Dante Draques (District 7)

Dante has never been labeled ugly, nor does he consider himself in the same category as the “studs”. There is a fine line drawn in between them and this is where he rests, though he leans more towards the attractive side. His hair is straight and cropped just above his ear lobes in the vague shape of a bowl. It is a chocolate brown color that shimmers bronze under the sunlight and maintains a soft texture because of his constant washing.

Dante’s irises are a deep blue, mixed with just a small hint of metallic grey. Many people would assume that working outdoors would result in a tanned skin tone, but cutting down trees, which can be in a reasonably shaded area, only provides him with so much sunlight. His skin is only slightly tanned and leans more towards the pale side. His teeth are for the most part, straight and clean, but wide smiles tend to give him a squinting sort of expression, as if the sun were bothering his eyes.

His body type is a medium build. The muscles of his upper torso are powerful and not easy to miss, especially on his upper arms. This is the outcome of swinging an axe day after day to cut down trees. The lower regions of his body are weaker. Only a small amount of abdominal muscles can be seen underneath his shirt, and they are far from being considered a “six pack”.

He can usually be seen wearing pants, mainly jeans. His shirts are simple and come in a variety of colors, but his favorites are red and grey.

Dante is not like a machine. One cannot simply take him apart and examine every piece to understand how each and every part functions. It is difficult to understand Dante without actually delving into the deepest areas of his mind. There are times when his identity becomes a blur. He tried to establish a permanent identity long ago, but now it is slowly changing into something he cannot comprehend.

Dante gives positive first impressions. He is very laid back, optimistic, and friendly. He can always be seen within his circle of male friends laughing and joking around. He loves to goof around and enjoy what life has given him thus far. He is polite and respectful to his elders, and for the most part, he has a joyful demeanor. This part of his personality has earned him praise and popularity.

However, this is only half of who Dante truly is.

Two layers. That is the easiest way to describe his personality. The outer layer and the inner layer. Two different faces that are complete opposites. One used to hide the other.

Dante’s insensitivity and lack of empathy always raised suspicion within his family. Every year he can be seen laughing at the tributes who lay slaughtered in the arena during the broadcasting of the Hunger Games. The most gruesome deaths were answered with his gleeful smiles. The sounds and sights of the gore made him feel giddy. It pumped his adrenaline.

Dante possess a darkness that continues to grow as time passes. It is like a disease, overwhelming his heart with blackness and ice. A void has opened within his conscience -- if he ever had one.

Despite his hospitable and happy demeanor, Dante tends to give off an unpleasant vibe to a handful of people. Every once in a while, a dangerous gleam can be seen within his eyes. If angered or wronged in any sort of way, vengeance will become his closest friend. Underneath the kind hearted boy is a cruel beast that threatens to lash out at any moment. He is not the warm, generous boy that people expect him to be.

Dante is a sadist.

The fantasies began shortly after puberty. Death, bloodshed, hurting other people -- These are the images that have fueled his thoughts. He does not, however, understand why they generate such a pleasant feeling inside of him. He often daydreams about hurting his enemies, especially while working with his axe, and will attempt to stop himself when he realizes that these visions are wrong and unjust.

But sometimes, he just cannot help it.

Dante’s childhood was quite average until he reached the age of twelve. He grew up as an only child with two parents, who both only received enough money to survive with a small amount of luxury. Those were the innocent years.

When it comes to the topic of puberty, Dante was considered a late bloomer. His peers grew taller, broader, and stronger while he remained the short, scrawny kid who could barely lift an axe. He was teased by the other boys as a result. Nicknames like “toothpick” and “twiggy” chased him into isolation. It wasn’t until puberty finally arrived that he began to earn some respect.

Dante grew to the height of about six foot. His muscles developed just as well as the other boy’s, and slowly the nicknames vanished into oblivion. Girls began to notice him also. His popularity amongst both genders flourished until he was just one of the guys. He became very pleased with his new found prestige. Acceptance was one of things he aimed for in life, and now he had finally received it.

There was one part of his life when he almost lost this well-earned status. Three years ago, when Dante was thirteen, an accident threatened to end his perfect life. A simple game was how it started. After a hard day of labor, Dante and one of his close friends walked to his house to spend some time together. The Hunger Games was just around the corner, so the two of them came up with a fun idea of ‘pretending’. They had an axe battle.

The first part was enjoyable. Only laughter could be heard coming from the boy’s mouths, until Dante was accidentally struck with the wooden handle. Pain exploded in his nose and he almost lost his balance. The following reaction was not pretty. Anger rushed beneath his skin and burst like a caged beast breaking out of it’s prison. He lashed out at the boy and when the boy tried to shield himself with his arm, the blade of the axe sliced the tender flesh on his wrist. An endless waterfall of crimson poured out.

Dante could only laugh as he watched the suffering boy. He had paid compensation for his actions. Vengeance was sweet! But as the blood soaked his floor and the boy’s skin turned pale, Dante realized that his death could result in severe punishment. He rushed for assistance and the boy only barely survived. He came up with a simple excuse -- “One of my dad’s axes fell on him!”

This was the only time Dante’s inner sadism actually surfaced.