Valencia Nox -- District 3

Python Head Librarian 4,515 POSTS Pronouns: She/Her last seen Apr 17, 2024 23:53:55 GMT -5	Valencia Nox -- District 3 May 10, 2012 15:15:57 GMT -5 Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by Python on May 10, 2012 15:15:57 GMT -5 Name: Valencia Justice Nox Age: 17 18 19 20 21 Gender: Female District/Area: District 3 Appearance: Personality: History: Codeword: odair Comments/Other: Rags to Riches Plot
	Last Edit: Apr 27, 2015 23:59:00 GMT -5 by Python

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Valencia Nox -- District 3 May 13, 2012 11:20:20 GMT -5

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Post by Python on May 13, 2012 11:20:20 GMT -5

Female.Seventeen.District Three

The girl pressed her bare feet against the plush carpet and rose from her luxurious mattress. She was adorned in dark, silk pajamas that highlighted her creamy complexion, and as she approached her mirror she realized how ghostly she appeared beneath the white light.

Is that bad? She leaned forward and examined the seemingly flawless skin on her face. There were several isolated freckles and blemishes here and there, and for a moment she panicked - but she paused and brushed her fingertips against the pink flesh of her high cheek bones, wondering if people even noticed the little flaws. People were normally about the big picture, weren’t they? So, what exactly was the big picture of Valencia Nox? When she glanced into a mirror she saw an average-looking girl with blonde hair that had the potential to glow, green eyes that could use a splash of color, a flat chin that could use a better shape, and a face that seemed none too pretty for a girl as wealthy and pampered as her. But what did others see when they looked at her? Surely they must notice her true beauty - how the wavy golden fringes that rested past her shoulders seemed to glimmer with different shades beneath the sunlight. How her frame was perfectly suited for skin-tight dresses, and her dark green irises a dull sight in comparison to the dazzling jewelry she wore each day. She was exactly how many imagined the daughter of a wealthy widower to be, and sometimes more.

Valencia performed her morning routine as usual. After showering and drying her hair, she stood in front of the mirror and once again began to nitpick at the insignificant flaws that made her feel unworthy. She plucked her eyebrows, flinching whenever it stung, until they were shaped into perfect arches. She added touches of make-up to cover everything that made her feel insecure, and elongated her eyebrows with black mascara. She blinked a few times and examined her face at every angle until she was positive that she had not missed a single detail. Somewhat satisfied, she returned their items to their rightful places and moved to her closet. Inside was an entire rainbow of dresses, blouses, jeans, skirts, and shoes that seemed as vast as the ocean of district four. Even with such a large selection, however, Valencia was still very particular about what combinations she chose. Would the black top make her appear too white like snow on a December morning? Would the yellow dress make her too bright like the obnoxious sunlight that pierced her eyes at dawn? Would the dress that hugged her small curves make her seem like an attention seeker? The process of creating the perfect outfit made her forehead scrunch. All she wanted was to impress him. She wanted to attract him like a magnet, even if he was forbidden. After finally deciding that it didn’t matter ~~but it does~~ she pulled out a lavender dress that both emphasized her curves and covered her average-sized chest and slipped it on. The bottom rested against her lower thighs, assuring her full protection from her father’s disapproving scorn, and with a sigh she returned to her precious mirror.

Gold, silver, emeralds, rubies, diamonds; her father always treated her with beautiful and dazzling gifts that glistened whenever her birthday came around. If Valencia didn’t wear any of these trinkets, she would feel guilty about her father’s ~~rare~~ acts of graciousness. So, she wrapped a golden necklace with a diamond charm around her neck, slipped in matching earrings, and covered her wrists with golden bracelets. She admired the way they sparkled under the sunlight, but she faintly wondered if she sparkled the same way. Was she even worth gazing at, or was it just the jewelry and the expensive clothes that caught the wandering eyes? She never pictured her long legs or bony hands drawing any attention. She had curves, but they could be better - she could be an hourglass like her mother once was, and yet she felt as if she was as stiff as a board despite the way her hips had grown wider over the years. Her chest was none too impressive either - B-cups with potential, she liked to call them. If only they could grow like her hair would, and turn her into a model-worthy woman. Instead of perfection, however, Valencia was forced to settle with this. Obnoxiously long legs, ears that seemed prominent whenever her golden fringes were tucked, boring eyes, average face - if only she could accept the fact that beauty didn’t come in the form of perfection.

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Beauty outside of the shell is never identical to what lies within - yet human beings tend to judge each other based on their appearances and first impressions, especially when dealing with Valencia. Manipulative bitch. Spoiled brat. Selfish tyrant. Were these the words that defined Valencia Nox? Ask her, and she will tell you no. These words define only her father, but as a blood relative and only child of Magnus Nox people tend to draw a line directly between the two personalities. Valencia is not like her father. On the contrary, she is almost his complete opposite. While he is cruel, she is kind. While he craves for power, she merely craves love and companionship. While it would not bother him to steal the life of an innocent person, she would be devastated to. Valencia was not built to be an all-powerful, bloodthirsty monster who used money in order to manipulate the poor. She wanted nothing but harmony to flourish in her house - though despite her desires it seems nothing but hatred travels within the walls of her mansion. Hatred directed at her, because she is a Nox, and all Nox’s are apparently evil.

She wondered what she could do to change them. Could she change their minds and convince them that every ounce of her kindness was genuine? Not just some fabricated emotion being used to lure them in like doomed little mice? It sounded like an impossibility. Despite her efforts she knew they were too stubborn to observe the facts and accept the truth. In their eyes she would never be kind, courteous, or gentle. She would never care for them. She would never even be concerned for their lives. To them, she was a conniving little demon trying to follow in her father’s footsteps. And worst of all, she was a murderer just like her father: the one responsible for killing Royce Hawkes while everybody was supposedly sound asleep in their rooms.

Could Valencia turn into such a monster? A few of the other residents believed that she already had, but she knew in her gut that she could never turn so ruthless. She possessed what her mother held dear and what her father lacked; a heart. Steady, beating, and warm, her heart pumped compassion into her veins, and as much as she wished she could just wipe the worries away and forget about everything, the stubbornness she inherited from her father combined with the loyalty her mother passed over will not allow her to give up on any of the residents who risk their lives by merely sleeping in her home. Whether or not they treat her like street garbage does not matter ~~too much~~ to her. She will always treat them with the sincerity and respect they deserve, because she knows exactly how her father’s concept is tearing their minds to shreds and manipulating them to the point of distress. She sympathizes with those who suffer and attempts to help the injured whenever possible ~~despite her being a bit queasy at the sight of blood~~. Valencia is not the insolent bully everybody imagines her to be - there is more kindness to her than meets the eye, if you just give her a chance.

Perfectionism and insecurity serve as a deadly combination to Valencia's personality. She feels that she is not beautiful enough to reach ultimate perfection, and yet perfection is the one aspect of life she strives for. Despite the popular belief that perfection is nonexistent, Valencia strongly believes that it is very possible. As a result she constantly bashes herself for failing to meet her own standards and spends twice as long as a human being should in front of the mirror trying to make herself decent for a certain someone. It is the one part of herself that she cannot stand, yet it is an addiction she cannot fight. Her own insecurity is her greatest weakness, and those who can point out her flaws are the demons with the key to her hidden despair. She attempts to hide it as best as she can with false confidence, but she knows this can only work for so long. Soon, those who wish to harm her will realize how cowardly and vulnerable she truly is, and use these weaknesses to their advantage.

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Valencia walked out of her room and glided down the spiraling staircase. Her green irises scanned the perimeter for any signs of activity, and as usual she failed to acknowledge the impressive size and grandeur of her father’s mansion. It was the house in which she had grown up, and the only home she knew of. Three family members once occupied the house - back when everything was peaceful and almost normal. Her mother was the golden jewel of district 3; beautiful, generous, and flawless in every way possible other than her choice of soul mate. She was what every woman wanted to be, and Valencia admired her more than anything else. It was her father who was a bit on the odd side. Magnus Nox was well-known for being a cruel, ruthless bastard that tried to buy his way into everything, including Scarlet (her mother‘s) heart. People who recognized him regarded him as evil and manipulative - until he fell in love with Scarlet of course. Scarlet was the only woman who could ever come close to taming Magnus, and once married not a trace if Magnus’ merciless behavior remained. It was as if only Scarlet’s gentle personality could soothe the beast within him, and for years their marriage was a satisfying one. Valencia was born into the world not long after, and the two swore to raise her to be the perfect daughter. Unfortunately, Scarlet would not survive long enough to watch her daughter flourish into the woman she is now.

Valencia was not yet twelve when sickness tainted her mother’s strong heart. For weeks she was bedridden, weak, and pale as the full moon, until the day the thread she desperately clung to was finally cut, and the golden heart stopped beating in her chest. Both Valencia and Magnus were devastated, but it was Magnus who suffered the most. The event struck him with such a force that the darkness that had previously vanished began to consume him once again, and he transformed into the merciless tyrant he was before - only this time it was ten times worse.

He created a contract - the “Rags to Riches” contract - stating that anybody ~~meaning the poor people he picked off of the streets~~ who signed the bottom of his paper would be promised a million dollars if and only if they paid him fifty-thousand dollars. During the course of this process, ~~victims~~ clients would be allowed to live on the first floor of his mansion until the terms of the contract were either completed or terminated. To Valencia, it seemed like a harmless idea, and when the first client - Drace Vandel, the object of her affections - moved in, she was thrilled to have a friend. However, she soon discovered the true conditions of the contract, and how the coldness of her father’s black heart had not been repelled. According to his contract, each client would be given an account, or “lifeline”, and owed two-thousand dollars to Magnus by the end of each month. If this money was not paid, the amount still owed would be doubled and subtracted from the client’s account. This is not what bothered Valencia, however; what bothered her was the bold print near the bottom of the contract.

"If, at any moment in time, the lifeline balance of a client should reach $0, the contract and client shall be terminated and executed."

With that fact in mind, Valencia constantly worried about the seven other residents of their home, even if most of them did despise her, and as she wandered into the kitchen for breakfast she tried not to imagine them pale and bloody in caskets ~~like Royce~~. She sat down at the end of the long table and began to consume her breakfast in silence. She felt the piercing stares of her father’s victims and wanted desperately to sink down in her chair, but having adjusted to their cruel behavior toward her refused to acknowledge them. Each and every one of them had a right to be angry with her family, and it wouldn’t surprise her to hear any of them complain. Each had dues to pay, each had to take illegal risks to obtain money, and each had to depend upon hard labor and danger to avoid death while Valencia merely sat back and watched. There was Drace Vandel, the mysterious gambler who was one of only two who ever took the liberty of speaking to her on friendly terms. There was Dexter Magma, the dangerous mugger that frightened her with his eerie silence and empty stare. There was Shadow Conway, the optimistic drug dealer who actually appreciated Valencia and acted friendly to almost everybody. There was Tiberius Haze, the second drug dealer who could not leave Shadow’s side, yet refused to share any appreciation for Valencia. There was Damea Vandel, Drace’s thieving sister who struggled to make her payments. There was Krisondra Queens, the prostitute that gave Valencia the cold shoulder - and finally, there was Cloud McKinley, the newbie and street performer.

It was this strange group of unfortunate souls that induced Valencia's greatest nightmares, yet also filled the lonesome void in her life. Without them, she would feel incomplete.
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Last Edit: May 20, 2012 22:33:25 GMT -5 by Python

Python Head Librarian 4,515 POSTS Pronouns: She/Her last seen Apr 17, 2024 23:53:55 GMT -5	Valencia Nox -- District 3 May 20, 2012 22:19:04 GMT -5 Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by Python on May 20, 2012 22:19:04 GMT -5 Finished<3 [/blockquote]

pika Retired Staff 586 POSTS Pronouns: she/her last seen May 7, 2022 18:36:48 GMT -5	Valencia Nox -- District 3 May 20, 2012 23:08:02 GMT -5 Quote Select Post Deselect Post Link to Post Member Give Gift Back to Top Post by pika on May 20, 2012 23:08:02 GMT -5 Love the plot and the character. <3 [/colour][/size]
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