Zanna Meets the Counselor Part I
Posted on Wed Sep 6th, 2023 @ 6:51pm by Lieutenant Vura
Edited on on Wed Sep 6th, 2023 @ 8:31pm
0 words; about a 1 minute read
Mission:
Episode 14 - The Poseidon Adventure
Location: Counselor's Office - Deck 5 - USS Pioneer
Timeline: MD007 1300 hrs
Ens. Zanna Ligan made her way through the imposing corridors of the USS Pioneer. She was new, fresh from the Academy new, in fact, and she followed the rules pretty well still. She quickly found the sickbay, using her PADD to lead her, and rang the chime. She waited quietly to be invited in. When she was, she looked down momentarily to make sure her uniform was squared away. It was, indeed. She entered.
"Good day," she said, quietly, sitting primly on the edge of a seat nearby. She was used to this insofar as they did this at the Academy, but she didn't know much else about how it all worked on the Fleet level.
When Zanna walked in, she could see lavender plants near the entrance to Vura's office. Further inside, there was a bald-headed woman who had two large hoop earrings, one in each ear. She was completely hairless but had penciled in some eyebrows for show. She cooed, "I'm Vura. Please come on in." She gestured with her arm inwards and stepped out of the way to avoid touching him.
On a wall, over a couch, she had put up a copy of Katsushika Hokusai's "The Dream of the Fisherman's Wife" above a periwinkle couch that swooped up and then down in the middle and then back up again. The couch had definite sensual innuendos written all over the convenient shaping.
The walls of her office were of a deep rose with hints of purple hues. From there, she opted only for a small desk, so the desk would not set a barrier between her and her clients. It was a semi-circle and she placed it carefully in such a way where she could swivel on a chair and quickly type something on a computer or PADD and not interfere with her relationship with her client. The color of the desk nearly blended into the wall but was more mauve on closer inspection.
Warm wooded mahogany chairs were available in case her clients did not prefer to be on the couch. There was a small glass circle table between the chairs. The table contained a small zen sand garden and rake for clients to manipulate.
"Make yourself comfortable," the Deltan practically purred.
A Deltan? This was an interesting twist. Zanna sat. "Thank you," she said. "Um, I guess...where do we start? I suppose at the beginning. I am Ensign Zanna Ligan. I just came from Starfleet Officer's School. I didn't attend the Academy, instead, I went to school on Trill," she explained. She was oddly nervous but didn't know why. Maybe because it was a new experience to her.
"Do you mind if I call you Zanna? You can call me Vura. There's no reason to be nervous. I don't bite unless you ask nicely," she informed Zanna with a small wink. Noting the formal speech, Vura thought that Zanna might be nervous and decided to try and find a way to calm her down. "Perhaps you would like me to replicate you something to eat or drink?"
Zanna smiled a little. "You may call me Zanna, that's fine...Vura," she said. It felt foreign on her tongue; calling a senior officer AND a doctor by their first name went against how she was raised. It was impolite. "No, thank you. I just had some lunch, I am ok." She relaxed a little into the couch. "Thank you, though." She took a moment to look around-it was certainly much different from how the rest of the StarFleet counselor's offices looked. She was almost suspicious, but then she remembered that Deltans operated fully on the pleasure-seeking part of the brain. As a scientist, she understood that. "So...how does this work?"
"How does what work?" Vura asked, turning the question around, fully knowing that Zanna was not in her element. If she was to ease Zanna into comfort, she knew that she would have to get to the roots of her discomforts and fears.
“This,” she said, gesturing to Vura. “My onboarding mental health assessment,” she said, using precise language to describe her meaning. “I only wonder what the difference is in the Fleet versus out in the real world,” she said. “I attended a few sessions over the years. I find it helpful sometimes to get a different perspective occasionally about situations.” She twiddled a few strands of her hair between two fingers.
Vura watched the nervous gesture of the hair twiddling. "Did you take psychology courses at the academy?"
Zanna shook her head “no.” “No, at the Trill Science Institute, you really only focus on what you’re studying at the time for your degree,” she said. “I have a basic understanding of how counseling works, and a basic grasp of brain function and chemistry in many species, though. We cover it in a basic, “survey” class.”
"Well, barring some psychosis or other mental infirmity, which it does not seem like you have at first blush, we can consider this a pleasant 'get to know you' conversation. Does that sound good, Zanna?"
Zanna nodded, dropping her hand to her lap. "Yes, ma'am, that sounds agreeable," she said, politely. "May I say that you seem like a rather...unconventional Fleet counselor? Most of them are stodgy and boring. And white offices. I like that you are being different," she said, broaching it carefully.
"Vura, please, Zanna," the Counselor insisted. "And, I can't say how other counselors do things. We're all different, just like all species are different. What is it the Vulcans say? Infinite diversity in infinite combinations? Oh, certainly, we all have certain training basics, but we gravitate to certain philosophies and styles."
Zanna nodded. "Sorry, I will try to remember," she said. "That makes sense. Even in the Sciences, there's different theories and processes one might use instead of another, even if the building blocks are the same," she said. Like String Theory versus Toric Universe Theory.
"Exactly," Vura responded proudly. "So, Zanna, why don't you tell me what brought you to Pioneer."
Zanna sighed but shrugged. "Orders," she said, simply. "I didn't know much about the Fleet before Officer's school, so I just told them to send me where there was a need," she said. "I guess this was where I was needed." She didn't know why or how. That wasn't her thing, really.
"You do not sound very happy about that. Would you have rather been somewhere else?"
Zanna shrugged. "I honestly don't know. I think I was expecting that they'd start us out gently, on a science ship or something." She sighed. "Dare I say that it makes the most sense. At least to me. It's quite a bit different from training is all. I was tossed in as the Assistant Chief. I am just an Ensign. Is that common?" It seemed awfully strange to her.
"There must be a lot of faith in your abilities. It is not common but Ensign Paisley F'rar is the Assistant Chief Engineer, and she too is an ensign. So, I must assume that you have a great deal of talent."
Zanna considered for a moment. "I guess so," she said. "I did have high marks and good recommendations from my professors, and I worked for a year at the Trill Science Council, researching possible ways to cross through the Badlands to make travel between the BQ and AQ easier," she said. "It's possible, I think...shortly." She quieted. "Sorry, it's just interesting," she said. "I will save it for my lunch meeting with the team."
Vura smiled warmly at Zanna. "There is no need to apologize. You're proud of what you can do and are you are excited about your work. And why should you not be? This is what you chose for a living. You should be passionate about it."
Zanna nodded. "Do you know where I can find the other Ensign? I'd like to talk to her, maybe. See how she deals with the pressure. If you can't tell me, I understand, I will use the computer, but..." She sighed. "I sometimes find it helpful to talk to others in my situations."
"I do not know where she is at this moment, but she often pops in on me," Vura replied with a melodious laugh. "I like her a lot, Ensign Paisley F'rar. She calls herself a Cajoran - part Cardassian and part Bajoran. You only need ask the computer where to find her."
Zanna nodded. "Ok, thank you, Vura," she said. "I like that title. Carjoran. It makes sense, so Cardassian and Bajoran, then?! One of the people in my training group was half of those races each, and he said it was rough growing up," she said.
"I'll leave you to sort out those details with her. It is not my place to tell anyone else's story but my own."
Zanna nodded. "Of course, I didn't mean it like that!" She said. "Anyway. Is there like...a list of questions you need to ask me or something?" She asked. She was becoming a bit more at ease.
"A list?" Vura asked with a small chuckle. "You really like to be organized, don't you? You remind me a little of an engineering ensign. I suspect that he is very much the same."
She nodded. "I do like to have my life organized and planned out. It keeps my head clear," she said. "You're friends with all the Engineers! They must be nice people," she said.
"I've only met two, so far," Vura replied with a small smile. "I'm friends with one and the other I do not know. I met him in passing. I've yet to meet with the Chief Engineer. I'll have to put that in my mental notebook. I can't let that pass." She shrugged lightly and then shook her head.
"But back to having life organized and planned, you do realize that it is impossible to plan for everything, no?"
Zanna nodded. Of course, she knew. “Yes. I know. That’s not what I meant exactly. I meant more like in my work environment-I like things put away neatly, stuff organized, labeled. Makes the day run smoothly,” she said. “My cabin is organized but I wouldn’t say I’m a neat freak, just… my head thinks better when my space isn’t chaos.”
The Deltan nodded. "That makes sense. So when you're not working, what do you enjoy doing?" Vura wondered.
“Hiking, walking, outdoorsy activities. Water sports, too,” she answered immediately. “I also like to draw but I’m not that good at it,” she said. “Mostly animals.” She said. “I am hoping to find other people who have similar interests so I can find some friends,” she said. “Do you share with people your interests?”
"I do but I rarely have anything to hide. If you like to draw, I can certainly do that with you. Deltans are well known artists. I do enjoy sketching and painting. I'm not as good as many Deltans, but my sketches are recognizable. I might be able to help you a bit with that, if you wanted."
Zanna considered for a moment. "That might be fun, someday," she said. "I have heard that about Deltans," she said. "So, it makes sense to see one as counselor," she said. "It's the same right-brain work needed for arts and things," she said.
A Joint Post By
Lieutenant Vura
Chief Counselor, USS Pioneer
Ensign Zanna Ligan
Assistant Chief Science Officer, USS Pioneer
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