Intro
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Welcome
A circus rolls into town, from where or when no one can say. It's not there one night and the next it is. Tents and stands await the curious and thrill-seekers both. It leaves as abruptly as it came when the festival is over. Flyers descend in the week before it arrives, inviting the curious and young at heart to come partake in the revelry. On cars, on the street, taped to light poles... no one sees who puts them there. Nothing declares where it's going next. It simply is.
The people who are found there are different kinds of folks. The ones on the fringe. The odd ones out. There's the ones who work as general staff, walking around with their faces painted like skulls. They never speak aloud, only motioning or pointing if addressed. There's other people who sell refreshments; hot dogs, corn dogs, burgers, pizza, chips... all the mundane snacks. There's also stands who sell more exotic fare. Angel's Hair, which looks like real hair but tastes like dew and gives the consumer dreams of glory the next time they sleep. Cotton Candy that evaporates in the sun. Sugared Bones with candy marrow. Chocolate animals that wriggle as if alive on the way down. More.
The circus is only open at night, from dusk until dawn. Rides, animal shows, games, the whole place comes alive at night. The attractions and shows aren't to be missed. The line between dreams and reality blurs. Connections are made. Unforgettable moments happen. One or two people disappear when the circus moves on next.
Step right up.
Table of Contents
Page 1- Intro is just that, an introduction to Natalya and a tease for RP's involving her. You'll find some OOC information as well as some general plot hooks as well as a guest list of people who may have crossed ways with her. Since you're hereby dint of clicking on her profile, welcome!
Page 2 - Let Us Entertain You contains information about Natalya, mostly from the perspective of people who might see her or have interacted with her. There's little of the woman's own voice in it so take it with a grain of salt. You never know how reliable gossip is.
Page 3 - The Circus holds lore about the circus itself, also from the perspective of outsiders. All can agree that the circus is something different or "more" than a casual faire but who really knows the truth? You'd have to find out for yourself and "truth" can be a very subjective term...
Page 4 - Autumn Magic holds more lore about Natalya. Whispered things she can do for, or to, you. Ways she crawls into your dreams. The loom she uses to spin new destinies. How does it work? By rules that might make little sense in a rational world. Natalya isn't part of a rational world, though...
Natalya is vaguely described on purpose. She's not meant to be known the way an entry in a 'Monster Manual' or other such thing might read. The writer has a method to the madness but it's not meant to be broadcast in such crude terms as 'mechanics' or 'game systems', despite numerous works of RPG's and other fiction influencing the character. The reason for this is simple; Natalya is meant to invoke the fantastical in an all-too-often mundane world. Understanding the underpinnings detracts from that. Other characters can figure out some of the logic behind what she does, none of her 'gifts' are as random as they can seem. Not all of what Natalya is follows a sane logic, however, and RP's with her can best be described as a beautiful sort of madness. Think Lewis Carroll meets Lovecraft in a fever-dream with Freddy Krueger at the Night Circus when Something Wicked This Way Comes.
Natalya is meant to be evocative. To allow characters to explore aspects of themselves they otherwise might not. She's a support character in other people's stories more than a main character herself. She's a way to explore themes of wish-fulfillment and Freudian psychology. A way to examine themes of longing, want, and desperation. To view inhibitions and what it might be like to exist, however briefly, in a dream-world where it's safe to be free of them. Have you ever dreamt of killing your boss? Of making love to the object of your unrequited affection? To being famous? Infamous? What shape that takes is as varied as the people visiting the carnival.
What Natalya is precisely is never meant to be revealed. She's a mystery who propels thought, introspection, and change in others. For good, for ill, it's as dependent on the other person as on her. She's good at drawing out of people what was already there, be it wickedness, virtue, or anything in between. Obviously this requires collaboration with any writing partner. I can't invent what you won't allow to be there but I'm happy to work with you to tell a tale of what exactly makes your character's mind and soul tick. -
Odds and Ends
Natalya can be hurt or killed as part of an RP and is a non-consent character. She can experience violence, intimacy, or anything else in the course of a story. While I appreciate a heads up or a discussion ahead of major occurrences, nearly anything goes with her. She does have abilities to tweak, alter, or outright surmount Fate. She can be killed, nothing is truly eternal after all, but permanently destroying her is a more difficult matter than conventional violence.
I'll RP sexual content in detail with 18+ writers. I write them realistically and consider them an important part, but not the sole defining aspect, of a character. If you'd prefer to fade-to-black, that's also fine, but please let me know ahead of time lest I accidently make you uncomfortable. Natalya can dream-walk and relationships with her can be physical, while asleep, or both. I'm open to kinks aside from bathroom ones or their ilk. Feel free to ask. Part of Natalya's essence is providing people with their heart's desires and dreams are a safe place to do so in. No one's ever really hurt in a dream... right?
Anonymous characters are accepted on a case-by-case basis. I've had a lot of problems lately with anonymous characters deleting on me mid-RP without a word. If there's hardly any info on your character's profile, or a lack of any images, I'll decline. Profile images are a must and I want to see the anonymous character is something that the writer behind it put time and interest into. It doesn't need to be a biography but there needs to be some meat on the bones. Anime avatars aren't my favorite but I'll make an exception for a compelling enough character. I prefer real, or semi-real, face claims.
If you want to end an RP, let me know. It happens sometimes that characters don't sync, a writer loses interest, or we write ourselves into a corner. If more than a week passes without a reply, absent prior notification, I'll archive the RP. To resume, just post, but I won't hound you for them. I'm sometimes slow myself and I understand casual post-rates and infrequent availability. I don't expect daily posts and can't guarantee them myself.
If in doubt about anything with Natalya, just ask. I value OOC conversation as well as IC RP. Common courtesy is the unofficial guideline, as it should be in everything.
I welcome RP with other supernatural characters. Werewolves, vampires, witches, and "classic" horror movie monsters are welcome with one caveat. Understand that on the grounds of the circus, reality is not always as immutable as in the real world, and anyone sensitive to magic or its like will know they've entered the domain of an unknown "other". Natalya isn't omniscient, not even in the circus, but she has considerable mystical abilities when within its confines. Nor is Natalya specifically the mistress of the circus. She's one cog of many inside the microcosm... or is she?
Natalya herself can be tailored for any era of play or different worlds. Her default is a modern, dark reflection of our real world, but I'm happy to play her in Faerun or Ravenloft too (for example). Different settings will see different tailoring to make her fit the lore but the core of who she is will remain the same. Something different that comes, for good or for ill (depending on your point of view), and leaves an indelible impression before moving on.
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