Hey bee what were the ROs like as children?
Hmmm, a very interesting question :) just as a general worldbuilding note, it’s very common for children to take on apprenticeships starting in their early teens – these are more like afterschool activities or may take the place of school, and they serve as a way for kids to play around with things they might like to do as they get older. This... may or may not have been based on something my sister's high school did.
Jefferson was a very precocious but friendly child. He and his younger sibling Tommie were raised by their mother. He became interested in fashion at a very young age, and his toys became the unwitting subjects of his early forays. He was very attached to Tommie almost immediately, and he has remained a dedicated older brother to this day. He got his first apprenticeship when he was 13, learning the ropes, er, threads at the Empress Designs Clothing Boutique. His old mentor actually still recommends him to clients.
Merrill was a very anxious and quiet child. He was raised by his paternal grandfathers after [REDACTED]. Merrill constantly clung to his Grandfather’s coattails, but his Granda would always eventually coax him away with ice cream and swing records. He was easily occupied with books and stereoscopes, but he had few friends. He was encouraged by his grandfathers to take a certification course at the Freerunners’ Guild in his teens to help him open up, and he took to it like a duck to water.
Clara was a rambunctious and adventurous child. She was raised by her three parents. She loved exploring, spending most of her early days finding every single nook and cranny she could in her neighborhood. She was extremely popular among the other children and always had a small parade of kids following her. She participated in a lot of group sports and other activities, and she has a good dozen or so certifications from her early teens.
Modesty was a proud, very prim child. She and her oldest brother Rance (Temperance), her older brother Val (Valiant), and her younger sisters Dee (Charity) and Mercy were raised by their parents. From her early childhood, Modesty was (ironically) taught to be proud of who she was. She took these lessons in stride, but she quickly learned that clerks, while important to the background, usually didn’t get their names put in history books. She’s strove to change that ever since.
Newt was a quiet but curious child. He was raised by his parents with a lot of assistance from his maternal aunt, Polly Mockett. He spent a lot of time at the Science Commons as a kid, but his favorite spot was always the Planetarium. He spent an entire summer reading every astronomy book he could get his hands on and staying outside all night to watch the stars. When he was 14, he finally got apprenticed there. At 16, he was offered a paying job, and he took it.
Max was an energetic and mechanically inclined child. They and their young sister Percy (Persephone) were raised by their parents. They were always tinkering with anything and everything, and they cannibalized their family’s appliances more than once. Unfortunately, they and their family were in a carriage accident when Max was ten – this was the accident where Max lost their leg. Max was the most unlucky of the group, and they are mostly glad that their sister, who was four, was relatively unharmed.
Sorry, Andrew, I just took your ask and ran with it XDD but this was fun!! I've been trying to get all of this written down formally, so this was excellent in facilitating that!
