fandomhigh | How To Get By In A Hostile World, Thursday

"Sometimes, dealing with forces more powerful than you can be as simple as playing on the weaknesses most beings share," Atton said. "Like how most people are easily distracted. For all that we like to talk and talk about what great multitaskers we are, most species aren't actually very good at paying attention to more than one thing at once."

He sat down on his desk.

"And that's how pickpockets line their pockets," he said. "You'd be surprised how easily you can distract people from one thing by presenting them with something more immediate and familiar. And no, this isn't me encouraging you all to start stealing everything in sight - though if you are hungry and out of money, feel free - but sometimes, it can be really useful to be able to shortcut the high and mighty and grab something you might need."

"Some pickpockets work in teams: you usually have a stall and a pick. The stall makes sure the mark stops, like by bumping into them-- but only somewhere where it makes sense for them to do that. Like a train car, or a crowded hallway, or a large public hall, stuff like that. Then as the mark suddenly comes to a stop, it makes sense for the pick to 'accidentally' bump into them and lift their wallet. The mark's still fixated on the stall; they won't focus on the pick until the deed has already been done. Sometimes the stall will do something else, like drop some coins, or otherwise get the mark to kneel down so the pick can do his work."

He nodded at the simulated train car in front of them. "But you can also easily work alone in an environment like that," he said. "Hide your hands under a newspaper or something, and accidentally brush past someone-- that touch is usually so expected and normal, people don't question it. Some pickpockets like to actually draw attention to people's money, like by shouting that there's a pickpocket around--" He smirked. A little. "--so people will pat the places they have their valuables, making it easier to find them. If you're a woman, or a particularly attractive guy, fish, whatever, you can also try the old 'I'm drunk and affectionate' act.

He shrugged.

"No matter what, the trick is misdirection," he said. "Which is something you have to practice. So-- half of you are going to be pickpockets today, and the other half are going to be marks. You can team up or go it alone, I don't care. Practice this stuff. If you're successful, swap roles."

He pointed at a table full of wallets. "Marks? Get your crap."

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Thieving.

There's an art behind stealing.

Marks, get your wallets. Pickpockets, think about how you're going into this.

It's a busy train; people are standing up and holding on to handholds, but there's a few places left to sit.

He looks like he's not paying attention to any of you. He is.

Beginning to feel those four sleepless nights.

Breq

Breq, who had ended up as one of the marks people, found a handhold and looked around. This would have been so much easier had she been what she once was, and had multiple bodies who could keep an eye on each other. As she did not, she did her best to pay attention, and rely on her ability to move faster than human bodies usually did.

Gratuity Tucci

Tip on the other hand was kind of wishing they could just try to pickpocket the NPCs instead of each other. What was the point if the mark literally knew someone was coming to pickpocket them?

She aimed for Breq, bumping into every third person on her way through the train, muttering apologies each time so it wouldn't look weird when she bumped into Breq.

So that part she had down. The grabbing of the wallet? Noooooot so much.

Especially not since Breq quickly reached for her wrist when she bumped into her. Yes, she had seen it coming.

"I'm sensing a flaw in the teacher's plan," Tip said, a little sheepishly.

"So do I," Breq replied. She wasn't going to suggest they change roles, as she would have an advantage due to speed and strength.

"I suppose we should really team up."

"That could work. Are you any good at pickpocketing?"

"No," Breq said. "I could threaten them and while you steal their money."

"Threaten them with what?"

Mara Jade

Mara did this a lot as the Hand, both taking things and planting others, but she was looking like she wasn't quite as good as it as she actually was. So there she was, being jostled into people and glaring at them like it was their fault instead of hers.

Breq walked up to one of the passengers, put her hand below hers on the handhold and looked up at her. With a quick, sudden move Breq's fingers were around the passenger's arm.

"Don't move or I'll break your wrist," she said quietly.

"Um," Tip said, raising a hand. "I don't know that I'm okay with this."

Breq let go of the passenger and took a step back. "I apologize. I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable."

She hadn't, and she reminded herself that Tip had no military background.

Tip bit the inside of her lip. "Maybe I should do the distracting and you should do the pickpocketing?"

Shiemi Moriyama

Shiemi stepped up and took a wallet. It wasn't the kind she was used to, though, none of them were, so she was taking a moment to figure out where best to put it.

"Ano... Do we try to keep the wallet somewhere no one will steal it?"

"Ah. Sorry." Shiemi smiled back at her after being second-hand bumped from behind. Her wallet was in her pocket, tucked under her keys and some paper charms. "It's kind of weird to be doing this, isn't it?"

Ringo Noyamano

"Yes," Breq said, then added: "I wouldn't have done it. It was meant as a threat. And I wouldn't have done it if this was real, but I also wouldn't pick pockets."

"I'm pretty sure the idea is to have the person you're stealing from not notice," Tip pointed out. "Also that was just . . . kinda creepy."

"My plan was for them not to notice you," Breq explained. "And again, I am sorry if I upset you."

"Casual threats of violence are not really my thing," Tip said. Especially when the person doing the threatening had to think before they showed any emotion on their face, but she wasn't going to say that out loud. She didn't think that part was Breq's fault. "Right. Let's just . . . try this again."

Breq approached the person again.

"Excuse me, have you seen my pet. It escaped," she said, looking straight at the person, who winced slightly.

Was this a better way of distracting, Tip?

It was! Though . . . maybe she should have tried a different person.

Tip looped around the train car as best she could, trying to look inconspicuous, and casually bumped against everyone again as she went, muttering apologies like a good little girl.

And managed to grab a wallet, a phone, and a handful of receipts along the way, though not from the person Breq was talking to. What? She was distracting lots of people!

At least it was weird enough to be distracting to first threaten to break someone's wrist and then ask about a pet?

"Cooperating worked better," Breq noted. Oh, sometimes it was quite frustrating to be stuck in one body.

"I think that might be usually how it works," Tip agreed. "Do you want to try pickpocketing next?"

How To Get By In A Hostile World, Thursday

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