#yes i have changed her bday about 30 times no i am not ashamed

[zuleikasandoval]

— BASICS.

NAME: Zuleika Isadora Sandoval AGE / D.O.B.: 29 / November 16, 1992 GENDER, PRONOUNS, SEXUALITY: cisgender female, she / her, & pansexual HOMETOWN: Culiacán, Mexico AFFILIATION: Cortázar ( money launderer )  JOB POSITION: Stock Trader ( at some hella rich hedge fund ) EDUCATION: MBA in Finance ( Wharton School — U-Penn ) RELATIONSHIP STATUS: single ( laughable ) CHILDREN: none POSITIVE TRAITS: observant, resilient, ambitious, independent, intuitive, determined, extravagant, capable, thoughtful, focused, shrewd, generous, selective NEGATIVE TRAITS: self-destructive, manipulative, vindictive, stubborn, jealous, snobbish,  unforgiving, forceful, dishonest, temperamental, suspicious, selective

— PAST.

The girl is born on an exceptionally chilly November night in Culiacán, Mexico, the eldest daughter of the underboss of a prominent Mexican drug cartel. Her early life is an easy one, a charmed one, in a sprawling mansion with armed guards atop the city’s highest hill. Her formative education does not exist solely in the classroom or through private tutors, but also in the privacy of her home — when she sits atop her father’s lap as he delegates and barters until he gets precisely what he wants, she learns the persistence required for business. And, when she watches her mother swipe crimson lipstick across a perfect pout and secure a string of pearls around her neck, Zuleika learns the business required for sustenance — the power of feminine wiles to lull an object of one’s attention ( never affection ) into a false sense of security. 

At fifteen, her father’s name is attached to an international bounty, and the golden veneer of her childhood is shattered. Her mother is the first to flee, but her father takes a somewhat braver route — he contacts a counterpart based in New York, a member of the relatively new Cortázar Cartel, who forges the necessary documents to secure Zuleika a new life in the city. Her birth records are scrubbed and sanitized, the names of her parents changed to inconspicuous strangers, all trace of her origin pacified to accommodate a girl reborn. 

— PRESENT.

Whether or not it was her father’s intention, the girl is forcibly indebted to the Cartel like she’s made a blood oath — just without the scratch of proof. She understands all too well the importance of playing the wallflower, of distancing herself from even the quietest whisper of organized crime. Zuleika finds her niche in finance, in the finite solidity of numbers and the chase of negotiations. By twenty-six, she’s a prominent trader at an even more notable hedge fund, two feet planted firmly in Wall Street while the Cartel dips a hand in her moneyed pockets.

— PERSONALITY.

Just like any other financier in the city, there’s a wickedness to her, one that does not come with a palate cleanser, an excuse, or justification. Zuleika may be a chameleon of sorts, changing her colors in order to appeal to the situation at hand before going in for the kill, but there is an undercurrent of carnal spite, one she has no intention of shedding anytime soon. She simply is who she is — the fickle retribution of Aphrodite, a moral compass forever skewed anywhere but True North. 

She is equal parts snake and flower, and at times, even she cannot help biting her own tail. Her penchant for destruction isn’t boundless, per se, but the woman tends only to rein it in once she notices the venom pooling in her belly. It’s a lapse of control that she’s aware of, a cycle she can’t seem to break — and so, Zuleika has carefully constructed versions of herself to throw anyone off the scent of her self-destruction. To converse with her is to open oneself up onto a riddle as sharp as a knife. Cutting in her casual repose, she leans back and blows smoke into the face of those that address her, witty and salacious in her conversations. She can be overtly flirtatious, outright sexual at times, and enjoys challenging individuals on any topic she sees fit – simply to make someone uncomfortable, to watch them reevaluate their traditions or ideologies. A favorite pastime is playing the part of a silent decoration, only to crush her conversation partner with her own sting of knowledge and spite. Vague in her personal commitments and linked only to the Cortazár by a tenuous chain of loyalty, it’s clear that the woman has one priority above all: herself. 

— WANTED CONNECTIONS & PLOTS can be found here.

( very much a work in progress! )

— EXTRAS.

Religion: Agnostic. Raised Catholic. Complicated relationship w/religion. Political Affiliation: “I don’t believe in the Republican party or the Democratic party. I just believe in parties.” ( is in fact v liberal ) Living Arrangements: Lives alone. Language(s) Spoken: Spanish (native), English (proficient), Portuguese (conversational), Cantonese (duolingo level 1) Accent: American Face Claim: Melissa Barrera Hair Color: A natural ombre of black to medium brown. Eye color: Hazel-brown. Piercings: Two on each earlobe. Clothing Style: It’s no secret that a woman in her profession has to dress 10x nicer than her male colleagues just to walk in the room, but it helps that fashion is something she delights in. Zu particularly favors a mix of masculine / feminine, such as: lacy, flowy blouses tucked into leather trousers, well-tailored double-breasted suits in pastels and florals, an oversized men’s button-down thrown over nothing more than back-seam tights and Louboutin heels. She has a secret love of vintage fur items and makes it a point to have a front row seat at the NYFW shows. 

— HEALTH.

Sleeping Habits: Laughable at best. Tendency to oversleep or under — but she never achieves a ‘normal’ or set sleep schedule, even with her best attempts. Eating Habits: Relatively healthy. It doesn’t hurt that there are assistants running around her place of work just waiting to fetch a salad. Her claim to cooking fame is ramen noodles prepared via stove rather than microwave, so she tends to order in or go out to restaurants. Exercise Habits: Enjoys exercise, especially cardio. After particularly heated meetings at work, she tends to run on her lunch break in the nearby park. Goes dancing 2 - 5 times a week, depending on the week. Addictions: Adderall, nicotine, caffeine. Drug Use: Frequent. Preference for coke and adderall for the uppers and benzos for the come-down. Frequently smokes cigarettes. Socially smokes pot. Alcohol Use: Fairly frequent. Preference for scotch, tequila, and vodka. Hates gin. Dislikes beer. Has a distaste for champagne but drinks it socially for work events and the like. Her bar at home is stocked more than her fridge. Emotional Stability: She’s obsessive, analytic, untrusting, and vindictive, has an addictive personality, and tends towards self-destruction when things go wrong. Has attempted therapy all of one (1) time and hated it, but should definitely go back. Solid rating of 6 / 10. Sociability: She’s an extrovert that enjoys social interaction without the depth — or, alternatively, an introvert who thrives off of a receiving attention so long as it means she doesn’t have to reveal her cards. That being said, Zu requires solitary time to recharge, and forges true friendships with very few people. Has a tendency to destroy things when she feels someone getting too close. In general settings, she’s gregarious and charming, intriguing and conversational, but in closer situations, ehh.... Depends on the person.