A body of water occupying about two-thirds of a world made for man — who has no gills."
▶ mother (rosana elaine demski) is a hoity toity socialite hailing from a jewish-american family with it's own story of addictions and abuses. she's a rigid, harsh, abusive and emotionally closed off woman that is, ironically, a renowned psychiatrist that specializes in sexuality and sex reassignment. ironically, however, even with her degree and endless respect for the work she does, rosana had remained unaware of jav's issues. often bypassing any and all complaints or visible symptoms. to this day EVEN SHE PROCLAIMS THAT IT'S ALL AN ATTEMPT TO GARNER ATTENTION.
▶ FATHER, AMIR SHIRANI, immigrated from pakistan with his family while still in his youth. he was, is, and will always be a bit of a snake in that he's charming, sly, and totally untrustworthy. amir works as a professor of literature and languages at nyu to pay the bills while he continuously works on his crappy novels. it's no surprise that he can't so much as remember the names of his children given that he'd never been particularly present in their lives. truthfully, it seems all amir cares for is his writing and sleeping with his students.
▶ while in the rebellious stages of her own youth rosana met and married amir. their marriage had been volatile and short lived, with divorce arriving shortly after rosana announced her second pregnancy with the twins' younger sister. legally custody was split between the parents, but in reality the children spent most of their time with their paternal grandparents and uncle between boarding schools and the occasional week spent with their mother or maternal grandmother. their mother tried to enforce her religion on them (never mind she barely practiced herself) but given the circumstances of their upbringing the siblings were more inclined towards being muslim, which annoyed rosana to no end
▶ a middle child by proxy, javid carried out most (if not all) the cliches. always careful to keep peace between his siblings and accustomed to being an assigned wallflower, he'd grown up largely dependent on and close to nav and kali. particularly given the circumstances of their distant and abusive parents. however, following a dramatic falling out, jav has all but lost touch with his brother. JAV'S RELATIONSHIP WITH HIS PARENTS IS ALL BUT NONEXISTENT TO THE POINT OF JAV OFTEN PRETENDING THAT HIS FATHER DOES NOT EXIST. INSTEAD HE DIRECTS EVERYONE TO HIS PATERNAL UNCLE AND GRANDPARENTS AS BEING THE PERSONS RESPONSIBLE FOR HIS UPBRINGING. his relationship with kali remains strong as ever and she stands to be his closest friend, aside from connor.
▶ javid grew up in the boarding school system, circulated from one to the next the very second he was old enough. this, of course, made it easier for his parents to ignore him and his siblings, who were also kept in boarding schools. for the most part he didn't mind it. but since his parents had the shirani children in single-gender schools he often missed out on important moments with his sister. it also stood as a glaring issue when puberty reared its ugly head and sexuality came to the surface, leading him directly into trouble with nothing but equally frustrated and curious boys around him.
▶ it'd been during high school and through the dramatics of teenage messiness that jav learned a simultaneously simple and horrifying fact about himself: he was polyamorous. it certainly explained a lot of his previous confusion but faild to make anything even remotely easier. he'd dedicated hours upon hours researching and reading and absorbing as much information as he could on the whole matter, working to help himself define what it meant to be poly for himself. he'd even carried out a relationship with two classmates in a shared attempt at the lifestyle. but, as new things often do, it'd crumbled under the weight of uncertainty, insecurity, and jealousy. while now he's come to terms with much of it and willingly admits to this part of himself, jav is still nervous in that he worries about how fast and hard he can fall for someone and how it could very likely cause issue between him and whomever he's with.
▶ javid's senior year proved to earth shattering and life changing. following immense heartbreak, loneliness, and confusion he stumbled into a perfect love affair that's managed to last well on through five years. but even that could not undo the years of damage he'd done to himself. inspired by the alcoholic grandmother he once worshiped, jav self medicated to the extremes. unaware that his issues were legitimate and psychological he placed all of his hope on the sway of narcotics and alcohol to help him go through each day as normally as possible. and for the most part he'd done well to keep it under wraps, at least until he'd been caught trying to purchase from a watched dealer. though the incident remains on his record, jav did manage to avoid jail time as a first time offender with community service and court mandated therapy. only the drama did not end there. horrified by the scandal, javid's mother and grandmother both disowned him without hesitation. he'd expected it from his mother, she'd never much cared for him anyhow, but it'd been his grandmother that had jav spiraling through depression and heartache.
▶ after having barely graduated, jav went on to follow connor and pick up odd jobs here and there while his boyfriend attended college. a year and a half into that dance, however, and jav eventually had to accept his anxiety's pull on him. he applied for disability under the instruction of his therapist and, with a little financial help now, jav quit his jobs to work freelance from home and take up classes at the local community college. while he's still not sure what he wants to focus on or even do with his life, javid is still very much appreciative of just the opportunity to further his education and accomplish far more than he'd ever expected of himself.
▶ with ample free time and a newly discovered confidence in his pocket, jav eventually sought to entertain some of his more selfish desires. with the support of everyone he'd even so much as mentioned it to he went on to take up an unpaid internship at the seattle aquarium. there he worked directly under like minded folk who helped re-inspire his passion for all things ocean related. though he's still unsure as to whether or not he'd like to pursue a career in the field, jav enjoyed each day like the treasures they were to him. for once, moving was actually hard. while he was not distraught (he still had fond memories to carry with him) jav did get unusually emotional during his last day at the aquarium, lingering well past the end of his shift to enjoy everything one last time.
▶ ideally jav hopes that in returning to new york he's opened up the opportunity reconnect with a brother he misses despite all the bad blood between them. though, realistically, he knows that the likelihood of this happening is slim to none. navid is, was, and will always be his mother's favorite and it goes without saying that she's made it her goal to keep the boys separated. it'd always been rosana's intent to break the ties between all of her children as she'd been both jealous and threatened by their closeness. even so, jav doesn't mind letting himself believe in the impossible this one time.
PERSONALITY
for the most part jav is grounded, knowing himself well enough to keep balanced and calm, and tends to act as a counselor for his friends and loved ones, helping to root them in something stable as well. ultimately as well he's a nurturer and finds most of his joy in taking care of others--thus his tendency towards feeding everyone. at his best, jav is carefree, talkative, easy going and has a quick sense of humor.
at his worst, however, he's prone towards jealousy, worries too much about his place in other people's lives, obsesses over loyalties and puts too much worth in everyone's opinion of him. while he does not have a temper jav's anger is still most unpleasant in that he can become moody and petty through it. he tends to wear his emotions on his sleeve too, making it easy for other people to read him.
diagnosesborderline personality disorder:
the absolute bane of his existence. being diagnosed was one thing, but finding a therapist he could trust and medication that actually worked without making him ill turned out to be the greatest difficulty he'd faced. javid struggles daily both with the control his bpd has on him and his own perception of it, often believing himself to be an issue for the rest of the world. during his lows jav is apt towards hiding in the apartment, avoiding everyone and barely interacting with connor even, and trying to cope with his own ideas of being less than.
borderline aspergers:
during the course of being tested and diagnosed for bpd, it was identified that jav fell within the autism spectrum but lacked any directly complete identifiers to be sufficiently and definitively looped in. however both his doctor and therapist(s) remain aware and in conversation about the overlaps of javid's personality that fall into aspergers and try to address any possibly issues he may have through this.
avoidant personality disorder:
a direct issue of his obvious abuses whilst growing up that seems to come and go in waves, though never entirely leaves of course. it was at its worst during jav's high school years but since following a dedicated medication and talk therapy routine he's managed to work around this as best he can to live a semi normal life.
recovering addict
throughout his high school years javid self medicated and was reliant on heavy doses of narcotics and the constant stream of alcohol to help him feel as he perceived normal to be. and it had worked for the most part. able to interact and socialize with others, jav found himself less concerned about the minor issues and more in awe of the people around him. however, this also meant that he was prone to erratic behavior during withdrawals and that he remembers very little of his formative years.
during his senior year, however, he'd been caught, arrested, convicted of intent to buy. after the whirlwind of embarrassment and panic, javid was ordered to fulfill community service hours and attend na meetings in lieu of any jail time. he's since maintained a dry lifestyle in his effort to avoid falling into the pitfalls of his past once more.
intj • the architect
vision oriented, quietly innovative, insightful, conceptual, logical, seeks understanding, critical, decisive, independent, determined, pursues competence & improvement
virgo roostervirgo & water rooster
The Rooster is portrayed within ancient Chinese astrological texts as flamboyant, diverse and extremely confident and communicative. In Western Astrology Virgo's are described as being perfectionists with a good eye for detail and lots of commonsense. So the Virgo Rooster usually has a colorful mixture of personality traits that make him or her quite a likeable character. These personalities love to chat endlessly about anything and will often have plenty of friends. Virgo Rooster's are immensely observant, very loveable and fairly perceptive and considerate to the emotions of others. They get along well with everyone with their excellent communication abilities, and are often peace makers, organizers and motivators of others.
The Virgo Rooster individual is like a sponge when it comes to soaking up any kind of information. They assimilate knowledge easily and retain it well, this makes them good at studying. Their love of learning helps them never seem to be stuck for something to say. A Virgo Rooster does not like the sound of silence as it makes them feel lonely. They can be annoying with their constant patter but their bright, helpful nature's often more than make up for this over talkativeness. Some of these personalities will be attracted to occupations where they can utilize their conversational skills and perception to help others.
Honesty is one of the Virgo Rooster's biggest strengths and everything they undertake or committ to will be performed with complete openness. These people are trustworthy, they are often the sort of individual's that will automatically hand in anything they find. This honest approach is much appreciated in relationships where the Virgo Rooster is usually most successful. Their attentive and open personalities make them very understanding partners who are not afraid to show their feelings. They are demonstrative, romantic and easygoing with soul mates but they can be a little possessive and have a tendency to easily get jealous.
A Virgo Rooster will talk a lot but they are also good listeners too, so they can be fantastic friends. Their habit of gathering and remembering information comes in very useful when others ask for advice. Virgo Rooster's get real pleasure from assisting people by conveying their array of acquired knowledge. In their homes these Virgo's prefer plain and comfortable ambiences that are functional and modern. In their wardrobes they opt to be a little more adventurous and like clothes that are bright but stylish. These particular personalities can be a bit vain and take ages getting ready.
Weak traits in the Virgo Rooster personality all appear to be concentrated in their perfectionist streak. They tend to want to attain perfection in everything they do in life and suffer hugely from disappointments. Failure is not a word that a Virgo Rooster likes to hear so they will try again and again. Sometimes they may need to be encouraged to cease trying. These fastidious characters can frequently wear themselves out by trying to do too much at the same time. They need to learn to be a bit less fussy and better prioritize their workloads.
facts + misc
• JAV LOVES SHARKS (PLUS ALL THINGS SEA RELATED, REALLY) AND HE'S MADE IT VERY CLEAR. HE'S LOVED THEM ALL HIS LIFE AND WHILE HIS LITTLE SISTER WENT AROUND PRETENDING TO BE A MERMAID AS A KID HE'D PRETEND HE WAS HALF SHARK AND TERRORIZE HER.
• THE ONLY THING HE LOVES MORE THAN OCEANLIFE IS COOKING AND BAKING. REGARDLESS OF WHETHER OR NOT HE'S HUNGRY, JAV CAN TYPICALLY BE FOUND STOWED AWAY IN THE KITCHEN PREPARING MEALS, SNACKS, DESSERTS, AND EVERYTHING ELSE IN QUANTITIES FIT FOR WHOLE COUNTRIES. IT'S NOT UNCOMMON FOR HIM TO HAVE TO PASS OUT HIS CULINARY CREATIONS TO NEIGHBORS AND FRIENDS AS THERE SIMPLY IS NOT ENOUGH ROOM WHERE HE LIVES. AND, OF COURSE, HE DOES LOVE TO EAT. BUT THERE'S ONLY SO MUCH HIS STOMACH CAN HANDLE BEFORE IT FEELS AS THOUGH IT MIGHT EXPLODE.
• adopted zorro and chloe from a shelter with specific intent: he wanted to adopt a black cat, an older cat, or one with medical problems that otherwise made it more difficult to find a forever home. zorro came as all three plus the bonus of a sassy best friend and sister. alongside having the obvious issues of being a flat faced feline zorro also has feline diabetes and requires insulin shots daily.
• still very much attached to the religion he'd grown up on and, though he hardly would call himself a truly dedicated muslim, jav does adhere to many of the laws, expectations, and restrictions. primarily in terms of diet and regular praying.
• jav finds peace and comfort in the kitchen, which stands to reason that why he's so protective of it. though he does allow connor to make use of the kitchen whenever need be, it's never without preliminary lectures. he's most famous for throwing hissy fits over minor issues that would go unnoticed with anyone else. it's truly a wonder connor's not left him over the petty kitchen spats they've had in their time.
• rest tbd
family
rosana demski, motherrenowned psychiatrist. a hard, unforgiving woman with no patience. disowned jav.
amir shirani, fatherlit prof/poet/author at nyu. sleeps with his students and avoids his children.
navid ezekiel, twinthey used to be close but now don't speak at all.
kalila bosmat, sisterthe baby sister who is an undeniable presence, she takes charge and bosses everyone. best friend.
wasim shirani, unclethe primary caretaker to his brother's children, despite having seven daughters of his own.
priya faridi, auntwasim's wife and to whom jav most often goes for advice.
nadeya king, auntattorney. recently married after spending most her life rejecting the very idea. the luck sob: marcus king.
qadir & shazia, p. gp deli owners. greatest support. may not see eye to eye but they adore jav all the same.
lisabet demski, m. gmawidowed circa 1986. professional lush and jav's greatest hurt. he used to worship her.
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