Rewind and Unwind

Posted on Fri Mar 26th, 2021 @ 10:44am by Commander Taeler Santu M.D. & Lieutenant Commander Savin

Mission: By Artemis' Bow
Location: Holodeck
Timeline: After duty hours
1301 words - 2.6 OF Standard Post Measure

It had taken him a while, but Savin felt he did have a promise to fulfil. Watching his programming - though it was fairly simple as his programming skills did leave a lot to be desired, the counselor tapped his combadge. "Commander Taeler, please meet me in holodeck two," he said, cutting the connection so the XO didn't have much room to respond. She would have to see what he had created for herself, without any advance knowledge.

it took about ten minutes for Santu to show up at the indicated holodeck, she pressed the button and found it opened up for her automatically. The doors parted into a large room, large arching windows with stained glass casting a rainbow of colours on the shiny dark wooden floor. She stepped inside, immediately feeling her foot slip slightly on the surface, "Savin?" She called inside, knowing that it was pointless to be calling out loud to a person with a hearing impediment. Her voice echoing off the stone walls.

As he was expecting her, Savin smiled as he saw her call for him. "I am glad you came," he said, watching her almost slip on the glossy floor. "Careful.." He was wearing what could be interpreted as a tuxedo except rather than black, it was dark earth tones which suited him much better. "You might be more comfortable in a dress ma'am," he added, still not explaining what he had in mind, or even how he had come to think of it.

Santu blinked a bit at that, why would she need a dress? "What kind of dress are you thinking?" She didn't immediately want to dismiss him, "and then I'd also need to change my shoes," The voices echoing around the empty hall made the whole scene appear more harrowing than it really was, "is there a place to change?"

"Any you would feel comfortable in," Savin suggested, gesturing towards one of the anterooms. "You can change there, or simply ask the computer to change your attire." He grinned at her, possibly the most relaxed she might've seen him in a while. "A change of shoes would be prudent."

Never quite sure and trusting of the holodeck swapping her clothes for her Santu made her way over to one of the anterooms and made the computer produce the dress she had let her previous holodeck adventure create for her. An elegant long green dress. She also created a replica of her new shoes, they had been very comfortable during her shoreleave and she figured they'd be perfect for moving around the room, she was figuring that Savin was planning on dancing.

Fully dressed she appeared back in front of Savin, her green dress catching the light beautifully. The snug top seemed to be made from two panels crossing each other and meeting again behind her back. She had quickly pulled her hair into a sloppy bun on the back of her head, with some loose strands still framing her face, "So then, what did you have in mind?"

For a moment, Savin couldn't help but just stare at the picture the woman framed. He continued to smile though, extending a hand to her. "You told me, on Paratus, that we would have to dance again," he explained, "and I promise I have practiced. Even so, you will need to lead for obvious reasons, or at least let me know the beat. I propose a simple waltz to start?"

"I have no idea what a waltz is, was that what they taught me on Paratus?" Santu wasn't all too fond of reminiscing on that particular assignment, "I'm sorry, I'm really not very good." She started to wonder if there wouldn't be some sort of aide that would allow Savin to feel the beat, similar to how she had tapped the rhythm to him during their first dance together.

"A waltz is a three-quarter measure." He showed her the basic steps. "It is similar to what you were taught yes." He nodded as he remembered. "As long as I know the beat, that we are in time to the measures, I am certain we will be fine." He slipped his arm around her waist, taking her hand lightly in his other. "Ready?" he asked as he told the music to start playing the An der schönen, blauen Donau.

Before Santu could say no, or convey that even the basic steps were confusing her, the counsellor already pulled her into the dance position, the hand around her waist coming awfully close to being able to feel the scarring on her back she hated so much. She gulped, then took a breath in through her nose, and started to tap along to the rhythm, allowing for Savin to 'feel' the timing and leading in the dance, since she'd be hopeless at that.

His practice showed off as he led her across the dancefloor, at first a little haphazard and with a bit of stepping on toes but gradually, there was improvement as he got into a proper rhythm. "I did practice," he told her again, "the steps anyway. I learned that the success to a dance, is the leading of one's dancing partner."

The dance between the two was a bit stiff, neither of them was going to be entering any local dancing competitions any time soon, but at least the stepping on toes had mostly been avoided, "seems true for dancing and tactical engagements." There were some more similarities between the two, both made her extremely nervous for instance. "So all of this practice, just for me?"

"Yes and no," Savin admitted, "yes, because we agreed to do this again sometime and I did not wish for more bruised feet for either of us and no, because i may be expected to do it again at formal function and I do not wish to look the fool. But I would need a partner I could trust and who knows my limitations."

"I was teasing you, Counsellor," Santu felt that they were at the very least getting more familiar with each other's movements, though she wasn't quite sure if someone looking at them objectively would be able to tell if they were actually performing a coordinated dance together, "well, at least we can keep ourselves in practice as to not embarrass ourselves or the uniform if the necessity ever arises. "

"Indeed," the counselor agreed, while mentally counting their steps and trying to commit the rhythm to memory. "Would you like to try a different dance? I doubt one may always play a waltz. Some occasions may ask for something more...upbeat?"

"Oh... perhaps that's something we should keep for the next time? Barely feels like I can keep up with this," Santu really didn't want to know how terrible they'd be at something more upbeat, "I think we need a bit more practice with this before we dare anything more."

"I would like that very much, if you are willing too," Savin offered, "it gives us both a means to unwind that does not include combat, but still gives us a workout of a sort." He gave her a smile. "Strictly business of course, for the purpose of not making a fool of ourselves, during official engagements."

"Of course," Taeler nodded in agreement, that was as good an excuse as any. She knew that the Counsellor was struggling after the departure of Dessame, "I think the nervous sweating in an of itself would count as a workout," She added with a bit of a smile, "shall we give it one more go?"

"I would think that the exercise would be in the dance?" he queried, though he did smile as he gave a single nod. "Yes please," he finally added, "one more."