"Meeting the Counselor"

Posted on Tue Jan 19th, 2021 @ 11:30pm by Lieutenant Commander Arianna Sky Kamar

ON:

Arianna was looking for answers to a disturbing question that had been bothering her for years. Why did she feel that she didn't belong. Coming from two cultures, Klingon, and Betazoid, troubled her greatly. She never told Frank about this because it was just too sensitive, and fear if she thought it might hurt his captaincy. But you see, that wasn't all that worried her......no, the fact he has told her that he would also be retiring. That was the central worry, and she hurried towards the counselor's office, and hit her door chime.

Jane was quick to respond. The door slid open and Jane stood there smiling. "Well here is a familiar face. So nice to get to see you. Please come on in." Jane invited. Obviously thrilled at the sight of the chief engineer and her Tribble liberation partner. "Please get comfortable." She urged when her guest had entered. "Anything to drink?"

"Thanks," she said getting settled. "I really shouldn't bother you with this. It seems so trivial and ridiculous, you know," Arianna said, timidly.

"Its important to you and therefore hardly trivial and certainly not ridiculous. " Jane assured as she got a tray together with some hot coffee and a couple pieces of chocolate cake. "So whats on your mind?"

"Well as you know, I'm a hybrid and well......oh this is so silly! But then again, I just don't belong anymore. Part of me is Klingon and the other part is Betazoid," Arianna said.

"Yes, I imagine there is much internal conflict as a result." Jane probed gently. "So what is it that is bothering you? I'd consider it a privlege to help you sort if out if I can." Jane offered as she brought the laden tray over and started to set the coffee table and hand out drinks.

"Really Jane? Oh it would mean so much to me to be able to understand why I feel like I don't belong. I mean, I know I belong here but its the why part of the problem. Who am I? What am I? It's got me troubled........I'm not any one species! I'm two species in one! How do you cope with being two species?" she asked. This was something that plagued Arianna for years, even while she was in the Academy, which that in itself was a joke. Being teased and called half-breed hurt, but she learned to ignore the taunts, but now, it was more difficulty for her to understand.

Jane looked at her friend and could see the pain though buried deep. She too knew what it felt like to not belong. "Who are you? Well that is a difficult question all of its own. When you consider that every life you touch you mean something different you are something different. To me you are my friend, Someone I look up to and trust, To Wolfy you are a mentor and muse in the arts of engineering, To your daughter a mother and to the Capitan a wife. You my dear are a great many things and all of them are a part of what makes up who you are. As to what you are. You are you. A blend of Klingon and betazoid genetics. Unquie and beautiful. You are fortunate enough to have inherited two very strong pillars of lineage. There is no need to ask what you are. Because you are both. Both doors are open to you and you can choose what you wish to embrace and what you do not. "

"Funny, I don't see it that way. Is it that I am second guessing myself, or have no faith in myself? Could I be losing faith in myself? Jane am I going crazy?????" Arianna asked.

"Not at all. Though it can feel like that sometimes though. You would never guess it, but there are times where even I feel as though I do not belong." Jane admitted as she made a cup of black coffee for Arianna and offered it to her. "The real question is are you going to let what others say about you define who you are?" Jane asked.

"No, of course not. Stubborn Klingon women don't allow themselves to be spoke of in that way," Arianna said, sipping the coffee. Jane was right in what she said. The last time someone spoke like to her, she decked him. "I decked a Commander for doing that and he ended up on report, not me!"

Jane chuckled. She could easily see her friend here totally decking some poor soul. 'Good thing they didn't think she was initiating a mating ritual..' Jane thought. It had after all been known to happen from time to time.. Though Jane had to admit if some guy came around spouting random poetry at her she too might get tempted to throw a book or something at them. So maybe Klingon women were onto something. Something to think about for later she mused as she finally spoke up and said. "With so much changing and going on with the ship I am not surprised these doubts have begun to surface. I can tell at a glance that like the doctor, and Wolfy and most of the crew you are not sleeping well. This breeds anxiety and this can feed into a spiral of self doubt. I want you to do me a favor. I want you to tell me five things about yourself that you are most proud of." Jane asked before she took a drink from her own cup. "If you don't want to go first I can list the five things that make me proud to be your friend and crewmate."

Taking the initiative, "Proud to be a Klingon warrior, Chief Engineer, married to the man I love, flying through space, and drink any man under the table!" she added laughing. "But I am proud to have you for a friend and crewmate, honestly," she said smiling at Jane.

Just then her combadge went off, "Boss the core is going bonkets. We're going to lose containment". Muttering, "Damn it", "Jane gotta go. We can finish later," Arianna said on her way out the door leaving a perplexed counselor siting there.

OFF:

Lt. Cmdr. Arianna Sky Kramer
Chief Engineering Officer
USS Pennsylvania

Ens. Jane Doe
Chief Counselor
USS Pennsylvania
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