SIM:Skyfire Taybrim Counselor

(( Skyfire’s quarters ))
:: The alarm went off, and Chythar woke up suddenly. He had a feeling today was going to be massively different than any other day, though whether it was because of the long list of incomming physicals he had to perform or something else, he had absolutely no idea. He blinked a few times to the loud BEEP BEEP BEEP of the alarm he had set for himself, he finally looked off to his desk. The scent of jasmine was present in the air from incense he’d lit the night before ::
SKYFIRE: Alarm off.
COMPUTER: Acknowledged. :: and it fell silent. ::
:: The silence filled the room, and he used a few moments of that to breathe. He took about five minutes to close his eyes in meditation and attempt to get some work done on his mental shielding. After this five minute reprieve, he was disrupted from his exercises by the chiming of the door. Once he heard that familiar blip, he looked down at himself: sweat pants and a t-shirt. oO Perfectly presentable. Oo and stood up. ::
SKYFIRE: Enter.
:: Once Sal entered the room, Chythar smiled softly. oO Ensign Taybrim. Making a housecall? Unusual. Oo He felt a bit relieved, but didn’t quite know what to say at first. After a moment, CD broke the silence. The formalities from the office were dropped, as he was in his room and not in the counselor’s office. ::
SKYFIRE: A pleasure to see you again, Sal. Can I get you anything?
TAYBRIM: No, I… I’m all right.  ::his brows furrowed in worry. He has just spoken to CD about how difficult it was to lose two counselors already. It felt like a betrayal to him… to the crew, one that Sal wasn’t completely in control of:: I… wanted to come talk to you. :: He sat down, swallowing hard and hoping his shields were sufficient for this meeting. ::
TAYBRIM: ::He clenched his teeth. Sometimes you just said the hard things without preamble:: Chythar… I’m being transferred. To a ship called the Darwin, as a science officer.
:: CD’s heart sank. His best friend Ryoji stayed behind on the base, to his knowledge. And hadn’t been responding. Then was Lieutenant Rose, who was the counselor and seemed to have disappeared shortly after the Astrolabe incident. Now Sal, whom he’d just gotten used to, was being transferred to the USS Darwin. He didn’t respond immediately, aside from taking a few deep breaths. His shields prevented most of it from getting through to his colleague, though there was a bit of pain behind his words when he finally found his tongue. It was a question, but one of confusion. :: SKYFIRE: You’re leaving, then?
TAYBRIM: I was going to decline the transfer… but there are some extenuating circumstances. Some things I need to resolve. But I don’t plan on being a science officer forever. And my line is always open. We’ll be in touch.
:: Those words “We will be in touch” caused him to hope again. He felt like one of those foster kids who kept a list of all the houses they’d been thrown out of. In his case, it was counselors who had helped him and left with only one or two sessions between them. He wanted to able to form friendships, not get into a false sense of trust with one who vanishes without a word. He didn’t want that. ::
SKYFIRE: I would like that. I want your advice one last time before you go.
TAYBRIM: Sure thing. :: CD took a breath and began speaking, unaware how guarded his mind was right now. ::
SKYFIRE: I’ve explained to you before about the turnover rate on counselors, right? How I get one or two sessions with one before they up and disappear?
TAYBRIM: ::biting his lower lip:: I keenly remember… It’s been eating at me since the first order came through.
SKYFIRE: The one thing that distinguishes you from the other two is you actually came to me and told me you’re leaving, the reasons for it, and said we’ll be in touch. I mean that as a compliment, by the way. :: Beat. :: I am starting to think I can’t trust them, because they don’t stay long enough for a friendship to form.
:: CD hoped that at the very least Sal understood what he was getting at, because he wasn’t sure what to make of it. He’d just gotten a promotion, he’d had his mind settled about things the night before, but an exercise in trust of this magnitude unsettled him more than his promotion did. ::
TAYBRIM: I honestly mean it, my line is always open. Science officer or not, CD… I’ll listen to you, advise you, tell you stupid jokes… whatever you need, and whenever you need it. I mean that.  ::his voice was thick with fondness and pain::
:: CD thought about Sal’s words for a few seconds, trying not to let his own pain show through. He’d guessed something was going to be weird about today, but he didn’t expect this. As he blinked back his own tears, he looked to his friend and asked heavily :: SKYFIRE: Will you come back?
TAYBRIM: If I have my druthers, once I serve my dues, I’ll come back here.  ::he smiled faintly:: I mean that.
:: The promise had been made. Chythar managed a faint smile, his tears receding for a brief moment. The sadness receded for a little bit, and he began contemplating the manner of his friend’s return. ::
SKYFIRE: I hope you make it back, even if the rest of the crew doesn’t.
TAYBRIM: Well, how about this, if I do get to come back, you can make a big pot of stew surprise… sans fairies.
:: That caught him by surprise. He had to remember what he put into this recent batch now. After a moment, he gave a chuckle as he remembered the aftermath of the tasty wrecked by the fae. ::
SKYFIRE: I’ll need to do some research on your favorite food choices, then get back to you.
TAYBRIM: I’m pretty adventurous food wise. As long as it isn’t sweet it’ll be good. What I had of the last pot was awfully tasty.
:: The response set him at ease, though he was still a bit cut up about his new best friend heading to a new ship. He wasn’t ready for a new counselor. Having to explain things to a fourth person. He didn’t even know who all on this ship he wanted to talk to. If anyone. The captain? Silvera, the jolly prankster he met a few times and never for very long? The intel officers he didn’t know well? The now XO who he treated on a few occasions? He had no idea, and steered the topic back towards his question. Being a counselor, Sal probably would know the answer that eluded him. ::
SKYFIRE: Who would...can...I talk to about anything? Besides you? I don’t want to have to break another counselor in...it may be rubbing salt into the wound if I do.
TAYBRIM: Well, most counselors want people to talk to them. I know I do. We tend to be social types. That said, I don’t know how long it will take for them to find a new counselor for the Excalibur.  ::he sighed a little, he would miss this ship terribly.::
SKYFIRE: I wish I knew. I don’t know this crew well enough to make that kind of decision. Alden, Anscom and you are the top three I’ve had the most interaction with. Given our work on the plague, followed by the contact poison incident…
TAYBRIM: Honestly - it seems odd, but you might want to confide in Lieutenant Collim. She was a counselor before turning towards Intel and she’s a marvelous listener. She stopped by my office and I swear she did more good for me than I could do for her. I’m sad I did not have a chance to get to know her better.
:: Chythar bit his lip and nodded, extending his hand out for a moment in a Terran handshake as he considered the name Ensign Taybrim provided. Without giving the counselor time to respond, he wrapped his arms around his friend and whispered softly through tear-blurred vision. He’d lost one friend, Ryoji, due to a downsizing. He’d lost a mentor who was in critical condition and probably lying in 118’s sickbay now; MacLaren. He didn’t want to lose another. :: SKYFIRE: I’ll miss you, Sal. Come back safely...please….
TAYBRIM: I will do my darndest. It’s a science ship, so I’m hoping our orders won’t be battle related.  ::he paused, taking in a heavy breath and offering out a hand:: I will miss you, too Chythar. And I’ll call. Fortunately the comm lines are open.
:: CD took the counselor’s hand once the embrace was released, his own calloused from time at his workbench and craft. His grip was firm, but at the same time the tears decided to choose that moment to run along his face. ::
SKYFIRE: I’ll keep my comm lines open to receive. And if I need it..I’ll call you. Promise.
TAYBRIM: Take care of yourself.  ::he smiled, fondly:: I know the Excalibur is due to ship out soon. And keep Anscom in one piece. Goodness knows he’s a fine officer, but someone needs to watch his back, too. And you’re the brain trust of the sickbay. I’m betting I’ll read about another Skyfire breakthrough or three before I come back.
:: The mention of being due to ship out soon made him nod in agreement. At the compliment of being the brain trust of their sickbay, he smiled softly. At the mention of another breakthrough or three, a blink of confusion oO Am I really that much of a genius? Oo as he forced himself to make the smile genuine through the waves of pain he was feeling. :: SKYFIRE: I will. Someone has to keep inventing. I don’t think the new guy is cut out for our level of sickbay, really...but we’ll see what he’s made of.
:: He wasn’t sure which new guy he was referring to, exactly. The EMH, the last minute personnel changes, or Briskow, the man he’d only interacted with once. :: TAYBRIM: We’re not so new anymore, are we?  ::he chuckled a little:: You’re one pip up on me, and still we get newbies in from the Academy regularly. It’s starting to feel like old ropes by now. You’ll be the old hand in no time.
SKYFIRE: I think it’s only been three days. Then again, my memory was shot in the explosion so sometimes days blur together. Keeping days straight was challenging even before the blast, so time passes quickly. Hopefully it’ll happen in the days you’re gone until I make another pot that we actually get to eat this time.
TAYBRIM: I look forward to it  ::He smiled, standing:: Stay well, Chythar… until we meet again. And hopefully soon.
SKYFIRE: Until then. Keep in touch, Sal. :: He forced himself to smile, the pain still fresh. He blinked away a few tears until his friend left the room. ::
::Sal headed out, taking a deep breath. He could feel a heavy tightness in his chest, the pain at parting. He made a promise to himself, he would come back to counseling again, and hopefully come back the the Excalibur or at the very least back to the friends he had made here, no matter where they ended up in the stars::
:: Chythar’s door shut, and he collapsed back on the bed. He felt dead inside, like some part of him had been ripped away. How he felt, how his mind worked, how he seemed didn’t matter. All that filled his mind was the pain. His appetite was gone, and he let loose the waterworks of tears which tore at his eyes now that he was once again alone. Alas, he had to get to work. He showered and replicated himself a uniform before getting dressed, heading to Sickbay for the rounds of physicals he had to do. ::
===
Lieutenant JG Chythar Skyfire
Medical Officer
USS Excalibur A

and

Ensign Sal Taybrim
Counselor
USS Excalibur-A

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