Grand Highblood Headcanon

Janus Mekara was an only child, born into a lower-class family in Derse. The city was his playground, and he grew up used to the sounds of sirens, gunshots, and loud music. His school was run-down, with a principal that didn’t care and teacher’s that cared even less. He got average grades; nothing spectacular. His parents tried pushing him to get
involved in extra-curricular activities, but the only thing that really stuck was playing the guitar.

Janus’ parents both worked, trying to provide their family with what they needed. Due to this, Janus was given lots and lots of spare time to run around the city, making friends as well as enemies. Several of his friends joined gangs around the age of thirteen, but Janus turned down their invitations of brotherhood. Instead, he took up the guitar, learning from a man who lived a block away from his apartment, Otto “Orpheus” Shidowski.

Orpheus soon took Janus under his wing, teaching him everything he knew, and not just when it came to the guitar. After months of establishing a good mentor-tutor relationship, his teacher finally confessed the truth: when he wasn’t teaching youth how to play guitar, he was the core of the Skaian Drug Cartel. Orpheus had eyes and ears everywhere, and began to teach him the ways of the cartel.

Janus’ grandfather had been institutionalized due to mental illness - it seemed this skipped a generation and was given to Janus himself. The older he grew, the more quiet and dangerous he became. Orpheus sensed the potential in him and employed him as his debt collector. Janus went to countless homes, threatening, beating, and even killing (in some instances) those who owed Orpheus money. No matter what, he always got his mentor’s money.

Janus’ parents had strong misgivings about his relationship with his mentor. His mother and father insisted on him terminating their friendship and getting a decent job. Janus refused. As a result, his parents kicked him out when he was eighteen, and Janus went to live with Orpheus. He never contacted his parents ever again. It was at this point that he got deeper into the Skaian underground.

Janus soon became Orpheus’ right-hand man. Several of his lackey’s were jealous and attempted to kill him, but to no avail. Janus seemed to have a knack for spotting his enemies, and his reputation soared. The other leaders of the Cartel began to grow increasingly nervous:
Orpheus’ health was beginning to fail, and they were certain he would choose Janus to be his successor, as opposed to a more experienced, older individual.

These fears were confirmed when Orpheus began to bring Janus to their meetings. Janus took note of every little detail: what was said, who said it, who was there, what body language they used, etc. He was a looming presence in the background, tall, dark, silent, and frightening with the face makeup he began to use.

Strangely enough, Janus befriended, fell in love with, and married Calypso Shidowski, Orpheus’ daughter. This sealed the deal; Janus was going to inherit the underworld empire Orpheus had built from the ground up. The Cartel grew desperate in their assassination attempts, but each time, Janus would prevent the death of himself and his mentor. He began to strike back, and tempers were rising. Orpheus knew that if he didn’t do something
soon, Prospit and Derse would once again fall victim to the gang wars that had plagued both cities.

Before Orpheus died, he declared his intentions of letting Janus succeed him to the others. There was an uproar, and the assassination attempts grew more frequent. Calypso became pregnant, and Janus began to assign his own trusted lackeys to watch her in order to keep her safe. Thankfully, she gave birth to their son, Gamzee, without any difficulties. Orpheus was able to see his grandson - a week later, he died.

Janus mourned, as was appropriate, on the outside. The man had been a father to him, after all. As soon as he was able, however, he made a preemptive strike against the other members of the Cartel. He killed two, injured one, threatened  and tortured two more, and managed to get the loyalty of all the Cartel in a single month. With no enemies in his way, and the guaranteed loyalty of his men, Janus became a man of power, hidden wealth, and insanity.

With his newfound wealth, Janus opened up a School for the Musically Inclined - a school for musicians of all talent and age. It gave him an excuse to move his headquarters to the border of Prospit and Derse (which would make it easier for him to move between the two territories), as well as calm any suspicions from the police that he was involved in any illegal activity. Janus befriended and paid off Judge Redglare, and soon became the “go-to” guy for politicians, police officers, and the rich and famous. Anything you want, he probably has, and in copious amounts.

Every once in awhile, a foolish young man will start a gang and talk about kicking “the old geezer” out - Janus quickly puts an end to the foolishness by cutting out a tongue or breaking some fingers. His odd face paint and affinity for violence has kept most of the Cartel in
check...the last thing they want is Janus showing up at their home.

* Janus is a smoker, pothead, occasional acidhead, and borderline alcoholic. The only things he hasn’t tried is meth, heroin, cocaine, PCP, and crack-cocaine. His house reeks of pot. His eyes are almost constantly bloodshot, and it’s common to find him smoking with a cigarette in one hand and a joint in the other.

* Janus loves his wife Calypso deeply, and would do anything for his son. He is extremely protective of her and his son Gamzee - you harm either of them, and you won’t live to see another day. Janus supports his son’s musical endeavors; he wishes him to have a safe, happy life away from the Skaian underworld. For this reason, he has yet to tell his son what his actual job is.

* Janus teaches guitar lessons every week to teens at his School for the Musically Inclined. He uses the money they raise from concerts and recitals to go towards different charities; Janus wishes to uphold the “good guy” reputation in the press.

* Janus is referred to as "The Grand Highblood". It was once used as an insult, poking fun at his humble background and substance abuse, but the name has stuck. He has an egotistical flair that can quickly turn psychotic and sadistic. Underneath this "Good-Samartian-Family-Man" facade is an extremely dangerous and mentally unstable individual...it's a miracle that he keeps things together so well. But, if one were to ask, he will say the same thing every single time: "I learned from the best."