Leverage fic, cat theme
Fandom: Leverage
Characters/Pairing(s): The Whole Team
Rating: G
Word Count: 601
Words/Prompts Used: let the cat out of the bag (and more)
Nate stroked his chin slowly. "I think this situation calls for Letting the Cat Out of the Bag." He leaned back in his chair, took a swig of iced tea, and glanced across to Sophie. She looked thoughtful for a moment, gazed at the flatscreen, and nodded. "Ah, yes, indeed, Very appropriate. The Pig in the Poke. I can totally see it."
"Well wait just a minute, which is it. Cat-Bag or Pig-Poke?" Hardison gestured vehemently as he looked from side to side at each of them. "This just confirms my suspicion, nay, my long-held belief, that these con games with their 'colorful' names--" he spun a finger around--"are just so much BS. I bet you two meet up at night to conjure these up just to mess with us. Admit it, I'm right, yeah? Yeah?" He fixed each of them with a glare in turn and crossed his arms.
"No, no, actually it is both; both names come from one of the oldest cons in the book. Allow me to explain." Nate himself made a broad gesture, one which the others recognized and caused them to groan loudly. "The Pig in a poke originated in the late Middle Ages. The con entails a sale of a "pig" in a "poke" or bag. The bag ostensibly contains a live healthy little pig, but actually contains a cat. If the mark buys the bag without looking inside it, they've bought something of less value than was assumed. The original bait and switch. In some regions the "pig" in the phrase is replaced by "cat", referring to the bag's actual content, but the saying is otherwise identical. Ergo where we get the phrase "letting the cat out of the bag. In Portuguese or Spanish speaking countries, the "pig" is replaced by--"
"Arghhhh stop, we get it," yelled Parker, putting her hands over her ears. "No more history, please. Just explain the damn con, and I mean how it applies TODAY, in THIS country, with this specific mark." She jerked her head toward the screen.
"I can see one way it applies," drawled Eliot as he strolled up to peer more closely at the images on the wall. "Our Mr. Reinsdorf being the owner of not one, but two, cat-themed nightclubs." He tapped his finger on the photo collage. "The Kit-Kat Club and the Pussycat Cafe. Very nice." He squinted at the pole dancers and scantily-clad waitresses. "Pretty high-class."
"You might say it's the Cat's Meow," said Hardison, hitching his chair closer for a look.
"More like What the Cat Dragged In," Sophie said pointedly.
"Let's hope this job isn't like Herding Cats," said Parker perkily.
"Should be more like Cat and Mouse," rejoined Sophie.
"Just as long as we're the cat and he's the mouse," muttered Hardison. He glanced at Nate. "What's wrong with you, Bossman? Got no cat-themed rejoinders? Or does the Cat Got Your Tongue?" He looked more closely. "Not worried about this job, are you? Hey, Nate?!” He kicked at the other man's chair.
Nate startled up from staring into his iced tea. "No, no, Hardison, we got this one wired. Just thinking about past ...times I've played this game." He sighed moodily, then, with a shake, sat up straight. "Anyway, like I was saying. in Portuguese or Spanish speaking countries, the "pig" is replaced by a hare or jackrabbit. The mark thinks he is buying a hare, when in reality he is buying a cat, hence the expression "gato por lebre"....ow!" He ducked as the others began throwing pencils, wallets, forks, cubes of ice, and other stuff across the room at him.
Characters/Pairing(s): The Whole Team
Rating: G
Word Count: 601
Words/Prompts Used: let the cat out of the bag (and more)
Nate stroked his chin slowly. "I think this situation calls for Letting the Cat Out of the Bag." He leaned back in his chair, took a swig of iced tea, and glanced across to Sophie. She looked thoughtful for a moment, gazed at the flatscreen, and nodded. "Ah, yes, indeed, Very appropriate. The Pig in the Poke. I can totally see it."
"Well wait just a minute, which is it. Cat-Bag or Pig-Poke?" Hardison gestured vehemently as he looked from side to side at each of them. "This just confirms my suspicion, nay, my long-held belief, that these con games with their 'colorful' names--" he spun a finger around--"are just so much BS. I bet you two meet up at night to conjure these up just to mess with us. Admit it, I'm right, yeah? Yeah?" He fixed each of them with a glare in turn and crossed his arms.
"No, no, actually it is both; both names come from one of the oldest cons in the book. Allow me to explain." Nate himself made a broad gesture, one which the others recognized and caused them to groan loudly. "The Pig in a poke originated in the late Middle Ages. The con entails a sale of a "pig" in a "poke" or bag. The bag ostensibly contains a live healthy little pig, but actually contains a cat. If the mark buys the bag without looking inside it, they've bought something of less value than was assumed. The original bait and switch. In some regions the "pig" in the phrase is replaced by "cat", referring to the bag's actual content, but the saying is otherwise identical. Ergo where we get the phrase "letting the cat out of the bag. In Portuguese or Spanish speaking countries, the "pig" is replaced by--"
"Arghhhh stop, we get it," yelled Parker, putting her hands over her ears. "No more history, please. Just explain the damn con, and I mean how it applies TODAY, in THIS country, with this specific mark." She jerked her head toward the screen.
"I can see one way it applies," drawled Eliot as he strolled up to peer more closely at the images on the wall. "Our Mr. Reinsdorf being the owner of not one, but two, cat-themed nightclubs." He tapped his finger on the photo collage. "The Kit-Kat Club and the Pussycat Cafe. Very nice." He squinted at the pole dancers and scantily-clad waitresses. "Pretty high-class."
"You might say it's the Cat's Meow," said Hardison, hitching his chair closer for a look.
"More like What the Cat Dragged In," Sophie said pointedly.
"Let's hope this job isn't like Herding Cats," said Parker perkily.
"Should be more like Cat and Mouse," rejoined Sophie.
"Just as long as we're the cat and he's the mouse," muttered Hardison. He glanced at Nate. "What's wrong with you, Bossman? Got no cat-themed rejoinders? Or does the Cat Got Your Tongue?" He looked more closely. "Not worried about this job, are you? Hey, Nate?!” He kicked at the other man's chair.
Nate startled up from staring into his iced tea. "No, no, Hardison, we got this one wired. Just thinking about past ...times I've played this game." He sighed moodily, then, with a shake, sat up straight. "Anyway, like I was saying. in Portuguese or Spanish speaking countries, the "pig" is replaced by a hare or jackrabbit. The mark thinks he is buying a hare, when in reality he is buying a cat, hence the expression "gato por lebre"....ow!" He ducked as the others began throwing pencils, wallets, forks, cubes of ice, and other stuff across the room at him.