Due mostly to the fact I was very pressed for time when writing him up, Bowie started out as a stereotype based on all The Lone Ranger shows I watched as a kid, with a liberal dash of other Westerns. The Texas Rangers website was also a valuable resource (and continues to be). In an attempt to fall into as few overdones as possible, I made him a pilot and equipped him with an air cannon and heavy-caliber rifle. Of course, he still packs pistols, as I imagine even in the 23rd century the average policeman carries one as a sidearm. His love of chili? He's Texan. Does it require further explanation?
Since then, I think Bowie has rounded himself out well. Built in 2204, he's old for a reploid, though he prefers to think of himself as "well-seasoned." Hard working yet fun loving, he always tries to do what he thinks is best. He has an amazing amount of patience, especially with those with less experience than him. Even so, he has little tolerance for those without discipline or self-control. He has yet to lose his temper, though he's come close a few times. His philosophy is very similar to the Lone Ranger creed.
Bowie acts very human most of the time, partly due to his programming but mostly due to the amount of time he's spent in their company. He was the first reploid on the police force in Midland, Texas and remained the only one for a couple of years. He was also the first reploid to ever be accepted into the Texas Rangers. He found that the easiest way to be accepted was to act like one of the guys, so to speak, and so has picked up many human mannerisms and habits. For example, while there is no physical reason for him to eat, he knows that eating is also a social event. As a result, he has gotten into the habit of eating at regular human meal times and snacking. While his understanding of humanity is far from perfect, he knows enough to be comfortable around them. In fact, at times he is actually more comfortable around them than around other reploids.
Being in the Maverick Hunters has been a new experience for him. Though at times he misses the old days, he wouldn't trade in his new badge for the world. While he doesn't necessarily get along with all his fellow Hunters all of the time, he always respects them. He considers Michael Eildath, Kalinka Cossack, and Chill Snowcat his closest friends, for different reasons. Though he's had his differences with Dr. Cossack and Reiji, he holds no grudges. It takes all kinds to make the world, after all. The Hunters are his family, and he will do everything in his power to help them.
Bowie's recent amnesia has been interesting to role-play, at least for me. Hopefully I haven't bored everyone else with it. Having vague notions as to who he is and what he's been doing has been a surreal experience for him. The memories have come back piecemeal, and while he now has enough to be functional, there are still times he draws blanks. The memory loss has also caused him to be a little more talkative, as he's found that simply talking to people helps draw the jumbled memories out in ways that reading his journals and mission logs haven't.
Even more recently, Bowie and Kalinka have fallen in love. Of all the people to fall in love with, right? He's all too aware of the taboos surrounding human-reploid relationships, and yet he can't help how he feels. This is his first experience with romantic love, and while he's wise in the ways of the world, he also acts at times like a lovesick fool. Somewhere deep inside, he knows that the chances of the relationship lasting are slim. Because or in spite of this, he's simply happy for the time he has with her. His close brushes with death have put these sort of things in perspective. Better regret the things you've done than the things you never did.
To Bowie's logs.
Bowie, as drawn by my friend Charlotte.
Back to the closet