Application: Undergrounds

[cabins]

Player information
Name: Shea
Contact: [Bad username or site: sheakespeare @ “plurk.com”]
Are you 18 or over? Yes
Other characters played: Nancy, Evie

Character information
Name: Laura Roslin
Age: 54
Date of Birth: April 28
Canon: Battlestar Galactica
Species: Werewolf, former witch
Role: East End Pack, Teaches at a local elementary school.
Rank: Level 1, beta
Background: Laura Roslin was raised in Ithaca, New York, having moved from Pennsylvania when she was 7, following the death of her mother. She lived a comfortable middle-class life. She also happened to be a witch. Her father enrolled her, and her two sisters, in one of the local magic schools in Ithaca, where, after graduating from grad school, she eventually became a teacher.

She was content in this life, and so when she was asked by a friend of hers, Richard Adar, to be the Secretary of Magic Education, if he won the presidency, she turned him down. However, when her father and two sisters were killed in a car crash together soon after, she knew she needed a change. So she took the offer.

Seven years later, Laura Roslin is not only SME, she’s having an affair with the President. Adar was known for his hard tactics and dislike for unions, so when the teacher’s union went on strike, he sent Laura to deal with it in as peaceful a manner as possible. But he made a mistake and underestimated her; he assumed that she would fail to diffuse the strike, and called for her resignation because he wanted to be able to use force against the strikers. This move terminated their relationship, especially when she succeeded in her task of settling the protests quietly, though Laura refused to resign.

During a late night jog just a few days later, Laura was attacked by what turned out to be a werewolf. She was cursed.

One night while walking to her car, a man grabbed her from behind and pulled her into an alley. He held a knife to her stomach and demanded her money and car keys. Summoning up what would be the last magic Laura ever used, she managed to throw the attacker off of her, straight across the alleyway into the brick wall. Head first.

When he didn’t get up, Laura called the police and stayed with the body. The police took her statement, and the cause of death was ruled an accident. It was cold out, he'd slipped. He’d fallen and died. And Laura had activated her curse.

Between accidental manslaughter, fighting for her job, and becoming a werewolf, Laura hardly had time to realize exactly what activating her curse meant for her magic. Try as she might, she was unable to do even as simple spell. Heartbroken, Laura realized she couldn’t remain in DC, couldn’t remain in politics when suddenly her entire being had changed. She couldn’t speak for witches anymore when she wasn’t one of them. With this realization, she took a teaching position in London, and turned in her resignation to Adar.

In London, she hoped to get a completely new start. New powers, new country, New Laura.


Personality: Growing up, Laura was firmly situated in the upper-middle class. But Laura always lived a simple life. Her family raised her to stick to her roots, and not give in to the fanciful life they could lead. Keeping this in mind, Laura grew up to become a school teacher, which never really allowed her to have any sort of extravagant lifestyle. Which suited her just fine.

She values books and education and experiences over material possessions. Her home has always been small, and her humble salary afforded her everything she needed. Laura never wanted to get into politics, but it was her loyalty to a friend, in addition to seeking a change in the face of catastrophe that caused her to accept his offer. She was content to be the SME, and never had aspirations of running for office. For her, her goal wasn’t ever fame or money, it was taking care of and, educating the next generation. Classrooms are where lives are changed, and she’d always believed that. Being able to implement those changes on a nationwide scale grabbed her attention, and she loved it. She was happy to remain SME for both of Adar’s terms, had she not resigned.

Resigning was a very hard thing for her to do. Stubborn and stead-fast in her ways, Laura knew she could no longer in good faith be the SME when she was no longer a witch. Hoping to avoid the media fall-out that came from her decision, she’s moved to London. She found she liked the little bit of power, but not for what it did for her, but what she did for the people. With her pack, she hopes now to become a positive influence, and an important member of the East End pack, and effect the lives in her classroom as well. In the end, she’d love a quiet life, a little cabin tucked away between two mountains, but she knows that’s a long way off and she has so much work to do yet.

Though it’s not often seen in the public eye, Laura is a fierce politician. She enjoys a good debate, and her dry sense of humor makes her press conferences something to witness. She takes her role seriously. She’s chewed out a few reporters for asking stupid questions, as well as her fellow cabinet members. She is extremely capable and savvy, surprising even those who know her best. As her students would say, Laura is tough, but fair.

In her role as SME, Laura often had to make the hard decisions. This meant putting aside her own personal beliefs for the good of the supernatural community. She will do anything she can to ensure the best for her people, witches and wolves alike. Laura tries to take a step-back and look at the bigger picture. If she has to commit fraud in order to do what is best for the people, she will do it, compromising her own beliefs.

Even within that, she will not compromise unless it's for the best. She was known in her time as SME for her distrust of vampires, and favoring of harsh punishments toward them, though she worked hard to keep all curriculum neutral on the subject. Laura believes in justice, and if someone, as a member of the Underground, asks for a fair trial, she will give it to them, even if she is against it personally.

Laura is the sort of person to risk everything for those she cares about. This includes her pack, as well as her former coven. She will stop at nothing to ensure the safety and protection of those she deems worthy of it. And those she does, she will lay down her own life for them without hesitation. If it comes to the safety of her pack, Laura will not hesitate to insist on heavier punishments for the vampires. She sees them as the ultimate problem, and would hesitate to align with them even temporarily.

Losing her magic is hard, as Laura has been a practicing witch for most of her life. She misses it more than anything, though she tries to keep that loss away from how she conducts herself in public. She’s tried to go to witch festivals, but finds the pain a bit too much to bare, so she observes the holidays passively. She doesn’t like to talk about her life back in the US, so she doesn’t advertise that she used to be a witch. But she keeps a close eye on their politics. It’s so fascinating the way the government is run, and though she’s no longer a witch, she likes to know what’s going on in the world around her. That includes knowing about witches. Someday, she’d like to be able to attend a festival with more happy thoughts than sad, but for now she doesn’t believe it’s in the cards.

She still has a soft spot for the witches, and having spent 54 years as one of them, she doubts her loyalties will completely disappear. However, she knows that pack comes first. It’s in her blood now, as a werewolf. She adores her pack members, and is happy for their warm welcome. Right now, she knows that wolves are in a difficult position, and still are hurting from Raymond Harris’ short and brutal reign. She wants to do what she can to alleviate that pain, and though she hoped to stay away from politics, if she sees an opportunity to better serve her pack, she sees no reason not to rise up in the ranks. But she’s not doing it for the power, so much for her pack. There’s a magic in her loyalty to them, and she knows better than to resist it.

Laura is a tough, no-nonsense woman in the office, but outside of her classroom, a kind, loving woman. She is, in every respect, a mother to her students, her coven, and now her pack.

Powers & Possessions: Laura possesses the standard powers of a werewolf, including enhanced strength, agility, reflexes and senses in both human and wolf form.


Samples: American Werewolves in London
A Thread about Threads