Posted by Lieutenant Cara Esmé Mardusk (Counselor / Education Specialist) in CNS’s Office: Ashford’s Evaluation

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Valerie Ashford (Chief Science Officer) in CNS’s Office: Ashford’s Evaluation

Posted by Lieutenant Cara Esmé Mardusk (Counselor / Education Specialist) in CNS’s Office: Ashford’s Evaluation
Posted by… suppressed (6) by the Post Ghost! 👻
With the first appointment done, Valerie headed to the second item on her to do list – the on boarding psychological evaluation.

Psych evals weren’t something she necessarily looked forward to, but Ashford definitely felt more comfortable with them than most. Her line of work had made her quite familiar with the screening method, and to a certain extent, she found the meeting itself almost comforting.

Taking the nearest turbo lift, Valerie ascended to deck 11 where the Counseling Suites were located, and before she knew it, she had reached her destination and was checking her PaDD to confirm which of the six offices she was due to report to. Once she located it, she pressed the chime and waited to be summoned inside.

Lt. Cmdr. Valerie Ashford

The door opened, and a woman with curly bright red hair, green eyes, and classic pale skin marked her as having strong Irish Terran heritage stood there. A very strong Irish accent flowed from her as she offered her hand, “Lt Cmdr Valerie Ashford? It’s nice te meet ye. I’m Lt O’Farrell. Come on in.” She pressed the control on the office door and stepped inside.

“Nice to meet you too.” Valerie said with a smile, shaking the offered hand before following the Counselor inside the office.

Immediately to the left of the door was a desk. A variety of places to sit and low tables dotted the rest of the open area. The right wall was taken up with a wall to wall, floor to ceiling storage until. Books, various pieces of art, and nick knacks covered the shelves. “Help yerself te the replicator and have a seat.” O’Farrell grabbed a glass of tea off her desk and had a seat in one of the chairs.

Lt. Mardusk, counselor

“Thank you, but I’m fine.” Ashford said politely, her eyes glancing at the collection of items on the shelves. Growing up away from her home planet, Valerie had always been fascinated at the different items people kept in their personal spaces, whether they were offices or private quarters. Over the years, she had began to understand their significance, and even started collecting a few items of her own, but she found that she was never as fond of them as most people seemed to be. Still, Valerie never stopped being fascinated at how much the items inside a room spoke of its owner, and that had led her to select carefully what she chose to display in her own space.

Taking a seat close to the O’Farrell, Ashford commented in way of small talk. “It’s a incredible collection.” She motioned with her chin to the shelves, indicating what she was talking about.

Lt. Cmdr. Valerie Ashford, CSO

Cara glanced over at the shelves and grinned. “It’s amazin’ what we collect over the years, isn’t t? I can no’ claim credit for all of it. Some of the art the previous counselor left behind. I liked them and since she didn’a want them when I offered ta send them ta her, I kept them. Anythin’ in particular draw yer curiosity?”

Lt. Mardusk, counselor

“I was never a big collector myself, but I confess many items still manage to find a way into my personal possessions more often than I would like.” Valerie replied. “To answer your question, though…” Her gaze lingered a little on the shelves. “… would it be okay for me to say all of it?” Ashford chuckled.

Lt. Cmdr. Valerie Ashford, CSO

bump :)

OOC: Sorry, thought I had replied already.
IC:

“Certainly. It’s amazin’ the things that accumulate over the years. Let’s see,” Cara stood and walked over to the shelves and scanned them. The lower shelves were all therapy items for people to use while they were in her office. The tops shelves full of books she used for her work. “Ah,” she picked up a ‘U’ shaped metal item. “Back home I had a horse. The last day I saw her she threw this shoe. Superstition says that horseshoes carry luck in them. I don’a know if that’s true, but I kept it anyway.”

Lt. Mardusk, counselor

OOC: No worries! It happens! :)

IC:

Back home I had a horse. The sentence floated in Valerie’s mind for a moment, and the counselor would see her eyes widen in fascination. It would be easy to imagine why she had become a scientist in the first place. The truth was that Ashford had heard of people who had kept large animals in their homes, and she had even visited a small farm when she was growing up, but she had never actually met someone who had kept one as their… was ‘pet’ the right word?

“You never know, I suppose.” Valerie’s tone was light. “In the town where my brother lives there’s a small pub that keeps a horseshoe over the main door. So far their fortune seems to have looked up. And if nothing else, it serves as a memento of your time with your horse.” She smiled. Ashford wasn’t a superstitious person, but she carried mementos of her own, and while to her they were nothing more than a reminder of times long gone, others she had met had seen in some of them both good and bad omens alike.

“The house my brother grew up in had a small yard. Whenever we visited him and his mother, I used to tell him that it didn’t beat having a holodeck right around the corner, but the truth was that I was just jealous of it.” Valerie chuckled. “I imagine you must need a larger yard for a horse. What was it like, to live in a place like that?” There was again, the childlike wonder in her gaze, right before it became slightly more concerned, as if doubt had suddenly entered her mind. “If you don’t mind me asking, that is.”

Lt. Cmdr. Ashford, CSO

“Holodecks are amazin’ things, but they truly are no a replacement for the real experience.” Cara shook her head, “No not at all. We didn’a keep her in the yard. She was kept at the local stable. They had plenty of pasture and other horses for her ta be with. Horses can’a be alone, they need their herd. She’s still there, working as a lesson horse for young riders.” Her gaze turned thoughtful, “Growin’ up in Conmaragh was wonderful, but it was a bit behind the times. We were no isolated by any means, but we don’a need all the bells and whistles of the bigger cities. We all know each other. It’s a very safe place ta grow up. A very large extended family really. Where did ya grow up, Cmdr?”

Lt. Mardusk, counselor

Lt. Mardusk, counselor