Tricks, Cons and Bamboozles | Wednesday | Period 1

[charming_thief]

Today in class, the students were fortunate enough to have a fully-human, fully-clothed teacher. Sure, that teacher was one who had spent the weekend sobbing into an empty bottle of Bordeaux, but that was neither here nor there.

“Today,” said Neal, “we’re going to do a couple of workshops.”

The room was set up with three main tables, with various pieces of equipment in buckets on each one. Yes, the class was a bit small to do workshops like this, but that was what he was doing and that was that.

“I’ve set up three main stations for you all, and each one focuses on a different manual task that’s pretty much essential in this field. I’m not saying you have to be experts at it, especially if you want to move to the more white-collar stuff, but you’ve got to know the basics. So here we have lock-picking, pickpocketing, and forgery.” He pointed to each table as he spoke, then shrugged.

“Any questions?” 

Comments

Station Two: Pickpocketing

[charming_thief]

For this, Neal's set up a couple of clothing items on hangers with little bells in the pockets. You can reach in to take the wallet, but if you set the bells off, you've faaaaailed.

Re: Station Two: Pickpocketing

[its-theclimb.livejournal.com]

Miley only succeeded in knocking over one of the mannequins Neal had set up.

Twice.

Re: Station Two: Pickpocketing

[regretiz4suckas.livejournal.com]

Kenzi stared. "You are making this up."

Re: Station Two: Pickpocketing

[its-theclimb.livejournal.com]

"It's unsteady!"

It wasn't.

Re: Station Two: Pickpocketing

[regretiz4suckas.livejournal.com]

"Miley, how can you be so--" Kenzi shook her head, then sighed. "Okay, watch."

Kenzi angled herself and used two fingers as she reeeached, nabbing the wallet and disturbing not one bell. "Like *this*. Now you try again."

Re: Station Two: Pickpocketing

[its-theclimb.livejournal.com]

Miley hesitated.

"Um, I just don't know if I wanna touch that now," she said, wrinkling her nose. "Your hands were kind of... on things. The other day."

Blushing! Blushing like a horrified person!

Re: Station Two: Pickpocketing

[regretiz4suckas.livejournal.com]

Kenzi coughed. Trying to hide a laugh. "Ahem. I'm just gonna remind you who started that with taking off her shirt."

Probably not helpful, Kenzi!

Re: Station Two: Pickpocketing

[its-theclimb.livejournal.com]

"STOP STOP STOP STOP STOPPPPPPPPP!" Miley whined, sticking her fingers in her ears and beginning a chant of "La la la la la!"

Re: Station Two: Pickpocketing

[regretiz4suckas.livejournal.com]

Kenzi was really laughing now, and saying over the la la la's, "This is what embarasses you? Not the pole-dancing?"

Re: Station Two: Pickpocketing

[its-theclimb.livejournal.com]

Miley squawked, then hissed, "Don't speak of it!"

No, seriously, Kenzi. Speak of it.

Re: Station Two: Pickpocketing

[regretiz4suckas.livejournal.com]

"You do realize that wasn't either one of us, right?" Kenzi checked. "And it doesn't mean anything, since we were both different kinds of crazy?"

Re: Station Two: Pickpocketing

[its-theclimb.livejournal.com]

"IT. WAS. AWFUL."

Miley was in no way treating this like a sane person would.

Re: Station Two: Pickpocketing

[willbethenight.livejournal.com]

The bad news: Bruce had big, strong hands that would make it tough to just reach in and grab the wallet. On the other hand, he trained in multiple hidden cities in the ways of martial arts, where they taught speed and stealth.

If he needed to steal a wallet from a real person, he'd probably create innocent physical contact and use that to distract from the theft. But with bells, he just had to take his time and be careful.

Which he did. And he was. So that went easily enough.

Re: Station Two: Pickpocketing

[hasadestiny]

Lex could see how this would be useful skill, but he really had no idea how to go about it, especially since he wasn't exactly inconspicuous.

Re: Station Two: Pickpocketing

[regretiz4suckas.livejournal.com]

Kenzi grinned at him. "Need help? You look a little unsure."

Re: Station Two: Pickpocketing

[hasadestiny]

"Just thinking that even if I do get the wallet, when our friend notices it missing, the first person he's going to remember is the bald kid." Especially when his face appeared in the Metropolis papers far too much for his liking.

Re: Station Two: Pickpocketing

[regretiz4suckas.livejournal.com]

"If you get caught, you say it was a joke, but the trick is to get gone before then," Kenzi said. "Also, you might want to dress worse." She tilted her head. "And a hat? I mean, not in summer, but there's enough guys with short hair out there to make it work."

Re: Station Two: Pickpocketing

[hasadestiny]

Lex nodded. "Worst come to worst, I always just pay other people to do it for me," he joked.

Re: Station Two: Pickpocketing

[regretiz4suckas.livejournal.com]

Kenzi held out her fingers in her fingerless gloves, and grinned wickedly. "I am also available for outside consulting work!"

Re: Station Two: Pickpocketing

[hasadestiny]

"I hope your rates are reasonable," Lex replied with a grin.

Not that he was currently considering breaking the law outside the classroom, but he figured having a pick-pocket on retainer would probably piss his dad off if he ever found out about it.

Re: Station Two: Pickpocketing

[regretiz4suckas.livejournal.com]

"I negotiate on a case-by-case basis, but there are discounts for frequent customers," Kenzi said up-front. She grinned. "Also, cute guys who like to flirt. But I always get a cut."

Re: Station Two: Pickpocketing

[hasadestiny]

"Or equivalent value if it's something I don't want divided."

Lex didn't even have anything he wanted stolen.

Re: Station Two: Pickpocketing

[regretiz4suckas.livejournal.com]

"Hmmm." Kenzi tapped a finger against her lips and decided, "That seems fair. With the understanding that I wouldn't give up the name of a client, but I really better be able to expect discretion if anyone is caught with missing goods?"

Yeah, Kenzi didn't even know what he'd want, but it was fun to plan.

Re: Station Two: Pickpocketing

[hasadestiny]

"Naturally." If there was one thing he could reply on Lionel for it was a cover up, so there was less than no need to hang anyone else out to dry.

Re: Station Two: Pickpocketing

[bigshoestofill.livejournal.com]

Bart stretched a bit and grinned. Bells? He was stealing things from Conner's stupid leather jacket all the time without the so called superhero noticing.

He stood nonchalantly against the wall (or with as little chalance as Bart could, which is not so much), then there was a blur and he was holding a wallet in his hand, grinning.