theluckyones } { application

[isthebird]

name } L[iz]
personal journal } energybar
other characters currently played } Bonnie Bennett
e-mail } scarletmatriarch [at] gmail [dot] com
other contact } PM, lanapedia

character name } Valarie Van Der Beek, also called Val
age } Eternally 20, the age at which she died; actually 23.
species } Whitelighter
canon } Charmed (Original Character)
canon point } N/A
time & choice } Native. Val is...kind of already dead, therefore she can't die again, at least not via human disease.

history }

Valarie Louise Van Der Beek was born on February 8, 1987 to Jonathan and Rachel Van Der Beek. Her parents were Christian missionaries, and as such she spent much of her childhood outside of her home country of the United States, mostly in China where her mother's family originates, and various other parts of East Asia. Once Valarie reached high school, however, Jonathan and Rachel took their daughter back to the States to their home just outside of Atlanta, Georgia, where she lived until she graduated.

From there she went on to attend the University of California, Berkeley, majoring in Philosophy. During her sophomore year, she met a young man named Matthew Vaughan. Unbeknownst to her, he was a cupid, sent to her by the Elders to nurture her belief in love so she would continue her summer mission work without restraint. Through their talks over both tea and coffee, the two instead fell in love with each other. They shared only one kiss, initiated by Matthew, before the Elders withdrew him, as relationships between cupids and their charges are forbidden.

Valarie's last trip overseas was to Indonesia following her junior year. Three weeks before she was set to return home, there was an attack on the group of believers she had connected with. A fire was set to the building they gathered in, and Valarie made sure very single person made it out alive.

Every single person but herself. Her path became blocked before she was able to make it to the exit. She died of smoke inhalation before the flames reached her body.

The other side wasn't anything like she expected, but when the Elders asked her to carry on her good work as a whitelighter, she was more than willing to accept, though it took much longer for her to adjust than most.

One of the first things she learns about are her past lives, and with them, the people who have been with her throughout them. To her surprise, Matthew isn't just the only love she had during the last life she lived. She's loved him since she first came into being. She was told that this time, things were different, that though they had always been together, their destinies are now separate.

Though they tried, the two never quite managed to stay that way.

Since becoming a whitelighter, she's had several charges, but her main focus has been Penelope Jones, a witch in her late twenties and magician's assistant to her twin brother. Penny was her first charge and they had a bit of a rough start, but they've had time to adjust. Valarie can sense she survived and has been waiting for her call should her charge need her.

personality }

The Charmed universe is one based heavily on Wiccan and Pagan traditions, so it's very fitting that a Charmed character be described using the four classical elements. Though Valarie began as a Christian, they are very much suited to her.

All puns below are intentional.

The first elemental imagery conjured is that of water. On the surface, she is a calm, quiet girl, and while not the definition of stoic, her emoting is rather understated. Underneath, however, is another story. What she feels is just as powerful as an ocean current, and anyone who swims deep enough into her world will know the strength of it. She's very sensitive and compassionate, always lending a helping hand to those who need it without a second thought. Nurturing is in her nature.

This flows into the next element on the list: earth. Earth symbolizes the stable and practical, and that is Valarie all the way. While she is very emotional, her emotions don't rule her. She grounds herself with precepts and ordinances, first from Christianity when she was human, then from the Elders once she became a whitelighter. She stands firmly by them and very little can cause her to waver. She works hard toward her goals and is willing to do whatever is required of her, within her preset guidelines, of course. She is willing to get her hands dirty in a very literal sense and do those jobs no one else wants to do, so long as it will make life a little better for someone else.

While fire isn't the elemental symbol that immediately comes to mind with Valarie, it's not completely absent. There is a lot of passion in this young woman and the drive to put it into action. She is, after all, the girl who refused to leave a burning building until everyone inside was safe. She throws herself fully into whatever she does and doesn't hold back.

Air corresponds to the mind, intellect and study, and she knows the importance of those things. Passion and determination can only go so far and she's smart enough to realize it.

She's also smart enough to think for herself, and bend when the situation calls for it. Just because she likes to follow the rules doesn't mean she follows blindly. In fact, there are times when she severely doubts the Elders and their methods. While she formerly followed one God who created all and therefore knew all, the Elders are many individuals who are born, who die, and who are replaced, and therefore are fallible.

Obviously this comes into play when it comes to Matthew, who she loves with the fullness of her being and struggles with the fact that she isn't supposed to be with him. This is when the elements of herself truly conflict, when her emotions and her passion are at odds with her logic and practicality. He is the one thing she can't seem to resist.

Spirit is the fifth element in some traditions, and is worth bringing up when it comes to Valarie. As previously mentioned, she was a Christian when she was human, and her former faith is a big part of why she is who she is, and it still influences her, both positively and negatively. She still owns and reads the Bible, and still regards Jesus as someone who should be emulated. While she's no longer a virgin, she still wears her purity ring to symbolize her absolute devotion to Matthew, as they can't marry.

Not so uplifting is the low level of homophobia she developed from having such conservative ideals. The problem isn't judgement, it's the panic that comes with that sort of attention from females, sometimes resulting in an actual panic attack. It's something she's been working to change, and she's made progress thanks in large part to her charge Penny, who is a lesbian and not afraid of commenting on how attractive her whitelighter is.

Though all this can make her sound very serious and humorless, she isn't. She enjoys everything she does immensely, even the most menial and mundane tasks. Dancing is something she takes every opportunity to do, and she's been known to sing at the top of her lungs using her hairbrush as a microphone, if she even bothers with one. Her life might be steeped in purpose and responsibilities, but she does know how to have fun.

abilities }

(from the Whitelighter page at Charmed Wiki)

✝ Scrying: The ability to find a lost person or object using a crystal and a map.
✝ Potion Making: The ability to brew magical potions.
✝ Orbing: The ability to teleport through the use of orbs.
✝ Hovering: The ability to rise a few feet in the air, with or without orbs.
✝ Glamouring: The ability to change one's appearance to look like another human being.
✝ Healing: The ability to heal physical wounds and different injuries.
✝ Photokinesis: The ability to create and manipulate light and orbs.
✝ Thermokinesis: The ability to mentally control and manipulate heat.
✝ Sensing: The ability to locate and find their charges.
✝ Cloaking: The ability to hide yourself or others from magical detection. Limited to charges.
✝ High Resistance: The power to be resistant to potentially lethal powers.
✝ Reconstitution: The powerful ability to pull oneself back together again after being blown up.
✝ Regeneration: The ability to instantly heal oneself after being injured.
✝ Immortality: The ability to have an infinite lifespan and an arrested aging process. Short of a blacklighter's poisoned arrow, there's not much on Earth that can kill a whitelighter.
✝ Omnilingualism: The ability to understand, speak, and read any language without training in it. Limited to the language of charges.

appearance }

Valarie is of both Caucasian and Chinese decent, and her appearance reflects that. She has an olive skin tone and an oval face with a narrow nose, slightly narrow hazel eyes with a crease, full lips, and high cheek bones. Her hair is dark brown and mostly straight, hitting a few inches past her shoulders, which she most often wears half up or loose. She is also rather short, standing at only five foot two inches.

As for her dress, she keeps it rather simple and conservative. She tends toward solid, muted colors as well as neutrals. Skirts have never suited her tastes, but when she wears them they are loose and flowly to allow for maximum freedom of movement. (And they're just prettier that way, in her opinion.) Denim is her least favorite, but she will wear it when the situation calls for it. Her make-up runs along the same lines, being very natural and understated. She wears very little jewelry, just a few pieces at a time.

inventory }

clothes
✝ gray tank top, spaghetti strap
✝ khaki capris
✝ bra, strapless, nude
✝ panties, hiphugger, kelly green
✝ tan boots, knee-high
✝ socks, white, ankle high

jewelry
✝ Claddagh necklace, a Valentine's Day gift from Matthew Vaughan
✝ purity ring, pewter, thin, single red epoxy heart, inscription: Love Waits

other
✝ Bible, pocket sized, New American Standard

third person sample }

Because this seemed like more fun than writing by myself.