Dante Leandro Acosta Montoya

Angry: Something that is fairly obvious in Leandro is the fact that he is constantly, perpetually angry. Often, this anger seems to have no specific cause and is directed at anything that crosses his path. Leandro doesn’t usually mean to be so malicious, but as it stands, he can’t help it. He is enraged at everyone and everything, including himself and his own inability to remember anything. Another major anger cause is his father, as he doesn’t want to believe that his hero was truly a villain. Every time he draws a blank is another straw on a broken camel’s back, and the severity of his anger really just depends on his mood and how many triggers he’s had to deal with. In times of clarity, at least, Leandro can calm down, but even his relaxed moments are accented with muted discomfort and restlessness. When intense enough, Leandro even results to violence, though he tries to direct it towards inanimate objects as much as possible. Split knuckles are commonplace for Leandro, and he has stopped trying to remember how he got them. Leandro really can’t control his anger.

Impulsive: From both his nature and his disability, Leandro has become almost absolutely impulsive. He rarely if ever has a plan of action and generally acts without a second thought. In this way, Leandro is very instinctive and spontaneous, but being a man of logic, his actions are not entirely random. Most of Leandro’s actions do have a purpose, even if it is only to satisfy a sudden impulse. Frankly speaking, he doesn’t see the point in holding back if he’s just going to forget it later. Why think things through when he’ll forget his question in the process?

Lonely: Leandro’s inability to remember anything has made it extremely hard to form new bonds and maintain old ones. However, this doesn’t mean that he enjoys being alone. The opposite is in fact quite true, as Leandro is a very social person. He hates to be alone at any time, even if he is aware that he won’t remember it later, and is always subconsciously seeking connection… even if his demeanor tends to ward people away. A romantic at heart, Leandro even wants to fall in love one day, but being unable to remember his temporary crush’s name is problematic here. Having so few connections is something that kills Leandro, and the loneliness is almost suffocating when he cares to recognize it. Of all the setbacks of his anterograde amnesia, this is the one Lean hates the most.

Survivalist: One quality that Leandro has hung on to since his youth is his ability to survive in the harshest of environments. He very much enjoys this and will actually seek out difficult situations to navigate. However, forgetting a task in the middle of performing it can be very problematic when in a survival situation. Right now, Leandro cannot live out his wishes unless another is available to remind him of his plans.

Determined: One of Leandro’s biggest redeeming qualities is his sheer determination. It is this will to succeed that has powered him through the harshest phases of his disability, leaving him with some moments of clarity and memory. Despite his setbacks, Lean has his heart set on overcoming his hardships and regaining his life. Ever task that he sets his sights on is met with this same amount of determination, and he rarely lets himself give up.

Blunt: Something obvious about Leandro is his generally blunt demeanor. He doesn’t see the point in sugarcoating his words, as they wouldn’t be honest that way, and can come across as somewhat rude and insensitive because of this. Just as Leandro acts without thinking, he also speaks in the same way. Though he will of course have his own internal dialogue, Leandro is hardly someone to hold back when he has something to say, even if that something is on the rude side. He is also pretty vulgar and seems to have very little filter ability.

Pessimistic: Though he once tried to look on the bright side, life experience has left Leandro an undeniable pessimist. He has become very bitter and judgemental - not of individuals, but of everything. Leandro is open about his view of life and does not try to put an optimistic filter on himself, though he doesn’t go out of his way to be a downer. He has also come to dislike naive, constantly-happy and innocent people, as their childish view of the world tends to annoy him. Leandro likes to think of himself as a realist, honestly, but his views often do tend to be more negative.

Restless: In general, Leandro is a very restless man. He hates to sit still and boredom is his worst enemy. Though he can tolerate stretches of physical inactivity, having his mind unoccupied and directionless for any amount of time is torture. However, with his constant memory lapses, Lean finds it very difficult to keep himself occupied with his old methods, such as reading and watching TV. Some of the only ways that he can satisfy his lust for activity are puzzles, coloring books and the like.

Lingering Memories: While many people have material items as their most prized possessions, Leandro’s are his memories. Due to the nature of his amnesia, the memories he has of before the attack are crystal clear in his mind. Lean can recall old memories as vividly as if he were still fifteen on the day of the attack, and doctors assume that these won’t fade until he is mostly cured of his amnesia, if he ever is. As Leandro is so hard-pressed to make new memories, he uses the old ones as a sort of lifeline. Furthermore, the few lasting memories that Leandro creates are something akin to gemstones for him. When he finally remembers information, a person, a scene, he hangs on to these memories as though his life depends on it. If he starts to forget these things, or if the people he remembers try to leave, Leandro becomes absolutely devastated.

Heritage: Leandro is very proud of his Mexican heritage. He is fascinated by the culture and folklore characteristic of his people and has spent a great deal of time learning of it all. Though raised in the USA, Leandro celebrates most Mexican holidays and even owns an outfit of traditional clothing, though it would be difficult to make him wear this in public. When Leandro cooks, he often makes Mexican dishes, and it is common to find him muttering in Spanish, which is his first language. Once he is able to remember things more clearly, Leandro would love to try riding a bull, though he is unsure if this dream will ever be possible.

Sensitive: Despite the fact that he can be impulsive and rude, Leandro is a romantic at heart. He really loves the idea of having close companions and the perfect relationship, and the sight of troubled people really strikes a chord within him. When the moment calls for it, Leandro can become quite compassionate, even if his caring might come across as awkward and untested. Overall, Lean really just wants someone to believe in him, and he really wants to believe in someone as well. However, with his disability, he has all but given up on this dream. Leandro is afraid to try to grow attached to people, despite his desperate longing for connection, as he is afraid he will forget people again. It’s less that he’s afraid of hurting people or being hurt - though these certainly play a factor - and more that he is just very skeptical of forming bonds in general.

Touchy: Leandro’s sensitivity overlaps into touchiness and vulnerability at times. Though he is good at rolling with literal punches, metaphorical ones are his weakness. Leandro is very vulnerable to verbal attacks. Words are his kryptonite, and little can bring him to heartbroken rage faster than a series of well-aimed personal insults. Being so desperate for acknowledgement and acceptance by others leaves him equally as open for rejection, though this openness doesn’t mean he can take it well.

As Leandro has been unable to train his powers at all, they are very limited and are in their beginning stages, despite having been present for nearly seven years. All powers that Leandro possesses are tied to a mythical creature known as a cadejo, which he was turned into after being bitten during a great surge of simultaneous disgust and protective instinct. As such and in compliance with the legend of the cadejo, Leandro’s powers only manifest when he experiences a strong urge to protect something, or when he is compelled to act by extreme disgust.

Feral Mind:
When the change sets in, Leandro is compelled by a strange feral sensation that goes beyond simple instinct. He feels pulled to attack and destroy, whether that be with the intent to protect or purge, and thinks in more of an animalistic manner than a human one.

Beginning of Hooves:
Cadejos are known to be cow-sized dog-like creatures with hooved feet and the grace of a deer. As such, Leandro would shift into this form - but as he cannot enter it fully, Lean is left with only the beginnings. These are useful in their own right, as the growing hooves manifest as long, thick claws, their tips flat and as sharp as blades.

Scent of Sin:
When beginning to shift, Leandro becomes able to actually smell the morality of the people around him. He can deduce with his nose how much wrong a person has committed in their life, and how much good they have done to even this out. Depending on their relative morality, a person may or may not become a target.

Terrible Teeth:
When spurred by the correct emotions, Leandro’s teeth also experience a change. They grow longer, sharper, and serrated. They’re deadly things.

Night Vision:
Another change that occurs in Leandro is his development of night vision. He is able to see in any level of light, with his eyes actually emitting a glow of their own if there is no light to use.

Other Changes:
Other changes include Leandro’s eyes turning a bright red and a line of spikes emerging from his spine. He also grows a short tail and small, wolf-like ears that replace his human ones. The fur of both depend on why he was urged into action. If by disgust, they will be black, and he will emit the characteristic smell of concentrated sulfur. However, if by protection, the ears and tail will be white and he will smell faintly of fire. Finally, a pair of bull-like horns also grow from the sides of his forehead, their depending on that of his shift.

In the beginning, Dante Leandro Acosta Montoya lived a good life. His family was fairly wealthy, his parents owning a popular chain of athletic stores. They were both expert survivalists, his father, Mateo Ricardo Acosta Mendoza, a former marine and his mother, Rosandra Maria Montoya Mendoza, having once lived on the streets, and so Leo was taught from an early age how to survive in the deserts of Arizona, USA. As he grew older, these extrusions moved into other climates, such as snowy mountain ranges and tropical jungles, and so Leo, too, learned to survive in the harshest of climates. He came to love it as much as, if not more than, his parents.

Leandro’s school life was fairly nice as well. He made average grades, rarely moving outside of the B range, and even qualified for an honors mathematics program. Because of his dedication to survival training, Leo took part in many athletic activities to keep himself fit. In turn, he became involved in many social groups, inevitably leading to his popularity. Leo made the varsity cross country team in his freshman year, a true accomplishment, and was overall very successful in the school setting.

Alongside his usual schooling, Leandro’s parents enrolled him in a program for bilingual citizens. He had to learn English, as he lived in America, but his parents were still very in touch with their Mexican heritage. As such, Leo went on to speak both languages fluently by a young age, speaking Spanish at home and English elsewhere. He even adopted his parents’ dedication to their heritage, learning much of the culture, folklore and - best of all - cuisine. Though most of his English pronunciation is clear, Leandro still maintains a slight Mexican accent, something that he appreciates immensely.

However, not everything was as perfect as it seemed. Though they did their best to hide it, infidelity was a chronic and crippling problem in the Montoya household. It was Mateo, Leandro’s father, who was the culprit. All throughout their marriage he had taken mistresses, involving himself in countless affairs. Rosandra, Leandro’s mother, was unaware of this until her son’s preteen years, but by then it was too late. The damage had been done, and it was irreversible… No matter how she tried to ignore it and make it okay. Clinging to her remaining strength, Rosandra confronted her husband on the matter, and received a bruise for her efforts. She was not allowed to leave him, not allowed to stop him, and not allowed to tell Leandro. Mateo’s mask had fallen.

Fearing for her son’s safety as well as her own, Rosandra did not tell Leandro, and she did not call the police. She simply submit to her husband, allowing him to continue his infidelity, trying to forget where he was actually going on those late night business calls, and life continued on normally. They never breathed a word of it to Leandro, but as it stood, the adolescent wasn’t stupid.

Leandro knew that something had changed. His family went on far fewer ‘camping’ trips and his mother seemed skittish in her own home. Every once in awhile, she claimed she had smacked into a shelf, but he knew his mother wasn’t that clumsy. It worried Leandro, but he refused to face the obvious. Even as the yelling began in his early teens and it grew violent during the mids, he simply couldn’t believe it. Between both of his parents, Leandro was closest to Mateo, and he refused to consider the fact that his father was anything but a hero.

Unfortunately, Leandro was forced to confront this terrible truth at age 15.

He was walking with his father late one night, the two returning home from a short weekend trip into the deserts. Spirits were high, home troubles forgotten, and Leandro was cherishing this time with his father. It had been fun, really. It had been pleasant. They’d done this trip a thousand times before, and with these things in mind, Leandro had no suspicion it would be any different. He never suspected it would be the night to change his life forever.

The details of the attack are clearer than any other memory Leandro has left - perhaps because of the traumatizing nature of the event, or perhaps because they are the last true memories he ever made. Whatever the reason, Leandro still relives the terrible incident, the events often replaying in his dreams.

The first step was the concentrated smell of sulfur. Immediately, Leandro knew that something was wrong; it was familiar and he wasn’t sure why. However, as he turned slowly to the side and gazed into red eyes surrounded by an expanse of shaggy black fur, Leo knew. They had wandered upon a cadejo, one of the most ferocious beasts in Mexican folklore. Leandro had studied these before, but never… Never had he even suspected they were real. In a flash, Leandro ran through every dark deed he had ever committed, hoping to figure out why it had chosen them, but… It seemed that the cadejo was not after him. It was after his father, a man that the beast had dubbed terrible.

When Leandro connected these dots, his reaction was immediate. He threw himself over Mateo, hoping to shield his hero from a terrible end, just as the demonic dog leapt forward. Frustrated at the obstruction, it caught Leandro’s face in its mouth and clamped down. With jaws strong enough to break bone, Leandro’s world went black.

And it stayed black.

In the few moments of clarity that sprinkled throughout the following near-seven years, Leandro was only able to retain the basics. He remembered he was attacked, and he learned the beast killed his father. He learned that he was experiencing strange physical changes - sharp teeth and red eyes, claws on occasion, that were always very temporary - that doctors had no explanation for. He learned that he had developed anterograde amnesia from the injury to his skull, and was told it was not complete if he was able to remember certain information, but that he would most likely never recover completely… if at all. Finally, Leandro learned of his father’s sins against his family, but this was something he refused to believe. Drowning in his own blank mind, Leandro simply could not believe that he had given up everything for this person, couldn’t fathom that his role model was horrid. He simply couldn’t, and so he didn’t.

Leandro grew angry at his mother for even insinuating that his father was a bad person, and eventually she stopped trying to convince him otherwise. However, his anger didn’t end. Throughout the years, Leandro grew bitter. He grew cynical. He grew hopeless. Above all, Leandro grew angry - at his parents, at the world, at himself. He was just so… mad… about everything! Everything hurt and writhed and pulsed and Leandro, unable to make it stop, identified with his rage. It became who he was.

Time didn’t stop moving just because Leandro’s life was put on hold. He continued growing up and growing older, and as he was unable to remember anything from normal schooling, he was enrolled into special classes. Leandro was accompanied by a nurse in everything he did, as often he would forget what he was doing, even in the middle of sipping a drink or showering. For a long while, his friends tried to visit him. They really did their best to speak to him every day and to continue their bonds, but with Leandro forgetting every meeting, often before it was even over, they began to grow frustrated. One by one, Leandro’s friends left him, unable to take the pain of watching their old friend crumble. He only had a few visitors by the time he began to remember bits and pieces, vague things and vague relationships, but these were often limited to doctors, therapists and his dear, devastated mother.

One of the few golden things in Leandro’s life was therapy. Due to his family’s wealth, Rosandra was able to get the nation’s best doctors on her son’s case. They enrolled him in near-constant therapy sessions, trying everything to heal his mind, and as time ticked on, it began to work. It was dreadfully slow and never progressed far, even today, but there was progress. Leandro was able to retain certain basic, constantly-repeated information and began to recall new faces and statuses that were alien before the attack. Most of his life was a blank slate, but his mind was carefully progressing.

Another matter entirely was his shifting. Since the attack, Leandro began to experience odd… changes. In times of great disgust or protective urge, his eyes would flash red. He would seem to become feral-minded, thick claws appearing on his hands and spikes running down his back. Doctors were baffled, to say the least, but his mother demanded complete confidentiality on the subject. The instances were rare anyhow, and so the doctors simply tried to figure out what was going on.

It was during Leandro’s 21st year that his mother received a letter from Starlight Academy. Along with the generic note, there was a note from a doctor, one who promised his skills and his dedication to healing Leandro. The letter ensured that, should he enroll, his academic, medical and magical needs would be met to the best of possible ability, and reluctant as she was, Rosandra accepted their offer.

It took several months of constant repetition and exposure before Leandro was able to understand the full extent of his leaving. Perhaps the only reason it took so little time, even so, was because of chance moments of clarity and his slow rise towards rehabilitation. However, once he was able to comprehend his circumstances, Leandro was all for the chance. He hated to leave his mother, but his lingering anger with her was enough to give him the push he needed to go. So, he enrolled in Starlight Academy, and with his personal nurse behind him, he set off for Manta Carlos.