Deception: The lesser part of Valour – Side trip
by Lieutenant JG Opaka Jo'el
Post Details
"I fold," Jo'el sighed, flinging his cards into the muck. The Betazoid counselor raked in her chips and began stacking them as Jo'el took the cards and started shuffling.
"How can I trust you not to look into my mind for the exact amount to bet to get me to fold? Better yet, how do I know you're not reading my cards right out of my mind and acting accordingly?" Jo'el inquired as he dealt the next hand.
Miss Leoni Elizer smiled and checked her cards, calling the big blind. "There's really no need, Ensign, but since you mention it, if you would have called with middle pair with four hearts on the board, you deserve to lose your chips."
Jo'el smirked, nodding and dealing the flop. "I've never met someone outside of a casino with such sound playing fundamentals. Where did you learn Texas Hold 'em, anyways?"
"Two hundred," Elizer announced, throwing in two black chips. "Actually, this is how most of the command staff spent their down time on the Okinawa. Of course, in a non-monetary economy, the game is more social than financial."
"Call," Jo'el announced, inwardly smiling at his pocket jacks. With low cards on the board, he felt good about this hand. "Well, it a lot of persuasion to get Quark to make room for a poker table a couple nights a week. Once I told him about the concept of 'the rake' the house takes, he caught on quickly. It's a good thing too." Jo'el dealt the turn, a third jack for his hand. "As accomplished as the 'Ambassador' is at tongo, he's lousy at poker. His lobes tell you everything."
Elizer glanced at her cards, not moving a nerve ending. "It seems like you're spending our session expanding on your experiences with other males in order to avoid talking about women. Check."
Jo'el shrugged, pushing in five hundred chips. "Bet. You're only moderately perceptive for a telepath, has anyone ever told you that, Leoni?"
"All the time, raise," Elizer replied, tossing in an additional thousand. "Jo'el, you're going to have to open up to somebody eventually. All that hurt and mistrust you're balling up will end up destroying any chance you have for happiness. Surely you don't think the Prophets would have you isolating yourself from opportunities to have a family and be successful..."
Jo'el stared directly at Elizer, noting his own violet eyes reflected in her ice blue irises. "If I need religious guidance, I'll pray or talk to a vedek or ask for another Orb experience. I'm hear because Capt. Kira asked me to seek counseling before I took up my post on DS5, and that's what I'm doing. If you want to cut our session short, say so. Otherwise, leave my spiritual beliefs to me. I'll reraise." Jo'el tossed his last three thousand chips into the pot.
Elizer hesitated. "There's no need to be defensive, Ensign. I'm not taking your personal or spiritual inventory. This is about your mental wellbeing and your capacity for trusting people of the opposite sex. You realize your CO, XO and department head are all women, don't you?"
Jo'el blew a strand of his crimson and black hair out of his face. "Quite aware. Call or fold?"
Elizer "Call. Jo'el, you have to learn to come back out of this shell of yours and take a chance on somebody once in a while." Elizer turned her cards over.
Jo'el's eyes widened slightly. "Trip jacks," he said confidently. "Interesting metaphor, isn't it? Here you are telling me that I need to open up and stop hiding from women, and I'm dominating you with these three men. What were you thinking calling with those cards, anyway? You're drawing to four outs. I don't want your pity, in this game or in this session."
Jo'el burned a card and turned up the river, one of the four sevens needed to complete Elizer's straight. Jo'el sighed, pushing the chips over to Elizer. "Nice hand," he said submissively.
Elizer reached across the table, squeezing Jo'el's left hand. "You've got to take risks, Jo'el. It's the only way you'll ever really win in life."
Jo'el reached up to wipe a tear from his cheek, nodding defeatedly. "You make a convincing argument, counselor."
Elizer smiled, releasing Jo'el's hand and tapping a note into her PADD. "Well, our time is up, Ensign. I'll file this appointment on your medical file so your CO knows you've had a pre-posting screening. I think getting away from home will be a very positive step for you, Jo'el
but make sure you're running to something, not away from everything."
Jo'el nodded, pulling on his duty jacket and securing it. "Thanks, Counselor. I'll try to keep that in mind. Do me a favor?"
Elizer's eyes peaked with interest. "Yes, Ensign?"
Jo'el smiled sadly. "Check in with me in a few weeks. I might get busy and forget to do it myself, and it would be nice to hear from someone who cares."
Elizer stood up, smiling crookedly. "I was going to do that anyway, Ensign."
Jo'el shrugged. "Good to know," he replied, tapping his comm badge. "Opaka to Rio Grande. One to beam up."
Ensign Opaka Jo'el
Counselor Leoni Elizer
by Lieutenant JG Opaka Jo'el
Post Details
| Title | Side trip | |
| Mission | Deception: The lesser part of Valour | |
| Author(s) | Lieutenant JG Opaka Jo'el | |
| Posted | Mon Nov 03, 2008 @ 7:12am | |
| Location | Betazed, en route to DS5 | |
| Timeline | 1800 Station Time, 0900 Local | |
| Tag | Ensign Opaka Jo'el |
"How can I trust you not to look into my mind for the exact amount to bet to get me to fold? Better yet, how do I know you're not reading my cards right out of my mind and acting accordingly?" Jo'el inquired as he dealt the next hand.
Miss Leoni Elizer smiled and checked her cards, calling the big blind. "There's really no need, Ensign, but since you mention it, if you would have called with middle pair with four hearts on the board, you deserve to lose your chips."
Jo'el smirked, nodding and dealing the flop. "I've never met someone outside of a casino with such sound playing fundamentals. Where did you learn Texas Hold 'em, anyways?"
"Two hundred," Elizer announced, throwing in two black chips. "Actually, this is how most of the command staff spent their down time on the Okinawa. Of course, in a non-monetary economy, the game is more social than financial."
"Call," Jo'el announced, inwardly smiling at his pocket jacks. With low cards on the board, he felt good about this hand. "Well, it a lot of persuasion to get Quark to make room for a poker table a couple nights a week. Once I told him about the concept of 'the rake' the house takes, he caught on quickly. It's a good thing too." Jo'el dealt the turn, a third jack for his hand. "As accomplished as the 'Ambassador' is at tongo, he's lousy at poker. His lobes tell you everything."
Elizer glanced at her cards, not moving a nerve ending. "It seems like you're spending our session expanding on your experiences with other males in order to avoid talking about women. Check."
Jo'el shrugged, pushing in five hundred chips. "Bet. You're only moderately perceptive for a telepath, has anyone ever told you that, Leoni?"
"All the time, raise," Elizer replied, tossing in an additional thousand. "Jo'el, you're going to have to open up to somebody eventually. All that hurt and mistrust you're balling up will end up destroying any chance you have for happiness. Surely you don't think the Prophets would have you isolating yourself from opportunities to have a family and be successful..."
Jo'el stared directly at Elizer, noting his own violet eyes reflected in her ice blue irises. "If I need religious guidance, I'll pray or talk to a vedek or ask for another Orb experience. I'm hear because Capt. Kira asked me to seek counseling before I took up my post on DS5, and that's what I'm doing. If you want to cut our session short, say so. Otherwise, leave my spiritual beliefs to me. I'll reraise." Jo'el tossed his last three thousand chips into the pot.
Elizer hesitated. "There's no need to be defensive, Ensign. I'm not taking your personal or spiritual inventory. This is about your mental wellbeing and your capacity for trusting people of the opposite sex. You realize your CO, XO and department head are all women, don't you?"
Jo'el blew a strand of his crimson and black hair out of his face. "Quite aware. Call or fold?"
Elizer "Call. Jo'el, you have to learn to come back out of this shell of yours and take a chance on somebody once in a while." Elizer turned her cards over.
Jo'el's eyes widened slightly. "Trip jacks," he said confidently. "Interesting metaphor, isn't it? Here you are telling me that I need to open up and stop hiding from women, and I'm dominating you with these three men. What were you thinking calling with those cards, anyway? You're drawing to four outs. I don't want your pity, in this game or in this session."
Jo'el burned a card and turned up the river, one of the four sevens needed to complete Elizer's straight. Jo'el sighed, pushing the chips over to Elizer. "Nice hand," he said submissively.
Elizer reached across the table, squeezing Jo'el's left hand. "You've got to take risks, Jo'el. It's the only way you'll ever really win in life."
Jo'el reached up to wipe a tear from his cheek, nodding defeatedly. "You make a convincing argument, counselor."
Elizer smiled, releasing Jo'el's hand and tapping a note into her PADD. "Well, our time is up, Ensign. I'll file this appointment on your medical file so your CO knows you've had a pre-posting screening. I think getting away from home will be a very positive step for you, Jo'el
but make sure you're running to something, not away from everything."
Jo'el nodded, pulling on his duty jacket and securing it. "Thanks, Counselor. I'll try to keep that in mind. Do me a favor?"
Elizer's eyes peaked with interest. "Yes, Ensign?"
Jo'el smiled sadly. "Check in with me in a few weeks. I might get busy and forget to do it myself, and it would be nice to hear from someone who cares."
Elizer stood up, smiling crookedly. "I was going to do that anyway, Ensign."
Jo'el shrugged. "Good to know," he replied, tapping his comm badge. "Opaka to Rio Grande. One to beam up."
Ensign Opaka Jo'el
Counselor Leoni Elizer