(no subject)
Player name: Yin
Characters played: Säde, Leigh, Annie, Iggy
Character Name: Säde Pekkanen-Winston
Age: 33
How long They've Been in the Deck: 16 years
Character's Current Rank: Ace of Diamonds
Face Rank Applying For: Queen of Diamonds
Personality: Säde is decidedly cool towards most people. This has been largely built up over the years since she lost one brother in body and the other in spirit after growing up completely wrapped up in them. Her reasoning is that becoming less open will help safeguard her from becoming more hurt emotionally, and so her relationships that have been built since then tend not to be too deep because of that. However, those who have befriended her before Juuso's death tend to find her more caring and open, at least towards them- that is, assuming their relationship has been patched up since then.
Where other Diamonds are concerned, she has a tendency to condescend, especially to the lower ranks. On the other hand, she’s also rather possessive and protective on this matter. It’s best compared to a playground bully: they’re her victims to bully (in the context of the metaphor) and anyone daring to do the same will get summarily punished. Generally though, the more ambition a person displays, the more she’s likely to respect them. Likewise, she would rather someone stood up to her than toady to her. It’s one thing to be treat her with respect and another to be utterly obsequious.
Despite her coldness and lack of approachability, she does genuinely listen to criticism and values others’ opinions of herself. Whatever is not in line with her own view of herself is never fully dismissed but is weighed and considered until she has found the disparity or lack thereof between it and herself, and if it must be fixed, she will do her best to fix it.
History: Säde grew up in a slum in Finland with poor, alcoholic parents. While they were never directly abusive physically or verbally, they were strongly negligent, and Säde was largely raised by her elder brothers Juuso and Mika. In this way, she became extremely attached to both of them. However, at age fourteen, both brothers left- Mika to university, Juuso to the Deck, and without the love and support she’d always known, she built up the beginnings of what would later become her Diamond mask.
She came to the Deck when she was seventeen, following her brother Juuso. When she was nineteen, by which time she had risen to Five, Juuso was killed challenging from Eight to Ten. Taking his body back home sparked an incident between herself and her other brother Mika, causing her to return to the Deck. [tw for incest]She had been in love with both of them, and losing one had her agitated enough to take the leap before the other was gone too. Mika, grief-stricken, accepted her advances, and then came to his senses afterward. His acceptance and subsequent rejection, rather than an outright rejection from the first, was what caused her to run back to the Deck. Juuso's death was the motivation for her to throw herself into training in many different specialties, reaching Eight in a year, grimly determined to avenge him by challenging his killer herself. At twenty-one she met and married millionaire Frederick Winston, who was almost sixty years her senior. Her husband died soon after of a stroke, leaving her the resources to leap to Ten, during which challenge she made the first and only kill in all her challenges. It was a shock to the Diamonds where killing was uncommon, but it could not be taken back.
The then-youngest Ten of Diamonds at age twenty-two, she mainly acted as Head of Finances, taking on other duties as dictated. It came as a surprise to be promoted to Ace three years later, following Ophelia’s death and Rachel’s subsequent rise to Queen. Since then she has served well and faithfully. Becoming Ace also encouraged her to reconcile with Mika, though they are no longer as close as before.
In recent years there has been much upheaval in her life. The Jack of Diamonds, Hector, disappeared in 2010 while on a mission Outside, and he was eventually declared dead and replaced. The death of Andrew, King of Clubs, in 2011, roused her concern not for a fellow Suit, but rather for her Queen, who had lost a cousin in him. At this time, Säde’s mother’s illness demanded her attention, and so she could not investigate Andrew’s murder as thoroughly as she wished to. She still holds it a personal failing of hers that she could not help catch his alleged murderer. Autumn of 2011 brought better things- a ward, Leigh, and Hector’s return. Leigh’s arrival into her life has helped temper her in some respects, though Säde remains as cold and sharp as ever.
Since then, there have been many deaths that made an impact on the Deck, but only a few have impacted Säde herself: those of Itzhak, Lancelot, Lindsey, and though she’d like very much to deny it, her own mother. So much death, so close to her and so often. Better to be alive, and continue helping others live.
Character's Goals/Ambitions: As Ace, she has always sought the advancement of the Diamonds, both as a Suit and on an individual level. To that end, she has seen to it that each Diamond is able at least to defend themself, encouraging them to improve (whether by negative or positive reinforcement). Applied to herself, she constantly seeks to better herself, physically or mentally (or more recently, in her personality).
Should she be named Queen, while she will still encourage the Diamonds’ individual ambitions, she will be more concerned with their safety within and without until she is certain the Deck as a whole is stable. One cannot build higher if the base is unsteady.
Why should they be chosen for this position? Like Rachel before her, Säde is the Ace, and thus it's not a far stretch for Silas to choose her for Queen. Rachel has also expressed approval of her becoming Queen when she steps down. Additionally, having worked so closely with Rachel for the past several years, she's familiar with the demands of the job and would therefore have an easy transition from Ace to Queen. It would also be easy for the Diamonds to adjust to another shuffling of their Faces.
Beyond that, Säde is concerned with both the safety and the future of the Diamonds. Whether from threats outside the Deck or those inside, she has the experience and the judgment necessary to deal with these.
Character PB Cate Blanchett
Characters played: Säde, Leigh, Annie, Iggy
Character Name: Säde Pekkanen-Winston
Age: 33
How long They've Been in the Deck: 16 years
Character's Current Rank: Ace of Diamonds
Face Rank Applying For: Queen of Diamonds
Personality: Säde is decidedly cool towards most people. This has been largely built up over the years since she lost one brother in body and the other in spirit after growing up completely wrapped up in them. Her reasoning is that becoming less open will help safeguard her from becoming more hurt emotionally, and so her relationships that have been built since then tend not to be too deep because of that. However, those who have befriended her before Juuso's death tend to find her more caring and open, at least towards them- that is, assuming their relationship has been patched up since then.
Where other Diamonds are concerned, she has a tendency to condescend, especially to the lower ranks. On the other hand, she’s also rather possessive and protective on this matter. It’s best compared to a playground bully: they’re her victims to bully (in the context of the metaphor) and anyone daring to do the same will get summarily punished. Generally though, the more ambition a person displays, the more she’s likely to respect them. Likewise, she would rather someone stood up to her than toady to her. It’s one thing to be treat her with respect and another to be utterly obsequious.
Despite her coldness and lack of approachability, she does genuinely listen to criticism and values others’ opinions of herself. Whatever is not in line with her own view of herself is never fully dismissed but is weighed and considered until she has found the disparity or lack thereof between it and herself, and if it must be fixed, she will do her best to fix it.
History: Säde grew up in a slum in Finland with poor, alcoholic parents. While they were never directly abusive physically or verbally, they were strongly negligent, and Säde was largely raised by her elder brothers Juuso and Mika. In this way, she became extremely attached to both of them. However, at age fourteen, both brothers left- Mika to university, Juuso to the Deck, and without the love and support she’d always known, she built up the beginnings of what would later become her Diamond mask.
She came to the Deck when she was seventeen, following her brother Juuso. When she was nineteen, by which time she had risen to Five, Juuso was killed challenging from Eight to Ten. Taking his body back home sparked an incident between herself and her other brother Mika, causing her to return to the Deck. [tw for incest]She had been in love with both of them, and losing one had her agitated enough to take the leap before the other was gone too. Mika, grief-stricken, accepted her advances, and then came to his senses afterward. His acceptance and subsequent rejection, rather than an outright rejection from the first, was what caused her to run back to the Deck. Juuso's death was the motivation for her to throw herself into training in many different specialties, reaching Eight in a year, grimly determined to avenge him by challenging his killer herself. At twenty-one she met and married millionaire Frederick Winston, who was almost sixty years her senior. Her husband died soon after of a stroke, leaving her the resources to leap to Ten, during which challenge she made the first and only kill in all her challenges. It was a shock to the Diamonds where killing was uncommon, but it could not be taken back.
The then-youngest Ten of Diamonds at age twenty-two, she mainly acted as Head of Finances, taking on other duties as dictated. It came as a surprise to be promoted to Ace three years later, following Ophelia’s death and Rachel’s subsequent rise to Queen. Since then she has served well and faithfully. Becoming Ace also encouraged her to reconcile with Mika, though they are no longer as close as before.
In recent years there has been much upheaval in her life. The Jack of Diamonds, Hector, disappeared in 2010 while on a mission Outside, and he was eventually declared dead and replaced. The death of Andrew, King of Clubs, in 2011, roused her concern not for a fellow Suit, but rather for her Queen, who had lost a cousin in him. At this time, Säde’s mother’s illness demanded her attention, and so she could not investigate Andrew’s murder as thoroughly as she wished to. She still holds it a personal failing of hers that she could not help catch his alleged murderer. Autumn of 2011 brought better things- a ward, Leigh, and Hector’s return. Leigh’s arrival into her life has helped temper her in some respects, though Säde remains as cold and sharp as ever.
Since then, there have been many deaths that made an impact on the Deck, but only a few have impacted Säde herself: those of Itzhak, Lancelot, Lindsey, and though she’d like very much to deny it, her own mother. So much death, so close to her and so often. Better to be alive, and continue helping others live.
Character's Goals/Ambitions: As Ace, she has always sought the advancement of the Diamonds, both as a Suit and on an individual level. To that end, she has seen to it that each Diamond is able at least to defend themself, encouraging them to improve (whether by negative or positive reinforcement). Applied to herself, she constantly seeks to better herself, physically or mentally (or more recently, in her personality).
Should she be named Queen, while she will still encourage the Diamonds’ individual ambitions, she will be more concerned with their safety within and without until she is certain the Deck as a whole is stable. One cannot build higher if the base is unsteady.
Why should they be chosen for this position? Like Rachel before her, Säde is the Ace, and thus it's not a far stretch for Silas to choose her for Queen. Rachel has also expressed approval of her becoming Queen when she steps down. Additionally, having worked so closely with Rachel for the past several years, she's familiar with the demands of the job and would therefore have an easy transition from Ace to Queen. It would also be easy for the Diamonds to adjust to another shuffling of their Faces.
Beyond that, Säde is concerned with both the safety and the future of the Diamonds. Whether from threats outside the Deck or those inside, she has the experience and the judgment necessary to deal with these.
Character PB Cate Blanchett