Karen Lightly [District 8] - FINISHED

Appearance:

Growing up, everyone in the Square used to tell me that I looked so much like my mother. I wish I couldv’e kept that resemblance. It’s been years since I’ve been told this. I have my father’s nose; it’s slightly bubbly at the end. I also have his thin, horizontal eyebrows. My brother and I have the same eyes. They are round, hazel-coloured with flecks of green, and have short lashes. My long, brown, dishevelled hair is the only thing left that resembles my mom. My mouth, though, that is all my own. Full and arched, my lips stick out in my thin face, ending in a round chin.

I have a slight build. I guess you could call me “bony” (the kids at school certainly do). This has the effect of making me look so much younger than I actually am. I have many flaws, but being frail is one of them. I’m not strong. My dad used to joke that all the muscle I have ran away to my brain. I can run, though, so what I lack in muscle mass I more than make for in muscle definition. Nobody’s ever picked on me because of my height, so I can only guess this makes me average in that department.

Personality:

I am fiercely independent. If I analyse myself, I imagine this comes from people always assuming that I’m half of a person (my brother being the other half). We both are annoyed by this, so I developed a high sense of self, and will battle to the death my right to make decisions for myself.

Unfortunately, this makes me kind of righteous. Yes, I do believe my way is the right way. I hate being wrong and will sulk if you call me out on it. However, I am aware of this so I try to keep it to a minimum, lest I alienate everyone. It doesn’t mean that I don’t ruminate about it all day anyway, though.

Though my independence is very important to me, I acknowledge that I am nothing without the people that I love. They make me who I am, and though I don’t put my faith in anything supernatural, my belief in love is strong enough to give me hope on any given day. I am optimistic even in this cold, dreary world, because I believe the warm and fuzzies are found on the inside. I can readily find the good in everyone and will cling to it even when faced with the obvious. This can lead to my having many friends, and I sometimes lose track of the ones that matter the most. Thankfully, I have my brother to keep me on the right path and remind me of the good ones.

I have a tendency to never ask for help and work really hard, then either complete the work or fizzle out (if that happens, someone has to help me, and I feel embarrassed). If I feel I have been legitimately wronged, it will be very hard for me to forgive the person and I will only do it once I feel a sufficient amount of time has passed.

I recognize that our elders are very valuable to us; they are a constant source of wisdom and experience and I am in awe of them. I also learn a lot from them. This is why I'm aware that my righteousness is a flaw; they are so humble and beautiful. I strive for that.

This sounds a lot more serious than what I am in reality, because when it comes down to it, I laugh when something's funny, I cry when something's sad and I'm angry when something's unjust.

History:

As I’ve mentioned, my brother and I are twins. We were born in the middle of summer, luckily. Unluckily, my mother, Winifred, did not survive it. She was adamant that if it came down to us or her, her children would live. We had a midwife who respected her wishes; when complications arose, she cut my mother open and pulled us out. The other midwife and my dad tried to save her, but it was too late. She had lost too much blood. My brother and I have no memory of her except for the fact that we are both living, breathing humans.

My father, Orrin, was heartbroken and devastated, but he pulled himself together enough to raise us honestly. To place us in the community home was never an option for him. We never had much money, what with only one income coming in, but he was able to prevent Trey and I from working in the factories until the ripe old age of 16 working double shifts. I guess that’s how I developed my big brain muscles. I always excelled at school; Trey couldn’t wait to get his hands dirty in the machinery of the textile factories.

Now, I still go to school full time, while working at the wool factories some evenings and weekends. Knitting is my favourite past time; Lola, my best friend, and I spend all our free time knitting. She’s been in my life ever since I can remember. She also has a single dad, and both of our fathers worked together to raise all three of us. Lola knows to whip me into shape when I get too pig headed.

I guess I have dreams and aspirations for the future, but I don’t let myself talk about them too much. The threat of the Games, but mostly the seemingly bleak future ahead prevents me from fully enjoying life. So I cling to the people I care about, and put one foot in front of the other.

Thanks for the feedback!

I added a couple more personality traits and changed some things about my character's birth.

Hope this works! :)