Posted by Civilian Dawson (Intelligence Operative) in Boarding Psychological Exam - Presim - Dawson

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Janna Kingston (Counsellor) in Boarding Psychological Exam - Presim - Dawson

Posted by Civilian Dawson (Intelligence Operative) in Boarding Psychological Exam - Presim - Dawson
Posted by… suppressed (5) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)

Some people waled into her office ready to be difficult. Sometimes it was on purpose, though those times were rare. But people had certain preconceptions about therapists and frankly some therapists all but encouraged them. But Janna went about things differently most of the time. “That depends, what is it you think I should know about you? You’re a civilian now, but you weren’t always, and you’re working on a Starfleet vessel. Tell me about that particular change of set of changes.”

~Janna Kingston, CNS

“Starfleet has need of my services even after I chose to retire and do civilian work. I’m an asset to them. And they’ve been good to me, so we continue a sort of mutually benefiting relationship. I’m allowed so much in their systems and I render assistance when I can.”

He paused before adding. “Actually I came into a lovely little present for Starfleet, and they thought the Athena would be the best place to test it. I sent it before my own arrival to Orvos.” Unbeknownst to her, he watched for her reaction and listened after his second mention of the ship’s first officer.

-Dawson, Intel

“I see,” Janna said, and though she had a much better control over her visible reactions, internally though her body and mind flickered energetically at the mention. Certainly not something that ever would have happened before, but something she was starting to get used to.

“Some people come in here thinking that I’m an obstacle to overcome in order to be cleared for duty. Now, you’ve been around long enough to know better,” Kingston said with a grin. “Anything not in your file we should bring up and discuss?”

~Janna Kingston, CNS

Dawson laughed. “Oh my dear counselor, I’ve lived more in my lifetime than any of the academy textbooks could cover. There’s plenty off record. I don’t think there’s anything in particular that needs brought up.”

“If you say so,” she said idly. Did she believe him? Not in the least. But she also wasn’t the kind of counsellor who needed to delve into each and every secret. As he had said, he’d been around long enough that if he was a functional person and still involved in Starfleet in some way then who was she to push where she wasn’t wanted?

He gave her an almost knowing grin. Was there something between Orvos and Janna? Or was it some sort of silly crush? He tested further. “Do you feel I should share something?”

-Dawson, Intel

Janna rested her hands in her lap and gazed deeply at Dawson. “I’m not here to play games. My goal is and always has been to help people reach their full potential. Now, I can concede that someone as long-lived as you has had plenty of opportunities to explore all that potential. But as a student of behaviour I also know that you equally have the potential to have lived through difficult things. Some people get… stuck at times. Others do not. Whatever is true for you, I require nothing from you but a willingness to not waste our time together. I’m not looking for problems to fix, Dawson. But you have come to a rather complicated assignment. This ship sees its fair share of difficult missions and we need each and every person to be prepared for the reality of that. Share something. Don’t share something. It only matters if it matters to you. But meanwhile don’t treat me like some child who couldn’t possibly understand you. You might have a lot more years on me, but I promise you you’re not half as mysterious as you like to think you are.”

~Janna Kingston, CNS

Dawson gave a low hearty chuckle. “Oh, Miss Kingston, I never once believed myself to be mysterious. I don’t keep many secrets about myself. At least not for long anyway. Unfortunately there’s not much I can share at the moment. However, if I may be so bold as to inquire something about you?” he asked with a thoughtful, but amused grin. Perhaps she didn’t like it, but she would get used to it.

-Dawson, Intel

She considered him. “I don’t believe in therapists being a blank to the people they work with, so by all means ask away. I just can’t guarantee I can answer. Context is everything and I take my promise of discretion very seriously.”

~Janna Kingston, CNS

“I can appreciate that,” he said with a gentler smile understanding. “Orvos…he’s an old friend of mine.” He paused for the slightest second to take in her mental state as he mentioned him yet again.

Janna nodded, but there was more to it. She already knew this and was not surprised.

“We go back many years. And being that we are both El Aurian, we are fairly open towards each other. We share our feelings. You see, after he had gone through a rather tumultuous incident, I had noticed this strange flicker in his mind whenever his wife had been mentioned. They had a rather strong connection, but the flicker was almost unnoticeable. It had gone away though when he lost them to the borg invasion of our homeworld.” He paused, observing her reactions.

“I know about those events,” she said softly.

“It would appear to me, that every time I mention his name…Orvos…I am once again greeted by a similar flicker in the mind from you.” He then let it sink in, curious how she would respond to his somewhat forward thinking. Would she grow hostile? Would she pretend he was imagining things? Would she provide a half-hearted explanation?

-Dawson, Intel

Janna smiled widely. “Unlike people with psi abilities, who learn to manage and shield themselves from others, I cannot do that. So… I guess given you are El Aurian and have been in the Nexus too, that you are responding to the part of me that has also been in the Nexus and has wielded an object from there. As for my… flicker. Orvos and I are… close. Very close.” A distinct understatement. And she suspected she had been far more open than he was expecting but more than that she was equally open to him and equally curious about how he’d respond to her referencing the Nexus. He was Intelligence and in her mind there was little reason to hide this development from him. He’d figure it out eventually.

~Janna Kingston, CNS