Before the Saga Budding Archivist (Jocasta Nu Pentathlon for the 2023 Fanfiction Summer Olympics)

Title: Budding Archivist

Author: devilinthedetails

Genre: A variety of genres.

Timeline: Before the Saga.

Characters: Jocasta Nu; OC; Master Yoda.

Summary: A compilation of stories written for my Jocasta Nu Pentathlon for the 2023 Summer Olympics.

Index of Entries:

A Most Serious Mind: Single Sentence Shot Put. Jocasa Nu; Yoda. General; Character Study. Post #2.

A Volunteer in the Archives: 400 Word Cross Country. Jocasta Nu; OC. General; Drama. Post #10.

A Padwan and a First Edition: 200 Freestyle. Jocasta Nu; OC. General; Mush; Fluff. Post #15.

The Rare Materials Special Collection: 100 Word Sprint. Jocasta Nu; OC. General. Post #23.

A Volume of Huttese Swears: 110 Word Hurdle. Jocasta Nu; OC. General; Humor; Fluff. Post #32.

Pentathlon finished 6/24/2023. Thread always open for reading and commenting

 

Title: A Most Serious Mind

Genre: General; Character Study.

Characters: Jocasta Nu; Master Yoda.

Event: Single Sentence Shot Put

Summary: Jocasta Nu and her most serious mind.

A Most Serious Mind (Single Sentence Shot Put)

When she was a four-year-old initiate learning to meditate, Master Yoda told her in his grave, gravelly voice that a Jedi must have a most serious mind, so that was what Jocasta diligently strove to cultivate in all her training and studying.

 

@earlybird-obi-wan As always, thank you so much for reading and commenting on my work! Yes, even from a young age, Jocasta showed the focus and serious mind necessary to become a Jedi Temple archivist, and this next installment should chart her continued growth into her archivist career path

@Chyntuck Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! I totally picture Jocasta as having certain traits that pushed her in the archivist direction from a young age, and this pentathlon will be all about showcasing and celebrating the development of Jocasta's mad archivist skills

@WarmNyota_SweetAyesha As always, thank you for the kind words and for reading! Young Jocasta is definitely a precocious child in my mind and already displaying the single-minded focus that will serve her well as an archivist at the Jedi Temple. I admit that a large part of the inspiration for this piece was Yoda's counsel to Luke about a Jedi needing to have a most serious mind, and it occurred to me that no Jedi has as serious a mind as Jocasta. So, I figured Yoda could be her inspiration to develop and cultivate that seriousness of mind, and I'm so glad you appreciated the touch of Yoda having a role to play in that regard!

@Seldes_Katne Thank you so much for commenting, and I'm super flattered that you are following this thread It's been awhile since I wrote about Jocasta but it is always a treat when I do, and I am so looking forward to this pentathlon. Young Jocasta definitely has an incredible amount of focus for a four-year-old. She is a truly gifted child!

@whiskers Thank you so much for reading and commenting! I'm so glad that you enjoyed this brief insight into young Jocasta's mind and what set her on her life trajectory to be a Temple archivist. I hope you will enjoy the next installment in her journey just as much

@gizkaspice Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! Jocasta is a wonderful character, and I've enjoyed writing about her in the past, but I definitely don't get a chance to write about her enough. So this pentathlon is a great treat for me in that it gives me a chance to shine the spotlight on Jocasta and celebrate her in my writing as I haven't done for some time!

@UltramassiveUbersue Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! I'm so thrilled that you love my take on Jocasta's character, and I hope you will continue to enjoy what I do with her character as the pentathlon progresses. It is awesome to hear that you felt I established her temperament and persistence so succinctly because that can be one of the real challenges of single sentence stories. Trying to cram everything in to such a short space

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Title: A Volunteer in the Archives

Genre: General; Drama.

Characters: Jocasta Nu; OC.

Event: A Volunteer in the Archives

Summary: Jocasta begins volunteering in the Archives.

A Volunteer in the Archives (400 Word Cross Country )

As soon as Jocasta heard from the Masters in charge of her training that eight-year-old initiates such as herself were expected to volunteer around the Temple, she did not hurry off to the kitchens, the gardens, or the creche as many of her yearmates did.

The kitchens were too loud with their chopping knives and tetrawaves that beeped angrily if not opened promptly. The gardens were too dirty with filth that got under her fingernails whenever she planted flowers or tended to them. The creche with its rambunctious children running around creating mess and trouble was a horrid combination of the kitchen’s noise and the garden’s filthiness.

Unlike her peers, Jocasta rode the turbolift to the Archives, where she had often enjoyed studying and reading in solitude. Sought an audience with the Head of Archives, a Twi’lek named Alix D’Yan.

Sitting in the leather chair he had pointed her to in his office, she begged him to consider allowing her to volunteer in the Archives even though he informed her that he was not in the habit of having initiates like herself volunteering in the Archives.

She assured him that she would be quiet. Not disrupting researchers. That she was punctual and reliable. That she would never be late for any assigned shifts. That she was hard-working and detail-oriented. In short, a perfect person to fulfill all the solemn duties associated with an Archives volunteer.

“I suppose you could be a page.” Master Alix’s teal lekku twitched contemplatively as he assessed her with sharp orange eyes.

“A page?” Jocasta echoed. Bewildered. Thinking that sounded more like something to be flipped in a holobook than a role to be filled by a volunteer in an Archives.

“You will be in charge of reshelving items.” Master Alix rose from his own leather chair. Gestured for her to follow him out of his office into the main Archives. “You will also be expected to do what is called shelf-reading where you scan through the shelves and ensure all our items are filed correctly.”

He showed her where to collect the holobooks after the droids behind the circulation desk checked them in. Explained how fiction items were organized by genre then by author’s last name and title while non-fiction materials were categorized by subject then a decimal classification number followed by author’s last name and title. She felt she was penetrating a great mystery.

 

@earlybird-obi-wan As always, thank you so much for reading and reviewing all my work! I imagine that Jocasta would be someone who would feel the pull to the Archives from a young age as the quiet and the order would appeal to her in contrast to the noise and the dirt that can pervade other places. The Archives are her calling and her sanctuary, and we will see her knowledge and love of the Archives continue to grow as the story progresses!

@gizkaspice Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! I just couldn't resist drawing on my own experience (and the common experience of many librarians) in depicting Jocasta's rising levels of responsibility in the Archives from volunteer to shelver. Jocasta does indeed find her fit in the Archives, and as the story progresses, we will see just how perfect that fit is as her relationship with her mentor develops and she can show more and more of her excellent potential

@WarmNyota_SweetAyesha Thank you so much for being such a sweet and loyal reader and commenter of all my stories!I admit that I got a chuckle out of writing a young Jocasta's thoughts on volunteering in the kitchen, garden, or creche, so I'm glad that part amused you as well. Her keen observation about the creche combining the worst of the garden and kitchen was probably my favorite bit of that section, so I'm thrilled it was a highlight for you too

I think Jocasta emphasizing how she will be quiet, punctual, and reliable shows how mature she is in many ways despite her youth and probably did help her get the volunteer opportunity. And those qualities will help make her a wonderful archivist as she grows. So she has indeed found the right place for herself in the Temple and the Jedi!

And she is one of those special people who can absorb with fascination all the tiny details of correctly filing items on the shelves! Someone after any librarian's heart

@pronker Thank you so much for reading and commenting! Yes, despite his insistence that a Jedi must have a most serious mind, Master Yoda can certainly have quite a playful side both in the PT and the OT

I do admire young Jocasta for knowing what she wants (to volunteer in the Archives) and having the determination to get it. I think she did impress the director of the Archives with her initiative as well.

Ah, yes, I am familiar with some of the joys and tedium of shelf-reading as well, but Jocasta is just the sort of person who falls under the spell of everything Archives related and finds her place in that atmosphere of regulated order which she can contribute so much to over the years.

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Title: A Padawan and a First Edition

Genre: General; Mush; Fluff.

Characters: Jocasta Nu; OC.

Event: 200 Freestyle

Summary: Jocasta becomes a Padawan.

A Padawan and a First Edition (200 Freestyle)

Jocasta was eleven when Master Alix interrupted her as she sat at her datapad, cataloging a cartful of new non-fiction holobooks. As she had spent more time volunteering at the Archives, she had been trusted with more than just shelf-reading and re-shelving items.

Allowed to dabble in cataloging (which she proved to have an aptitude for), offered input in purchasing decisions, and tasked with helping patrons navigate various technological devices in the Archives.

Perhaps Master Alix was reflecting on the same trajectory of growth for he commented, “You’ve been volunteering in the Archives for three years now. I’ve been impressed with your intelligence, your eagerness to learn, and your dedication to the Archives. I would formally ask you to be my Padawan.”

“I would be honored to accept.” Jocasta managed to choke out while standing and bowing.

“I bought you a gift.” Master Alix pulled out a holobook he had been hiding behind his beige robes.

“A first edition of my favorite Alderaanian play!” Jocasta gasped. Not knowing whether to hug the play or her Master first. Compromising by embracing one in each arm.

Master Alix tugged teasingly at her hair. “We’ll need to get you a Padawan braid soon.”

 

@WarmNyota_SweetAyesha As always, thank you so much for reading and commenting!I'm so glad you thought this piece was sweet since it truly warmed my heart to write it. I definitely picture Alix as being a warm mentor who is quick to praise as well as quick to appreciate Jocasta's hard work and diligent effort! So in that way, he is a perfect mentor for her!

@whiskers Thanks so much for commenting, and yes, the rest is history indeed! I'm thrilled that you loved the reasons why she chose to volunteer at the Archives, and not some other places at the Temple. It really shows how drawn she was to the Archives from a young age. As if it was her destiny to be an archivist! And I agree that Alix was totally lucky to have her!

@earlybird-obi-wan Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! I'm so glad it shone through how loving Jocasta's master is since I wanted to show his affectionate side in this piece

@Seldes_Katne Thank you so much for reading and for the thoughtful words! I agree that Jocasta was a perfect choice of Padawan on Master Alix's part, and that Jocasta has a true calling to work in the Archives! I head canon Jocasta receiving some combat training and getting to go on some missions in the field with her Master (perhaps ones that involve a lot of research or require a lot of knowledge) but that her primary instruction would be in the Archives and serving the Jedi Order in that way. I also think as you say a bulk of her instruction would focus on information storage, preserving materials, preparing materials, and various cataloging and shelving systems. And one day I may even write a story about Jocasta going on a mission with Master Alix since I have become so fond of both of them and their relationship

@pronker Thank you so much for reading and commenting! Yes, indeed, Master Alix was keeping a covert eye on Jocasta's reading preferences (as many librarians keep an eye on what their patrons like to read to better be able to recommend titles, etc) so that he could have the perfect gift to give her on this momentous occasion! And I hope you continue to enjoy this exploration of the training of a Jedi on the Archivist path!

@Chyntuck Thanks so much for reading and for the kind words! I'm so glad that you loved the bit of characterization of even at 8 years-old our dear Jocasta understanding what is expected of her in the Archives and being so mature beyond her years. I really wanted to celebrate those admirable qualities of her in this fic, and show that serious side of her in an endearing, positive light. And Master Alix could indeed not say no after she pleads her case so well, and she goes on to continually prove that he was right to give her a chance to volunteer in the Archives because she is an excellent addition to the Archives!

That sense of childlike amazement and excitement at starting to have the mysteries of the inner workings of the Archives revealed to her was exactly what I was hoping to convey in that passage, and I'm so thrilled it resonated with you and was a highlight of the story

A Padawan and a First Edition was a truly heartwarming story for me to write. Like a hug or a warm cup of tea after a long day! So I am so happy you found it precious

The line of her not knowing whether to hug her new play or her Master first truly made me sort of squee as I wrote it, and I'm glad it was so moving for you as well! I agree that it really does show both how she is a kid who needs to hug someone or something and how she is such a big bookworm that hugging a book has as much appeal as hugging the one who gave her the book

She is truly a person after my own heart with her love of books!

@gizkaspice Thank you so much for reading and reviewing! You have keen eyes indeed spotting that non-fiction detail I like to imagine that in addition to having non-fiction holobooks on basically every conceivable subject, the Temple Archives are also well-stocked with fiction materials especially because certain works of fiction can be valuable for understanding different cultures and time periods. Plus, they can just be fun to read, and even Jedi need something fun to do in their down time!

And I'm so thrilled that you love my decision to have Jocasta be a big bookworm from the start! To me, the Archives are a perfect place for a bookworm like our young Jocasta

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Title: The Rare Materials Special Collection

Genre: General.

Characters: Jocasta Nu; OC.

Event: 100 Word Sprint

Summary: Jocasta ventures into the Rare Materials Special Collection for the first time.

The Rare Materials Special Collection (100 Word Sprint)

Jocasta was thirteen when Master Alix led her into the Rare Materials Special Collection for the first time. A vast vault containing tomes so ancient they were recorded on flimsi in ink that could smear if not handled with care.

“Should I wear gloves?” she asked. Glancing around for a box. Determined not to ruin anything.

“A common misconception, but no.” Master Alix shook his head. “You’re more likely to tear a flimsi without the tactile feedback from your fingers.”

“The oils on my fingertips–” she started.

Only to be interrupted by Master Alix. “Will not damage ink or flimsi.”