spindown: (0)
R. Lutece ([personal profile] spindown) wrote 2015-03-18 11:22 pm (UTC)

Personality Revisions

Rosalind Lutece is and always has been a staggeringly brilliant woman. Fascinated with science, both practical and theoretical, she has developed nearly incomparable intellectual prowess. Unfortunately, as a fundamentally unapologetic woman with little desire to play at being humble (and who was possessed of a rather disapproving mother), Rosalind was never well loved by other students nor her colleagues. She was never especially interested in dealing with other people, even in her youth, so her social skills are somewhat limited. Any politesse she maintains is devoted, primarily, to speeding along any necessary or unpleasant discourse. While she prefers, in general, to dismiss herself from irritating persons, she is quite capable of politely tolerating nearly anyone. This is a feat she can maintain almost indefinitely, if their contributions are valuable enough. She did not enjoy the company of religious zealots, for example, but one could hardly argue that her acquaintanceship with Zachary Comstock had not been advantageous. (At least, until he had her assassinated.)

While Rosalind doesn't particularly care for most social interaction, she doesn't hold any actual contempt for the vast majority of mankind. At the core of her nature, Rosalind is both uncaring and neutral; she is not impressed by acts of charity or kindness, nor is she disturbed by cruelty or maliciousness. Her opinions of others are, for the most part, based in their past actions rather than their personalities. Her dealings with others, therefore, are predicated on the courses of action they are likely to take in the future and little else. It would be incorrect to call her "calculating" because the term implies that one seeks power or wealth and Rosalind desires neither, except as a means to an end. (She was, after all, more than happy to exploit Comstock's wealth and power in order to advance science and gain critical acclaim in her field. Engaging in his religious vision and dynasty was, more or less, an unwelcome and unavoidable byproduct of their association.) A more appropriate term, if a bit metaphorical, would be: an "emotional accountant." There is an inherent distance between her and the people she interacts with, just as an accountant with a ledger is not usually invested in the numbers as individual entities, and maintaining this detachment allows for observation and (relatively) objective study. The data that results from such study is occasionally useful, so Rosalind sees no reason to alter her interactions.

She is not entirely unemotional, of course, and can be quite pleasant if her work is progressing without undue complication and the situation allows. She doesn't begrudge anyone frivolity unless it proves a detriment to her, personally, and will even partake if encouraged to do so (particularly, if not exclusively, by Robert). On the other hand, Rosalind can be both severe and vindictive, if sufficiently offended. It takes a considerable effort to offend her, given her lack of emotional investment in most things, but it is entirely possible. Her naturally disaffected disposition, as well as her general solitude, do not encourage her to be either forgiving or kind. She can be waspish and judgmental, particularly if she feels her time is being wasted, and doesn't often hesitate to make her objections known. She is deeply prideful, finding vindication of her attitudes and efforts in each new victory, and she relishes her acclaim as evidence of her superiority. If she is surpassed in the sciences, she often takes personal exception to the situation and will go to great lengths to regain her metaphorical standing.

Oddly enough, very little of this disaffected behavior applies to Rosalind's opinion of or interactions with Robert Lutece. It is entirely possible that, as a reflection of herself, Robert cannot be mentally separated and cataloged as easily as the rest of humanity, and is afforded a level of consideration rarely given others. It's more likely, however, that as a reflection of herself, Rosalind identifies with him on a great multitude of levels and, in turn, projects her own experiences onto him, rendering him the only person (theoretically) capable of understanding her. In either case, it is important to note that Robert and Rosalind, while extremely similar, actually differ considerably in both temperament and social nuance. Where one skews in any given direction, on any given opinion, the other often skews in the opposite direction.

Where Rosalind is generally amoral, lacking any strong sentiment in regards to the health and well being of others, Robert is considerably more in tune with others as people and takes a more personal view of problems they encounter. His empathy and sense of right, however mild and off-kilter, are the greatest single factor in swaying both Rosalind's opinions and actions to more altruistic ends. While Rosalind feels no remorse about her actions, particularly when the end result is advantageous to her, Robert does not share her distinct emotional disconnect. In life, Rosalind was close to Robert, finding him to be something of a kindred spirit, but after their deaths he became literally the only person in her world. Rosalind is and always has been very taken with Robert, both emotionally and as a scientific partner, and finds their position outside the bounds of linear time and space to be the absolute ideal. Without the imposition of earthly concerns or the limitations of linear time, the potential for observation, study, testing, and learning has no bounds; if she had ever believed in anything as inane as Heaven, their current situation would certainly qualify.

Unfortunately, in the process of bringing Robert into her universe, the whole complicated matter with Comstock and the baby Anna occurred. Rosalind found some aspects of the situation interesting (namely the child's abilities and how they related to her very unique situation), but was largely uninvested in either Anna's/Elizabeth's or Comstock's lives. Robert, on the other hand, felt considerable guilt over what they'd done and wanted to restore some semblance of moral balance to the universe. Knowing full well that Rosalind couldn't have cared less about the fate of either iteration of Dewitt, or of his multi-dimensional daughter, Robert issued her an ultimatum. He demanded that they assist in righting their wrongs or else he would leave, and Rosalind capitulated to his demands. Rosalind was not fond of engaging in endless, repetitive futility (a fact she makes repeatedly clear to Robert), but she stomachs her boredom and defers to Robert's desires, assisting him in his infinite (and exceedingly pointless) efforts.

After living a whole life in social and professional solitude, even one as largely self-imposed as her own, the introduction of a deeply compatible person to her life was desperately satisfying. Having lived life with him, Rosalind cannot abide the idea of (what is effectively) immortality without. There are, quite literally, no lengths that she wouldn't go to in order to maintain their relationship in good standing.

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