The Fifth Annual Writer Games: The Fall

District Eleven Male: Bakari Maua [LightOfTheMooneh]

Name: Bakari Maua

Age: 18

District: 11

Sex: Male

Physical Appearance: Bakari's skin is the paragon of District Eleven; it's a walnut brown, a hue lighter than his attentive eyes. A wide nose sits atop full lips, and thick, tangled hair sits atop his scalp, black in color and cut short. His cheekbones jut out, sitting high on his face, and his jawline is prominent, giving him the beauty heartless Capitol animals (they've even got those whisker implants!) fawn over. Bakari stands at an intimidating height, back straightened and stance wide, with calloused hands and muscle that has built up over a few years of labor--muscle that, he hopes, will get him allies (just allies, of course).

Personality: Bakari is defined by his pride. He refuses to stand down, refuses to let himself fear, refuses to let others care for him. But Bakari is also defined by his caring nature. His concern for his siblings and cousins is beyond immeasurable. He has grown independent and resilient over the years, toughened by the hard work required to help support the family. But there's also a lot of hatred boiling under the surface: for the Capitol, for his mother, for the district.

Background: Abasi Maua was successful at being rebel: he stood up for freedom, got captured, and was hung in the mass executions that followed the end of the rebellion. But Abasi Maua was a failure of a father. Dahlia Maua was successful at following orders: she worked long hours in the fields, nurtured her nieces and nephews, and though she cried, she watched her husband die without speaking out. And then the Treaty of Treason was signed, and Dahlia Maua broke the rules: she disappeared. She became a failure of a mother. At eight years old, Bakari Maua realized that life sucked, so he learned to hug his siblings tighter.

Bakari and his siblings Ebo (17), Anat (16), and Nerfertiti (14) grew up with their mother's sister, Auntie Nettle, and her husband Vetch, who chose to abstain from having children after the beginning of the Hunger Games in hopes of never condemning their children to the possibility of such a barbaric death. Their resolve only lasted a few years when Toad (5), Yew (3) and Basil (2) were born. Bakari learned to care for the trio as his own siblings, and when Ebo got into a plowing accident that took his left hand, Bakari worked relentlessly with his Uncle to help the family of eight survive. When Anat stole an apple, he took the blame and the whipping. He worked in the fields, day in and day out. And when the Hunger Games played, he watched: this was what Dahlia Maua ran away from. He refused to fear it.

Reaped

Weapon of Choice: Sickle

Token: A silver anklet, the only piece of jewelry Dahlia Maua owned. Bakari hated his mother for disappearing, hated her for leaving out of fear, and he hated that she left something behind. And though he hates that silver anklet, he always wears it, because maybe deep down, even if he's afraid to admit it, he misses his mother.