DS Louise Gardiner (AU) [Ashes To Ashes (BBC)] (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
doomed_copper) wrote2014-07-22 11:54 am
doomed_copper) wrote2014-07-22 11:54 am
City of Sin Application.
APPLICATION
PLAYER
↠ Name: Jen
↠ Age: 39
↠ Characters Played: None currently, though I played for a few years at BN with this character.
CHARACTER
↠ Name: Detective Sergeant Louise Gardiner
↠ Canon: Ashes to Ashes (BBC) --- AU version
↠ Journal: http://doomed-copper.dreamwidth.org/
↠ Age: Mid-to-late 30s
↠ Appearance: Louise appears to be in her mid-thirties with a petite height and slight build, long, light-ish auburn hair and pale blue eyes. She dresses femininely, though now of the modern era (and no longer from the 1980s), she favors professional suits, or business-casual workwear. Casually or out on the town, she tends to gravitate towards oversized sweaters, blazers, black leather jackets and skinny jeans or leggings with heels.
↠ Reference/History:
This is how she was written in canon:
http://cathoderaytube.blogspot.com/2010/04/ashes-to-ashes-series-3-episode-four.html
HOWEVER, since she's been out of game for a year and a half now, thanks to memes and PSLs, I have decided to ultimately AU her to reflect upon the changes in her life which have affected the way she operates at the present time. Since leaving BN, she was picked up by New Scotland Yard's CID and has worked for the last year or so under Detective Inspector Greg Lestrade. This came about via several memes with different players from the Sherlockverse last fall. When thinking of her updated headcanon, I feel that she arrived back in London after leaving the City more or less still sort of a hot mess, and yet Lestrade saw through that and zeroed in upon her capabilities, throwing cases at her, and through this, she began building up a real sense of self-confidence. This led to more collars and more successes as part of the CID team, and, ultimately, to her first 'real' promotion in decades, one that wasn't due to someone putting in a word for her, or due to illicit relationships with superior officers giving her an 'edge', which had been the case during her first, 'true' lifetime in 1999.
[Note to mods: As a brief reminder, Louise has had, in fact, two prior lives; one prior to her arrival in Bête Noire (what occurred in the episode of Ashes to Ashes in 1983), and one that led her to the 'copper's limbo' of Gene Hunt’s world in Ashes to Ashes, which was everything prologue to the date of her first, actual death on December 31st, 1999. However, her personality traits remained consistent throughout both her canon time on the show and within BN, which is an explanation for why she continued the predilection to make the same mistakes over and over, even while being given second chances after death.]
In addition to professional success, she has, thanks to a few PSLs, enjoyed a few stable, monogamous relationships which have served to 'normalize' her and bring her back to a more straight and narrow path in her love life. The only thing she is possibly still lacking in are friends of the female persuasion. Living in the 'man's world' of NSY, as well as the long hours spent on the job, haven't lent themselves very well to foster a healthy social life. This is something she was lacking in BN, and also in her original canon, when she was befriended by Alex Drake and felt befuddled and surprised by it, almost as if she wondered if Alex had a hidden agenda. Thus, this is something I am eager to change!
Because of these subtle and not-so subtle changes to her life and personality, when she arrives in the City, I imagine she will be quite keen to leave it; a 180-degree about-face to the manner in which she arrived in BN years ago.
↠ Personality:
Louise Gardiner was, and perhaps still is to some extent, a tragic person. Probably too sensitive and/or vulnerable to emotional manipulation, she should have picked a different career path. However, that very sensibility is what drew her to policing, that feeling of wanting to make a difference. She continues to have deep empathy for others and probably has felt that her life up to this point has had little meaning or real sense of purpose. Being in the business of helping save lives and put away for good the evil, she feels that in this way, she is redeeming all the poor qualities that she saw in herself. Her self-esteem now has improved, bolstered by the promotion she cleanly earned for herself, and the fact that her capabilities were not only recognized by Lestrade, but *encouraged*. However, she still has a latent/default tendency to think too much concerning how others view her. Even so, the self-harm and self-destructive tendencies she displayed while at BN as a result of her original canon have been resolved and are a part of her past, not of her present. However, given the right circumstance, the PTSD she developed during her brief time on the show could resurface. On the whole, Louise remains a very deep, emotional person although she can appear somewhat cool, aloof and steely at first glance.
[Note to mods: As a brief reminder, the PTSD she developed as a result of her time in Gene Hunt’s world as an undercover officer with Stafford father and son came about not only because of her inability to deal with the emotional stress that undercover work can entail, but also because of her inner hatred for herself and the inadequacy she has always felt, even in her last lifetime. She began her assignment auspiciously, but was no match for the evil that was Danny Stafford, the son. A sadistic criminal who exhibited antisocial and psychopathic behavior (mainly attributed to the amount of cocaine and other drugs consumed over the years as a result of his involvement with various cartels), Danny had a misogynistic view of women and enjoyed degrading and demoralizing them through both physical and emotional abuse. Louise’s feelings of duty overshadowed any common sense she may have had, especially as she was keen to impress her DCI in order to secure at least a hope of promotion in the near future. She allowed him to commit unspeakable acts of sexual aberration in the name of that duty, all of which would come back upon her again and again. Flashes of blood, the blade of a knife, torn clothing, being forced to perform in ways which caused her pain and demoralization.
On the other hand, Louise was also no match for the charms of Terry Stafford, the father. He treated her well, was protective, and showed her respect that most of her prior attachments hadn’t. Suddenly she felt disillusioned by her career; certainly her own DCI didn’t show her compassion—he’d left her there to face horror without backup, alienated and alone. However, she always has possessed a sense of follow-through and responsibility, something she attributed to her upbringing; her father, also a police officer, had died in the line of duty, leaving her mother a widow. So she carried on, still somewhat confident she could pull through.]
↠ Powers: Sadly human; no powers to speak of.
↠ Reason for Playing This Character:
It's now been over four years that I have played Louise---first at Milliways, then Paradisa, and then BN, not to mention countless memes and PSLs with other players, and she absolutely is still my strongest head voice of the few characters I do play. She only appeared in the one episode, but played a pivotal role in the main mythology and psychology of the show, and in this way, I feel I've been able to flesh out a character who many fans had been curious about and whose storyline could have gone in so many different and interesting directions. Panfandom appeals to me more than fandom-specific comms, mainly because she gets to act on her own with varied individuals and scenarios and in that way, becomes truly three-dimensional. I had to give up BN due to RL commitments almost two years ago, but having had a look at the newly revamped community, I was very impressed not only by its straightforward layout, but the ease of applying/reserving, the straightforward (and REGULAR!) metaplot, the medium-speed of the game (which fits my work schedule-hurray!), the incredibly reasonable monthly AC, and, of course, familiarity. :) There were many people Louise never threaded with in BN, who are in CoS that I would love to throw her at. Besides this, she absolutely needs more female associates and allies, and I'm intrigued by some of the new cast who have joined up.
↠ What is Your Character's Sin?: Ugh. Going to have to go with Lust. It has been the underlying theme for her in her original Ashes canon, which has spilled over into her headcanon through all the games she's played in and her meme CR.
SAMPLES
↠ First Person:
[VIDEO; OTA]
[The screen flickers to life as Louise adjusts the camera and sits down, addressing the masses with a resigned, yet puzzled expression.]
It would appear that I have once again been displaced. So? As with every other time, it would be helpful if someone could provide me some guidance. My name is Louise Gardiner, and I am a Detective Sergeant for New Scotland Yard under the direction of Detective Inspector Greg Lestrade, and I have done for the last year and a half.
[A pause.]
I don't plan on staying here; my warrant card number is 082774. And as my iPhone suddenly is failing to connect, some advisement as to how I can contact CID from here would be greatly appreciated.
[She clears her throat before glancing back up at the camera, saying calmly and evenly, without a hint of derision:]
And if anyone can tell me what in pissing hell all this is---or what I'm doing in the middle of it, that would be greatly appreciated, too.
[She huffs frustratedly, and the camera's feed snaps off abruptly.]
↠ Third Person:
[Sunlight peers through the dark curtains; yet, she doesn't know, nor care to know, the time. It could be 8 o'clock; it could be midday. All she knows are the ties at her wrists, the pool of sweat between her breasts, and the hazy feeling of having been well and truly fucked.
It hadn't started like this; at least, not for her. She had been sent by Lestrade to monitor Moran at the bar-café he frequented. Unfortunately, she had fallen prey to his charm, as she'd been warned, and Moran had systematically commandeered her badge, her holster, and her warrant card over the course of the evening as he was getting her as plastered as was possible. She was, in effect, now his slave, even as she had resisted his advances with vague suggestions of propriety. The Tube ride back from the pub had been an almost-uncomfortable eternity: nothing but staring and unflinching innuendo as he ceaselessly continued to seduce her, working her into a silent frenzy. She had already said her goodbyes to him nevertheless and was preparing to leave at the next stop, Covent Garden. But he stood up as well, gripping her hand, which was already touching the sliding door. She was MADE. Detective Sergeant Louise Gardiner's world would be turned upside down, as soon Sebastian Moran's door closed and she was cuffed to his bed, all folly, fodder, and lost.]
PLAYER
↠ Name: Jen
↠ Age: 39
↠ Characters Played: None currently, though I played for a few years at BN with this character.
CHARACTER
↠ Name: Detective Sergeant Louise Gardiner
↠ Canon: Ashes to Ashes (BBC) --- AU version
↠ Journal: http://doomed-copper.dreamwidth.org/
↠ Age: Mid-to-late 30s
↠ Appearance: Louise appears to be in her mid-thirties with a petite height and slight build, long, light-ish auburn hair and pale blue eyes. She dresses femininely, though now of the modern era (and no longer from the 1980s), she favors professional suits, or business-casual workwear. Casually or out on the town, she tends to gravitate towards oversized sweaters, blazers, black leather jackets and skinny jeans or leggings with heels.
↠ Reference/History:
This is how she was written in canon:
http://cathoderaytube.blogspot.com/2010/04/ashes-to-ashes-series-3-episode-four.html
HOWEVER, since she's been out of game for a year and a half now, thanks to memes and PSLs, I have decided to ultimately AU her to reflect upon the changes in her life which have affected the way she operates at the present time. Since leaving BN, she was picked up by New Scotland Yard's CID and has worked for the last year or so under Detective Inspector Greg Lestrade. This came about via several memes with different players from the Sherlockverse last fall. When thinking of her updated headcanon, I feel that she arrived back in London after leaving the City more or less still sort of a hot mess, and yet Lestrade saw through that and zeroed in upon her capabilities, throwing cases at her, and through this, she began building up a real sense of self-confidence. This led to more collars and more successes as part of the CID team, and, ultimately, to her first 'real' promotion in decades, one that wasn't due to someone putting in a word for her, or due to illicit relationships with superior officers giving her an 'edge', which had been the case during her first, 'true' lifetime in 1999.
[Note to mods: As a brief reminder, Louise has had, in fact, two prior lives; one prior to her arrival in Bête Noire (what occurred in the episode of Ashes to Ashes in 1983), and one that led her to the 'copper's limbo' of Gene Hunt’s world in Ashes to Ashes, which was everything prologue to the date of her first, actual death on December 31st, 1999. However, her personality traits remained consistent throughout both her canon time on the show and within BN, which is an explanation for why she continued the predilection to make the same mistakes over and over, even while being given second chances after death.]
In addition to professional success, she has, thanks to a few PSLs, enjoyed a few stable, monogamous relationships which have served to 'normalize' her and bring her back to a more straight and narrow path in her love life. The only thing she is possibly still lacking in are friends of the female persuasion. Living in the 'man's world' of NSY, as well as the long hours spent on the job, haven't lent themselves very well to foster a healthy social life. This is something she was lacking in BN, and also in her original canon, when she was befriended by Alex Drake and felt befuddled and surprised by it, almost as if she wondered if Alex had a hidden agenda. Thus, this is something I am eager to change!
Because of these subtle and not-so subtle changes to her life and personality, when she arrives in the City, I imagine she will be quite keen to leave it; a 180-degree about-face to the manner in which she arrived in BN years ago.
↠ Personality:
Louise Gardiner was, and perhaps still is to some extent, a tragic person. Probably too sensitive and/or vulnerable to emotional manipulation, she should have picked a different career path. However, that very sensibility is what drew her to policing, that feeling of wanting to make a difference. She continues to have deep empathy for others and probably has felt that her life up to this point has had little meaning or real sense of purpose. Being in the business of helping save lives and put away for good the evil, she feels that in this way, she is redeeming all the poor qualities that she saw in herself. Her self-esteem now has improved, bolstered by the promotion she cleanly earned for herself, and the fact that her capabilities were not only recognized by Lestrade, but *encouraged*. However, she still has a latent/default tendency to think too much concerning how others view her. Even so, the self-harm and self-destructive tendencies she displayed while at BN as a result of her original canon have been resolved and are a part of her past, not of her present. However, given the right circumstance, the PTSD she developed during her brief time on the show could resurface. On the whole, Louise remains a very deep, emotional person although she can appear somewhat cool, aloof and steely at first glance.
[Note to mods: As a brief reminder, the PTSD she developed as a result of her time in Gene Hunt’s world as an undercover officer with Stafford father and son came about not only because of her inability to deal with the emotional stress that undercover work can entail, but also because of her inner hatred for herself and the inadequacy she has always felt, even in her last lifetime. She began her assignment auspiciously, but was no match for the evil that was Danny Stafford, the son. A sadistic criminal who exhibited antisocial and psychopathic behavior (mainly attributed to the amount of cocaine and other drugs consumed over the years as a result of his involvement with various cartels), Danny had a misogynistic view of women and enjoyed degrading and demoralizing them through both physical and emotional abuse. Louise’s feelings of duty overshadowed any common sense she may have had, especially as she was keen to impress her DCI in order to secure at least a hope of promotion in the near future. She allowed him to commit unspeakable acts of sexual aberration in the name of that duty, all of which would come back upon her again and again. Flashes of blood, the blade of a knife, torn clothing, being forced to perform in ways which caused her pain and demoralization.
On the other hand, Louise was also no match for the charms of Terry Stafford, the father. He treated her well, was protective, and showed her respect that most of her prior attachments hadn’t. Suddenly she felt disillusioned by her career; certainly her own DCI didn’t show her compassion—he’d left her there to face horror without backup, alienated and alone. However, she always has possessed a sense of follow-through and responsibility, something she attributed to her upbringing; her father, also a police officer, had died in the line of duty, leaving her mother a widow. So she carried on, still somewhat confident she could pull through.]
↠ Powers: Sadly human; no powers to speak of.
↠ Reason for Playing This Character:
It's now been over four years that I have played Louise---first at Milliways, then Paradisa, and then BN, not to mention countless memes and PSLs with other players, and she absolutely is still my strongest head voice of the few characters I do play. She only appeared in the one episode, but played a pivotal role in the main mythology and psychology of the show, and in this way, I feel I've been able to flesh out a character who many fans had been curious about and whose storyline could have gone in so many different and interesting directions. Panfandom appeals to me more than fandom-specific comms, mainly because she gets to act on her own with varied individuals and scenarios and in that way, becomes truly three-dimensional. I had to give up BN due to RL commitments almost two years ago, but having had a look at the newly revamped community, I was very impressed not only by its straightforward layout, but the ease of applying/reserving, the straightforward (and REGULAR!) metaplot, the medium-speed of the game (which fits my work schedule-hurray!), the incredibly reasonable monthly AC, and, of course, familiarity. :) There were many people Louise never threaded with in BN, who are in CoS that I would love to throw her at. Besides this, she absolutely needs more female associates and allies, and I'm intrigued by some of the new cast who have joined up.
↠ What is Your Character's Sin?: Ugh. Going to have to go with Lust. It has been the underlying theme for her in her original Ashes canon, which has spilled over into her headcanon through all the games she's played in and her meme CR.
SAMPLES
↠ First Person:
[VIDEO; OTA]
[The screen flickers to life as Louise adjusts the camera and sits down, addressing the masses with a resigned, yet puzzled expression.]
It would appear that I have once again been displaced. So? As with every other time, it would be helpful if someone could provide me some guidance. My name is Louise Gardiner, and I am a Detective Sergeant for New Scotland Yard under the direction of Detective Inspector Greg Lestrade, and I have done for the last year and a half.
[A pause.]
I don't plan on staying here; my warrant card number is 082774. And as my iPhone suddenly is failing to connect, some advisement as to how I can contact CID from here would be greatly appreciated.
[She clears her throat before glancing back up at the camera, saying calmly and evenly, without a hint of derision:]
And if anyone can tell me what in pissing hell all this is---or what I'm doing in the middle of it, that would be greatly appreciated, too.
[She huffs frustratedly, and the camera's feed snaps off abruptly.]
↠ Third Person:
[Sunlight peers through the dark curtains; yet, she doesn't know, nor care to know, the time. It could be 8 o'clock; it could be midday. All she knows are the ties at her wrists, the pool of sweat between her breasts, and the hazy feeling of having been well and truly fucked.
It hadn't started like this; at least, not for her. She had been sent by Lestrade to monitor Moran at the bar-café he frequented. Unfortunately, she had fallen prey to his charm, as she'd been warned, and Moran had systematically commandeered her badge, her holster, and her warrant card over the course of the evening as he was getting her as plastered as was possible. She was, in effect, now his slave, even as she had resisted his advances with vague suggestions of propriety. The Tube ride back from the pub had been an almost-uncomfortable eternity: nothing but staring and unflinching innuendo as he ceaselessly continued to seduce her, working her into a silent frenzy. She had already said her goodbyes to him nevertheless and was preparing to leave at the next stop, Covent Garden. But he stood up as well, gripping her hand, which was already touching the sliding door. She was MADE. Detective Sergeant Louise Gardiner's world would be turned upside down, as soon Sebastian Moran's door closed and she was cuffed to his bed, all folly, fodder, and lost.]