Private Best Laid Pranks

[June Pepperpetal]

Impersonation was just the best way to prank someone. Get them to say things they normally wouldn't. See them panic more often than not. Confuse them with startlingly different personalities while also being believable. Some people were more fun to prank, too. There was a tier list in June's mind. At the top? Force cult members. Sith, Jedi, Je'daii, witches, even her own people's Potentium. Some of course had a better sense of humor than others. Hence why she wasn't on Chaldean anymore.

Now she was on Tribunal Station. Je'daii was just another on her list of pranks. The target? Cotan Sar'andor . June spent a lot of time scurrying around the space station as various animals, people, whatever worked so she could watch and listen. Finally, it was time to strike.

So, disguised as none other than Asha Hex, June walked through the halls. Waiting. Time to throw Cotan for a loop.

 

[Cotan Sar'andor]

Contrary to all the evidence that it should be otherwise, Cotan was not having a great week. He was back on Tribunal station, back in his usual swing of things, the galaxy wasn't exactly falling apart around him, Asha was around and about as happy as could be after she'd found Qae Shena, and of course, she always enjoyed having students to work with. The Judges were about as decentralized as ever, and he was having a hell of a time figuring out who was up to what and on which planets, but that was nothing new; if anything, he normally enjoyed puzzling out what was going on and what new trouble Zak had gotten into without him around.

But he couldn't shake the constant feeling that he was being watched.

Everywhere he stepped, as of late, almost at every time in the day, it had felt like there was something just a little ways away in the background, staring at him. Not that he could ever figure out what, of course; even situated in the Kathol Outback, Tribunal station was still always full of people, there was certainly no shortage of gizka that had to be quarantined to a few of the habitat modules, and other pests besides. Being watched wasn't anything particularly unusual, but all the same, this was. There was some sense of intent behind it, but he could never manage to find who-or-what-ever was leaving him with the constant feeling.

So, seeing Asha on one of her walks around the station, this time thankfully without a student in sight or much of anything else going on around her, was a strong relief on that particular day. While he still couldn't shake the sense that there was some unfamiliar person orbiting around him in particular—which was what made their presence stand out compared to all the other unfamiliar persons milling through the station—at least getting to see Asha some time before dinner might help to take his mind off of it.

"Asha!" he called, waving an arm to catch her attention. "Looks like there's a lightstorm out in the rift right now. Big one, too, since we can ever see it all the way out here by Kathol Republic territory." He turned to look back out of the viewport he was standing next to. "Sure hope nobody got caught out in the middle of it, but at least it's a nice view from where we are."

June Pepperpetal

 

[June Pepperpetal]

Right, the lightstorm. 'Asha' turned her gaze towards the window, smiling softly. Yeah, that was happening. She stepped over, letting her gaze linger on the storm so far, yet so close. Were they not worried about it spreading this way? June didn't know much about space events, but wasn't this beyond deadly? How fast did it spread? All sorts of questions weighed on her mind at once, not that she'd ask them.

Best not to ask questions when impersonating someone else who may or may not already know the answer.

"Hopefully no one has." Like a parrot she just echoed his sentiment. Keep the conversation flowing without tipping her hand. "Have any plans for today?"

 

[Cotan Sar'andor]

Cotan watched for a moment or two as 'Asha' walked on, before turning back out to the lightstorm. He could sense a bit of trepidation, but, knowing her, it was just about the thought that anybody might've gotten caught out in the storm. "Nothing now," he replied to her question. "Just finished my last meeting, so it's nothing but free time for the rest of the day. I was thinking about relaxing for a bit in the garden." He glanced back, a sly smile on his face.

"Or, I suppose, we could go to a training room. I need to make sure you've kept up with the practice I've given you, after all."

June Pepperpetal

 

[June Pepperpetal]

Training?

All at once June's brow creased. Was this a test? Was there actual training she might've missed in her studying? If there was, June certainly didn't know exactly what it could be. Going along with it could be disasters! Or, it was genuine. And if it was, that was it's own problem too! What to do, what to do. Instead, she just sighed, keeping her gaze out the window. Don't deny or affirm.

"I'm stuck dealing with some new students." No specifics. Generalize. Perfect.

"I think they're going to be a handful."

 

[Cotan Sar'andor]

Cotan squinted, turning back towards 'Asha.'

"Students? Plural? Last I knew it was just the one, Ander." He still hadn't learned Kai's real name, but he didn't have any reason to really doubt that the Changeling's name was whatever he said it was. It wasn't impossible for him to have missed any new ones, of course, but normally she'd have told him about as soon as they'd showed up on the station. "Handful, eh? What're they like?"

June Pepperpetal

 

[June Pepperpetal]

"Mmnope there's another. Goes by June. Loves to prank." Asha nodded once before turning on a heel to walk down the hall. Nope, continuing this conversation was going to lead to her to be discovered. Which only meant it was time for plan B. She continued down the path a bit, pausing only for a moment to glance back towards Cotan Sar'andor with a faint smile.

"You coming?"

 

[Cotan Sar'andor]

Cotan closed his eyes, letting out a short sigh as 'Asha' turned and started to walk away. It appeared that his gut feeling had been correct, and that this wasn't actually Asha. The cadence was off, word choice was wrong, and as he'd been starting to notice, he couldn't even sense the necklace he'd given the real Asha anywhere on this copy. However, they at least seemed relatively innocent in their intention, so he wasn't too worried by what was going on. Had anything bad actually happened, he certainly wouldn't have missed it.

So, when they asked their next question...

"Sure," he replied. June, loves to prank. He was starting to wonder if he hadn't just run into that June person specifically. He turned from the window, his longer stride quickly catching up with 'Asha.' "Made a decision on what to do, I'm guessing?"

June Pepperpetal

 

[June Pepperpetal]

There was no way he didn't know. Not now. She could see him go on defensive. Give her that 'are you for real' eye. Or maybe June was just paranoid? Bah. "Bah." Her form shimmered then. Shifted. Even the clothing changed before the silver haired woman stood before Cotan Sar'andor . Hands on her hips. Frustrated pout on her lips.

"You're no fun." Yeah, blame him. She absolutely would blame him for ruining her long planned prank! .. Well not that she had a prank in mind specifically. Just, the set up. No punch line. She immediately deflated, crossing her arms over her chest.

 

[Cotan Sar'andor]

"And here I thought I'd play along and see what you actually had planned. I'm guessing you're the June you mentioned?"

Cotan allowed himself a bit of a self-indulgent smirk at having caught and beaten the shapeshifter at her (their?) own game. "Gotta work on the speech patterns a bit. I've never heard Asha say 'mmmmmnope' in my life. The walk and posture were spot-on, though." Enough so that with the speech fixed he might actually have been fooled for longer, although he wouldn't say as much. "The pout, however, is adorable. Might teach her to do that some day."

June Pepperpetal

 

[June Pepperpetal]

Oh. Well. At least Cotan Sar'andor wasn't y'know. Mad.

Most people got mad. It's why she wasn't home anymore.

"Speech patterns are hard, especially when there's prolonged talking." Now she was just making excuses. .. Though she did smile. So the disguise itself was good enough to fool him without words? She'd settle with a B-.

"I'm June, yes. Been here for a while though. Just, you probably didn't notice huh." She grinned wide. "I bet you didn't notice at all. I've been watching everyone."

 

[Cotan Sar'andor]

So that's why I've been feeling paranoid for so long.

"Nope, didn't notice at all," he lied through his teeth with a small smile. "Might, uh, be careful you don't creep too many people out in the process. Some of them might have better senses, notice they're being watched a bit more immediately." He really hoped she wouldn't decide to keep watching him much longer.

Or Asha.

Or the both of them together...he really didn't like the thought of whether or not she'd found a way to hide in an air vent or anything like that and watch them at night.

"So, June, are you just wanting to have fun on the station, or were you serious about that 'new student' bit?"

June Pepperpetal

 

[June Pepperpetal]

Cotan Sar'andor didn't notice?

Score one for the Fae's hiding abilities. June mentally fistpumped before tilting her head. Oh, right. New student bit. That wasn't a bit. She grinned, standing rather proudly. Smugly, really. Hands on her hips as she puffed out her chest.

"Naturally. Only the best students, right?"

 

[Cotan Sar'andor]

It was a weird thing, for Cotan to have the thought hit his mind that he hoped the young shapeshifter before him didn't learn how to use her body against people, but the thought came to him all the same as she so proudly puffed out her chest. Of course, she was a shapeshifter, she was already somewhat used to doing it anyways, but...still.

Force help anybody she ran into later if she did.

He blinked, his face set in an expression of dull amusement. She was almost like a cartoon character he might've seen when he was a kid. "Yes," he replied after a moment. "Only the best." He glanced around, taking a moment to consider the best route he could take through his labyrinthine space station. "Care to follow me off to the garden, then?" he asked. "Short of just saying 'congratulations, you're a student now,' there's not much I'm good for, but that redhead you were just impersonating would be good for you to talk to."

He paused.

"Maybe make yourself look like her again as we walk in, that'd be kinda funny."

June Pepperpetal

 

[June Pepperpetal]

"Asha seems to think you're good for a lot of things."

June had been following them for some time after all. Not that she'd explain what exactly she meant. It'd be better to make Cotan Sar'andor wonder what she could be alluding at. What he could think up would always be worse than whatever she actually learned.

Which, wasn't much.

"Oh? You sure you want to walk in with a doppleganger of her? Don't think she might get suspicious on something?" A smug, utterly childish grin formed as she walked beside Cotan. "What if she thinks you took a while to see through the disguise?"

 

[Cotan Sar'andor]

Well, I'd hope she'd think I'm good for a lot of things. She's experienced most of them.

With that unvoiced but self-assured thought in mind, Cotan just shrugged in response to June's first words, and continued along. "If she thought that, she'd be more likely to crack jokes at my expense than to be angry at yours." It was almost sad how honest and truthful that statement was; had anything really gotten to any worrisome point, Asha would never let him hear the end of it. Scold June, sure, but doubtlessly it wouldn't be much. Cotan, though, would still hear the story told on his deathbed.

"I say go for it. It'll be great."

June Pepperpetal