Posted by Cadet Ashlyn Trenton (Security Officer) in side-sim Gymnasium

Posted by Cadet Sharah Fayth (Doctor) in side-sim Gymnasium

Posted by Cadet Ashlyn Trenton (Security Officer) in side-sim Gymnasium
Posted by… suppressed (3) by the Post Ghost! 👻
(snip)
Cadet Fayth, Doctor

Cadet Trenton had just finished her first shift with Cadet Ryan, the Lieutenant hadn’t been wrong saying he was a character. While he was more than efficient with his training and job performance, he was a terrible comedian. He tried to joke with her all night long, his line up being mostly dad jokes that left her internally cringing for hours. Needing a chance to get her mind on something else, she decided a trip to the gym was ideal. The schedule said something about a Mok’bara class which meant people, another opportunity to work on her ‘social’ skills was just what she needed to end her day. She couldn’t even convince herself with the internal sarcasm and debated going into sickbay to get her nightly medication, but the overwhelming oppression her counselors reminded her to go be social.

Standing outside the door to the gym, Trenton took a moment to collect herself. ‘Alright, mask in place, batteries are as charged as they are going to be today, let’s do this!’ The internal thoughts of the cadet became very active after she moved into the room with the others. ‘So many people!’ ‘Don’t let it bother you.’ ‘They can’t help it, just let them panic, we can tone it out.’ ‘I wanna go home.’ ‘You don’t get an opinion! There is no home for the billionth time!’ ‘Take a spot already, you’re going to look suspicious standing at the door.’ ‘Begin analysis, who is here already.’ ‘They’re all looking at us, are we strange?’ ‘Yes we are, stop asking.’ The internal thoughts continued without wavering in a near-instant, overlapping noise. Among the chaos were memories that Trenton couldn’t get rid of to create her tumultuous headspace. Despite all this, she took her position in the room, ready for the session to begin.

Taking a moment to scan the room, the cadet’s eyes stopped on Cadet Fayth. ‘Well hello there, who are you?’ ‘We don’t know this one, what’s in the records.’ ‘Records are missing, must be a new addition, request personnel update for PaDD tomorrow!’ ‘IT’S A SPY!’ ‘Shut it, no she’s not.’ ‘Initiate Introduction Protocol.’ ‘I can’t find the button for that.’ ‘It’s over there.’ “Good, uh, morning? I think it’s morning. We’ll go with morning. I’m Cadet Trenton, or well, Ash since we’re off duty, or Ashlyn if you prefer.” The cadet offered her hand to the Cadet with a smile which based upon the internal thoughts, is a mask for her real emotions.

Sharah was at a total loss. This person…no persons? No, Trill maybe? No not Trill. Human, many of them. ‘Oh my word....’ Sharah mentally stammered trying to erect a wall to stop the overwhelm. Reaching out her hand she shook Ash’s. “Hi. I’m Sharah Fayth. I’m one of the new doctors. I arrived yesterday.” She took her hand back and nodded towards the front. “I think the teacher just arrived.” She hoped the meditation aspect would calm the other cadet’s mind a little. Sharah couldn’t help but notice the similarities between what she heard all day and what the cadet was dealing with.
Cadet Fayth, Doctor

Ashlyn nodded to the Cadet, almost glad that the conversation had been limited to just an introduction. ‘Mental exercises! Everyone get ready!’ cacophonous noise fills the mental space as books are shoved over, PaDDs are knocked around, and angry grunts are shared as everyone gathers thought into lines. Ashlyn followed along with the meditation fairly easily having had a little experience with her own Klingon friend in the Academy. Her experience was still limited in comparison so she isn’t the best at keeping up with it. In terms of martial arts, her Klingon friend had taught her better methods anyway. Internally, each line of thought was running through the names, rank, and records of everyone present she already knew. Still noisy, but more organized than the random loud chatter from before.
- Cadet Ashlyn Trenton

OOC: Anyone is welcome to join this side-sim.

IC:. Sharah smiled. She shouldn’t the poor cadet’s mind was filled with too many voices, but they all had unique and quirckie personalities. She admitted the way she got them into their places. The meditation helped center Sharah and relieve some of the pain from the night before. Sharah noticed Ashlyn having some trouble with one of the forms. She tapped her lightly on the shoulder. “Here, like this.” She slowed the movement down and extended the arm movement so it was easier to see how it was done.
Cadet Fayth, Doctor

Ashlyn was deep in meditation when Sharah had tapped her shoulder, ‘We’re under attack!’ ‘Counter! Counter! Counter!’ ‘Protect the face!’ ‘Leaf on the wind! Leaf on the wind!’ ‘Initiate form five.’ A wave of rampant unintelligible screaming. ‘Someone please gag that.’ ‘I don’t remember form five!’ ‘We’re all gonna die!’ Ashlyn immediately twisted forward away from the cadet to create distance and took on a combative stance that wasn’t a part of Mok’bara, her sudden reaction getting everyone’s attention. ‘We’re alright, it’s safe.’ ‘They’re looking at us.’ ‘Way to go, embarrassing.’ ‘Quick! Recover!’ ‘Initiate apology.’ Ashlyn took a deep breath, “Sorry about that, I was pretty into the meditation and lost my sense of presence here. The shoulder tap caught me by surprise and I overreacted. It won’t happen again.” Ashlyn got back into the formation and paid close attention to Sharah as she showed her the correct way to move in the form. ‘Watch her carefully.’ ‘She might be dangerous.’ ‘We should strike first.’ ‘Why? There is no reason to attack.’ ‘She might be planning something!’ ‘Probably breakfast.’ ‘Executing Suspicion.’ ‘We should stalk her for a week.’ ‘We’re supposed to be making friends, not being crazy.’ ‘We already are crazy.’ ‘Not helping!’. The conflicting thoughts on the cadet’s mind clearly distracted her, the forms are still messy even when following Sharah’s lead. “Sorry, I think I just lost my center. Mind is a bit of a mess some days.”

• Cadet Ashlyn Trenton
  Sharah’s eyes got wide. She was SO the WORST at self defense, following totally on instinct her telepathy kicked in, ‘I won’t hurt you. Promise. I really just wanted to help.’ Inwardly she cringed, twice in less than 24 hours. “It’s okay, I do that sometimes too. It looks like you don’t need Mak’bara though. You have more advanced skills than I do.” Sharah tried to smile, her adrenaline kicking up a little. “My mind is a mess every day.” Oh lord…why? Why did she say that? With the meditation broken Ashlyn’s thoughts were very strong and clear. There was no subconscious about Ashlyn. Everything was up front and it was over whelming. Sharah knew how that felt. She wished she knew how to help her, but she couldn’t help herself.
  Cadet Fayth, Doctor

Ashlyn sighs, her focus on the meditation was shot and it was time to move on now. ‘Perfect, now we’ve got to start over.’ ‘Maybe it’s time to go see Tandra and get the bed meds.’ ‘Wait! We can help her if her head is a mess.’ ‘We can’t even help ourselves.’ ‘Never know unless you try!’ ‘You know we have the box right, not like we’ve found the answer to our problem.’ ‘Compartmentalization is an answer.’ ‘How long will that last?’ ‘Uh…was I the only one that heard that?’ There was a long pause with silence from inside Trenton’s mind. ‘Odd, I thought I heard someone say I won’t hurt you.’ ‘I heard that too, wasn’t it the unknown cadet saying she wasn’t going to hurt us?’ ‘Yes, but I thought I heard it from inside.’ ‘No…no way…right?’ There was yet another long silent moment before all the thoughts uttered a simultaneous and panicked ‘Not good!’ Ashlyn’s mask cracks and her fake smile is gone, her eyes wide and on the edge of tears. “When we’re done here, I’m going to need you to come with me. The conversation we need to have shouldn’t be in public.” Ashlyn’s thoughts were frantic, running through one contingent plan after another from making a deal to as ridiculously extreme as using an airlock. The cadet was clearly panicked now and was desperately trying to hide it behind a neutral facade as she continued to try to keep up with the class.

• Cadet Ashlyn Trenton
  Sharah nodded, resigned. The idea of an airlock…well she just wouldn’t go into one. Nope wouldn’t do it. She was so going to be reported for this and kicked out of Star Fleet. After the class was over, Sharah waited for Ashlyn, more so Ashlyn would know she wasn’t trying to disappear on her. She moved into the locker room so she could change into her medical uniform before her first shift started. She checked the time and still had a few hours before she had to worry. Luckily the class was early. After cleaning up she turned to Ashlyn, “Where would you prefer to talk?”
  Cadet Fayth, Doctor

‘This is bad, this is so bad.’ ‘The counselor is gonna rescind the Scholarship!’ ‘No he’s not, he this isn’t a problem.’ ‘Just talk to her already!’ ‘She can hear us you know?’ ‘Just start talking already!’ ‘I have the box.’ ‘Don’t open the box!’ Ashlyn took a deep breath to get her thoughts back under control, as chaotic as they are. “I need you to be completely honest with me, how much did you see?” In her voice was fear, but also concern, she was worried for what Sharah may have been exposed to. “And please, be blunt.”

• Cadet Ashlyn Trenton

Sharah took a deep breath, well here goes nothing. “First I will be totally blunt, second that will take some explaining, so please be patient with me.” Sharah sat down on a bench. The locker room was empty except for Ashlyn and herself. “I’m Betazoid. We’re telepathic. Most Betazoids can here purposefully atrictulated thoughts, some emtions, some both. I…I have a genetic defect, and illness. I was born being able to sense, everything. Conscious, subconscious, any living being. I was here taking the class hoping the meditation of the Mak’bara would help. I’ve been having a hard time since I arrived on board. Normally, I wouldn’t have intruded, but I think we both scared ourselves. And it’s not really see…it’s more like hearing. And to be blunt, I heard it all. ” Sharah totally tensed up waiting for the woman to either hit her, or run screaming from the room to report her.
Cadet Fayth, Doctor

Ashlyn placed her hands onto Sharah’s shoulders, lowering her head to squeeze her eyes shut. Her thoughts were tumultuous and too loud to form anything coherent. “You can’t tell anyone about it.” The cadet lifts her head to reveal herself in tears, her mind still too noisy to clarify why. “Not your friends, not your family, and definitely not the Counselor.” Ashlyn is as frantic as the thoughts now, through the noise there is more emphasis on the investigation, her homeworld, and her family. “Promise me you won’t say anything. I usually wouldn’t ask this of someone, wouldn’t trust them, but I’ve no choice here. I have to trust you, so promise me you will say nothing about what you heard.”

• Cadet Ashlyn Trenton

Sharah took her hands, feeling the overwhelming grief. “I promise, I’ll never tell, not unless you tell me to, in spoken words. Ashlyn please look at me.” Sharah tilted her head to look at her. “I hear YOU, all of YOU, I would never tell another’s secret. Mine is big enough to handle without making another decision for them.” Sharah smiled ruefully, “Besides you have a secret of mine. No one, well my DH knows, about my illness. It is as scary and explosive as your own.” She sensed that Ashlyn needed balance, if not total control. She offered the secret of her illness in exchange of Ashlyn’s secret. If that didn’t work she would offer Doctor/Patient confidentiality.

Cadet Fayth, Doctor

Ashlyn cringes and shakes her head, ‘How insulting!’ ‘That was rude.’ ‘How could she even think to say that?’ ‘She doesn’t know.’ ‘She doesn’t understand.’ ‘Give her a chance.’ “Don’t say it like that, please. This isn’t a quid pro quo situation and I would never do something like that. I’m just asking, well more like begging to trust each other to not say anything.”

• Cadet Ashlyn Trenton

“I know that. I’ve always been told that fast friends share secrets. I’ve never really had a friend. I…I was just hoping. I didn’t mean to offend you. But I would keep your secret anyway.” Sharah wanted to help, but she didn’t know how. “You said your mind can be a mess sometimes, me too. We share that, maybe we could build a friendship on that similarity?” Ashlyn was hurting, and Sharah couldn’t stand for anyone to hurt, but she didn’t know how to fix this injury. The waves of pain and panic were overwhelming, but she wouldn’t leave Ashlyn to deal with it alone, not when it was her fault for causing it due to her illness.
Cadet Fayth, Doctor