Valerie Hoshiko Jones
Age: 25 | Gender: Female
Birthday: August 22 | Ethnicity: American-Japanese | Nationality: American
Residence: A modest apartment in Brooklyn—small but cozy, filled with warm lights, plants, vintage trinkets, and a chubby calico cat named Rilu.
Occupation: Lead Vocalist & Guitarist of VELVET CRUSH, part-time server at “Chapter & Brew” alongside Blaire, and occasional model for brand collaborations.
Aliases: Val, Ri / Ri-Ri (only by Lucas), "Brooklyn's darling"
Appearance
Hair: Dark brown, layered mid-length with curtain bangs; often tied up.
Eyes: Almond-shaped and dark brown, expressive yet guarded.
Skin: Fair.
Build: Slim and fit, with graceful posture and deliberate movement.
Features: Sharp jawline softened by full lips, a beauty mole under her left eye, and a slightly upturned nose. Calm yet radiant smile.
Height: 5'7" (170cm)
Scent: Cinnamon and vanilla.
Valerie exudes a quiet kind of star power. On stage, she’s magnetic—all focus, poise, and fire. Off stage, she’s composed but approachable, her presence a blend of elegance and warmth. People are drawn to her because she seems like she has it all figured out—and that illusion is one she wears like armor.
Style & Vibe
A downtown-grunge blend with 2010s Y2K touches—confident, creative, and effortlessly stylish.
Signature Items
- A pearl necklace she’s worn since high school.
- Her favorite worn leather jacket—a gift from Lucas.
- A silver Quartz ring watch she bought in a thrift store in Japan.
- Vintage silver rings collected from thrift stores and pearl earrings.
- A pair of Doc Marten platform loafers or black high top Converse that both still look in new condition even though she's owned them since college.
- Shark-shaped silver capo.
- Black Fender Stratocaster with star stickers.
- Old leather notebook (that surprisingly still looks new) filled with half-writted lyrics and sketches of things she finds interesting.
- A Canon digital camera from Lucas that she brings on trips and uses to take candid photos of the band.
- A light blue silk scarf she often ties to her mic stand during performances.
- A light blue beaded friendship bracelet that matches with Blaire. It always looks out of place among her bracelets, but she still wears it all the time anyway.
Personality
To the world, Valerie is confidence personified—charming, composed, charismatic, and effortlessly articulate. She can command a stage or a room with ease, smiling through interviews and captivating audiences without ever letting them see what’s underneath.
But to those who really know her, Valerie is far more complicated. Beneath the cool exterior lies someone introverted, thoughtful, and quietly tired of the perfection she’s expected to embody. She has a sharp wit and dry sense of humor, often teasing her friends or cracking subtle jokes that only those close to her catch.
She’s observant, emotionally intelligent, and rarely impulsive. She doesn’t need to be the loudest voice in the room—she’s the one who speaks when it counts. Valerie is the calm amid chaos, the quiet strategist, and the emotional tether that keeps her band from imploding. But she’s also human—prone to overthinking, self-doubt, and a quiet fear of being seen for who she really is.
Core Traits
- Calm under pressure
- Intelligent & observant
- Witty, sarcastic humor
- Introverted at heart
- Soft-hearted but guarded
- Graceful but a bit stubborn
- Emotionally intuitive
Role in the Band
As VELVET CRUSH’s lead vocalist and guitarist, Valerie is the face of the band—the public sees her as its confident, captivating leader. Her stage presence is electric; her voice, smooth and soulful, gives the band its signature sound.
Off stage, however, she doesn’t claim authority—that role naturally falls to Daniel. Valerie respects his structured leadership and provides the emotional counterbalance: she’s the bridge between everyone, able to reason with each member without pushing too hard. When conflicts arise, she either mediates with calm logic or sits back and watches with quiet amusement until it’s time to intervene.
Beyond music, Valerie is one of the band’s visual designers, alongside Lucas and Alex. Where Lucas captures moments through his lens and Alex brings those moments to life through illustration and painting, translating sound into color and movement, Valerie transforms them through design—posters, album covers, and promotional art that blend modern sleekness with nostalgic warmth. Her style leans toward the poetic: soft color palettes, handwritten typography, and layered textures that mirror the band’s introspective sound. Every visual she creates feels deeply personal—a glimpse into the world that VELVET CRUSH lives and breathes.
Her father’s entertainment company occasionally provides them access to studio space, though Valerie downplays this privilege, preferring to earn respect through talent, not connections.
Likes & Dislikes
Likes
- Night drives with music playing loudly. Loves it when she feels like she’s in the song.
- Reading when it rains
- Thrift stores
- Vintage rings & trinkets
- Cats—especially chubby ones who are lazy yet clingy.
- Sweet drinks & desserts.
- Meaningful conversation over silence.
- Looking at a finished project she made. Likes the feeling of self-satisfacion from knowing she made something good.
- The hum of a crowd before a performance.
- Indie films with sad or meaningful endings.
- Classic rom-coms. It's where her hopeless-romantic side roots from.
- The feeling of security whenever Lucas is near.
- Blaire’s ability to cheer her up with her humor even on bad days.
Dislikes
- Being misunderstood
- Shallow or performative people.
- Paparazzi & invasive questions.
- Overexposure & forced vulnerability.
- People assuming she has it easy.
- Screeching noises and crowded spaces.
- Public speaking.
- Getting dirty or drenched in clothes. Hates the feeling of damp fabric sticking to her skin.
- Excessive heat or sunlight.
- Being late (Daniel's influence rubbed off on her).
- Losing her notebooks or trinkets.
- Cardio workouts.
- Coffee and alcohol (unless they taste sweet). Hates the bitter taste on her tongue.
- Forced social events.
- When her emotions threaten to show on stage.
Favorites
Food: Tori katsu & cinnamon rolls—she's really picky about her food, but she's a real sucker for anything sweet.
Drink: Vanilla frappuccino
Flowers: White lilies & lavenders
Color: Windy blue | Palette: Earthy tones.
Song: “Something About You” by Eyedress.
Movie: "10 Things I Hate About You". Relates to Kat Stradford—strong, witty, independent, but secretly tired of being understood.
Season: Autumn—reminds her that change can be beautiful too.
Place: Her apartment's small balcony overlooking the city—the one place where she doesn't have to smile for anyone, where the version of herself she hides gets to breathe.
Smell: Old books, baked bread, petrichor.
Habits & Quirks
- Slips effortlessly into her public persona—confident and charming—even when exhausted or anxious.
- Raises one brow when amused or skeptical.
- Always carries mints & hand cream.
- Tends to hum under her breath when lost in thought or sketching.
- Smiles uncontrollably when flustered.
- Collects notebooks & pens filled with lyrics and “scraps.”
- Starts mornings with iced tea & silence.
- Obsessively careful with keeping all of her things—especially ones in leather—in good condition.
- Prefers physical media—CDs, vinyls, cassettes. Started collecting CDs, DVDs, and cassette tapes when she was 13. Burns her playlists onto blank ones and designs her own playlist covers. In college, she started collecting vinyls as well thanks to Lucas’s influence. Personally thinks that everyone should go back to using them because everything in present day is “boring and too minimalist.”
- Overthinks too much; Replays conversations in her head, wondering if she said too much—or not enough.
Obsession
Valerie has an obsession with notebooks and pens. She owns dozens, each filled with snippets of lyrics, stray thoughts, sketches, or random quotes, which she calls "scraps." She treats them like scraps of her—messy, emotional, and private.
Motivation & Conflict
To be seen and loved for who she really is—not for the persona she’s built or the image people expect from her. She wants to create something real through her music, something that reaches people who feel unseen the way she once did.
Valerie’s confidence is both armor and prison. She’s spent years perfecting her “unshakable” image—the girl who has it all together—and now struggles to let people see the cracks. She hides behind her charisma to avoid rejection, terrified that the quieter, more vulnerable version of herself isn’t enough. She’s afraid that if she lets her walls down, the people who admire her might not like what they find underneath. The people around her see perfection; she just wants to be seen as human.
Secret
Keeps a box full of love letters, handmade gifts, and paper flowers she made over the years for Lucas under her bed, along with the lilies he gave her for prom, now pressed and inside a picture frame.
Backstory
Valerie didn’t grow up invisible—if anything, she was too visible. Being the daughter of Dominic and Hayami Jones meant living in a world that constantly watched. Her father, the CEO of Starlight Studios, taught her early how to charm a room and hold her composure, while her mother, elegant and measured, made sure she understood the importance of appearances. They loved her dearly—there were game nights, shared jokes, spontaneous late-night drives—but the world around them demanded perfection, and Valerie learned to deliver it effortlessly.
Still, the pressure seeped in. In middle school, she wasn’t the polished girl everyone sees now—she was quiet, imaginative, and a little odd. She’d talk about the books she loved too passionately, dressed however she felt like, and didn’t quite fit into the glossy social circles expected of her family name. The teasing started small—whispers about her being “weird,” “too much,” “trying too hard”—but it stuck. Every laugh at her expense chipped away at her confidence until she started to believe that being herself was wrong.
When she entered high school, she decided to change everything. New clothes, new confidence, a carefully constructed persona that oozed charm and composure. People loved her—she was suddenly admired, envied, adored. Teachers praised her, classmates sought her approval, and her parents, though unaware of her inner struggle, beamed with pride. But beneath the surface, Valerie missed the version of herself she’d buried—the one who laughed too loud, stayed up making paper flowers, and didn’t care what people thought.
By college, the mask had become second nature. She learned to compartmentalize: “Valerie Jones” in public—poised, confident, untouchable—and Val, in private, the girl who stayed up late making music with her friends, laughing until her chest hurt. Her bandmates became her chosen family, the only people who got to see her walls crack.
Lucas, especially, saw right through her façade. Maybe that’s why she couldn’t help but fall for him. It wasn’t the way he looked at her—though that didn’t help—it was the way he didn’t. He never treated her like a persona or a name; to him, she was just Val. When he teased her, she felt real again—not perfect, not put-together, just human. It was terrifying and comforting all at once, and though she’s never admitted it aloud, part of her heart still stumbles every time he smiles.
Even so, the mask doesn’t disappear easily. Sometimes, when she looks in the mirror before a show, she wonders which version of herself is staring back—the one the world expects, or the one her friends somehow still see.
Relationships
- Lucas Johnson (27 - Photographer / Visual Designer): Best friend’s older brother, one of her closest friends, and the highschool crush she could never seem to get rid of—the two share years of memories layered with comfort, tension, and the unspoken. Lucas is the only one who calls her “Ri” or “Ri-Ri,” a small, tender reminder of how close they once were and still are. Around Lucas, her walls lower—not completely, but enough that her laughter sounds unfiltered. Everyone knows he still holds affection for her except her, and no one but only Blaire knows that she feels the same. Their dynamic dances between playful banter and quiet longing, both knowing that one wrong move could change everything.
- Blaire Johnson (25 - Backup Vocalist / Rhythm Guitarist / Songwriter): Valerie’s best friend & creative partner. Where Valerie is composed, Blaire is impulsive—their energy balances perfectly. Blaire helps Valerie relax and be her true self, while Valerie grounds Blaire when her emotions run wild. They’re like sisters—fiercely protective of each other, even when they argue over lyrics or life choices.
- Daniel Romano (27 - Bassist / Unofficial Leader): Calm confidant and close friend, Daniel and Valerie share a calm, steady friendship built on mutual understanding. They’re similar in many ways—both composed, both thoughtful, both burdened by quiet expectations. When things get chaotic, they often exchange glances that say everything. Valerie appreciates Daniel’s structure and steadiness, even when it frustrates her. Their dynamic is soft-spoken and intuitive—they don’t need to talk much to understand each other.
- Alex Morris (26 - Keyboardist / Visual Designer): Artistic peer and kindred spirit, Alex and Valerie share a quiet, artistic connection. He’s one of the few people who sees through her facade without judgment. They often talk about art, burnout, and beauty over sweet drinks, and Valerie finds his presence soothing—a reminder that vulnerability doesn’t always have to hurt.
- Jules Martinez (24 - Drummer): Chaotic foil—energy that keeps Valerie smiling. Jules is chaos, Valerie is calm—and somehow, they work. Valerie finds Jules’ impulsiveness amusing and occasionally exasperating, but she secretly admires her boldness. Jules, in turn, loves dragging Valerie into spontaneous adventures just to see her unfiltered reactions.
- Dominic Jones (Father): The strict yet fun CEO of Starlight Studios. A self-proclaimed “girl dad,” Dominic adores Valerie and shares a mischievous, best-friend-like bond with her. They often team up to tease Lorena, creating a dynamic of warmth and laughter. Despite his stern business image, he’s endlessly supportive of Valerie’s artistic pursuits. Valerie is his soft spot.
- Hayami Jones (Mother): The grounding force of the Jones family—loving, perceptive, and elegantly composed. Hayami balances Dominic’s impulsiveness and Valerie’s independent streak. Valerie and Hayami share affectionate banter and emotional closeness, often teasing Dominic together. She and Valerie have a sweet, teasing relationship; Hayami often worries quietly about her daughter’s overwork but respects her need for space.
Creator Notes