DONE | Alder Figus | D12

DONE²!


Name: Alder Figus
Age: 15
Gender: Male
District/Area: 12
Appearance:

Everyone's a little confused about how Alder came to look like himself. He's tall like his parents, sure, but they're both well-proportioned; their bodies are filled out just enough with muscle, just enough to know that they've worked. While it's common to be thin in District 12, Alder just looks...lanky. As his parents are metallurgists it's not like he's ever really gone hungry, though then again, he hasn't had to do much physical work, either. Alder's hair sits on his head in voluminous golden locks, a soft contrast to his hard jaw. Behind his father's old spectacles are small, distant grey-blue eyes above often-parted lips, which make him look like he's always dreaming of somewhere else...perhaps of someone else?

Typically dressed in some sort of a graphic tee or a hand-me-down button-up, Alder's style is "comfortable" more than anything. He prefers a loose pair of jeans or slacks, and his favourite worn-down sneakers. People often take his stiff posture to mean that he's a smart, socially reclusive kid, and he has trouble overcoming these first assumptions. He takes comfort in the fact that at least he has light, clear skin - a rarity for a boy of his age from a district clouded in coal dust. For the most part, he's unremarkable; but the boy's velveteen voice could calm a storm.

Face Claim: Jon Heder

Personality:

First things first - Alder's not smart. He's somewhere below average, let's say 40th percentile, but man, is he annoyed with everyone thinking he's some sort of genius. He'll never be a metallurgist like his parents, maybe a geologist, but everyone needs to get off his case about that. Really he’s more street-smart than book-smart, and is apt at both problem-solving and reading people on his feet. He’s observant, and tends to be that one person in the crowd who thinks calmly and sees the bigger picture in a crisis, enabling him to find a simple solution to a seemingly complex problem. It’s unclear whether he has good instincts, or is so nihilistic that he just doesn’t get stressed out.

Despite this clearheadedness, there’s something that gets in the way of Alder being as sociable as he’d like to be. The kid often knows how to respond appropriately, but social scenarios are unique to him in that he can get overwhelmed, so what he means to say gets distorted on the way out. Currently at such a core stage in social development, what happens now could determine whether that grows to be better or worse throughout the rest of his life. Still, when with someone he finds comfortable - someone seeming to be his equal, or a known friend - Alder is confident enough to speak his mind. (This applies both when he’s only with people he knows, or when he has a single someone to back him up in an uncomfortable situation.)

Anyway he’s an easygoing guy, in that he’s not easily upset by unexpected change or disappointment, though he is fiercely protective of his own rights - if someone wrongs him, he’ll make sure they know it. Maybe regret it, if only by annoying them. He doesn’t need much sleep, or mind getting dirty; he’s the type to take a walk alone in the middle of the night, thinking mysterious thoughts or whatever. Alder doesn’t think much about his future, and no one would call him ambitious. At the very least, he is admirable in that he’s unabashed to be himself, to show off his Sweet Dance Moves, or do anything else that’s just plain weird.

History:

Alder has 2 older brothers. His eldest brother seems to have it all - he’s as smart as his parents, and burly to boot. The middle child isn’t muscular, but isn’t lanky like Alder. He’s also a total dreamboat, being a smooth talker and a guy with truly good intentions. His parents always paid equal attention to each of their kids, and were very nurturing and supportive. Perhaps it’s just that as Alder was still very small, his brothers started achieving great things and started to feel like he didn’t belong, like he wasn’t quite as good as the rest of his family. That may be part of why he’s so inarticulate, with his social skills buried under some feelings of inadequacy. Still, his family’s always treated him with love. This is probably how he’s been able to survive adolescence thus far being dumb, tongue-tied and lanky. That, and his sweet dance moves.

When he was younger he was bullied, what with his glasses and out-of-control hair, which only made him more awkward. He became increasingly reclusive, but never failed to find a way to express himself with people he really trusted. As he grew, he developed a protective air to him, a sort of aura of confidence that kept the mean kids away. Now, they’ve got a sort of mutual respect. He’s aloof and brooding, with some sort of dark secret, which stops anything they say from having any effect on him. Alder just keeps his eyes focused on something distant, on finding a way to live with what he’s done. Girls tend to notice him for this air of mystery and his deep voice like molasses. He’s no longer made fun of (as much) for his difficulty with finding words, as he’s learned to meditate on what he wants to say before opening his mouth. Of course, in a situation where he needs to act quickly, he’ll do it, but the words that come out will be very awkward.

The Figuses (Figi?) have always been pretty well-off, compared to most of District 12, even the merchant section. Alder's parents' jobs necessitated contact with the Mayor, with other Districts, and at times with the Capitol itself. Their kids never needed to take out tesserae, and once in a while they'd even receive a gift from their contacts at the mayor's office or in the Capitol. They kept it quiet, but in their eyes, the regime wasn't all that bad. They saw the poverty of the Seam as a necessary part of a functioning society - they've got a dirty job, but it needed to be done for the many people that benefit from it. This viewpoint, combined with his seemingly lowered capacity for empathy, didn't help when he was struggling to fit in. Still, some would consider it a good thing, as he and his brothers are much less unhappy than the rest of the District. They respect the Games, and see it as an honour to be Reaped, chosen to represent your District in an event that commemorates such an important part in their history.

Other: I got lazy working on his history tbh; more stuff will be developed as I write with him, just wanted to make sure he was out in time for the reaping lol, and I've got stuff to do. id love to see him flail about in the games.
And y’know what? F it. This is just a parody of Napoleon Dynamite. It’s a parody of a parody. I love irony. Sue me.