Job Search and Unexpected Training (Private)

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This shining population center is considered the jewel of The Sylira Region. Home of the vast majority of Mizahar's population, Syliras is nestled in a quiet, sprawling valley on the shores of the Suvan Sea. [Lore]

Job Search and Unexpected Training (Private)

Postby Ana on March 11th, 2010, 8:22 pm

Ana had been in Syliras for long enough to finally know her way around. It hadn’t been as easy as she had thought to become acclimated to the place. It was almost unbearably warm and the number people was almost intimidating for the outspoken Vantha girl. Her eyes were constantly swirling with color as she explored and learned more about the city, and yet she still felt as if she knew nothing.

On this particular day, she was trying to find some place to work. Money was going to get short and eventually her supplies were going to run out. She thought that she might try and find a doctor or herbalist or someone to assist or apprentice under, or simply carry messages. She was willing to try anything at least once; even if it meant doing random odd jobs for people.

As she walked through the city, she noticed a little shooting range she had never seen before. There were a few people there, shooting their bows, arrows flying wildly through the air to land on the ground or imbed themselves in the target. Her eyes flashed orange with curiosity and she approached the range, taking a place next to a large man who was one of the few who was actually able to hit the target. She pulled out her own bow and fitted it with an arrow. Raising it up slowly, she aimed and shot at the target in front of her. The arrow whizzed through the air and with a low thud imbedded itself just below the center mark of the target. She’d never been quite able to hit right where she aimed and sighed that this attempt was the same.

“It seems you are rather skilled for a girl.” the bulky man next to her said with a low grumbling noise that must have been a chuckle. “A little bit off though.”

Ana’s eyes flashed red with a sudden burst of anger. “What does me being girl have to do with shooting?” she said, her soprano voice almost taking away from the anger in her tone.

“Oh nothing, nothing!” he said quickly, waving his hands, “You are better than most of the men here right now! Just a complement.” Another grumbling chuckle emanated from the man’s throat. Ana blinked rapidly a few times before her eyes slowly began to switch between a dark green and blue.

“Skilled is hitting the center.” she said shortly, wrinkling her nose as she retrieved her arrow. Upon returning she noticed the man scratching his chin, looking oddly pensive.

“Have you tried switching your aim up or down?” he said, the thoughtful look still on his face.

“Up or down?” she responded, a look of disbelief on her face and her eyes frozen mid color switch. “It is not aiming at the right thing then.”

“No no, try it! I hear it works sometimes if your short ‘cause your shoulder ain’t even enough with the target.”

Ana just sat there and stared momentarily. Did he actually expect her to do something so idiotic sounding? The man just stood there, as if waiting for her to give it a try. Blowing air through her lips to make a rumbling sound, she turned to face the target once more. She fitted an arrow and aimed again, this time slightly below the center mark. When she released it, it whizzed through the air and barely nicked the bottom of the target.

“Well that didn’t work. Try aiming somewhere else.” the man said. A crowd was starting to form around her and it was a little nerve wracking, especially since it didn’t seem like this man’s suggestions were helping in the least.

Instead of retrieving her arrow right away, she took another from her quiver and fitted it in the bow. This time she aimed above the target. The arrow missed again but this time it was above and to the right of the center. Before she could hear the man speak she had another arrow fitted and was aiming again. This process continued until after several failed attempts, she aimed about a centimeter above and four centimeters to the left of the center. She released the arrow and with a solid thump, it landed right in the middle of the target.

Ana stood in disbelief for a second, just staring at the bit of wood and feathers sticking out of the hay filled target. The crowd was silent momentarily as well. Then with a sudden up roar the crowd of archers cheered. The man who had helped her yelled above them, “See! It worked! Congratulations kid!” He then clapped her on the shoulder, nearly toppling her over. A grin formed on her face as she rubbed her now slightly sore arm and her eyes swirled with multiple colors. She did it! She hit the target exactly in the middle! That had never happened before!

A couple of the archers ran forward and handed her the arrows. Around the arrow that had hit the center, someone had tied a little red cotton cloth to make it stand out from the rest. With thank yous to the men, especially the one who had given her the tips, she left the archery practice grounds, already planning her next visit. But it was time to be off on the job search again.

OOC: Next post will be Job related.
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Re: Job Search and Unexpected Training (Private)

Postby Ana on March 12th, 2010, 9:22 pm

Once more, Ana roamed aimlessly, searching for anything that looked promising. Though now, her spirits were lifted, her small gain in archery a great achievement. She had never thought she’d actually be able to hit something right where she wanted it. Now she had a little bit of hope of reaching her dream, to be one of the few female Vantha to be considered a warrior, not just a home maker.

But now she needed a place to work to get money so she could better outfit herself when need be; and to get living supplies of course, that was always important. That plan seemed like it might end up taking a little bit more time. Most places she went wanted very little to do with her. A girl belonged at home, with a husband, not out working a job a man should have. It made her blood boil and her eyes swirl wildly with colour. How dare they determine what she could and could not do? It was that exact stereotype and situation that she was constantly fighting.

Eventually she just sat down on a wooden ledge leading into a random building. She leaned against her knees and sighed. There was just no way she was ever going to get anywhere in this place. They didn’t even give her the slightest chance. How was she supposed to compete with people who had more experience; was she really going to be looked over simply because she had come from a frozen, barren wasteland? It was ridiculous!

“Hey, what’s wrong with you?” a voice said to her. Ana jumped, surprised by the sudden and unexpected voice. She quickly looked to her left to see a man who might have been a few years older than her sitting on the stoop next to her. She blinked a few times confusedly, her long dark lashes momentarily obscuring her now bright golden eyes.

“Excuse me?”
she said, her voice almost accusing.

“I just wanted to know what’s wrong. I saw you sitting here all sad so I thought I’d ask.” he said with a shrug of his shoulders.

Ana blinked again. “But I don’t know you.”

“I know. But the city can be a pretty lonely place when people aren’t nice to each other. So again, what’s the matter?”

Ana just stared at him for a moment or two. Since when did people around Syliras express kindness just randomly; especially to a girl? “Well,” she said after a moment’s pause, “I need a job and I can’t find an employer that would hire me.”

Now the boy blinked at her, as if what she said was a completely foreign idea to him. Great, another chauvinist, she thought. “Have you tried asking Mina? She’s a little crazy but she heals people so I’m sure she could use some help. You can find her in the shop down the street there.”

Again Ana stared, complete disbelief written across her face. Then, before she could stop herself to check her common language she blurted out, “Why you help me?”

The boy stood and brushed himself off, as if the place he had been sitting on had been dirty. “The gods told me you needed assistance.” he said with conviction that was usually saved for a religious ceremony. Before Ana could respond the boy walked away into the crowd.

How odd, she thought before standing. At the very least she was going to give it a try. The worst thing that could happen was rejection, which she was starting to get used to at that point. This time she felt a little more confident though because the prospective employer was also a woman. Ana made her way down the street, asking for directions here and there until she stood directly in front of a building that said ‘Mina’s Apothecary and Treatment for Physical Maladies’. With a slow, deep breath in and a moment’s pause, Ana ascended the stairs and entered the building.

She pushed open the heavy wooden door and walked in, closing it as quietly as possible behind her. She moved forward, taking one extremely hesitant step after another. “Hello? Is Mina here?” she called out quietly, the utter stillness of the place starting to scare the young Vantha girl.

“Why hello there child!” A high pitched, crackly voice suddenly yelled in her ear. Ana, completely surprised, screamed and jumped sideways, running straight into a table. Upon hitting the table she fell to the ground and looked up quickly to see and old woman with a huge grin on her face staring down at her. The old woman chuckled and muttered something that sounded like ‘Get’s ‘em every time.’

Ana stood as quickly as possible, rubbing her hip which she was sure would be bruised the next day. “Um, hello.” she muttered quietly. “Are you Mina?”

“The one and the only!” the woman said excitedly. She had walked over to a table covered in books, papers, and jars with odd liquids in them and had sat on a stool next to it. Leaning on the table she continued, “And you must be the Vantha girl Anamtrasi, or Ana as you preferred to be called.”

Ana stared at her in shock before saying, “How did you know that?” Then, realizing that the woman was speaking Vani, though she was definitely not Vantha she said, “And how do you know Vani?”

“Never mind that child! It is time to get down to business. I will pay you 20 gm every week for doing chores, running errands, and other odds and ends for me. At the same time you shall be my apprentice!” she said quickly, getting up once more and walking over to an untidy bookshelf. Tapping her chin, she picked out a huge book and threw it at Ana; who caught it though it knocked the wind out of her. “Read the first chapter right now! Tell me when you are done!”

Ana, whose head was still spinning from the speed of the occurrence, walked dazedly over to a table and sat down, setting the book on the table with a loud thump. She opened to the first chapter and began reading:

A warrior’s true asset is knowing the weakest areas of the body. The first of which are the joints. The joints are...


The chapter continued as such for a number of pages, defining, describing, depicting, and listing everything and anything anyone would and wouldn’t care to know about joints. It bored Ana to bits but she read it thoroughly, soaking in the information. When she was finally finished two and a half hours had passed.

Ana looked up and saw Mina sitting in the corner, mashing something up in a bowl with a stone rod. “I’m finished.” she said quietly, almost nervous to interrupt to eccentric woman’s work.

“Perfect timing! Now straighten out those books while I quiz you!” she said, pointing at the messiest of the book shelves. Ana stood and walked to the shelf, hands shaking, not because she had to clean, but because she was being tested.

“Why are joints one of the weakest areas of the body?” the woman asked.

Ana was relieved by the first question; it was one of the first things written in the chapter. “They are the weakest because they hold the body together with only a few strong fibers.”

“What are the two types of fiber that hold them together?”

“Tendons and ligaments.”

“What are those made of?”

“Cartilage.”

“What is the difference between the two?”

Ana’s hands faltered with a book she was moving upon hearing the question. There was a difference? “I…I don’t know.” she muttered quietly, looking down at the floor. Mina made a sort of high pitched grumbling noise and continued the questioning. From that point on, Ana couldn’t answer a single question. Why couldn’t she just ask something she knew? The torture continued until she had finished cleaning the bookshelf.

“Exactly what I expected. You child need to pay attention to everything around you, not just what you find interesting! Now,” she told Ana, “Take these to the man you met at the archery range would you dearie?” A huge, lopsided grin overtook the woman’s face and she shoved a basket filled with muffins at Ana. Ana stared for a second before taking hold of the basket.

As she walked to the door Mina stopped her with an exclamation. “Ana! Take the book with you and be ready to be tested on the first chapter tomorrow morning! It’s getting late now and Miss Snufflykins wants her dinner. Be here at sunrise!” Ana turned and grabbed the book and too her surprise a large fluffy cat sat on Mina’s lap. The old woman was hugging and squeezing it and talking to it like a child.

Once Ana left the building she sighed. She’d never met someone so strange before. She did feel a little sorry for the cat though; how awful it would be to be squeezed in such a manner! Then she started walking back towards the range to deliver Mina’s muffins to the man at the shooting range and to read her chapter. The sun was setting over the water and Ana couldn’t help but smile. She’d certainly accomplished a lot more in one day than she had previously expected.
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Re: Job Search and Unexpected Training (Private)

Postby Gossamer on March 15th, 2010, 3:19 am

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Experience: + 1 Anatomy, + 1 Bow
Additional Notes: First off, please do not make up new businesses in Syliras. If the business is in the link map, feel free to rp about it and use it. But new ones are not allowed without using the world development forum or asking the DS of the city. Secondly, the same goes for NPCs. Do not make up new ones. Also, dont set your own salary and please don't give yourself items without a moderator. WE don't have weeks in Mizahar so your salary won't work. Feel free to rp earning 3 GM a day as a messenger/apprentice.
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