Post by Karen Reed on Apr 28, 2017 14:24:58 GMT -5
[ AT A GLANCE ]
AGE: 19
SEX: Female
HEIGHT & WEIGHT: 5'5" & 122 lbs
HAIR & EYE COLOUR: Medium Length Dyed Pink Hair; Green Eyes
NATIONALITY: American
LANGUAGES: English, Japanese
POSITIVE TRAITS: Brave, Optimistic, Carefree, Curious, Sociable
NEGATIVE TRAITS: Reckless, Naive, Impatient, Immature, Nosy, Unwarranted Self-Importance
LOYALTIES: To all people Karen considers good or in need of help.
SNAPSHOTS: Mother attacked while Karen is in utero (2005); Karen begins seeing spirits (2023); Karen meets her friend who is secretly a Quincy, discovering her affliction (2025)
AGE: 19
SEX: Female
HEIGHT & WEIGHT: 5'5" & 122 lbs
HAIR & EYE COLOUR: Medium Length Dyed Pink Hair; Green Eyes
NATIONALITY: American
LANGUAGES: English, Japanese
POSITIVE TRAITS: Brave, Optimistic, Carefree, Curious, Sociable
NEGATIVE TRAITS: Reckless, Naive, Impatient, Immature, Nosy, Unwarranted Self-Importance
LOYALTIES: To all people Karen considers good or in need of help.
SNAPSHOTS: Mother attacked while Karen is in utero (2005); Karen begins seeing spirits (2023); Karen meets her friend who is secretly a Quincy, discovering her affliction (2025)
[ ON THE SURFACE ]
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Tracing her roots back to France, Karen appears ethnically European in many respects - pale, blushing skin and round, emerald eyes. Possessing an uncanny resemblance to her mother, Karen's jaw and nose are quite angular, with the latter dipping low on the bridge and sticking straight out. Karen's face is softened by her frightfully pale complexion, a byproduct of her introverted lifestyle, though such a pale canvas does frame her most valuable feature - her smile. A pink, thin upper lip and plump bottom lip cover her bright, perfectly straight teeth - her length of tooth and gum health giving away her wealthy upbringing. Her hair, too, appears to be in immaculate condition despite her constant dyeing of it - often in shades that match her favorite anime character at the time. Karen's hair is typically worn down, though she may choose to tie her hair back if she is feeling especially lazy.
What isn't worn down about Karen is her posture, as her loose shouldered gait and cartoonish strut epitomizes the opposite. Every step she takes is packed with an extra spark of energy and her infectious optimism seems to radiate around her. Peppy in many respects, her average bust and generally dainty build offers some level of humor when first seeing Karen's outer disposition - she has frail looking arms with soft and small hands that have clearly not seen hard labor. Her legs are similarly underworked, with only her thighs and buttocks possessing any sort of size about them - though they merely serve as fat deposits rather than pillars of strength.
Verbally, she has a kind yet deliberate cadence, clearly well educated even if her vernacular lacks the long, pompous turns of phrase that other kids with her background typically possess. Her clear enunciation makes Karen easy to understand, though when she is excited (which is often) her words can become difficult to decipher, as her average tone elevates with ear piercing femininity.
SPIRITUAL DESCRIPTION: Perhaps unsurprisingly, Karen's spiritual pressure projects little in the way of dread. Faded clouds of neon exude from her body, coalescing to form an uneven sphere around her body. A subtly sweet smell hangs within these clouds, evoking the feeling of smelling a sweet flower rather than sniffing something artificial like candy. The touch is similar, with the sweet vapor leaving what feels like a film of liquid on one's skin, as if her pressure was trying to leave something with the person.
PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION: Tracing her roots back to France, Karen appears ethnically European in many respects - pale, blushing skin and round, emerald eyes. Possessing an uncanny resemblance to her mother, Karen's jaw and nose are quite angular, with the latter dipping low on the bridge and sticking straight out. Karen's face is softened by her frightfully pale complexion, a byproduct of her introverted lifestyle, though such a pale canvas does frame her most valuable feature - her smile. A pink, thin upper lip and plump bottom lip cover her bright, perfectly straight teeth - her length of tooth and gum health giving away her wealthy upbringing. Her hair, too, appears to be in immaculate condition despite her constant dyeing of it - often in shades that match her favorite anime character at the time. Karen's hair is typically worn down, though she may choose to tie her hair back if she is feeling especially lazy.
What isn't worn down about Karen is her posture, as her loose shouldered gait and cartoonish strut epitomizes the opposite. Every step she takes is packed with an extra spark of energy and her infectious optimism seems to radiate around her. Peppy in many respects, her average bust and generally dainty build offers some level of humor when first seeing Karen's outer disposition - she has frail looking arms with soft and small hands that have clearly not seen hard labor. Her legs are similarly underworked, with only her thighs and buttocks possessing any sort of size about them - though they merely serve as fat deposits rather than pillars of strength.
Verbally, she has a kind yet deliberate cadence, clearly well educated even if her vernacular lacks the long, pompous turns of phrase that other kids with her background typically possess. Her clear enunciation makes Karen easy to understand, though when she is excited (which is often) her words can become difficult to decipher, as her average tone elevates with ear piercing femininity.
SPIRITUAL DESCRIPTION: Perhaps unsurprisingly, Karen's spiritual pressure projects little in the way of dread. Faded clouds of neon exude from her body, coalescing to form an uneven sphere around her body. A subtly sweet smell hangs within these clouds, evoking the feeling of smelling a sweet flower rather than sniffing something artificial like candy. The touch is similar, with the sweet vapor leaving what feels like a film of liquid on one's skin, as if her pressure was trying to leave something with the person.
[ BEHIND THE EYES ]
PERSONALITY: Karen is a woman who's personality is immediately obvious; an infectious sense of curiosity and a genuine desire to be friends with just about everybody. Karen is a bundle of joy and energy that makes an impression on just about anybody she meets - for better or worse. Loose shouldered with a bouncy gait, her comical posture and wide smile betrays her desire to put on (what he assumes to be) a friendly, approachable persona. Always seeking social affirmation from her peers, Karen's relatively isolated childhood has left her relatively ignorant of social norms and expectations. Due to this, she can seem rather blunt with her questioning and may express ideas that border on childish or immature, such as questioning one's taste in anime or stating that they remind them of a video game character.
Beneath the surface, her endless energy and desire to have her own shonen-style clique can cause her to get quite restless during the slow and often awkward initial periods of friendships. Similarly, Karen will often handwave or otherwise ignore glaring personality traits, finding solace in their similarity to the 2D surrogate friends she's familiarized herself with in the past. Because of this, she often values people much higher than they value her - a rather sad trait that she is (perhaps thankfully) ignorant of.
POSITIVE TRAITS:
Brave. A hero without bravery is just a very concerned citizen; a bystander looking on in fear while their flight response rings within their head. Karen is not such an individual. The young woman has always been one to throw herself into new situations as well as potentially dangerous ones if she feels there's a wrong to right. With her newfound power, Karen feels there is no reason for her to ever hesitate again, regardless of whether the situation involves bullying, guns, or the spiritual.
Carefree. While Karen is concerned with the state of the world and all the misdeeds within it, she is also not one to let thoughts of what-ifs and far-off conflicts eat at her mind. The young woman holds fast to the ideals she's learned from her favourite anime and manga: as long as she follows her heart and strives to make goodly decisions, everything will work out in the end, right?
Curious. Karen has been a curious creature from a very young age. She was quick to learn new things and hound her parents with endless 'but why?'s. Such a curious mind devoured books and media, and still does, though Karen is also quick to drop things that bore her.
Friendly. What's there to be miserable about in this big, beautiful world? Karen lives with the opinion that it's needless to linger in sadness and only breeds further misery. With that in mind, even if sadness finds its way to the young woman, Karen strives to rid herself of such funks as she feels she now has a duty to spread happiness.
Optimistic. Life is good for Karen and all her peers- such is the life of an upper-middle class girl who's never faced hardship outside of flunked jokes and high school exams. Karen is the kind of girl who rolls back onto her feet if knocked down without missing a beat, and thus, she's always ready to provide a dose of optimism whenever and wherever it's needed.
Sociable. The life of a social hermit is hardly a life at all in Karen's eyes. There are so many interesting people in the world with even more interesting stories to tell, one need only ask! Karen has always enjoyed a good chat, but now with her added hero duties, she is of the opinion that it is vital to her job.
NEGATIVE TRAITS:
Immature. Life is a series of short-lived conflicts that are only blips between good times for all. At least that's how Karen sees it. If her favourite anime and manga idols can defeat evil within a season or handful of books, why can't she? The complexities of the real world are lost on the young woman, often making her a hard figure to work with as she paints the world with the two-toned brush of black and white.
Impatient. Crime doesn't sleep and, if Karen had her way, neither would she! Ever eager to squash crime and evil wherever she may find it, Karen often finds that the real world is frustratingly slow unlike her preferred shounin anime. When has a super hero, good spirited samurai, or magical girl had to yield to police warrents or wait for the courts to get on with it? Eugh!
Naive. Having lived such a comfy life free of distress has bred a good-natured attitude within Karen, but also a crippling naivety about how grim and dirty the world can truly get. She is easily tricked and manipulated and harbours the dangerous belief that all humanoid beings (or those she perceives as human) can and want to be redeemed. Despite Karen's self-identification as a hero, she is a victim waiting to happen.
Nosy. Asking too many questions, poking the wrong people, and generally continuing her childhood 'but why?' phase into adulthood, Karen often comes off as a pain in the ass. It is a hero's duty to sniff out crime wherever it may be hiding, but perhaps harassing teenagers smoking weed isn't the right way to go about it.
Unwarranted Self-Importance. A hero is not like other people. They have brightly-coloured hair, they have an air of righteousness about them, and they possess abilities and a destiny that most people do not. While Karen is not one to look down on others as less worthy of life and what it has to offer, she is of the opinion that some people simply have a higher calling, and that she is one such person. Fate has a story to tell and Karen is it's main character for this particular chapter, citizens should step aside where they belong and remain safe.
Reckless. It may sound glamourous to be the hero who charges selflessly into dangerous situations, but an important thing to also keep in mind is caution. Such a concept is unfortunately lost on Karen. To stand aside is akin to being a bystander and that is something she refuses to be anymore, even if what she's witnessing is a tense hostage situation. It's just what heroes do!
GOALS & ACHIEVEMENT: This is where you briefly talk about things your character has done in the past, or things they want to do. Please note that you cannot have had any previous position of notable power (such as lieutenant or captain), however mentioning that you were once a seated officer in a certain division is very relevant information. This is a very good place to start a foundation of your story and make notes on the general direction of where you want to go with your character. Above all else, keep your goals reasonable; it was be a little ludicrous to go out the gate wanting to be Captain Commander. However, feel free to update this as you progress, so players have easy access to your current plans and accomplishments.
PERSONALITY: Karen is a woman who's personality is immediately obvious; an infectious sense of curiosity and a genuine desire to be friends with just about everybody. Karen is a bundle of joy and energy that makes an impression on just about anybody she meets - for better or worse. Loose shouldered with a bouncy gait, her comical posture and wide smile betrays her desire to put on (what he assumes to be) a friendly, approachable persona. Always seeking social affirmation from her peers, Karen's relatively isolated childhood has left her relatively ignorant of social norms and expectations. Due to this, she can seem rather blunt with her questioning and may express ideas that border on childish or immature, such as questioning one's taste in anime or stating that they remind them of a video game character.
Beneath the surface, her endless energy and desire to have her own shonen-style clique can cause her to get quite restless during the slow and often awkward initial periods of friendships. Similarly, Karen will often handwave or otherwise ignore glaring personality traits, finding solace in their similarity to the 2D surrogate friends she's familiarized herself with in the past. Because of this, she often values people much higher than they value her - a rather sad trait that she is (perhaps thankfully) ignorant of.
POSITIVE TRAITS:
Brave. A hero without bravery is just a very concerned citizen; a bystander looking on in fear while their flight response rings within their head. Karen is not such an individual. The young woman has always been one to throw herself into new situations as well as potentially dangerous ones if she feels there's a wrong to right. With her newfound power, Karen feels there is no reason for her to ever hesitate again, regardless of whether the situation involves bullying, guns, or the spiritual.
Carefree. While Karen is concerned with the state of the world and all the misdeeds within it, she is also not one to let thoughts of what-ifs and far-off conflicts eat at her mind. The young woman holds fast to the ideals she's learned from her favourite anime and manga: as long as she follows her heart and strives to make goodly decisions, everything will work out in the end, right?
Curious. Karen has been a curious creature from a very young age. She was quick to learn new things and hound her parents with endless 'but why?'s. Such a curious mind devoured books and media, and still does, though Karen is also quick to drop things that bore her.
Friendly. What's there to be miserable about in this big, beautiful world? Karen lives with the opinion that it's needless to linger in sadness and only breeds further misery. With that in mind, even if sadness finds its way to the young woman, Karen strives to rid herself of such funks as she feels she now has a duty to spread happiness.
Optimistic. Life is good for Karen and all her peers- such is the life of an upper-middle class girl who's never faced hardship outside of flunked jokes and high school exams. Karen is the kind of girl who rolls back onto her feet if knocked down without missing a beat, and thus, she's always ready to provide a dose of optimism whenever and wherever it's needed.
Sociable. The life of a social hermit is hardly a life at all in Karen's eyes. There are so many interesting people in the world with even more interesting stories to tell, one need only ask! Karen has always enjoyed a good chat, but now with her added hero duties, she is of the opinion that it is vital to her job.
NEGATIVE TRAITS:
Immature. Life is a series of short-lived conflicts that are only blips between good times for all. At least that's how Karen sees it. If her favourite anime and manga idols can defeat evil within a season or handful of books, why can't she? The complexities of the real world are lost on the young woman, often making her a hard figure to work with as she paints the world with the two-toned brush of black and white.
Impatient. Crime doesn't sleep and, if Karen had her way, neither would she! Ever eager to squash crime and evil wherever she may find it, Karen often finds that the real world is frustratingly slow unlike her preferred shounin anime. When has a super hero, good spirited samurai, or magical girl had to yield to police warrents or wait for the courts to get on with it? Eugh!
Naive. Having lived such a comfy life free of distress has bred a good-natured attitude within Karen, but also a crippling naivety about how grim and dirty the world can truly get. She is easily tricked and manipulated and harbours the dangerous belief that all humanoid beings (or those she perceives as human) can and want to be redeemed. Despite Karen's self-identification as a hero, she is a victim waiting to happen.
Nosy. Asking too many questions, poking the wrong people, and generally continuing her childhood 'but why?' phase into adulthood, Karen often comes off as a pain in the ass. It is a hero's duty to sniff out crime wherever it may be hiding, but perhaps harassing teenagers smoking weed isn't the right way to go about it.
Unwarranted Self-Importance. A hero is not like other people. They have brightly-coloured hair, they have an air of righteousness about them, and they possess abilities and a destiny that most people do not. While Karen is not one to look down on others as less worthy of life and what it has to offer, she is of the opinion that some people simply have a higher calling, and that she is one such person. Fate has a story to tell and Karen is it's main character for this particular chapter, citizens should step aside where they belong and remain safe.
Reckless. It may sound glamourous to be the hero who charges selflessly into dangerous situations, but an important thing to also keep in mind is caution. Such a concept is unfortunately lost on Karen. To stand aside is akin to being a bystander and that is something she refuses to be anymore, even if what she's witnessing is a tense hostage situation. It's just what heroes do!
GOALS & ACHIEVEMENT: This is where you briefly talk about things your character has done in the past, or things they want to do. Please note that you cannot have had any previous position of notable power (such as lieutenant or captain), however mentioning that you were once a seated officer in a certain division is very relevant information. This is a very good place to start a foundation of your story and make notes on the general direction of where you want to go with your character. Above all else, keep your goals reasonable; it was be a little ludicrous to go out the gate wanting to be Captain Commander. However, feel free to update this as you progress, so players have easy access to your current plans and accomplishments.
[ GUARDIAN ANGEL ]
POWER: WIP
POWER: WIP
[ LEGACY CREATED ]
ORIGIN - ?
"wip1"
Karen's parents were, and continue to be, busy people. Kathy Reed was a business woman focused in advertising while her father, Fredrick Reed, was a well-established translator who worked within the same company as Kathy. Together, they traveled all over America, as well as internationally on occasion, to conduct their business. Prior to Karen's birth, Kathy and Fredrick accepted an opportunity within Karakura, Japan that involved aiding in the creation of Japanese ads for American products. Within a month of being in Karakura, Kathy found herself laid out on the pavement one day by a strange force that left wounds on her body despite no being or creature having been seen by anyone nearby. Shaken by the ordeal, and worrying for hers and her baby's health, the couple left the project to find respite back home. Not long after, Karen was born, happy and healthy.
Karen was always a needy child who craved the attention of her parents she so dearly loved, and they were more than happy to give it to her. Moving from state to state, country to country, caused the growing girl to only truly bond with her parents as all other friends were lost in the moves and bouts of homeschooling. Even nannies and maids came and went as the Reeds shuffled from house to house in their pursuit of successful careers. They wanted their one and only child to want for nothing, but due to this, Karen grew up craving for something her parents couldn't buy: healthy friendships.
Grades and studying were not an issue as Karen was a bright and naturally curious girl, but academics were also not something she was passionate about. Instead, Karen threw herself into the culture exposed to her at a young age by her father's career: Japan. Figures adorned her room liberally, her walls were strewn with posters of big-eyed girls with candy-coloured hair, and her bookcase was filled up with blu-rays and manga. As Karen marched into her teenage years, her parents became increasingly busy as their little girl was now old enough to take care of herself. With her only connections becoming more scarce, Karen found herself diving into video games and online communities to satisfy her desire for socialization.
Whenever she specifically missed her parents presence however, Karen would take to keeping the keychain of her favourite shounin hero nearby as it was a treasured birthday gift from both of them. Falling asleep at night whilst looking at the heroically posing chibi figure filled Karen with some peace.
RISE TO POWER - ?
"wip2."
Karen dove head first into video games, favouring games that had a multiplayer aspect to them such as MMOs. Within these communities she found herself delving into friendships of all kinds. Some were fleeting, much to her chagrin, as many folks found Karen a bit too bubbly and eager to chat at all hours of the day. Others still were well-tempered with breaks and white lies about work and real life as they liked Karen but keeping up with her social energy level was beyond them. Finally, however, there were a small handful who enjoyed Karen's company in its entirety. One such individual was a young man named Richard Rhodes. Little changed about Karen's life throughout her teenage years with exception to the backdrop. Though the young woman wished her parents were around more, she understood why they weren't and did her best to suck it up.
In Karen's seventeenth year, something did change however. It was subtle at first, just spotting things from the corner of her eye, like shadows flitting away suddenly. What she could initially pass off as tricks of mind soon intensified; becoming unmistakeably vivid and frightening. Vague shadows became ghostly figures right infront of her, groaning about the unfairness of life or how death wasn't what they were expecting. Karen worried for her mental health but felt she could push through this. They were just visions of dissatisfied people, after all.
The 'hallucinations' escalated, however, and Karen found herself hiding away in her room after coming face to face with a vision of a masked beast devouring the 'ghost people'. Karen was unsure what to do. She felt if she went to her parents, she would be disappoitning them with the revelation that their one and only child was broken in the head. Who'd want that for their loving parents? Instead, Karen turned to her closest friend, Richard. Within a tearful online call, she admitted that she'd been seeing things for over a year and they'd escalated to a frightening point of dramatic- and seemingly invisible- killings played out before her of monster and ghost.
She didn't take much note of how quiet Richard got when she described the hallucinated beast, nor did she find it strange when he suddenly suggested they go on a Japan trip to clear her mind and cheer her up. She loved Japan, after all. Her parents were surprisingly resistent to the idea once Karen mentioned the town by name, looking a bit shaken even, but they were quick to relent once they saw how much the trip seemed to mean to their daughter. Perhaps they were just too paranoid.
CALL TO ACTION - ?
"wip3"
Accompanied by her best friend in her favourite country, Karen was on cloud nine. While she still saw ghostly beings floating around, she did her best to not let such things ruin her trip. Shopping for fan merchandise abounded and Karen was eager to get her hands on regional anime goods she couldn't get online or at home. Richard seemed to coast along as his friend flitted from store to store gasping and fangirling over this and that. He seemed to be waiting.
The two left Akihabara for their initially intended destination: Karakura Town. It was a fairly average looking place, leaving Karen to question Richard as to why he wanted to come here specifically. It was then- with a deep breath and determined look- that her closest friend began dumping information on her. Spiritual energy, Hollows, souls, Shinigami, Quincy. Karen could just stare in awe and confusion before telling Richard that that was a great concept for an anime. The young man realized he'd have to demonstrate to get the otaku to believe him, but that was why they came to Karakura. He was prepared for this outcome.
Finding a Hollow in such a spiritually saturated place was simple enough, or at least simpler than the rest of the world. It appeared as a dog-like creature with the neck and head of a snake. Karen watched from a safe distance as Richard manifested a shounin-like bow from nothing and joined the monster in battle. It was spectacular and dangerous, mesmerizing and terrifying. When the Hollow fell, Karen scrambled over to Richard and begged him to teach her to be a hero archer warrior like him. While he admitted she couldn't be just like him, Richard told his friend he'd help her develop her spiritual capabilities as much as he could.
Richard's training constinuted a lot of exposure to Hollows and putting Karen in increasingly dangerous situations to try to draw out any power within her. While her signature seemed to begin to develop more prominently and take on its own characteristics, Karen was never able to manifest much controlled or precise ability. Nevertheless, she was focused now and had a new goal in life outside of hitting max level repeatedly in her favourite MMO.
Karen, the defender of Karakura, was born. This town needed a hero!
ORIGIN - ?
"wip1"
Karen's parents were, and continue to be, busy people. Kathy Reed was a business woman focused in advertising while her father, Fredrick Reed, was a well-established translator who worked within the same company as Kathy. Together, they traveled all over America, as well as internationally on occasion, to conduct their business. Prior to Karen's birth, Kathy and Fredrick accepted an opportunity within Karakura, Japan that involved aiding in the creation of Japanese ads for American products. Within a month of being in Karakura, Kathy found herself laid out on the pavement one day by a strange force that left wounds on her body despite no being or creature having been seen by anyone nearby. Shaken by the ordeal, and worrying for hers and her baby's health, the couple left the project to find respite back home. Not long after, Karen was born, happy and healthy.
Karen was always a needy child who craved the attention of her parents she so dearly loved, and they were more than happy to give it to her. Moving from state to state, country to country, caused the growing girl to only truly bond with her parents as all other friends were lost in the moves and bouts of homeschooling. Even nannies and maids came and went as the Reeds shuffled from house to house in their pursuit of successful careers. They wanted their one and only child to want for nothing, but due to this, Karen grew up craving for something her parents couldn't buy: healthy friendships.
Grades and studying were not an issue as Karen was a bright and naturally curious girl, but academics were also not something she was passionate about. Instead, Karen threw herself into the culture exposed to her at a young age by her father's career: Japan. Figures adorned her room liberally, her walls were strewn with posters of big-eyed girls with candy-coloured hair, and her bookcase was filled up with blu-rays and manga. As Karen marched into her teenage years, her parents became increasingly busy as their little girl was now old enough to take care of herself. With her only connections becoming more scarce, Karen found herself diving into video games and online communities to satisfy her desire for socialization.
Whenever she specifically missed her parents presence however, Karen would take to keeping the keychain of her favourite shounin hero nearby as it was a treasured birthday gift from both of them. Falling asleep at night whilst looking at the heroically posing chibi figure filled Karen with some peace.
RISE TO POWER - ?
"wip2."
Karen dove head first into video games, favouring games that had a multiplayer aspect to them such as MMOs. Within these communities she found herself delving into friendships of all kinds. Some were fleeting, much to her chagrin, as many folks found Karen a bit too bubbly and eager to chat at all hours of the day. Others still were well-tempered with breaks and white lies about work and real life as they liked Karen but keeping up with her social energy level was beyond them. Finally, however, there were a small handful who enjoyed Karen's company in its entirety. One such individual was a young man named Richard Rhodes. Little changed about Karen's life throughout her teenage years with exception to the backdrop. Though the young woman wished her parents were around more, she understood why they weren't and did her best to suck it up.
In Karen's seventeenth year, something did change however. It was subtle at first, just spotting things from the corner of her eye, like shadows flitting away suddenly. What she could initially pass off as tricks of mind soon intensified; becoming unmistakeably vivid and frightening. Vague shadows became ghostly figures right infront of her, groaning about the unfairness of life or how death wasn't what they were expecting. Karen worried for her mental health but felt she could push through this. They were just visions of dissatisfied people, after all.
The 'hallucinations' escalated, however, and Karen found herself hiding away in her room after coming face to face with a vision of a masked beast devouring the 'ghost people'. Karen was unsure what to do. She felt if she went to her parents, she would be disappoitning them with the revelation that their one and only child was broken in the head. Who'd want that for their loving parents? Instead, Karen turned to her closest friend, Richard. Within a tearful online call, she admitted that she'd been seeing things for over a year and they'd escalated to a frightening point of dramatic- and seemingly invisible- killings played out before her of monster and ghost.
She didn't take much note of how quiet Richard got when she described the hallucinated beast, nor did she find it strange when he suddenly suggested they go on a Japan trip to clear her mind and cheer her up. She loved Japan, after all. Her parents were surprisingly resistent to the idea once Karen mentioned the town by name, looking a bit shaken even, but they were quick to relent once they saw how much the trip seemed to mean to their daughter. Perhaps they were just too paranoid.
CALL TO ACTION - ?
"wip3"
Accompanied by her best friend in her favourite country, Karen was on cloud nine. While she still saw ghostly beings floating around, she did her best to not let such things ruin her trip. Shopping for fan merchandise abounded and Karen was eager to get her hands on regional anime goods she couldn't get online or at home. Richard seemed to coast along as his friend flitted from store to store gasping and fangirling over this and that. He seemed to be waiting.
The two left Akihabara for their initially intended destination: Karakura Town. It was a fairly average looking place, leaving Karen to question Richard as to why he wanted to come here specifically. It was then- with a deep breath and determined look- that her closest friend began dumping information on her. Spiritual energy, Hollows, souls, Shinigami, Quincy. Karen could just stare in awe and confusion before telling Richard that that was a great concept for an anime. The young man realized he'd have to demonstrate to get the otaku to believe him, but that was why they came to Karakura. He was prepared for this outcome.
Finding a Hollow in such a spiritually saturated place was simple enough, or at least simpler than the rest of the world. It appeared as a dog-like creature with the neck and head of a snake. Karen watched from a safe distance as Richard manifested a shounin-like bow from nothing and joined the monster in battle. It was spectacular and dangerous, mesmerizing and terrifying. When the Hollow fell, Karen scrambled over to Richard and begged him to teach her to be a hero archer warrior like him. While he admitted she couldn't be just like him, Richard told his friend he'd help her develop her spiritual capabilities as much as he could.
Richard's training constinuted a lot of exposure to Hollows and putting Karen in increasingly dangerous situations to try to draw out any power within her. While her signature seemed to begin to develop more prominently and take on its own characteristics, Karen was never able to manifest much controlled or precise ability. Nevertheless, she was focused now and had a new goal in life outside of hitting max level repeatedly in her favourite MMO.
Karen, the defender of Karakura, was born. This town needed a hero!
