***So You Have A Tribute (What Now?)

So you have a Tribute.

Congratulations! Your character has a large chance of dying. Your emotions are all mixed up--you're excited for the RPing possibilities, the possible fame and fortune and also saddened by the prospect of their death. This is your child we're speaking of, your creation might be destroyed. You don't want them to die, but they will.

Now think of this--if your emotions are so confused and you feel like an anxious mother to-be then how does your character feel?

This is a guide to handling and coping with the high-strung emotions that come with RPing in the Hunger Games.

Your Character Is Not The Same Person They Used To Be.

No matter what, your character is dead. From the time they are Reaped it would do you good to think of little Jane Doe as being dead and gone forever. In her place is something that is not human, or is incredibly human, depending on your viewpoint. Jane Doe's biography, telling of her pretty face, her niceness and her tough history out the window. She is now a hungry, dirty faced teenager who is going to try to kill another dirty-faced, hungry teenager like herself. I would recommend that all Tribute RPers create a new bio for their character, filling out the appearance as their basic qualities and listing what they used to look like in comparison to what they will look like if they survive a few days in the Arena. Do the same for their personality and bring up key points in their history. If you do not want to create an entirely new bio (even I didn't do that) I would suggest going ahead and making lists of traits they used to/now possess.

Appearance
Things that have not changed: Color of eyes, basic features such as a hooked or long nose. Height. Remember to bring these things up. Your character is still technically Jane Doe, except instead of having beautiful blue eyes her eyes are now blue. Strip your character down to the basics of their appearance/personality/history, then add on traits that come with knowing you will die and refusing to believe it.

Naturally slim with some curves = Starving, with bones jutting out everywhere.

Beautiful blonde hair, long and silky-smooth = Hair falling out in clumps, dirty and greasy. Blood-stains cover up the once yellow hair.

A good face with deep-set blue eyes and nice features. Okay skin, pale with a smattering of cute freckles = Prominent cheekbones, sunken in eyes that no longer sparkle and instead look glassy-flat. Dried up blood, cuts, bruises, acne, freckles, patches of sunburn covering the skin. Chapped lips and snot coming from the nose.

Tip: If your character has always been self conscious about how hairy their legs are, acne, being overweight etc touch on the heightened feature. Spending a week in the Arena has caused Jane Doe to develop stubble under her arms and all over her legs. Her easily controlled acne flares with the amount of blood, sweat and grease in the Arena. She misses the layer of fat that once covered her body because she has been stripped down to the bone, left with only the basics of her appearance.

Personality

Jane Doe is an incredibly loyal person. She would do anything for her friends. = Jane Doe is loyal to her Alliance, she loves them because they're the best friends she could ever have. They understand what being a Tribute is. She doesn't want to kill them, and she knows they don't want to kill her. This mutual dislike of the idea ties them together, but in the end Jane Doe wants to go home and see her real friends and family. She is hesitantly willing to kill them.

She is a very social, outgoing person who loves to talk = Jane Doe might enjoy talking about her family and friends because she misses them so much or she might choose to become very silent because talking about them hurts. She may be prone to whispering a favorite name or word over and over again, drawing strength from mentioning her old life. No matter what, she is suspicious of strangers leading up to the Hunger Games and going into them. Everybody wants to kill her now.

Jane Doe has a temper which people rarely see. She has tight control over herself and believes in using gentle, persuasive words over loud outside-voices and fists = Jane Doe is passionate about wanting to get home. Her angsty, teenage anger has burned her up, leaving Jane with only the sheer will and determination to live. Her fighting skills have improved because her anger fuels her inner-fire. Jane Doe is determined and war-like. She may secretly enjoy fighting or go insane after realizing she has killed a human being.

Jane is very smart, people usually come to her for answers. She enjoys helping people. = In the Hunger Games intelligence can make or break you. Mel Clark of the previous Hunger Games used her superior intellect in order to run away from enemies time and time again. She survived by being clever enough to know the exact moment to flee/when to stay and fight. In the Hunger Games Daniel and Carex thought they were safe after an epic battle that left Daniel on the edge of life and death. Thinking they were smart and had evaded death, they didn't notice when Cherry slipped in and killed Daniel. In the Games it is common for smart people to overestimate themselves and underestimate their foes. Or the other way around. The truly smart people know how to balance instinct and thoughtful planning.

Tip: listen to your character in your head. It sounds weird but assemble a list of 'What Ifs...' What if you fall in love with your District mate? Would you still kill them in order to get home to your loving family and friends, your parents are both sick and if you die your little siblings will probably starve. Listen to your character, they'll give you an answer if you know them well enough. Well I love my family and friends so much, but the Arena feels like a different universe. I feel like District __ is all a dream, a very good dream but one I can forget. I'm going to try to keep my love safe because I don't care about living if they aren't there to live with me. If the dream is real, that means I'd rather have them go home to it instead of me, because they deserve it more. Etc etc. Basically think about your character and how far they will go to live. Forming bonds in the Hunger Games or isolating your character will also play a part in new traits. A lonely person might feel like their feelings are justified because the world really is out to get them now. This might drive them insane. Somebody with a supportive alliance that they truly care for will be determined to live or in the event of their death, pass on their determination to the alliance.

History

Your characters history can mean everything or nothing to them. Some characters prefer to forget who they once were because it makes it easier to kill another teenager when you don't think of your younger brother. Some characters draw strength from their history, using the face of an abusive parent to justify their ruthless killing, or even having flash-backs of the past, thinking everybody else is a monster out to get them etc etc. Some characters will be driven insane by their past or reflect a lot. Really the thing is that when you're fighting for your life, you live in the moment. Most people will find that their characters slowly stop using their last names to describe themselves, that they think of their life as being a fond, poor dream and the Arena being a hellish dimension they've always lived in.

These are just some tips as to how to turn nice Jane Doe into Jane the Tribute. If you have a Tribute and you want me/Phunkeh/Ree to tutor you, please include a list of traits they possess now. We'll help you figure out who you want your character to become. The key to developing your Tribute is to put as much effort into your posts as possible. The Training Center is a perfect place to do so.

Rough Draft.

but anyways

THE POINT OF THIS GUIDE IS TO TELL YOU ALL THAT YOUR CHARACTER NEEDS TO SOMEHOW CHANGE. IF JANE DOE IS STILL LOYAL, NICE, SMART AND HAS AN UNEASILY PROVOKED TEMPER THEN SHE'S A MARY-STU, ALRIGHT? THE ARENA IS A BIG, SCARY PLACE, KIDDIES.