Posted by Ensign Randal ‘Randy’ Kabil (Yeoman Second Rate) in Crashing the pad

Randy let out a breath slowly through pursed lips and said, “Girl this is why I would have you screen anyone I dated when we were younger. I’m surprised you didn’t tell me his favorite color of lolipop when he was 5 years old! Now do you know how much of that information I’m going to retain?” He asked, raising an eyebrow to his sister in the mirror. “Just enough to make you look good and nothing else!” He smirked as his sister did a fantastic job.

“I expect that you’ll retain all of it. You have never forgotten a single detail about a person. Maybe the geometry proofs we used to have to write for Mr. Gunderson, but not details about people. And I’ll keep screening your girlfriends. No one is good enough for you.” She wagged a finger at him from her reflection in the mirror.

Randy was about to say something when he stopped and closed his mouth. She was right he did have a wonderful memory but he never thought highly of himself and found every opportunity to fault himself, you bet he would.

Randy continued to shift as needed, he popped his shoulders and held himself stable in the chair. “I’ve been thinking on how I can make my mark sis, and I know you’re supposed to train me right? How can I best serve your image. I mean let’s be honest, I’d like to use my Masters rather than be a Yeoman. Nothing wrong with that, but I want to make you look good rather than harm your position here.”

Ensign Randy

She got hair gel and started running it through his hair, creating a spiky effect all over his head. The blue black of his hair more stunning for the gel in it. “Hey none of that. You are an excellent officer, top of your class. You do what you’ve always done and I’ll be proud of you. There will be room for you to use your masters. People always have problems they need to talk about. And I help the CO with crew profiles and evals, I’ll put it in his ear to ask you about it. You’re the expert there. We’ll do what we always do, play on our strengths, together. Right?” She hugged him around the shoulders and gave him a sisterly kiss on the cheek. She picked up a mirror and held it behind him. “What do you think?”
En Rand

As the cold gel spiked his hair wonderfully he heard the sister’s chastisement and rolled his eyes hard enough that if it were possible they’d pop out and continue rolling on the floor. “None of that? Rand you know as well as I do that you are the better student, better people person, and better officer. The only reason I got a Masters was to have something to distinguish myself from the illustrious Rand. I know we used to fight over ‘who was the favorite’ but I think we both know that it’s you girl. Now I don’t want you telling me that I’m wrong because I’m not trying to start anything, after all I requested you specifically to train me. The reason I wasn’t on that little roster of yours is because I wasn’t originally supposed to be here. But your little brother pulled some strings and made sure he was going to be with the best. So when I say I want to make sure you look good I mean it.”

She swatted his shoulder, hard. “People person? Me? Uh huh! Who walked me through every panic attack on the first day of school? Who snuck an ear bud to me and told me jokes through my first presentations? Who stood in line for Santa twice because I was to afraid to talk to him? Who stayed up all night on the comms with me while I cried the night before my Academy yeoman appointment? Who charms every one, guy and gal, in a room without batting an eye, unless it’s for effect. Who saw the fights brewing in the school yard before they started? And who interned in the VA hospital and had such good results they were offered to be the head of the department but turned it down to come to star fleet with his anxiety ridden sister? I got here because you showed me how. You’re a counselor, Randal. Your expertise is people. I did well in school because it was easier to put my nose in the book than deal with talking to people.”

Randy spun his head around and gave her a ‘oh no you just didn’t’ look at the swat to his shoulder before actually listening and kind of sinking into his chair. “Rand.....” He stopped. For once Randy had nothing to say, not because he thought she was wrong but because she was right. “I suppose I am the people person, but it’s always because I had you to confide in and unwind with. We got home from school and yes, socially I blended in well but the numbers just kept dancing on the pages and you calmed me down from wanting to throw it all out the window. If you’ll remember I didn’t finish that presentation because I was confused and was ashamed to ask for hep and you marched right up to Ms. Jorgernson and convinced her to give me an extension, then stayed up to help me with it. You listened over many sleepless nights rehearsing over and over my work during college because I was terrified I was going to sound like an idiot. As for charming people? Yeah, I do have that in spades don’t I?” Randy said as he chuckled and continued, “I didn’t take that job at the hospital because while I’m great with people and with your help I understand the concepts, but I was also terrified that I was going to mess it all up. That I wouldn’t be able to continue my stellar rise and just crash back to earth. You keep me grounded and you are the one who reassures me every time I say I’m an idiot, every time I think I’m a fool, and every time I think I can’t do it.”

Randy looked at his hair and hugged his sister and spun around in the chair, “Rand it looks fantastic as always. And you’re right. I fully plan on making sure we work our best strengths together, and I’d appreciate that word in with the Captain. I’d love to use my education to help people, but when I didn’t see that Starfleet had positions for counselors I figured I’d work with the best officer I knew.” He said with a wink and a smile.

Ensign Randy

Rand grinned, “Of course you picked me, you had to find someone better than you, and that’s a short list of one!” She laughed and spun the chair around again with him in it. “We’re going to do fine, right? Though the ensign stripes are hard to get used to. The captain seems very competent. He knew you were coming, I thought it was a joke, at my expense when he mentioned. Showing me he knew as much about me as I did about the crew. He picked you, so feel good about that.” She became thoughtful. “You know what I bet ships are going to get counselors as standard eventually. I have you seen the reports of how many people crack under the strain of star ship service? You have the chance to do something about it, and you will do great.”
En Rand

Randy stood up and looked his sister’s hair over and said, “Oh honey no. You really think you have the facial structure for a bob? Sit down and let me do something.” Randy said as he waited for his sister to take her seat, “I have read those reports and they’re heartbreaking. Humans weren’t meant for space, and I need to meet with the Captain to talk about doing that role for the crew if he’ll let me. Perhaps I’ll get through my first day though?”

En. Randy

Rand laughed but ducked her head, “I know it’s awful. I let the salon on K5 do it and the woman went a little nuts. She didn’t do anything I asked her too. Thought she knew better.” The bob, though professionally done looked horrible on Rand. She sat down in the chair to let Randy do his magic. “I don’t know if it’s that we aren’t meant for space, there are many who serve just fine, but I don’t think we prepare our officers and crewman well enough for the mental strain of deep space. And yes you’ll meet the captain tonight! I have to meet him at 1900 for the evening reports. Oh and when you are done fixing this monstrosity of my hair, we have to go check with the station engineers. The captain wants to know when the rest of the crew will board. Privliages of being a Yeoman. We get the privlage of rank and none of the responsibility.” She tipped her head back to look at him. She grinned and did a tiny hair flip with her fingers. “Now Dauwwwling, work your magic. Make me Faaabuuuuloussss!”
En Rand