Castor Jones // D12

Castor's blond hair and blue eyes give away his origins as part of the merchant class, though he now lives in the seam. His hair falls in ringlets reaching his shoulders and his eyes are the brightest blue. Castor keeps his face (and actually most of his body) cleanshaven, giving him a youthful look. He has a bright, charming smile which he wears frequently and which comes accompanied by dimples. Over all, he has a handsome visage and he knows it.

Castor is fit and toned. It is obvious he works out and keeps in good shape, even if he is not exceedingly muscular. He is relatively skinny, but in a healthy way - not the starving way of many people in the seam. He may not have an over abundance of food, but he has enough to get by most days.

Castor generally wears very tight clothes that clearly outline his physique, often with low neck-lines. Most of the fashions of the capitol, Castor finds laughable. But all his life he's rather envied some of the little things he saw on tv. Nail polish, eyeliner... he'd wear those if he could. Maybe a simple tattoo. But there's not really any room for that kind of thing in District 12. It's actually practical for Castor, but there's nowhere to buy beauty products. He settles for paying more mind to his clothes than most.

Castor's a flirt, even when not working. He just likes the attention. But, though he knows that he's handsome and good at his job, he doesn't actually expect anyone to fall in love with him ever again. His self-esteem is kind of wrecked. But on the most part, he hides that well. If he trusts a person enough, he'll sometimes let things slip out that imply as much. But with most people he's somewhat careful what he says and how he portrays himself.

Though deep down he's really struggling emotionally, Castor puts on a good face. He loves to have fun and joke around. He's always smiling and laughing. It's not entirely an act. He's pretty good at distracting himself and actually letting himself be happy - at least surface-level happy. Castor can be a little bit self-destructive. When things are going particularly well for him (not that this happens often), he generally finds a way to mess it up. Not intentionally, of course. But it happens too often to be incidental, to not be a subconscious process.

Castor isn't the type to think things through. He tends to just kind of jump into things head first. He doesn't plan, preferring to take things as they come and wing it. He doesn't consider himself to be terribly smart, and doesn't do well in school. But then, he can't really be said to try most of the time. He finds it boring and near impossible to focus. He prefers to be moving. He loves a thrill and a bit of adrenaline, but it's hard to find those recreationally - and he does not enjoy the more real 'you're about to die' variety. But when opportunities arise for a bit of fun, he'll take it.

Castor grew up in the merchant class in district 12. Which meant his family was moderately well off, by District 12 standards. They never struggled to put some form of dinner on the table, at least. He lived above the shop with his parents, two older brothers, and little sister. His sister was the only one he even remotely got along with. The rest of the family... he was just so different from them. And they could not be said to appreciate the differences. But then, most of the family didn't get along. His parents were in an arranged, unhappy, and often dysfunctional marriage. His older brothers took after their father and fully embraced toxic masculinity, not showing tenderness, affection, or vulnerability. They were constantly fighting - with everyone.

When he was still a young teen, Castor fell for a guy who was several years older than him. When his parents found out, they weren't concerned about whether the relationship was healthy or good for Castor. Instead, they flipped out at the realization that he was gay (even though, as Castor pointed out, they really ought to have known - he hadn't exactly been hiding it). Castor's parents kicked him out, which only served to drive him to his boyfriend. Faced with going to the community home, Castor instead moved in with his boyfriend, who was a legal adult and had his own place. Castor didn't speak to his parents and siblings again. Even his little sister, who their parents forbade to speak to Castor. Meanwhile, Castor's relationship with his boyfriend quickly became toxic and abusive in a myriad of ways. He probably wouldn't call it that, even now. But eventually, it got so bad that he saw little choice but to leave.

Just shy of turning 18 and being allowed to live on his own, Castor wasn't sure what to do. He refused to go try to talk to his parents. Instead, he decided to go to his aunt. He'd never exactly been close to her but she at least seemed less bigoted than his parents. She conceded to let him live there, but only if he paid rent. Castor pointed out that he was too young to work in the mines and didn't know how to make money. But she insisted she would not let him stay if he did not contribute. She didn't care how he came up with the money, as long as he did. And so it was that Castor started working as a prostitute.

Once he was 18 and had saved up enough money, Castor moved out of his Aunt's place and got his own in the seam. He considered trying to get a job in the mines now he was old enough. But he honestly preferred his job to the darkness of the mines. It was safer for one thing. Well, in a sense. It's maybe not the best for his mental health, though that's probably due in large part to the after effects of his ex as much as due to the job itself. Castor mostly sees Peacekeepers as they're the most likely to have the money - and to not have families. But he does occasionally see people from the merchant district as well.