Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Janna Kingston (Counsellor) in Pre-Sim - Counseling Intake - James Rowe

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade James Rowe (Scientist) in Pre-Sim - Counseling Intake - James Rowe

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Janna Kingston (Counsellor) in Pre-Sim - Counseling Intake - James Rowe
Posted by… suppressed (7) by the Post Ghost! 👻
James Rowe slowed slightly as he reached the corridor outside the counselor’s office, more from habit than hesitation. Intake evaluations were routine on any new posting. Ships liked to know the kind of people they had just brought aboard, especially officers whose records carried more history than explanation.

He paused a few steps from the door, taking in the quiet stretch of corridor around him. The Athena still felt unfamiliar in the way any new ship did during the first few hours aboard. Every vessel had its own rhythm, its own personality shaped by the people moving through its passageways. You could usually start to feel it after a little observation.

The counselor’s office was set slightly apart from the busier sections of the deck. A deliberate choice, he suspected. Spaces meant for conversation tended to work better when they weren’t surrounded by the noise of routine operations.

Rowe adjusted the cuff of his uniform absently while he waited for a pair of crew members to pass further down the corridor. His posture was relaxed but attentive, the quiet composure of someone accustomed to being evaluated without making a show of it.

He had been through counseling intake interviews before. Starfleet rarely left psychological stability to chance, especially for officers with complicated service histories. The process didn’t bother him. If anything, he understood its value better than most.

People carried things with them between assignments. Sometimes they didn’t even realize it until someone else pointed it out.

His own record probably raised a few questions. Command experience, conflict operations, then the medical incident that had redirected the trajectory of his career but was remarkably devoid of detail. Anyone reviewing the file long enough would start to notice the gaps where details had been removed, more experienced ones would know the level of access or clearance required to make those removals.

Rowe didn’t dwell on that. Some parts of a service record belonged to the past. Others belonged to departments that preferred their involvement to remain quiet.

The corridor settled into a comfortable silence again. Rowe shifted his weight slightly, the movement subtle enough that most observers would never notice it. Long travel and a full day of administrative processing had a way of reminding him that his body to slow down. It wasn’t pain so much as a steady background pressure, something he had learned to account for without giving it much attention.

He took a slow breath, letting the moment settle.

Another routine step in the process of joining a new crew.

Rowe stepped forward and raised his hand toward the door chime.

bump

• Rowe

OOC: Note: The Mythology-class has a whole Counselling suite with a reception and six offices.
IC:
The door slid open and inside was a large half moon space. In the centre was a curved desk where a blond Risian sat behind a computer terminal. Behind her along the curve of the room were six doors, each with a different colour. The wall with the door to the corridor had a few chairs for people to wait if needed.

The Risian in a med blue uniform tilted her head and spied Rowe. “Come on in. We don’t bite,” she said with a friendly grin.

~Janna Kingston, CNS

OOC: Thanks for the heads up!

As Rowe stepped into the counseling suite, it was larger than he’d imagined. He cast his eyes around the half moon space noting the blonde behind the terminal. He lingered a moment longer by the door before approaching. His first response was playful, “You never bite? Or is that one of those hidden menu items where you have to know a friend of a friend?” He paused a moment to see if his joke would land, or if he’d gotten old since the last time he served aboard a ship.

She grinned and actually broke into a small chuckle. “We as a general rule don’t. Everyone is on a case by case basis though. I myself rarely say never to anything.”

“James Rowe checking in for my boarding evaluation.”

• Rowe

Cherry’s expression returned to a warm smile. “Well, James Rowe, welcome to the Athena. You’re meeting with Dr. Kingston. She’s just through that red door. You can go right on in, she’s ready for you.”

Stepping through the red door, Janna’s office was a modest space rather fitting the petite woman. She didn’t go to great lengths to decorate, but it was definitely more than the standard grey furniture and carpet. On the wall above the couch was an image of an ocean scene that could be almost anywhere and the standard grey slim arm chairs had been replaced with softer larger armchairs in a dark blue that looked inviting to curl up into. On top of the standard carpet, the sitting area was covered in a plush rug in different shades of blues that matched the ocean in the photo. On the other side of the room where she mostly worked, there was a tall leafy plant near her desk and a single silver photo frame on the corner of the desk where she could easily see it when she worked at the computer terminal. Overall, the place was warm but practical and uncluttered- much like Janna.

Kingston was sitting at her desk and looked up as her door opened. She was a petite woman with blond curls to her chin and grass green eyes. “Good day,” she said, rising to her feet. Have a seat. Can I get you anything from the replicator while I’m up?”

~Janna Kingston, CNS

As he entered the room, Rowe couldn’t help but feel ‘big’. The office space itself was relatively small, and then the Doctor stood and she was tiny herself. James’s eyes scanned the room as they always did, he’d been trained that way for so long that he doubted it was a habit he would ever drop. He took in the various shades of blue, he knew psychologically that blues were supposed to be soothing. Studies had show the color to support lower blood pressure, heart rates, and even breathing rates resulting in a naturally relaxing environment. Noticing the beach scene on the wall he smiled, was it possible not to smile at the beach. Returning his eyes to the petite blonde, meeting her grass green eyes with his emerald ones.

“A water would be great. Sometimes talking brings on a scratchy throat.” He said humorously, but he was being honest. He waited in place until directed where to go, he wasn’t one to presume things in another person’s space.

• Rowe

She grinned. “It can at that.” Janna moved around the desk to her replicator with ease that flowed from her limbs. She ordered his water and a coffee for herself (a mocha this time), and moved to the chairs. His hesitation in choosing a seat could have been many things, but it was still a reaction Janna was used to. The office was only so big and the two armchairs were the only place away from her desk to sit. She took up the nearest one, set his water down and waited for him to settle in. But even as she sat, she took up space her small frame didn’t necessarily predict.

“So, here you are. I don’t know how much you’ve heard about the Athena’s history, but you’ve found yourself on a very interesting ship that gets itself into some very interesting situations. Tell me what you were up to before this and how you see yourself making the transition here,” Kingston said, sipping from her mug and savouring the sweet, hot drink as it warmed her throat and then stomach.

~Janna Kingston, CNS

Rowe settled into the chair, taking a moment before answering, more to organize his thoughts than out of hesitation.

“I’ve spent most of my career in various operational roles. Command adjacent, field work, situations where things tended to move faster than the paperwork.” He let a faint trace of a smile pass. “A lot of making sure people continued pulling the rope in the same direction when everything went to hell.

He shifted slightly, one arm resting along the side of the chair, posture relaxed but deliberate.

“The transition wasn’t entirely by choice,” he added, matter-of-fact. “Medical had conflicting feelings about my ability to continue serving, but ultimately here I am.” There was no edge to it, just acknowledgment. “It may look different, but the underlying skillset didn’t really change… Reading situations, managing relationships, making sure things don’t come apart at the seams.”

His gaze drifted briefly toward the window, then back to Kingston.

“The Athena’s a different environment than what I’ve been used to. More structured. More… room for things to stay theoretical.” Another slight pause. “I don’t mind that. Ships take time to settle when new people come aboard. My goal’s just to figure out where I can be useful enough to add value without getting in the way.”

He leaned back just a fraction, letting the statement sit rather than filling the space after it.

• Rowe

Janna did not rush to respond. Instead, she let his assertions take up space in her office, let them be his truth, or at least a version of it. “What do you think of Medical’s debate over your continued service?” she said, hands wrapped around her mug. The warmth grounded her as she felt open to what was around her, the truths, the shimmers of doubt, the uncertainty or pride. So many different things that could float about in her space without someone else being aware. She was. These days, Janna was always aware.

~Janna Kingston, CNS

Rowe allowed the silence to linger as he considered his words. “I understand why it may raise concerns… Doctors are well meaning people who are trained to help others feel ‘better’… but if discomfort were a disqualifier I think half the fleet would be out of the service, certainly anyone older than thirty-five.” His tone was practiced and lighthearted. He took a drink of his water as much for pacing as to address any thirst.

“I’m fully capable of performing my duties, and I still surpass the minimum physical requirements for service. My body just reminds me that the engine doesn’t run as well as it used to… it’s loud… the oil has to be topped off regularly” Rowe let his combustion engine reference trail off. “It’s a quality of life issue and not a performance one.” He finally said simply.

-Rowe