Larisa Beysenbaeva

### Relatives

Sabina Turganbaeva Beysenbaeva (mother), Valeriy Beysenbaev (father), Erbolat Beysenbaev (younger brother), Islam Beysenbaev (youngest brother)

### Occupation

student, masked justice as current Firebird

## Physical description

### Eye color

dark brown, epicanthally folded

Larisa Beysenbaeva is the child of Muslim, Kazakh-minority Russian-American immigrants. At the beginning of the story, her parents do not know of her role as the current Firebird. Her arc in the story surrounds the role of emotions and healthy outlet thereof. Vulnerability and emotional honesty are difficult for Larisa, and she avoids confrontation, particularly with her family. She learns that expressing her emotions can strengthen bonds rather than testing them and help her achieve her goals rather than detract from them.

In her role as a masked justice, Larisa at times vents all of her feelings into a destructive energy. As the conflict with her parents rises silently to a boil, she starts to take things too far. Her friends start to notice an increased trend in ruthless and violent behavior. When they ask her what the matter is, she avoids conflict and does not answer truthfully.

This dynamic is not sustainable. Eventually, the bubble pops, and her friends confront her regarding her behavior. Larisa's shell cracks. She vents and feels relieved. After this, she starts to open up to her parents, one small step at a time.

Revealing her role as the Firebird to her parents, after weeks testing the waters, is the right choice. When she is sure they will understand and respect her goals, they are just relieved to know where she always goes off to and why she comes home so tired and drained. Her parents become a support team of sorts for the Magical Girls, providing their car, a financial allowance, morale support, advice, and food when possible and when needed.

The Beysenbaev home becomes a judgement-free zone where the Magical Girls can collapse without having to change out of their costumes before flopping on the couch. Valeriy serves qurt and shelpek with ayran or qymyz. There seems to always be soothing Kazakh music on the old record player and sports on TV.

## Description

Larisa is a strong, stout girl who pushes herself very hard when exercising. She has a round face with a wide, dimpled smile and a button nose. When away from the home, her thick black hair is wrapped up under a colorful hijab cap and a bright, textured hijab.

When unmasked, she can be seen in long jackets, graphic tees, loose pants, and big laced up boots. Thick off-brand headphones sit over her hijab and blast her unique music taste, Bluetooth connected to her older model of phone. Larisa's phone sits snugly in a clear acrylic case, full of stickers and printed out photos. A small fidget cube dangles from a keychain looped into the phone case. Her fingerprint quickly unlocks her phone with a quick press.

Larisa's backpack is large, black, and covered in various sizes of pockets. OTC pain medications, menstrual products, tissues, little plastic bandages, emergency snacks, different colors of pens and extra paper, notebooks, sketchbooks, charging cables, adapters, changes of clothes, and books from home are stowed and ready to be shared with friends.