New Horizons

Posted on 25 Feb 2015 @ 3:40am by Clarence Pearl & Lieutenant JG Dorian West

1,303 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Episode 07 - Sojourn
Location: USS Galileo: Deck 3 - Counselling Office
Timeline: MD 39 - 1600

ON:

Clarence Pearl knocked on the door to the office, looking around. This was his first day on the ship. They hadn't disembarked yet so he knew that he could always be written off. But he could deal with that, he knew he could. But he had dressed comfortably. Jeans, running shoes, tee shirt, hoodie...clothes that he felt comfortable and comforted in. He recognised that easily. It was fine, he was okay with that safety blanket.

"Come in!" West called out, letting out a long breath as he finished up adjusting the height of the shelves, pulling back to view his work as he brushed his hands off.

Clarence smiled as he entered, looking at West. Handsome. Very handsome. "Counsellor West? I'm Clarence Pearl."

He smiled, catching his breath as he nodded, moving to him with a hand outstretched. "Nice to meet you, Mr Pearl. What would you like me to call you?"

"Clarence works for me," he said as he smiled, taking his hand to shake it. "Seeing as you're pretty much going to be one of my new best friends..."

"Why, are you going to bribe me with booze? That works by the way," Dorian teased gently with a small smile. "Speaking of which, can I get you a drink?"

"Some tea...tea would be nice," he said with a quick smile, looking around the office. "Green tea if you have it. It's...good for the soul."

"I can brew us some," Dorian assured with a warm smile, moving to get it on the go, but he kept his eyes on him, watching him and taking him in. "Please, take a seat, get comfortable. You can call me whatever you want."

"Dorian?" he asked and moved to sit down, on the sofa. He smiled as he settled, half curling up as he looked around. "You're still decorating your office..."

"The shelves were too high to be of any good real use," he shook his head with a sigh as he carried the tray to the small, low coffee table, sitting comfortably with him. "Have you been able to see your room yet?"

"Not yet," Clarence admitted as he shook his head. "I have seen the bar though. She's pretty!"

"I rather like it in there, I must admit," Dorian chuckled, not caring if a counsellor should or shouldn't be seen propping up a bar. This was a cocktail maker he was looking at; he knew. "So how are you?"

"I'm okay," he said and smiled, shaking his head. "A bit nervous. Okay, a lot nervous! It's a ship! A moving, floating ship with a massive track record for bad things happening. In fact, I think my old psychiatrist would advise strongly against this."

"A little suffering is good for the soul, or so they say," Dorian replied, but with a small, gentle smile as he watched him.

Clarence met his eyes, shrugging at the idea for a moment. "Well, obstacles make us stronger. Someone who has been through tough times can adjust more, right?" he said lightly, smiling at the thought.

"Absolutely. When someone has become used to dealing with stress or hardtimes, they become more able to do so in the future. They've built their mechanisms. A bit like when you're ill and it builds your immune system. At least, that's how I see it," West admitted with a soft shrug, giving him a half smile.

"Except when those mechanisms don't..." he made a clicking sound, turning his fingers. "You know, switch on. That bit. Anyway, yep...excited, nervous, aware and all that. How are you?"

"Oh, I'm okay thanks," Dorian said gently with a small smile, reaching to pour their tea. It wasn't often he was asked that. "What are you nervous of?"

"Ship...life," he said and smiled to him. "In a good nervous way. Not in a 'argh, I am going to freak out and go all mental patient on you all' way!"

"Always good to know," he laughed softly, his eyes shining as he offered the cup over to him. At least he seemed comfortable with his own anxiety. "What's so different about a ship than a base to you?"

"Ships move towards or from things. Bases stay and unless pirates come by or something, they tend to stay safe," Clarence admitted as he held his eyes, for a long moment, honest.

"But you applied for this job? You weren't put here?" he asked, to make sure he knew the facts.

"I applied! New horizons and all that. But I am aware, very aware that this will be different," Clarence said as he turned to face him properly, so he could see he meant it.

"Hm..." Dorian thought it over as he sipped his tea, sitting back. "See that suggests to me that you want to test yourself."

"Yeah..." Clarence nodded, holding his eyes, not backing away from the statement. "Maybe I am ready, you know? Sometimes, you feel...ready."

Dorian nodded with a warm smile, agreeing with the sentiment. Different challenges at different times of life. "But it's still natural to be nervous, and worried."

"Good...glad that it's not, you know...mental..." he chuckled, shaking his head before rubbing the back of his neck. "I mean, you do worry about stuff like that after awhile."

"I can understand why you would, with your history, in the hospital," Dorian replied, sincerely, both to let him know he'd feel the same way in his place, but also to open that topic up if it was something he wanted to talk about.

Clarence nodded as he watched him, a small smile on his lips. "It's...foggy," he admitted. "The first months."

"You were probably drugged up," Dorian shook his head, his reply honest, not insulting his intelligence. "But that's okay, it will be the therapy that helped get your head straight.

"It was. A lot of it was...behaviour..." he said and tapped his temple, smiling all the same. "Thoughts. I put so much pressure on myself. For no reason whatsoever."

"You want to do well, there's nothing wrong with that," he said softly, shaking his head as he leant to him. "Your record says you're a very clever man."

Clarence smiled at that, shaking his head as he glanced down. "Just...on the border of genius. Not...quite there. Well, not in my opinion."

"Other opinions differ on that, I've seen that word used in your record," Dorian admitted softly, as matter of fact and honest as ever. "Does that bother you?"

"Genius and madness are a fine fine line...and when I figure things out, I always worry if it is...is arrogance that makes me think it," Clarence said and smiled weakly. "Rather than genius. I don't like that...label."

"Then don't use it," he shook his head softly, holding his eyes. "People are more complex than labels and names anyway. To judge so easily...it's not healthy."

"Healthy is...relative..." Clarence said and shifted, leaning forward to him. "I wasn't in a good place. That place wasn't good either. The Academy. You know how you drive a genius insane? You put him with others and make him compete. Always competing...but there I only had that to focus on, no...social structure. At home I had..." he stopped and smiled, to himself. "I had someone who forced me to be a teenager, to interact with people. Develop."

Dorian nodded with understanding, smiling gently to him. "Who showed you the other side of life."

"Yes..." Clarence nodded, with a small smile, relaxing with all the things that had been said being out there in the open. "And a lot of other things..."


OFF:

Clarence Pearl
Mixologist
USS Galileo
[PNPC Markos]

LT JG Dorian West
Counsellor
USS Galileo
[PNPC Blake]

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