Posted by Lieutenant Commander Vanessa Lofton (Counselor) in Counsellor’s Office: Cadet Ven Miya reporting for check-in

<snip>

Vanessa’s face brightened with a smile. “Wonderful! I’m so glad to hear that. We need all the help we can get out here,” she laughed. “Now, this is a very informal session,” she continued, crossing her legs. “If Starfleet didn’t think you were ready, you wouldn’t be here; this is for me to get to know you, and how we can best help you succeed in your time aboard the Challenger.”

She folded her hands on the top knee and bounced the dangling leg a couple of times. “Tell me a little bit about growing up in a household with two vedeks,” she said, curiosity evident on her face. Vedeks were the second highest rank in the Bajoran church, so not precisely common, and to be raised by two of them… to say Vanessa was interested in Miya’s views on the experience was putting it lightly.

OOC: Let’s talk a little bit about snipping or trimming posts. When a thread starts to get long, we can trim some of the excess posts, as I did above. We want to be careful to leave enough in that context is still evident, but take out anything that isn’t necessarily needed for this post. For a two person conversation, I find that leaving in three posts is a good limit - I delete anything with four >>> and higher. Once you get to that level, you’ll notice that the system stops displaying who the posts were by, anyway, and says
(X) Posts Suppressed by the Post Ghost (?)
or something like that. You’ll notice that’s what I did here - I left three posts, one by you, then me, then you again.

For conversations with more than two people, a good rule of thumb is to include at least the last post by every participant. It can be a little tricky trying to figure out when and where to trim, but it can really save on scrolling so much lol. That’s a big reason we sign our posts - it’s much easier to tell who write what in a trimmed post that way.

Lt. Cmdr. Lofton - CNS

(OOC: thanks for explaining the snipping process - I’d been wondering how that worked! Hope my snip was correct.)

The counsellor’s reassuring words, allied to her friendly and open demeanour, brought an answering smile to Miya’s lips. She knew, of course, that this was all part of Vanessa’s role, but after the stress of meeting her new department head for the first time, it was pleasant to engage in a more relaxed conversation.

Vanessa’s question about growing up with two vedeks was so unexpected that she laughed. “Well, to me they were just my mum and dad! They were both ranjen when I was born - that’s the level above a prylar, which was the rank that I held before … before I left for Starfleet. My mother became a vedek first, then my father, but I was still quite young at the time and didn’t really notice much of a difference, except they were called away more often to minister to people or to settle disputes.” Miya shrugged; that had been normal to her - it wasn’t anything special. Like the Prophets themselves, the existence of her parents’ roles was simply part of her life.

She frowned slightly, recalling when the situation had changed. “I suppose their rank had more impact when I joined the priesthood myself. You probably know that our faith is at the centre of Bajoran life; it sustained us during the Occupation and helped us fight against the invaders.” Miya’s tone grew colder as she mentioned the terrible events which had changed Bajor, and its people, forever. “When I was given the chance to serve the Prophets by becoming a prylar, my parents also became my superiors in the faith. But we agreed that, whenever I was at home, we would avoid our ranks and simply be family, linked by love and by faith.” Her fingers gently brushed the d’ja pagh earring which dangled from her right ear, a reflexive gesture.

“I serve Starfleet now, and the Federation, but I also serve the will of the Prophets. And, through them, I honour my parents. It’s … it’s just who I am. Who we, Bajorans, are.” Miya offered Vanessa a half-embarrassed smile. “I’m sorry, you probably didn’t want all these details. I can get quite enthusiastic when I start explaining our religion - it’s probably why I don’t talk about it too often!” She ducked her head, taking a long swallow of water to counteract her dry throat.

[Cadet Ven Miya]

OOC: Yep, great!

IC: Vanessa laughed with Miya. “I suppose they would just be mum and dad. I’m glad you found life balance when you joined the clergy as well - that’s important. And don’t be embarrassed about you enthusiasm! We all need something to give us purpose in life, and it sounds like you’ve found yours, which is wonderful.”

She took another sip of chocolate, pondering her next question. “You’ve been out of the clergy for a few years now, though. How has that transition been?”

Lt. Cmdr. Lofton - CNS

“Well ....” Miya’s smile faded; she glanced down at the glass of water in her hands, then looked back up again. “It wasn’t easy at first, I’ll admit. When I became a prylar, I expected I’d stay on Bajor and follow in the footsteps of my parents, dedicating my life to the Prophets and to my people. When I was told about the vision ....” she shook her head, remembering with searing clarity the moment that had turned her life on its head, “I was - how can I explain? On the one hand, all my expectations changed but - oh, Vanessa! The Prophets had chosen me! Me, Ven Miya, to be a - a link, a bridge, between my people and the Federation! ”

Her smile was dazzling, transcendent; for a moment, sheer joy radiated from her then, like clouds covering a sun, it dimmed. “That’s what helped me through those first few months at Starfleet Academy - knowing the Prophets chose me to do this. Because it was hard, of course it was hard, to say goodbye to my parents - I’m their only child. But at least I was doing the Prophets’ bidding, which helped us all with the … transition, you said. Yes, that’s a good word for it. With the transition.” She glanced back to Vanessa, a small smile reappearing.

“Because once I settled into the Academy, I knew I was in the right place. And now, I’m here!” Miya looked around the blue room, taking in its calming ambience. When she returned her gaze to Vanessa, her smile was broad and genuine. “Truly, the Prophets know best.”

[Cadet Ven Miya]