Posted by Ensign Auleraine Brison (Engineer) in Side Sim: Ignoring the whispers (check in thread)

Posted by Lieutenant Junior Grade Makoto Nishizumi (Chief Engineer) in Side Sim: Ignoring the whispers (check in thread)

Posted by Ensign Auleraine Brison (Engineer) in Side Sim: Ignoring the whispers (check in thread)
Check ins…

This part always bothered Lera. No matter how sealed records were supposed to be, information always leaked out. Then whispers began.

They didn’t trouble her like they used to. Dating a large Orion Security Chief who carried her around on the crook of his arm cured her of most of her imaginary fears.

But he wasn’t here. He hadn’t been in the space station where she’d been for the last year, either. So she’d learned to ignore the whispers herself. She hasn’t been through all she had just to be brought down by susserus gossips.

After freshening up in her room and hanging her extra uniform up in case she needed it later, Lera headed out the door to medical. Check ins had to happen. And the sooner they were over, the sooner she could get to the bottom of what had happened to the ship. THAT was something she could wrap her head and skills around.

A few minutes later, hazel eyes framed by fire red hair and a sprinkling of freckles, gazed around the medical bay in search of the CMO. Or at least someone who could direct her to them.

Ensign Auleraine Brison
Engineer

She might notice someone else she needed to check in with—sitting on one of the examination beds, being looked over by another doctor. The young lieutenant junior grade appeared mostly human, but with distinct Caitian features. Instead of human ears, a pair of feline ones poked up through her hair, alert and twitching slightly. Her nose was subtly feline in shape, though the rest of her face retained a clearly human structure. A long Caitian tail flicked back and forth as she sat, betraying a bit of restlessness during what appeared to be a routine check-up.

Makoto Nishizumi
(She/Her)
Chief Engineer-USS Memorial

While Lera was taking in the medical bay, her eyes came upon her Caitian Chief. With a warm smile, she moved to the woman.

As she came over, a smile lit her face. “Chief Nishizumi? Auleraine Brison. Your new engineer. I believe I’m supposed to see you after shift change this evening.”

She stepped over to introduce herself. “I hope they’re isn’t anything wrong, Ma’am. Would hate to find out I’m going to be learning the ship without having a mentor.” Lera’s laugh was soft and teasing. If the Chief had read her bio, it probably left an impression slightly different than what they expected.

Ensign Auleraine
Engineer

Makoto had been seated quietly on the edge of the biobed, uniform skirt smoothed over crossed legs, boots just barely not touching the floor. Her black-and-red highlighted hair framed her face in sharp, stylish angles—punkish but meticulously groomed. A few faint indentations around her ears hinted at where piercings usually sat, though most had been removed as per regulations. Her ears—the soft-furred feline points atop her head—twitched subtly in response to the low hums of Sickbay equipment, never fully still, like her long, furred tail that now rested demurely along the edge of the bed, tip flicking once in a slow rhythm.

One amber eye, one green—both almond-shaped—lifted when she caught the motion of the approaching Ensign. Slit pupils contracted slightly in the bright light as she offered a polite smile, hands folded in her lap, nails neatly painted despite their clearly clawed nature.

‘Keep your back straight… hands soft… ankles together, she reminded herself silently. You’re a proper woman. You can do this.’

“H-hai…” she answered, voice light, melodic, and softly spoken—an elegant tone carefully cultivated over time. “Nishizumi Makoto… hajimemashite. [Pleased to meet you,]” she said, using the proper Japanese form of her name.

She gave a small bow of her head, trying to channel her mother’s grace, but her tail betrayed her with a nervous flick, ears angling back a notch.

“I… um… wasn’t expecting to run into you here, Brison-san,” she added, flustered but trying to smile through it. “I’m just here for… well… just routine.”

Makoto glanced away, pretending to smooth her uniform again—anything to avoid direct eye contact for too long. She was suddenly, irrationally, hyper-aware of how she was sitting. ‘Are my hips tilted enough? Is my posture too stiff? Oh, stars… she knows. She can tell. She’s looking right at my—No. Stop it. Breathe.’

She cleared her throat softly.

“I… I did read your file,” she said, trying to recover. “And yes, after shift. I’d like to meet with you, give you the tour, get you… settled in. Engineering is… well, it’s family. We take care of one another. If something breaks, we fix it. If someone stumbles, we support them.”

Suddenly, her demeanor shifted. There was a flicker of steel behind her warm smile, the kind born not from arrogance but from fiercely held standards, and she spoke with a confidence she had yet to show.

“But when it comes to the work itself,” she continued, voice still soft but firming slightly, “I expect excellence. We don’t patch things just to pass inspection. We make them right. We serve everyone on this ship—so we can’t afford to fail. All the lives aboard this ship count on us to get them home safe.”

Her tail curled protectively close behind her leg again, her confidence faltering just a touch as her voice softened once more. “Yoroshiku onegaishimasu… I hope we can work well together.” Her smile was still genuine, and the spark in her eyes made it clear: she was very happy to meet this new engineer.

Makoto Nishizumi
(She/Her)
Chief Engineer-USS Memorial