Posted by Commodore Drudoc Andone (Commanding Officer) in Mess Hall - Drowning Sorrows (open)
[snip]

‘A drink’ to Luca Vilyan was not any of the many intoxicating beverages that a Lumerian might take to at a time like this (there was a surprisingly large variety of alien drinks that could make his kind inebriated - this was either a blessing or a curse, depending on your outlook. Instead it was a rather elaborate looking smoother he had taken to during his time at the Counselling Academy on Betazed (in fact, his liking to this particular drink had meant he had had to spend more time in the gym than his classmates) and which he now indulged in, but his heart wasn’t in it (he was powering through, regardless).

As he had entered the mess hall he had been greeted by those he passed. He was still new to the ship so he didn’t barely recognised anyone he passed, but they knew him. This was to be expected; a new department head (especially the Chief of Counselling - Luca had once heard a crewmember refer to counsellors on a ship as ‘keepers of secrets’!) tended to make one ‘well-known’ - it didn’t hurt that he had his very own chair on the bridge on the left-hand of the commanding officer! So he smiled as people greeted him with a ‘good afternoon, Counsellor’, sometimes with a ‘sir’ instead of ‘counsellor’ but as a rule he encouraged the use of his role rather than allusions to his rank.

The Lumerian watched his fellow crew members chat, laugh, flirt and tease each other and for a moment felt quite lonely. His position meant he had a more intimate relationship with the crew - perhaps the most, if you discounted the medical staff who knew most people inside and out … literally - but for now he was new, someone to be gossiped about (this was to be expected no matter where in the galaxy once found themselves, either on a starship or in a planetside town), and though he made sure his body language was such that he appeared open and welcoming, for now it seemed that most were not fully ready to take their ease with him.

So Luca Vilyan poked at his smoothie and longed, not for the first time, to be among his fellow junior counselling officers on the USS Paradox with their teasing and jokes and general camaraderie. He knew it would take time to truly be seen as one of the crew, and to feel the same.

He hoped that day would come sooner rather than later.

Lt. Vilyan CNS

17/18 Forward was of course quite big for any ship as a ‘mess hall’ and was as much of a restaurant as any where in the Federation. Two decks high and quite wide, the room for lack of a better term was luxurious. One big thing too that stood out from other ships in the fleet was that the Forward lounge held freshly prepared food kitchens and drinks. Not to mention some small table holo games here and there.

Given the time of day just being after 1500 hours currently on the trip to the Barrens for their coming mission things were relaxed overall. Then breaking the dreariness that the CNS likely was feeling he would see a young teenager girl come striding in wearing simple civilian garb of a one piece jumpsuit. But what set her apart from most of the civilians was the color scheme on the jump suit was an eye blazing bright green and bright pink in a swirl pattern. The girl was probably around 13 or so years of age, and as more details became evident she had deep black-brown hair, deep rich black-green eyes, and as her loose swaying hair would part from her movements would clearly identify her as being a half-romulan/human hybrid. Depending if the CNS had done their reading on the crew they might recognize her as the Captain’s daughter Tel’eck Andone.

It was an unfortunate reality on some Starfleet vessels that children were present.

On might take Luca’s occupation as son sign that he was a sweetly spoken sort who might be the sort to volunteer his spare time to helping shape the young minds he shared his home - the Ark Angel, now - with.

This was not the case. He found himself tapping a Lumerian children’s song on the side of his glass, though he had no idea he was doing so. Not for the first time did he hold silent, secret court at the appropriateness of children living on military vessels. It was an argument he had had more than once with other counsellors during his training. Yes; he could accept that a child needed their parents to optimise their psychological and emotional health as they matured but … he found their exhuberance to be irritating.

Someone had once dared suggest that his own childhood, from orphanage to parents strict with discipline who always treated him more like a tiny adult than a child that had seeded a jealousy in him for what he himself had never truly had.

The girl clearly caught some of the younger audience of teens near the CNS who held up hands to get her attention, returning the greeting in kind Tel’eck strode over after picking up a drink of some kind of fruit juice from the nearby drink stand. The group of four teens now, two being human girls, plus Tel’eck, and the forth being a human boy all started to laugh and chuckle over relating their adventures from today’s schooling lessons as well as plans they had for the coming evening.

Luca turned away from the group, eyes back to his smoothie as he cleared his throat, realising he was indeed perhaps watching the children with a spot of envy. Though his childhood had not been joyless, it just had not been … like that. He found himself pushing the glass away from him in a sort of protest at his own thoughts, then jumping to catch it as it teetered on its side, almost ready to share it’s contents with the table.

Then his eyes caught movement that some part of his brain had decided it would stamp and grab his attention.

The Commodore.

Drawing his attention away then was the sound of more pleasant greetings from the left of him, looking that way the CNS would see then the ship’s Romulan commanding officer striding in wearing her usual Starfleet uniform. She was tall at 6‘2, strong formed, quite feminine from head to toe, had tied back short cropped raven black hair, deep green eyes, and a strong presence of command. Still despite this air of professionalism she seemed to shift to a more relaxed pose as she entered 17/18 Forward. Giving friendly waves to various other crew members she strode up to the drink bar on this floor to get some kind of deep green drink of some kind from the staff. Turning her gaze swept the room, before settling on the CNS.

‘No, no, no, no, no,’ he said, in his mind, as if his wishes might make the Commodore’s eyes deflect off him. But Luca had never been very good at becoming invisible, and he met the woman’s gaze with a smile (he was at least a good enough counsellor that he had long since perfected at projecting ease in almost any situation, including offering warm, polite or welcoming smiles, even when he did not feel that way at all).

Coming over after sipping from a straw of her drink, she came within a friendly distance. “..Ah Lieutenant Vilyan, I do not think we had the chance to meet yet since your arrival and our departure from Starbase 243, would you mind if I joined you?” she inquired.

Drudoc Andone CO

The Lumerian realised he was going to have to see this through, and it had not been his intention for this to be their first proper talk! He was to stand in front of her desk, assuring of her of his dedication and duty, back as straight as no other back could ever match, and she would be silently, but tellingly (he was a psychologist, after all) be extremely impressed and … “Please,” he said, motioning to the seat opposite. Well; if they were going to share a drink, he might as well abandon all of his plans to be the perfect officer and give being a person a try. “But I must warn you, Commodore,” he said, in mock seriousness as she settled into her chair. “This is only my first Betazoid Four-Cream smoothie and I have a rule to never have less than three; this might not be pretty.”

He balked suddenly. What was that? Did he just joke (joke?) about the fact that he was going to put on some disgusting display? That he lacked self control? That he was, for whatever reason, drowning his sorrows (though in fairness, he had plenty of reason considering his latest spat with one of his mothers. “I … I am sorry. That was hardly very professional of me.” He actually rolled his eyes at the words coming out of his mouth. “Evidently I appear to have forgotten how to function and communicate like an actual person, which is … exactly what you’ve been looking for in your new Chief of Counselling, yes?” He reached up to run a finger in a circle at his temple. “If I promise to throw myself out of the airlock and save you the trouble, could I please request … Commodore … that I ask you have been and somehow undo the career destroying ship-crash that you were forced to sit through just now?”

Lt. Vilyan
CNS