FERGUSON, Mallory Aberdeen

         

Played By: Birdie

Name: Mallory Aberdeen Ferguson

Age: 20

Gender: Woman

Race: Human

Sexual Orientation: Bisexual

House: Glenice

Classes: Magical Theory I, Ancient Magic, Artistic Expression

Occupation: Student, Sophomore 

Likes:

• Virgin Wool - nothing smells as good as new wool, and you can’t convince her otherwise
  
• The Family Tartan - it’s been with her all her life. She’s a proud Scottish-American, and she puts it on almost everything
  
• Embroidery - she embroiders the way some people sketch. Sometimes it’s well thought out and planned, other times it’s just messy and wandering. The number of hoops she has filled with random stitches and ‘doodles’ is kinda embarrassing.
  
• History - she knows so many random facts. Go on, ask. Just make sure you have enough time to listen to her rant
  
• Vintage Rifles - she’s lived her life in the north woods of Maine all her life, and you don’t live there without learning how to hunt. She’s learned to appreciate the small details
  
• Thimbles - she collects these like others collect stamps. Most she can’t even use, but they fill but her shelves as little kitschy decorations.
  
• Rosaries - she has at least one somewhere in her possession. She hasn’t said the Rosary all the way through in years, but it’s mostly to calm herself down, and it only takes saying a decade or two to clear her head.
  
• Wild Flowers - specifically trilliums, but any flower will make her silly happy. 

Dislikes:

• The NRA - honestly they’re a joke, and for an organization that shouts so loudly about the importance of owning guns in the case of needing to overthrow a corrupt government, they sure line the pockets of many politicians with their money.
• Debating Human Rights - they’re called rights for a reason, they’re not something that should be up for a debate.
• Fundamentalists Christians - she doesn’t like to be reminded that she’s kinda a shitty Catholic, and most non-Catholic Christians don’t like Catholics already.
  
• Acrylic Fabric -it ITCHES
  
• Football - she used to be the biggest football fan, but her last boyfriend made it leave a bad taste in her mouth
  
• Galas/Silent Auctions - she’ll go if she has to, and she’s actually really good at talking to people, and talking people into making bigger donations, but she’d really rather be anywhere else
  

Strengths:

• Physical Strength - Years of step dancing, lacrosse, skiing, and running have given her all sorts of muscles.  Give her a bat or a stick or something similar, and she'll come at you swinging.  She can bench press and squat her own weight, don't test her
• Resolute - Once she says she'll do something, she will do it.  Mallory stands by her word
• Friendly - Mallory is outgoing and kind and has an instinct to mother most of the people she considers her friend.  Which could be you if you talk to her for like, 15 minutes.
• Loyal - She's the one you want in your corner when it feels like everyone else is against you.  She is literally Ride or Die^tm_.
• Forgiving - To her friends, there is very little they could do that would be unforgivable in her eyes.  So long as she knows you are sorry about what you did, she'll always forgive you.
• Sympathetic - Mallory comes from a wealthy and loving family, so she knows that she is very privileged.  She can be very aware of others struggles and though she can't relate, always offers herself as someone who will listen.
• Enthusiastic  - Even if it's something new she has never tried, Mallory is never one to turn down an opportunity, and she always tries to bring as much energy to it as possible!
• Adaptive - Mallory is pretty good at making herself fit into any situation.  Whether it's the sweet and faithful daughter, the attentive student, or the always smiling granddaughter, she can mold herself to stand out or blend in.  It's not her favorite thing to do, but winning personalities never fail, right?

Weaknesses:

• Stubborn - The downside to standing by your word is when you refuse to budge.  It takes a lot of effort to talk Mallory down from a position once she has it, and though she may eventually give way for the sake of ending an argument to save a friendship, she will secretly still stay steadfast to her beliefs.
• Spiteful - If you have ever wanted to see the personification of "to cut one's nose off to spite their own face", you've found it.  It typically only manifests itself when people say she can't do something and she takes it as a personal dare, but she has been known to sabotage her own cause just to drag someone else down with her.
• Naive - For all of her intelligence, Mallory still holds to the idea that given the right opportunity, she can change the world.  Although she understands the world and people are all very nuanced, she still mentally categorizes people into 'good' and 'bad', matching them to archetypes.  If you tell her that life isn't fair, she'll just ask why we don't try to make it so.
• Gullible - Listen, Mallory has the ability to manipulate fabric, and some people at this school can do much more impressive feats, so if you tell her that you can shoot lasers or some shit out of your eyes, who's she to say you can't?
• Manipulative - She's not proud of it, but years of Catholic school, attending functions and rallies, and all other sorts of events have given her the ability to read people and see what they want - from her or others.  It was helpful in getting people to open their checkbooks and writing a larger donation for a non-profit, but it also works when trying to get a drink or convincing someone to let her in.
• Self-Deprecating - Mallory has gotten better, but because of past events she doesn't have a lot of self-worth.  It's hard to tell from her upbeat attitude, but some of her jokes can be a little too... well, she personally describes herself as a "shitty cafeteria Catholic"

Fears: Mallory fears that she won't ever be good enough again.  She finds it difficult to love herself some days.  And the Catholic Guilt^tm is strong with this one.

Secret: Mallory blames herself for her ex-boyfriend raping another girl in her hometown.  If she had spoken up, if she had reported him, if she hadn't broken up with him... She'd 'if' herself to death if possible, and the guilt won't go away. 

Description: Mallory may be small, but she’s built tough and muscular, trophies from years of sports. Her legs are thick and muscular, attached to wide hips and a slim waist. She has soft hazel brown eyes hidden behind long lashes. In the summer, she develops a brush of freckles over her cheeks and nose. This used to embarrass her to no end, and though she’s not as embarrassed about it now, she still prefers to wear wide brim hats in the summer to avoid too many freckles. Her hair is a soft honey brown with side bangs and hangs down nearly to her hips in lazy curls that are easily tangled when she’s too lazy to brush her hair. Mallory’s jewelry consists of three lobe piercings on each ear, two cartilage piercings on her right ear, and a small frontal helix piercing on her left ear. She also has a tiny little nose ring, much to her parent’s chagrin, and she shares a tiny little heart tattoo on her left wrist with her sister.

Mallory has excellent posture from years of Scottish Highland dancing and walks tall and proud, with her shoulder back and chest out. She has a habit of standing with her feet planted wide apart, though she can usually hide the habit when she’s at a social function. However, she does tend to fidget a lot with her fingers, lacing and unlacing them together behind her back. She almost always looks like she’s in motion, looking this way and that even when sitting, or tapping her feet.

When out in public, she does her best to look clean cut, meaning her hair is kept in a simple ponytail or partially pulled back to keep her hair out of her eyes. Coming from money, she also tends to dress like she came out of a J Crew or Burberry catalog. Mallory likes to avoid brighter colors, but her typical outfit is still made up with button-ups, cardigans, puffy vests, skinny jeans, and riding boots. She also owns quite a few pearl accessories. Mallory does wear glasses, but she usually wears contacts because she thinks her eyes are too pretty to hide behind glasses. Because of her grandfather’s political connections, she’s had to attend many rallies and silent auctions and has perfected the plastered on smile, though she usually needs some alcohol to keep it in place the later into the night it gets.

However, when Mallory decides to hide away while working on a project, or even when she’s just hanging around, she easily tosses out the upper-class prep style in favor of leggings and loose tees. She almost always has a button up tied around her waist in these instances, and a small scarf tied around her head to keep back her hair, which is then thrown into a messy bun. Paired with keds, her thick square rimmed glasses, and a venti coffee, she can nearly walk into town and not be recognized.

Power(s): Thread Magic.
Mallory is able to use her magic through the manipulation of threads and other textiles. While she can command man-made fibers, it works best with natural fibers like silk, wool, linen, and cotton. This can involve changing the color of the fabric, instantly wicking away moisture, or keeping herself warm. She can also store her magic in the threads via embroidery or knitting/crocheting, meaning she can give someone a scarf that will always keep them warm, or make a jacket that will always keep the wearer dry.

Belongings: Mallory carries around a sewing kit, which contains a pair of beautiful vintage gold embroidery scissors, a vintage silver thimble, fabric scissors, pins and needles, embroidery hoops, and muslin fabric.  She also has a variety of knitting and crochet needles in all sorts of sizes.  She also has her grandmother's rosary, a beautiful set made with pearl and silver that has been blessed by the last three popes.

Personality: Mallory is a bright, energetic, and adventurous person, though some would also call her tiring or draining.  She lives by the motto of 'always look on the bright side of life', usually sung in a very annoying tune.  it seems that she's always willing to give it 110%, and she is very willing to drag others along if she must.  This can be very intense for some people, and Mallory recognizes that and does her best to keep herself reigned in.  When listening to others, it's like she only hears what they have to say - all of her attention is on the speaker.  Though she loves to have fun, when it gets down to it, Mallory almost always chooses to help others and do what is better for all rather than what is best for her.  This can lead to feeling drained, even though she does her best not to show it.  Working on a project is possibly the only time she isn't constantly moving her entire body.  She can be quiet and contemplative when thinking through a difficult problem, and often times become lost in it, forgetting about the rest of the world.  Because of what happened between her and her last boyfriend, she does have some issues with getting intimately close with others, even at a platonic level, and often uses humor to try and deflect from topics she would rather not discuss.  When pressed, Mallory can become cold and shut herself off, going into an almost dissociative state.  Most of the time, though, you can usually catch her singing a tune or dancing to music in her head, and expect to be greeted with a warm smile and a big hug.

History: Mallory Aberdeen Ferguson was born in the spring in Northern Maine as the first daughter to Angus and Eleanor Ferguson, younger sister to Devin and later older sister to Cathleen. The Ferguson's were well off, to say the least.  Not like Manhattan well off, but for a family in a small town in Maine, they were considered rich.  And although the children were probably spoiled in some ways, Angus and Eleanor made sure that they knew the value of hard work.  Mallory grew up hunting with her brother and father and learning step dancing with her sister.  Her grandmother taught her how to knit and sew, and from an early age, Mallory was able to work her magic, though she was unaware of it.  She knew that she was loved and loved her family in return, and other than that, Mallory's childhood was rather uneventful.  However, her grandfather was a Congressman, which meant attending multiple events and galas for publicity.  As a kid, it was kind of fun - Mallory and her siblings got to dress up, eat fancy food (and fancy desserts) and ran around huge fancy venues with other kids.  So if they had to stand still for a couple of pictures, it wasn't fun, but they suffered through it.

Mallory spent her education in private Catholic schools and was mostly a model daughter.  High school is where it began to get tricky.  Mallory had always been a girl with strong opinions, and some of those opinions clashed with the small town attitudes.  She had to perfect her plastered on smile as she listened to her grandfather's fellow Congressmen discuss politics, and was specifically instructed to simply smile and walk away before she really let those old men know what she thought of their policies.  Mallory didn't really date for most of high school.  It wasn't that no one asked her out, she just simply was busy with other things, or too oblivious to the attention for it to even register.  Between lacrosse and the clubs she was involved in, it wasn't until her junior year that she began dating a boy from the football team.  He was a nice kid - a little aggressive, but nothing abnormal for a small town.  They'd been dating for about six months when the issue of sex came up.  Though Mallory considered herself to be a good Catholic, she didn't exactly agree with the idea of no sex before marriage.  However, she also didn't feel comfortable with the idea of having sex with her boyfriend at the time.  They fell into a routine, of making out and touching each other, but never getting much further than that, for a couple of months, until her boyfriend decided he'd had enough.  To this day, Mallory still debates on if he had actually raped her because even though she eventually agreed, she hadn't actually wanted to.  But she felt as though she didn't have much of a choice.  A month after, Mallory broke it off with him partway through the first semester of their senior year.  She debated with herself about reporting it, but could never get past the fact that she had technically agreed, even though she had been coerced.  During this time, she began seeing another girl, though a combination of her Catholic Guilt and the weight of her boyfriend's assault always help her back, and she and the girl parted on unhappy terms.  Mallory had nearly buried the incident in her mind when, close to graduation, another girl came forward and accused Mallory's ex-boyfriend of raping her.  It went to trial, and though the boy was convicted of rape, his jail time was severely reduced because the judge felt sorry for him.  Mallory, however, felt even more sorry, blaming herself for what the other girl had gone through.  When it came time to accept a college, she just wanted to get as far away from all of it as possible, and when a letter came in the mail saying she had been accepted to some prestigious art school in a complete other state, she accepted it without questioning why she had received such a letter from a school she had never applied to.  Now she has been here for a little over a year, and though her self-worth and feelings on her past have slowly gotten better, she still has some issues.

Other: Mallory is an excellent shot.  Like, if you're in need of a sniper, she's your girl.  This girl also swears like a sailor, I'm so sorry.  Here is her character aesthetic board for a more illustrated understanding.

RP Example: 

Gwen tensed as the knight stepped forward, once again even with her. She turned her head to the side but refused to lift her chin to look at his face. Side by side, she began to take note of every advantage he had over her. The top of her head was only just even with the shoulders, and his hips were even with her waist. Even if she sprinted, he could catch her in a few moments. And probably do the same in full armor if needed, she noted as she glanced at his arms, the muscles well defined underneath the fabric of his tunic. The rest of him was surely the same way. That was the problem with younger knights - almost all of them were in great shape, eager to show off in jousts and melees. Most older knights no longer felt that need.

Her brows knitted together when the knight spoke. Better use than the court soldiers, he said. Gwen could admit that he was probably right, but to hear it from a foreigner grated her nerves. She may be a princess, but she understood the politics of court, and weakness was hardly ever something that could be used in one’s favor. She also knew a challenge when she heard it, and Gwen had never been one to say no to a challenge. The princess did raise her face now, meeting his gaze evenly. If this knight thought that she would sit pretty and sew the linens for her marriage chest like a good princess should, he had another thing coming.

Gwen side-stepped away from the knight to put more than the proper space between them. She placed her hands on the table again, this time leaning forward. She had one more gamble, though it was a risky. “Increase the guards, father. Place as many governesses with me as you see fit, but do not assign me this knight.” She took a deep breath, preparing for the worst. “At best, our lords will see him and ask why a foreign knight was allowed to guard their princess. They might even take it as a slight against them. And at worst, they will ask what might happen by allowing a knight such as him to be so close to me. Every old rumor will be brought up again and-”

“Gwendolyn Elsed Aran O’Rinn.” The king’s voice boomed throughout the Hall as he stood. Gwen actually jumped away from the table, as if it had burned her, and on instinct, she locked her hands behind her back and her eyes on the floor. She felt cold and numb, unable to do anything but listen. “I do not have time for your excuses and whining. I have assigned this knight to guard you, and I will hear no more on the subject. This is not a negotiation, and if you make any attempts, so help me, I will have you locked in your room until a proposal has been officiated. Do you understand?” Gwen gave the tiniest of nods. Fear, disappointment, and anger clouded her head, and she didn’t trust herself to do much more, let alone speak. Her father sat down again, placing a hand over his eyes. “Then you are dismissed,” he said wearily. Slowly, Gwen knelt into a low curtsy.

“Yes, your Majesty.” Her voice was quiet, only just above a whisper, but she knew he heard. She wanted to turn and sprint from the Hall, but she kept herself in check, turning back to the door and walking with slow purpose, the hem of her dress barely making any noise. She hoped against hope that the knight would be silly enough to wait to be dismissed himself, but knew that he was probably following. It wasn’t until she was past the large door and out of her father’s line of sight that she let out a shaky sigh. Gwen knew bringing up the old rumors about her honor and virginity would touch a nerve with her father, but she thought there was a chance it would have made him reconsider. The princess leaned against a column to steady herself and to think. She needed out, to be in the open air. Catching one of the servants, she asked them to let the stablehands know that she would be down soon and to ready her mare. Gwen then stood up and began working the pins from her hair and pocketing them. Shaking her curls loose, she began to braid it all back. The less her maids had to do, the sooner she could be riding.