Ezra McCoy

## Bio

*Ezra McCoy (he/him). Tribute. District Two. Twenty. Daryl McCormack*.

Growing up as a McCoy in district two had it’s perks for sure, but for the most part, ever since he could remember, Ezra felt a pressure on his shoulders heavier than the world itself. His nursery rhymes sang about slaying other tributes, his bedtime stories rehashed stories of past victors, and at an age much too young to be leaving home, Ezra was stationed at the academy so that he could be best prepared to follow in the footsteps of the line of victors that share his surname.

Patrick McCoy was an unlikely victor. At the young age of thirteen, unprepared with no training, he was reaped into the arena when the lined up volunteer failed to show– found later that day trembling in the shadows and now looked upon by the whole district as a black sheep. Patrick lucked out in the gene department, stronger and bigger then most young teens, and with intelligence to go with it, he made it through his arena relatively unscathed. As a victor, Patrick vowed that he would never let another member of his family share the same journey, and from then on, all McCoy’s would be trained at the academy so that they could be prepared for a stint in the arena at any time.

Ezra’s grandfather James was the next victor for the family, and some say the fear he instilled in the other tributes allowed him to win alone, but other’s argued his epic battle with the tribute from four in the finale was the stuff of legends. After his tour, he stayed with the academy, spent all day every day overlooking the training and candidates of the future. James died young, a brain bleed– but Ezra had heard his parents discuss it on many occasions, stating that his death was caused by fulfilling his life duty and having nothing more to strive for.

When Ezra’s brother Arlo volunteered two years ago, the family were so confident in him, that the goodbyes said after reaping were so casual it felt more like a see you later. They were shook to the core when Arlo was killed in the bloodbath– a quick dagger to the chest felt like an explosion in the McCoy household.

They told him he could wait, train for another few years until he was just about to age out, but Ezra was ready to explode every minute of every day, so before the scheduled tribute stepped forward, Ezra cut in front and volunteered himself. Even though this was what he had been born for, you can still hear the gasp that came from his parents in the otherwise silent crowd. They were not ready to send another son into an arena in which they knew almost too well the dangers it could hold.

Ezra is a stubborn person. He is intelligent, like his great great grandfather– good with numbers, not so great with the arts. He is a perfectionist, willing to do a task or a skill over and over again until he has it right. He has built himself to be strong and fast, eats healthy sleeps well. With all this drive and determination comes a lot of sacrifices. Ezra squashes his emotions, he has not only not allowed himself to grieve the loss of his brother, but also the absence of a childhood overall. He can be cold, selfish, and ultimately emotionally unavailable – a statement his ex-girlfriend whom looks to be joining him in representing district two in the 134th bi-annual Hunger Games can probably agree with.

Ezra will take Arlo’s bracelet which was retrieved from his body as his token for the arena, a ruby pendant on thin gold chain to represent his birth stone.

+ intelligent, determined, brave || - selfish, one-track mind, fear of failure.

**PENNED BY: ELLE**