Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Janna Kingston (Counsellor) in CO’s Quarters - Dessert - Once in a Century (Presim)

Posted by Captain Orvos Legen (Commanding Officer) in CO’s Quarters - Dessert - Once in a Century (Presim)

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Janna Kingston (Counsellor) in CO’s Quarters - Dessert - Once in a Century (Presim)
Posted by… suppressed (9) by the Post Ghost! 👻

(snip)

She let out a throaty chuckle. “Oh, come now Rollin’. I think you have a better read on me than that. Yes, I am practical, but my very existence is rebellious. Risky. I’m not on duty and I’m not here to analyze anyone. Bring out the brandy,” she said with a wink.

~Janna Kingston, CNS

Returning the wink, Rollin clapped excitedly. “That’s my girl! Garçon! Two Saurian brandies, please!”

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

Orvos was only mildly surprised she went along with the Saurian brandy. He decided to hold off on the liquor himself. The last time he had delved into the depths of a bottle had gone rather oddly for him. His inhibitions had been practically reduced to nothing. Which, under normal circumstances, had he not been in his quarters at the time, could have made for a rather interesting night for the rest of the crew. But the fact remained, Janna had come by after he had quite a few drinks already. And while some of the details of that night had been fuzzy, the more important moments he could remember. It had been some time since experiencing such intense events.

Better he were sober now, just to keep things minorly level headed. Deltans and El Aurians already had a sense of empathy about them. And Janna was just stepping into her newfound abilities. Best to have someone who wasn’t being effected by their beverage.

He came out from behind the wall with a pair of small glasses, each with the golden Saurian Brandy already poured. “It’s not much, but it does have a decent kick, so be careful.” he said with a small grin. He handed off each glass to their perspective drinkers and sat between them once more.

Janna took the glass with a lingering glance and a soft smile.

“So, Rollin, what made you decided to come to the Athena?” he asked curiously, picking up his bit of ice cream again.

-Captain Orvos Legen, CO

Rollin tilted his head at the Captain’s question, lips pursing as though Orvos had just asked him to summarize the taste of sunlight. He let the silence stretch, a sparkle igniting in his eyes, until at last he exhaled a laugh soft enough to blur sincerity and jest.

“My dear Captain,” he said, swirling the brandy in his glass, “you ask what made me come here. But perhaps that’s the wrong question.”

He leaned forward, his tone dipping into velvet mischief. “After all—does anyone ever really decide to board a starship? Or does the ship decide to take you?”

His eyes suddenly glared with accusation. “Better to ask… what possessed you to let me stay? You must have known I’d unsettle the carpets, tempt the crew, and now”—he gestured toward Janna with a conspiratorial flourish—“interrupt your desserts. Truly, sir, what were you thinking?”

Rollin’s grin sharpened with victory. He tilted his head at Orvos, perfectly innocent, perfectly damning. “Perhaps the real danger here, Captain, is not me boarding your ship… but you inviting me into your quarters.”

He sipped, eyes glinting with mischief over the rim. “And I promise you, that is not a question I’ll answer plainly—at least not before the second round of Brandies.”

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

Janna sipped her drink, taking a modest mouthful to not let it be too much of a shock to her system. The banter and conversation, and even Rollin’s subtle flirty teasing made her sit back in her seat, but not before she grabbed the spoon from her bowl and oh so casually dipped it into Orvos’ ice cream, stealing a spoonful and popping it into her mouth. There were no apologies or coyness about her actions, just blatant theft of his dessert paired with a tiny glimmer in her grass green eyes

~Janna Kingston, CNS

Orvos watched Janna’s theft in silence, his gaze lingering just long enough to suggest he’d seen everything, a look of amusement spread over his face. Then his eyes slid to Rollin, weighing each word with quiet amusement.

“Well,” he began with a grin, “I can say with absolute certainty that I’m not entirely sure ships make choices. They simply… are. A ship is just a means of exploring what’s out there. The meaning—” he tapped a finger lightly against the couch “—comes from the impressions left behind.”

He leaned forward slightly, lowering his voice into something wry. “Yes, I knew you’d test the carpets. Tempt the crew. Stir mischief. And that,” his grin sharpened, “is precisely why you were allowed aboard. After all, bland carpets are terribly dull, don’t you think?”

A pause, deliberate. His eyes caught Rollin’s with quiet weight. “Perhaps I asked too broadly. So let me be precise: what impression do you intend to leave behind? In the proverbial carpet, of course.”

-Captain Orvos Legen, CO

Bump for Harley :)

OOC: Given Harley’s departure, continuing on.

IC: Orvos had spent the majority of the time, asking questions to keep Rollin talking. But the man seemed to catch on and began asking his own questions of Orvos. However, little time was afforded for Rollin’s own inquiries when he was suddenly summoned by communique back to 17 Forward to address a rather intense situation.

“Ta-ta darlings!” they heard from Rollin as he left.

Orvos sat back against the couch, an obvious guard being let down now. He was used to putting on his own show with people unknown. But with someone who practically commanded a stage, it was difficult to counter with the same gusto. He had opted to take a more reserved tone than usual, though Janna would likely have seen right through it. And having sensed the man’s Deltan empathy, he was keen to keep a form of mental shielding up for a bit.

It was down now. He felt himself when he was with Janna. Something few people got to experience from the captain. “Well, he was certainly interesting,” remarked Orvos into the silent void before eyeing Janna.

-Captain Orvos Legen, CO

“Indeed,” Janna said with a smirk. Their ice cream was long finished , though Janna had been rather bold in having a second brandy, and now that it was them alone. She shifted closer to him on the sofa. Crossing her right leg over her left, that left leg draped over his slightly and she leaned against him, just taking a moment to feel connected. Did she need physical touch for that? Not at all. But it was nice.

Orvos had been used to delicately sensing the minds of others with his empathic nature. And time itself seemed to stir before him at different points in his life. But there was something completely different with the physical touch. He could perceive the world around him with his extra senses obviously. But that touch was a grounding point for him. Reality. Closeness.

“There’s something about having someone see deeply past your surface so quickly that is both disarming and refreshing. And perhaps for some a little scary.” Janna pulled back slightly and tipped her head up to gaze at him. “In our first meeting, he picked up on a thread that was unexpected and I’m still processing. On the surface I want to say that I’ve made great strides, and yet, have I? Sometimes I’m not so sure it isn’t just a lie I’m telling myself.”

~Janna Kingston, CNS

Bump

His eyes looked down at her as he listened carefully to her. He raised an eyebrow curiously. “What thread did he pick up on, I wonder?” he asked her aloud, eyes locked on to hers as his mind also gently reached out.

-Captain Orvos Legen, CO

Janna breathed deeply and felt his own chest expand and fall as he breathed. Focusing on that for a few moments steadied her. “He told me I was allowed to be seen,” she whispered. Being seen by another person was more than just an acknowledgement of existence. It was someone acknowledging the struggles and triumphs, the small details others missed . “With you, it’s… easy, Orvos. We can truly see each other in a way no one else can. But Serena said something similar to me recently. That I’m allowed to be here, and take up space. So I’m wondering where I’m hiding. Obviously my job can be too easy a mask to hide behind, but do I hide myself?” Would he be able to provide that perspective? Were they too close for him to say yes or no?

~Janna Kingston, CNS

Orvos paused and considered what she said. Janna had always been a bit open to him. Certainly in the beginning she kept him at some sort of distance as anyone else might. “Well, you’re right that it’s easy to hide behind the hats we where here when we work. And I think everyone has a sense of privacy that’s healthy. I’ve never known you to share the struggles and triumphs with others, outside of myself. Though given recent ish events, I can see why it would be easy to open up to me.” he added the last sentence with a smirk. “But to be fair, you seemed…happy to share it with me. Perhaps part of it being you feeling a weight lift off of your shoulders? Do you feel like you keep such things to yourself?”

-Captain Orvos Legen, CO

Janna was silent for a few moment before she nodded slowly. “It was easy to open up to you. It was that game of pool in the rec area of the lounge, and then after in the holodeck. We asked each other intriguing questions and I could admit my fears to you, even though we just met. For a counsellor like me that’s… unusual.”

She sat up more fully and puled away from him, but only so she could face him. Crossing her legs, her grass green eyes were fixed on the man she had been in love with for quite some time now. “After my accident, I.. struggled, Orvos. I didn’t want the life that seemed before me. I wanted nothing to do wth being a constant patient and my career choice of being a scientist and travelling the stars seemed laughable. Was it depression? Yes. But it was more than that. It was a fundamanetal crisis of self. Who was I now?”

“I figured it out and psychology appealed to me enough that I’ve devoted my life to this career path. But it’s like I said, it’s easy to hide behind the therapeutic mask. I don’t use it as much as others do, and in fact I have taken strides to set it to the side a lot lately. But when I’m in a session, it’s mostly one-way. They share wth me and I share only if it’s useful to help them. It’s rare for people outside of social situations to ask about what I’m dealing with, the burdens I carry. And aside from how it is here on the ship, there is the way I don’t share much with my mothers. Mostly out of a desire to not worry them, especially given there is a family history in Starfleet that isn’t super pleasant. But I’m not a child and they can probably handle more than I give them credit for.”

~Janna Kingston, CNS

Orvos listened carefully to her words. He heard her past, her struggles, the issues she sought to overcome. “I’m sure you’re seeking perhaps someone to talk to outside of myself? That’s understandable obviously. Perhaps, yes, your parents deserve some more credit? It seems an avenue worth testing. Though, if I’m going to be honest, it sounds like you need a best friend here. That or a fellow counselor? Though, best friend might fit the bill a bit better.” He put his thoughts out there, allowing her to play with those ideas as she saw fit.

-Captain Orvos Legen, CO