𝕴 𝖉𝖎𝖉𝖓'𝖙 𝖜𝖆𝖓𝖙 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖙𝖔 𝖍𝖊𝖆𝖗 𝖙𝖍𝖆𝖙 𝖘𝖍𝖆𝖐𝖊 𝖎𝖓 𝖒𝖞 𝖛𝖔𝖎𝖈𝖊; 𝖒𝖞 𝖕𝖆𝖎𝖓 𝖎𝖘 𝖒𝖞 𝖔𝖜𝖓 [ND]

[demonology]

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𝖙𝖍𝖊 𝘿𝙍𝙐𝙈𝙈𝙀𝙍

❝ 𝙸 𝚘𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚔𝚎𝚍 𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚎𝚊 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚊𝚜𝚔𝚎𝚍 𝚒𝚝, 𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚒𝚏 𝙸 𝚊𝚖 𝚜𝚠𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚘𝚠𝚎𝚍 𝚠𝚑𝚘𝚕𝚎? 𝙽𝚘𝚠, 𝙸 𝚊𝚜𝚔, 𝚆𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚒𝚏 𝚒𝚝 𝚒𝚜 𝚜𝚘 𝚋𝚊𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚜𝚞𝚖𝚎𝚍?❞

𝗙𝗨𝗟𝗟 𝗡𝗔𝗠𝗘 ⬗ Anhinga Nano
𝗔𝗟𝗜𝗔𝗦𝗘𝗦 ⬗ exclusively goes by Toro, a nickname their father gave them.

𝗔𝗚𝗘 ⬗ 24
𝗭𝗢𝗗𝗜𝗔𝗖 ⬗ libra
𝗕𝗜𝗥𝗧𝗛𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗖𝗘 ⬗ Alameda, California
𝗥𝗘𝗦𝗜𝗗𝗘𝗡𝗖𝗬 ⬗ Soho, London, UK

𝗦𝗣𝗘𝗖𝗜𝗘𝗦 ⬗ witch
𝗦𝗞𝗜𝗟𝗟𝗦 ⬗ adept in divination and other prophetic arts; very good at sussing out the vibes (magically or not); most spells they are best at have to do with altering people's emotions, making them forget things, etc. but notably they can't make someone feel any positive emotion towards them; sticky-fingered
𝗪𝗘𝗔𝗞𝗡𝗘𝗦𝗦𝗘𝗦 ⬗ has never tried to brew a potion (though people do say their food is very good, so perhaps there's potential?); is almost too quick to let go of past grievances; most other forms of magic besides the ones listed in their 'skills' are unfamiliar to them

𝗠𝗢𝗗𝗘𝗟 ⬗ Valentine Alvarez
𝗠𝗢𝗗𝗜𝗙𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗜𝗢𝗡𝗦 & 𝗢𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥 𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗜𝗧𝗦 ⬗ 6 ft even; bleaches their eyebrows; has an industrial piercing that looks like a sword; a few tattoos with one most notably being an elegant E on the inside of their ring finger.

𝗗𝗘𝗙𝗜𝗡𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗧𝗥𝗔𝗜𝗧 ⬗ Toro is a person who clearly loves by acts of service, and amongst the band, this is most obvious. They're always asking how people are doing, wanting to know if there's anything they can get for you, bringing random little gifts (very much a crow — brings you shiny stuff they think you'll like), and doing any heavy lifting (emotionally and physically... though for the latter, they'l probably just use a spell to levitate anything you need lol)
𝗦𝗧𝗬𝗟𝗘 ⬗ a preference for denim, dark and warm tones. Most known for their large pieces of metalwork jewelry; their jewelry collection is immense. Many of the silhouettes they employ are Western-inspired, from cow-hide boots to leather tassels. Most elements of their style are met with a hint of pastiche, some outfits more clearly ironic than other. You can see a visual reference here.
𝗣𝗥𝗜𝗭𝗘𝗗 𝗣𝗢𝗦𝗦𝗘𝗦𝗦𝗜𝗢𝗡 ⬗ A piece of red ribbon, tied around their wrist. It was a practiced tradition in their family to tie knots around one another's fingers as an expression of love, often done in practical situations where a family member made a promise to the other. The exact origins of this tradition are unknown, but it's believed that their great-grandmother started it. The ribbon on their wrist was tied by their father before he went on his last voyage, promising to come back and have a chat with Toro. About what, they never found out. Their mom doesn't remember him mentioning anything to her, so the trail dies with the ribbon and the sea that swallowed him whole.

𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗡𝗘𝗥 𝗢𝗙 𝗦𝗣𝗘𝗘𝗖𝗛, 𝗠𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧, 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗕𝗘𝗜𝗡𝗚 ⬗ Behind the drum kit, they get it their all, using their magic to make their percussion sound just a bit better, their hands to move just a bit quicker, the fans to scream just a little louder. They look at home, moving supernaturally fast and a bit (if I can make a Muppets reference...) like Animal lol. Genuinely seems like they enjoy being there, and they do. At after parties or anything of the like, their star-quality, if we can call it that, lives just below the skin. They are too eager, trying to both absorb all that's being said and preparing for when its their turn to speak. A total ass-kisser if there's something with any amount of authority or power to be acquiesced. With the band, though, they're just themself. Perhaps still trying a bit too hard, too invested in everyone else's business, but that's just Toro.

to give you a work bank: wide smiles where their nose dips down with the effort, shoulders slumped forward in an utterly American way, pseudo-indifference very indicative of the time period (you know that "I totally don't care but obviously I do if you just looked into my eyes" type of indifference), twirls drumsticks, cigarette behind the ear, etc.

𝗦𝗨𝗠𝗠𝗔𝗥𝗬 ⬗

To me, Toro is the exploration of how a child, when left to certain assumptions about themself and the world around them, grows into a person who internalizes the idea that to be worthy of a place on earth and of love, they must define themself by what they can offer others. As a child, they were one of those anxious, painfully logical children who probably over heard their parents arguing about money one too many times, who had night-terrors and feared death far too young. Their siblings also all have a specific thing about them that makes them stand out, and from a young age, Toro realizes that they are just average — until, of course, they begin to explore their spellcraft. However, even this is something that they exploit for their family, friend, etc. Because of this viewpoint and the anxieties that they carry as a result of the world they live in (i.e. concerns about food, money, housing, etc.), they formed their identity around the one thing that has ever garnered them just as much attention as their siblings’ achievements: their ability to help. This goes beyond wanting approval into the territory of a coping mechanism, especially as it helps them feel like their family is safer, fundamentally better when they go to sleep at night. They are immensely detailed-oriented, have ears like a hawk, and if you couldn’t tell, they love by way of acts of service. Overall, Toro is defined by this concept of love as sacrifice to the degree in which it begins to harm oneself in ways that may not be apparent until the hammer drops.

Their kleptomania is a product of this perspective, and I like the idea that the band is their only supplement for the desire to thieve. They also likely didn't meet anyone until the band that was supernatural, and in that way, the band provides an outlet for their overflowing capacity to love and for their abilities to be useful in new ways. Essentially, the band is their community. Their role as a drummer also allows them to be good at something other than the skills that have previously defined them. Overall, the band is a sharp improvement in their life, and Toro knows this intimately.

So as a result of that, they’re much more hungry for attention and gratitude amongst the group, which likely plays in a lighthearted jabs about all that they “do” for the team and acting out in a way that gets the focus placed on them. This sort of behavior likely comes out a bit forced or unnatural, given they are a normally pretty "serious" person who is at their best when they’re showing genuine care and love for others. Unfortunately, the only way they can conceive of lasting love and friendship independent of a familial or romantic context is to tell terrible jokes, ensure everyone is well fed and hydrated before a show, and ensure no one forgets they exist...

𝗕𝗜𝗢𝗚𝗥𝗔𝗣𝗛𝗬 ⬗

BIRTH — born in the Bay Area to a family of four siblings. Their father worked as a fisherman while their mother was a social worker. The lineup of siblings goes as follows: Jupiter, Omar, Anhinga, Fernanda (Fern), and Arlene

TWELVE — Their father is let go from Huecha Shipwright Company following its sudden bankruptcy. The family moves to the rural town of Arcata. Their father is often away, working for a cruise-ship line as a watertender and shipwright.

THIRTEEN — Their father passes away in an incident similar to the Costa Concordia.

FOURTEEN — Anhinga skips school more and more, begins work with Cormo, an older friend of Omar’s and leader of a small gang of criminals that spend weekends down in more tourist-trap cities (i.e. LA, San Fran, etc) pick-pocketing and running small-time schemes. They meet Etta while working with this crew. The two eventually depart from Cormo and form a similar group known as Las Estatuas. It is around this age that they begin to use their magic in order to identify the best marks.

FIFTEEN — Jupiter receives a warrant for his arrest as he has abandoned his position in the army. Anhinga is arrested for the first time, getting caught trying to steal from the LA MoMA. Despite this, Etta and Anhinga being to dream of a life together, escaping Arcata, etc. Anhinga encourages Etta to leave the group, to focus on her studies.

SIXTEEN — Omar finishes university and leaves Arcata for London where he is employed by an architecture firm. With him sending no money home, financial struggles weigh down the Nano family. Anhinga begins thieving almost independently, using their spellcraft to get away with more and more, including clear as day robbery.

SEVENTEEN — Etta applies and is accepted into Cal Poly Humboldt, where she plans to attend for the first two years and hopefully transfer to NYU. Anhinga is investigated by the police following a bank robbery in which she did not take out the video cameras. They are ultimately unable to prove it is Anhinga, so they drop the case. However, because of this and their prior record, they are unable to get into Cal Poly Humboldt alongside Etta. Nor are they able to continue to thieve, which means little income to support their sisters and Jupiter's legal fees. They begin selling off the small artifacts, jewelry, etc. that they had stolen to supplement.

EIGHTEEN— Arlene is hospitalized following a car accident. Despite paying out of their ears in insurance fees every month, only part of the car's cost is reimbursed and Arlene's care still costs thousands out of pocket. The family's rainy day fund is drained in full. Jupiter takes a plea deal and is sentenced to two years probation. Anhinga drops out of high school to work a "straight" job and does tarot reading on the side.

NINETEEN — Anhinga is supposed to join Etta in New York, where she has been accepted as a transfer to Columbia (much to the shock of everyone). Arlene continues to suffer complications due to the accident, and Fern enters high school. It dawns upon both Anhinga and their mother that the youngest girls are going to be college-aged one day. Anhinga does not join Etta in New York. They stay in contact via letters. Anhinga tries to make a mint as a "medium" in LA, even gets offered a reality tv show, but this is quickly abandoned by the network. Selfishly, too, Anhinga misses the thrill of a quick smash-and-grab, the immediate relief a bunch of jewels, a stolen piece of artwork, even an ATM (just once, but still) — the physical feeling of their straits becoming less dire. They decide to rob the LA MoMA once more. They are arrested. They escape using their spellcraft, and they have been on the run since.

TWENTY-ONE/TWO/THREE — Toro lives in Soho, running the occasional "heist" (nothing like. Ocean's Eleven grand, but enough to afford their existence and that of their family's back home). They use their divination to invest in the stock market and hit it big. They've started to carve out a life of their own, to fight the loneliness of leaving everything behind and being a stranger in a strange land, being unable to even write to Etta out of fear, etc. Then — lo and behold they read the paper one day. Who do they see? Etta, now going by her full name of Violetta, on the cover, rock on her finger sparkling, and with her fiancé on her arm.

I'll leave the rest open for now until the timeline of the band is figured out a bit more!