Virginia/profile

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> ― Virginia
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## Personality

Born into privilege and wealth, Virginia takes it upon herself to work for the betterment of the masses less fortunate than her. After all, what better place to look after others than from above? Frowning upon “criminal” and even self-serving behavior, Virginia acts in the name of the greater good and uses the law as her moral compass. Her unshaking faith in her beliefs and methods make her a confident person rarely prone to self doubt. When Virginia sets her eyes on a goal, she works towards it regardless of how lofty it may be or how difficult things may get. The world is not shaped by the weak-willed, and she’d sooner face the void than become complacent to its flaws and corruption. As far as she’s concerned, those who allow evil to run amok are no better than dogs. She’s quick on the uptake and it never takes long for her to discern what needs correcting.

Virginia’s respectable background and many accolades paint her as a virtuous and upstanding citizen—and from a distance its easy to continue believing so. But like gilding, her perfection is surface-level and masking something uglier underneath. She often looks down on those around her, believing herself to be morally superior. As such, Virginia sees no wrong in forcing her opinions on others and trying to control those who seem in “need of guidance”. Her idealized perception of herself leads her to repress any feelings that don’t align with how she thinks she should be. Instead, all those negative emotions manifest in subtle ways she is incapable of recognizing because she is, after all, Perfect. Her inability to self-reflect also leads to a dissonance between what she tells others and what she does. A hypocrite through and through, certain actions are wrong until Virginia does them. She often makes her own mental loopholes to justify less than savory actions and convince herself she’s in the right. And she is all too willing to do terrible things to others if she feels the end justifies the means. Virginia can be startling ruthless despite all the virtues she preaches.

However for the most part, Virginia seems to have all the makings of a kind and friendly person. She’s happy to strike up small talk and lend a helping hand when needed and is someone who gets along best with others at an arm’s length, where her more unpleasant aspects remain hidden or are forgotten.

## Background

Virginia was a classic brat. The eldest daughter of a rich family who gave her whatever she wanted and rarely disciplined her for her rowdy behavior. She naturally assumed the role of leader amongst her peers. While the adults socialized at their dull and formal parties, Virginia would keep the rest of the kids entertained. She was always the first to take charge in adventures and what games they played. Those who didn’t play along with her would find themselves on the receiving end of a headlock and a noogie. Her peers followed her with a mix of respect and fear. Her younger sister, Dakota, idolized her and would often tag along with Virginia and her friends. While at times she slowed down the older kids, Virginia always kept Dakota by her side out of affection and appreciation for her praise. A faithful devotee did wonders to one’s ego.

When Virginia was in middle school, Dakota died in a building fire. She had been staying in a hotel for an overnight field trip and when the fire started, parts of the building collapsed, trapping guests inside. The death came as a shock to Virginia. Beforehand mortality was an abstract concept, a plot device in stories or a headline on the news. But now it was all too real. She had watched her sister walk out the door, and she was never coming back. Suddenly her life up until now seemed so small, so petty. She wanted to be the ideal person Dakota had seen her as, and continuing life normally felt like a betrayal. Fumbling for proof of her own “goodness”, Virginia doubled down on schoolwork and extracurriculars. Good grades and awards were concrete and quantifiable things that got her praise from her parents and the adults around her. And surely, she could believe the authority figures in her life who affirmed how gifted and excellent she was. Virginia’s parents spent what free time they had on their daughter. She was their only child now, and where they had failed in protecting their youngest, they were determined to succeed in supporting their oldest. They were happy to encourage Virginia in her school activities and push her when needed.

It was later discovered the construction company, which had built the hotel Dakota died in, neglected to follow proper building codes. They had wanted to cut corners, and in doing so created a building that was doomed to burst in a ball of flames. Virginia’s parents spearheaded the lawsuit against the company, which would turn into a legal battle lasting several years. Virginia wanted to see justice served and involved herself when possible, becoming a sort of unofficial and unpaid intern for the lawyers her parents hired. While most of what she did amounted to helping organize files or grabbing coffee, Virginia gained a newfound passion in the law, and the power and responsibility that came with it. Taking full advantage of the fact her father was a district attorney, Virginia expressed her interests and he took her under his wing. Father-daughter bonding changed from golfing at the country club and attending musicals to discussing recent crimes on the news and reading old court cases.While the tragedy had made them all grow closer, Virginia’s parents worried for their daughter. Virginia had alienated her friends at the expense of her time-consuming studies and they feared she was harboring hidden stresses and anxieties that would result in burnout. As a preventative measure, they searched for a hobby for Virginia that was more fun and relaxing than the 'Pursuit of Justice'. And so they bought her a pony. Girls love ponies.

Virginia, proved to be no exception to this and practically became a full blown horse girl overnight. Her bedroom shelves which were once filled law dictionaries and legal theory books now shared space with countless YA novels about simple country girls finding a best friend in a wild and untamed horse. She quickly became involved in equestrianism and was a common sight at the stables. During her many hours there, Virginia eventually grew closer with some of the girls who also rode competitively. By a stroke of luck they also happened to attend the same high school and without realizing it, Virginia found herself having some form of a social life again. Summer afternoons were spent exploring hiking trails and racing across open fields on horseback with her friends.

Life continued for Virginia for a while in a picturesque fashion. Her parents won the lawsuit with much rejoicing and tears and Virginia continued to excel in school while having horse adventures on the side. However, not everything could remain sunshine and rainbows forever. One day, Virginia’s best friend confided in her that her older brother was dealing in drugs. It was a common occurrence for rich and privileged children to dabble in substance abuse, but her brother was delving into riskier matters where there would be no point of return. Those who broke the law put others in danger—Virginia had learned this long ago—and feeling unsympathetic to her friend’s situation, immediately recommended that she turn her brother in. When her best friend refused to do so, Virginia took matters into her own hands. On a surface-level it was innocent enough, she was just having a sleepover with her best friend. If she overheard her brother discussing the location of a drug deal, then she would have to report it, wouldn't she? It had all seemed clear and simple in Virginia’s head. The police would show up at the location. They’d arrest the criminals there and the community would be all the safer for it. Her best friend’s brother would face jail time but that was unavoidable. Virginia was confident that her friend would realize she had been right in the end. She did not expect the man would try to run. She didn’t expect for there to be a car chase. And she certainly did not expect for it to end in a fatal crash. When the dust settled, Virginia’s best friend was furious at her, placing full blame on her for her brother’s death (it had been easy to figure out who had called the police and Virginia didn’t hide it from her. She had no reason to, for she had done the right thing). Virginia was unapologetic towards the whole ordeal. The death was unfortunate but then again, her brother shouldn’t have resisted arrest.

And just like that, Virginia found herself friendless. While some of her friends could see her reasoning, her merciless attitude made it impossible to continue being around her. Virginia finished the rest of high school surrounded by plenty of friendly acquaintances, but no friends. Rumors blossomed behind her back about her nature as a snitch and a narc, and she didn’t mind living up to it. She was simply upholding the law and if her classmates couldn’t follow suit then it was because they were weak-willed.
Virginia went on to Columbia University for political science and continued her stellar track record as a student. The future was bright for her and she thought little of the drama between her former friends. She was destined for greater things, with several acceptance letters from well-esteemed law schools and internship opportunities lined up for her after graduation. With such a busy life, it was easy for irrelevant emails to be forgotten. So when a mysterious notification beckoning for a change in life appeared, Virginia promptly threw it into her spam folder and erased it from her memory. She had more important things to worry about. Her first mistake came on a warm summer breeze. A sudden yearning for the stables where her horse waited for her and a ride through a forest trail. It wouldn’t hurt to take the scenic route back home once in a while, would it? And so Virginia chose to walk through an unassuming park and stop to admire a mosaic mural at its center. One little change and her perfect life collapsed in an explosion of starlight.

## Trivia

* Owns two horses. One is a white andalusian named Caesar and the other is a gray thoroughbred named Elizabeth. She loves them both equally
* Her nickname is Ginny
* Is very close to her parents and texts them once a day
* Has mastered the art of shoulder robing. How does she keep that coat on all day? No one knows
* Has also mastered the art of gallantly taking off her coat on the off chance someone's feeling a little chilly. Chivalry ain't dead folks

## Quotes

* > "*Say Something Here*"
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― name & when / to whom