Vern Lockwood; District 7

Vern can be described as rather hypnotic, in an almost eerie way. He has piercing blue eyes that seem to peer into your soul and mind. He has a long face, with deep features. He keeps his dark black hair a bit long/shaggy, but not to the point where it could be in a ponytail. These features tend to divert eyes from his huge nose and noticeable underbite. His lower jaw, of a jaw that always seems to be clenched tight, sticks out a bit. He also makes sure to always keep a clean shave, as his beloved father taught him.

Vern has a fair build; he's about 5'11 and has quite a bit of muscle from hacking away at trees in District 7. He looks almost exactly like his father in every way. His arms are the most muscular part, but he has a horrible farmer's tan from being out in the sun. He could be considered intimidating-looking by just his build alone, but as you can see, his cold face contributes. Some might consider him attractive (especially compared to some of the others in his town) despite his flaws.

If you asked a random classmate to describe Vern, you'd probably get something like "an arrogant, snappy, loner." While these things are partially true, there is a good side to Vern. When at home, he's truly different. He looks up to and reveres his father like a god - or at least he used to. His little sister is his pride and joy, and he takes care of her when his aging parents can't. He's a softie with her, and only her. As long as she is fed and happy, he's happy as well. He had an older brother named Forest, but he was reaped and killed in the 50th Hunger Games. Vern's brother was like a second dad to him. Now all he wants is to be like him. To let Forest's memory stay.

After the death of his brother, Vern turned a bit.. cold. He's always been good at reading people -- he knew who he could and could not trust. But he lets his arrogance get the best of him sometimes, and gets into bad situations because of it. He's a bit of a grudge-holder. Even though he seems so distrustful of others, if someone can reach inside his heart and truly care for him, he can be an amazing friend. One person has achieved this; his best friend and soulmate, Savannah. Vern met her when they were thirteen years old, and he opened up to her.

Vern's personality has earned mixed emotions from people. A lot of classmates and even citizens seem to fear or resent him. But, there are a few who try to inch their way into his life. Unfortunately, he's bad at accepting friendship, especially with people who remind him of his brother. It's not that Vern hates people, he just has trouble letting things in, and letting them go. Change is very hard for him.

Growing up, Vern was a normal Panem child. He played, he went to school, and he had friends. The Hunger Games didn't really make sense to him, they didn't mean anything. That all changed when he was eight. Forest, his 18-year-old brother, who looked after him and was the greatest companion one could ask for, was chosen to go into the Games. At their final good-bye, Forest told his younger brother to never stop aiming high, and to be a role model for their newborn baby sister. Then, Vern and his parents watched him die a gruesome death at the hands of a District 2 tribute. This would fuel a deep hatred for all District 2 citizens (kind of like how someone has a bad experience that involved a specific object or something, and that something becomes a fear trigger to that memory).

After his brother's death, Vern went into a state of little kid depression. He became a rebel; he'd slack off at school, steal food, run away from home and skip nights in bed. Nothing anyone did could get through to him. As he grew older, he volunteered to help the adult men with their work, chopping down trees and such. A friend of his father's had a daughter named Savannah, to whom he quickly took a liking. She, to the amazement of Vern's parents, got him to open up a bit. But this was partially due to the love he secretly held for her, and he still loves her now.

Still only thirteen years old, Vern had time to get back to the kid he was before. But for some reason, even nothing Savannah did could get him to do it. He avoided other kids, and he resented everyone else. He lived to feed his sister, care for his aging parents, and try to win Savannah's heart. These people knew who he really was, and knew the snobby jerk act was.. well, just an act. Vern swore that he would turn into the man his brother was going to be, and that if his name was ever reaped, that he would avenge his brother's death and win.

Finally, after Vern turned 16, Savannah realized how he felt about her. She wasn't exactly in love with him as he was with her, but she was open to the relationship. They started dating, and it worked out. Some saw his older brother as a "sex god" when he was alive, and although Vern was never really like that, he wasn't opposed to the idea of a more intimate relationship with Savannah. (and I shall leave the rest to the imagination.. *wink wink*)

I hope this is okay! It's my first character, and I think it sounds pretty good. (: I wanted to throw some romance in there just for the heck of it.