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Outsiders
Siobhan Pattinson
While good natured and amiable on the outside, Siobhan Pattinson has come a long way to be the girl she is today. Following her father’s extramarital affair and subsequent divorce from her mother, Renee, Siobhan’s emotional state and mental health has been pushed to the very edge, exacerbated by her fear of social rejection due to her bisexuality. As such, she feels an overriding sense of guilt and her confidence is easily rumbled.
While much of what had dragged Siobhan to the edge of her sanity was cured thanks to her partner Ebony Larsson and good friends Maddie and Andy, she is still a girl riddled with self-doubt and worry, fearing her future success may be hindered at a moment’s notice by her sexuality and the prejudices against it.
- Adorably Precocious Child: Siobhan is this to her mother Renée, who loves and cares for Siobhan with all her heart; especially following her husband's divorce when Siobhan was a child. Renée will do whatever she can for Siobhan, and vice versa.
- Affectionate Nickname: "Sweetie Cake", "Boo", "Sweet Pea"; all from her girlfriend, Ebony.
- Bad Liar: Siobhan often has to lie in order to hide her sexuality, but her nervousness will often be a dead giveaway to those around her.
- Berserk Button: Do NOT shame her sexuality or her relationship with Ebony. Also, she will defend herself and her girlfriend with near deadly force if necessary.
- Book Worm: Siobhan is demonstrated to be a keen reader, either for leisure or in the course of her work. As established throughout both this and the previous series, she has a particular love for the works of Hunter S. Thompson.
- Boyish Short Hair: Though her hair is longer than Ebony's (at least after the latter got her hair cut to make it more practical for flying planes), it's still fairly short when compared to other female characters she encounters such as Maddie or Yuki. As flashbacks demonstrate, her hair has receded somewhat throughout her teens as when she was a child she had very long, unkempt hair.
- Brainy Brunette: She has brown hair, and demonstrates her knowledge of property and housing law in the course of her job. She even gets a high 2:2 degree from her Home University course.
- Caring Gardener: Siobhan is illustrated to be a keen gardener with a real care for plants and flowers. This somewhat reflects her caring attitude towards Ebony and others who are close to her.
- Color Motif: Between her and Ebony, Siobhan demonstrates an affinity towards Green, Orange and Blue.
- Comedic Underwear Exposure: This happens to her when she and Ebony are visiting London, and her skirt gets blown up by a draft on the Underground.
- Dark and Troubled Past: Aside from the events of the previous Maddie series, Siobhan's life was torn in two after her parents divorced when she was seven; destroying her confidence and making her deeply insecure. This, combined with her previous fears regarding her sexuality, have made her very anxious.
- Ditzy Genius: While she demonstrates a high amount of intelligence and is very worldly, she has a tendency to act on impulse and say/do things without prior consideration of the consequences.
- Dueling Scar: Siobhan's facial disfigurement after Volume 11 comes due to a fight she and Ebony had with a pair of homophobic bar patrons, during which she was glassed and left with significant scars on the side of her face. In order to hide this disfigurement, she wears face powder.
- Fatal Flaw: Her anxiety and lack of confidence stemming from her troubled past and worries about her sexuality.
- Gayngst: Siobhan's constant fear is that her sexuality will derail her future success; which makes her extremely nervous and easily rumbled. However, when her and Ebony's relationship is frowned upon or challenged, she will defend it passionately. Taken a step further after their beating in Volume 11, where Siobhan comes to realize that their relationship is abnormal and therefore they deserved everything they got. However, her boss, John Wilson, reassures her that it's not.
- Green Thumb: Siobhan shows that she is an avid gardener, and can grow a wide variety of flowers on the somewhat harsh terrain of the Isle of Hue.
- Hair-Trigger Temper: Due to her natural anxiety, she can be easily angered or upset.
- Inferiority Superiority Complex: While she doesn't often feel she's superior to others, Siobhan is a very insecure girl who is easily rumbled by the world around her; especially with regard to her sexuality.
- Innocent Flower Girl: Siobhan is noted for having a keen interest in gardening, and is demonstrated throughout the series for having a real green-thumb. However, considering her sexual desires and sometimes impulsive attitude, she can barely be called 'innocent'.
- Lipstick Lesbian: Siobhan demonstrates that she is far more feminine that Ebony, preferring to wear female clothes such as dresses and skirts while also acting in a more female manner. In the context of her and Ebony's relationship, she takes the role of the femme.
- Ms. Fanservice: Played with. Unlike Ebony, Siobhan prefers to wear female clothes such as skirts, dresses and lingerie, therefore there are a few instances in the series where she is caught in somewhat compromising situations. Examples include her mother catching her in bed with Ebony wearing lingerie after a night of passion, and another being where her skirt is blown up by the draft of an Underground train in London.
- Nice Girl: She tries to be as kind and approachable as possible to everyone she meets.
- Non-Standard Character Design: Minor. She is notably taller than most other females around her, including Ebony and Maddie.
- O.O.C. Is Serious Business: In Volume 4, she squares up to a police officer after he shamed her and Ebony's relationship; causing her mother to physically restrain her before she did anything brash. Siobhan also breaks her usual calm demeanour when she and Ebony are being beaten by a pair of homophobic bar patrons. In order to save herself and her girlfriend, Siobhan uses a knife to stab one of the bar patrons in the arm.
- Official Couple: With Ebony.
- Scars Are Forever: After rescuing Ebony, who had been beaten senseless by a pair of homophobic bar patrons, Siobhan is glassed when one of their tormentors throws a bottle at her; which leaves her face permanently scarred on the left hand side. In order to hide this disfigurement, she wears face powder.
- Strong Family Resemblance: Siobhan bares an almost identical resemblance to her mother Renée Pattinson; with similar hair style, brown eyes and brown hair.
- Supreme Chef: Siobhan is noted for being a very talented cook, and often makes dinner for Ebony, her friends, or her family.
- Two-Faced: Siobhan literally becomes this after being glassed while trying to rescue Ebony from being beaten by a pair of homophobic bar patrons. From then-on, she has to wear face powder to hide her facial disfigurement.
Ebony Larsson
Only having left the Isle of Hue once before 1986, Ebony Larsson is very much the island’s permanent resident. Though she holds a humble position in life as a sheep farmer, her family line, which stretches back over 1,000 years, was once one of high adventure as Vikings raiding the North Sea coasts for treasure and conquest. Ebony’s drive in life is to go beyond the boundaries of her island home and become what she’s always dreamed, a commercial pilot, her desires being fuelled by the sight of commercial flights passing over her tiny home on their way from Europe to America.
A Lesbian, Ebony has never allowed this part of her hinder her progress, and her strength of mind and character have helped her become an emotional rock for her uneasy girlfriend Siobhan Pattinson. After much adversity, the two were finally able to iron out the mental barriers blocking their affection for one another thanks to the help of their friend Maddie, and the two girls are now united in love eternal.
- Ace Pilot: Ebony demonstrates a keen interest in flying and is able to quickly learn to use a variety of aircraft. From her original training on small propeller planes she's soon flying large jets in the service of her airline.
- Adorably Precocious Child: Somewhat inverted. We never see Ebony's parents. However, it is implied through dialogue that they support her relationship with Siobhan and her desire to become a pilot. The general impression is that she is a very independent child.
- Affectionate Nickname: "Ebbie" and "Ebbs", but also "Sweetie Cake" and "Sugar Bean" by her girlfriend, Siobhan.
- All-Loving Heroine: Ebony is extremely optimistic and tries to enlighten Siobhan's life whenever possible; being a constant support and loving partner through thick and thin. That is until Volume 11, in which the two girls are beaten half-to-death by a pair of homophobic bar patrons. After this, Ebony becomes very cold, disconnected and emotionally unstable.
- Big Sister Instinct: Being both only children, Ebony essentially took the role of Siobhan's older sister; a trait that continued even after they became lovers. She always has advice and cares deeply for Siobhan; while also being demonstrably firm when she gets out of hand.
- Bilingual Bonus: Ebony can speak both Danish and English fluently.
- Boyish Short Hair: From Volume 2 onward, Ebony has her hair cut short in order to allow her the ability to fly easier.
- Butch Lesbian: Though this is somewhat downplayed. While in the context of her relationship with Siobhan, Ebony is demonstrably the 'Butch' of the couple; illustrating more masculine traits such as not regularly wearing feminine clothes or acting in a feminine manner. However, as an individual she can still be considered fairly 'girly'. MacVeigh stated in an article that he wanted to avert the typical 'butch' stereotype with Ebony, instead going for a more 'soft butch' approach to her character; a noticeably masculine girl who still possesses feminine traits.
- Color Motif: Between her and Siobhan, Ebony demonstrates an affinity towards Black, Red and Purple.
- Cool Big Sis: For all intents and purposes, she's this to Siobhan.
- Dark and Troubled Past: While her past isn't as tragic as Siobhan's, the conflict the two shared over sexuality and their two year forced separation was a difficult and emotionally trying time for the both of them. Fortunately, it all turned out well in the end thanks to Maddie's help convincing Siobhan that being bisexual didn't make her a bad person.
- Dumb Blonde: Averted. Ebony is demonstrated to be both smart, competent, and a quick learner; as illustrated by her training to become a pilot.
- Fatal Flaw: Ebony can sometimes act a little too much on impulse, landing both her and Siobhan in trouble; one instance being where she kisses Siobhan in front of a policeman, for which he reprimands them. More disturbingly is when Ebony impulsively comments about their relationship out loud in a rural Florida bar, resulting in two outraged, homophobic patrons beating the two girls senseless and leaving them both mentally and physically scarred. Gets deconstructed in Volume 12, when Ebony tells Harold Wisley that she blames everything bad that's ever happened to her and Siobhan on herself.
- Genki Girl: She's highly energetic and always a bubble of fun.
- Hair-Trigger Temper: While not as moody as Siobhan, she has been demonstrated to have a short temper throughout both this and the previous series. This is eventually made worse when, after she and Siobhan are nearly beaten to death by a pair of homophobic bar patrons, Ebony is left with PTSD, and struggles to cope with simple mistakes. One instance is where she accidentally knocks a dish off the kitchen counter, causing her to launch into an angry, expletive-filled tirade of self-loathing before being reduced to tears.
- I Just Want to Be Special: Ebony's main goal in life is to become a commercial pilot; a job which historically wasn't associated with females.
- Nice Girl: Ebony is always welcoming to anyone new, and is a constant support to her uneasy girlfriend, Siobhan.
- Official Couple: With Siobhan.
- Scars Are Forever: Ebony received a large scar across the top left of her head after two of her colleagues dropped a toolbox on her for being a lesbian.
- Tomboy with a Girly Streak: Although she demonstrates more masculine traits than Siobhan, preferring not to wear skirts or dresses and taking the male role in her relationship, she does exhibit a girly side in some instances.
- Youthful Freckles: Ebony has a small cluster of freckles around her nose.
Renée Pattinson
Estate Agent for the Isle of Hue, Renée Pattinson has always been local to the Highlands of Scotland, having been born and raised in the nearby region of Badenoch & Strathspey. Renée’s life with her husband Alexander Pattinson could have once been considered one of bliss, a strong family unit complimented by their young daughter Siobhan. This was brought to a sudden end when, for the sake of an extramarital affair, Alexander walked-out on his wife and daughter. With her husband’s sudden departure, Renée now faced the challenge of juggling a job and raising her emotionally damaged daughter alone, a challenge she was determined would not beat her.
Though not always having the answers to her daughter’s problems, Renée continues to be there for her whenever possible, and is always appreciative of the help and love that her girlfriend, Ebony Larsson, is willing to give.
- Adults Are Useless: Completely averted. Renée has proven herself to be a constant source of love and support for her uneasy daughter, Siobhan. Even though she may not always have the right answers, she is willing to help whenever she can.
- Ascended Extra: In the previous 'Maddie' series, Renée is only seen briefly. With the shift in focus on Siobhan and Ebony, Renée is now a significant supporting character in the story; and even has her own character arc.
- A Day in the Limelight: Volume 3, in part, explores Renée's developing friendship and eventual relationship with Ebony's flying instructor, Harold Wisley.
- Dark and Troubled Past: Renée's divorce from her husband after his extramarital affair was a defining moment in her life. Not only was she alone, she had to balance finances and a job while also caring for her mentally unstable daughter Siobhan. However, despite it all, she persevered and was able to soldier through these adverse times without allowing herself to become consumed by bitterness and resentment.
- Like Parent, Like Child: Siobhan exhibits many of the same traits as Renée, including a sweet and caring personality. The two also bear a significant resemblance; sharing the same hair colour, hair style and eye colour.
- Limited Wardrobe: Somewhat averted. Renée has a frequently changing series of T-shirts, but is not often seen in either a dress or a skirt; usually sticking to Jeans.
- Meaningful Name: Possibly unintentional, but "Renée" can be considered the feminine version of the French word "rene," meaning "reborn." If you think about it, this really fits with Renée Pattinson, as she is trying to rebuild her life after her husband divorced her, and you could consider her relationship with Harold Wisley as a way of feeling reborn.
- Nice Guy: Renée, despite her history, is shown to still be a nice and approachable woman; never allowing the strain of her divorce or struggles of balancing a job and finances ever get to her. This is reflected in the way she raised Siobhan.
- Smart People Wear Glasses: Renée is shown to wear glasses, but that doesn't negate the fact that she is both a strong minded and open minded parent.
- Stoic Spectacles: Renée wears a pair, but isn't particularly stoic.
Harold Wisley
- Cool Teacher: Harold Wisley, Ebony's flight instructor. Since his introduction in Volume 1, he has been a constant support and an apt mentor to Ebony, not only in terms of teaching her how to fly, but also on a personal level regarding issues of her sexuality. In Volume 3, he is demonstrated to have been a veteran of the Korean War and Suez Crisis in the 1950's, and soon develops a romantic connection with Siobhan's mother, Renee, after meeting her at a Christmas party in late 1986. He also uses his experiences in life to help Ebony overcome her PTSD after her and Siobhan were beaten half-to-death by a pair of homophobic bar patrons, with his previous knowledge of those suffering from the equivalent 'Shell Shock' helping to put things into perspective for her.
- Meaningful Name: His name is actually an allusion to aviation history, specifically a reference to the former British Aircraft Corporation (BAC) testing ground at Wisley Airfield in Surrey.
- Teacher/Parent Romance: Harold Wisley, Ebony's flight instructor, ends up in a relationship with Siobhan's mother Renee. Unlike most examples, the teacher in question is not the daughter's, but her girlfriend's, and neither one has any objections to the relationship. Siobhan even takes to calling Harry "Daddy" at one point.
Jake Keefe
- Mistaken for Romance: When Siobhan and Jake arrive together hand in hand at their boss's Christmas party, a few of their coworkers automatically assume they're dating, and despite their attempts to correct them, still insist that they make a cute couple.
- Nice Guy: Jake is an amiable and approachable boy who makes immediate friends with Siobhan. Very quickly, he becomes someone she can trust to help her as she gets used to life in the USA.
- Older Than They Look: Although he's 22, Jake is referred to as 'The Office Freshman' due to his youthful, high school looks.
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Ron the Death Eater: Upon his appearance in the story, based largely on his friendly personality and similar age to Siobhan, readers quickly viewed his presence with concern; fearing that he may start to push Ebony and Siobhan's relationship apart:Commenter: You can't trust Jake any further than you can throw him! He's leering at you in meetings when you can't see him and nobody you work with knows that you have a significant other, so they're unlikely to say anything if they see him hitting on you or maybe taking advantage of you when you're drunk! Here's hoping that won't happen!MacVeigh: (responding) Jake isn't some kind of rapist, he's just someone Siobhan happens to work with xD. - Satellite Character: Jake doesn't really add much to the story apart from being a close friend and colleague of Siobhan.
John Wilson
- Benevolent Boss: John exhibits a keen interest in his staff and their feelings, as demonstrated when Siobhan becomes upset by advances made upon her by Charles Donovan. While he is able to console her, he is also accepting of her bisexuality when she admits the truth to him. Also, when he learns of the fight she got in that left half of her face scarred, he immediately asks if there's anything he can do to help.
- Dark and Troubled Past: Though only hinted at, John doesn't regularly talk of his experiences in the Vietnam War as they were the first time in his life he was ashamed to be American.
- The Vietnam Vet: John is eventually revealed to be one. He even earned a Distinguished Service Cross for his work in the Battle of Khe Sanh in 1968 (one of only 1,000 to do so), but doesn't like to talk about it because it's the only thing that made him truly ashamed to be American.
Theresa Wilson
- Cheerful Child: She is generally pretty upbeat whenever she appears in the comic.
- Cool Big Sis: Siobhan seems to fulfill this role for her.
- Kindhearted Cat Lover: She owns a black cat named Mandy.
- Shipper on Deck: Theresa seemed to be one for Siobhan and Jake at her father's Christmas party. This changed when she met Ebony, however.
Charles Donovan
- Moral Event Horizon: He crossed it when he attempted to lure Siobhan to his townhouse to sleep with him by promising her career advancement.
- The Scrappy: Despite only being shown in a few panels, no one seems to like him after he attempted to lure Siobhan to his townhouse to sleep with him by promising her career advancement.
- Sleeping Their Way to the Top: Donovan offers this to Siobhan when he implies that he could put her career on any course she wanted if she agreed to sleep with him. Thankfully, she politely rejects his offer.
- Values Resonance: Donovan's attitude and attempts to offer Siobhan career advancements in exchange for sexual favours are echoed in the recent slew of historic sexual harassment cases that have been revealed in recent years by women who have experienced similar situations.
Leni Carmichael
A stewardess at America National who befriends Ebony when she joins the company and stays her friend even after the company's HR department outs Ebony as a lesbian. Although she seems good at her job, the attitude of those who work with her can sometimes make her worried.
- Hilarious in Hindsight: An example that was actually pointed out by MacVeigh. According to him, her name was taken from Leni Loud of The Loud House, one of his favorite shows, and the name Carmichael was something he came up with on his own. However, in the time between when he drew the page and when he posted it (a little less than a year), an episode of The Loud House aired where Leni gets a job at a shopping mall, and her boss' name is Mrs. Carmichael. MacVeigh claims that his jaw fell open when he watched it.
- Only Sane Employee: Judging from what we've heard about the other employees of America National so far, she and Ebony seem to be the only ones in the company who don't see sex as something that you need to do in order to be successful.
- The Woobie: She becomes this when we learn that her coworkers are pressuring her into having sex, something she doesn't want to do until she's happily married. Gets worse when she mentions that all the decent girls left the airline in disgust and that she's really only staying with them because she has nowhere else to go.
Maddie Grey
- A Day in the Limelight: Despite her reduced presence in this series, she does at least get this in Volume 10 when she and Andy get married.
- Demoted to Extra: While she was the main character in the Maddie series, here, she only appears sporadically. Lampshaded by MacVeigh when she reappears in Volume 8 after being absent for a while:MacVeigh: Oh hey, weren't you the star once upon a time?
Andy Taylor
- A Day in the Limelight: Despite his reduced presence in this series, he does at least get this in Volume 10 when he and Maddie get married.
- Demoted to Extra: Got hit with this even worse than Maddie, being the love interest of the main character in the previous two comics, and only appearing occasionally in this one. He isn't able to visit the island for Ebony's birthday like Maddie does because he couldn't get time off from his course, though Ebony is somewhat forgiving.Maddie: Just a shame Andy couldn't get the time off.Ebony: That's alright, his course is very important. I'll forgive him, for now.
Yukiko 'Yuki' Jakuzure
- Japanese Politeness: Yuki is demonstrated to be very polite and caring to newcomer Siobhan; while always appreciating the work she does for her.
Adria Mackenzie
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Word of God: According to MacVeigh, she is named after the Slovenian airline Adria Airways.
