So. This is the result of watching Now You See Me, once, at some time after midnight. With the movie over we (me and Feathers) were just checking story updates (I stole Jay's laptop to check my email...) and I asked for a category or a prompt or something because I wanted to write. I got told NYSM because we'd just watched it (and I suspect Feathers was fed up with my pestering for prompts). As Feathers is fond of Jack and Harry and crossovers...
Nothing's ever locked
Ever wonder how Jack learned to pick locks? Well "Jack" wasn't the one to learn.
In another life it was a simple hobby. Something to keep him occupied on lonely, rainy days when he was confined to his room. A skill taught by a couple friends who thought it was a good trick to add to his arsenal. Never mind that he already knew how to open locked doors, but this method seemed a little more subtle that a blatant magic trick. On days when he had the time he'd sit with a lock on his lap clicking it shut then picking it till it clicked open. A repetitive series of clicks that would have driven any other mad to hear but to him it broke the silence of an empty room or a deserted park. Eventually one lock was too easy and another was bought. Both would be clicked shut, and then shortly after both would click open once again. A third was added, then a fourth and many more thereafter. If any had observed they would have thought the locks to be fake or broken, so rapid were the clicks they heard.
Eventually it became the norm for him to carry a lock or two without keys. New ones would be bought and old ones discarded. A sort of compulsive habit to busy his hands when his mind was otherwise occupied. It worked for a time. The rest of his skills came later. Pick a pocket? It was subtle way to gain information; one never knew what people were stupid enough carry around with them thinking it safe as long as it was on their person. Or a subtle way get back at those who thought to hold information from him at least; people finding the contents of their pockets suddenly strewn around or simple not finding the contents at all was always good for a laugh and those had been in short supply when he'd been younger.
Not a skill that would typically be thought of as a trick, but a skill none-the-less, was his ability to fight. This did hone one very important related skill though; the ability to improvise. A show is thought out and planned in advance, but who can predict every human element?
It seemed his greatest trick was his first though. Any magician has their own signature move. He simply discovered his earlier than most; the ability to disappear.
Now at least it seemed to be of use though for more than simple amusement. A life lived on untraceable cash and a world of opportunity for places to stay when every door was open. A simple trick, you just had to look far enough into the past to think about how it came about in the present.
*Shrugs* There was supposed to be more but when I looked at it the next day I didn't feel like putting in the effort so it's been sat in my doc manager being repeatedly re-saved since then waiting for me to either add more or run out of other finished stories so I'd have to post it as is.
I'm not likely to be posting much in the near future. I've got one more oneshot done - in yet another new category - that I'll post sometime in February probably and a couple stories basically done but not typed up. If I start on paper I hate having to type it after I'm done with it. I'm one of those people who never had proper rough drafts of essays. I'd have point form notes and type from scratch editing as I went. This is pretty much how I work with stories if people want them any time soon otherwise they sit for ages till I manage to convince myself to put in the effort to transcribe them - because if I have to transcribe a "finished" written story I'll pick it to pieces as I go.
Sorry, I'll try to work on typing next month instead of writing but I don't have a laptop so notebooks are my go-to for putting down words...
If by chance any of my readers have a prompt they want me to try feel free to pester me about. I can't promise a timely piece but I'll see what I can do for you.