' and 'I wonder who invited her.' It's not a matter of satisfying your ego by 'standing out' so everyone notices you. It's a matter of getting your job done without undue risk to yourself, any of your contacts or your employer."

"When you go undercover, you succeed only if you convince everyone around you that you're a different person. And you can only do that if every detail is consistent. Every single bit of information from the trash in your pockets to your glasses to your story has to match. If you're masquerading as a dissident student, you probably shouldn't be driving a fancy car or wearing expensive shoes. Be consistent. And blend in. The key isn't to be quirky and distinctive. The key is to be nondescript."

The Danger Shop helpfully produced a blackboard in midair with tips on putting together a disguise and maintaining consistency.

Develop your legend - your backstory. Keeping details close to your actual life - at least at first - can help you remember and sound truthful.
Decide on a current cover: name, job, purpose
Choose an appropriate look or disguise.
Gather pocket litter or other props to support the disguise. Each item needs to be appropriate to the persona.
Learn local customs, accents, slang.
Match your vocabulary/language to your character's education.

Five Tips for Maintaining Consistency

Use correct jargon for your assumed profession/role
Know how much travel and life experience your character has.
Avoid personal discussions about your pretend family.
Close questioning sessions quickly. Avoid the questions by giving the information before it's asked for and by giving enough information to shut down further questions.
If you think you're about to be exposed, get out of the one on one conversation. Invite someone to join the conversational group or suggest a coffee or trip. Anything to give you a chance to lower the pressure and get back into character.

Aly grinned. "I love disguises. They're one of my favourite things about spying. What you all need to do today is create one using the costumes, wigs, makeup, and props we have here. You can create it to go with the persona you made up last week or something completely different. Help each other put together a disguise, a cover, and the reason for the disguise then come show me."

"Some of you have done this before, I know, in my class this summer, but I'm not apologising for the repetition. Very few things are learned on just one go-about, and almost none of those things are anything useful."

"So go ahead, ask any questions you might have then work together to create a disguise and a cover story. Let me see what you come up with."

[OOC: Aly might not apologise for the repeated class, but I do. *kicks non-going off alarm and plans that'll keep me out of the house until 3ishFHT. OCD is ~~coming~~ up.]

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Sokka raised an eyebrow and cast a glare at Willow. He was intending to convey "You still have to answer for the indignities of Sunday, and no disguise will save you," but that was awfully difficult to convey with a single look, and it could just as easily be interpreted as "Dang, girl, you so fly," or, "What's that thing floating above your head?", or possibly "Boy, am I constipated!"

Willow looked at him uncertainly. She held up one of the wigs she was looking at - a long blonde one with pigtails - and asked "Oh. Did you want this one?"

"No. Do you want to pat my butt???" Sokka asked angrily.

Willow gasped. "Sokka! You had better be my Peter in a REALLY good disguise or else this is not going to end well for you, possibly in ways that involve sharp things! I haven't decided yet!"

Sokka blinked at her. "No, see, that was supposed to be my way of pointing out that practice on Sunday sucked."

Willow looked sad. "Awww. You don't like flag football anymore? That's awful! You're such a good player!"

"I don't like PATTING PEOPLE'S BUTTS!!!" Sokka retorted.

"...Unless they're hot girls..."

"Not people!" Willow said. "Teammates! It's totally different!"

Sokka put his hands on his hips. "You're saying my teammates aren't people, now?"

"Well teammate-people," Willow said. "As opposed to random people and/or anybody else on the flag football field."

"I don't pat ANYONE'S butts!"

"Well sure, not as a hobby," Willow agreed.

"Not as an ANYTHING!!!"

"If you feel more comfortable giving supportive hugs okay," Willow said. "But I feel the butt-pat is more efficient from a timing perspective."

"Does nobody high-five on your world?!?!?!?!?!"

"Do they do that in football?" Willow asked. She honestly didn't know.

"A LOT more than they pat each other on the butt!!!!!" Sokka exclaimed. No, he had no idea, either. He was just guessing.

Sneaky Spycraft: Week 6, Period 4

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