Kanna Takahashi

**Kanna Takahashi** (高橋 柑夏, *Takahashi Kanna*) is a twenty-two year old CCG Initiate with remarkably bad hygiene. A recent Academy graduate, she is eager to win the respect of her fellow investigators and fights with singleminded determination to make the world a safer place.

## Appearance

Slender as a switchblade, with a small, arrow-shaped face and the grin of a naughty elf. Kanna can’t help but look like a teenager. She tries her best to dress professionally but is absolutely blind to fashion, combining fat ties with wrinkled shirts and threadbare blazers. The other investigators are always telling her to sharpen up. To comply with their wishes, Kanna tried to cut her hair into an office-appropriate bob, but accidentally gave herself a mullet instead.

## Personality

Despite appearances, Kanna is propelled by a strong set of principals and passion for truth. She is so obsessed with justice that her mind has difficulty focusing on anything else. Hygiene, meals, sleep and social graces are quickly forgotten. Instead of dealing with practical problems, she opts for a temporary fix, using duct-tape to belt her pants and patch the walls in her apartment. This sense of impatience carries over to Kanna’s relationships with other investigators. It’s very easy for her to offend somebody—she rarely devotes her full attention to a conversation, asking uncomfortably personal questions and voicing random thoughts.

Alternatively, if Kanna is convinced that somebody is wrong, she becomes obsessed with illuminating the truth and refuses to let go of an argument. These tendencies can be easily mistaken for insubordination. However, it’s impossible to fault Kanna’s work ethic. You’ll never find a more devoted trainee. She accepts criticism with grace and constantly seeks to improve her performance. Advice from senior investigators is especially valuable, though she had a hard time believing that showers are really such a big deal.

## History

Kanna’s childhood was decidedly unremarkable. Growing up the in the center of Tokyo, her life revolved around baseball and computer programming, an immersive collection of hobbies that distracted her from everyday problems. She seemed like a normal kid at the time. Cheerful. Loud. A dreamer, perhaps, but nothing out of the usual way.

But then one night, while Kanna’s family slept, a vagabond ghoul snuck into the house. It happened on a Friday; nobody missed the Takahashis until early Monday morning, when the neighbors complained about a rancid, rotting smell. The landlord stopped by to investigate and found himself in the middle of a warzone. The entire family had been slaughtered. Their half-eaten corpses were strewn across the carpet, putrefied by the hot summer heat.

The CCG immediately dispatched first-class investigator Itsuki Nakamura to the scene. He searched the house and was shocked to discover that one of the children had managed to survive: Kanna sat dumbly in the carnage, unharmed but deaf to the world. She had spent three days alone with the bodies of her mother, father and baby sister.

In the absence of a close relative, Kanna was placed into the custody of the CCG. She studied at the Academy Junior School for several years before joining in the Academy proper. Ghoul investigation became a way to distract herself from the past—Kanna has yet to properly mourn her family, focusing on work instead.

## Powers and Abilities

**Strengths:**
**Mental fortitude.** When Kanna is given a task, she will literally work herself to death in order to see it through. Her pain tolerance is shockingly high. She seems almost incapable of surrender and has been known to pass out from exhaustion during training.

**Speed.** Instead of trying to improve the force of her attacks, Kanna has focused on developing their rapidity. She is adept at aiming quick, concise blows and backing away before the enemy can retaliate.

**Weaknesses:**
**Awkward people skills.** As previously mentioned, Kanna’s general weirdness makes it easy for her to make enemies. She is generally blind to the expectations of others and has a knack for stepping on sore subjects.
**Poor muscular strength.** Kanna’s small body type makes it difficult for her to land a strong blow. Furthermore, there isn’t much flesh to protect her vital organs, making it easier for the enemy to land a serious wound.

**Difficulty accepting defeat.** The downside of Kanna’s determined mentality is that she is often incapable of compromise or strategic withdrawal. Acknowledging a loss is severely detrimental to her morale.

## Quinque

Upon joining the CCG, Kanna was delighted to receive a **plain-type Tsunagi Quinque.** Even though this model is just an unremarkable sword issued to the greenhorns, she carries it proudly.

## Trivia

* Kanna drinks coffee like a ghoul. Her current record is twelve cups in a twenty-four hour period.
* Grey is her favorite color.
* She played baseball in high school and had a reputation for stealing bases.