Application for Catherine Lao of Cyteen
PLAYER
[journal] leviathan_prod
[age] December 30, 1986 (24)
[previous characters N/A
[character journal] iaminformation
CHARACTER
[series] Cyteen by C.J. Cherryh
[full name] Catherine Lao
[age] Appears to be in her early to mid forties, in actuality 139.
[gender] female
[canon point] after Chapter 11, part vi. The year 2421, after the Council has been briefed by Ariane Emory II on the situation in Gehenna
[reference] Here. Catherine Lao is a relatively minor character, but is one of the elected Council of Nine responsible for governing all stations and planets within the Union. As the Councillor for Information, she effectively represents and controls all those within media services- the news, libraries, publishing, archives, and even public education. She has the power and authority to lean on the news services to decide when and how information is released to the general public, and uses this to the advantage of the Expansionist Party and its head, her friend Ariane Emory.
After Emory is murdered, she uses her considerable influence to keep the press and the public from knowing about Ari II, Emory’s clone, until the time is right, and continues to support and aid Ari II in whatever way she can as she is growing up.
[personality]
Upon first meetings, in general people find themselves liking Catherine very quickly. She’s extremely courteous and receptive to courtesy, and is very well aware of how even trivial conversation can affect people’s perceptions of you. Because she is the Councillor for Information, she's well accustomed to being in the public eye, and is a very capable public speaker and figure. She knows all of the little tricks for getting the right people to notice you, as well as all those for getting the wrong people to pay you no attention.
Though she can be pleasant and personable to everyone, there is a marked difference between how she reacts to people she genuinely likes and to those she does not. She's aware that even people she disagrees with have value, and isn't above even sharing a joke or light banter with them if necessary. Everyone has his or her own uses, of course, but she's openly friendlier with those she genuinely likes than those she does not, and is aware of it. She knows that can be dangerous to one who has to spend so much of her life in conversation with such people, and tries to not let it show, but to those that know how to read people just as well or better than she does, it's obvious enough. It isn’t that she’s false or insincere, but as someone well accustomed to politics and public life, she knows the value of words and gestures and inflection, and uses those tools to her best advantage. This is not to say that she’s always polite, especially to those she disagrees with. Words can be weapons as well as tools, and hers can be extremely sharp and well-honed, if necessary.
Her general attitude towards life is that of an interested observer. Quite often she simply sits back and watches events unfold, only offering her opinion when she has fully analyzed the subject. Lao has an almost all-encompassing desire to learn and discover, and she can find fascination in even the most mundane activities. In Council sessions, she never minds making routine motions, knowing that they, too, have their purpose, as it is only after their passing that the true issues of import can occur. To her, information is the only real currency of value that exists, and whoever is the most well-informed the soonest is the one in the best position in life. It is because of that quest for knowledge, among other reasons, that she is a member of the Expansionist party, and believes that in order to thrive, humanity needs not to huddle together in one safe hub, but rather to grow and spread out in a natural and organic fashion across a variety of locales.
Because so much of her life is in the public, she tends to keep her personal life incredibly private. Little to nothing is known about her personal relationships, or even her life outside of Council business, and she prefers to keep it that way. There are few people she lets in, and even fewer who have truly earned her admiration. To that select few, her calm, collected demeanor can relax, and she can be less of the Councillor that the public is accustomed to and allow herself to simply be Catherine. In canon, there is really only person who she trusts so implicitly: Science Councillor Ariane Emory. While she is alive and on the Council, Catherine is her reliable echo, seconding and agreeing with all Emory asks of her. Though not always without hesitation, sometimes very obvious in the form of stiffened shoulders or even a frown, which from one so versed in gesture, is statement enough. But even when asked to agree to decisions she might not immediately see the value of, she will agree, though she will always wants to understand the reasoning afterward.
To those who have truly earned her trust, like Emory, Catherine is capable of profound loyalty, so strong that not even their death is enough to shake it. She will continue to act in the interests of the deceased friend as long as she is able, and use her whatever means necessary to see those interests are carried out. Her reasons for doing so are her own, and she will continue for as long as she's able even when no acknowledgement whatsoever is given.
Once earned, Catherine's trust is absolute.
[orientation] Catherine's romantic life is not delved into in the book, so her sexual orientation is unknown.
[appearance] Average human.
[wish] An end to the personal and political strife that has dominated her life, the Council and Union since the murder of Ariane Emory.
[requested house] Sazanka or Satouzuke
[misc notes] In her canon, Catherine is taking a life-extending drug called rejuv, which in addition to allowing her a longer lifespan, essentially keeps her appearance from aging past the point when she first took the drug, which was during her early to mid forties. If it’s allowed, as long as she continues to eat and drink the food of Ukiyo, her aging will not change beyond what rejuv would allow, despite no longer having access to the drug. She’ll probably go through withdrawal for a little while, though, which will likely be more psychological than anything else- a lot of paranoia that she’s suddenly aging too rapidly or such.
SAMPLES
[network post]
[Catherine is sitting at a mirror, a book propped open in front of her and turned to an engraving of a geisha with a very elaborate hairdo. Her brush lays discarded on her knees, and she finishes twisting a loop of hair into place, completing her attempt to emulate the look. Satisfied, she smiles and turns her attention to the recorder.]
Not quite a braided crown, but the appeal is similar. There’s no real need to be quite as severe as that while I’m here, after all. Impressing patrons is far easier than intimidating politicians. I'm certain once I practice a bit more it will actually take less time to finish than the braided crown, as well.
[She tosses her head a little from side to side, experimenting with how the new style feels.]
Though it will take some getting used to, of course...
[smut drabble]
Groaning softly against the breast under her lips, Catherine looked up at her lover with a mixture of cool affection and need. Her desires were building even without the heated thigh of her lover pressing between her legs, and she could feel her underwear sticking to her thighs, slick and uncomfortable, wetness pooling at the crotch.
Her lips released the now fully stiffened nipple and she exhaled over it, teasing the flesh still further with her breath. She smiled up at her lover with a knowing little smirk, and trailed a series of slow, lingering kisses from one to the other. Arching her back into the caresses warm hands were bestowing upon her spine, her own nipples brushed against the tanned stomach of her partner, causing Catherine to gasp in delight. Her tongue, so used to frequent exercise, albeit a different sort, darted out of her mouth to lap at the second nipple before exhaling over it as well. Both as a lover and as a politician, she was incredibly oral- sex and politics were not all that different, really, and the Councillor was old enough to know exactly how to excel at both.
[journal] leviathan_prod
[age] December 30, 1986 (24)
[previous characters N/A
[character journal] iaminformation
CHARACTER
[series] Cyteen by C.J. Cherryh
[full name] Catherine Lao
[age] Appears to be in her early to mid forties, in actuality 139.
[gender] female
[canon point] after Chapter 11, part vi. The year 2421, after the Council has been briefed by Ariane Emory II on the situation in Gehenna
[reference] Here. Catherine Lao is a relatively minor character, but is one of the elected Council of Nine responsible for governing all stations and planets within the Union. As the Councillor for Information, she effectively represents and controls all those within media services- the news, libraries, publishing, archives, and even public education. She has the power and authority to lean on the news services to decide when and how information is released to the general public, and uses this to the advantage of the Expansionist Party and its head, her friend Ariane Emory.
After Emory is murdered, she uses her considerable influence to keep the press and the public from knowing about Ari II, Emory’s clone, until the time is right, and continues to support and aid Ari II in whatever way she can as she is growing up.
[personality]
Upon first meetings, in general people find themselves liking Catherine very quickly. She’s extremely courteous and receptive to courtesy, and is very well aware of how even trivial conversation can affect people’s perceptions of you. Because she is the Councillor for Information, she's well accustomed to being in the public eye, and is a very capable public speaker and figure. She knows all of the little tricks for getting the right people to notice you, as well as all those for getting the wrong people to pay you no attention.
Though she can be pleasant and personable to everyone, there is a marked difference between how she reacts to people she genuinely likes and to those she does not. She's aware that even people she disagrees with have value, and isn't above even sharing a joke or light banter with them if necessary. Everyone has his or her own uses, of course, but she's openly friendlier with those she genuinely likes than those she does not, and is aware of it. She knows that can be dangerous to one who has to spend so much of her life in conversation with such people, and tries to not let it show, but to those that know how to read people just as well or better than she does, it's obvious enough. It isn’t that she’s false or insincere, but as someone well accustomed to politics and public life, she knows the value of words and gestures and inflection, and uses those tools to her best advantage. This is not to say that she’s always polite, especially to those she disagrees with. Words can be weapons as well as tools, and hers can be extremely sharp and well-honed, if necessary.
Her general attitude towards life is that of an interested observer. Quite often she simply sits back and watches events unfold, only offering her opinion when she has fully analyzed the subject. Lao has an almost all-encompassing desire to learn and discover, and she can find fascination in even the most mundane activities. In Council sessions, she never minds making routine motions, knowing that they, too, have their purpose, as it is only after their passing that the true issues of import can occur. To her, information is the only real currency of value that exists, and whoever is the most well-informed the soonest is the one in the best position in life. It is because of that quest for knowledge, among other reasons, that she is a member of the Expansionist party, and believes that in order to thrive, humanity needs not to huddle together in one safe hub, but rather to grow and spread out in a natural and organic fashion across a variety of locales.
Because so much of her life is in the public, she tends to keep her personal life incredibly private. Little to nothing is known about her personal relationships, or even her life outside of Council business, and she prefers to keep it that way. There are few people she lets in, and even fewer who have truly earned her admiration. To that select few, her calm, collected demeanor can relax, and she can be less of the Councillor that the public is accustomed to and allow herself to simply be Catherine. In canon, there is really only person who she trusts so implicitly: Science Councillor Ariane Emory. While she is alive and on the Council, Catherine is her reliable echo, seconding and agreeing with all Emory asks of her. Though not always without hesitation, sometimes very obvious in the form of stiffened shoulders or even a frown, which from one so versed in gesture, is statement enough. But even when asked to agree to decisions she might not immediately see the value of, she will agree, though she will always wants to understand the reasoning afterward.
To those who have truly earned her trust, like Emory, Catherine is capable of profound loyalty, so strong that not even their death is enough to shake it. She will continue to act in the interests of the deceased friend as long as she is able, and use her whatever means necessary to see those interests are carried out. Her reasons for doing so are her own, and she will continue for as long as she's able even when no acknowledgement whatsoever is given.
Once earned, Catherine's trust is absolute.
[orientation] Catherine's romantic life is not delved into in the book, so her sexual orientation is unknown.
[appearance] Average human.
[wish] An end to the personal and political strife that has dominated her life, the Council and Union since the murder of Ariane Emory.
[requested house] Sazanka or Satouzuke
[misc notes] In her canon, Catherine is taking a life-extending drug called rejuv, which in addition to allowing her a longer lifespan, essentially keeps her appearance from aging past the point when she first took the drug, which was during her early to mid forties. If it’s allowed, as long as she continues to eat and drink the food of Ukiyo, her aging will not change beyond what rejuv would allow, despite no longer having access to the drug. She’ll probably go through withdrawal for a little while, though, which will likely be more psychological than anything else- a lot of paranoia that she’s suddenly aging too rapidly or such.
SAMPLES
[network post]
[Catherine is sitting at a mirror, a book propped open in front of her and turned to an engraving of a geisha with a very elaborate hairdo. Her brush lays discarded on her knees, and she finishes twisting a loop of hair into place, completing her attempt to emulate the look. Satisfied, she smiles and turns her attention to the recorder.]
Not quite a braided crown, but the appeal is similar. There’s no real need to be quite as severe as that while I’m here, after all. Impressing patrons is far easier than intimidating politicians. I'm certain once I practice a bit more it will actually take less time to finish than the braided crown, as well.
[She tosses her head a little from side to side, experimenting with how the new style feels.]
Though it will take some getting used to, of course...
[smut drabble]
Groaning softly against the breast under her lips, Catherine looked up at her lover with a mixture of cool affection and need. Her desires were building even without the heated thigh of her lover pressing between her legs, and she could feel her underwear sticking to her thighs, slick and uncomfortable, wetness pooling at the crotch.
Her lips released the now fully stiffened nipple and she exhaled over it, teasing the flesh still further with her breath. She smiled up at her lover with a knowing little smirk, and trailed a series of slow, lingering kisses from one to the other. Arching her back into the caresses warm hands were bestowing upon her spine, her own nipples brushed against the tanned stomach of her partner, causing Catherine to gasp in delight. Her tongue, so used to frequent exercise, albeit a different sort, darted out of her mouth to lap at the second nipple before exhaling over it as well. Both as a lover and as a politician, she was incredibly oral- sex and politics were not all that different, really, and the Councillor was old enough to know exactly how to excel at both.