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cheerpowers
☀ 
GENERAL
NAME: Veronica Nicole Powers
NICKNAMES: Vee (preferred)
AGE/DOB: 17 | February 14
BLOOD STATUS: Halfblood
GENDER/PRONOUNS: Female; She/her
SEXUALITY: Predominantly heterosexual (a little bicurious, but nothing serious). Currently exploring the potential for extreme nauseating cuteness with Oscar Zabinsky.
HOMETOWN: Phoenix, AZ
CONCEPT:
PHYSICAL
APPEARANCE: While not overconfident in (or over-focused on for that matter) her looks, it's easy to see that Vee is a pretty girl. Not in an overly exotic way, but the bright titan colored hair is something that definitely sticks out. It's pretty much orange in all reality, though of course she's described as a ginger or even a strawberry blonde by those who have more descriptive ways of articulating things. Vee's hair is naturally this color, though she has been known to lighten it to a true strawberry blonde that leans more towards the blonde side when she's tired of all the ginger jokes (and if she just wants a change, honestly) She has an athletic build, but it's nothing overly muscular or that overtly makes others take notice. Being short, she's often mistaken for more delicate than her years of cheer and other activities have built her to be, and her natural ability to conceal muscle in slender grace doesn't exactly help with this misconception. Like any other teenage girl, she wishes she were curvier or more endowed, but often is content with the assets she does possess.
Vee isn't an overly girlish young woman, but she does like looking pretty. She doesn't worry herself with too much makeup, though does favor bold lipstick (particularly red). Her clothing style is always well put together, never wrinkled or dirty or mismatched, even if she isn't always dressing up. Vee runs the gamut between chic, girly, casual, lounge, and even sexy without ever looking out of place or uncomfortable. It really depends on her mood whether she's wearing pants or skirts or dresses, and her casual clothes either revolve around jeans and cute tops or cute lounge pants and fun graphic shirts. She rarely wears the pants uniform unless a dire laundry emergency has occurred. (Examples of Style: One, Two, Three, Four, Five, Six, Seven, Eight, Nine, Ten)
While some might assume someone so "perfect" might be against marking their bodies, Vee surprises by being a big fan of tattoos. Hers are all small and tasteful, but she's getting bolder with each one. So far, she has 5. First is a heart on the back of her neck. Next is a dandelion being blown into a flock of birds along her left side. Third is a small bow on her right shoulder blade. Next is a tattoo she got with her best friend. Vee has the sun on her left wrist and Clementine Decourt ([insanejournal.com profile] neattrick) has the moon on their right one. Last, a small fox on her right hip.
HEIGHT: 5'1" and 1/2 (she usually just claims 5'2")
PB: Katherine McNamara
PERSONALITY
LIKES: Cheerleading, MERMAIDS, glitter, upbeat music, gummy bears, Disney movies, red lipstick, pumpkin ANYTHING, chai tea, thunderstorms, dancing, the beach, being in or on water, shopping, Halloween, running, nailing a routine, fairytales, pizza, birds, sunshine
DISLIKES: Winter, failure, not getting things done, boredom, broccoli, insects of any kind, blood, zombies, the fact that she couldn't succeed at every club, potions, saying no, not being able to do everything, being late, wearing socks on carpet
PERSONALITY:
Veronica Powers is one of those girls that, under different circumstances, would be that girl in school. You know, the one that's always so perky, always so on, that you kind of just want to punch her in the face (although you'd totally feel guilty about it after) Regardless of that inspiration, Vee manages to be more than mostly tolerable. Is she still the one who is pretty much never off or relaxed? Sure, but she makes up for this intensity by being one of the nicest people you'll ever meet besides. Vee likes to be doing stuff, doesn't like sitting idle, and always has a to-do list that she makes sure is completed each and every day (if it's not, she gets more than a little antsy) Type A ain't got nothing on her, and she is quite tenacious and thorough in everything she does. She doesn't handle laziness well, in herself or others, and likes to meet goals and exceed expectations. All the time. Every day.
Sound exhausting? Good, because it is. Not that Veronica would ever let anyone know that, though. You'd never know it as you watch her running to and fro, joining every single club that she possibly can just to say she did it while smiling the entire time. She likes to be involved in things, likes to take on as much as possible just to prove she can handle it, but has a very real inability to say no to anything or anyone. Need someone to volunteer for something? Count on Vee, even if she's never built a set in her life. Need someone to run a club or else it can't exist? Count on her despite not knowing one thing about it before hand. Vee was raised to be a leader, to be in control of her life, and she shows that every single day. She is never anything less than her best if she can help it, though it's easy to tell that she does most things simply because she feels she needs to do all these things or she feels like she can't turn them down. The only thing she's ever joined on her own was cheerleading, and its' there that one can see her truly shine. With something she's passionate about, like cheer, Vee literally transforms. She goes from the dutiful and capable participant to an eager little girl. It's difficult to get her to stop talking about or obsessing over something she loves, which is the first time one gets to experience what's truly endearing about Vee. All the pressure and expectations melt away, leaving the sweetheart who's entirely unafraid to show something other than perfection.
Vee's desire for perfection isn't born of anything sinister or cunning or conniving, however. Many people stereotype that she must be trying so hard on purpose to make everyone else look bad, but that's not so. She simply loves being involved, liking to keep busy and hedge her bets when it comes to finding her niche. Quite honestly, her niche is extremely widespread, though she hasn't quite realized that yet. Vee is a girl who likes to experience everything and insert herself in the mix, which is one of the biggest reasons Ebonhide won out in the housing. Her way of figuring out how the world works is to be part of as many things as possible and enjoy as many people as possible. She studies activities the way she studies people and simply loves being involved. Her sensitivity manifests in wanting to let everyone know she's there, fearing getting left behind or forgotten because she's not good enough. Vee loves people, is friendly and open and accepting of everyone, but constantly second guesses whether keeping herself so busy and omnipresent really equates to being liked. She has insecurities like every other teen girl about acceptance and fearing falling short, which is why she figures she'll do as many things as possible. She has to succeed at something, right? Unfortunately, this can come off as more than a little overwhelming (and honestly, overambitious) Keeping up with her is hard work despite the fact that she isn't particularly overbearing in her tenacity. There's never time to relax, never a practice that is entirely good enough, and never a list that's completed to absolute satisfaction. Vee is always on, which makes some feel like they can't take a breath around her.
Despite how overwhelmingly involved she is, there is one particular reason that she isn't that token hated goody-goody overachiever: kindness. She is a sensitive girl, and genuinely likes everyone (okay, mostly everyone, though she'll never admit that) Vee wears her heart on her sleeve, and is always thinking of ways to make others do the same. She is friendly, open, and honest with everyone she meets. Period. The end. She makes friends easily, which only adds to her problems with having too much on her plate. Vee can get overly sensitive when she's attacked or treated unfairly, and this applies to those she's chosen to be close to and activities she's decided she's truly invested in (AKA: cheerleading) Her stress level only adds to that sensitivity, and she finds herself boiling over before spilling every single issue she's kept pent up to the nearest person. Vee doesn't hate talking about her feelings, in fact she finds it rather important to coping with difficult situations, her problem comes in telling people before it gets to be too much. She doesn't like admitting she's weak or can't do something, so tends to hold onto things long after she should have let them go. Many also assume she has no backbone simply because she's the 'yes' girl, but this couldn't be further from the choice. All that intensity can also manifest when she feels strongly about herself or someone else (usually more likely) being wronged. She will fiercely protect those close to her, and even those who aren't, and isn't some wishy-washy pushover when you get right down to it. You don't get to be a respected leader by caving in at every opportunity, after all.
Overall, Vee is extremely driven by her emotions and passions. She isn't some huge artist, but she is good at solving problems or coming up with ways to teach routines that are way more on the creative side than traditional. Because of her natural inclination to trust everyone and give them the benefit of the doubt, Vee does get taken advantage of quite easily. Similarly, she is quick to throw herself into relationships, feeling just as intensely and going in as completely as she does with activities. Sadly, this can lead to frequent heartbreaks or disappointments, but Vee never loses her ability to love without reservation.
Over the past year, however, Vee has begun to realize that being nice all the time and being perfect is exhausting. Not only that, but it doesn't necessarily get her things she wants or any treatment that one might expect if they put out nothing but niceness. She's not going to be a mean person, but she's starting to realize that there is nothing mean about standing up for herself. She doesn't always have to have it all together, and she can break down in front of people. Vee is still working this out, as a large part of her is afraid people will turn away if she lets her guard down and isn't ON all the time, but she's found it exhausting over the past year with everything that happened. She wants to make her own decisions, wants to have fun, and doesn't want to worry about whether people are judging her or mocking her. She wants to be a good person who is taken seriously, not someone people patronize or coddle. Vee wants to assert who she is, not who she thinks people want her to be, and that's not easy to change overnight. Vee has always worn her heart on her sleeve, and while she's not going to close herself off from people, she is going to be a little more aware of how close she lets them and who they are. She's going to speak up, even if it's not necessarily sweet words, when something or someone has upset her. She's going to do better at taking care of herself, because while she has amazing friends who will literally run into the woods to save her, she needs to start saving herself too.
SKILLS
LANGUAGES SPOKEN: English, a little bit of Spanish but nothing fluent
PATRONUS: A dolphin (Successful!). Dolphins are a water creature and Vee is a MERMAID. It's different than her animagus, but just as appropriate. Dolphins are symbols of communication, intelligence, and emotion. The tend to be sociable, playful, and kind. They teach people to be motivated, inquisitive, and full of life. They also teach the importance of not taking oneself too seriously. Vee's animagus form is a fox, because it's appropriately associated with patience, wisdom, intelligence, adaptability, can be high-strung or calm, charismatic or mysterious, stand out or blend in, keep peace or make mischief.
SKILLS: -Baking: While Vee isn't an award winning chef in all areas, she is extremely good at baking in general though her specialty lies in cupcakes and decorating. She loves making treats of all kinds, but has a particular fondness for cupcakes and cookies because she can go crazy and make them super cute. And boy, does she.
-Dancing: Vee has been dancing since she could walk, which is what led her to cheer when she discovered what it was. She isn't a hardcore dancer as some, but she is good and a quick learner with styles that aren't her typical strong suit. (Lyrical, Hip-Hop, Modern being her top three, though she can do most ballroom styles with proficiency too)
-Tumbling/gymnastics: Once it became clear she had a natural flexibility and athleticism, Vee threw herself into tumbling and gymnastics. She took the classes originally as another way to burn off energy and because of cheer, but found that she loved it too.
-Sewing: She can't make you an entire dress, but if something tears or something small needs to be done, she can take care of it. Hemming, alterations, repairs. Those kinds of things.
-Using glitter,
-Mermaid: Okay, not really, but. Are you going to tell her otherwise?
HISTORY
FAMILY MEMBERS:
MOTHER: Alessia Powers (nee Abbott) | halfblood, assistant editor for Witch Weekly, former Hufflepuff.
Vee is not just a pretty spitting image of her mother where looks are concerned, they are also pretty much the same person. Alessia was a cheerleader too, and is just as upbeat, energetic, kind, and accepting as her oldest daughter. She's definitely a "cool mom", preferring to play the good cop, but she isn't always the best friend. She knows when to parent too. Still, she is Vee's best friend, and the two are always on the same page (often against her father or sister) She adores her mother, and always sticks up for her. Vee can most often be found talking to her mom or hanging out with her, so it seems like she loves her mom more, but they're just so alike it's hard for them to be apart.
FATHER: Patrick Powers | Muggleborn, Treasurer at MACUSA, former Ravenclaw
Patrick is definitely the more stoic of the Powers parents, though that doesn't mean he's cruel. He is definitely the disciplinarian, but he's also where Vee gets her dedication, work ethic, and natural intelligence from. He always pushes his daughters to be the best they can be, and is very protective of them both in the way fathers are. Vee loves her father, and can easily sway him with a pretty smile, but she also respects him and doesn't ever want to disappoint him by lying or being manipulative. He may be more like her sister in personality, but she still goes to him for advice (where appropriate) and listens to what he has to say. Since his job is demanding, he can be away for long hours, but always finds time to spoil his girls when he gets home.
SISTER: Victoria Powers | Junior, Coppertale
Pets: Kitten named Aurora (Rory) for short. Terrier named Philip.
HISTORY:
Patrick and Alessia have simultaneously the most adorable love story of all time and the most predictable. They didn't meet until they were in Hogwarts, which isn't uncommon given how many witches and wizards are strewn around the world as a whole. Despite meeting when they were too young to really understand what love or relationships meant, their time together at school only strengthened the bond they'd felt since first sight. The two were That couple from fifth year on, and it was only a year after graduation that they decided to get married. Patrick, being from a muggle family, was only too happy to take his new wife and travel the world together in lieu of living primarily like most wizards do. They didn't give up magic or anything crazy, but they just wanted to be together. No distractions, no ministries, no wars. It was a simple beginning, made even better when Alessia discovered she was pregnant a year or so later.
The news of a baby quickly became bittersweet once Veronica was born. Both of her parents had inheritance and savings from their families, and had been using it to happily travel and explore as they saw fit. With a newborn to think about, however, they soon realized that their nomadic lifestyle couldn't really hold. What sort of example would they be setting for their daughter? How were they going to give her everything she needed? The money would soon run out, they knew, so Patrick quickly took a job within the MACUSA. He'd always been interested in the ministry during school, and he saw no reason to abandon that dream now that they'd decided to settle in America. Alessia had always wanted to be a writer, and with her talent and hard work, it wasn't long before she landed a gig writing for a magazine. It was a very fortuitous position, and their carefree lifestyle was quickly put aside as they returned to their initial goals of good careers with opportunity to advance with hard work. Which soon became the motto of their household, even more so when they added another child to the mix not more than a year after Veronica was born. Alessia gave her husband a stern look then, telling him that he'd better wait a more appropriate amount of time before any more came along, and that they were lucky to have come to their senses about getting serious after all.
As Vee grew, she was almost instantly a bright and engaging child. She had enough energy to keep both of her parents on their toes and then some, but was always a good girl; always wanting to please her parents and make them proud. Her sister was like a built-in best friend since they were so close in age, and she quickly became just as attached to her as Victoria was to her (OOC: Can be changed if you'd rather them be contentious) Their house was full of laughter and love, but it was not frivolous. Vee was a good girl, but if she did act out then she did not go without consequences. There was nothing given for free in the household, at least nothing important. The value of hard work was held over everything else, stressed over everything else. She had no doubts that her parents loved her, however, and she enjoyed playing with them and her sister while learning from them and showing them all that she could do. She was an intelligent girl, and it was easy for her to pick up on things, though she found herself able to pick up on people easiest of all. Even at a young age, Vee was sensitive to others and wanted to learn all she could about them. She was always quick to defend her little sister or console her, even if Victoria was trying to get her in trouble. Anything she could do to help, that was her philosophy. Although admittedly, this desire was somewhat skewed when her parents showed her a muggle movie that depicted what she'd later come to realize was one of the most interesting things people had chosen to do: cheerleading. Vee was enamored with it from the start, and found it fascinating that an entire sport had been built around cheering for others' success. Quidditch was nice and all, but she didn't think much of it. She'd already found her passion.
When it cam time for school, Vee almost instantly proved herself a quick study. She had natural intelligence, making her a good student without really any extra effort required. Seeing this, her parents pushed her to keep doing well, to keep pushing herself so she could get better and better. There were many wizarding schools in America, but none were as alluring (in their eyes) as Gooseberry. Students that attended there were the best of the best, and the goal for Vee was to be one of the best. Her parents had been active participants in clubs at Hogwarts, but in America they quickly realized things ran a little differently. It was easier for applicants to achieve their goals if they packed their applications and "resumes" so-to-speak with impressive academic feats or extracurriculars. This set Vee on the path to over-achievement, as it were, though she never once complained. Being involved in school, whichever way she could be, was enjoyable for her. Not only did she get to learn about many different subjects or clubs or people, but she also had the added bonus of earning her parents' approval and setting a good example for her sister. She didn't want to let them down, and wanted that Gooseberry scholarship more than almost anything else (excluding anything cheerleading related, of course) Ironically, it was cheerleading that almost cost her everything she'd been working for.
Just before letters were set to arrive, Vee hurt herself badly during cheer practice. It was a move she'd done thousands of times, a lift to be specific, but the girl at her base was not prepared for the count. The infirmary was able to give her a bone mending potion for the broken leg and arm, but she missed several days of class as a result. Those days happened to fall during exam week, which meant her grades dropped ever so slightly. Vee's letter for Ilvermorny came, and her parents were disappointed-happy (yes, a new word is needed here). Deciding to regroup her efforts and add Ilvermorny attendance to her repertoire, she attended the first year at the prestigious school. It was a bittersweet accomplishment, given that her acceptance meant she was separated from her sister for the first time in their lives, but Vee was ultimately happy and excited for the new chapter in her life. She was sorted into Horned Serpent, which suited her perfectly, and she doubled her efforts to earn that Gooseberry slot. The summer after her first year, it came, and the entire family celebrated. Well, mostly her parents did, but she and Victoria had their own sister celebration once their parents went to sleep. Vee wasn't too keen on leaving her school and the friends she'd started to make, though knew this was what she'd been working for. The next year she was an official transfer, and the real flourishing began.
Vee settled into her new school nicely, even more so when it came time for sorting. She found a home at Gooseberry, not just another item to check off her to-do list, and quickly made friends. The cheer squad was something Ilvermorny had not had, and she was more than eager to join. She established herself as a good cheerleader, with natural ability and sensitivity to her teammates. Vee worked harder than ever at practice given how much she'd missed it during the last year, and she soon was one of the best on the squad. Going out for captain was always the plan, since it was the logical next step, but Vee didn't put much stock in it. She liked helping her teammates and coming up with routines, but if nobody wanted her in charge then it was fine. She had plenty to worry about with her classes and clubs, which Vee was not slacking on just because she was on a team. Her academics never suffered, nor did any of her participation, though it was somewhere along the way in sophomore year that she realized she couldn't actually take every class and be in every club while still maintaining her grades and giving cheer her focus. She dropped a couple classes when she picked up her advanced study, knowing learning to become an animagus was going to be hard when placed in between her classes and extracurriculars (of which she also had to drop in order to keep her sanity, unfortunately) The admittance that she had too much on her plate was a hard blow, but Vee ultimately knew it was what was best. It just meant she'd need to work harder than ever at everything else.
Luckily, the rest of the squad knew what was best even before she did, and at the beginning of Junior year she was named captain. It was one of those surprises that doesn't really surprise anyone, but Vee was still flattered. Her goal this year was to make the team into something everyone else would be in awe of, and she hoped to do this while still maintaining her grades and activity in all clubs. In other words, it was going to be a long year. Although, in hindsight, Vee was not actually prepared for how long it was. Not really. Things started off well, though. She loved being captain, loved working with the squad and coming up with routines they all could think of together. She was killing it in her classes, and her animagus transformation felt right around the corner. She and Jeremy were happy and things were going well, and she was in a good place with all of her friends. It was the perfect set up, until things started going downhill in every way imaginable.
First and foremost, Jeremy broke up with her. Vee was devastated, naturally, and it took her nearly all year to get over the heart ache and figure out how to act like it didn't really bother her (because having herself together all the time was a hallmark of her personality) It was difficult to hide how much it hurt, though, and soon everyone seemed to have an opinion on the matter. Some thought she still had feelings for him when they were trying to remain friends (which she kind of did), but most just told her how awful he was and how she was better off. It didn't feel better, however, and she knew he wasn't the mean person they all said he was. This was her first taste of standing up for herself, hidden at first in the form of standing up for him, and she started to realize she didn't have to have it together all the time. While all of this was going on, the school was experiencing its own crisis. The happenings in the woods were getting worse and worse, and soon it was impossible for even her to pretend nothing huge was going on (probably after she was attacked by a weirdly big moose while on a hike) Vee was increasingly less comfortable with the entities that kept causing the strangeness, though nothing could prepare her for when things finally came to a head. She still has dreams about the night of the kidnapping, even though she was dreaming while the entire school was fighting ghosts to get everyone back. That sense of violation that came with being taken from her bed in the middle of the night shook her to the core, and she still has nightmares about it. The vulnerability, the helplessness, they're both things she didn't like feeling. Which only added to that newly forming sense of independence and self that began when she stopped being nice all the time and stood up for something where others could see it.
As the summer as progressed, she's gotten more comfortable with talking through things instead of pretending everything is fine so as not to make anyone think less of her. She's tried to push the feelings being kidnapped left in her to the back of her mind, but that one is even more difficult than the first. Instead of focusing on that scary sense that there's really nothing she can do if it happens again, she's focused on senior year. Her father was initially hesitant to let her return, seeing as she'd gotten kidnapped by a supernatural being right out from under the teacher's noses. After a lot of pleading, one very detailed power point presentation she spent a week on, and her mother's reminder that since he works for MACUSA it might look like he has no faith in their final judgment if he doesn't send his own daughters back, he finally agreed. Elated, Vee was so relieved she didn't know how to properly express it. Not returning was never an option for her, but she was now free to focus on more fun things. Like exploring the feelings that she and Oz confessed for each other and where they can lead, which was more of a priority after she convinced her father and Oz came to stay for awhile. She's focused on figuring out what she wants in life and letting people know if something they do is not okay with her. She's (as always) focused on cheer and enjoying her last year as captain. It's a bittersweet thought, but she's excited for what the new school year will bring. Her hope is that if there's a repeat of the Gooseberry school team, she can lead them again. She hopes to run for prom court again, since it was really fun last year. But most of all, she hopes this year is devoid of any sort of ghost presence.
SCHOOL
YEAR: Senior
HOUSE: Ebonhide (Former Horned Serpent)
SORTING: The sorting was a unique affair for Vee. She wasn't prepared to have the emblems appeal to her, though the strongest contenders came from Ribbonfin and Ebonhide. Azurcrest put up a gallant effort too, but in the end it was the mention of tenacity and sensitivity, along with Coppertale snarkily commenting on how she seemed a little tightly wound like the old bear when it thought she couldn't hear, that made the decision for her.
WAND: 9", Apple, Wampus cat hair, slightly bendy
FAMILIAR: An adorable Manx/bobtailed cat named Maleficent who is also Vee's pet. She's affectionate and cute with Vee, but lives up to her name with nearly everyone else.
CLASSES: CORE- Charms, Hermeticism, Potions, Transfiguration. ELECTIVE- Artificing, Magical Rudiments, Wizard Literature.
ADVANCED STUDY: Animagus Studies (Red Fox). Vee has always loved animals, as proven by her number of pets, and Transfiguration has always been one of her best subjects. Feeling such a strong affinity for both animals themselves and the subject, she wanted nothing more than to learn the animagus transformation. There was just something so appealing about being able to turn into an animal and escape into another self for a little while with her schedule as hectic as it could be. She finds her fox as an extension of herself, and transforming is one of the few times she can be alone without feeling lonely.
SENIOR PROJECT: Vee had been thinking about her senior project a lot (she has to be prepared, alright), and had decided she wants to create a new spell. The nature of the spell is currently still eluding her, though she knows she wants it to center around the body and mind and how they can be brought into better harmony. But since that didn't really jive well, and she learned to embrace cheerleading more as her passion, she's moved on to a study of how cheer and Quidditch can change a student body (for good or bad) She will be conducting interviews and filming practices/games, to put into the entire paper.
ACADEMIC PERFORMANCE: Vee is never anything less than her best, and school is no different. She's not a genius exactly, considering she has to work hard for her grades, but she doesn't have to work as hard as some. She gets As, with the exception of a couple Bs (though she HATES these)
EXTRACURRICULARS:Cheerleading (Captain!), Crafting!, Drama (she is not terrible here), Event Committee, Boating, Outdoor Exploration
OOC
NAME: Callie
EMAIL: beautifuldisaster61@gmail.com
CDJ: ~peachbiscuit
OTHER PREFERRED CONTACT: Contact Post
TIME ZONE: EST
EDITS RECAP
Date: 2017-08-14 04:51 pm (UTC)-Added to/edited the personality section (mainly the last couple paragraphs)
-Added Year 1 reactions/happenings to History
-Added parent descriptions/relationship info
-Decided Glitter Girl and Mermaid were legitimate skills for a person to possess (also added skills in general)
-Removed Choir, Equestrian, and Archery from clubs (seriously, who let her join so many clubs?)
-Added Crafting (oh yeah, I did)
-Added Animagus Studies choice explanation