a little gossip never killed nobody

Post by Deleted on Jun 21, 2018 13:45:35 GMT -5

Valentina Juliani De la Vega
47 - Female - Halfblood - 06/19/1971

Editor at VEXED | Author | Co-Owner of the Barcelona Quidditch Club

Appearance and Personality
General Appearance: Valentina De la Vega stands at 5'4", though she usually prefers to wear impractical heels that make her at least 5'8". Val values her appearance and prefers to wear clothes that are on the cutting-edge of fashion. She's taken good care of her body, working out at least six times a week (usually yoga, pilates, or her newly discovered interest in Barre classes). Val's mother is Romanian, her father Spanish, and she takes a little bit after both with olive skin and chocolate brown hair.
Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual
Skills: Writing: Val has always had a knack for journalistic writing. As a graduate of the Universidad de Yixore with a degree in Journalism and Business, she prides herself on her ability to recognize good journalism as well as worth-while employees. She's quick to revise and edit others' work to make it gel with the rest of the publication where she is currently working. Attention to Details: Every single word counts when it comes to magazine editing (or managing a business). Valentina makes it her personal mission to make sure that no sentence goes un-edited, no legal document goes unread, and no contract goes without revision. She's got a knack for details and a hell of a good memory. Management: Valentina's always been a proponent of good management style. She enjoys being at the head of businesses and industries, though lately, she's taken more of a liking to her secondary career, writing. Lying: Valentina is an excellent liar and has one hell of a poker face. She can stay calm in the face of crisis, and tends to get herself out of trouble when she needs to. It's also the reason people are so inclined to believe what they read in VEXED. How could it possibly be embellished fiction?!
Weaknesses: Perfectionist: Both a blessing and a curse, Valentina's attention to detail verges on obsessive. She won't stop tweaking something until she's satisfied that it's perfect (or that the legal document gets her exactly what she needs. Parenting + Romantic Relationships: Valentina isn't exactly the most present of parents. She prefers to stay busy and work and her familial relationships often suffer as a result. Though she will not admit it, this workaholic attitude is the reason she and Tiago divorced. Now that she's single, she has difficulty settling down and choosing one partner. She's known to lead on multiple men (and the occasional woman) in a wild "goose chase" for her heart. That is going to end nowhere. ~~Because she doesn't have a heart.~~ Gossip: Val loves the latest gossip, whether its about her or some random chap on the street. She'll publish just about anything in VEXED, true or untrue. After all, isn't it best to give readers what they want?
Positive Personality Traits: Anticipative, Ambitious, Captivating, Charismatic, Charming, Clever, Confidant, Dramatic, Hard working, Meticulous, Organized, Passionate, Perceptive, Polished
Negative Personality Traits: Abrupt, Amoral (doesn’t care what she publishes or who she hurts…), Blunt, Crafty, Critical, Deceitful, Egocentric, Extravagant, Greedy, ~~Hedonistic~~, Manipulative, Workaholic, Vindictive
Hobbies and Interests: Attending and hosting large, dramatic parties. Gossip and the latest rumors that are floating around the Wizarding World (including some about her husband, Tiago). Fashion, most specifically staying up to date on the latest fashion trends. Red wine, lots of it. Reading other magazines (purely for the hilarity…after all, none of them can ever be as good as Vexed). Shakespeare’s many works (Val’s thesis at the Universidad de Yixore was exploring how Shakespeare has influenced modern journalism). Antagonizing Tiago, especially now that he’s in London with her. Spending time with Graciela, Dario, and Luna. Acting (after all, she’s got to look believably surprised when someone tells her she’s a liar and a crook selling people’s personal business for profit). Aerial yoga, pilates, and barre. Writing exposés and ~~salacious~~ books.
Character History:

[EXCERPTS TAKEN FROM THE UNOFFICIAL BIOGRAPHY OF VALENTINA DE LA VEGA, REINA DE CHISMES, WRITTEN BY SUPERFAN SOFÍA JUDERÍAS]

Born and raised in Barcelona, Spain, Valentina Juliani always considered herself a gossip.

From a very early age, she spread vicious rumors about her older sister, Rubi, to ensure that children their age wanted to play with Val over her. According to childhood friend Patricia Espinar, Valentina was "harsh, manipulative, and absolutely the most popular girl on the playground. She was exactly who you wanted to hang out with, even if you knew she was horrible."

A compulsive liar, Vasile and Renata weren't sure what to do with their younger daughter. She was shipped off to magical primary school as soon as she was old enough. From age six to eleven, she spent her years there, manipulating students and teachers alike. Rubi, however, was allowed the luxury of staying home with their parents until she came of age.

Following primary school, Valentina was accepted into Beauxbatons where she was able to hone her magical ability, though she found that the pen was often mightier than the sword. A professor could be easily persuaded by a letter written: "from the heart."

Popular, intelligent, and surprisingly well-liked by those who shared similar mannerisms, Valentina enjoyed her time in school. After graduation, she bounced around between various publications, ignoring the fact that Rubi was a wildly successful politician.

Eventually, Val settled down at a magazine in Barcelona which reported strictly truth-based stories. While it wasn't her ideal world - after all, fiction is more fun than reality, isn't it? - it was stable and paid well. She mended the bridge with Rubi...with excellent timing. Rubi (married with two kids), while running for a department head of the Spanish Ministry, confided in her sister that she had been having an affair with Santiago De la Vega, an up and coming healer.

Her first takedown was Rubi herself. It was truth and her publication made certain that it hit the front page the next day.

As for Santiago...he was Valentina's next conquest.

They married a few short months after, giving birth to three children during the course of their marriage.

As Santiago moved up in his healing career, Valentina moved up in her own. The more takedowns, the higher she climbed toward Editor-ship. Soon, she was running her own magazine that covered celebrity news in Spain.

But it was a short-lived career.

Santiago De la Vega filed for divorce from his "unfaithful wife," in December of 2017. The following month, he was named Director of St. Mungo's Hospital in London and relocated there. To not add to the strain of their co-parenting and relationship, Valentina also relocated and assumed the Editor position at a new magazine of her own creation: Vexed. The often slanderous gossip magazine has gained a tremendous following in the past six months and often rivals the readership of Witch Weekly and The Daily Prophet.

Plots and Politics
What is your character’s stance on the recent takeover of the Ministry by Death Eaters? Up until their recent divorce, Tiago and Valentina lived in Barcelona, Spain and paid little attention to the magical politics of the UK. When the Death Eaters took over, she was less than impressed, but it made for a dramatic story at her old magazine. (She wrote an exposé about Ares Wentzell sleeping with the ex-Minister of Spain…who’s to say that it wasn’t reality?)

Where did your character stand in the treatment of Death Eaters and their families under the late Minister Durant's rule? Death Eaters, Order of the Phoenix, blah blah blah. It’s all a bunch of chess to Valentina. She’d rather focus on what’s really important: Who’s shagging who.

How was your character and their family affected by the reign and death of Voldemort? Valentina and Tiago lived in Barcelona, Spain, until earlier this year and were relatively unaffected by Lord Voldemort and the Death Eaters. While they heard stories, and Tiago often tended to the wounded runaways at the Enfermería Mágico de Barcelona, they generally stayed out of the way of harm and raised their three children without fear of Lord Voldemort.

Family

Parents: Vasile Mureșanu + Renata Mureșanu (nee Gonzales)
Siblings: Rubi Mureșanu (older sister)
Children: Graciela De la Vega (20), Dario De la Vega (16), Luna De la Vega (15)
Partner: Santiago De la Vega (ex-husband)
Other Relevant Family: N/A
Family History:
Vasile Mureșanu and Renata Gonzales met when they were studying at Universidad de Yixore. Both studying business and political science, they immediately hit it off through shared interests. A few years of dating, graduation, and a wedding later, they gave birth to their first child: Rubi. A few years later, they welcomed a second: Valentina. Their marriage was a happy one, though often strained by Valentina’s tendency to turn them against each other at her will. Uncertain what to do with their unruly child, Valentina, they shipped her off to primary boarding school at a young age, depriving her of familial relationships that may have changed her ultimate trajectory.

After Rubi’s fallout caused by Val’s takedown and exposure of her affair, Vas and Renata took Rubi back into their home. She was a welcome house guest, often cooking for the pair and taking them out for post-dinner drinks. After Rubi regained her footing, and they returned to being empty nesters, Vasile and Renata weren’t quite sure what to do with themselves...thankfully, they have three beautiful grandchildren to look after, now. After Val and Tiago’s relocation to London, they decided to follow and now live a few minutes down the road from Tiago’s farmhouse and Val’s lavish apartment (serving as the perfect neutral meeting zone).