InsaneJournal

Height/weight: 5'3 / 8 stone
Hair/eyes: reddish brown / blue
Manner of speech: Tabitha speaks with an enthusiastic blend of her father's "intellectual" accent (a slightly uppity received pronunciation) and her mother's local blend. She's not especially forceful in her speech, but she does give the impression of channelling a great deal of energy into her verbal pursuits, and as a child was always rather breathless when communicating.
Manner of dress: Like most things Tabitha, her dress tends to be sporadic, fickle, and tending to extremes. Sometimes she looks very much the minister's daughter, with conservative blouses and strangely old fashioned lace; other times she looks like she fell into a hippie's closet with ripped jeans and a tired knit beanie. For most of the times in the middle she looks like your average girl in well kempt, generally pretty clothes and tidy robes - though she had been known to wear bright pink robes just to get a reaction out of people.
Physical description: Though generally 'all around mundane' in the physical sense, Tabitha makes up for that mediocrity with joie de vivre. There is a certain zeal for life that no amount of stature or prettiness can make up for, and she's got it in spades; when Tabitha is happy she is happy and when she is sad she is sad, and she tends to wear her emotions without reserve.

In terms of shallower physical appearance, she appears to be a careless amalgam of both her mother and father's characteristics. Mum's pointy chin combined with Guppy's cheekbones (or lack thereof) and nose give her a relatively indistinctive appearance, and really all that shines in Tabitha's face are her father's brilliant blue eyes. She also managed to get a bizarre strain of auburn from Guppy (a surprise, considering baby Tabitha was more blonde than brunette), and though lamenting that her hair only goes lighter strains of red in the summer, she does take some measure of delight in being the odd one out in her immediate family. Millicent's pale complexion and slender features lend an aura of femininity to her daughter, but mostly Tabitha is 'just another girl' - which really works for her, because she prefers to draw peoples' attention with her exuberance and bizarre choice in attire.
First impression: whoa there tiger!

PB: Becky Lou Filip

General personality: Contradiction would be the key word in any effort to describe Tabitha Bagnold, whether it be her appearance, her fits of mood, or her temperament. Born to parents of generally amiable (but lax) relations, Tabitha grew up charmed and beguiled by freedom and good moods - and the occasional bitter battle with her big brother for Mummy's attention. She grew into a fickle sort of creature whose only repercussions for never finishing what she started were the occasional absent-minded tuts of her father (which hardly carried much weight since he would simply move on to help her begin her next ridiculous project) and the bemused encouragement of her mother to do what made her happy. Unfortunately, what tended to make Tabitha happy was always new, new, new.

The true foundations of her personality comprise both an energetic curiosity and delight in the world and a true appreciation for the beliefs and traditions of her family. Tabitha is both a conservative and an eccentric, and it is only where the two meet that she is ever at peace.

On the eccentric side of things, she's typically excitable, if a bit moody as a result of easily dashed expectations, and curious. Tabitha's greatest delight is dipping her fingers into as many hobbies and interests as she can before moving on to the next thing that catches her attention. It's made keeping a job impossibly difficult, and though she's finally managed to hold one down (thanks to her father's bribery), she still grows restless and frustrated upon occasion - two emotions she's never really learned how to deal with. Tabitha's energy (though physical to the extent that she delights in quidditch, broom-riding, and manhandling baby-dragons) is typically focused in attacking projects; she is almost manic in her singlemindedness, though it lasts in exceptionally short bursts, and can sit down for 30 hours straight to work on something ... only to lose interest and leave it half done. Her behaviour is similarly erratic - she dresses to fit her moods, even if that means sundresses in the dead of winter or scarves in summer; she adores bright yellows and blues and can't give half a damn who likes what she's wearing and who doesn't. She's self-confident and independent, but has yet to dip into egotism or dispassion for others, though occasionally her sporadic attentions make it difficult for her to empathise with people.

So what on God's earth could be considered traditional about Tabitha? For one, she is very family oriented. Her mother and father (and brother, despite his self-disownment) mean a great deal to her, as does her extended family in all directions. She's keenly aware of familial expectations and rules, and though she's well aware of her mother's "do as I say, not as I do" attitude, and annoyed by it, she typically follows suit in matters of the family. Despite Millicent's quite exceptional position as a woman in society, Tabitha's own ambitions are far vaguer, and just about the only thing she's truly aware she desires to do is marry Ioan and have children - though it's unclear whether this is something she genuinely desires or whether she's simply going along with the family flow. It's difficult for her to sift her own thoughts and feelings from those engineered by the family unit, and often Tabitha finds herself adhering to rules she isn't even consciously aware exist. Her loyalties to her family come first, absolutely, and the main reason she has never stuck her head above water in this war is fear of repercussion to her mother or Guppy. It makes participating in the order a bit difficult, given how reckless some others seem to be, and the losses they've suffered because of it. Also making her choices more difficult during this war is the very shallow fact that her and Ioan's children, should they ever get around to actually getting married and having them, will be pure. Now, Tabitha was never raised with any strict sense of blood purity - and nor are the MacFusties purists - but there is some small, selfish part of her that realises that should she and Ioan settle down... they'd be safe and secure, come what may. It's this instinct that she has to fight most strongly against, and which causes her the greatest deal of insecurity.
Strengths: Tabitha is a self-assured, bold, creative, and genuine person with everyone who knows her. She is emotional, certainly, but makes an attempt to keep her emotions in check when decision-making is needed. Bright, witty, and charming to most people who know her, communication seems to be her forte and her people skills are not lacking - though they stem from a place of genuine delight in others rather than from a desire to manipulate and use.
Weaknesses: Despite her positive qualities, she is sorely lacking in many areas required to put her talents to use. She is fickle, unfocused, unambitious, lazy, and restless when doing the same thing for two long. With the exception of Ioan, she's always been exceptionally shallow in terms of commitments, and has never had another relationship that lasted more than a month. Emotionally, she has no concept of how to deal with difficulty, and typically just quits if something isn't going the way she intended - unfortunately, that's not quite the greatest attribute when working for a group like the order, and she finds that her stress level has increased substantially since joining.
Mental health: Quite sane

Millicent Bagnold [mother]: Tabitha and her mother get on rather well, though Tabitha's inclination toward following the rules is somewhat less than Millicent desires. It could not go unnoticed that Millicent rather preferred Tabitha to her brother Kiernan, and while most people might feel guilty about it on hindsight, Tabitha ended up with the best of both worlds - Kiernan still speaks to her, and on quite a friendly basis, and she's still got her mother's deepest affections. She hasn't yet made much of herself but, as she still tells Mum, she's got time. Millicent always encouraged her daughter to do exactly what made her happy and not to have any apologies for it - but at the same time, Tabitha was well aware of what Millicent's expectations were. She didn't go against her own wishes in order to please her mother, but Millicent's opinions and desires have always had a profound impact on her daughter. Tabitha wasn't exactly surprised that her mother was promoted to Minister, but it was certainly a 'holy shit, my mum's the bloody minister!' moment when the decision was announced.

Gulliver Bagnold [father]: Oh, the slightly absentminded side, Tabitha's father - or Guppy as Tabitha calls him (after her mother, whom she emulates in some things, and without objection from her dad) - is the one person that Tabitha has a terrible soft spot for. Though Millicent was hardly a corporal disciplinarian, Tabitha knew that on the occasions that she greatly desired to do something that her mother would approve of, she could always go to Guppy for advice (if not permission). He vaguely attempts to reel in his daughter's haphazard wanderings, and lately promised to help her pay for a nicer flat if she would settle down and keep a job - any job - for the entirety of the lease.

Kiernan Bagnold [brother]: Kiernan, first born and slightly less attended to child, had a rather rocky start with Tabitha. She didn't particularly understand, or attempt to understand, his irritation with her erraticism, nor did she comprehend the residual jealousy that underlay that irritation. As they grew up, however, Tabitha's generosity and loving got the better of him, and by the time he'd thrown up his hands and stormed out on the family, they were really rather close. She doesn't tell her mother (who surely suspects), but Kiernan still keeps in touch with her regularly and keeps her updated on his life in Australia. She half wishes he'd come home but is half glad he hasn't, for he's safer out of Europe.

Sexuality: heterosexual
Significant other: Ioan MacFusty, fiance & second cousin once removed
Children: none yet!

School: Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Years: 1971-1978
House: Gryffindor powah!
Achievements: Was seeker for the Gryffindor quidditch team sixth year for about five months - until she took a hard dive, smashed into the ground, broke more ribs than she knew she had, and was replaced by a (sadly better) teammate. She maintains that it was a wicked manoeuvre.
NEWTS: O Transfiguration, E Charms, O Divination, E Potions

Occupation: thespian - understudy at the Artemis Theatre
Previous jobs, if any: Shopgirl at the Cauldron Shoppe, Scribbulus, WhizzHard, Ouroboros, Flourish & Blott's, The Dry Market, Scrivenschaft's, Billywig's and Zonko's - all over a period of about 11 months. Apprentice at Roland's Apothecary for about five seconds after graduating.

How is your character involved in the war? Tabitha is a new recruit of the Order (a recruitment that occurred, ironically, after her mother asked her if she was a member - to which she replied 'no'), and as such she is generally involved in illegal sorts of activities designed to bring down the death eaters. She's hitherto kept mostly off the radar of the death eaters, and she hopes to keep it that way with a minimal irritation factor on the part of the purists, and by engaging in the least combative anti-DE measures possible.

Family/childhood: In all outward appearances, Tabitha Esmerelda Bagnold was born to a startlingly normal sort of family. She had a mum and a dad who were on very good terms, an older brother who was generally irritated at the addition of a new baby but ultimately got used to it. Mum and Dad were both successful, intelligent people and she was very slightly spoiled but not to the point of ugliness -- so what went wrong? Well, nothing actually. Tabitha didn't have a crazy abusive childhood or any traumatic, tragic experiences. The strangest thing that went on in her household was the general laxness of Mum and Dad's relationship, and she barely noticed that in any significant way until she became older. She grew up a happy, well-cared-for child, a bit on the overexcitable side, but since she was never discouraged from being herself, or forced to do anything that was explicitly contrary to her, Tabitha grew up to be a bit of a frolicker.

As Guppy was typically the one home to take care of the kids - from over his countless manuscripts - much of Tabitha's time was spent upon one knee, listening to him go on about the lost art of Egyptian rune-translating or somesuch business. Though the information itself didn't have much impact on her, it did contribute to Tabitha's astounding verbal skills at such a young age. The rest of her time was spent harassing Kiernan, playing wildly with her toys (and other children), or visiting the Macfusties, where she grew up following around her cousins on the dragon fields and learning how to handle baby dragons (carefully).

Somewhere between being an oblivious child and going off to school, Tabitha noticed a vague kind of tension between Mum and Guppy. At first it didn't really register, as they were mature enough adults not to scream like morons in front of their children, but eventually Tabitha realised that Mum and Guppy weren't exactly... in love anymore. They liked each other fine and didn't intend to separate (why bother when they still quite enjoyed each other's company and had two beautiful children to raise?), but it struck Tabitha profoundly to realise it, all the same. As she grew older, and into school, Millicent got a separate flat for work - and Guppy got a mistress. Well. He'd had her for a while, but it was the first time Tabitha actually realised it. While part of her - the traditional, family oriented part of her - balked, she realised that she was still happy... her parents were still happy, and life went on.

School/work: School was a damned good time for Tabitha, and while she was - of course - quite concerned about fitting in and learning things and all of that, she was also terribly excited about all the people EVERYWHERE. There were so many people to talk to and interact with, and if she hadn't been sorted into Gryffindor (and she was, nearly the instant the hat came into contact with her), she would even have given those silly Slytherins a big smooch on the face. However, she is very much a pack-animal, and embraced the house rivalries with as much delight as any of her peers. It was a bit hypocritical, given that she was always raised to "be herself" and respect others who did as their hearts told them, but she truly did believe that Slytherins were all evil snakes. Given her classmates (Lily, Mary, Marlene, Sirius, James, Remus, and Peter), its no wonder that she developed such a strong attitude. Gryffindor is best! And she damned well believed it, even taking comfort in the prejudices that brought her housemates even closer together.

Activity was always Tabitha's strong point, though she never settled down long enough to do a single thing well before moving on. Her greatest accomplishments came in sixth year, when she tried out for the Gryffindor quidditch team as seeker and HOLY HECK was accepted. She did a decent job for about five months... until losing control of her broom and smashing chest first into the quidditch pitch. A week later she woke up to find most of her ribs repairing and her spot as seeker taken, and it was quite sad. But she moved on to bigger and better things - like a rather scrumptious second cousin (once removed!) of hers. Tabitha's parents had always encouraged familial relations, even though Millicent herself was quite awful at keeping up the connections with more than Christmas cards and the occasional owl. Tabitha made it a point to go visit the dragon pits (as she called them) of Scotland, and it was there that she ran into Ioan. Well... she'd run into him before, of course, him being related and all, but this time she was surprised to find that she was laughing louder at his jokes, acting more ridiculously if she knew he was watching, and eyeing him a little more lasciviously than she remembered doing as a kid. Hm. Odd.

Two weeks later, Tabitha announced at the dinner table that she would be marrying Ioan MacFusty and that if anyone was upset about this fact that they could keep it to themselves, thank you. And then she smiled and ate her fish. Mum and Guppy didn't seem particularly surprised at the outburst -- until they realised she was perfectly serious. Millicent sat down to Have a Talk with her daughter to make sure she was sure of what she was doing and wasn't just bending to the secret hopes and desires of the family (and by the way, what a nice young man that Ioan MacFusty was). Tabitha got both messages loud and clear, but insisted it was absolutely what she wanted to do. Months went by, and Ioan being the one pursuit that Tabitha hadn't lost interest in immediately, she began to think it was certainly True Love. He, for his part, was amused that a sixteen year old was in love with him, but seemed slightly taken by her himself, though he refused to go out on a proper date until she was at least of age. Tabitha sighed irritably but held him to his word, making sure to bother him persistantly until that day lest he forget his promise. Surprisingly(!), he didn't.

Fast forward three years, several arguments between Mill and Guppy, and two more Are You Sure talks, and Tabitha and Ioan have been engaged for two years. They've had their hitches, sort of, but given Tabitha's habit of ducking conflict, they've had very few arguments. She lives in Diagon and he lives with Dragons in Scotland, but they see each other very frequently - usually when Tabitha visits MacFusty castle to play with his dragons (no that isn't a euphemism) - and are planning on settling down when he's completed his training and can start a rookery of his own.

Tabitha graduated with a handful of NEWTs, none of which she intended to put to particularly good use, and began hopping from job to job under the watchful eye of her parents, whom she stays in very regular contact with.

Recent history: In May of this year, Tabitha's mother confronted her about being a member of the order; she - of course - had nothing to do with them, but it was her mother's worry, ironically, that put the idea into her head. Contacting a few of her old housemates (at first through condolences and later through forceful curiosity), Tabitha realised precisely what the order was and that she wanted to join. Finalising her membership in July, she only lasted half a month before Octavius Pepper was also recruited. Realising what a Bad Idea it was for her to be in the order with a man who could potentially sell her out to her mother (and she believed he would, the dirty Slytherin), Tabitha withdrew and went back to work, dragons, and Ioan. However, she just hasn't felt right about the decision, and finally, in December, made the forceful decision to return to the order so that she could Do the Right Thing. She still worries about Pepper.

Tabitha finally settled down into a job of sorts, though it wasn't one that she really needed her NEWTs for. Understudy at the Artemis Theatre! And, really, it's the ideal job for her, since she can sit down for twenty hours straight and learn her lines, and then go be social with the other actors and call it 'work.' AND the plays change every other week or so, so she never has to be stuck doing the same thing for any great length of time. Unfortunately, in this particular moment in time, being an actor isn't enough. Tabitha has no secret delusions about being terribly important in life to anyone but her fiance or friends, but she does have a rather staunch set of morals that, while resembling her mother's in terms of right and wrong, do not quite fall along the same lines of of legality. Her ethics tell her she must do the right thing, and so Tabitha has joined up with a rabble band of renegades to fight the good fight and hopefully, hopefully, do something of worth before the wizarding world is fucked beyond repair.

Also on her priority list is getting married to that big thickey, Ioan, whom she is quite fond of and is mostly certain she loves.

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