Natalie Ballantyne
Character Name: Natalie
Full Name: Natalie Denise Ballantyne
Nick Names: Nat by her childhood acquaintances, Denny by her parents.
Gender: Female
Age: 19
Birthday: April 14
Marital Status: Single
Spouse:
Hair: Blonde, typically worn at sides. On special occasions, it is either worn in a tight bun or a pair of French braids.
Eyes: Soft hazel, yellow in the right light. She is often described as having a constant look of longing or desire. Her father once told her that her eyes made him feel as thought she was always asking for more.
Origin: Grew up on the country-side in a small town of Aliade, few residents who knew each other by name (founded by Mayor Clark, who still runs the town). Left the town at fourteen with her older brother in the hopes of finding work and a better world.
Language: English, loosing Italian, assorted phrases in German, French, Latin and Russian, although she cannot pronounce them all correctly.
Blood Type: Type 17, as defined by the Aliade doctor (B+)
Height: 5'7
Weight/Body Structure/Physical Faults: 115 pounds/ Although tall and skinny at a first glance, her structure consists much more of an upside-down pear shape. Her shoulders are thin and weak, along with her torso. Her hips and thighs make up most of her body, but are barely noticeable in her height. She feels that if she were ever seen without clothing (be it as a nude model or simply in the heat of passion) it would be far more obvious. Her skin is very strong due to the time she spent in the sun as a child, although she is still prone to sunburn on her shoulders and cheeks.
Race/Species: Human, though she has been led to question the way people live outside of her home.
Parents/Elders/Guardians: Louis and Clara Ballantyne, both decease, unbeknown to Natalie.
Siblings: Deryk Ballantyne; her older brother of 3 summers. Deryk stole Natalie away with him in hoping to find a new world. He often keeps to himself, but is still the athletic child he always was.
Beliefs/Religion: Christian
Career/Past Careers: Before her departure she had never been employed, but is now a book-keeper to a small town library where she reads during the day. She has high hopes of finding a book that will "perfectly describe the way life should be"
Dreams/Life Goals: Finding a new world of art and literature, or an escape from the world she seems to find herself in.
Hobbies: Reading, painting (acrylic and oils), writing (very rarely), evaluating music.
Likes: Rain, the smell of a new book, freshly cut grass, dogs, the color green, stories of adventure, fantasy stories, poetry, musicals, psychological films or movies, pleasant people, sunny days, the smell of ash, dolls and porcelain figures, the hum of machinery, soft cakes and cookies, baking, the feeling of fingers in her hair, fleece blankets, petticoats.
Dislikes: Unsympathetic characters, abstract artists, disrespectful patrons, dog-eared corners, magazine paper, spelling errors in newsprint or books, hot water or the sensation of a shower, loud noises, big cities, sweet foods or drinks, mystery fiction, cigarette smoke, large clothing, bright colors, the color orange, racial literature, condescending historical novels, sloppy painting, paint on her hands, the feel of hair without conditioner.
Fears: Empty churches, the sound of thunder, lightning, being left alone, circus folk and gypsies, fictional creatures, failure, blindness, bleeding to death, drowning, fire.
Strengths: Literary prowess, general knowledge of the things that surround her, her speed on foot, her painting abilities, her loose knowledge of other languages.
Weakness: Her inability to communicate, her constant need for acknowledgment or attention, her frailness, her absolute belief in a divine being, her inability to accept the different rational thoughts of others, her negativity.
Good Qualities: Her blind faith in her God and in Deryk, her relentless hope and generosity, her outright kindness and helpfulness, her outer beauty, her creativity.
Bad Habits: Bites her nails, often loses things, short tempered and often finds herself incapable of taking critism. Also feels the need to lead every situation hostilely if she is not appointed a leader.
Turn Ons: Soft/gentle hands, smell of lavender, being caressed by the small of her back, kisses against the underside of her wrist, cold hands against her face.
Turn Offs: Tattoos, illiteracy, any smell that reminds her of violence or gore, abusive situations, distractions or aversive conversations.
Normal Talents: Photographic memory, her ability to read most books within a matter of hours, her ability to memorize quickly if reciting something, her ability to run.
Temperament: Naturally an introvert, although she was an extrovert as a child. Unless conversation is initiated by someone else, she is unlikely to speak or address someone unless they are upsetting. She often finds stress difficult to deal with without reading or bringing up a similar, fictional situation. To those she loves, she is devoted and as helpful and possible, due to the fact that she has immense fear of being left behind like the entire city.
Background: As a child, Natalie was very excitable and spent most of her time outside playing and running and dancing as wildly as any other child. Her clothing was often covered in grass stains and smears of dirt. By the age of four, she had learned what she believed to be everything of the world and the way it functioned, and had her brother teach her to read so she might have been able to understand the world that did not surround her. Natalie's home town was dreadfully small, and although she was very comfortable in such a small setting, her brother pulled her away on the night of his 17th birthday in the midst of a storm. They both caught the train and headed as far away as possible, to the furthest city. A place known as MidTown. There they stayed for several months before Natalie wandered into the library and fell asleep there, and was offered the job by the polite library man, Dark. With the bit of money that Natalie and Deryk earned together, they began living in a small flat where they still live together - four rooms (two bedrooms and one parlor, and a bathroom) make up the small house that they still live in.
