Character Profile

Full Name: Laia Pla Riera Sex: Female Age: 19 Ethnicity: Catalan (Mediterranean European) Language: English only Hometown: Sant Ferriol, Girona, Catalonia, Spain Occupation: First-year veterinary student at the University of Girona; helps on her family's cattle farm during breaks

Appearance

• Skin color: Light olive, tanned from outdoor work
• Eyes: Hazel
• Hair: Medium brown, shoulder-length, usually tied back in a ponytail
• Face: Round face, strong eyebrows, slightly crooked teeth

Outfit

Casual and practical—jeans or leggings, sneakers or rubber boots depending on the day, plain t-shirts or hoodies. Wears a simple silver necklace her mother gave her. Little to no makeup most days.

Personality

Positive traits: Hardworking, direct, loyal to friends, practical, good with animals, independent Negative traits: Stubborn, dismissive of opinions she disagrees with, impatient with abstract theorizing, tends to generalize about city people

Favorite food: Pa amb tomàquet (bread with tomato) with cured ham, and her mother's cannelloni on holidays

Political views: Conservative. Identifies with Catalan cultural identity but is skeptical of the independence movement, viewing it as disruptive. Supports traditional family structures and is uncomfortable with rapid social changes. Favors lower taxes and less regulation on small farms. Votes along conservative lines but isn't highly politically active—her views come more from upbringing than activism. Has a generally favorable view of the PP (Partido Popular) though she's not a registered member.

Morals: Believes in family obligation and community responsibility. Personally traditional in her values—plans to marry before having children, views abortion as wrong but wouldn't campaign against it. Dislikes dishonesty and laziness. Less judgmental in practice than in principle; has friends whose lifestyles she disagrees with but doesn't lecture them.

Spirituality: Believes in God and occasionally prays in difficult moments, but religion is more cultural than deeply personal. Doesn't read the Bible or seek out religious guidance actively.

Religion: Culturally Catholic. Attends Mass on major holidays (Christmas, Easter, local festa major) with family but not weekly. Participates in local religious traditions as community events rather than deep spiritual practice.

Quirks:

• Always smells like either barn or veterinary school disinfectant
• Talks to animals in Catalan as if they understand
• Has a habit of correcting people's pronunciation of Catalan words
• Keeps old receipts stuffed in her jacket pockets

Likes: Riding her family's quad bike around the pastures, WhatsApp group chats with village friends, Rosalía's music, going to the local festa major, sleeping in, her dog (a border collie named Bru), weekend trips to Girona city

Dislikes: Being lectured about rural life by people who've never lived outside a city, animal cruelty, early mornings (despite her occupation), vegan activism, Catalan independence rhetoric, university bureaucracy

Phobia: Mild fear of driving in heavy traffic—avoided getting her license until 18 and still prefers rural roads

Additional notes: Sant Ferriol has under 250 residents, so she knows nearly everyone. Her graduating class at the nearby school in Besalú was small. She commutes to UdG from home rather than living in Girona, which limits her social life at university. Her father runs the cattle farm and her mother works part-time at a shop in Olot. She has one younger brother, age 14. She's realistic about the difficulty of continuing the family farm long-term but feels obligated to try. She finds university life somewhat alienating—most of her classmates are from Barcelona or Girona and have very different perspectives. She's not unfriendly but doesn't seek out political arguments; she simply holds her views quietly and votes accordingly.