d6: the hartmyre family [open/thread up]

I. THE PLOT.

The graveyard is not still, as graveyards ought to be. Instead, there is shadow that moves across the stones with the careless footsteps of a child. For a long while, the gates remained firmly locked, but ten years ago the abandoned churchyard found new inhabitants. Now, there is a family that lives among the dead. The shadow that dances in the moonlight is but a child turning cartwheels, apparently unaware of the body that lies precisely six feet below her.

Perhaps if you were to step inside and lay down the dropping flowers you are clutching, you could tell her. It wouldn't make much difference - she would shrug her shoulders and perhaps invite you inside. What was once a church became a home and a business, among other things. In the words of Mr. Hartmyre himself, it's remarkable how much people are prepared to pay for their dead.

Mr. Hartmyre moved to the cemetery in the year following his wife's tragic death. He was filled with ideas - to turn the church into not only a house for his large family, but also a place for him to work and prosper. For a while, the doctor examined bodies and declared them dead, filled with visions of a happy future. It was only after he had spent eight years alone in a room full of empty eyes and still hearts that he too began to fall away from the living. Desperate to continue living as they do, the children took over aspects of his work and allowed him to sit quietly in the graveyard, mourning his wife and waiting with a blank mind for the day when he can finally join her.



II. THE CHARACTERS



Orion Hartmyre [eighteen] reserved for Loren.
It was he who looked upon his father and saw that he was no longer truly alive. It was Orion who reached for the shovel and went outside, digging until he could dig no more. The boy reminded his family what they would lose if they didn't keep smiling, and he lead the way. Hardworking and tough, Orion thrives under pressure. Although both kindhearted and brave, he lacks both confidence and common sense. He's resilient and patient to a point, however he constant doubts himself. Perhaps leading his family is too much for a boy to bare. Sometimes he wonders if he is not only digging the graves of those who are dead, but also the graves of those he loves more than anything else in the world. He is the constant that the children look up to with wide eyes and haunted hearts.

Florence Hartmyre [seventeen] played by Wonder.
Despite being the second eldest of the children, Florence is the least reliable. She's finicky and fussy with an incredibly insecure streak which leads the younger children to believe she would spill their secrets effortlessly. Florence is a perfectionist who admires beauty in almost everything - from the gowns she sews to the bodies she dresses and preens before their final farewell. She's often seen as shallow and petty, with controlling tendencies that often leave her scorned from the rest of the family. In truth, all Florence wants is everything to be how it once was - she hates the draughty church and spooky graveyard that lies beyond her bedroom window.
(Died in the 63rd Hunger Games)

Theodore Hartmyre [sixteen] played by Clover.
After the loss of their house (and their mother, too) in a terrible fire, the Hartmyre family moved into the ancient graveyard in the heart of District Six. Teddy was an artist - he carved coffins for the dead, painting pictures in the woodwork with strong and steady hands. At the back of the church, though, he kept caskets for his family. This wasn't his only way of preparing for the very worst. He built bunkers and saved food, determined to protect his family from the end. When his sister Florence fell in the Games, however, he realised he could never be prepared enough to fight death. It was months later that they found him lying in the coffin marked 'Theodore', an empty bottle of pills in his hand. He's slept ever since, submerged in a post-apocalyptic wasteland reminiscent of the nightmares he's fought for sixteen years.

Beatrice Hartmyre [sixteen] played by Tristen.
Ever since she was small, Beatrice has been captivated by fire. Everybody knows, but nobody mentions that she is the only one likely to have started the blaze that killed their mother. Passionate and easily provoked, Bea has a habit of flying into uncontrollable rages that only her calm and foreboding twin can coax her from. It is her job to keep the furnace burning that not only heats the church but also burns the bodies that wont need a coffin. She's not afraid of matches - in fact, Beatrice is not afraid of anything. A little boastful, Beatrice is very protective of her siblings and their peculiar lifestyle. She doesn't have many friends, but she doesn't mind. Wild and impulsive, the girl is more likely to be in trouble than the others, although she is kind and pure at heart.

Esther Hartmyre [fifteen] reserved for Lalia.
Esther is positive that she died in the blaze that killed her mother. She swears when she was five years old, the smoke filled her lungs and took her away, that her body lies in the graveyard. She walks around in a constant state of surprise - when people adress her she seems unsure that they can, indeed, see her. She enjoys haunting her family and generally making a nuisance of herself, and will go to any length to prove her status as quite firmly dead to anyone who will listen. Mischievous and lively, the girl is never caught with a smile on her face as she prefers to assume a dark presence. She also claims to hear the voices of the bodies that lie waiting to be buried and makes demands based on their 'wishes'.

Clara Hartmyre [thirteen] reserved for Wonder.
As the youngest, Clara was never a given a job to complete. She prefers to wander the halls and play innocently in the graveyard, barefoot and free. Her obsession with games doesn't end there, though. She, more than any of the others, has grown up surrounded by the lifeless bodies of those she does not understand. A burning curiosity mixed with the creative spark she shares with Florence and Teddy led her to began making up her own games. She's manipulative, with a determined streak that makes sure she always gets what she wants. When you put aside cutting up the dead and stitching them back together in a far more amusing fashion, her favourite game is exploring. Clara has a slight obsession with secrets, which she uses to tease and hold over her siblings with an apparent lack of conscience or guilt.



III. THE APPLICATION


If you'd like to apply, please fill out the form below. This plot is not first come, first serve. (Graphic credit goes to Elegant.) 



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