FAOLAN MOORE (district 8)

Faolan has a rather plain appearance, and nothing about him would really make him stand out in a crowd, but he does have a sort of fresh look in his expressions that makes him pleasant to look at. He has short, slightly messy, blond hair and dark blue eyes. His skin is light and is easily freckled in sunlight. He has a medium-sized jaw and chin with a slightly wide but not very protruding nose. His mouth is wide, with a thicker bottom lip than top, and his smiles are usually small but genuine. He has straight eyebrows, not very curved, and they're of medium thickness.

Faolan stands at 5'10" and isn't skinny or fat, but rather an average size. He does have a bit more of a lean body type, however, but the majority of his physical exercise only comes from walking across fields. He wears long trousers and usually a long-sleeved shirt or jumper or his one wool coat, depending on the weather. He often wears simple scarfs, made from leftover fabrics from the district. Depending on whether he's working that day or not, he also wears either boots or trainers.

Most of Faolan's personality was formed by his work or his family. The Moores have been in the sheep herding business for generations, raising the livestock until the wool was harvested for production by the district's main industry, textiles. After looking over the lives of the animals, Faolan has become rather protective. Still, he doesn't get attached to things easily and he's fine with getting by with not a lot. He has a tranquil, sturdy demeanour, and it's hard to get him to express very strong emotions. He became especially closed off after his brother's death, but he's been starting to become more open again. Usually he's pretty mellow because of this, though he likes to laugh when he's in comfortable company. He likes to stick with people he can get along with and doesn't like to be forced to meet new people whom he doesn't relate to.

Knowing that he must protect his herd, Faolan is self-assured, and though he seems quiet he isn't timid. He has the sort of bravery that doesn't send him dashing into dangerous situations, but rather helps him to keep his cool when he knows that he does indeed have to do something potentially risky. Even though he is often lost in his own world and not very talkative, he still won't take crap from others or let them push people around. He's a loyal friend and likes to help others.

Because he often spends long hours alone, Faolan is quite thoughtful. He has a slightly dreamy personality, but it's not too difficult to get him to focus and come back down to earth when you need him to do so. Although his past might have made him rather cynical, he has a rational way of looking at things. He's imaginative and has a creative mind. Even though he might not be the best at expressing how he feels, his hours spent thinking alone have helped him to understand his own emotions. Similarly, he's patient and thoughtful when others express their feelings, making him a good listener. Although he is usually calm, a deep anger burns inside him when he thinks of the Capital and the pain that they caused his family.

The Moore family has had a history for being reaped. In happier times, they might lightheartedly call it the family curse, but their bad luck is never brought up on the grim day when the Reaping takes place. His father's sister, cousin, and great-uncle were just three of the closest family members who had been chosen for the Games in the past few decades.

When he was twelve, Faolan had his name drawn at the Reaping. To everyone's surprise, his older brother Seamus volunteered himself to go in his brother's place. The two were very close, and Faolan was extremely distressed to see Seamus go, forcing himself to watch the Games even though he knew he might see him die. Seamus made it quite far, actually, considering District Eight wasn't exactly the most victorious district. Finally he died from a rigged mutt stampede, which was a sick joke considering their family's line of work. Faolan was furious at the Capital for causing his brother's death in such a degrading way and still hates them.

After his brother's death, Faolan went through a period of bitter silence. However, after his anger and sorrow had subsided with time, he tried not to let his emotions affect him. After all, Faolan had never been a very pessimistic or cynical person, though the long days alone with only the sheep didn't help his melancholy. Today, he doesn't let his past get to him, and life for him has returned to how it was before. He still keeps to himself and isn't very talkative, but it isn't out of self-pity or anything. However, he still doesn't like to talk about his brother. Faolan continues his work as a herder and is content with his job.

The Moore family consists of Faolan's parents Sean and Caitrin, and his ten-year-old sister Eileanor, or Ellie for short.

Faolan likes to tell stories and make up new worlds, trying to get away from the poverty and sorrow of the real world and bring a ray of hope to other families, if only for a bit. He often carries around a notebook and a bit of a pencil to scribble notes and ideas in for when he's working.

His name is pronounced FWAY-lawn.