JOSEPHINE "TANK" RIKER, DISTRICT THREE

JOSEPHINE "TANK" RIKER, DISTRICT THREE Dec 30, 2011 2:24:29 GMT -5

Post by Sherlock is real. on Dec 30, 2011 2:24:29 GMT -5

Name: ~~Josephina Riker~~ TANK
Age: 15
Gender: Female
District/Area: 3

Off with your head
Dance ’til you’re dead
Heads will roll 
On the floor

Appearance:

A district weed like no other, Tank is the definition of reject. Though her appearance could be appealing under the layers of dirt and bruises piled up from years of labor, she keeps her exterior drab and dull, for it’s known she abhors the stress of attention. Her lack of self confidence is so extreme; she goes as far as to wear a green, oversized war helmet, one which is just large enough to cover her eyes. Tank is so used to the shade, in fact, that light dries her eyes out with just a glance, consequently rendering her even more socially inept.

‘Drained’ is how one could describe Tank’s expression. A constant look of defeat is fixed sloppily to her bended knees, cowering back, frowning lips and drooping hazel eyes. Her stomach length, neglected, brown hair hangs straight, in greasy clumps, down to the small of her back, tucked hastily behind home-pierced ears. Her black stockings have large holes, torn from the top of her thighs to her toes, which move freely in oversized, army green combat boots.

Due to her anxiety of social encounters, it isn’t unusual to see Tank in one of the many thin alleys of district three, hunched over and smoking a homemade cigarette, a habit she picked up when she was quite young. Truth be told, she actually smokes so many cigarettes a day, Tank herself smells like walking shag. The chemicals dying her only white sundress yellow and drying out her shrunken leather coat, she is avoided in the streets as a result of her overpowering stench of smoke.

Glitter on the west streets
Silver over everything
The River’s all wet
You’re all chrome

Personality:

Tank, a socially incompetent teenager, lives by three rules. No, she is not obsessed with rules, nor is she organised. She would not want one to get this impression of her, for she is, in reality, very clumsy and very spontaneous. She is also very forgetful; as a result, Tank keeps these rules written in a leather covered notebook, stashed in her jacket pocket, so she can remember them easily.

Rule One:

Stay hidden.

Good hiding places-

Alleyway, outer corners of junkyards, borders of district.

Rule Two:

Do not talk... no eye contact.

Rule Three:

Stay away from authorities.

Tank follows these rules like the Ten Commandments; she finds comfort in them, believing they will keep her safe from the thing she fears the most.

With Tank, and her ragged appearance, what you see is what you get. She is a poor, awkward girl who is dreadfully nervous of other people. Tank has yet to maintain a normal conversation with another human being, which may be fortunate as she comes off as an incredibly rude person. Of course, she does not make an effort to be rude, it just comes naturally with her passive personality. Tank bumps into a stranger on the street; she walks away, blending in with the crowd. Though it is not often she makes such a mistake, uttering an apologetic word would break one of her treasured rules.

Tank holds herself much higher than others, in other words, she would hurt many to save herself. She is afraid of death, and does literally everything to avoid her own doom. To ensure her safety, Tank learned all there is to know about the mechanism of guns and explosives. As long as there is a gun put in front of her, she is able to name every piece, pull it apart and put in back together in a matter of minutes. Her mind is filled with everything gun related, she recites the parts in her head, breaking the gun into pieces then fixing it, over and over, in her mind.

Not only does Tank enjoy exploring the operation of firearms, she finds the function stimulating as well. When she pulls the trigger, she can feel it explode in her hands, hear the bullet slice through the air. It is not often, when she picks up a gun, she will actually fire it. Though the chances of her being heard over the loud hum of industry are slim to none, she is afraid of being heard by the Capitol authorities as it is illegal to fire guns in District 3. At least, that is what she was told.

keep attention away from yourself.

Dripping with alchemy
Shiver stop shivering

History:

Josephine knew she was alone in the beginning.
Born into a family of poor factory workers, Josephine was labelled ‘useless’ since her fifth birthday. Before then, she wouldn’t utter a word. She kept to herself, that never changed, not even when her brothers would call her ‘retard’, or even when she found a pistol in her eldest brother’s room. She kept quiet and accepted her brother’s taunts. All three of her undernourished brothers; Case, the youngest, Nigel and Alec, the oldest. Every one of the six members of her family were scrawny, even her dad who she believed was the toughest man in all of Panem. Her mother was just as tough, but she never accepted the fact that she was living in a death box. She always thought her family, all six of them, would get out of district three and live a rich life in the Capitol, one without the fear of dying every day. Maybe they could find a doctor to cure baby Jojo’s “mental illness”, and get enough food to last a lifetime.

Josephine knew differently, she knew her mother’s weakness.
That’s when her mother created ‘the rules’. Three rules that promised them freedom from the district, Josephine followed them as she was told; she was hardly noticed in the community. Her mother believed these rules would lower the chances of being reaped in the Hunger Games. The dreaded Hunger Games. Josephine did not understand what her mother meant by “hunger games”, until her eldest brother was reaped. Every year, the Riker family would attend the reaping, watch until every name was picked.

One year, an older school mate of hers, Joshua, was reaped. Josephine’s mother forbid her from watching TV for three months. Nobody watched TV for those three months.

Josephine didn’t realize the Hunger Games were killing games, she believed Joshua didn’t come back because he went somewhere better, better than district three or even Panem. However, when her brother, Alec, was reaped, it wasn’t the happy occasion Josephine hoped it would be. Before the games started, every kid and teacher would look at Josephine with pity in their eyes, some would pat her on the back muttering something like ‘sorry’ or ‘it’ll be fine’. She would shrug away as usual; Josephine was uncomfortable with people touching her.
Her family started watching the Hunger Games after her brother’s reaping, her mother and father would smoke heavily while staring at the glowing screen. Eight empty cigarette packets piled beside the couch after every viewing. Josephine couldn’t understand why her parents were so worried, all she saw was her brother in fancy outfits, riding in a carriage or holding a microphone. One episode he wore a giant bee suit. She wondered what it meant, the weird clothing, she could hardly understand the words coming from the television either way.

However, after a few episodes of fancy clothing, her mother, once again, forbid her from watching the TV. They still watched it, they sent Josephine to her room and they watched it. She heard an announcer’s voice coming from the TV speakers, but even louder she heard her mother crying, and her father yelling at the screen, every time. Her brothers watched it too, them being 5 years older than Josephine, them being able to communicate with other people. They cried like her mom, but her mom was loudest.

Josephine’s mother used to spew nonsense about family sticking together, that they could run away together and finally live happily. She made her sons believe it as well, Josephine started to believe it right after her brother was reaped. If her brother could escape, she just needed to be reaped.

The glitter’s all wet
You’re all chrome

During a viewing session of the Games, her mother screamed. So loudly that Josephine came shooting down the stairs, into the living room and...

Right there on the screen was her brother, her brother Alec. Alec was covered in blood, wearing nothing but a pair of khaki pants and black combat boots. His face was contorted with fear as he stared at a large, half naked boy in front of him; he only wore a pair of shorts and a white tank-top, no shoes. Alec was backed into an invisible wall, no way out or away from the sneering boy, holding a long, silver sword.

Josephine stared at the TV, her brother was on the screen, but why in the desert? Why was he scared? Wasn’t he supposed to be in paradise? Wasn’t he supposed to be happy? She figured her parents were jealous of the tributes, crying and screaming because they were jealous. However, the screen told otherwise.

The large boy sprinted towards Alec, his sword held high between two, muscular hands. But Alec didn’t cower; he raised his blade in front of his chest and stood in a ready stance.

Josephine felt hope for her brother, if he was smart, he could win the battle. If only he could follow the rules.

Things were looking good for Alec, he was counter blocking his opponent, and he was close to creating an open spot to retreat. The large boy stumbled, losing his footing over loose sand, Alec took the chance to run, and run he did.

He took about three steps before a silver sword whistled through the air and sliced Alec’s head clean off his body. The screen stayed on his headless body; dropping to its knees then falling limp onto the sand. Cheering blared from the speakers as Josephine watched as a cascade of blood seeped from her brother’s neck and head.

That’s when Josephine took a deep breath, and screamed.