Name: Joanna Garis
Age: 24
Gender: Female
Religion: Former Catholic, now agnostic.
Sexuality: Heterosexual
Occupation: Vlogger
Abilities:
-Vlogger: This extends into camera work, video editing, lighting, and navigating social media. Everything it takes to have a successful and profitable vlog
-Mechanic: Jo has an Associate of Applied Science Degree and accreditation. If it has wheels and a transmission then she probably knows how to repair or modify it as well as the proper use of the tools required.
-Athletic: Jo eats right and takes care of herself. When she's not on the road, her routines can include walking, swimming, or running.
Faults:
-Introvert: Despite her online persona, Joanna is a pretty quiet and shy person at heart. The camera creates a barrier that lets her feel normal. Even though she knows a lot of people watch her videos, it's still just her and her equipment. Groups are fine so long as she doesn't have to interact with them at all. And you can forget about speaking in front of crowds.
-Pathological Demand Avoidance (PDA): Though not as severe as it could be, this has dogged Jo for most of her life. On the autism spectrum, PDA drives her to avoid demands and expectations. Regular human day-to-day tasks become rocks she has to climb. A regular job and hours would be almost impossible. It really is a miracle that she got through college.
Power: The Blueprint - Jo can see how something works, how it can be improved, how to fix it, and how to take it apart. The only constraints on her power are time, tools, and materials. It's not like she can take apart a lock with her bare hands, but if she's in a shop or supply store she could probably cobble together a grappling hook gun in about ten minutes. All she needs to do is see it and she can make it.
Personality: Joanna is a kind, approachable, and charming person, so long as it's no more than a small group. She loves sharing neat things she's discovered and the simple joys in life with others. More than that? She starts to have problems. She gets quiet or finds ways to divorce herself from being the center of attention. Public speaking has made her physically ill before.
When the mood strikes her, Jo begins to display her contemplative streak. It made her question many things such as her beliefs, her relationship with her parents, and her own maturity. It's a sentiment that has started to make its way into her videos. Some people have disliked her critical stance on politics and media, but Joanna feels like they are important things to discuss and think about.
History: Joanna was born in Oregon, though she'd never be able to remember it. He parents moved to Nebraska shortly afterwards. On one hand it was to be closer to family, but on the other it was for better jobs. Otherwise she grew up as your typical Midwestern upper middle class kid. She was a bit more reclusive than most and full of endless questions about the world around her, but pretty much normal.
The problems came when she entered junior high and high school. Her quiet nature blossomed into severe social awkwardness. Save for a few intensely close friendships she really didn't fit in anywhere. Her PDA also hit its peak as she found it harder and harder to even make it to class. Her parents didn't help much either. They were emotionally distant and pushed, usually through shaming, for her to quit being so lazy.
Getting her first car drastically changed her life. The freedom and the solitude it offered were almost addictive. She also became obsessed with how it worked and toyed with the idea of modifying it herself, but the costs involved were always prohibitive. It also pushed her into considering a career in the automotive industry, a push that blossomed with her application to Northeast Community College in Norfolk.
It was rough. The hardest thing she'd ever done, but at least her love of the work kept her going. It was also at this time that she started to vlog. It wasn't anything special and she cringes at it to this day, but after a particularly rough day she had to vent about her frustrations and problems to someone. It turned her life around. Her video took off, she doesn't even know why, and the people that responded back introduced her to the idea that she might have PDA.
Three years later she attained her degree, sold her old car to be replaced by a BMW R1200GS, and began a travel vlog series that she's continued ever since. Life for Jo has been good. But now, something weird is starting to happen every time she looks at something too closely...
