#ember.task

When your character thinks of their childhood kitchen, what smell do they associate with it?

he has no opinions positive or negative on it, it just is a room in his house, but the smell he associates with it is that of bacon being friend in the mornings

What does your character do on Saturday mornings?

sleeps in until he’s so hungry he can’t stand it, peels himself out of bed to get breakfast, and then crawls back into bed as soon as possible

Do they cry in front of others?

not intentionally, but it does happen

When did they last make a promise?

he promised himself that he would try his hardest to win

Do they believe in love at first sight?

yes, yes, and 100% yes

Do they have any phobias?

ember is afraid of absolutely everything. other people? check. spiders? check. dying alone? check. literally any human interaction? check check check.

What is their favourite colour? Why?

pine green!! it’s dark, but still comforting, he loves the outdoors,

What is their motto?

overprepare, then go with the flow

What ridiculous grudges do they hold? (ie: that time someone never gave their favorite pen back, their 5th grade teacher making fun of them, something a friend said when they were in middle school)

he’s not one to hold any grudges, he tries his best to forgive people and meet them where they’re at. even if they people who made fun of him back home apologized, he would forgive them

What three words would others use to describe them?

spacey, naive, weak

If they could choose their epitaph for their grave, what would they choose?

he has no idea, he’s never had to think about it before

Game night with their family or movie night with their friends?

movie night w/ his friends

Your character’s favourite song just came on the radio, but they’re in public! Do they contain themselves or do they rock out without a second thought? (Extra Q: What would their favourite song today be?)

definitely contains himself, he doesn’t deal with embarrassment well.

Sassy or classy?

yes

Is your character more likely to admire wisdom, or ambition in others?

wisdom

In the face of criticism, is your character defensive, self-deprecating, or willing to improve?

self-deprecating and overly eager to improve

How easy or difficult is it for your character to say “I love you?” Can they say it without meaning it?

extremely difficult, he’s only ever said it to his parents out of obligation.

When faced with a bug in their home does your character let them go outside? Do they squash them? Do they burn the house to the ground? Or do they ignore them?

brings the bug outside #setbugsfree

What boosts your character’s confidence the most?

when people enjoy spending time with him

Does your character snore?

like really quietly, but yes

Does your character like storms?

light storms, yes as long as he’s inside, but once the storms become heavy with thunder and lightening, he’s outta there

What is a specific headcanon you have for your character?

when his mom knocks on his door at 8:17am, he wakes up in his bed with a start. 

“come on ember, get up, i’m not going to ask you again,” she says, and he responds quickly, shouting to her that he’s awake and basically almost ready to go. one look in the mirror reveals the opposite, and he rushes to his closet to found the outfit his dad had selected the night before.

he pulls his clothes on quickly, his brown pants hitting his ankles just so and needing a couple of tries to get the buttons on his cream colored shirt button correctly. he tucks his shirt in, leaves the top two buttons undone, and puts on his lucky necklace. moving to the mirror now, he runs his fingers through his hair, attempting to calm down the unruly waves that scream “chronic oversleeper.”

he looks at the clock, 8:22. not too bad.

grabbing his boots, he runs downstairs to the kitchen. the smell of bacon fills the air and he smiles. reaping day is the one day a year his mom and dad cook breakfast together as opposed to one starting on their projects for the day and the other handle the cooking. but today, both are cooking what they are best at.

his dad fries bacon, his mom finishes up the waffles and he sits at the breakfast table, tying his shoes and smiling at his parents. it is moments like these when he forgets the expectations, forgets all the pressure, and is grateful for such a loving family.

“really? you couldn’t have at least have taken a shower? you know you’re representing this family, right?” his mom asks as she brings the food over to the table.

so much for that sentiment.

he scarfs down breakfast easily and quickly, and bolts out the door, telling his parents he’ll see them after the reaping’s done. they do not know that he will not be back home until at least after the games are finished, if he makes it home at all.

he figures it would better if they didn’t know.

when he gets to the reaping, his eyes are immediately drawn to the two tallest boys in his year. these are the boys responsible for him hiding in the hallways at school, never wanting to be seen by them for fear of being made fun of. he gets his finger pricked and hides in the back of the section for the kids his eyes, wanting to avoid unnecessary attention.

by the team the ceremony truly begins, all eyes are forward towards the stage and no one is looking at him. he enjoys his last moments of invisibility, the last moments of blending into a crowd.

the girl’s name is chosen and someone volunteers, a girl he recognizes from math class. he wonders why she does it and then he remembers her twin dying in the games a few years prior.

it is a shame that this is what rips closeknit families apart, but his family is not close enough for it to have any effect on them, he knows this, and that is why his hand shoots up to volunteer when the boy’s name is chosen.

in an instant, the invisibility is gone. it’s like he’s being put under a microscope by the entire district, like he’s doing an interview for his parents again about the son of such successful people, but this time, it’s the entire district who’s staring at him, waiting to see what he’s going to do next.

what he is going to do next is walk up on stage like he’s supposed to, give a small smile to the crowd, tell the escort his name, and try his best to survive. he does not make eye contact with his parents, he can’t bear to look them in the eye. he doesn’t want to see their expressions, or lack thereof.

they do not come to say goodbye, he is not surprised, and when he catches their post-reaping interview on the train ride to the capitol, he turns the tv off immediately.