IC Inbox, MoM

[exceptionalthief]

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[exceptionalthief]

[Well, he won't look too conspicuous walking out with a full-size floor lamp. :\]

Are you certain about this? Seems a bit easy to trace.

[Someone walks into his home and says, 'Nice lamp! Didn't such-and-such museum report one exactly like that as stolen?']

[restingstitchface]

Remind me again of the sort of people I invite into my home? Your concern is appreciated, but I'm hardly likely to plonk it in front of the window.

[Neither of them are foolish enough to display it publicly. Privately? That's another story.]

[exceptionalthief]

Fine, that's your problem, I suppose.

[Excuse him for a moment while he googles the museum and its collections.]

'This lamp is unique to Tiffany’s other pieces in that the shade cannot be detached from its base.'

That might be a bit awkward to transport.

[restingstitchface]

Yes, but I hardly think that should be a problem? A puzzle to untwist seems like just the challenge for you.

[Gingerly, he's admitting Hans has skill.]

[exceptionalthief]

Undoubtedly.

[Just a little bit dry.]

I'll be in touch when the challenge has been risen to.

[restingstitchface]

I'm looking forward to it.

[Equally dry.]

Well, then, I'll leave you to it.

Action; a few days later

[exceptionalthief]

[After getting in touch and arranging a meeting, Hans shows up on Crane's doorstep with rather unusual companion. Well, maybe not so unusual considering 1) It's nearly Hallowe'en, and 2) There are several imPorts who have a similar look 365 days a year. But as it turns out, neither one of those options is particularly accurate, and if your third guess is something along the lines of 'is that a floor lamp disguised as a droid?' then you'd be correct.]

[restingstitchface]

[Crane stands there in the doorway, feeling curious and thoughtful. One step backwards and he's pressed against the wall with his hand holding the door open. His eyes linger on the droid for a time. He murmurs for a few seconds.]

Good evening. Will you step inside?

[There's plenty of space to do so.]

[exceptionalthief]

Good evening. Thank you.

[It's not a bad disguise, if he does say so himself, but there are a few telltale signs that this is not actually a droid, in that it has no locomotion power of its own, with Hans needing to 'assist' it into the house.]

[restingstitchface]

[Crane eyes it warily as he follows Hans inside. Closing the door behind, he takes one wrist in hand and rubs the back with a circular motion. He then slips around Hans and opens the door to the living room. There's no television or radio, just rows and shelves of books and curtains that hang from ceiling to floor. He pats the back of a plush couches with a hand.]

Take your coat off. Put your feet up.

[exceptionalthief]

[He's not certain he wants to get that comfortable, if it's all the same to Crane, but he will have a seat, thank you, waving a hand at the 'droid.']

Doubtlessly, you'll wish to inspect the merchandise.

[restingstitchface]

Yes, but I happen to think that pleasant conversation is a good way for men to enjoy their evenings. Unless you are here purely for the money?

[Crane begins taking off the lamp's trappings even as he's talking. The unspoken joke being his pre-arranged payment isn't exactly money.]

[exceptionalthief]

[Money would be preferable, but in lieu of that, it had better be something worthwhile.]

How sociable of you.

[Not that Crane has ever struck him as being that way previously. Turning over a new leaf, or just avoiding the payment aspect?]

[restingstitchface]

[Smiling a little to himself, he tosses the "droid" trappings aside and socialises with his lamp. Timeless objects were always fascinating. He sighs when he finally has to turn his attention to his guest.]

Well, I guess I should offer you a drink?

[exceptionalthief]

[Perhaps he should just leave them alone together after all.]

That would be nice. For a start.

[He might be beginning to regret having postponed any discussion of payment out of courtesy to their (sort of) friendship, needless to say.]

[restingstitchface]

[Crane slips across the room, clasping his hands behind him as he goes, and opens the doors of a well-stocked mahogany cabinet. He keeps his back to Hans for a second, arranging himself for theatrical impact before plucking out a bottle. He produces two matching glasses and closes the cabinet with a hand.]

You know what it's like. People don't know the value of what they're selling.

[He hands over the wine with little ceremony and leaves Hans to read it's expensive value for himself as he sets their glasses on the table.]

[exceptionalthief]

[He's glad at least, that Crane has good taste in wine; with Jonathan it's hard to predict sometimes what the man will consider important and what he'll be dismissive of. Just because he likes valuable antique lamps is no guarantee about anything else, at least in Hans' somewhat limited experience.]

Some do, certainly, or it would hardly be necessary to steal.

[restingstitchface]

I can't argue that. But if it's any consolation, that beauty is never going anywhere.

[He smiles a little to himself but says little else as he steps around the table and takes a chair opposite. His eyes regard the wine with a practised glance.]

If I may?

[exceptionalthief]

I would hope not, considering the effort it took to get it.

[He waves an inviting hand.]

By all means.

[restingstitchface]

[Crane doesn't move for a while, but after a moment he opens the bottle and pours a measure into each glass. He doesn't drink and watches Hans a little too keenly.]

[exceptionalthief]

[It's not at all difficult to tell he's being scrutinized, but to what aim? That's the question. It could be Crane's just eager for his opinion on the wine, but somehow, Hans doubts it's that simple. It also might be a little suspicious that Crane's not drinking, but if anything untoward happens, it's not as though he won't survive and retaliate.

Picking up the glass, he takes a sip. And waits.]

[restingstitchface]

[Holding his drink, Crane doesn't sip for a while, disliking the act in front of others. He scarcely knows what to do with himself during the silence and so eventually takes a slight taste. A short time later, and he's still breathing. No poison here.]

It's a more exciting way to make money, isn't it? Whatever that store's paying you, it isn't enough.

[They haven't talked for a while, so Crane hardly knows if Hans has changed career.]

[exceptionalthief]

Yes indeed; a thrill every minute.

[Which could be taken as sarcasm, considering the dryness is Hans' tone, but it's actually fairly truthful. And satisfying, as far as beating the system goes.]

Well, I'm not exactly an employee; more of an overseer at this point.

[Underlings run the store, with Hans giving most of his attention to the bomb-making side of things. But that's a secret.]

[restingstitchface]

An overseer? How tyrannical.

[The comment hangs on the air and Crane does nothing to soften it. Coincidentally, he had been something of a tyrant himself, though he had used a velvet glove rather than a steel one.]

[exceptionalthief]

[He might be rolling his eyes just a bit.]

I'm not using the term in an historical context; simply supervisory.