"The ability to be kind in a cruel world shows that you're strong, not weak."Basic Info
Name:: Velia Palladino
Nickname/Alias:: Lia
Gender:: Female
Age and date of birth:: 16; May 21st
Country of Origin:: Italy
Role:: Sun Guardian Candidate
Personal Information
Personality:: If there’s one thing that can be said about Velia, it’s that she’s constantly drifting. She never stays with a particular interest or hobby for long, but jumps between them on a regular basis–one week she’s into sculpting, and the next, she’s suddenly interested in gardening. Don’t approve of her new hobby? Just wait a few days and she’ll probably move onto the next thing that catches her eye. If confronted about it, she claims that she’s just trying to experience all that the world has the offer, but the reality is that she just tends to grow bored of things rather quickly.
At the very least, she doesn’t treat other people with the same dismissive attitude as she does with the other things in her life. Velia likes to take on a big sister role around her friends, and is incredibly affectionate with the people she is fond of. She finds that she instinctively wants to take care of them, and is always willing to set down whatever she's doing if anyone requires a listening ear. While she can become quite physically affectionate with people close to her--she'll drape herself over them, or give them hugs--she will respect boundaries if it is made blatantly clear that the person she is interacting with is uncomfortable.
Overall, Velia is a warm and cheerful individual. She rarely lets herself get down, and responds to any negativity directed at her in an light and playful manner. A social butterfly at heart, she adores being with other people and is unafraid to throw herself out there, eager to make new friends whenever possible. Of course, her overly-friendly attitude tends to turn off some people, but that doesn’t always stop her from trying to pursue their friendship and try warming them up to her. Unfortunately, this does mean that she can be a bit of a pest, and gentle hinting isn’t enough to get her to back down--it needs to be blunt and to the point for it to sink through her skull. More than anything, she desires to be the type of friend that people feel that they can trust.
It is therefore somewhat hypocritical in that Velia encourages others to open up to her, but refuses to do the same when she is upset. She prefers to hide her own issues behind blinding cheer, and takes care not to let others know when she is in a dark place. She relies heavily on her own optimism to get her through her problems, and though it does work for the small things, she has yet to hit a crisis that requires more than just positivity to get her through. Although she is aware that her coping mechanism needs work, she figures that she’ll just deal with any issues as they come instead of worrying about them now.
History:: Her family life is a little strained due to the fact her parents got divorced when she was 4. Because they settled on joint custody, Velia spent her life going back and forth between her mother–who is presently single–and her father and his new family.
She’s a daddy’s girl and adores both her father and her step-mother, the latter of whom treats her like she’s her own daughter. Unfortunately, there is some tension with her younger step-sister, who has and continues to view her as an outsider who is intruding on her happy family life. Meanwhile, Velia–who has always wanted a younger sibling–is constantly striving to befriend the other girl in hopes of forging that sisterly bond. It was difficult enough to begin with, but now that her step-sister is a teenager, she seems all the more moody and adamant to rebuff her friendly advances.
At present, Velia lives with her single mother in Japan. Their relationship isn’t as close as she’d like it to be, mostly because she feels as if her mother is hiding something integral from her, especially in regards to
why she and Velia's father originally decided to divorce. While she's not entirely sure what her mother is hiding, she feels that the way she reacts to her occasionally probing questions may indicate that the answer is somehow a dangerous one.
Combat Info
Flame:: Sun
Weapon/Fighting Style:: A parasol that contains a long, slender blade hidden in its handle.
Special Characteristics:: It's the little details that Velia notices best--slight shifts in weight, the tensing of muscles, and eyes flickering to the side are all things that she actively looks out for both in battle and in daily life. She is a highly perceptive young woman, and while this by no mean indicates that she is all-seeing and can read every single move, it does mean that she can sometimes notice small details that others may overlook.
Other
Relatives:: Essenzia Rosa - Mother - A woman in her late 30s who has connections with underground groups due to her family's business. She makes an effort to protect her daughter from harm--and from learning about her own background--but ultimately ends up distancing herself from her as a result.
Vita Palladino - Father - A man in his late 30s. He originally married Essenzia, unaware of the business that she often had to get herself into due to the Rosa family's history with the mafia. In the end, he decides the risk of danger and her lack of honesty is too much and chooses to separate.
Savaria Palladino - Step-mother - A kind woman in her late 20s. Despite the fact Velia is not her biological child, she makes every effort to treat her as such, and clearly cares dearly about both of her daughters.
Adrina Palladino - Younger step-sister - 15 years old. Her relationship with Velia is strained, though her dislike is one-sided.
Possessions:: - Silver hairclip that was a gift from her father
- Cellphone
- A horror novel
- Violin
- Minuet, her pet canary
Quirks/Hobbies/Miscellaneous Info:: - Likes: Tea (that is saturated with milk and sugar), horror games, floral designs, cooking, whatever her obsession of the week is
- Dislikes: Spicy food, neon colours, mushrooms, seagulls (she’s been dive-bombed by two in her life), rainy days, high heels
- Because she’s dabbled in so many different activities, Velia has become a fountain of useless knowledge. Since she doesn’t stick with anything for long, she only knows of some random tidbits, but she’s always happy to share these facts (even–especially–when unasked).
- Throughout her school years thus far, the clubs she’s been a part of have included: art, music, fencing, cooking, drama, and newspaper.
- Although she plays the violin, she isn't particularly fond of most classical music; she much rather prefers covering modern day songs and tracks that she enjoys.
Theme Song:: Heartful Cry - Persona 3 FES OST
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