STF

Counselor - Check In

Posted July 19, 2019, 3:58 a.m. by Lieutenant Akane Sakai (Counselor) (Emily S.)

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Nikki Brako (Chief of Operations) in Counselor - Check In

Posted by Lieutenant Akane Sakai (Counselor) in Counselor - Check In

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Nikki Brako (Chief of Operations) in Counselor - Check In
Posted by… suppressed (6) by the Post Ghost! 👻
snip
Persistent lass, Nikki thought. “About as much as someone writing a hundred words about a persons’ life is accurate. There are biographies that are a large tome that would break a toe if ye drop the book on it, and still don’t tell the whole tale. I believe they are a sayin what they wanted te see. Does old Nikki have a temper? Yes. Does he put family above all else? Yes. Had he three wives ?” He paused to smile around the toothpick. “Aye, at different times mind ye. Aye, they got some facts straight. “

Akane raised a quizzical eyebrow as she wondered which ones were correct. “True, it’s extremely difficult to condense the essence of a person into one paragraph and you a certainly a complex character Lt, I would imagine most counselors don’t get much past the surface level with you?” she mused, not entirely sure if she would get an answer to it.

Nikki considered this. He knew she was fishing. It wasn’t even a veiled attempt at slipping in through a side door. His mind trailed back to past visits. He had been clear of any such probes for some years now with him being back home and not having a posting on a ship – or station – until now. “Most have an agenda, lass. They want to know X so they try to dig down on that to find their answer. For much of this they were all a fixated on what I had done. Not many were like you, lass, bein in the ‘fleet’. Most were civilian.” Civilian and who didn’t much care, churning through his appointment to the next. Certainly he was the ‘star’ for some of it, a shiny new case that had a high profile. He was certain that one of them was on the dole by the ‘Ghi’, feeding the findings to better support their conspiracy.

He didn’t much care what the previous counselors wrote. Everything was twisted and history reimagined in their efforts to feed their own conclusions about him. Everyone had their opinions. “Lass, everyone who were counselors, reporters, politicians or anyone who watched the news heard their opinions. It wasn’t reportin. It was workin up a lynch mob against Nikki here. Puttin him up on the gallows as an example and feedin off any scraps of rumor that came their way and reportin it as gospel truth. And even when I was cleared it only appeared as a footnote in the papers. They don’t like te be proved wrong.” By his tone, neither did he. Looking at his irish coffee, he swirled it in the mug and then took a drink of it, glancing up at her. No, he didn’t like her hair up but he did like this head game.

Sakai watched Nikki as she noticed his change of tone. She decided to choose her next words carefully. “That upsets you doesn’t it? After such a public trial and condemnation, to be ushered out of the back door with barely an acknowledgement?” she could certainly understand why, anyone in the same situation would have taken issue with it but she had seen far too many a time the same situation, it was only news when it was a scandal, the second he was cleared it became old news to people. Even after millennia of human evolution, that basic need to see others fail was still lurking under the surface.

Truth be told he preferred the back door and enjoyed the notoriety that they gave him. His family knew who he was, and appropriately shunned him. Or divorced him, if not officially. He knew the truth but that was something that nobody would know the whole of. The fact that everyone had for the most part forgotten about him was good too. The fact that there were bigger ‘fishes’ about to take the hits was never a bad thing. In the Fleet he was essentially hidden in plain sight. The fact that he got out as he did was nothing short of a miracle, but then the lawyers were paid to produce that miracle. The cost had been huge – not just financially but reputationally. At least with the business. “Like the news, the people forget fast too. That helped the business.” That was what he counted on. Short memories. Unlike his own. He leaned in, his voice harder. “What old Nikki didn’t like was their condemnation from the start. One glance and they were all over me and me business. I knew they were two faced te begin with. Between me and you I know they’re not through with me. They still don’t believe me innocent.” Sitting back he finished the coffee and set it down on the table with a distinct clink.

What he didn’t know was why was he here. A week ago he was at home with no warning of being called up. Then poof. A week on a rickety transport, his gear now officially found on Denobula. Nikki suspected a conspiracy there. Some reason to put him here. He definitely had to look around to see the place after. Do that walk with the lass. Hopefully she would dress in something better than the stifling uniform. Sure it showed off her curves as any dames outfit should but it was about as ladylike as a cocoon was for a butterfly. “And you? Is yours fair? I’ll bet that yours is good and tidy and wrapped up in a nice pink ribbon showing exemplary this wonderful that.” His tone was far from cynical; first impressions was her being pretty squeaky clean.
- Nikki, COO

Akane gulped and swallow a sip of coffee quickly. “Well, if you’d have asked me that an hour ago, I would have said yes, of course, completely fair and accurate…” she replied with a little grimace. “…but I think after the little window you’ve had into my psyche earlier, we both know that’s not exactly true!” she chuckled. Akane thought for a moment, not 100% sure which direction to take it in now. There were so many aspects of Nikki’s character that fascinated her and that she would love to know more about but she knew she needed to remain professional, especially after her outburst.

Nikki smiled around the toothpick and slowly plucked it out. “That’s just it though, lass. Records can be coated with sugar and spice or shown te be a mess dependin on who is writin them and why. Like ye said. Surface level. Everyone has depth that no-one sees. Or will, unless it slips out or is given out. Information, like secrets, is latinum, but people often cast it about like it were dross.”

“How would you like to try and set the record straight?” she asked simply, not entirely sure whether he had just resigned himself to accepting what the media had said about him. She hoped that he still had a little fight left in him.

Lt Sakai (CNS)

He laughed suddenly at her question. He, for one, thought that to be naïve, but gutsy. The line from a holo he had seen while in prison came to him. ‘You can’t handle the truth’. “We’re all good and bad inside, lass. The record is,” he said, passion growing in his tone, again leaning forward, toothpick between his fingers of both hands, elbows resting on his knees, “that I am Iotian and believe in me family and it prosperin. And will go to great lengths te do that. My life has been on ships servin me family.” Indeed that was true. Nikki found himself somewhat agoraphobic on worlds with so much space about him. “From me youth I did that and will die doin that.” The faint snap of the toothpick sounded in the room. He looked down at it, frowning. “Have ye loyalty te your family, lass?” he asked quietly, then met her eyes. They were dark and had a mysterious depth to them. He liked that, if not her bun. That bothered him. It made her look too severe, play actin the professional. Dames didn’t need to do that.
- Nikki, COO

Akane smiled with a touch of melancholy as she replied. “Of course, family is the most important thing to me, even if they don’t always realise it…” she trailed off as her thoughts briefly went to her sister Mayumi who she hadn’t seen in what seemed like a lifetime. She had run away from home in her teens and no one knew where she was now. ‘Oh hell no Nay, one meltdown in a session is more than enough!’ she mentally scolded herself and quickly turned her attention back to Nikki. “I think I already know the answer to this but if you had to choose between your family and star fleet?” she added with a hint of a wry smile, knowing exactly what he would say.

The lass was not doin good today, Nikki thought. Did she do this in every session? he wondered. He smiled at the way things turned to the family. Typical for this sort of interview, but seemed to touch more with Akane than he. Nikki was more curious about her and her reaction. What was going on with her? On the other side of the slip, why did he care. His brows furrowed even as he leaned back. ‘even if they don’t always realize it’. Interesting. Did her family not see her rightly? Well, welcome to the family so to speak. “This is a job, lass. Something one does. Not something ye belong te like a family. That goes on and continues. It has a past. It has a future. It is somethin that is there. This changes. Ye were on another ship before. What was the name of that one?” He waited for her to say it. “But it wasn’t home. And it wasn’t family. This ..” he gestured. “This is the surface of the waters. The top of the lake. Under that is the family. Ye can’t retire from the family. People can pretend but it is never so.” He looked at her into her eyes. “The ‘fleet seems to think that it’s the new family. Like ye were married to it or somethin. No.” He’d been married. Totally not the same, if often as rocky. “How’s yer family, lass?”

Akane cleared her throat a little awkwardly and shifted in her seat. “My last posting was the Draco, and you’re right, although I settled in there, at least initially, it wasn’t family…particularly not towards the end…” she added. As Nikki asked about her family, she felt the knot in her stomach tighten a little as she gave him an unconvincing smile. “My family is…complicated…” she concluded. “My father is human, Japanese to be precise and my mother is Napean. Our mixed heritage is something my brother Kichi and I didn’t have a problem with but my sister Mayumi…she couldn’t handle it. She inherited more of our mother’s natural empathic ability and she hated it. She left home when she was 17 and none of us have seen her since…” Akane gave a solemn sigh. “My hope is that one day she’ll come home but I just don’t know…”

Draco. Good name. As he watched her silently shout out her emotions he wondered if she could keep anything in. “All family is complicated, lass,” he said. People were complicated. That just made families a pool - sometimes a cesspool - of complication. Nikki had never heard of a Napean. He had met a great number of races on his ships, but not that. Empathic. Well the dame is certainly projecting it. What does she sense from him? He listened and shrugged, not so much dismissive but really, Nikki didn’t see the problem. “Lass, when she is ready she will come back. You’re both adults and both of you are away from home. One of me sisters wants nothin to do with the business.” By his tone it seemed akin to treason. “But she is still family. Family has its own call that we all hear.”

As she waited for his response she noticed him looking at the tight bun on her head for the third time so she sighed and let it loose again with a chuckle. “Too school teacher?” she asked with a smirk.

Lt Sakai (CNS)

“Doesn’t do anythin for ya up like that,” Nikki said. “Or at least not to old Nikki. There,” he said with a wink. “More natural.” He’d always favored hair down on a woman. Seemed more like it should be. All tight and tied up, well, that was for other occasions. What do ye like te wear when ye let your hair down so te speak?” he asked.
- Nikki, COO

OOC: Bump .. Gene

Akane giggled as her black hair flopped down over her face. She tucked it behind her ears and gave him a little smirk. “Well, you’ll just have to wait and see when we go for dinner later Lt,” she added with a cheeky wink. “You can call me Nay by the way,” she added as she sat back in her chair. “Was there anything else you wanted to discuss?” she asked, turning her attention back to the job at hand.

Lt Sakai (CNS)

He liked her giggle and her less serious look and that drew a smile in response. “Lookin forward to it lass,” he said. “Nay,” he said, struggling to find the connotation with Akane or Sakai. He liked it. It was easy. “Nothin that can’t be discussed over dinner,” he said. Anything to be officially stamped and cleared before he was deemed an unrecoverable reprobate.
- Nikki COO

Bump … Gene

OOC: Sorry, probably would have made more sense with a phoenetic spelling of the name - ‘Ah-kah-nay’ :)

IC: Nay tapped a few buttons on the padd before turning back to Nikki. “Excellent, then I am happy to declare you fit for duty Lt,” she replied with a smile as she set the padd down on the desk. “Welcome to Outpost 42,” she added as she sat back in her chair. “My door is always open if you want a chat about anything,” she concluded, realising the irony that most of the session had been him counselling her rather than the other way around.

“Ye went easy on me lass,” he said. That was not an understatement. He had expected a great deal more in penetrating questions. Nikki’s mind did wonder if that was the ‘plan’. There had to be something more to it than just a fly through of a session. But then he was meeting her later and that could render more information. For now he clamped down on his suspicious senses and stood up as she came around. That was the thing with dames - they liked to talk. “It’s easier to talk over a drink, lass,” he said. Formal things always got his senses tingling. Idly he wondered what she would be like with a few drinks in her.

She sighed as she came out from behind the desk and went to perch on the front of it once again. “Thank you for earlier Nikki, I’m so sorry you had to witness that highly unprofessional outburst, thank you for being so understanding…” she added quietly with a warm smile.

Lt Sakai (CNS)

He waved the comment off. “Ol Nikki was glad to help.” In truth it was both a surprise and a relief, but he had tucked in his mind what she had said and would be doing some snooping later. “As ye can see I’m not exactly the most professional in me own views. Won’t tell a soul.” Glancing at the room again, he said, “Ye can go back te sorting out yer drawers now. And I’ll see ye later for that walk and dinner. See what this place has te offer.” By his tone he didn’t have a great hope that there was a lot. “Until then. Thanks ye lass.” He turned to leave then stopped. “Nay.” He said that with a smile, thinking that could get confused with his version of ‘no’ being nae. But they would cross that path when they came to it.
- Nikki

Nay smiled warmly as she walked him to the door. As he was about to leave, she gently took his arm and turned him back to face her. “If you would allow me one more break from protocol?” she asked hopefully.

She pulled Nikki in for a warm embrace and gently rested her head on his chest, soothed by the steady thump of his heartbeat. “Thank you again Nikki, it really meant a lot to me.” she added softly, slightly muffled by his uniform. As she broke the embrace she grinned and waggled her finger at him. “And don’t let this session fool you, I’ll be ready with a grilling at your next appointment Lt,” she smirked.

Lt Sakai (CNS)


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