application

[refashioned]

THE CHARACTER

Character Name: Veronica Lodge
Series: Riverdale
Canon Point: Post-1x13
Character Age: 16
Background: Veronica Lodge at the Riverdale Wikia.

Personality: Typically, every aspect of a redemption arc is shown on screen. The person going through the arc does something terrible and, if they have enough of a conscience, they come out the other end realizing that they need to change their ways. Veronica Lodge's arc is nothing like this. Riverdale skips past the climactic point in which she decides to change her ways, instead focusing on everything that comes after that. But it is important to know who Veronica was before: privileged, cruel, and willing to take part in manipulative schemes all to get a rise out of other people. She thought she could do just about anything with zero consequences—and up to a point, she did. That "point" was when her father was arrested for embezzling money, and she had to deal with online criticisms that hurt as much as they did because they weren't untrue. Being on the receiving end of this cruelty—especially since many of the statements were true—led to Veronica deciding that she would turn over a new leaf and become the best version of herself.

Little is known of Veronica before she went through this change of heart, but one thing is certain: she has always been a force of nature. While her bold and bombastic ways may have led to her being a less than pleasant person before, these days it leads her to being a person who likes to enact and bring about change. Veronica has a sense of self-confidence that drives her through a lot of her daily life. She's not without her insecurities—she is deeply uncomfortable about the person she was before—but she has a knack for plunging through life with ease and charisma to tackle any problem that's in front of her. Above all else, Veronica isn't the type of individual who does things with half measures. If she's going to commit to a task, she intends to go all the way with it. Do slut-shaming boys need to be brought to justice? Does someone need some empathy to understand the difficulties they're facing? Is a teacher sleeping with one of her friends, and they have to solve the mystery over why all of this seems off? She's willing to go to any lengths to see things through—with some caveats. If there's a moment where the rationale behind these decisions becomes a little murky, she's ready to call it what it is and isn't willing to skirt around the issue. Veronica is almost always happy to point out the elephant in the corner of the room.

As a result of all this, it's easy to say that Veronica is someone who wears her thoughts, feelings, and beliefs on her sleeve at any given moment. Though she says that she was (and can still be perceived to be) an ice queen, her actual actions come with a profound degree of forcefulness and fire. Veronica is a big fan of the impromptu speech to shut someone down. Her impulses rarely seem to be curbed during these times and many others, and she seems to fly through life accordingly. Sometimes this means that she tries to befriend people who were hurt by her father's actions just to make things right, even if she doesn't consider the consequences of these actions. As a result, she's driven by how she feels on these occasions, and only slows down when she sees how someone else has been hurt by them. If she's hurt, she's quick to do whatever she can to make herself feel better. If she hurts someone else, she's a big fan of bold statements to apologize. Throughout her time in Riverdale, she does temper the impulsiveness of her actions a lot, but she never becomes any less emotionally driven.

Even if Veronica definitely has a bad habit of allowing her bold take on life to blind her to what she should be seeing, many of her actions are driven by a sense of righteousness and a desire to do good by others. She cares about other people's feelings, and is willing to empathize with most others in their time of need. Se has a knack for having one-on-ones with various people in her life to try to help them through a rough patch. She relies on empathy and deep talks to try to understand where someone is coming from, and she's almost always willing to listen. Veronica's not shy about being someone's shoulder to lean on, and is willing to make herself available to do that on more than one occasion. She is a positive force and willing to encourage someone if they need the extra push.

Within the context of the show, all of these traits lead to her actively contrasting with two other characters: Cheryl Blossom and Betty Cooper. Cheryl is a lot like what Veronica was before, which leads to Veronica empathizing with Cheryl, but also having a strained relationship. Since they are both accustomed to getting their way, they tend to butt heads on more than one occasion. Still, Veronica gets Cheryl, which just complicates everything there. There's a degree of mutual respect that's muddled by the fact that they both know that the other is fully capable of hurting them because they know what they are personally capable of at any given moment. The biggest thing is that Veronica seems a bit more grounded than Cheryl … which says a lot, given their equally loud personalities. As for Betty, the two of them start out in contention and in a love triangle with Archie, but they resolve the situation before long. Veronica is the loud and outgoing version who doesn't need to be more tightly wound, and Betty is the exact opposite. She has the pressure of her family on her shoulders, and the belief that she has to be in control at all times. She rarely shows her emotions unless they explode, she keeps everything in, and she's more action-oriented when it comes to handling a situation. Veronica is the opposite: emotions are her wheelhouse, and while she doesn't hesitate to do a thing to solve a problem, she's absolutely way more willing to tap into the emotional angle to see if it leads to a solution. Both Betty and Veronica are doers—but Betty is more emotionally restrained, whereas Veronica is more available in that arena at any given moment. It should be said that Betty is the counterpart to a lot of Veronica's actions, and they are best friends before long.

Veronica's other relationship in the show that's complicated and says a lot about her is her relationship with her parents. Given that Veronica has a change of heart following her father's scandal, it says a lot that she has to come to terms with what it means for her father to have embezzled this money. People were hurt. Veronica begins the show staunch in her belief of her father, but she comes to struggle with this as time goes on. She realizes that her father is not that great of a guy, and worries that her mother might be the same way. At first, Veronica wants to completely disassociate herself from her father to ensure that he's convicted and can never hurt anyone else again. She does like justice and does like to make sure the guilty get what they deserve. Remember that bit about no half measures? But she comes to realize (thanks to her father threatening to involve her mother in his convictions) that her mother could be hurt by this choice, and finds a middle ground to protect her mother as well. Choosing this compromise shows that Veronica is willing to act for the people she cares about, but it's a very difficult choice for someone like her to make.

All in all, Veronica thrives on her charisma, extroversion, and a go-getter attitude. She's someone who definitely shows the airs of a girl who grew up in a wealthy household, and she's never one to leave home without looking her best. She doesn't mind being on stage or the center of attention, and on multiple occasions, she ends up being in this position as if it's quite a natural one for her. But there is a sense that even though she's hard to miss in a room that she wants some stability and happiness, and wants that to be gained through helping others and being cared for herself. After all, she is dating Archie, and their relationship begins with a sense of ensuring that they are both ready and that the people around them are okay with it. Veronica might have a flair for drawing on her dramatic side, but she tries to make things good in the end.

Powers/Abilities:

Singing: Veronica is both a duet partner with Archie, as well as a member of Josie and the Pussycats.

Dancing/Cheerleading: The main takeaway from this is that Veronica is quite fit and in shape, as she's able to take on the more laborious parts of being a cheerleader with ease.

Power Nerfs (if applicable): N/A

Inventory:

• The clothes on her back, complete with a Louis Vouitton purse
• Her cell phone

Incentives: Above all else, Veronica wants the people that she cares about to be safe. The assurance that they will be will be enough for her to abide by whatever is wanted of her, so long as she has complete control over what she's asked to do. Frankly, she comes from a world where this situation is going to be a bit of an existential culture shock, so she'll be happy that she's alive—and given her forward-thinking way of living her life, will be content with her life, as well. Getting what is essentially a second new leaf to turn over will be something that will motivate her, and if she has to find the means to protect herself and her loved ones, she'll seek it out should the moment arise.

Another, shallower incentive, will be to get her wardrobe back. Having some sense of not losing everything will make her feel more at ease with life.

SAMPLES

with Soldier 76 cont.
with Bucky Barnes cont.