Jude Alvarez is from New York City, specifically the Washington Heights neighborhood, where community, culture, and resilience shaped their early life. Their parents, Maikel and Belcalis, immigrated from the Dominican Republic in the mid nineties with very little, determined to build something better. Through years of saving and sacrifice, they opened a bodega that became both successful and central to their community. It was that success that allowed them to send their eldest daughter, Zenobia, to college.

Jude was never part of the original plan. Belcalis had a difficult pregnancy years earlier and was told she could not have more children, yet she became pregnant again when Zenobia was fifteen. Jude was born premature and spent much of their childhood sick, though they gradually grew stronger during their teenage years.

Despite the age gap, Jude and Zenobia share a close bond. She was the first person Jude trusted when they came to understand themselves more fully, not only recognizing that they were not asexual, but also that they are nonbinary and use they them pronouns.

Jude chose to join the Navy against their parents’ wishes. For them, it was a practical decision. It offered a way to pay for college, a chance to travel, and a way to avoid placing more financial strain on their family. During one and a half tours in Iraq, Jude met Cristopher Dry. Their personalities balanced each other, with Jude acting as the calm and steady presence alongside Cristopher’s sharper edge.

While in service, Jude earned a degree in network systems with a minor in folklore and mythology, developing a deep interest in myth and building a personal database of creatures and legends.

Their path shifted after a training injury that tore their ACL, leading to their discharge. Returning home proved difficult, as their parents became overprotective. Seeking independence, Jude moved to Los Angeles and now works as a network administrator, where they have built a life on their own terms. Cristopher eventually followed, choosing to remain by their side.