The Third Annual Writer's Game: Roots

District Eleven Female | Therese "Tess" Borde [josie-tee]

Name: Therese "Tess" Borde
Age: 16
Sex: Female
District: 11
Appearance: Uncontrollably curly hair, lighter than Tess would like, springs in ringlets around her face, which is a tan color that proves her hours spent in the sun of the orchards. Her thin face only seems thinner compared to her wide eyes, which match the shade of warm dirt after it's been baking in the fields for hours. She's rather thin, with arms that belie the muscles she firmly declares she has, though whether that's the truth has yet to be proven. Tess is pretty, but in an average way - after people realize her initial beauty, they forget it, which is just the way Tess likes it.
Personality: Tess is quiet and calm - always collected, she never lets anyone see past her cool exterior and composed looks. She tries to keep out of drama that spreads around the orchards faster than wildfire, and ignores comments that could cause her to lose her reputation as the only sane worker in the orchards. She's still friendly, and tries to spend as much time as she can with the other workers, so she isn't seen as frigid. Her entire life is built around being the right level of reserved and open, enough that she doesn't attract attention.  She's had enough of that for a lifetime. Tess has trouble expressing her emotions, but don't mistake that for not having any - she feels just as much as anyone else, just not quite as openly.
Background: Tess was born to a woman who never should have gotten pregnant - she fell in love with a Peacekeeper and they made Tess. Unfortunately, the Peacekeeper left when Miss Borde was only a few months pregnant, and refused to have any contact with his daughter. To Tess's dismay, she resembles her father more than her mother, but she doesn't let that bother her much anymore. She faced taunts as a child, and learned how to bottle herself up. She started working in the orchards at nine, and hasn't changed in years.
Reaped/Volunteered: Reaped.
Strengths: She's not likely to let anyone frazzle her, and she's calm under pressure. Tess is stronger than she looks, but not by much. She knows her way around trees and can identify poisonous or dangerous plants in seconds, as well as climb them like a monkey - perhaps not flit from treetop to treetop, but she can disappear in foliage before anyone else even notices her.
Weaknesses: She is prone to forgetfulness, and her closed-off emotional state make alliances nearly out of the question. She also has some resentment for her mother, for not tracking down her father and making him stay. She wants to meet her father, but he's not the biggest part of her life.
Token: A badge that was her father's, but to Tess, it's more synonymous of what he left behind - her.