Office #5 | All Day

[charming_thief]

Neal didn't have a ton of students, and he didn't know if any of them even had parents visiting this weekend, but if they did and they were looking for the Tricks, Cons and Bamboozles teacher, they needed to look no further than this office.

He had his feet up on the desk, tracking anklet clearly visible just to get that out of the way, and while he waited for parents to arrive, he was preoccupying himself with looking up fall men's shoe collections. Because he could.

Comments

[theoriginalmb.livejournal.com]

"What a fascinating accessory," Lionel said from the doorway. "I'm curious what you did to earn it."

It suggested dubious hiring practices, but at least it meant Lex was getting taught by professionals.

[charming_thief]

"Oh, a little of this, a little of that," Neal replied, setting his laptop aside so that he could stand up and come around the desk to shake his guest's hand. "Professor Neal Caffrey. Nice to meet you. Please, come in."

[theoriginalmb.livejournal.com]

Lionel didn't check that his rings or watch were still there after shaking Neal's hand. It would be gauche on both their parts. "Lionel Luthor."

[charming_thief]

And Neal was very lucky he'd only had to study six names in his class roster, because he hadn't exactly gone out of his way during the semester to learn who everyone was before today.

"Lex's father," he confirmed, succeeding in sounding much surer of that than he actually was. "Your son's very bright."

Probably.

[theoriginalmb.livejournal.com]

"And what exactly is he learning from you?" Lionel's grin was small and shark-like. "Beyond a little of this, and a little of that."

[charming_thief]

Neal sized this guy up, trying to determine what he wanted to hear.

"Well, we focus heavily on the history of cons," Neal said. Which had made up... one class. Last semester. Still, he'd had years of practice lying very smoothly. "Scandals, tactics of persuasion that have been employed... and then a bit on practical application."

If Lionel had a bullshit detector, it might be going off right now.

[theoriginalmb.livejournal.com]

Did he mean the one for business dealings, or the one from growing up in Suicide Slums? Of course both were going off, so it didn't really matter.

"If you were this sloppy with your marks, I'm beginning to see how you got caught." Harsh, Lionel, harsh.

[charming_thief]

Well, hello, failure.

"Excuse me?"

[theoriginalmb.livejournal.com]

"Theorists very rarely wear trackers," Lionel pointed out. "It's the practical applications that gets you those."

[charming_thief]

"Oh, I freely admit to my own practical work," Neal said with a genuine-sounding (but far from genuine) laugh. "But I do try to steer away from it in class."

[theoriginalmb.livejournal.com]

Lionel was intimately familiar with that kind of laugh. "Of course you do," he said in a tone that indicated they were both lying though their teeth.

[charming_thief]

"Did you have any questions about his work?" Neal inquired pleasantly. "I'm sure I could dig up some grades."

[theoriginalmb.livejournal.com]

"Oh, I'm sure that won't be necessary." It was almost like he thought Neal would make said grades up on the spot. "Though I should leave you my card (http://www.screencap-paradise.com/caps/displayimage.php?pid=604892&fullsize=1) in case you need to contact me in the future."

He rather suspected that Lex had been cagey with details about Lionel and Luthorcorp, and even taking into account the fact they seemed to be in a different timestream, he wanted to see Neal's reaction. He could be useful to Lionel.

[charming_thief]

"Luthercorp," Neal read aloud, managing to look suitably impressed. He hadn't heard of it, no, but that was obviously the reaction this guy was going for. When your name was followed by "-corp," it was generally supposed to be impressive, even without the "chairman and CEO" tacked onto the bottom.

"I'll make sure to be in touch, sir."

[crossmypalm.livejournal.com]

"This is our Kenzyushka's favorite teacher?" Ludmilla eyed him -- and the anklet -- from the doorway. "She ought to be learning how not to get caught."

[charming_thief]

Neal momentarily entertained the possibility that this was Kenzi in a wig and makeup, trying to scam him. He decided that for the purposes of not getting a Russian curse put on him, he might as well forget that idea as soon as he came up with it.

"I'd say she is," Neal said, straightening up and coming out from behind the desk to try to shake her hand. "Neal Caffrey. Pleasure to meet you, ma'am."

[crossmypalm.livejournal.com]

"Ludmilla Fyodorievna Kruschenko." Only one of those was real. "Kenzi is family." Niece, cousin, pfah. Probably both considering how much Dedushka Nikolai got around in the old country.

[charming_thief]

Okay, Neal's Russian was seriously lacking, but he figured it might win him some points: "Privyet," he greeted her. "Kenzi's an excellent student. Very bright."

[crossmypalm.livejournal.com]

A few points. A few. Complimenting Kenzi won a few more, not that she let on. "Of course she is. The question is what is she learning from you?"

[charming_thief]

"Oh, well, we've actually covered quite a bit since the summer semester," Neal answered, in his most charming voice. "We've done, ah, lock-picking, simple forgery, adaptation to new environments, basic stealth..."

He felt so cool saying all that. So cool.

"And Kenzi actually presented an in-depth case study of Frank Abagnale," he added. "It was very thorough."

[crossmypalm.livejournal.com]

"That Apprehend Me If You're Able fellow?" Fine, fine, Ludmilla was impressed by the list of topics, and that he'd got Kenzi so interested in the day-to-day boring bits of school. The ones they gave you grades on. "Nice work if you can get it, hired by the government to sniff out other people's tricks."

You could look at it as breaking the code of silence, of course, but there were things more important than honour among thieves. Like money. And family, And money.

[charming_thief]

"That's the one," Neal agreed. "Kind of a personal hero of mine. Kenzi seemed to take a real interest; taught us all about how she'd adapt his work for this day and age."

Code of silence? Psh. Neal remained to be convinced that Abagnale hadn't kept up other projects on the side. As you do.

[crossmypalm.livejournal.com]

Ludmilla slapped her own face lightly. "Oh, Kenzi. Did she at least charge a fee for telling your class these things?"

[charming_thief]

"Well, there was an exchange of goods involved," Neal admitted. "Her presentation in exchange for my sharing a trick or two with her."

[crossmypalm.livejournal.com]

"That is better than giving it up from free." Ludmilla nodded, a bit more pleased. "And they really let you teach these things in school?"

[charming_thief]

"Well, let is an interesting word," Neal laughed, leaning back in his chair.

So no, would be the answer.

[crossmypalm.livejournal.com]

"Hmm." Ludmilla nodded and crossed her arms. "You have family approval." Eyebrow. "Tentative, conditional, void where prohibited, can be revoked at first sign of trouble or Ukrainian ancestry."

[regretiz4suckas.livejournal.com]

Kenzi might have waaandered in later, looking vaguely guilty. "So. Uh. I might have some family on the island this weekend. Unexpectedly."

[charming_thief]

"You don't say," Neal said.

There may have been a couple of sequins on his office floor.

[regretiz4suckas.livejournal.com]

"Yeeeah, what did Tatya Ludmilla say?" And how much should she feel guilty for?

[charming_thief]

"Asked me if you charged for your extra credit report," Neal said, faintly amused. And faintly scared.

[regretiz4suckas.livejournal.com]

"Damn, I'm losing my edge, I didn't even think of that," Kenzi muttered. "She's always got one more angle on me."

[charming_thief]

"Well, I did have to tell you something or other," Neal recalled. "What was it?"

He remembered what it was. He also remembered that he'd never told her.

[regretiz4suckas.livejournal.com]

"It was... damnit, now I don't remember. You told me the hangover cure-- which so doesn't work, by the way-- but I don't think you ever told me-- it was how to get away with..."

Damnit! Kenzi wants to strangle her mun.

[charming_thief]

It was how he'd faked his teaching credentials. Which he hadn't even done.

"Well, I'm sure I told you," Neal lied smoothly. Then grinned deviously. Sorry, Kenz.

[regretiz4suckas.livejournal.com]

"If I don't remember it, and you don't say it, it didn't happen and you still owe me," Kenzi said, pointing at him. "Do you want the good coffee, Mr. Caffrey? Or not?"

[charming_thief]

"Hey. Who just posted bail for who, exactly?"

[regretiz4suckas.livejournal.com]

"And I can pay you back for that," Kenzi pointed out without missing a beat.

[charming_thief]

"Who says I paid in money?" Neal pointed out. "Lesson number... what lesson are we on?" Ah, well. "Pay in owed favors when you can."

[regretiz4suckas.livejournal.com]

Kenzi paused, then grimaced. "So when you get past the point where you remember who owes who, what's that?"

[charming_thief]

"Thaaaat's when you get to me and Alex," Neal concluded a bit wistfully.

[regretiz4suckas.livejournal.com]

"Alex?" Kenzi lilted, looking hopeful. That was not a name that had come up in her week of Text Message Possession. "And who would that be?"

[charming_thief]

Neal smirked. "Oh, she's nobody," he said.

He didn't even try to make it sound convincing, no. This was Kenzi we were talking about.

[regretiz4suckas.livejournal.com]

Knzi stared, then shook her head.

"You are good, Mr. Caffrey. And mean."

[charming_thief]

"I've been told that," Neal said, looking nothing but smug.