Posted by Lieutenant Commander Serena Stone (Executive Officer) in Business As Usual - Redux

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Janna Kingston (Counsellor) in Business As Usual - Redux

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Serena Stone (Executive Officer) in Business As Usual - Redux
Posted by… suppressed (4) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)

Serena gave a single nod, another pleased smile blossoming across her face. “Sounds like a plan, and a good one. As for the arboretums, I’ll have to take a cruise through them. Do you know if any are growing any produce?”

Serena

She shook her head. “I don’t, honestly, though I think Arboreta 3 has more gardening type stuff. Commander Calloway might know. She a massive gardener. The only plant I have is an African violet Captain Koraia gave me.”

Janna considered Stone for a moment and thought she partly knew the answer, it was only a glimmer of it. “How are you feeling about our session right now?”

~Janna Kingston, CNS

Her expression fell mostly neutral but thoughtful, despite the sigh that escaped her. “A little tired, but less rundown. A little lighter, I suppose. If that makes any sense. Maybe there’s a better heading on the compass, the terrain is a bit easier.” She shrugged. “that’s at least what first comes to mind. I am sure things will clarify a little more later.”

Stone

Janna nodded. “On the surface it may not seem like we’re doing anything massive here, but you are challenging some very deep seeded fears. Ones that have protected you and felt very necessary. It takes time and work to work through those fears so you can feel safe. Safe isn’t a bad work, Serena, even though I know it doesn’t feel that way. One day I hope you’ll feel it too. But for what it’s worth, I’m very proud of you for not just brushing it aside.”

~Janna Kingston, CNS

“Never said it was,” she replied, meaning ‘safe.’ “I haven’t felt safe since I was nine years old. Not since the Dominion rained fire and hell down on my world. Safe is a nice idea that doesn’t really exist. Nowhere is truly safe, only safer.” She shook her head and sighed. “Feeling safe would be nice. But it’s just an illusion. Like control. Doesn’t mean I can’t take steps toward making things better. Safer.”

Stone

((Sorry, I thought I replied to this. I guess I did not.))

Janna nodded. Sometimes words were just semantics, other times the slight differences in meaning for a person mattered. She was listening to how Serena evaluated the concept of safety and taking it in because it was an important framework for how she lived her life. “Well, I hope the Athena is a place you can feel safer. But a friendly suggestion? You yourself alone don’t have to do all the work to make it safer. Let us help. This crew cares deeply about protecting the ship and each other. We all have our strengths, and this is one of yours, but it’s also not your sole burden.”

The redhead nodded. “I know,” she murmured. The tone was mostly flat, almost tired. Acknowledging, without any real energy to it.

“Now, tomorrow on the holodeck. I’ll bring my hiking shoes,” Kingston said with a grin.

~Janna Kingston, CNS

“Oh, getting serious are we,” she said, breaking into a small smile. “Guess I’ll have to get mine out of mothballs.”

Stone

Janna knew she was asking a lot of Serena in their sessions. It wasn’t exactly work to get excited about, but Janna believed it was worth going through so that Serena could find her place here. But more than that she hoped Serena would find herself here. It wouldn’t happen without digging deep and Janna wasn’t going to open any wound she didn’t feel confident she could guide the healing of. She wasn’t perfect and she could make mistakes, but every part of her being felt that this was the right path to push. She would just need to be patient.

Janna grinned. “Would it amuse you to know I keep a pair around so I am reminded that walking won’t kill me?” she said with a chuckle. Her condition wasn’t that severe, but it could change so quickly. Sometimes just going about her everyday life felt like the ultimate act of bravery, but even she needed to push herself out of her comfort zone more.

~Janna Kingston, CNS