Mateo Sanders, District 7

Much like the trees his district is known for, Mateo can be considered a wiry sort, the kind of young sapling who will bend but not break when the wind is particularly strong, ready to bounce back again. A couple of inches shy of six feet tall, he looks taller than he truly is due to his slender build and alert posture.

Apart from his light-footed stance, the next noticeable thing about Mateo is his stone-grey eyes, dark like thunderclouds in the evening, and his tufty dark hair that is kept short, but clearly not cut by someone who knows what they are doing; a scar across the top of his ear, and a little patch of skin missing, are testaments to this. The hair on his face is short and not fully developed, though he does shave a couple of times a week he is one of those young men with the potential to be hairy.

Mateo opts for tan clothing, conservative and not badly fitted when compared to his peers. His footwear is thick, sturdy and large for a guy of his size, suggesting that he is not done growing - assuming he can survive a few more reapings, that is. He is not a handsome man, better defined as being steadfast and grounded, much like his attire. He has a kind enough smile, but not enough reason to use it often.

Mateo's attitude is reflected in the way he stands. Wary, cautious and careful, he has always been the paranoid one of the family, though not without reason. His solemn expression and quiet gaze relay his serious attitude, and he is rarely seen in the company of others. He is not a loner, nor is he an outcast; Mateo is simply content in his own company and does not value social encounters like others do.

But he is not all work, work, work. Mateo is the sort of man who would nurse a wounded animal back to health, should it not be edible. He has been fortunate enough to never put his name into the Reaping bowl more than absolutely necessary thanks to his older brother, but food is still valuable and Mateo is not a man who wastes things needlessly. With a younger sister to help feed as well he feels obligated to do his part, and most would say he was quite close to his family. They'd almost be right.

A pleasant curiosity dictates much of Mateo's behaviour. Interested in learning more than he knew the previous day, he is happy to have his nose in a book, or helping in the workshop to create something new. He lacks the physical stamina of his brother and father, but he does help to carry things to and fro when he isn't running around passing on messages - more his area of skill. He does not mind this, as he is faithfully devoted to his family and would have applied for tessara had it not angered his father and brother. It still bothers him that he hasn't done this, but on the other hand less names in the Reaping Bowl is never a bad thing.

For the Hunger Games, badgers and drowning are three of the worst things that could happen to Mateo. Every year the thought of being chosen from the bowl is enough to make him sick (of course, not too sick to attend the ceremony). With only three more to survive, perhaps the odds are in his favour?

The Sanders family are a steady lot, living pocket-to-mouth but getting by well enough. Darren, the man of the house, is renowned for his skill at woodwork, creating furniture and utensils and almost anything for clients. Some said he could stroke a tree and it would wither to his will, but of course that was stupid. If that was the case their clients would pay much more for what he made, and as it was they were not a well off family. Still, Darrin earned enough to feed them much of the time, and as long as there was no family crisis the family got on just fine.

Mateo's older brother Vincent takes after his father; the same strong build, broad shoulders and hands and the same keen eye with a saw or a knife. Mateo's arrival four years later was probably a disappointment when it transpired that he had more of a head for the books. Then little Edna's birth, and the death of their mother shortly afterwards, meant that everyone had to be useful, even if they weren't strong or ruggedly handsome.

So when he wasn't in school, Mateo had to get used to delivering smaller items, trading and bartering with them at times, and receiving requests from potential customers. Darrin was popular but only from afar; his lack of people skills meant that Mateo was relied upon more and more to be the service point, which Mateo didn't mind. Little Edna was encouraged to take her mother's role from an early age, cooking and cleaning whilst the older men worked. With only a year between the younger two Sanders, Mateo and Edna were close, and she managed to crack a smile on his face after a rude customer or a bad day at school. Just because he was the person they dealt with, didn't necessarily mean Mateo was good with people - he had to constantly work at it and at first it was difficult to please people.

Too busy and introspective to make many friends in school, Mateo was not often picked on. Vince was a big guy and nobody wanted to provoke him, as he was fiercely protective of his family and would not let anything happen to him. Mateo was able to read, learn and study in relative peace compared to those with no angry siblings to be watchful for.

Mateo doesn't exactly know where his aversion to bodies of water comes from. The deepest source of water that can be found nearby is but a little pond, though he's never been in it. Edna never had any trouble learning to swim in there, but Mateo would claim he preferred to read and took the time to study instead. With less free time as he gets older, Mateo has simply grown used to his fear, keeping it to himself. Unlike the Hunger Games, this fear could be controlled and suppressed.

On the other hand, his fear of badgers is known well and he is mocked mercilessly by his family for it.

Badgers and hard work aside, all in all it was a fine upbringing, with no memories of a lost mother to pine over, and no family directly changed by the Games each year. If only he and Edna could survive the next few Reapings, Mateo could settle down and content himself with a modest, humble life. Heck, he might even learn to swim.

I've probably messed this up somehow. Oh well. Here goes nothing!

Edit: to add a bit more stuff, because I can.

Oh, and the guy in the picture is the delectable Drew Fuller.