Posted by Civilian Rollin (Lounge Host) in Psychiatry Suite - Psych Eval - Wouldn’t You Want to Peer Into This?

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Janna Kingston (Counsellor) in Psychiatry Suite - Psych Eval - Wouldn’t You Want to Peer Into This?

(snip)

Janna flushed at the gently rebuke of her mental prodding. It hadn’t been intentional other than she was had mentally told herself that she was curious what sort of beverage might be actually interesting to such an exuberant person. Most of the time the people stepping into her office had no idea the levels Janna’s mind was operating on these days, the way everything had bene changing and she was just doing her best to accept and adapt. But psi-positive person most definitely were the exception. She turned back to the replicator, unsure if to address the moment or simply carry on as if nothing happened. It was a sudden and strange moment of indecision and faltering of confidence.

She tapped a couple more keys. “Well, I won’t try too hard to impress you then. I do have other appointments and a plethora of reports to attend to today.”

The replicator hummed and in that beautiful shimmer of light appeared two mugs. Kingston carried them over with care and set them gently on the table. A very particular sweet smell of almond wafted from the foamy milky drink. She took up the other armchair and leaned forward to pick up the mug. “Almond steamed milk. Not too sweet, flavourful, and cozy. Perfect for a lovely little chat, I think.” She sipped from hers, letting the warmth and very specific taste of the almond syrup to absorb her full attention for a moment or two.

~Janna Kingston, CNS

Rollin watched her with the kind of stillness most people never associated with him—no twirling, no teasing, just presence.

He caught the faint flush, the pause at the replicator, the moment of uncertainty curling at the edges of her usually steady energy. He said nothing of it—not aloud. Not yet.

When she returned with the mugs, he accepted his with both hands, as if it were a precious object passed between friends in a temple ceremony—which, in a way, it was.

He inhaled.

“Mmm. Almond and warmth and something very nearly like memory.”

He took a sip, then sighed—truly sighed, like someone being reminded of safety after a long time in motion.

“Darling, if you’d tried any harder to impress me, I’d have fainted on this very rug. And while I’m certain you’re excellent in a crisis, I do hate being dramatic before tea.”

Janna laughed. “Some people forget that the simplest pleasures can have the greatest joy. Why overcomplicate things when you don’t need to?”

He glanced up, eyes steady now—still lit, but gentler.

“You’ve nothing to prove, Janna. Not to me. You’re already remarkable.”

It wasn’t just the words he uttered but how they were delivered that struck Janna keenly. Stuck like a pin in fabric. Her focus shifted from relaxed camaraderie to keen awareness.

Then, lighter, swirling the almond-scented steam between them like a mood:

“Besides, it’s not about impressing. It’s about imprinting. And you…” he tapped the rim of his mug with one elegant finger, “have a talent for leaving marks where they’re most needed.”

Hands soaking up the warmth of her mug, Kingston breathed in that truth, even as another settled into her mind.

He raised his cup in salute.

“To cozy rebellions and unexpected connections. May our conversations always taste like this.”

-Rollin
Just Rollin. That’s quite enough, Darling.

She smirked. “Hear, hear,’ she said before taking a sip.

Long moments passed before she spoke again, her eyes alight. “So how long have you practiced psychology or a similar field?” she asked actually. Was it on purpose that he gave himself away? Surely he’d know that one therapist would suss out another, if not immediately, then soon enough. She wasn’t offended though- just amused.

~Janna Kingston, CNS