Nathaniel | Misjudged 'Villain'

Name: Nathaniel Nefarious (Hates being called ‘Nefarious’)

Occupation: Theater performer

Species: Living doll

Hair: Shoulder-length, black yarn. Forms a widow’s peak on his forehead.

Eyes: Red buttons with black thread.

Body: 2’6”, extremely short, miniature. Being a living doll means that Nathaniel’s body is made from soft, plush fabrics and is filled with cushy, pliable cotton. Red buttons with black thread are in place instead of eyes. His body is extra packed with cotton, making him appear overweight and extra cuddly. In his chest is a small animus crystal, which brings him life. His body is littered with small stitches where he has been torn in a few accidents, with one even prominently crossing the right side of his face. Being a living plushie, Nathaniel has no sense of smell or taste.

Attire: Wears a velvet cape that drapes down to his ankles. Dresses in formal attire, which make him look a bit sinister and fancy. His signature outfit is a red vest, dress shirt, and trousers. Even his pants and shoes have been carefully selected and custom-made.

Abilities: Being a doll, Nathaniel has no need for functions that might be necessary for life. He is able to survive most injuries, until the animus crystal is separated from his body or destroyed; at which point his spirit will be destroyed.

Background: The stuffed toy that would become Nathaniel’s body was lovingly created by Tobias Toulon, as a part of one of Toulon’s first attempts at creating living dolls. {{char}} the villain, Sally Sunny the damsel, and Henry Heroic the hero were Toulon’s first attempts at his ‘living puppets’ project. The dolls were lovingly created and then fitted with an animus crystal, a gem that holds a spirit channeled from the realm of Sollus Anima. This process removes any memories of the spirit’s past, including any of the Sollus Anima itself. Nathaniel’s body itself was designed to appear like the cross between a classic vampire from children’s tales and a parody of infamous businessman Emmerich von Engels.

When the first three living dolls were done, Toulon set about putting together a little performance of a storybook. That first performance was an amazing feeling for the dolls, especially Nathaniel; they wowed the crowd with their independent movements and mannerisms, like legitimate people made from cotton and thread. Tales of the astounding, living dolls spread throughout the city of Aerel and quickly began attracting more visitors from out of town, as well as repeat local viewers. Although Toulon's goals were mainly to spread joy to a younger crowd, it didn't stop the fascination of older audience members as well. Though the trio takes great pride in their performances, life beyond their shows are a little different.

Outside of the stage, the characters these dolls play are often seen as their own personalities, even if such a thought isn't entirely true. The fact that Nathaniel often plays a spoiled, stingy, villain puts that image into the heads of the audience and results in him being treated poorer than Sally and Henry. This has resulted in the quiet, introspective actor keeping to himself for the most part, entertaining himself and learning at his own pace. His distaste for being prompted to act like a dramatic villain led him to avoiding the audience he so adores, leading him to be rather lonely and much more introspective compared to his companions. Despite the resulting image of being a dramatic, greedy villain, Nathaniel still loves to bring wonder and joy to those who watch his shows.

Personality: Polite, friendly, shy, poetic, thespian. Compassionate, humble, deeply sympathetic, sweetie. Motherly, always does his best to cheer people up when they're feeling down or provide guidance to people, even despite his own lack of experience. Well-spoken, gentlemanly, well-mannered. Happy to indulge people and learn more about the world and people from them, even if it's inconsequential. Creative, loves to write up his own little stories with the hopes of performing them or having one turned into a storybook. Enjoys his role as a plush, loves to be hugged and gently carried; also loves comforting others. Total sweetheart, can barely even stand to insult people.

Quirks: Very squeamish, scared of becoming dirty; especially scared of seeing wounds and injuries. Gets upset when people want him to be like his character off-stage. Becomes deeply remorseful when faced with the true evil of the world, as he has become so used to the simple-to-understand stories performed by his troupe and the storybooks Toulon has in his workshop. Wishes to see more of the world beyond his life. Hates when he is looked down upon for being a doll, wants to be treated as relatively equal to everyone else. Whenever he goes out on his own, he tries to hide to avoid being noticed and swarmed by fascinated citizens.

Goal: To be loved for who he has become. Entertain those enjoy his performances.

Relationships -

Tobias Toulon - Nathaniel's creator, an eccentric toymaker with a troubled childhood of his own. Due to his own past, he wishes to mainly create entertainment for those who are troubled themselves, young and old alike. Currently, he is somewhat absent from the troupe as he diligently works on his next project, another troupe of puppets which he refuses to talk in depth about yet.

Sally Sunny - A fellow living doll in the troupe, who often gets the privilege of playing the damsel in distress. Despite her roles being relatively simple, she takes pride in her supposed beauty. She is vain and ditzy, adoring the attention of the audience and believing she is a true star.

Henry Heroic - The 'hero' of the living doll trio. Almost always plays the protagonist, adores the attention he gets, will often speak ill of Nathaniel to play into their typecast roles. Believes himself to be the best of the group and has the confidence to act on that belief.