The Light-Fingered Lady

[Mark Rand]

The Light-Fingered Lady is a place in my upcoming campaign.  It's a bar that's a neutral ground for burglars and people who like to dress like them.

 

The staff members, who have their own entrance, dress in black jeans, high-collar turtleneck sweaters (ribbed or smooth), boots that let them walk quietly, leather gloves that are long enough to keep the skin of their hands from being seen, and stocking masks under their ski masks.  One staffer is always in the entrance area, checking IDs.  If someone's under 21, they get a bracelet that says so.  If someone shows a false ID, the ID is confiscated and turned over to the police.

[steriaca]

On the walls of the Light Finger Lady are posters for various movie, television shows, and plays related with the thieving world. Also cover replicas of various books where the main character is a thief (Lupin, Fafure And The Grey Mouser, etc...).

 

There is also some mementos from GRAB members (and possibly from Carmen Santiago also).

[Mark Rand]

While most patrons wear gloves in the bar (they want to play the part of cat burglars) most don't wear ski masks.  The few that do know how to drink with them on.

 

Many of the staffers will wear either hip packs or web belts with pouches, supposedly where small tools and loot can be carried. 

 

 

[steriaca]

One of the more intresting things about the way the Light Finger Lady gives out free drink tokens. The servers usually reverse pick pocket them to the target. There is a sign somewhere which advises that the staff will use this skill to pass on information on specials and free drink tokens (usually given to drunks to say 'you had enough, but please come back').

[Sketchpad]

On 6/25/2023 at 7:25 PM, Mark Rand said:

One staffer is always in the entrance area, checking IDs.  If someone's under 21, they get a bracelet that says so.  If someone shows a false ID, the ID is confiscated and turned over to the police.

 

A bar that caters to lawbreakers checking IDs for younger beings seems a bit odd to me.

[Mark Rand]

23 minutes ago, Sketchpad said:

 

A bar that caters to lawbreakers checking IDs for younger beings seems a bit odd to me.

Well, they don't want to loose their liquor license.  Besides that, they don't cater just to lawbreakers.  They also cater to those who think the cat burglar look is cool.  Also, a lot of stealthy types might go there.

Edited June 27, 2023 by Mark Rand

[Mark Rand]

People here still mention a former server who was dubbed "Kitten", by a male customer, for her feline grace, stealthiness, and occasional habit of making cat noises.  Some say she married the guy and now visits as a patron.

 

 

Edited June 29, 2023 by Mark Rand

[steriaca]

The thing about the Light Finger Lady is akin to Milwaukee's own theam bar The Safehouse (which is a spy theam bar/restaurant). I'll put up a link to it when I can.

 

The link: https://www.safe-house.com/

Edited June 28, 2023 by steriaca

[Mark Rand]

On 6/27/2023 at 11:20 AM, steriaca said:

One of the more intresting things about the way the Light Finger Lady gives out free drink tokens. The servers usually reverse pick pocket them to the target. There is a sign somewhere which advises that the staff will use this skill to pass on information on specials and free drink tokens (usually given to drunks to say 'you had enough, but please come back').

These tokens are dark-blue plastic with white lettering.

[Mark Rand]

Some staff members wear fabric ski masks under their knit three-hole ones. 

 

Since the COVID epidemic staffers have worn black surgical masks under their stocking masks.

 

Some cat burglars handgag their victims before doing anything else.  Signs saying that patrons who want to experience it are to take a white plastic token with “MEOW” on it in black lettering and keep it visible.  A few servers also do it to regular patrons they like, after which they greet them in a soft voice. 

 

[steriaca]

On 6/30/2023 at 9:32 AM, Mark Rand said:

Some staff members wear fabric ski masks under their knit three-hole ones. 

 

 

 

Since the COVID epidemic staffers have worn black surgical masks under their stocking masks.

 

 

 

Some cat burglars handgag their victims before doing anything else.  Signs saying that patrons who want to experience it are to take a white plastic token with “MEOW” on it in black lettering and keep it visible.  A few servers also do it to regular patrons they like, after which they greet them in a soft voice. 

 

 

 

The hand gag is borderline kinky, which probably means that teenagers and underage will not have the token honored out of safety and concent.

[Mark Rand]

9 hours ago, steriaca said:

The hand gag is borderline kinky, which probably means that teenagers and underage will not have the token honored out of safety and concent.

True.  That's another reason for the "UNDER 21" bracelets, which are made of the same material as hospital bracelets.  The signs say that it won't happen to those under 21.

[Word Sensei 515]

If your checking at the door your not letting in 20- year olds. It's well know wristbands can be quickly removed or concealed. 

It's a stocking your asking for under a ski mask? Do you really think that's a practical get-up for servers & doormen?

They are like half-mime, half-bank robber? Or are they supposed to talk normally, looking like that?

 

[steriaca]

5 hours ago, Word Sensei 515 said:

If your checking at the door your not letting in 20- year olds. It's well know wristbands can be quickly removed or concealed. 

It's a stocking your asking for under a ski mask? Do you really think that's a practical get-up for servers & doormen?

They are like half-mime, half-bank robber? Or are they supposed to talk normally, looking like that?

 

That would be up to Mark, but I say it depends on the server. Some take their "kabuki stage ninja" outfits more seriously and keep quiet unless they have to talk. Others you just can't shut up.

[Mark Rand]

9 hours ago, steriaca said:

That would be up to Mark, but I say it depends on the server. Some take their "kabuki stage ninja" outfits more seriously and keep quiet unless they have to talk. Others you just can't shut up.

Agreed.  The lady dubbed "Kitten" took the role seriously when acting as a server and still does as a customer.  But then, she likes going as a cat burglar to the Steel-City Con, the annual comics, manna, anime, etc. convention at the Monroeville Convention Center.

[Mark Rand]

The bar is at the corner of Atwood and Sennott Streets, up against an apartment building.  (The staff area was originally an apartment.)  A parking lot at Sennott and Oakland Avenue serves the bar and several restaurants.  Both Atwood Street and Oakland Avenue are one way, toward Forbes Avenue.

 

Like The Garage Door Saloon, which was once there, Thursday is karaoke night, the only night nobody cares how the patrons dress.  The handgag tokens are replaced by karaoke tokens.  There's always a couple ready to sing Charly McClain and Mickey Gilley's hit Paradise Tonight and one lady, dressed the part, to sing Patsy Cline songs.

Edited July 4, 2023 by Mark Rand

[Khymeria]

I was unaware that a whole cat burglar cosplay scene existed, and if it doesn't and you just thought of it, excellent. Likely lots of domino masks would see use at a place such as this to facilitate eating and drinking. The individual who mentioned the ease of slipping wrist bands, especially among a crowd which might already see themselves if only in their imaginations as top-notch cat burglars might be able to easily foil that. 

[Mark Rand]

This is a bit off-subject, but I thought I'd add it in.

 

Valkyries exist in this campaign and Pittsburgh has a few other special bars. 

 

Piper’s is a nightclub on Penn Avenue in the Strip District that’s popular with the magic-using crowd.  Piper, the owner, manager, and occasional bartender, is a white witch.  Peggy, her assistant manager, chief bartender, and cousin, is a half-Valkyrie white witch.

 

Jake’s Blues Bar, on Liberty Avenue in the Strip District, is a great place for blues.  While there’s no house band, The Blues Angels play there four nights a week from 9 PM to closing.

 

Zorba’s, on East Carson Street in the South Side is a Greek Bar.  Belly dancers perform there from 9 PM to closing.  Safura and Salome often perform there.

[Mark Rand]

In San Angelo, all four would be located on the ground floors of the two office buildings in a block surrounded by Fifth Avenue, South Craig Street, Henry Street, and South Dithridge Street.  A pedestrian overpass connects one building to a public parking garage on the other side of Henry Street.

[Mark Rand]

The Light-Fingered Lady first appeared in my first Junior Justice Foundation campaign as a bar in the University Commons neighborhood for those who liked to dress like cat burglars.  Of course, some real cat burglars and police detectives might drink there, too, but they had to act like regular people.

[Mark Rand]

I might move the bar to East Carson Street on the South Side.  To be precise, it'll be, like Zorba's, in the neighborhood known as The South Side Flats.

[Mark Rand]

Since East Carson Street is losing bars to the lawlessness at nights caused, in part, by drunks, it'll probably be in Oakland, near the University of Pittsburgh, Carnegie Mellon University, and Carlow University, possible on South Craig Street.

[Amorkca]

Would heroes who use the Bar set aside time to deal with the lawlessness so it doesn't move?

 

[Mark Rand]

On 9/19/2023 at 10:32 PM, Amorkca said:

Would heroes who use the Bar set aside time to deal with the lawlessness so it doesn't move?

 

Many blame the violence on underage individuals who drink and take drugs on the street and loiter in nearby parking lots.