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)
Posted by… suppressed (4) by the Post Ghost! 👻
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.

Lera nodded respectfully but the embarrassment was plain in her face. “I’m sorry I don’t know what that meant. Never had an ear for languages.” Except maybe a touch of Orion, now. Her mental self chided her.

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

Let’s may not have known languages. But she knew people. Knew body language. And was particularly aware of unease.

Without getting too close, Lera leaned on the edge of the biobed across from the Chief. She tried to remain just a little bit more than socially acceptable away from her personal space.

Eyes full of understanding and seriousness gazed at the Caitian for a moment longer than a breath before replying. “I take engineering seriously, Ma’am. I don’t believe in patches or quick fixes unless the heat and emergency of the moment requires it.”

She smiled softly and relaxed. She made her posture slouch, just ever so slightly. And her voice changed just a touch from professional to nearly sisterly. “I know certain protocols and requirements are necessary for formal functions and official meetings. But I don’t find them necessary all the time. It’s possible to maintain the respect of your peers, subordinates and superiors without being formal all the time.”

Glancing around to be sure they weren’t about to be pounced by brass, she winked with a brighter smile that bordered on mischievous. “And in Medical bay is even less necessary. We’re here when we aren’t at our best. Even for check ins.”

She didn’t pry into the woman’s reasons for being here. Merely let her know that she seemed her nervousness, even if she didn’t get why, and that out was okay. People had been nervous around her for the last year or so since the.... incident. She had chalked this up to one of those moments. No idea, truly, if that was the true reason her supervisor was fidgeting and trying not to be noticed.

Ensign Brison
Engineer

OOC just to be clear Makoto is only half caitain There is a pic of what she more or less looks like in the bio!

Makoto’s ears twitched—she hadn’t expected that kind of… perceptiveness. She swallowed, managing a smile, though it faltered just a touch at the edges. Her tail curled a little tighter behind her legs, like it wanted to vanish under the biobed.

“I… appreciate that,” she said softly. “Not everyone takes the time to say things like that. Or notices when someone might need to hear them.”

Her gaze dipped, and she let out a small breath before looking back up.

“The Japanese earlier—it slips out when I’m nervous. I was raised bilingual, but sometimes it feels like… English is the uniform I put on. Polished, practiced, expected. But Japanese feels like home. Softer. More me.” She offered a gentle smile. “Hajimemashite means ‘Pleased to meet you,’” she explained kindly.

She gave a small shrug then, almost apologizing for the vulnerability.

“I try to keep things professional when I can. It’s just… hard, sometimes, to remember I don’t have to be perfect all the time. But I feel like I have to be perfect, you know? Kind of comes with the territory when people start calling you a prodigy.”

A flicker of a smile crossed her face again—this one more real, touched with a trace of self-awareness.

“I think I’m going to like having you in Engineering, Brison-san,” she added, folding her hands neatly in her lap. “You’ve got a good head on your shoulders. Not just for the technical stuff, but for… the people side too.”

Her tail twitched again, this time in a slower, more thoughtful rhythm, as she began to ease just a little more into her seat… and herself.

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

Lera smiled. “They may not say it. But most the ship, and the Fleet, and the Academy, feel that way. The need to been prefect. Even if they don’t admit it. It’s the uniform. Makes us think we need to be back straight, titles exact, and ever presentable at the drop of a hat.” She laughed slightly so the ridiculousness of it all.

Tilting her head slightly, as if acknowledging the time to maintain. “Its all right ma’am. No one will hold it against you if you wilt or falter here,” she smiled again. “We’re on a star ship. In space! It’s crowded. It’s small quarters. It’s getting to know people, that we’re greasy and not always clean, and that sometimes, a warm set of pajamas with a warm drink is all we’re asking for.”

She shook her head a moment more and smiled again. “Relax… trust me, if you are too relaxed at the wrong time, you’ll know.” She laughed then and hoped she was easing the tension.

Ensign Brison
Engineer

“Thank you, Brison-san. But… it’s hard being labeled a prodigy.” Makoto’s ears twitched, and her tail gave a soft, restless flick behind her. “It feels like everyone expects me to have the answers—immediately, no matter what. So I have to keep things perfect all the time. That way, when something does go wrong, I can give the answer. Quickly. Accurately.”

She hesitated a moment, then added with a bit more spirit, “I also follow the principle of Kaizen—continuous improvement. If nothing seems wrong… that becomes the problem. There’s always something we can do better. Something we can refine. Every single day.”

Her tail swished again, this time with a spark of enthusiasm. Her posture loosened, just a bit—like a shell starting to crack.

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