Althea Perch, born Althea Dials, native to District Four. Currently thirty nine years old. Female. Married.

Apperance
Althea was once a true beauty. An athletic Career, starting training at the youngest age possible, she was the desire of many a young men. Long wavy dark hair framed her skinny face and still does. However, the stress from motherhood and marriage strains have started the blooming of gray hairs that she loathes and tries to hide. While her skin has always been paler than average, even under the sun for long periods at a time, growing older has made her skin turn even paler. Althea's eyes have always been, and hopefully always will be, a sharp blue color. "Like the ocean" one man from years ago had described them. No matter how bright the color of her eyes, they've always been small against the white background of her flat face. Her lips are on the larger side. When she was probably ten or eleven a boy her age had told her that her lips were "kissable" and the compliment has stuck with her since.

Althea is a whole head shorter than her husband, her children are too surpassing her in height. Her frame was once lean and petite but childbearing destroyed that nice quality. There's more meat on her bones, particularly her hips. While her younger looks are more desirable it was a small price to pay for five beautiful children. Her fingers are long and thin and have a tendency to intertwine themselves with her husband's.

The woman tries to keep herself presentable- nails clipped short and filed neatly, hair clean and styled somehow, and dressed impeccably. Being married to the Mayor of one of the most populous districts was harder work than it would first appear. All Althea really has to do is look pretty and calm. She's perfected her "people face." A soft reassuring smile and a slight tilt of the head. Pressured with looking a certain way, she's very conscience of the defects age comes with and tries to make up for them.

Personality and History
Instilled with Career values from a young age, Althea grew up like most of them. Cocky, arrogant and skilled. However, once a Career turns nineteen there is nothing for them and that is when their character changes into something real and not just a cookie cutter child wanting to win the Games. The whole Not-being-Reaped situation was very humbling, however Althea still has children she can get into the Games. That is, if Fabian lets her. When Althea first met the young Career, when she was still named Dials, he was the picture perfect image of what a tribute should be. Athletic, handsome with the skills to prove it. Naturally, being a Career herself, she was drawn to power and Fabian Perch certainly had it. They met in training as teenagers. She saw him as both a threat and an ally and eventually more.

At her final Reaping, with Fabian already out of the Capitol's reach, Althea Dials went against eighteen years of training and studying and didn't volunteer. She could of, oh there was plenty of time for her to step out and take the place of the scared little twelve year old that was called up but she didn't. She wasted her entire purpose up to that point to be with the one, the only, Fabian Perch. They got married not to long after that. It was the happiest time of Althea's life. Being with him she felt content and if she were to die before the sun rose, she'd die a happy women. However she did not die in the night but was given one more thing to be happy about.

Child care, although not originally Althea's strong point, came naturally after awhile. Obviously it was more stressful and she might have been a little less pleasant to be around but if you were loosing sleep over a scream machine you'd be on edge too. Once she had her first child another huge change happened in Althea's personality. Becoming a mother does things to people and it certainly changed her. She became more reserved and quiet, but still happy in her way of life. More kids came and with them more joy. Until her second son. He was born with autistic and Althea, trained to kill the weak, couldn't handle it for the first few months. How could she ever find pride in someone like that? Shame washed over her every time she thought of the little boy. It took time, but Althea did find pride in her third child, albeit not as a Career.

Another factor contributed to Althea's growing silence- Fabian becoming Mayor. She was ecstatic when he won the election, of course, but the role she had to play in the game of Mayor was not a desired one. Althea had at one time been a very strong willed person but sacrifice after sacrifice killed her opinions and made her more of a prop than a player. Her husband does ask her thoughts occasionally but not very often. Lately, he's changed almost as much as she has. Althea's arch was gradual over years but Fabian's was almost night and day. He's stressed all the time and suddenly he doesn't want his children to be in the Games anymore. What was wrong with being a Career? Only glory and honor! It was all Fabian's fault Althea even wants her children in the Hunger Games because she gave it all up for him. He took everything from her.

Made critical and quiet by her salty district, Althea's happiness as declined the longer she's lived in the place. What she would give to go back to her teen years when all she had to worry about was training and if that handsome boy a few years older than her would be interested in going out for a walk some time. Sometimes, after rest of her family has fallen asleep, Althea will stay awake and wonder if she could do her whole life over again what would she do? Some nights she'd volunteer for the Games and win glory. Others she died. Some nights nothing ever changed because something told her this is how it is supposed to be. Whatever her minds decides on a particular night, when morning comes everything is the same. She has kids to send off to school, to train and a husband she has to attempt to reason with.

The funny thing is, after all these years, she can still that young Career deep inside of him. It may be covered in wrinkles and that huge forehead of his, but its there. Althea can't help but wonder if she fell in love with Fabian Perch or the Career he represented.


Odair