Post by end on Jul 12, 2009 19:05:10 GMT -4
Arrancar
Name: Karla Ortega
Gender: Female
Age: Human/Hollow/Arrancar 32/2/1
Ranking: Unaligned Arrancar
Number: N/A
Base Type: Gillian
Physical Description:
Karla Ortega is a mixed White/Hispanic woman standing at a surprising 6'6" and weighing in at over 250 lbs. She cuts a strong, masculine figure, now giving way to a more womanly shape with maturity. Her features are still quite sharp, her brow, nose and cheek bones vaguely suggesting a bird of prey. She makes steady eye contact with everyone she speaks to, and due to her height, her grey-eyed stare can be unnerving. She has shoulder length black hair which she ties back in a loose bun, away from her face.
She carries herself proudly, and while already larger than life, her good posture makes her seem even grander. When she's stalking prey she tends to crouch, to reduce her profile, which enhanced her predatory air.
Karla dresses simply: She prefers practical clothes that allow for movement, in black. She usually sports a turtleneck and full fingered gloves, which cover the hollow hole in her left palm. Over this she wears a tightly cut light tan leather longcoat with a high collar, which resembles a detective's coat.
She lacks the mask fragment emblematic of the Arrancar.
Personality:
While substantially younger than many active spiritual beings, Karla died in her 30s, making her markedly more mature than beings who died young and have emotionally stagnated in their teens.
Karla is an intelligent, level-headed woman. She can be on the intense side when focused on a task, which some might find off-putting, but she is normally polite, considerate and difficult to anger.
Her broad educational background fostered an interest in philosophy and ethics, which gives her a fair bit of grounding in terms of world view. Especially influential for her were Thomas Hobbes and Friedrich Nietzsche.
Hobbes proposed that hypothetical life before society was 'nasty, brutish and short'. That the only law was the law of the jungle, and where the only thing stopping you from killing a man with a rock to the head was because that man might have a bigger rock. Society is the product of individuals agreeing not to harm each other in exchange for the same promise from others.
Implicit in this for Karla however, was that not everyone plays nice.
Nietzsche preached a rejection of values, warned of impending nihilism, and admonished the individual to create their own values.
The idea of a struggle to a higher state, and the imposition of will over reality seemed to be a fitting solution to Hobbes. If someone decides to play rough, be ready to put them in their place with ones own power.
In life, this meant that Karla didn't let anyone push her around, and when the world didn't make sense, Karla would impose sense on it. She was a severe woman, but this harshness was married to a softer side: she believed in the inherent goodness of the individual, that people could change, that human nature strove to better itself, and that it was important to help others help themselves. These were the values that she believed in, and the ones she tried to exemplify.
Loftier ideals aside, she was a woman happy with a quiet life. She had a loving father, good friends, and a faithful dog. She enjoyed bowling on weekends, salmon, orange juice, and music television. The real kind, where they actually play music.
Upon her transition to an Arrancar, certain things have changed. She still holds herself as a fundamentally good woman, but when she faced death in the face she discovered that above all she is a survivor: indomitable of mind, body and soul. She will endure, though it may end up being at the cost of everything else.
And that makes Hobbes and Nietzsche uncomfortably relevant to her life.
History:
Karla was born 35 years ago in Connecticut. She was lovingly raised an only child by her father, one Felix Ortega, from whom she inherited her height, athleticism and sense of humanity. She was naturally on the shy side, Her size contributed to her awkwardness. Eventually it would be a cause for confidence, as it contributed to her success in sports, and was a powerful weapon when she had to stand up to something or someone she disagreed with.
She graduated college with a degree in English literature, and floundered for a few years working dead end jobs. Her will waned for a time, culminating in a bout of depression in which she did little but mope around.
Her father was supportive in a way uniquely his. He took away her support structure, piece by piece, forcing her to compensate through her own efforts, eventually lighting a fire under her ass. Reinvigorated, she decided to pursue a career in teaching, becoming an English Teacher and Track/Field coach.
Her life settled into a comfortable pattern for the next 8 years.
DEATH TO ARRANCAR
Sometimes death is anticlimactic. One night Karla was driving home after bowling with old friends. She was cut off by a car, and to avoid rear-ending him, she hit the brakes, was rear-ended herself, and careened into the center divide, dying instantly. No one was drunk, it was just a stupid accident. The loss of her quiet but happy life, and the senselessness of her death upset her spirit greatly.
With no psycho-pomp to deliver her to the next world, Karla's bitterness and desire might have granted her new life as a Hollow, had the strength of her spirit not attracted predators in the darkness. A Hollow, alone of no consequence in the long run, made a meal of her. There was always a bigger fish, and it in turn was eaten by a stronger Hollow.
Bigger and Bigger fish became involved, and the conditions necessary for a Menos came about, the orgy of death and hunger culminating in the creation of a Gillian. It was two years later that something stirred within the creature, and a will awoken.
Occasionally one of the souls in a Menos would stir, and the others would beat it down viciously, discouraging it from emerging again. One day Karla, before a simple member of the chorus, was granted the opportunity for a Solo. Fighting the voices that attempting to drown her out, Karla tore at the mask that clouded her vision. The more she pulled, the louder they screamed, filling her with their fear and pain. Pushing through she was able to tear a chunk off. Some of the voices were silenced, and though the others screamed even louder, she felt a clarity of ego that had been denied her for two years. Encouraged she continued to tear, the process agonizing but sobering, her will gaining momentum, as she dominated the other souls that had crushed her. She tore and tore until nothing was left of her mask.
She was back.
NEW LIFE
Karla is ignorant of the specifics of the afterlife, her condition, and other beings of the spirit world, beyond that of 'smaller fish' and 'bigger fish'. That she needs to feed on sentient prey grates on her, but she justifies herself by preying only on monsters: human and hollow. She sees herself as a predator, not a killer.
When not occupied with survival, she is usually visiting the human world, keeping tabs on her mortal friends. She is wary, but polite to any being that can see or interact with her, and has a very basic idea that there are other 'things' out there, and not all of them are immediately hostile.
Abilities:
Callate, Por favor (Be quiet, please)
Karla is very, very good at masking her Reiatsu, and to all but the most sensitive, she simply does not have a presence, requiring them to rely on their mundane senses. The sensitivity of a being is at partially tied to their strength, as shown below. A specialist acts as a category higher.
Class 0-4
For spiritual beings up to Class 4, Karla invisible, but a specialist looks to the next category.
Class 5-6
For spiritual beings up to Class 6, Karla's presence is limited to minute traces, which they might be able to follow with time. Despite this, a surprise attack comes too suddenly to stop by detection.
Class 7-8
For spiritual beings up to Class 8, Karla's presence can be felt in a general area, and can be tracked with some effort, but generally in a timely manner. They may detect her presence with just enough time to prevent a fatal ambush, but are best protected by their mundane senses or innate defenses.
Class 9-10
For spiritual beings up to Class 10, Karla's Callate has no effect whatsoever. As such a character has enough forewarning of her presence that her ambush tactics will not succeed on surprise alone.
Additional Info:
Karla is not a warrior. The souls of numerous hunters, killers and murderers, have made her very good predator though. She relies on surprise, physical and psychological momentum, and sheer brutality to down her prey. If her prey gets the chance to fight back, Karla has made a mistake.
Karla does not understand the significance of Hollow masks, or the ramifications of tearing off all of her own. The heightened Reiatsu produced by that act was shaped by her desire for survival, forging her a body well adapted to the task, though ultimately not as powerful as it could have been. Outside of her Ressurreccion, Karla has above average strength and durability, but is hampered by her lack of hollow techniques. Her use of ambush and close quarters combat however make her more dangerous than a typical Numero by a fair amount.
General:
Appearance:
Karla's zanpakuto takes the form of a KABAR combat knife, scaled up for her height, and with a dull, bleach-bone blade. Karla wears it in a simple leather sheath which she can attach to multiple places on a tactical harness she wears.
Resurrecctión
Awaken, Leviathan
Armor/ Appearance:
Karla's Resurreccion is utilitarian. Karla's body, including her hair, loses all color. The sclera of her eyes turn black, and her irises red. Her black clothing is replaced by the black flesh of a Gillian. She becomes thinner and more angular, and her mouth is filled with knife-like teeth.
Abilities:
Karla experiences the expected increase in overall power, including increased offense, defense, and speed. Her Hollow Techniques likewise show an increase in effectiveness. She does not acquire any new ability however.
Karla has only a limited range of hollow techniques.
Garganta
Karla's is only capable of making holes big enough for herself, which she seals as she goes. She's can trade speed for accuracy and visa versa, usually taking pains for a precise ambush and a quick escape.
Hierro
Karla is as tough as she is strong. She is an above average Numero.
Pesquisa
Karla's is a Reiatsu tracking specialist, capable of picking up a feint trail and following it back to its source.
Regeneration
Karla retains some measure of Hollow Regeneration after becoming an Arrancar, though it is quite stunted. In battle her regeneration keeps her from bleeding out. Out of battle, she can recuperate from grievous injuries on her own, given enough time and souls.
Other Characters:
None
Roleplay Sample:
Karla sat in her father's living room. He was sitting across from her, reading a magazine, the news playing on the television, completely ignored.
It had been three years since she had died, and while she missed her father, and her father missed her, they had made their peace. Karla could at least still see him, even if he couldn't see her.
Her dog, a loyal but profoundly stupid mutt named, appropriately, 'Stupid', had been taken in by her father. For some reason, Stupid was more sensitive than most animals, and could see, and to some extent, interact with her. Fortunately, his reputation for inexplicable stupidity meant that his sudden excitement at her presence went noted upon, but ignored.
She looked around room, absentmindedly petting Stupid. Her father wasn't much for spontaneity, the last change he had made to it was adding her picture above the fireplace. She lingered for an hour or so, soaking in the presence of her old life, before she stood, moved to her father, and bent over to approximate a kiss on his forehead.
'See you next week Dad.'
She stood up to her full height, and walked to the door, which she tore open from the upper right hand corner, then walked into the forming vortex. The door sealed up behind her, reality repaired in her wake.
For Karla, Hueco Mundo was a way-station, and only occasionally a hunting ground. While the weakest of Hollow were present here, so were the strongest. In the mortal world however, nearly all Hollow were of only moderate power. Karla liked it that way. She had felt one such Hollow not too far from her Father's house, and decided now to pursue.
Her Garganta opened on top a business building of moderate height. In this suburban area, it was the tallest available with a good line of sight towards her target.
The Hollow in question was bipedal, with long ropy arms. Both hands and feet were tipped by blunt but brutal looking claws, it's body was covered by a layer of bristly hair-like material, it looked defensive in nature but not overtly dangerous. It stood, hunched slightly, at about 7 feet, only a little taller than Karla herself. It's mask resembled a bulldog, perhaps, though it had an overbite and blunt brutal teeth that matched its claws. Longer strands of 'hair' flowed from behind the mask. Its hollow hole was dead center mass.
The beast was stalking a target, 1 block away, a woman, recently passed from old age. The poor woman didn't realize she was dead. Karla had detected her earlier in the week. She judged the beast's pace and movements. It was taking its time, holding a steady pace. She drew her knife.
Karla tore back into Hueco Mundo, and visualized her destination. It took her two seconds to get a confident lock on where she wanted to be, and then she tore back into reality, barely three feet behind the beast. She crouched and spun violently, taking out the Beast's knees from behind. It buckled, and as it fell, she grabbed the beast's eye sockets, and yanked it's head back from behind, exposing its throat. Her knife bit in deeply. She released the beast, and kicked it square in the back while pulling back with her knife, bisecting its mask so suddenly that it nearly shattered.
It was a clean kill. It was dead by the time it realized it was being attacked. As the Hollow disintegrated , she stood took the glove off her left hand. The spiritual energy released was drawn toward her Hollow Hole, and she felt satiated. The meal would last her for some time. She made her way toward her 'bait'.
Karla knocked on the woman's house. It would help her deal with the woman, and the action itself felt familiar and good. It took a moment, but the door was answered.
The woman was small and frail, in her 70s or older. She seemed sharp however, for which Karla thanked herself silently.
'You're a tall one, ain't ya?' the woman instantly, with an accusatory grin.
'So I've been told. My name is Karla Ortega. Do you have a moment?'
'Margaret Mercer. What can I help you with?' the old woman asked
'Margaret, I'm here to inform you that you died four days ago. You passed away in your sleep.' Karla said simply. She waited for the usual reaction of denial. The Margaret decided to surprise her.
'HAH! I knew that already.' the old woman beamed 'I'm sorry I'm late, but I needed to say my goodbyes to this place.'
'Understandable.' Karla nodded, returning her.
'So, you Death or something?' Margaret asked Karla.
'No. I died 3 years ago and got stuck. I've got a lot of free time, so....' Karla let the thought trail.
'Poor girl.' the woman said. She exuded sympathy, but no pity. Karla liked that. 'So you help out. What happens next?'
Karla shrugged helplessly. 'Honestly, I'm not so sure. It seems like you got your affairs in order, so you'll probably leave soon. I'll check back in a day or so to make sure you managed alright.'
Margaret considered Karla again. 'You want to come inside for a while?'
Karla nodded. 'I'd like that.'
General Info
Name: Karla Ortega
Gender: Female
Age: Human/Hollow/Arrancar 32/2/1
Ranking: Unaligned Arrancar
Number: N/A
Base Type: Gillian
Physical Description:
Karla Ortega is a mixed White/Hispanic woman standing at a surprising 6'6" and weighing in at over 250 lbs. She cuts a strong, masculine figure, now giving way to a more womanly shape with maturity. Her features are still quite sharp, her brow, nose and cheek bones vaguely suggesting a bird of prey. She makes steady eye contact with everyone she speaks to, and due to her height, her grey-eyed stare can be unnerving. She has shoulder length black hair which she ties back in a loose bun, away from her face.
She carries herself proudly, and while already larger than life, her good posture makes her seem even grander. When she's stalking prey she tends to crouch, to reduce her profile, which enhanced her predatory air.
Karla dresses simply: She prefers practical clothes that allow for movement, in black. She usually sports a turtleneck and full fingered gloves, which cover the hollow hole in her left palm. Over this she wears a tightly cut light tan leather longcoat with a high collar, which resembles a detective's coat.
She lacks the mask fragment emblematic of the Arrancar.
Personality:
While substantially younger than many active spiritual beings, Karla died in her 30s, making her markedly more mature than beings who died young and have emotionally stagnated in their teens.
Karla is an intelligent, level-headed woman. She can be on the intense side when focused on a task, which some might find off-putting, but she is normally polite, considerate and difficult to anger.
Her broad educational background fostered an interest in philosophy and ethics, which gives her a fair bit of grounding in terms of world view. Especially influential for her were Thomas Hobbes and Friedrich Nietzsche.
Hobbes proposed that hypothetical life before society was 'nasty, brutish and short'. That the only law was the law of the jungle, and where the only thing stopping you from killing a man with a rock to the head was because that man might have a bigger rock. Society is the product of individuals agreeing not to harm each other in exchange for the same promise from others.
Implicit in this for Karla however, was that not everyone plays nice.
Nietzsche preached a rejection of values, warned of impending nihilism, and admonished the individual to create their own values.
The idea of a struggle to a higher state, and the imposition of will over reality seemed to be a fitting solution to Hobbes. If someone decides to play rough, be ready to put them in their place with ones own power.
In life, this meant that Karla didn't let anyone push her around, and when the world didn't make sense, Karla would impose sense on it. She was a severe woman, but this harshness was married to a softer side: she believed in the inherent goodness of the individual, that people could change, that human nature strove to better itself, and that it was important to help others help themselves. These were the values that she believed in, and the ones she tried to exemplify.
Loftier ideals aside, she was a woman happy with a quiet life. She had a loving father, good friends, and a faithful dog. She enjoyed bowling on weekends, salmon, orange juice, and music television. The real kind, where they actually play music.
Upon her transition to an Arrancar, certain things have changed. She still holds herself as a fundamentally good woman, but when she faced death in the face she discovered that above all she is a survivor: indomitable of mind, body and soul. She will endure, though it may end up being at the cost of everything else.
And that makes Hobbes and Nietzsche uncomfortably relevant to her life.
History:
Karla was born 35 years ago in Connecticut. She was lovingly raised an only child by her father, one Felix Ortega, from whom she inherited her height, athleticism and sense of humanity. She was naturally on the shy side, Her size contributed to her awkwardness. Eventually it would be a cause for confidence, as it contributed to her success in sports, and was a powerful weapon when she had to stand up to something or someone she disagreed with.
She graduated college with a degree in English literature, and floundered for a few years working dead end jobs. Her will waned for a time, culminating in a bout of depression in which she did little but mope around.
Her father was supportive in a way uniquely his. He took away her support structure, piece by piece, forcing her to compensate through her own efforts, eventually lighting a fire under her ass. Reinvigorated, she decided to pursue a career in teaching, becoming an English Teacher and Track/Field coach.
Her life settled into a comfortable pattern for the next 8 years.
DEATH TO ARRANCAR
Sometimes death is anticlimactic. One night Karla was driving home after bowling with old friends. She was cut off by a car, and to avoid rear-ending him, she hit the brakes, was rear-ended herself, and careened into the center divide, dying instantly. No one was drunk, it was just a stupid accident. The loss of her quiet but happy life, and the senselessness of her death upset her spirit greatly.
With no psycho-pomp to deliver her to the next world, Karla's bitterness and desire might have granted her new life as a Hollow, had the strength of her spirit not attracted predators in the darkness. A Hollow, alone of no consequence in the long run, made a meal of her. There was always a bigger fish, and it in turn was eaten by a stronger Hollow.
Bigger and Bigger fish became involved, and the conditions necessary for a Menos came about, the orgy of death and hunger culminating in the creation of a Gillian. It was two years later that something stirred within the creature, and a will awoken.
Occasionally one of the souls in a Menos would stir, and the others would beat it down viciously, discouraging it from emerging again. One day Karla, before a simple member of the chorus, was granted the opportunity for a Solo. Fighting the voices that attempting to drown her out, Karla tore at the mask that clouded her vision. The more she pulled, the louder they screamed, filling her with their fear and pain. Pushing through she was able to tear a chunk off. Some of the voices were silenced, and though the others screamed even louder, she felt a clarity of ego that had been denied her for two years. Encouraged she continued to tear, the process agonizing but sobering, her will gaining momentum, as she dominated the other souls that had crushed her. She tore and tore until nothing was left of her mask.
She was back.
NEW LIFE
Karla is ignorant of the specifics of the afterlife, her condition, and other beings of the spirit world, beyond that of 'smaller fish' and 'bigger fish'. That she needs to feed on sentient prey grates on her, but she justifies herself by preying only on monsters: human and hollow. She sees herself as a predator, not a killer.
When not occupied with survival, she is usually visiting the human world, keeping tabs on her mortal friends. She is wary, but polite to any being that can see or interact with her, and has a very basic idea that there are other 'things' out there, and not all of them are immediately hostile.
Abilities:
Callate, Por favor (Be quiet, please)
Karla is very, very good at masking her Reiatsu, and to all but the most sensitive, she simply does not have a presence, requiring them to rely on their mundane senses. The sensitivity of a being is at partially tied to their strength, as shown below. A specialist acts as a category higher.
Class 0-4
For spiritual beings up to Class 4, Karla invisible, but a specialist looks to the next category.
Class 5-6
For spiritual beings up to Class 6, Karla's presence is limited to minute traces, which they might be able to follow with time. Despite this, a surprise attack comes too suddenly to stop by detection.
Class 7-8
For spiritual beings up to Class 8, Karla's presence can be felt in a general area, and can be tracked with some effort, but generally in a timely manner. They may detect her presence with just enough time to prevent a fatal ambush, but are best protected by their mundane senses or innate defenses.
Class 9-10
For spiritual beings up to Class 10, Karla's Callate has no effect whatsoever. As such a character has enough forewarning of her presence that her ambush tactics will not succeed on surprise alone.
Additional Info:
Karla is not a warrior. The souls of numerous hunters, killers and murderers, have made her very good predator though. She relies on surprise, physical and psychological momentum, and sheer brutality to down her prey. If her prey gets the chance to fight back, Karla has made a mistake.
Karla does not understand the significance of Hollow masks, or the ramifications of tearing off all of her own. The heightened Reiatsu produced by that act was shaped by her desire for survival, forging her a body well adapted to the task, though ultimately not as powerful as it could have been. Outside of her Ressurreccion, Karla has above average strength and durability, but is hampered by her lack of hollow techniques. Her use of ambush and close quarters combat however make her more dangerous than a typical Numero by a fair amount.
Zanpakuto
General:
Appearance:
Karla's zanpakuto takes the form of a KABAR combat knife, scaled up for her height, and with a dull, bleach-bone blade. Karla wears it in a simple leather sheath which she can attach to multiple places on a tactical harness she wears.
Resurrecctión
Awaken, Leviathan
Armor/ Appearance:
Karla's Resurreccion is utilitarian. Karla's body, including her hair, loses all color. The sclera of her eyes turn black, and her irises red. Her black clothing is replaced by the black flesh of a Gillian. She becomes thinner and more angular, and her mouth is filled with knife-like teeth.
Abilities:
Karla experiences the expected increase in overall power, including increased offense, defense, and speed. Her Hollow Techniques likewise show an increase in effectiveness. She does not acquire any new ability however.
Hollow Techniques
Karla has only a limited range of hollow techniques.
Garganta
Karla's is only capable of making holes big enough for herself, which she seals as she goes. She's can trade speed for accuracy and visa versa, usually taking pains for a precise ambush and a quick escape.
Hierro
Karla is as tough as she is strong. She is an above average Numero.
Pesquisa
Karla's is a Reiatsu tracking specialist, capable of picking up a feint trail and following it back to its source.
Regeneration
Karla retains some measure of Hollow Regeneration after becoming an Arrancar, though it is quite stunted. In battle her regeneration keeps her from bleeding out. Out of battle, she can recuperate from grievous injuries on her own, given enough time and souls.
Additional
Other Characters:
None
Roleplay Sample:
Karla sat in her father's living room. He was sitting across from her, reading a magazine, the news playing on the television, completely ignored.
It had been three years since she had died, and while she missed her father, and her father missed her, they had made their peace. Karla could at least still see him, even if he couldn't see her.
Her dog, a loyal but profoundly stupid mutt named, appropriately, 'Stupid', had been taken in by her father. For some reason, Stupid was more sensitive than most animals, and could see, and to some extent, interact with her. Fortunately, his reputation for inexplicable stupidity meant that his sudden excitement at her presence went noted upon, but ignored.
She looked around room, absentmindedly petting Stupid. Her father wasn't much for spontaneity, the last change he had made to it was adding her picture above the fireplace. She lingered for an hour or so, soaking in the presence of her old life, before she stood, moved to her father, and bent over to approximate a kiss on his forehead.
'See you next week Dad.'
She stood up to her full height, and walked to the door, which she tore open from the upper right hand corner, then walked into the forming vortex. The door sealed up behind her, reality repaired in her wake.
For Karla, Hueco Mundo was a way-station, and only occasionally a hunting ground. While the weakest of Hollow were present here, so were the strongest. In the mortal world however, nearly all Hollow were of only moderate power. Karla liked it that way. She had felt one such Hollow not too far from her Father's house, and decided now to pursue.
Her Garganta opened on top a business building of moderate height. In this suburban area, it was the tallest available with a good line of sight towards her target.
The Hollow in question was bipedal, with long ropy arms. Both hands and feet were tipped by blunt but brutal looking claws, it's body was covered by a layer of bristly hair-like material, it looked defensive in nature but not overtly dangerous. It stood, hunched slightly, at about 7 feet, only a little taller than Karla herself. It's mask resembled a bulldog, perhaps, though it had an overbite and blunt brutal teeth that matched its claws. Longer strands of 'hair' flowed from behind the mask. Its hollow hole was dead center mass.
The beast was stalking a target, 1 block away, a woman, recently passed from old age. The poor woman didn't realize she was dead. Karla had detected her earlier in the week. She judged the beast's pace and movements. It was taking its time, holding a steady pace. She drew her knife.
Karla tore back into Hueco Mundo, and visualized her destination. It took her two seconds to get a confident lock on where she wanted to be, and then she tore back into reality, barely three feet behind the beast. She crouched and spun violently, taking out the Beast's knees from behind. It buckled, and as it fell, she grabbed the beast's eye sockets, and yanked it's head back from behind, exposing its throat. Her knife bit in deeply. She released the beast, and kicked it square in the back while pulling back with her knife, bisecting its mask so suddenly that it nearly shattered.
It was a clean kill. It was dead by the time it realized it was being attacked. As the Hollow disintegrated , she stood took the glove off her left hand. The spiritual energy released was drawn toward her Hollow Hole, and she felt satiated. The meal would last her for some time. She made her way toward her 'bait'.
Karla knocked on the woman's house. It would help her deal with the woman, and the action itself felt familiar and good. It took a moment, but the door was answered.
The woman was small and frail, in her 70s or older. She seemed sharp however, for which Karla thanked herself silently.
'You're a tall one, ain't ya?' the woman instantly, with an accusatory grin.
'So I've been told. My name is Karla Ortega. Do you have a moment?'
'Margaret Mercer. What can I help you with?' the old woman asked
'Margaret, I'm here to inform you that you died four days ago. You passed away in your sleep.' Karla said simply. She waited for the usual reaction of denial. The Margaret decided to surprise her.
'HAH! I knew that already.' the old woman beamed 'I'm sorry I'm late, but I needed to say my goodbyes to this place.'
'Understandable.' Karla nodded, returning her.
'So, you Death or something?' Margaret asked Karla.
'No. I died 3 years ago and got stuck. I've got a lot of free time, so....' Karla let the thought trail.
'Poor girl.' the woman said. She exuded sympathy, but no pity. Karla liked that. 'So you help out. What happens next?'
Karla shrugged helplessly. 'Honestly, I'm not so sure. It seems like you got your affairs in order, so you'll probably leave soon. I'll check back in a day or so to make sure you managed alright.'
Margaret considered Karla again. 'You want to come inside for a while?'
Karla nodded. 'I'd like that.'
