WIP Wednesday - Character Sketch of Imdiko Yorso

Here we are at the final member of Clan Tukui. Imdiko Yorso has not appeared at all in the previous Europa-set books, so I had to make him from scratch. Looks-wise, he's loosely based on Tom York, who played Sam on the British television series, Poldark. Google him. He's a real cutie.

Height/Weight:     6’6”/245 pounds 

Sex:                      Male

Hair:                     Black, shoulder length, photogenically mussed

Dress:                  black formsuit with green trim

Body:                   very toned and muscular, keeps himself in shape to show off

Face:                    big bright-eyes, adorable, sweet, earnest expression—especially when he’s teasing someone

Mouth:                usually smiling, full lips

Imperfections:  a bit naïve, sometimes too flirty out of habit, his manner tends to hide how intelligent he is

Age:                      25

Birthplace:          Kalquor

Home:                 Spyship, tiny quarters shared with his clanmates, kept neat because they have little room, tiny paintings on the wall, primitive weapons on wall, mirror (he checks his appearance often out of habit because he loved to date before being clanned).

Habits:                 Reading and researching—it’s his hobby as well as his profession

Job:                       Cultural liaison, not military

Name of Character:   Imdiko Yorso

Timeline:

Year 0: Born to governess Matara Dulsen (she’s paid by her much richer sister—Dulsen clanned for love, not status), historian Dramok Roslad, training camp instructor Nobek Enra, historian Imdiko Adnun. Only child, raised in quiet and contemplative surroundings, spends a lot of time with cousins whom his mother teaches.

Year 3: So beautiful that vid-scouts convince the parent clan to put him in vid-dramas; coincidentally, he plays the son of Osopa’s father Mokta in one…but the boys don’t meet.

Year 5: Classified an Imdiko. Same year, his parents end his vid career because they don’t like the self-centered attitudes they see and the unreality of the life at his age. Though he doesn’t miss the demands, Yorso does miss being fussed over.

Year 12: After attending one of his historian fathers’ lectures about Kalquor’s past diplomatic works, Yorso finds himself fascinated by alien cultures. He begins studying the subject on his own.

Year 14: After his mother notes the encyclopedic knowledge Yorso has gained about Joshadans, Tragooms, and other cultures, she consults with leading educators she knows. His schooling takes a turn as he’s granted a scholarship to study his interest at college-level while continuing his basic education.

Year 17: Earth is discovered. Yorso excitedly follows the latest information on this species that looks so similar to his own, but is socially quite different.

Year 18: Completes basic school, continues studies in alien cultures. Has first sexual encounter with a Dramok, then starts dating around when he realizes how popular his good looks make him. Begs his parents not to arrange any clanships—he tells them he wants to concentrate on studies and become a diplomatic aide, which is partially true, but he really wants to slut around. They agree to let him pick his own clan.

Year 20: Finishes his studies and quickly lands an assignment to the Kalquorian minister to Plasius. Has a very good time on his few trips to that planet.

Year 22: Vies to work with ambassador to Earth, but doesn’t land the position. He takes a new job with ambassador to Adraf instead.

Year 23: With hostilities growing with Earth, Yorso recruited by Kalquor’s fleet after they note his interest in the alien culture. He’s not a member of the fleet, but a cultural advisor on Tranis’s spyship. He enjoys his work though he never gets to interact with the Earthers they’re spying on—advising Tranis and Lidon as they investigate the aliens and their movements. Has many relationships, but not in any hurry to clan.

Year 24: War with Earth breaks out. Most of the experienced crew is sent to destroyers, more as casualties call upon good fighting crew. Large turnover in crew brings on board many new young men, including new navigator Dramok Tukui and new weapons subcommander Osopa. With his pick of yummy Dramoks and Nobeks, Yorso is having a grand time despite the danger of their missions. Despite all efforts to remain fancy-free, Yorso is drawn to Tukui and Osopa bit by bit.

As with Tukui and Osopa, Yorso's timeline is cut short due to potential spoilers.

WIP Wednesday: Character Sketch of Nobek Osopa

This was my inspiration board for Tina. The fellows from left to right would be Tukui, Yorso, and Osopa.

Osopa, the Nobek hero of Tina, is already an acquaintance. We encountered him in both Alien Conquest and Sister Katherine as the Weapons Subcommander, second to Nobek Lidon. He’s young but already a well-seasoned fleet officer. He’s the opposite of brash Tukui in many ways, but too much of a good thing can have its own disadvantages.

Height/Weight:     6’8”/260 pounds 

Sex:                      Male

Hair:                     Black, shoulder length, wavy

Dress:                  black formsuit with red trim, boots, gold and silver bar denotes his rank as subcommander

Body:                   strong, well-muscled, moves with a dancer’s grace

Face:                    hooded ‘bedroom’ eyes, he looks sleepy unless he’s on alert, broad features

Mouth:                rarely smiles or frowns, nice when he does smile

Imperfections:  all business when he’s on duty even around clanmates, when he claims Tina he’ll do so very matter-of-factly though he cringes inside at her reaction—can seem cold though he doesn’t mean to; this habit of hiding behind an emotionless façade puts him at odds with his unclanned, infertile sister who cares for their widowed mother

Age:                      29

Birthplace:          Kalquor

Home:                 Spyship, tiny quarters shared with his clanmates, kept neat because they have little room, tiny paintings on the wall, primitive weapons on wall.

Habits:                 Building primitive-style weapons from scratch is his hobby

Job:                      Weapons subcommander

Name of Character:   Nobek Osopa

Timeline:

Year 0: Born to heiress Matara Balnea, vid star Dramok Mokter, Mokter’s bodyguard Nobek Snem, Mokter’s personal assistant Imdiko Jumo. Older sibling, infertile Matara Teroz.

Year 4: Family lives in treehouse; Osopa manages to disable safety barrier and climbs out on limb, no fear whatsoever, pitches a fit when his Nobek father pulls him in, they already know he’s a Nobek and with their social standing and wealth, they get him in the best training camp money can buy.

Year 5: Osopa shows tremendous grace under pressure, he excels despite his young age, is promoted with older trainees, which affects him socially. He’s left mostly to himself, except when jealous older boys ‘put him in his place’.

Year 8: He understands there is some fuss over his sister Teroz, she’s sad and parents seem to be concerned but embarrassed all at once. She’s in therapy for coming up infertile.

Year 12: Osopa continues to advance beyond his years, has few friends and his family is focused on his sister still; she’s coddled but kept in the background; as a Nobek, Osopa is expected to mind himself for the most part; he keeps his own counsel.

Year 15: Fathers killed in shuttle crash, mother left brain damaged, older sister feels it’s on her to take care of mother, she does so because she loves her, but is quick to play the ‘poor me’ card whenever Osopa sees her.

Year 16: Osopa finishes basic training camp, he’s nominated for a prestigious Nobek-centered fleet officers’ school.

Year 19: Completes officers’ school, since he’s still on the young side, he alternates between assisting other trainees and practical service on vessels.

Year 21: Meets Tukui during fleet battle camps, at first the devil-may-care Dramok gets on Osopa’s nerves, but Tukui brings Osopa out of his shell and shows him some fun, Osopa likes himself around Tukui, they make an impression on each other. They begin to meet when able until Osopa (who is older) ships out for his first ‘permanent’ assignment. 

Year 23: Osopa ships out on first assignment. He maintains contact with Tukui for a little while, though they date others. Bit by bit, they lose touch, especially after Osopa lands a plum assignment on a troop carrier.

Year 26: Tukui upgrades to the troop carrier vessel and meets with Osopa again. Though Tukui is still impulsive and Osopa as introverted as ever, they are delighted to discover there’s more than a mere spark between them. They clan. 

Year 28: War with Earth breaks out. Tukui’s older brothers, both serving on spyships, are killed. Tukui and Osopa ask for an assignment on a spyship to honor them. Tukui is made navigator on Tranis’s vessel, while Osopa scores the weapons subcommander gig. There is a cultural liaison Imdiko on board who at first gives them the cold shoulder (he has his pick of yummy Dramoks and Nobeks and is in no hurry to get tied down).

The rest of the timeline is excluded to avoid giving out potential spoilers.

WIP Wednesday - Character Sketch of Dramok Tukui

Here is the character sketch of the Dramok hero of Tina. Tukui, at this early stage of writing, is good-natured but impulsive and somewhat irresponsible. It’s landed him in trouble and will probably do so again. He’ll need to grow up fast when it comes to being a good clan leader for our frightened and desperate-to-please Tina.

Height/Weight:     6’6”/240 pounds 

Sex:                      Male

Hair:                     Black, mid-back length 

Dress:                  black formsuit with blue trim, boots

Body:                   strong, muscled

Face:                    mustache and goatee, handsome, devilish aspect, resembles Sebastian Stan

Mouth:                often curled in a knowing smile (this is unconscious—it’s like Ringo’s naturally sad face)

Imperfections:  Speaks impatiently even when he doesn’t mean to—it’s how he was spoken to and he’s trying to break the habit of it but hasn’t quite done so. With Tina’s need to please, it will cause some issues between them. After a reprimand, Tranis is also aware of Tukui’s slipups and usually corrects him now with a mild, “Tone, Navigator.” Also rather impetuous, not always thinking things out—the more mature Osopa signals with a raised brow to warn Tukui to rein it in.

Age:                      26

Birthplace:          Kalquor

Home:                 Spyship, tiny quarters shared with his clanmates, kept neat because they have little room, tiny paintings on the wall, handcrafted weaponry on the wall.

Habits:                 Painting miniature canvases—a must since there is little room for supplies.

Name of Character:   Dramok Tukui

Timeline:

Year 0: Born to artist Matara Nini, district leader (mayor) Dramok Geta, law enforcer Nobek Orki, Nini’s manager Imdiko Erkati. Older siblings, two Nobeks

Year 3: Wanders away from family during an outdoor district celebration, finds a cool place under stage skirting to nap, family and others freaked out searching for him, wakes near dark and comes out wailing for his mother, no harm done but parent clan still gets upset when they remember it.

Year 5: Tests indicate Tukui is a Dramok, though he has some issues with immaturity.

Year 8: Decides on a whim to travel on his own to visit favorite grandparent clan after his parent clan says they can’t take him, his older brothers on holiday from training catch him, give him a hiding for it.

Year 11: Both older brothers now unable to visit from training camp because they are in full-blown puberty and dangerous, Tukui takes it as a license to get away with everything they never would let him get away with—he is far too immature and impetuous in comparison to older brothers. It gets him in trouble, particularly with Dramok and Nobek fathers, whose discipline is soon forgotten when Tukui is distracted by what looks like fun.

Year 13: After another incident in which Tukui gets himself into trouble, he is sent to military school for Dramoks—not as physically demanding as Nobek training camp, but regimented and responsibility is enforced. Over the years, Tukui matures a bit better, but he still sometimes loses good sense to impetuousness. Is thrashed regularly by his brothers when they have occasion to catch him being up to no good. Also thrashed by his instructors because he’s developed that terse, impatient tone of his fathers.

The rest of the timeline is excluded to avoid giving out potential spoilers.