As soon as she'd asked it, Katherine wondered if that was really the best question to ask.  If her basis for asking at all had been because of her look, then it'd be reasonable to say that plenty of people had before, and that perhaps she might get tired of it.  Nevertheless, that was what had come out of her mouth and she would have to live with the results.  It was, therefore, very fortunate to find Sara willing to speak on that matter, but the answer confused her.  Her mother had mentioned underground areas before.  She helped with the piping for heat and ventilation, making sure that it was livable or that you could at least work down there.  Doing what?  She hadn't said.  No, she never really cared much beyond the utility purpose of it all.

[i][color=f7941d]Maybe I was always like her, and that I'm not even suffering from personal issues anymore.  Maybe I'm already cured, and this is just what it's like for me.[/color][/i]

Well, if it was, it could've done better.  The only things that her mother seemed to love was her work, her daughter, and- No, [i]two[/i] things.  Just two things.  She could never have...  Kate shook her head, quietly.  You [i]could[/i] mistake it for not liking what she might've heard about the underground aaround Wall Sina, but the truth is that she never knew [i]anything[/i] about it.  She heard more about the terrible treatment of refugees from Maria.  Kate was a part of that for a while, 'till she was allowed to train and was discovered by her Aunt.  Still, the shaking of the head was in reference to the other thing.  The unmentionable thing.  The [i]unwanted[/i] thing.

[color=f7941d]"I can understand wanting to blot that out.  There is alot that..."[/color]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

[i][b]"...you and your perfect job and your your easy life!  Well, what about ME?!"

"Jonathan, stop that IMMEDIATELY!!"

"Or what, you frail little-"[/b]

There was naught but a choking sound and ALOT of red...

[b]"I warned you..."[/b][/i]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kate winced, visibly, pulling her thoughts as far away from that as possible.

[color=f7941d]"But I understand, I do.  There's so much that's happened.  Still, it's good that you got out.  I didn't know that conditions were so bad down there."[/color]

She shook her head.

[color=f7941d]"I wondered because you seemed unique and special, so I thought perhaps your family might've been rare like Mikasa's had been."[/color]

That was [i]her[/i] explanation for it, that Sara had been like her longtime friend who was originally of an eastern-type family that married into the Ackermans.  This...was actually a curious thought.  Mikasa and Levi were potentially blood relatives on the Ackerman side.  Had to wonder, then...  Did that girl get all her skills from the Ackermans, or because she was herself?  How much did that really matter?  Both were impressive fighters.  Perhaps it was something, perhaps it was nothing.  Either case, it was clear that whatever Sara's [i]own[/i] background, she had come into her own place in life rather well.