Venus

> "I don't know what it is, but there's something off about the girl from District Two."
>
> - Tourmaline on Venus

**Venus** is the main antagonist of *The Sixty-Fourth Hunger Games* She was the female tribute from District 2. She was the deadliest tribute in the arena, and Imogen Cressfall's primary adversary.

## Biography

### Early life

> "There's a darkness about her, one that surpasses your typical Career. Everything from the listnessness in her eyes to the solidarity in her body suggests a predator. A predator with an apetite for human flesh."
>
> - Imogen's first impression of Venus, Part One: The Arena. Chapter 1. Pg 1

Venus lived in District 2 prior to the 64th Hunger Games and likely trained for the Hunger Games alongside her fellow district members. In a brief scene, Venus states that Larimar still has "dreams" in her eyes. This nihilistic outlook on the world is a key part of Venus as a whole, and is assumed to have been influenced by severe childhood trauma. Despite being alluded to throughout the novel, there are no details regarding Venus's childhood.

### Interview

> "-The girl from District Two possesses an eerie uncanniness. At times, it's hard to believe she isn't a muttation purposefully designed to kill us all. In a way, she is."
>
> - Larimar's thoughts on Venus, Part One: The Arena.

In the novel, Venus's interview isn't mentioned. However, due to her personality and general intimidating presense, it can be assumed that she played up the 'ruthless killer' angle to great success.

### Cornucopia bloodbath

Venus is sparsely mentioned during the bloodbath. Her only confirmed kill during the bloodbath is the boy from District 7, who she stabs in the brain. It can be assumed that Venus killed more tributes during or after Imogen's escape from the Cornucopia.

#### Alliance

> "I know the Career Tributes, the vicious pack that'll roam the arena tonight-- I know they'll have sponsors. It'll be the tributes from Districts 1,2, and 4. Who've trained for this."
>
> - Imogen's thoughts during the early stages of the Games

As is traditional in the Hunger Games, the tributes from Districts 1, 2, and 4 form an alliance before the Games even begin. This consisted of Tourmaline and Sephtor from District 1, Venus and Nero from District 2, and Salton from District 4. The District 4 female, Larimar, seems to become Venus's "lover" throughout the Games, though this is nearly entirely against her will. Furthermore, it's unclear if Venus genuinely loves Larimar, is obsessed with her, or simply enjoys using her for sexual gratification and menial tasks.

#### First night

> "Stop struggling, little girl. Stop struggling. Shh. Be still. Let it happen."
>
> - Venus to the girl from District 6

On the first night of the Games, the Careers find the pair from District 6. Nero and Salton restrain the girl from District 6 as Sephtor and Venus begin to torture the District 6 boy regarding the whereabouts of the other tributes. Venus and Sephtor are equally aware that the boy would have no means of knowing the other tributes' locations, but torture him regardless. Larimar is visibly shaken by this ordeal, especially since the girl from District 6 screams and pleads for the Careers to stop. Venus, noticing Larimar's sympathy for the bloodied boy, forces her to shoot him-- first in every limb and finally in through his heart. Larimar complies and begins to silently weep as the girl from District 6 watches her partner die.

Pleased, Venus allows Larimar to retrieve her arrows. While she's doing that, the rest of the Careers pin the District 6 girl to the floor. Venus then hops on top of her, chooses her smallest knife, and slowly saws off the girl's head. This takes a long time, and the other Careers are also visibly shaken by Venus's actions by this point. Venus finally finishes and the girl dies. Venus then kicks the head towards Larimar, casually stating that it's heavier than she would've imagined.

#### Venus, Larimar, and Nero chase Imogen

**Nero**: *"Don't mark her up this time. Kill her quick. Don't mark her up like you did the little boy."*
**Venus**: *"I'll think about it."*
*—Nero to Venus upon noticing the chase is on.*

Three days into the Games, the Careers decide to split up. Larimar, Nero, and Venus trek the arena and eventually find Imogen. Because Larimar misses her shot with the bow, the Careers are forced to chase Imogen. Imogen manages to slow them down after throwing a knife at Nero, which hits his thigh. Larimar stays behind to help Nero but Venus continues the chase without once checking on her allies. The two girls race down a trecherous rocky cliff and due to her superior speed and agility, Venus eventually catches up to Imogen. Panicked, Imogen takes advantage of her smaller size and hides inside one of the many tiny caves. Because Venus is larger, heavier, and overall less thin than Imogen, she cannot pursue Imogen. Venus then tells Imogen that if she wanted to, she could bury her alive with a few boulders right now. However, Venus spares Imogen, deciding that because she's so easy to kill, there's no rush to get it over with so soon. This deeply disturbs Imogen, who leaves the small cave by sunset to ensure the Careers are gone.

#### Tourmaline

> "Leave her alone, Two. A monster like you has no right to love of any sort. "
>
> - Tourmaline defending Larimar from Venus

From the onset of the Games, it's very clear that Venus is resented by her alliance for her especially graphic means of dispatching the other tributes. Tourmaline, however, appears to loathe Venus both for that and for her attachment to Larimar.

On the sixth day, Venus is preparing to beat Larimar, but Tourmaline steps in before it can escalate. Venus casually throws Tourmaline aside and makes way for Larimar, but Tourmaline steps in again, this time drawing her hatchet. Venus laughs, stating that Tourmaline wouldn't last a minute against her even if the hatchet were the sharpest thing the Capital could give. Salton steps in, stating that it's unwise to break the alliance so early. Nero joins him by stating they look like fools bickering amongst eachother so early, and that the Capital may write them off as incompetent. It's this that makes Venus drop the altercation and go elsewhere. Later on, Larimar thanks Tourmaline for stepping in but fears that Venus will retaliate when Tourmaline isn't around. Tourmaline reassures her by saying she'll do her best to partner up with her when the Careers split up during the day, therefore Venus is always within Tourmaline's sight.

Tourmaline and Larimar share a sisterly bond, with Tourmaline eventually becoming very protective over Larimar. This, naturally, causes Tourmaline and Venus to argue and fight very frequently. Tourmaline is very vocal about her disgust regarding Venus as a person and is sure to let Venus know on multiple occassions.

#### Larimar

> "Are you proud of me? Don't say no, Venus. Please don't say no."
>
> - Larimar to Venus

Despite being a Career tribute and capable in her own right, Larimar is the youngest (16) and physically weakest in the Career pack, thus making her a prime target for Venus. Venus is extremely loving to Larimar from the beginning despite being netural or downright rude with the other Careers. Larimar initially rejects Venus's advances, stating that it's stupid to love someone when only one tribute can win the Hunger Games. When Venus kills the District 6 tributes on night 2, Larimar falls into a short panic attack and is comforted by Venus (despite Venus being the causation of this panic attack). Venus assures Larimar that she's the only one that can keep her safe in the arena, promising to never be so violent again if it'll make Larimar happy. Over the next few days, Venus showers Larimar with declarations of appreciation and admiration. Venus compliments all of Larimar's more striking qualities and is amazed at how much they seemingly have in common. Larimar begins to think of Venus as a beast that only she can tame. Lulled into a false sense of love by Venus's charm and the idea of being the sole owner of her heart, Larimar admits her sttraction to Venus on night 4.

This constant love and affection lasts two more days, and then Venus begins to grow cold. Larimar is taken aback and scared of losing Venus's love, as by now she's grown very attached to the girl from Two. Venus ignores Larimar and only acknowledges her when Larimar forces the interaction. Venus still dotes on Larimar by means of words, gifts, or physical affection, but it becomes infrequent and more farther spaced as the days drag on. Larimar becomes less of a human to Venus and more of a pet-- following her everywhere and surviving purely off of the crumbs of affection Venus provides. The Career boys either don't notice or care, but Tourmaline grows very worried for Larimar over time and talks to her about Venus's often scary nature many times. Despite seeming to digest Tourmaline's warnings, Larimar still throws herself at Venus at the nearest opportunity, displaying a dependancy to her.

Venus begins to blame her waning interest for Larimar on her frequenting Tourmaline, suggesting that Larimar is at fault for Venus's sudden lack of interest. Larimar tries to reason with Venus, but Venus is adamant in saying that Larimar must stop talking and interacting with Tourmaline to redeem herself and prove her love. Begrudingly, Larimar forces herself to ignore Tourmaline and is even openly rude to her at various points. Venus rewards this behavior through affection.

When the Careers try and fail to kill Agatha, the girl from District 10, Venus grows furious and brutally beats Larimar, almost to death. Upon waking, Larimar notices that Nero and Tourmaline are standing over her. Nero demands to know what's going on between Venus and Larimar, believing it to not be healthy for the pack's general health. Tourmaline agrees but eventually manages to get Nero to leave. Larimar's first concern is how disappointed Venus must be in her, yet Tourmaline immediately stops this train of thought reminding her that her District partner, Salton, has died, and that if anything, she should be mourning him, not worrying about Venus. Furthermore, she reveals the extent of Venus's manipulation. Killing the District 6 tributes violently enough to warrent a reaction from Larimar so she could swoop in and comfort her. Trying to distance her from Tourmaline. Larimar feels stupid but Tourmaline says she's seen older people fall for it back at District 1's academy, and that she can't choose who she falls in love with. Lulled by her soft words and touch, Larimar sleeps while Tourmaline keeps guard.

Venus corners Larimar days later when Tourmaline isn't around, reminding her to stop seeing Tourmaline. Larimar tries to leave, telling Venus that she knows all about her tricks. Instead, Venus pins Larimar to a tree by choking her, saying that all she's done has been done out of love, and that Tourmaline is trying to seperate them to get at Larimar. Larimar is uncomfortable and frankly terrified of Venus by this point, but doesn't resist when Venus kisses her due to feeling it's the quickest way out of the situation. Venus wants to heat things up but Larimar politely shoots down her sexual advances, making up the excuse of needing to meet up with Nero about instructions on tomorrow's hunt. Venus reluctantly lets her go.

Venus finds Larimar the next night, appearing to genuinely feel bad for beating Larimar. Larimar is hesitant but moved by Venus's tears, having never once seen the girl cry. Venus begs Larimar for forgiveness and Larimar accepts. Due to the heightened emotions and lack of company, the two begin to kiss passionately. When Venus begins to get more and more sexual, Larimar allows it. Afterwards, the pair spend the night sleeping in one another's arms, and Larimar feels safer than she's felt in days (despite sleeping with someone whose nearly killed her on many occassions).

Venus and Larimar are noticably closer throughout the next day, but that same night, Venus ends up killing the rest of the Careers with relative ease. Without the other Careers in her way, Venus is uncaring of how she treats Larimar, and gets both physically violent and spontaneously sexual whenever she pleases, indifferent to how Larimar may feel about it. Larimar, again, becomes little more than Venus's pet, however there isn't anyone left to save her this time.

#### Ending The Alliance

**Nero:** *"Has anyone seen Venus?"*
**Sephtor:** *"Nah. Not that I care. Better she's gone than around."*
*—Nero to Sephtor, seconds before his death*

While on the nightly watch, Larimar, Nero, and Sephtor discuss tomorrow's plans. When Nero inquires about Venus, they quickly realize she's nowhere to be found. Worried, Larimar goes looking for Venus and finds her. Before Larimar can announce her location, Venus silences her with a kiss and makes her promise to remain hidden. Larimar wants to ask what for but is silenced with another kiss until she eventually complies, remaining hidden. Venus then leaves the now hidden Larimar and walks back towards the rest of the Careers.

Larimar soon hears a cannon and rushes back towards the Career camp in time to see Venus remove her sword from Nero's heart. Larimar is panicking, unsure if she should shoot Venus as she battles Sephtor and Tourmaline. Larimar can't get a clear shot and doesn't want to risk harming Tourmaline, so she rushes into the battle with Nero's sword. Venus, enraged at Larimar for not remaining hidden, battles the 3 Careers at once. The gap in skill is extreme however, far more than any of the Careers imagined, and Venus quickly manages to throw Sephtor off the cliff. Tourmaline and Larimar attack Venus for the better half of an hour, but eventually Larimar is kicked in the head by Venus. Larimar cannot find it within herself to continue fighting and watches helplessly as Tourmaline has her arm chopped off, her leg, and then finally her head. Larimar has a mental breakdown and scream-cries as Venus then drags the 3 segmented parts of Tourmaline and lights them all on fire. As the corpse burns, Venus marches over to Larimar. Venus repeatedly slaps and punches Larimar for not obeying her orders, claiming that she wouldn't have had to kill everyone if only she stayed put. Venus grabs Larimar by the hair, forcing her to watch the bonfire caused by Tourmaline's corpse. Venus then tells Larimar that she will be killed if she cries any longer, and so wordlessly, the two walk on into the night.

#### Death

"*She was getting boring anyway.*"
- **Venus** when **Larimar** dies
## Physical appearance

> "You'll need to fight her. You'll need to fight her to win, but she's so powerful. So lethal. And she's probably already began to hunt you down. Hide[.]"
>
> - Sephtor talking to Imogen and Eden about Venus

Venus is physically described as uncanny, intimidating, and generally terrifying by other tributes. She has pale skin and jet black hair and eyes. She towers over the other female tributes at 5'10", being only shorter than Agatha (6'1"). Her features are all very sharp, especially her eyes, which are described as "uncanny", "lifeless", and "unforgiving" by many different tributes. Venus's body is addressed extensively by Larimar, with a robust stature and powerful, visibly well-muscled arms. She has a strong core and muscular legs, with Larimar comparing her to a mountain lion as far as grace and agility went.

## Trivia

* Venus technically lasts 20 days in the arena, as she dies hours before sunrise.
* Venus's full name is Venus Imperio.
* Venus is 5'10" and weighs 185lbs.
* According to Tourmaline, Venus's odds of winning are 3-1. She also secured a training score of 11 (The absolute highest being 12).
* During some dialogue between herself and Larimar, Venus alludes to having committed murders before the Hunger Games. Because of this, Larimar assumes Venus had no insentive to join the Games other than being able to kill without consequence.
* Despite most Careers being especially proficient with one weapon, Venus displays mastery in nearly every weapon she touches (with the exception of archery). Her expertise regarding combat is a key component of how she managed to fight and kill 3 Careers at once.
* According to her, Venus's family had open distaste for her bisexuality. however, due to her track-record of compulsive lying, this is hard to conclude as fact.
* Venus is a volunteer tribute.
* Venus displays obvious signs of psychopathy, but is never officially diagnosed before the 64th Hunger Games. If anything, her mental instability may have been used to make her deadlier in training, thereby making a more likely winner.
* Venus genuinely enjoys braiding blades of grass or wheat to pass by time.