Description: Mary is 19 years old. She stands a full 5'7" in height, and is quite voluptuous. An exotic beauty, she has a slightly darker-than-average complexion and long, full raven hair. She also possesses striking green eyes which tend to reveal her emotions all too often.
Personality: Like so many of her co-workers at the Red Rat, Mary has precious few belongings, and just as little hope for a more opulent future. She knows thus, and has long since accepted the fact. However, unlike some of her associates, Mary finds some happiness in what she has to live for at the moment. She gets a natural high off her nightly gig with the Rat's dance team. Discreetly, though, she envies Lucy and pines for a larger role in the nightly performances. However, she takes care never to let her jealousy show. She knows such a display could anger her co-workers -- or worse yet, the Spider.
In spite of this isolation, Mary holds a dream of someday finding her perfect partner and eloping. After a recent show put on for a customer's benefit, she has found herself ever more attracted to Molly Riordan. She tries her best to conceal this, but secretly hopes that Molly might feel something similar. From afar, Mary is also enamored of Edward Hyde, who appeals to some dark, deviant side of her. This helps to fuel her already-existent jealousy towards Lucy.
In her spare time, Mary enjoys seeking "adventures" throughout London. Not content to roam only the East End, she can often be found in parts of the city traditionally thought to be above her caste. She doesn't much mind the stares she receives, and will sometimes even dance for a bit of extra cash in Hyde Park and its environs.
If manipulation can be considered an art, Mary may be a master. She excels in convincing others to see from her viewpoint. She is also aware of her physical beauty, and is not above using that to get what she wants, but only when necessary. She's gotten out of many a mess through these means, and is very confident in her abilities...perhaps a bit _too_ confident.
When she's in the mood, Mary is quite the armature artist. Her drawings are surrealist and strange. One man she once became fairly close to even called them "disturbing". She keeps many a sketchbook hidden away in the bureau drawers of the room she shares with Alice.
Past: Born from an affair between a Romani gypsy woman and a wealthy Scottish hier, Mary's early life took place in Edinborough. Her mother left without so much as a note or a word when Mary was three days old. Her father tried, nonetheless, to raise her and have her tutored in the manner of an upper-class Scottish gentlewoman. Mary was often looked down upon by other members of Edinborough society because of her suspected gypsy origins, of which she herself had only recieved a few cryptic hints.
This may have been the reason she ran away to London at age twelve, or it may have been pure gypsy migratory instinct. Either way, she know that she sought a life far different than upper-class Scotland could offer her. With the whistle of a train, Mary was off to what she believed would be a world of adventure and excitement.
Within two weeks, the poor child found herself running out of cash she'd stolen from her father before leaving. Cold, alone, and lacking the funds to shelter herself for the night, she began dancing furiously on a street corner in an effort to keep calm and stay warm. She became so engulfed in the routine that she barely noticed when passers-by began to toss coins to her. By the time she finished, she'd earned over a pound -- enough to buy some shelter for the night.
Dancing became Mary's daily routine, and she got along sufficiently on it. Not six months passed, though, before before she got her first proposition (from a nice middle-class man) for more than dancing. Curious, the girl accepted, and quickly became a woman. She began regularly selling herself to men, finding it intriguing to make a new acquaintance and sleep in a new bed every night.
At fifteen, Mary was approached by an older woman in the same profession as she while trying to pick up tricks. The woman was kind and funny, and Mary felt she was sincere. The woman introduced herself as Nellie Parker, and Mary's attractiveness and potential had come to her attention. Nellie offered Mary a possible employment opportunity at the Red Rat, and Mary agreed to be taken to the place and its manager. The Spider approved of her, and Mary joined the ranks of his employees. She's been steadily employed there ever since.
