application for somarium
[Player name] Val
[Age] 21
[Personal Journal] white_reveries
[Other characters currently played] n/a!
[Character name] Karen Kasumi
[Age] Unknown, but appears early-30's (IF YOU SAW 20 AT ANY POINT, IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE 30. orz orz)
[Canon] X (also known as X/1999)
[Point in time taken from canon] End of Volume 18.5
[Background]For the general setting/background of the series, the wiki link should suffice. As for Karen, however...
There isn't all too much information given in regards to Karen's childhood. The earliest flashbacks of her, given in an extra at the end of volume 13, show her in the middle of a church (location not mentioned), her eyes sparkling as she watches little balls of fire float around her. No mention is ever made of her father; only Karen's mother, unnamed, is shown. What can be gathered from that short side story is that Karen and her mother are on the run, trying to hide from cults that wish to make use of Karen's unique pyrokinetic powers. Her mother sees Karen's ability as a curse from the Devil (the Kasumi family is, apparently, quite religious, with their beliefs rooted firmly in Catholicism) and frequently beats Karen, usually in response to Karen using her powers, but also simply because she fears her daughter and what her daughter might come to do with those powers. It's gets to the point where a neighbor is forced to call an ambulance to come take Karen away, due to the severity of the abuse. Karen's mother is killed in an accident during that time, hit by a car as she runs out into the streets in an attempt to get her daughter back.
It's unknown how Karen spends the rest of her childhood, adolescence and early adulthood, but she gains a job as a 'flower' (read: unofficial prostitute), works for various different soaplands (read: unofficial brothels) and eventually makes her way to Tokyo in 1999, where the series begins. It's also unknown how she was informed that she was a Dragon of Heaven/one of the Seven Seals (the two titles are interchangeable) but it's something she's already well aware of when Kamui returns to Tokyo. She doesn't actively seek out the other Dragons; in fact, she doesn't even reveal herself to the group as a whole until everyone has gathered for Kotori's burial (though she meets both Sorata, Arashi, and Aoki before this).
She slips into her role as one of the Dragons of Heaven easily, working with the other Dragons to counter any attacks and moves made by the Dragons of Earth. It's during this time that she meets Nataku, a cloned individual who doesn't understand human motivation or emotion, in a face-off. She becomes attached to him rather quickly, and he to her, and if it hadn't been for a rather rude interruption by Yuuto, they most likely would have been able to come to quite good terms with each other. As it is, Yuuto and Karen, after a scuffle, come to a shaky compromise, agreeing to end the fight in order to tend to their injured compatriots (Yuuto to Nataku, and Karen to Aoki, who arrives after the battle has begun).
It's several weeks later that Karen, with Aoki in tow, encounters Nataku again, though this time, the ending isn't nearly as joyful. Once again, the two are interrupted, though this time by Fuuma, the leader of the Seven Seals, who is, well, a lot less easy-going than Yuuto. Karen tries to protect Nataku, but unfortunately, Fuuma has the upper hand. He is a wish-granter, in his own way, and Nataku has, unfortunately, two wishes: to die by the hand of the one he loves most (in this case, Fuuma) and to die protecting the one most important to him (Karen). Two birds with one stone. Fuuma walks away a few minutes later, leaving behind Nataku's corpse and a Karen so furious and upset that she has to be restrained by Aoki before she does something rash.
They end up burying him, and while Karen feels a deep sense of grief, the event also rekindles her sense of purpose. She's become a bit enlightened as to just how Fuuma works and what makes him tick, and it's from here that I'll be pulling her from.
( I'm so so sorry, this is a terrible background. A fansite has a few, more clear (though very tl;dr) explanations: childhood | events with nataku )
[Personality]As the oldest of the Seven Seals, Karen is extremely comfortable with all facets of her personality, and is fully equipped with a high level of self-esteem and confidence. She is well aware that she is a woman in the prime of her life, and this often leads to her being flirtatious and teasing around others. This does not make her proud or arrogant; rather, she still possesses a healthy amount of modesty and is unafraid to make fun of herself if the situation calls for it. She enjoys engaging in friendly banter even while in battle (even daring to flirt with the other party, as evidenced during her scuffle with Yuuto), and she is, for the most part, quite cheerful. This is somewhat surprising, as there isn't a single person amongst the Seven Seals who hasn't experienced some sort of personal tragedy during their life, Karen included. Her own mother abused her as a child, believing that Karen's pyrokinetic abilities were a gift from the Devil. More of an optimist than a pessimistic, Karen prefers to look forward rather than dwell on the past. She believes that group morale is important, and it's hope (and faith) that gets a person through their darkest hours.
The most obvious trait of Karen's personality is her compassion. She is a woman who wants to believe in the inherent goodness of others, and will do what she can to help others find happiness. She has a mothering streak in her a mile wide, and has the tendency to treat most younger than her as though they were her children. This is clearest in her relationship with Nataku, one of the Dragons of Earth. He is a clone of a dead child, aware and conscious for only a few weeks. Others don't see him as human, causing himself to think that he is incapable of such human emotions as love or sadness, but Karen disagrees with all of this. When she meets him for the first time, she notices the sad tilt to his eyes and takes the time to stop and talk to him, even though he is technically "the enemy." She treats him as though he was a child of hers, takes the time to explain the odd concept of 'emotions' to him, and it causes him to deeply care for her as well. Her treatment of others almost as children is not out of a need to be patronizing; she simply wants to make sure that they receive the love and affection she didn't as a child. She will be supportive, she will be nurturing, and if she really cares about you, she will put her life on the line to ensure your happiness. When Aoki comes to visit her in her flat to tell her about the events launched into action by the Dragons of Earth, she states outright to him that if there is any action that needs to be taken, she wants to be the one who gets it done. She even goes so far as to drug his tea with a sleeping potion so that he won't stop her. This isn't because she lives for action, or because she has a reckless streak in her, but because she doesn't want those she cares about getting hurt. If someone has to get hurt, it should be her, and part of this is driven by her biggest flaw: her assumption that no one will care if she dies.
Though she cares about others, often deeply, she can't seem to accept the fact that her feelings can be reciprocated as well. The one person who was expected to love her unconditionally - her mother - called her a demon, and told Karen repeatedly during her childhood that no one would care if she were to die. It is that assumption that underlies almost everything she does - her choice of work, her actions, her attitude towards others. She works at a soapland (a more "official" version of a brothel) because she can leave at any time with no effect on anyone else. She is one face out of many, and easily replaced. That's fine by her. After all, if her own mother won't cry for her, who will? This really doesn't influence how she treats others, but manifests moreso in a seemingly resolute decision to sacrifice herself for others, even if it'll cause others pain. By the canonpoint that I'm pulling her from, she's starting to realize that there are actually people who will cry for her if she were to die, but she still feels the need to protect others and keep them safe at the cost of her own life, if need be.
And in the midst of all this, there is the fact she is still human, prone to grief and anger. She cries just as any human does (and isn't afraid to show her grief to the world) and she gets angry as well, though admittedly, her temper is a bit harder to bring to the surface. But it's there, and there's a reason she's been gifted with fire powers, rather than water or air. Anger her, threaten someone she loves, god forbid you hurt someone she loves, and there really is no saving you.
[Abilities]All of the Seven Seals have their own individual talents and powers. Karen's particular talent, which caused her mother so much pain when it manifested in her childhood, is her pyrokinesis, or ability to wield fire. She is able to create and manipulate fire, from creating small balls of fire to unleashing waves big enough to burn whole houses down. It is mentioned in one of the drama CDs that she doesn't think her power is all that useful, as fire is readily available from numerous other sources.
She also shares with the other Seals the ability to create and take down kekkai, which are essentially protective barriers or wards, often set up in preparation for a battle. It cuts a section away from reality and transports it into an alternate dimension. People trapped within the kekkai will not be able to leave (and vice versa) and anything destroyed within that kekkai will not carry over to the real world. However, this only holds true if the creator of the kekkai is still in good condition when he/she takes down the kekkai. If the creator is severely injured or killed within the kekkai or is psychologically unable to maintain the kekkai in any way, all the damage sustained within the kekkai will carry over to the real world. Karen's kekkai is in the shape of a cross, a reflection of her Catholic upbringing.
Physically, Karen is shown canonically to have a surprisingly high level of agility and balance. She can comfortably perch on top of telephone poles and trees, as well as jump down from dozens of feet above ground and still land as light as a feather. Apparently, she is also able to battle gracefully in tight-fitting skirts and heels without ever losing her balance. Oh CLAMP.
She's also probably pretty damn good in bed.
NOTE: I know the app page mentioned some powers needing restrictions. After reading the Sorata app (shhhhhh I'm totally not a stalker) I would like to propose something similar for Karen. She'll lose the ability to put up a kekkai but her fire powers will be retained. It's mentioned canonically that Karen doesn't see her fire abilities as all that useful, because fire is everywhere, usable and accessible to everyone. What makes hers so special? And she really isn't one to engage in violence. She values lives, those of her friends, and those of people she's never met. Even during her fight with Yuuto, really the only time she's seen extensively using her powers, she uses them to distract and to defend and not to attack or maim or kill.
[Other important stuff]She's hot. That's important, right? :(b Okay, no, there's really nothing of import that needs to be said. UHHHHHHH she also has no issues with just walking around in lingerie but um I don't expect that to be an occurrence in Somarium. Hopefully. Maybe.
[Sample post]
[First Person]- If I offered to save your soul for a price, would you go with it and why?
[There's a bit of a sad smile that.] No. I don't believe others have the right to determine the fate of one's soul; only He has that right, and when Judgement Day comes, I believe that He will made his choices wisely. The most we can do is act and behave in a way that He would approve of. Even if I hadn't had lived my life in a way that He would have approved of, there is no price that would be high enough to satisfy Him. The redemption of souls is something our Lord, and only our Lord, has the right to do.
- You have two options: either save your friend who is hanging from a cliff, or chase after the bad guy who put them in a position. If you choose the former, the bad guy will get away and it will be hard to catch him. If you choose the latter, the cliff will crumble and the friend will fall to the spiky rocks below. What do you do and why?
Save my friend. [There isn't a single trace of hesitation as she says that.] How could I do anything but that? Everyone deserves a chance at life, and I would rather have my friend here with me and the culprit loose than to never be able to see my friend again.
Wouldn't you do the same thing?
- If you could destroy a city, how would you do it?
I...[There's obvious surprise on her face, and consternation as well.]..I wouldn't. Why would I want to destroy a city? The history, the culture, but most importantly, the people. None of them deserve for their city to be destroyed in any way.
- How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
[A laugh.] I'm not sure I fully understand the question, but I imagine a woodchuck could chuck quite a bit of wood if it put its mind to it. Is it a big woodchuck or a baby one?
- You find yourself on a robot unicorn. What do you do?
A robot unicorn? That's a very interesting situation. [A thoughtful pause while she taps her chin. But she's amused by the question.] I guess I would see where it would take me first, if it wasn't moving. If it wasn't, I'd try and find who created it. I can't imagine there being many people that are able to create robot unicorns. I've never seen any of them in Shinjuku, at least.
- If you could change your current lifestyle or job career, what would it be?
[There's a teasing tone in her voice.] Do I really have to? I'm rather fond of my current job. It's simple but enjoyable. You wouldn't be so cruel as to force an old woman set in her ways to adopt a completely new lifestyle, now would you? But, if I had to....I'd like to travel someday, so maybe an airline hostess? It would be a busy job, but I think it would be worth it, to see all those different places, even if it's only for a little bit.
[Third Person]Her first gift in Somarium is an apple, round and ruby red.
It's the hand that catches her attention first, thin, disjointed, made of hay and fabric rather than warm living flesh. Her eyes look up to see a tan weathered face, stuffed full of straw, with an uneven frown permanently sewn in, and she can't help but let out a little "oh" of surprise.
Apparently, that's enough response for the scarecrow to hop a little closer, and wave the fruit closer to her face. Karen isn't quite sure what to do. The gift is sweet, but is it really hers to take freely? Somarium is still an unfamiliar place to her, for the most part. The rules by which she's required to abide by in Tokyo are clear-cut and well memorized from years of experience, years which she lacks here in the dream world. It doesn't bother her at all, familiarizing herself with a new, unfamiliar place. That task is something she's already had to do, again and again, each time she settled down in a different corner of Tokyo. No, what she wants is to make a good impression, to the people and the world that is to be her home for the next...well, she doesn't even know how long.
Considering all the things she already has on her mind, like Kamui and 1999 and the end of humanity itself, one would imagine that the entirely of her attention would be focused on those things, rather than whether or not it's acceptable to take an apple from an unknown, moving scarecrow. Those things aren't ones she takes lightly, but at the same time, she's pragmatic, and reasonable enough to know that worrying about such things here won't change a thing. She can't reach them and they can't her, but what she can touch and taste and see are the things here. Like the scarecrow.
It reminds her a bit of an errant child, wandering away from its mother with good (but misplaced) intentions. It's a cheerful thought, and she graces the scarecrow with a sweet smile.
"Are you sure it doesn't belong to someone?"
A master farmer, perhaps? After all, scarecrows aren't supposed to go around on their own, hopping around. There isn't much of a response; instead, there's only more waving. It seems the scarecrow is rather insistent she take the apple. And so, not to be rude, she does, carefully plucking the apple from gnarly fingers and giving the scarecrow a little curtsy of appreciation afterwards.
"Thank you very much! It's very kind of you."
Mission complete, the scarecrow bounces off, raggedly coattails fluttering in the wind as Karen stands and giggles at its departure.
She probably should have felt scared, or perhaps even wary. After all, it isn't every day she's approached by a walking (but not talking!) scarecrow. And yet, all she can do is stand and smile. After so many years of busy Tokyo life, followed by so many weeks of standing guard, keeping watch, making and breaking kekkai, to experience something so simple but out of the ordinary as being offered an apple by a scarecrow....well, she thinks it's absolutely wonderful. It's the little things in life that make it worth living, after all.
[Why do you want to play this character in Somarium?] BECAUSE YOU HAVE A BEAUTIFUL CLAMP CAST FFFFFFFFFFFF. Really though, CLAMP is kind of infamous for giving their characters TRAGIC BACKSTORIES and then never having said characters actually talk about any of it or deal with it because lolol wallowing in grief is for losers. I think it'd be interesting for Karen to have to grapple with some of her fears/insecurities (fewer though they are) with the help of other people via the dreams. Also, I love Karen. ;A; She needs more love from fandom.
[Which rule was your favorite and why?] Actually, it was the one about putting mature content in a separate post on the player's journal. While I have no issues with smut (goodness knows I read enough romance novels at home), it's a wee bit disconcerting to click into a thread for general reading pleasure and see hot-n-heavy action and go '..........o h.'
[Where did you hear about Somarium?] LOTS OF PEOPLE. I know a lot of peeps in the PH cast, and I was enabled on ATP by your beautiful CLAMP crew. :|b
[Any questions?] ...................herpderp nope. 8D ilu?
[Age] 21
[Personal Journal] white_reveries
[Other characters currently played] n/a!
[Character name] Karen Kasumi
[Age] Unknown, but appears early-30's (IF YOU SAW 20 AT ANY POINT, IT'S SUPPOSED TO BE 30. orz orz)
[Canon] X (also known as X/1999)
[Point in time taken from canon] End of Volume 18.5
[Background]For the general setting/background of the series, the wiki link should suffice. As for Karen, however...
There isn't all too much information given in regards to Karen's childhood. The earliest flashbacks of her, given in an extra at the end of volume 13, show her in the middle of a church (location not mentioned), her eyes sparkling as she watches little balls of fire float around her. No mention is ever made of her father; only Karen's mother, unnamed, is shown. What can be gathered from that short side story is that Karen and her mother are on the run, trying to hide from cults that wish to make use of Karen's unique pyrokinetic powers. Her mother sees Karen's ability as a curse from the Devil (the Kasumi family is, apparently, quite religious, with their beliefs rooted firmly in Catholicism) and frequently beats Karen, usually in response to Karen using her powers, but also simply because she fears her daughter and what her daughter might come to do with those powers. It's gets to the point where a neighbor is forced to call an ambulance to come take Karen away, due to the severity of the abuse. Karen's mother is killed in an accident during that time, hit by a car as she runs out into the streets in an attempt to get her daughter back.
It's unknown how Karen spends the rest of her childhood, adolescence and early adulthood, but she gains a job as a 'flower' (read: unofficial prostitute), works for various different soaplands (read: unofficial brothels) and eventually makes her way to Tokyo in 1999, where the series begins. It's also unknown how she was informed that she was a Dragon of Heaven/one of the Seven Seals (the two titles are interchangeable) but it's something she's already well aware of when Kamui returns to Tokyo. She doesn't actively seek out the other Dragons; in fact, she doesn't even reveal herself to the group as a whole until everyone has gathered for Kotori's burial (though she meets both Sorata, Arashi, and Aoki before this).
She slips into her role as one of the Dragons of Heaven easily, working with the other Dragons to counter any attacks and moves made by the Dragons of Earth. It's during this time that she meets Nataku, a cloned individual who doesn't understand human motivation or emotion, in a face-off. She becomes attached to him rather quickly, and he to her, and if it hadn't been for a rather rude interruption by Yuuto, they most likely would have been able to come to quite good terms with each other. As it is, Yuuto and Karen, after a scuffle, come to a shaky compromise, agreeing to end the fight in order to tend to their injured compatriots (Yuuto to Nataku, and Karen to Aoki, who arrives after the battle has begun).
It's several weeks later that Karen, with Aoki in tow, encounters Nataku again, though this time, the ending isn't nearly as joyful. Once again, the two are interrupted, though this time by Fuuma, the leader of the Seven Seals, who is, well, a lot less easy-going than Yuuto. Karen tries to protect Nataku, but unfortunately, Fuuma has the upper hand. He is a wish-granter, in his own way, and Nataku has, unfortunately, two wishes: to die by the hand of the one he loves most (in this case, Fuuma) and to die protecting the one most important to him (Karen). Two birds with one stone. Fuuma walks away a few minutes later, leaving behind Nataku's corpse and a Karen so furious and upset that she has to be restrained by Aoki before she does something rash.
They end up burying him, and while Karen feels a deep sense of grief, the event also rekindles her sense of purpose. She's become a bit enlightened as to just how Fuuma works and what makes him tick, and it's from here that I'll be pulling her from.
( I'm so so sorry, this is a terrible background. A fansite has a few, more clear (though very tl;dr) explanations: childhood | events with nataku )
[Personality]As the oldest of the Seven Seals, Karen is extremely comfortable with all facets of her personality, and is fully equipped with a high level of self-esteem and confidence. She is well aware that she is a woman in the prime of her life, and this often leads to her being flirtatious and teasing around others. This does not make her proud or arrogant; rather, she still possesses a healthy amount of modesty and is unafraid to make fun of herself if the situation calls for it. She enjoys engaging in friendly banter even while in battle (even daring to flirt with the other party, as evidenced during her scuffle with Yuuto), and she is, for the most part, quite cheerful. This is somewhat surprising, as there isn't a single person amongst the Seven Seals who hasn't experienced some sort of personal tragedy during their life, Karen included. Her own mother abused her as a child, believing that Karen's pyrokinetic abilities were a gift from the Devil. More of an optimist than a pessimistic, Karen prefers to look forward rather than dwell on the past. She believes that group morale is important, and it's hope (and faith) that gets a person through their darkest hours.
The most obvious trait of Karen's personality is her compassion. She is a woman who wants to believe in the inherent goodness of others, and will do what she can to help others find happiness. She has a mothering streak in her a mile wide, and has the tendency to treat most younger than her as though they were her children. This is clearest in her relationship with Nataku, one of the Dragons of Earth. He is a clone of a dead child, aware and conscious for only a few weeks. Others don't see him as human, causing himself to think that he is incapable of such human emotions as love or sadness, but Karen disagrees with all of this. When she meets him for the first time, she notices the sad tilt to his eyes and takes the time to stop and talk to him, even though he is technically "the enemy." She treats him as though he was a child of hers, takes the time to explain the odd concept of 'emotions' to him, and it causes him to deeply care for her as well. Her treatment of others almost as children is not out of a need to be patronizing; she simply wants to make sure that they receive the love and affection she didn't as a child. She will be supportive, she will be nurturing, and if she really cares about you, she will put her life on the line to ensure your happiness. When Aoki comes to visit her in her flat to tell her about the events launched into action by the Dragons of Earth, she states outright to him that if there is any action that needs to be taken, she wants to be the one who gets it done. She even goes so far as to drug his tea with a sleeping potion so that he won't stop her. This isn't because she lives for action, or because she has a reckless streak in her, but because she doesn't want those she cares about getting hurt. If someone has to get hurt, it should be her, and part of this is driven by her biggest flaw: her assumption that no one will care if she dies.
Though she cares about others, often deeply, she can't seem to accept the fact that her feelings can be reciprocated as well. The one person who was expected to love her unconditionally - her mother - called her a demon, and told Karen repeatedly during her childhood that no one would care if she were to die. It is that assumption that underlies almost everything she does - her choice of work, her actions, her attitude towards others. She works at a soapland (a more "official" version of a brothel) because she can leave at any time with no effect on anyone else. She is one face out of many, and easily replaced. That's fine by her. After all, if her own mother won't cry for her, who will? This really doesn't influence how she treats others, but manifests moreso in a seemingly resolute decision to sacrifice herself for others, even if it'll cause others pain. By the canonpoint that I'm pulling her from, she's starting to realize that there are actually people who will cry for her if she were to die, but she still feels the need to protect others and keep them safe at the cost of her own life, if need be.
And in the midst of all this, there is the fact she is still human, prone to grief and anger. She cries just as any human does (and isn't afraid to show her grief to the world) and she gets angry as well, though admittedly, her temper is a bit harder to bring to the surface. But it's there, and there's a reason she's been gifted with fire powers, rather than water or air. Anger her, threaten someone she loves, god forbid you hurt someone she loves, and there really is no saving you.
[Abilities]All of the Seven Seals have their own individual talents and powers. Karen's particular talent, which caused her mother so much pain when it manifested in her childhood, is her pyrokinesis, or ability to wield fire. She is able to create and manipulate fire, from creating small balls of fire to unleashing waves big enough to burn whole houses down. It is mentioned in one of the drama CDs that she doesn't think her power is all that useful, as fire is readily available from numerous other sources.
She also shares with the other Seals the ability to create and take down kekkai, which are essentially protective barriers or wards, often set up in preparation for a battle. It cuts a section away from reality and transports it into an alternate dimension. People trapped within the kekkai will not be able to leave (and vice versa) and anything destroyed within that kekkai will not carry over to the real world. However, this only holds true if the creator of the kekkai is still in good condition when he/she takes down the kekkai. If the creator is severely injured or killed within the kekkai or is psychologically unable to maintain the kekkai in any way, all the damage sustained within the kekkai will carry over to the real world. Karen's kekkai is in the shape of a cross, a reflection of her Catholic upbringing.
Physically, Karen is shown canonically to have a surprisingly high level of agility and balance. She can comfortably perch on top of telephone poles and trees, as well as jump down from dozens of feet above ground and still land as light as a feather. Apparently, she is also able to battle gracefully in tight-fitting skirts and heels without ever losing her balance. Oh CLAMP.
She's also probably pretty damn good in bed.
NOTE: I know the app page mentioned some powers needing restrictions. After reading the Sorata app (shhhhhh I'm totally not a stalker) I would like to propose something similar for Karen. She'll lose the ability to put up a kekkai but her fire powers will be retained. It's mentioned canonically that Karen doesn't see her fire abilities as all that useful, because fire is everywhere, usable and accessible to everyone. What makes hers so special? And she really isn't one to engage in violence. She values lives, those of her friends, and those of people she's never met. Even during her fight with Yuuto, really the only time she's seen extensively using her powers, she uses them to distract and to defend and not to attack or maim or kill.
[Other important stuff]She's hot. That's important, right? :(b Okay, no, there's really nothing of import that needs to be said. UHHHHHHH she also has no issues with just walking around in lingerie but um I don't expect that to be an occurrence in Somarium. Hopefully. Maybe.
[Sample post]
[First Person]- If I offered to save your soul for a price, would you go with it and why?
[There's a bit of a sad smile that.] No. I don't believe others have the right to determine the fate of one's soul; only He has that right, and when Judgement Day comes, I believe that He will made his choices wisely. The most we can do is act and behave in a way that He would approve of. Even if I hadn't had lived my life in a way that He would have approved of, there is no price that would be high enough to satisfy Him. The redemption of souls is something our Lord, and only our Lord, has the right to do.
- You have two options: either save your friend who is hanging from a cliff, or chase after the bad guy who put them in a position. If you choose the former, the bad guy will get away and it will be hard to catch him. If you choose the latter, the cliff will crumble and the friend will fall to the spiky rocks below. What do you do and why?
Save my friend. [There isn't a single trace of hesitation as she says that.] How could I do anything but that? Everyone deserves a chance at life, and I would rather have my friend here with me and the culprit loose than to never be able to see my friend again.
Wouldn't you do the same thing?
- If you could destroy a city, how would you do it?
I...[There's obvious surprise on her face, and consternation as well.]..I wouldn't. Why would I want to destroy a city? The history, the culture, but most importantly, the people. None of them deserve for their city to be destroyed in any way.
- How much wood would a woodchuck chuck if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
[A laugh.] I'm not sure I fully understand the question, but I imagine a woodchuck could chuck quite a bit of wood if it put its mind to it. Is it a big woodchuck or a baby one?
- You find yourself on a robot unicorn. What do you do?
A robot unicorn? That's a very interesting situation. [A thoughtful pause while she taps her chin. But she's amused by the question.] I guess I would see where it would take me first, if it wasn't moving. If it wasn't, I'd try and find who created it. I can't imagine there being many people that are able to create robot unicorns. I've never seen any of them in Shinjuku, at least.
- If you could change your current lifestyle or job career, what would it be?
[There's a teasing tone in her voice.] Do I really have to? I'm rather fond of my current job. It's simple but enjoyable. You wouldn't be so cruel as to force an old woman set in her ways to adopt a completely new lifestyle, now would you? But, if I had to....I'd like to travel someday, so maybe an airline hostess? It would be a busy job, but I think it would be worth it, to see all those different places, even if it's only for a little bit.
[Third Person]Her first gift in Somarium is an apple, round and ruby red.
It's the hand that catches her attention first, thin, disjointed, made of hay and fabric rather than warm living flesh. Her eyes look up to see a tan weathered face, stuffed full of straw, with an uneven frown permanently sewn in, and she can't help but let out a little "oh" of surprise.
Apparently, that's enough response for the scarecrow to hop a little closer, and wave the fruit closer to her face. Karen isn't quite sure what to do. The gift is sweet, but is it really hers to take freely? Somarium is still an unfamiliar place to her, for the most part. The rules by which she's required to abide by in Tokyo are clear-cut and well memorized from years of experience, years which she lacks here in the dream world. It doesn't bother her at all, familiarizing herself with a new, unfamiliar place. That task is something she's already had to do, again and again, each time she settled down in a different corner of Tokyo. No, what she wants is to make a good impression, to the people and the world that is to be her home for the next...well, she doesn't even know how long.
Considering all the things she already has on her mind, like Kamui and 1999 and the end of humanity itself, one would imagine that the entirely of her attention would be focused on those things, rather than whether or not it's acceptable to take an apple from an unknown, moving scarecrow. Those things aren't ones she takes lightly, but at the same time, she's pragmatic, and reasonable enough to know that worrying about such things here won't change a thing. She can't reach them and they can't her, but what she can touch and taste and see are the things here. Like the scarecrow.
It reminds her a bit of an errant child, wandering away from its mother with good (but misplaced) intentions. It's a cheerful thought, and she graces the scarecrow with a sweet smile.
"Are you sure it doesn't belong to someone?"
A master farmer, perhaps? After all, scarecrows aren't supposed to go around on their own, hopping around. There isn't much of a response; instead, there's only more waving. It seems the scarecrow is rather insistent she take the apple. And so, not to be rude, she does, carefully plucking the apple from gnarly fingers and giving the scarecrow a little curtsy of appreciation afterwards.
"Thank you very much! It's very kind of you."
Mission complete, the scarecrow bounces off, raggedly coattails fluttering in the wind as Karen stands and giggles at its departure.
She probably should have felt scared, or perhaps even wary. After all, it isn't every day she's approached by a walking (but not talking!) scarecrow. And yet, all she can do is stand and smile. After so many years of busy Tokyo life, followed by so many weeks of standing guard, keeping watch, making and breaking kekkai, to experience something so simple but out of the ordinary as being offered an apple by a scarecrow....well, she thinks it's absolutely wonderful. It's the little things in life that make it worth living, after all.
[Why do you want to play this character in Somarium?] BECAUSE YOU HAVE A BEAUTIFUL CLAMP CAST FFFFFFFFFFFF. Really though, CLAMP is kind of infamous for giving their characters TRAGIC BACKSTORIES and then never having said characters actually talk about any of it or deal with it because lolol wallowing in grief is for losers. I think it'd be interesting for Karen to have to grapple with some of her fears/insecurities (fewer though they are) with the help of other people via the dreams. Also, I love Karen. ;A; She needs more love from fandom.
[Which rule was your favorite and why?] Actually, it was the one about putting mature content in a separate post on the player's journal. While I have no issues with smut (goodness knows I read enough romance novels at home), it's a wee bit disconcerting to click into a thread for general reading pleasure and see hot-n-heavy action and go '..........o h.'
[Where did you hear about Somarium?] LOTS OF PEOPLE. I know a lot of peeps in the PH cast, and I was enabled on ATP by your beautiful CLAMP crew. :|b
[Any questions?] ...................herpderp nope. 8D ilu?