fandomhigh | Working the Long Con, Tuesday, First Period

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Working the Long Con, Tuesday, First Period

It was a grumpy, rumpled librarian that stomped his way into class after the students had arrived, bonelessly dropping into his chair and kicking his feet up on to his desk as he fished about in his coat for some cigarettes.

The school board might make him teach -- again -- but they couldn't make him behave.

"Right, I'm Constantine, and you're most likely here because you're gullible and thinking this is going to be an easy 'A', a delinquent, or for some strange reason thought this was an academic class with philosophical value," he said, lighting up. "More the fools you, but I can work with it."

"So, let's start with the basics. A con is a game, one where hopefully you're the one writing the rules and the people around you are the pieces you're moving. It's a scam, a grift, a hustle, all those words designed to make it sound as shady as possible, although the number of reasons you could be running a con are infinite, at least when you're justifying it to yourself. It usually just boils down to one, very simple motivation: You want something," he continued bluntly. "So give me your name - or whatever the hell you want to be called for the purposes of this class, I don't care - and tell me one time you ran a scam on someone. Give me an idea of what you already know, kids, then we'll get on to Arts and Crafts."

...yes, that actually was as ominous as it sounded.

[OOC: ~~Wait for the OCD!~~ Up early as I am at a conference all-day Tuesday and will be SP until 6pm CST.]

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Name, and one time you conned someone(s) into something. Feel free to bounce off each other, John doesn't care.

"Isabela, and I've never even thought about tricking someone, honestly I have no idea how I even ended up in this class."

Isabela, the innocent act worked better when you didn't look every inch the charming rogue.

This girl was getting a broad smile. She was lovely, looked almost Tsingani, and started the class off by lying. Hyacinthe was practically in love.

Or, well, some emotion. One felt a lot lower on his anatomy. It sounded a lot like love, however.

"Truly an oversight," he said, amused. "I hope this class will not harm your...maidenly sensibilities."

Oooh, pretty.

"This class sounds most scandalous." Oh. No. Anything but that. "I do hope I'll be able to handle myself."

"If not, it would be my honor to offer to lend a hand to assist," Hyacinthe said with an extravagant bow--and followed it up with a wink. "I've been told I am most adept at handling lovely ladies howsoever they may need."

And gentlemen, too, but who was he to brag?

Oh right, the Prince of Travellers, that was who.

Isabela smirked. "I's always such a relief to know your virtue is in good hands."

"And these hands would take exquisite care of your virtue," Hyacinthe promised, holding up a pair of hands that were both strong and graceful, slightly roughened and calloused by work but still quite nimble. All the better for seeing what was in other people's pockets--and for seeing to the, ahh, virtue of other interested parties. "I will happily be the instrument of your relief at any time, my lady."

Those did like like nice hands to be in. "However did you guess that I adore playing with instruments?"

"Don't all well-rounded ladies?" Hyacinthe asked, all wide-eyed innocence. "And from here, you appear very well-rounded."

Yes, that was a deliberate and lingering once-over he was giving her now. And a very appreciative one, too.

If Isabela didn't like people looking, she'd dress differently, and possibly punch those who didn't get that hint.

"I hope the appearance holds up on closer inspection." Very close inspection if they were lucky.

"I have no doubt it will," Hyacinthe assured her. "Though if you're concerned, I can offer a most diligent and thorough inspection to let you know for certain."

Hyacinthe was a giver that way. A very attentive and devoted giver.

"How kind of you to offer," Isabela said. "Of course it's only fair if I return the favour."

"Far be it for me to interfere with a lady's notion of fairness," Hyacinthe said. "You look like you can keep a lad like me well in hand, I've no doubt."

"I'm told I have a good grasp on things."

Honestly, Constantine should just be grateful Dante wasn't in this class too.

Hyacinthe would meet him next class and spend just as much time flirting with him, too. Poor Kanan.

"And here, I thought you were just paying lip service to the idea of fairness," he said, running his tongue over his bottom lip. "Another skill I excel at."

Modesty, thy name was not Hyacinthe.

Then Isabela and Dante would compare notes, so he was the gift that kept on giving.

"Oh, I always put my mouth where my money is." That wasn't how that saying went, Isabela.

"Oh!" Hyacinthe said, grinning in recognition. "Are you a Servant of Naamah, then? I am willing to do her a mighty homage whenever you like."

...This might take some explaining.

Much as Isabela liked the sound of 'mighty homage'..."A what?"

"A...Servant of Naamah?" Hyacinthe repeated. "You know, a devotee of her arts and sworn to her service?"

Her sexy, sexy service. That also, umm, involved getting paid for it?

There was an actual Andraste for strippers?

"Never heard of her."

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"I'm Kaylin Neya and well, there are a lot of things you pick up when you live in the fiefs. I guess one of the earliest ones was where you do the poor starving child bit while someone else steals food while the shopkeeper's back is turned." kaylin hesitated. "But I'm a Hawk now," or as good as one she hoped, "so I don't do that sort of stuff anymore."

"I am Hyacinthe," he said in D'Angeline-accented Cruithne. "And I tell the fortunes of silly nobles who find it amusing to slum in Night's Doorstep for a few hours to soak of up the bad wine and risque atmosphere. Perhaps the better question would be who don't I con? I am Tsingani, we have been parting the gadje from their coin for as long as we have walked the Lungo Drom."

"Hey, I'm Roscoe Kaan. That's K-A-A-N, not like 'working the con,' but how funny is that?" He'd only just thought of that. "And I came up with an idea to do a kind of risque group act at my school talent show by practicing a fake act at rehearsals when the principal was around." He grinned. "It was pretty awesome."

"Jalian d'Arsennette." Jalian shrugged. "I make males give me money."

She lured them into private and mugged them. It counted, right?

"Frank Doyle, and I joined the Student Council to increase the quality of spiked drink at school functions," Frank said. "It's worked like a charm!"

Granted, he essentially ran on that platform and got in without a vote being necessary. That just meant that he picked his targets well!

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