Rolando Backstory

Rolando the Five Star Wonder

Warm watery wavy wetness.

That's what he could first remember while he was inside his mother. Like most demons in Envy, she could shift into a full fish form to allow for full speed underwater and then move to a bipedal form while on land. Once he was born, he could feel the icy cold black waters of Hell. His mother nudged him along as he swam his first strokes. Just as expected with the Envian species, he was able to swim on his own in a few days and after some guidance from his parents, hunt on his own after a month or so. Envians valued power and independence right from the start.

The concept of "friendship" was different in Envy. "Friend" usually meant one or two things: a powerful ally or someone with a useful purpose. For those in good standing, they often had several supporters with good connections to other elite members, and one or two lackeys they could send to do menial tasks. If anyone showed any disrespect, their dirty secrets could be telepathically put on display. So, it was the norm for those of lower standing to try and keep their mouths and minds quiet.

The lines were blurred when it came to sex...many of the females were dominant and sometimes males and females could both get pregnant and give birth due to the ease of shifting sexual organs. Having two mothers, two fathers, a mother and a father or just manifesting from magic were all normal. Though it was still a big step when a male fish would decide to gradually become a female parent. When Rolando was asked if that's what he wanted to do when he grew up, he knew in his heart...

"No way! Do I look like a babysitter?"

Nobody really knows why many Envians have names associated with fame and power. Performers Glim and Glam are examples.

Although Rolando and his family weren't at the top, they could live a fairly decent life. They had enough clothes and food to enjoy themselves. Yet there was always everyday competition with their neighbors. For one day, the denizens would argue over who had the best houses. Then the next day, they'd brag about their clothes and social media accounts. And then the next time, they would claim their children were the smartest or the best.

Usually, the strongest or the most dominant would get most of the praise. Rolando liked the praise he got but always was aching for more. Even with his parents it was the same. It wasn't uncommon for him to hear from his mom and dad, "You are an incredible son, but I'll love you even more when you can beat all these guys!" "Wow, great hunting, son! I bet you could snatch up more bottom-feeders the next time."

When Rolando did manage to perform a great accomplishment, it was like a birthday: great while it lasted but over all too soon. Just like a temporary trend online; there and gone like the waves of the ocean.

It was an endless cycle of trends, judgements, and could-have-beens.

The only thing truly satisfying for Rolando were the moments when he got to feast on the insecurities and fears of others. There was no one to tell him he wasn't quite good enough...no competition, no expectations, no numbers to reach. It was just him and his prey and a sense of a strange, delicious freedom, like a kid playing with a new toy. Time stood still when he peered into the minds of others...as the traumas of his victims played before him, he could remind himself of his own greatness. It was just like watching an entertaining film in the individual's head! There were also the obvious tasty benefits of blood, flesh, and the victims' life force.

Rolando manifested in and out of the water, getting used to both his everyday forms. The Envy Ring was vibrant with buildings made of coral and decorated with eyes all over the structures. Giant billboards advertised drugs, seafood, underwater music parties, watery sex, weapons and more. Rolando preferred dark practical clothes still in good quality. He spotted scaly fisherman catching little fish, shrimp, and small sharks in the distance. Leviathan was advertising the annual surfing competition, where the winner would get to surf against the king himself in the most treacherous of waters. (Nobody could beat him even if they wanted to, Leviathan practically invented surfing and he knew it.)