00a

your name: Alison
sex: female
age: 20
email: apocalyptic.friend@gmail.com
timezone: EST
SN: fightsongmelody


NAME: Katherine Goldstein
AGE: 21
SEX: female
BIRTHDAY: April 22nd
FAMILY RESIDENCE: New York City
PB: Melanie Laurent
APPEARANCE: Katherine is pretty in a unremarkable sort of way, and she has always considered herself completely average looking. She's thin with absolutely no curves to speak of, and at 5'5, she's shorter than she would like. She has dark blonde hair, the color changing from brown to a dirty blonde depending on how much sun she’s been in. Her hair is often disheveled when it's worn loose, and often you can find her in a ponytail or a bun; she has no interest in worrying about her hair getting in her eyes, thank you. Her eyes are a dark grey blue and are easily her most striking features. She’s not one to wear makeup, and she can’t really understand the appeal. On special occasions, a friend may con her into applying something basic, but on regular basis, her look is completely natural, and she wouldn’t even know where to begin if she was suddenly struck with a desire to wear make-up. Similarly, she’s not one to follow fashion, and she’ll wear whatever’s comfortable and often with little regard to whether or not she matches. She has her expensive, designer dresses, but she was never very good at playing the New York socialite role; usually, she’ll be found in basic jeans and a simple t-shirt, and you wouldn't guess that she comes from money.
OCCUPATION: student- rising senior

CAMPUS ACTIVITIES: writer for the paper
HOUSING: Omega Tau, suite 105
STRENGTHS: intelligent, passionate, independent, honest, confident
WEAKNESSES: stubborn, tactless, judgmental, prone to being a bitch. She also has no sense of boundaries so she will pry shamelessly because she thinks she has a right to the truth. Many think she talks to much. They may have a point

WEIRD QUIRKS:
-She has an amazing ability to never shut up. She's hardly a gossip and you won't catch her rambling on and on about things she deems meaningless. But once you get her started on a subject, she will just go on and on. Sometimes, this is annoying, such as when you're forced to listen to one of her feminist rants. Other times, it's vaguely endearing because you'll ask her a simple question about herself and she'll give you everything you need to know about her.

-Related, she talks with her hands. Expect wild gestures when she's discussing something she's particularly passionate about.

-She's catlike with affection. Sometimes, she'll snap at you to respect her personal space or shy away from physical contact. Other times, she'll curl up against you without a word of explanation, provided that you're close enough to her. Regardless, it's always on her terms; she doesn't really like surprise hugs and the last person who attempted to be cute by covering her eyes was kicked in the shins (Katherine claimed self defense).

-She loves her music, but her taste is fairly limited. Archers of Loaf, Built to Spill, Modest Mouse, Sonic Youth, and a little bit of Patti Smith and The Velvet Underground and she's good, thanks. You can keep your indistinguishable pop music because she does not care. Venus is Furs is her absolute favorite song, and she will play it on repeat and drive everyone around her insane.

PERSONALITY: If one had to describe Katherine in one word, said word would most likely be fiercely independent- of course, she’ll quickly point out that that is, in fact, two words so you clearly fail at answering questions. Regardless, the term fits her to a tee. She has little regard for what people think of her, and she prides herself on not relying on others. She’s confident in herself and her abilities, and sees no point in letting herself be affected by what others may say. She knows exactly who she is and what she wants, and she has no issue with being herself; she'll lash out at anyone who dares try to change or censor her. She follows her own path though the cynic may remark that sometimes, it seems like she tries to be different simply to be controversial. 

There is some truth in that, really, because she often does what people wouldn't expect just because she doesn't like people assuming that they know what she will or will not do.

She has an opinion about everything, and she’s always more than willing to share, admittedly often to a reluctant audience; her constant tirades about some government policy or rants about a particularly vile editorial can be exhausting. And it can be especially unfortunate for those around her, as Katherine can talk for days and often will. She is well aware that not everyone cares as much as she does, but as she finds this completely unacceptable, she takes it upon herself to educate her more disinterested peers. She can be overwhelming at times as she’s outspoken to a fault. Furthermore, while she loves debating, she’s very set in her ways and has trouble seeing the flaws in her opinions. Instead, she typically believes that she is always right and if someone’s opinion differs dramatically from hers, she’ll be quick to point out that he or she is an idiot. For better or worse, she is incredibly stubborn, and she has a tendency to be very black and white about things. 


But her stubbornness is easily one of her greatest weaknesses. Sometimes it works in her favor because it means that she will stick to her core beliefs. But more often than not, it gets her in trouble because despite what she likes to think, she is perfectly capable of forming the wrong beliefs. On the off chance that she does realize that she’s wrong, she will never back down and admit it; she’d much rather fight a losing battle than admit that her opinion was wrong. And she’ll stick to her opinions no matter what. This has led her to be rather judgmental, and once she’ll meet someone, she’ll place him in a box and it’s hard to change her mind. She’ll make quick judgments about someone, and if falls under an archetype that she disapprove of, she’ll write him off without spending the time to actually get to know him.

She’s extremely passionate about everything she cares for, from her writing, to school, to changing the world. For all of her cynical assertions, she does truly believes that the world can be changed for the better- or rather, that she can play a part in changing it. Her ambition is to become a writer though she always makes it clear that she has absolutely no interest in dabbling in fiction; despite her love for books, she believes that trying to make it as a novelist is ludicrous. Instead she wants to be a journalist; she believes that it is the media’s duty to accurately inform the people of the goings-on in the world, and she considers herself up to the task. She’s a natural leader, with a knack for motivating people and rallying the masses. She’s very direct though she can be a bit bossy at times. Especially with her insistence that she is always right. 



She loves to learn, and she’s far too curious for her own good. She wants to know absolutely everything, from the innermost workings of the government to her roommates’ love life. She’ll read anything she can get her hands on, and she’s constantly asking questions. And, alright, sometimes she pries shamelessly- preparation for her career in journalism, she’ll tell you. She works hard in school not because of some desire to be the best- though that does have some influence- but because she truly wants to learn. She can be a bit of a nerd, really, as random things that other people may find boring fascinate her. She tries not to limit herself to books though, and hands-on experience is much preferable. Her curiosity isn't limited to the academic. She's curious about people, and she has a strong need to understand. She sometimes has difficulty understanding that not everyone is an open book like she is; she thinks she has a right to the truth, and she gets incredibly frustrated if she meets a wall with someone. She's been none to lash out at people she can't understand, and that is easily one of her great weaknesses. At the same time, she herself is incredibly open; there is very little you can't find out about her if you just ask, and you don't even have to be her friend to receive an answer. And to her favor, it would never occur to her to use the truth as a weapon or a way to exploit or manipulate.

Despite all of her passion for subjects or theories, she has difficulty connecting emotionally with other people. Her lack of empathy for what she considers trivial doesn’t really make it any easier. If a friend is going through a difficult time, she will do her best to help and be supportive, but she’s not especially good at the whole giving advice thing. More often than not, she finds the typical teenage drama absolutely hilarious, if only because she thinks people often overact when really said problems are insignificant in the grander scheme of things. And she’s not really afraid to say as much, which has pushed people away; no one really wants to hear that he or she has no reason to cry over a difficult breakup or that a failing grade is a stupid thing to be upset over. It’s not that she’s intending to be mean; she just thinks that there are bigger things going on in the world and that it’s selfish to dwell on your own problems when others are actually suffering. She has perspective, she likes to point out, and in some odd way she thinks she’s helping.


That said, those she does care about she loves absolutely. She doesn't do things half way, and her friends are treated with the same passion that her interests are given. She will do anything for a friend, and she is fiercely protective and loyal. She's not one to develop crushes- she's never really had interest in much more than sex- but when she falls, she falls hard, and she'll give herself completely. Which is, really, one of her greatest fears about relationships: she's terrified of giving up too much. But that's a fear that stays buried inside, and so far, it's not one she's had to face. She'd rather devote herself to her friends and her passions, thank you.

While at her worst, she’s completely tactless, judgmental, and bullheaded, she rarely means any harm. It doesn’t really occur to her that her words can hurt; she just assumes that most people are like her- basically unaffected by other’s comments or criticism. While she does have a habit of lecturing people on the problems with their society, it is done in her odd way of trying to help, and she’s never realized that it often comes across as pretentious. One would assume that she’s the type with multiple enemies and, admittedly, there are a fair number who dislike her but for the most part, she tries to get along with everyone. Surprisingly, she’s hard to really anger, mainly because there is little she takes personally, and there are very few who she strongly dislikes. This is really for the best because she if someone stands in her way, she’ll tear him apart, and she has absolutely no problem with being a complete bitch to those she hates. And when she does makes an enemy, she makes one for life; she’s hard to anger, but also slow to forgive, and she doesn’t really believe in second chances. The only people who really bother her are those who aren’t open about their opinions. While she may not always respect your opinions, you’ll respect you for having them, and those who try and always remain neutral frustrate her to no end. Her temper is short though so she's easy to anger, but she bounces back quickly.

She’s far less serious than people would expect her to be, and she’s constantly laughing with or teasing her friends. She’s the type who likes to challenge people, try to pull them out of their comfort zone. She loves trying or experiencing new things, her argument being that if you don’t try something when you have the chance, you’ll always end up regretting it later, and this is something she tries to convince her peers about. She doesn’t see the point in always doing the same thing or remaining with the same sort of people or being the same person- how can you learn if you never change? She likes to be unpredictable because frankly, always doing the same old thing is boring and life’s too short to be bored. She wants to live, not just exist, and that is one of her greatest strengths.

HISTORY: Katherine fully believes that when she’s writing her autobiography- one that will be a bestseller, she’ll inform you- she’ll embellish a bit when it comes to describing her childhood. Really, it was perfectly uneventful and typical. Her parents, Malcolm Goldstein and Emily Pratchett had what Katherine’s sister likes to think of as a fairytale meeting. Malcolm came down with a cold and as luck would have it, Emily was his nurse. Katherine tries to forget the details, but not too long after, they were married though Katherine likes to point out that is one of the most lame, clichéd meetings and frankly it embarrasses her.

After a few years of marriage, Katherine was born and three years later, their second daughter, Rebecca, followed. Even from a young age, Katherine was always curious about the world around her. They always had to keep a close eye on her, lest she find some way to get herself into trouble. This extended into her early childhood when during her schooling, she was always that kid in class with her hand constantly in the air. Though admittedly, sometimes in Katherine’s case the typical classroom courtesy of raising one’s hand was forgotten in her haste to ask whatever question was on her mind. And there were usually a lot of questions. Or else she just felt the need to make a point. In short, she had the sometimes unfortunate habit of being unable to keep her mouth shut, one that she never really grew out of.

She had a good childhood. Her father is a partner at a law firm that specializes in corporate law. Most of their money comes from him and his side of the family; her mother came from a solidly middle class background. Much of their money came from her father's inheritance from her grandfather, a business tycoon who was never especially popular because of his nouveau riche status.While they were wealthy, her parents didn’t spoil them, and she never knew the lavish lifestyles of some of her classmates. Sure, she attended the parties, and she knows how to behave herself and fit into that world if need be, but it was never a world she really belonged to. And that was perfectly fine by her. The only thing she ever asked for were books, and that was something her father was always more than happy to supply her with. She got along well with Rebecca when she was younger, and the girl was usually her preferred partner-in-crime. The two grew apart with age though, but Katherine still cares deeply for her sister.

She attended a top, private girl's school in the city, and her school years flew by without anything especially eventful happening. Katherine was never caught up in dating or any usual acts of teenaged rebellion. She has her eye on the prize: a career in journalism. She’s always known she’s capable of going on to do great things, but that wouldn’t happen if she flunked out of high school so academics have always been her top priority. That and her countless clubs and extracurriculars- the newspaper, debate team, and student body president amongst others. It wasn't to pad out a college resume; she had complete faith in her ability to get herself into any school she set her heart on. No, she just really didn't understand how to limit herself, and she wanted to be involved in everything that interested her.

And then came the college process. Unfortunately, it didn't quite go as planned. Her top choice was Columbia, and she should have been a shoo-in. Except then she botched her interview by running her mouth off and offending the alum who was interviewing her. Needless to say, she didn't get in. So she settled for Ainsworth, which in retrospect was a strange idea. Her family is wealthy, but not of the same caliber as many of the others. Name, money, and fame had never been important to her family, and, likewise, never important to her. But the students here weren't too different from those at her high school, so she made due. Academically, she flourished. She had been a strong student in high school, and that did not change in university. She did make a few enemies and there are a handful who look down on her for being less elite, but for the most part, her college years have been uneventful.

EXTRA:
-Nickname is West after Nathanael West. She admits that this nickname is rather lame and anticlimatic, but she doesn't really understand the whole nickname thing so she can't be bothered to care. And, you know, he is her favorite.

-She's more into the party scene than you would guess. Academia is all nice and good, but she wants to have fun too (though, of course, only on the weekends because she has work to do so no, no Wednesday night drinks for her). She has no issue with getting drunk and going home with some boy.

-She takes Chinese and spent the first semester of her junior year in China. She also knows enough Spanish from high school that she can get by if need be

-She considers herself a feminist. She uses this as an excuse to threaten to castrate boys who dare think less of her because of her gender or imply that she's less capable. In all fairness, sometimes these implications exist solely in her mind because she's quick to take offense when gender is concerned, but at least all boys have left with their genitals intact.

-She loves Park Chan-wook. A lot. She enjoys spending her Easters watching his Vengeance Trilogy instead of attending mass. Frankly, this tradition is not limited to Easter alone, but sometimes she'll switch it up with the original Cape Fear or Let the Right One In.