Asterion Khryseos

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Asterion Khryseos
Posts: 106
Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2021 9:57 pm
Age: 18
Gender Identity: Male
Race: Faunus (Bull Horns)
Aura Color: Gold - CFB53B
Occupation: Student
Semblance Name: Dynamo
Weapon Name: Lustrous Chimera

ASTERION KHRYSEOS
NAME: Asterion Khryseos
ALIAS: No nicknames yet, but most people just call him Aster for short
GENDER: Male (he/him/his/etc.)
NATIONALITY: Menagerian(?)
RACE: Faunus (bull horns)
AGE: 18
SEXUALITY: Bisexual, but is focussing on his work for now
PAST EDUCATION: Normal school, but trained with a retired huntsman
CURRENT ENDEAVOUR: Graduating Beacon

APPEARANCE
HEIGHT: 6’5/1.96m
WEIGHT: 205lbs/92.99kg
BODY TYPE: Aster is built like a brick outhouse. Tall and with muscles enough that he seems like he could snap an Ursa in two with a glance, he strikes an imposing silhouette wherever he walks.
EYES: In a stark contrast to his hair, Aster’s eyes are a striking emerald green. Along with the rest of his facial features, they’re fairly soft, helping to make him look more friendly and approachable rather than a towering, intimidating mountain of a man.
HAIR: In a stark contrast to his eyes, Aster’s hair is honey blonde. It’s kept fairly short, and is rarely styled much, instead just combed enough to be presentable.
SKIN: Fair-skinned.
DISTINGUISHING MARKS: A deep scar cuts across his right eye, reaching from his brow to his cheekbone. His Faunus trait - a pair of bone-white bull’s horns - jut out from the side of his head, and are bone white in colour.
CLOTHING: There was rarely a need for fancy clothes in the village Aster grew up in, and it shows in his dress sense. For the most part, he tends to wear fairly practical clothing that puts comfort and durability above style.

Usually, he can be seen wearing a yellow tank top with blue denim jeans, and a pair of well-worn brown combat boots. While carries a purple button-down shirt with him, it’s rarely worn properly, instead tied by the sleeves around his waist. If the weather’s particularly cold, he’ll wear it right, and on the rare occasions he’s very cold, he’ll don a light jacket too.

His outfit doesn’t change when he’s in combat. He may choose to ditch the shirt if he feels like his opponent might grab onto it, but it’s something that happens so little that he doesn’t deem it worth the hassle.

PERSONALITY
TEMPERAMENT: Aster is every part the stereotypical boisterous bruiser. He holds himself with a confidence that never seems to waver, but never quite seems to stray into arrogance either - he'll meet any challenge head on with a smile, a laugh, and a joke, though not necessarily in that order. Even in his calmer moments, he'll keep up this part of his personality, never seeming to let life get him down no matter what. He'll offer encouragement and praise wherever he feels like it's appropriate, and is more than happy to make small talk, as long as the other person's willing to hold up their end of the conversation.

Indeed, on the surface, he appears to be an unassailable pillar of strength. Those who look closer will see more than just that smiling face and loud, proud demeanour, however.

Though he's confident, Aster can also be tactless. He does his best to try and avoid it, but sometimes something insensitive will slip out and it'll take him a minute to actually realise the implications of what he's just said - if he even does. And if someone decides to pour their heart out to him, while he can lend a listening ear, he knows that he's nowhere nearly well-equipped to offer anything more than that. Even offering comforting words is something that he has difficulty doing, himself unsure of whether he'll just make the situation worse by doing so or not.

Then there's also the moments where his confidence, even if only for a moment, wavers. When he thinks he's alone, and when he thinks nobody's looking, that personality he presents can slip, and reveal something altogether more... tired. Maintaining such energy for so long takes its toll on him, and in private moments where he's out of sight and out of mind, the light in his eyes fades, and he becomes silent - save for soft, laboured, breathing.

Perhaps his confidence is genuine, and he's a rock for his friends to lean on in times of need. Perhaps it's merely a facade, and he can't bring himself to tear it down for fear of being seen as weak. It's difficult to tell, and even if Aster were to be honest with himself, even he wouldn't be able to say for sure.
HOBBIES: Aster has been known to go on hikes to pass the time, if there isn’t anything else that he needs to do for a while. Part of it is him enjoying being in nature more than in an urban sprawl - his village was fairly rural, after all, and being surrounded by greenery and wildlife is something that he’s gotten used to, moreso than man-made structures. Another part of it is that he doesn’t need to put on airs or pretend to be anything he’s not. He’s usually alone on his hikes, save for whatever curious animals poke their heads out of the brush to watch him before scampering off, and it means he doesn’t have to pretend to be anything for a while.

When he’s not hiking, Aster can sometimes be found baking. He has a massive sweet tooth, and with his love of tea, he eventually turned to making his own sweets in order to satisfy his cravings and to make treats that would accompany his drinks well. He’s certainly no expert, only capable of making basic things, but he’s decently competent.
HABITS: Deegan Darkwater used to be a swarthy seafaring type, with him and his team specialising in hunting down aquatic Grimm and waterborne bandits. As such, Aster will sometimes let slip a word or phrase that he’s picked up from his old mentor.
QUIRKS/ECCENTRICITIES:
LIKES:
  • HUNTS: Aster's most at home on the battlefield, and it shows. There's something about swinging an axe and charging into the fray that gives him a thrill he can't quite place.
  • SOCIAL SITUATIONS: An outspoken extrovert, if Aster isn't fighting or training, you can count on him to be somewhere that there's people.
  • HIKING: Having grown up in a fairly rural area in Menagerie, he feels more comfortable in natural areas - such as woodland or coastlines - than in an urban sprawl.
  • BAKING: Aster has a sweet tooth, and if he’s got some time free, can sometimes be found putting together something simple, such as muffins or biscuits.
  • TEA: The village he was raised in grew tea leaves, and he has an appreciation for a good brew. He doesn't think himself a tea snob, but sometimes he gets carried away.
DISLIKES:
  • MAZES: Though not quite claustrophobic, Aster's not a great fan of tight spaces, stating that they make him feel uncomfortable. That, and they give him the strangest sense of deja vu.
  • FISH: While he doesn't mind the taste, he frequently bites into bones when eating them since he has trouble picking them out of the meat.
  • ACADEMIC SUBJECTS: It's no secret that he has to put in far more effort than most other students in order to get through subjects like maths or history with a decent grade.
  • STEALTH: He's a big guy with a big weapon. Though he's more or less capable of it, insofar as he paid attention during training, he prefers a more direct approach.
  • HATS: Normal ones don't fit on his horns right. Tailor-made ones are expensive. Even hoods are a pain to wear, since he can tear holes in them by turning his head too quickly.
FEARS: Due to an experience with an Ursa Major as a child, Aster has a deep-seated fear and hatred of that particular sort of Grimm. Rather than display the traditional fear responses one would normally associate with phobias - such as running away or freezing on the spot - Aster is prone to flying into a blind rage whenever one of them gets close. He'll focus almost exclusively on trying to take them out, even if it's to the detriment of himself or his team. Ursa Minors don't elicit as violent a response, however, and the rarity of their more powerful variant means that his phobia has had few chances to manifest. However, this also means that he's had few chances to actually confront the idea that he's afraid of them.

Aster is also uncomfortable in tight spaces, particularly mazes. He's not quite claustrophobic, but tends to avoid them where possible.
STRENGTHS: Even without Aura, Aster is remarkably strong, and is capable of lifting heavy loads without much trouble. Given that everyone has some degree of strength with Aura, it's perhaps not as impressive as it could be, but it at least helps when he's hefting his gear across long distances without a vehicle. He's also adept at racking and reloading his shotgun, having practised with it since he was old enough to handle the kick.

With his ability to keep a level head (or at least present the illusion of one) during stressful situations, and face almost any situation with a high degree of confidence, Aster is every bit the social butterfly. While his bold and brash attitude may not be to everyone's tastes, it certainly makes it easier for him to handle social situations. He's also fiercely loyal to those that he's close with, and will go through Hell and high water in order to help them, even if it comes at the cost of his own health.
WEAKNESSES: While he's smart enough that he can keep up with other hunters, and pass whatever tests Beacon throws at him with enough hard work and preparation, it's obvious that he's not built for intellectual pursuits. Moreover, he's not a particularly delicate person, and finds tasks that require a high degree of precision quite difficult.

While he may appear to wear his heart on his sleeve, Aster tends to keep how he really feels about things buried. It's incredibly rare for him to be emotionally honest with someone, and on the rare occasions he feels inclined to be, almost never tells the whole truth. Additionally, his tendency to internalise things and refrain from speaking honestly tends to take its toll on him, wearing away at him until he can't help but lash out at whoever's unfortunate enough to be close to him.
OCCUPATION: Beacon Student

SEMBLANCE/AURA
SEMBLANCE NAME: Dynamo
SEMBLANCE DESCRIPTION: When active, Dynamo allows Aster to generate energy through motion, and store it as “charges.” This includes things like running, jumping, striking - anything that involves a significant amount of movement. A maximum of four charges can be stored at any one time, and generating any more energy will have no effect on his abilities.

With every charge that Aster builds up, he gains an increasingly powerful bonus to stamina regeneration, with four charges letting him run a marathon at a sprint, and take a hand grenade’s explosion while barely budging. However, storing charges will also steadily drain his Aura, making it unsustainable for use long-term. Moreover, resistance to knockback does not equate to resistance to damage. If he gets hit with a hammer, he’ll lose the same amount of Aura as he would without his Semblance active - he’ll just be staggered less.

Getting rid of charges isn’t as simple as just dumping them, however. He can either discharge them into a powerful explosion, or switch off his Semblance, effectively resetting it. Exploding has a high Aura cost, however, and it is unlikely that he will be able to use that ability more than once - maybe twice, if he’s lucky - per fight. Switching off his Semblance comes with no Aura cost, but instead causes a shooting pain to run through his body, effectively stunning him for a few seconds, leaving him vulnerable.
AURA COLOR: Gold - CFB53B

GEAR
LUSTROUS CHIMERA: https://i.postimg.cc/KG01bhKP/Ithaca-Shotgun-Axe.png

Forged out of simple materials and with only a few moving parts, Lustrous Chimera is a combination of a pump-action shotgun and a battleaxe. Designed above all to be reliable and durable, it is constructed from surprisingly robust metals, easily replaceable parts, and uses inexpensive, widely-available ammunition.

In ranged form, Chimera is a pump-action shotgun with an axe head bayonet affixed under the front of the barrel. As with any scattergun, it is deadly at close range, and is able to shred enemies to pieces using powerful blasts of buckshot. Its design also allows it to fire a range of other different ammo types as well, such as slugs for medium-range coverage, and bean bags for a nonlethal option. However, the weapon's versatility and power comes at the cost of speed and long-range options. As it is a pump-action weapon, Chimera must be racked between each shot, and rounds need to be manually loaded one-by-one. Moreover, without the use of specialised - and highly expensive - ammunition, Chimera lacks any options for long-range coverage.

Chimera's versatility remains consistent even in melee form. With the axe head able to splint into two separate ones, and the stock morphing into a telescopic haft, Chimera can switch to fit a variety of different situations. However, despite this versatility, it is still a fairly heavy weapon, and can prove somewhat cumbersome due to its weight and size, even with Aura. Sufficiently agile opponents are able to run rings around him, or just harass him at range. It should also be noted that, due to the pump expanding across the receiver to allow the axe head to unfold, Chimera cannot be racked, reloaded, or fired when in melee form.
MACHETE: A simple metal machete. As a backup weapon, it’s serviceable, but its weight and design make it far more useful as a utility tool out in the wilderness than as something to be used in combat.

Aster has actually been using a machete long before he even started to forge Chimera. Widely available, easy to maintain, and easy enough for even a novice to handle, Deegan deemed it a perfect way for Aster to get used to handling a weapon. Keeping it clean and keeping it sharp would help instil him with good habits for when he had a proper weapon, and also teach him to be responsible with one too.

BACKSTORY
PART I: ATLAS
Nicolas Lupin was, by all accounts, an upstanding businessman and an affable gentleman. Though he was as ruthless as he was cunning when it came to business, he knew enough about PR to present a personable front for the cameras. Though perhaps not as famous or successful as those in charge of Atlas' bigger Dust businesses, or some of the nation's more storied generals, the man's name was well-known, with a reputation that often preceded him. He even had a few friends amongst Atlas' elite - nothing that'd gain him much political influence, but they both recognised that staying in each other's good graces could offer each other not-insignificant benefits.

Nicolas had also made himself known as a family man, and someone that was about as charitable as a wealthy businessman that saw Faunus workers as little better than livestock and pack animals could be. It was for this reason that he took the utmost care to keep buried any evidence of his trysts with Aeta Khryseos. A cow Faunus under his employ as a maid, she was under no illusion that he held any affection towards her, and the same applied to him. However, she always got some extra money from him to keep quiet about the whole affair, so neither cared too much about it.

For months on end, this continued, and the both of them - while not entirely satisfied with the arrangement - got more or less what they wanted from it, and kept it going. However, as time wore on, they grew sloppy, coming close to being caught more times than either would have liked. It all culminated in them finally losing themselves to the throes of passion, and her becoming pregnant with his child. She tried to hide it at first, of course - Aeta wished to keep the child, but she had no doubt that he'd throw her out onto the street if it'd keep anyone from finding out about their time together.

It was only a temporary measure to buy time, however. She knew such an act would never last for long, and finally, once she had a plan, she made her move. Cornering him before one of their moonlight meetings, she told him plainly that she was pregnant, and that it was with his child. Predictably, he threw a fit, demanding that she be rid of it, lest he be rid of her. She was every bit as stubborn and as crafty as him, however, and it was only then that he began to see the full extent of what the woman was capable of.

They argued long into the night, but eventually, the two of them reached the conclusion she'd been hoping for - that he'd give her one final sum and passage out of Atlas in order to have her never speak of what happened again. If he didn't, she'd go straight to the press with everything that she'd heard, and everything they'd done. Few would truly believe her, of course. She was just some Faunus housemaid, while he was one of Atlas' most respected businessmen. But Nicolas far more enemies than he did friends - they and the tabloids would be like sharks if Aeta piped up. The second they smelled blood, they'd savage him for all he was worth.

While he was sure that he could recover from such an incident, the reality of the situation was that it would be costly, time-consuming, and even then would still leave a lasting stain on the reputation he'd done his utmost to preserve. Ultimately, it'd be easier and more beneficial in the long term to simply pay her to go away. He made one thing very clear, however. If she ever set foot in Atlas or Mantle again, he'd make sure that the only way she'd ever leave the kingdom was as a corpse. Aeta didn't care too much - she'd never cared for the place, and had no intention of raising a child somewhere he'd be spat at simply for his blood.

PART II: CHILDHOOD
Eventually, after a long and gruelling trip, Aeta found her way to Menagerie. The weather and the crowds, she could get used to - the former was simply a matter of getting acclimated to warmer climes, and the second she'd dealt with enough given the few places a Faunus housemaid could afford to live in Atlas. What she found jarring was the freedom she had. Nobody looked at her like she was a lesser being, or like she shouldn't have existed at all. Hell, most people were concerned when they saw how much a clearly pregnant woman was struggling. It was a shock to the system, to be sure... But a welcome one.

Though she was comfortable in Kuo Kuana, however, Aeta wanted to move on, and find somewhere closer to nature. She'd had enough of Atlas' towering architecture and the smell of pollution wafting through the air. If she was going to raise a child, she wanted it to be somewhere that he'd not only be free, but that he'd be healthy in. Eventually, she found her way to a village somewhere to the east of Menagerie's biggest settlement itself. Chamomile Hill - a village so named for its original specialty crop - was a little isolated from civilisation, but with fresh air and a welcoming community, Aeta felt more at home there than she ever had in Atlas.

As friendly as the community was, however, Aeta knew she had to pull her weight if she was to stay. The money from Nicolas would only last so long, after all. Finding work wasn't the difficult bit, though - it was figuring out what to do with Aster. Hers was hardly a situation that was unique in the village, however, and the people of Chamomile were quick to offer assistance. The older folks of the settlement had either retired, or were working in such a relaxed environment that they welcomed having a child to look after as it actually gave them something to do.

His most frequent caretaker was a retired hunter by the name of Deegan Darkwater. A former member of a band of hunters that specialised in fighting aquatic Grimm, he'd decided to spend his retirement somewhere peaceful, and Chamomile fit the bill perfectly. Though he often took odd jobs around the village, it was more just to keep himself occupied than to earn money, and as such, he was more often than not free to look after Aster while his mother headed off to work. Despite the man being built like an Ursa, missing an eye, and seeming to have more scar tissue than skin, the two seemed to become enamoured the moment they saw each other.

It didn't stop there, though. When Deegan began to tell Aster tales of his Huntsman days, Aster would sit and listen, wide-eyed and rapt. Nobody else could keep him still for more than a few minutes - not even meals were an exception, since he'd either inhale the plate in minutes, or just take it with him while he ran around the place. But Deegan seemed to have such a commanding, charismatic presence, and such a talent for telling stories, that Aster couldn't help but take a seat and listen to whatever the old sailor would say to him, before running around and trying to re-enact the entire thing.

It came as no surprise to anybody, then, that Aster one day declared that he wanted to be a hunter. Inspired by the many stories the swarthy old swashbuckler had recounted, he talked at length about how he wanted to go on adventures like Deegan, slaying monsters and finding treasure. His mother humoured him at first, thinking it'd just be a passing fantasy, and soon enough he'd change his mind and want to be an airship pilot, or a smith of some sort. Time wore on, however, and he never wavered once. Aeta was hesitant, however. She'd be putting her only son on the front lines, exposing him to dangers she'd had the good fortune to not even have to think about. Letting him undergo training for it wasn't a decision she could make lightly.

Deegan eventually stepped in and made it clear to her that he'd teach Aster to the best of his ability, and would take personal responsibility for anything that happened while the boy was under his care. He reasoned that even if Aster didn't become a hunter, Menagerie was home to exceptionally dangerous wildlife, to the point where even Grimm were repelled by them. The boy would need to learn how to fight either way, so why not indulge him, and let him make a decision when he was ready for it? Though she was still not entirely sure about it, Aeta had grown to trust Deegan, and agreed to let him train her son.

PART III: TRAINING
Though he'd been a leader for years, Deegan wasn't a teacher by nature, and the difficulty he faced was only compounded by the fact that he had to teach a literal child. It often took him a while to communicate something properly, and it was all too often that he forgot to mention something crucial about the basics, having grown used to fighting alongside people that had trained for so long that said basics were a part of their muscle memory. But it was plain to even Aster that the man was trying his best. He wasn't too prideful to apologise, and when their efforts finally paid off and made progress, he was never short of praise for the boy.

The fundamentals of fighting came first. Properly using Aura and unlocking Aster Semblance, while important, would be like trying to teach him how to run before he could walk. Fortunately for the both of them, Aster took to learning how to fight like a fish to water. He seemed to have a natural aptitude for it, and despite Deegan's (less than optimal) teaching style, the fundamentals were picked up quickly, whether it was hand-to-hand combat, or learning how to swing some crudely-made wooden replica of a weapon. Though she'd never admit it out loud, Aeta was perhaps a little glad that he was taking to it so well. Even with how young he was, it was clear that Aster's academic abilities were less than stellar.

Though he wasn't particularly unintelligent, Aster seemed to struggle greatly with academic subjects, having to study harder and work longer in order to grasp concepts that his peers did with noticeably greater ease. Aeta and his teachers helped as best they could, but it was clear that it would take a lot of effort to mould him into a scholarly sort - and at that point, why even bother? He loved the idea of being a hunter, and it was clear that he had a natural aptitude for it, so why not let him pursue his dreams, as long as it didn't hamper his schoolwork?

Over time, Aster grew more skilled, and was eventually entrusted with his first proper 'weapons.' They weren't much - simply a machete that pretty much anyone in the village would have laying around, and a woodsman's axe that'd let him get used to the heft of a different kind of weapon - but Aster treasured them nonetheless. Aeta - and Deegan, to some extent - had been a little worried about giving Aster an actual blade, but the boy soon proved their worries were unfounded. Under Deegan's guidance, Aster learned how to handle both responsibly, how to keep them maintained, and to do so regularly. All habits that he wanted the boy to have long before he handled anything more dangerous.

It wasn't long until Deegan finally took the next step and unlocked his young charge's Aura. Needless to say, Aster was nothing short of ecstatic. He was more than just some kid with a blade - he'd started becoming a proper, actual, hunter. A force against the Grimm, and against those who'd do evil Deegan warned him not to get cocky, but Aster was young, dumb, and full of energy. He didn't just state that he was ready for something in the field, he outright demanded that he be allowed to take on Grimm, or at least some of the local fauna. Deegan was vehemently against it, however, wanting to train Aster more before letting him out, even supervised.

Despite their friendship, the two clashed, butting heads and coming a hair short of duking it out with each other. It was only Aeta's timely intervention that got the both of them to back down and see reason. The lesson only really started to take root in Deegan, however. Aster was still determined to fight, regardless of what anyone told him, and he'd prove it by himself if he had to. If he needed to, he'd drag an animal in past the gates to show his mentor that he had what it took to be the hunter he claimed he was.

He stole away one night, taking his machete and a woodcutter’s axe he’d been training with, stalking through the greenery to try and find something that he could clash against. He expected to find something small, or at least something he could get the jump on and overwhelm before it had a chance to fight back properly. He had Aura and keen blades in hand, after all - what did someone like him have to fear from some animal that was probably half asleep and couldn't see half as well as a Faunus in the dark? Minutes into his search, he found out the answer.

An Ursa Major.

Instinctively, Aster knew he was out of his depth, but the beast was fast, and it was strong. Even dodging between the trees didn't help, with the Grimm simply batting them aside like toothpicks. Cornered, cowering, and quivering, Aster's only choice was to defend himself with whatever he could. And, for a child without a proper weapon, he did remarkably well. He fought as he was trained, letting the panic-fuelled adrenaline drive him while he hacked away at the beast, even managing to inflict a few wounds on it. But he was still just a frightened, ill-equipped, inexperienced child, and it didn't take long for the Ursa to knock him to the floor.

Laying in the mud, staring up at that slavering, towering monstrosity, Aster began to feel the terror give way to something else - frustration. Hatred. Anger. Though he was still scared, more and more of him began to feel sheer, unadulterated rage at the situation. Years of blood, sweat, and tears, hours of training, a dream that he'd put his heart and soul into... and it was all going to undone by some mindless, lumbering, soulless THING. It welled up inside him, surging through his body like lightning, until finally, it burst out of him in a brilliant, thunderous explosion of energy that shook the very ground he lay on.

The blast took what reserves of Aura he had left, shattering the last shield he had... and it hadn't even killed the Ursa. Its armour was cracked, its body singed, and it'd been thrown backwards against a tree, but it was only moments before it was upright and angrier than ever. Aster tried to rise, but the most he could do was throw his exhausted body out of the way of a swipe from its claws. He saved himself from being eviscerated on the spot, but the claws carved through his face like knives, and sent him barrelling backwards. The boy barely had the energy to cry out from the pain, or to look away from it as it once more towered over his broken, battered body.

Another explosion rang out into the night, but not from him, nor from the Grimm. It was Deegan, face curled into a vicious snarl, expression lit up by the crack of his flintlock unloading round after round into the Ursa's head. Even after its skull had been reduced to powder, and its body was disintegrating, the old man thrust his cutlass into its body, slicing it to pieces as if to make absolutely certain that it'd never rise. The last thing that Aster saw before he passed out was his mentor finally turning to him, dropping both weapons to the dirt so that he could scoop him up, and carry him off home.

PART IV: TO BEACON
When Aster woke up, he found himself in bed, his mother and his mentor sitting on either side. Equal parts worried and angry, he didn't get a moment's rest between them lambasting him for how stupid what he'd done was, and how happy they were to see that he was alright. Aeta yelled at him through tears streaking down her face, with everything she said barely coherent, especially to Aster's muddled mind, but the intent was clear enough. Deegan, for his part, tried to take a calmer approach, but even someone like him couldn't hold back completely, the facade cracking just enough that Aster could see the effects of his arrogance.

Eventually, when everything had settled down enough for the three to speak clearly with each other, a mirror was brought out, and Aster was show what'd happened. The swipe from the Ursa had, by some stroke of luck, missed his eye entirely. What he'd received was just a flesh wound that would, in time, heal - mostly. The one reaching across his right eye had been there too long and too deep to be healed properly, even with Aura. That scar would always be there, a reminder of his failure - of his arrogance and impatience. A permanent, painful memento.

Despite all that had happened, both Aeta and Deegan eventually grew confident that Aster had learnt his lesson. It had been the hard way, but he'd learnt nonetheless - so they agreed to a deal. Aster would be allowed out on supervised hunting trips, but on the condition that he forge his own weapon. He could ask for help from around the village, getting resources and information wherever it was given, but he had to be the only one to touch anything but the raw components. Welding, sharpening, fine-tuning - if he couldn't do it, Deegan wouldn't deem him fit for hunting. He'd have to show commitment, drive, ingenuity, determination, traits that any hunter would need to make it anywhere in the world, as well as the ability to maintain his own gun on even a superficial level.

He struggled at first. Badly. He'd practised smithing before, but progress was always slow, and that was only if it was made in the first place. Aster lacked finesse, and the knowledge had to be drilled into his head time and time again before it stuck. Nobody in the village, despite being willing to help, had absolute faith in him. Not even the salty old sailor himself. This didn't serve to discourage the boy, though - rather, it seemed to spur him on, even if it was only out of spite, and a desire to prove them wrong.

There were failures, of course. Even Aster wasn't so confident as to think he'd succeed on the first go. Or the fifth, for that matter. But eventually, after time, sweat, smoke, and tears, something began to take. The pieces began to come together. The wild clanging of a hammer against steel, the grinding of a blade being sharpened, the whirr of a drill fastening pieces together... Finally, after all that time, and all those failed attempts, Aster had finished his magnum opus. By huntsman standards, it was a crude piece. The thing was heavy, its mechanisms loud, its components little more than a mass-produced shotgun, an axe head, and whatever gears and widgets he could scrounge from around the village. But it worked - and most importantly, Lustrous Chimera was his, and his alone.

Deegan, pleasantly surprised, made good on his deal. Under his watchful eye, Aster began to venture out, shotaxe in hand, machete at his belt. The two fought small things at first - weak Grimm and smaller, common animals. They were little more than target practice, but Aster was just grateful to be actually doing something aside from practising on dummies for once. As Aster's skill grew, so too did the size of his prey. On more than one occasion, he even brought home dinner for Deegan and Aeta, though they were both a little wary in eating it, not wanting to bite into a pellet that'd lodged itself into their slice of flank.

In time, Aster proved himself a capable - if still slightly overeager - hunter. With a strong arm, a keen eye, and a stout heart, Deegan and Aeta had no doubt that he was ready for Beacon. The hunter sent his recommendation through as soon as he could, making it clear that he - in no uncertain terms - believed that Aster was ready for entry into the school, despite his lack of a formal combat school education. Beacon had little qualms about accepting his word. Deegan had made a name for himself as a reliable and skilled huntsman before his retirement, and if he was vouching for Aster, they were inclined to believe him.

Aeta couldn't hide how emotional she was getting over her little boy travelling to the other side of the continent to learn how to fight. She fussed over him at every turn, hugging at him and smoothing down his outfit immediately after, making him promise over and over again that he'd keep safe, and only barely holding back tears the entire way through. Deegan, though much more reserved, was clearly affected too. The rough, tough, old sailor was replaced by an old man with a nostalgic twinkle in his eye, a smile of pride never once leaving his face as he walked with his pupil to the port. Eventually though, the time came for their last tearful goodbyes, and with a final, loving hug, Aster left home.

The psychological evaluation passed without too much incident. They asked him all the standard questions, made some light conversation, and sent him on his way without finding anything particularly concerning. While it was noted that he was perhaps a little more eager to get into a scrap than he should have been, and seemed to be a little reckless in his attitude towards being a huntsman, it wasn't an issue that anyone really thought much about. He was young and inexperienced, after all - it'd be more concerning if he wasn't eager to start a career as a huntsman, given how he'd enrolled in Beacon for that specific purpose.

The combat evaluation, meanwhile, was passed with flying colours. Aster's savage, unrelenting style, combined with a simple yet versatile weapon, made him a force to be reckoned with. Again, it was noted that he was a little overeager, and that his approach was reckless and needed work, but that much was something that came part and parcel with new students. They were kids who had travelled in from all corners of the kingdoms, seeking training and a new life. If some of them were a little overzealous, then while it was worth noting for future reference, it wasn't concerning.

At present, Aster works hard to make sure that nobody’s faith in him is misplaced. He still struggles with scholarly subjects, but through determination bordering on bullheadedness, Aster manages to achieve satisfactory grades. He spends enough time with his weapon that he’s become familiar with its inner workings and how best to maintain it, though some parts he’s considering replacing, given the resources now available to him as a Beacon student. His combat style hasn’t changed much - indeed, some may note that he’s only gotten more aggressive on the battlefield in an attempt at drawing attention away from teammates while he acts as the ‘tank.’ While it’s been working so far, it remains to be seen if it remains the case.
Last edited by Asterion Khryseos on Mon Aug 30, 2021 4:31 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Asterion Khryseos
Posts: 106
Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2021 9:57 pm
Age: 18
Gender Identity: Male
Race: Faunus (Bull Horns)
Aura Color: Gold - CFB53B
Occupation: Student
Semblance Name: Dynamo
Weapon Name: Lustrous Chimera

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