Darius Ventura -- District 4

D A R I U S // V E N T U R A

GENDER: Male
AGE: Eighteen
DISTRICT: Four


APPEARANCE:


Darius is not the most persistent boy when it comes to attempting to keep himself clean. He rarely washes his mess of blonde hair, leaving it with glistening streaks of oil, and showers only for the purpose to remove the sticky grains of salt that cling to his skin after a day of labor in the waters. Only occasionally does he bother to wash his hair and thoroughly scrub himself, and he does this only for the purpose of attracting female companions. A little filth is acceptable, but too much can be repulsing and misleading. He does not wish to appear homeles. In all honesty, he is just lazy.

Hairstyle was never a great concern for him either. He runs a comb through his hair a few times every morning and is set for the rest of the day. Quite a bit of time as passed since his last haircut, and the stands have grown to the tips of his ears, with bangs that dangle in front of his forehead and threaten to block his path of sight. His complexion is permanently bronzed with a golden tan from hours of labor beneath the sunlight. Darius prefers to work on the boat without a shirt, until the sun’s beams threaten to burn his skin into redness. A vast majority of the time his skin is rough and sticky from contact with salt water, and this discomfort drives him into actually showering every night. He may not completely wash his hair, but his skin remains cleansed and presentable most of the time. Like any other adolescent he has suffered from bouts of acne in the past, though they have faded over the years, leaving only a few traces left upon his face.

Darius is not arrogant, nor does he wish to boast about his appearance, but he has come to realize that by most standards he is considered handsome. He has a firm jaw, an average sized nose, suitable shaped eyebrows, and bright, green irises flecked with hints of sapphire that are visible beneath direct sunlight. A combination of fast metabolism, exercise, and constant daily activity, including labor, leave him with a somewhat built physique. He is far from being considered buff, but Darius will take what he can get, and so far, his appearance has not failed to attract the women he chases. His true dilemma lies within the future, when cigarettes decide to take a toll on his health. He fails to grasp the concept of smoker’s teeth. At the moment, his teeth are as white as they should be. but if his smoking habit continues into future years, he will eventually find himself with serious damage. Darius hardly thinks of the future, though, and despite his sister’s constant nagging, he continues to poison himself with cigarettes.

His attire is nothing special. His tastes are actually rather plain. Short-sleeved shirts and jeans are his preference. Only half of his closet space is occupied because he rarely bothers to purchase new garments. He has outfits for working, and outfits for every other time of the day. There is no need for pajamas because he sleeps nekkid. This is all that he requires. Recently, Dahra convinced him to buy a few items worthy of the label “classy”, or something that a gentlemen would wear. Darius dislikes these outfits because they require too much maintenance. That, and tying a tie is irritating work. He believes that there is no need for such outfits. He is not the classy, gentleman type of guy. He is simple, and plans to keep it that way.


PERSONALITY:


Given his first impression, many people perceive Darius as being a rude, careless, lazy delinquent. There is no reason to blame them, for parts of their opinions are true. Darius is rarely polite to those who deserve it, and he does not prefer to think before he spews whatever words or insults come to mind, obscene or not. If someone shoves him he will shove back, and harder. Street fighting has drove him into a habit of trying to appear intimidating to those who pose as a threat. Whether it is successful or not, he does not care, as long as he is not placed in any immediate danger. Care is the key word here, because on the outside, it appears that he has none. It is true that he is not concerned about what others think of him. If somebody hates him, oh well, that’s their problem to deal with. When involving a woman, Darius will say anything to attract her attention, regardless of whether or not it will offend or degrade her. He’s merely in it for the pleasure.

There is no doubt that Darius will lie, cheat, steal, fight, and insult other people. There is no doubt that he can be as lazy as his mother at times, or that he picked up an addiction just like both of his parents. He has a list of flaws that many would rather not count, but what lies deeper within is not worthy of comparison. Despite his bad smoking habits, his thriving sex life, his uneducated method of speaking, and his somewhat displeasing attitude, Darius is not evil in any sense or fashion. Darius has emotions like any other human being: Joy, despair, anger, amusement, concern, distress, everything. He merely chooses not to show these emotions when they strike hard. He does not cry, and he does not giggle. Whenever conflicting or overwhelming emotions threaten to harm him, he eliminates the stress with his two addictions: Smoking and sexual satisfaction. People say they are pathetic ways of dealing with stress, and Darius would agree if he wasn’t so caught up with his desires. If there is one thing that could beat all, however, it is his sister Dahra’s well-being.

Dahra is the last member of his family that he actually gives a damn about. He would burn every cigarette, fight any man or woman, and even kill if it meant ensuring the safety of his sister. It is his sole purpose as head of the house to protect her and raise her until she can stand on her own if the two ever decide to part. They may live completely seperate lives, what with Dahra being the innocent, goody two shoes, but they have an unbreakable bond. They understand each other and support one another when times become rough. Cigarettes and sex are disposable, but his sister is not. Her life is his top priority.

With only three things that bring him happiness, Darius is a simple man to please. If you’re a man, buy him some cigarettes, strike a conversation, don’t try to hurt his sister, and you’ll find that he is a relaxed, laid back guy with a love for laughter. If you’re a woman, let him sleep with you, or at least let him try. Darius enjoys a good challenge, and occasionally, a playful conversation. He may seem blunt, rude, and obnoxious, but those who actually try to dig deeper will find that these are only small parts of a whole. There is more to him than meets the eye. You just have to try and find the hidden pieces.


HISTORY:


Darius‘ life is borderline unusual. There is an uneven balance between satisfaction and grief, comparable to pendulum swinging back and forth between the two. Darius was born into a simple family of three. His father was a fisherman, and his mother held an occupation at the local market. Their income was enough to meet the family‘s needs for the time being, and a year after he became the center of their attention, a second child was born into the world. Her name was Dahra Ventura, and she soon became Darius‘ most loyal and precious companion.

Darius is thankful to have cherished every moment with his father. The day he turned five was the day his father brought him into his boat for the first time. The skills and special techniques of preparing supplies, gathering fresh catches, using the various weapons (spears, tridents, etc.) and driving the boat itself were passed down to Darius over the years. Whether the tasks at hand were labor related or not, he enjoyed the valuable time alone with his father. Fishing trips became weekly, and sometimes he would even allow Darius to tag along when he parted for work. The simplicity of sitting near the edge of the boat and listening to the waves crash brought him a sense of tranquility. The two were equally connected; No words had to be exchanged in order for them to communicate. They would simply look at one another and read each other’s expressions. Their bond was impenetrable.

Dahra was never abandoned during their quality times together. She was required to learn the basics as well, and began to tag along at an earlier age. While Darius was rambunctious in nature, Dahra was the relatively quiet one who could maintain her composure in the most exciting situations. Despite their differences in personality, the two were attached like a double cherry. When Darius was not spending time with his father, he was at home playing with Dahra. The girl had a keen interest in flowers. Her fascination often led them into wandering within the woods near the neighborhood, picking the flowers to decorate various parts of the house. Whenever the two invented games, Darius was always appointed as the leader, and Dahra was the follower. She was practically his sidekick. While the two were nearly opposites, their contrasting characteristics helped to balance each other out in difficult situations, especially when the death of their father struck like a bolt of lightning.

Darius’ mother was an entirely different figure. She is what he now considers to be a careless mother. The first few years were pleasant; she nurtured her children like any normal mother. As life progressed, however, her connection with the children began to weaken. Her relationship with her husband took a turn for the worst when her habitual drinking severely increased. During many evenings after work, she would refuse to return home to attend to the children and go to parties instead. The family eventually lost count of how many times she returned home past midnight completely wasted out of her mind. Why she was not satisfied with her current lifestyle, she never mentioned. And after her husband’s death, it was too late to say anything.

An unfortunate boating accident caused the tragic death of Darius’ father. He was merely ten years old at the time, and only a few years away from starting work. The news caused absolute devastation. The concept of death was present and fully developed in Darius’ mind, but he did not know how to react. The sudden loss of his only role model was evident as the next several years passed. His mother’s meager wages were hardly enough to feed three people, let alone support her drinking habits. Her addiction resulted in the near starvation of her children. Darius struggled to find scraps for their family. In the streets, fellow classmates teased him when he ravaged garbage cans for wasted food and insulted his mother for her horrid drinking habits. This infuriated Darius. He resented his mother for the terrible things she did, but felt obligated to defend her reputation as a woman and a mother. Fighting became the only logical solution.

Darius was quick to pick up on street fighting. He scrapped with other boys to defend himself, his sister, and his mother’s dignity, despite how extinct that was. With this newfound strength he was able to develop an infamous reputation for himself. Those who knew how he fought would avoid him to protect their faces. Sometimes, he would fight just to relieve stress. That soon changed, though, after he became old enough to replace his father in the fishing industry. With this new influx of money, there was no need to wander the empty streets to scavenge for extra food. The Ventura family could actually afford to take care of themselves again, and as soon as Dahra found a job for herself, they were set for life.

Darius’ burning hatred for his mother only grew stronger over the years, but his will to remain at home where he was born and raised still convinces him not to make any attempts to leave. He stands as the head of the household, ignoring his mother and her addictions while caring for his younger sister. For the most part he remains in high spirits, though only a year ago he picked up on his father’s previous habit of smoking cigarettes. Cigarettes are somewhat difficult to come by in District four, but Darius had his connections and his methods. Money was certainly not much of an issue anymore, but sometimes, just for the thrill of it, he will steal a pack or two. It is a nasty habit that Dahra does not approve of, but it helps him cope with stress. It is certainly better than drinking oneself to death. Darius still wonders when the day will come when his mother finally keels over from drinking so much.


CODEWORD:Odair