Catherine Porter

Catherine Porter is a 23-year-old half-elf more interested in stories than reality and more committed to characters than people.

Background
Catherine was raised in Portland by her father Adam Porter, who gave her every privilege that time and wealth could afford. She received an excellent individualized education from private tutors and experts from around the world looking for some time off with high pay. She had unfettered access to the Porters’ extensive library and to local bookstores’ inventories, and was never held back by ordinary responsibilities like cooking, cleaning, or dealing with other people.

Despite her life of immense privilege, Catherine was restless, unsatisfied, and yearned for travel, adventure and excitement. At 16, she left a note for her father, and ran away to Vrailumiere to pursue a career as a ballerina.

In Vrailumiere, Catherine caught the interest of Francois Villeverte, who thought her unusual energy might bring a revival to ballet. Despite her youth and lack of professional experience, Francois insisted that she train with Vrailumiere’s elite troupe.

Within a few years, Catherine’s skill caught up to the rest of the troupe’s, and her “unusual energy” did bring a new perspective and renewed interest in ballet. Francois’ rising star retired from ballet after she broke down during a performance in her fourth year with the troupe.

Notable Vignettes
Some of the other children went to the local school together. Her father had tried enrolling a young Catherine there, for reasons of “socialization,” but it didn’t go particularly well.

“Catherine, won’t you try a just a little to get along with the others?”

….

“This is the second time this week I’ve gotten a call from Ms. Withers. You know how important this is. You need to be kind and fair and listen to others. Friends are important, even if you’re just a kid and not running a company.”

….

“I know you’re not running the company yet Catherine, but I am, and those children’s parents are my employees and associates. Someday those children will be your employees and associates. What they think of you, what they think of us, it matters. Even if you think they’re boring or slow-witted. It’s certainly not nice to tell them so. You don’t need to lie, but everyone has something that is good about them. Everyone has something that makes them valuable. Focus on those things Catherine.”

….

“Take Myra, for example. I know she’s not especially bright, but she is kind to everyone, even you, even after you destroyed her bedroom with your…tornado game. Her mother gave me the stink eye for a week you know, even after I covered the cost of the damages and then some.”

Catherine looked at her ruby shoes, the ivory walls, everything but her father’s face.

“I know you don’t mean any harm Catherine, but you’ve got to try.”

Adam looked at his daughter, and waited.

“Conversations go two ways,” he reminded her gently.

Catherine looked up at him, and took a long time to find her words.

“…the harder I try, the worse it feels. It just builds up…I can’t do it.” responded Catherine quietly.

Adam thought for awhile.

“Sometimes we try and try and try to do something, and our trying doesn’t seem to make any difference. Sometimes that means we need to try a different way.”

“I don’t know what to do.”

“You like to read, don’t you?...You can sit and do that for hours and Tilda has to try to tear you away to get some food in you. Maybe when you start to feel restless, when you feel you just can’t help but burst, you could pretend that you’re in a book. You could be a character with a very important mission that must not fail. You will need all the allies you can get to complete your mission, and you never know who could try to stop you, so you have to be careful so they don’t notice how special you are.”

Catherine thought for a moment, and nodded seriously with a newfound determination.

Adam didn’t get any more calls about rogue tornados, but after a month spent watching Catherine come home from school looking sad and spiritless, he pulled her out of school and hired private tutors to handle her education.