Damon McCoy District 9

Damon's shaggy mop of blond hair falls over his forehead, and is paired with light blue eyes. His skin almost always has a light tan from constantly being outdoors, hunting, and climbing trees. Also, all of his physical activity has made him fairly muscular. Being about 5'9'', and having a medium build (not too scrawny or bulky), he's pretty average for his age.

Due to a past injury (he fell out of a tree when he was twelve years old, and broke his elbow) his left arm is slightly shorter than his right, and at times his arm turns inward at a strange angle. Despite this, he's seldom self-conscious about it, and isn't really concerned as long as he can still shoot his bow or strum his beloved guitar. He obtained another injury when he was fourteen years old. He accidentally caught his right hand in a snare, and as a result, he has scars streaked across his hand, along with his fourth finger being slightly knotted and disfigured (but it's still usable). If he would just learn to heed other's warnings and listen to them, he probably wouldn't have gotten these injuries, but well, that's just Damon. Overall, he's sturdy, agile, and well built.

Damon tends to wear the same kind of attire each day. It's not that he doesn't have enough of a variety of cothes, he just doesn't like to change things up too much, and likes sticking to the same sort of things. So don't expect any huge difference in his appearance each day, because it's just not going to happen.

When first encountered, Damon can come off as cold, vague, and serious. He acts this way because he believes it makes him seem stronger than he is, and thinks it hides the fact that he's struggling with anything. Even though he can be all of those things, once you get him talking and get to know him, you'll see that he's actually extremely warm, considerate, and joking. Also, he's usually very kind and affable to the ones he knows well. All of this actually forms one of his strengths. He's very tuned in to other's feelings, and can usually sense when they're hurting. He hates seeing others suffer, so when they are, he tries to help or support them. Also, it would be very difficult, maybe even impossible for him to knowingly harm a person who he views as innocent in any way. But, if someone he loved was in danger, it would be hard, but he could hurt someone to protect them.

At times, Damon can become incredibly stubborn and determined (he refuses to give up in any situation). But this can be considered a weakness because he often believes his way is the only right one, and refuses to believe otherwise. This behavior often leads to disagreements with others, and in an argument, Damon is absolutely infuriating. He'll refuse to listen to the other person's opinion, and will pretty much ignore them. On the other hand, his stubborn tendencies contribute to his ability to be as steady as a rock, be enduring, and he won't waver in his decisions.

Another one of Damon's strengths is his loyalty. He has a small, tight inner circle of close friends and family who he knows well and trusts. He's fiercely loyal to these people, and would protect them at all costs. But like his stubbornness, his urge to protect his loved ones can also be considered a weakness. It causes him to become oblivious of the dangers to himself, and that can easily lead to negative consequences.

Damon's final flaw is how he tries so hard to be independent. He often feels as if he can make it on his own, and doesn't need anyone else's help, but in reality he needs all the help he can get. Obviously, this behavior can easily backfire on him.

One thing that Damon can absolutley not stand is any sort of change. He just doesn't like having to adapt, and he becomes attached to things easily. Big changes, like a loss of a friend or different surroundings, easily upset him. This is one of many reasons why he hates the industry change in District Nine.

Damon is an only child, and was born and raised in District Nine, which used to be known as the hunting district. His early years were spent with his two loving parents, and although his family have never been rich, they always managed to scrape by, and his parents never stopped loving and caring for him. Damon would spend his days watching his father hunt, climbing trees, and playing games with the other children in the district. And once a week, on Sunday, he'd accompany his mother to the District Square, where she'd go to sell the carefully crafted baskets she made. For a long time, they were a pretty content family (well, as content as you can be when you're dirt poor and living in the nation of Panem), that is, until the virus arrived in District Nine.

When Damon was nine years old, a deadly illness was spreading like wildfire across the district, and no one, not even the Capitol's most experienced and prestigious doctors, had a cure or knew where the disease even originated. Almost immediately, the district was quarantined, and the few citizens who weren't dead or dying locked themselves up in their houses, too fearful to come out. But as people's supplies dwindled, so did their caution, and most were forced to go out to the square and buy more supplies to restock. People avoided each other on the streets, and rushed by, using whatever they could find to cover their noses and mouths. Surgical masks, handkerchiefs, old rags; all of these were used by desperate citizens.

Damon's mother always insisted on going outside, assuring him and his father she'd be fine. Reluctantly, Damon's father let her do what she wanted, although, whenever she returned, he thoroughly examined her, looking for any sign she was infected. Eventually, his father's fears came true when she came back one day from the square with a bad cough. Within days, Damon's mother was one of the hundreds infected, and was gravely ill. Damon watched as his bed-ridden mother, who had always been warm, resilient, and compassionate, grow frail and withered, slowly fading away into nothing. Him and his father hoped and waited for her to recover, but she never did. She passed away, leaving them devastated. The loss was hard for both of them, especially Damon's father, and they grieved deeply for her.

A few months later, the virus began to die out, and the survivors saw that life, in fact, would prevail. Although still guarded, Damon also began to slowly move on. It was difficult, but as the years went on, he eventually accepted his mother's death and stuffed down his grief (although he's still sometimes haunted by it in his nightmares). On the other hand, his father never did overcome his anguish, and he's still deeply pained by it. Damon knows his father is still haunted, and a sort of wall was built up between them. He believes his father abandoned him while lost in his grief, and he doesn't believe his father even cares about him.

A feeling of anger and betrayal has built up in Damon over the years, to the point where he can hardly stand to be around his father anymore. He constantly fights him, and pushes him away. And although he does feel guilty about what he’s doing, he continues to let his pain and enmity consume him. Knowing this has led Damon to believe that he hurts everyone around him, and that he can never do anything right. Even worse, he believes that all his past regrets and mistakes (including the way he treats his father) make him who he is. Therefore, he views himself as a selfish, hateful, and unforgiving monster. The reasons why he tries so hard to be independent and walk his own path, is that he thinks that somewhere along the way, he’ll find the loving, innocent person he used to be, and that if he doesn’t have to depend on anyone (including his father), he can’t hurt anyone. But although Damon will never admit it, he’s struggling, and is really just lost and confused. He refuses to accept it, but he can’t make it on his own, and he secretly yearns for his father’s love and guidance. Yet, he doesn’t know if his father could ever forgive him after all the pain he’s put him through, and he doesn’t think he even deserves his father’s love. So instead, he just continues to stumble along by himself. But what Damon doesn’t know, is that his father has never hated him (even after all he’s done), and has already forgiven him. So if Damon is to ever heal and move on, he’ll have to forgive himself.

Extra: When he was thirteen years old, he received his first bow and arrow from his father as a gift (along with a large ,blue-gray hunting knife made of slate). After that, his father continued to teach him the skills he needed to become a hunter of District 9 (until the industry change).

Damon's three most prized possessions are his bow and arrow, the hunting kinife his father gave him, and an old guitar that him and his father found and fixed up (Damon learned how to play from his father).

Hobbies: climbing trees, playing guitar, shooting his bow and arrow