leileioliveira

[leileioliveira]

“PASSION IS A BITCH - YOU SHOULD GET TO KNOW HER”

INTRODUCING…

NAME: Leilani Ali’ikai Oliveira

GENDER & PREFERRED PRONOUNS: Cis woman {She/Her}

AGE: 25

BIRTHDAY: March 4

SEXUALITY: Bisexual {strong preference for fem presenting}

FACE CLAIM: Auli’i Cravalho

OCCUPATION: Lead singer/rhythm guitarist for Kalopsia

HOMETOWN: Kohala, Hawai’i

CHARACTER PLAYLIST: HERE.

UP NEXT: “ALL IN STRIDE” BY THE BUMPIN’ UGLIES

BIOGRAPHY: TW DEATH, MENTAL HEALTH

The sound of waves crashing along the shore, is permanently etched in her brain like a vinyl that belonged in her grandfather’s never-ending collection. Being born and raised in the Aloha state, the emphasis on family was engrained in Leilani’s everyday life. It was why she lived with her grandfather, along with easily adopting a lot of his hobbies and beliefs. Besides vinyl being the only way the household listened to music, strumming the guitar and singing together was also an acceptable alternative. There was also a huge push for surfing, which Leilani did not need to be swayed in order to take up.

One of the earliest memories the girl can remember is being on the back of her father’s surfboard, exercising her sea legs for a better look at her grandfather riding the perfect wave from a safer distance. Even as a young girl, Leilani could remember the bubbling in her stomach she received not only from catching waves, but also from being crushed under the white sea foam. What made it better, was the sense of connection to not only her family but the ocean.

Leilani was no stranger when she was running errands on the island. With her grandfather well known by the people through her family’s presence being so active within the community, it was hard for the girl to not take a couple minutes to talk to whoever stopped her in the streets. Being so active in the community was rewarding, not only through the means of connection but also in order to help preserve the lifestyle of Aloha. The girl was used to advocacy ever since she could walk and stand at protests.

It was a frequently used rebuttal at the dinner table that maybe Leilani’s stubbornness and out-spoken ways came from the young exposure to her grandfather’s advocacy; Something that was always brushed off by the girl. To her, it made her independent and strong, though her mindset was always chalked up to being black or white with no room for a drop of grey. Her grandfather was always proud of her pursuits. With her parents juggling odd jobs to keep the lights on, it was always her grandfather that became the default caregiver and supporter of Leilani. All throughout her life, she aimed to tackle new things; From singing and dance, to soccer and bowling, her grandfather was always on the sidelines cheering her on. When Leilani came out about creating a band with a few online friends through Tumblr, her grandfather was the one who went out of his way to make sure she continued with it.

It was difficult when her grandfather passed away. Though it was peaceful in the way he left in his sleep, it still haunted the girl and strained the family dynamic. The bills became overflowing for the household, making her parents even more absent than they had been. Leilani struggled with getting out of bed, let alone touching her surfboard or her guitar. Her grandfather didn’t have much if one were to sit down and count it up, and that was known. So, when she inherited his house on the coast as well as his surfboard and guitar (vinyl collection, included), she felt it was her responsibility to step up to the plate and fill his shoes.

She went to Hawai’i Pacific University for marine biology - choosing something she could tolerate in order to help with the income. Working full time at the local diner as well as being a full time student strained her mental state even more, and before she could make a logical decision she had a mental breakdown from the holding the weight of everything on her shoulders. It was when she was in this state of being in her own hell of rock bottom, that she realized her grandfather wouldn’t have wanted any of this for her. This was also when she leant on her bandmates more, and their bond grew even deeper.

It took a year for her to finally get out on the water again, but when she did she came to find that it was the closest she’s felt to her grandfather since his passing. A part of her felt like a failure because she had to bow out of her studies - it just wasn’t for her - but surfing again made her slowly come to peace with that as well. She vowed that she would live how her grandfather did; With passion and no regrets. It was luck that found her band, Kalopsia as their singles started to blow up on TikTok. She was lucky to have her band to lean on as they tried to navigate this newfound attention.

Leilani never thought that she would leave Hawai’i, but she knew she had to in order to pursue her dream with the band. Her parents were encouraging of her to go out and explore the world, even though she felt she found her place right where she was born. Though she’s been out of Hawai’i for 5 years now, it’s only been two years since Kalopsia has signed with Revolution in NY. The pressure of being in such a skyrocketing band success-wise, looms over her every now and again; but when it gets tough, she just imagines her grandfather cheering her on, side stage.

EXTRA-EXTRA, READ ALL ABOUT HER!

A bit of a spitfire, Leilani doesn’t know how to bite her tongue. She’s always the first to speak up, especially for the underdog. Though, she does play devil’s advocate for her own amusement at times. Loyal to a default, Leilani is protective of everyone she comes across - no matter how long she’s known the person for. She can be sarcastic, and is known to point that at men for the most part - but, fuck the patriarchy, right? Leilani is very spiritual, given her roots, but she also dabbles in tarot card readings and yoga for guidance and centering. She’s a full-blown pescatarian and loves to cook - it’s also her love language to cook for others. Always craving something new, the girl is constantly filling her free time with classes of various sorts to hone in on new crafts and skills. Due to her competitive nature, she has a bit of an intense personality when provoked in game play. Leilani also is all-or-nothing with her personality, so she tends to pick up stuff obsessively until she’s mastered it. She loves retro video games, and is an avid lover of film and cinema. One of her favorite movies ever is The Goonies, and quotes it from time to time. Leilani has a confidence about her that makes her seem a little standoff-ish, but she’s actually really warm and laidback as a person. She’s not a stranger to recreational marijuana, and loves to partake in drinking games in social settings. Leilani has a very ‘fuck it - you do you’ aspect to her being; Always respectful and accepting of others, and she’s always the first to be someone’s support system - especially if they don’t have one. She’s 1000% always down for a good time, and she’s pro-kissing the homies.

PERSONALITY:

+ Loyal, Comedic, and Adventurous

- Sarcastic, Headstrong, and Chaotic