Saoirse Locke - District 3

Upon first sight, Saoirse isn't much extraordinary. With a slight frame and pale, alabaster skin, she tends to look somewhat undernourished, which isn't exactly true - though it has led to taunting and reason for jest, occasionally. Saoirse has been teased for not having the typically 'womanly' figure of curves (Saoirse lacking in that department), rosy cheeks or full lips.

Saoirse's most striking feature would have to be her eyes. They are not smouldering or piercing, but big, round and of a colour that seems lost between sea blue and cloudy grey (almost whimsical or fairytale-like). With thin lips, high cheekbones, and a round face, Saoirse looks remarkably mature for her age and seems to lack an 'endearing' factor that would appeal to most people.

All in all, Saoirse seems to bear the appearence of a less idealistic and 'pretty' china doll, with dark ebony hair (that is usually tied back in a simple ponytail). One good thing that can be noted is her great posture, though it can tend to be somewhat stiff at times. When she smiles, it's quite a toothy and face-filling one - quite surprising, really, given her otherwise indifferent or sour expression.

Saoirse isn't much of a happy-go-lucky person, nor is she an ice queen. She is clever (without much artistic intuition), determined and when she has her mind set on something, it is an exhausting ordeal to attempt to sway her. Saoirse is distrustful of people, believing that trust should be nothing short of mutual and something which is not simply given, but earned. Coming from a District that deals mostly with electronics, she has quite an intuitive mind when it comes to such things.

Coming from a District so riddled with pollution and so neglected of the Capitol (in comparison to the other 'elite' or 'career' Discticts of One, Two and Four) Saoirse has an innate bitterness and sharp tongue, despite her usually docile nature. This may make her unlikable upon first meeting, as it has happened before.

However, even with a prickly disposition, Saoirse is someone worth knowing. Her quirky humour, wit and strong sense of self is something one can grow to love and when she trusts you, she'll have your back for as long as you need her.

Saoirse was born to Ulrika and Levi Locke, both of whom were good yet lowly people enshrouded and throttled by unfortunate circumstances. Saoirse's family is not too crowded nor too small, consisting of Saoirse and her younger siblings Aidan and Eugena (and missing one influential member, who was brutally murdered in the 52nd Hunger Games).

Throughout her family's past, they always seemed to get the raw end of things. Her parents, despite their trying and longing for change, were hopelessly stuck at the bottom of the heap in the otherwise relatively wealthy District 3. The Locke family had to battle the odds that were so very much against them. They always managed to pull through somehow, even at the brink of disaster, when the city's fumes were unbearable or there wasn't enough money coming in. Then again, it could be worse - such a notion was what held them all together, even with it's frail foundations.

Saoirse grew up without much to appreciate, other than her parent's hard work and the fact that they could afford a house suited to be actually inhabited. Aside from that, she and her elder brother managed to keep each other's spirits up and get by when things didn't seem so perky. While the arrival of baby Aidan made fees tighter and stressful, the Locke family managed to keep their head above water.

Saoirse did well in school. She found herself delving into books and losing herself amongst them. She also discovered that she was particularly taken with wires, currents and many things mechanical - she would strip them down, observe them and become more intrigued and knowledgeable about them day after day. She was often isolated and privy to loneliness as a younger student - not that she minded too much. It's easier to think when there isn't someone chattering and gibbering away in your ear.

However, when Saoirse was seven years old, her then fifteen-year-old brother Ronan was Reaped for the 52nd Hunger Games. It almost destroyed the spirits of their crushed and disbelieving parents, who had almost no time to bid farewell to their beloved son. Saoirse, who had always admired Ronan as a role model due to his good yet ambitious nature, couldn't wholly comprehend the brutality and injustice of the Games at such a young age.

The Locke family watched tortuously as Ronan fought throughout his Games. He made it through the initial Bloodbath, and kept a consistent strategy of evading and trapping. Saoirse thinks that as he knew she was watching, he couldn't bring himself to ruin him for her and paint himself as murderous in any way - otherwise, she thinks his survival instinct would've led him to killing because he had to. Ronan eventually made it to the final six, where he was ambushed in the midst of a seemingly intricate Career plan, and skewered with a spear through the stomach. The memory is seared into Saoirse's mind, bright and burning. It never left her nightmares for months afterwards and it's partly why she is filled with so much hatred and anger towards the Capitol (it also explains her stand-offish demeanour).

Since then, Saoirse has found herself overcoming any tricky situation - financial or personal - by comparing its trouble to what Ronan had to go through in the Hunger Games. She is honing and continuing her education with a fierce grit and determination, one day hoping to break her family out of their difficulties and into a life that they deserve.

Eep... I hope it's OK!