Participants:
| Scene Title | Knicks and Nicks |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | A group of sports fans are separated from their cash. |
| Date | April 6, 2011 |
It's just after dusk, just past the largest chunk of the dinner rush when Candice walks in. Not that she looks like Candice, of course. Instead she looks like a pretty blonde, someone who should be on the west coast, hanging out with surfers on the beach. A quick glance around has her sizing up potential targets, and locating an empty table. She passes on the marks, for now, and settles herself down at a small table near the window, facing the door.
Across the aisle, a group of half a dozen guys are clustered around a phone pulling in the Knicks game. Actual tickets (and making it down to the stadium, and and and) is tough to pull off; but this, they can do. Fists are pounded on the table - to the waitress's annoyance - as the visiting team's buzzer-beater falls short, and then a couple of them high-five and take off for the night while the rest proceed to rehash the high points.
Over at one end, Daryl leans back and mostly just listens. He's familiar enough with the action, jumping in with a comment here and there, but it clearly doesn't hold his interest to the same extent.
Basketball? So not Candice's game. But then, anything that involves large amounts of physical activity isn't her game. Therefore, the game is mostly ignored, as are the sports addicts. Still, after skimming the menu and ordering, she spends a lot of time looking at the others in the diner. She has to make money somehow, and she's chosen theft. After some time, her gaze settles on Daryl, seriously considering him for a mark.
If any of them saw the blonde, they might seriously consider her for something else— well, except the one over there who's actually loyal to his girlfriend, and Daryl who's got some tricky issues in that department. With their backs turned, though, they remain oblivious. Eventually, the wallets do come out, chipping in petty cash for a fresh couple of appetizers.
Candice smiles, a faint smile, and it's child's play for her to make the cash just seem to…disappear…once it's been set down on the counter and glanced away from. Must've been a breeze! A mental note is made to collect it before she leaves. Then her gaze returns to Daryl, eyeing whatever he's been eating or drinking, trying to judge his cash level.
The illusion manages to slip past everyone's notice. The guys assume that the waitress picked it up already; the waitress, who didn't see it set down in the first place, assumes they'll pay up later. There's liable to be a heated argument before they leave. Daryl, oblivious, pushes aside an empty plate and reaches for his drink— he's not rich enough to be treating the group, but he didn't think twice about chipping in a share. And he is closest to the outside.
A signal is given to the waitress, showing that Candice is going to join those guys, over there, and she stands, leaving her untouched water and moving to settle in the seat closest to Daryl. She grins. "You guys are big into basketball, huh?" she asks, making her voice sound like it could come from the body she's currently wearing.
They don't even wait for her to sit down, the meaningful looks are already firmly in place as soon as it becomes clear that she's approaching. About all that can be said to their credit is that they're not openly catcalling. It comes as no surprise to Daryl - he usually finds it amusing, but at the same time, it's why he hasn't said anything to them about Koshka - and he instinctively scoots over just enough to be seen as doing so, while still remaining close to the newcomer.
"97 to 92, baby. Whoo!" Another round of high-fives is exchanged, while the phone continues to relay more detailed commentary in the background.
The attention doesn't seem to displease Candice, but then, when she intentionally makes herself look like she currently does, she has to accept the consequences, right? She smiles at the response, then looks specifically towards Daryl. "You not as big a fan as they are?" she asks.
Daryl shakes his head. "I'm a fan, I just lost twenty bucks to this smart-ass" - he points out the guy sitting on the other side of him - "'cause I figured they'd be behind at the half. Since then? Guy's been bustin' my balls all night. In fact, he's been awfully interested in my balls, you got something you wanna share with us, dude?" Well, at least he's able to get in some jabs of his own. Other Dude just breaks into a shit-eating grin and waves the twenties around.
Candice laughs as she glances from Daryl to his friend then back again. "Should make him at least buy you a drink." She offers her hand then. "I'm Kate," she says with a warm smile with just a hint of amusement to it.
"No way, he'd stick his finger in it or something." Daryl's tone of voice suggests that he didn't actually mean 'finger' there. He introduces himself as well, followed by the others in turn. The last one, who isn't especially loyal to his girlfriend, motions to get the waitress's attention again.
Wrinkles her nose, but it's an amused grimace. "And you're friends with this guy?" 'Kate' asks, though it's with a teasing tone. And okay, so maybe it's a method of distraction, as she reaches for a wallet, using illusion to hide the sight and feel of that hand. Maybe both aren't needed, but it never hurts to keep in practice!
Daryl shakes his head. "I ask myself that sometimes, but nah, he's all right." A murmur of similarly rude jokes is still going around the table - they may have missed the pickpocketing, even without the illusion in play - but it dies out in short order. And there's the waitress again, nodding to 'Kate' as she flips to the page recording the table's orders so far.
Money is taken out of the wallet, then the wallet is replaced, all while Candice appears to continue smiling at the group. "Really? Even with his interest in your balls?" she teases, giving a playful nudge to Daryl's shoulder.
Before Daryl can say anything in response to that, Other Dude leans over and cuts in. "Me? No way, I'm all about the ladies." All about the lady right over there, judging by the way he openly eyes Kate up and down. Real bunch of winners, these guys. Behind him, the waitress just rolls her eyes, motioning for the busboy in turn to bring over a glass of ice water.
Candice's gaze slides towards the Other Dude, and she smiles sweetly at him. "I'm sure you are, but are they all about you?" she asks, fluttering her lashes, helping with the sweet and innocent look which is, obviously, fake.
Placing a hand on the edge of the table, Daryl slides back toward Kate, until he runs out of room to do so. "I'm gonna hit the can," he says, "so you two lovebirds can go ahead and get acquainted." The object of Kate's attention offers no objection; the others exchange another round of murmured jokes, but nothing openly. And the waitress gives up and takes off again, until such time as their new tablemate decides for herself that she's ready to order something.
Except Candice gives a grimace at Daryl's words and gives the Other Guy a quick look before she shifts away. "And leave me with this guy? And I thought we were becoming friends, Daryl," she says, giving him a playful pout.
Daryl still rises to his feet, but pauses long enough for a smirk and a parting shot. "See, that's why I hang around with him— he makes me look good." And with that, he's off toward the back of the restaurant, leaving Other Dude to aim a traditional 'you're number one in my book!' hand gesture at his back.
Those words have Candice laughing and nodding. "Good reason!" But with Daryl gone, and money in her pockets, she's glancing at Other Dude, then slipping away from the table. Maybe she isn't /quite/ as hungry as she thought.
Daryl isn't gone for long; maybe he was just washing his hands or something. He walks out just in time to catch sight of the newcomer taking off, and Other Dude already getting razzed by the rest of the group for totally failing to get anywhere with her. The problem with the cash flow situation remains undetected as yet.
Undetected is just how Candice likes it. But, illusion or not, she's not brainless enough to start counting it before she's even out the door. No, it just goes in her pocket along with her hands, and she heads out of the diner and down the street, humming softly, a smile on her face. It was a good night. Money and amusement. How could it be wrong?
With the table back to its previous set of occupants, fresh drinks and hot wings are dropped off, and the conversation returns to more or less its original track. Sure enough, a tense round of argument kicks up once the check arrives— but no one thinks to pin it on Kate, least of all Daryl. He knows a thing or two about what a pickpocket in the act looks like, and he didn't see anything like that tonight.