Posted by Cadet Sharah Fayth (Doctor) in Side Sim- An Evening in Nine Forward

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Joseph Rainns (Incoming Chief of Security) in Side Sim- An Evening in Nine Forward

Posted by Cadet Sharah Fayth (Doctor) in Side Sim- An Evening in Nine Forward
Posted by… suppressed (6) by the Post Ghost! 👻

Rainns and Fayth arrived at Nine forward and Joseph took a moment to take in the setting. There were about a dozen people in the lounge, all fairly spread, a friendly looking bartender sat behind the bar talking with what appeared to be an off duty officer. Rainns noticed that there were several tables open by the windows, which displayed all the stars in the nearby sectors. He turned to Fayth, “If this comfortable for you I’d love to get a drink and sit by the window and just stargaze for a bit, that’s another one of my hobbies I forgot to mention earlier.”

L.T. J.G. Joseph Rainns- COS

Sharah looked around, a dozen people? Sure, she could that, couldn’t she? “Do you mind if I wait by the windows?” she asked looking at the people between the windows and the bar. “It will give me a moment to figure out the rhythm of the room, and then I can maybe surf on top?”

Cadet Fayth, Doctor

Joseph nodded, “Of course, by all means.” As she did that he went over to the bartender and ordered two small glasses of wine in case Fayth decided to have a small drink. After a few moments he received his order and made his way over to a table in the corner of the room across from a window that was surrounded by vacant tables. He put the glasses down on the table and waited for Fayth to adjust to the environment silently. As he watched her he couldn’t help feeling drawn to her stoic stance as she got in rhythm with the room.

L.T. J.G. Joseph Rainns- COS

Sharah glanced over out of the corner of her eye and grinned. “There’s that clear, honest thought pattern again. It’s easy to pick out. I don’t know if this will work, I’ve never tried it before.” She sat down, thankful the wine was synthohol. Real alcohol was a nightmare for her. She took a sip, it was fruity rather than dry which she liked. “I like the stars. They remind me how small I am compared to everything else in the universe. Cliche isn’t it, but the illusion helps” quoting herself from earlier. “So can I ask you something I want to know?”
Cadet Fayth, Doctor

Rainns sat down in the seat next to her’s and smiled. “I feel the exact same way about the stars Sharah.” When Fayth inquired into him Joseph smiled and responded, “Of course my friend, ask me anything you want, hopefully I can give a straight answer I like to be a fairly open book to my friends.”

L.T. J.G. Joseph Rainns- COS

“You said you like strategy games, and I know you are extremely confident, so how sore of a looser are you? And don’t tell me you win all the time so it doesn’t matter. You’re very forgiving of my failures, but how do you handle your own?” Sharah closed her eyes briefly trying to surf the wave in the room. She wasn’t sure it would work all the time but for the moment the attempt was working, but she didn’t want to miss the answer.
Cadet Fayth, Doctor

Joseph sat back in his chair to ponder her question. “Well if I’m being perfectly honest, I used to have a hard time accepting defeat, but as I have grown older I have learned that failure is the best teacher, whenever someone defeats me at anything, I find that to be a challenge, to make myself better than that individual so as to one day defeat them at whatever they first triumphed over me in.” Rainns hoped Fayth found that answer to be satisfying. It was a genuine and pure response that he fully meant.

L.T. J.G. Joseph Rainns- COS

Sharah really shouldn’t laugh, she tried really hard, but it bubbled out anyway. “I guess....” she swallowed another laugh, “I guess I’m glad I didn’t ask you to teach me any games. I always wanted to learn, but no one wanted to play them with me.” She laughed again, “You would SO lose every time.” She grinned at him then looked away distracted for a few minutes. “You are super competitive aren’t you? Makes you a good person to put in charge of security. You know if we ever go gambling we’ll have to loose a little bit, you’ll have to swallow that competitiveness.” Then she winked at him.
Cadet Fayth, Doctor

“Well as competitive as I am even I know when I’m in a battle I can’t win.” Joseph responded, betcha if I could figure out a way to keep you out of my mind though you would lose.” At this he grinned, but to answer your question yes, I am extremely competitive, nothing stings worse than investing time and energy into something only to come up short you know? And for the record, I don’t mind losing a few battles in order to win a war. ” After saying all this, Joseph took another sip of wine.

L.T. J.G. Joseph Rainns- COS
Sharah shruggd. That was the problem. She always won, didn’t even have to try. Another wave ran the room, this one making her slightly dizzy. Her Betazoid honesty took over, “It would be a fun way to pass an evening, seeing if you could beat me. It would give you good practice for being around other telepaths. I don’t like the idea of you keeping me out though. It would be interesting research for my doctors if you could manage it.” She sat suddenly very still, “someone’s…fighting?” She glanced around the room. “No, arm wrestling. They are very committed to it.” She was relaxed, or at least her version of it. She didn’t usually process out loud.
Cadet Fayth, Doctor

Joseph looked out of the window and gazed out upon the stars, “Why does the thought of me keeping you out discomfort you?” as he said this he turned back to Sharah. “Wouldn’t that be a good thing?”

L.T. J.G. Joseph Rainns- COS
“I always thought it would be. I would think so especially after what happened earlier.” Sharah was quiet while she thought about it. Was it because if she couldn’t she would not know where she stood with him? She wouldn’t know right out? Maybe she liked the way his mind worked too much? “I guess I like that you let me reach out to you. Honestly though, I think it’s because if you did that means you can’t really accept me the way I am, that I’m too flawed.” She sipped the wine, “But that’s my problem not yours.”
Cadet Fayth, Doctor

Rainns processed what Fayth said and smirked, “Well how am I supposed to beat you at chess then?” He took a sip of wine as well, “Just so you know, I will always be comfortable with you the way you are, as I have said, I don’t mind the fact that you can see inside my mind and vice versa, helps us both understand each other.”

L.T. J.G. Joseph Rainns- COS

Sharah reached over to squeeze his hand again. She stared out the window at the stars. She was quiet for awhile, just looking. “You know you are very different. On Betazed, when I told everyone I wanted to join Star Fleet, I was ‘warned.’ Other species aren’t as honest not as open as Betazoids are. And it’s true from our point of view. We really don’t have privacy on our world, not like you think of. All conscious thought is … shared, known…but to me even they are chaotic. Even I invade what little privacy there is. I get the subconscious too, and that …that’s the static, the buzzing. But you, you’re clear, there is no buzzing, no divided attention....or …it’s hard to explain.” Part doctor, part person she had to ask, “You said you got a headache before, at the mixer, was tonight worse or the same?”
Cadet Fayth, Doctor

Joseph smiled at what Sharah had said, he tried to be distinct from others around him and the Betazoid’s observation went a long way to making him feel that he was doing a good job of achieving that distinction. He looked back at Sharah, “It was about the same, but at the mixer I just hid it a little better because there were a lot of people who I did not want to see me in pain.”

L.T. J.G. Joseph Rainns- COS

Sharah looked a little disappointed, “Oh. I thought maybe if it was worse it was because I shared everything not just my words, but …” The ‘noise’ was becoming too distracting. She tugged on her hair a bit. She used to do that as a kid like a counter pressure, but it didn’t work. She closed her eyes and tried to breath, but it was like a wave crashing over her rather than riding above it. Her hand shook just a bit and she missed the table with her glass, but at least it was empty. “I…under…I get why you wouldn’t want people to see you in pain. It’s …It’s already unpleasant enough.” After a few more moments she opened her eyes again. “I like your smile.”
Cadet Fayth, Doctor

Rainns noticed Fayth’s clear discomfort. “Thank you, are you alright? Waves to high for you right now?” A look of concern came over him and he put his hand on her arm to make sure she was steady.

L.T. J.G. Joseph Rainns- COS

Sharah could only nod yes to his question, thankful he seemed to know what was wrong. Unknowingly the words slipped from her to him. I lasted longer than I thought I could, I hate for our date to end. She just wanted to go home. She didn’t want to hear anymore. Any more and she wouldn’t get to make a bet with Joseph, and that would be very disappointing. She hoped it would be intriguing enough for him to want a second date.
Cadet Fayth, Doctor

“Alright then, lets get you out of here,” Joseph stood up and took her hand to help her get to her feet, “I’ve thoroughly enjoyed this evening and I hope we can do something like this again, including another link.” He smiled at her and waited for her to get to up so he could walk her out of the lounge.

L.T. J.G. Joseph Rainns- COS
She stood up carefully, focusing on his hand on hers as a focal point. She walked with care, she would never live it down if she fell. “I feel like I’m always appologizing to you. I’m disappointed I have to leave already. This…this thing” she taps her head, “rules my life, no matter what I want. We all have burdens to bear though, right?” She was so close to finishing the academy she wouldn’t give up. Her voice was soft, like she didn’t want the noise to over hear her words, “I really enjoyed spending the evening with you.”
Cadet Fayth, Doctor

Exiting the lounge Rainns looked down at Fayth, “It’s quite alright Sharah, hopefully one day you will be able to control it, not the other way around. I enjoyed our evening as well. Now that they were standing in the corridor Rainns looked down it, “can you make it to your quarters alone or would like me to walk you that way?”

L.T. J.G. Joseph Rainns- COS