it didn't take long for kara to use her talents on other children, as well as teachers. she found very quickly that other people had malleable wants and needs; there were a few things that most people would not break for, but with time, she could make them bend. as she grew into her teenage years, she spent a majority of her time tricking people without their knowledge. she often practiced on those she called her 'friends', those that she simply kept around in order to put up a facade of normalcy. at first they thought she was just an unempathetic asshole; clearly, she needed to work on her skills. but soon, the teens were like putty in her hands--she could easily talk them into doing her bidding. at first, it was little things, like doing her homework. but as time passed, she began to test the boundaries, pushing people to the point of law-breaking. it wasn't long before she had pushed it too far, and she was turned in by her 'friends' to the police, with claims that she had talked them into breaking the law.

knowing she had far more work to do in order to get what she wanted, kara eased back on the manipulation. she learned to be a functioning member of society. her parents were convinced that she'd only gone through a rebellious phase, and had turned her life around for the better. truth was, she was in hiding... building up a larger arsenal of mental weaponry. she never had many friends, considering she lacked the ability to empathize with others. she didn't have much of a temper, nor did she feel extreme emotions one way or the other. but, she knew it meant she had some form of aspergers, albeit a very mild form. rather than see it as a disability, she used her advanced mental abilities to fake it 'til she could make it, so to speak; she observed other people, picked up on social cues, rehearsed them in the mirror at night. she taught herself to cry on command, and how to laugh infectiously. she formed a bubbly personality that she otherwise wouldn't have--or, maybe she would've, in another life. she preferred it this way, to customize her social interactions to get what she wanted out of people, rather than letting her heart lead the way. in all reality, she wasn't sure she had a heart.

the passing of her parents in a tragic and freak accident was a true test of what she considered her new art. she put on a spectacular show at their funeral, letting fat crocodile tears roll down her face, dabbing at them with a tissue as family members about whom she didn't care would comfort her, console her, wrap their arms around her. she was truly pleased when her parents left their entire estate to her; they weren't multi-millionaires, by any means, but it was enough in cash and assets to allow kara to pursue her degree in psychology in peace, without the need for a job or roommates. she remained in her childhood home, albeit without certain items of decor, and concentrated solely on getting her degree. she got her doctorate in record time, not wasting a single moment before using her late parents' network of colleagues to jump directly into work.

while she doesn't force people to do her bidding anymore, she still finds a way to puppet her patients into what she wants them to think. it's not all the time, either; she keeps a good record, so that her patients come back to her time and time again. it's only sometimes, during therapy, when she finds a patient with a truly dark heart with whom she connects. it's only then that she lives vicariously through their thoughts. it's only then that she knows how it feels.