Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Janna Kingston (CNS) in Stark’s Quarters

Posted by Commander Stark Nightstalker (Chief Intelligence Officer) in Stark’s Quarters

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Janna Kingston (CNS) in Stark’s Quarters

(snip)

Janna let out an easy laugh. “When you put it that way,” she deadpanned.

Tipping head back against the top of the chair, she gazed up and closed her eyes. “You know what was strange on the surface of that Risa? I never felt entirely afraid. But of course it wasn’t like I couldn’t be injured in all that chaos.” The vivid sensation of standing in front of the angry mob to protect the mirror Laraan was etched into her body It had been incredibly stupid. Maybe brave, but also rather stupid. “It wasn’t like I made an active choice, but somewhere that little voice in the back of my head that is always telling me to be cautious in order to minimize the risk of getting injured and bleeding just… was gone. Fear can be exceptionally useful in protecting us, and it’s not like I’ve lost my fear, but maybe I’m just a little numb to it?” She was musing aloud in company with whom she didn’t worry about judgement.

~Janna Kingston, CNS

Stark flicked out a claw and considered it briefly before putting it away again. “You could be,” he said slowly, “We’ve been through enough to make us start to be complacent about danger but you might have the same thing I experienced. The Mirror Universe was always a little bit… off. The fact that it felt so… off made it feel a little unreal to me, therefore the danger felt a little more unreal”. He shrugged, “I don’t know, what do you think?”

Stark Nightstalker CIO

She nodded. “I think there’s an element of it. In a moment of high stakes we can convince ourselves of almost anything.” Kingston cast her gaze back over to Stark. “Though it’s going to be interesting the next time I have to go see Doctor Grey. I wonder if he heard our Mirror Universe counterparts were lovers. Certainly put a a new spin on things,” she said with a laugh. She considered Ben a colleague and perhaps a friend, though they didn’t know each other all that well. She definitely wasn’t interested in him that way, by the interesting thing about the Mirror Universe is that the nature of a being could be the same but the environment created an entirely difference person. At this point there wasn’t anybody in her life like that. As far as Janna knew. Whatever the elusive CE had in his head, whatever strange intrigue and connection they had with each other seemed to be… ah who knew what any of it meant. She didn’t.

Stark slowly shook his head. The thought of Janna and Ben was a bit ludicrous, but the more he thought about it the less ludicrous it seemed, finally he just shrugged and grinned his agreement of the statement.

“How are you doing with recent changes in staffing?” Kingston asked knowingly. He knew. She knew. They all knew, even if he didn’t want to put the words out there.

~Janna Kingston, CNS

Stark took a deep breath. “Different is not wrong, it’s just different. I’ve lived my life that way and been happy, but only because I never let myself get close. This time different hurts, but I owe it to the CO and XO and myself to live by my original statement. I’ll choose to give my all through the action of my will until such time as the pain of my emotions lessens and my heart and head are in sync again.” He sighed, “How about you?”

Stark Nightstalker CIO