A Common, Classic Prank

[Shoden Moz]

Next on the target list, after having yet again given her caretaker the slip, and nabbing a cup of tea for the time being, was one [member="Darben Skirae"]. The poor man never seemed to have any fun, and it was an utter, complete tragedy. So, Shoden was taking the solemn duty upon herself to cheer the man up. So to that end, Shoden had 'appropriated' a set of keys to the finance minister's office, alongside a 'whoopee' cushion, all for the express purpose of pulling a simple, classic prank on the older man. So she waited quietly for an opportunity, before using the spare keys she had appropriated to unlock the door, slipped inside, and went to work.

First she made sure to lock the door behind her, before positioning the whoopee cushion so it would rest easily right where Darben would sit, when he got back, and yet would remain mostly hidden. Then, she found a corner she could slip into, and moved a few objects around subtly to hide. Since it was safe for now, she let a little giggle escape her lips, before she would hush and watch intently. Darben wasn't a man, she thought, who would look at his chair before sitting. Why should he?

Perhaps his bodyguard would be there too. It'd be amusing to see her reaction to Darben being so effortlessly pranked, assuming of course it worked.

 

[Darben Skirae]

Darben slowly came to his office, in tow was his adopted daughter and bodyguard. "...I'm just saying, next time you go out alone, let me know" the Minister fumbled with his keys as he got it out to open his office door, while ridiculing his daughter. "And you, Mia, should not condone such things." Renla was becoming quite a trouble maker. Going off on her own, with and without his bodyguard Mia. "She could have been hu..." He stopped, his hand shaking as he tried to get the key in. Eventually he did, and he sighed. He then pushed open the door.

He went in, not noticing anything out of place. He was not the type to check his office. Darben knew that nothing could get in without his knowing. "Just...just sit down" he said, rubbing his eyes softly. "And Mia, stand by the door." She nodded, not being able to hide her smirk however. He went to sit down, holding a datapad in hand. Until he heard a sound that was...something he did not think he would hear so loud. Right from...him. Mia had to cover her mouth as Renla burst out laughing.

[member="Shoden Moz"]

 

[Shoden Moz]

Picture perfect. Shoden's laughter came from the corner, loud and clear, as she held up her hand in surrender. Carefully she began to leave her little hiding hole, revealing herself to her unfortunate prankee, before wiping a tear from her eye from laughing so hard. "Oh that was perfect, you didn't even glance down! Oh I'm sorry Mr. Skirae but I just... I just couldn't help myself. You always look so bored!" She continued giggling as she went out in front of his desk, so he didn't have to look around to see her. She gave Mia a smile and a little wave, before turning her head to Renla.

"I should probably give back the spare keys now shouldn't I?" She gave [member="Darben Skirae"]'s daughter a mischievous smirk. A job well done! Now to make sure that her palace living family is perfectly bemused!

 

[Darben Skirae]

Darben Skirae had his hand on the blaster under his desk, ready to bring it out when he heard someone else laughing. Until they came out. How did a kid, of all people, get in his office?! "How did you get in here? And who are you?" And how did they know his name? Mia however waved a little, and so did Renla with a sweet little smile. Darben however, he was no where near happy. "Keys, now. Then answer before I call security."

"Darben, relax! Really, you can be so uptight sometimes" Mia said towards him. He gave her a short glare, then turned his attention back towards [member="Shoden Moz"].

 

[Shoden Moz]

Shoden giggled and fished the keys out of her pocket. "Oh wow, calling my dad on me? Real grown up! I though only kids tattled on people. He always like this? He needs a solid... seven or ten more jokes I think. Fortunately the minister of Mischief can pencil him in!" She laughed again as she tossed the spare keys to [member="Darben Skirae"].

Then she pulled up a chair, spun it around so the back was forward facing, and leans on it while sitting forward. "I'm Shoden. Shoden Moz-Excron. Dad let me keep my last name with a hyphen, said it sounded too nice to waste."

 

[Darben Skirae]

Darben had no idea what she meant at first. Calling her dad on him? "Don't mind him, he's always up tight" he heard Mia say. "Um, excuse me? Who pays you?" That seemed to keep her quiet for now, but didn't help in hiding her grin. Darben turned back to the girl in time to just barley catch the keys before they hit him, juggling them in his hands so they didn't fall to the floor beneath his chair. He eyed the girl as she took it upon herself to sit on a chair the wrong way, it made him glare ever more slightly.

Then he heard her last name. "Excron? As in...Darlyn Excron?" Well, at least he knew who to call...then again, he had no idea Darlyn had a daughter. "Mia, could you get [member="Darlyn Excron"]?" he asked to his bodyguard, then quickly turned back on [member="Shoden Moz"]. "And you will stay here until he arrives."

 

[Shoden Moz]

"I didn't know that there were enough Excron's to cause such confusion! Yes that's Dad. Though really you shouldn't bother him right now, I mean if I'm not allowed in his office while he's working I'm sure no one is. After all I am the most precious thing in the world!" She giggled and leaned until the chair was on two legs, before slightly rocking it back and forth. Dad said [member="Darben Skirae"] wasn't the kind for fun usually, but she was having the time of her life right now! "And gee, I'd love to stay around but technically I think you'd just get in trouble for taking me into your office without asking! After all how could a one handed child gain your spare office keys? That's just, silly!"

The smirk she shot back at Renla and Mia would hopefully ease them a bit. Darben didn't seem the kind to take a hint, so at least those two would surely recognize the smirk meant she was just teasing and playing with the man. She had to get her kicks somehow after all, and she did proclaim herself 'minister of mischief'.

 

[Darben Skirae]

"I didn't know he had a father" Darben said back, perhaps a little too snappy. Then he got a little nervous, yes it would seem a little odd. But Mia was out the door, so he didn't have much of a choice. Little did he know, she was just waiting outside. "Look, I know your 'dad' well enough that I would not be getting in trouble. So you just sit there until he gets here. And...do...nothing" he told her, then sat back in his chair. He occasionally glanced at her, tapping his fingers on his desk while he looked over the datapad he had gotten. While his attention was off her for a bit, Renla stepped forward.

"Hey, I'm Renla" the Twi'lek said to [member="Shoden Moz"]. Her voice was slightly static still with the voice module in her throat. She wanted to ask her about how Darlyn was her father, but also wanted to ask her how she pulled off that prank.

 

[Shoden Moz]

"Nothing? Ah, don't open the top drawer of your desk then." She giggled mischievously at this... there was nothing wrong with that drawer, but the thought meant he would be cautious with it. Scared, even, to open it. That alone was an excellent prank! Two for one deal! She couldn't stop herself from giggling as she looked over at the Twi'lek introducing herself as Renla. To this, Shoden lifted up her stump hand like she was waving, before setting it down and leaning into the chair she was still incorrectly sitting in. No doubt to [member="Darben Skirae"]'s further displeasure. "Hello Renla! I'm Shoden, though I already sort of introduced myself. How's things?" Talking so casually, she was very evidently used to talking to people she didn't know. Came with being an orphan one supposed. Or former orphan? Did adoption remove that title.... she would have to look that up later.

 

[Darben Skirae]

Darben Skirae glanced down at the drawer, eyeing it carefully. He reached a hand towards it, wondering if perhaps he should open it or not. He wanted to open it, to see what exactly was inside there. And he kept at it like that for what seemed like a while as [member="Shoden Moz"] spoke to Renla instead. She smiled at the wave, and waved back silently. "Hi!" she answered back with her slightly static voice. "It's all fine for me, though it's quite boring too..." she muttered quietly. "I have met Darlyn, he's nice isn't he?" Although she hadn't even met him much.

 

[Shoden Moz]

"I've only been here a little bit and I can already tell that. Someone here needs to loosen up a bit!" She giggled and rested her head on the back of the chair. "Dad? Yeah he's pretty nice, though a lot of people seem scared of him for some reason. I don't get it. He usually gets me treats after work though so maybe I'm just biased." How she'd managed to be around long enough to say 'usually' and yet not see [member="Darben Skirae"] was astounding. "Mmm... is Mr. Skirae your dad?"

 

[Darben Skirae]

As Darben continued to wonder what was in the desk while working away, Renla continued to converse with [member="Shoden Moz"]. She quite liked Shoden, she was funny. No doubt could teach her many things, such as pranks to pull if she felt bored. "He doesn't seem scary" the Twi'lek said. She then nodded to Shoden's question. "He is. I came with him to Commenor...lot has happened." Some of it, it wasn't so great. The store attacked, that one attack on the Senate building, and other stuff.

 

[Shoden Moz]

[member="Darben Skirae"] was certainly amusing her! Still concerned with the desk, she almost wanted to give it away, but figured he would open it eventually. And realize, of course, that he was outsmarted by a young teenager bored out of her mind with one arm tied behind her back. Or missing a hand, so basically the same thing really. "Dad talked about him a bit. He's good with numbers but not with people. Or guns. Dad says he needs ah.. mmm.. a lot of drinks to relax." She slowly got herself up and put the chair back where it was before, roughly anyways, and best she could with only one hand. For someone with a disability she seemed to have mastered managing things without both. "Adopted right? I mean, I don't mean to be rude, buuuuuuut..." She tilted her head a bit towards Darben to make her point. She wasn't being rude about it, hell she was adopted herself. "Mr. Skirae doesn't look a whole lot like you. Not like me and Dad with our red hair." And general personality of causing a ruckus.

 

[Darben Skirae]

Renla nodded, a bit sad now. He drank a lot, and he thought she didn't know. But in reality, she did. She had spied Darben drinking, and sometimes he shook in bed. She never knew why, he had never told her why. And it worried her greatly. "He does...he drinks a lot, thinks I'm not watching." She said this in a low whisper, so that Darben could not hear. "I don't know why he does...but he always acts differently. Always tired, exhausted." Renla knew he was trying, but at home he was not happy. And it was rather sad, and she could not bear speaking to no one about it any longer.

She nodded, putting on a small smile. "I snuck into his shop. He saved me from pirates, and we both came here..." She glanced over at him, still wearing her smile as he worked away. "Then he adopted me. Never told me why he did, he just did."

 

[Shoden Moz]

"Pirates? That sounds exciting.. Dad just adopted me from the orphanage in town a while ago. Said he liked my spirit, since I sort of just, didn't show up the first few times? He found me in a tree in the woods." She shrugged a little bit, and glanced over at [member="Darben Skirae"] again. She hummed a bit, before getting a delighted smile on her lips and stepping up close to Renla, and whispering in her ear. "Wanna see one of my favorite hiding spots in the palace? He probably won't notice if we're reaaaally quiet." She just, couldn't help herself. She had.. *had* to cause mischief. It was like a drug to the girl.

 

[Darben Skirae]

Renla shook her head. Pirates were not exciting, not in the least bit exciting. But what was exciting? The idea [member="Shoden Moz"] proposed they do. At first she leaned a bit back as the girl got close, as she was not so comfortable with anyone being that close, except Darben and Mia. Even Lady Kay. But then she nodded with a smile, and cautiously glanced over to Darben. "Where? Show me where" she said in agreement. As they discussed their plans, Darben glanced to the drawer again. He was growing overly curious...

 

[Shoden Moz]

Shoden smiled lightly, and slowly moved towards the door. [member="Darben Skirae"] was on the verge of taking a look, judging by the expression on his face, and Shoden didn't have that long to get Renla out. So she held a finger up to her lips, perhaps inappropriate considering the circumstance but a gesture that meant more than simply speaking. As notable in how she moved without making much sound, up to the door, slowly. When she got there, she gently opened it, making sure the metal wouldn't creak as she got it just open enough to slip past, motioning Renla to follow. Of course, that was when she realized she was right next to Mia, and she froze a bit. Ah.. she could explain... right?

 

[Darben Skirae]

Renla followed along behind [member="Shoden Moz"], not looking over Darben Skirae to see if he made a move or not. He was too busy anyway, and she knew once he was working little could pull him away from that. As they got to the door, she saw Mia there as well. The nautolan looked down at them, smiled. Then, she flicked her head for them to get going, and quickly. She had to resist a little chuckle. Much like Shoden, she also thought Darben needed to lighten up as well. "I won't say a word" she whispered to them. "Now quickly, before he realizes." Renla smiled up at her. Mia was cool like that.

 

[Shoden Moz]

Shoden gave her a big grin and nodded, motioning Renla as she moved down the hall with a soft giggle. "Right then! Next stop my hide away! Now don't give it away, I'd hate to have my 'babysitters' find it." She hummed happily as she lead Renla through the palace, pausing every now and then to listen for footsteps. Eventually however they reached one of the meeting halls. She opened the door, leading the girl in and motioned to the bookcase. "Dad told me about the tunnels under the palace, or at least I eventually listened when he talked about them. There's entrances all over the palace. Buuut, some of the tunnels are a little forgotten." She smiled and moved a piece of furniture aside, revealing a hidden trapdoor. "This one was started and forgotten, so it's not really that useful. There is a real tunnel in here but this one was an accident. So I have some lights and books and things I hide down here for when I'm bored."

[member="Darben Skirae"]

 

[Darben Skirae]

Mia gave them a wink as they went on, and remained where she was. The young Twi'Lek followed Shoden away from Darben's office, waving back at Mia. She listened as [member="Shoden Moz"] talked about the tunnels, she had not heard of them. "Books?" Renla did little reading. Darben had been working to teach her, and she was getting better at it. "How many? Are they good books?" she asked as she looked at the trapdoor that Shoden had revealed.

As they went off, Darben Skirae took a chance, and opened the drawer. And found nothing, so shut it. Still he did not notice that his daughter and new friend were gone.