The dimly lit basement of Bill’s cluttered apartment served as the duo’s makeshift planning headquarters. A large, rickety table was buried under a chaotic sprawl of papers, blueprints, and half-eaten slices of pizza. Music played softly in the background, setting an oddly upbeat tone for the criminal conversation about to unfold. Molly, with her ever-present mischievous grin, leaned over the table, pointing at a layout of the children's party venue. "Alright, Bill, let's focus," she declared, tapping her finger on the paper. "The main entrance is a nightmare... all the parents are going to be hovering there." Bill, adjusting his thick glasses, looked up skeptically. "You sure we can’t just walk in with a couple of balloons and call it a day? Kids love balloons." Molly chuckled, shaking her head. "We need more than just balloons. We need a distraction. What if we get someone to dress as a clown?" Bill’s face lit up with amusement. "A clown delivering a pizza! Picture it: while everyone’s gawking at the strange scene, we swipe the presents." "Perfect!" Molly said, her eyes twinkling with delight. "But what about the cake?" She pursed her lips, pondering the details. "Cake?" Bill raised an eyebrow. "Are we stealing that too?" "No, no—imagine if it ‘accidentally’ topples over. More chaos, more distraction," Molly elaborated, waving her hand dramatically. Bill laughed, the sound echoing off the walls. "A clown, pizza, and now flying cake. Quite a party we're planning!" Molly grinned. "We aim to please, right? Now, about those presents. Did you get the bags?" "Extra large and extra sneaky," Bill assured her, patting a black duffel bag by his feet. "Enough room for heaps of toys and games. We're gonna make Santa look like an amateur." "Good, good," Molly mused, eyeing the blueprints again. "We should slip in while they're singing ‘Happy Birthday.’ Loud, distracting, the perfect cover." Bill nodded, his fingers drumming excitedly on the table. "We'll meet outside by the alley exit, stash the loot there. No one will suspect a thing, not with the clown juggling and kids screaming." Molly clapped her hands together, eager and satisfied. "This is going to be legendary. Just imagine the morning news." "Right—‘Mystery Bandits Make Off with Birthday Booty,’" Bill proposed, snickering at the headline he imagined. "And we'll be long gone with our treasure," Molly added, her voice filled with triumph. Bill looked at her, his expression a mix of apprehension and thrill. "You think this'll work, Mol?" Molly gave him a reassuring nod. "We've got a solid plan. As long as no one suspects, we'll be the best party crashers ever." With a shared laugh, they toasted their mugs of cold coffee, sealing the pact to pull off the most bizarre theft of their careers. Bill found himself wondering how they ended up plotting against children’s parties but couldn’t deny the excitement of it all. As for Molly, she admired how their path tipped on the edge of absurdity. The world outside might never understand their antics, but down in the basement, amidst piles of wild schemes, this one felt particularly brilliant.