Run: 2026-02-16-01KHKB6804QC1W4K8YVRSERJ44

Night smelled of cake and helium. The house glowed with pastel lights, a paper banner sagged over the doorway, and tiny plastic dinosaurs peered from the punch bowl like jury members. Molly crouched under a folding table, knees up, breath shallow as a mouse. Bill balanced a roll of duct tape on his knee and whispered plans to a stuffed unicorn. They were absurd and careful. Outside, a minivan coughed to a stop and a parent yelled something about traffic and juice boxes. Inside, laughter thudded like a dial tone. They had rehearsed schematics on napkins, practiced the gift-swipe pivot, timed the cake distraction. It all could go sideways with one loud kazoo or a single wrong gift tag. Molly tapped her lip, eyes on a cluster of wrapped rectangles beneath a banner. Bill checked his pocket watch though their watches both were novelty plastic. The plan smelled of peppermint. "Molly: Are you sure about the timeline?" "Bill: Definitely. Cake served at eight thirty, sugar rush at eight forty." "Molly: And the magician does the disappearing rabbit trick at nine, correct?" "Bill: Correct. Rabbits are prime distraction. Also full of balloon swords." "Molly: The unicorn plush is heavier than it looks. Do we take two hands?" "Bill: Two hands, one hand for duct tape, one for the grab. Quick pivot." "Molly: What if a toddler recognizes their present?" "Bill: Then we improvise. Swap with a decoy. No label left, no heartbreak." "Molly: Decoy as in wrapped broccoli?" "Bill: Preferably a small, light action figure. Broccoli would cause tears." "Molly: What about the glitter cannon? I don't want glitter forever." "Bill: Glitter is a commitment. Use confetti poppers instead. Cleaner chaos." "Molly: How do we get past the cake guard? The birthday sibling tends to hover." "Bill: Cake guard is distracted by ice cream duty. We timed it. We practiced with spoons." "Molly: Practiced spoons?" "Bill: In rehearsal, yes. Spoons drop, everyone lunges — our cue." "Molly: I still worry about the slow kid who notices everything." "Bill: Observe and misdirect. Offer them a sticker from our pocket. Kids love stickers." "Molly: You brought stickers?" "Bill: Emergency sticker sheet. Smiley faces. Very distracting." "Molly: We have escape route?" "Bill: Garage door key in the potted fern. Exit under bunting then sprint to minivan." "Molly: Minivan looks suspicious. It's purple and has a dinosaur magnet." "Bill: Blend in. Dinosaur magnet is fine; parties expect dinosaurs. Park crooked, distract." "Molly: Timing the grab is crucial. How many gifts per loop?" "Bill: Three or four per sweep. Speed and rhythm. No heavy toys on first pass." "Molly: What about the baby monitor? It records everything." "Bill: We disable it with a lullaby on my phone. Babies nap to bad covers." "Molly: If an adult confronts us?" "Bill: Honesty is risky. We tell them we're entertainers with instructions." "Molly: Do you know any entertaining skills?" "Bill: I juggle two tennis balls. Very convincing." "Molly: Ready?" "Bill: Ready. On three: one, two, three—go now, go"