Part I -- She's My Counselor Not Yours...

Posted on Sun Jul 20th, 2025 @ 11:11pm by Lieutenant Xavier & Lieutenant Endymion Tox & Lieutenant Amanda Rose
Edited on on Sun Jul 20th, 2025 @ 11:13pm

1,308 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Preservation Instinct
Location: Counseling Office | USS Ontario
Timeline: Just before Arrival on Eden

ON:

It was like a scene from an old Earth film. Two bodies barreling in panic towards the counselor's office only to collide into one another because neither was looking where they were going; it was after all, a counseling emergency.

The crash was epic sending both parties flying to the ground. Xavier was first to recover. He looked over at Tox. "You must watch where you are going."

"What is your problem flyboy! You weren't exactly tricordering your way forward," Tox said as he shook his head and then pushed himself off the ground. He rubbed his head where it had collided with the Vulcan's. "Also...has anyone told you your head could double as bowling ball?"

Xavier raised an eyebrow. "No, but at least I don't have to ask if you are injured. You have enough padding to break your fall."

"Oh, my Gods of Starfleet! Did you just tell I have a fat a..."

"There are no Gods of Starfleet."

Tox let out a snort and pressed the chime.

Amanda called out, "Come in!" She fully expected that she would be having two visitors today. Perhaps she could get the two of them to start to get along as well in person as they did through messages, or at least help them understand each other. Yes, this was an underhanded tactic, but love demanded she assist!

The door opened and two people barreled through, both falling at her feet.

Tox recovered first. He stood dusting off his uniform and opened his mouth to say something but then sighed. "Dang it!" He reached out a hand. "Come on Flyboy."

Xavier glared and ignored the hand standing up on his own. "I now understand the Nurse Ratched comment humans make."

Tox placed his hands on his hips. "Excuse me? I am in no way belittling and insulting you."

Xavier dusted himself off and raised an eyebrow at Tox. "Did you not just comment about my rather large posterior?"

"No honey, that was you commenting on my fine one."

"You see? Your presence is already causing confusion and affecting my mind negatively."

"Awww it's cute how you seem to think that you can affect something you don't seem to have."

Xavier's eyes widened. "I..You.."

"Close your mouth dear. Dust particles are flying in." Tox turned to the counselor. "Now then, we have to talk."

"No," Xavier added. "I was here first. She's my counselor not yours."

Tox rolled his eyes. "How mature."

It took everything in Amanda's power to not start laughing raucously. However, she could not resist a smile. "Perhaps both of you could share my time today. After all, it does seem that the two of you have some interpersonal difficulties. Right?"

Tox sighed. He had actually wanted to talk to the counselor about something. Before he could speak Xavier did.

"Counselor, we do not need to worry about interpersonal difficulties. I plan to keep my distance from Mr. Tox."

Tox snorted. "You say that now but I'm hard to resist. I know you want to be near me."

"Indeed, as I would want to be near a Flatulent Klingon."

For the first time Tox's eyes bugged out and he had no come back.

Amanda continued to stifle her inner laughter, her lips coming together in a thin line to keep it all in. "Keeping distance is one possible solution; however, the ship is only so big and would it not be nicer if we could work through our difficulties? Try and find a way to understand each other?"

There was a beat of silence which Xavier assumed the nurse would fill but he didn't. When his eyes darted to the nurse he seemed to be smelling himself. "What are you doing?"

"Flatulent Klingon? I'm... I was cleaning the .... I showered but..."

Xavier sighed and scrubbed his face with his hand. "You smell fine." He turned to the counselor. "Why must we understand one another?"

"The two of you seem to irritate the other for one reason or another," Amanda answered. "If you could step into the other person's shoes for a few moments, you might find that you have a lot more in common than you think."

Xavier shook his head. "He irritates me because he seems to wish to fill every silence."

Tox snorted. "And for someone who has ear discs and wears eyeliner you are too.....uptight and rule oriented. That's false advertising. It's as if you're saying, 'hey, I look fun.' then turn out to be super boring."

Xavier raised an eyebrow. "Counselor, must we do this?"

"We must," Amanda answered. "However, I think we need to stop with the personal attacks. Let's try reframing some of these things by saying things like, "I feel x when you do x. That way we can reorient so the other person can understand your feelings or how something makes you feel."

"Why does that sound like couples counseling?" Tox asked. "We just met a week ago."

Amanda avoided the question completely. "Tox, I know that you like to jump to the end. Just trust me on this. The process is important."

He sighed. "I..."

Xavier cleared his throat. "I think what the man with little linguistic ability has to say is that while I am sure we both appreciate this we have no wish to spend any meaningful time with one another and when we are forced to. We can...well I can remain civil. He...will be himself regardless of the circumstances."

Tox turned around. "AHA! No Linguistic ability my foot. The word is Irregardless. And I resent you insi..."

"The word is Regardless. Irregardless is the non-standard word. Honestly for a Human you are not very good at your own tongue."

Tox grinned. Ah, so my lack of spots makes him think I'm human and he thinks I'm an idiot. Let's see if we can make the Vulcan uncomfortable Tox looked at the counselor. "Well! I don't think I want to stand here and be insulted about my linguistic skills. I can assure you," He turned to Xavier. "Mister Vulcan that my linguistic skills are excellent." He waggled his eyebrows.

Xavier's face flushed emerald and Tox's eyes lit up with glee.

Tox sighed, "Why don't you take the counselling session? You seem to need it. I will come back at a later time." With that he turned around, tossed an imaginary scarf over his shoulder and left grinning from ear to ear. He found a new favorite pastime. Make the Vulcan blush.

It took everything in Amanda's power not to want to hold her head in her hands. How could they get along so well via messages and then be so irritating to each other in person? It was a problem that she had to solve. They belonged together, whether they knew it or not.

For once, though, Amanda sympathized with Xavier. Tox was more than a handful. Love clearly had a sense of humor. One of these days, she was certain that she would meet up with Cupid and give him a stern talking to. No wonder he was frequently depicted as a young child. He had little sense.

"Goodbye Tox," Amanda called out in a hopefully cheerful manner.

Once the Trill was gone, she said, "Well, I guess that leaves just us for now, Xavier...."

"I am greatly relived and in need of your help. Something happened."

"What is concerning you, Xavier?"

"I...I record personal logs nightly, but I write them as letters....to ... a friend. One of my personal logs accidentally got sent to them and it was read.... I have received no response, and I am, as humans say, freaking out."


To be continued...


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Lieutenant Amanda Rose
Chief Counselor
USS Ontario

&

Lieutenant Xavier
Chief Flight Control Officer
USS Ontario

 

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