Gallagher "Gal" Hurd, District 5

Name: Gallagher "Gal" Hurd
Age: 15
Gender: Male
District/Area: District 5



Appearance:

Unfortunately for Gallagher, his facial features seem to be derived from the first syllable of his given name. His feathery hair is a light auburn, which can also be described as ginger spice, and falls over his fine eyebrows of the same color, covers his delicate ears, and ends at the base of his neck; the connection between his hair color and the flavoring has led to such taunts as, "Get back to the kitchen, Gal!" Going indoors might not be such bad advice during the summer months, when his fair skin, complete with pale pink lips, results in red blotches on his thin cheekbones and freckles that spot the concave bridge of his narrow nose. His eyes are pale grey, the color of bleak days or dull steel, and often appear distant. His chin is gently curved, completing the overall impression of a feminine face; the only thing Gallagher likes about it is that when he smiles and shows off his teeth, which are fairly small and in good shape, is that his left cheek dimples.

While his head is a source of angst, Gallagher is more or less pleased with his body. He is tall for his age at five feet six inches, but a bit gangly at only one hundred ten pounds; his is useful for climbing the trees and manuevering into the tight spaces necessary to retrieve escaped animals his family breeds. Climbing as much as he does, its no wonder he has developed a strong grip and calloused hands, which are also scarred from various bites and scratches received in the process of retrieving said animals. His shoulders, while not particularly broad, are wider than his thin waist, creating a tapered down appearance for his torso.

Although his family is in the exotic animal trade, they are by no means wealthy enough to afford to clothe Gallagher in fur or leather; instead, he usually wears a drab olive long sleeve linen shirt that doesn't reach his wrists with sandy colored cloth pants, threadbare at the knees, held up by a piece of rope looped around it. His feet are covered by black canvas shoes that crunch his toes in. In the cold weather, Gallagher wears a wool hat that reaches over his ears.

Personality:

Gallagher is meek and painfully quiet, the result of being tormented by his classmates for his name as well as his family's insistence on driving themselves further and further into poverty by devising increasingly elaborate ways to return to the old industry of District 5. Despite the ridicule, ostracization, and sometimes beatings that this vein of stubborness incurs, Gallagher believes in his family's dream, not only because it might end the tormenting he goes through, but also because he finds peace in the company of animals; they don't expect him to say anything without embarassing himself, even if they are finnicky and need someone to look after them. They give him connections that if Gallagher lacked, he would be immensely lonely.

Not that his life would be meaningless, as Gallagher is a dreamer: he is constantly imagining what life would be like if he were bolder, or if oil hadn't been found in District 5, or even if he had been born in the Capital. The one thing he never wonders about is if he were Reaped; he is certain he would be the first to go. Physical characteristics aside, he isn't very charismatic or courageous; sure, he's imaginative and honest, but where would that get you in the Games? The treatment he receives in school has turned him into a pessimist when it comes to anything remotely social; he tries to distance himself from others, especially those who appear confident, to avoid being hurt.

What makes Gallagher feel a sense of purpose is wanting to wipe the sneer off other people's faces and to make them eat the insults they spit at him. For this, he does his best in school, when working with his family, and even in his free time when he wanders what remains of the woodlands after the oil rigs and refineries were built. The bullying he has encountered has also made him gentle towards others who are weak or otherwise encumbered or looked upon as strange.

History:

Gallagher is the youngest of three sons, but with his older brothers already aged twelve and ten when he was born his parents were in for quite the surprise when their son was born and looked a little girly. But after all, he was their son and they loved him; besides, how could the appearance of a newborn change his parents' love for him? His brothers, on the other hand, found the new addition to their family to be a pain, especially with his excessive crying. As he grew older, they were quick to spread word to their friends that their baby brother Gallagher was more of a "Gal" than a guy, and the nickname stuck. As a toddler, Gallagher played more with girls than boys. His parents were concerned, but when he showed an interest in the animals they bred for the citizens of the Capitol and, to a lesser extent, the wealthier citizens of District Five, they were pleased. Even his brothers couldn't disapprove of his aptitude with animals, especially when his parents were always trying to find new ways to recreate the industry.

When school began, Gallagher's reputation as "gentle" and "weak" preceded him. Others were quick to exclude him at lunch and during projects. As he grew older and boys and girls became interested in one another, he was at a loss with his looks, his disposition, and his reputation as a "nobody". As a result, he withdrew into working alone at school and working with animals. His family began to worry about him, even his brothers, who by this point were mature enough to see where they had been cruel earlier.

Once, when Gallagher was walking through the woods when he was thirteen, he found an starving animal he had never seen before. It was small, the size of a mouse, and furry, but with a black beak instead of a snout and it had two tails attached by webbing; it. Knowing it must be a Muttation, he avoided it and went on his way back home. There he told his family about the creature he had found and they urged him to retrieve it, so he hurried back with some cloth padding. He picked up the animal in the padding and carefully walked back. The animal began to moan softly, so Gallagher started petting it and it began to make an odd chirping sound. Eventually, Gallagher returned home and explained the nature of the situation to his family: this animal was going to die before they could breed it unless it got something to eat. Finally, after finding some stale crackers and mashing them up in water, were they able to feed the little mousy animal, which Gallagher came to call "Peckrat", as it would peck anyone else who tried to feed it. Peckrat became Gallagher's pet project, trying to figure out what she, for Peckrat was a girl, might be able to mate with after she was returned to full health. However, once she was at a healthy weight, she inexplicably died. Gallagher was devastated, after having put so much time and energy into Peckrat, but most of all, he felt a connection that made him feel special, one that he might have inadvertently ended.

Codeword: odair
Comments/Other:

I hope the part about the Muttation is alright, if not I can change it.