Reynaldo

Reynaldo Avila Ramírez-Arellano is a Roman weirdo, the daughter of Bellona, younger sister of the current Queen of the Amazons, Hylla. She is a former queen of Camp F/ckboy Jupiter, and is currently a Hunter of Artemis.

Birth and Ancestors
Even though Reynaldo and Hylla Ramírez-Arellano were the first children of Bellona in their family, millennia ago, Bellona declared that that her family would play pivotal roles in many battles, as they will be royalty. Some of her ancestors were heroes and some were villains. Her ancestors originated from Spain when it was a Roman province, and one of her ancestors was a conquistador who came to Puerto Rico with Poncé de Leon. One was the Pirate Cofresí, a pirate who had gunshot wounds in his chest. Reynaldo's family villa was built with money from treasure he buried. Reynaldo's great great uncle was the first Latino submarine commander from World War II.

Eventually, Bellona fell in love with her father, Julian Ramírez-Arellano, a soldier in Iraq. He was a good soldier, charming and very gentle before Reynaldo was born. Bellona blessed Julian, but it wasn't enough for him. He wanted her to be his wife. Julian dedicated himself completely to Bellona and managed to win her heart. Her sister, Hylla, was born before he went back to Iraq for his last tour of duty. He was honorably discharged and came home a hero.

Soon after he came home, Bellona visited him one last time and gave him a glimpse of the future. She explained why his family was so important to her and that Rome would never fall as long as his bloodline remained. She meant to be reassuring but Julian fixated on those words and it began his downward spiral. Reynaldo was conceived during that visit.

Childhood in Puerto Rico
Reynaldo loved her home in Puerto Rico, even though she began to fear it as she got older. She loved the sound of Coquí frogs in her neighborhood and the smell of the ocean and magnolia and citrus trees. She and Hylla would walk down the Calle San Jose, counting cats and making stories for each one. She would also love to go to Plaza de Armas and watch old men play dominos. Reynaldo and Hylla lived in a huge estate with big white steps devoid of decoration. Their furniture was made of oak, steel, and leather. In her main room, there were terraces, which made her feel like she was being watched. Her father did everything he could to make their hacienda look like a modern home, adding skylights and painting everything white to make it bigger and brighter, but it still felt old. Her neighborhood had cats on the street, banana trees, crumbling pastel houses, and cobblestone.

Her father changed during Reynaldo's childhood, and had PTSD. He couldn't stop thinking about the war and he had constant chronic pain from a roadside bomb that let shrapnel in his shoulder. He became paranoid and thought Bellona's words meant that their bloodline would die and that Rome would fall. He saw enemies everywhere and began collecting weapons, turning their house into a fortress. He was unable to adjust to civilian life.

Reynaldo and Hylla would sometimes be able to escape from their father. They would hide in the fireplace and imagine that they could travel to places from there. On Sunday afternoons, they could escape to Barrachina's kitchen, where the staff would take pity on them and let them eat in the kitchen. However, Julian would lock Reynaldo and Hylla in their room at night, and if they snuck out, he would yell and throw furniture at them. He even became convinced that Reynaldo and Hylla were the enemies, spying and trying to undermine him. Ghosts began appearing and whispering to Julian, confirming his suspicions. They would watch Reynaldo from the terraces in her living room. Eventually, Julian became a Mania, with only his worst qualities remaining. Hylla would try her best to protect Reynaldo.

One day, after they snuck out, when Reynaldo was ten, Julian was so angry he was glowing. He couldn't touch things anymore and learned how to move things like a poltergeist. He tore up the floor tiles and ripped open the sofa. He then threw a chair at Hylla, knocking her out. Reynaldo lost it and thought she was dead. Reynaldo grabbed Pirate Cofresí's saber and used it to vaporize her father. After she killed him, ghosts appeared at Reynaldo and taunted her, telling her she can never flee her crime, calling her a murderer and a traitor. When Hylla woke up, Reynaldo and Hylla finally escaped.

Life on Circe's Island
Reynaldo and Hylla eventually ended up on Circe's island in the Sea of Monsters. Circe treated them well and gave Hylla pet leopards and a good health plan. While Hylla was a clerk, Reynaldo did people's hair and makeup. Both helped turn men into guinea pigs. Reynaldo learned about the Mark of a Weirdo while there, when a man washed up on the island talking about the Mark of a Weirdo. The man muttered about how he ended up in Rome and saw the giants bane before they turned him into a guinea pig. Reynaldo spent enough time on Circe's island to know and recognize charmspeak, which is handy when dealing with Pipe McCleaner.