Posted by Lieutenant Tandra Mika (Chief Mental Health Officer) in Dinner Take Two

Posted by Lieutenant Séan Iven (Counselor) in Dinner Take Two

Posted by Lieutenant Tandra Mika (Chief Mental Health Officer) in Dinner Take Two
Posted by… suppressed (59) by the Post Ghost! 👻
Séan closed up his office and walked his way over to Mika’s with a spring to his step. Things had been going remarkably well with their friendship. He hadn’t made a fool of himself at their last dinner, had asked for her medical help twice and wasn’t hassled for doing so, and Thyr had been insistent that she was into Séan. Despite his dismissing the idea because he could tell Thyr was poking fun at him, the idea had settled into the back of his mind. Had something changed since his bumbled compliment? He shook his head as he came to her door, knocked, then opened it and stepped in after making sure she was free. “Hey. Are you free tonight? I would like to take you to dinner again.”

Counselor Iven

Mika looked up when her door opened, then smiled upon seeing it was Séan. “Oh yeah, your payment for the poisoned Andorian, right?” She smiled again as she stood and stretched. “Yeah, I’m free. Where are you taking me this time?”

~ Mika

Séan leaned against the doorframe and grinned. “I was thinking something a tad more fancy. There’s a Japanese grill that apparently does a delicious teriyaki chicken and fried rice. I was thinking we could go to our quarters, freshen up and dress up a bit, then meet at the Plaza?”

Counselor Iven

“Sure, sounds good,” Mika said and smiled. “Oh! How faaaancy is this place? What should I wear?” She asked him as she put away her things in preparation to leave.

~ Mika

“Whatever you’re comfortable with. I’ll be trying to dress to impress though.” Séan said with a wink. He waited for her to finish getting ready to go before following her out. “I’m looking forward to this.”

Counselor Iven

She locked her office, then headed toward the lift. “Oh, really now? I can’t wait to see what you pick.” She said, looking at him. “I am, too.”

Soon they were exiting the SF compound. “Meeting at the plaza right? Give me half an hour and I’ll be ready.”

~ Mika

Séan nodded and waved as they separated. “See you in a bit then.”

---

A little bit before the half hour was up, he arrived as fresh as a daisy and dressed nicely. He didn’t go with the body tight clothing he had gone with to Jezem’s house but something a bit more understated. He was dressed in a loose-ish fitting dark blue shirt, some black slacks, and boots.

Counselor Iven

Mika reused her dark navy blue formal jumpsuit from the charity auction. It had long, loose legs, then came up and wrapped around her body. It was sleeveless. She dressed it down slightly with somewhat casual flats. Her hair, currently down to her shoulders, was pulled back into a barrette. She wore no makeup. She arrived at the agreed upon plaza and waited on Séan.

~ Mika

Séan saw Mika enter the plaza and walked over to her with a hand raised in greeting. “Tandra, wow. You look incredible.”

Counselor Iven

Mika smiled. “It was either this or a t-shirt. I’m glad you like it.” She said as she came up to him. “You look great, too.”

~ Mika

Séan dropped his hands to his waist and posed for a moment before chuckling. “Thank you. Shall we go?”

Counselor Iven

Mika grinned. “We shall.” She let him lead her to the restaurant, and once they were seated, she picked up the menu and began to read it. “What’re you having?”

~ Mika

“Since I heard the teriyaki chicken was good I’m going to give that a try with some fried rice.” Séan said while looking over his own menu. “Maybe I’ll get some sake. My mentor used to drink sake every now and then. Has an interesting taste to it.”

Counselor Iven

Mika nodded. “I’ll try the miso soup and a green tea.” She looked up at Séan and shrugged. “I’m not much of a drinker. Really, I don’t at all.” Then she set the menu down. “I think that’s it for me.”

~ Mika

Through the power of convenient timing it was at that moment that the water came over and took their order. The drinks arrived first, Séan had gotten a water to go alongside the sake, and the wait for the food to be finished began. He took a sip of the chilled sake before he looked at Mika and thought of a conversation topic. “So my patient Thyr was feeling quite relieved after the hypo you gave him. Thank you again for your help. I haven’t seen him again since that night but he and I have a more informal gathering planned later in the week.”

Counselor Iven

Mika smiled. “I’m glad,” she said. “Oh? What are you going to do?” She asked curiously.

~ Mika

Séan put his hands in his lap and leaned back. “He’s going to be drink Andorian ale and I’m going to be bring some Irish stouts. Something to relax and try and make things casual.”

Counselor Iven

“You’re drinking with a client?” Mika asked. Apparently, Séan’s methods were.... a little unorthodox to say the least. Between after hours projects, including that officer on his previous post, and drinking with clients.

~ Mika

“In a non-professional settings, yes. I know you’re not a drinker, but have you never met up with a patient in the lounge, intentionally or not, and had a beverage in their company?” Séan asked. He knew the two situations were still different to a point. Counselors still had some leeway in their relationships with patients, though a conflict of interest would arise if their relationship became… intimate. Though he didn’t see that happening with Thyr.

Counselor Iven

“Unintentionally, sure. Or had to counsel friends. Such is life when you’re the only counselor on a ship.” Mika said with a shrug. “But Thyr is… A little different. He’s not even in Starfleet.” She considered a moment. “Unless… There’s a reason you’re doing it?”

~ Mika

Séan looked at Mika for a moment while deciding how much he could disclose. “I can’t tell you everything because he is my patient and my confidentiality applies, but I’m hoping that this unconventional approach can help me get him to open up. I’m certainly not going to make it a routine counseling approach but I believe it’s one that will work with him.”

Counselor Iven

Mika nodded, seemingly satisfied with that answer. “Let’s talk about something that isn’t work.” She said, and then grinned mischievously. “Anyone you’re interested in? Even just a teeny, little crush?” The question made her nervous, but she was curious, and she could always play it off depending on the answer.

~ Mika

Séan was taken aback by the change in subject, well more in the subject itself really. He looked at Mika with surprise at first but then he shifted to a contemplative look. He liked her but he was hesitant to express it in such a forward manner. The last time he had it didn’t turn out well. That and she had made it very clear that she was attracted to women. “I… do have someone that I have interest for.” He stated while trying his best to not be obvious that he was talking about her. “I haven’t really had the time or courage to approach her about it though.”

Counselor Iven

“Oh.” Mika seemed.... put out, but trying to hide it. She’d assumed the person Séan was into was not her. She had, after all, been quite explicitly clear that she wasn’t into men. “You should!” Now she sounded like Sharah, and that thought made her grin. Mika was always shy about approaching crushes or asking people out. “We’re here, you might as well enjoy yourself, right?” She had to let the idea go. She liked him, but she’d specifically told him no, and then never been brave enough to tell him she changed her mind. She should’ve expected him to find someone else.

~ Mika

Séan grinned at Mika for the irony of her telling him that he should approach her. He shook his head before he responded. “I suppose I’m afraid of rejection. I mean, she may like me but does she like me like me? You know what I mean?”

Counselor Iven

“Of course. Everyone struggles with that.” Mika said with a shrug. “Does she act like she likes you?” Even Mika didn’t know what that meant. “I mean, if she does reject you, it’s definitely not you. There will always be someone else.”

~ Mika

“I’m… not honestly sure.” Séan said as he gave it some thought. “I feel that there’s something there but I don’t want to make any assumptions or, uh, be too forward without thinking it through.” He thought back to their time sitting at the fountain. He knew he was skirting around actually saying that he liked her but getting rejected a second time would be mortifying. “I was told that she ‘totally had a thing’ for me by someone recently but I can’t be sure he wasn’t just trying to mess with me.”

Counselor Iven

Mika made a face. “Who would mess with you like that? That would just be mean.” Then she shook her head and leaned her head on her hand, elbow on the table. “Well… You can’t know without asking, I guess.” She shrugged, “Maybe I shouldn’t have asked, but what can I say? Spend long enough here, those gossips at the hospital, they get to you.” She said, and then laughed.

~ Mika

Séan looked into Mika’s eyes as he struggled with whether he should ask or not. Well in this case he would be saying that he liked her. He supposed the answer to his question would naturally be answered after that. So he took a deep breath and finally revealed the truth. “Tandra, the one I’m interested in is you.”

Counselor Iven

What? It was? Even after she turned him down? Mika flushed a deep red and smiled shyly. It was a completely different reaction from the first time. “Really? Even after how I turned you down?” She asked.

~ Mika

It was Séan’s turn to look a bit embarrassed. “It doesn’t make sense logically speaking, but the more time I’ve spent with you the more my interest grew. You are a capable woman who is incredibly compassionate. You have a wicked sense of humor and a mischievous streak. More importantly though you do good work and I have boundless respect for you.”

Counselor Iven

Mika’s blush deepened and she shrugged and smiled. “After I turned you down I just… I don’t know. You’re so nice, and you really care about people. You want to help, even at a cost to yourself. I… I’ve never been interested in a guy before, but you…” She shrugged again. “I am.”

~ Mika

Séan had been hoping that her interest might change but it wasn’t something that he expected. How often does one’s attraction have an exception? He had fully intended to be a good friend and be satisfied with that. It might have been difficult if his feelings continued to grow but short of transferring away it was the mature thing to do. So this news had his eyes light up as if a wish had been granted. He took a breath to steady himself. He wanted to jump up and dance with her in front of all of the other patrons, but he stamped down on that impulse. It wouldn’t do to freak her out before anything had even begun. “Then if you’re interested and I’m interested, would you like to see where this goes?”

Counselor Iven

Mika hesitated for a moment. “I want to, Séan. But you report to me. I don’t know if we should…” She looked at him with hopeful uncertainty.

~ Mika

Séan looked thoughtful for a moment before an idea came to him. “We could always do a sort of trial period and if it seems that we want to make it a serious relationship we can consult with Captain McBride.”

Counselor Iven

Mika thought about it and then smiled, if a tiny bit uneasily. “Okay. Let’s do that.” She said. “So.... Want to schedule a.... You know.... Like, a date?” She asked shyly, studying the table more than him.

~ Mika

“We could consider this a date.” Séan suggested. “We’re both dressed up, at a nice restaurant, and it is our second dinner together. Instead of being nervous with anticipation for something formally decided to be a date, why not make this our first?”

Counselor Iven

“Hmmm..... Well, when you put it that way,” Mika said and smiled at him. “It makes sense!” It was then that their food finally came. Mika took her food and started eating quietly, seeming a little nervous.

~ Mika

“I’m glad you think so.” Séan said as he grinned back. “I think going back to my quarters after this would have left me overthinking how to try and pull off the perfect first date.” After the food arrived he started eating. He noticed that things had gone quiet and wondered how to break the ice. “Do you keep in contact with your brother or has his Academy stay kept him busy?”

Counselor Iven

“Maybe I would’ve set up the date,” Mika said, looking at him and smiling. To his question she nodded. “We aren’t the write-each-other-weekly type anyway, but yeah, he’s had his hands full.”

~ Mika

“Well maybe you can set up our next one.” Séan said and smiled back mischievously. “I imagine he would. I remember my Academy time was so full I only talked to my dad once while I was there.” He took a drink of his sake. He thought a moment and then asked. “Would you like to try a sip of sake?”

Counselor Iven

Mika grinned. “How do you feel about a shooting range? Ooh! Or maybe a martial arts gym? Or if you’re not into that.... We’ll think of something else. I mean, dinner dates are nice and all but if that’s all we do, it’s gonna be boring.” She shook her head to the offer of a sip of sake. “I don’t drink, sorry.”

~ Mika

“A shooting range sounds alright but a martial arts gym sounds better to me. I’m not much of a marksman but I do like moving my body.” Séan replied with his preference. “No, don’t be sorry. I just thought I’d offer. You can’t find sake very often away from Earth and I wasn’t sure if you’d ever tried it.”

Counselor Iven

“I’ve been practicing,” Mika said excitedly. “I’m no pro marksman but I’m getting better.” She smiled, “I practice martial arts regularly… I don’t think I’m going to win, but it’ll be fun.” Then she nodded, “I haven’t tried it, but I’m not really interested in trying it.”

~ Mika

“Well if you don’t mind showing me the ropes and not laughing at my ineptitude, I’d be willing to go to the shooting range.” Séan said with a grin. “I think a friendly spar would be a lot of fun. I’m always interested in discovering other types of martial arts and learning to defend against them.”

Counselor Iven

“Then let’s do the martial arts next time,” Mika said and smiled. “Do you have a preferred day or time?”

~ Mika

Séan shook his head. “I’m down for whenever we have off time that lines up.” He took a couple bites of his teriyaki chicken. “I don’t think I’ve asked yet but what is the martial art you practice?”

Counselor Iven

“Judo,” Mika replied, taking a drink of her tea. “I started when I was in school, so I’ve been practicing for quite a few years.”

~ Mika

“I started doing Aikido, um, probably around the time I was 11.” Séan said after giving it some thought. “That was when I first met my mentor and then got tossed around a bit for trying to pick a fight with him.”

Counselor Iven

Mika smiled. “I’m glad you met him. Sounds like he did you a lot of good.” She commented, eating some off her plate. “I’m also trained and practiced in the hand to hand Starfleet teaches.”

~ Mika

Séan nodded and then grinned. “I had to as well but I got exempted after the second day when the instructor called for a participant. I offered to demonstrate how one gets attacked, but I may have gently laid him down on the mat instead.”

Counselor Iven

Mika looked at him, smiling, and shook her head. “It’s good to learn more than one kind of martial arts, especially for self defense.” She finished off her food. “I’m looking forward to it.”

~ Mika

Séan likewise finished his dinner and wiped his mouth clean with a napkin. “I’m looking forward to it as well. Don’t go easy on me Tandra.” He smiled at the thought of a good spar session. “Are you interested in desert?”

Counselor Iven

“Easy on you?” Mika grinned, “I plan on trying my hardest to win.” She thought for a moment and then shrugged, “Maybe if we share one. I didn’t save room.”

~ Mika

“Good. I want a challenge.” Séan grinned back mischievously. As the plates got cleared he asked for a desert menu. He looked it over then asked Mika. “How about some mochi ice cream?”

Counselor Iven

“That sounds good,” Mika said and smiled. “How about… Our next shared day off?” She asked, meaning for a time for the martial arts date.

~ Mika

“Absolutely,” Séan replied with a warm smile. “Let’s plan for our next shared day off. We can make it a fun and active day, learning some martial arts techniques and maybe even grabbing some food afterwards. It sounds like a great way to spend our free time.”

Counselor Iven

Mika nodded. “Great! I’m looking forward to it.” It was then that the server came and took their order for desert, and then was gone again. Mika looked at Séan. “So. What should we talk about?”

~ Mika

Séan leaned back in his chair, looking thoughtful for a moment. “Well, we’ve covered a lot of ground tonight, from favorite foods to our past experiences. How about we delve into something a bit more lighthearted? How about sharing a funny or embarrassing story from our time in Starfleet so far? I’m sure we’ve both had our fair share of moments that would make us laugh or cringe in retrospect.”

Counselor Iven

Mika laughed and told him a story from one of her previous assignments. Most of the rest of their date was spent swapping stories. When they had eaten and were waiting on the check, she smiled at him. “Well, I’ve been having a great night.”

~ Mika

Séan grinned, sipping the last of his drink. “I can say the same. It’s been a while since I’ve had a date this enjoyable.” When the bill arrived he settled it. “Since this is our first official date I insist on paying for our dinner.” He explained before Mika could protest.

Counselor Iven

Mika pouted, arms crossed. “You can’t do that every time. Outdated practice, that is.” Then she smiled again. “I can’t wait for the next one.”

~ Mika

“You are more than welcome to pay the check at our next dinner date.” Séan said with a grin. “It might be a little old fashioned but my dad told me that if you’re the one who asks the other out, then at least for the first meal you pay. They gift you with their time and you gift them with a meal.”

Counselor Iven