Tara Barbosa [District 4]

Tara isn't particularly tall, or even short, she stands at 5ft 2 and weighs 106 lbs, and is very happy with her weight and figure. Her shoulders are broad and her arms slim though muscles keep her upper arms quite thick. Her stomach is toned, and although her work is quite straining and requires a lot of effort hasn't gained a six pack, or four pack of any kind. Her legs, like her arms, are slim yet muscular from constant swimming and carrying of fish. Tara has a well toned and physically fit body from a life of being well fed and working out in the sea.

Tara's skin is naturally tanned, and her shoulders, arms and legs even more so from hours in the sun catching and trapping fish, this makes parts of her body tone uneven.
Complimenting her tanned complexion, Tara's hair is a dark mahogany that has almost naturally fawn high lights from years of the sun bleaching her hair. It falls as a thick sheet down her shoulders, framing her high cheek bones, and wide eyes.
Her eyes are a rich chocolate brown framed with thick dark lashes that she likes to use her mother’s expensive mascara on if she goes on a date.
Her mouth is small in size but her lips are thick and often take on an almost pouting expression. Naturally a soft pink in colour Tara has no use for the colourants people of the Capitol use.
Tara has quite a big chin that juts out from her face, giving her quite a comedic appearance from the side.
Tara has a large birthmark over her right eyebrow that can't be hidden by any make-up, it can be quite unsightly and she hates it most of all.

Tara often wears her swimsuit under loose fitting trousers that she can easily remove for swimming, and a loose fitting shirt, more often than not though if she's working all day she'll simply stay in her swim suit. Her hair is always tied back in a bun for her own safety when swimming.
When not at work Tara will wear the clothes she believes flatter her, that means skirts, and close fitted shirts.
Mostly though it's dresses she's lucky enough to afford.

Tara is complicated in that she herself doesn't know what mood she's in most of the time. Tara can have a very friendly personality when she wishes it, she will donate food when possible to those in her district that are poor, there aren't many but they are there. She even takes care of her sick younger brother.
Saying this however, she's also known to be quite malicious in that she doesn't really care who goes into the Games as long as it isn't her brother, which due to his illness never would be. She doesn't see fun in the deaths of the tributes, but doesn't see the point in worrying over it.
She see’s her view point as practical rather than harsh, when she doesn't even know the tributes dying. She personally wouldn't want to be in the games like her friends, the idea scares her but she knows she could handle it, so it prevents her from truly being terrified.

Tara adores the sea; her work isn't really a job to her as it's doing something she loves- swimming. There aren't many things Tara loves but swimming is one of them, she can swim with ease quite professionally, able to hold her breath for just over 20 minutes. She even wins the races her District holds as a bit of fun once in a while.
She loves fishing, being able to catch fish with a trident is something she can do, but not that well, however she can catch fish with her bare hands although it needs to be quiet for her to do so, this she also loves, being good at something naturally.
Tara isn't overly fond of herself, but she knows how to appreciate her skills, she knows that what she can do is good and she always measures herself up to those who have won the games, not knowing any of them personally she feels fine doing this secretly. Swimming, the sea, it’s where Tara feels at home, she knows that it’s where her skills truly lie.

Tara is an observer; she thinks things through before acting them out, this is her favourite quality about herself, that’s she’s more than just swimming and fishing.
Tara will sit and watch everyone around her work while she’s busy making nets and traps, this enables her to think everyone out, see how they operate themselves and how they take things in. Along with this Tara is an extremely honest person, brutally so to the point she is seen as mean. She doesn't see it that way, the way Tara see’s it, is that if the roles were reversed she’d want the exact honesty in return.
Tara is also vengeful, even the tiniest of mistakes against her can leave her plotting her revenge, she isn't proud of it, but she’s come to accept that it’s who she is, along with her need for constant attention, be it negative or positive, she wants it.

Tara was born and lives in District 4 the District that specializes in fishing.
Her parents are some of the wealthier in District 4 and extremely loving to her, the oldest child and the one they thought they couldn't have.Tara's mother Gill (pronounced Jill) was thought to be infertile and unable to have children as she was severely injured during a fishing accident when she was twelve.
Her pregnancy came as quite a shock to her husband Jack, but they took it as a blessing, naming her Tara, meaning Sea Goddess.
This made her a very spoilt child, and despite this she grew up well mannered and wasn't at all the stereotype of a spoilt, only child. In fact she helped with the family income at an early age of five she helped the fishermen with the knots and net making, being only five that was all she could do, but she was good at it.

When she was ten her mother became pregnant once more, another miracle baby, or so it seemed, Tara was as excited as they were for the new member of the family, names flew around in a flurry and they decided upon Caspian.
Sadly, although the miracle of his birth was true, he was a sick child born with Polio, a highly contagious viral infection that can lead to paralysis, breathing problems, or even death. If they had known, a vaccine could have been available, extremely expensive but if they pulled all of their money they could have afforded it.
Once he was born, they all had to pull together for vaccinations for themselves, they wouldn't leave him.
Nothing can be done to cure Polio and her brother Caspian has to live his life on bed rest, and a lifetime of medicine they can only just afford.

When she was fifteen Tara bought a ventilator for him, to help his breathing out of her own pay, she'd saved up for three years. She was her brothers main care giver, her parents would work extra for the money to care for him, although they were a wealthy district, medicine was still expensive, and they had other things to pay for as well such as food and other living essentials.
By sixteen Tara was well trained in trapping and knot tying, as well as in fishing with devices made by man such as fishing hooks and tridents. She could also catch fish by her bare hands, something she was told was a rare talent even in their district.

Tara had friends, and she went to school on days when she was not working or caring for Caspian. School was the only time she could be free with her friends, though she still worried for her brother, this put strain on her friendships, her friends unable to understand her predicament thought she was simply distant and one day, were no longer her friends. Tara only had her work mates, friends whom she'd had for years, some even adults who simply admired her talent.
Still, she was closest to Caspian, who was only six at the time, she loved him dearly teaching him to tie knots and make hooks and nets.
This was the closest he could be to the sea, bedridden and fragile, and in its own way lucky, lucky to be excused from the Games once he was of age due to his condition.


Her parents were tired whenever they got home, but still had the time to tuck Caspian in and show affection for their daughter.
Tara would make them all dinner from fish she'd caught or meat she bought from the butchers along with grain, bread or vegetables, this was a constant never changing lifestyle until she was seventeen and promoted to ship captain earning more money for her family and for the medication needed to keep Caspian alive and comfortable.
This also changed the times she could be with Caspian, she now had very little time with him, and it was difficult for her to be a way from him, now he’d developed the Polio in his spine paralysis had begin to set in and she was constantly worried for him, charged by this worry she’d try and fill their fishing quota early, and her ship and crew became one of the most well known for it, earning them respect.

By eighteen Tara was well known and skilled in most of her area’s, mostly creating traps and the speed of which she can make them and catch fish. Caspian who was eight had medication preventing paralysis from spreading, and so he could still tie his knots with his sister.
Tara one day, with much planning and careful consideration brought him to the sea, he was able to look at it and feel the sea with his hands, carried in by his sister this is her most treasured memory and she even has it captured by a painting she’d paid a neighbour to create.