Veda Angelica-Laurenza Jilane

Veda Angelica-Laurenza Jilane is a character appearing in Thirlcrest Academy, portrayed by KhIoeDelRey. She is currently the Head Hangaround of the Greasers clique, and President of the Fashion Club.
==Appearance==
Veda’s a petite 16 y/o girl with a mesomorph build weighing in at about 110 lbs. at 5 feet and 6 inches tall (5 '6). Her hair is short, wavy, and blonde. She’ll typically style it in a bob, homage to her idol Marilyn Monroe, you'll very rarely catch her with straight hair. She has upturned blue eyes with thick lashes and typically winged eyeliner. Veda has a roman nose which hints to her Sicilian/Italian heritage. Because of her aforementioned heritage, she has a deep tan and freckles splattered across the bridge of her nose.
Strutting around campus, she sports a denim maxi skirt with two slits on both the front and back, special sewn to have a secret pocket in the side. Her half opened white button up is tied up to reveal her stomach, the knot resting just above her belly button. Underneath, she wears a sweetheart neckline plaid patterned red crop top. Atop, she wears a brown leather jacket with a tiara backpatch, which she shares with Macy Grier. Additionally, she accessorizes with a golden necklace and a red neck scarf to complement her outfit.
==Characteristics==
Veda's true nature is that of an overprotective mama bear, which is most apparent when dealing with any issues her club members (The Hangarounds) or her good friends in the autoshop might have. She views herself as a maternal figure, readily available to assist any of 'her' girls with any problems or concerns they might have, with other students, boys, or even each other! While she can be a bit hard on her clique members, that's only because she wants to see them shine, other than that Veda makes an effort to be as sweet as can be towards her girls and their greasy male counterparts.
While she's not an academic whiz kid (Getting mostly Straight C's), Veda's intelligence lies elsewhere. Handling most social situations with ease, Veda is a natural born peoples person who enjoys social interaction. She often acts as a mediator between clique disputes, and can be the voice of reason in most scenarios. Veda will sometimes accompany Paulie and Leo to various meetings with other cliques.
In short, Veda Jilane embodies the essential three " S's " of any good Hangaround. She's sweet, sassy, and smart.
==Character Background==
Early Life (1992 - 2002)
Born in Milan to Lauren Briscoe and Angelo Jilane, Veda was brought into the world and quickly whisked off across the Atlantic Ocean towards America. Their departure from Italy was driven by the tumultuous period known as “Mani Pulite” (Clean Hands) which had gripped the nation in a whirlwind of political and economic instability. In search of a brighter tomorrow, they sought asylum on foreign shores, carrying their hopes and dreams with them. Eventually settling in New York City, the bustling metropolis that epitomized the American Dream, Veda finally had a safe place she could call home.
Growing up in New York’s ‘Little Italy,’ a neighborhood field to the brim with Italian-American citizens, life wasn’t easy for Veda. The Jilane family’s financial struggles were a constant presence in Veda’s early years, her parents struggling to make ends meet and keep food on the table for their soon-to-be three children. The burden of fatherhood quickly became too much for Angelo to bear, abandoning the family days after Veda’s fourth birthday party. Veda has not seen or heard from her father since that day.
The stress of it all unfortunately caused her mother to miscarry. The loss of her child acted as the straw that broke the camel's back that was Lauren’s mind, causing her to sporadically fall into depressive episodes that could last weeks on end. Veda could only turn to her older brother, Silvio, for support. Silvio shouldered the responsibilities neither mother nor father could bear, taking on the role of provider and caretaker for Veda. Dropping out of high school with hopes of an eventual GED, he struggled to find a job that provided the life for his family that they crossed the ocean in hopes of finding. Entangling himself within the inner workings of a small yet prominent gang of Italian Americans on their block, Silvio quickly found that working for these men full time could provide a lot more than a cashier job ever would. He would slowly piece together what was truly going on as he took on odd jobs for the crew, driving the guys around and delivering packages with unknown contents. Realizing this ‘tough guy’ persona he portrayed and the people he surrounded himself with only further endangered his family, Silvio decided to turn a new leaf and find another way to make ends meet.
One fateful evening, however, Tragedy struck as Silvio was walking home. See, the crew he was working with wasn’t too fond of Silvio’s newfound morality, worried he might flip and turn clean, a masked individual followed Silvio to his apartment to silence him. Silvio was whacked two blocks from his apartment complex, his body being left on the street for the rats until morning. The authorities found he was deceased by reputed mobster Rudolph “Ruddy” Giordano, who is serving a life sentence for multiple counts of murder of the first degree.
Preteen Years (2002 - 2006)
Following her brother's death, Veda sought a sense of rebellion and refuge by joining a group of delinquent youth in New York. She was surrounded by the allure of the greaser lifestyle and quickly found herself sporting leather on her back and too much product in her hair. The greaser subculture, known for its distinctive style, rebellious attitude, and strong loyalty, provided an outlet for Veda's desire for independence. It became a way for her to cope with her loss and express her frustration towards the circumstances that took her brother's life. By embracing the greaser subculture, Veda found a way to challenge societal norms that she believed had failed her and her brother.
Veda’s ragtag team of juvenile criminals acted as each other's family, while each had their own unique circumstances which brought them together, they all bonded over the similarities of being poor immigrants in New York City. She was seen as the group's little sister, forbidding her to partake in most activities but allowing her to hang around alongside them nonetheless. As she grew older, they slowly but surely let her in and involved her in their delinquency.
However, her involvement with the New Yorkers eventually led to legal troubles. After a brawl with neighborhood kids turned violent and resulted in severe injuries, Veda found herself facing charges of assault and battery. Despite her minor role in the incident, she was sentenced to six months in Crossroads Juvenile Center. Recognizing the negative influence of their surroundings, Veda's mother had a moment of clarity and swiftly uprooted herself and her daughter to Maine.
Veda, not the brightest, continued to rebel against all means of authority during her preteen years. Angry at the world for yet again taking away any sense of family she had, Veda continued butting heads with anybody and everybody at her new school. After a series of pranks, including a joyride gone wrong which resulted in the crashing of her English Teacher’s car, Veda was taken into custody and court ordered to attend the nearby reform school Thirlcrest Academy in the fall, situated only two hours from her current place of residence.
Teen Years (2007 - Current)
During Veda’s freshman year, she very quickly connected with the Autoshop Club, better known as the Greasers. Within her first week she was parading herself around in a new leather jacket alongside the other Hangarounds. She spent most of her freshman year getting to know her fellow cliquemates and trying her best to stay out of trouble, as she knew this was her final chance before having to return to Crossroads.
As of recently, she’s taken on a more protective role of the incoming Hangarounds, she sees what she’s doing as motherly and will do just about anything to protect them, they're her third attempt at finding family, and she knows what they say about the third try. Veda takes pride in making sure ‘her girls’ are safe and sound. When they’re not? The jacket comes off.
==Personal Relationships==
== Trivia ==
* Veda was raised Catholic.
** Veda's conformation saint is Joan of Arc.
* When Veda first joined the Autoshop, she was a Greaser.
* Veda has been to juvie three times, twice before attending Thirlcrest, and once during the summer of her Sophomore year.
* Veda owns a 1963 Ford Falcon Futura, it's hot pink paint job was a birthday present.
* Veda has three cousins that attend Thirlcrest; Terrence, Anthony, and Lucille Briscoe.
Category:Characters