Posted by Captain Dante Knight (Commanding Officer) in Pre-Sim, Counselor’s Office (Captain’s Eval)

Posted by Lieutenant Sathut (Counselor) in Pre-Sim, Counselor’s Office (Captain’s Eval)

Posted by Lieutenant Commander Natasha Knight (Chief Medical Officer) in Pre-Sim, Counselor’s Office (Captain’s Eval)
Posted by… suppressed (11) by the Post Ghost! 👻
=/\=Counselor Sathut to Captain Knight. I can see that your last evaluation was several months ago, and I would like to get an updated evaluation on you. Please see me in my office this afternoon after your shift.=/\=

Sathut, CNS

Dante flicked off the screen the message came in on and slumped forward in his seat, covering his face with his hands. “She can’t make me do it, I won’t do it, she can’t make me,” Dante said to the figure beside him, looking at Oscar.

In response, the child squealed with a giggle at the sound of his father’s voice and rocked back and forth as he stood holding the edge of the coffee table he had pulled himself up on, trying to reach for the toy dinosaurs that Dante had been playing with him with and placed on the edge as he had checked the message.

“No, you can’t make me go either, neonato,” Dante said, his voice lapsing back into an Italian accent for a moment as he picked up the nearly 1 year old and held him to his chest. “They will never take me alive!” He picked up the toy Pterosaur and flew it around Oscar for a moment, and the young boy squealed and reached for the object his father was playing with. Handing it to him, Dante watched as Oscar brought it to his mouth a moment and then looked at Dante, sticking out his tongue and blowing bubbles at him. “Yes, your right,” Dante sighed. “It’s either that or early retirement to that cottage in the apple orchard I promised your mother with the secret Vodka brewery out the back.” Dante adjusted Oscar and held him up to him again, “How about it neonato? shall you, me and mommy elope and escape?” Oscar squealed and Dante smiled. “Yes, yes, I know. You make a good argument you know, you should be a Starfleet Captain when you grow up.”

Dante put Oscar down on the ground once more and the boy immediately pulled himself to his feet and looked at Bruce in his bed in the corner. He rocked back and forth as he began to hatch a cunning plan in his mind about how to get to the big lizard that thought he was Oscars brother, and more importantly what to do when he got there. Dante, meanwhile, called out to the woman in the bedroom. “Tasia, honey,” he called to his wife, “I have a Counselors appointment this afternoon with the new Counselor, I might be a little late after my shift.”

“How much later,” Natasha came out of the bedroom leaning against the door frame. “You know I told that morale officer we were not missing “paint nite” again…right?” The question may have seemed like Dante was supposed to supply an answer however he knew this was rhetorical in nature.

“I mean you are Italian. Italy is the hot bed of musIc, poetry, and art,” her voice rose slightly at the end. Pushing off the door with her shoulder blades, Natasha casually sauntered into the room with a smile directed only at Oscar.

Over the past year, Natasha had changed dramatically and it wasn’t into motherhood. It was the way she now used her motherhood like a cloaking device with all the stealth and cunning of a Tal Shiar agent. “Look at my big boy,” she picked up Oscar kissing his neck several times rapidly forcing a series of laughs that shook his small body.

Keep the bright smile and slightly wider eyes, Natasha spoke in the high pitch tone all mothers used when addressing her children yet the words were meant soul for her husband. “Daddy is going to try and screw mommy into sitting around with some random wine drinking wimps again but noooo we are not gonna let that happen now are we,” she let out a huge raspberry on Oscar’s neck as she dipped him playfully.

“We are not gonna make mommy string random adjectives together about a tree in some lame ah…silly Willy haiku,” she substituted her initial word for another more kid friendly one. “That’s mommy is Russian and not the sauve, cultured Italian Captain the ever perky and chipper Arlissa moral officer wants to be there. So daddy is not going to be late is he,” Natasha rubbed noses with Oscar now waiting for the only answer Dante should produce.

Dante simply shrugged his shoulders and leaned back on the couch, watching Nat and Oscar with a small grin. “Well I might be.” Was all he said.

-------------------- Later that Afternoon-------------------------------

Dante came to a stop outside the door to the Counselors office, he smiled to a few of the people who walked past as he reached for the chime. His new CNS had recently been transferred from another ship that had been decommissioned, so far he had had little to do with him.

Captain Knight, CO

“Hey,” Natasha said semi-breathlessly coming up from behind Dante as he waited at the counselor’s door.

“Hey you,” He said turning to greet them, kissing Nat on the lips briefly, “and hey little man,” he added, ruffling the dark mop of hair on Oscar’s head, “Where are you going love, taking a walk?”

“Well as chance would have it I,” she stressed the word passing the baby to his father so she could reach into the diaper bag, “and due for my eval so I figured why not get it done together.” Fishing around the diaper bag, Natasha finally retrieved a small dinosaur stuffed toy she handed to Oscar cupping the back of his head lovingly for a second.

“Really? You wanna actually come in with me and hold the line? Be my guest, just don’t tell me later I didn’t warn you sunshine.”

“It’s not like I don’t know all your skeltons anyway and if there is something you have neglected to tell me…well that will just make the dinner conversation before paint nite that much more festive,” she turned to face the door straightening her shirt. “Dontcha think?”

Lt commander. Natasha Knight CMO

“Mmmm Hmm,” he made the sound as if he was doubtful, but in truth he thought Nats idea was perfect. It wasn’t a full blown mental exam and simply a meet and greet to meet the new counselor, and what better way than to meet him than with his family, to see the real Dante, as all counselors seemed to say.

“Let’s do it,” he said and pressed the chime to the room. “This way we can make paint night early, right?” Nat would recognize Dantes voice held the fake enthusiasm it always did when talking about paint night.

Captain Knight, CO

“Ughhhh okay I have one skeleton I have to share before we go in there,” Natasha spun to face him wedging herself between him and the door. Biting her lip, she held her breath for a second knowing at any second the door would open behind her and him ushering them into the room. “I don’t want to go to paint nite. I messaged her that Oscar was cutting a tooth and I might not be able to make it. I anted up the baby card.” Natasha bit her lip as her eyes looked back and forth between Dante’s. “I know we said we would use it as Team Knight but god I hate painting.”

Lt. Commander Natasha Knight.

“I knew I loved you for more than just your body,” Dante teased Nat, and gave her a wink. “First thing when we get home, I’m cancelling paint night. It was a silly thing anyway.”

There was no chime on the door, simply a door that, like the doors to the lounges, opened when you approached it. Through the door was a reception area, with a desk and chairs and several doors on the far wall. It suddenly explained the large area that the counselor had requested when he came aboard. As the aforementioned desk sat a middle-aged Bolian man, who appeared to be… Snoring?

He jolted to attention and took a breath, then looked through bleary eyes at the Captain and his wife and child. “Uuuummm.... Name?”

• CNS team

Dante looked at Nat and raised an eyebrow slightly. This was a first for him.

“Oh Nobody important,” Dante said jovially. “My name is Fernsby Dankworth, this is my wife Olive Dankworth and our son, Miracle Dankworth.” How do you do Sir? We didn’t disturb you did we? Tell me, how do you like painting? I hear there is a smashing class on at the moment and I bet you could get a spot. You look like you love painting.”

Fernsby Dankworth, Chief Advisor to King Bruce

Natasha put a hand to her forehead and covered her eyes shaking her head. It was mainly to hide her smile. This was the man she loved. The Dante that was quick on his feet and always ready to make her smile. He rarely came out in this type of force because sarcasm wasn’t always an asset when you were in the command seat, yet the moments it did, reminded Natasha why she had fallen in love with him in less than an hour.

A small name-plate on the desk identified the secretary as Daryl. Daryl stared at the man in abject confusion, then slowly turned to his computer screen and stared at the dark monitor for a few moments before turning it on.

It was a few moments later before he had inputted his password, and a few minutes later than that he had opened up the appointments schedule. “Uh… I don’t see any Dankworth’s on the schedule… um… I can set you up for an appointment with one of the counselors next tuesday at 1400, if you’re available then…?”

Daryl, confused secretary

“Oh that just won’t do,” Dante said, and rubbed his chin, then looked at ‘Miracle‘ and booped his nose playfully. “I’m afraid that is my Pilates hour, Maybe you could fit us in around 1425 instead that day? Hmm?”

“I do need to work on my thighs and hips. They are such problem areas after you push out a nine-pound watermelon. If we don’t make the Pilates class we can try Harmony Indigo’s hot yoga class. I heard it is not as strenuous as most make it sound. They simply just turn up the heat in the room to a hundred degrees to make you think you are working hard as you stand still for three minutes at a time.” Natasha worked hard not to laugh.

Suddenly he bit his lip and frowned, and looked at Nat. “Oh gosh darn and fiddlesticks, love. I forgot we have a call to make after that, don’t we? We have to call your Mother for her birthday! I’m sorry Daryl, it seems we wasted your time! Don’t let me waste any more, you are a busy man! Not many people have mastered the art of Dream Walking, you carry on old chap, we can make another time!” With that, he turned and placed his arm around Nat’s waist. “Come, Olive dear, we have things to do at home! It’s a pity Daryl doesn’t like painting, I think he would do fantastic.”

Captain Knight, CO

Daryl quietly stared at these oddballs. What in the name of the twin suns were these people doing on this ship…? He didn’t stop them as they turned around.

There was one particularly odd fact about the offices here. Other than the fact that the decoration made it look like you weren’t even on a starship. And that was a half-high door to the left of one of the larger doors. A door which at this point, opened up, revealing a half-height person who looked almost like a Caitian child. But with no mane and with a fur pattern that made him look like a brown and white tabby cat from Earth.

This person happened to be the Head Counselor. “Captain Knight. Thank you for coming. I heard the commotion. Please, would you step inside my office?”

At that, the Bolian secretary let out something in Bolian that would definitely not appropriate for ‘Miracle’s ears. Luckily it was in a different language. Sathut sent him a scathing look, and Daryl melted into his chair, looking quite repentant. “Oops.”

Sathut, CNS

“So close,” she clapped Dante on the back and moved towards the indicated office.

Oscar looked around not sure where the voice was coming from. Life looked different for him all the time. At just over two feet when he stood up he could only see things that were at coffee table height. This meant every time his Dad walked in from work, he fell on his bum trying to crane his head up high enough to see his Dad’s face. When his dad picked him up, Oscar could see nothing below about five and a half feet without leaning over in his dad’s arms to look down. While he had no problem throwing himself forward, it often caused his dad to blurt out an expletive followed by his mom saying something that sounds angry in Russian. Swiveling his head about, Oscar tried to find out where the voice was coming from.

Lt. Natasha Knight CMO

“Ah, just the Captain,” Sathut spoke up, looking from baby to CMO, then back to Dante. “If you could please leave your child with the good doctor? I want to get a read on your identity as a Captain, not as a husband and father. Dr. Knight, if you wish to have an evaluation at this point, you will have to wait until I am finished with Captain Knight, or else meet with one of my assistants. I believe Ensign Sutton is available.”

Sathut, laying down the law

Natasha could not help but laugh at the good doctor statement. It was meant to be a polite platitude that at times was humorous or sarcastic. Natasha didn’t find any malice in the counselor’ use of it. Natasha found it leaning more to the humorous side translating to dude dump the baggage and get your pip wearing butt into that office.

“You do know I. am his wife finally,” she looked at the counselor. “I gave up the Captain’s chippy label last year.” Nothing about her statement would show a counselor Natasha was upset. The smile on her face, her body language, and her facial expression all indicated amusement with the situation. If all that wasn’t enough the way Natasha casually slapped Dante’s arm replying ,” for the love of god you did file the paperwork after the wedding right. I know it took that Lily like three months to find a pen to sign the document but after fifteen years you did get it ink we are married right?”

Looking back at the counselor, Natasha pulled out a cookie and handed it to Oscar who shoved it as far back in his mouth as he could gnawing on it. “No thank you on the ensign counselor,” she said politely. “Last time I got trapped with an over eager newbie, they mistook my venting about killing Dante in his sleep if he did not get up with the baby at 3 am as aggression against a ranking officer. It didn’t help that he came in with a black eye falling over Bruce as he got the bottle and I signed off on the medical report as “an off duty altercation.”

“Yah that was fun wasn’t it,” Natasha wrapped her arm around Dante’s giving him an impromptu arm hug as she belted out laughing. If the counselor was taking notes at all the one thing that would be abundantly clear was Natasha was head over heels teenager style in love with the man next to her.

Lt Commander Natasha Knight. CMO

“Not now, Lieutenant,” Dante smiled at Sathut, “See I’m here to get to know you, and you can meet my family while we are doing that,” he said pleasantly. “Shall we go into your office and get to know my new counselor?” he said to Oscar, who giggled back at him. “See we have an issue, Counselor, that you haven’t checked in with me yet and as such, are not cleared to perform evaluations on my ship. “I don’t require a formal check-in, but I do want to get to know my chief counselor before I set them loose on my crew.” Dante smiled, he was clearly happy and pleasant, there was plenty of time for a formal evaluation of them both but getting to know what made his Officers tick was closer to how Dante operated than a formal how-do-you-do.

Captain Knight, CO