*/ CORTESE, indiana noelle

[asia14]

VALKYRIE,
CALIFORNIA

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the ocean breathes salty, won't you carry it in?




i will now rise from the ashes,
don't call me pretentious,
i'm sitting here making my own rules,[/font][/center]


WHEN THE OCEAN MET THE SKY ,[/color]
CHARACTER BASICS ,
you missed when time and life shook hands and said goodbye[/color]

FULL NAME: indiana noelle cortese.
NICKNAMES: indie.
GENDER: female.
AGE: nineteen.
UNIVERSITY YEAR: freshman - valkyrie community college.
MAJOR: fashion journalism.
MINOR: fashion design.
JOB: intern, Feminine Expressions.
PLAYBY: blake lively.<3

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YOUR BODY MAY BE GONE ,[/color]
CHARACTER APPEARANCE ,
i'm gonna carry you in my head, in my heart, in my soul[/color]

ETHNICITY: caucasian - french.
HAIR COLOR: If there's one thing people remember about Indiana Cortese, it would have to be her hair. From an early age, her tresses have been healthy, long and a stunning golden blonde. None of that is from a bottle, darling. Like much of her appearance, Indie takes pride in her thick mane. Generally styled in loose, bohemian curles, or a simple up-do, there is very little she cannot do with her hair. You better remember it now, because it won't look the same for long.
EYE COLOR: A blonde-haired, blue-eyed beauty. One would think Indiana had grown-up on the beaches of California with her looks. Can't say I blame them; she had the quitenssential 'surfer' look going on. Right down to her darling baby blues. Often described as the most stunning of her features, they are eyes you could easily get lost in. Runs in the family, actually. Like many others, her eyes are the window to the soul; expressive at all times, in other words. Look into her eyes, and you could easily read the girl like a book.
HEIGHT: five feet, ten inches.
WEIGHT: one hundred and thirty-six pounds.
BODY TYPE: Like mother, like daughter. Indiana Cortese could be the spitting image of her mother had she be built the same. With the same imposing height as her father and brother, Indie, too, inherited her father's figure. While on the naturally thin side, it would be a lie to say Indie wasn't without her assets. Quite unlike her mother, she had been born with curves and kept them throughout her teenage years. None of this losing weight to look better. She likes to keep up with her height, which means keeping her feminine figure.
DISTINGUISHED FEATURES: A child of a fashion designer and his model - would you honestly expect her to go completely natural? While much of Indiana's outward appearance is completely natural, there is no harm in adding to your beauty, now is there? Rumour has it, she had a nose job when she was sixteen, Rumour would also be right. Not that she would tell you. Due to her chosen career path, looking like some sort of reject is out of the question. Obeying to this rule, she had resisted getting a tattoo or five on several occasions. At the moment, all there are is a few ear piercings and a nearly invisible scar on her nose. That could change in a second, of course.
PERSONAL STYLE: Style, style, style. If you look at a girl like Indiana Cortese, you would have to assume she had some level of personal style. One - she was the daughter of two substantial figures in the fashion world. Two - she was a slave, or intern, for one of the top magazines internationally. Three - she prided herself in her appearance. Needless to say, fashion is a large part of Indie's life; including her own. Ever since she was young, in fact. Going along with her wavy hair and expressive eyes, her fashion choices have always leaned toward the more bohemian side of things. Preferring loose layers and unique pieces to the New York 'all buttoned up' rule, it hasn't changed one in her nineteen years. Everything looks effortless on her, regardless of the situation. Choosing a mixture of fashion-forward pieces and vintage finds, she balances them well into a so-called "boho chic" look with a rocker-chick edge. None of this looking constantly polished business for this one.
OTHER: It's all about looking effortless for this one, remember that. Looking like you threw on some clothes and left takes a lot more time than one would think.

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IN YOUR MOUTH, IN YOUR SOUL ,[/color]
CHARACTER PERSONALITY ,
the more we move ahead the more we're stuck in rewind[/color]

STRENGTHS: definitely knows how to get her way, dangerously ambitious, not afraid of speaking her mind, naturally a powerhouse, quickly becoming incredibly accepting and tolerant of others, fighting for what she believes, following orders, strong debater,
WEAKNESSES: almost too good at following orders, willing to step on others to get what she wants, could destroy someone if the need arose, occasionally spineless, easily read, can be fooled rather easily, can't seem to hide anything,
LIKES: the fashion industry, beauty, travelling around the world, status, off-beat people, indie music, bohemians, old films, strawberries, her cell phone, having a good time, debating, records, her brother, getting somewhere in life, defending her friends, hippies, quirky environments, reading magazines, journalism, cold weather, being natural, hot coffee, windy days, rain, photography, having a place in life, being PC,
DISLIKES: people who try too hard, the top forties, NYC princesses, being restrained, the mainstream, getting double-crossed, jerks, judgemental anyone, homophobics, envrionment killers, lemons, wanna-bes, cliques, the greek system, starbucks, wearing dresses, bright colors, untainted individuals, church, reading the bible, bad reality shows, lazy slobs, getting insulted, having to be that powerhouse, uptight people, mid-afternoon, deadlines, getting fired, museums, school, mixing work and love, relationships, WASPs,
FLAWS: No matter how much she is changing, one thing little Indie Cortese will always be is ambitious. That's good, right? Right! Getting somewhere in life is what it's all about. However, not quite at this level of ambition. Ever since she saw those little assistants scurrying past her father's store, following some big-name designer, she's wanted to get somewhere. And second best just is not the place for that. As a result, she has no problem with stepping on those who get in her way. Especially if you try to bring feelings into the mix. Work is work, and life is everything else. While Indie is easily described as one of those laid-back hippie types, when she's off the clock of course, you wouldn't want to deny her of that fact. Getting in her way is one thing, getting under her skin is another. If someone does one small, insignificant thing that doesn't follow the hippie rules, I would watch out. I would watch out if you want to attempt to manipulate the poor girl, too. Yeah, I wouldn't do that. If need be, Indie is the powerhouse type. She could effortlessly go from indie reject to top of the social scene if she wanted. Just don't make her do it.
HABITS: The cell phone: number one, and always will be. It would be damn near impossible to see this lady without her trusty Blackberry in her possession; texting, talking, or just surfing the web, it's the thing she does the most. Even more than listen to that weird music of hers. Other than that, anything goes. Playing with her hair, talking too much, everything a girl should be doing. Apparently.
SECRETS: As previously mentioned, Indiana Cortese is incapable of being a secretive person. For the simple reason that she cannot hide anything. Look at her, and you'll know exactly what she's feeling, and probably about what. Could that be a secret? Even if it's utterly obvious, this trait is something Indie avoids telling others. She hates that sort of weakness. And that constant need to follow all orders given to her by an authority figure. Seeing as she is one free-spirited individual, one would automatically assume she defied the rules in the name of passion, no? Oh, how she wishes she could be that way. Wishes to the point where, if she were granted a wish by the Crossroads Demon, she would wish for that. But getting somewhere in life is that much more important, right? Oh, the confliction. And confliction is no way for Indie Cortese to function - good luck getting her to tell you that.
BEST MEMORY: As one lost in translation at the moment - finding the happy balance between shallow little fashion slave and free-spirited hippie - it would be damn good to find that balance. Harder than it looks. However, getting that internship all those years ago would be the closest thing to happy she could recall. Just that opportunity alone was enough to make her giggle like a schoolgirl. Not being in traditional high school is just the added plus. Being introduced to all of those world-famous fashion designers and their pretty little models; watching the famous fashion journalists keep the world at their fingertips...it was a surreal couple of years, that's for sure. Damn reality setting back in.
WORST MEMORY: She was a sheltered child. Her parents were good, hard-working people who were happy with what they had. They paid the bills, were still in love, and managed to smile at the end of everyday - it was all they needed to be content and satisfied with their lives. Lovely thing. Because of this, Indiana grew-up in a very warm, stable environment. Her childhood was drama-free, you could say. But, problem is, Indiana hadn't been born that way. She had been born wanting the best of everything, always being on top. Number one, the winner, the best of the best. It was no real event or situation - just the constant thought of being this lump in a heard of sheep. Her mother and father were good at what they did, and that's it. A B-list designer and his headlining model who were in love. She wanted A-list designer and the headlining model always winning the game. Good thing that's over with - clear the way, she's coming through.
OVERALL PERSONALITY: Have you ever felt stuck in the middle of something? And no, I'm not talking about whether or not you should tell your supposed best friend that you're only, really, her friend so you can freely fuck her boyfriend. Stuck in the middle as in...well, I don't know what. It's different for everyone. Like growing your hair out from that awful ear-length bob your friends kindly decided to give you when you were passed-out in an alcohol-induced haze. It's finally approaching shoulder length. Yay! But now you have to wait...there is no real style you can have until it decided to grow out and allows you to actually do something interesting with it. Yeah, there's a good time. How about feeling like that all day, everyday? Never have? No, I don't expect you to have to. Not many people can honestly say that have felt stuck in translation for longer than a few minutes; or a few hours and a really, really good movie. Be damn glad, okay? I don't care if you want to see how it feels, just because. None of that crap. No one cares. Trust me - you. Do. Not. Want. It.

Want to know how I know that? Well, because I happen to be the owner over a character by the name of Indiana Noelle Cortese. And she, just so happens, to feel like that all day, everyday. And she hates it. Hates it. Don't go asking questions now. That never goes over too well with Indiana Cortese. She doesn't like people who ask questions. Why? Again with the questions. Stop. Seriously. Indie Cortese happens to be a firm believer in knowing what she knows, and that's it. If she wanted to know something more, she'd go look it up. Don't speak when you don't have something constructive to add to the conversation. Now, you may assume that giving a little bit more information, or correcting someone, is adding something. Well, it is most definitely not. Do not even think about asking why not. Because I say so, okay? Happy now? Now shut-up and go do your job. Better yet, do your job, her job, do a better job at your own job, and then get me a low-fat, double cream latte. Don't forget the chocolate shavings. Just fifty-six of them, darling.

Just imagine your life being like that all day, everyday. You would go insane, too.

Indiana Noelle Cortese prides herself on being a good individual. She does what she is asked, every single time, without asking a single question. She is good at that. Tell her to do something in a firm, aloof voice and she is going to do it. No. She is going to do it better than you ever expected. Except you never tell her that. You just keep giving her demands, and when she says she has done them all - to utter perfection - you simply raise your eyebrows lightly and tell her to leave. See, that's how it had been for much of her life. Indie had been following orders since she was a child, ever since she was actually contributing to her father's small Paris-based boutique. She was young enough at the time, that when he asked her to politely do something, she did it with a smile on her face. It was no problem. She had nothing better to do. And, when she slowly transitioned into the bone-breaking world of fashion interning, it was all that was expected of her. If she spoke up once, she'd get a throw-down and get called fat. She was still called fat, come to think of it. But it didn't matter. Not one little bit. Following the incessant demands of high-powered fashion people allowed her to get what she wanted in the long-run. And that, my friend, was her endgame. To get what she wanted. You have to do a lot of irritating things in order to earn your place, but it is always, always worth it.

But that's work. Now, a healthy human being knows how to differentiate life from work. And Indie Cortese considers herself to be a healthy human being, thank you very much. It's strange. The moment she swipes out for the day, work is over. While ambitious, a borderline workaholic, Indiana has never had any trouble from clocking out. When she leaves the office, she is done at the office. Let the other side of life, the part where no one is yelling at her, let loose. And let loose it does. Perhaps too much. If there is anything she dislikes, it would be mixing work life and life-life. They do not mesh well, especially not for her. Why? Because. With her flavour for world travel, she became a wordly young lady very quickly. By the age of nineteen, Indie has seen and done many, many things. And she likes it that way. When people are finished yelling at her, she has the freedom she's never really had before. Up until recently, she had been all about work - doing something to do better, doing excess overtime. Whatever. But, really, what's the point in that? There is absolutely no doubt that she is going to get what she wants, even if it takes awhile longer. Clocking in extra time only makes her look desperate. Uhm, no. She doesn't do desperate. She does, however, do fun. When she is not on the job, she likes to think of herself as someone who knows how to have a good time.

And a good time, for her, often means being the center of attention. Quite unlike her job. Quite unlike her parents. Quite unlike her brother. None of them like the spotlight. They like to be left alone to do their business. Good for them. She commends it. Indiana, however, has never experienced much of that. Apart from her work - where the spotlight is put on you if you smile the wrong way - being the center of attention is often how it goes. People listen to what she has to say when they want them to. She can do whatever she wants, people will let her. This drive about her, or something. Okay then. But, let us be honest here. Despite what everyone else thinks, she does it on purpose. Why? Because she can. Really. For some stupid reason, Indie Cortese was given this ability to tear down houses. Without lifting a finger. If she wanted something, she could have it. Why? Because. She couldn't think of a reason for it; it just sort of happened. Everything falls into place around her, even when she's working as hard as she does. Her brother called her a powerhouse once. When she was fourteen, just before she left, she has intentionally forced some eighteen year-old intern out of her promotion because she wanted to. It just sort of happened. I guess that makes sense. And, when in need, why not use that? Just don't tell anyone. Indiana Cortese does not like people knowing her selfish weaknesses if she can help it.

I guess with this buried pride of being able to do anything, you get a little cocky. It doesn't matter who you are, it happens. Like in any situation you are handed a little bit of power, you are going to become corrupt. Don't deny it, it would happen to you too. And, it would be wrong to say she didn't think about it sometimes. Despite priding herself in being a little off-the-beat - not that many people know that yet - there is a level of confidence running through her veins. Always has been. Indie knows who she is, and what she wants from life. And she's going to get it. See what happens there? There's no reason as to not be confident in yourself. Results happen that way. She's just as good as the next person, so why can't she be the next insertlegendhere? Exactly. She's seen much of the world, doing the coolest job ever. She knows herself. She, for the most part, likes herself. Might as well let everyone else know that, too.

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AND WE'LL BOTH GROW OLD ,[/color]
CHARACTER HISTORY ,
well i don't know, i don't know, i don't know, i hope so[/color]

HOMETOWN: paris, france.
PARENTS: quinton cortese, FATHER. fifty-five. fashion designer.
naomi cortese, MOTHER. forty-nine. fashion model.
SIBLINGS: gray cortese, BROTHER. twenty-two. VU student/freelance photographer.
OTHER: blair cortese, COUSIN. nineteen. VU student.
LIVING SITUATION: the valks.
HISTORY: As much as I wish I could say that Indiana Cortese had a unique upbringing, I would be lying. You see, Quinton and Naomi Cortese were anything but extraordinary. No travelling road show of a home. No fighting and arguments. No abuse. No insane work schedules. No nannies. No curfews. No limited credit cards. Nothing. They had, by Valkyrie standards, a beautiful home with perfectly raised children in a perfectly balanced household - some boundaries, but not too many; punishments as long as the crime was deserving; freedom to a certain extent; groundings, social lives, everything went with the Cortese family. The aging fashion model and fashion designer were, what they liked to consider themselves as, good parents. And with good parenting came true understanding of your offspring, did it not? See, when they moved to California some eighteen months ago, in mid-2005, they did their research on how the other Valk-residing parents were raising their children. Some had too short of a leash on their children, others didn’t have any leashes. What was that? If you were either one, you could be called unique, out of the norm. Deviant, even.

But they weren’t like that, never had been, and never would be.

It really was a classic fairy tale for the ages. During his twenties and thirties, Quinton Cortese was a small-time European designer who made a comfortable living. He had a small following, but a loyal one. His designs reached to mid-level fashion shows all over Europe and the United Kingdom. His two Paris-based retail boutiques had both quality and quantity; people took notice of his fair amount of talent and good-natured success. He had never been, however, an overly ambitious man. Even during his time at the London School of Design, he had never felt that fiery thirst running through his veins like the great ones did – Giorgio Armani, Ralph Lauren, Michael Kors. Naomi Walker, on the other hand, was on the other side of success. She had been born and raised in Milan before moving to Paris shortly after her nineteenth birthday to pursue her modeling career. During that time, in the 1970s and 1980s, there was a different trend on the catwalks than what is common today. The models were slightly larger, fitting into sizes four and six, not zero and two. They had bright eyes and sweet smiles. Naomi, on the other hand, stood at a solid six feet with bones protruding from her clavicle region. Her angular face and intense stare turned many of the big-name designer off the moment the flipped open her look-book. As a struggling editorial model, she really did have to take what she could get. And what should she get but an interested smile by modestly successful French designer Quinton Cortese. He was known around Paris for his structural designs and unusual models. She happened to be both structural and unusual. After five solid years of struggling for a steady income, Naomi was soon signed to the modeling agency “FI”, which did the majority of its work with Quinton. It was just the beginning of their happy ending, though.

After two solid years of modeling for Quinton, the sparks began to fly between designer and model. It was so common for people in the fashion industry to be catty and promiscuous. It was uncommon for people like Naomi and Quinton to make it in the fashion industry, remember. They were B-list at best, but seemed rather satisfied with the bit of success they had made together. He made a comfortable living with a modest reputation and loyal following. She was the frontline model for a humble little design company. What should happen next in the fairy tale? Sparks turn into a relationship and a relationship turns into a happy, stable marriage. Which is exactly what it did.

On November 13th, 1984, just months after Naomi had turned into Mrs. Quinton Cortese, she gave birth to their first child, Gray Dominic. They raised their child to be exactly as they had been – grateful for what he had, but aware of what needed to be done for succession. Some years later, on February 27th, 1989, the second Cortese child was born into the world. On a sunny afternoon in central Paris, France, Quinton and Naomi Cortese completed the family they had always wanted. With his design work and her mildly halted modeling career bringing in a handsome income, they quickly learned to live with more than they ever had before. For the first time since both of their careers began, they could purchase a larger house – several in fact, three vacation homes plus their California mansion around the world. They could drive foreign sports cars. They could support their children in a stable environment without ever having to seriously consider bankruptcy. And all because of good, honest hard work. See? It does pay off sometimes.

Shortly after Indiana’s sixteenth birthday, another chance of a lifetime knocked on their humble little door. An American clothing chain had taken notice of the talented designer and offered him a position to design a clothing line for a small boutique in a small town just outside of Los Angeles which would, according to them, bring in more tourists and get him noticed. Sounds good. Ecstatic with this news, Quinton quickly hired several more staff members to run his shops in Paris, as well as assist him in his European lines, and moved his wife and son to Valkyrie, California ( see Indiana for farther information. ) Not so bad, is it?

It was true; Indiana Noelle Cortese was brought up in what we could call a “good family.” No scandals, no cheating, no ridiculous treatment…it was all smooth sailing her entire life. Being born and raised in Paris, France does something to a girl, however. When she was younger, she would often spend her afternoons and early evenings working with her father and his happy little employees in his two boutiques in downtown Paris. With the big, bright front windows, she would often sit in front of them and fold the novelty shirts the mass population could easily afford. And sometimes, she would see some of the bigger-name designers bustling down the main street, cell phone attached to their hand with two or three assistants scurrying obediently after them. They would be carrying cell phones, too, and maybe a tray of coffee or bags of merchandise and fabrics. They would be writing down everything the designer said and got to travel all over the world to do everything Big Name didn’t want to do. Through her wide, innocent little eyes, Indiana was excited. She couldn’t dream of anything better than a life like that. Not exactly doing what her parents did, but she would go to all the fashion shows and after-parties, she would work alongside someone internationally famous, she would get to jet-set and lead this fascinating life!

By the time she was eleven years of age, Indiana Cortese was positive she wanted to continue in the “family business.” That’s how these things worked, right? Raised in a certain environment and you can’t imagine yourself doing anything else. She had been around photographers and fashion models for her entire life, always accompanying her mother and father to various casual events where she got to meet more modestly successful fashion people. Oh, the time her father made it in the British Cosmopolitan?! A photographer came to their house and everything! And the cute little assistants got to come too, with their little notepads and quirky smiles.

With a particular interest in journalism, as well as fashion design, it was no surprise that little Indie Cortese was studying both journalism and sewing during elementary and middle school. Academics were a surprisingly important thing to her. She spent all of her leisure time lost in the pages of a book or working at her father’s boutique. There were no parties or Playdates, no swimming lessons or camping trips. Everything was fashion and writing – everything. As a determined little soldier, it was of no great surprise when Indiana earned an unpaid slavery internship with one of Paris’ more popular designers. There were plenty of skinny girls between the ages of sixteen and twenty bustling around the main office when she first arrived to meet with Diane Faber herself. At the young age of fourteen, Indie Cortese was fixing hemlines and getting coffee for a low A-lister design company. How cool! However, this particular internship was for young hopefuls with fiery ambition to become the next Great One. They wanted runway shows and fashion lines. Indiana wanted to cover fashion shows and critique fashion lines.

She had talent, she knew that much. She had ambition, that too. She even had the hard stare that was essential to a contributor in this industry. For eight long, gruelling months, Indiana sat behind her little sewing machine in the back of one of the design offices in Diane Faber’s large, successful company’s headquarters. However, the time comes when people need to move on, right? In the fashion world, like Hollywood, timing was everything. You had to be in the right place at the right time for your career to actually take off. Maybe that’s why she spent the first three years of her high school career doing anything but high school. See, the Cortese family as a whole was ordinary. Not painfully average, but they didn’t seem to stand out from the crowd, either. But Indie Cortese on her own was a little force to be reckoned with. She had the same work ethic as either of her parents, but had never held the same acceptance of what is that they did. It got in the way most of the time, really. However, one had to admire the constant amount of effort she put into everything she did.

By the end of September of her ninth grade year, the time had come for Indiana to shine. From behind her little sewing machine, she had been roaring out every answer another intern had. She spoke for the designers half the time. She gave them ideas for interview questions. She knew the ways of the fashion world, working them like an old icon. It was time for another internship, this time with one of Diane Faber’s top journalists, Jaycee Connelly. After much persuasion and the promise of a private tutor, Indiana Cortese packed up and left home onto the private jet owned by the fashion corporation. For the best part of three years, she followed the journalist around the world, staying in one place for weeks at a time, as one of those little assistants bustling after her that she had watched out of the window of her father’s boutique so many years earlier. Now, nearing the end of her high school career, Indie made the bold decision to move back home and finish the rest of her schooling with her family. But who knows, with this much experience, she could find the next level of her career in Valkyrie, California.

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COLLECTED MY BELONGINGS ,[/color]
ABOUT YOU AND FOR THE ADMINS ,
and i left the jail, well thanks for the time[/color]

YOUR NAME: captain asia the scary graphic mod.
GENDER: female.
AGE: EIGHTEEN - finally.
RP EXPERIENCE: nine-ish years or something.
OTHER CHARACTERS: them epic flingers.
ROLEPLAY EXAMPLE: how does one roleplay, exactly?

credit: format by lainey, lyrics by modest mouse

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[Shay Anderson]

well, it's about damn time. xD i don't even have to deny myself. good job, asia. (:

ACCEPTED !