Finnick Odair, District 4 (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
finnick_odair) wrote2012-04-05 08:13 pm
finnick_odair) wrote2012-04-05 08:13 pm
Application for Finnick Odair (The Hunger Games)
PLAYER INFO
PLAYER NAME » sAmmii
PLAYER JOURNAL » finnick_odair
AGE » 33
EMAIL » sammii.mun@gmail.com
INSTANT MESSAGING » AIM: sammiiwinchester
OTHER METHOD OF CONTACT » n/a
HOW MANY CHARACTERS DO YOU CURRENTLY PLAY? » n/a
CHARACTER INFO
CHARACTER NAME » Finnick Odair
FANDOM » The Hunger Games
CANON-POINT » About halfway through Mockingjay, before Annie's rescue
HISTORY » Wiki
AU SETTING/PAST GAME HISTORY » This isn't really AU or past game, per se, it's more where I've filled in the blanks on his history, since we don't really get much in canon. :)
~~~~~~~~
Finnick was born in District 4, one of the richer Districts in the world of Panem. His father owned a fishing boat and a very successful fishing business, and Finnick grew up happy and comfortable, wanting for nothing. A bright and confident child, Finnick also showed a great deal of physical ability at a young age. Strong, with an athletic build and competitive spirit that manifested early, he was a natural choice to someday represent District 4 in the Hunger Games.
Training nearly all the time that he wasn't at sea (his truest love was always the Sea, and being at sea, something that nothing could ever force out of him, even the opulence of the Capitol), he gained lethal proficiency not just with spears and swords - the more traditional weapons of Career tributes, but also with his personal weapon of choice - the three-pronged trident.
Although nobody was surprised that Finnick volunteered as Tribute, there were many surprised that he chose to do so at such a young age - he was only fourteen when he volunteered in the place of of a twelve year old from the inland (and considerably more impoverished) area of District 4 for the 65th Annual Games.
Already incredibly attractive, fit, and with a confidence and already developing sensuality that far surpassed the rest of the Tributes that year, Finnick wanted for nothing in the Games, even receiving a trident from a sponsor - Katniss comments that it was probably the most expensive sponsor gift ever given. He won the games rather easily, with his natural talent and support from sponsors, but the aftermath was not the glorious and easy life he had been raised to believe.
For two years, Finnick was left to enjoy himself and his winnings in District 4. But days after his sixteenth birthday, when the Capitol judged him old enough, Finnick was visited by President Snow, who let him know in no uncertain terms that he was expected to do his part for the Capitol by letting them sell his body to the highest bidder. Horrified at this idea, Finnick rebelled at first, refusing to be complicit in such a thing. Snow responded by having his parents executed, and after that there was no more protest from Finnick. Sold into sexual slavery then at the age of sixteen, Finnick fell into despair. Losing his sexual autonomy and control over his own sense of self led him to self-medicate a la Haymitch, especially when he was forced to mentor the confident and ignorant Tributes from District 4.
He drank to forget, but nothing could wipe the horrors he faced from his mind, or free him from the guilt he felt over his parents deaths, or the disgust he felt towards himself for Volunteering for all of this. In public, he put on a devil-may-care persona; a sensual and seductive mask that protected the tender person within, and that was also demanded by the Capitol who controlled him. Those who bought him used him without thought, seeing him as a status symbol and proof of their wealth - that they could afford a liason with Panem's most attractive victor. The non-consensual part (and the monetary part) were conveniently left out of public discourse. Finnick, however, mentally catalogued all of the secrets that were told to him by his string of lovers - the sick and perverse things they did to him, or the things they told him because they saw him as little more than an Avox - not perceiving the threat that he posed them.
Finnick's downhill spiral was stopped when he met Annie Cresta, the tribute from District 4 for the 70th Hunger Games. A lovely young woman (although not more so than many of the others girls he had been with), her gentleness touched something deep inside him, and as he mentored her, his heart began to soften. This terrified him, and he was likely more harsh with her at times than he had been with many of the other tributes. But what had begun could not be stopped, and by the time the Games began, he was completely in love with her, although he would not admit it to himself until the Games had ended and she had survived.
The Games had not been easy for Annie, leaving her mentally damaged and suffering from extreme PTSD, but if anything, this just made her more dear to Finnick. She understood, and in her he found someone in whom he could confide. She became in every way his soulmate. He confessed to her everything that had happened to him, cried on her shoulder, listened to her stories of horror, and comforted her in turn. They developed an intense need for the other's company, becoming almost dangerous codependent, as is shown by Finnick's mental collapse when she's taken prisoner in Mockingjay.
Of course, the addition of Annie in Finnick's life was not something the Capitol appreciated in the least, as it undercut their presentation of Finnick as a most eligible bachelor and possible lover for the rich residents of the Capitol. Finnick stepped forward to protect her, agreeing to things he had never agreed to before, and agreeing not to mention her or have her in the Capitol during the Games, as long as she was left alone. It was an agreement that Snow reluctantly agreed to, but the threat on her was always there, eating at the pit of Finnick's soul.
When he Volunteered again for the 75th Hunger Games (as part of a rebellion that had already begun in Four), part of his motivation for fighting at all was the hope that he and Annie could finally be public and free with their relationship, and that everything that had happened to him, and the threats on Annie, would finally and completely end.
When they broke out of the arena and found themselves in 13, he was horrified to find that they had not been quick enough to save Annie from 4 - she had been taken prisoner by the Capitol. This led Finnick into a complete mental breakdown, one from which he would not pull himself until she was rescued by the team from Thirteen that also rescued Peeta.
At the point I am bringing Finnick into the Land of Make Believe, Annie has not yet returned to Thirteen, and he's in the middle of a complete mental breakdown. Crying nearly continuously, distracted and unable to think of little more than what's happening to Annie in the Capitol, he's a shadow of the man he is when she's there.
PERSONALITY » We are first introduced to Finnick when he is reaped for the 3rd Quarter Quell, as the male tribute from District 4. We are told of his strings of lovers that he loves and leaves, and Katniss speaks about his extreme sexuality. One is given the impression that he is little more than an incredibly sensual and deadly jock, but a very shallow young man.
This turns out to be far from the case. As we learn more about him, we learn that Finnick is an incredibly complex, and even tragic young man.
After his victory in the 65th Hunger Games, Finnick, because of his extreme beauty, was forced into sexual slavery by the Capitol - sold at exorbitant rates by President Snow and others in charge, to visiting VIPs. Unable to resist because of the threats they have posed against those he loves, Finnick plays along, burying his traumas under a mask of superficiality.
While in the Arena, we constantly see examples of Finnick's bravery and strength, but there are also startling images of his vulnerability and compassion. For example, after Mag's death, Finnick takes guard duty so that he can mourn for his friend, and we are told that in the morning, his eyes are still "puffy" from weeping. In another example, in the woods with the Jabberjays, Finnick loses all reason when he hears the bird mimicking the screaming of his beloved Annie.
Once the Rebels break out of the Arena, and are taken to District 13, from where the Rebellion will be staged, Finnick falls into a deep depression and mental breakdown. Annie, the love of his life, and the rock on which he leans, has been taken prisoner by the Capitol, and thinking of her being tortured and possibly killed is more than he can bear. Katniss describes how he spends most of his time weeping and tying knots to distract himself, and at times is nearly catatonic.
Far from being 'devil may care' and lackadaisical in his love life, Finnick is deeply and almost co-dependently in love with "mad" Annie Cresta, to the point that being without her robs him of all of his strength to deal with his own traumas. It is only with Annie's presence that he is able to find peace, and show himself as the man he truly is.
While physically strong, he is mentally weak and prone to breakdowns if his connection with her is cut. In an essay I read about the character, it posits that Annie is the rock he needs to keep him from falling into the pit of his Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and without her there is nothing to keep him from falling into the abyss. This is what we see at the beginning of Mockingjay, when Katniss describes his mental breakdown.
Aside from this, he is also intelligent, loyal, brave, and when in control of himself possesses an easy-going sense-of-humor.
ABILITIES/WEAKNESSES » He's very physically fit, absolutely lethal with a trident. He's good at anything to do with swimming, diving, fishing or boating. His biggest weaknesses are mental - his own PTSD from years of sexual slavery and his love for Annie Cresta.
DREAM POWER » Finnick's dream power is going to be an ability to improve upon his physical skills while sleeping. Meaning that, for instance, practicing throwing his trident in his dreams will translate to actual improved throwing when he's awake. Or learning to tie a new knot in his sleep means he will be able to do it when he awakens.
CHARACTER SAMPLES
NETWORK SAMPLE »
VIDEO
[Finnick is looking into the communicator, his sea-green eyes slightly haunted, although he also appears outwardly pleased with himself for figuring out how to get this thing to work.]
Um. Yeah, so. This is working?
[He turns it sideways until he sees the little red blinking light, and turns it rightside up again, with a little smile]
Yeah, so, this place? Not so sure about it. Looks like a desert. Don't like deserts much. The lady at the hospital seemed nice enough, but...yeah. Not quite thrilled about being somewhere I didn't choose to be. Again. Is the Capitol behind this? Or am I just going nuts?
[He sighs slightly, realizing that he's rambling, and the haunted look strengthens]
Look, to be honest, I'm not sure if this is real. Maybe I've snapped or something. I wasn't feeling myself, and then I wake up in this place...if there's anyone out there who knows me, I'd really like to talk to you...or anyone out there who can prove to me that this is real, and not just me having totally lost my mind. I don't do well without Annie, so I'm afraid that's rather possible...
[He starts to turn it off, but then remembers something]
Oh! And has anyone seen my trident?
LOG SAMPLE »
Finnick sat on the floor of his room, his hands frantically tying and untying the length of rope in his hands. It was his distraction, the way he relieved stress, but it wasn't working as it usually did. Ever since he had arrived here, in this place that he didn't truly understand, he had kept himself locked away in his room, hiding from the world, trying to find solace in the usual places.
It wasn't working.
It was becoming harder and harder to distract himself with the rope, and his eyes kept flicking towards the window, to the strange landscape that existed outside of it. This wasn't District Thirteen. That, he was sure of. District 13 was underground, a bunker safe from the bombs of the Capitol. There were no windows to the outside world, and the outside world around District 13 didn't look like that.
And then there was the woman who had greeted him when he had awakened in the hospital, and the words that she had spoken to him, which he forced quickly from his mind. They were too...frightening to process right now, at a time when his normal methods of relaxing himself were...insufficient, at best.
If this wasn't Thirteen - and he was sure it wasn't - then how was he supposed to find Annie? And if he didn't find Annie...
He left that question open-ended, because he couldn't bear to finish it. There was no question of finding Annie. He had to. Things would just get worse until he did, and he couldn't bear that thought.
He looked at the messenger on the floor again, the thought flashing through his mind that perhaps he should try to work it, to reach out and try to contact someone who could tell him what was going on. Maybe there was even someone here he knew.
He tied a few more knots while staring at the device, then bit his bottom lip, dropped the rope and reached for it.
He had to do something, and there seemed few other options.
ANYTHING ELSE? » Nope!
PLAYER NAME » sAmmii
PLAYER JOURNAL » finnick_odair
AGE » 33
EMAIL » sammii.mun@gmail.com
INSTANT MESSAGING » AIM: sammiiwinchester
OTHER METHOD OF CONTACT » n/a
HOW MANY CHARACTERS DO YOU CURRENTLY PLAY? » n/a
CHARACTER INFO
CHARACTER NAME » Finnick Odair
FANDOM » The Hunger Games
CANON-POINT » About halfway through Mockingjay, before Annie's rescue
HISTORY » Wiki
AU SETTING/PAST GAME HISTORY » This isn't really AU or past game, per se, it's more where I've filled in the blanks on his history, since we don't really get much in canon. :)
~~~~~~~~
Finnick was born in District 4, one of the richer Districts in the world of Panem. His father owned a fishing boat and a very successful fishing business, and Finnick grew up happy and comfortable, wanting for nothing. A bright and confident child, Finnick also showed a great deal of physical ability at a young age. Strong, with an athletic build and competitive spirit that manifested early, he was a natural choice to someday represent District 4 in the Hunger Games.
Training nearly all the time that he wasn't at sea (his truest love was always the Sea, and being at sea, something that nothing could ever force out of him, even the opulence of the Capitol), he gained lethal proficiency not just with spears and swords - the more traditional weapons of Career tributes, but also with his personal weapon of choice - the three-pronged trident.
Although nobody was surprised that Finnick volunteered as Tribute, there were many surprised that he chose to do so at such a young age - he was only fourteen when he volunteered in the place of of a twelve year old from the inland (and considerably more impoverished) area of District 4 for the 65th Annual Games.
Already incredibly attractive, fit, and with a confidence and already developing sensuality that far surpassed the rest of the Tributes that year, Finnick wanted for nothing in the Games, even receiving a trident from a sponsor - Katniss comments that it was probably the most expensive sponsor gift ever given. He won the games rather easily, with his natural talent and support from sponsors, but the aftermath was not the glorious and easy life he had been raised to believe.
For two years, Finnick was left to enjoy himself and his winnings in District 4. But days after his sixteenth birthday, when the Capitol judged him old enough, Finnick was visited by President Snow, who let him know in no uncertain terms that he was expected to do his part for the Capitol by letting them sell his body to the highest bidder. Horrified at this idea, Finnick rebelled at first, refusing to be complicit in such a thing. Snow responded by having his parents executed, and after that there was no more protest from Finnick. Sold into sexual slavery then at the age of sixteen, Finnick fell into despair. Losing his sexual autonomy and control over his own sense of self led him to self-medicate a la Haymitch, especially when he was forced to mentor the confident and ignorant Tributes from District 4.
He drank to forget, but nothing could wipe the horrors he faced from his mind, or free him from the guilt he felt over his parents deaths, or the disgust he felt towards himself for Volunteering for all of this. In public, he put on a devil-may-care persona; a sensual and seductive mask that protected the tender person within, and that was also demanded by the Capitol who controlled him. Those who bought him used him without thought, seeing him as a status symbol and proof of their wealth - that they could afford a liason with Panem's most attractive victor. The non-consensual part (and the monetary part) were conveniently left out of public discourse. Finnick, however, mentally catalogued all of the secrets that were told to him by his string of lovers - the sick and perverse things they did to him, or the things they told him because they saw him as little more than an Avox - not perceiving the threat that he posed them.
Finnick's downhill spiral was stopped when he met Annie Cresta, the tribute from District 4 for the 70th Hunger Games. A lovely young woman (although not more so than many of the others girls he had been with), her gentleness touched something deep inside him, and as he mentored her, his heart began to soften. This terrified him, and he was likely more harsh with her at times than he had been with many of the other tributes. But what had begun could not be stopped, and by the time the Games began, he was completely in love with her, although he would not admit it to himself until the Games had ended and she had survived.
The Games had not been easy for Annie, leaving her mentally damaged and suffering from extreme PTSD, but if anything, this just made her more dear to Finnick. She understood, and in her he found someone in whom he could confide. She became in every way his soulmate. He confessed to her everything that had happened to him, cried on her shoulder, listened to her stories of horror, and comforted her in turn. They developed an intense need for the other's company, becoming almost dangerous codependent, as is shown by Finnick's mental collapse when she's taken prisoner in Mockingjay.
Of course, the addition of Annie in Finnick's life was not something the Capitol appreciated in the least, as it undercut their presentation of Finnick as a most eligible bachelor and possible lover for the rich residents of the Capitol. Finnick stepped forward to protect her, agreeing to things he had never agreed to before, and agreeing not to mention her or have her in the Capitol during the Games, as long as she was left alone. It was an agreement that Snow reluctantly agreed to, but the threat on her was always there, eating at the pit of Finnick's soul.
When he Volunteered again for the 75th Hunger Games (as part of a rebellion that had already begun in Four), part of his motivation for fighting at all was the hope that he and Annie could finally be public and free with their relationship, and that everything that had happened to him, and the threats on Annie, would finally and completely end.
When they broke out of the arena and found themselves in 13, he was horrified to find that they had not been quick enough to save Annie from 4 - she had been taken prisoner by the Capitol. This led Finnick into a complete mental breakdown, one from which he would not pull himself until she was rescued by the team from Thirteen that also rescued Peeta.
At the point I am bringing Finnick into the Land of Make Believe, Annie has not yet returned to Thirteen, and he's in the middle of a complete mental breakdown. Crying nearly continuously, distracted and unable to think of little more than what's happening to Annie in the Capitol, he's a shadow of the man he is when she's there.
PERSONALITY » We are first introduced to Finnick when he is reaped for the 3rd Quarter Quell, as the male tribute from District 4. We are told of his strings of lovers that he loves and leaves, and Katniss speaks about his extreme sexuality. One is given the impression that he is little more than an incredibly sensual and deadly jock, but a very shallow young man.
This turns out to be far from the case. As we learn more about him, we learn that Finnick is an incredibly complex, and even tragic young man.
After his victory in the 65th Hunger Games, Finnick, because of his extreme beauty, was forced into sexual slavery by the Capitol - sold at exorbitant rates by President Snow and others in charge, to visiting VIPs. Unable to resist because of the threats they have posed against those he loves, Finnick plays along, burying his traumas under a mask of superficiality.
While in the Arena, we constantly see examples of Finnick's bravery and strength, but there are also startling images of his vulnerability and compassion. For example, after Mag's death, Finnick takes guard duty so that he can mourn for his friend, and we are told that in the morning, his eyes are still "puffy" from weeping. In another example, in the woods with the Jabberjays, Finnick loses all reason when he hears the bird mimicking the screaming of his beloved Annie.
Once the Rebels break out of the Arena, and are taken to District 13, from where the Rebellion will be staged, Finnick falls into a deep depression and mental breakdown. Annie, the love of his life, and the rock on which he leans, has been taken prisoner by the Capitol, and thinking of her being tortured and possibly killed is more than he can bear. Katniss describes how he spends most of his time weeping and tying knots to distract himself, and at times is nearly catatonic.
Far from being 'devil may care' and lackadaisical in his love life, Finnick is deeply and almost co-dependently in love with "mad" Annie Cresta, to the point that being without her robs him of all of his strength to deal with his own traumas. It is only with Annie's presence that he is able to find peace, and show himself as the man he truly is.
While physically strong, he is mentally weak and prone to breakdowns if his connection with her is cut. In an essay I read about the character, it posits that Annie is the rock he needs to keep him from falling into the pit of his Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and without her there is nothing to keep him from falling into the abyss. This is what we see at the beginning of Mockingjay, when Katniss describes his mental breakdown.
Aside from this, he is also intelligent, loyal, brave, and when in control of himself possesses an easy-going sense-of-humor.
ABILITIES/WEAKNESSES » He's very physically fit, absolutely lethal with a trident. He's good at anything to do with swimming, diving, fishing or boating. His biggest weaknesses are mental - his own PTSD from years of sexual slavery and his love for Annie Cresta.
DREAM POWER » Finnick's dream power is going to be an ability to improve upon his physical skills while sleeping. Meaning that, for instance, practicing throwing his trident in his dreams will translate to actual improved throwing when he's awake. Or learning to tie a new knot in his sleep means he will be able to do it when he awakens.
CHARACTER SAMPLES
NETWORK SAMPLE »
VIDEO
[Finnick is looking into the communicator, his sea-green eyes slightly haunted, although he also appears outwardly pleased with himself for figuring out how to get this thing to work.]
Um. Yeah, so. This is working?
[He turns it sideways until he sees the little red blinking light, and turns it rightside up again, with a little smile]
Yeah, so, this place? Not so sure about it. Looks like a desert. Don't like deserts much. The lady at the hospital seemed nice enough, but...yeah. Not quite thrilled about being somewhere I didn't choose to be. Again. Is the Capitol behind this? Or am I just going nuts?
[He sighs slightly, realizing that he's rambling, and the haunted look strengthens]
Look, to be honest, I'm not sure if this is real. Maybe I've snapped or something. I wasn't feeling myself, and then I wake up in this place...if there's anyone out there who knows me, I'd really like to talk to you...or anyone out there who can prove to me that this is real, and not just me having totally lost my mind. I don't do well without Annie, so I'm afraid that's rather possible...
[He starts to turn it off, but then remembers something]
Oh! And has anyone seen my trident?
LOG SAMPLE »
Finnick sat on the floor of his room, his hands frantically tying and untying the length of rope in his hands. It was his distraction, the way he relieved stress, but it wasn't working as it usually did. Ever since he had arrived here, in this place that he didn't truly understand, he had kept himself locked away in his room, hiding from the world, trying to find solace in the usual places.
It wasn't working.
It was becoming harder and harder to distract himself with the rope, and his eyes kept flicking towards the window, to the strange landscape that existed outside of it. This wasn't District Thirteen. That, he was sure of. District 13 was underground, a bunker safe from the bombs of the Capitol. There were no windows to the outside world, and the outside world around District 13 didn't look like that.
And then there was the woman who had greeted him when he had awakened in the hospital, and the words that she had spoken to him, which he forced quickly from his mind. They were too...frightening to process right now, at a time when his normal methods of relaxing himself were...insufficient, at best.
If this wasn't Thirteen - and he was sure it wasn't - then how was he supposed to find Annie? And if he didn't find Annie...
He left that question open-ended, because he couldn't bear to finish it. There was no question of finding Annie. He had to. Things would just get worse until he did, and he couldn't bear that thought.
He looked at the messenger on the floor again, the thought flashing through his mind that perhaps he should try to work it, to reach out and try to contact someone who could tell him what was going on. Maybe there was even someone here he knew.
He tied a few more knots while staring at the device, then bit his bottom lip, dropped the rope and reached for it.
He had to do something, and there seemed few other options.
ANYTHING ELSE? » Nope!