Leonidas "Leo" Zuniga- Ecuadorian ancestry; Leo Zuniga is a high school student who is usually described as nice, kind and funny and is currently trying to figure himself out, which involves changing things he would normally do. He is a closeted bisexual boy from Queens who has been dating Maddie Cervantes throughout the course of his adolescence. He is often considered by most to be good-humored and pleasant to be around, being sociable and capable of interacting with some of the more popular kids with greater ease. He tends to be introverted however and often stays close to the sidelines, preferring to read books or spend quality time with his family. Leo can be somewhat flighty at times and isn't always seen as reliable, although he likes to do random good deeds such as helping an elderly woman cross the street. In many ways, his calm and passive disposition tends to serve as a foil to his older sister Kiana's more abrasive personality. He and Rafe Nichols, whom are both equally interested in science, both met when they attended science camp together over the summer and formed a strong friendship. He often stood up for him and gave him confidence in his abilities, leading to Rafe's developing a romantic attraction to him. Often viewed as down-to-earth and realistic, Leo is a hardheaded and matter-of-fact person known for his frankness when interacting with other people. Throughout his adolescence, he is constantly confused and has a lot of questions, so he reaches out to a college student named Victor in New York City for help. If something requires him to do what anybody else would do, but it goes against what he believes in or knows is right, then he will choose his own path. He is thoughtful and tends to be highly observant, noticing subtle changes in the behavior of the people around him and showing his love for them through kind gestures.
Guarded and skeptical, Leo's downfall is that he can be incredibly cynical at times and is a self-described pessimist, focusing only on what can visibly be seen. He often anticipates the worst outcome, while finding fanciful people who romanticize favorable possibilities excessively to be impractical and absurd. Despite this, he is a very loyal person who would do anything to protect his loved ones, even if it means giving up his life to do so. He is shown to be very kind and honest as well, giving very good social advice in an objective role and offering "consultations" to his classmates. Leo can also be spontaneous, such as when he bought a bus ticket to visit Victor in New York City for the weekend, telling his parents that he was on a basketball team trip to Georgia Tech. He even printed out a fake permission slip for his parents to sign and often describes himself as the family problem fixer, mediating people's disputes and encouraging them to come together. He has a soft spot for Rafe, whom he takes under his wing after defending him from being bullied by the obnoxious Eddy Beadles and gets defensive when questioned about his sexuality. He is confused about his true sexual orientation and the nature of his attachment to Rafe and often flippantly dismisses accusations about his sexuality from others to push people away and deflect attention from himself. Leo's favorite subject is science, especially biology, and his hobby is swimming, as he is currently a member of his school's competitive team. He loves animals in general, but he is especially crazy about frogs, causing him to collect anything that is frog related, except the amphibian itself. He can be a bit of a "goody-goody" at times and always tries to do what's right, indicating that he had a strong moral compass. He also loves photography, basketball, dancing, and classical music, but hates all bugs except for butterflies, grasshoppers and crickets.
Leo's sister is frequently noted as the type of person whom is "always on the go", choosing to challenge the circumstances he encounters rather than going with the flow, with big aspirations of being a part of something larger than herself. She claims to not understand how certain people can lead sedentary lifestyles and be inactive for extended periods of time, preferring to keep herself occupied with a busy schedule. An example of this was when instead of telling his friends to not act, "that gay way" at his birthday party because his and grandfather told him to, Leo turned around and told them no. She is sober and unromantic and comes across as a relatively tough-skinned person after years of being taunted by her peers at school and having experienced an almost sexual assault by an older man. Leo went through a phase of cycling in and out of relationships with different girls, namely Maddie in the past to prove his masculinity and change people's perception of him. He has a hard time trusting other people because she is scared of being let down or rejected, and he is also shown to have jealousy issues due to being hurt by his old friends. His feelings for Maddie were genuine however, as he found her beautiful and frequently regarded her as "the most talented person he knew" upon hearing her sing for the first time. The two appeared to have the same taste in movies, and he revealed a side to himself that was affectionate whenever he kissed her forehead or hugged her publicly. Although he is quiet, Leo is very determined when he sets his mind on a goal, and is usually the one who reminds her friends of important tasks to be done. He tends to slack off on his studies at times but excels in sports, being among one of the brightest in the class and described by his teachers as their best science student.
He is very close to his family, which consists of his parents, brother and his older half-sister, who is tolerant of him and his friends. Like his mother, he is an insecure and even cowardly boy who was shown to be afraid of fire, which was one of her biggest fears, although he has managed to gradually overcome his fear. Despite his tendency to joke around when faced with a problem, Leo is a kindhearted person who cares about those she has relationships with. He has an uncle named Octavio who suffers from autism and tries to educate other people on the condition and challenge the preconceptions of those around him. He briefly joined the color guard with the desire to possibly earn a scholarship and attend college, and he originally had plans to become a surgeon. He also has a big appetite, revealed by the time he devours all of his neighbor's cookies without a care for them possibly being poisoned, unlike his other more cautious stepbrother Enrique. Leo has a backyard trampoline that he often relaxes on in his spare time and is shown to be quite flexible and skilled at doing back flips. His favorite song is "Arrival of the Birds" by Cinematic Orchestra, although he will deny this and pretend to like contemporary artists such as Bad Bunny around his friends. He has a fondness for country music as well and admits that he is a big fan of Carrie Underwood and Blake Shelton, as well as Kacey Musgraves. He likes to eat ceviche and can never resist a big, juicy hamburger from Five Guys, despite his classmate Tyna Smith's unsuccessful attempts at convincing him to become a vegetarian. Leo is known for his temper, which surfaces on rare occasions and gets him into trouble at times, but whenever he has made a mistake, he always owns up to it in time. For this reason, his intelligence is his greatest strength and has either given him an advantage or has outright saved him in multiple situations throughout his lifetime.
His favorite holiday is Christmas, which doubles as his birthday in a way due to his being born on December 26th, and he enjoys the lights and ability to spend quality time with his loved ones. He kisses Maddie under the mistletoe one year and went to mass with her and her grandparents, although she had been stuck in an airport the previous day due to being snowed in. Despite his Ecuadorian heritage, Leo is considered white-passing, with short, wavy black hair, dark, hooded eyes, and a light complexion. He is also described as having a defined square jawline and a tall and robust physique, possibly having slight bruxism due to clenching his teeth excessively at night. He mentions that he gets sunburned very easily due to his fair skin tone, as evidenced during a heat wave that took place during the summer of his eighth grade year. He is usually seen in casual attire, but according to Rafe can clean up nicely, noticing how well-groomed he appeared in a two-piece suit while attending his cousin's quinceanera. Leo consults with a therapist at one point that helps him resolve his feelings and come to terms with his bisexuality, during which he admits that while he cared about Maddie, he was truly in love with Rafe. This leaves his girlfriend heartbroken for some time, during which they spend about a month without talking, although she eventually comes to accept him for who he is and tells him they would always be friends. He attends college and applied for medical school to become a dermatologist, but ultimately winds up becoming a physician assistant. He supports Rafe in his career as a graphic artist and allows him to take on the role of a stay-at-home dad to his children once they get married, moving to a brownstone with him in Brooklyn Heights. ISFJ 6w7
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