Oberon Quaritch (District Eight)

Oberon has light, curly brown hair and soft blue eyes, resembling his mother more than any of his other siblings. He has a youthful face (as any boy his age should, but sadly in Panem is not always the case) and a slight frame. He is short for his age (which is really quite short) and has pale, pasty skin that would persist even if he did not spend much of his time in the various industrial factories of District Eight, where pollution often blocks out the sun and the sky entirely, and soot rains down to cover the inhabitants. His body is relatively unscathed, but still bears the occasional scar hard won during the daily toils of his district industry, where the smaller children are often called upon to maintenance the smoky black, gear-grinding machinery which churns out the textiles his home is known for. While children getting killed in these tasks is far less common than them simply being maimed and often times losing limbs to heavy machinery, Oberon is still luckier than most, having never sustained a really serious injury thanks to his lithe build and quick reflexes, which it is certainly no myth do save lives, at least where Oberon works. His appearance is often unkempt and frowzy, fashion ironically not being a very high priority, even on very important occasions such as the reaping.

Were Oberon to keep up with his appearance, the result would not be ravishingly handsome, (what twelve year old is?) but suitably endearing for those who tend towards more maternal and/or paternal feelings when it comes to young children. But times being what they are, (and typically always were) Oberon often sports tattered, greyish clothes long since dyed that color by soot, cinder, and ash, with the occasional black patch to liven things up. His face is grimy, his clothes are ragged, and his body is often covered with sores, bruises, and scrapes. The only color which actually seems to pop out other than his mellow blue eyes is his light brown hair, which in spite of everything, still remains stubbornly the color it is supposed to be (well, mostly.) It's not often that Oberon (or anyone else for that matter) gets to see what he looks like underneath that deep layer of unhealthy grime that seems to have become a fashion stable among the youth of the district, with even his parents attempts to assist in bathing him met with only partial success.

Perhaps the first thing you should know about Oberon is that he prefers to be called 'Jean.' He always felt like his first given name was odd, and prefers to be known colloquially by his middle name instead. Also, it seems much more fitting given his home district and what it is known for, no? Yet regardless, Oberon has never made any real attempt to hide his first given name, so most people he knows (if not all) are indeed aware of what it is. Jean's always been much easier to remember and pronounce anyhow for most people.

What can be said of Oberon Quaritch? Well, Oberon is a... strange boy, at least in so far as he is a very intelligent boy, in spite of the more physical nature of his work. He's not stupid, nor is he naive to the goings on around him, for the most part. And while Panem public school is very... limited, in it's viewpoints, Oberon is able to read in between the lines, a gift very few people his age seem to have. He's not what you precisely call 'a people person,' much preferring to be alone, obtaining knowledge in it's various forms, and then utilize said knowledge to his own purposes.

Deep down inside he's a good guy, but that part of him is kept tightly up under wraps by him, since he does not feel the spontaneous need to showcase this aspect of his personality openly. He does not often speak, but when he does, it is clear, concise, and meaningful, otherwise it is not worth saying in the first place. Just keep quiet, with your back to the wall, and you can fade fast from view, no limelight to contend with, no prying eyes or judgmental stares, upturned lips or hollow sympathies, Oberon is in the same boat as every else, so why fret and moan about it. Keep your powder dry, keep moving, and the world will turn. After all, actions speak a whole lot louder than words ever could...

Oberon has it better than most, at least the way he sees it. His has two loving, attentive parents, several sibling with which to squabble over petty affairs, and solid roof above his head, (which qualifies as an honest to god miracle in his books) edible food, reasonable amount of heating, what more could a young scion of District Eight ask for? Sure, things aren't exactly ideal, but since when are they ever in the districts, even the richer ones? So Oberon can cope, going to work everyday, praying to good a machine doesn't break down and he doesn't have to volunteer to fix it so his younger siblings won't get 'volunteered.' Day to day survival keeps Oberon busy, so who has time to complain about it? Oberon never was all the much of a complainer to begin with, and while he knows things could foreseeably get better, they could also foreseeably get much worse also.

So, other than not dying, what does a boy of Oberon's age and circumstance concern himself with? Girls? Petty; mere diversions. Boys? Annoying. Play? There's not much to do around the district, and even less satisfying endeavors to be had. Staying warm? He's got that covered. Hmm...

See, there are many things Oberon Quaritch is not, but of the things he certainly is is sorely lacking a hobby. Oberon wastes much of his time bored and miserable, desperately searching for things to distract him from his meager existence. Problem is, he just, uh... hasn't really found anything yet. Watching over his younger siblings is more a duty, an obligation more than anything else. Hanging out with mom and dad gets boring after a while...

OK, so maybe Oberon doesn't have the most... structured, lifestyle, let's say. Still, he keeps on going, just like the many other nameless faces in his district, people who just fulfill their obligations until they too simply become part of the landscape. That's the way Oberon sees it. You're either part of the problem, part of the solution, or part of the landscape. Oberon does not know if he ever chose the path he took, but he certainly goes along with it. The world is a funny place, and the more you think about it, the smaller it seems to get. But Oberon knows that the world isn't actually getting smaller...

...there's just, less in it.