Practical Joker Seeks Audience (Original: Navigator, Leona/Ringo) Title: Practical Joker Seeks Audience Author:catdevigri Fandom: Original: Navigator Pairing/characters: Leona Maxwell/Ringo Takeuchi, May Radcliff, Mitchell Okada Rating: G Warnings: None Word count: 515 Prompt/challenge you're answering: Ringo and Leona, Shenanigans abound
"Pst, Leona, come here."
The young geologist's dark eyes lit up as she reacted to Ringo's secretive summons. There was nothing more she could desire these days, socially or romantically, than to spend time with their eccentric guest. She flipped shut her gaming device and shoved it in her pocket- the last dungeon could wait until another day. "What is it?" she whispered, kneeling down alongside him. She couldn't imagine what he was doing on the floor of the galley, seemingly hiding between the wall and the nearest table.
He stretched out one gloved finger, pointing at a small device, about the size of a quarter, lying in the middle of the doorway. What exactly was it? Leona could only think of an antique trick buzzer like her father kept in his toy collection- one of those things you held in your hand to give a jolt to anyone who shook hands with you. She looked quizzically at Ringo, but he held the finger to his lips, telling her to stay silent and wait.
Did he know who the next person through the door was going to be or was he as in the dark as she was? Leona put her hands on the ground for increased balance and waited, like he'd indicated.
"So, I was doing my shift the other day, practicing my handling," advanced May's loud and cheery voice several steps ahead of her.
"Uh-huh," urged a milder man's tone. It was Mitchell Okada. What was going to happen to one of them if they tripped Ringo's device?
May, it turned out, was in the lead. Ringo allowed himself a toothy grin as she lifted her foot and then lowered it precisely onto the metal item. There was a crackling sound and she leapt into the air, stumbling backwards against Mitchell, who caught her and held her securely by the arm. A greenish light flickered along the doorway for a second, then disappeared. "Tahw saw taht?!" May wondered, regaining her own equilibrium.
"Huh?" Mitchell gave her a quizzical look, "What'd you say?" It had seemed like all her words came out jumbled together wrong, but perhaps he had just misheard her.
"Tahw-" May shook her head, her red uniform hat sliding back and forth and her braid flinging out dangerously. She thought she might be able to put her speech back to normal just by shaking things out. "Ah! Wh-what weird thing did that?!" She seemed annoyed over what had happened to her, but pleased at having set things straight again so quickly.
"This device?" Mitchell leaned down and poked at the side of the item with his boot. It flickered again and he pulled back, his own tongue already zapped into temporary backwardness. "Oww! S'ti sith!"
"Snap out of it!" May yelled and pinched his arm.
"Geez May," he rubbed at his arm where she had pinched him, "I was talking backwards, not dreaming."
"What a funny toy," Leona whispered to Ringo, choked up with restrained giggles.
"I got more where that came from," he answered, happy to have claimed an audience.