Rachael had never had an apprentice or students or a sidekick. She'd never taught or mentored or passed along a few pointers. She'd occasionally been asked by younger thieves for a leg up. But in her business, other thieves were rivals. A rising tide did not lift all boats.

Besides, she was self-taught and naturally gifted. She'd learned by doing because the alternative was starving. She wasn't entirely sure how to take what she knew and explain it in a way someone else could learn from.

But now she had a son, a beautiful tiny little poop-machine. So, dammit, she was going to figure out how to pass down her skills. She was going to be the mom she wished she'd had!

"Alright, Felix, sometimes things are locked away even though you would very much like them. That's where your new best pal the lockpick comes in. With the right tool, nothing can be kept away from you!"

Rachael considered that. Did she really want to train her baby to be able to open anything? Did that undermine all the baby-proofing she had done for the safehouse?

Felix giggled and cooed. With bright eyes, he reached out towards the lockpick. Aww, she couldn't ponder the consequences of her actions while that cute face was staring at her!

She handed Felix the lockpick. Felix promptly dropped the lockpick. Babies did not have the greatest of manual dexterity.

Rachael picked up the lockpick again and folded Felix's small hand around it.

"Okay, now I'm going to lock your bottle in this chest and-"

"Are you sure about that?" asked Felicity, Rachael's sphinx.

Rachael considered again. "Hm. Maybe locking away his food is a crazy first lesson."

So, instead, she locked up Felix's beloved stuffed toy.

"Break Mr. Bear out of jail, sweetie!" Rachael urged.

Felix just laughed and tapped the lockpick against the metal chest to make noise.

Rachael's son was definitely not absorbing her well-crafted lesson. But she found herself unbothered. She had all of the time in the world to teach him.

---

Because I wrote in the description of this picture that Rachael was looking forward to passing on her skills when her son was born, I wanted to get a picture where she did just that. And this is that picture.

This is also that picture.

There's probably other picture ideas in the concept of Rachael trying to give thief lessons to her actual baby.

"Alright, Felix, today we learn get-away driving. Hm... I see you can't reach the pedals."

Of course, Felix is a little young for even beginner thieving lessons. Rachael should start with shapes and colors or something.

---

Rachael and Felix Reynard owned by me
Art by  amaterasu