[ application | paradisa ]

[fourtythird]

PERSONAL
NAME: Kerry
PERSONAL JOURNAL: justsay_goodbye
EMAIL: fontcroire @ gmail.com
AIM: fontcroire
WIKI NAME: Fontcroire
CURRENT CHARACTERS: Christina McKinney ( arealwoman ), Helen Magnus ( longaevus ), Kitty Pryde ( walkinthruwalls ) & River Tam ( withmymind )

CHARACTER
CHARACTER NAME: Laura Roslin
SERIES: Battlestar Galactica ( 2004 )
CANON POINT: 412 A Disquiet Follows My Soul
LOSS: The memories of her visions. Whilst taking the drug chamalla, a psychoactive drug, Laura began seeing visions, hallucinations caused by a side-effect of the drug. Laura's visions are seen as a confirmation of a prophehcy, Pythia, and she is seen as the figure in them. Laura's visions lead the fleet to Kobol where they find a projection showing them the path to Earth - as the prophecy predicted. Although Laura will remember that she had visions she will not remember what she saw.

ABOUT THE CHARACTER:

❝ i swear it! i'm coming for all of you! ❞

Laura is a mentally and emotionally strong woman, not afraid to speak her mind or stand up for what she believes in. When the attack on the Colonies begins Laura has just received the news that she is dying from terminal breast cancer, something that emotionally shakes her both for her personal trauma as well as what has just happened. Despite this Laura manages to quickly pull herself together, pushing her own feelings aside and composes herself in order to do what she has to do.

Laura's strength is something that remains a constant even with her failing health. Where another may let their illness 'beat them' and wish to give up Laura refuses to do so, wishing to do everything that she can with the time that she has left. Laura is essentiall a fighter and initially in her role as President frequently manages to butt heads with Adama, their strong personalities and beliefs clashing over decisions. As the President Laura has often had to make hard decisions, choices that occasionally also go against her beliefs but one that she has had to do for a bigger goal - for the survival of the human race. Even after Laura's cancer returns she doesn't simply give up. Although she abandons her beliefs in the Pythian prophecy and steps away from her role as President this is not due to her illness but to do with the discovery of Earth and her disappointment in what they found. Although Laura refuses her doloxan treatment she still doesn't sit down, instead spends her time running through Galactica's halls - she still wishes to live, choosing exercise as one of the methods and doing it rather than her job. She may have stopped her treatment but she still plans on living, telling Adama that he should also 'live a little'.

Even in Laura's final moments when her illness becomes too great for her to continue through, keeping her confined to sickbay as her health continues to deteriorate, Laura still refuses to give up. After hearing about Adama's plan to destroy the Cylon Colony in order to rescue Hera Laura wishes to be a part of it. Her mental strength wins out against the objections of others and with a cocktail of drugs Roslin's physical strength grants her 'normal functioning' for 48 hours, allowing her to volunteer for the rescue mission. Although she knows that taking the drugs will shorten her remaining life and that the mission is dangers it is something that she strongly believes in, and as President she wishes to present a strong face, especially in the final moments, and does so alongside Adama presenting a united front of the fleets leaders.

❝ i am here because i want to tell you face to face that i believe in this mission ❞

Laura is not afraid to stand up for what she believes in regardless of the impression that it reflects back onto herself. When Laura begins having hallucinations (that she calls visions) due to the side effect of a drug she is taking (chamalla) Laura consults with Elosha and discovers an ancient prophecy, one that depicts the visions that Laura describes. Elosha is originally skeptical of this although when she hears that Laura is dying she insists that Laura is the 'dying leader' that has been written about. Through Laura's continuing visions this is something that Laura comes to accept, even taking on the role to reach out to the public in hopes of them following her back to Kobol in search of the way to Earth. Although Laura doesn't agree with the reaction that she receives as this leader it doesn't shake her faith in the prophecies nor her visions, and after finding the Tomb of Athena and locating a point that will help them find Earth her belief is stronger still.

When re-elections began and the debates followed (between Laura and Gaius Baltar) Laura was quickly ahead in the polls through experience and her knowledge of how to talk to the press and express herself, something that Baltar wasn't good at. When a new opportunity came up to settle on a planet that became known as 'New Caprica' Laura faced a tough decision between supporting settlement in favour of helping her in the election versus her beliefs that settling will jeopardise the future of the human race. Laura ended up supporting her beliefs over becoming reelected, staying true to them instead.

After later finding Earth Laura's beliefs are shook and she begins questionning not only her role as 'the dying leader' but also her role as President. Due to what they discovered on Earth, as well as her illness, Laura rejects all of her responsibilities, wishing to simply enjoy her time as herself - Laura Roslin, just a woman. After Adama finds her he confirms her statement, telling her that she has earned that, although he still tries to convince her to do her duty, believing that without her there things will go wrong. Despite her beliefs being shaken the prophecies are something that she has believed in for years, and although she is now rejecting them they have been an important part of her.

❝ i'm afraid this can only end one way... you've got to kill her ❞

Laura's strength, and in particular her strength in her believes, make Laura a tough opponent. When speaking Laura does so in a 'straight' manner, stating what she means with conviction behind her words. When faced with a challenge Laura doesn't allow it to get in her way, using her diplomacy and words to try and find a compromise around it, although Laura still tries to find a way to sway it to her side. Having a no-nonsense attitude allows Laura to be efficient in her work, helping her to think directly and practically. Even when decisions that Laura has made have gone against her beliefs, or gone against things that she would like, Laura has known that practically, especially for the good of the fleet, that she needs to make these decisions.

❝ if they're guilty they'll be tried by a jury of their peers ❞

Laura is a good women, dedicated to doing her best to help the fleet in their goals. As President Laura looks out for the rights and well-being of the civilians as per her jurisdiction and works alongside Adama in order to protect everyone in the fleet. Despite having gone against Adama's wishes in the past, causing conflicts between them any action that Laura has taken has been in hopes of helping the fleet, and helping them find Earth - a safe place for them to set up home. Occasionally Laura's actions have been a little misguided, for example rigging the Presidential election, but Laura doesn't take these actions easily and does so with good reason - all to protect the well-being of the fleet.

❝ maybe we're both frauds and this is our last chance to atone ❞

As well as being a good person Laura is also gentle, kind in her approach to others and a pleasant individual to speak with. Although she is kind this doesn't take away from her strength - Laura speaks with confidence but does so in a way that helps to reassure others when they are uncertain. This helps not only in her role as President but also when helping others in tough situations. Her kindness helps to calm others from their fears and her gentle and reassuring tone helping them to draw strength despite uncertainty. All that Laura does is in the hopes of helping others the best that she can.

❝ there are pragmatic realities he refuses to face ❞

Laura is a wise individual, having experience not only in life but in troubling situations. Although Laura had little experience in politics when she accepted the position of President, having only recently joined President Adar's campaign, Laura uses her experience and knowledge from not only being a schoolteacher (helping her in being able to discuss, negotiate and use her words to her advantage) but also from her time of working with President Adar. Although many of the situations that Laura faces are outside of her past experience she manages to use her knowledge, wish to help and skills to apply what she knows and any information that is available to the situation, regardless of how different it is.

❝ what could possibly motivate us to trust you now? what have you got? ❞

Laura's training, experience and mental strength help her to be a confident individual. Even in the face of fear and danger Laura manages to find the strength and will to retain this confidence, although part of that confidence is a face - a strong front to help reassure others and to help them find their own strengths. Laura also has confidence in her decisions, not only from herself but also the confidence of others - to be able to effectively do her job Laura needs to be able to trust that the decisions that she makes are the right ones, something that she has had assistance with not only through her past decisions but also from those around her - particularly Adama. With confidence in not only herself but her beliefs Laura uses that to inspire others, particularly with the hope of finding Earth. When there originally seemed to be little hope, just the word of Adama Laura took a risk, putting her confidence in that decision that it would turn out right - a risk that did pay off. By travelling to Kobol Laura entered the Tomb of Athena, managing to locate a stellar phenomenon that would lead them on the path to Earth - a path that they followed and a planet that they found.

❝ oh, don't worry, i won't be kissing you today ❞

Despite coming to her role as President of the Twelve Colonies from being the Secretary of Education Laura grew to her role, learning how to be a President as well as adapting her own beliefs where need be. Whilst working with Adama Laura has had to learn military protocol and they have both had to learn how to integrate the military workings of the fleet along with the cilivian workings. Despite there being many conflicts between the two, especially where their beliefs lie, they have managed to work together well, finding compromises where necessary. Adama himself has also remarked that she's "come a long way" since her original transition to President.

Managing between military and civilian calls hasn't been Laura's only troubles, nor her only time where she's needed to be diplomatic. As President Laura has had to handle many situations, especially where calls regarding her own judgement have been challenged. As soon as Laura took on the job of President many have challenged her authority due to the fact that she wasn't elected. Despite refusing to negotiate with a terrorist, a man by the name of Tom Zarek, Laura learns that she has been promised to hold presidential elections at the end of her term, and given that she reminded that she is actually serving out the remainder of President Adar's term Laura agrees. Her first act following this is reconstituting the Quorum of Twelve. When meeting again with Tom Zarek, after he became elected the delegate for Sagittaron, the press questioned whether Laura would shake the hand of him or if she would snub him due to her known dislike of him. Despite her feelings? Laura shook his hand, greeting him politely. At a summit discussing issues and ways to move forward within the fleet Laura is questioned over the fact that she never nominated a Vice President. Although the issue is raised by a man that Laura does not like she treats it as she would if anyone else had said it, with respect and allows the motion to progress.

ABILITIES: Laura is an average human being with no supernatural or above average abilities. She is strong - mentally and intellectually - and has wise sensibilities.

THIRD-PERSON WRITING SAMPLE: It hadn't been simple, none of it ever had. From becoming President to this day it hadn't been easy. There'd been so many twists, so many things that they hadn't been able to predict - they'd not predicted how it would start, how it would lead and some times Laura could barely remember how they'd gotten there. It had been a long road, a long few years but Laura was glad of where they'd come. There had been times where she'd thought of giving up but her hope had kept her strong, as well as the hope of everyone in the fleet.

Earth. It was their goal. They'd been searching for years, searching for a place to call home. And they'd found it. Except it didn't really give off that home feeling, lacking in the expectations that Laura had had of it. Earth had been such a dream, somewhere to grasp onto and they'd found it. And their hope - her hope had been crushed.

That morning Laura hadn't wanted to get up, wondering what she had left to hope for. Her hope was gone and her belief in the prophecies, her belief in what had lead them to Earth was gone with it. It made her doubt herself, doubt everything that she thought that she'd known. And that made her doubt herself. How could she be a leader if she couldn't believe, if she didn't have anything to believe in?

At that moment she knew that she couldn't. What use would she be?

None. That was her answer, her 'belief' (if she could call it that). And she felt stuck. They'd been lost for years but they'd always had an idea of what to do, where they were going. Now that they were there was when Laura actually felt lost and the feeling behind it all was so frustrating. She was frustrated, with the situation and mostly with herself. And now she wondered where to go from here, what her next move would be.

She needed help, and she didn't know how to admit it.

FIRST-PERSON JOURNAL SAMPLE: [ There's a small clearing of her throat before Laura speaks. She's had the journal explained and now? Now she's making herself known ]

Good afternoon. I've been told that who I am has no bearing here but I'd like to make it known anyway, just in case there are any problems. My name is Laura Roslin, President of the Twelve Colonies of Kobol. I arrived to this castle just a few days ago and although an explanation for how this happened has been given I would be interested in hearing alternate theories. I'm not a scientist, and although I do believe in other things there are limits to that. Even if you do believe the explanation I'd like to ask that you humour me, just for this.

Thank you.

INTENT: Laura is smart, sensible and from a different world and time. The way she handles her job, especially without preparation for it or knowledge of many aspects in it, and the strength that she shows despite her illness and the situation that she is in is one reason why I love her. I apped her with mutual enabling to and from Knight (for Bill Adama) and it'd be nice to see where everything that has happened and how they are works here. Ultimately? I can see Laura being interested in the different worlds, especially those where people reside on Earth and maybe go back to light teaching if anyone wanted it.