Posted by Lieutenant Toveka Brine (Chief Science Officer) in Side Sim - You’ve Never Seen A Dance Like This (Tag CSO)

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Charles Tenkiller (Chief of Security) in Side Sim - You’ve Never Seen A Dance Like This (Tag CSO)

Posted by Lieutenant Toveka Brine (Chief Science Officer) in Side Sim - You’ve Never Seen A Dance Like This (Tag CSO)
Posted by… suppressed (3) by the Post Ghost! 👻
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Completely ignoring her inquiries, the rapid fire questions continued,although the children did sit… for the most part. “Why are your ears pointy?” “What does a Warbird look like?” “Are Naussicans as scary for real as they are in the vids?” “What is a Breen?” “Can Romulans and Humans even have kids?” “Why arent you a Vulcan?” “How many ships have you been on?” and so on and so forth, until a question came out that silenced the rest. “What happened to your planet?” When that was asked, the young man who asked it was immediately shushed and punched in the arm. “Stupid! Mr. Tenkiller told you not to ask that!” and before anyone grown could react, the crowd dissolved as they literally chased the inquiring teen away. As they children went screaming and telling away, a single person remained.

A tall young man with thoughtful brown eyes and black hair in a single braid. He wore a plain buckskin shirt. He stood leaning against a pile of wooden pallets, his hands in the pockets of his jeans. There was something… familiar… about him, but it was hard to pinpoint. He looked at Toveka and said “Bear ‘em no ill will, Ma’am. He didn’t mean nothing by it, even if Mr. Tenkiller did say specifically not to ask ya that. And you tell Mr. Tenkiller I said hey, will ya?” and he smiled as he pushed off the pallets and walked away, positively vanishing into the crowd.

Tenkiller

She’s wa taking in all the questions and about to once more settle them to answer the barrage when the one about her planet slammed into heat like a punch to the center of her chest.

Before she could fight for her recovered inhaled breath, they were chased off and a man standing above and beside her had fired off not just an apology, but a greeting for Ten.

Then he was gone.

Has she been asked any other questions, she could have gotten to her feet and gone after the dark stranger. But as it was, all she could do was give him a nod and watch him go. After a couple breaths, Toveka pushed herself up off the ground to sit on the picnic table bench behind her the kids had been clustered around.

She took a glass of juice and sipped it, eyes closed a moment, to compose herself. After a drink and a pause, she looked towards the direction the stranger had taken. Her smile was back in place in case Ten looked her way.

Toveka

The next thing she heard was drum beats. Everyone started moving towards the circle in the center of the festival. A gentle hand on her shoulder indicated Donna’s presence. “Charlie will be back in a bit, girl. I’ll keep you company till then.” and she smiled at Toveka. “C’mon over here, better view.” and she led her through the crowd to a small break where Cecil stood. “Here, girl. You stand here. Me and Cecil have seen this part out whole lives.”

In the center of the hard packed dirt circle stood a line figure. Dressed in an intricate costume of feathers, beads, leather, and bits of adornment; it was unlike anything someone from elsewhere would be familiar with. Red, black, white, and yellow were the predominate colors, and as the drum beats stopped the dancer started. Slowly at first, but gaining momentum, the dancer stomped and stepped, twirled and spun in an intricate movement that could have only been achieved with years of practice. At some point, the drums began again and the dancer stepped in time and moved through a complex and lengthy routine.

“Each movement is a word, each series a prayer.” Donna said quietly. “They are asking the gods of the Earth, Sky, Water, and Fire for blessings for a bountiful harvest.” and she touched Toveka’s arm and pointed. Across the dancer’s circle were a group of seven men beating drums. One of them was Tenkiller.

Tenkiller

Her concern faded as she watched. She started out lingering back. But as Donna explained, she found herself intrigued and paying closer attention. She watched the steps, picking up the precise footing and placements. She watched the dancer’s arms, not flailing, but moving. Wind, fire, she saw them in his grace.

Then Donna pointed out Ten and her attention changed. The beats seemed to most people to be in sync. But she saw the nuances. The barest offset of each player that created the echoes, call and answer, and rhythm patterns. The crowd slowly faded as she watched and listened, focusing on his singular part.

Then slowly she pulled her senses back. All the drums, joined Ten’s. Then the dancer’s beat joined in. And finally the silence and breathing of the crowd. That’s when she remembered.

Breaking away from the near hypnotizing dance, she started to scan the crowd for the mystery man. Her gaze paused on Ten now and then, a soft smile settling on her lips after a moment.

Toveka

The man was nowhere to be seen. Soon, the dancer stopped and a few older men and Tenkiller moved to the center of the circle. Each man wore a necklace similar to the one Tenkiller wore. As they stood in a semi-circle a single teen boy, the first one to speak to Toveka in the crowd, walked toward them. He stood proud and looked very serious. The older men and Tenkiller said something to him, he responded, and the back and forth went on for some time. Then the men conferred, backs to the adolescent.

A few minutes passed, and the teen went from serious to visibly nervous. Finally, the men turned around and handed the teen a small leather pouch on a strip of leather. He nodded and put it on his neck, and then turned and walked a few steps forward. The eldest of the men looked out at the crowd and said “I give you Eric Two Bears.” and the crowd cheered.

Tenkiller

She watched in fascination once more as the young man received his name. She glanced at Donna and spoke softly to not intrude on the ceremony. “Forgive my question, I don’t mean to offend. But is Tenkiller the family name or the one he received at a similar ceremony?”

She watched him as they introduced the newly named adolescent and smiled as she imagined him as the nervous one, shuffling his feet, fearing, for just a second, that he’d be denied.

Toveka

“For us it is both.” she said. “My maiden name is Red Corn. When I married that sack of gravel-” and she jerked a thumb at Cecil, “- I became Red Corn - Tenkiller.” Cecil kept his eyes forward but said “This sack of gravel can hear you. And you know you were damn lucky, woman. Now shush.” and he smiled.

Tekiller

Despite the harsh words, Toveka knew they loved one another. It was evident more in what wasn’t said than what was. “Thank you,” she whispered softer. “And I believe he was lucky as well,” she nodded to the woman in respect. Nothing short of two loving parents could have raised someone as unique and intriguing as the Security Chief.

She watched the remainder of the ceremony and lingered back as the group clustered together for thanks and congratulations. She occasionally looked for the stranger, but it was soon momentarily forgotten as she watched Ten interacting with the kids and families that were there for them.

Toveka

As the crowd started to thin, an alarm sounded. It sounded strange, like it echoed in a chamber… and it was then Tenkiller remembered they were on the Holodeck. He made his way to his parents and said “Hey… we have to go. Communications has to have their signal strength back.” His parents nodded and looked like they would cry… but not a tear was shed. Donna looked at Toveka. “Next time I see you, it better be in the flesh. And I look forward to it, girlie. You just watch out for my boy, here.” Cecil looked at her and smiled and said “It was an honor. I look forward to meeting you for real.” Both looked at Tenkiller and his mother said “You better call more often. Or we may just head out to that station of yours and smack your backside.” and Tenkiller laughed. “You got it, Ma. Promise. I love you guys.” and they nodded and said “We love y-“…

And suddenly they were standing in the black room with yellow grid… on a station millions of miles away. Tenkiller looked around and took a deep breath, then looked at Toveka. “Well… how was that for a second date… girlie?” and he laughed.

Tenkiller, CoS

She was smiling and nodding as the made promises. “I’ll do my best,” she replied to taking care of their son.

As the program ended abruptly, Toveka felt her breath hitch in surprise. Looking at Ten, she smiled and stepped towards him, her hands rising to feel the front of his jerkin. “It was amazing. Thank you. I hope it was enough time for the ceremony and nothing more is happening that you can’t do.”

She shivered slightly and glanced around. Then swiftly she was right back to paying attention to her man.

Her man… it was both a foreign and comforting thought, which for now she kept to herself.

Toveka

Tenkiller said “I need to go change. You wanna have dinner with me? C’mon back with me and you can wait while I change.” and he offered his arm as they made their way off the Holodeck.

Tenkiller, CoS