New Crew 1: A little Anxious

Posted on Sunday, 2 May 2021 - 6:03pm by Ensign Oriana Skye Sety & Lieutenant T'Lanna Vali

Mission: Operation: Neu Reich
Location: USS Standing Bear | Counselor's Office
Timeline: 2394 MD 03

ON:

The ship had just entered docked. As part of her onboarding, she had to be cleared by medical, which she was, and now by counseling. She wondered what the counselor was like.

T’Lanna had taken some time to spend with Jayce, and to get some rest as ordered by Ryan. She knew she’d have psych evaluations to do for the new arrivals, but this would be the first time she’d have to do them without her senses. Right now, that concerned her more than anything else.

Oriana stood outside the office. She took a deep breath, checked her duty PaDD and hit the chime.

T’Lanna almost leapt out of her skin at the sound of the chime, she was used to sensing arrivals at the door and it was taking some getting used to. She took a deep breath and called whoever it was to enter.

The door opened and Oriana entered. "Hello counselor. I'm told I have to come and see you before I can start my duties here."

“Of course,” T’Lanna nodded. “Please come in, I’m T’Lanna Vali.”

"I'm Oriana Skye Sety, Ensign. Nice to meet you." She handed T'Lanna the PaDD and sat down feeling a little anxious.

T’Lanna had to take her queues to how Oriana was feeling from body language alone, which wasn’t the easiest but she was learning. “It’s nice to meet you too Oriana, please call me T’Lanna.” She looked at the PADD before setting it on the coffee table. “How are you settling in?”

"So far okay. I was just assigned quarters and my stuff was put in them. I've done my medical and now this...I do hope to unpack today. I hear my roommate is moving in tomorrow so it's been interesting. I have an appointment with the XO after. It's been a busy time."

“Now that I understand, it’s all go when you first arrive onboard with all the formalities to do.” T’Lanna offered a smile. “This is one ship that is permanently on the go, so you won’t get bored here. Don’t worry about unpacking you’ll get the time you need to do that.”

She smiled. "There isn't much to unpack just a few comforts." She studied the counselor. "You look a little worn. I hope you'll get some time off."

T’Lanna smiled. “Thank you, I recently had a son and it’s taking some getting used to the night time routine. That, and other reasons.” She didn’t go into further details. “So, tell me more about you. I don’t believe in automatically assuming I know someone from what it says in their personnel file, I prefer to get to know people instead.”

She laughed. "I'm not really good at talking about myself. What would you like to know? And congratulations on the new baby!"

T’Lanna offered a smile. “What made you choose a career in Starfleet?”

She smiled. "Honestly, I don't know. I've always wanted to be amongst the stars, I never felt at home on Earth. I also feel like I'm on a self search of sorts." She shook her head. "I'm sorry I'm not making any sense."

“Trust me you’re making perfect sense!” T’Lanna smiled warmly. “We all need to find ourselves, it’s very easy to get lost along the way.”

She smiled. "It can be." She thought a moment. "What else would you like to know?"

“Anything you feel comfortable telling me” T’Lanna offered a warm smile. “I could reel off a host of general questions but I prefer to be more spontaneous than that. I don’t like being an a-typical Counsellor.”

"Hm.... well I don't know I'm a pretty boring person. I adapt easy to new environments, been doing that since I was little, I write, I love to people watch, I am a photographer, play the piano. I read everything. I speak a few languages and have an obsession with galactic history. Not much to say I guess. This is my first assignment except for a few short assignments and some school related stuff."

“I definitely wouldn’t call you boring!” T’Lanna grinned. “How many people play the piano, and speak a few languages? I’d say that makes you pretty talented to start. Add in your other hobbies and interests and you’re anything but a boring person so I wouldn’t worry there. Now ... would you say you get along alright with those you work with?”

"I think I do. I adapt well to other people's systems and I have been told I am a good listener and diplomatic so I guess I should be alright."

T’Lanna nodded. “Do you have any worries, or concerns that you’d like to discuss? Just to reassure you, anything said in this room stays in this room, between the two of us.”

She thought a moment. "Not really. To be honest I do have one concern. It appears that I will have to have a roommate and that worries me a little."

T’Lanna looked at Oriana curiously “Oh? In what way does it bother you?”

"I've never had one. I mean I lived with my family until I was fifteen and then I was pretty much on my own. Through university I had my own apartment so I was nobody's roommate. This would be the first time and I don't know the rules or etiquette and I don't have much time to research it."

T'Lanna smiled. " There is no specific research needed, just be yourself. I know sharing with a stranger can be daunting but you'll soon get to know one another. Your roommate maybe equally as nervous, so see how it goes. You can work things out between you."

She smiled, "Perhaps. I just hope I can be a good roommate."

“You’ll get used to it” T’Lanna offered an understanding smile. “if there’s any problems then feel free to drop by and see me.”

She gave a nod.

T’Lanna looked at Oriana’s file. “It mentions here that you left home at 15, was there a particular reason for that?

She shrugged. It was a question she had been dreading but not one that she didn't open up about when directly asked. "I was the youngest of our family. I was always different and I always seemed to be in the way. One day I heard my parents and brothers talking. My parents told my brothers that I was unwanted and they hadn't planned on me, I mean I have always sensed that. I had practically raised myself up to that point." She shrugged. "I did not wish to be an inconvenience to anyone so I left. Besides my parents never approved of my choices or who I was nor could I ever be good enough for them. I knew that I had only myself to depend on so I left. I changed my name and started a new life."

T’Lanna nodded as she listened to Oriana’s story. “Did you ever actually ask your parents about it? Just because you weren’t planned, it doesn’t mean that they didn’t love you.”

She smiled sadly. "Oh, there were many conversations of my being a disappointment to them. But it is in the past, I have learned to accept it. It is not a pleasant topic for me but I have learned to not let it bother me much."

T’Lanna offered an understanding gaze. “I’m sorry, well you’ll have a family here aboard the Standing Bear. We’re a close-knit crew, we look out for each other.”

She shrugged. "I am very careful who I call family. Being a lone wolf for so long is something that I have come accustomed to. Besides transfers an inevitable and constants are few and fare between. I can assure you, counselor, I will do the best job I can for the captain and the crew while I am here."

T’Lanna nodded. “I can’t ask more than that, is there anything you’d like to ask?”

"Not on my end."

“Very well. In that case I won’t hold you up any longer.” T’Lanna smiled. “Welcome aboard the Standing Bear Ensign.

OFF: