Dance, Baby! Dance!

Posted on Mon Apr 15th, 2019 @ 6:14pm by Captain Enalia Telvan & Lieutenant Mona Gonadie & Death & Maica III 47 & Baroness 2nd Class Schwein von Alcott & Commander Rita Paris & Lieutenant Commander Thex sh'Zoarhi & Lieutenant Commander Mnhei'sahe Dox & Lieutenant Commander Sonak & Lieutenant Asa Dael & Lieutenant Samuel Clemens XV & Petty Officer 1st Class Cicero Delacroix & Lieutenant JG Thav Th'ovohrot & Lieutenant JG Oribiar Th'thiasreq & Ensign Tathaa
Edited on on Fri May 3rd, 2019 @ 11:12pm

Mission: Detours
Location: Captain's Private Mess
Timeline: 2396

Maica had really outdone herself this time - She had cleared out the normal table and chairs and the minibar in the captain's mess and overlaid the normal holographics with that of a famous Orion dance club called the Big Oh!, complete with cages hanging from the ceiling with olive-skinned dancers. The bar, of course, had the Captain's real booze, but the holographic butlers had been reskinned to resemble the local barkeeps. The dance music was at a moderate level so as to not overload the sound dampening, but eve8n that was mostly accurate for now.

And there were Enalia and Maica on the dance floor, waiting for guests to arrive at the dance party they were throwing for the Andorian quad, both of them wearing brass bikinis and shaking their groove thangs like they had not a care in the world.

The door opened as the two Andorian girls stepped through the doors. Tathaa was wearing her Orion dancers outfit from the ships dancing troupe though Thex had chosen to wear the pink dancers outfit given to her by the malfunctioning holodeck caused when the ship had flown through Gaea. Both gave a smile as they looked around the room. "Looking good you two you and this place looks great, " Thex said as the pair of them joined Enalia and Maica on the dance floor.

"Thank you! So do you!" Maica called as she jammed out with Enalia, who gave them a thumbs up and a grin.

Walking down the corridor towards the Captains mess and the party to come, Mnhei'sahe Dox and Mona Gonadie were arm in arm, though the more nervous Dox was tugging on her dress slightly as she walked.

It was the same dress that Mona had given Dox back before the two became a couple. It was a high necked green dress made of material that shimmered with a faint pearlescence in the pattern of faint scales it was made of as it criss-crossed in an x below her waist flaring out along the floor at her feet. Across her right shoulder, the deep green material flowed over her side like a mid-length cape that was edged with feathers that gradated from the green of the dress to a teal and ending at a bright lavender. The same feathering trimmed the sides of the dresses neck and the hem at the bottom.

"So, what do you know about these two new Suitors? I guess they must've hit it off if they went through with the transfer, but it seems really quick." Dox asked as she looked over at Mona who positively glowed in her matching dress that, on the Miradonian pilot, seemed to almost be an extension of her own brilliant plumage.

Mona shook her head. "Not much, actually. I've had my head buried in tech schematics and reports the past week setting up the new R&D department so I haven't heard much at all through the rumor mill at all."

As they approached the Captain's mess for the party, Dox paused at the door, adjusting the dress again. "I haven't heard anything either. I'm probably just overthinking the whole thing and... It's all loose around here? Did I get this zipped up right, Mona?"

"No, it's fine, you've just lost weight. I'll have to take it up later. I'm sorry, I should have noticed and done it earlier." Mona made a few adjustments and harrumphed as she fiddled with Dox's dress for a moment, then nodded and escorted her love into the dance party anyway. "You'll be able to dance easier anyway."

“Don’t chicken out, you got this,” Asa murmured to themself as they approached the Captain’s private mess. The doctor had an idea of what everyone would be wearing and had felt utterly adrift when getting ready, finally opting to just replicate something and act like they felt confident in it. They had finally settled on metallic gold pants and a black sequined tank top. Wanting to draw attention anywhere but to their body, Asa had also streaked their close-cropped hair in hues of purple, blue, green, silver, gold, and red, creating an almost prismatic effect that they would actually be sad to see go at the end of the night. The young doctor had experimented with makeup, but ended up washing it all off, feeling that somehow didn’t fit. As usual, they wore comfortable shoes- flip flops in black also bedecked in sequins.

Entering the room, Asa made their way to everyone and shyly said, “Um, hi. Everyone looks really great, thanks for inviting me.”

Entering alone behind the ship’s surgeon, the ebullient Rita Paris loomed over the petite physician a bit in the heels of the traditional cowboy boots she wore. Clad in a sequined bandeau top, a matching thong with fringed synth leather cowboy chaps that added motion when she walked and a matching cowboy hat with a rather pronounced silver buckle, Rita looked like she might be more at home twirling around a pole than getting down on the dance floor.

“You look great Doc! I love what you’ve done with your hair! Dox, Mona, looking good… I see the guests of honor are already good to get down, and our hostesses with the mostesses are on the scene and looking keen! How’s everybody tonight?”

Nervously, Dox nodded with an awkward smile to Rita who, as usual, owned the room when she walked in, which only served to make the uncomfortable Romulan even more self-conscious.

“Hi Commander,” Asa said, blushing furiously at the compliment, “And thanks. I always wanted to have something interesting in my head, but I figured for tonight I’d settle for something fun on it. Gotta admit….I have no idea how to dance really, but enthusiasm before skill, right?”

“I know how to swing dance, waltz, ballroom dance and whatever I still recall from ballet classes in my youth. So truth be told, the old lady’s no dancer either. The key is to just move to the beat and enjoy yourself, and imagine that you are amongst friends who won’t laugh at you if you dance like a landed fish,” Paris replied with an easygoing smile, even as she began twisting her narrow waist in time to the thumping beat of the music.

A short distance from the mess the two male Andorians couldn't help but smile as they walked down the corridor. " An Orion club. My parents are going to kill me when they find out what these two are into. " Thav jokily said to his mate. Thav would be the first to admit that he and his mate had no fashion sense so both had chosen some comfortable tight trousers and t-shirts. Stepping into the room were both amazed at the sight before them. The site was definitely worth the transfer.

From across the room, Dox leaned over to Mona and muttered as she eyed the newcomers with a slightly suspicious eye. "Hey, there they are."

On the other side of the mess, a tall figure sauntered toward the gathered senior officers, his boots making clacking sounds, as their platforms struck the deck.

The apparition came to a halt, grinning from ear to ear under the symmetrical dandelion-like ginger hair, the sequins from his pristine-white jacket and bell-bottomed pants bedazzling even under the room's somewhat-subdued lighting.

Sam did a blinding twirl, the flared legs of his improbably-tight bottoms whipping with an audible snap, as his boot came down, and his pointed forefinger stabbed skyward.

"Play that funky music!"

"John Travolta is rolling over in his grave," Paris grinned broadly, recognizing the iconic dancer's outfit from her own culture.

"Imirrhlhhse..." Dox cursed under her breath in Rihan. "That is one hell of an outfit."

Never one to dither too much over an excuse to be absurd, Asa had suited actions to words and was cabbage-patching their way around the dance floor, pausing to occasionally electric-slide their way up to someone new. After a quick hip bump to Rita, Asa giggled and boogied on over to the Sam, “Heya Sam! You are as shiny as me!” they enthused.

Sam spun like a dervish, halting with his hand out to Asa, a wolfish grin under the brilliantly-blue eyes, a-twinkling. He winked, and a holoprojection beam sprang to life above him, and a bedazzled mirror globe sprang into spinning existence above them, complete with multi-colored lights shining from- somewhere.

Asa gladly accepted Sam's hand and giggled with glee at the beam under which they found themselves. They had never seen the like, but it was marvelous to the young doctor, and they mirrored Sam's movements in a funky groove.

On the dance floor, Thex and Tathaa were pulling moves that no one was going to forget in a while. The two Andorian girls moved like water on the floor and around the other dancers. Their male quadmates smiled even though the two were some of the worst dancers here. Oribiar had some skills though Thav had all the dancing skills of a brick. Not that stopped him from trying.

While Mona had natural rhythm and much more enthusiasm, Mnhei'sahe was doing her level best to keep up while glancing down regularly at their feet as she moved. "Hnaev..." The Red-headed Romulan cursed in Rihan and chuckled awkwardly, "I don't want to crush your feet, Mona. I have no idea what I'm doing here."

While by no means a dancer, Rita could learn a dance, and line dancing worked for any beat if you were determined. In keeping with the motif of her dancer's attire, she boot scoot boogied and did the electric slide. If Sonak showed up she was going to ask him to square dance, because she was reasonably sure he could pull it off. meanwhile, she danced over to the new guys.

"Hey! Hello! I'm Rita Paris. What are your names, Thex and Tathaa's boyfriends?" As direct as it was, somehow the smile on the woman's face and the fact that she was line dancing in fringe chaps somehow made it disarming.

"I'm Oribiar, the ship’s new quartermaster. This Thav, my quad mate, the ships new master at arms," the Andorian who could actually dance said to the human he recognized as the ship’s first officer.

"Nice to meet you, Commander Paris," Thav said doing his best with his dancing skills.

“Thav and I have met, and we’ve caught up since I head Security. Aside from that, we’re off duty, Oribiar. You can just call me Rita. Commander Paris on duty, but in a casual setting like this, no need for ranks. We’re all just people,” Rita smiled winningly. “So how did you two meet our local gals?”

" We were looking for a pair to complete are quad. Your captain mentioned it to our captain, who told us and we started talking. Things went well and here we are." Oribiar replied with a grin on his face.

Nodding, a smile still on her face, the suspicious security chief made a few mental notes. While it might be argued that she was the suspicious sort, her suspicions often bore fruit, so she trusted her instincts. The man might just have no guile and it might be as simple as that, but Paris resolved to begin deep background checks on both men. After all, Thex was her friend, and while she might be a touch overprotective, she was fiercely loyal and was determined that no threats would bloom from within the USS Hera. Especially one that threatened her friend’s happiness.

Meanwhile, across the dance floor, the assemblage had begun mixing and mingling. Mona had begun dancing and talking with the Captain and her wife, Maica. As such, it left Dox open to meander awkwardly over to Thex and Tathaa.

Nursing a glass of punch, Dox did her level best to move in a fashion that resembled dancing as she moved about the floor. "So, how's it going with these two so far?"

" Very well at least I think so. A few problems that will need to look at on the biological level, but it's nothing that are fantastic Asa and her team won't be able to fix." Thex said as she placed her arms around Tathaa as the pair continued to dance.

"So, are they from Andor or a colony? Dox asked, trying to get a feel for the new duo.

" The USS Shackleton. They were born on one of the federations deep space exploration ships. " Thex responded.

Doing her best to look like she was dancing, Dox awkwardly shimmied in place. "Hnaev..." She cursed lightly in her native Rihan. "They're both spacers? Keep an eye on them, because I'm telling you, spacers are crazy. I'm a spacer and I'm crazy, ask Mona!"

" A good thing we both like crazy. " Tathaa said with a grin on her face.

Returning the smile with a fair bit of effort, Dox took the cue and awkwardly wandered away from the happy couple as they danced, slipping out the door to get some air.

Taking a break, Rita sashayed over to the Captain and Maica and smiled that toothy smile that lit up a room. “Lovely party as always Maica, you remain the hostess with the mostess. So what do you make of our two new boys in blue, Captain?”

Maica grinned brightly as she boogied on down. "Thank you. The club Big Oh! has always held a special place in my heart and I'm glad we could finally have a party here."

Enalia took a break to chat with her first officer and have a drink, grabbing a random cocktail from the bar. "I think they're a bit stiff on the dance floor, but they're men so that's normal. Other than that, I like them. Commodore and their former commanders all like them so that's a big plus right there. The ladies seem to like them so far and that's also good news. What do you think?"

"I think suspicious thoughts because that's my job," Rita replied frankly, with a smile. "And of course I think them more because these young men are all hooking up with my friend, so I tend to be a bit overprotective at the very least. But they seems nice, don't seem to have any ill intent, and they seem to be good fellows who are happy to have found someone in this life, in this great big universe of ours. So I will continue to watch with one wary eye, as I always do, and celebrate alongside them. In short, the usual, Captain. Business as usual on the USS Hera."

"Excellent. That's exactly what I like to hear." Enalia gave her first officer a pat on the back and motioned over at Asa and Sam in their flashy outfits dancing under the disco ball. "Now go have some fun. It's not every day we have a party like this. Dance like no one is watching and live like no one cares. If you want the karaoke machine, it's behind the bar."

Offering the Captain a knowing smile and placing her hand on the Trill woman's shoulder, the extradimensional explorer's expression was one of comfort. "We've survived opposing literal gods, we've banished titans and we've even resurrected one of our own from Death herself, Enalia. I live every day like that, because we never know what tomorrow may bring." Drawing the woman into an embrace, Rita Paris whispered in the woman's ear. "We're here, and you are taking good care of your crew, Captain."

Releasing the spotted collection of command curves from her own, Paris turned to head for the bar. "Karaoke machine you say? HERA KARAOKE RULES!" she called out, announcing what was to come to those in the know.

Slipping back in, Dox refilled her glass of punch and did her level best to look comfortable as she awkwardly shimmied in place as Rita's proclamation rang out.

Setting up the karaoke machine, Rita flipped through and chose a song. While it wasn't one that she felt confident singing, that didn't matter. While there were a great many things the curvaceous cosmonaut was good at in this life, singing like an angel was not her gift. But this was karaoke, so skill mattered less than heart. Taking the microphone, she spoke to the assemblage.

"When I met Thex sh'Zoarhi, I was exploring a new starship in a new century, and I had very little idea of where I was and what I was doing. She befriended me, and acclimated me, explaining a lot of what I'd missed and helped me see how the universe had turned out the way it has. As I got to know her, I marveled over the fact that such a sweet, compassionate woman could still be alone in the universe. Today, we come together to celebrate the fact that she is alone no longer, and that four may come together as one, to keep their race thriving, with the pitter-patter of little blue feet on the deck soon. Hopefully," she added with a smile.

"So I'm no singer, but I want to dedicate this to Thex, my friend, the blue to my gold, the brave to my bold. Hit it, boys!" As she hit the button on the karaoke machine to start, a holographic representation of a stage opened on the wall behind her as a single spot shone down. As she began to sing, the band became visible, and the first strains were heard as they sang in chorus.

"Can anybodyyyyy... find meeeee... somebody toooo.. looooove...."

Familiar with the song of one of their favorite Earth groups, Asa began crooning along, dramatically punctuating words with gestures in the chorus as they continued to boogie with Sam. As Rita noticed Doc knew the words, she brought over the microphone and they turned it into a duet, alternating bits of the song between them. Which helped, because Rita was off-key and without a good range. But she had enthusiasm, and she had a little help from her friend, so it turned out all right. At the end of the song, she gave Asa a smothering bosomy hug and handed off the microphone to Thav.

"Master At Arms, to arms, to arms!" Paris declared as she handed over the mic with a winning smile. "Hera rules karaoke- after you sing, you hand it off, and whomever gets the mic has to sing, and no tagbacks. You're on, Mister Th'ovohrot."

Thav took the mic with a slight grin on his face. He could play music, but singing was not one of his strong points. Even still he touched a few buttons and started up a song that he remembered from the academy.

"The sun drops low. Stains the sky a bloody red. The wind begins to blow, And the day is dead.

Your facade is shed. Your armor's on the ground. You become the real you for once, And you long to hear the sound."

Just then the doors opened once more and the holographic lights flickered just slightly as a cold chill swept through the room. In stepped an alabaster white woman dressed in a white and black silk hooded dress that faded into everyone's view as she stepped across the threshold of the door. Her sunken white eyes searched the room for the one that had invited her and as she found him, slowly stepped her way towards the southern gentleman.

Curtsying, she held out a gloved hand. "I used an old spell so I could be seen by all for the evening and accept your invitation properly. I do apologize if I'm a bit disconcerting."

For the very first time in his life, Samuel Clemens was stricken speechless.

For about a quarter-second.

He regained his mental faculties, and took her hand, bending to kiss it while maintaining eye contact, with a warm smile.

"I couldn't imagine anyone being disconcerted by you, dear lady. You're the very vision of beauty." He straightened, eyes twinkling like fireworks, and tapped a control on his belt. The holo-projected disco suit and wilder-than-usual hair faded, leaving Sam in a brilliant white tuxedo, accessorized by a black string tie, and wing-tip dancing shoes.

He winked at her. "I've got a few spells of my own..."

The pale woman smiled wider and would have blushed if there was a drop of blood in her. "Well, that's some magic. And a gentleman? I think I might have a pleasant distraction."

Walking from the refreshments table to stand next to Mona, Mnhei'sahe was momentarily confused. She, of course, recognized the arrival of her friend, the woman she knew as Masato Rei, but didn't initially understand how everyone else seemed to see her.

As a general rule, only herself, Asa, Baroness von Alcott and the ginger Intel Chief himself could perceive Death. But as her keen Romulan ears heard the explanation and she watched the exchange between her friends, her expression shifted from one of slight confusion to one of wide-eyed happiness.

"Hnaev..." She cursed under her breath to Mona with a beaming smile. "They're on a date. I love it." As she spoke, the generally awkward Romulan woman instead couldn't help but shoot a genuinely happy smile across at Rei, the woman who was both the embodiment of Death and the friend she frequently shared dinner with.

Which was when Rita Paris leaned in to whisper to Dox, in genuine puzzlement, “Who is that?”

Taking a good half second to remember that without the benefit of whatever spell Death was using to become visible, Rita was incapable of seeing the powerful entity. "Huh? Oh, right. Yeah. That's, well, Death. Or Masato Rei, which was her original name."

The portly pilot had a warm smile on her face for her friends. "Sam's been able to see her since Asa saved him on the table a while back, and it seems like they like each other."

A wry smile settled on the face of the friendly first officer. “Well, gotta wonder about a fellow who has the hots for Death, but Sam does love a mystery. Good for him. And now I can actually say I’ve laid eyes on her… even if I don’t plan to meet her anytime soon… nothing personal, just spent far too long trying to stay one step ahead of her.”

After stepping aside for the clearly courting colleague, Asa flashed a huge grin at Death, giving her the thumbs up as they stood aside. Walking up to the now empty microphone, Asa began crooning.

“Oooohhhhh myyyyy loooooovvveeee, my darrrrliiiinnnggggg, I’ve hungered for your touch…..alloooonnnnneeeeeee.”

With the good Doctor crooning one of her favorite songs, Rita Paris looked around for Sonak, seeking the arms of the Kolinahr who was no longer the last, but had always been the only one for her. In that moment, as the song said, she hungered for his touch. Thus she sought him out in the crowd, hoping that he had arrived, and that he would indulge her desire to dance with him to the romantic ballad of her home.

Her eyes sought him until she turned, to find him standing right behind her. Without a sound, in his natural unobtrusive way, he had entered the room and approached until he stood two paces from her.

Without a word, he raised his arms to invite her. Stepping into him with a smile that she reserved only for him, her heart swelled at the strains of the song, as well as Sonak's presence, his being… him. As far as she roamed, no matter the wonders she encountered, there was still nothing greater to her than to be held in his arms, and swept about the dance floor by the stoic Kolinahr. Laying her head on his shoulder, held in his strong arms, Rita Paris was utterly content.

You always know when to find me, she thought as a contented sigh escaped her.

This is easier than finding you accross transdimensional spacetime resonances Sonak answered in his classic deadpan. But the result is just as agreeable.

Pressing herself closer to him, Rita expressed herself emotionally and telepathically, happy to be with him, safe in his arms, and deeply in love with the best man she'd ever known.

As was usual with everything regarding she who was his wife, Sonak found the experience fascinating, gratifying, and unique.

As the 6/4-time ballad filled the room, Samuel danced with his otherworldly partner, gently whirling with her, oblivious to the universe at large, like dandelions in an ethereal wind, a content smile upon his face, far removed from the mischievous grin he usually wore. Ma would be proud of me. I'm finally dancing for fun, not a mission…he mused.

His dance partner for tonight looked like she was actually properly enjoying herself for the first time in over seventeen hundred years. After all this time, she had never once let her guard down like her predecessor, but tonight... Tonight, she had let slip a little magic and taken some personal time to enjoy a dance or two with an impossible gentleman.

Just for tonight, Death was taking the night off.