Overview Post
General Overview
Sylvia, though she much prefers to be called Syl, is a witch with the Carnival Diabolique. She makes her living selling charms, potions and curses to the marks. These spells range from the benign (infatuation or prosperity charms, blessings, potency spells) to the deadly (poisons, diseases, violent and gruesome curses). The latter are her real moneymakers, though she usually saves them for when she knows the Carnival's getting ready to move on. Syl is very good at what she does, and has so far performed a few services for the town.
Syl joined up with the Carnival when she was 14, starting her life there as a stripper (or "kootch" dancer). Before that, her unhappy childhood was spent in a factory town (think Industrial Revolution). Her parents left her and her siblings to their own devices; Syl was working full time in a textile mill by the time she was 7 years old and living on her own by 12. At that age the foreman of her factory also began sexually abusing her. When the Carnival came into town 2 years later she legged it. Picked up the witchcraft thing on her own when she got bored of being pawed and drooled over, and was fully established in her new profession and as one of the Carnival's main vendors at age 19.
As a result of her work at the factory, Syl's hands are very badly scarred. Palms, fingers, knuckles, backs...all are heavily callused and criss-crossed with scar tissue. Syl is a little sensitive about them, and doesn't like shaking hands or when people pay too much attention to them. She hates it when people touch her hands without asking.
Syl only got involved in the town's dealings recently and has been mostly concentrating on keeping the people she cares about together. Which leads us to:
Significant Relationships and Interactions:
Tez: Syl's oldest and best friend, she and Tez have known each other since she first joined up with the Carnival. They first started building a friendship when she was 17 and the two of them formed a strong bond, watching out for each other on sojourns into town, drinking and joking together. Predictably after so many years of getting drunk together, they ended up falling into bed and decided to make a go at a relationship. They held it together for several years before breaking up and reforging their friendship. Recently, they started sleeping together again and have had a very active sex life since, but because Tez is also involved with Iblis Syl does not consider them "together". Tez has also told Syl who and what he is, and seems a little disconcerted by the fact that she doesn't mind. Syl still thinks of Tez as her best friend, and is quite deeply in love with him...but while she has grown up over the years, Tez has not, and this is becoming increasingly frustrated with this. They've had some violent and nasty fights over this, though they made up later. Since Tez got kicked out of the Carnival, she's been spending most nights with him at his truck in an effort to both keep him out of a depression and keep him away from Iblis. She's being...marginally successful.
The Girls: Syl has a habit of looking out for some of the younger women of the Carnival. There have been several generations of her "girls", who she helps wrangle, teaches street smarts and takes care of. The current crop of them consist of Genny, Zann and the twins. Syl is fiercely protective of her girls; in previous years she has lost of a few of them, whether to accident or to malicious townsfolk, and she is quite determined not to lose anymore.
Simon: Syl and Simon originally ran into each other at Wanda's garden party, but they really bonded when they met at the Tavern and enjoyed a quiet drink together. Since them they've forged a quiet friendship based on mutual respect, with Simon helping Syl wrangle a detoxing Tez and cooking lunch for her.
Kaeli: After Kaeli insulted her and used her powers on Tez without invitation, Syl decided to go after her, both to teach Kaeli a lesson and to cheer Tez up. They were successful on the latter, but who knows about the former?
Verdandi: Verdi and Syl first met the same night of Tez and Syl's argument. They were flirting even that night, and after Tez and Syl made up both of them ended up in Verdandi's bed for the evening. They've maintained a friendly relationship since then.