fandomhigh | Tricks, Cons and Bamboozles | Tuesday

Today, the Tricks, Cons and Bamboozles students had been ~~handwavily~~ told to meet in the Danger Shop, which was set up to mimic an enormous museum, complete with (simulated) guards stationed at the exits and patrons milling about, not to mention the (imitation) priceless art hanging on the walls.

"Welcome to your final exam," Neal said as the students made their way into the room. And was it a trick of the light, or did he look distinctly more excited about today's class than usual?

"This is the Antwerp Royal Museum of Fine Arts. But we're not here to sightsee." Obviously, Neal, because it was a final exam. Though it wasn't too hard to figure out what he was going to be doing while the students were working, was it? "You'll be working in three teams. I'll number you off, and the team to successfully complete the assignment will receive the highest grade."

Quick, everyone hurry to stand two people away from Kenzi. Or not.

"Somewhere in this museum," he continued, "there's a Fouquet painting called 'Virgin and Child.' It's very expensive and has a lot of security, and it spent the morning being cleaned, so it's not currently on display. Your job, as a team, is to figure out where it's being kept, get past security and the various alarm systems, and retrieve it and bring it to the south exit by the end of the class period without being spotted or leaving any prints."

It was a good thing this class period was as long as it was, because he had a feeling it could take a while.

After numbering off the students, he held out a bag of supplies, explaining, "Each team will receive one pair of gloves and a map of the museum. Any questions?"

He grinned. "Go."

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

"Duuuuuude."

Coffee. And Kenzi was bummed. "There should always be a Tricks class! Always and forever!"

"Apparently, there will be," Neal said dryly. "Next semester. The extend-o-version. Twice the fun!"

God. Obviously the island needed that.

"You can always... take it again?" he offered sweetly.

"YES!"

What, you think she'd skip it just because she took it before? "Guaranteed A!... well, not that you'd go easy on me or anything." Big Happy Eyes! "You wouldn't stop me, right?"

"Nah, knock yourself out," he laughed, waving a hand. Because really, what was a Tricks class without a Kenzi? Just nonsense. "Don't blame me if you get all frustrated with the amateurs, though. 'Cause I'm... right there with you."

"Yeeeeah," Kenzi acknowledged. "But we all have to start somewhere, right? Although, I'm not starting cat-burglaring until someone gives me gymnastics skills or tells me how to rappel. That crap is not as easy as it looks."

Huh.

"Something personal you'd like to share, Kenzi?" Neal asked, amused. And he was already thinking about maybe possibly teaching a class on gymnastics next term, yep.

"...noooooooooo."

Nothing to see here!

"Except, if you turn into an animal? You might want to stay off high places. For when you stop. Just in case."

Okay, sorry, Kenzi, but Neal was deeply amused by that. And soon, when he actually had an animal transformation, he would keep those words to heart. But right now?

Yeah, he was laughing.

"That," he said, "is sound advice. Mind if I ask what, uh, what happened?"

"You can ask," Kenzi said with a sniff of pretended disdain. It would keep him from looking up the podcast, too, if she came clean now. Stupid Peter with his laughing. "I was a raccoon, then I wasn't, and did you know there are people here who can climb down dorms free-hand? And they can carry you down a story or two piggyback? I kind of love this place."

Neal wasn't going to ask whether clothes were involved, because he was a gentleman and anyway that was gross. Besides, when Hermione had briefly turned him into a cat the other day, he had emerged totally clothed. So. Obviously nudity was not a factor.

"Well, that's convenient," he said with a slight grin. "And you look unharmed! Imagine that."

"A little scuffed. Plus, the embarrassment factor." Mention the naked? Nooooo! No no no. "But I milked it for ice cream with a guy I know, for dealing with my trauma. Which offsets the M&M's I owe Roy for the rescue." She grinned. "Now, have you ever gotten stuck somewhere, Mr. Caffrey?"

Why didn't she have Peter the FBI Guy's number? Why?

Neal... had a few stories he could tell, sure.

"Maybe once or twice," Neal said cautiously, a tiny smirk tugging at his lips. "Nothing I couldn't talk my way out of."

It was true. He'd once talked his way out of a citation from the French police... and that was before he'd actually learned the language.

"Oooo? Where? And when? And you know, a class on alarms? Couldn't hurt."

Kenzi totally didn't get the idea of deliberately vague language, did she?

Whatever. It was amusing.

"Noted," he said dryly. "And you can guess away, but I will not be sharing, thank you very much."

"Until after our carnival bets, when I can request more information when I win," Kenzi pointed out, undiscouraged.

Pfftt, vague. She could do vague. When absolutely necessary.

"Riiight," Neal said dismissively. "Okay."

Keep dreaming, Kenzi.

Oh, she would. She would. And then she'd cheat.

Tricks, Cons and Bamboozles | Tuesday | Period 4

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