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 Posted: Tue Jun 06, 2017 2:49 pm
 (Lines by MissMisnomer, Color by Tasinei)
Inventory
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Posted: Tue Jun 06, 2017 6:00 pm
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Posted: Tue Jun 06, 2017 6:32 pm
Prentice- Journal entry 1
Starting Out Yokka was at the end of the dock, kneeling with her arms out like the wings of an airship. Here, when she closed her eyes, she could imagine herself flying. It was not flying in the air that held her thoughts though. Flying on the water.. that was her interest. Boats were amazing things that were being expanded on all the time, but they were large and required many people to pilot, never mind the amount of materials needed to build a decent one. What about a more personal experience with the water? What if she wanted to go out on her own without needing a whole crew to run a big ship?
She wanted to be able to touch the water as she traveled along. Those old rafts were so out-dated and difficult to steer. Something that would glide across the water without sinking.. driven by the wind or paddle effortlessly..
She had heard that the airships had returned from their trip, and had found a new land with new people. Completely new races! Imagine reaching that new, strange land on her own, the land as wide and expansive as the opportunities. New sights and new smells and new-
“Yokka!”
Yokka blinked and sighed. She wasn’t out on the ocean, not yet. Just on the stagnant old dock, with the same old view in the same old place. Sighing, she stood and brushed her knees before turning to face the woman calling to her. “Yes, Alannari?”
The older Lightning woman smiled reached out to run a hand over Yokka’s smooth hair. Alannari had a warm smile to go with her head of fiery curls, and soft violet eyes. The lightning woman had joined the family quite a few years ago, and Yokka saw her as much her mother as the woman who gave birth to her. “And where were you this time?” Alannari asked with sweet playfulness.
Yokka’s eyes instantly lit up. “I was on my way to Tendaji! I was on a personal boat that didn’t need a bunch of people to steer; I could do it on my own. One day, everyone will be able to have a personal boat, you know. I was going to meet with all the new people over there, and experience everything they have to offer, and give them all that I have to offer in return!”
Alannari laughed lightly. “Your father will have something to say about that, I am sure..” Leaning in, she gave her step-daughter a wink and a smirk. “Maybe you’ll make two of those boats first and let me come with you?”
The young Geian grinned and nodded. Her father was a homebody, content to stay in the town he had grown up in. “Papa would miss you,” she mused, watching the older woman’s expression soften with affection.
“Aye, and I would miss him desperately. I suppose you’ll have to do the adventuring for me.” Alannari gestured back toward the house. “You won’t have to worry about your father one bit while I’m here. Until then though, there is still work to be done around here. Time to focus on where you are rather than where you will be.”
Yokka nodded reluctantly but without complaint, looking over her shoulder as she followed her mother back. The ocean was glittering in the sunlight, waving gently and waiting for her to explore it and cross it. Alannari was her biggest supporter on the matter. If anyone could convince her father that it was her destiny to leave home, then it was Alannari. Yokka knew there was a lot out there that she didn’t know, but that was the beauty of it! She was going to master the world, one way or the other! (( word count: 624 = 2 points ))
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Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2017 4:33 pm
Prentice - Journal entry 2
Class Affinity It didn’t look like anything special; at least, not to the untrained eye. It was a thin, flat and narrow board that had been sanded down smooth over the entire surface and sealed with a dark brown varnish. Three small fins were set standing at a 90 degree angle on one of the flat sides of the board. One fin sat near the tapered tip of the wooden board while the other two sat at the other end of the board. Standing over the board and the paddle was Yokka, staring down at the items critically. Though her own eye was not exactly trained, she could see clearly in her mind what she hoped the board and fins would do.
Okay, it was time to try this thing out.
After she slipped off her boots and tied back her long hair, Yokka picked up the board, flipped it so that the fins were pointed down, and set it into the water. With the paddle held tight in her hands, Yokka took a deep breath and sat on the board. It sank more than she would have liked, but it was keeping her head above the water! Even her shoulders were clear! This was a good start. With a few more boards, this could easily hold her up!
She walked back into the dry land and grabbed two more boards, lashing one to either side of the original with ropes. Knotting it securely, she climbed back on again with a bright smile. It was holding her up! Of course, it wasn’t completely sealed and seaworthy, but every boat started somewhere. For now, she just wanted it to be able to hold her up. It wasn’t meant to go too far out anyway.
With her legs stretched along the board in front of her, Yokka swung the paddle around to push her ‘boat’ out where the water was a little deeper. She used her paddle to judge how far down the bottom was. After all, the area she was in had water that was so crystal clear, the whole area looked shallow rather than the gradual slope the ground was doing. Soon enough, her paddle could no longer reach to disturb the sandy bottom, bringing up a bright smile. She was still at the surface! The varnish seemed to be tight, and the wood stable and buoyant. Success!
“Yokka! What do you think you’re doing out there?!”
With a heavy sigh, Yokka glared over her shoulder. Qaplin... That boy was such an obnoxious little brat. “I’m working! You should get on before dad sees you slackin’!”
Though a year older than Yokka, Qaplin had an extraordinary pout face. The ever youthful Geian’s cheeks and lips puffed out and his pale green brows pinched together. A booted foot even gave the soft sand a very ineffective stomp. “Dad’s gonna give you a scolding if you don’t stop bein’ like you are! He wants you to help me in the field!”
Yokka’s head dropped back with a very vocal groan of frustration. “Why me? You work better with Willa.”
Qaplin stomped his foot again, balancing himself when he slid slightly. “I would, but Willa went to town with mom. Nara is off with her gross boyfriend, and Mjor won’t do anything with me anymore. Dad says you gotta do it.” The boy shook his head sharply, his short and sleek hair fanning out as he did so.
Sticking out her jaw, Yokka huffed and turned her ‘ship’ back toward dry land. “What do you think you’re gonna do when I tell him that I won’t be working with you anymore either, huh? I’d love to see you rake the field by yourself.”
Qaplin gave a snarky grin. “You wouldn’t dare, Yokka! Dad will just make you rake the fields yourself and have me help him with his work. Anything to get you away from those boats you’re so obsessed with. Water is fine, Yokka, but our family works with irrigation systems, not boats.” When Yokka was close enough, her brother took a few quick steps forward and slammed his foot down onto the front of the boat.
“That’s fine for you to follow, but I got other ide-EEAAAASS!” Yokka shrieked as she was tossed from her little creation, landing flat on her face in the sand with a grunt. Groaning, she pushed herself up onto her knees to glare back at her nemesis. “Qaplin, you are the absolute worst! You keep up this type of butthead behavior and there’s no way dad will let you take over his business!”
That made Qaplin give pause, a nervous look slipping toward the direction of their house. Hesitantly, he stepped forward to grab Yokka’s arm and help her up. “Sorry. I was just kidding. You’re my little sister, after all. Right?”
Yokka stood and glared at the now cautious smile her brother sported. “You know, I sometimes think that you’re actually the younger one.” With that, Yokka gave a rough shove to her brother, sending the boy flying backward into the shallow of the water. “I’m gonna work with the ships when I’m old enough, you will see,” she snarled as Qaplin sputtered out from the water. “I’m gonna be able to ride whatever ship I want, and fix all of them, and get away from this place. Get away from you and everyone else who keeps thinkin’ they can tell me what to do.”
Qaplin scrambled from the water, cheeks flushed dark. “Yokka, you gotta stop talking that kind of nonsense. You’re gonna either stay in irrigation with me and dad, or you’re gonna join whatever field your future husband is in; that is, if you get lucky enough for anyone to bother with you.” Since he was not about to go tell their father that he had been pushed into the water by his little sister, Qaplin scowled and marched off.
Yokka stuck her tongue out and looked back at her little creation. Good, Qaplin’s foot didn’t break it. Cheeks flushing, she bent to grab up the planks that she, for just a moment, had been free on. “They’ll see,” she grumbled to herself, looking out at the distant horizon. “I’ll be out there, and nobody will stop me.” (( word count: 1044 = 3 points ))
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Posted: Tue Oct 10, 2017 9:17 pm
Prentice- Growth Quest Solo
Rogue Standing outside of the home she had grown up in, Yokka felt a small lump trying to form in her throat. She could not deny that she was nervous as she gazed over the first home she had ever known. What was coming in her life was huge. Epic, even! She had not been expecting this sudden hesitation that she felt on the doorstep.
Yokka was leaving. Yokka was growing up.
With a special birthday passing, Yokka had decided her present was to be a job at the docks. Surprisingly, getting the job at the dock had been fairly easy. The dock was her home away from home. Being a rather familiar face, the dock master had only needed Yokka to show her proficiency for the work and all that it entailed before agreeing to take her on.
The young Geian was thrilled beyond words. Her dreams were opening before her. She would be actually working with the actual boats! She would be able to learn so much and use what she learned toward her own goals. Since the moment that the dock master had agreed to hire her, Yokka had felt as though she could walk on water. Dream was becoming reality.
Her mind did not return to dry land until she was walking up to her home. She would be packing up her belongings to go live by the dock... The young woman had no doubts about going to live and work at the docks. Leaving her childhood home though... Her father would not take it well, surely. Mother would be proud though. Her siblings... well, she expected mixed reviews from them. Her pale gaze fell to the ground contemplatively. What would the woman who had given birth to her think? As traditional as her father could be, would her birth mother appreciate the weight of the decision?
She walked into the little house and called out to see if anyone was around. No answer? They must all be in the field or town. Good! Now she had a little extra time to-
“Yokka?”
Turning, Yokka saw her sister Mjor appear from one of the bedrooms. Well, if it was to be anyone, she preferred that it was Mjor. The bright smile she gave to her sister made the older woman stop with surprise. “Mjor... I got that job at the dock, just like I said I would.”
Mjor stood still for a moment, looking her little sister over. Then she smiled as well and ran forward to give Yokka a hug. “I am so happy for you! The dock is lucky to have you!”
“The dock!!” Qaplin had appeared from somewhere, having been listening in on the revealed surprise. Unlike Mjor though, the boy was quite upset. “No, no, no! You can’t just go and do that, Yokka. There’s no guy marryin’ you to take you over there. We need you here.”
Yokka snorted sharply, bolstered by the firm and supportive hand of her sister’s on her shoulder. “Times started changing long ago, you brat. I don’t need a guy to tell me what I can and can’t do. I was already hired, you see? Don’t you be telling me I can’t go work where I’ve already got work.”
Qaplin stomped his foot. “So, you’re just going to leave us like this? Suddenly up and go without any warning?”
Mjor opened her mouth to speak up, but there was suddenly a sharp wail from behind. “You’re leaving?!” Willa had returned and ran to grab Yokka in a tight hug. “What happened? We can fix this! You don’t have to go anywhere! You don’t have to leave us! I’ll make it better, I will!”
Qaplin pointed. “See? You are upsetting Willa. Do you really want to leave her like this?”
With Qaplin whining, Willa still pleading, and Mjor yelling on Yokka’s behalf, Yokka felt like her head was about to split open. “Guys! Guys! Hold on a minute! It’s not like I’m leaving right this minute.” It was difficult to get a word in though, so she just stood helplessly as her siblings argued around her, still trapped in Willa’s arms. She did love her siblings, but they could be absolutely smothering at times. She just could not wait to get to work at the dock. Everyone had a task, everyone was working together, and there was no sibling bickering. There were certainly negative aspects at the docks, like with any job, but at least it wouldn’t be so personal...
Of course, it was not long before their parents and their final sibling heard the ruckus and came in from the fields. For a moment, they just stared at the siblings each tried to get their attention for their side of the story with Yokka still standing silently. Nara clapped her hands sharply, glaring at her siblings when they quieted down. “Such behavior! It is absolutely appalling to see! Now, please, one at a time.” Of course, all it took was the statement that Yokka was leaving for nearly every mouth to start running again. The parents looked rather lost and confused, mixed between trying to calm everyone down and figure out what they were witnessing.
She couldn’t take it anymore. “Enough!” Yokka snarled, catching everyone’s attention. “Okay, listen! Here’s the long story short version. I am not a youngling anymore. I need a job, and the job I want is at the docks. You can’t sit there saying this is out of nowhere, either. I never hid how I’ve wanted to work with the water ships. I have the job already, I’m going to doing it, so that’s that.”
Nara frowned. “Yokka, most women marry in order to change sectors.” Zamlin, Qaplin, and Willa all nodded in agreement. “Don’t you want to wait until you have someone to help support you?”
Yokka shook her head. “I am not most women.” She felt Mjor squeeze her shoulder supportively, and was delighted to feel her other shoulder gain the support of her step-mother’s grip.
“Zamlin,” Alannari said softly, “this is Yokka we are talking about...” She left the statement to float vaguely in the air, confusing Yokka a little bit at the look that passed between her parents.
Zamlin frowned, turning to his youngest child. “Yokka.. are you sure this is what you want? It’s such a risk...” Seeing the steely determination on his daughter’s face, he sighed and waved the group away. “All of you, give me the night to think on this. We’re all worked up, so off to bed you go.”
That night had been a nail biter for Yokka. She certainly did not want to isolate herself from her family, but she also could not give up the job that she had earned.
The next day though, the happiest girl on Belrea was walking with Alannari and Mjor to find a good apartment. Looking out the window from one of her options, Yokka inhaled deeply and smiled. The reveal had been chaotic, which she had expected. However, Yokka was now looking for a new place to live that was close to the docks. She had a job that would have her working closely with the boats. She would be able to see and touch the ocean every day. Yokka had never felt as satisfied with her life as she was right then.
(( Word count: 1,227 ))
Conclusion: Yokka’s passions remains with ships and the ocean, and has made it clear to the naysayers in her family that this will not change. She is stepping out from her little sister status, and becoming her own woman. Getting a job at the docks and moving out from home are both big steps, giving her more tools and information to work with, and she is eager to learn and move on in her life. She is on her way to becoming a shipwright.
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