Caprice Isaac, huh?

Barnaby hadn't worked with him before, which was somewhat anxiety-inducing considering the type of assignment they were given. A con with another person required a certain level of trust that obviously wasn't present between strangers. But, hey, this was ROCKET and their superiors didn't really give a shit either way as long as the job was done.

Tch. Typical. But Barnaby would make due, as he always did.

Entering the jewelry store, he noticed Caprice immediately - cheap suit and faux disinterest on full display. Merde. It'd be a miracle if they pulled this off.

Pushing his concerns aside, Barnaby whipped out his phone and sent a quick text. When Cap checked his own phone, he'd find the following message:

i'm the one in black. black hair, black suit, you get the idea. i've attached a picture of our mark. intel said they keep it in the back.

i'll distract the employees.
you work your magic.

A literal fucking diamond-encrusted crown. Caprice had his work cut out for him.

Barnaby offered his partner-in-crime the briefest bit of eye contact... followed by a little wink for good measure. Then, he'd turn his attention to the two attendants currently in the showroom.

"Excuse me..."

Caprice Isaac
mission: A DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH

☉

Cap didn't have to wait long before there was a buzz in his pocket. He pulled out his phone, opening the message. A crown? Cap's lip curled. It couldn't have been a single gem or a necklace or anything that was a reasonable size, huh? His fingers flew over the screen to reply.[break][break]

i 👀👀👀 fucking hate 👌👌👌 this ❗❗👑❗❗ wtf

He looked up from his phone, slipping it back into his pocket, and casually scanned the store until he caught sight of Barnaby. Oh god. He looked good. Cap became suddenly aware of how out of place he felt and he swallowed hard. Barnaby was wearing his suit like he'd been born in it. And hell, maybe he had been. Cap took a deep breath, shuttered his uncertainties, and tried to mimic the easy way his companion walked. Ugh.[break][break]

Continuing a disinterested perusal of the goods that were for sale, watching from his peripheral as Barnaby approached the employees. He had their attention in a moment, and Cap began to sidle towards the back room. As he approached (be casual, dammit) he noticed a keypad on the door. He sucked in a breath through his teeth, walking away a few steps without breaking his stride. In a smooth motion, he pulled out his phone again, sending another message to Barnaby.[break][break]

🚨🚨🚨[break]ask for something from the back.

The text itself was meant more to get Barnaby's attention than actually encourage him to pull out his phone. If he was successful, Cap would catch Barnaby's gaze, then flick his eyes to the keypad. Gotta do something about this.

[break][break]

+ BARNABY FINCH[break]mission: a diamond in the rough

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

[attr="class","credit"]milky

The buzz in his pocket notified Barnaby of Caprice's response. However, it was too late now to check what the other man had written (although the message would have surely brough an amused smile to Barnaby's face). Instead, he continued his initial conversation with the two women behind the counter.

"I'm here on behalf of a client of mine. He's interested in authentic Sinnohan gemstones. Precious gems preferred, but he's willing to entertain your semi-precious stones as well. In bulk."

That got their attention. The prospect of a huge sale, and thus a huge commission, goaded the women into hyper-attentiveness.

"My client is looking for quality investments and, from what I've heard, this location has a sizable selection to choose from."

His voice was smooth as glass and as confident as a you'd expect from a man so practiced in deception.

"I'd like to peruse what you're offering."

That was all the women needed to hear. The more senior of the two instructed the other to grab their boxes from the back. Once she hurried away, the woman returned her over-eager smile to Barnaby and began to make idle small talk as they waited.

He half-listened to her blabber, but always had his partner in his peripheral vision. Catching the other's eye, he gave no outward recognition but did change his placement on the floor. Barnaby's stance was strategic; he did his best to shift his body so that it always obscured the employee's line of sight. The less Caprice Isaac was perceived, the better.

The junior saleswoman, distracted by this fortunate turn of events, hurried to the back door and quickly entered the code. With a BEEP, the lock disengaged and she stepped through the threshold.

Caprice Isaac
mission: A DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH

☉

Barnaby gave no indication that he'd realized Cap's request, much to the blonde's annoyance. He had to trust that his partner would know what to do. Lord, being a team player put a lot of strain on his little heart. He only needed a moment's patience before one of the employees walked back and began to open the door to the storeroom. He turned, seemingly interested in a display, and watched as she punched in the code and entered the door. He'd planned on just re-entering the code once she left, but the distinctive beep of the keypad made him anxious. Shit.[break][break]

Thinking fast, he slipped his foot from his shoe, idly pretending to peruse the jewelry beneath the display, and waited with bated breath. He heard the employee shuffling at the door and tensed. When she passed through, she was so excited to get back to the potential sale that she didn't push the door shut. It shifted slowly on its hinges, closing automatically. Cap held his breath and, with his foot, slid his shoe in between the door and the jam.[break][break]

By some miracle, it worked.[break][break]

With the door propped slightly ajar and the employees completely enraptured by Barnaby and his fake sale, Cap was able to slip into the back room unnoticed. He pulled his shoe back on, easing the door closed quietly. He turned and was greeted with a full view of the storeroom, covered wall-to-ceiling in priceless jewelry and gems. He gave an excited fist-pump. Until his gaze landed on the prize.[break][break]

Right. A wholeass crown.[break][break]

Cap practically delfated. How was he supposed to sneak something so huge out of the back room without being noticed? It wasn't like he could slip it into his jacket pocket and be on his way. For a brief moment he invisioned himself simply setting the crown on his head and walking his happy ass out the front door. So confident that no one was the wiser.[break][break]

Luckily his attention landed on a grate in the wall before he could dedicated a single other braincell to that stupid plan. Of course, the vents! He dug around in his pockets, pulling out two Pokeballs. In a flash of red, Nemesis and Ra were released.[break][break]

"Over here," he hissed at the pair, directing them just under a vent in the wall. Cap snatched the crown from its place on the shelf as he walked by, cursing it under his breath. He tucked the crown uncerimoniously under one arm and lifted the Pikachu up onto his shoulder. With a helpful leg up from Nemesis, Cap was able to reach the vent. He pried open the cover and shoved the crown in. "Your turn," he said, and Ra leaped up into the vent after the prize. "Take it until you find an opening that leads outside. We'll meet you there." Replacing the cover, he could hear Ra slowly begin to scoot the crown through the vent system.[break][break]

Now he just had to get out of here.

[break][break]

+ BARNABY FINCH[break]mission: a diamond in the rough

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

[attr="class","credit"]milky

Barnaby had the deceptively simple job: distraction, beguilement, subterfuge. Call it what you want, but at least he wasn't the one skulking around in the shadows. That wasn't his forte - well, not that literally, anyway.

Although it might not have seemed obvious to Caprice Isaac , he was aware of the man's every move. His cheap suit and blonde hair never left Barnaby's peripheal vision. So it was of no surprise when Cap silently slipped through the back door, employees none the wiser.

Smooth. Not bad. Barnaby thought to himself, giving nothing away with his faux-interest and practiced smile while the saleswoman yammered on.

Caprice Isaac
mission: A DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH

☉

Holding his breath, Cap returned Nemesis to her Pokeball as the sounds of Ra scooting the crown through the vent faded. At least the hard part was over. Now for the slightly-less-difficult-but-still-pretty-important part: getting the fuck out of here. Stuffing Nemesis' Pokeball back into his pocket, he dug out his phone and silently tapped out a message.[break][break]

🎁👑🎁 package secured 🎁👑🎁

Granted, he didn't think Barnaby would take the time to read the message. Still, he felt like he needed to update his partner on the situation. Cap slipped over to the door as he returned his phone to his pocket. He slid his foot back into his shoe, holding the door open with his knee. Inhale. Exhale. He had to trust that the employees were plenty distracted by Barnaby. Being hesitant now would cause more of a scene than just committing.[break][break]

He pushed through the door, rounding on it to catch the handle before it could click closed. He turned the handle and, using his thumb to gauge the distance, let it close as quickly as he dared. Once it bounced against the doorframe, he slowly released the handle and, in two long strides, he was back to looking absently at the jewelry on display.[break][break]

He gave it a few minutes so as not to arouse suspicion, shifting from display to display, before he (mostly) casually made his way back out into the department store proper. Now he and Barnaby just had to find the vent that led outside and retrieve their stolen goods. Whipping out his phone, he made a beeline to his favorite shop.[break][break]

meet @ auntie applin's. 🥨🤤 we'll get a pretzel and pick up the goods. 👑 👎👎🙅‍♂️

[break][break]

+ BARNABY FINCH[break]mission: a diamond in the rough

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

[attr="class","credit"]milky

Blink and you'll miss it, from his peripheral Barnaby saw Cap return from the back room. Given that no alarms had gone off, it was safe to assume that he'd been successful in his endeavor. A buzz from Barnaby's phone seconds later served to confirm this.

"Oh, excuse me a moment," Barnaby bowed his head apologetically before taking the vibrating device from his pocket, noticing the text but deciding to use this as an opportunity to escape. He held a finger up to the saleswoman and stepped away from the counter, phone pressed to his ear as if in conversation.

"Yes, sir... Yes, I understand... Of course. I'll be there momentarily." She gave him a dubious look, which morphed into incredulity as Barnaby excused himself from the store.

Casually, he strolled through the walkways of the mall, checking his phone for an update from his partner in crime as he did so. Barnaby’s demeanor was so relaxed you’d have never guessed he just participated in grand larceny.

great job! 👑👑👑
be there in a sec

Soon enough the figure of Caprice Isaac came into view, his hands conspicuously empty. Hm. Barnaby didn't immediately point this out, instead opting to compliment the other's work first.

"You were quite the sneak thief back there." He commended, an easy, confident smile on his lips. "I'm Bee, by the way. Nice to meet you."

After pleasantries were exchanged and a quick pretzel bought, Barnaby eventually got to the point.

"So, you have the package, then?"

Caprice Isaac
mission: A DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH

☉

He already had a pretzel in hand and nearly completely devoured when Barnaby arrived (it was cinnamon sugar with a cream cheese dip). Cap gave his partner a wide grin and a wink, polishing off the snack and dusting his hands on his pants.[break][break]

"Not my first rodeo. Good on the diversion. You had 'em eating right out of your hand." He offered up one (clean) hand for Barnaby to shake. "Cap," he said. One day he might get used to using fake names, but that wasn't today. It always felt so contrived. "Good to meet you, Bee." He allowed his partner the initial reward of a delicious pretzel—pointing out that the sour cream and onion ones were particularly good—before they got down to brass tacks.[break][break]

"My other partner does. Ra." Cap had bought a second pretzel (thievery was hungry work) and was picking at it as he led Barnaby toward the exit. "Sent him through the vents with it. We can meet him outside and collect." It'd be far easier to wrap the crown up in his jacket and casually be on their way once they were out of the building. As they exited, Cap began to circle around the building proper. "Look for a Pikachu in one of these vents. He knows to wait right at the edge." He peered around each corner, making sure to keep an eye out for any wandering security guards who might give them trouble in the home stretch.

[break][break]

+ BARNABY FINCH[break]mission: a diamond in the rough

[attr="class","pokeclass"]

[attr="class","credit"]milky

Taking Cap’s recommendation to heart, Barnaby ordered the sour cream and onion pretzel. It was crispy yet chewy, perfectly cooked, with a little zing thanks to the flavorings used. A damn good snack, which somewhat helped ease Barnaby’s shifting mood once his partner revealed he didn’t yet have the crown in hand. But, he seemed sure of himself and his Pokémon.

"Through the vents, huh?" Barnaby repeated, chuckling, as he followed Cap through the mall's main exit and around to the backside of the large building. There were several metal grills here leading to various stores within the mall, all of which could potentially hold their missing PIKACHU. So, Barnaby let Cap take one side of the wall and he took the other. Divide and conquer, etc.

After a few minutes of peering through vents, one of them appeared to have a telltale yellow silhouette just inside of it.

"Ah! You must be Ra." A greeting said as Barnaby pulled the grate from the vent, revealing Cap's partner Pokémon. "Hey there, little one. You got something for me?" On cue the rodent turned and retrieved the crown from behind him, handing it over with a triumphant glint in it's eyes.

"Not bad! I'm impressed." Barnaby praised, handing their spoils over to Cap to be securely wrapped in his jacket, away from prying eyes.

"Let's get this bad boy back to headquarters."

Caprice Isaac
mission: A DIAMOND IN THE ROUGH

☉