Donna Paulsen ❥ not your mother (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
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realpolitik2012-10-05 12:43 pm
executiveassistant) wrote in realpolitik2012-10-05 12:43 pm
Entry tags:
[Application] Donna Paulsen; Ataraxion
P L A Y E R I N F O R M A T I O N
Your Name: Cal
OOC Journal:kalisona
Under 18? If yes, what is your age?: Over 18!
Email + IM: carriwitchets@gmail.com | AIM: carriwitchets
Characters Played at Ataraxion: N/A
C H A R A C T E R I N F O R M A T I O N
Name: Donna Paulsen
Canon: Suits
Original or Alternate Universe: Original!
Canon Point: Post Season 1, post episode 1.12
Number: 012 -> 144
Setting: High class lawyers in a high class world.
History:
Let's play detective about Donna Paulsen's past!
The majority of her past is an absolute mystery, to no big surprise, this being a USA show and her not being one of the two "main" characters. Regardless, there are a few things we can piece together from her appearances on the show and from what has been said about her in interviews with Sarah Rafferty.
Donna Paulsen was likely a very idealistic young woman; we have hints that she wanted to pursue a career in acting. She takes the acting roles at Pearson-Hardman very seriously, and Rafferty has stated in an interview that Donna was always considering a career such as that. It certainly explains her tendency towards acting at any time, and how easily she can fool anyone in the firm with those skills. It also explains her love of Shakespeare, and I would not be surprised if she has acted as Lady Macbeth onstage at some point.
She was likely, however, struggling to get a big break as a little-known actress, and so she went back to school; she must have gotten certified to work in her current position somehow.
Regardless, seven years before her current appearance, she met Harvey.
She became his assistant, somehow, some way. And she liked the career and she liked Harvey enough to stick with him, from his position as a DA to his current position as Senior Partner in Pearson-Hardman. Because she has been with Harvey for so very long, she has this tendency to know everything about him. "Rewind" shows us that she's been listening to his conversations in his office for at least five years (probably longer, honestly, that's just when she let him know she was). She knows his secrets, she knows his history. She was the one to tell him his father died; she was the one who talked to his father often.
Donna protects Harvey's life and secrets and has for years.
And at some point, this loyalty got her into trouble with her relationships. Her boyfriend at the time forced her to choose between him and Harvey--she chose Harvey, in the end, and that is now where her undivided loyalties lie. She plays around, but she has no intentions of getting into a deep relationship with anyone right now.
It is for this reason that Harvey trusts Donna to give each of the applicants for his associate's position "a hard time" because he was looking for "another me". And she found his associate for him in the form of a certain Mike Ross. She plays a minor but key role throughout season one, acting as Harvey's ever-so-irreplaceable assistant, sassing those who would look down on her and blackmailing Louis whenever he attempted to barge his way into Harvey's office.
Ultimately, she decides when Harvey gets into a bit of trouble with his previous mentor, to resolve the issue herself. Harvey has a moral scale much different than Donna's; he wanted to protect his mentor out of a sense of loyalty despite the wrongs he'd done. Donna went against his explicit wishes--out of loyalty to him. She saved Harvey's career through what she did, and lost a bit of Harvey's trust in the process (and gained a bit of his ire).
But in the end, it was clear she did it to protect him, and he had to admit that as well, apologizing to her. Donna is a bit like Harvey's knight; she protects him in all ways, is absolutely loyal to him, but she's not quite as upstanding as a knight should be. If you'll forgive the Shakespearean metaphor, she's a bit like Kent in King Lear, always loyal, but not afraid to go against the one she's loyal to if it's in his best interests.
Personality:
Donna Paulsen is a sassy, competent, unbeatable legal assistant.
She works as Harvey's assistant and proves many a time through her own abilities and strengths that she is the best of the best. Everyone wants her assistance, everyone in the law firm fears her reach and powers, and everyone grows to know just how much of a badass Donna Paulsen is. And all of this from the comfort of her chair, right outside Harvey Specter's office.
And she does this because she truly is ridiculously competent. She can read Harvey's mood from the color of his tie and the shift of his suit; she can read Louis' promotion from what suit he is wearing too. She always knows what is going on in the law firm, she always knows precisely what Harvey needs, and she always knows exactly how to get it to him.
She's Donna. She knows everything.
And because of this, she plays by her own rules. Drinks in the office? She's game. Listening in on Harvey's private conversations? Duh. Being as confidently competent as she is, she won't let anyone look down on her. She'll sass anyone that tries to place limitations on her, and there's a good reason that the law firm fears her wrath.
Because compared to Mike and Harvey, Donna's moral code is a little...darker.
She doesn't have any problem using blackmail to get her way, or manipulating someone, or lying. She will use her looks as a seduction technique, she will threaten and cheat. Generally speaking, she only pulls all of this out when Harvey is threatened in some way, because then it's worth delving into all of that, but it certainly is something she turns to as a natural matter of course. Where Harvey refuses to break his moral codes, Donna does it for him.
Even when Harvey is not in any particular danger, her natural inclination is to network like crazy and be a rather competent spymaster, drawing on her ability to establish relationships to know everything that's going on around her. She's not omniscient, but she certainly gives off that impression when she knows exactly what happened in the office even when she's not around--but of course, simply asking her network will give her that answer. On top of that, she reads lips and her observational skills are top notch. There is very little Donna Paulsen won't notice when it is of relevance to her or to Harvey (or to Mike, since he is Harvey's too).
But that's just one of the many facets that makes up Donna; there is much more to her than that. She is witty, able to quote both Shakespeare and any number of movies (such as Star Trek) without a hitch. She's never at a loss for a one-liner and her expressiveness is impressive.
That isn't that surprising, though, considering how much of an actress she is. She might not have stuck with the career for long, but that doesn't mean anything when it comes to her acting skills. She is a flawless, consummate actress, even Harvey, who knows her best, she can fool. Acting is her passion, so it's not really all that surprising that she can pull out a flawless crying scene right at her desk. And all without smearing her mascara.
All of that is fine and dandy, but when it comes down to Donna's motivations and reasons for all that she does, there's really only one answer: Harvey Specter. She is so loyal to him that she chose him over any romantic relationship she could have hoped for, even knowing that nothing romantic would ever work between them. She likely did have feelings for him, but as she said herself, "the feelings go away eventually". She thought they would be a terrible match, that it would ruin their working relationship, and because she didn't pursue it, they are stronger than ever. One thing I think is important to note is that Donna is not pining after Harvey. They are bros, and bros they will remain; only a bro would ask after Harvey's sexual exploits and tease him about them, after all.
Her loyalty to Harvey is an interesting thing, however, in that she will not necessarily always follow his orders. She is more than willing to go against what he wants in order to do what is best for him. She knows he is very upstanding and has his own code of honor, but she does not, and she won't let him lose the things that are important to him because of a silly thing like honor. That is the sort of loyalty that Donna has for Harvey--she will do anything for him, including what he doesn't want her to do.
Past that, she is snarky and confident, laid-back and easily able to enjoy herself in any situation. Generally, she rolls with the punches, and she's got an easy confidence that makes it easy for her to strut her way into any situation she pleases. She likes to be entertained, and doesn't much like to be bored.
That sort of thing is what led her to end up with a number of men proposing to her before she crushed their dreams, but alas.
What can you do when you're as awesome as Donna Paulsen but grace others with that awesomeness?
Abilities, Weaknesses and Power Limitations:
While Donna is flawless, badass and in control in her own territory, take her out of her territory and the fact must be faced that she is just a normal human. She does yoga, so she's in decent shape, but she's not going to be gun-slinging or fighting alongside the Avengers in any way, shape or form.
The quick and dirty list:
+ Super intelligent
+ Super nosy/super networking skills activate
+ Witty, sassy and well-read
- Normal human being
- Not always the most sympathetic
+/- Manipulative, seductive and/or dishonest when necessary
+/- Harvey
Inventory:
(x1) Can opener
(x1) Classy but comfortable outfit
(x1) Dress suit
(x1) Blue yoga mat.
Appearance: She is a flawless lady.
Age: Really, don’t ask a lady her age—but she has been with Harvey for seven years, and had done quite a few things before that. I’d pin her in her 30’s, in the 32-36 range.
AU Clarification: N/A
S A M P L E S
Log Sample:
It was 6:00 am sharp when Donna walked into the coffee shop, heels clicking on the tile, skirt and dress coat pristine. Appearances, appearances, appearances. It simply would not do to walk into the firm anything less than pristine.
(She'd seen it happen. It wasn't pretty.)
(Never to her, of course. She was more experienced than that.)
But while appearances were important, that wasn't all she had up her sleeve. She was competent at her job, and that was the most important. As an assistant, she naturally had to be able to read the current of the job and the pulse of every person at the firm. Oh, it was almost second nature to her now, but that just mean there was definitely no excuse for anything less than the best.
And so she strolled up to the counter, leaning on it just enough to best display her figure (perhaps it was just a natural, subconscious gesture at this point) and smiled brightly at the barista.
He looked at her and swallowed.
Good man. He knew to be very afraid already.
So Donna kept her smile on and ordered--a grande frappuccino for her, skim milk but with whipped cream. And after a moment's pointed thought, she also got Harvey's coffee as well.
(Just like every morning, but only because she was just that amazing of an assistant.)
She thanked the barista, "Thank you very much, you've been really helpful."
And when she lifted the cups, she spied the phone number written along the side of the cup (hers, not Harvey's, though that would have been quite entertaining). She would've given Harvey his cup regardless, even with the number on, though she suspected it was clear that a simply black coffee was likely not hers.
Well. She could absolutely give him points for creativity and being perceptive enough for that. And she did--with a wink, before she turned and walked away, already pushing him out of her mind as her heels clicked on the tile and she thought about what tasks she had to do that day. Harvey would need the files on the Wendigo case. She could send a text before she got into work and have them on her desk by the time she was there, so she thought she might as well do that. He would probably also request times for the hearing; she would do that first. She already had his coffee.
It was a good start, she could admit that one. But there would be much to do yet. She couldn't predict everything...just most things.
It wasn't a Tuesday. She probably wouldn't be bored enough for the barista today.
Comms Sample:
[When she clicks on the device, she at least doesn't look all too bothered or off-guard. In fact, she looks perfectly in control of the situation. But talking on the phone is kind of a prerequisite for secretaries, so maybe that's not so surprising.]
I like the iPhone. Very classy, very sci-fi.
[That was clearly a necessary comment because how she feels about this new phone is very important, take notes, all of you viewers at home--]
But yikes, space, huh? 'For I have lost us him on a dangerous sea'--I'd quote Star Trek but I'm sure someone has beaten me to that one, so I won't. Yet. You can thank me later.
[She arches an eyebrow, eyes flicking to the ceiling temporarily.]
Hello, fellow space-kidnappees. I'm Donna, and I've heard rumors that this is an addendum to my job now, so if a certain Mike Ross or Harvey Specter have caused you any emotional trauma, please let me know.
[A slightly faux, very amused grin.]
Thanks!
[She'd better get a raise for this--
Click!]
Your Name: Cal
OOC Journal:
kalisonaUnder 18? If yes, what is your age?: Over 18!
Email + IM: carriwitchets@gmail.com | AIM: carriwitchets
Characters Played at Ataraxion: N/A
C H A R A C T E R I N F O R M A T I O N
Name: Donna Paulsen
Canon: Suits
Original or Alternate Universe: Original!
Canon Point: Post Season 1, post episode 1.12
Number: 012 -> 144
Setting: High class lawyers in a high class world.
History:
Let's play detective about Donna Paulsen's past!
The majority of her past is an absolute mystery, to no big surprise, this being a USA show and her not being one of the two "main" characters. Regardless, there are a few things we can piece together from her appearances on the show and from what has been said about her in interviews with Sarah Rafferty.
Donna Paulsen was likely a very idealistic young woman; we have hints that she wanted to pursue a career in acting. She takes the acting roles at Pearson-Hardman very seriously, and Rafferty has stated in an interview that Donna was always considering a career such as that. It certainly explains her tendency towards acting at any time, and how easily she can fool anyone in the firm with those skills. It also explains her love of Shakespeare, and I would not be surprised if she has acted as Lady Macbeth onstage at some point.
She was likely, however, struggling to get a big break as a little-known actress, and so she went back to school; she must have gotten certified to work in her current position somehow.
Regardless, seven years before her current appearance, she met Harvey.
She became his assistant, somehow, some way. And she liked the career and she liked Harvey enough to stick with him, from his position as a DA to his current position as Senior Partner in Pearson-Hardman. Because she has been with Harvey for so very long, she has this tendency to know everything about him. "Rewind" shows us that she's been listening to his conversations in his office for at least five years (probably longer, honestly, that's just when she let him know she was). She knows his secrets, she knows his history. She was the one to tell him his father died; she was the one who talked to his father often.
Donna protects Harvey's life and secrets and has for years.
And at some point, this loyalty got her into trouble with her relationships. Her boyfriend at the time forced her to choose between him and Harvey--she chose Harvey, in the end, and that is now where her undivided loyalties lie. She plays around, but she has no intentions of getting into a deep relationship with anyone right now.
It is for this reason that Harvey trusts Donna to give each of the applicants for his associate's position "a hard time" because he was looking for "another me". And she found his associate for him in the form of a certain Mike Ross. She plays a minor but key role throughout season one, acting as Harvey's ever-so-irreplaceable assistant, sassing those who would look down on her and blackmailing Louis whenever he attempted to barge his way into Harvey's office.
Ultimately, she decides when Harvey gets into a bit of trouble with his previous mentor, to resolve the issue herself. Harvey has a moral scale much different than Donna's; he wanted to protect his mentor out of a sense of loyalty despite the wrongs he'd done. Donna went against his explicit wishes--out of loyalty to him. She saved Harvey's career through what she did, and lost a bit of Harvey's trust in the process (and gained a bit of his ire).
But in the end, it was clear she did it to protect him, and he had to admit that as well, apologizing to her. Donna is a bit like Harvey's knight; she protects him in all ways, is absolutely loyal to him, but she's not quite as upstanding as a knight should be. If you'll forgive the Shakespearean metaphor, she's a bit like Kent in King Lear, always loyal, but not afraid to go against the one she's loyal to if it's in his best interests.
Personality:
Donna Paulsen is a sassy, competent, unbeatable legal assistant.
She works as Harvey's assistant and proves many a time through her own abilities and strengths that she is the best of the best. Everyone wants her assistance, everyone in the law firm fears her reach and powers, and everyone grows to know just how much of a badass Donna Paulsen is. And all of this from the comfort of her chair, right outside Harvey Specter's office.
And she does this because she truly is ridiculously competent. She can read Harvey's mood from the color of his tie and the shift of his suit; she can read Louis' promotion from what suit he is wearing too. She always knows what is going on in the law firm, she always knows precisely what Harvey needs, and she always knows exactly how to get it to him.
She's Donna. She knows everything.
And because of this, she plays by her own rules. Drinks in the office? She's game. Listening in on Harvey's private conversations? Duh. Being as confidently competent as she is, she won't let anyone look down on her. She'll sass anyone that tries to place limitations on her, and there's a good reason that the law firm fears her wrath.
Because compared to Mike and Harvey, Donna's moral code is a little...darker.
She doesn't have any problem using blackmail to get her way, or manipulating someone, or lying. She will use her looks as a seduction technique, she will threaten and cheat. Generally speaking, she only pulls all of this out when Harvey is threatened in some way, because then it's worth delving into all of that, but it certainly is something she turns to as a natural matter of course. Where Harvey refuses to break his moral codes, Donna does it for him.
Even when Harvey is not in any particular danger, her natural inclination is to network like crazy and be a rather competent spymaster, drawing on her ability to establish relationships to know everything that's going on around her. She's not omniscient, but she certainly gives off that impression when she knows exactly what happened in the office even when she's not around--but of course, simply asking her network will give her that answer. On top of that, she reads lips and her observational skills are top notch. There is very little Donna Paulsen won't notice when it is of relevance to her or to Harvey (or to Mike, since he is Harvey's too).
But that's just one of the many facets that makes up Donna; there is much more to her than that. She is witty, able to quote both Shakespeare and any number of movies (such as Star Trek) without a hitch. She's never at a loss for a one-liner and her expressiveness is impressive.
That isn't that surprising, though, considering how much of an actress she is. She might not have stuck with the career for long, but that doesn't mean anything when it comes to her acting skills. She is a flawless, consummate actress, even Harvey, who knows her best, she can fool. Acting is her passion, so it's not really all that surprising that she can pull out a flawless crying scene right at her desk. And all without smearing her mascara.
All of that is fine and dandy, but when it comes down to Donna's motivations and reasons for all that she does, there's really only one answer: Harvey Specter. She is so loyal to him that she chose him over any romantic relationship she could have hoped for, even knowing that nothing romantic would ever work between them. She likely did have feelings for him, but as she said herself, "the feelings go away eventually". She thought they would be a terrible match, that it would ruin their working relationship, and because she didn't pursue it, they are stronger than ever. One thing I think is important to note is that Donna is not pining after Harvey. They are bros, and bros they will remain; only a bro would ask after Harvey's sexual exploits and tease him about them, after all.
Her loyalty to Harvey is an interesting thing, however, in that she will not necessarily always follow his orders. She is more than willing to go against what he wants in order to do what is best for him. She knows he is very upstanding and has his own code of honor, but she does not, and she won't let him lose the things that are important to him because of a silly thing like honor. That is the sort of loyalty that Donna has for Harvey--she will do anything for him, including what he doesn't want her to do.
Past that, she is snarky and confident, laid-back and easily able to enjoy herself in any situation. Generally, she rolls with the punches, and she's got an easy confidence that makes it easy for her to strut her way into any situation she pleases. She likes to be entertained, and doesn't much like to be bored.
That sort of thing is what led her to end up with a number of men proposing to her before she crushed their dreams, but alas.
What can you do when you're as awesome as Donna Paulsen but grace others with that awesomeness?
Abilities, Weaknesses and Power Limitations:
While Donna is flawless, badass and in control in her own territory, take her out of her territory and the fact must be faced that she is just a normal human. She does yoga, so she's in decent shape, but she's not going to be gun-slinging or fighting alongside the Avengers in any way, shape or form.
The quick and dirty list:
+ Super intelligent
+ Super nosy/super networking skills activate
+ Witty, sassy and well-read
- Normal human being
- Not always the most sympathetic
+/- Manipulative, seductive and/or dishonest when necessary
+/- Harvey
Inventory:
(x1) Can opener
(x1) Classy but comfortable outfit
(x1) Dress suit
(x1) Blue yoga mat.
Appearance: She is a flawless lady.
Age: Really, don’t ask a lady her age—but she has been with Harvey for seven years, and had done quite a few things before that. I’d pin her in her 30’s, in the 32-36 range.
AU Clarification: N/A
S A M P L E S
Log Sample:
It was 6:00 am sharp when Donna walked into the coffee shop, heels clicking on the tile, skirt and dress coat pristine. Appearances, appearances, appearances. It simply would not do to walk into the firm anything less than pristine.
(She'd seen it happen. It wasn't pretty.)
(Never to her, of course. She was more experienced than that.)
But while appearances were important, that wasn't all she had up her sleeve. She was competent at her job, and that was the most important. As an assistant, she naturally had to be able to read the current of the job and the pulse of every person at the firm. Oh, it was almost second nature to her now, but that just mean there was definitely no excuse for anything less than the best.
And so she strolled up to the counter, leaning on it just enough to best display her figure (perhaps it was just a natural, subconscious gesture at this point) and smiled brightly at the barista.
He looked at her and swallowed.
Good man. He knew to be very afraid already.
So Donna kept her smile on and ordered--a grande frappuccino for her, skim milk but with whipped cream. And after a moment's pointed thought, she also got Harvey's coffee as well.
(Just like every morning, but only because she was just that amazing of an assistant.)
She thanked the barista, "Thank you very much, you've been really helpful."
And when she lifted the cups, she spied the phone number written along the side of the cup (hers, not Harvey's, though that would have been quite entertaining). She would've given Harvey his cup regardless, even with the number on, though she suspected it was clear that a simply black coffee was likely not hers.
Well. She could absolutely give him points for creativity and being perceptive enough for that. And she did--with a wink, before she turned and walked away, already pushing him out of her mind as her heels clicked on the tile and she thought about what tasks she had to do that day. Harvey would need the files on the Wendigo case. She could send a text before she got into work and have them on her desk by the time she was there, so she thought she might as well do that. He would probably also request times for the hearing; she would do that first. She already had his coffee.
It was a good start, she could admit that one. But there would be much to do yet. She couldn't predict everything...just most things.
It wasn't a Tuesday. She probably wouldn't be bored enough for the barista today.
Comms Sample:
[When she clicks on the device, she at least doesn't look all too bothered or off-guard. In fact, she looks perfectly in control of the situation. But talking on the phone is kind of a prerequisite for secretaries, so maybe that's not so surprising.]
I like the iPhone. Very classy, very sci-fi.
[That was clearly a necessary comment because how she feels about this new phone is very important, take notes, all of you viewers at home--]
But yikes, space, huh? 'For I have lost us him on a dangerous sea'--I'd quote Star Trek but I'm sure someone has beaten me to that one, so I won't. Yet. You can thank me later.
[She arches an eyebrow, eyes flicking to the ceiling temporarily.]
Hello, fellow space-kidnappees. I'm Donna, and I've heard rumors that this is an addendum to my job now, so if a certain Mike Ross or Harvey Specter have caused you any emotional trauma, please let me know.
[A slightly faux, very amused grin.]
Thanks!
[She'd better get a raise for this--
Click!]