Meet the Hero, Part 1

Character's Full Name:  Victor Eugene LaCour

Reason or meaning of name: Victor (Latin—winner, conqueror); Eugene (Greek—well born); LaCour (French: topographic or occupational name for someone who lived at or was employed at a manorial court)

Nickname: Vic

Reason for Nickname: Shortened version of his given name, his friends decided to start calling him this.

Birthdate:  April 11, 1902

Astrological Sign:  Aries - The ram is the symbol, Mars is the ruling planet and the element is fire. An Arian is creative, adaptive and strong-willed. People belonging to this zodiac sign are ambitious and are go-getters. They are enthusiastic and passionate about their life. Aries being a fire sign, the Arians are stubborn and hot-tempered. They have a good sense of humor and could get along with the any type of crowd. One of the major drawbacks of an Arian is he is very secretive about his feelings for others. You can trust an Arian.

PHYSICAL APPEARANCE:

Age: 24     How old does s/he appear? 22-25

Eye Color: dark brown      Glasses or contacts: N/A

Weight: 175 lbs     Height: 5’10”

A bit of background information on Victor - he is the youngest of two boys. His mother died when he was 5 years old.  He doesn't remember her but his older brother, Franklin, does and tells him stories of her.  Franklin is 4 years older and kind of the 'black sheep'.  Victor is a law student at Tulane University.  His father is a prominent judge in the city of New Orleans and works closely with the city leaders, who also happen to be tied closely with organized crime, bootlegging, and prostitution.  Victor is a bit naive of his father's involvement and his father likes it that way - he's not proud of who he has become.  He pushes Victor to become a better man than he is, but along the way has ignored the fact that Victor's heart isn't really in law.  His passion is architecture.  He can be found on any given day in the French Quarter, sketching the intricate molding of a building or the flowing scroll of an iron railing on a balcony.  With his older brother running with the gangsters, Victor has taken it upon himself to be the glue that holds his little family together.  He endures his studies to please his father and is constantly bailing his brother out of sticky situations.

So, this is the beginnings of the hero for my romance.  He is, by no means, a complete character at this point.  His age and interest in architechture are about the only things written in stone.  His family history, as well, is pretty set.  Mother most likely committed suicide once her husband got trapped doing the bidding of the mobsters - life pretty much went downhill from there for her.  Victor isn't aware of her true demise, but Franklin is, which is probably why he has turned out to be such a wild card.  I think Frank will tell him, which is what starts his separation from the tight-knit bosom of his family into the wider world to seek comfort.  Which is how he will meet our heroine, Lillian Warren, a singer in the jazz circuit in the disreputible parts of the city.

I've spent most of today researching fashion of the 1920s.  The women had become rather daring and you'll find a lot of nude or semi-nude photos out there from this time period.  It was all rather scandalous!  The '20s are a fascinating time to me, for some reason.  I'm just drawn to that era.  This ends our trip into my newest adventure for now.  Until next time...