Ilayda Gardez - District 4 [*finished]

Ilayda looks like a blend of her brother Raviv, and her sister Naida. She has golden brown hair that flows down to a little below her shoulders. Her eyes are a stunning blue-green, that are full of life, and sparkle, and the same as all her siblings they have a haunting quality about them. The kind that can make you feel as if her gaze is piercing your soul. Living in District Four and being outside for most of everyday, Ilayda has a nice tan. She has a slight build, almost like a little fairy girl. Standing at 3' 10" and only weighing 57lb she looks so tiny and fragile. But she's really a scrappy little kid, who's strong for her age. A lot of people think she looks very pretty, and very much like Naida at when she was that age. Ilayda takes it as a compliment, as she has always looked up to Naida. But she is closest with her brother Raviv.

Ilayda always has a spring in her step, and an expression of vigor and spunk. She always seems to be fluttering about whether it be work or play. Her joy in everything she does seems to spread to everyone around her. Her beautiful laugh can lighten even the darkest of moods. Which it often does since, she is a firm believer in, 'if you don't laugh, you'll cry.' Sometimes her small size makes people doubt her ability to handle the hard work load of the fishing industries. But she's raised to the challenge and helps her family with whatever they need.

Ilayda is somewhat of a wild child. She is always full of life and energy, and she just keeps going and going. Her energy is boundless. Ilayda has a tendency to be a bit rebellious, and very strong willed. Bring very decisive, she knows what she wants in life and can keep focus on that goal until she reaches it. Her determination, is so fierce it's almost frightening at times. She is a firm believer in 'if you want something done right, do it yourself.' Her faith in the abilities of others is lacking. She doesn't take people's word for things. She prefers to been shown not told. Ilayda is grateful for her family, and her home. Hard work is a way of life at her families fish shop, and she is well adjusted to her life in District Four. Her honesty is so blunt that it offends some people. She's young but is wise beyond her years, she'll tell you exactly how things are whether or not you wanted to hear it. Watching her oldest brother get killed on TV Ilayda, then left her with a burning hatred for the Capitol, even if District Four is a career district, she wants nothing to go with the Capitol or their beloved Games.

Ilayda is a bit of a perfectionist. She wants things to be done perfectly, all the time. But strangely enough, she'd not at all up tight about it. She prance about fixing everything that is even slightly out of whack. Living the life she has, has made her a responsible girl, who will own up to her mistakes without a single moment of hesitation. Being very responsive to the things and people around her, Ilayda is observant and very alert. Nothing seems to be able to take her by surprise. She is self-confident, but not to the point of arrogance. She has a willingness to work despite her young age that many find impressive. Ilayda doesn't really care what others think about her. She's herself, and won't change for anyone. They can take it or leave it. It doesn't matter to her. Being very aware of any opportunities presented to her, Ilayda makes the best of any situation. She also displays a large amount of creativity, and loves to make things with her hands. She works efficiently and also finishes all her work before she goes to play.

She is idea driven and if she gets something in her head, watch out, there is no swaying her from a goal once she's set it. Ilayda takes the time to improve on things she thinks she's weak in. She takes criticism to heart and will go off to improve herself and her work. Ilayda is innovative, she can make a fishing hook, out of just about anything. Painting using seaweed is another one of her little tricks too. She is knowledgeable, she knows all about her Districts history and industry, even though she seem to be in her own world in school, somehow she manages to absorb everything and remember it with ease. Her leadership skills are surprisingly good, and she'd not afraid to take charge when she feels she has to. Sometimes Ilayda can be a risk taker, if the prize is worth it, she's not afraid to stretch out on a limb. A lot of people find little Ilayda to be a scrappy little thing, she stands up for herself, and won't let people look down on her. Her affectionate family up bring has encouraged a lot of good qualities in Ilayda. But after Raiden's death, and Naida's lose of sanity, she feels almost as if she's let them down. Even though there was nothing she could've done to change the outcomes.

Ilayda is the youngest of all her siblings. All of her siblings are three years apart. So Raviv at age twelve is closest to her. It is strange to Ilayda to think that her oldest brother Raiden would have been eighteen this January if he hadn't been killed in the Hunger Games, about four years ago. Her family owns a fish shop, that she works at. There isn't a whole lot an eight year old can do, but she happily does whatever she can to help out. During the busiest times of the year Ilayda stays home and helps her mother run thing, while her father, Raviv, and Naida go out on the boat, fishing. Naida has always been little Ilayda's hero. Which is why she was so crushed when Naida started to change after Raiden's death. And then seemed to completely lose it when one of her friends died in the most recent Hunger Games. She couldn't imagine what her older sister is going through, and fears that she'll never get her big sister back. She could remember when Naida first taught her how to swim so that she could join them out on their swimming trips. The memories are what Ilayda clings to so desperately. She wants her family back to the way it was. Every night she dreams of how things should be, and awakes crying when she realizes that it was just a dream.

She was only five years old when Raiden got reaped for the Games, so she doesn't remember much. The things that stuck in her head most were Naida's shrieks when Raiden's name was called. She'd never heard anyone sound so desperate and afraid. The fact that her brother made it so far in the Games, was another thing that is seared into her mind. How close he was to home. And the final thing, is the massive amount of blood his body was in after he was killed, he died from the blood lose, without a doubt. She also can remember the sound of her parents, and herself crying. Raviv was in so much shock, he just stood there, paralyzed. Raiden died, and Ilayda knew it was as if Naida had died right along with him. Everything good and wonderful about her sister, seemed to vanish. It was like Naida was a frightened child, stuck in the hell of her own mind. Sometimes Ilayda wondered if Naida would ever be able to snap out of it. So far no luck. And that's where her hatred for the Capitol was born. They stole Raiden for their stupid Games, and they shattered Naida. Not to mention her parents had both endured great suffering from the loses. Her happy family seemed to be no more.

Ilayda and Naida being the two girls share a room. She is often woken up at night by Naida screaming or sobbing in her sleep. Some nights she'll sit with her sister and talk to her until she can go back to sleeps. As if they switched roles for the time being. Her mother and father would try to talk to Naida and it was like they were walking to a wall of ice. Nothing anyone did seemed to get through to her. The night that they saw Raiden die on TV, non of them could sleep, there was too much sorrow and hurt. But everyone except Naida seemed to pull it together. Maybe because her two oldest siblings were so close. She'd overheard her mother say the two were like peanut butter and jelly, they just seemed to belong together. Not that they didn't love the other members of their family, it was just the two of them shared something so special that they were a one of a kind pair. Ilayda and Raviv always spent a lot of time together. She could always spill her guts to him and not worry about what being judged or called crazy.

Just when things were staring to look up a little. Naida's friend Alba has been reaped and then killed in the Games. That sent her already wounded sister complete overboard. The Capitol ruined everything that meant so much to Ilayda. They had to have those stupid Games, and destroy so many lives and families. Secretly Ilayda longed for the Capitol to fall, but the words would never leave her mouth, she was two smart for that. So she would watch and wait. There had to be other people who felt the same as her, right? I mean with all the kids who have died, there just had to be others. Naida hated the Capitol with such a passion, it scared Ilayda. She was afraid that one of these day Naida was going to explode and have it all coming out. But so far she hadn't given her sister enough credit. Despite everything, she still brought them dinner, still went to work, and still tried her best to be their sister. Ilayda could always tell when Naida was straining to be what they remembered her as. Just so that they would be happy, she was willing to force herself to behave a certain way. Ilayda decided she was indeed blessed for what she's got, but is deathly afraid to lose anymore of it.

Youngest of the Gardez siblings. Oldest brother Raiden, is deceased.
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