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Doctors see everything.

Look, @Leenaya Edrei is a good writer and @LCDR Aine O. Sherlock is about to fire her. Very rude. Not demure. (( Sickbay, Deck 10, USS Chin'toka )) Sherlock: It's about the mission. I ::beat:: think we should talk about it. Edrei: Oh, the mission? Of course. Has this anything to do about the triage protocol we put in place? She’d thought it was pretty good, even though being cut off from the transporters had made their task harder, and they always could get better. But even still, everything had worked as it was supposed to. Sherlock: Uh ::beat:: no. That was fine. This was to do with casualties. Or was it about the paperwork? Oh no, she was late on that task. Edrei: ::pointing to her PADD:: I’m still working on the report. The number of wounded we took care of is through the roof. Sherlock: I'm all too familiar with those kinds or reports. Sometimes they seem never ending. She stayed focused on the mission’s logistics, completely missing the weight behind Sherlock’s words. Edrei: I totally underestimated the amount of paperwork. But it’ll be done soon, I promise. Sherlock: That's ::beat:: good. But I'm here to talk about a specific casualty. Edrei: Of course. Who? Sherlock: In Doctor Kel's report, he mentioned the guy we found. And that he didn't make it… Oh no… How had she not seen this coming? Edrei: Um… yes? What about him? She tried to hide her nervousness as best she could. She didn’t need her First Officer to know just how badly she’d failed as a doctor. Sherlock: I'm trying to say ::beat:: I guess… She paused, stressing Lee out. Sherlock taking in a deep breath like that was clearly the sign that she had something important to tell her. Was she about to get discharged from Starfleet for letting a man die on her second mission? No, no, that was irrational, they wouldn’t do that. …But would they? Maybe they’d found that she could have done more, and- Sherlock: Let's go get some coffee. ::gesturing to the steaming mug:: A better cup of coffee. I'll probably be more articulate in a more comfortable setting. She nodded uneasily, biting her lip. She really couldn't say where this discussion was going (except leading toward her being fired), but she didn’t like it very much at the moment. Edrei: Um, sure. Lead the way, Commander. (( Brew Continuum, Deck 10, USS Chin’toka )) The walk to the Brew Continuum wasn’t long, but somehow it helped Lee relax—at least a little. If she really was getting discharged it surely wouldn’t happen there. She would have been called into Sherlock’s office instead, right? Still, the anxiety gnawed at her, especially when she noticed how quiet the lounge was. While she was relieved she wouldn’t be fired in front of the whole crew, she couldn’t help but dread the idea of it happening here, in this almost empty, too-intimate setting. They sat at an empty table before placing their orders. Lee considered getting another coffee, but given the amount she’d already drunk in the last few hours and her racing heart, she settled for some jasmin tea and hasperat instead. Edrei: My best friend at the Academy and I, we used to eat this weekly. Jasmin tea is my favourite, and she made one hell of a hasperat. She mentally cringed. Here she was, spilling her life story to her soon-to-be former First Officer, who likely had no interest in it and was probably just waiting for the right moment to inform her she’d be off the ship at the next stop. Being dismissed after only two missions, that was likely a new record. The absolute shame. Sherlock: Response She couldn’t stand the oppressive silence any longer, and she took a deep breath before asking the dreaded question. Edrei: I’m getting fired, aren’t I? I mean, it makes sense. He didn’t make it, and I’m the one responsible. Maybe I’m just not cut out to be here. But I really didn’t want to let everyone down, I promise, and- Sherlock: Response Interrupted in her ramble, she looked at Sherlock in shock, not believing what she just said. Edrei: Wait, I… I’m not? What do you mean I’m not fired? Sherlock: Response Tags/TBC

@Genkos Adea - I will admit to laughing 🤣

I couldn’t wait to post about this JP, so I’m sharing this before the final part is released. As Sevantha's mentor, I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek at this JP, and it’s a brilliant piece of writing that had me hooked from the very first page. I could truly feel Mac’s pain, especially in the first half, and Saa completely tore our hearts out. Both Edrei’s and Harford’s parts made me so angry (in the best possible way). The first three parts are below on our ship list and when the final parts are out, they will appear in the link below. @Sevantha @Daniel McGillian Jr @Leenaya Edrei @Alix Harford You four should be so damned proud of yourself and proud of this JP. https://groups.google.com/g/sb118-butler/search?q=[[Backsim]] JP%3A Lt JG Sevantha Saa %26 Daniel McGillian Jr.%2C Ensign Leenaya Edrei %26 Alix Harford - The Need to Connect

@Morro Caras showing us that we shouldn't assume depth of character!

What a joy it was to read this today! @Arturo Maxwell Merry Christmas everyone!!!!

Because we all know how trigger happy @Kimonzi Lahl is.

Love the way Max portrayed what it's like being a telepath! Eloquently done. --- The signature flourished in something approaching calligraphy, she closed it in an envelope and attached it to a box full of the fresh confection with a little ribbon. She carefully stacked it atop a padd and another box destined for the Captain, and stepped out of her room into the corridor. One quick delivery to the counselor's office, then off to see the captain! Ensign Amelia Magnolia Semara Science Officer USS Khitomer - NCC-62400 A239710MA0

DATES: The class began on 2025-01-07 and ended 2025-01-13 LIST: sb118-Academy4 COMMANDING OFFICER: Lt. Commander @Josh Herrick FIRST OFFICER: Commander @Jo Marshall GRADUATES: Sulok Noemi Lim Our awesome second graduating class of 2402, hooray!! Welcome to the fleet – we're so glad you're here! My door is always open if you ever need anything 🎉

Meanwhile...

Who else read this, then just imagined these two breaking into 'A Whole New World'? Just me? Couldn't just be me, could it?

This gift made me go "Uh, actually!" Until I read the next line. At which point I had to admit a good point was made, and that life does indeed offer small mercies 😑 @Vitor S. Silveira, I concede this point to you.

No one told you to shoot that poor Squirreldog, @Salkath! 'REQUIRED' INDEED 😤

Captain's a yank and hates people with southern accents, confirmed.

I audibly awed. Roxanna's bringing out the big squee guns.

@Nera Ay This made me cackle 😂 immediately envisioned her causing chaos in the onboard school @Doz Finch

Hey, never say never! It could happen! It won't, but it could!!

love that @Alyndra Syrex, through time traveling, becoming a Bajoran, and losing an eye, is still worrying about our dear @Gila Sadar 😂

A well thought out and prepared prank. Some Lower Deckers could learn a thing or two about how to annoy their CO and FO in a creative (and most importantly: well covered) way. (( Main Engineering, Deck 14, USS Chin’toka )) Is’Kah tilted her head at her station, her fingers flying across her console. She started manipulating the sensor data, gathering what she needed to write a report on the ship’s systems. She could use a few things to get approval to have an official work order approved by the ChEng. After writing several drafts, the hybrid was satisfied. Taking her PADD, she downloaded the document and walked to the Chief Engineer’s office. Is’Kah: Lieutenant, I discovered some concerns with the structural fields on the bridge. I have detected microfractures in several places around the bridge. This kind of damage often occurs after a refit due to the ship adjusting to the rigors of space travel. She handed Xiron her PADD, showing four locations that apparently needed repairs. These locations happened to line up with the best locations for holo-emitters to fully cover the bridge. Coming to parade rest, she watched Xiron review the report. Xiron: Good catch, Sh’za. Approved. Is’Kah: Thank you, ma’am. I will complete the repairs on the night shift tonight. Xiron: Don’t work too late. Is’Kah: ::smiles:: You know me, ma’am. Turning sharply, Is’Kah departed the Chief Engineer’s office but left Xiron with a lingering feeling that her partner had lied to her, as for what, it wasn’t clear. (( OCC- I spoke with Xiron’s writer and received her line approval. )) (( Bridge, Deck 3, USS Chin’toka )) Entering the bridge wearing her toolbox and antigrav boots, Is’Kah walked over to the deck officer and handed her the work order. Is’Kah: I have a few repairs to complete tonight. OOD: ::Looking over the PADD:: Looks in order. Will we need hearing protection? Is’Kah: Ear plugs should be sufficient if you are more than a meter away from me, but that is only while I am cutting. I will alert you before I start. OOD: Very well. Thank you, Lieutenant. Taking the PADD back, Is’Kah approached the first position and started working. She hid holo-emitters around the bridge, captain’s ready room, conference room, and break room for the next few hours. Sitting at the bridge co-processer, she connected the new equipment before uploading a holo control program and a copy of the EMH for a dedicated backup. Satisfied with the work, a sly smile crossed her lips as she started to program the system flash a bright white light as if an omnipotent being snapped their fingers before overlaying the deck with mashed pea-colored 8-centimeter-long shag carpet while each console was wrapped in wood paneling, along with setting the chairs to be covered in a slightly lighter matching green tufted fabric. However, the most important part was the giant disco ball hanging above the captain’s chair. To help cover her tracks, she set the program to trigger only when the ship was at green alert and when Commander Sherlock had entered Deck 3 three to ten times. She also buried the program so that it wouldn’t be quickly discovered by other engineers and, more importantly, T’Ama. The hybrid felt better about operating in the expanse now that there was a way to keep the captain safe from the murder bots, even if she used it first as a prank on the Captain and XO. Closing up her toolbox, Is’Kah departed the bridge, ready to rest for two hours before her next shift. TAGS/TBC Lieutenant (JG) Is’Kah Xiron Engineering USS Chin’toka R240101I14 Character Pronouns: She/Her/Zha/Zhen

Brilliant opening here from @Taelon who goes into Act 3 of our mission torn apart by fatherly worries. Lt.JG Taelon - Old Fears Borne Anew

The @Morro Caras Savantha Saa JPs coming out have been an absolute highlight of this shore leave even if they're backsims. I could've picked out ten or twenty favorite lines, but this was definitely a highlight. I hope y'all are saving these!

Now that is disturbingly evocative. Well done again, Shawn!

Having just finished Dune (oy, what a homophobic but fascinating slog) I find myself appreciating worldbuilding references to the universe that may never be mentioned or contextualized again. Shawn has always done such a good job of this- he's taken the Kressari from background scene filler to fleshed out civilization, and it's through little snippets like these that he makes the world, its people and his character in particular take on a life of their own. Great stuff, Shawn.

I've missed @Jovenan's writing 😭The poetry of it!

It's official: the Butler is the hottest ship in the fleet! I love shore leave—not just because it offers a change of pace but also because we get to see the crew just being people. Regular people with personal lives, goals, and a love of gossip. Believe me when I say this sim lit up our Discord channel! When you read this sim, pour yourself a glass of wine (or your preferred beverage) and indulge in the gossip with @Jania Nis and @Sevantha talking about boys, family, and clothes.

So glad people took to my characterization of Dekas absolutely HATING shoes and ran with it in their own way. Like @Karrod Niac for example 😂

A superlative bit of writing from my Captain. Evocative and heartfelt. Just wonderful stuff… ((Deck 1, Bridge, USS Khitomer)) PADD mountain had dwindled, but he doubted it would ever be fully defeated. For every issue he addressed, another arrived, and the rotating cast of fearful-eyed junior enlisted messengers had started to show their trepidation with the haste of their departure. The captain’s glare was not something they wished to contend with, especially on instructions from someone else- the middle was an ugly place to be caught in bureaucratic tizzy. But it was the last arrival that had ground Shayne’s gears into a fine ash. She’d stepped in, and almost fell backwards, as if a gust of wind had blown her askance. She eyed the captain as you might eye a sun, blinded by the glory of, in his case, grumpy obstinance. He grit his teeth in fury as he noted her black eyes. She’d placed the PADD down, and left without a word. Thirty seconds of tight-toothed grimacing later, the rage and fury and violation left him, and he was almost consumed with an exhaustive despair. His whole life, he’d struggled with feelings that were more than feelings. They were physical sensations, often ailments, indistinguishable to him from lacerating pain, or stabbing sharpness in the chest. The anxiety, the doubt, the anger… all of it boiled. And all of it stayed hidden. Out of sight. Out of mind. Out of judgement. He could fool the onlooker, the subordinate, or the passerby. But the telepathic Betazoid, or Deltan, could not be so easily assuaged. They felt it. All of it. Whether they wanted to or not. He was naked before them. The violation was unintentional, and absolute. And unacceptable. Red-tinged eyes blearly gazed at the bottom drawer. The exhaustion that had built up, physical and emotional, could be blamed on the difficult mission. It could be blamed on Ash’s leaving. It could be blamed on simply being in Starfleet. But he knew deep down what his normal exhaustion looked like, felt like. It was a tinging of everything, into a muddled grey haze that left nothing but overwhelming distress with anything colorful or vibrant. What he was experiencing was not that. Bloodshot eyes were the least of his problems. Fury… fury he couldn’t swallow… had tinged his entire stymied interaction with the last damned messenger. That wasn’t right. Paranoia, a sensation of stuckness, of threat, loomed in the horizons of his brain. The medication was taking its toll. Not for prolonged use, the file had read. The “why” of that equation was coming into focus. He had to lay it off. But the effects, the teeth-gnashing strain, would last for days, certainly. And now, of all times, he couldn’t afford to be that vulnerable around people who needed him. The door chimed. He bit his lip. It might be nothing. Another messenger with another PADD, and bearing with him a distinct lack of telepathy. Then again… Grudgingly, promising to make amends later, Shayne grabbed the hypospray, and strained as he braced for the sudden depletion of energy that rolled across his psyche. Muscle memory found him putting the hypo away where conscious thought wasn’t interested. A moment later, the familiar thickness in his head told him it was safe. For now. Shayne: Come on in…

Who replicated the onions and started cutting them? I'm not crying, you're crying!

I don't know if this was intentional, or accidental, but either way it's a brilliant snippet and passive use of dialogue. Well done.

.... Uhh, gesundheit? 🤣 I'm predicting @Tony, aka Rouiancet's team to have to use a lot of Copy+Paste 🤣

As a fellow professional in the aviation industry, I loved seeing the real world reference! @Ollie Bergmen

@Arturo Maxwell I can always count on Max, and his writer, to give me a good IRL LOL.

It's so fun to see people write someone different. I think @Charles Matthews did an excellent job making his MSPNPC feel truly despicable. This excerpt in particular took guts and made me laugh so hard! He walked towards his second officer, quickly pressing two buttons on her console and muting the channel. Zostoi: I don’t like him. The Caitian. Atrexi: No, Sir. His attempt at taking charge of the situation is irritating. Elkin nodded. Zostoi: To say the least. ::sighs:: I’m starting to think that a Mei’konda Delano rug would look quite fetching in my chambers though. Wouldn’t you say, Commander?

1: T'Ama is intimidating when upset at Is'Kah 2: T'Ama would discover it within seconds 3: T'Ama is intimidating when upset at anyone

I like how much she fears T'Ama discovering it in particular.

Thanks guys! Glad to be back!

What is this delicious sounding noodle incident @Jania Nis 😂

https://tenor.com/view/ugh-tired-over-it-headache-exhausted-gif-14767735

About six months ago, Lhandon and Toxin had a falling out in an explosive argument that the entire ship felt. This was partly caused by Henri, a being that serves as the computer for both Alpha Brenkelvi II and the OEB. Now, it’s Christmas Day, and the two are discussing what happened, with emotions finally coming to the surface. I want to highlight something incredible that @Toxin Arlill (Erik) has done here. Not only has he set me up to write some of the most gut-wrenching sims I’ve created since joining, but he’s also avoided taking the easy route with this story. Erik could have easily made Toxin the villain of Lhandon’s story and gone for a cliche story but instead, he’s shown that Toxin isn’t the villain, nor is Henri. They’re just two individuals who made the wrong choices and, in doing so, hurt the one person who would have helped them without question: the person Toxin called a brother. Toxin and Lhandon’s are experiencing pain, miscommunication, and regret, yet their confrontation feels authentic. Toxin isn’t a villain, and Lhandon isn’t blameless—they’re just two people trying to navigate the wreckage of their relationship. Very few simmers can pull this off as well as Erik has, and even fewer could have seen it through without bailing early.

Oh how I love this little robot ❤️

I love these. I love how some of our fellow writers write off script characters, or animals. Even what is suppose to be lifeless, like a Space station or Space itself. We have a long tradition in this, one of the best sims I read was way back when I was fairly new, and it was from the perspective of Ops. There was also a frog, if I remember correctly, and a probe, or was it a torpedo? Forgive me but the amount of awesome writing, in what ever shape it happens, is such that I can't recall all the amazing things I read over the years. And we have one more side "character" or "would be pet". So keeping in the tradition of bringing more than Characters to life, here is Wormie. All thanks to the talented @Jovenan

We are joined today at the Newsies desk by our very own Fleet Admiral Tristan Wolf! Jordan, thank you so much for being willing to do this interview! The community loves hearing from you. Let’s start off with a personal message from you to the fleet! Wolf: The most important thing I always want to […]View the full article

This little moment of panic from Petty Officer Phillips made me literally laugh out loud while reading. This PNPC written by Matt, it is so great to see a characterization so different that his confident and sparky main character Esa Kiax. I cannot wait to write Dr. Harford's response and see where it takes the dynamic between the two women. Phillips: How… What… What are we supposed to do now?! Harford: Response Phillips: Calm down? Calm down!? Pippa paced back and forwards, hyperventilating and generally unable to think rationally. Phillips: I’m just a Petty Officer… I’m not even supposed to be on these kinds of missions!

@Rahman and Rivi Vataix Esma is hilarious. Esma talking about @Nathan Richards Even more hilarious. Amity is chaotic? We learned from the best!

It's inspiring right? Like, seeing a writer getting into not just their character's backstory. But getting to do a little world building and lore building. Who else sees this and kind of wants to get a character from an obscure race to do this sort of stuff with? I'm eyeing those dinosaur officers now more and more.

So. Wow. What an powerful JP from @Kimonzi Lahl and @Morro Caras. I normally make some kind of comment about my appreciation posts but today, I'd like to let this JP stand on it's own and encourage you to take the time to read it.