--Younger Years [0-8]--
Sveo Zi-Eun was raised in the slums of Mistral. His parents were civilians from Upper Mistral that did not make the best of choices, and ended up there. They worked on odd jobs at first, but eventually they became workers in a construction company. They wanted a kid, and wanted him/her to fulfill his/her own wishes, and so they did their best at their work, for a while, before bearing a kid. Though, the doc told them that his mother couldn’t bear a kid again due to her post-natal injuries. Shortly afterwards, their baby suffered a severe case otomycosis (a fungal ear infection) on both his “human” ears. It’s true that this disease is easy to cure, but unfortunately many ENT (ear, nose and throat doctors) were very busy at the time. These doctors have had to lives to save, and many arrangements that they must attend to in regards to this. They basically told them to wait their turn. All the while, they made sure to take care of their baby’s needs (his hygiene, clean his mouse ears, what he eats, etc.). After two days one of them finally called and came, performing the surgery. Should they’ve called a day later, the consequences would’ve been devastating.
It is relief that some of these doctors, didn’t mind to be paid a fraction weekly. His parents did not have the money to pay for it all. Their rich parents considered them a disgrace, and gave no support at all. While their neighbors provided little to no help, but were grateful to those that did. After they paid for the ear infection removal in full, they focusing on getting ENT surgery for their kid again, so that, in his future, he won’t have to worry about flesh flabs and/or holes where the functional “human” ears used to be.
Then, as soon as his mom and the baby could walk, they both left him at an orphanage, so they can focus on work, visiting almost every day to make sure he’s alright. He was around one-and-a-half years old when they’ve afforded an oralist. Mrs. Aevoni Radha taught his parents how to teach Sveo how to communicate with his voice and lip-read, and even teaching him herself. His parents did their best, and Sveo got most of the simple stuff right at two and three months. Mrs. Radha visited Sveo to check on his progress and/or test him. But also teaching him on a few occasions about what his parent’s couldn’t get right several times. There were fewer times when she brought one of her orator friends to be a visual aid. Her friend was there to demonstrate proper pronunciations, oral sentencing, etc. She taught Sveo in a more quiet and separate room in the slums. When he was four years, his parents could finally look after of him in their home. It was a slow process, and many days were spent not only teaching him the proper pronunciations, to so many words, but to also cooking, writing, hygiene, social skills, manners.. etc., when he can be taught which is which. They were patient with him. They must. There were a few times where someone, or all of the family became sick, but they were still standing after. Mrs. Radha visited Sveo’s family for about forty hours max (two hours per day), only for business. Their overall patience and effort turned Sveo into a well-spoken but poor kid. He finished the essentials course a few days before his eighth birthday.
--Building [8-13]—-
He already knew of Grimm, beasts who aim to destroy all of humanity. He lived in the slums at the edge of Mistral. Its protection lies within volunteer hunters and capable dwellers. He noticed that a few groups of Grimm were an everyday thing, but can be handled by the slum dwellers. However, without hunters, they stand little chance against Grimm breaches, an unfortunately uncommon occurrence. During these attacks, even when he was a few years old, He saw a few hunters, killed, as well as many innocents. He, and several others, watched behind windows from a protected shelter. He saw a lot of blood splatter, pieces of meat flayed about. He was sure that there was a lot of losses that he didn’t see. He assessed what the hunters and a few capable civilians were doing. Killing Grimm with weapons, guiding/carrying the helpless back to safety, helping each other out. He himself wanted to aid them, but, he knew he wasn’t ready for that. Not yet.
Sveo spent his childhood observing not only kids his age, but everyone. He was inwardly questioning why things were the way they are, though he was incapable of expressing that at the time. He also spent those years mimicking the way adults spoke and moved, and trying to learn the meaning behind those actions. He sometimes asked his parents stuff that he was confused about, and they enjoyed teaching him those. Some questions, he didn’t know how to make, but he saved those for another time. They also unlocked his aura a few months after his eighth b-day, and told him simple details about it. When he could look after himself, as well as their rundown house, they moved him there, and focused as much as they could through work. Whenever they had days off, they played games (for children) together! He was allowed to leave their house, telling him which folks to steer clear of, and he did as he was told.
He spent his outside sessions talking to people, mostly adults, sometimes kids. exchanging facts and other info, while only going in his house to have meals or to sleep. After a while, exchanging info became “do this and/or that, and I’ll tell you.” And so, he did those, some times asking for help if he was confused about something. He didn’t mind doing those tasks as long as he knew those weren’t bad. He told his parents about his doings outside, and they listened, and told him useful input when needed. Sometimes when things went bad financially, they worked their best, enough so that, at least, their kid can have meals everyday. Sometimes none of them had meals, but he didn’t mind, as long as they’re together. Eventually he told his parents that he didn’t want to play their games anymore, and they talked and came to an understanding. It isn’t as if the kid hates those, but he just thinks it’s not for him. After all, he enjoyed learning about facts, whether those would be from his parents, or others. They continued to support him financially, even when they were sick.
Soon the time they spent together as a family lessened quickly, reduced to simple conversations within meals, or whenever they could. They got the fact that their kid doesn’t need to spend that much time with them for him to love his family. He was always did, so he didn’t need reinforcement. Eventually he learned that he liked doing physical work, most of the folk already knew him so whenever they looked like they need help, he won’t mind, as long as they won’t. They started to pay him tips, and he was thankful, even if those seemed too small to care about. And then, a problem stopped him in the middle of his work.
Tomorrow, Sveo continued to do odd jobs for the slumsfolk for pay, or not, though money would be nice. He simply enjoyed doing the physical work, he found those as something to do, anyway. While working, he sometimes encountered and talked with some kids, showing how much they’ve progressed. He even saw some of them wielding common household objects as weapons. One of those days he smiled, and that was certainly something! Additionally, he even encountered his semblance to prevent the glass cups from falling (from one of his odd jobs).
He learnt about huntsmen and huntresses years ago, but didn’t really knew what they truly meant, Until he thought about them this day, as he contemplated about the facts that he has gathered. Though it was risks were present, they get the best pay! They’re heroes, and what they do is kill Grimm and defeat baddies! He told his parents this, and, they smiled sadly.
“Is this what you need?”
“Yes. I don’t like seeing you all working THAT hard for me-“
“But we’d loved to! We want to support you-“
“It’s so that you won’t need to work for me, but instead… you work for you.”
Seconds of silence, and then…
“Well, we’ll need to work as hard as we’re able, harder than we’ve done in our entire lives! Our hope is that your 4-year tuition will be fully paid when you’re 13.”
“Let’s get to it.”
“Let’s?”
“I’ll help too!”
“How?”
“You know I have money, right?”
“We thought you spent them on sweets! We know how much you love chocolate!”
“I do, but I didn’t spend any of my lien. I didn’t knew what to with the money at first, but, now I do!”
A few moments, then tears came to his parents’ eyes. His mother wiped hers away.
“Let’s!” They all said in unison.
Though it wasn’t much, he did get a lot from doing odd jobs. A several lien, and eventually he was given a wooden staff that’s sturdy enough to bash Grimm’s heads with! That was given to him but an old man in a wheelchair, that he did chores and other favors for in the past. Thanking him, he used the staff when he waiting for something to do as they were times that the slumsfolk didn’t need much help. He in occasion fought small Grimm in search for new strats other than “bash head ‘til it dies” technique. He found that “stab that so limbs can’t move” or “hit ‘til it can’t breathe” works. There were others strats, but eventually all of those were simplified to “hit vital spots.” Other than that, he always played it safe, fleeing, and calling for help when necessary, if faced with Grimm that he can’t handle alone. Although many can’t help due to their fatigue and hunger, some were willing to help. Undoubtedly there were many losses, and deaths, but eventually they killed the Grimm invasions.
--Combat School! [13-17]—
Near the time where combat schools start school year!:
“We’re sorry, our best wasn’t enough for your four-year tuition!”
“How about now?’ He showed them the small stack of lien that he’s collected over the years.
“My word. This is enough for the entire school, and, even the transport to there and back!” said Dad.
And so, they enrolled their only kid to a combat school in the Middle Mistral, he payed close attention to the basic combat practicals (particularly on combat anatomy), weapons building, aura and semblance training and immediate first-aid training, he barely paid attention to the other subjects, like history, however, and what he learned from those came and went, in summary. After he gave the teachers his blueprints, he, as well as the other students, went to work on their weapons. His combat focus was to develop his semblance, but his weapon got damaged because of his choices. He was taught how to maintain his weapon, and after a while got the hang of it! He did not need to ask the teachers, most of the time in the subjects he excelled at, and that went on for a while.
Sveo himself didn’t mind others personally, but some bigoted youths despised him because of his faunus heritage. Their loss, but he did try his best to work with them, but to no avail. He eventually asked his teachers for other partners, and they regrettably did so. People did try to bully him, but he basically talked them off for wasting his time, and their own. So they don’t bully him, though they did for others. He was so attentive in class that, even in breaks, he thought about what his teachers said. He may have been too focused on that since he usually doesn’t sit with others, nor has he noticed the bullying around him.
Using his semblance to enchant others yielded mixed results, some, who were particularly strong, he had much trouble to enchant, while others were easy, because they were weaker than him, in structure. In general, he is somewhat cooperative. His co-ops out of combat are above average, but when in combat, the results were mixed as far as his actual grades are concerned. And it’s usually him that’s trying! Apparently his silent focus was branded as poor co-op to some. While it’s true that he wasn’t the best at first, it soon became clear that in combat, he learns quickly, and his skills aren’t a joke despite his size and attire.
Whenever other hunters, or hunters-in-training visited the school, he wanted to learn from them right away. So he asked one of them if he could shadow him/her, or spar against him/her, to see the differences between his teachers’ advice/doings and theirs. He didn’t do anything on those missions aside from watching them. The missions they went on, though they’re easy for hunters, they’re quite difficult for academy students. They never really went on anything too dangerous. But these missions’ purpose is to simply demonstrate a hunter’s duties in regards to criminal/Grimm activity. Additionally, whenever he had school-free days, he needed money to improve on his equipment and skill set, so What he did was, he worked on doing one job properly, and when he does so several times, he moves on to what he hasn’t tried before. If he couldn’t, because the employers are busy, or some other reasons, he simply helps out others, who need it, with the skills he’s properly learned. For pay, of course. He has established a few contacts, and they call him whenever they need something (that he can do) done. There are some unfortunate people that he would love to help out for free, but right now, improving on his equipment is important. Once he has enough money to take care of himself, he’ll come back to them.
During his studies, he wondered about which academy to go. The info that he got was: Mistral has the most fun stuff, but also the most bad guys. Atlas has the best stuff, but most of them are militarized. Vacuo’s peeps are strong, but work there is difficult due to the harsh deserts, and bad guys. And lastly… Vale? Other than its history, little is known about them. They have natural barriers, and their huntsmen and huntresses do hold up compared to the rest of the kingdoms. Vale seems to be the safest, so he decided to go to Beacon when he’s completed all the years of his combat school. He told this to his parents and they understood once he explained the whys.
In his not-school days, he wanted a job as a caregiver. Only caring for people who are at most a bit taller than him. It’s safe/r on his body. If his employer fired him or requests that they don’t need him for the moment, he did cleaning jobs. He had a few nice talks with his employer and fewer with his patients. The reason that he was fired was that his patient died of some of sort of disability, drug use, or some other reason. They had no complaints with him, since he was good at his job. When it comes to this job, he has to learn quickly. Due to his schooling, he was only a substitute. He’s learnt a lot from these experiences.
The rest of his school years, and jobs stayed consistent, just with different faces to defeat, and tasks to complete. In combat grades, he was above average overall, but for others, he barely passed in. He took their overall combat teachings to heart, but for the others’ teachings those topics came and went. Give it a few days, and he’ll eventually forget those. He reserved an airship to Vale, as well as a room to stay in, wayy in advance, with the help of his superiors. All of what’s reserved are pretty cheap, and could be better, but they do their job, so he didn’t complain. And now, he’s enrolled to Beacon. He actually got in due to his superiors’ recommendations and, barely passing his written entrance exams. He prepared himself for the combat initiation, as well as what’s to come.
--To Be Continued—