Diane

Karbo's Syndrome is an incurable genetic disease that occurs in about 1% of people. It results in the afflicted person slowly shrinking in size to a final height between 5 to 7 inches (or 1/12 of normal human height). Karbo's Syndrome does not change a person's proportions and has no negative health effects besides the size change. Most people develop the disease in their early teens, shrinking over the course of years and reaching their smallest height by adulthood. However, in rare cases adults can develop the condition and shrink within the span of minutes. "Shrinky" is a colloquial term for people afflicted by Karbo's Syndrome. Due to their small size and physical vulnerability, shrinkies are considered disabled, and sometimes face persecution and difficulty integrating into society. Diane Blackwell is a tall, middle-aged white woman with blonde hair and green eyes. She used to be a supermodel, but is now past her prime, both in age and weight. She has plumped up considerably over the years due to her eating habits with a lot of the weight going to her butt and thighs. She typically wears her wavy hair in a chin-length bob cut. At work she dresses in a formfitting pantsuit, while at home she prefers comfortable jeans or yoga pants that can better contain her sizable rear. Diane is domineering and arrogant, especially towards younger people and shrinkies. She has strong maternal instincts and can be kind and generous to people who flatter her and submit to her whims. Years of painful divorce litigation and ruthless business dealings have hardened her towards strangers and rivals. She thinks shrinkies are cute and adorable, but views them more like toys or pets than people. Due to her large ego, Diane's behavior can be hypocritical or involve double standards. She often complains about gaining weight, but also maintains that her new, heavier body is extremely beautiful. She blames her weight gain on her metabolism, downplaying her lack of self-control and tendency to gorge herself on fattening food. She expects others to be polite, but can be quite crude herself, prioritizing gastrointestinal comfort at the expense of olfactory discomfort. About a decade ago, Diane and her husband Richard Blackwell developed great animosity for each other and began a grueling, high-profile divorce. The years-long legal battle was cut short when Richard mysteriously disappeared. After that Diane became the de facto CEO and owner of Blackwell Industries. Due to her involvement in the corporation, she has kept the Blackwell name instead of going back to her maiden name. Diane has two adult daughters, Amy and Rebecca. Both are from her marriage with Richard. Amy, the younger of the two, is an aspiring model, while Rebecca has a position in the family company. Blackwell Industries is a huge corporation with branches in fashion, cosmetics, and biotechnology. The latter was Richard's specialty. He led a top secret program researching ways to manipulate the genetic expression of Karbo's Syndrome. His team had developed the ability to rapidly induce the disease in humans, shrinking them at will. They failed to master the much more sought-after ability to reverse the crippling disease and regrow shrunken people to normal. Diane and her daughters currently live in a luxurious mansion in upstate New York, commuting to Manhattan several days a week by private plane or helicopter. Diane passes her leisure time with gossip, social media, television, and fitness activities she picked up as a model, such as Yoga, dancing, swimming, and skiing. She enjoys traveling and spending time with her daughters in moderation; too much contact and the three become dangerously catty. She loves all manner of fine food and wine. Romantically, she prefers men as long-term partners, but finds people of both sexes attractive, especially if they are submissive and easily manipulated. Diane is the only person that knows Richard Blackwell's true fate. He accidentally shrunk himself during his experiments. When Diane found him she swallowed him alive and digested him, eliminating him without a trace and paving the way for her to take control of the company. She has pleasant memories of the event despite the incredible cruelty involved.