Posted May 26, 2023, 6:51 p.m. by Lieutenant Séan Iven (Counselor) (Matt Evans)
Posted by Lieutenant Tandra Mika (Chief Mental Health Officer) in Operation Restless Night
Posted by Lieutenant Séan Iven (Counselor) in Operation Restless Night
Posted by Lieutenant Tandra Mika (Chief Mental Health Officer) in Operation Restless Night
Posted by… suppressed (4) by the Post Ghost! 👻
<snip>
“Uh-huh!” Mika said and laughed again. “Especially little siblings! They always want to do everything you do! But, you know, they don’t always go into the same field.” She looked up at Séan, “You’re an only child?”“Yes.” Séan said softly. “My dad had gotten particularly drunk one time and mentioned how he and my mom had discussed giving me a little brother or sister, but… well that didn’t work out.” He shook his head and looked away for a moment to compose himself. “I’ve not had the privilege of a sibling but I can’t imagine how one younger than me would’ve coped with freighter life.”
Mika’s expression fell. “Oh… I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring all that up again.” Then she smiled and poked him gently, “I bet you would’ve been a great big brother, even on a freighter!”
Séan smiled warmly at the thought. “I might be a better big brother now than I was then, but thank you and don’t worry about it. It has been quite a few years and I feel like I’ve made my peace with it but every once in awhile it finds a way to remind me with a little twist of the heart.”
Mika nodded, “I understand that.”
The fountain was a large, three tier, circular fountain in the middle of a small square with paved paths. Cement walls made up the side of the fountain, engraved with elegant designs. Each level was slightly larger than the one above it, with small spouts to allow water down. In the lowest basin were several small coins. Like a wishing well. Along the edges of the square were benches. Behind it was a rather large building which Mika assumed must belong to one of the many companies on the planet. “Well, that’s pretty,” she commented.
~ Mika
Séan made a ‘hmm’ sound in agreement as he looked over the fountain and the benches. “I know we haven’t been walking for long but would you like to sit and watch the water? It kind of has a peaceful quality to it.”
Counselor Iven
“If you want to do that, sure!” Mika said, and then headed over to a bench and sat down. It was getting late enough daylight was fading to dusk, long shadows cast across the square. “Have you been settling in okay today? I know you said you were having trouble relaxing.”
~ Mika
Séan sat next to Mika on the bench of placed his hands on his knees. He watched the light refracting through the fountain’s splashing water as he answered. “I’m settling in okay. I think it’s just the new place jitters and this feeling not at all the same as a starship or a starbase. It happens every time I went on leave planetside too. Probably because I’ve spent so little groundside in my life.”
Counselor Iven
Mika sighed softly and nodded. “I guess I’ve gotten used to it again, but I miss the feeling of an active warp core. I’ve really only served on ships, and that’s what I like to do.” And it wasn’t helping that she felt vastly inexperienced for her position. Counselor on a ship was one thing. The counseling department here was a way bigger job. She looked up at him and smiled again, one of those kind of sad, forced smiles of hers, and shrugged. “Everyone else here loves it. I mean, it has its charms, I guess, right?” She said, but she seemed less than convinced.
~ Mika
Séan’s heart was saddened by the expression Mika was making. He hoped he wouldn’t be too forward with his next action but decided to risk it anyway by reaching out and pulling her into a shoulder side hug. It wasn’t as intimate as fully hugging her and he hoped it conveyed more comfort than a pat on the shoulder. “I’ve found something to be charmed by already.” He said without fully thinking through what he was saying. ‘Uh, what did I just say?’ He thought as he kind of froze in a panic.
Counselor Iven
Mika was comforted by his half-hug, but his words made her freeze, turn bright red, and then scoot away a little bit. “Uh-huh, well, um, the… the sky sure is pretty tonight, isn’t it?”
~ Mika, CNS
Séan groaned in embarrassment as he covered his face with his hands. “I’m so so sorry Lieutenant Mika. I really shouldn’t have said that.” His brain was furiously spinning to try and think of some way to pull that proverbial foot from his mouth. Why had he said that? She was nice sure but he hardly knew her and if he was to actually show his interest there were much better approaches and things to say. He let out a sigh and looked over to her but through barely parted fingers. “If you’d kindly allow me a do over on what came out of my mouth, I’d like to say instead that Oed V hasn’t been given the opportunity to show me its charm but I’m grateful for the kindness you’ve shown me and that makes me happier about my choice to come here.”
Counselor Iven
Mika gave him a look. An ‘oh, buddy’ type look. He looked sufficiently embarrassed such words had come out of his mouth, so Mika wasn’t upset. One couldn’t help their feelings, after all. But.. “Lieutenant Iven, I… I hope you’re aware, I’m gay.”
~ Mika
“I did have an inkling yes.” Séan responded with embarrassment still lingering from his previous gaffe. He’d taken note of the photos in her office and the bloodwine incident had given him a pretty good idea. He was an observant person generally just not apparently very well filtered in unguarded moment. It was so much easier talking to patients when it’s about them and not about himself.
Counselor Iven
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