October 27th, 13 Years at Breach, 15 Beginning of Training, 18 when Full-Fledged.
Sexuality
Unstated
Ethnicity
Since there are different sources claiming the name Bellows to be English, Irish, AND French, I'm guessing it's seen all three at some point, spread far and wide by alot of travel.
Height
Starting at 5'2" at Age 13, and reaching 5'8", later on.
Appearance
The first thing to note about Kate is that her physique is that of a lean, wiry, and swift teenager that has seen years of running, jumping, and climbing for recreational purposes. (More about this in her Personality and Biography.) While she is not heavily strong, she has balance and coordination down to an art from years of trial and error until success was achieved. The cuts and scrapes and bruises are a minor setback to being able to take a flying leap and expect to reach your destination on a regular basis. So, she can be nimble and very agile, which was one of the reasons she escaped ahead of others who did not.
She is a Caucasian with dark brown hair to around her neck, and eyes that nearly match. Often, there is either an inquisitive look about her when focused, or a faraway look in her eyes when she's thinking. It's in her nature to be quietly observant. Not much attention goes into her looks, except to try and keep herself clean, and her hair not in a tangled mess. Katherine tends to wear a normal pants and shirt - maybe shorts - with her only criteria being that they don't stand out too much. Her shoes will be practical and often have that used look about them. Belts often used in order to keep certain items on her at all times. Her uniform is just clothing with additional steps to her. It's to be worn, and the straps are useful, but she might actually forget she's wearing it, sometimes.
One item of important note is that Kate is often seen writing or drawing in a diary. It is compact, leather-bound, bulging a bit from added pages, with space made to fit a pencil in the spine, and a strap to keep it on one's belt. Any attempts to grab it or even touch it lead to her slipping out of reach or physically stopping you, sometimes with force. Anyone peeking over her shoulder might see complex diagrams and measurements intermixed with her writing. There is WORK contained in this thing, obsessive work.
Personality
It's really hard to tell, sometimes, where ordinary Kate and all-business Kate begins and ends, because they bleed into one another. For those that know anything about her in the past, she could be seen as this free spirit who ran and climbed unfettered throughout town with no apparent focus in her life, EXCEPT that she did all of this and the note-taking as a form of escapism. She took her mind off of the hook to keep herself from self-examination and revisiting the darker aspect of her life. Kate is socially withdrawn, not engaging with too many people, except on her own terms, because there is a deep-seated trauma that keeps herself at arm's length from others. Trust doesn't come easily, and the reason for this (explained more in History) is that there is a small part of her that views others as a threat.
She knows that the monsters outside - the Titans - aren't the only ones in the world. Some come in human size, and if they can happen that close to home, then anyone can be one. So, she didn't just run and jump and hide and fight because she thought it was fun. She did so to prepare for the next one who'd assault her like her father did. Because, in alot of ways, Katherine takes after her mother, who is eccenctric and prone to violence when properly motivated. It may be that Kate was pushed to grow in this manner a little too early, but unfortunately it couldn't be avoided. So, she is obsessed with details and trying to make sense of the world from her own perspective, feeling free now that her father is dead, but trapped because she can never be safe again.
Taking her mind off of the hook is how Kate takes a break from herself, to essentially stop thinking about anything too intense. She can laugh and enjoy things like others do, but she's not incredibly good at it. Not nervous, but can be very offbeat. She is strange, with a wild glint in her eye, sometimes, or a stare that seems to burrow holes right through you. If at any time, she can be described as having a more normal reaction, something might be up, especially since the reason there is no stated preference in her social life is because she never really gave it any thought. And recently, her obsessions have (understandably) turned to the Titans, for they are monsters of a different kind. Why do they do what they do? It doesn't make any sense...and trying to make sense of things is what she does, and that is why there are a number of ideas in her head about how to better exterminate them...and in that diary.
Branch
Beginning at the 108th Trainee Corps.
Biography
It began, as all things do, with her parents.
Even while the Titans were at bay, and the standing guard has little to do but wait for a conflict that does not come, innovation and creation continues. Things have to be built, that which exists must be improved, and that which is outdated must be torn down and replaced with the new. Even while there exists an uneasy peace, there are those that forever remain in motion and continue to act unabated by the relative calm. Such was the case for a Myra Asterov, an eccentric who looked upon the status quo and scoffed quite loudly. She had a gift for detail and improvement in all things built and made, molded and mechanical. She was among those who fought against religion to place a rail system on top of the walls for the cannons, and she would go on do other things - cannon improvement, plumbing improvement, lock improvement - as her voice became more and more heard.
There exists a kind of person in the world who cannot live without rendering change, because they can see vast improvement in whatever's in front of them. It was this kind of intellect and energetic fervor that originally captured the attention of Jonathan Bellows, a town craftsman and honest worker. Swept up by Myra's behavior, he found himself intrigued by her curious bluntness of behavior which was sometimes silly, other times intensely focused. This led to some good times, and even marriage, but unfortunately...these things were not set to last. Parents can tell you that raising a kid is hard, and that some people are not ready for it. Jonathan wasn't ready, and this - plus Myra often correcting him on things - led to a downward spiral of drinking too much, getting belligerant, becoming angry as Myra's work began to overshadow his own profession and any importance therein, and finally...it happened.
When Katherine was a child, she was attacked by what she could only describe as a monster. She had lived a fairly pleasant life until then, but suddenly there was a monster beating her, and the thing wore her father's face. The trauma of her father attacking her caused her to withdraw into herself, closing up shop, so to speak. Myra, seeing this, took what she deemed the only logical reaction: She impaled Jonathan with a pipe from work, and pulled Katherine away from him. A trial was heard, but between her account of what had happened and Katherine's stunned and mute condition, they had to conclude that Jonathan had lost it, and the death was justified. For Katherine, therapy began, and eventually someone brought her back to reality, though she was irrecoverably changed. At first, she flinched from people and hid from sight in all places that she could get out of reach. Then, the exercises began.
The town doctor considered it healthy, and that if Kate wanted to make herself a stronger person, they should allow it in order to get her confidence back. It worked...kind of. She still had trouble connecting with folks, but there was at least an effort made. Myra actually saw some of herself in this, and encouraged Kate to take notes of things, study them, and learn. She did so, dilligently, but also had other things to draw from, like...she hated town gangs. From her vantage points, she'd attack them, sometimes. Was it lashing out, or actually saving others from what she'd had to go through? Katherine didn't explain. She took an interest in a number of things, like the equipment used by the guards or the make of a particular building. Even the walls themselves got her attention. It got her thinking about an idea, a special design... Kate would be working on these things and her own self-improvement, right up until the point in which the Titans came...and she lost her other parent.
It's hard to know what goes through her head, these days. Wild masses of thoughts threaten to pull her in, raw emotions beckon her to act out, and people's expectations of her try to pull her apart at the seams.
Affiliations / Relationships
Jonathan Bellows - Biological Father (Deceased) Myra Bellows - Biological Mother (Deceased)
RPM,
CAS1006,
Owlriel,
Neziul,
MegaraFoxfire,
Altered Tundra,
Rhona W,
Kuro,
flat lovenote,
Forsythe
