3615/Him Who Knocks

Him Who Knocks
Date of Scene:	29 September 2020
Location:	Ororo's Attic
Synopsis:	Sam comes to visit Ororo in order to ask a favour. It turns into a task, and a lesson. And a meal!
Cast of Characters:	Samuel Guthrie, Ororo Munroe

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Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie has been going to classes a lot of late, college and police academy. He is still living part time at the mansion, and since he is back here, he thought he might seek a little advice. So Sam has stopped in the kitchen, got some sandwiches and a picture of ice tea with some glasses. He figures always best to bring at least some gift when visiting. He holds the tray with help of his knee, and knocks on the door.

Ororo Munroe has posed:
A tinkle of laughter greets Sam's knock, as the woman's voice from inside laughs at a joke. A joke told by something with a darker, masculine voice. Storm, for all that she is a teacher, may have a visitor already! The laughter stops then, not cut off but allowed to end, and Ororo's voice calls out, "One moment!"

A moment later, as promised, the door opens. It is not latched, merely shut. And the dark lady herself stands behind it, her face a smile. "Sam. A surprise I'm sure, please. Join me." Not 'Join us'. Me. For there is nobody there when Sam enters, if he does.

The rooms, while large, are empty. Who could it have been?

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie 's brow raises a bit at the me, and not seeing anyone, but the only real mention of it he makes is "Ah hope Ah am not interrupting anything. Ah wanted to come up, and talk a bit and see if you might have some time for a request over the next few weeks or so." He lifts the tray "And I brought somehting to eat and drink while we chat."

Ororo Munroe has posed:
A smoke of some sort drifts out of the window; it has a green tinge, and the mildest hint of music echoes in the air. Something WAS here. But if Ororo knows, she is unlikely to tell. "I had company. The Green often speaks, and it wished some things known. Then we sat and rested, together."

What that might mean is perhaps a bit much. Still, she ushers Sam inside with a hand gesture and a smile. "What did you bring? These are my rooms, please, no formality here. And I may have forgotten to eat for a day or so, so it is likely welcome.

Taking a seat of her own, she waits for him to join. "Then we can speak of your request. I assume you have some time, as it's not seeming urgent."

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie will set the tray down and pours them both some tea, and offers her a sandwich and tater wedges, "Ah made some fresh chicken salad, from a rotisserie chicken, Ah picked up on the way home." He seems to think of this place still as somewhat of a home, having three places he considers that now. Once he has server Ororo, he gets some for himself and sits down where he can talk with her. "Well, Ah, am not sure if you have heard but Ah am taking classes at the New York police academy. We were going over a few things this week, and got me to thinking. You had a bit of an interesting youth from what Ah have always heard.

Ororo Munroe has posed:
One thing about Ororo; she doesn't lie. When she says that she's hungry, she is HUNGRY. The sandwich is gone quickly, not daintily, and she drinks a third of the glass of tea in seconds. "I'm sorry, I haven't eaten in too long," she says, motioning to the plate to ask if she may take more. Politely, but with an urgency. "I really should come down more often. And yes, I'd heard. Good for you, a noble goal."

Then she drops her comment with irony, "I was a thief, if that is what you are asking. One of those whom you are being taught to catch. Do you wish to know how we did it? Will an inside viewpoint assist in some way?" She pauses, then adds, "I assumed that the police had access to former thieves. It would seem to make sense."

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie nods, and motions towards the tray "Please have as much as you would like. Ah can even grab some more if we finish it and want more." He offers with a smile "And yea, Ah was hoping you might tell me a bit about it, and maybe teach me, how some of the skills are done and what to look for when watching for them. Ah fogired best to come to you over Remy, as not sure he would want to be teaching a future police officer.

Ororo Munroe has posed:
"Hardly an issue," Ororo says after she's polished off another sandwich. "And you have come with very appropriate bribery. It's an auspicious beginning." She smiles, her very mein suggesting teasing, though she is at her core quite serious. She's wanted the students to learn these things for some time.

"I'd be happy to. The real issue being where to begin though. Even thieves tend to specialize, since the skills you're discussing take a lifetime to master and that only gets one partway due to the breadth of the topic involved! A safecracker would not be able to climb a building, nor would a car thief know how to trip a house alarm, nor which types of houses are safest to court."

She sits primly, her thoughts suggesting another train of thought entirely, but she stays with Sam for this. "Did you have an area you'd been considering?"

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie hmmms a bit and says "Well while Ah guess Ah will be walking a beat for a while, so knowing at least the basics of pick pocketing would be a good thing, Ah was thinking more of breaking and entering picking lots and such. Ah know most people do not think much about me being the quiet type as with my power it is more a roar, but knowing how to and if someone has already got into a place would probably be good.

Ororo Munroe has posed:
The lady pauses. She seems to think on the topic, quite seriously. She sips her tea, but her appetite seems to have waned with the onset of intense thought. "I could write a book..." she says softly, but shakes her head. "No, it has been done. Perhaps a bit at a time. The issue here is, you'll likely forget half of what I say. You are, perhaps, a visual learner."

She is a teacher, she's learned how to teach? How bizarre.

"Assume for a moment, you're approaching a house. Your officers will teach you this. Still. Houses which are ...quiet. That is your first cue. If you're uncertain, look for cameras. If they're visible, look for the wires. You can usually tell if I've cut an alarm's wiring. If the house has none, it's very unlikely to be robbed. Cameras and alarms are a cue that there is something worth stealing."

She pauses again, then adds, "Dogs are loud. People inside are a deterrant. Neighbours watching, that is a reason to not rob a home. Picking pockets is much safer than robbing a well watched home. I can..." she pauses, then shakes her head. "There is too much."

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie 's brow raises a bit and starts to say something and his phone buzzes. He raises a brow and says "Sorry let me quiet this." He pulls his phone out and as he quiets it he frowns a bit to what has it buzzing. He will put the phone back in his pocket, and says "Too much?" He asks her not quite sure what she means by such. He does try to pay attention the phone thing maybe distracting a little but he tries to put that away for later.

Ororo Munroe has posed:
"Sam," she says, her voice calm but intense. "I could go on and on. We'd be here for weeks. I shall try to arrange my thoughts, prepare a class for it. But if you wish specific skills..that I shall do for you. For example." She stops, turns, and then grasps a box.

Turning back, she hands it to Sam. "This is now yours. Please, open it." If he does, inside he will find a bunch of small metal sticks, some old broken locks, and a bunch of random junk.

Woo, it's like christmas.

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie will open the box, and opens it to look through it. He does pull out the different items looking at them in turn. "This would probably be something gor for a class in particular. There is enough times, when we get chained up or what nto from fighting a villain, maybe in a class on escapism. " He offers up. He looks back to her "Ah am willing to learn all your willing to teach."

Ororo Munroe has posed:
"Hardly. You'll be teaching that class, next week. We'll be using these locks. So I hope you are inspired to learn." She tilts her head, motioning to the box. "Each of these locks can be picked in under five seconds, when properly built. As you can likely tell," she says, smiling, "These are quite broken. But they are my own training locks, and it feels right to share them now."

She lets him look at them, then continues. "The key to lockpicking is simple, Sam. Cheat. The weakest point on any lock is the thinnest place on it. There are literally over twenty thousand kinds of lock. I want you to look at each one, take your time over the next few days, and then tell me how I broke them."

She smiles. A nice, evil, teacher's smile. "Each one is broken with nothing more than the tools you find here. They are common locks. They're broken open, and it is merely a lesson in observation now."

She says, then, "You have one week."

Samuel Guthrie has posed:
Sam Guthrie hmms and nods his head a bit taking a moment more to look them over now, before nodding his head a bit and closing the box, "Ah will give them all a study, and may let Alexis look over them as well.." He stops and seems to come to a realization "Ah never thought about it but Alexis might know a bit of this too, she was living on the streets of New York for a while, and with a gang in mutant town."

Ororo Munroe has posed:
Ororo nods, filing away that information in her mind. She desperately does need to get down to meet the students more. The fact that she hasn't learned this already is unacceptable. "Well, see what she thinks then? I'd be curious to know. And, Sam? Be honest with her responses. This is important to me." She smiles gently, then lifts an empty plate. "And perhaps, if you see me locked away again, come knocking? I often wish company, and am not always the first to ask for it."