boca del wha? application

OOC
Name: Peggy
Are You Over The Age of 18? Y
Preferred Contact(s): DM

IC
Character Name: Mackenzie Jolene Stuart, aka Mack
Character's Age: 25
Character Canon: Original
Canon Point: The game end of alteredstates
Was This Character Dead Prior to Arrival? If so, did this character experience any kind of Afterlife? No

Good vs. Evil:
Mack will, quite impulsively, choose the path of evil. Short-sighted and generally self-obsessed, Mack consistently fails to assess the consequences of her actions. While she can often have a whimsical and even childlike view of the world around her, she is burdened with a deep-seated bitterness towards a world she perceives as duplicitous and hostile. Her resentment often comes off as entitlement to successes in life that she believes she deserves rather than what she has rightfully earned.

While she strives to better herself, it is accomplished in fits and starts and is often a "three steps forward, two steps back" scenario. Betterment for Mack is also easily confused with superiority; it is not enough for her to be her best self; she must be better than those around her. Mack's warped sense of self causes her to oscillate sharply between alienating those around her or becoming dangerously dependent. Like a lost little duck, Mack will imprint on the person (or entity) that seems to be leading her in the most promising direction. In the case of the tunnels, the promise of power will easily prevail over that of selflessness.

However, Mack is not evil to her core; she has a deep sense of empathy and can develop unwavering loyalty to those she sees as her protectors. Whether or not she stays on the course of evil or diverts to a different path will depend significantly on the connections she develops within the game.

Personality Strengths/Flaws:
As mentioned above, Mack is impulsive, self-indulgent, and intensely dislikes herself. However, she is also silly and outgoing. Incredibly personable, Mack has no issues breaking the ice with strangers, whether via an incredibly bizarre personal story or a barrage of star-struck compliments. As emotionally guarded as she can be, she's an open book regarding her life and can easily carry on a mostly coherent conversation with just about anyone. She does not always use this power for good; for example, she attempted to start a cult in her previous game. Luckily, there was a general disinterest in worshipping giant alien squids, and Mack transitioned her creativity into singing and songwriting.

Throughout her life, Mack has struggled with substance abuse. While she made immense strides in her previous game regarding her alcohol dependency, she is not sober and doesn't feel like she "needs" to be. She is nowhere near fully embracing a path of healing, and any minor disruption or disappointment can trigger a downward spiral. That said, she is finally embracing her hobbies (specifically singing and songwriting), which have given her an outlet for her emotions so that she does not automatically fall back into alcohol as a crutch.

History:
Mack grew up in a double-wide trailer in Truth or Consequences, New Mexico, and had a colorful upbringing. Somewhat of a wild child, Mack's girlhood was spent in the small town, New Mexican way - exploring the mesa until she was sunburned and skipping school to hang out in gas station parking lots.

Her mother, Rita, was left to raise her daughter alone when Mack's father chose not to be involved in their lives. Rita yearned for stability for her and her daughter, but her fear of loneliness and personal insecurities resulted in a life of cycling through jobs, subpar boyfriends, and alcohol. Her relationship with Mack is affectionate but fraught. Although they are close in many ways, Mack continues to have her guard up regarding her mother and some of the ways her upbringing affected her life.

When Mack was in elementary school, she met her best friend, Paloma. Unlike Mack, Paloma belonged to an unbroken, upper-middle class, multi-generational household into which Mack frequently inserted herself. Mack particularly loved Paloma's abuela, who taught the girls to cook on weekends and often took them shopping at farmer's markets. Whenever Mack felt like she was drowning in her home's upheaval, Paloma's family was a welcome shore.

The men Rita brought home as Mack grew up were largely forgettable, except one - Todd. A traveling folk singer who met Rita when she was working at a bar he played at, Todd took to Mack almost immediately. For her 13th birthday, he gifted her a guitar and taught her to play. It was the most normal summer Mack ever had in her life. Rita never explained why she and Todd broke up. One day, he was gone and, with him, any hope Mack had of an idyllic family life.

It was mainly due to Paloma's support and help that Mack got through school. By the time she was 16, she had started partying and drinking. In her junior year of high school, Paloma's abuela passed away, and her family moved to California, leaving Mack once again bitterly adrift. She compartmentalized. Her impulsive behavior was curbed long enough to make it through slightly tipsy school days, and her nights were dizzy with club lights and liquor. During this time, Mack also explored her bisexuality. Although her tastes weren't particularly discerning, no-strings-attached liaisons gave her a sense of control in a life that otherwise felt like a tailspin. When graduation day hit, nothing held her back from completely delving into a loud, constantly moving, mostly anonymous nightlife.

Eventually, Mack got a job as a waitress at the White Coyote Cafe, mostly to support her increasingly expensive dependencies. However, at 19, she met Gabe. His tan skin pulsed under neon dance lights to the beat of her heart, and through a haze, she pictured a stable future. Within three days, she packed a bag and moved into his run-down trailer. Gabe had a job and an apartment waiting in El Paso, but his demons hitched along on their ride into the sunset. After another three weeks of stained hotel sheets and nights finding patterns in popcorn ceilings, Gabe attempted to rob a gas station. His car collided with a guard rail, and he was arrested. Once again, Mack packed her bags and drove back to T or C in his old truck, burping diesel along the way.

Mack quickly crossfaded her way far from the American dream. She delved back into the bar scene but spent more time listening to lackluster versions of Todd at music bars. At night, she hid in the dark corners and drank while scribbling in her poetry books. She sought her intimacies with the same fervor but with no interest in long-term connection. During the day, she returned to work at the White Coyote Cafe. All the while, she wondered if there was a way out on one of those wooden stages, picking sad stories from the cavern of a guitar.

At twenty years old, Mack found herself, inexplicably, in New York City. She became one of many known as Drifters - people from different times and worlds who were snatched via an experiment by the mysterious Genesis Industries. For almost half a decade, Mack lived in the Residences, an apartment complex located in Battery Park which served as housing for the befuddled Drifters.

Additionally, Drifters found that they had acquired certain powers through whatever method Genesis Industries had obtained them. Mack was a shapeshifter who had the power to become a coyote or a roadrunner. Originally, her ability to shapeshift was triggered by intense feelings of emotion; however, over time and with the guidance of other more experienced shapeshifters, Mack learned to control her power.

During her time in New York, she worked at the bar in the Residences. While she began as a clueless and somewhat irresponsible barback, she slowly began to take on more responsibility, more so as she began to bond closely with her boss, who she often saw as a father figure. She also fell in love with her roommate, although the feeling was quite unrequited. Regardless, her friendships began to flourish and Mack found herself, for better or worse, developing a support system unlike one she had ever experienced before.

The changes she saw in herself did not come without challenges. Mack struggled with alcoholism, and while she made efforts to remain sober, harsh events brought on by Genesis Industries meddling and instances of those she loved being suddenly sent back to their homes often led to relapses. Still, Mack thrived. She started a cult, began writing again, and even started to sing at the bar during events hosted at the Residences. Manhattan, for better or worse, became the place she belonged.

Appearance:
Mack is approximately 5'2'', with blue eyes. She has mid-length, unkempt blonde hair that she dyes pink at the ends. She is slender but not athletic. She generally wears jeans, mini skirts, band shirts, and crop tops. During the summer, she will most commonly be found in tank tops and very short-shorts. [Photo reference]

In coyote form, she is a Mearns coyote, commonly found in New Mexico. She is about 20 pounds and has lush, tawny fur. Those with a keen eye may be able to differentiate her from Cleveland's more common Eastern coyote due to her smaller size, more narrow features, and different color patterns. [Photo reference]

In roadrunner form, she is a Greater roadrunner. Her feathers are grey and black, with lighter, olive-tinged tips. Her crest has a tinge of pink in certain lighting. She will stand out to anyone familiar with Cleveland's wildlife because roadrunners do not live in the area. [Photo reference]