Margot Faryner

"Sugar, spice and everything nice. If that's what your little girl is made of, call a doctor." Margot Faryner (they/them) is the child of a Candy Witch from Johnnie and Grizzle. As a self declared ‘evil villain’ Mags supports the rebel perspective because of how much it disrupts the system. However they're not all that fond of being pigeonholed into the rebel category, particularly as they enjoy the fear that stems from the candy witch’s reputation. As such, they have opted for the most nonsensical and universally irritating alignment of Roybel.

Personality
It's difficult to meet a person who appears more downtrodden than Margot. Their attitude towards most situations is downright dismal as they visibly second-guess themselves and appear displeased when forced into any situation that they're unwilling to be in (and trust me, that includes most situations, particularly if they're before 1pm.) Margot seems extremely lethargic most of the time, and as far as villains go, doesn't seem particularly motivated.

However, unlike many villain legacies, Margot publically declares themselves as being ‘evil.’ Reactions to this range from polite disbelief to general unease. Because politely put, Margot looks like the most lackluster villain ever. Without much of a flair for the dramatic, and a mostly empty resume of villainy, Margot isn't a particularly outstanding figure. However their nonchalance can come off as disconcerting to some. While Margot doesn't do much evil, they don't do much good either.

Margot all too frequently uses the ‘evil’ argument to justify their behaviours, especially to the school. To them ‘evil’ is a large illogical loophole in the teaching curriculum more than anything, and they take great joy in ripping it apart. If evil is doing whatever you want, regardless of rules, then of course Margot will do just that. However in Margot’s case, that thing is probably slacking. It's ok, the laws of evil apply to ‘anything’ they want.

Despite their gloomy tone, Margot’s not a particularly melancholy individual. They're actually in an ok mood most of the time. They have a pretty good sense of humour as well, and quite enjoy making casual jabs at people in a deadpan voice. Margot seems to be most entertained by jokes made at the expense of others, though these jokes aren't ever really malicious. For them the reaction is more important. They also frequently employ sarcasm and light hearted self deprecation in conversation.

It's highly likely that Margot’s apathy is an act, at least partially. Although they never mention it, Margot has very high standards for themselves, particularly in baking. As a perfectionist, they're not really satisfied if something isn't how they imagined, and, if possible they'll try to rectify it. If it's not something they're particularly invested in, they often half ass things first time round only to regret it and fix it in private later. They also do this with their other hobbies, although they're a bit more careful initially. Margot can be meticulous if they're inclined to be.

However baking is a different story. As it's so intrinsically tied to their story, and more specifically their mother, baking comes with a lot of messy emotions and disproportionately strong emotional investment. To Margot, baking is their life, their comfort and something that they could never stand to give up. However at the same time, Margot places a lot of value on the process of baking, where anything short of perfection during the process is unacceptable. Even the most minor of mistakes will send Margot’s confidence plummeting, and this leads to a complete downward spiral where, in their desperation to fix it they make more mistakes or read the fixable situation as beyond repair, and in that state, they simply pull back, close off emotionally and completely give up on it. Instead they opt to view it as a plaything and start deliberately messing around with it, adding various questionable ingredients and usually making something inedible, if not entirely poisonous. To others, they dismiss it as more of the usual half assedness and their twisted sense of humour, but the emotional rollercoaster usually leaves them exhausted. They're fully aware this is irrational but they can't really change it.

Margot shies away from an emotion if it rises too high too quickly, frequently recontextualising it as mild amusement instead. As such, Margot isn't someone who gets annoyed easily, or even someone who can get particularly angry at a person who wrongs them. That isn't to say that they're oblivious to it. They will state the correct words/chastisement, even if there's no emotional weight behind it.

Overall, Margot tends to express a dampened set of emotions because the flip side is caring too much.

Margot is a pretty thoughtful person, though they don't particularly utilise this constructively, apart from poking fun at life's absurdity and being highly self aware about the role of villains. To them being a villain in a story, is less about being a cruel person and more about playing devil's advocate and opposing the dominating worldview in a way that can challenge them constructively. As such, yes Margot absolutely believes that injustices should be punished.

Margot’s brand of evil, in this case, is simply opposing or trying to verbally tear down privileged royals. Well that and minor mischief that doesn't hurt anyone as much as makes them wary of baked goods.

Margot does show kindness to others, particularly sad or downtrodden people. If there's someone who's emotionally hurting or failing to take care of themselves, Margot can be almost motherly to them as they try to help. They're not particularly obtrusive about it, in fact it could almost be mistaken for their usual behaviour, but it's still there. Margot wouldn't particularly describe this as contradicting their ‘evil’ persona as being unpleasant to someone who's already down serves no purpose other than being unpleasant.

They're also very good with children, especially as they seem to talk to them on equal footing. However Mags has no real qualms about swearing in front of them.

Margot dislikes when people try to convince them that they're inherently good or don't have to be evil. Something about how people constantly try to convert others to joining a group that makes them more palatable to said person makes them uncomfortable and they will actively resist that kind of thing. That kind of conversation is the fastest way to visibly upset Margot and turn them cold towards you.

In fact, Margot resents any attempts to ‘understand’ them. Margot’s upbringing has made them an extremely private and defensive individual. They're vague about their interests and are only really comfortable doing said interests in private, without people watching and potentially judging.

To protect themselves, Margot is also a frequent liar, casually bringing up strange stories in conversation and shutting down any questions with an answer that holds some unnerving implications. The fearful distance that comes with being a villain legacy is Margot’s shield, and reinforcing it with rumours is how they stay safe.

Margot also has a bit of a hoarding tendency, particularly with rare items and potion ingredients. If a better quality item is offered to them, they will secretly keep it and use a lesser quality product instead.

Behaviours
Margot speaks in either a falling downtrodden tone or, and especially when speaking With Emphasis, a completely neutral deadpan tone. However despite the lack of energy, Margot does punctuate their conversations with ironically overdramatic gestures and speeches. Margot also has no qualms about swearing in front of teachers or children, although they don't do it excessively.

Margot frequently carries sweets and snacks around in their pockets, and offers them to people, but rarely seems to actually eat them.

However they do actually bring other snacks along to eat at inopportune moments. Like in the middle of class.

They do often put their hands in their pockets when otherwise unoccupied. Additionally they hate carrying bags and will only carry what fits in said pockets.

In larger settings, Margot is usually quiet, either staring into space contemplatively or just sleeping. Unless they have something to say (which is rarely anything constructive)

Margot will sometimes just put a coat on over pjs rather than get dressed.

Margot uses British spellings of words. Also notably, prefers ‘sulphur’ to ‘sulfur’ and still uses it.

Interests and Hobbies
==== Baking ==== (see above)

Potion brewing
As the less emotionally taxing alternative to baking, Margot has a bit more success when it comes to brewing potions. They mainly brew poisons as well as the antidotes meant to cure them. They also like seeing if it's possible to neutralise or amplify the effects of various potions using all sorts of weird methods. Margot has a very detailed knowledge of how magical ingredients work and will often spend days at a time fully investigating the possibilities and limitations of a single ingredient, in a very systematic manner.

In this way, Margot has the freedom to experiment in the ways they're too scared to try in baking.

Stonemasonry
The fairy tales always talk about a witch in a candy house, but personally Margot is more interested in a house with better structural integrity. Seeing as their house is an abandoned brick factory with candy structures replacing the broken walls, they have had access to industrial tools all their life. Recently they've tried to repair and use the broken machines, with a relatively good success rate. Mostly they like trying to make cool stone veneers that resemble foodstuffs. However seeing as it's quite a work intensive job, especially for one Margot, they prefer to take it at a slower pace. They find the concept of a bigger project kind of comforting.

Calligraphy
Despite the fact that Margot’s usual handwriting is an awful scratchy mess, Margot can write neatly, and almost enjoys it.

Margot likes collecting scented stationary, and their secret prized possession is a small collection of scented inks, which they use with a traditional quill to write with. They don't really know what to write so mostly they just transcribe recipes and the properties of random potion ingredients in an aesthetically pleasing manner.

Stamp making
When Margot’s sorta alone in their dorm, they'll sometimes carve rather cute stamps of plants and food, ready to be stamped on something cute. However they never really end up used and just collect dust in a box after they're done carving it.

Appearance
Margot is a shorter than average individual, whose slight frame is only bulked out by their clothes. They're relatively skinny, and if they wore lighter clothes, you would see that they are also rather bony. They are not quite underweight yet, thankfully, but they're definitely a lightweight individual. They are also prone to slouching, leading them to look even shorter.

Margot has warm brown skin with a light smattering of freckles across it. They have rather round eyes that could be considered slightly smaller than average, and a downturned mouth. Margot is slightly bucktoothed, visible when they bite their nails, a habit that leaves them with rather short nails, which are relatively well kept if you except the biting. Margot’s hands are rather rough and slightly callused from work, which could be seen as a little odd for a slacker.

Margot’s face is framed by curly dirty blonde hair which they prefer to tie into a ponytail for simplicity. Their ears, hidden by hair, have detached earlobes.

Margot isn't particularly inclined to bother with their appearance and as such is pretty plain, with no makeup, minimal hair care and a tendency to just wear pajamas to class.

Johnnie and Grizzle
=== How does Margot fit into it? === Margot’s mother followed through with the entire story, even to her unpleasant demise. As Margot was only a young child at the time, Johnnie and Grizzle had sympathy on them and brought them home with them, to their less than overjoyed parents. As a legacy family, it was decided that they should be the ones to foster Margot. It was a highly awkward upbringing, with the parents having to take care of the child of the person who tried to murder their children. Margot was sort of kept at a distance, with the parents displaying visible discomfort when they did anything relating to their destiny, especially magic and baking. As such, Margot was uncomfortable doing either in front of them, and is still not particularly well versed on magic.

Margot would retaliate on the parents with deliberate passive aggressive barbs, aiming to be as uncomfortable as possible. If in fairy tales the bad are always punished, well Margot was going to torment the parents who abandoned their children to die in the woods.

Still, it was a stifling atmosphere and as soon as Margot hit 14 they left to return to their childhood home.

Mother
If you asked Margot, they would tell you that absolutely, their mother was as evil as the story says. However this isn't strictly true. It's an elaborate lie constructed by Margot for a multitude of reasons.

Firstly it's to add to their ‘evil’ image, but more than that, it's a way to try and honour their mother. She feared not being able to live up to her role, so Margot posthumously tries to build her up into it. Margot wants it known that she was a perfect villain. Even if they're going to be hated, let it be known that she did it perfectly, in a way that absolutely deserves respect.

It's also a way to give her memory some privacy without being commodified further by the fairytale world. If it's not her and merely a role she's sort of tied to then Margot finds it easier to tolerate. It's also easier to numb the grief for Margot when they only ever give a caricatured version of events.

Margot intends to follow their destiny to honour their mother, but opting to keep the reality concealed is a source of comfort to Margot as it helps them believe that maybe not everything needs to be perfectly reenacted, and some freedom does exist.

Foster family
Margot no longer acknowledges their temporary foster family. They're dead to Margot.

Friends
TBA (feel free to ask, I'll update when i get a better grip on the already offered relationships)

Aquaintances
Margot hasn't ever really talked to Ginger but likes her and feels slightly guilty for making people less trusting of her through Margot’s actions. Margot often talks affectionately about Ginger (although Ginger does not feel the same for Margot and apparently avoids them.)

Enemies
Margot hates Grimm. Well, hate is a strong word, it's more like ‘being completely civil and normal to him while quietly and without much emotional power resenting how he expects sacrifices yet sacrifices nothing himself.’

Trivia

 * Margot is loosely based on Bake-off contestant Ruby Tandoh (who is amazing and great and this character is in no way representative of)
 * Faryner is a reference to Thomas Farriner who sparked the great fire of london.