Viper Waters - District 2 - Done!

Standing at a petite 5'2," Viper is hardly intimidating at first glance. Her large, doe-like hazel eyes that always seem to have a mischievous glint, however, reveal that Viper is much more than just the pretty face she may appear to be. Viper’s slim build and small stature are quite deceiving since her constant training has allowed for Viper to develop hidden but strong muscles that make her a force to face. Despite her wavy, brunette hair that ends just past her shoulders and is always styled to perfection, Viper always views herself as a bit plain. She is not impressed with her olive complexion when the majority of her peers are quite the opposite, fair skinned and blue eyed with blonde hair. Although her hair is not a shimmering golden color and her eyes are warm hazel rather than ocean blue, Viper is not one to hide herself. She works hard to make sure that her eyes are always highlighted, her hair always styled, and she is always presentable. Few are know that each morning, Viper carefully applies a fresh coat of concealer on her glaring flaw: a large burn across her right shoulder.

Although Viper always works to wear the latest style, she prefers her training clothes to “dress up” clothes. A simple tank top, comfortable pants, and snug sneakers are much more her taste than the rest of her glittering wardrobe. While her mother finds Viper's dimples "precious," Viper scoffs and can only see blemishes that make her appear childish rather than vicious. Despite her efforts to buy the latest clothes and dutifully apply the most stylish makeup, Viper’s height is a constant set back. Although most girls her height can simply wear heals, permanent damage to Viper’s left foot has made it impossible for her to ever wear anything but flat-soled shoes. Born with a twisted left ankle, Viper is lucky to be able to run and jump or even walk properly. While her parents’ search for thousands of doctors and physical therapists has allowed Viper to walk and run as if her left foot was normal, it cannot change how weak her left foot is and how imperative it is for her to wear stable footwear.

As her name suggests, Viper can be as vicious as the snake she was named after. She loves to win and is not afraid to push someone else down to get what she wants. Viper's strongest weapon is her tongue. She has a horrible habit of speaking her mind, even if what she has to say is cruel. Viper never means to hurt others with her words, however, but she often does and this hinders her ability to make friends. Viper is also quick witted and loves a challenge. When she is not training, Viper loves to work out different puzzles. Unfortunately, she is not the most observant person and once Viper is focused on a task, she is oblivious to her surroundings. While Viper does not like to start unnecessary conflicts, she does have a temper and will not hesitate to strike back if she feels threatened. Due to her petite size, Viper is very sensitive about how others view her. She loves to be in control and often loses her temper when she feels that someone is underestimating her.

Viper is not much of a "girly girl" and prefers to hang out with guys. She does, however, feel that looks are important since many people in her district judge each other based on appearances. Just like Viper hates for others to look down on her due to her height (no pun intended), she also does not want people to look down upon her because of how she appears. Viper is extremely competitive and will not back down from a challenge until she overcomes it. She hates disappointing her parents and therefore does her best in every task she takes on. Since she is an only child, Viper constantly feels pressured to be the perfect daughter. From making top scores in school to excelling in Career training, Viper is constantly working hard to make her parents proud. Because she already struggles to appear vicious due to her small stature, Viper often hides her emotions. Tears, as far as she is concerned, are signs of weakness and once a person is labeled as weak, it is nearly impossible to gain back respect.

Viper has very few friends due to her competitive nature, blunt responses, fiery temper, and guarded emotions, but those who she does consider friends are dear to her. Family and friends are very important to her and she will not hesitate to defend anyone she cares about. Viper is extremely protective of and loyal to her family and friends, but once she feels betrayed, Viper refuses to forgive and she never forgets. While Viper does not necessarily agree with the Hunger Games, she knows what she must do if she is reaped. In Viper’s mind, when it is either her life or another’s, self-preservation is more important than ethics. With her intense training, Viper knows that she would have a decent chance if she were chosen for the Games, but unlike some of her peers, she is not looking forward to a life or death battle.

Viper was born into an average District 2 family. Her father, Hunter Waters, was just beginning his career as a Peacekeeper while her mother, Ruby Waters, enjoyed her position as a teacher. Viper always knew her parents held high expectations for her and she quickly began moving her way up to one of the top students in her class. While her mother always saw her as a bright and motivated student in the classroom and her father saw her as a problem solving sweetheart at home, Viper was in fact very lonely and bullied when surrounded by her peers. From age four to seven, Viper was often pushed around by other children and taunted. Names from “shrimp” to “ant” began to stick and each recess would end with Viper bursting into tears and more laughter from her classmates.

During the 53rd Annual Hunger Games, however, Viper’s attitude quickly changed. Her only friend and protector from her playground tormentors, her fourteen-year-old cousin, was reaped. The Hunger Games had always been a routine part of Viper’s life since she could remember. While the bloodshed and gore often scared her into hiding between her mother and father, Viper never questioned the existence of the Games or their purpose, until that year. Kurt was doing well as far as Viper could tell until the third day when his so-called Career teammates turned on him. Viper was forced to watch in horror as her role model was brutally murdered. This was the first time Viper recognized a death in the Hunger Games as true murder.

With the loss of her rock, Kurt, Viper vowed to never show weakness again. She knew that her cousin would want her to stand up for herself and be prepared incase she was ever chosen for the Games. When she returned to school, Viper’s classmates were met with a quick-witted, fiery girl who had replaced the sensitive, pushover they had once known. Living up to her name, Viper became a formidable foe. At age eleven, Viper began her training as a Career. She had already learned how to defend herself against any potential bullies and since her transformation, Viper was an accepted member of peers. Just as she had excelled in schoolwork, Viper took her training very seriously and flourished. She made schoolwork and training her top priorities and refused to back away from any challenge presented to her.

Viper’s life was slowly looking up as she let go of her depression from the death of her cousin and began focusing on her future. As she soon learned, however, all good things must come to an end. Just months before Viper’s fifteenth birthday, Hunter Waters was promoted to a supervisor to other Peacekeepers. While the promotion at first seemed like a blessing, the Waters family soon despised Mr. Waters’ new position. With his promotion, Mr. Waters was given more responsibilities, which required longer work hours and stress. By Viper’s birthday, Mr. Waters had become so overwhelmed with his burden that he turned to drinking. At first it had only been one drink each night when he trudged through the door, but one drink soon became four and then many more.

Alcoholic, the only word Viper could think of each morning when she glanced at her father’s passed out form. She had grown to despise alcohol as her father drifted away from the caring, supportive, and wise man she had grown up with. Viper would often stay out late and leave early in the morning just to avoid interaction with her father. It was not until she began returning home early to watch the 62nd Hunger Games that she noticed the violent temper her father was developing. It was not odd for Viper to see her father throw a glass across the room or curse at her mother for bringing his dinner too slow. The worse, however was still to come. By the time Viper was sixteen, her father’s temper had begun to lead to violence. He would often slap her or her mother and later apologize, promising it would never happen again.

Of course, living in District 2, it was imperative that Viper and her mother pretend as if everything was normal. In front of neighbors, peers, and co-workers, Viper and Ruby plastered smiles onto their faces as if they were not using concealer to dull the angry red marks on their arms and cheeks. The worst injury came one night when Ruby Waters had to stay later than usual for a meeting between the school teachers. Viper frantically tried to remember a recipe for dinner and settled on making a simple soup to satisfy her father. Unfortunately, Viper lost track of time and suddenly found herself face to face with her furious father. Boiling water soon scorched her shoulder as her father emptied the soup onto her in his rage. Afraid to let anyone else see the large burn, Viper refused her mother’s pleas to see a doctor and tended the wound herself. Although her father apologized profusely for weeks to come, Viper was permanently scarred with the burn, forced to constantly apply concealer and wear appropriate length sleeves to hide her flawed skin.

This is my first character on this site so any helpful tips, comments, or advice would be great!