Locust Lovelace -- District 4

There is a freshly-dusted shelf against an eggshell white wall above the fireplace - a place where families relax and laugh and form precious memories beside a gentle, flickering fire. On this shelf rests a collection of framed photos in a set, chronological order; on the left are snapped memories with white dresses, black tuxedos, and a red-faced infant with chubby cheeks and twinkling green eyes. Towards the center the theme changes to the young, emerald-eyed child, who has grown to be an angelic girl with blonde ringlets and a flawless complexion. In each photo she flashes the whitest of smiles, enlightening the room like the brightest star in the night sky. She takes after her mother, the woman in white dress holding a bouquet of flowers beside her broad-shouldered husband. They are a seemingly beautiful family of three until you reach the end of the wooden shelf. There, held steady with the smallest of onyx frames, is the only family photo where there is an added member. Striking blue eyes touched with grey, a pale complexion, and waves of chocolate spilling over her shoulders, the girl’s smile is faintest in the family portrait. She shares no similar features with the other three family members, and it is her who seems to carry a shadow in the midst of their eternal happiness.

The girl’s presence is almost ghostly. She is silent, stealthy, pale like sheets of snow, and stands eerily in the background of the awkward family photo - the part that doesn't seem to fit correctly with the other pieces of the puzzle. There are no individual pictures of this mysterious girl; only this portrait has managed to capture her. She stands stiffly beside the blonde beauty, slim arms straightened by her sides, wearing the hand-me-down clothes her family provided her whilst staring into the camera with a solemn smile and empty eyes. She seems distant in comparison to the other members, who beam at the camera as if it were a shimmering pile of infinite gold. She is not normally so grim, however; it is the thought of her image being permanently engraved into something practically indestructible that pestered her so much. That, and the disgust of standing next to those who could not match her the curvature of her chin, the shape of her bluish eyes, or the vertical elongation of her nose.

Miss Locust Odeshi Lovelace prefers not to compare herself to the trio of blondes. She defines her appearance with her own standards of beauty, and what she considers to be the important aspects of the physical appearance. Hygiene, for example, is a no-brainer. She was raised in a civilized enough environment to understand and appreciate the perks of good personal hygiene, and manages to keep herself relatively clean for the sake of her own comfort. Dental hygiene is as important as the rest as well, seeing as how even the gentlest of her smiles appear large when she flashes her teeth. Other than the typical hygiene routines, the only way she truly maintains a healthy-looking appearance is exercise by jogging. She isn’t much of a strong career, especially with her lack of upper body strength, but what she lacks in brute force she excels in stealth, speed, and endurance. With toned thighs and calves she can sprint like a cheetah and jog long distances without wearing herself down to the last aching bone. In her eyes, a swift sneak attack is twice as deadly as a head-on charge using brute force and luck; that is why while she doesn’t bother to practice the typical career training, she has polished her skilled handling of small, light weapons like knives and needles.

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Locust is not like the girl that appears in the family photo. She is not a hopeless soul or an empty shell or a desperate child in need. She is actually fairly capable of enjoying herself, though whether it’s favorable or not depends upon the circumstances. There is more to her than meets the eye, but it is important to realize that the Locust at home is not identical to the Locust outside of home. Outside, she spreads her wings and opens herself up to the world like the free spirit she deserves to be. She may not be the one to start a conversation with a complete stranger, but rest assured, she will be the one to continue it. She is quite friendly to those to stay on her good side, especially if you’re a beautiful woman and generous if you catch her in the proper mood, but what distinguishes her from the rest of the population is her desire for adventure. She‘s a bit of a bold risk-taker, and can easily end up with a few enemies on her plate, but she promises that it is merely for the thrill. Whilst having such a thirst for excitement comes a need for reasonability, however, and she is aware of this. She is never impulsive or rash in making her decisions; she is a planner, and a careful one at that. She will not embark on any sort of dangerous journey unless it is absolutely necessary. One will also never catch her throwing the first punch in a fight. Whether she wants to or not, if there is a fight present she will do everything in her power to avoid it, even if it means compromise or manipulation. She dislikes creating unnecessary conflict if it will only harm her in the end.

Freedom may be her companion outside the doors of the Lovelace home, but mischief and revenge are her closest comrades on the inside. Those who cause her any sort of mental, emotional, or physical torment are inked into her mental list of future targets, and the Lovelace trio have pushed themselves to the top. She is not open and honest about her hatred for the old couple, but rather takes her hidden rage out on their daughter instead. She knows better to mess with the ones in control of her life, and therefore endures whatever hardships they toss at her. Their daughter, on the other hand, is not so fortunate. There is no mistaking the mischievous glint in her eyes when she comes up with a new plan to torment her sister. They are harmless pranks, really; things like replacing her toothpaste with shaving cream and in one extreme case covering her hairbrush with hot glue. Her mother was quite upset about the bald spot on her daughter’s head, and Locust would rather not revisit that memory. It is the easiest way to satisfy her desire for vengeance against the family that forces misery upon her life like a heavy stone pressing against her chest. Their daughter is a nightmare, anyways, so there is not a shred of guilt pulsing in her system.

One can imagine Locust has a sense of humor, and indeed she does. Laughing is a joy in life she is pleased to take advantage of whenever possible, thus explaining why her troublemaking is flaunted so frequently at home, and why she seeks adventures when she isn’t at home slaving herself over a hot stove for a family that would cast her out in a heartbeat if they didn’t want her services so badly. She attempts to embrace the positive aspects of life and to shove the negative ones aside, and while she may not always be successful in doing this she is very talented at hiding the darker emotions that threaten to pull her down into an abyss of complete misery. Often times people mistake her bitterness toward her family as rebellious delinquency and jealousy - two traits she laughs at when she is accused of possessing them. She will argue that her mischief is far from what is considered the average delinquent behavior, and that she has no reason to be jealous of a girl who she believes is far inferior to her personality wise. What is there to be jealous of when the family consists entirely of snobby, selfish bastards who aim to hurt others like herself? What reason is there to act so rebellious when she knows she will not be living with them forever? This is her logic, and her logic defines who she is and what she does. Don't expect her to change her opinions for anybody else - she is quite talented at remaining strong and true to herself.

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During precious times, Locust Lovelace was Locust Odeshi, and rather than living in an unnecessarily large house adorned with worthless decorations she had lived within the comforts of a small, cozy home with birth parents who treated her like an angel. She still remembers the first time her father tried to teach her how to spear a fish. ”It’s all about stealth, patience, and technique.” Naturally, she had failed and ended up with a soaked backside and flushed cheeks, but it was a time when failure was an encouragement to practice harder rather than cause for punishment. Times were simpler back then - back when she had a mother to hug, a father to laugh with, and freedom to roam the outdoors without asking permission. Childhood innocence was something sacred that Locust only wishes she could have taken more advantage of, because at age ten, it was snatched away from her faster than she could say ”I miss you.”

Nobody could tell her why or how it started; they could only tell her the outcome. Poisoned by the smoke, burned by the fire. The sight of the orange glows against a black canvas and the sensation of ashes sprinkling into her blue eyes were memories that have been etched into her brain for eternity - the scars she can never erase. She will never forget the way the flames roared at her when she approached, or the way the smoke seeped through every nook and cranny as if trying to smother the entire house with its haze. She will never forget the bellow that escaped her throat, and the dread that dragged her heart into her shoes when the peacekeepers gently told her, ”They didn’t make it.” Most of all, she’ll never forget her rummage through the ashes - her finding the damaged jewelry box full of mother’s prized valuables, and her shipment into foster care, where she was an outcast in a building full of lost souls. She remained there for little over a year and a half until the Lovelaces grabbed her with their greasy, selfish little hands. Locust was adopted into the Lovelace family not as the daughter they always wanted, but as the servant they could not afford. It was obvious what their intentions were the first day she moved into their home. Paisley Lovelace and her whipped husband, Gabino Lovelace, eagerly taught her how to perform each and every chore assigned to her the instant she was settled in. How and what to cook, how to wash their clothes, what items in the house should be cleaned and at what time - her life transformed into a to-do list. She is awake early each morning to prepare hot breakfast and coffee for her new "family" - which isn't too upsetting, considering she is now quite a talented chef - and spends the majority of her afternoons cleaning, running errands, and completing other chores before she is forced to make their lunches and cook their dinner.

During the few moments of spare time she is granted, Locust wanders about the district looking for a temporary escape, knowing very well that she has a limited time to actually enjoy herself without that moron Priscilla pestering her over her shoulder. Luckily, it didn't take long for her to muster the inspiration needed to stir up unwanted chaos in the girl’s life. She created a game out of it, and planned to achieve ultimate victory by convincing the Lovelaces to get rid of her - however, it’s been a year or two since that goal was formed, and it seems now that it is an impossibility. Paisley may have little patience, but she’s a nasty woman who loves to assign nasty punishments. She knows kicking Locust back into foster care is exactly what she wants, and she refuses to let her have that satisfaction. Gabino, on the other hand, finds himself caring less and less each day, and remains as indifferent to Locust as she does to him. Her only remaining issues lie with the women of the house; the queen bitch herself, Paisley, and her brat of a daughter, Priscilla, who fails to learn her lesson each time she is tricked. Now, she has grown used to their cruel behavior and has adjusted to her own boiling anger. Her life is a set schedule divided into chore time, school time, and spare time. She impatiently awaits the year of her last reaping, promising herself that afterwards she will create a new life for herself without the Lovelaces, since she will be considered an adult, and move next door to them to continue her eternal torment until they finally realize their mistake of messing with Locust Odeshi.