Dinner and dancing

Posted on Tue Dec 26th, 2023 @ 10:42pm by Lieutenant Commander Kevin Lance & Captain Mira Rodale

Mission: Christmas Cheer
Location: Hvalset Fjord, Greenland
Timeline: Present

on:
{Hvalset Fjord, Greenland}

Mira and Lance had just finished a meal that Mira was sure Lance wanted to be any place else, then sitting next to her.

Odin stood with a smile and then announced that the first dance was ladies' choice.

Mira narrowed her eyes on Thor. "What does that mean?"

"Just what Odin said. Ladies pick a guy she wants to dance with." Thor told her. Mira hadn't even realized her hand had taken Lance's as she watched a few men stand.

Kevin was surprised when Mira took his hand. He remained stock still lest she take her hand away again.

"Oh no, no, no," she whispered, "Lance, please dance with me." She looked into his eyes, hoping he knew what was going on because she wasn't going to dance with those guys all night. she stood still holding his hand in hers.

With Mira looking pleadingly into his eye, Kevin decided that there was nothing that she could ask that he would not do. "Of course I will dance with you," he said, then remembering courtesy he added, "Commander."

Mira bit her lip. "Mira, unless you prefer Rodale."

"Then I insist that you can me Kevin," he replied.

She smiled as he stood, and she led him to where the other couples were gathering. Having accepted her request, Kevin was worried about whether he would embarrass her or himself. Dancing wasn't a topic that was part of the Academy curriculum, but it was basically like walking, left-right-left-right. Unless it was a waltz, or swing, or just about any other dance step.

"I must warn you. I haven't danced in eight years and the dancing wasn't like this." She whispered to him, then smiled. Placing her one hand on his shoulder and the other hand she left holding his.

"As long as you don't step on my foot, Mira," Kevin teased. Surprisingly, his voice was much calmer than he felt. Inside, he couldn't believe that he was getting to hold her close. His logical and romantic sides were in conflict with each other.

Their height difference meant she had to reach up to keep her hand on his shoulder, and his hand was more on her side than her hip. The top of her head barely came up to his chin.

It didn't take long to catch on to the steps of the dance, and Mira felt at ease being in Kevin's arms. They laughed about getting some of the moves wrong from the other dancers, not that it mattered to Mira. The song sadly didn't last the whole night, but Mira's hand stayed in Kevin's as they walked. The Vikings were singing and stomping their feet by the time they made it back to the table.

Thor had a big smile on his face. Normally, that meant he had something planned. "Are the both of you going to join us in the polar bear dip?" Thor asked with a straight face.

Kevin’s brows knitted. Did Thor say bear or bare, he wondered.

Mira raised an eyebrow. "Why are you dipping bears?" she asked curiously.

Thor laughed, " No, we cut a hole in the ice, then we jump into the water then the sauna."

The Sauna sounded good, but Mira was shaking her head no to jumping in freezing water.. "A Trill could never do that. Our muscles would seize up. " she shugged. These people were truly crazy Mira thought.

Thor nodded. "What about sledding down the mountain?"

Mira shugged. "Maybe" she wasn't sure what that entailed. It was now after midnight and officially Christmas morning. She looked up at Kevin and smiled. "Merry Christmas, Kevin."

Kevin had never experienced the joy of Christmas as a child raised on an impoverished planet on the edge of Federation Space. Even while on the Dorcas James and at the Academy, the tradition struck him as odd and childish, a belief reinforced by Admiral Desai’s requirement that he play “Santa Claus” for the children of his officers. Even on Pyxis Alpha Five, his participation in the celebrations had been mostly out of obligation.

But here, away from the deprivation of his youth and the obligations of duty, with a smiling Mira in his arms, he could truly believe in the miracle of Christmas. It might not last beyond this night, beyond this moment, but right now, he was happier than he could ever remember being. He smiled back and said, “Merry Christmas, Mira.”

Thor smiled at the two of them. "I remember the first time I laid eyes on Mira. She was what? Seventeen, and you were running away from something on Trill. "

Thor stroked his beard. " She wasn't even five feet tall then. She had one hand on a Tellarite and the other on a Caitian, keeping them apart and switching languages faster than I could tell what was going on." he chuckled. " First thing I thought was where was this girl's family. When I found out she didn't have one, well, I knew I had to have her on the crew."

Mira rolled her eyes, then grinned at Kevin "Oh he is talking like I was the best crewman ever. Next, he will start talking about all the crazy things I did. But before he does I did learn every bad habit I have from him and that crew of his." When Thor put his hand over his heart, she laughed. "Who was it that showed me the weapons console. You, that was all you. Then you told the Captain you didn't know why I was blowing up astroids. YOU told me to practice." Mira laughed.

“I was orphaned around the same age,” Kevin said, the lie coming easily after so many years, “The freighter that my family was traveling on was attacked by Orion pirates. I was the only survivor.”

Mira shivered at the mention of Orion pirates. She had dealings with them before. "Both my parents were killed when I was seven. For some reason, they never sent me to live with my father's family. I was raised by a friend of my father. He wasn't a very friendly person and we traveled a lot. Once I was fifteen, I was taken to the Symbiosis Commission to train to become a host." Mira shrugged."I left."

Thor frowned. "None of your family took you in?"

Mira gave a sad little smile. "They never asked me to, and I never asked why. I had a guardian until I was fifteen, then.... I ran wild for a few years until I joined starfleet. "

"Ah, that explains a lot," Thor told her, then laughed at the look on her face. "I just meant you were a wild child."

She pointed a blade at him. "Watch it, I know where you sleep." Mira smirked.

Kevin reflected on the similarity of his and Mira’s background. Both denied family connections at an early age, forced to fend for themselves, apprenticed by a kindly ship’s captain, and finding purpose and commitment in Star Fleet. He smiled at Mira and said, “A wild child? I would love to know more.”

Mira grinned.

Odin stumbled up to the group and putting an arm around Kevin’s shoulder, he warned, “Be careful, Lieutenant. Min lille is a witch. She will steal your heart.” He was clearly in his cups.

She already has, Kevin thought as he gave Mira’s hand a little squeeze. Aloud, however, he promised, “I shall be on my guard, sir.”

Thor laughed at Kevin. Odin set at the table with them grinning. "So little Mira, you haven't sat on Santa's lap to tell me what you want for Christmas. "

Mira almost choked on her drink. " There is nothing I want that I would make me willing to sit in your lap for, Santa."

Odin's frown made her hug Kevin's arm, still laughing at Odin.

Odin looked to Thor. "Has she always been this disrespectful? " Thor pretended to think about it and then nodded yes.

Odin playfully frowned "Well we are going to have to dunk her, or krampus might get her."

Mira narrowed her eyes. " Well, if that is my choices tell Krampus to come and try."

Odin looked horrified while Thor put his hand to his face.

Mira was puzzled. "What? ....who is this guy?"

Thor looked to Keven. "See what I mean. She is all ready to fight and doesn't even know how powerful her opponent will be."

"Latinum," Kevin replied to Thor, "but she wouldn't be alone in the fight as long as any of her crewmates are near."

“Krampus is the demonic son of the goddess Hel,” Thor explained, “He punishes naughty little girls and boys, flailing their skin or dragging them to hell.”

Hel? Krampus? Santa Claus? Keeping track of Earth traditions was making his head hurt. “Sounds a bit like Ghev tlhaw'DIyuS,” he said absently, remembering various times that his mother had used his name to threaten Kevin and his sisters.

“Who is that,” Odin asked.

Kevin stiffened as he realized that he had inadvertently let a clue to his past slip. “It is a little hard to translate,” Kevin said to cover his confusion, “I believe that he is the Klingon version of Saint Nicholas. He too punished bad children.”

Mira tossed a berry up in the air and then caught it in her mouth. "Ghev tlhaw'DIyuS ? He only punished bad klingon children with tribbles. As if tribbles are scary. " She grinned. "Kolar's crew tried to scare me with him once. I just told them I hope he did give me a Tribble because I was going to see it was well fed until they filled the ship. Then I told them that Ghev tlhaw'DIyuS knew my plans, so he sent me a ship filled with Klingons instead." She laughed at herself, telling them they were her punishment instead of tribbles. It was so much more insulting to them.

"Krampus only fights children, so he must be out of practice by now." Mira waved a delicate hand. "I could take him down." She said with a laugh." Besides, this is all Odin's fault for wanting me to sit on his lap! He is the one who needs to be dunked."

Thor nodded approvingly. "He will, willingly, be dunked when the clan takes our dip. Well, " he stroked his beard. "Only the bravest of us will take the plunge."

Mira raised an eyebrow at the hint that she might not be brave enough.

Odin snickered. "Now Thor, we will have to give Mira an exemption because of her size. She didn't eat her meat growing up, and her spots might run."

Mira’s eyes widen. "Oh, you did not just say that!" she told him in disbelief. "My spots do not run......Old man."

“OH but they do run from little blue men?” Odin told her.

Mira shook her finger at him “That wasn’t running. I swam away, and it was an organized retreat. How was I to know that Blue doofus would send a team after me. “ she frowned, then added “ I wonder why they haven’t tracked me here? It is like someone might have distracted them?”



OFF

Lieutenant Kevin Lance
Chief Flight Control Officer
USS Chuck Norris

AND

Lt.Commander Mira Rodale
XO
USS Chuck Norris

 

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