a very special spaceship holiday

[tactician]

Partaaay on the First!

Nowadays, it's mostly humans that celebrate the winter holidays this...festively, but luckily for all of you, the leader of Circle 7, the System's most notorious crime mega-conglomerate, is human. He insisted on the celebration on the First, too, said something about morale and good cheer and a shit ton of (most likely laced) alcohol. Something about holiday pranks, too, but that might've just been my imagination.

There's mistletoe hanging everywhere, the suspicious smell of Astorean Norther Fir in the air, jingling bells tied to every doorway, and is it just me, or does that big Santa have a glass eye?

It's gonna be a grand ol' time.

Comments

[aphelionix]

Locke smiled at the offer, setting down his now empty cup. He felt pretty good, actually, and he had only drank one alcoholic beverage prior to the one he picked up while Weiler went on his cheese run. One could say he even felt a little jolly with the Christmas cheer going on.

"I suppose I can spare a moment," he said. "But I only know how to quickstep."

[tactician]

The music blaring over the PA system was something more akin to Paneon Rock, but, "We can quickstep to this."

[aphelionix]

"Unless you know a more appropriate dance you can teach me," he said. Locke didn't exactly want to get stared at for antiquated ballroom dancing, but at the same time, he wasn't sure anyone would be paying much attention to them.

[tactician]

"The quickstep is appropriate for everything," Weiler responded in kind, taking Locke's hand and putting it on his elbow like a true blue-blooded gentleman. He half-led, half-tugged the shyer man to a particularly innocuous section of the dance area and turned to face him. "Who should lead?"

[aphelionix]

"Um. You're better at this," he said, placing one hand on Weiler's shoulder. "I think you should."

[tactician]

Weiler nodded, looking happy - not because Locke had allowed him to lead, but because Locke was comfortable enough to do this at all. He put slipped a hand around Locke's waist and threaded the fingers of their other hand together, and even he had to admit that with the slight differences in their height and their not-quite-as-slight differences in frame, it looked a little ridiculous.

Oh well.

"On my count," Weiler said, grinning despite himself, and at, 'three,' he swept them off.

[aphelionix]

Amazingly, Locke turned out to be quite coordinated when not executing this in a tiny room. It did help that sometimes they'd goof around and Weiler would pick up his hands and pull him through McGraw with dance. There was never any music they actually went to, though, and it helped set a beat for Locke to follow.

Once he was accustomed enough to dance and talk at the same time, he said, "This isn't so bad, actually."

[tactician]

Weiler shook his head with a smile, voice soft. "Not bad at all."

[aphelionix]

He smiled back, letting his step fall a little closer. "I'm thinking of getting McGraw a tune-up for Christmas."

[tactician]

"Are you?" said Weiler knowingly. "So the ship gets Christmas presents now, is it?"

[aphelionix]

"Well, it's kind of for all of us, technically... Wouldn't want to get stranded out in space now, right?"

[tactician]

"The chances of us getting stranded are phenomenally low, and even if the ship were to stop functioning, we could easily contact someone to come get us," Weiler said, turning them about the floor with a small smirk. Since it was the holidays, however, he let up after a few moments. Locke had already had his fair share of embarrassment today after that mistletoe incident, hadn't he? "But, I suppose no, I wouldn't want to get stranded either."

[aphelionix]

He rolled his eyes as they came to a stop, and if it counted for anything to Weiler, he didn't seem embarrassed by their unfitting ballroom dance. Locke even let their clasped hands dangle between them for a moment.

"Better to not get stranded at all, if you ask me," he reasoned. "But speaking of... What do you want for Christmas?"

[tactician]

Weiler led them both back into an obscure corner anyway. He didn't mind the possibility of attention or making their relationship ever the more public knowledge, but he, like Locke, actually preferred to play private matters much closer to the heart. He shook his head.

"I'm not really in want of anything," he admitted, leaning back against the wall. "You don't have to do anything particularly special."

[aphelionix]

"I'd like to," he admitted, looking out at the festive goings-ons around them. It was rather warm and homey, for being a group of mafia members. "I haven't been able to do anything special this time of year in a long time."

[tactician]

Sliding sideways, Weiler let his weight rest a little on Locke's arm as he loosened his tie, a little hot under the collar from spinning around under all those bright, multi-colored lights. Warm and homey - that was about right.

"I'll think about it, but I honestly have everything I want already," he laughed.

[aphelionix]

Locke smiled slowly, leaning just as much into Weiler.

"Is that right?"

[tactician]

"You could go the traditional route and buy me a tie," Weiler suggested, tilting his face up to look at Locke. "What do you want?"

[aphelionix]

"An iguana," he answered.

[tactician]

Weiler blinked. "...A lizard?"

[aphelionix]

Locke nodded. "Yes."

[tactician]

He pushed off the wall. "You want a lizard for Christmas?"

[aphelionix]

A smile broke his serious expression, and he shook his head.

"Not for Christmas, but one day. In a more stable lifestyle."

[tactician]

Weiler huffed, thumping Locke on the chest. "And here I was wondering where we could put a tank in our room."

[aphelionix]

Locke grinned wider, laughing. "It might fit in the closet."