What's in a Name?

Ariel Mulligan

Ariel Mulligan- French-Canadian (mother); Irish-American (father); Ariel is best described as fantasist who would rather live life in her own head and consume herself in her innermost thoughts rather than live the reality set before her. She is constantly given warnings by her teachers over her lack of obedience and failure to focus on her daily assignments. She has a selfish streak and can sometimes be ungrateful to her elders, which can make her appear uncharacteristically jealous and fancy the things other people have. She has also demonstrated that she is perceptive when it comes to people's mental and emotional state, as she is able to tell what kind of driving force is pushing someone. Often seen with an enigmatic smile upon her face, Ariel initially appears awkward and unorthodox to other people, particularly those who do not know her well. She loves feelings, but "dramatic" people are just not for her, as she is considerably much more sociable and outgoing around her small group of fellow eccentrics. She is not too fond of sewing, although she receives classes every Sunday afternoon from her grandmother in exchange for helping her run errands. She'd rather have some incredibly close friends than feel like she needs to force the label of "best" friend on someone, but is one of those people who can pick up right where she left off. Ariel has a unique style in her love of dressing in dark, mostly black, shades and considers herself to be somewhat of a "perky goth", being quiet and reserved by choice but not averse to talking to other people or establishing conversation with them when approached. She sometimes chooses to be silent by choice and describes herself as a bit of a "people-watcher", quietly observing her surroundings and noting keen details that others might miss or otherwise misinterpret. She actively lives by and embraces the quote "they laughed at me because I was different, yet I laughed at them because they were all the same." 

Although she doesn't necessarily like standing out from the crowd, she purposefully enjoys acting defiantly to assert her individuality from others, a trait greatly admired by her best friend Kassandra. Ariel looks for things that help her express herself, as she doesn't worry about trends or what's "in" and simply does what she likes. A part of her fears confronting the reality of things nonetheless, as seeing life through her idealized inner vision makes it easier to deal with the more painful aspects of reality. Having been raised by her grandparents Enid and Garth from a young age, she deeply yearns for love and to know who her parents truly were, as it was stated that she was abandoned by a teen mother named Genevieve who struggled with drug addiction and that her biological father tragically passed away shortly after she was born. She is a dreamer who tends to lose focus, which causes her to seem lazy and procrastinate frequently on tasks she needs to complete. Although not the most intellectual or academic of people, Ariel nonetheless holds more mature interests and views than many of her peers and is quick to defend others, particularly those who are ostracized or bullied for their differences. She is a clever, thoughtful, and creative girl who is noted for having a colorful wit and rich use of language, with a love of using of different puns. As a queer individual who was teased for her unique personality, she strongly detests those who express homophobic views or preach conformity among herself and her peers. A self-described non-conformist, she identifies as a panromantic gray-asexual and maintains a queer-platonic relationship with her nonbinary classmate, Xander Vaughn, whom she regards as serving as her "best friend, and possibly something beyond that". Ariel normally stands to the side as she meekly looks around to find familiar faces during social gatherings, following her best friend around and likely being the first person to leave early. 

She spends time visiting online forums as a means of finding friendship, putting her in compromising situations once she interacts with and is taken advantage of by the wrong people. Withholding herself from others due to feeling vulnerable and defective, she often felt disdainful and exempt from ordinary ways of living, making her a bit clumsy and awkward in her physical environment. The feeling of being with that one person that she can act like her true self around, while being surrounded by others at once can be a very awkward experience for her. Ariel similarly mentions that she doesn't believe in marriage, but is very much into the Gothic Wedding Aesthetic. She has a growing interest in spirit boards, tarot cards, palm reading, and all matters of mysticism, running an astrology twitter under the alias "Parker Stone". A singer-songwriter, she is also a talented singer and lyricist who writes her own music and has played the violin ever since she was 8. She is recognized as having a formidable singing capacity and strong, melodious vocals when she covers a song to share on her public YouTube channel, in addition to having decent ability in playing the keyboard. Ariel hopes to pursue a career in music and if not making it professionally as a singer, has considered teaching music as a choir director in a high school setting. She is considered unconventionally pretty, having long dark brown hair with a fringe, porcelain skin, full, light pink lips, and hazel eyes. She has a distinctively low, husky voice and is said to be of average height, with a full figure and a "nice, curvy body shape" beneath her dark clothing. Beyond Xander, she is mostly seen in the company of her small group of gothic friends, which includes Dustin Lynch, a self-described gender-neutral demiromantic asexual. Ariel is also close with Kassandra Bishop, an aromantic heterosexual who also claims to be hypersexual and "like sex a lot, just not the commitment part of it".

She often interacts with Kaleb Lightfoot, a straight cisgender male who develops a secret crush on his classmate Maddie Cervantes. She tends to spends time with her classmate Courtney Meyer-Favela, who will join the goth kids and smoke pot with them while discussing life matters. There is also her whimsical classmate Tabitha Kemp, a lilac-haired ethereal beauty and gynesexual with an interest in artistic photography. Ariel sometimes talks to Shelby Doyle as well, who shares some of her music tastes, and will sometimes bond with and interact with her in the halls on occasion. A deep lover of philosophy, world history, and literature, her historical idols are Socrates and Edgar Allen Poe, and she has read The Crucible and Angela's Ashes, as well as Jabberwocky. Her favorite flowers are violets and she has a strong connection to fireflies, which she sees as a symbol of rebirth, in addition to her favorite gem being fluorite. She also likes drinking blood orange iced tea and eating corn and salty pancakes, and she claims to have tried limbo dancing before. Ariel eventually attends Reed College in Oregon and pursues a career as a music instructor while immersing herself in the city's art scene. As the goth queen of Valley Stream, she is a nonconformist who hates following trends and supporting "posers" of any kind. At the end of the day, Ariel knows that no matter what kind of crazy stuff she decides to pull, she can count on all of the great friends she's made to stand by her side. She believes in a domino effect that states that every person in the city is entwined and that one action can influence another. Ariel changes her perspective from time to time about life and no matter what happens, her loyalty to her family members and close friends is limitless. She rooms with her friend to help make ends meet, although they go their separate ways once Kassandra receives an offer to work as a video producer in Los Angeles, California. ISFP 4w5