Elixir Jeanneret Benson // District 5

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I smoke two joints in the morning.
I smoke two joints at night.
I smoke two joints in the afternoon, it makes me feel alright
I smoke two joints in time of peace, and two in time of war
I smoke two joints before I smoke two joints,
And then I smoke two more
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Tall for his age (six feet), Elixir's weight should be higher than what it is. Nights out on the town, more often than not for multiple nights in a row, mess with Elixir's body shape. Him focusing more on the allure of drugs and alcohol, instead of keeping tabs on how much food he's been taking in, causes him to constantly lose weight and appear unhealthy. With a hangover, the last thing Elixir wants to do is to put food into his throat. He'd rather allow something to leave his mouth, but with no food in there in the first place the only damage he can do is dry heave. When Elixir is not hung over or high (which is a very rare situation, mind you), he'll binge on the alcohol for a day and wolf down anything edible in the house. That causes him to throw up, and then the whole eating rendezvous was utterly pointless.

Elixir's eyes, which are a deep, soulful, chestnut-brown hue, give off a warm, inviting aura. If you were to give him a proper look, which consists of looking him square in the eyes, you could easily find love, serenity, and a sense of security. Elixir makes it a priority to have those emotions expressed in his eyes too, knowing that he searches for it in a person himself. At a split-second glance, Elixir might not appear particularly smart or astute, but he dominates a manner of knowledge and intellectuality in his gaze. When aroused, Elixir's eyes glint with energy, lust, and just a tinge of secrecy. Maybe even a bit of sexual hunger, too, but that's all a matter of opinion. Long, dark brown eyelashes do not fail to brush the tops of the hollows of his eye sockets. Large and rounded, a wide stare gives Elixir the stereotype of being insane. Maybe in a way, he is. When under the influence of a drug and/or an alcoholic beverage, Elixir's eyes become rheumy, and they glaze over. You can always find Elixir's eyes fixed on something in the distance, yet nobody seems to ever discover what is so completely important and worthy of Elixir's attention. Both of these attributes of Elixir's deem him deranged and mentally unstable. His family's genetics give everyone large, dark circles under the eyes, but Elixir seems to be exempt from this. Pale, flawless skin marks the breadth of skin where the circles should be.

Cropped short, Elixir prefers the lack of length of hair upon his scalp. He frowns and looks down upon the young men his age who grow out their hair to such extreme lengths. It's always been known that girls have lengthier hair than boys, and Elixir hates the new 'hype' of masculine mop-on-tops. Of a sandy brown color, you could compare his hair to sand on a beach in the midst of District Four that has just been blessed with the kiss of rain. That dark tan color that looks brown, but not just quite. When slept upon for an accumulation of hours, Elixir's hair acquires a cowlick and must then be cemented together with gel and creams to even appear decent. With a slight crispation to it, it's anything but effortless to tame it. Gnarls combined with creams and gels do not make for an easy head of hair. Even with it being virtually indestructible by the elements (by all the hair products), Elixir continues to agitate his hair, fearing the worst. Worrisome of the fact that it would look anything less than perfect, he continually runs his fingers through it, thinking that they will alter his hair in any way beneficial.

Abounding, puckered lips might be the first thing a person (particularly a girl, but the gender is not very important to him) would notice about Elixir. Assisted with a tube of chapstick, his lips are almost never chapped. Always ready to give or receive a kiss, Elixir's lips resemble his eyes, being mysterious and brooding. It always seems he has words that he wants to speak painted on his lips, easily eager to spew them out like bullets out of a gun, but they will always be unfortunately left unsaid. Maybe it's better that way; you don't always want to know what thoughts probe Elixir's mind. His mouth is almost always parted slightly, maybe to inhale more oxygen, or maybe just to be always prepared to flash a quick smile to someone. Dark maroon, you can often find a cigarette, blunt, or joint in between his lips, preferably the latter. When nervous or apprehensive, Elixir has a habit of clamping down on and digging into the lower lip with his teeth.

A nose, maybe not so perfectly proportioned to his face, adds to the oddity of Elixir's appearance. The bridge, which could be a tad shorter, give it the illusion of being long, when truthfully it's not so much long as it is large. The nostrils, surprisingly, are small and narrow, which gives a hint to even smaller nasal passages. This is maybe why Elixir is prone to snoring. Topped with the occasional pair of sunglasses (whether or not they're for obscuring the misty gaze of a hangover, that's up to interpretation), Deep red marks can often be found on the sides of the nose from the cheap plastic of the rims. The sides of his nose become covered with the seldom plague of a acne breakout, but Elixir usually keeps his face clean enough to steer clear of this dilemma. As a child, Elixir had a keen sense of smell, able to pick up the slightest odor of food or anything relatively close to it. With a long history of drugs (and more so, a lack of concern), his sense of smell slowly went down the drain, and now it's hard for Elixir to pick up even the strongest of scents.

Cheeks red during the colder months, Elixir always seems to be wearing blush. Deep red cheeks run in his family, and his gaunt state does not fail to add to the shock of it upon his skin. Easily agitated, you can find Elixir's cheeks in need of care during the winter months. With a narrow face, his cheeks are not outstandingly puffed. Flecked with the occasional pimple and a few small moles, otherwise unscathed, his cheeks are soft and warm to the touch. With the slightest smile or grin, dimples appear easily onto his face, giving the front of him being a trustworthy and honest person. Free of any trace of hair, it's almost like he shaves it off, but Elixir shaves no inch of hair upon his face.

Elixir used to have good, healthy teeth. Pearly, perfectly constructed whites were graced to his family. Not once did Elixir have a cavity as a young child, nor did anyone else in his family. Gingivitis was an alien word in his home. When the crap hit the fan a few years back though, Elixir turned to drugs and drinks, and the beautiful teeth went out the window. The substances slowly deteriorated the enamel on his teeth, turning the white to a light yellow. Yes, Elixir brushes, but that does little to nothing when you match that against the cigarettes and booze. Many of Elixir's molars are tainted with cavities, but the numbing sensation of the alcohol just gives him another excuse to drink his life away.

A neck, one of the most vulnerable spots on the human body. Most people have no blemishes on their neck, no scars, no irritations (unless you count hickeys, which Elixir seems to get from time to time from various people). Elixir is an exception to this rule, with many scars and cuts lacerated on his skin. One could find the occasional bruise, as well. Each has a different story behind it, and most of them Elixir fears to talk about with other people, knowing that his trust in others will somehow come back to bite him. The skin, just as pale as the rest of him, is tight and smooth. An Adam's Apple visibly protrudes from his throat, more so than most boys his age would show.

Hands soft with the cover of lotion, Elixir keeps his hands nice. A bottle of aloe vera can often be found near him, being slathered on like it's his lifeline. He prefers to keep them soft and warm, in case another individual would like to slip their fingers in between his. And maybe he wants to put his hands somewhere else, too. Nails trimmed short, any type of length would cause Elixir to snip them off with his teeth, giving him cavity-induced pain in his jaw. Cuticles always kept clean, you'll never find Elixir with a hangnail. You can almost always find a bottle of alcohol or a smoke, or both, in the grasp of his fingers.

A stomach, never filled with food, looks a bit grotesque in Elixir's case. Ribs are easily visible, giving him the impression of a skeleton with skin over the top. Strangely, it's the only part of Elixir's body that looks unhealthy; everything else appears to have enough muscle on it. Don't use this as an excuse to think of Elixir as weak, though; Elixir can be worth something in a fight, if a situation comes to one. Not unlike his neck, his abdomen is scarred over with multiple lacerations and bruises. Each scar just makes his body that much more grotesque and No hair covers his chest; Elixir does not have much of it on his body.

Legs are not something Elixir acquired from his family. Most of the girls in his family are known for their long legs, and the guys have legs that add to their height, but Elixir did not seem to get any. Yes, Elixir's tall, but he's all abdomen. It's difficult for Elixir to find a pair of tight fitting jeans, which is what he prefers. When he's nervous, Elixir can be found kicking his feet and tapping the ground, making musical rhythms. Elixir's legs happen to be one of the only places of his body where hair can be found.

Feet always covered with shoes, they are never exposed to the sun. Except when in bed, Elixir never shows his feet. Even during the warmer months, sandals will not be found on his feet. Elixir prefers to cover them up with dress shoes, or even more so, regular tennis shoes. He prefers the latter, always having to keep on his toes to stay away from authority, and tennis shoes give him comfort while sprinting.

Moving on to the subject of clothing and accessories, the one thing you can always find on Elixir is a watch. Obsessed with the time, Elixir is never late to anything. He would always love a nice, expensive watch (as would anyone), but he always wears the one that Daniel gave him all those years ago. You can often find Elixir glancing at his watch, as if staring at the thing would make time move faster.

Reiterating what was explained a few paragraphs ago, you can always find Elixir slipped into a pair of tight jeans. It's not so much the hype of them as it is the feel of them on skin for Elixir. He likes how they lengthen out his legs, and how they make him seem slimmer (which really isn't necessary in his case). Most of his jeans are black or a dark brown, but the occasional white pair can be found on Elixir. If it's hotter, you could find Elixir in a pair of shorts, although this is rare and not something that Elixir likes to do. If it's a lazy day, and Elixir has no plans for the night (also rare), Elixir prefers to wear sweats around the house.

During the warmer times of the year, the most you'll see on Elixir's abdomen is a regular short-sleeved shirt. Most of the time it will be tight-fitting like his pants, but he has loose shirts that he likes to wear, too. Also like his pants, they will most likely be of a darker hue, but the exclusive light-colored shirt can be found in Elixir's closet. When it does happen to be colder outside, you can find Elixir bundled into a thick coat. Also of darker colors, it will most likely be long, and a button up.

Elixir is always under the influence of alcohol and drugs. Some days it might be one, other times the other, and sometimes both at once. Never will you find Elixir without a bottle in his hand, or a joint in his mouth. It started two years ago, when everything went to hell. At first, he only planned to use them as getaways from all the pain, only in times of greatest stress. But slowly, it became a constant routine for Elixir. Take a swig, take a puff, take a swig, take a puff. Rinse and repeat, over and over again. He started with beer and cigarettes. That inclined to wine and blunts, and then that progressed to hard liquor and joints. Now, it's become Elixir's reality, feeling that sober life is in fact not the reality, rather the exact opposite.

Always under the influence, Elixir can never be relied on to perform a task. His soft, warming glance can make you believe otherwise, but that's just the front he likes to put up. You could tell Elixir to do something, but he'd either just tell you 'no' straight up, or would pretend to do it and then not accomplish it at all. Those who know Elixir well know not to ask him of anything. Those who don't, end up disappointed and maybe even a bit angry at Elixir.

Elixir was never sheltered to things such as sexuality as a young child. Parents never around, Elixir was forced to experiment with his emotions and urges by himself, with no guidance from anybody more experienced and helpful. He started out with an attraction to girls around age ten, but they were more playground crushes, as expected of a young boy. This continued on for a couple of years, until Elixir started to feel something a bit more for the other gender. Elixir, not sure of how to deal with it, pushed the emotions away and continued with his lusting over the opposite sex. It soon became too much for him, and he finally had to accept the fact that he had emotions for both genders. Along came Daniel, and soon Elixir had proof of his sudden twist of sexuality.

Although asking Elixir to do a task might not be such a good idea, Elixir can always be trusted to show up somewhere. Elixir is always punctual, not once having been late to anything. He dislikes when people are late to things that are important to him, so he shows up to things on time -or even early- to show he cares. He feels it important to show up on time to things; if you come late, you'll miss all the action.

Very secretive, it takes a special person to break into Elixir's thoughts and emotions. Elixir's had a rough past, and instead of expressing it openly, he prefers to keep it holed up inside himself. When he's sober, he can't help but feel like he's broken inside. The booze and smokes help that; they make him feel repaired, reborn, like a different person. If you happen to have the chance to listen to Elixir's stories, you will find a different person inside, a person that is pushed away and shunned by Elixir, who fears that a change of himself would not be a good thing.

Everything Elixir does not neccesarily help with making his life easier. He must always choose the more difficult way to do things, giving Elixir unneeded stress and anger. Not one to deal with stress well, Elixir likes to relieve it by throwing a slight tantrum. Not as bad as one a toddler would throw, but enough to break the occasional piece of small furniture. He's been sent to several therapists, but none of them helped him or his situation much. Elixir isn't much of a talker to random people while he's sober; there wasn't a lot the therapists could do.

Unfinished projects can be seen scattered throughout the house. Elixir is a starter of large and flamboyant operations, but not one to finish said things. It's a rare occasion to have found Elixir with a finished project. This goes for goals, too. When Elixir wants something, it's usually a spur-of-the-moment thing, and he usually won't give enough effort to actually get what he wants. On a rare occasion though, especially if it's a person, Elixir will make it his priority to get what he wants.

Elixir does make it a priority to give lots of detail, however. When explaining something to someone, he makes sure to give as much detail possible on how to accomplish the task. Whether or not this is to make sure he doesn't have to end up finishing the assignment is up to interpretation. Not a big fan of getting little to no detail for doing something, he wants to make sure that he gives enough information so the other person isn't stuck in the same predicament as Elixir often is.

There are the times when Elixir has enough morale to climb a mountain, and then there are the times that Elixir would rather just crawl into a ditch, curl up into a fetal position, and do absolutely nothing. Yes, Elixir has done the latter. Elixir is very bipolar, especially when he is sober. He drinks and smokes because they calm his nerves, and they keep his mentality stable. When you find Elixir neither drunk or high, it's probably a good idea to be careful with what you say or do around him. The smallest, most ridiculous things can set him off into a howling fit of harsh words and movements.

Albeit he is a heavy drinker, Elixir is quite intelligent. When he was younger, he would be forced to use the family's collection of books as a getaway, when his parents would fight. As a child, although not quite as much anymore, Elixir would absorb every little tidbit of information, acting as a sponge. Each detail would soon become important in Elixir's lifestyle, becoming useful in random situations. Sometimes, both parents would storm out of the house, both expecting the other to have taken Elixir with them. The only thing left to do was to pick up a book and begin reading it. Being only a young child, Elixir would often spend nights, sometimes multiple in a row, alone. This strengthed Elixir in a good way, allowing him to teach himself how to live on his own, free from the tight grasp of other people's guidance.

Being a loner has shown Elixir how to react around older people. He is often rowdy, loud, and rambunctious with people his age, but when it comes to adults he knows how to behave. This often proves beneficial for Elixir, showing people that he is a good and trustworthy teenager. Once on their good side, Elixir can then manipulate them slowly into doing what he needs done. He uses words, emotions and gifts to wrap them around his finger, and once he's done that, he knows how to keep them there.

So let's go back and restart,
so you can mend the pieces that fill my broken heart.
-Skylar

Elixir was brought into the world during the year of the 41st Hunger Games. His parents never expected to have a kid; his father was deemed infertile shortly after he met Elixir's mom, and his mother was never really the maternal type. Still, something inside them wanted to bring a child into the world, even though they knew there was a chance they could lose him forever in a reaping. After a bit of 'trial and error', they finally conceived a child. A boy was born nine months later, perfectly healthy and at a good weight, if not a bit too heavy. Not really having discussed names for the child, it took Elixir's parents several long, stressful nights to finally find him a title. Neither of his parents remember who suggested the name Elixir; they claim it had always been there, in the back of their minds. An elixir is well-known as a substance once believed to prolong one's life; His parents decided on this name purely because of the fact that it represented strength, and that it would hopefully bring inspiration to him later in life to be a good and strong person.

The first few months of Elixir's life were seemingly normal. He was dismissed from the hospital shortly after being born, and being from a well-to-do family of District Five, he was good to go regarding food and nourishment. Constantly showered with love, Elixir got everything he wanted. New toys were constantly given to him, toys that he always became bored with within a few days. He grew fast, and was constantly dressed in new clothes. Aunts, uncles, and cousins constantly talked about him. It had become a ritual to bring something for Elixir whenever a family member were to visit him.

And so life passed on in a way similar to this for the next eight years. Elixir was treated like royalty, and family enjoyed treating him like that. One could not enter Elixir's room without the threat of stepping on a sharp toy looming over their head.

Around age nine, things took a turn for the worst. The occasional banter between Elixir's parents about the most miniscule things became more aggresive, more violent. What used to be light bickering turned into a case of thrown furniture and physical contact. Elixir's mom was strong, but his dad was stronger. When his dad left the fight with only a couple of punches to the face, his mom always came out of the brawl with bruises that reminded Elixir of polka dots. There were several occasions where his mom suffered a broken bone. The loud din of the fights would keep Elixir up at night, and often he would start the day with less than an hour of sleep.

This continued on for about a year. Elixir, only being thirteen, could not do much to prevent any of the aggression in the house. Often his parents would leave the house in a rage, not appearing again for several days. Elixir didn't know where they would go, and he really didn't care to know either. In apology for the turmoil they were putting Elixir through, his parents would shower him with gifts and love. This pleased Elixir for a while, but he soon grew tired and annoyed with it all.

One day, Elixir's parents decided to call it quits. The decision being that Elixir would stay with his mother, his father packed his things and left with a 24 hour period. Every night after this day, Elixir could here the soft sobs escaping from his mother's mouth, which she attempted to stifle with her pillows and blankets. Still, the walls were thin, and Elixir always had a good sense of hearing during the nighttime hours.

Some nights, Elixir's mom would wander off into the shadows of the night, leaving Elixir home alone. At first, Elixir would be obedient and stay home, most probably curled up with a book and a blanket. This soon got old for Elixir, and he started sneaking out of the house for several hours at a time. The bad crowd runs around at night, and these are the people Elixir was forced to befriend. Some had drugs, others had the alcohol. Elixir began with refusing the substances, saying that he would get caught back home if he entered the house smelling of booze and weed. But Elixir soon realized that his mom no longer paid attention to him, no longer cared for his safety or future. Now aware of this, Elixir started to accept the drugs, using them as a rendezvous from the stress of everyday life.

Elixir had never planned for them to be the puppeteer of his life. He had never planned to be a pawn in their mindgames. He had only expected them to help him when he needed it, and nothing more. Of course, that's what every substance abuser says.

He soon became a victim to the drugs, and he became a night roamer like the rest of them. Elixir dropped out of school, no longer caring about his future or his mentality. Get wasted at night, come home and sleep all day. Rinse and repeat, day after day, week after week, month after month. Elixir's mom had long since stopped caring about him, rarely noticing that there was something wrong with Elixir at all.

Elixir became lonely. Yes, he had his so-called "friends", but they never supplied him with any consolation or advice. In fact, they would make fun of Elixir if he tried to speak of his emotions, often leaving him alone for the night. If that happened, Elixir would just find a party that happened to be in full swing, and join in the fun of the music, drugs, and the occasional event of sex. Until he met Daniel.

At the point of meeting Daniel, Elixir was already aware of his sexual orientation. He was not afraid to express it, either. Elixir immediately felt an attraction to him, but it wasn't something so strong that he had to act upon it. Daniel must have felt something, because he did something about it. An occasional touch of the arm, the "accidental" knee tap. Elixir caughts the vibes quick, and responded to them.

Two weeks later, Elixir and Daniel were officially a "thing". Gifts were exchanged, kisses were given, and well, so were other things. This relationship of Elixir's lasted for several months. Elixir became completely faithful to Daniel, not once feeling the lust that usually incapacitated his mind to think of the simplest things.

Daniel was not so good of a boyfriend, however. Daniel was even more intrigued with sex than Elixir was, (which is saying something), and he experimented with other people often. A note was left on Elixir's door early one morning, found by Elixir while entering the house from a long night of partying. Easily seen that it was in Daniels thick, dark scrawl, Elixir settled down into the couch to read. The letter spoke of Daniel running away with some girl, taking a chance and eloping into the forest to become wanderers. At that moment, Elixir felt nothing but anger and betrayal.

He swore to never find intimacy in another person again. He swore to never lust over something as unpredictable as a human mind.

Odair