Rosalind Lutece (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
originallutece) wrote2016-10-28 03:42 am
originallutece) wrote2016-10-28 03:42 am
Entry tags:
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PLAYER
Name: Kit
Age: 24
E-mail: disconewsie@gmail.com
AIM/etc:![[plurk.com profile]](https://plurk.com/favicon.ico)
kitnkat
CHARACTER
Name: Rosalind Lutece
Canon: Bioshock: Infinite
Age: 38 (thereabouts)
Timeline: After the end of the main game
Items with character at canon point: Nothing save her clothing.
If playing another character from the same canon, how will you deal with this?: N/A
Personality: First: an explanation on Rosalind and her twin brother, Robert. Rosalind Lutece, in her early years, focused her studies on how atoms behaved in gravity. She discovered she could infinitely suspend one in midair-- a feat that could, theoretically, be extended larger and larger, until she could arrange for an entire group of atoms to be suspended. Rather than fall immediately to the ground, an apple could be suspended indefinitely in midair. Or, you know. A city. Whichever!
She wasn't the only person studying such a phenomenon. As she experimented with her atoms, she discovered someone else had discovered how to suspend them midair-- herself, from another universe. A male version of herself named Robert. Both Rosalind and Robert were delighted by this discovery and immediately set on trying to get to one another. Using their shared atom as a crude morse code, Rosalind and Robert spoke, each of them pouring all their efforts into being able to open a door between the universes. They eventually succeeded, and Rosalind brought Robert over to her world, claiming he was her twin brother. I explain this because much of the nuances of Rosalind's personality comes comparing her to Robert-- someone like her, and yet not.
At first glance, Rosalind comes off nothing more than aloof and cold. She speaks stiffly and arrogantly to the player, saying things she knows he won't understanding, guiding him in as cryptic and unclear way as possible, and taking clear cold amusement at his confusion. Her voice is clipped and her entire countenance suggests that she'd rather not be here at all, thanks. Through nickelodeons and journal entries found throughout the game, we can see that most of the city of Columbia regardes Rosalind much the same way. Their resident scientist is a genius, no doubt, but she has no charisma, no smiles, no laughter or teasing jokes. She stands in sharp contrast with the city's other inventor, Jeremiah Fink, who presents each invention with a song and dance. She doesn't bother with any of that; she simply makes others aware of her inventions and retreats back into her own world, offering few explanations.
This isn't an inaccurate picture of Rosalind. Calm, analytical, and coldly indifferent to others, Rosalind is only concerned with two things in life: her scientific work and her "brother", Robert.
But a peek into her childhood and personal journal entries reveals a softer side. Shunned by her family and society because of her decidedly unfeminine choice of career, Rosalind retreated back into her own world. Science was firm and compliant, a steady fallback-- an atom was an atom no matter what you did, after all, and it was far more reliable than people. Much of her coldness and decided apathy towards people comes from here-- after years of distancing herself from people and forcing herself to be the picture of emotional control, after years of being mocked and considered strange for not becoming a housewife and mother, Rosalind finds it difficult to care about anyone but herself. She wears her cold arrogance like a shield and refuses to give an inch no matter what, because an inch could become a mile so easily. We see this as she stands in contrast with Robert. In one scene, observed from a distance, we see Rosalind and Robert passing the time idly: Robert by juggling, while Rosalind stands stiffly apart, staring in clear disapproval. In her world, such emotional indulgence could not be allowed, but Robert had never had to develop such defenses.
Morally, she could be classified as chaotic neutral: she really is only in it for herself. She doesn't mind working for a delusionally religious politician who routinely swindled both his flock and members of Congress; he funds her research gladly, and that's all that matters. She's self-aware enough to realize her own fault when his lies and sins get out of hand ("I sit in judgment -- but then again, it was I who built the stage"), but doesn't particularly care one way or another. So what if her meddling with time and space lead to the death of thousands? She's with her brother, and that's all that matters. The only reason she even bothers to try and fix things at all is because Robert issues her an ultimatum: help or he'll leave her forever. It's only out of selfishness that she agrees.
That being said, she does care for some people-- or, well, one in particular: Robert gets her utmost devotion and love. Rosalind is revealed to have spent ages caring for the man, even when he was feebleminded and near death. Despite the fact he was no longer of use to her as a scientific mind, she loves him, and stays by his side, quite literally giving him her own blood to keep him alive ("You have been transfused, brother, into a new reality, but your body rejects the cognitive dissonance through confusion and hemorrhage. But we are together, and I will mend you. For what separates us now, but a single chromosome?"). It's with Robert we get most of Rosalind's other personality traits: we see she's quick to anger, especially when she loses (whether in petty games or more serious matters); we see she can be quite sarcastic and glib, toying with language and making wry little remarks both to herself and Robert; we see see she's also desperately, incredibly lonely-- enough that she's willing to attempt (what she sees as) a practice in futility again and again, simply for the chance to stay by Robert's side ("Where he sees an empty page, I see King Lear. But he is my brother, so I shall play my part, knowing it shall all end in tears").
That's another thing-- Rosalind is repeatedly presented as one half of a duo, paired with her "brother", Robert. While Robert is the optimist, Rosalind is the realist; where he sees potential, she sees only inevitable failure. They're foils to each other again and again, and it paints Rosalind in the darker light: she's been disillusioned since early on in life, and has it ingrained in her that most things end badly.
Background: This is a link to her history on the Bioshock wiki!
Abilities: In canon, she is both dead and alive thanks to sabotage in one of her experiments. As a result, she is given the ability to "teleport", so to speak, between times, places and universes. I'd like this ability to be negated, as it's entirely game-breaking. For all intents and purposes, she'll be human.
Network/Actionspam Sample: On the tdm!
Prose Log Sample:
Hours after her row with Robert, Rosalind sat at their desk. Slender fingers tapped against the wood, her blue eyes focusing on nothing at all as she tried to think. Emotions-- rage, betrayal, sorrow, confusion-- roared in her, they all of them clamoring for attention, but she ignored them. Emotions had no place here. She had a decision to make, and that required cold logic.
Either we return the girl or I leave you, Rosalind. An ultimatum, given so coldly and clearly she knew her brother meant it. Ten words, and yet Rosalind could read an entire essay beneath it. We act like idiotic heroes, Rosalind, because I can't bear the nonsensical guilt. We devote ourselves to a pointless exercise, Rosalind, or I end the best thing that's ever happened to both of us. We try and fail to make amends for a deed that wasn't even our fault, Rosalind, or I punish you for someone else's sins.
She stood. The choice was obvious. She could not stand to live a moment without Robert, so that was the end of it. She would help him return the girl. It would do nothing, and events would spin into motion no matter what they did, because this was a pointless exercise. They would throw away hours and days and years on this fruitless exercise. But she loved him. She needed him just as she needed her heart or lungs. So she would do this, because there was really no choice at all.
Name: Kit
Age: 24
E-mail: disconewsie@gmail.com
AIM/etc:
CHARACTER
Name: Rosalind Lutece
Canon: Bioshock: Infinite
Age: 38 (thereabouts)
Timeline: After the end of the main game
Items with character at canon point: Nothing save her clothing.
If playing another character from the same canon, how will you deal with this?: N/A
Personality: First: an explanation on Rosalind and her twin brother, Robert. Rosalind Lutece, in her early years, focused her studies on how atoms behaved in gravity. She discovered she could infinitely suspend one in midair-- a feat that could, theoretically, be extended larger and larger, until she could arrange for an entire group of atoms to be suspended. Rather than fall immediately to the ground, an apple could be suspended indefinitely in midair. Or, you know. A city. Whichever!
She wasn't the only person studying such a phenomenon. As she experimented with her atoms, she discovered someone else had discovered how to suspend them midair-- herself, from another universe. A male version of herself named Robert. Both Rosalind and Robert were delighted by this discovery and immediately set on trying to get to one another. Using their shared atom as a crude morse code, Rosalind and Robert spoke, each of them pouring all their efforts into being able to open a door between the universes. They eventually succeeded, and Rosalind brought Robert over to her world, claiming he was her twin brother. I explain this because much of the nuances of Rosalind's personality comes comparing her to Robert-- someone like her, and yet not.
At first glance, Rosalind comes off nothing more than aloof and cold. She speaks stiffly and arrogantly to the player, saying things she knows he won't understanding, guiding him in as cryptic and unclear way as possible, and taking clear cold amusement at his confusion. Her voice is clipped and her entire countenance suggests that she'd rather not be here at all, thanks. Through nickelodeons and journal entries found throughout the game, we can see that most of the city of Columbia regardes Rosalind much the same way. Their resident scientist is a genius, no doubt, but she has no charisma, no smiles, no laughter or teasing jokes. She stands in sharp contrast with the city's other inventor, Jeremiah Fink, who presents each invention with a song and dance. She doesn't bother with any of that; she simply makes others aware of her inventions and retreats back into her own world, offering few explanations.
This isn't an inaccurate picture of Rosalind. Calm, analytical, and coldly indifferent to others, Rosalind is only concerned with two things in life: her scientific work and her "brother", Robert.
But a peek into her childhood and personal journal entries reveals a softer side. Shunned by her family and society because of her decidedly unfeminine choice of career, Rosalind retreated back into her own world. Science was firm and compliant, a steady fallback-- an atom was an atom no matter what you did, after all, and it was far more reliable than people. Much of her coldness and decided apathy towards people comes from here-- after years of distancing herself from people and forcing herself to be the picture of emotional control, after years of being mocked and considered strange for not becoming a housewife and mother, Rosalind finds it difficult to care about anyone but herself. She wears her cold arrogance like a shield and refuses to give an inch no matter what, because an inch could become a mile so easily. We see this as she stands in contrast with Robert. In one scene, observed from a distance, we see Rosalind and Robert passing the time idly: Robert by juggling, while Rosalind stands stiffly apart, staring in clear disapproval. In her world, such emotional indulgence could not be allowed, but Robert had never had to develop such defenses.
Morally, she could be classified as chaotic neutral: she really is only in it for herself. She doesn't mind working for a delusionally religious politician who routinely swindled both his flock and members of Congress; he funds her research gladly, and that's all that matters. She's self-aware enough to realize her own fault when his lies and sins get out of hand ("I sit in judgment -- but then again, it was I who built the stage"), but doesn't particularly care one way or another. So what if her meddling with time and space lead to the death of thousands? She's with her brother, and that's all that matters. The only reason she even bothers to try and fix things at all is because Robert issues her an ultimatum: help or he'll leave her forever. It's only out of selfishness that she agrees.
That being said, she does care for some people-- or, well, one in particular: Robert gets her utmost devotion and love. Rosalind is revealed to have spent ages caring for the man, even when he was feebleminded and near death. Despite the fact he was no longer of use to her as a scientific mind, she loves him, and stays by his side, quite literally giving him her own blood to keep him alive ("You have been transfused, brother, into a new reality, but your body rejects the cognitive dissonance through confusion and hemorrhage. But we are together, and I will mend you. For what separates us now, but a single chromosome?"). It's with Robert we get most of Rosalind's other personality traits: we see she's quick to anger, especially when she loses (whether in petty games or more serious matters); we see she can be quite sarcastic and glib, toying with language and making wry little remarks both to herself and Robert; we see see she's also desperately, incredibly lonely-- enough that she's willing to attempt (what she sees as) a practice in futility again and again, simply for the chance to stay by Robert's side ("Where he sees an empty page, I see King Lear. But he is my brother, so I shall play my part, knowing it shall all end in tears").
That's another thing-- Rosalind is repeatedly presented as one half of a duo, paired with her "brother", Robert. While Robert is the optimist, Rosalind is the realist; where he sees potential, she sees only inevitable failure. They're foils to each other again and again, and it paints Rosalind in the darker light: she's been disillusioned since early on in life, and has it ingrained in her that most things end badly.
Background: This is a link to her history on the Bioshock wiki!
Abilities: In canon, she is both dead and alive thanks to sabotage in one of her experiments. As a result, she is given the ability to "teleport", so to speak, between times, places and universes. I'd like this ability to be negated, as it's entirely game-breaking. For all intents and purposes, she'll be human.
Network/Actionspam Sample: On the tdm!
Prose Log Sample:
Hours after her row with Robert, Rosalind sat at their desk. Slender fingers tapped against the wood, her blue eyes focusing on nothing at all as she tried to think. Emotions-- rage, betrayal, sorrow, confusion-- roared in her, they all of them clamoring for attention, but she ignored them. Emotions had no place here. She had a decision to make, and that required cold logic.
Either we return the girl or I leave you, Rosalind. An ultimatum, given so coldly and clearly she knew her brother meant it. Ten words, and yet Rosalind could read an entire essay beneath it. We act like idiotic heroes, Rosalind, because I can't bear the nonsensical guilt. We devote ourselves to a pointless exercise, Rosalind, or I end the best thing that's ever happened to both of us. We try and fail to make amends for a deed that wasn't even our fault, Rosalind, or I punish you for someone else's sins.
She stood. The choice was obvious. She could not stand to live a moment without Robert, so that was the end of it. She would help him return the girl. It would do nothing, and events would spin into motion no matter what they did, because this was a pointless exercise. They would throw away hours and days and years on this fruitless exercise. But she loved him. She needed him just as she needed her heart or lungs. So she would do this, because there was really no choice at all.