Asher Haynes, D12 {Finished}

Name: Asher Haynes
Age: 14
Gender: male
District/Area: District 12

Asher is very short for his age, standing at about 5" 6'. Many of the boys tower over him...not that he goes around them very often. He's also very skinny and light in regard to weight, which means if he gets in a fight, it's more than likely he'll get beaten up. Most of this comes from being underfed. Living on the streets, he often can only get enough food to pass by as a regular kid. If he were any skinnier, you could see his bones, and then he'd surely be arrested.

Asher's hair is a light brown color, his mother used to say it was the color of chocolate. His father said it looked brown. Asher never paid any attention to them, whoever you agree with. His eyes match, only they are a much darker shade, like roasted chestnuts. They have a glint of determination about them, and show more knowledge of the streets than any other.

Asher is built more for moving around quietly and staying hidden, which is a good thing for him. He is an expert at sneaking around in the shadows and going unnoticed. His build also gives him the ability to climb and run long distances without tiring, unlike many of the kids in his school. Due to his weight, he can climb a lot higher than any normal kid, and actually prefers to be in the trees than on the ground. What he's most terrified of are the mines. He is uncomfortable on the ground, and can't even imagine what it would be like to be under it. 

If he were ever in the games, Asher's strategy would likely be: grab one or two things from the bloodbath, stay out of the fight, run, find water, and wait out the other tributes. Years of living on the streets have taught him that it's best to stay away from the action, and keep to the shadows.

Let me think of a few words that describe Asher...Shy, quiet, friendly, protective, smart, annoying at times. He can't be annoying very often though, since he lives alone. His mother used to tell him he was just like his father, and it's true. However, his personality is the complete opposite of his mother. She was loud, flirty and obnoxious. Sometimes Asher can't believe she was his mother, out of the little he can remember about her.

Like I said, he is very shy and quiet. He doesn't like to talk with strangers, and can not make trust very easily. Friendly? Yes, he's that, too. Years of going to the hob have taught him many things about how to get the upper hand in a deal. People like a friendly, smiling face, and will be kinder if you are polite and humble. Although he doesn't make many friends, out of the few he has, he is very protective. He would hate it if one of his friends were hurting, crying, or in danger. His one problem: he's afraid to stand up for them. He's afraid to tell people what he thinks, because then what will they think of him?

When he is comfortable around someone, he can be funny, sarcastic, and yes, a bit annoying. He has one friend, Sprite Shae, with whom he has total trust. Of course, it took a long time to establish that trust, but now it's plain as can be. Asher would do anything to make Sprite smile, and it's the same with her.

Asher was born in the cold of winter, during an ice storm. He can't remember whether he had any siblings, but he does know a bit about his parents. His mother's name was Dian, and his father was Jacob. They had completly opposite personalities, and Asher has no idea why they like each other.

His earliest memory is visiting the Hob with his dad. His mother never knew that he went, she believed they were going out to visit a friend. The first person he met was Sprite. She was eight at the time, and he was six. Jacob had let go of his hand, and Asher, of course, immediately ran off. He was crying and calling out first his dad, but he was only met with careless pairs of legs walking by. That was when Sprite appeared. She had bright red, pin straight, which made her stick out in a crowd. Asher was sure no one could ever lose her. "Why are you crying?" Were the first words she shared with him. Asher told her about his dad and how he was lost, while Sprite listened intently the whole time. "I'll help you find him." She had said sweetly. She took him to Finn, the only person in the Hob she knew by name. Finn knew what to do right away, and found Jacob in a matter of minutes. That was the start of Asher's friendship with Sprite.

At the age of eight, Jacob took Asher into the woods. He was an expert at making bows and arrows, and had several for himself. He showed Asher where he hid every single one, and where the best places were to get food. Living in the Seam, they couldn't afford to buy food, so they had to trade. Dian kept telling Jacob that as soon as Asher was in the reaping, they could have as much tasserae as they wanted. Meanwhile, Asher continued to build his friendship with Sprite. They talked often, and worked together on good trades. A year later, when he was nine, Asher's life changed forever.

He overheard his parents talking about the tesserae, and knew right away they were just using him to get food for themselves. They didn't even care that he was their son. Even Jacob taking him out and teaching him to hunt...it was all just to get food. The next day, when Asher and Jacob went to the Hob, Asher disappeared into the crowd, like he had on his first time there. It was the last time Jacob would ever see him. He quickly found Sprite, who was making a deal with Finn. "I'm running away." He blurted out. She never disagreed with him or argued, only nodded and asked how she could help. For the next few weeks she brought him food, until he could survive on the game he found in the forest.

When Asher was twelve, at his first reaping, Sprite revealed to him that she too could use a bow and arrow. They couldn't share anymore woods until after the reaping. They were both safe, so they met in the woods just out of site from the fence. Asher was quickly impressed by Sprite's skills: they brought down a baby fawn together. Sprite took the main part, while Asher got a few chunks of it. She had her while family to feed, after all. Asher only had himself. From then on, they met as often as possible, hunting and trading in the Hob, avoiding the few Peace Keepers who roamed the district, and making sure Dian and Jacob would never find their son.

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