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.