LEIJON, Jennifer Romia

[JENNIE LEIJON]

...Jennifer Romia Leijon*
* Good little girl.
Always picking a fight with you.
You say that you're bad.
But I'm spending the night with you.*

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*THESE PICTURES MUST NOT STRETCH THE BOARD

...basics*

name...

[/b][/size] Jennifer Romia Leijon. But everyone just calls me Jennie.
nickname...[/b][/size] Jennie
age...[/b][/size] 27
gender...[/b][/size] Female
grade...[/b][/size] Employed
occupation...[/b][/size] Editor of the fashion section for Cheif of Glamour Magazine
hometown...[/b][/size] Chicago, Illinois
sexuality...[/b][/size] Heterosexual
personification...[/b][/size] The Lion, from The Lion, The Fox, and The Ass

status...[/b][/size] Dormant
face claim...[/b][/size] Miranda Kerr[/blockquote]

...appearance*

physical...

[/b][/size] First impressions with Jennie can be a little confusing at first. She's not terribly tall, though the tall heels she favors can trick the eye. There's also the matter of her small, heart-shaped face, with its large dimples and perpetually smiling blue eyes that make her appear that she should still be in high school.

And yet, that head sits atop a body that has been through quite a bit. Slender, one might not guess that she had a baby five years ago. Her tanned tummy rests perfectly flat, stretchlines are all but absent. Perhaps she's a little thinner than she should be, but that's simply the stress taking its toll.

A first impression might be awkward, because of her sweet baby-face, and then the bam-pow of her definitely adult body. And yet, with the right wardrobe, people might not guess that she's slowly getting closer to her 30th birthday. Those closest to her, however, will notice the slight lines at the corner of her mouth, and the crinkles at the edges of her eyes. Laugh lines, her mother calls them.
clothing style...[/b][/size] Not in rags, that's for sure. Jennie is a pretty busy lady, and all things business, you can expect her to be dressed accordingly. Blouses, blazers, knee-length skirts, trousers, heels. When it comes to work, she is always pristine, neat and orderly. Her hair is usually combed back, and she typically wears very minimal makeup.

But when she's off the clock, that wild mane of highlighted hair is left to fall and bounce around her shoulders. She tends to dress more casually; summer dressers, shorts, and jeans. Despite her sleek body, she is a mother foremost and you will almost never see her mini-skirts or extremely low-cut tops. She dresses quite respectable, even when casual.
defining traits...[/b][/size] Jennie has one of those type of faces you never forget. Even though she is a get-things-done sort of woman, she is almost always flashing those dimples and smiling. [/blockquote]

...personal info*

personality...

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To think that Jennie is a little ball of happy-go-lucky sunshine is just fine. Actually, that's probably what she's hoping you think of her. Truth be told, she enjoys being underestimated. It makes it all the more entertaining when she whips around and lays down the law. If things get done her way, then everything is smooth sailing. But there have been times when people around the office start lagging on deadlines, or sit on their ass and Jennie has to let the claws out. She tolerates no bullshit; it's her reputation on the line. If someone screws up their job, it reflects on her. And ultimately, if she has to take time away from her son to fix someone's mistakes--there will be hell to pay.

It's also pretty safe to say that Jennie doesn't have many friends. There are a few that she goes out with on occasion when she can find a baby-sitter. However, there are none that she really trusts. It takes one pretty big burn in your life to make the way you see people to change. The only person that Jennifer truly trusts is her son, Dom.

Jennie is also extremely protective, over just about everything. Not just Dominic. Her job, her family, her home--everything she has worked for and made on her own, she is fiercely protective over. She's a sweet enough woman--but it's ill-advised to try and push her buttons. Because once Jennifer Leijon has been crossed, she will more than likely spit-shine her floor with your face.

life until now...[/b][/size] Home was always a safe place for me. It was never anything but, and there was rarely if ever a dull moment. I was--am one of seven. And guess where I ended up? Right smack dab in the middle. As horrible as that sounds, it wasn't really all bad. Granted there were a lot more fights for the bathroom than I think my parents could handle. I have three older sisters, Jasmine, Jessica and Jada. Then there's me, Jennifer. And then my younger sisters, Jane, Jamie, and Jillian. I think it's the fact that all our names start with the same letter--but we were pretty close. I just felt bad for dad sometimes. Seven daughters. Can you imagine?

It was pretty hectic in the house, and sometimes you could feel a bit lost. Especially being right in the middle, it sometimes felt like I was the break-off. The three older sister, and then the three younger sisters. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't like I was all alone...it was just lonely sometimes. Point is--it was pretty crazy in our house. Add in with the rest of the family, aunts, uncles, cousins...really, I don't think I could name everyone if I had to.

A pretty big family, lots of love to go around. And we didn't have to struggle much, if at all. It could be hard with nine mouths in one house, but Dad did good work, and he worked hard. When we got older, we were expected to pull some of the weight as well, as long as we were in the house. It was pretty fair. I did a decent job of managing to balance work and school on my shoulders, and despite being fourth on the list to go to college--I didn't let it slide.

As crazy as our family is, when you come from a line of Jewish people--you're expected to put your best into everything you do. To earn money to take care of your family. That's what's important, family. And I knew even when I graduated from high school, that when I started a family of my own--I wanted to be able to give them the entire world.

Surprisingly that came a little sooner than expected. College was great. For once I didn't feel like I was lost in a sea of J's. No one had to know that I had a ridiculous amount of sisters, I could just be me for a while. And it felt good. I dabbled in this, and I dabbled in that...but there was one guy at one of the parties. Mama would have said he had sin in those eyes of his.

And did he ever. Frankie Vulpini was a mischievous one. He was one of those boys that you take a good look at, and you know that there's just going to be broken hearts all over the ground. I knew well enough that it was in my best interest to stay away from a boy with heartbreaker eyes. But he kind of saw things differently. There was alcohol, there was music, and there was definitely some smoke in the air. He haunted me the whole night.

I didn't give him much of an opening that night. A few words, a few smiles, but I'm sure he was the type that he could just flash that charming smile to and girls would fall all over themselves for him. But not me, nuh-uh. That night was not his night, and it was so difficult not to burst out laughing when he looked so confused when I actually turned my attention to someone else.

But I think that's all he needed. Because he tracked me down the next day. And the day after that. But to reel them in, you gotta cast them out. It seemed like each time I said no, he was more and more determined. He found me in the library. He found me studying in the bleachers. He found me in the cafeteria. Finally, when it got to the point that it felt like he might cry if I said no one more time--I actually said yes. His face was priceless. He looked scared, and confused, and excited. Like I would revoke my yes at any second.

One date ended up leading to many more. He played baseball, and was surprised to learn that I actually really liked the game. Actually, he took me to a Cubs game during out six month anniversary. It was basically the best night of my life at that point. I was surprised that he stuck with me for that long. Even though I enjoyed parties at the college, enjoyed having drinks with friends--I was a good girl. Mama and Papa raised me right. I kept my legs closed, I was waiting for marriage. And though I never pressed the idea of marriage on Frankie, I always told him that the man I was going to marry would be the one that could have all of me.

Six months later, he proposed. It was fast, I'll admit. But he stayed with me for a year, knowing the insanity of my family. Knowing that I was going to wait--he respected me. He respected my choices. And so I said yes.

Everything was great, the wedding...had a few hitches in the road. Mostly from his side of the family now that I look back on it. Let's just say that my ex-mother-in-law, though sweet--was quite pushy. And her husband was irritatingly grabby. I felt the most comfortable with Frankie, Joel, and my side of the family. Something about the Vulpinis didn't sit right, and it probably didn't help that Senior and my papa were glaring at each other from the other sides of the room.

It was a slight chaos, but when you have a family quite as large as ours--you don't really expect any less. Anyway, the honeymoon was wonderful and as promised--I gave Frankie all of myself. It was then that I realized that I made the right choice in deciding to spend the rest of my life with him. We found a small apartment still close enough to family, but still on our own.

But it seems like there is this ridiculous universal law that says everything that can go wrong, will go wrong. I didn't see it at first, or maybe I really wasn't wanting to see it. It took months before is was glaringly obvious that I wasn't the only woman in Frankie's life. The vows we made, the promises we made--it was for nothing. I trusted him with everything, I had no secrets, I gave him all of me...and I was just stomped on instead.

I tried to overlook it until I found the drugs. Right there on the coffee table. I had come home from work early that day, and I'm glad I did. When I went to confront him, there he was. With another woman.

the present...[/b][/size]
At the time, I was two months pregnant. I had been feeling sick, hence why I came home from work early. I had taken a pregnancy test before headed home, and I was excited to share the good news. But how could I tell him during all of that? Luckily the woman had the decency to leave before I had to physically throw her out of the window.

The fight that came after that was the worst fight we ever had. There was broken glass, things were strewn all over the floor. I was afraid for him. I was afraid for me. And most of all, I was afraid for what I was carrying inside of me. I would like to believe that Frankie would never hurt me, but I didn't stick around long enough to find out. We screamed the entire time I packed my suitcase. Every time I tried to put something in, he ripped it out. Finally I just gave up, grabbed what I could in my arms, threw it in the car and left for Springfield.

I filed for divorce within the next week. I couldn't fix this. After seeing it with my own eyes, I knew everything I was missing before. This wasn't one indiscretion. This was months, and months. What if he had contracted some sort of disease and given it to me? Luckily the doctors said that I was just fine, and that my baby was just fine as well.

The divorce proceedings went through, and luckily due to both Frankie and my family, it was solved pretty quickly. But I was angry, furious. How could he do this to me? To everything we had worked for and built? No, he wasn't going to get off easy and live a life of luxury. I managed to take everything I could, and I didn't care. I took from Frankie, and I put it towards my baby.

Dominic Ezra Leijon was born after a rather...frightening labor. I was sad, at first. Mama always said I was a dreamer, and I hoped so much that Frankie would have been there holding my hand. But the divorce had been finalized months prior to Dominic's birth, and the Vulpinis didn't and still don't know he exists.

And I'm going to keep it that way for as long as I can. If Frankie kept it up for that long, never tried to fix things...then he didn't want to. I heard rumors about how things went for him. And I'm not sorry. Dom is such a smart boy, and he always has been. It's been just us, and he gets to visit all of his aunts and his grandpa and grandma and his cousins, and that's all he needs. He does not need the influence that Frankie would bring on his life. When he's old enough, if he wants to find Frankie then we can decide how to go about it. But not now, not anytime soon.

Luckily having a big family comes in handy. I spent as much time with Dom as I could, but I was determined to get a good job. I was determined to give him everything. Luckily the alimony that came from the divorce helped me travel, helped me put a portfolieo together. Helped me keep food on the table for Dom, so I never had to give up on chasing that one good job. Luckily, I got it. I started just as a fashion blogger, and quickly made my way up. Within four years, I had climbed the ladder to Editor of Fashion for Chief of Glamour Magazine.

I was at the top. I worked for someone, but most of all--I had people that worked for me. And my climb was only going to go higher. A few months ago I got a transfer to New York. It would be great--I'd get out of Illinois, but some actual distance between the Vulpinis and myself. It's stimulating enough that Dom won't get bored easily.

And you know? For all that seems to have gone wrong with Franklin Vulpini Jr, he gave me the best thing in life. He gave me Dom. Who is my strength, my fight, and my drive. I'm going to conquer the world for him. And I'm going to do it all on my own.

other notes...[/b][/size]
Jennifer has a five year old son named Dominic. He's an extremely intelligent little boy, and he is her best friend in the entire world. Sometimes it worries her how grown-up he seems, so for her the best moments are when he actually acts his age.

He doesn't take too kindly to Jennie's gentlemen friends, when she does manage to introduce them. As much as she'd rip out someone's throat to protect Dom, it seems he's a little protective over her as well.[/blockquote]

...literature*

title... The Lion, The Fox, and The Ass
backstory...
Oh, I love reading this story. It's strangely applicable to my life. Let's see...right. So, there's this Ass (Frankie) who seems all fine and dandy, until him and his friend the Fox (Also Frankie) meet a Lion(That's me!). And basically this Fox thinks he can outwit the Lion. But the Lion didn't seem to like traitors very much, and when the Fox thought he was being sneaky--the Lion ripped out his furry little throat. Basically that Lion had had enough, and was going to have her cake and eat it too. Nom nom nom.

...the roleplayer*

tell us about you...

[/b][/size] ........Hello, my name is Olley. And I have a problem.

ACTUALLY NO. YOU KNOW WHAT. I WAS FINE. I WAS *FINE* WITH MY ELEVEN CHARACTERS. I WAS JUST HAPPY.

BUT THEN MOLLY AND SCOUT TAG-TEAMED ME.

THE DEVILISH DAMES.
LET THAT BE A LESSON FOLKS. DON'T MARRY SOMEONE WHO'S NAME RHYMES WITH YOURS. [/blockquote]

...writing*

writing sample/freestyle...

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