Aster Willoughby (District 9) - Finished

A short, slender girl with deep brown eyes and raven hair, Aster is a quintessential example of a female in her bloodline. Sharing similarities with both her sisters and mother, Aster's tanned skin and dark features are characteristic of her female brethren - if not of her father and uncle. A broad nose, lightly-arched eyebrows and full pink lips complete her immediate facial features, while a set of surprisingly white (albeit not completely straight) teeth remain largely concealed (smiles are a gift only to those who deserve them - and few do, in the hard times of District 9). While Aster's straight, cropped black hair and chewed-down nails are typically unsightly after the average day's labour, she keeps an effort to keep them reasonably presentable for her mother's sake. Too, despite the strict rationing of water within her household, she keeps to allowing a small amount for washing herself and her sisters as often as possible: cleanliness certainly isn't a sin, and it seems to keep her mother slightly more sane when blackened hands and mud are kept at bay. At work, Aster's hair is generally swept into a functional bun or ponytail, while at home she combs it loose.

As per Aster's usual attire, this is of course subject to both the economic climate and the immediate need of her many siblings. Primarily, Aster's clothes are worn hand-me-downs from her elder sister and mother, although she has managed to acquire or fashion a few unique accessories, here and there. A ribbon, shaped into a bracelet. A necklace, woven from rare strands of tough grass, tucking through the fence that delineates the district. Although generally spotted bare-footed, Aster's father has produced leather moccasins for his working daughters - essential for protecting their feet in the harsh factories they occupy beyond the school grounds. Standing at 5'2" and barely tipping the scales at 100 pounds, Aster is a characteristically scrawny teen and clearly not the strongest of creatures. However, her constant work at the factory has allowed for some sinewy muscles, rippling gently beneath her skin.

The niches occupied by her sisters and mother have left Aster with little space but to be a fairly intense, hardworking young woman with little room for romantic or otherwise distracting fantasies. With a head that focuses primarily on the here-and-now and swipes aside dreamy notions in favour of logic, she finds herself most at ease with males - not knowing quite what to do with herself when her developing curves come into focus. Reserved until she knows enough of an individual to trust them somewhat, Aster is friendly and loyal to those she deems deserving of it and cool (although polite) to others. She has many acquaintances but no particular friends, besides her sisters and father. Her mother, she keeps a slight emotional distance from: wary of the woman's occasional flights to anxiety.

Her sense of humour is dry and sarcastic - sometimes cynical - but generally restrained. Too, any sense of impulsiveness is controlled, instead a preference to observe and reflect on each situation motivating her ultimate actions. Although somewhat stubborn, this too is kept in check: her streak of insubordination somewhat of a secret. Although she has thoughts that would probably be deemed rebellious, Aster is smart enough not to place them on parade, instead preferring to keep her thoughts largely to herself. Not prone to anger but of course with a limit on her tolerance, she is generally seen as a quiet girl, and indeed little of a threat.

Lately, however, a growing attraction to other females has been weighing heavy on Aster's mind. Unsure what to make of this but aware that her appetite for males - something she has been warned will flourish in her teenage years - is practically non-existent, Aster has recently become even slightly more withdrawn than usual. She is particularly drawn to a girl at school who she has exchanged words with only a handful of times but perceives as inexplicably mesmerising. Still, there's survival to think of and plenty to occupy her mind - and time - so for now, Aster is simply attempting to ignore her blossoming curiosity and interest in other girls.

Although her general outlook tends to err more on the side of pessimism than open optimism, Aster too keeps this primarily to herself: not wishing to darken anyone else's day with her occasional moody thoughts (perhaps that comes along with the whole teen thing, too). Generally, she displays integrity in accordance with her own ideals: she won't hurt anyone unecessarily, and finds the pain of others something undesirable and unwanted. She'd offer bread to a starving woman, but only if no-one else did, first.

Aster's oddities include pacing under stress, tapping her foot with nervous energy and flipping coins, whenever she happens to be in possession of one (something that's not done consciously but annoys her elder sister, Brooke, to no end). Collecting odd bits and bobs and crafting bits of jewellery out of them is also somewhat of a past-time, beyond ensuring her sisters look presentable and creating poems in the darkness to help her younger sisters sleep.

Aster is the second eldest of a litter of five children, all female. Brooke, the eldest, is a sickly fifteen-year-old with pale, filmy skin and chestnut eyes flecked with gold. Although clever and intuitive, Brooke's consistency with sickness has rendered her largely ill-bodied for physical labour. Instead, she sees to the house with Aster's mother and cares for the younger children - occasionally helping to bring in money with minor household tasks for other inhabitants of the district, when strong enough. Although Aster sometimes displays some impatience towards her eldest sister, predominantly this is due to the stress shouldered by being, essentially, the surrogate eldest of the lot.

The remainder of Aster's siblings represent a spectrum of personalities. Ashe, the middle child, is mischievous and cunning, quite the trouble-maker at her school but smart enough to stray from the heavier punishments. Streetwise and sly, she has befriended some of the more unsavoury crowd of the district, who seem to regard her as somewhat of a lovable stray. While this greatly displeases and worries Aster, it also occasionally brings in the odd bit of meat or a bun for the family. Nearing the age of twelve, Ashe will soon be liable for the reaping and most likely be sent to attend as an extra hand at one of the many factories occupying District 9 - something Aster attempts to forget, most of the time. Lark, a quiet, studious eight-year-old, is mostly seen clinging to her mother and tracing the lines of old books in school than being anything as confrontational as her older sister Ashe. Rain, on the other hand, represents a bubbly, joyful little spit of a four-year-old: all smiles and happiness, for now.

Presently, Aster's family - including her reasonably healthy mother and father, Lavender and Yew - live in an area of District 9 fairly close to the fence that borders the old hunting grounds, though of course, none of them enter that dangerous place. Although stricken by the occasional bout of anxiety, Aster's mother, Lavender, and her elder sister manage to keep the household as liveable and warm as possible in the circumstances - whilst also sporadically bringing in a little money by completing chores for others.

Originally, aged twelve, Aster was able to work in a metalwork factory with her father for a short time. During this time, her relationship with her father (despite always being amiable) seemed to intensify, the two growing closer. Since, however, Aster has been relocated to a soap-making factory where her slight frame and delicate hands are deemed better-suited. Although her family are able to get-by, her and her elder sister, Brooke, still sign-up for tesserae every year: The mere thought of The Hunger Games bringing a knot to the stomachs of the family.

Please excuse UK spelling and grammar.