Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Vanessa Slade (CNS) in Holodeck - Clam Bakes and Counseling…It’s always a goodtime (Open thread to all)

Posted by Ensign Kesh (Engineer) in Holodeck - Clam Bakes and Counseling…It’s always a goodtime (Open thread to all)

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Vanessa Slade (CNS) in Holodeck - Clam Bakes and Counseling…It’s always a goodtime (Open thread to all)
Posted by… suppressed (18) by the Post Ghost! 👻
OOC: Creativity will be highly encouraged and rewarded. If you run with it I will follow. I will post it in sections so if the spirit hits you post anywhere you are inspired. Just have fun.~ Kate :)

IC:
Vanessa sat in her office with several PaDD’s propped up like picture frames surrounding her. On the PaDD’s were the faces of several of her colleagues. From right to left, there were Lt. Nathan Harland, Lt. William O’Neill, Ensign Paige Ellis, and a PaDD with the still swirling comm call to Commander Heathcliff Rinker. She heard he was up to his eyeballs with some religious cult thing on the Atlantis so odds were he might be showing but if he did, Vanessa would take his two cents. The only other faces on the PaDD were a perky Latina named Celina Creed and a stunning woman by the name of Kalani Alindor. Both of these women were not counselors but roommates of Vanessa back in the academy. All the people however were there for moral support.

“So lemme get this straight,” Nathan scratched his forehead looking slightly concerned, “you want to throw a clam bake…in the holodeck…of a ship to say hi my name is Vanessa welcome to counseling?” Nathan had worked on and off with Vanessa over the years both in private and in Starfleet since they were both from Boston.

“Yes,” Vanessa said sighing again ready to explain for the fourth time her idea. “No one ever wants to come to counseling. I mean we rank behind heading to sickbay and everyone avoids sickbay like the plague. I want to change people’s views of mental health. Yay sanity and the power of positive thinking,” Vanessa raised her hands and gave herself a small fist pump.

The PaDD’s were all arranged so that everyone in the group could see each other as if they were in the same room. “You are going to drive them to seek counseling,” Will let out a laugh tilting back the bag of chips so that all the crumbs fell into his mouth.

“Said the counselor with his of so traditional approach to therapy,” Celina laughed. In all the times she had ever interacted with William O’Neill, she had never seen him without his feet propped up on the desk, reclining back in his seat, shoveling chips into his mouth. Absently she let her mind drift to wondering if this was how he actually saw his patients.

“What,” Will brushed off a few crumbs from his shirt with a confused expression on his face.

“Well I think it is a great idea. People sometimes feel stressed even talking to you guys off duty. If you can show them counselors can be fun and are not going to hit them with Freud or those black spots you have to guess what the hell they are,” Kalani said but was immediately interrupted by Nathan.

“Rorschach. It’s called a Rorchach test and it’s not like there are answers…you know that Lani right? It’s more to let you get a peek at how someone sees life.” Reaching to his right he found a piece of paper that had a large coffee stain on it. Picking it up he held it next to him. “What do you see,” he asked with a wink.

“Butterflies. Always answer butterflied or puppies. They let you out faster,” Celina took a sip of her coffee. “Makes them think you are happy and happy means sane.”

“Or you are detached from reality, lacking honesty, and sporting an unhealthy degree of deliberate ignorance,” Nathan countered.

A loud whistle pierced the room. “Hey this is all about me and my needs,” Vanessa looked at the face. “Celina is a spy so she utterly lacks honesty and Kalani is in the afterglow of the honeymoon so she is living in fantasy land. We need to focus on me and if my idea is going to work or not. You only get one chance for a first impression.”

“I say do it,” William leaned into the screen taking his feet off the edge of the desk. “What is it going to hurt? Even if they think you are bat snot crazy as a counselor after you will get to meet the crew. Gotta go my eleven o’clock is here. Lemme know how it goes.” Clicking off the screen the group was reduced by one.

“I agree with Will. Half the success you will ever have as a counselor is making people comfortable and relaxed. Parties are a good no-pressure way to get to know someone. It’s why we Hawaiians are always throwing luaus. I however have to go to. I am meeting with my boss to try and convince him to help me cut the floor out of a storage room to create an aquarium on the Saracen,” Kalani laughed. “Comm me later. You got this,” she gave her ex-roommate a thumbs up before logging off the screen.

Vanessa looked at the faces staring back at her. The creak of Nathan’s chair signaled the man was assuming his thinking position as he called it. “I always do encourage out-of-the-box thinking but just don’t feel defeated if no one participates. I mean they will come by to check it out. You are providing food and beer. Just be yourself. You got this. You will do great,” Nathan winked at her. A knock at the door to Nathan’s office signaled he would be leaving too. “Gotta go.”

And now Vanessa was down to the only two PaDD’s present.

Vanessa Slade CNS

==============
Two days later…
==============

Vanessa walked to all the common areas on the ship taping flyers in places like the gym, mess hall, recreating deck, and the crew lounge. The flyer was something reminiscent of something one would find announcing a yard sale, need for a roommate, or reminder a school dance was imminent. Her flyer was simple like all of those. Taking a step back, Vanessa read it for the hundredth time.

Clam Bake
Where: Genesis main holodeck
When: Saturday the twenty-second
Time: Noon until 4 PM

Come for the clams and beer. Stay for the company.

Picking up the remaining flyers, Vanessa took one last look before exiting the mess hall heading to her next distribution location.

Vanessa Slade CNS

================
Genesis Holodeck
Saturday the 22nd
================

Vanessa let out a deep contented sigh closing her eyes and inhaling the scent of the air. The air had a slightly industrial smell but for her it was comforting. The South End of Boston was not known for its pristine parks or high-end restaurants. In some people’s opinion, a slum would be a better description but she didn’t care. This was where she was from. Vanessa loved the city and all the smells and sights it contained. The holodeck program was set up to replicate Peter’s Park. The playground, basketball courts, and large grassy expanse made it the perfect spot to set up for the bake. Vanessa stood at a table folding a few of the t-shirts she had made and was ready to hand out. Genny’s First Annual Clam Bake was printed in white letters on a choice of red or blue shirts. Many people would assume it was because those were the colors of the United States flag. They would be decidedly wrong. Red, white, and blue might be that nationalities colors but first and foremost it was the colors of the greatest team ever: The Red Sox.

Looking around, Vanessa surveyed the area. The food was steaming and ready along with standard fare like burgers, dogs, and a variety of sides. The keg was tapped and coolers filled with bottles of drinks. The music played over the speakers. Everything was set except for people. Glancing at her wristwatch, Vanessa bit her lip and resisted the urge to call one of several of her brothers. Maybe she should have played it safe. Made an announcement…sat in her office until someone showed up…played words with friends: There were a million ways to say hello I am Vanessa Slade and I am your new counselor besides a picnic. Secretly, Vanessa just hoped at least one person on the crew showed up. Being the new guy was never fun and the crew of the Genny was tight-knit and close. Their reputation of being loyal, innovative, and brilliant was one of the reasons she jumped at the chance to work with them. She just hoped they liked her as much as she knew she was going to love them.

Moving to the coolers of beer, she popped open a Sam Adams, took a seat on a cooler, and waited for someone to show up.

Vanessa Slade CNS.

Three things came to mind at the sight of the oddly physicalized notification.

1) Humans sure do love finding ways of turning foods into alcoholic drinks

2) Humans sure to romanticize the oddest locations of their home planet

3) Why are these notices not posted on the digital billboards? It seems a waste of replicator credits, when anything and everything can freely be placed under social notices. But, again… humans.

Having grown up on Riviera, where nearly half of the population is human and nearly half of it Caitian, Kesh had a keen appreciation and understanding of human idiosyncrasies, even before she joined the human-dominated Starfleet the first time. In a way, lacking that human contact had been part of her reason for returning to it. As such, though many would view any of the three items that came to mind as ample reason to skip this social gathering, for her, they were all abundant reason to attend.

If only she knew it was crafted for the purposes of mental health. There’s baggage, and then there’s what continues to haunt this augmented, once-demoted, once-resigned, Dominion-War-surviving Caitian engineer. Perhaps Vanessa will get the chance to try to coax her into talking about it someday, no doubt through some sort of order by the engineer’s superior officer.

For now, the hook works wonders, and the hollodeck doors open to a rather plainly dressed felinoid carrying a rather large lidded basket that’s doubtlessly meant to be an addition to the offered foodstuffs. A quick flick of the Caitian’s tail upward ensured it did not get in the way of the rumbling doors closing behind her as wide golden eyes peered about the curiously ramshackle area in search of where she might deposit the basket.

-> Kesh, Engineering.

Vanessa tapped her toe and head bopping to the song playing on the radio. “We don’t even have to try. It’s always a good time,” she sang taking another sip of her beer. Looking around the empty park she debated about filling it with hordes of people like it was back home. With twelve people in her family, it was never quiet, so the silence of the program was irritating Vanessa more than no one actually showing up. Polishing off her beer, she made a decision. If no one came in the next twenty minutes she would start replicating Southies.

Hearing the artificial swish of the pneumatic doors Vanessa looked at the door and a smile spread across her face. It was not that a crew member showed that had her smiling. It was that the person brought something.

Vanessa Slade

The deserted nature of the setting was just a touch disquieting. Did Kesh misunderstand the start time? Was it changed since she last looked at it? A flush of anxiety prompts a few stiff tail twangs behind her bare ankles with a contemplative glance passed toward the holodeck doors as they finished closing and being replaced with appropriate scenary. Thus, it is with faint whiplash that her attention snaps back forward to the sound of the greeting.

“Oh crap…they are going to run,” Vanessa said in a low voice with the beer hiding her lips and the sounds of the music drowning out her words. She had to move fast. The last thing she wanted was for someone to run in fear. People in SOBO always came to events like. When word got out there was free beer the events always looked like an outdoor concert event. Maybe things were going to be very different on a starship. That however didn’t mean an out-of-the-box approach wouldn’t work.

Getting off her perched spot on the cooler, Vanessa walked towards the Caitian. Vanessa was so glad to see the crew member had not come either in uniform or dressed like it was a garden party. Striding across the small grassy area, she met them at the door. “Hi. I’m Vanessa obviously the new girl in town,” she joked extending her hand in greeting. The day was perfect with a breeze that keep the warmth of the day from overheating anyone. It was also perfect for the cut-off jean shorts, t-shirt, and sneakers Vanessa was wearing. Her long dark hair was pulled back into a loose ponytail that swayed slightly as she had walked towards Kesh. Nothing about the girl said stuffy, prim or proper.

Golden felid eyes are wide and tufted ears flex forward, looking almost spooked initially, graduating on to an enigmatic visage that well conveys how much Caitians and Earth cats have in common. The engineer certainly keeps up with what is stated, and even falls in step along with the human once Vanessa moves toward the serving area.

Vanessa could see the Caitain’s ears slide back and eyes widen some denoting what she hoped was surprise and not fear. Vanessa hadn’t been around Caitains enough to know exactly what the woman was feeling but overwhelmed was probably a good college guess. “From your expression, I am guessing this is not how you met the last counselor,” she said full of humor. “What’s your name?”

A forward flex of ears and slight head tilt conveys that while the felid absorbed the word ‘counselor’, it does not yet sink in that the human was indicating she was the new ship’s counselor. Instead, focus is put on the next question, which prompts a slight brow ridge lift and settle of ear positions, “Ensign Kesh, ah… you must be Vanessa, rrrn?” Noticed the name on the flier, not so much noticed the profession of the one issuing them.

“So nice to meet you especially because you brought food. My Ma always says show up with food and you have an instant friend. Let’s go put that out and get a beer.” Vanessa lead them to the main table filled with steamed seafood. Lobster, mussels, crabs, soft-shell clams, and quahogs were piled high along with ears of corn, boiled potatoes, macaroni salad, potatoes salad, and coleslaw. A large pot filled with clam chowder separated the traditional food from the more basic burgers and dogs for those that were not brave enough to step out of their comfort zone and slup back a few quahogs. A large open pit had several large pots on it boiling up more food as if the food already out would not be enough to serve a contingent of Federation Marines.

Only after the spread was presented and her eyes wandered over the fragrant assortment, did that level visage finally lift into something a little more upbeat as Kesh’s gaze centers on the hostess. Ears sag outward as eyes blink firmly, while a soft flutter of exhaled breath conveys a subtle vibration prior to her finally speaking in reply, “Your ‘Ma’ has very appreciable viewpoints, rrrnth.” Soft, almost whimsical in tone, and fluttered with a mild slurring along with that rattled utterance at the end, Kesh certainly sounds much like how many would think a cat might talk if able to speak. Those that know many Caitian would know this is not a universal thing, and it seems like an almost deliberate choice for those individuals that understand and cater to human perceptions.

“Oh my god don’t ever tell her that,” Vanessa let out a huge laugh. “It will go straight to her head.” As she moved a few things around on the table to make room for the basket, Vanessa’s voice suddenly sounded very different as she continued talking in a heavily accented twang. “I’m telling you, Vanessa. List’n to youh mawthah. When ah you going to staht doing that? Why do you think I stumbled around faw fifty eight yeahs and nine kids before you and didn’t leahn anything is a mystery. Trust youh Ma. I know everything.”

Kesh’s head leans back and tilts once again, blinking quite owlishly following that first remark and laugh, evidently a bit perplexed by this reaction, though the most the woman says, the more that look returns to neutral as she focuses toward getting her food basket onto the freed spot on the table. She does remark, though, “It sounds as though your mother is as… rrm… verbose as mine was.”

Stepping back from the table, Vanessa continued to chit chat letting the woman place her dish down in the spot. Her voice instantly went back to her normal voice indicating she was imitating someone. “She means well but is like another other mothers in the galaxy. They always know what is best.”

One simple bob of the felid’s head makes her styled mane sway, otherwise focusing on placing her offering.

The carried basket is hoisted and set in an open space nearest the seafood, with a simple stroke downward collapsing the vessel to make it into a sort of woven platter for presentation of the dark green bowl held within.

“So what did you bring. It smells amazing,” Vanessa inhaled deeply. Whatever was in the basket was making Vanessa’s stomach start to rumble. If there was one thing the Slade family did was eat. The scent of garlic, onions, and peppers seeped from the dish into the air making Vanessa’s mouth water.

“Eggplant Etouffee.” Kesh states, extracting a ladel from the side of the basket as it’s converted, dipping it into the North American stew for serving. Her three-fingered hands then grasp the sides of the bowl, lifting it to show that it has two sections, with the lower containing steaming-hot white rice, with the main dish set beside. A grip and twist of the ladel handle separates it into two pieces as well, with the second expanding into a rice fork, which is plunged into the lower container.

Vanessa’s face lit up in a huge smile seeing the dish. Large chunks or eggplant, onions, potatoes were sitting in a thick and rich brownish-red gravy-like soup. The peppers gave it a highly colorful look that promised the only thing that could compete with how amazing it looked was how incredibly delicious it smelled.

“Ah, uh, I believe this may not be exactly appropriate for the region, but every buffet needs a spicy dish, ah? Rrrnnf.”

-> Kesh, Engineering

“Hell yeah it does,” Vanessa said polishing off her beer. “Do you mind if I try some now? I do not want to miss any or have to share when other people start showing up. Can I get you a beer,” she lifted up the table cloth and showed the woman where one cooler was semi-hidden under the table. Inside the cooler was a large assortment of real alcohol with bottlenecks and tin pop-tops sticking up through the ice just enough to make out the labels. At a glance, there was just about one or two of anything someone would want . Vanessa fished out a Sam Adams and popped the top off on the edge of the picnic table. With her other hand, she caught the top as it flew up with the dexterity of someone who was practiced at opening beverages like this. “Booze is in the blue coolers. Sodas, water, and fruit juices are in the red coolers,” she explained in case the Caitian was more of a teetotaler.

“Now lemme try this,” Vanessa set the beer she just opened on the table. Grabbing an empty plate she put a scoop of rice on the plate and then drowned the white ball with the mix of veggies and broth. Vanessa had no idea if this was the way to serve it but that was the beauty of new experiences. You learned from them.

Taking her first bite, Vanessa’s face assumed a neutral expression before melting into a groan of happiness. “Oh my gawd dis is soo good,” she mumbled through her mouthful be careful not to talk with her mouth full but wanting to make sure the Engineer knew the dish was a success. Poking at her next bite with her spoon, Vanessa took the time between bites to get to know the woman. “A-two-fee,” she butchered the name having never heard it before. “Is this a french dish because if so I am going to be all viva la France?”

Vanessa Slade

Kesh makes the smallest of gestures to encourage having a bite of it, which is followed then by another glance in various directions to affirm that no one else was in the area yet. A soft warbly murmur rolls from her throat that wordlessly expresses her concern, both for the possibility of such a festival being missed by the rest of the crew, and in her dish possibly cooling off. Reheating such dishes tends to damage the textures, if not the flavor, at least.

Rather than distress, though, her attention went to the other nearby food and drink on offer, namely anything that looked to be vegetarian in nature, though the ‘baked clams’ that the title of the flier mentioned was her primary concern, as that was one Earth food she had not tried before. That long, tufted tail and its abundant spots swung in contemplative swings as bare footpaws strode across the concrete until what appeared to be the clams were located. A moment of staring and sniffing is shortened by sounds of pleasure. Maned head twists back with eyes slivered in delighted amusement while her tail curls upward behind to wobble about in pleased expression, “Awrrr, I am pleased you like it.” There’s a moment of staring that wanders a moment before the felid twitches slightly then turns away from the clam with a flourish of her tail, striding toward where the drinks where indicated.

Vanessa finished off the small bite she took from the dish and then looked at the contraption Kesh had brought it in. “Wanna close this sucker up until everyone else gets here,” she fiddled with the dish for a second before giving up. The last thing Vanessa wanted to do was break it. Tossing her paper plate and spoon into a trashcan nearby Vanessa watched Kesh peruse the table of food.

The ‘ah!’ that Kesh makes sounds more like the squawk of a startled bird than what it surely intends to mean, as she also nods her head once in agreement beefore replying to the question.

“It, ah, it is inspired by French cuisine, but is of Caijun origins. Rrrnth. If the rumors are true, it was a Caitian ambassador’s misprounciation and the Earth ambassador’s misunderstanding that led to our being called ‘Caitian’ by humans. Eh, hrrr.. if the rumor is true, at least.” As she spoke, the drinks are pursued, with a small bottle of sparkling apple juice being collected and opened. “Thank you.” A ‘toast’ style gesture following.

-> Kesh, Engineering

“No way,” Vanessa said shocked. “Cool fact,” she took a long sip of her beer looking around. “They call where I am from Beantown but it ain’t got nothing to do with the Dunkin’. It’s because baked beans are a staple for us Southies and Boston in general. There are some down at the end but I used my Ma’s recipe without bacon so it is vegetarian. With twelve of us living in the Irish Battleship, bacon was never considered food but a garnish.”

Vanessa felt a large pang of homesickness looking around the space. So many years of her life were caught up in parks like this. Still, she had made a decision to come here and by golly she was going to make the best of it. “So tell me a little about yourself Kesh. Caitain’s come from big families typically right?” Vanessa leaned back on her elbows and drank a few large gulps of her brown lager. Sam Adams was not just a beverage from her part of town but a way of life. Sure they drank pretty much anything but Sam Adams was the upscale stuff they threw at weddings and other important social events. “I am one of ten kids so I get big families.”

Vanessa Slade

With a portion of the non-alcoholic juice nimbly poured onto the trough formed by her tongue, ensuring it doesn’t spill, Kesh strides over to the steaming vat of Étouffée and rice and begins re-assembling it. The two-piece serving utensil snaps back together with ease, and the main dish bowl hoists atop the rice before being enshrined in the basket with a few deft motions. Clearly she knows it very well.

“Ah, yes, rrrn. Legumes were a primary food staple on Earth, particularly soy. Rrrnth.” Of course, ever since replicator technology took over, not many food crops are grown on that utopian planet any longer, other than to serve as a complex protein source for the replicator arrays. Many still live by the ‘old ways’ of course.

With the basket closed up, Kesh turned back toward the human and side-stepped to retrieve the drink while otherwise centering those bright golden eyes and alert ears toward her. One might be forgiven to think this felid was several decades younger than she actually is, possibly of a fitting age for an Ensign, even, thanks to her rather unique origins, which go unmentioned for now. “Typically, yes, ah. I was the only offspring of my parents, who would say I was raised by our backyard, rrrnn.” The dour edge to that slurred utterance at the end suggests a certain dubiousness to this claim. “I suppose that and my friendship with several human children that lived closeby lends to why I am so comfortable serving among humans so well.”

A simple nod and then incline of her head allows another pour of sparkling juice onto her curled tongue while her free arm propped onto the edge of the table for a bit of a lean while conversing.

-> Kesh, Engineering

“You are an only child,” she asked with a profoundly stunned expression on her face. It had nothing to do with a preconceived notion about Caitains. It was rather the opposite. “What is that even like,” she laughed. “I am one of ten. I have nine older brothers. Dalton, David, Daniel, Duncan, Dane, Dallas, Dylan, Dexter, and Dennis.” As Vanessa rattled off the names it sounded almost like a song. There was a rhythm to it that was as well-rehearsed as any tongue twister. My mom had Dalton about ten minutes after she graduated high school and stopped with me. My house is loud, chaotic, and something is always broken. We were the biggest family on the block. I can’t even imagine how quiet your house must have been or the fact you didn’t have to plan on when you got to use the bathroom.” Vanessa’s laugh and smile showed she didn’t find anything she was sharing as a bad thing. “I think that is why the rules and structure never bothered me as most joining Starfleet. From birth, I knew meals were served at 7 am, 12 pm, and 6 pm on the dot. If you missed a meal you ate oatmeal or cold cereal but not the good kind like Fruit loops or Apple Jacks. You got cheery- o-rings. The knock-off of Cheerios.”

While Vanessa lived in the picture-perfect Federation, her home was far less than that. People always assumed that with replicators you could get everything you ever wanted. The truth was something always had a cost. Feeding her family was like throwing a dinner party three times a day. The replicators were free in the sense you didn’t have to pay for it with monetary credits but you did have to pay with energy credits. With the number of people living in her home that needed shoes, clothes, food, and everything else, the replicator rarely produced luxury items like steak, lobster, or other fancy items. Everyone believed that life on Earth was idyllic with every whim or want available for replicating. The truth was, like in all civilizations, there were those that had more and had less. The Slade family definitely had less of just about everything.

Vanessa paused to hear about Kesh’s childhood.

Vanessa Slade

A quiet murmur of sourness emerged from Kesh’s chest on being labeled an ‘only child’, possibly not even audible to the human’s ears, while the slight sink of hear ears and whiskers are also rather subtle. There was a time when she would have been quite bitter about such subjects, even combative, since that term has certain connotations that in no way apply to the circumstances of her formation. Prejudice, presumption, and labeling are all things that she has had to endure for just about all of her adult life, so even when it is benign, it still stings.

Here, though, she manages to nudge away any thoughts of bitterness toward Vanessa, though something said earlier finally dawns. Was she being counseled? What initial fancy she had for the woman drains away, at least for now. Maybe the natural sugars in the apple juice will inebriate her enough to make these sour thoughts inconsequential. Thus, she took another drink before responding.

“Mmmrrmm, I suppose ‘quiet’ is a suitable descriptor. Rrrnnm.” Kesh peers at the bottle for a moment before setting it on the table she was leaned into. “I needed a lot of physical care in my youth, so whenever I was not in need of it, my parents tended to lean toward finding time for themselves, to which I spent that time exploring the wilderness behind our house. Rrrnth. I befriended the birds, ah… for a time they were my only friends. But, then my parents realized I needed other companionship and that is how I met Lulu. She and I were friends until… ah.. well until I suppose we were not anymore, but that is another story.” Deep breath, firm exhale, along with stiff ear twangs and a rigid tail jostle. “My studies of chemistry and botany become my focus then. Rrrrnnrth.”

“My best friends are Kalani Alindor and Celina Creed. I am always on the comm with one of them. I am not sure what I would do if I had to rely on letters like in the ancient times. Tell me about Lulu,” Vanessa asked. “What was the one thing she did that made you smile? I find people need to smile more.”

There’s a moment of crestfalling in the felid’s gaze, eyes lowering down, only to then return to the human’s face.

“Ah, ah! But you were asking of my childhood. Mmpf. Quiet. Yes. Riviera was still dependent on agriculture at the time, so we mostly ate a lot of grilled vegetables. Eggplant proved to be my favorite, hence.” A gesture to the basket and its creole meal modified with the vegetable.

-> Kesh, Engineering

“And you made that eggplant dish my absolute favorite,” Vanessa smiled at the woman. Vanessa didn’t need to see the sad look in the woman’s eyes to know she carried a large burden but who didn’t carry something around with them. Some people were able to jettison their baggage easily. Others carried it around like weight threatening to drown them if they didn’t constantly keep treading water. While her family was loud, obnoxious, and at times infuriating, they were hers and she would not change her life for anything. Not having all the clothes, toys, exotic foods, or trips made Vanessa feel like she was missing out on things as small child. It was only as she got older that Vanessa realized just how much she had. Anyone of her brothers would get on a shuttle now and come for her if she asked without hesitation. The only thing one had in life was the people that loved them. Vanessa had a small army and was desperately missing them right now.

Reaching under the table she pulled out the cooler and after pulling out another beer, she closed the lid and took a seat. “You know the next time I throw one of these events there will be more people. I saw the fear on your face when you walked in and saw you were the only person here. I should have used an alias,” Vanessa laughed. “Don’t get me wrong I am thrilled to death you showed up,” she smiled at Kesh. “You have the distinct honor of being my first friend on the ship. Your job is going to convince the rest of the crew to not be scared of me. I am the counselor but I am also Vanessa Slade. I think people forget at times what it is like to be the new kid in town. They will come around. I do tend to throw a fabulous party. People just don’t realize it yet.” Taking a large swig of her beer, she enjoyed the sip letting out a happy little ah sound before she continued talking.

“It was the same way back in SOBO. When I suggested an event like this at the Veterans Center. Lord you would have thought I was having the event after an apocalypse. Looked kinda like this,” she gestured around with her beer, “but,” she held up a finger, “the next one a few more people came followed by more people the next time around. People always tend to be scared of what they don’t know or think they know. I have never understood that but then again I have never been alone nor gone alone anywhere until now and I am determined to make this one of the best decisions of my life.”

“Awrr, well, thank you. Eh, rrr. Some seem to be.. mmm.. discouraged by the lack of seafood in it, as that is a traditional element, but.. eehrr.. I would rather fresh produce from aeroponics than replicated proteins.” Kesh’s shoulderblades hunch up in a little shrug prior to giving her juice drink another sip. The want to not give in to any attempts to psycho-analyse are combatted by her equally significant desire to just enjoy the company and be friendly with a member of her new crew. Vanessa is seeming to be quite nice. Pretty, too.

And then begins the analysis of her reactions and sour feelings start to sink in again. Mmmf. Kesh opens her jaws to request that such things be left for some other time, but, well, it is not as if she is not guilty, herself, of trying to be an engineer when she should just be relaxing. Still, if only Vanessa knew just how tired she is of being asked how she feels, or told she needs to leave the past behind her, or given another one of those golly gee wilickers emotional stability tests. How many more decades need to pass before her augmented and implant-damaged mind becomes just accepted for what it is?

Rrrf.

Hopefully, that irritation did not show in any obvious fashion.

“Well, then, I, ah, am very glad to be your first friend here. Rrrnth.” Eyes squint shut tight for a moment while the bottle is lowered to her side while the other arm extends out in a friendly offering to the woman.

“And I am thrilled to death to have met you,” Vanessa shook the woman’s hand with one firm pump before letting it go.

There is no doubt to be had how different human and caitain are in so many ways thanks to that handshake alone. Three fingers, coarse and segmented pads between each joint and palm, thin wisps of soft fur in between the crevices, and a firm, dull tip of the clawpoint pressing on the edge of Vanessa’s soft human fingers, all play counterpoint to those four fingers and delicate skin. Add in a slight clash of arm motion as part of the shared handshake that conveys the subtle differences in limb anatomy and directional expectation, and one need not wonder if the cat-like lady was in no-way human beyond the language being spoken.

“So what can you tell me about the crew of the Genesis and I am asking as Vanessa the new girl not Vanessa the counselor,” she let out a laugh. “What’s the Captain like? Stuffy? Laidback?”

Vanessa Slade

“Captain Marius? He.. ah.. he is definitely a Starfleet captain.” Nothing more need be said without certainty that it is not being recorded. “As for the others, well.. ehrrn… I have only really interacted with some of the engineering staff and they are the usual kind of… ehrr… assortment. Rrrnth.” Slight shifty-eyes.

-> Kesh, Engineering.

“They often do come in a set and expected mold,” Vanessa threw it out before taking a sip of her beer. “I have found the commanding officer sets the tone for the posting. Some CO’s intermix freely with the crew and others keep them at a respectable difference. Want to know a secret,” she nodded her head slightly conspiratorily towards Kesh?

A soft note of murmured agreement and bob of the felid’s head agrees with the matter of captains. Even the one Caitian captain she served under was still.. well… a Starfleet Captain. Definitely not something she aspires to be. Those round, tufted ears of hers lift up and forward slightly as simply affirmative response to the offered secret.

“I was on the fence about him showing up here. Depending on how the CO interacts with the crew could make or break something like this. My friend Emily’s CO would probably have set up a beer pong table but my friend Nathan’s CO would have politely bowed out. No one on the crew seems to want to talk about him one way or the other. I don’t see that as any reflection on his character but more mine. People don’t trust me. They see me as an outsider,” she shrugged it off. “It does tell me the crew is fiercely loyal to him which is a good thing. Not all crew feel that nor do Captain’s instill that.”

“I was advised fifty-fifty about doing this event,” she waved her beer around. “A clam bake is not the typical way to come and meet the new counselor but you gotta take chances. Some of my colleagues told me it could scare away people because they would think I am trying to psychoanalyze them. Others said it would make me look less trustworthy. I dunno,” she sighed. “What do you like to do for fun besides working and cooking absolutely amazing food? Is cooking a hobby for you?”

Vanessa Slade

“Hmmn. Mmnnrrm. It has been my experience that captains tend to view crew-led social gatherings as a.. ah.. exclusivity of the crew, rrrrnth. As in, eehrrr.. they need to be directly invited to show up, as they feel that the crew will struggle to relax when the captain is present. I.. ah.. I think, anyway. Captain Fisk said it like that, as I recall.” An ear twists outward as a stiff jostle occurs as the felid’s tail swings a bit stiffly, “I do not think anyone is an ‘outsider’ in a starship. Mmmnnm. Some just… are.... uneasy about… possibly being analyzed… while relaxing. Mmmmnnnrrmmf.” Eyes shift of to the side, then down, then back up in a guilty-look.

Vanessa let out a good-natured laugh showing she agreed with Kesh on everything the woman said. “In some ways Captains are like those 1950’s dads. They know what is important because the XO…mom…fills them in on anything that needs to be on their radar. Other than that they tend to come home from work and want to prop up their feet and take a nap before dinner because they carry the weight of the family on their shoulders all day working and then come home and worry about the family all night long. They will show up when you ask them to your little league game but every once in a while they show up unexpected.”

“As to being analyzed, I can promise you that you will know when I am doing that. I will be wearing that stuffy Starfleet uniform and then I vill schow vu ein ink plot und ask vat do vu zee,” she joked trying to imitate the classic German accent of Sigmund Freud. “Other than that you are just getting Vanessa. Just because I am a counselor and ask how your day is I am not looking to fill you into an open slot at 3 pm.” Vanessa let out another huge laugh. Most people felt exactly as Kesh described. “Oh, and I will also give you my unfettered opinion about your crap boyfriend or your overbearing mother as Vanessa. When I am Counselor Slade you are only getting a head bob with a sympathetic expression. It’s crazy how backward that can be. As a counselor, we need to not give our opinions but as a friend…well when a friend tells you that you are right, wrong, or crazy you tend to respect that more.”

Kesh draws a deep breath, again bobs her head to punctuate that matter, then tips another sip of juice onto her tongue before she replies to the direct questioning.

“So we were talking fun stuff off duty?”

“Ehrrr.. mostly solo game playing, like Dungeons and Dragons, Cities: Infinite, or Castle Castle. Ah.. uh.. when I am not tending to my plants or spending too much time in Engineering, anyway.” A gesture of her head seems to say ‘you know how that is’. Engineers.

-> Kesh, Engineering

“I get the whole work never stops mentality. In a way we are kinda the same,” Vanessa looked at her. “In our job things break down and not necessarily between the hours of nine to five.” Most of Vanessa’s most challenging moments came when it was never convenient. Holidays, the middle of the night, smack dab in the middle of a red alert but those were the times life became overwhelming in a broad sense.

“So D &D huh,” she looked at Kesh. “I am not even going to pretend I have a clue about that stuff but I will tell you that the idea of running around like a kid again with a sword or something through the woods sounds immensely appealing. I mean when do adults ever get to get dressed up and pretend they are something they aren’t without being labeled section eight. Do you tend to do it by yourself of is there a group of you that meet to do it?”

Vanessa Slade

Kesh ends up being rather quiet as Vanessa speaks at length, shedding some of that initial talkativeness as the human old human behaviors, odd accents, ‘boyfriends’, and overbearing mothers. Some light flush of amusement arises on both of those later matters, enough that she considers correcting the councelor, but she decides against it, instead taking it as some comfort that Vanessa hadn’t studied up on her before this meeting.

Of course, it could be deliberately non-applicable subjects to make her lower her guard.

Hmm.

Vanessa’s continued use of humanisms keeps Kesh fairly quiet as she knows better than to try to ‘mimic’ in such conversations, as despite appreciation of human culture and human company, the euphemisms and colloquialisms remain mostly a mystery on account of there being so many of them.

In the end the subject shifting toward a topic she is quite fond of brings both of those round ears up and forward slightly, with posture straightening just a touch prior to finally saying something directly. Some of Vanessa’s assumptions strike a slight sour nerve, but she doesn’t let it bother her. Such misunderstandings are all too familiar to her.

“It is not necessary to dress up, as the holodeck can overlay a character onto you while you are playing the role, rrrnth. I do a bit of it when I go full.. ah.. full form. But I only do that when I have the time to commit to a full session. Eh.. rrr… I do tend to do it solo, since there are only so many.. mmrmm.. roleplayers in Starfleet, but I have had a few partners in adventure before.”

Eyes blink firmly with a tremor of those stiff whiskers, conveying an at least momentary flush of pleasing memory.

“I am always happy to welcome visitors to one of my various story worlds.”

-> Kesh, Engineering

“What do you mean by full form and what is your favorite story world?” Vanessa’s first thought was Kesh had a preference for a form other than her own like a dragon or some other fantasy character. It could also mean Kesh stripped away all remanents of the Federation and completely embraced her Caitain side. It was a mild curiosity which is why she asked the question. In the end, it didn’t matter. Sentient beings needed to play. Adults hated the term play usually because playing was something children did. Adults tended to like the words hobby, relaxation, or interests but it still boiled down to playing for the brain. It allowed the brain to release all the chemicals and hormones that made an individual the best they could be. Right now, Vanessa could use some relaxation herself. She was always up for trying something new.

Vanessa Slade

There is a rather long pause after this question as Kesh just stands there, drink in hand, focused on Vanessa and plainly expecting more to the question that that. Two quick blinks finally occur as she realizes the question was simple as that.

“Ah! Uh.. ‘Full form’ is the term for a holo-character that fully encompasses the.. aahrrr.. participant. My primary character is an Anrill, which is a fantasy .. eehnrr.. feline race that does look a bit like me, just.. mn.. a bit different. Ah.. think humans and elves.” Kesh dips her head once, hopeful that Vanessa is at least familiar with those old, tree-dwelling fantasy humanoids that share much in comon, physically, with Vulcans. “It means I can go to the holodeck with just a body suit on and can.. ahrr.. just slip into character.”

Ears twist out, twang, then twist forward in expression of the Caitian’s uncertainty about being so open about such things.

“Usually my world is some manner of medieval magical fantasy, and I often just let the computer randomly generate it, rrrnth. Often I find not knowing what to expect is the most enjoyable.”

-> Kesh, Engineering

“I will toast you on that. Some of my best experiences in life were either from the unexpected or something I really didn’t want to do. Life has a way of surprising you like that. So what got you into the fantasy genre,” Vanessa asked. While she didn’t have any real experience interacting with Caitains, Vanessa could tell the woman seemed to be wobbling between defensive and relaxed. If she knew Kesh better, Vanessa would ask about her family or other such topics; however, Vanessa could tell the woman was on edge already. This was supposed to be a fun event and not a surprise tell me what you see on this Rochardt blob trick you into therapy event. Vanessa knew Kesh had no idea how hard it was to interact with people when you were only seen as the counselor. It was as if people thought Vanessa only wanted to pick apart their psyche and discover hidden secrets. Right now Vanessa just wanted to hang out with someone and see if there was a possible connection leading to friendship in the future. If there was a camaraderie in the future, it would involve doing things her friends liked. This was why Vanessa was asking so many questions.

Vanessa Slade

Bump