Fixing the Fixer

Posted on Thu May 11th, 2023 @ 5:20pm by Lieutenant Vura
Edited on on Sun May 14th, 2023 @ 12:41am

0 words; about a 1 minute read

Mission: Episode 14 - The Poseidon Adventure
Location: Counseling Office - Deck 5 - USS Pioneer
Timeline: MD005 0900 hrs

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Paisley was a bit...out of sorts. She was young, only 24, and had lived a LOT of life. Her night with the Romulan Twins had ended up not working out-Holy Prophets, they were BORING-and so she'd just come back to her quarters, made sure her bunkmate was still alive (she was, just was out having a good time), and went to bed. Today, she was going to take herself out, and work on her headspace. Things were good for her-though she was still afraid of her father's influence and worried he'd find her someday, she was particularly glad to be on a large Starbase, where she could wander around mostly anonymously. She started out in the mess hall-an out-of-character breakfast of junk food, as her stomach absorbed the three Kanars she'd consumed the night before, plus whatever that pink drink had been-some kind of specialty cocktail. She had a high alcohol tolerance-owing to her Cardassian half, no doubt.

She took her coffee with her. She hadn't been a coffee drinker before joining the Fleet, but now? She couldn't live without it. She decided to wander over to Medical and maybe complete her annual so she'd be ahead of the game-both her physical and psychological exams.

She found the counselor's office back on ship, and rang the chime. They still had duty sometimes while on R&R and she didn't see anyone regularly so she didn't care much who answered. She smiled when the chime was answered.

"HI. Ensign F'rar. I don't have an appointment, but I was hoping for a quick session? Maybe we could make it my annual so I can just work when we get back fully?"

The bald headed woman laughed melodiously. "Well, it is nice to meet you Ensign F'rar." Vura walked languidly towards the ensign. She let her words drawl out as she introduced herself, "I'm the new Chief Counselor, Lieutenant Vura." She smiled at Paisley warmly but mischievously before continuing. "In such a hurry to meet me? That is quite the honor. In my field, we counselors are often avoided like the plague. Certainly, I do not look like I have that, do I?"

Paisley smiled lightly. "In a hurry to keep my boss off my six, really," she said. Elen was fine, but Paisley figured Elen didn't want the Captain breathing down her neck, either. "I wouldn't know what the Plague looks like, but I assume that you're fine. I don't mind Counselors-I understand some are reticent. I am not most officers, though." She said.

"Oh? Do tell," Vura asked, amused by this ensign. "If you are not most officers, what exactly are you?"

Paisley smiled and took a seat without waiting to be told. "Well, I am half-Cardassian and half Bajoran, for one, so that's fun." She sighed. "I did go to the Academy, but late! I almost joined the Romulan Exchange, instead." She said. "I was fleeing an arranged marriage on Cardassia Prime-my father is high up in the militia. But I am not interested in marriage. At least not now, and not to HIM. A handsome, sturdy husband who builds handsome, sturdy walls has never interested me. I am bisexual, anyway, and I wanted to see the Universe." She info dumped when she was unsure of herself, a thing that had been happening lately. Her first real assignment had been a kick in the ass.

Vura's eyes laughed as she listened. She took an instant liking to this woman. Paisley talked like fish swam. She could not stop even if she wanted. "So, you're not someone that likes to be trapped, is what you're saying? You like adventure?"

Paisley shrugged. "I guess. Safe adventure-I am not looking to DIE, anyway. But yes. Plus...my father wasn't a nice man. He was a true Cardassian-to the Bajoran workers, to his men, to me." She explained. "Like...I would tag team some Romulans in bed, but I draw a line at skydiving." It was weird like that. "Maybe because I am still trying to find myself? I don't know. The others at the Academy had parents who were engineers and doctors and had been born in the Fleet. I was a scared Cardassian child who had been pretty cloistered my whole life." Her father might've been a galaxy-hopping royal advisor, but she was his daughter, and she was raised by a series of nannies and girlfriends, each prettier than the last but none a good mother figure. "Until I was about eleven, then he started leaving me to my own devices." Whoa, that had escalated quickly. Oh well, she might as well know now.

"When you say, a 'true Cardassian to you,' what do you mean?" Vura prompted.

"War-obsessed, cold. Uncaring. All the stereotypes-he fit them. Mind you, not every Cardassian, even the ones in the military or government service are like that, but my father is. He had-and still has-a hunger for more and more power and as he climbs higher and higher in his career, that need gets worse and worse. My first act of defiance was painting my childhood bedroom pink. He had a FIT." She smirked a bit at the memory-she'd been eight. Her father was dating a Human woman called Renee who wanted Paisley to like her so she'd readily agreed to help the child. Paisley knew that it would piss her father off (but wasn't aware at the time that it would cause a strain on the relationship between the two adults), and spent an entire weekend when he was in Andor decorating it. As she'd expected. he was QUITE unhappy, punishing her to permanent exile in the spare room, a physical punishment, and she was unable to spend time with her friends for a few weeks. It was still worth it because she knew as soon as he left again, she'd be right back to living her life as she saw fit.

Mentally Vura made a note that Paisley did not react well to authority figures and delighted in defiance, at least in the past. Vura wondered how Paisley reacted to the chain of command. "What did your mother think of it?" Vura inquired interested.

Oof, there was the question. She considered a moment. "She didn't know. She died in childbirth-I had a brother for a couple of days. Sepsis, they said, but I think she just...wanted out. She hadn't been a...willing participant in the marriage," Paisley said. "Still, I don't remember her making ME feel particularly unwanted. I was only three, though, so my memory of her is very hazy, though I do have the eidetic memory." She tapped her head. "Vila was her name." She settled back. "She was Bajoran." That should be enough information for Vura to make her own conclusions about the circumstances about her parents' relationship. "I don't know if I would've been that defiant if she was still around."

"I see.... But you don't know that you would not have, either..." Vura reminded Paisley. "We don't know what we don't know. So, I do not see that you wear the Bajoran earring, either. Why is that?"

Paisley nodded. "That's true, I don't know. I doubt she would've been too upset- she was calm, serene. Not much I did ever upset her. I was a bit of a wild child, too, according to my father. Active, too smart for my own good." She explained. She sighed then. "I have her earring, but I don't wear it because I fear I'd lose it, or something would happen to it. Plus, it angered my father, and I think he trained it out of me." She'd tried to wear it a few times throughout her childhood, and he always got upset. "I suppose that part would matter less now, but it's just become a habit. I always carry it with me, though," she said, raising her hips out of the chair to fish around in her pocket. She extracted the earring from her right pocket and showed it to the Counselor. "I've considered trying to see if anyone knew her family and returning it to them, but I am her daughter and I think she'd want me to have it." She shrugged; she could only guess.

"Hmm," Vura mused as she inspected the earring. There's definitely something to work with her on here, if she wants. There's a loss of connection and a great deal of assumptions on what her mom would do, based on her own desires. A three-year-old could not know that much or assume that much. And there is a lot of anger regarding her father, perhaps, understandably so. It is not all resolved despite what she may say.

"So, Paisley, when you're not randomly popping in on a new Chief Counselor, and you're not on duty, what do you enjoy doing?"

She shrugged. "Taking things apart and putting them back together. I like reading books and watching holovids. I don't have many friends yet, on the Boat, because I just started recently, but I like to talk to people." She explained. "Sometimes swim or do yoga." Normal things.

"Well, it sounds like you have more friends than I here. After all, I just got here and you popped in," Vura replied laughing. "So, if it is a competition, you win." Her amusement ceased, though a smile remained. "Tell me about what you take apart and put back together. And, why do you do it?"

Paisley nodded. "Mostly old replicators sent to Engineering for repair and things like that. Occasionally, old electronics from Earth-they have these things called radios. They're pretty basic. I like to take them apart to see how they work. And put them back together again, if I can. Sometimes they work again. Sometimes they don't. But the point is just to see what the technology is like, how other races' minds work. Things like that. Curiosity, you might say." She explained. "The first thing I ever tinkered with was my personal hologram player my father bought me." He bought her things to make up for not being AROUND in person. "After that, I moved on to bigger things-vehicles, then eventually shuttles. That's how I got to the Pioneer-well, kind of. I took a shuttle-my...friend had access to them because he was in the Army-and I left. I was shot down by the Breen in Federation airspace. Luckily for ME, there was a refueled nearby that could tow me to a Starbase." There was more to the story, but that was the basic gist. "Why do you ask?"

"Because I would like to get to know you better," she replied with a warm smile, hoping that Paisely was curious and not paranoid. "Counseling is very much like how you take things apart and put them together except in many cases, I do not have even an idea of what someone looks like mentally. After all, people can only give me the pieces and I have to figure out how they fit. Often times, the pieces are incomplete or not for the correct puzzle. At the end of the day, my hope is to try and help people find a way to piece themselves back together to be complete. Does that make sense?" she asked tilting her head slightly towards Paisley.

Paisley nodded. "I do. That just seemed like...not the question a counselor would focus on. They tend to focus more on why I left or things like that. Anyway. It makes sense that I became an Engineer-specifically, the Damage Control Specialist. You blow it up, I put it back together." Or she tried to. "Put a hole in my hull? I patch it up. And etc." She explained. "What about you? What do you like to do? If you don't have any friends here yet, maybe we have a shared interest and can hang out after. Or something." She said.

Laughing musically, Vura had to admit that she liked Paisley. She was young, but she was so genuine and perfectly flawed. "Well, Paisely, I'm not sure what you expect from counselors but I am pleased that you do not find me to be typical. On a personal level, I can tell you that I enjoy a good deal of solitary activities, like drawing, making jewelry, pottery and sculpting. However, I also enjoy dancing and acting. I suppose that it is not terribly unusual for a Deltan. We're an expressive people."

Paisley nodded. "I have heard that! You are the first Deltan I've met, though I went to the Academy with a Deltan male-though our paths didn't cross. Not for any reason other than it just...didn't." She explained. "Is there much room on the Base or ship for you to have a kiln and things? On Cardassia, art isn't as appreciated as it in other cultures, but we have some artists. Not that I was allowed to go to those places or interact with "those people," she said, making air quotes, "Because my father thought they were...I have no idea, honestly, but appearances were-are-very important to him."

"The ship can create these things on the holodeck. It is not a real issue." The counselor audibly mused for a moment. "If you are interested in doing any of these things and deciding whether these arts can help you express yourself more, we certainly can reserve some time in the holodeck together if you would like."

Paisley shrugged. "I might be interested in trying it someday. I am definitely a "work with my hands" type and I don't mind getting dirty, but I am not super artistic. Never have been." She explained. "I think I would just make a mess!" She laughed. She was still very kinetic but had learned to channel it towards useful things, like her work and fitness.

“If you can work with your hands, you can make art. You just do not know it,” Vura replied amused. “And making a mess is just part of the process. I mean, think, Paisley…. When you take something apart, is it always neat?”

Paisley considered. "No. Not always. Though I do try to keep as neat as possible-I don't like a mess." She shrugged. "I suppose you're right, though. I WILL try it. Someday." It might be a good excuse to meet someone, besides. "Anyway, I've taken up a LOT of your time with my bullshit, so I'll let you alone if you're done with me," she said.

"You have been an absolute pleasure, Paisley. And do not give me the nonsense that you've taken up my time or that what you have to say is bullshit. I'm here for you and what you have to say has meaning and is valuable."

Paisley smiled lightly. "Well. I mostly meant that my problems aren't so emergent, though I know that all people's problems are important to them." She said. "I appreciate your time! Maybe we should do it again sometime." She said, standing up.

"I think we should, Paisley. I look forward to it." Vura stood up and watched as Paisley left her office.
A Joint Post By

Ensign Paisley F'rar
Damage Control Specialist, USS Pioneer


Lieutenant Vura
Chief Counselor, USS Pioneer

 

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