BASIC INFORMATION
FULL NAME: auni "sloane" whelan
AGE & DATE OF BIRTH: 27 ; 1 april 1985
BIRTHPLACE: grahamstown, south africa
LOCATION: providence, rhode island
OCCUPATION: asl interpreter, freelance filmmaker, bartender/emcee
SEXUAL PREFERENCE: heterosexual
MARITAL STATUS: single, never married
EDUCATION: BA in film studies via Boston College

BIOGRAPHY
Robert Whelan Jr. was born and raised in New York City to a film producer and his cabaret performer wife, Ira, who had relocated to New york for a shot in the movies. Her one and only on-screen role was given to her by Robert Whelan Sr., and she found out she was pregnant just after shooting wrapped. The couple married the following spring. Robert Jr. was succeeded by twins Elaine and Margaret, just three years later. The Whelan children were well-provided for, but Ira and Robert Sr. definitely didn’t shirk their responsibilities to teach the children right and wrong. Charity involvement and volunteer work started young for the Whelan children and they would all continue to participate unto adulthood. Elaine eventually became a pediatrician, and Margaret, a professor of Liberal Arts. Robert Jr. spent many years studying linguistics and foreign languages to become an interpreter, as well as a philanthropist and humanitarian. He would eventually become fluent in Chinese, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Spanish, and British and American Sign Language. Conversational in multiple other languages. During his doctoral studies, in Britain, Robert Jr. met his wife to be, Leslie Sloan.

Leslie Sloan was born in Mosspark, Glasgow, Scotland, to Creighton and Lara Sloan; a salesman and a school teacher. Leslie was their final child and only daughter. Her older brothers are three and five years her senior. Craig, the eldest, became a mechanic; Kenneth became a lawyer. Leslie had a tough time sorting through her options before finally deciding to do what it took to become a traveling nurse. She was still in medical school when she first met Robert Whelan, and the two dated for the next two years before deciding to marry and pursue their dreams of travel and humanitarianism together. The two weren't planning to have children until they felt they were ready to give up their travels for a substantial amount of time, but that was before their stay in South Africa; before they met Sloane.

Auni Sloane Whelan was born April 1, 1985 in Grahamstown, South Africa. Her first name, Auni, means to help or assist, in Swahili. It was given to her by her biological mother in honor of her best friend, who also served as her doula. Sloane's conception was the result of a one-night stand and her mother had absolutely no real ability to provide for a child, but she tried her best throughout the first few month's of the little girl's life. Tragically, she died in an automobile accident just before Sloane turned three months old. Sloane was fostered by her mother's best friend for about eight months, until a foreign couple met her and her namesake. The Whelan's automatically fell in love with the vibrant toddler and went through the strenuous adoption process; which included living in South Africa with Sloane for a certain amount of months, so that the government could determine that they were adequate parents. It also helped that they had certain connections and were well-established as humanitarians. The Whelan's finally got to bring Sloane home, to America, about a year later, and she was able to celebrate her second birthday in upstate New York, where the couple decided to settle for the time-being.

Sloane was a very low-maintenance child and as loving as could be. She handled travel very well, and by the time she could speak clearly, the family uprooted again to travel the world. Over the next few years, they lived in China, India for a short time, and even Haiti where they helped rebuild a community that had been ravaged by natural disaster. By the time the family really settled down in the United States again, there were a total of five children, each one as bright and hopeful as the next. The two boys adopted during their stay in Haiti were twins Josue and Nicolas. Nicolas had been deafened as an infant and thus, Leslie and Robert raised all of the children to speak ASL as well as English and some of their respective native tongues. The lot of them settled into a large home in the suburbs of Providence, Rhode Island where they all grew up with great educational opportunities as well as a distinct work and volunteer ethic.

Sloane graduated and moved on to further her interests in film and theatre by attending Boston College, where she earned a bachelors degree in film studies. She moved to New York City with her brothers for a while, following graduation, to pursue film-making with their grandfather's company, but eventually came back to Providence to work on a project and spend time with their parents. Upon completion of the project, Nic and Josue were given an opportunity across the country in Los Angeles and had to move, leaving Sloane find a place to live. Fortunately, she'd met Anson Riehle when contracted out as a translator for a support group. He offered her one of the rooms in his house, and after brief hesitation, she accepted and moved in. Sloane continues to work as an interpreter, but also works as a freelancer for Machines with Magnets. She also still makes time on the weekends to tend bar and emcee at her grandmother's pub/lounge in Providence, called Ira's. She's fairly content with her life right now, just trying to figure out what her real goals are so that she can feel like she's going in a specific direction. Sloane wants to settle down with someone and have a family someday, but only when she meets the right person. She doesn't put much emphasis on romance or dating and takes every day as it comes, with as much grace and humility as she can.


TIDBITS
Auni Sloane Whelan. Sounds like “Ah-oo-nee”. Goes by “Sloane”. Born in Grahamstown, South Africa, April 1, 1985. Adopted in 1987, by Robert and Leslie Whelan.

Has four adopted siblings. One brother from India [Devesh]; a sister from China; and twin brothers from Haiti [Josue and Nicolas].

Speaks fluent French, English, ASL; conversational Afrikaans, Hindi and Chinese.

The whole family was taught Sign Language after adopting the twins, Josue and Nicolas, from Haiti. Nicolas was deafened by a sickness when he was an infant.

Works as a freelance ASL interpreter a most days of the week. Most Friday and Saturday nights, she works as emcee and performer in her grandmother’s Cabaret/Lounge “Ira’s”. She also can sometimes be found working on movies with her grandfather and/or brother.

Has been involved in dancing, singing, and acting nearly all of her life.

Has an extreme fascination with silent films, as well as the actors that took part in them. Namely Lon Chaney, Lillian Gish, Gypsy Abbott, Charlie Chaplin, Buster Keaton, et cetera.

Wears pendants of the patron saints of music and theatre on a dainty chain around her neck nearly every day.

Owns a pure white, Persian cat named Dinah; after the Jazz singer Dinah Washington, as well as Alice's cat from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

Maintains a fascination with human behavior and psychoanalysis. Thoroughly enjoys observing the different means through which humans communicate.

Has an odd obsession with hands: doing things with her hands, the way that hands can speak about a person just as eyes can. She often looks at a person's hands when in the process of determining her level of attraction towards them.

Is a closeted francophile and dreams of retiring in the french countryside. Thanks to this obsession, her favorite new film is Midnight in Paris.

Has "ngi ne themba" tattoo on the inside of her upper right arm. The phrase is Zulu for "I have hope".


STORYLINES


OUT OF CHARACTER
PREEFERENCES: third person | cst
CONTACT: ooc post via ~aswhelan
PLAYED BY: li zachrisson
LAYOUT: credit goes to ~caboosey