Brant Anders - District 4

BRANT ANDERS



His life hadn't always been spent in District four, sixteen years hadn't all passed in the soggy area that was the ocean-side District. The first seven years had vanished from everyone's memory, including his own. Was there any way that he could find out where he really came from?

You've got me poppin' champagne
I'm at it again
Caught up in the moment
But not in the right way
I'm falling in between
Tearing up at the seams
We're just aiming to please
And aesthetics don't hurt one bit

REACHING OUT – CAN YOU HEAR ME

Compared to the other boys his age, his height is quite normal. However, rising up to the height of 6'1", he is tall in relation to most of the older members of the District, including both of his parents. He weighs about 155 pounds, not heavy for his height, nor too thin. Because of the many training sessions, and long practice hours, he has next to no fat on him, instead being made up of muscle. Though, he is nowhere near the most muscular member of District four, he still manages to be a decent swordsman. Light on his feet, he is able to deliver quick and powerful blows and slashes even as he dodges his opponents blade. It's like a dance to him, weaving in and out of the flashing steel while striking like a viper. An arguably easy feat, considering the most common weapon is not a sword but a trident.

His sharp eyes are a pale green color with black edges to his irises. At times they can appear as though there is a blue tinge to them, but that is just a trick of the light. Some people say they remind them of the ocean, ironic considering that he hates water. His hair is a dark brown, cut short enough that it merely covers his head in half-inch strand. In some lights a slight reddish tint seems to almost glow in his hair. Eyebrows of the same brown as his hair arc sharply above his ever-shifting eyes. Some may describe him as having a baby-face because of the roundness of his cheekbones and chin, as well as the innocent expression that is usually on his features. Despite this, he still tries for the 'bad boy' look, wearing a leather jacket and t-shirt with dark jeans. To the eyes of many girls this just makes him even cuter.

Why don't you say so?
I think I'm caught in between
The nights and days fly by
When I'm lost on the streets
And my eyes, they despise you for who I am
Why don't you say so?
Why don't you say so?

I SAID I'M REACHING OUT – BUT NO ONE'S NEAR ME

To Brant, loyalty is one of the most important things. He personally is fiercely loyal to his friends and family, to the point where he would put himself in harms' way for someone he cared about. In this way, he can be quite reckless and thoughtless, not understanding the consequence of his actions. However, he is quite cunning, allowing him to find a way out of any punishment directed at him. He can provide a logical reason for nearly anything, though he often doesn't bother unless it's needed.

Training another of the most important things to Brant, along with loyalty. He always hated being unprepared, and training gave him a way to prepare in case he was reaped for the Hunger Games. He is always eager to prove himself and puts all his effort into training, hoping to make a good impression. Because of the repeated training and exercises, he has grown to rely more highly upon his 'fight' instincts rather than 'flight' instincts and is always ready in case of an attack. This shift in his instinct has saved him in a couple of places, though it just as often causes him to fight without need.

Something not commonly known about Brant is that he has an underlying sharp edge. This sharp side to him can make him bitter and overly sarcastic in some circumstances, though he may not notice it himself. Another outcome of him lacking a sense of consequence is that he says nearly every thought that comes to his mind, without contemplating what will happen if he does. Without meaning to, he has offended numerous people and nearly been whipped for speaking about the Capitol.

You've got me thinking that
Lately I've been wishing
The television set would show me more
Than just a picture of the things I've grown to detest
I strip down my dignity
They can take all of me
But they won't ever take what I still believe

AND THROUGH ALL THIS I'VE BEEN REACHING OUT BLINDLY

Not much about Brant's past is known, in fact there is no sign he even existed until he was almost seven years old. It was as if he had just suddenly appeared. Despite being able to speak and read at the age of six, Brant has almost no memory of his life before entering the training hall for the first time after turning seven. His parents had never explained what his history was, nor why he looked nothing like either of them. Eventually, Brant had come to the conclusion that his parents had adopted him. However, that still didn't explain why there was no trace of him from more than nine years ago.

During the first few years of his life in District 4, after coming from wherever he had been, Brant was solely focused on training. He had hoped that, if he was ever picked for the Games, he would be ready. Fortunately, or not, he was never reaped. Despite this, he never dimmed the energy he put into training because he wasn't out of the woods yet. There was always the next year that his name might be picked.

AND SO IT COMES DOWN AND I DON'T KNOW ANYTHING

It wasn't until he turned thirteen that Brant began noticing how he didn't quite seem to fit his life. He looked differently than the other people in District Four, with his brown hair and lack of talent towards the trident and fishing, though because of his green eyes and the reddish tint that was in his hair it was a little hard to see at first. He also was more apprehensive about water, often refusing an offer to go swimming in favor of training. He also looked nothing like his parents, his mother having strawberry-blonde hair and blue eyes while his father has ruddy-orange hair and sea-green eyes. When he finally took notice of these differences it brought up the question of why, and if he didn't belong here then where did he belong? He started to search for any sign of who he really was, eventually reaching the point where he discovered the missing chunk of his past. How could the first six, almost seven, years of your life just disappear, as if they never existed in the first place? Now, two years later, he's still searching.

Give up and let go
I'm just a boy with a dream
And you can take one look
As I fall in between
With my eyes just as wide as my mouth can be
Why don't you say so?
Why don't you say so?

OTHER

FC: Dylan Minnette

Lyrics: Poppin' Champagne by All Time Low

Words
49 - Introduction
310 - Appearance
277 - Personality
377 - History
1013 - Total

So follow me down
Take this all the way
Any way you want to

I know, I know, I know
That there's a place for me somewhere out there

odair