Verbal's Misfits, I Mean Characters...
Mar 16, 2013 16:27:21 GMT -5
Post by Verbal, Lord of The Dreadfort on Mar 16, 2013 16:27:21 GMT -5
The original bios for my characters when they were first accepted, with some minor adjustments instituted over time.
Name: Garth Alistair Earnhardt
Age: Fifteen
Gender: Male
District/Area: District 7
Appearance:
Garth has long, curly, dirty blonde hair which shoots up rather than falls downward, and unstriking, dark blue eyes with yellow around the pupil. He is tall for his age, coming in at barely six feet tall (rounded out at 1.8 meters,) and years of hard physical labor have made his naturally tall and lanky frame quite muscular and rounded out, weighing a healthy 136 lbs (61.7 kg) with relatively little body fat due to his district's modest means. Garth is by no means especially attractive, and comes in about average depending of course on who is looking at him. He is an bizarrely swift sprinter, but cannot keep up this impressive pace for very long, and can run (if properly paced) an above average speed for a sustained period of time. He possesses a modest BMI of 19.0, and has never been exposed to any health affecting pollution or controlled substances of any kind.
Garth's skin is possessed of a natural pallor, with some red tones livening up his pale white skin, and he is capable of flexing certain muscles in his body such as his shoulder blades and diaphragm muscles into prominent positions through concentrated effort. Born with natural ambidexterity, Garth is also double jointed in his shoulders, possessing the ability to detach certain bones found there from the rest of his body. His body bears almost no freckles, and though slight imperfections can be found throughout his body and his hands are suitably calloused from long, hard years of use, Garth's skin remains relatively untarnished aside from the occasional, well hidden scar that comes with the territory of being a blue collar District Seven citizen. Garth is, for a boy his age, a very hairy guy, though this does not seem to be atypical of the average District Seven denizen, and it is generally unnoticed unless gazed upon by an outsider, which it rarely is. And when his facial hair is grown to full length, it becomes an odd yet seemingly complimentary mixture of reddish dirty blonde.
Physically, Garth is above the curve when compared to his age group or really adolescents in general. The rough toil of his day to day life has hardened his muscles, yet he remains limber enough to outrun most of his peers. His reflexes are also above the norm, and although his overall flexibility leaves something to be desired, his swift reaction time has saved him from many a injury over the years. His diet is austere and unnoteworthy, never really being enough to satisfy his hunger, but that is just a feeling he has (like many of his fellow district members) long since gotten used to. Garth also boasts an almost outright preternatural sense of smell, and all indications only seem to point in the direction that Garth has more growing yet to do.
Personality:
Garth is by his very nature, and incorrigible introvert, valuing peace and solitude among the silent and serene pine forests of his home while at the same time being drained by any real social activity. But this by no means implies that Garth has in anyway an unappealing personality. Sardonic, brooding, and generally melancholy, yet at the same time a very humorous, well-mannered, and sweet young boy, Garth seems to some live an existence of duality. The latter traits being the ones he was born with, the ones he has always had, and the former simply being traits he developed to help him cope with the harsh, insipid, and unyielding lifestyle he has been raised with and grown accustomed to. While he has grown quite cynical, Garth still possesses a bright optimism he is uncomfortable with outwardly letting show, and Garth often has trouble opening up to people due to the fact that the people closest to him have often ended up letting him down.
In another life, perhaps one where he was not from his very birth shackled to the profession of his progenitors, Garth would have made a great scientist or engineer, one who could have ended up changing the world even, as Garth was from his earliest youth, a gifted child. But sadly, the way things stand, other than the same public education every citizen of Panem receives, Garth will not never be able to pursue the life of intellectuality he seems to have been born for. But although he may never be allowed to be a deep thinking intellectual, that doesn't at all mean that he flat out isn't one. Blessed with a eidetic memory, many people alike have stared in wonderment at the entirely unnoticeable lumberjack child who would suddenly spout some sage wisdom that, often times, ended up inspiring the solution to some obscure problem. It is really in his speech, loudly audible (Garth is a noticeably loud speaker) and yet at times profoundly sophisticated, rather than his manner, more laid back and down to earth, that the spark of brilliance may be found.
Garth is, unlike many of his more hot-blooded peers, not easily compromised by his emotions, instead preferring to think his actions through rather than acting on gut impulse. While Garth does feel just as passionately as a boy his age should, Garth is absolutely not the kind of person who makes his true feelings overtly known, instead preferring to hang back, out of the limelight, and ponder the options presented to him. Generally aloof, but by no means truly arrogant, Garth can be a enigma to all but the few who know him personally, with the cold hard truth of the matter being Garth can't seem to much figure HIMSELF out, let alone even allow other people to try and do it for him. To wit, Garth has A LOT of trouble truly opening himself up to people, instead preferring to tell them whatever keeps the status quo and avoid any problems which may arise were his true feelings to become known. And rather than confront the various, vexing demons of his past, Garth by far prefers to simply lose himself in the calm, peaceful tranquility of the pines, and escape to a happier place far, far away.
History:
In the fair nation of Panem, absolutely no one has it particularly easy, not even perhaps in the decadent Capitol itself, where the people are just as if not more repressed than the citizens of some far away district, but then there are some people who just seem to have it extra hard. Born to an abusive alcoholic who would go on to drink himself to death when Garth was scarcely six years old, and a mother who died at childbirth (Garth never having gotten to met her, him being born via cesarean section) the only child would be fostered by his paternal uncle. It was his uncle who raised him, taught him right from wrong, and it was his uncle he would come to see as his real father. Raised no different from any other impoverished denizen of the arboreal District Seven, Garth would soon come to view his work as a lumberjack and the mindless busy work of school as the only real means of solace and entertainment he had in the brief, brutal existence of the impoverished districts. When the deep down inside, truly sweet boy was faced with such misery and hardships, he would go on to create a cast of outward cynicism and snark with which to shield himself from the countless trials he was forced to endure.
When his uncle was injured and rendered unable to work, it was Garth who would support the two of them. But at length his ailing uncle got worse, and eventually, the only person whom Garth had ever gotten close to passed away when Garth was merely a tender fourteen years of age. Sent to live at a public home for adolescents, Garth became hard and isolated, locking himself away from the world he wanted no part of. His life took on a even more simplistic existence where work and school were used as a means of escaping the harsh existence Garth found himself living every day. The days dragged on, but Garth, purely out of spite, would not allow the world to break him.
Today Garth remains an orphan, living in his late uncle's house dwelling, now bequeathed him, and scraping by a meager and lonely existence with as much grace and dignity as he can manage. There are times where he ponders the futility of his travails, and darkly reflects that the only thing the makes him want to continue living is pure conviction to not die, to not let life beat him. And yet at the same time, as he watches year after year of children mercilessly slaughtering each other for someone else's sick amusement, he reflects on what a fleeting thing life truly is, and how easily it can be denied to someone. He thinks that maybe one day, his life will have a redeemable quality to it, and that just maybe he can turn things around for himself. And then he picks up his axe again, reinvigorated, and hoping that which each cut, he's getting closer to a brighter tomorrow.
Name: Rodney Harlan Majora
Age: Sixteen
Gender: Male
District/Area: District 11
Appearance:
Rodney is a slim, wiry, gaunt youth of sixteen years, having a bony frame where his skeleton is quite clearly visible as a result of the borderline starvation of District Eleven. He has dark olive skin and eyes of fiery amber, with short, curly black hair and a long, attractive face. He comes in at about 5'11 and weighing roughly 134 lbs. (BMI 18.7.) He has long extremities and a narrow build, and many scars from years of long, hard work. He is lean, limber, flexible, and swift in his motions.
Given his natural, track racing frame, Rodney is a notoriously fast runner. He is ambidextrous and has extremely keen senses which makes it easy for him to sense when someone is nearby or watching him. While nothing to write home about, Rodney is in his own way an attractive young man, he's just so used to living in squalor that even he scarcely remembers what he looks like under all the dirt and grim that routinely entrenches itself in his nails and on his skin. His movements are quick and agile, like that of an acrobat, and indeed, Rodney seems to have something of gift them, flying through the tall orchard trees with ease and with movements which would make him an excellent thief if he ever had the nerve or the dubious moral character to test out his abilities. His silent and smooth movements are at the same time very cautious, as a smart worker knows that reaching for the wrong branch while working could very well spell your end.
Personality:
Rodney is shrewd, abnormally intelligent, cunning, diplomatic, and quite charismatic. Endearingly sarcastic and not afraid to speak his mind in front of large crowds, Rodney is a smooth operator through and through. Having been raised by his grandmother who died when he was fifteen, Rodney gained a notorious reputation for enjoying fights and living a rather carefree and laid back lifestyle. Always looking to have some fun, Rodney can be serious when the situation calls for it, but for the most part, he simply likes to sit back and enjoy the ride for all it's worth. When excited, he often finds himself showcasing his gift for acrobatics on the street or telling jokes to random strangers, being able to get along with just about anyone.
Rodney lives his life alone, and he prefers it that way, with no one being able to inhibit his fast and carefree lifestyle. And while he misses his grandmother dearly, he tends to take life in stride and keep moving forward, trying desperately to enjoy what fleeting life the Capitol allows him before his inevitable (and more than likely, he believes, premature death.) Knowing that sickness, hunger, and the games could very easily and quite foreseeably kill him while he is still young, he lives to enjoy life's every dear moment, and not spend what time he has worrying about what the future may bring. He himself has often considered just volunteering for the games "to try something new," especially if he could ever save someone else from that unwilling fate, seeing as how he doesn't fret over the safety of his life like many others do. In retrospect, Rodney is simply a lighthearted trickster who doesn't let the weigh of the world on his shoulders get him down.
While deep down inside an introvert, Rodney is quite jocular, never letting a good joke go to waste if he can help it. He is affable and kind, which makes him easy to get along with, and which draws people to him like a beacon. Rodney is also a superb strategist, which extends from mapping out the best route to work to even the witty retorts he seems to have a gift for coming up with. And he always tries to make light of stressful and tragic situations, sometimes to his detriment. Rodney is, in the end, still just a young adolescent who is desperately trying to cope with the poor, dirt poor lifestyle he has and seemingly always will live.
History:
His father having died in a work related accident when he was two and his mother having died of a fever three years later, Rodney was raised by his maternal grandmother for most of his life. When she passed away scarcely a year ago, Rodney tried to cope with his lonely existence with levity and a carefree existence, finding pleasure in both work and school and especially his down time, what little he had, and was spared the fate of being sent to a public house by be allowed to live with a friend of his late father's. An certifiable genius who's laid-back and calm demeanor often won him many friends, Rodney refused to believe that his life was all that horrible. Life to him is all just one big joke, and he sees himself as the only one who understands the punchline. Jokes and smiles saw him through the endless tragedy of his existence in a lower district, but on the inside, something inside him had broken.
Rodney uses his lanky, limber frame and gift for acrobatics to climb high into the trees and harvest were normally only children three quarters his age can climb. Sometimes he muses to himself his lifestyle and risk taking may be the result of some deep seated death wish, yet Rodney continues to do his job admirably and unquestioningly, trying to live his miserable life to the fullest while he can. He often finds himself upset and embittered by the miserable conditions and slowly decaying state of his district, but is too wise to openly speak about it. No, Rodney simply sees his life as a day to day struggle that can be enjoyed if you have the proper mindset, and that's just how he trudges his way through life, in stride and without a care. And while many people like Rodney for his kind, honest, and fun loving demeanor, Rodney is too emotionally scarred to form close attachments with anyone, leaving him for now, completely lacking any true friends.
With Rodney's carefree (or some might say, careless) personality, his natural talent for thievery, his intelligence, his love for brawling, and his unhealthy habit of always doing the right thing, it was inevitable he would run afoul of the peacekeepers of his district. While many might say District Twelve has it the worst of all the districts, Rodney and many of his fellow district citizens would be eager to argue that point, with their district possessing some of the most brutal peacekeepers in the nation. For striking a peacekeeper and knocking him out cold, Rodney was tortured, beaten, and starved in a cold, dirty cell for three days before being publicly whipped and thrown into the gutter as an example to others who might do the same. Indeed, many of the district's denizens believe that Rodney got off light, having managed to escape the incident with his life, which for assaulting a peacekeeper, was practically unheard of. In spite of it all, even the ugly whipping scars on his back, Rodney still maintains his prior, carefree persona, but the ordeal did have an unseen effect on him, an effect which he does not let show exteriorly at all.
And if Rodney were to win the games, after what he had gotten away with, it would be a massive embarrassment to both the Capitol and President Snow.
Every year, Rodney watches as unwilling tribute after unwilling tribute is sent to their death, guaranteed to be gruesome and spectacular for the whole of Panem to watch. Sometimes he thinks maybe better him than them, that maybe he could succeed where so many others had failed and then maybe life wouldn't be so bad. Death or wealth, Rodney could really live with either, and it might be an experience worth living before the end, seeing as how he has known nothing else but poverty and starvation all his life. And why waste your life fretting over death, when life had so many things one could enjoy before it was time to go? Maybe he would volunteer for the games, save some poor slob from being chopped to pieces on national television...
...and whatever happens, happens.
Name: Gaff Elias Grimsdottir
Age: Fourteen
Gender: Male
District/Area: District 4
Appearance:
District Four is known for producing some of Panem's "best looking people," and Gaff is no exception. Gaff has long, sleek jet black hair and an attractive tan complexion, as is typically standard for the people of District Four. And due both to the nature of his district's industry and the fact he has been trained from birth to be a career tribute, Gaff has an incredibly healthy and muscular body. Tall for his age (5'8), dark, brooding, handsome, and snarky, Gaff is quite an attractive person, even by District Four standards. Weighing more or less around 154 lbs, with a healthy BMI of 23.4, and comprising of mostly lean muscle, Gaff seems to be the very picture of the "handsome, trained killer" aura that most District Four tributes seem to emit.
However, this is were his appearance from the average District Four citizen appears to end. While District Four's citizen's are known for their "sea green" eyes, Gaff possesses eyes of an icy blue. Pale and piecing, these unnerving, utterly cold looking eyes seem to to disconcert anyone who stares into them. They however, do seem to perfectly encapsulate his personality, and while his entire appearance is quite handsome, his eyes seem to be the true one indicator of what lies beneath. A trained, aloof, merciless killer who has become incredibly bitter over the fact that his parents had him for the sole purpose of sending him to kill or be killed in a sadistic, state sponsored power game.
Personality:
It cannot be said that Gaff is a dissimulating viper of any kind, as he goes through absolutely no lengths to hide his true personality. Cold, taciturn, snarky, misanthropic, aloof, elusive, and bitter, Gaff is endearingly referred to as "Grim" by those close to him, even his parents, the only exception being his sister, who calls him by his birth name. Gaff has been trained from birth to be nothing short of a merciless killer, and feels dull hatred towards his parents for always treating him more as a career than a son. The way Gaff sees it, life has never been particularly nice to him, so he sees absolutely no reason to be nice back to it. Filled internally with ice cold rage and struggling with his parents' neglect, Gaff has never felt anything more for his family than vague distaste and contempt, as he sees them as hardly deserving of the time he could be spending rightly hating them.
That mentality entirely changes when we get into the matter of his younger twin sister, Rose. It can be reasonably said that his sister is the only person in the world Gaff even vaguely cares about other than himself. She is a haunting mirror of his personality, sweet, gentle, and disfavored by their parents. Their obvious favor of Gaff over her has always elicited complete disgust from him, and while he remains an aloof big brother, hurting his sister is just about the easiest way to provoke his unending, hellfire rage. But while Gaff may not be as heartless as he seems, having his own strict code of ethics and conduct he adheres to, his sister may not be quite as innocent and naive as she seems, and just maybe she has as much in common with her brother as he does with her...
Gaff's misanthropic and cold view of the world he lives in has earned him the nickname "Grim," one his parents and he encourage as it makes him sound very, very scary. He hates the state, and holds a general disdain for the lifestyle he and the rest of the nation are forced to live in general. He does not understand why people place such a high value on life and friendship, the former of which he holds a very poor opinion of and the latter he simply does not at all understand. As he was quite literally "born to kill," he sees life as an expendable commodity that can easily be taken away, and believes humans arrogant for thinking they are "too good to kill," and that in some cosmic sense murder is wrong. The truth in his eyes is, nothing is wrong per se, there is simply what one chooses to do, thereby accepting the consequences thereafter.
History:
Gaff's parents, while not victors themselves, decided that they would raise their child from birth to be a career tribute in the games. They did indeed get what they desired, a healthy, strong young son, but as fate sometimes decides, this was not all they received, getting a little something extra in the form of Gaff's younger twin sister Rose. While Gaff's personality and innate talent caused him to excel at his training, possessing a brilliant mind, strong body, a will forged of steel, and an nigh unbreakable desire to survive, it quickly became clear that his sister was far less suited to the lifestyle than her brother was, and she quickly fell out of favor with their parents. And while they clearly preferred Gaff, he over time grew disgusted with the way his parents only saw him as a trophy, not a son, and at the same time shunned his sister, whom he considered "one of the only human beings even remotely worth it." The siblings grew close, and Gaff came to watch over his sister like his parents never would, making sure she lead the normal lifestyle she wanted and deserved, the one he was never able to have.
While the people of his District always respected and even admired him, as career tributes often are in Four, Gaff himself was incapable of understanding things like friendship and emotions, as his entire life he had been trained to be an unfeeling killer. He is painfully aware that the day he will have to enter the games is drawing near, and that he himself has a very good chance of winning, but if he does in fact win, he finds himself at a loss as to what he would do with himself. His entire life has centered around training for the games, so once that goal is accomplished and he becomes a victor, possessing fame and fortune others could only dream of, what then? At length he has come to realize he does not fear the games, he fears what comes after them, and realizes that after all is said and done, he must find something to do with himself. For now though, he sees the games as his only concern, deeming that it would be best to decide what he would do with the rest of his life once the games had ended and he had gone home, since if he wasn't going home, the matter was moot anyway.
To this day, Gaff remains patiently awaiting the day he will be thrust brutally and unceremoniously into an arena with twenty-three other children poised to slit his throat. He knows his odds of winning, and better yet, he knows his chancing of losing, and fears most what will become of his sister if he does not return. He knows that he does not want to win the games for himself or his parents, but rather because he wants his sister to grow up having her older brother. And if winning the games earns him the right to do that, to go home and maybe live the life he always wanted, well, than that's his mission. And he will coldly kill anyone who stands in his way.
Name: Wirick Tyrion Eames
Age: Fourteen
Gender: Male
District/Area: District 3
Appearance:
Wirick fits perfectly the sterotype of his district. Bespectacled, very pale, usually found sporting vests with bow ties on them, Wirick looks like... well, like a nerd, which he actually sees as quite fitting seeing as how that is exactly what he is. His hair is not black as is commonly found among his district, but a striking bright blonde which immediately singles him out, and he has light, yet at the same time hypnotically deep blue eyes that somehow seems to imply he knows a lot more than you when you look into them. His skin is pale, not ashen, like he has spent the majority of his life indoors, and he keeps his curly blonde hair short as it gives him a feeling of "being in control of his appearance," as he knows if left unattended for too long, his hair grows in thick and unruly, and there is nothing Wirick likes less than feeling haggard due to his more than modest upbringing. Essentially, he looks like the fourteen year old boy you'd ask for help if your computer ever suddenly broke down, and truth be told, you were completely right in thinking that he could fix it for you.
Wirick is still very young, and comes in about 5'6 and weighs roughly one-hundred and twenty-five pounds (BMI 20.2.) He has the complexion one who never spends time outside, and it true, he really doesn't, him leading the sheltered lifestyle he does. His frame is exactly what his name implies, wiry, thin yet at the same time surprising healthy and well toned for someone who seldom ever leaves the comfort of his home. Wirick is not a bad looking guy, being healthy and in good hygiene most days, and many see his fashion sense and mannerisms as somewhat "adorkable." His hard, black framed glasses seem to be the primary indicator of his personality as far as his appearance goes, a tech-savvy, yet somewhat shut in young prodigy. His body lacks any real scars or birth marks whatsoever, him never having received an injury that was left any real lasting damage.
Personality:
Wirick is exactly what the rest of the great nation of Panem expect from a District Three denizen, a hyper intelligent, geeky looking, technologically adept young man who has been raised from birth with technology of all kinds. But even by District Three standards, Wirick is something else, having been able to create algorithms and mechanical devices since he could barely walk. A born technician and a renowned chess master, Wirick's strengths lie in everything technological, as is standard for the people of his district. His technological prowess aside, Wirick has had very limited contact with people over the course of his life. His insular existence have left his social skills... somewhat lacking, but even so, his genius serves as primary means of propelling along conversations, having a wide range of interesting, esoteric knowledge he often encaptivates his piers with.
Personally, Wirick is a quiet, soft spoken, sweet young boy who has had little exposure to the harsh world he lives in, but that in no way implies that he is naive to the goings on around him. Au contraire, Wirick seems to understand more than most people do in their entire lifetimes, possessing a wisdom beyond his years and an innate ability to see things as they really are, which naturally puts him at odds with the authorities. Wirick is ever mindful of what he says, even when alone, and keeps a vigilant eye out for any sign surveillance, to the point his care for not being watched borders on paranoia (he terms it "hypervigilance," and is quick to point out that someone is only paranoid when they are wrong.) With hyper perception and with awareness bordering on inhuman, there are very few people that Wirick can connect with, and he often feels isolated and lonely, which leads him to having severe depression. He often finds his life dull and tedious, which only serves to deepen his depressed state, and often wishes that one day he could go on an adventure that would shake things up a little.
Being an upper crust citizen of District Three and even Panem itself, in addition to his unnerving intellect, has caused many people do view him with both resentment and fear. And considering his place as one of Panem's more influential citizens (at least by district standards,) the government has taken care to keep a close watch on the boy, fearing what an intelligent citizen with more than modest means could do to it. And indeed, Wirick is a rebellious soul, as teenagers often are, but in a world like the one he lives in, that could have...deadly consequences. In summation, Wirick is a brillant and decent young man with a regal upbringing, and that makes him exceedingly dangerous. And as we all know, the games have time and time again proven themselves an effective tool against... dangerous individuals...
History:
Wirick was born to one of the wealthier families of the District Three, and has lived his entire life in a very rich and prominent part of the district. Being the only child of a family which had intended to have many children, Wirick's parents became fiercely overprotective of him, sheltering him from the horrors of the world they lived in everyday. Being an exorbitantly wealthy only child with very little contact with the outside world (Wirick spent most of his early life on his family's estate,) Wirick had no real friends growing up. His parents were and are ardent supporters of the current regime, seeing it as much more beneficial and far safer for both themselves and their son to simply bend knee to the totalitarian state, and they were rewarded greatly for their loyalty. Wirick, however, was a different story, as he was a young boy with a brilliant mind and a keen intellect, and it was inevitable that he would come to form his own opinions...
It too was inevitable that Wirick would one day grow curious as to what lay beyond the estate's walls, the walls which had been the limit of his entire world until that moment. It did not take much time or effort for him to escape, even when he was a young boy of eight, venturing out onto his own and exploring the district that was his for the very first time. What he saw both fascinated and frightened him, for while the colossal machines of industry inspired in him a sort of primal awe, the way the gears and cogs worked in cohesion with one another to produce a greater, working machine that without each individual part, was completely and utterly useless (a comparison he made to the districts, the Capitol, and Panem in general,) the clouds of sable black smoke which caused people to cough and heave and keel over on the ground terrified him, and he quickly ran back to the world he once knew to be all there was to see. His parents had never knew he left, as the entire trip had not taken very long, Wirick only seeing a very small fraction of what life in the districts could be like. What Wirick saw that day, and how starkly it contrasted with the perfect world he had always lived in, left a lasting effect on the boy, and came to influence what kind of person the boy grew up to be.
Wirick stills lives within the confines of his family's estate, safe and secure, but also all too aware of the lives of destitution, poverty, starvation, and fear the people of the other districts and even the people District Three seem to lead. He thinks that maybe one day, he could change Panem for the better, and help create a world were there doesn't have to be any more pain and suffering, fear and hatred. But when Wirick looks over the walls of his estate, into the industrial abyss below, he knows this may be easier said than done. But maybe things only stayed the way they were because someone never bothered to change them. And maybe one day, if they're lucky, the citizens of Panem can live in a world without the Hunger Games.
And of course let's not forget the ladies...
Name: Melissa Ellen Carrick
Age: Sixteen
Gender: Female
District/Area: District 2
Appearance:
Melissa is exactly as her fellow careers in District Two (and really, all of Panem) are, incredibly muscular, with a body that could accurately be described as quite literally being "carved from stone." Melissa is a leviathan for a girl her age, six feet tall and 175 pounds, with a BMI of 23.7. Due to her rather muscular physique, from a distance Melissa is quite often and quite understandably mistaken for a man, but this is something she has long since gotten used to and is no longer offended by. Her arm muscles are awesome for a girl her age, and her abs seem to be more like a statue carving than flesh. Her legs are long and fit, and her face is strong and independent, as befits her personality.
Melissa is pale, but certainly not lacking in vitality due to the numerous red tones that cover her entire body. She has shoulder length, bright blonde hair she keeps tied up while she is training or out and about (namely, any time that isn't her sleeping.) Her body is covered in numerous scars she has received from her career training over the years, but none are noticeable, even when she is undressed, and certainly none are prominent enough to warrant any attention. Her eyes are a bright, light "laughing" green that almost seem to laugh when you look into them. They are often described as giving off an inexplicably playful feeling, as if Melissa herself having a lot of fun doing whatever it is she happens to be doing at the moment, but they can become cold and serious in less than a heartbeat, like two cold, light green stones.
Personality:
Melissa, like many of the District Two citizenry, is a trained career tribute. Born an orphan in an relatively affluent district that values the blood, brutality, and glory of the games, Melissa had been raised to be an unfeeling killer. And it is true, a great deal of this mental conditioning was instilled in her, making her crave and, at the same time, immensely enjoy the blood, violence and quick paced adrenaline of the games, making her flourish on the flourish on the field of battle. Melissa is a warrior, a warrior who needs a battle to fight, always and forever, her one true purpose. She enjoys killing, she enjoys her life being constantly in on the line, she enjoys the pain, but most of all, she enjoys the way It makes her feel.
The warrior she is and the warrior she was born to be, Melissa also has another side to her that is often underestimated by her fellow careers. While they strive for strength and prowess in battle, Melissa is able to recognize that this is not all there is to being an exceptional warrior. She realizes, above all her compatriots, that a warrior must be equal parts blood knight and strategist. She possesses a keen, perceptive, and highly intuitive mind that is able to help her analyze a situation and develop an appropriate strategy in mere seconds. Melissa’s ability to quickly analyze ad situation and come out on top have proved invaluable to her in her training as a career, as there seem to be quite a few uses for one with a bright, highly superior mind.
But while Melissa may enjoy the games and longs for the day when she may compete in them, that does not mean that she does not also see them as wrong. The concept of forcing young children to fight to the death against their will disgusts her, as she wishes to do it of her own volition, and feels deeply saddened for those children who never asked to be thrust "into the slaughter." Both the government and Snow leave a bad taste in Melissa's mouth, and she yearns for the day when the districts may once again rise up against their oppressors. The battle to retake what is rightly theirs will be grander than any games, even a quell, could be. And the warrior inside her propels her with longing towards the day when her wish will finally become a reality.
History:
An orphan left on the doorstep of a public house when she had just recently been born, Melissa was raised to be a career since before she could walk, as the orphans of the district often are. Growing up, she never had any real interests or friends outside fighting, training, and those she fought and trained with. The harshness of growing up in a public home made her harden, it made her stronger, but it also made her colder, which for a career, was ideal. And indeed, Melissa was quickly becoming an ideal career, one that her instructors pointed to and commanded her piers to emulate. She was the home's star pupil, and even boys twice her age could not seem to best the young girl.
As she grew up, Melissa began to realize that the closest things to parents she had ever had were her trainers, and the closest things she had ever had to friends were those she trained with. Her life revolved around the games, preparing for it, training for it, but there was nothing else to her life. No friends, no family, no loved ones to greet her at the train station, no goals to pursue, nothing to do in her spare time save maybe mentor for the games for a couple of weeks out of the year, but what then? Melissa needs a battle to fight, fighting is her nature, she needs it to survive, or else she'd simply be a hollow husk searching desperately for another reason to live. But after the games, what could possibly offer her such a challenge?
Melissa knows now that she does not fear the games, fear the day she must fight for her life, but rather she fears the day when she must stop fighting. When all that she has ever known will simply be absent and she must find some way to give her life meaning. And while she may still be a prime career tribute from a prime career district, her doubts have begun to eat away at her, and she is afraid of what comes after, what comes next. Will she ever be able to let go of the part of her that needs the sick violence of the Capitol to sustain itself, and more importantly, what will happen when the day comes that the games are no more? Melissa has always needed conflict to keep her going, but what will become of Panem the day peace rules and conflict is lost to the wind?
And most important of all, what will happen to her?
Name: Zelda Sybil Medley
Age: Twelve
Gender: Female
District/Area: District 8
Appearance:
Zelda is short, but that is because she is still very young. She is 5'2 and weighs one- hundred and twenty-five pounds (BMI 22.9.) She has long, light brown hair which falls below her shoulders evenly, almost like it had been styled that way, but Zelda never had the patience to spend time on her appearance, so that's simply the way it grows in. Her skin is pale, and no stranger to scars, and her eyes are a deep, dark, serious looking blue which gives her a surprising air of authority for a twelve year old girl. She is small and slight, having scrapped and scavenged to get by in a large household in and impoverished district.
As often comes with malnutrition, Zelda's body is bony and gaunt, with the only place that doesn't seem even vaguely emaciated being her face, which looks as round and healthy as a girl's her age should. When she was younger, people often mistook the dirty looking, run down young street rat of a girl for a boy, but things have changed since then. As time has gone on, Zelda has become more and more feminine looking, and has show signs of becoming quite a beautiful girl in her own right. That being said, Zelda still has a lot of growing up to do, as although she has felt no less than forty for quite some time, she is still a young, well meaning twelve year old girl. And indeed, the people who speak to her do often get a feeling of life weariness and tiredness from her voice unbefitting of a girl her age.
Personality:
Part of the reason Zelda sees herself as having done so well for herself is her ability to go long periods of time without eating. Growing up the first of six girls, Zelda often had to go hungry so her sisters could eat. With a large family in a district which already rarely had enough to eat, and Zelda's life and the life of her siblings has often depended on her ability to go hungry for long periods of time. Indeed, Zelda has very strong maternal instincts towards her younger sisters, and has acted as their protector for most of their lives while their parents were off working in the in the factories to support them. When they could not be there, Zelda had to be, and so she had to grow up quickly to be a surrogate parent to her younger sisters, whom matter to her more than anything.
Having not felt like a child for quite some time, Zelda often comes across to people as feeling much older than she actually is. Her voice is tired, world weary, and not lacking for seriousness, and her demeanor is often serious, deadpan, and emotionless. For Zelda is not by any means a stupid girl, as a matter of fact, she is quite bright for a girl her age, and in addition to a seemingly out of place, natural affinity for the piano and card playing, she is smart enough to realize the gravity of the responsibility resting unfairly on her shoulders. She rarely laughs, she rarely cries, she rarely expresses her emotions or feelings as it is simply something she does not have time for. Her sisters depend on her, and she does not have the time or energy to waste on inconvenient and seething emotions, so she simply goes on her way, suffering mutely for the sake of those she loves.
Serious, worn out feeling, responsible, cold, distant, single minded, these are the traits that define Zelda's exterior. An incredibly street smart, intelligent, wise, and cunning young girl, she is the byproduct of years of harsh living on the streets of the industrial metropolis that is District Eight, by far one of the most overlooked districts. Having to scrounge and claw to survive, Zelda has become uncannily savvy when it comes to staying alive in the rampantly oppressed urban metropolis she has spent her entire life in. Her sisters are still young, but so is she, and she has done her best to bear the brunt of the suffering every child in District Eight goes through for her sisters. She is incredibly strong willed, nigh unbreakable, and it will take much more than a state sponsored power trip and a lifetime of suffering to stop her from doing what she needs to do.
History:
Born to two loving parents in a District where life was less than even imperfect, Zelda doesn't even remember what it felt like to be an only child, as when her five younger sisters came along, all that changed. Their parents found themselves having to work increasingly long and unhealthy shifts to support their large family, and as the oldest girl, Zelda took the role of surrogate mother for her siblings. She taught them how to work in the textile factories, how to play cards, how to stick up for yourself, anything they would need to survive the harsh, gritty lifestyle of the impoverished District Eight. A large portion of Zelda's childhood was spent on the streets of the decaying urban metropolis she called home, scraping by a living by, more often than not, less than scrupulous means. But when it came to her sisters, she did her best to shield them from that lifestyle, wanting better for them than she had for herself.
She began to harden, become tough and rough around the edges, to develop traits that were needed to survive the inhospitable lifestyle she lead. Her personal relationships, her mental and physical well being, all was secondary to the larger goal of keeping her sisters safe. Zelda has never had a boyfriend, or a girlfriend, she has never had friends, or any of the social relationships a young teenage girl should have. When she was seven, a skinny street rat barely scraping by a living for her and her entire family, she was found scavenging in a dumpster by an old man named Brint. Brint was a shady character, but found himself taking pity on the young boy (whom he later learned to his surprise was a girl,) scavenging to get by who reminded him of himself.
And so Zelda learned from Brint, how to survive as he had on the cold, hard streets of the district, or as he called it "passing on his knowledge to future generations." Zelda and her mentor grew close, and together they were able to perform acts of thievery others could only dream of doing, taking food from right under the peacekeepers' nose, stealing from those who had more than enough. And eventually, a time came when Zelda had exceeded the skill of her master, and learned quite a few tricks of her own, and not long after, Brint died. Zelda and her sisters were the only ones to attend his short funeral, and the death of her only friend hit Zelda particularly hard. But she survived, and now thanks to Brint, she always would, and even today, she remembers the "old man" fondly.
Name: Garth Alistair Earnhardt
Age: Fifteen
Gender: Male
District/Area: District 7
Appearance:
Garth has long, curly, dirty blonde hair which shoots up rather than falls downward, and unstriking, dark blue eyes with yellow around the pupil. He is tall for his age, coming in at barely six feet tall (rounded out at 1.8 meters,) and years of hard physical labor have made his naturally tall and lanky frame quite muscular and rounded out, weighing a healthy 136 lbs (61.7 kg) with relatively little body fat due to his district's modest means. Garth is by no means especially attractive, and comes in about average depending of course on who is looking at him. He is an bizarrely swift sprinter, but cannot keep up this impressive pace for very long, and can run (if properly paced) an above average speed for a sustained period of time. He possesses a modest BMI of 19.0, and has never been exposed to any health affecting pollution or controlled substances of any kind.
Garth's skin is possessed of a natural pallor, with some red tones livening up his pale white skin, and he is capable of flexing certain muscles in his body such as his shoulder blades and diaphragm muscles into prominent positions through concentrated effort. Born with natural ambidexterity, Garth is also double jointed in his shoulders, possessing the ability to detach certain bones found there from the rest of his body. His body bears almost no freckles, and though slight imperfections can be found throughout his body and his hands are suitably calloused from long, hard years of use, Garth's skin remains relatively untarnished aside from the occasional, well hidden scar that comes with the territory of being a blue collar District Seven citizen. Garth is, for a boy his age, a very hairy guy, though this does not seem to be atypical of the average District Seven denizen, and it is generally unnoticed unless gazed upon by an outsider, which it rarely is. And when his facial hair is grown to full length, it becomes an odd yet seemingly complimentary mixture of reddish dirty blonde.
Physically, Garth is above the curve when compared to his age group or really adolescents in general. The rough toil of his day to day life has hardened his muscles, yet he remains limber enough to outrun most of his peers. His reflexes are also above the norm, and although his overall flexibility leaves something to be desired, his swift reaction time has saved him from many a injury over the years. His diet is austere and unnoteworthy, never really being enough to satisfy his hunger, but that is just a feeling he has (like many of his fellow district members) long since gotten used to. Garth also boasts an almost outright preternatural sense of smell, and all indications only seem to point in the direction that Garth has more growing yet to do.
Personality:
Garth is by his very nature, and incorrigible introvert, valuing peace and solitude among the silent and serene pine forests of his home while at the same time being drained by any real social activity. But this by no means implies that Garth has in anyway an unappealing personality. Sardonic, brooding, and generally melancholy, yet at the same time a very humorous, well-mannered, and sweet young boy, Garth seems to some live an existence of duality. The latter traits being the ones he was born with, the ones he has always had, and the former simply being traits he developed to help him cope with the harsh, insipid, and unyielding lifestyle he has been raised with and grown accustomed to. While he has grown quite cynical, Garth still possesses a bright optimism he is uncomfortable with outwardly letting show, and Garth often has trouble opening up to people due to the fact that the people closest to him have often ended up letting him down.
In another life, perhaps one where he was not from his very birth shackled to the profession of his progenitors, Garth would have made a great scientist or engineer, one who could have ended up changing the world even, as Garth was from his earliest youth, a gifted child. But sadly, the way things stand, other than the same public education every citizen of Panem receives, Garth will not never be able to pursue the life of intellectuality he seems to have been born for. But although he may never be allowed to be a deep thinking intellectual, that doesn't at all mean that he flat out isn't one. Blessed with a eidetic memory, many people alike have stared in wonderment at the entirely unnoticeable lumberjack child who would suddenly spout some sage wisdom that, often times, ended up inspiring the solution to some obscure problem. It is really in his speech, loudly audible (Garth is a noticeably loud speaker) and yet at times profoundly sophisticated, rather than his manner, more laid back and down to earth, that the spark of brilliance may be found.
Garth is, unlike many of his more hot-blooded peers, not easily compromised by his emotions, instead preferring to think his actions through rather than acting on gut impulse. While Garth does feel just as passionately as a boy his age should, Garth is absolutely not the kind of person who makes his true feelings overtly known, instead preferring to hang back, out of the limelight, and ponder the options presented to him. Generally aloof, but by no means truly arrogant, Garth can be a enigma to all but the few who know him personally, with the cold hard truth of the matter being Garth can't seem to much figure HIMSELF out, let alone even allow other people to try and do it for him. To wit, Garth has A LOT of trouble truly opening himself up to people, instead preferring to tell them whatever keeps the status quo and avoid any problems which may arise were his true feelings to become known. And rather than confront the various, vexing demons of his past, Garth by far prefers to simply lose himself in the calm, peaceful tranquility of the pines, and escape to a happier place far, far away.
History:
In the fair nation of Panem, absolutely no one has it particularly easy, not even perhaps in the decadent Capitol itself, where the people are just as if not more repressed than the citizens of some far away district, but then there are some people who just seem to have it extra hard. Born to an abusive alcoholic who would go on to drink himself to death when Garth was scarcely six years old, and a mother who died at childbirth (Garth never having gotten to met her, him being born via cesarean section) the only child would be fostered by his paternal uncle. It was his uncle who raised him, taught him right from wrong, and it was his uncle he would come to see as his real father. Raised no different from any other impoverished denizen of the arboreal District Seven, Garth would soon come to view his work as a lumberjack and the mindless busy work of school as the only real means of solace and entertainment he had in the brief, brutal existence of the impoverished districts. When the deep down inside, truly sweet boy was faced with such misery and hardships, he would go on to create a cast of outward cynicism and snark with which to shield himself from the countless trials he was forced to endure.
When his uncle was injured and rendered unable to work, it was Garth who would support the two of them. But at length his ailing uncle got worse, and eventually, the only person whom Garth had ever gotten close to passed away when Garth was merely a tender fourteen years of age. Sent to live at a public home for adolescents, Garth became hard and isolated, locking himself away from the world he wanted no part of. His life took on a even more simplistic existence where work and school were used as a means of escaping the harsh existence Garth found himself living every day. The days dragged on, but Garth, purely out of spite, would not allow the world to break him.
Today Garth remains an orphan, living in his late uncle's house dwelling, now bequeathed him, and scraping by a meager and lonely existence with as much grace and dignity as he can manage. There are times where he ponders the futility of his travails, and darkly reflects that the only thing the makes him want to continue living is pure conviction to not die, to not let life beat him. And yet at the same time, as he watches year after year of children mercilessly slaughtering each other for someone else's sick amusement, he reflects on what a fleeting thing life truly is, and how easily it can be denied to someone. He thinks that maybe one day, his life will have a redeemable quality to it, and that just maybe he can turn things around for himself. And then he picks up his axe again, reinvigorated, and hoping that which each cut, he's getting closer to a brighter tomorrow.
Name: Rodney Harlan Majora
Age: Sixteen
Gender: Male
District/Area: District 11
Appearance:
Rodney is a slim, wiry, gaunt youth of sixteen years, having a bony frame where his skeleton is quite clearly visible as a result of the borderline starvation of District Eleven. He has dark olive skin and eyes of fiery amber, with short, curly black hair and a long, attractive face. He comes in at about 5'11 and weighing roughly 134 lbs. (BMI 18.7.) He has long extremities and a narrow build, and many scars from years of long, hard work. He is lean, limber, flexible, and swift in his motions.
Given his natural, track racing frame, Rodney is a notoriously fast runner. He is ambidextrous and has extremely keen senses which makes it easy for him to sense when someone is nearby or watching him. While nothing to write home about, Rodney is in his own way an attractive young man, he's just so used to living in squalor that even he scarcely remembers what he looks like under all the dirt and grim that routinely entrenches itself in his nails and on his skin. His movements are quick and agile, like that of an acrobat, and indeed, Rodney seems to have something of gift them, flying through the tall orchard trees with ease and with movements which would make him an excellent thief if he ever had the nerve or the dubious moral character to test out his abilities. His silent and smooth movements are at the same time very cautious, as a smart worker knows that reaching for the wrong branch while working could very well spell your end.
Personality:
Rodney is shrewd, abnormally intelligent, cunning, diplomatic, and quite charismatic. Endearingly sarcastic and not afraid to speak his mind in front of large crowds, Rodney is a smooth operator through and through. Having been raised by his grandmother who died when he was fifteen, Rodney gained a notorious reputation for enjoying fights and living a rather carefree and laid back lifestyle. Always looking to have some fun, Rodney can be serious when the situation calls for it, but for the most part, he simply likes to sit back and enjoy the ride for all it's worth. When excited, he often finds himself showcasing his gift for acrobatics on the street or telling jokes to random strangers, being able to get along with just about anyone.
Rodney lives his life alone, and he prefers it that way, with no one being able to inhibit his fast and carefree lifestyle. And while he misses his grandmother dearly, he tends to take life in stride and keep moving forward, trying desperately to enjoy what fleeting life the Capitol allows him before his inevitable (and more than likely, he believes, premature death.) Knowing that sickness, hunger, and the games could very easily and quite foreseeably kill him while he is still young, he lives to enjoy life's every dear moment, and not spend what time he has worrying about what the future may bring. He himself has often considered just volunteering for the games "to try something new," especially if he could ever save someone else from that unwilling fate, seeing as how he doesn't fret over the safety of his life like many others do. In retrospect, Rodney is simply a lighthearted trickster who doesn't let the weigh of the world on his shoulders get him down.
While deep down inside an introvert, Rodney is quite jocular, never letting a good joke go to waste if he can help it. He is affable and kind, which makes him easy to get along with, and which draws people to him like a beacon. Rodney is also a superb strategist, which extends from mapping out the best route to work to even the witty retorts he seems to have a gift for coming up with. And he always tries to make light of stressful and tragic situations, sometimes to his detriment. Rodney is, in the end, still just a young adolescent who is desperately trying to cope with the poor, dirt poor lifestyle he has and seemingly always will live.
History:
His father having died in a work related accident when he was two and his mother having died of a fever three years later, Rodney was raised by his maternal grandmother for most of his life. When she passed away scarcely a year ago, Rodney tried to cope with his lonely existence with levity and a carefree existence, finding pleasure in both work and school and especially his down time, what little he had, and was spared the fate of being sent to a public house by be allowed to live with a friend of his late father's. An certifiable genius who's laid-back and calm demeanor often won him many friends, Rodney refused to believe that his life was all that horrible. Life to him is all just one big joke, and he sees himself as the only one who understands the punchline. Jokes and smiles saw him through the endless tragedy of his existence in a lower district, but on the inside, something inside him had broken.
Rodney uses his lanky, limber frame and gift for acrobatics to climb high into the trees and harvest were normally only children three quarters his age can climb. Sometimes he muses to himself his lifestyle and risk taking may be the result of some deep seated death wish, yet Rodney continues to do his job admirably and unquestioningly, trying to live his miserable life to the fullest while he can. He often finds himself upset and embittered by the miserable conditions and slowly decaying state of his district, but is too wise to openly speak about it. No, Rodney simply sees his life as a day to day struggle that can be enjoyed if you have the proper mindset, and that's just how he trudges his way through life, in stride and without a care. And while many people like Rodney for his kind, honest, and fun loving demeanor, Rodney is too emotionally scarred to form close attachments with anyone, leaving him for now, completely lacking any true friends.
With Rodney's carefree (or some might say, careless) personality, his natural talent for thievery, his intelligence, his love for brawling, and his unhealthy habit of always doing the right thing, it was inevitable he would run afoul of the peacekeepers of his district. While many might say District Twelve has it the worst of all the districts, Rodney and many of his fellow district citizens would be eager to argue that point, with their district possessing some of the most brutal peacekeepers in the nation. For striking a peacekeeper and knocking him out cold, Rodney was tortured, beaten, and starved in a cold, dirty cell for three days before being publicly whipped and thrown into the gutter as an example to others who might do the same. Indeed, many of the district's denizens believe that Rodney got off light, having managed to escape the incident with his life, which for assaulting a peacekeeper, was practically unheard of. In spite of it all, even the ugly whipping scars on his back, Rodney still maintains his prior, carefree persona, but the ordeal did have an unseen effect on him, an effect which he does not let show exteriorly at all.
And if Rodney were to win the games, after what he had gotten away with, it would be a massive embarrassment to both the Capitol and President Snow.
Every year, Rodney watches as unwilling tribute after unwilling tribute is sent to their death, guaranteed to be gruesome and spectacular for the whole of Panem to watch. Sometimes he thinks maybe better him than them, that maybe he could succeed where so many others had failed and then maybe life wouldn't be so bad. Death or wealth, Rodney could really live with either, and it might be an experience worth living before the end, seeing as how he has known nothing else but poverty and starvation all his life. And why waste your life fretting over death, when life had so many things one could enjoy before it was time to go? Maybe he would volunteer for the games, save some poor slob from being chopped to pieces on national television...
...and whatever happens, happens.
Name: Gaff Elias Grimsdottir
Age: Fourteen
Gender: Male
District/Area: District 4
Appearance:
District Four is known for producing some of Panem's "best looking people," and Gaff is no exception. Gaff has long, sleek jet black hair and an attractive tan complexion, as is typically standard for the people of District Four. And due both to the nature of his district's industry and the fact he has been trained from birth to be a career tribute, Gaff has an incredibly healthy and muscular body. Tall for his age (5'8), dark, brooding, handsome, and snarky, Gaff is quite an attractive person, even by District Four standards. Weighing more or less around 154 lbs, with a healthy BMI of 23.4, and comprising of mostly lean muscle, Gaff seems to be the very picture of the "handsome, trained killer" aura that most District Four tributes seem to emit.
However, this is were his appearance from the average District Four citizen appears to end. While District Four's citizen's are known for their "sea green" eyes, Gaff possesses eyes of an icy blue. Pale and piecing, these unnerving, utterly cold looking eyes seem to to disconcert anyone who stares into them. They however, do seem to perfectly encapsulate his personality, and while his entire appearance is quite handsome, his eyes seem to be the true one indicator of what lies beneath. A trained, aloof, merciless killer who has become incredibly bitter over the fact that his parents had him for the sole purpose of sending him to kill or be killed in a sadistic, state sponsored power game.
Personality:
It cannot be said that Gaff is a dissimulating viper of any kind, as he goes through absolutely no lengths to hide his true personality. Cold, taciturn, snarky, misanthropic, aloof, elusive, and bitter, Gaff is endearingly referred to as "Grim" by those close to him, even his parents, the only exception being his sister, who calls him by his birth name. Gaff has been trained from birth to be nothing short of a merciless killer, and feels dull hatred towards his parents for always treating him more as a career than a son. The way Gaff sees it, life has never been particularly nice to him, so he sees absolutely no reason to be nice back to it. Filled internally with ice cold rage and struggling with his parents' neglect, Gaff has never felt anything more for his family than vague distaste and contempt, as he sees them as hardly deserving of the time he could be spending rightly hating them.
That mentality entirely changes when we get into the matter of his younger twin sister, Rose. It can be reasonably said that his sister is the only person in the world Gaff even vaguely cares about other than himself. She is a haunting mirror of his personality, sweet, gentle, and disfavored by their parents. Their obvious favor of Gaff over her has always elicited complete disgust from him, and while he remains an aloof big brother, hurting his sister is just about the easiest way to provoke his unending, hellfire rage. But while Gaff may not be as heartless as he seems, having his own strict code of ethics and conduct he adheres to, his sister may not be quite as innocent and naive as she seems, and just maybe she has as much in common with her brother as he does with her...
Gaff's misanthropic and cold view of the world he lives in has earned him the nickname "Grim," one his parents and he encourage as it makes him sound very, very scary. He hates the state, and holds a general disdain for the lifestyle he and the rest of the nation are forced to live in general. He does not understand why people place such a high value on life and friendship, the former of which he holds a very poor opinion of and the latter he simply does not at all understand. As he was quite literally "born to kill," he sees life as an expendable commodity that can easily be taken away, and believes humans arrogant for thinking they are "too good to kill," and that in some cosmic sense murder is wrong. The truth in his eyes is, nothing is wrong per se, there is simply what one chooses to do, thereby accepting the consequences thereafter.
History:
Gaff's parents, while not victors themselves, decided that they would raise their child from birth to be a career tribute in the games. They did indeed get what they desired, a healthy, strong young son, but as fate sometimes decides, this was not all they received, getting a little something extra in the form of Gaff's younger twin sister Rose. While Gaff's personality and innate talent caused him to excel at his training, possessing a brilliant mind, strong body, a will forged of steel, and an nigh unbreakable desire to survive, it quickly became clear that his sister was far less suited to the lifestyle than her brother was, and she quickly fell out of favor with their parents. And while they clearly preferred Gaff, he over time grew disgusted with the way his parents only saw him as a trophy, not a son, and at the same time shunned his sister, whom he considered "one of the only human beings even remotely worth it." The siblings grew close, and Gaff came to watch over his sister like his parents never would, making sure she lead the normal lifestyle she wanted and deserved, the one he was never able to have.
While the people of his District always respected and even admired him, as career tributes often are in Four, Gaff himself was incapable of understanding things like friendship and emotions, as his entire life he had been trained to be an unfeeling killer. He is painfully aware that the day he will have to enter the games is drawing near, and that he himself has a very good chance of winning, but if he does in fact win, he finds himself at a loss as to what he would do with himself. His entire life has centered around training for the games, so once that goal is accomplished and he becomes a victor, possessing fame and fortune others could only dream of, what then? At length he has come to realize he does not fear the games, he fears what comes after them, and realizes that after all is said and done, he must find something to do with himself. For now though, he sees the games as his only concern, deeming that it would be best to decide what he would do with the rest of his life once the games had ended and he had gone home, since if he wasn't going home, the matter was moot anyway.
To this day, Gaff remains patiently awaiting the day he will be thrust brutally and unceremoniously into an arena with twenty-three other children poised to slit his throat. He knows his odds of winning, and better yet, he knows his chancing of losing, and fears most what will become of his sister if he does not return. He knows that he does not want to win the games for himself or his parents, but rather because he wants his sister to grow up having her older brother. And if winning the games earns him the right to do that, to go home and maybe live the life he always wanted, well, than that's his mission. And he will coldly kill anyone who stands in his way.
Name: Wirick Tyrion Eames
Age: Fourteen
Gender: Male
District/Area: District 3
Appearance:
Wirick fits perfectly the sterotype of his district. Bespectacled, very pale, usually found sporting vests with bow ties on them, Wirick looks like... well, like a nerd, which he actually sees as quite fitting seeing as how that is exactly what he is. His hair is not black as is commonly found among his district, but a striking bright blonde which immediately singles him out, and he has light, yet at the same time hypnotically deep blue eyes that somehow seems to imply he knows a lot more than you when you look into them. His skin is pale, not ashen, like he has spent the majority of his life indoors, and he keeps his curly blonde hair short as it gives him a feeling of "being in control of his appearance," as he knows if left unattended for too long, his hair grows in thick and unruly, and there is nothing Wirick likes less than feeling haggard due to his more than modest upbringing. Essentially, he looks like the fourteen year old boy you'd ask for help if your computer ever suddenly broke down, and truth be told, you were completely right in thinking that he could fix it for you.
Wirick is still very young, and comes in about 5'6 and weighs roughly one-hundred and twenty-five pounds (BMI 20.2.) He has the complexion one who never spends time outside, and it true, he really doesn't, him leading the sheltered lifestyle he does. His frame is exactly what his name implies, wiry, thin yet at the same time surprising healthy and well toned for someone who seldom ever leaves the comfort of his home. Wirick is not a bad looking guy, being healthy and in good hygiene most days, and many see his fashion sense and mannerisms as somewhat "adorkable." His hard, black framed glasses seem to be the primary indicator of his personality as far as his appearance goes, a tech-savvy, yet somewhat shut in young prodigy. His body lacks any real scars or birth marks whatsoever, him never having received an injury that was left any real lasting damage.
Personality:
Wirick is exactly what the rest of the great nation of Panem expect from a District Three denizen, a hyper intelligent, geeky looking, technologically adept young man who has been raised from birth with technology of all kinds. But even by District Three standards, Wirick is something else, having been able to create algorithms and mechanical devices since he could barely walk. A born technician and a renowned chess master, Wirick's strengths lie in everything technological, as is standard for the people of his district. His technological prowess aside, Wirick has had very limited contact with people over the course of his life. His insular existence have left his social skills... somewhat lacking, but even so, his genius serves as primary means of propelling along conversations, having a wide range of interesting, esoteric knowledge he often encaptivates his piers with.
Personally, Wirick is a quiet, soft spoken, sweet young boy who has had little exposure to the harsh world he lives in, but that in no way implies that he is naive to the goings on around him. Au contraire, Wirick seems to understand more than most people do in their entire lifetimes, possessing a wisdom beyond his years and an innate ability to see things as they really are, which naturally puts him at odds with the authorities. Wirick is ever mindful of what he says, even when alone, and keeps a vigilant eye out for any sign surveillance, to the point his care for not being watched borders on paranoia (he terms it "hypervigilance," and is quick to point out that someone is only paranoid when they are wrong.) With hyper perception and with awareness bordering on inhuman, there are very few people that Wirick can connect with, and he often feels isolated and lonely, which leads him to having severe depression. He often finds his life dull and tedious, which only serves to deepen his depressed state, and often wishes that one day he could go on an adventure that would shake things up a little.
Being an upper crust citizen of District Three and even Panem itself, in addition to his unnerving intellect, has caused many people do view him with both resentment and fear. And considering his place as one of Panem's more influential citizens (at least by district standards,) the government has taken care to keep a close watch on the boy, fearing what an intelligent citizen with more than modest means could do to it. And indeed, Wirick is a rebellious soul, as teenagers often are, but in a world like the one he lives in, that could have...deadly consequences. In summation, Wirick is a brillant and decent young man with a regal upbringing, and that makes him exceedingly dangerous. And as we all know, the games have time and time again proven themselves an effective tool against... dangerous individuals...
History:
Wirick was born to one of the wealthier families of the District Three, and has lived his entire life in a very rich and prominent part of the district. Being the only child of a family which had intended to have many children, Wirick's parents became fiercely overprotective of him, sheltering him from the horrors of the world they lived in everyday. Being an exorbitantly wealthy only child with very little contact with the outside world (Wirick spent most of his early life on his family's estate,) Wirick had no real friends growing up. His parents were and are ardent supporters of the current regime, seeing it as much more beneficial and far safer for both themselves and their son to simply bend knee to the totalitarian state, and they were rewarded greatly for their loyalty. Wirick, however, was a different story, as he was a young boy with a brilliant mind and a keen intellect, and it was inevitable that he would come to form his own opinions...
It too was inevitable that Wirick would one day grow curious as to what lay beyond the estate's walls, the walls which had been the limit of his entire world until that moment. It did not take much time or effort for him to escape, even when he was a young boy of eight, venturing out onto his own and exploring the district that was his for the very first time. What he saw both fascinated and frightened him, for while the colossal machines of industry inspired in him a sort of primal awe, the way the gears and cogs worked in cohesion with one another to produce a greater, working machine that without each individual part, was completely and utterly useless (a comparison he made to the districts, the Capitol, and Panem in general,) the clouds of sable black smoke which caused people to cough and heave and keel over on the ground terrified him, and he quickly ran back to the world he once knew to be all there was to see. His parents had never knew he left, as the entire trip had not taken very long, Wirick only seeing a very small fraction of what life in the districts could be like. What Wirick saw that day, and how starkly it contrasted with the perfect world he had always lived in, left a lasting effect on the boy, and came to influence what kind of person the boy grew up to be.
Wirick stills lives within the confines of his family's estate, safe and secure, but also all too aware of the lives of destitution, poverty, starvation, and fear the people of the other districts and even the people District Three seem to lead. He thinks that maybe one day, he could change Panem for the better, and help create a world were there doesn't have to be any more pain and suffering, fear and hatred. But when Wirick looks over the walls of his estate, into the industrial abyss below, he knows this may be easier said than done. But maybe things only stayed the way they were because someone never bothered to change them. And maybe one day, if they're lucky, the citizens of Panem can live in a world without the Hunger Games.
And of course let's not forget the ladies...
Name: Melissa Ellen Carrick
Age: Sixteen
Gender: Female
District/Area: District 2
Appearance:
Melissa is exactly as her fellow careers in District Two (and really, all of Panem) are, incredibly muscular, with a body that could accurately be described as quite literally being "carved from stone." Melissa is a leviathan for a girl her age, six feet tall and 175 pounds, with a BMI of 23.7. Due to her rather muscular physique, from a distance Melissa is quite often and quite understandably mistaken for a man, but this is something she has long since gotten used to and is no longer offended by. Her arm muscles are awesome for a girl her age, and her abs seem to be more like a statue carving than flesh. Her legs are long and fit, and her face is strong and independent, as befits her personality.
Melissa is pale, but certainly not lacking in vitality due to the numerous red tones that cover her entire body. She has shoulder length, bright blonde hair she keeps tied up while she is training or out and about (namely, any time that isn't her sleeping.) Her body is covered in numerous scars she has received from her career training over the years, but none are noticeable, even when she is undressed, and certainly none are prominent enough to warrant any attention. Her eyes are a bright, light "laughing" green that almost seem to laugh when you look into them. They are often described as giving off an inexplicably playful feeling, as if Melissa herself having a lot of fun doing whatever it is she happens to be doing at the moment, but they can become cold and serious in less than a heartbeat, like two cold, light green stones.
Personality:
Melissa, like many of the District Two citizenry, is a trained career tribute. Born an orphan in an relatively affluent district that values the blood, brutality, and glory of the games, Melissa had been raised to be an unfeeling killer. And it is true, a great deal of this mental conditioning was instilled in her, making her crave and, at the same time, immensely enjoy the blood, violence and quick paced adrenaline of the games, making her flourish on the flourish on the field of battle. Melissa is a warrior, a warrior who needs a battle to fight, always and forever, her one true purpose. She enjoys killing, she enjoys her life being constantly in on the line, she enjoys the pain, but most of all, she enjoys the way It makes her feel.
The warrior she is and the warrior she was born to be, Melissa also has another side to her that is often underestimated by her fellow careers. While they strive for strength and prowess in battle, Melissa is able to recognize that this is not all there is to being an exceptional warrior. She realizes, above all her compatriots, that a warrior must be equal parts blood knight and strategist. She possesses a keen, perceptive, and highly intuitive mind that is able to help her analyze a situation and develop an appropriate strategy in mere seconds. Melissa’s ability to quickly analyze ad situation and come out on top have proved invaluable to her in her training as a career, as there seem to be quite a few uses for one with a bright, highly superior mind.
But while Melissa may enjoy the games and longs for the day when she may compete in them, that does not mean that she does not also see them as wrong. The concept of forcing young children to fight to the death against their will disgusts her, as she wishes to do it of her own volition, and feels deeply saddened for those children who never asked to be thrust "into the slaughter." Both the government and Snow leave a bad taste in Melissa's mouth, and she yearns for the day when the districts may once again rise up against their oppressors. The battle to retake what is rightly theirs will be grander than any games, even a quell, could be. And the warrior inside her propels her with longing towards the day when her wish will finally become a reality.
History:
An orphan left on the doorstep of a public house when she had just recently been born, Melissa was raised to be a career since before she could walk, as the orphans of the district often are. Growing up, she never had any real interests or friends outside fighting, training, and those she fought and trained with. The harshness of growing up in a public home made her harden, it made her stronger, but it also made her colder, which for a career, was ideal. And indeed, Melissa was quickly becoming an ideal career, one that her instructors pointed to and commanded her piers to emulate. She was the home's star pupil, and even boys twice her age could not seem to best the young girl.
As she grew up, Melissa began to realize that the closest things to parents she had ever had were her trainers, and the closest things she had ever had to friends were those she trained with. Her life revolved around the games, preparing for it, training for it, but there was nothing else to her life. No friends, no family, no loved ones to greet her at the train station, no goals to pursue, nothing to do in her spare time save maybe mentor for the games for a couple of weeks out of the year, but what then? Melissa needs a battle to fight, fighting is her nature, she needs it to survive, or else she'd simply be a hollow husk searching desperately for another reason to live. But after the games, what could possibly offer her such a challenge?
Melissa knows now that she does not fear the games, fear the day she must fight for her life, but rather she fears the day when she must stop fighting. When all that she has ever known will simply be absent and she must find some way to give her life meaning. And while she may still be a prime career tribute from a prime career district, her doubts have begun to eat away at her, and she is afraid of what comes after, what comes next. Will she ever be able to let go of the part of her that needs the sick violence of the Capitol to sustain itself, and more importantly, what will happen when the day comes that the games are no more? Melissa has always needed conflict to keep her going, but what will become of Panem the day peace rules and conflict is lost to the wind?
And most important of all, what will happen to her?
Name: Zelda Sybil Medley
Age: Twelve
Gender: Female
District/Area: District 8
Appearance:
Zelda is short, but that is because she is still very young. She is 5'2 and weighs one- hundred and twenty-five pounds (BMI 22.9.) She has long, light brown hair which falls below her shoulders evenly, almost like it had been styled that way, but Zelda never had the patience to spend time on her appearance, so that's simply the way it grows in. Her skin is pale, and no stranger to scars, and her eyes are a deep, dark, serious looking blue which gives her a surprising air of authority for a twelve year old girl. She is small and slight, having scrapped and scavenged to get by in a large household in and impoverished district.
As often comes with malnutrition, Zelda's body is bony and gaunt, with the only place that doesn't seem even vaguely emaciated being her face, which looks as round and healthy as a girl's her age should. When she was younger, people often mistook the dirty looking, run down young street rat of a girl for a boy, but things have changed since then. As time has gone on, Zelda has become more and more feminine looking, and has show signs of becoming quite a beautiful girl in her own right. That being said, Zelda still has a lot of growing up to do, as although she has felt no less than forty for quite some time, she is still a young, well meaning twelve year old girl. And indeed, the people who speak to her do often get a feeling of life weariness and tiredness from her voice unbefitting of a girl her age.
Personality:
Part of the reason Zelda sees herself as having done so well for herself is her ability to go long periods of time without eating. Growing up the first of six girls, Zelda often had to go hungry so her sisters could eat. With a large family in a district which already rarely had enough to eat, and Zelda's life and the life of her siblings has often depended on her ability to go hungry for long periods of time. Indeed, Zelda has very strong maternal instincts towards her younger sisters, and has acted as their protector for most of their lives while their parents were off working in the in the factories to support them. When they could not be there, Zelda had to be, and so she had to grow up quickly to be a surrogate parent to her younger sisters, whom matter to her more than anything.
Having not felt like a child for quite some time, Zelda often comes across to people as feeling much older than she actually is. Her voice is tired, world weary, and not lacking for seriousness, and her demeanor is often serious, deadpan, and emotionless. For Zelda is not by any means a stupid girl, as a matter of fact, she is quite bright for a girl her age, and in addition to a seemingly out of place, natural affinity for the piano and card playing, she is smart enough to realize the gravity of the responsibility resting unfairly on her shoulders. She rarely laughs, she rarely cries, she rarely expresses her emotions or feelings as it is simply something she does not have time for. Her sisters depend on her, and she does not have the time or energy to waste on inconvenient and seething emotions, so she simply goes on her way, suffering mutely for the sake of those she loves.
Serious, worn out feeling, responsible, cold, distant, single minded, these are the traits that define Zelda's exterior. An incredibly street smart, intelligent, wise, and cunning young girl, she is the byproduct of years of harsh living on the streets of the industrial metropolis that is District Eight, by far one of the most overlooked districts. Having to scrounge and claw to survive, Zelda has become uncannily savvy when it comes to staying alive in the rampantly oppressed urban metropolis she has spent her entire life in. Her sisters are still young, but so is she, and she has done her best to bear the brunt of the suffering every child in District Eight goes through for her sisters. She is incredibly strong willed, nigh unbreakable, and it will take much more than a state sponsored power trip and a lifetime of suffering to stop her from doing what she needs to do.
History:
Born to two loving parents in a District where life was less than even imperfect, Zelda doesn't even remember what it felt like to be an only child, as when her five younger sisters came along, all that changed. Their parents found themselves having to work increasingly long and unhealthy shifts to support their large family, and as the oldest girl, Zelda took the role of surrogate mother for her siblings. She taught them how to work in the textile factories, how to play cards, how to stick up for yourself, anything they would need to survive the harsh, gritty lifestyle of the impoverished District Eight. A large portion of Zelda's childhood was spent on the streets of the decaying urban metropolis she called home, scraping by a living by, more often than not, less than scrupulous means. But when it came to her sisters, she did her best to shield them from that lifestyle, wanting better for them than she had for herself.
She began to harden, become tough and rough around the edges, to develop traits that were needed to survive the inhospitable lifestyle she lead. Her personal relationships, her mental and physical well being, all was secondary to the larger goal of keeping her sisters safe. Zelda has never had a boyfriend, or a girlfriend, she has never had friends, or any of the social relationships a young teenage girl should have. When she was seven, a skinny street rat barely scraping by a living for her and her entire family, she was found scavenging in a dumpster by an old man named Brint. Brint was a shady character, but found himself taking pity on the young boy (whom he later learned to his surprise was a girl,) scavenging to get by who reminded him of himself.
And so Zelda learned from Brint, how to survive as he had on the cold, hard streets of the district, or as he called it "passing on his knowledge to future generations." Zelda and her mentor grew close, and together they were able to perform acts of thievery others could only dream of doing, taking food from right under the peacekeepers' nose, stealing from those who had more than enough. And eventually, a time came when Zelda had exceeded the skill of her master, and learned quite a few tricks of her own, and not long after, Brint died. Zelda and her sisters were the only ones to attend his short funeral, and the death of her only friend hit Zelda particularly hard. But she survived, and now thanks to Brint, she always would, and even today, she remembers the "old man" fondly.
