The Fifth Annual Writer Games: The Fall

District Two Male: Eitan Mizrahi [TheCatKing]

Name: Eitan Mizrahi

Age: 18

District: Two

Sex: Male

Physical Appearance: On the whole, Two is not a beautiful district. Its people lack the delicate features of One, the glowing health of Four, and the sophisticated palates of the Capitol. Having said that, all trends have exceptions—and Eitan is one of Two's. He stands at five feet, eleven inches tall, Two's characteristically stringy-yet-strong build seeming lean on him. His eyes are a rich brown several shades darker than his skin, and glossy black hair is cut short and practical. The lines of his face are unmarred save for a slight bump where his nose was broken as a child.

Even more noticeable than his good looks, however, are the scars scattered about his body. A cluster of fine white lines on his forearms and hands, remnants of a time when he was less dexterous with knives. Little ridges on his abdomen mark fall onto the sharp mountain rocks; the soles of his feet are callused and scarred alike from long treks barefoot far from anything one might call 'paved'.

Personality: In many ways Eitan is afraid to report that his personality is not up to snuff, from the perspective of a tribute. The Capitol wanted its tributes to be subservient; he obeys when it suits him and at no other time. They wanted him to be charming; he can fake a laugh, force a smile, but it's not real and in the end, he doesn't care enough to improve it. What he is to his core is a pragmatist. Every decision is made with his own survival and prosperity in mind, without a shred of compunction, grandstanding, or mercy once he's decided on a course of action. It's difficult to earn his respect, and even harder to earn his affection to the point where some have said he isn't capable of it.

Background: Two as a District wasn't hit quite so hard as the other Districts by the ravages of war ten years earlier: a fortunate turn of events, since the mountains are harsh enough that major damage would render it all but uninhabitable. Nonetheless, the population, once proud and prosperous, was decimated by a bioweapon that left the people reeling and the quarries undamaged. The back of the rebellion was broken, and those known to have supported the rebels were subjected to economic sanctions. Among their number was the last surviving Mizrahi man and his eight-year-old son, condemned by his late wife's participation. Eitan spent the last decade of his life barely above poverty despite the constant labor of a father who never truly recovered from the abrupt death of his entire family in the war. It was during this time that he made a few observations about the world. First: that it was cruel and pitiless, uncaring of his father's plight and his own borderline starvation. Second: that in such a world, the only way to survive and thrive was the acquisition of power, whether it be money, influence, or combative ability. The Capitol had it, and using it subjugated the Districts. The Districts lacked it, and were thusly subjugated. Third: that the Capitol was willing to dole out fractions of its power, in the delightfully useful form of fame and fortune, to those who could gamble their lives in the Games and win.

Fourth: that the way to win the Games was to be the deadliest, most ruthless, survivor in the arena. By this metric, Eitan likes his odds.

Family Tree:

Golda and Benjamin Mizrahi: Grandparents (killed in bombing raid)

Miriam and Nathan Schreiber: Grandparents (killed by bioweapon)

Asif Mizrahi: Uncle (killed by bioweapon)

Sarah Mizrahi: Mother (freedom fighter killed during raid on Peacekeeper station)

Shmuel Mizrahi: Father (alive, though he truly wishes he wasn't)

Volunteered

Weapon of Choice: Knives. They're more useful than a sword, and easier to hide.

Token: Really, what would be the point in squandering another family heirloom if he never makes it home?