fandomhigh | Tricks, Cons and Bamboozles | Tuesday

Today in class, the Tricks, Cons and Bamboozles students would be happy to find a projector set up in the front of the room and a DVD set to its home screen. Unfortunately, upon second glance, that DVD on its home screen was a 40-minute long FBI recruitment video. And on each of the desks was a brochure with the FBI logo on top that contained much the same message.

As if that wasn't bad enough, a fairly miserable-looking Neal was holding notes that had just been faxed to him from Peter, containing a script for today's class.

Peter... may have just found out what Neal was teaching here, exactly.

"Hey," he said to the class once everyone had arrived, looking decidedly unenthusiastic about today. Holding up his notes so as to make it perfectly clear he was reading from a script, he recited dully, "Of course, no training in tricks and cons would be complete without an understanding of how you can use those skills to assist with national security." He rolled his eyes. "Really, Peter?"

Monotonously, he continued, "Having been taught how to lie and deceive people over the past six weeks, now you should turn your attention to one of this nation's finest career opportunities that will allow you to put those skills to use while helping your country. Please know that the FBI is an exciting, morally upstanding career choice."

That part made Neal feel a little sick.

Putting down his notes, he clapped his hands and said, "Okay. Movie time. And then a little presentation from Kenzi that has nothing to do with... this."

That last word was uttered with more than a little bit of contempt. He really hated Peter sometimes.

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Kenzi preened, then said, "Then why's he in the F.B.I.? To catch stupid people?" She cocked her head. "Well, it's good he's weeding out the competition. Especially the dumb competition."

"You'd be surprised how much he gets a kick out of that," Neal laughed.

"So, you done a lot of smart conning lately?" he asked, not really expecting much of an answer. Or much of a truthful one, anyway.

Kenzi got a studied look on her face, a probably-untrustworthy look, even as she told part of the truth. "I gathered weapons from people's rooms while they were crazy last weekend." Also, information. "And got a line on some Ebay merchandise. Hannah Montana, if you know that is." Like Kenzi does!

Well, that was interesting. Except that it really wasn't.

"Hannah Montana," he repeated, suspecting that there was something more to that story. "Really? You're a fan of hers?"

[[Omg I have an editing problem.]]

Edited 2011-08-10 01:33 (UTC)

[*pats* It will all come clear!]

"I met here while putting Bo on the internet in a little pink hat," Kenzi said, veering away from details. Look over there! There! "I scored an autograph. And found an audience. And then a source. Would you believe there's a market for her stuff?"

Well. Yes.

"Really?" he asked, leaning forward slightly in interest. "You don't say."

He was just slightly jealous he hadn't thought of it first.

"It's not elegant," except for how it totally, totally was, but it was also blackmail, sorta. Sooooo, "but it's a good source of income. Toby and I are heading to the mainland for his guess-their-weight trick later this week."

"Now there's a trick," Neal said, grinning. "Second only to Les Trois Perdants." Because they were in Paris, and of course Neal would pick the most pretentious name possible.

"Hey," he said, a smirk slowly spreading across his face. "We should do some kind of showdown sometime. You set up a trick at one table, I man another one. See who rakes in more cash."

This was a con in and of itself, of course.

Kenzi had just enough Canadian high-school French to figure that one out, and snort.

"Yeah?" Kenzi said, looking thoughtful. "They have carnivals here, you know? That would be a good time." Muahahah. If she got a good idea for hers. Maybe the Madame Sosostris routine? Fortune telling? "Could be fun!"

"I'd even let you bring a partner," he added generously. "Since you're at a disadvantage."

And depending on how well Kenzi was doing, Neal might or might not get Moz on the phone. He played to win, damnit.

That got him a pout. ANd then a flicker of reconsideration. 'Cause oooo, she and Toby might be able to kill at this with him as the lead-in....

"You're a prince, Mr. Caffrey."

Muahahahahah. Like Machiavelli. She admired that.

"In that case, count me in for a round of deceiving the deceiver," Neal quoted. That was one bit of high school reading he'd actually stuck around for, and some of it had stuck with him.

"Stakes?"

Ooooooo. Oooooo! "Well, I'm already your T.A. But I think another trip to New York wouldn't be beyond your capabilities, right?"

Yeah, Peter would love that, his C.I. showing up with an underage con-artist in tow.

"And on my part... hm. I could probably spring for something cool, liiiike..." Jeez. What did you get a cool teacher? "I would set you up with Bo, but she's only dating non-humans right now. Religious thing." In that it was against her religion to keeeel people any more. "Uhhh?"

That elicited some eyebrow-raising from Neal. He'd managed to digest most of the island's weirdness, but every once in a while someone would make a crack like that and he would fall victim to a momentary lapse in cool.

BUT ANYWAY.

"Like I'd really ever be set up with anyone," he said, amused. "What else you got?"

He wasn't going to mention how there was only one more week of class and he couldn't exactly take a student to New York solo...

"Hannah Montana concert?" Beat. Then Kenzi cracked up. "...heeeeee..."

She coughed. "I dunno, mm, chocolate? Really cool wallets? Not even doctored photos of people turning into aliens?"

"Chocolate works," he decided. Not that there was chocolate all over his apartment, or anything. "Chocolate or a trip to New York. Deal."

[[...I can't even explain what I was thinking in that last version.]]

Edited 2011-08-10 03:17 (UTC)

"Works!"

[heh, no worries!]

Tricks, Cons and Bamboozles | Tuesday | Period 4

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