Karin

Art by Zapklink

Kaori (generally called Karin) is a character primarily present within the Tokyo portion of the main story. She is strongly based on a character of the same name from Azumanga, with a mostly similar personality. Some changes include being a perfume connoisseur, meteorologist, and being somewhat overweight. She is Chihiro's best friend, and has an obsession with Satomi.

## History

Kaori grew up in the central part of Tokyo as the middle child of two sisters, and an older brother. As a kid, she had a fond interest in meteorology and astronomy, and had dreamed of becoming an astronaut exploring the galaxy. When Chihiro moved into her area of Tokyo, the two had started hanging out regularly from elementary and high school. She would talk about her aspirations of space exploration with her from time to time, and show off her collection of star maps and books about the solar system. When she got into high school, everything changed, as she started to have a crush on another classmate, namely Satomi. Her obsession had started as an admiration, mainly due to Satomi's outward appearance, but grew to an extreme obsession. This obsession led her to attempting to enlarge her breasts to match that of her crush, at the cost of her health, as she had gained more weight than she anticipated. At the same time, one of the teachers at the school also had an obsession with her, which she despised to an equally extreme degree. Most of her other classmates were unaware of her love for Satomi, except for Asunaro, who is convinced that she is gay. When she was asked about it, she denied that she was a lesbian, saying that she would still have a crush even if Satomi was a hunky guy. Even when going to college, she still had some feeling for her crush, even if she never expressed them openly. While she was not involved in the Second Korean Uprising, she was devastated when she discovered her love interest had been enlisted to fight in the war. This state of depression caused her to drink alcohol more frequently, which made her gain a bit more weight. After the war, she had overcome her depressed state, though her anxiety was still at an all-time high, even after the operatives of Sierra team had moved in, and her crush had returned home.

## Personality

Kaori is generally a shy and timid woman, and is somewhat sensitive. However, she has been known to go completely crazy when it comes to anything related to Satomi, which can range from extreme joy, fury, or jealousy. She is also prone to crying, possibly at the drop of a hat, and she often cries very loudly. Since her alcohol tolerance is low, she easily becomes tipsy, and she becomes more relaxed in this state. She was initially displeased by the presence of Sierra team, but slowly accepts their presence, even as Mr. Morris shows some concern for her well being.

## Equipment

Kaori doesn't own any weapons of any kind in her home. The closest thing she has to self defense is pepper spray. Despite this, she has handled an AK-47 at one point, even if she was in a crazed state.

## Vehicles

Kaori's main mode of transport is a 1999 Renault Lutecia (known as the Clio in other countries) hatchback with a dark blue paint job. Her car is powered by the D7F 1.2 litre inline 4, and uses an automatic transmission. She later adds a turbocharger to her engine at a later point.

## Physical traits

Kaori is classified as a middleweight, and has below average strength and mobility overall, mainly as a result of her weight. She is among the few characters with D-Cup breasts, which she is proud of. She has a low alcohol tolerance, which means she gets drunk easily. On some occasions, she can get a bit gassy, mainly as a result of her dietary habits.

## Patch notes

* Her initial design had her with a brown leather jacket and red skirt, which was transferred to Mandy. Her voice was also deeper before her voice pitch was raised up.
* At one point, she was intended to sometimes burp, mainly as a result of her weight. This was initially scrapped, until a community poll was held, where this decision was reverted.
* After another community poll, she now occasionally farts.