Posted by Ensign Sharah Fayth (Doctor) in side-sim Trenton/Fayth Quarters

Posted by Ensign Ashlyn Trenton (Security Officer) in side-sim Trenton/Fayth Quarters

Posted by Ensign Sharah Fayth (Doctor) in side-sim Trenton/Fayth Quarters
Posted by… suppressed (2) by the Post Ghost! 👻
(snip)
Ashlyn was awake, just quietly contained in her closet. Even her Conference seemed upset and were arguing in a form of self deprecation that would almost sound egotistical if it were spoken out loud. Clearly her day didn’t go all that well, her first impressions with two of the three important people she had to see went exponentially bad. First it was a long chain of not being able to keep her mouth shut, then it was followed up with blatantly flirting with probably the most attractive woman she had the chance to meet that just also happened to be her boss. Horrible horrible timing on that part. She clearly felt bad about it, but her conference were arguing about why it was bad and couldn’t settle on a solid reason. Instead it just dug a deeper and deeper hole of how horrible a person she is. Being the usual surface level thoughts, any telepath would pick up on it, most would probably just avoid the woman like they would anyone arguing with themselves.

• Ensign Ashlyn Trenton
  Security, USS Europa

Sharah put her book down, got up and through the small opening in the closet door crawled in and sat at the end of Ashlyn’s ‘bed.’ She sat there a moment contemplating the conversation of the conference. Sharah didn’t like what she heard. Ashlyn was her best friend, something Sharah had never really had, and she wanted to help her. Sharah reached out, her empathy connecting to Ashlyn and the sadness and grief overwhelmed her. For Sharah it spiralled out of control as it mixed with her own grief, uncertainty, and fear. For a few moments Sharah was lost in the tsunami that was their combined emotions, getting lost under the waves. Don’t Be Afraid. The memory surfacing like a lighthouse beacon in the storm.

Sharah, with a great deal of concentration and effort pulled herself free and with a deep breath looked Ashlyn in the eyes. “Alright, enough. For both of us. We can’t wallow.” But that bad pep talk didn’t help Sharah. She hated it there. “I hate this ship. And I shouldn’t. We knew when joining Starfleet we would have to make due wherever we ended up. We haven’t even met the crew yet. We’re smart Ashlyn. We can figure this out together. We have to. I don’t want to give up. Do you?”
En. Fayth, Doctor

Ashlyn groaned audibly, folding her pillow over her head for a moment. “I’m not giving up, I just feel like an insatiable flirt that likes the taste of shoe leather because I keep talking well past the point where I should stop. That and the counselor was right, I do flirt with everything that moves. I didn’t think that was a bad thing but looking at it from other perspectives that probably makes me out to be a horrible person. I mean, even you have given me a clear “Not going to happen” and I still flirt with you. I can’t even explain why I’m doing it with any sense of logic, I just keep devolving into other faults rather than coming to a conclusion that doesn’t make me sound like one of ‘those’ people. You know, the ones that never stay in the same set of quarters twice?” Ashlyn groaned again and bit into her pillow. The Conference has apparently devolved into fighting themselves as it’s only the sound of slapping and fists meeting flesh coming from her surface thoughts. It’s rather strange to hear the noise in that much detail coming from someone’s internal surface thoughts.

• Ensign Ashlyn Trenton
  Security, USS Europa

Sharah smiled, Ashlyn was an insatiable flirt, but that was part of what made her, herself. “Ashlyn, you are a flirt, but not in a bad way. Okay so maybe you shouldn’t flirt with your boss. Especially when you just met her, but we learn from our mistakes.” Sharah nods, “Yes, I told you very firmly I’m not interested in any romance with you. And you have NOT crossed any lines. Your personality is naturally flirtatious but that doesn’t mean you are flirting with me. There is a difference.” Sharah’s face gets very stern. The idea that anyone would be spreading rumors about her friend makes her upset, but of course she would know if there was because the thoughts are always there and because Ashlyn was her friend, even if she wasn’t trying her name would register in Sharah’s mind. “Ashlyn you do not go to any quarters but ours. No one would think otherwise.” But she was distracted by the conference now. Per her usual habit she was ‘sitting at the table’ listening to the conference, and suddenly they got the better of her frustration. She ‘slapped the table’ three times. ‘Knock. It. Off. You are here to help Ashlyn, not make it worse. Do that or leave the table.’ She looked around at each of them until they stopped hitting each other and sat down, daring them to freak out that she was there, when they always knew she was. Sharah huffed out a heavy sigh. She took the pillow off of Ashlyn’s face. “Sorry Ashlyn. I Love your conference, but really there is no reason for them to be hitting each other. You, and your conference, are too brilliant for that. Now as for why you flirt so much, because, I would wager, it’s a defensive mechanism. But tell me if I’m wrong, because I could be.” Sharah wasn’t good with social conventions, so she is going by what she has observed with her friend. “The person who is the object of the flirtations is usually on the back foot and that puts you in control. We just need to find a way to let you do that without flirting, when flirting is the wrong approach.”
En Fayth, Doctor

There was a moment, inside Ashlyn’s head, where the fighting stopped and all the Ashlyn’s looked at Sharah curiously. There was one more punch before they all climbed down from the table and continued to stare at the presence of Sharah in the mind. ‘We should keep this one. Then we can-‘ the thought is cut off with a punch from another.

Sharah shook her head, ‘You don’t want to keep me here. The chaos would consume you. Now Sit, Please.’ She glares at the one throwing the punch, waiting.

‘This isn’t a figment of our imagination, she can’t stay here contrary to desire an-‘ another punch across the face to stop this one from talking. ‘You should go before we do something about that line we both regret.’

Sharah shakes her head, ‘Not imagination. Sit and let’s fix this instead of arguing.’ She looks at the two Ashlyn’s that are still arguing. ‘Well? Are you sitting or going?’

Ashlyn sat up and stuck out her tongue, playfully punching her head. “I know, I’m bad with the self inflicted ego thrashing.” Balancing on her arms, Ashlyn reached out with her legs to open the closet while pulling Sharah into a hug from behind so she could rest her chin on her friends shoulder, huffing out a breathy sigh. “I don’t really know how to do that, I’m hoping what I learn from the Doctor will give me more options. I mean, you should see the COS, beautiful Valkyrie was most of what was going through my head along with wolf whistles and cat calls. I think there was a gorilla grunt in there but let’s just say it was a zoo of stupid.”

• Ensign Ashlyn Trenton
  Security, USS Europa

Sharah hugs Ashlyn’s arm and then moves out into their room to sit at the table. “So what we need to do is for you to put the ones that are cat calling and wolf whistling to another room. They can drool over the Valkyrie all they want. Just not in the main room. The main room is for focusing on the important and official business at hand. So when you are on duty they go to their side room, and then off duty they come back. And I’m sure that Zarath can help you. You have a brilliant mind Ashlyn, I know it, your instructors knew it. And believe it or not, so did Rainns. That’s why he was hard on you. He wanted you to know it too.” She was concerned for herself with Zarath’s techniques and still needed to talk to him. She was sure they would work, but would it change her too much to still be the doctor that she had become? The idea was to break the mind and rebuild the person into someone stronger and different. She wasn’t sure being different was what she wanted. That was a discussion for Zarath though. “Okay so an engineer is coming soon. Let’s have the rest of it before she gets here. What’s going on?”
En. Fayth, Doctor

Ashlyn climbed out of the closet and grabbed a change of underclothing, headed for the sonic shower. “The Counselor was giving me relationship advice, suggested that instead of flirting with everyone in the hopes of getting a catch that I try to get to know people first then use targeted tactics to flirt with singular people. I understand where she is coming from, but flirting with all will more easily show that I’m not the kind of person to settle for just one. At least that’s what I was thinking, though I also see her point.” The shower started but Ashlyn continued to talk as she normally did. “I also have to be careful about inviting her to Parkour, sure I’m more comfortable in Parkour, but that’s because I can be free and mobile and sessions with the counselor are anything but free…and mobile. No offence to her but she’s slow, I even had it set to green level so she was literally climbing a child’s jungle gym with every rung available and she was still so slow. I mean, I get it, she’s not athletic but it’s just a ladder. Not like I was asking her to run and jump or scale sky scrapers without rope.” Ashlyn stuck her head out of the sonic shower to grin playfully at Sharah. “Maybe we should convince her to get more into it by showing off what it’s done for your glutes? I’m sure I’ve got some before and after photos hiding somewhere.” Ashlyn ducked back into the shower before Sharah could throw anything at her.

• Ensign Ashlyn Trenton
  Security, USS Europa

Sharah thought about it. She didn’t really like the counselor. She’d told Joseph it was nice that she knew about her condition and her treatment plan, and it was. But the counselor seemed, to Sharah, more interested in the fact she was rooming with a friend instead of a stranger and seemed to have a big problem with that. To Sharah, she seemed very passive aggressive, and it made Sharah uneasy. She kept her thoughts to herself though because she didn’t want Ashlyn worrying that the counselor might separate them. They were good for each other’s head space and physical health. She guessed if she had to, she could ask Zarath for help. She really liked her department head and she felt like he would give her solid advice about what to do. “Wow, Ashlyn, that makes me feel better. She’s worse than me? But hey don’t be too hard on the poor counselor, if she’s never done Parkour she wouldn’t know what to do. I couldn’t even jump before the first time. Remember, I fell of the trampoline and hit my head?” Sharah got yogurt and fruit for herself and a ration bar for Ashlyn. Sharah smiled, “No you will not show her photos of my glutes. You’ll give them to me. I know someone who would appreciate them.” Sharah of course blushed, because everything embarrassed her, but she’d send them Joseph anyway. She was sure he’d appreciate them, or maybe she would just delete them instead of sharing them. “I guess, if you want her to come,” Ashlyn could tell by her voice though, that Sharah wasn’t excited about the idea.

Ashlyn laughed rather hard at the suggestion of sending the pictures to Rainns. “I should send them just to see how fast he shows up to complain to Lieutenant Abrams about my inappropriate conduct. Guarantee he’ll miss the date time stamp of them happening while on the Challenger. All seriousness though, they’re just profile shots so I could analyse your form and give you advice on how to better move. If you want to see them the camera is in the second drawer.” Ashlyn paused in thought for a moment and shook her head. “I know you’re not fond of the idea, but Parkour is about freedom of motion. I don’t think we should exclude people simply because we don’t like them. If you have enough time to notice how much you dislike someone, then you have more Parkour skills you could be practicing.” Ashlyn shook her head at herself as she turned off the shower and came back into the room dressed. “Wow, that was more lame than it sounded in my head.”

Sharah shook her head, “He wouldn’t complain to Abrams. If we are doing parkout then we are out of uniform and it would be personal time and Abrams nor anyone really, can say what we do on our off time. And he’s is observant enough to notice the date stamps.” Sharah pulled the camera out and looked over the pictures and smiled. “I’m taking copies of these, but I’m not sending them.” Sharah knew he had been dying to know what she looked like in her body suit. She wasn’t going to ruin the imagination for him. But the pictures were very good. “You have a talent for photography, Ashlyn.” She nodded thoughtfully to Ashlyn’s assertion. “That’s true, and while I’m there I don’t think of anything but what I’m doing. That doesn’t mean that before and after I don’t feel that way. But my personal feelings on it are moot. I would never tell someone not to go to your parkour class. You are an excellent teacher and people can learn a lot in that class, not just about parkour.” Sharah made a note to keep her personal feelings to herself. She wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize the success of her friend’s program. It was something she was going to have to workout for herself. “It wasn’t lame, just honest.”

Sharah thought about the flirting thing. “Well I get where you are coming from. You want everyone to know you are poly. But flirting with everyone can also be seen that you are just that, a flirt, and aren’t serious about being in a relationship. Unfortunately, often we have to not only think about what intention we want to show with our actions but also what our actions cause others to perceive as our intention. So I would say, maybe not flirt while on duty or with any direct superior officer. Though you usually don’t, not while on duty anyway. I think it’s just the stress of the transfer.”

Ashlyn thought about this while getting into some more relaxed clothing for the day. “So you think her advice is actually sound then?”

• Ensign Ashlyn Trenton
  Security, USS Europa

“I don’t know. I don’t know what her exact advice was, but I would imagine that curbing your flirting while on duty and with those in authority over your duties would make things less awkward for you. Off duty I have no idea. I’ve never flirted with anyone. I don’t understand it, even though I can hear peoples thoughts I don’t get the idea behind the flirting, why not just be honest and say, ‘I find you attractive I’d like to have dinner with you,’ or something. I’m not the best to ask I guess. But not everyone is going to be your type or someone you are interested in, so why waste time flirting with them?”
En. Fayth, Doctor

Ashlyn clearly enjoyed her style of clothing, as she finished zipping up the last bit, the circuit completed and the EL tape lit up in a soft royal purple glow. “Honestly, I didn’t even know I had a type till I met Lieutenant Abrams. I mean, she’s tall, strong, holds a position of authority, has a smooth jawline, the curve of her ears and neck line, mmm yummy.” There is a long pause before Ashlyn turns a shade of red, “I said that out loud didn’t I? Wow I have a problem.” Ashlyn trods over to the replicator and orders a glass of water to toss in her own face. “Come on, even I found that distasteful. Mark it up to new expressions, how do I handle this? Can’t exactly walk up to her and say ‘hey boss, I find you so attractive I get stupid. Could you make yourself ugly so I have less of a problem?’ I mean, I could but I don’t think it would go over very well.” Ashlyn sunk to the floor to go into deep thought, most of her conference was busy ogling memories so she had to follow Sharah’s advice and segregate them out till they could be useful.

• Ensign Ashlyn Trenton
  Security, USS Europa

“Okay so you have a type, and Lt. Abrams fits into that. I’m sure you aren’t the first person to have a crush on a superior officer. And you can say whatever you want, out loud, here in our quarters. I’m not going to pass it along. And actually your comment was rather flattering. I’m not suggesting you actually tell her. Since we aren’t supposed to be flirting with our DHs. But nothing about it was wrong or distasteful. Sharah went and sat on the floor next to her listening as she separated out the different Ashlyn’s in her head. They each had a job to do, so they needed to do it, rather than all freak out over whatever it was that distracted them. Sharah hoped the idea of different rooms, or officers around the conference table would help.
En Fayth, Doctor

Ashlyn leaned back and took a breath to relax. As she was getting ready to say something, the door chimed and caught Trenton by surprise. Reacting like a surprised cat, she was up on her feet in a matter of moments ready to pounce or attack. “Identify?” Was all she demanded at the door. “Ensign Reese, I’m here about a service call request for a remodel?” Ashlyn calmed down and straightened herself out so she looked less like she was an aggressive Security member. “Right, come on in.” The Ensign entered the room, still in uniform, and took a quick look around. “You guys just get in? Don’t see too much for decoration.” She turned to face the pair that owned the room. “What can I do for you?”

• Ensign Ashlyn Trenton

Sharah shook her head, “Hey Ashlyn remember, I’m a scary strong telepath. I’d know, well, most of the time, if they were bad. Unless they are SUPER bad, and then I wouldn’t know they were there at all.” She laughs and gets to her feet. “Yes we did, and this is what we want to do. We were hoping you could help.” She picks a PaDD up off the desk and hands it to NE Reese. It details the plans for half a room to be made into what looks like a jeffries tube cross section blew up in the room. “Except we want to do the whole room, rather than half of it.” Sharah waits for Reese to look over the plans.
En. Fayth, Doctor

Reese looked at the PaDD with an expression of confusion, most engineers, heck most people in Starfleet would be happy to never have to be in the Jefferies Tubes. To have a pair that want to live in them is just plain odd to the young Ensign. Her forehead creased in the apparent confusion, prompting Ashlyn to ask questions. “Is there a problem? You looked troubled, is this not something we can do?” The Ensign shook her head, partially to say no but mostly to shake herself out of her own thoughts. “No no, nothing wrong, just unexpected. You do have enough fabrication privileges so there are more than enough components to do this. I guess it takes all types then, should be about a week to get the work done.” More of the ensign’s surface thoughts gravitated toward how weird the two of them are and what a waste of time this is but a request is a request and she’ll get it done.

• Ensign Ashlyn Trenton
  Security, USS Europa