9Nice dress, not yours!
By Oriondruid
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Summary: This is based on the short scene in the movie just after Katniss comes off stage from her interview with Caesar Flickerman. It's where I see the romance between Haymitch and Effie first beginning, although at the start it's more like a war!
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Disclaimer: As should be self-evident from my site profile I am not Suzanne Collins. Therefore I hold no claim to these characters. They are all the brilliant work of the author herself and I thank her for the opportunity to 'play' in her world for a while.
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Katniss Everdeen returned backstage at the television studio, having just made a big hit with the audience in her interview with Caesar Flickerman. Once again her stylist Cinna had come up trumps with the spectacular red 'flame dress' she'd worn and Caesar had also been able to gain her much audience sympathy by reminding them that she had volunteered to take the place of her sister Primrose.
Katniss didn't know exactly what to make of Caesar having finally met him in person, 'up close'. He was totally unlike anyone she'd ever met before, 'showbiz' through and through, but also capable of moments of tenderness and apparently real sincerity. Either that or he was simply the greatest but most cynical actor she'd ever seen.
She reserved judgement but had also been very impressed by the incredibly kind way he had talked to the young and sweet District 11 Tribute girl, 'What was her name now, Rue? Yes that was it.' Katniss was furious that such a young and helpless child was being sent to certain death and vowed to herself to help her as much as she could for as long as possible, should they both by some miracle survive the initial 'bloodbath'.
As she reached the foot of the stairs leading down to the lower lobby of the studio she saw Cinna, her stylist, her Prep Team and Effie Trinket waiting for her, all standing by a TV monitor which would shortly be showing Peeta, her District 12 partner's interview after a commercial break. She ran to hug Cinna and thank him for once again making her stand out thanks to his incredible dress design. Then Effie congratulated her on her performance in her interview.
Just then Haymitch appeared walking along the corridor towards them and when he drew near he winked at Katniss and said "Nice dress." Then turned to Effie and said "Not yours!"
Effie was about to blow up but Haymitch was saved from a return insult by the end of the commercial and the beginning of Peeta's interview, which they all watched in silence. This went very well right up till the question Caesar asked him about girlfriends. His eventual reply that he'd had a long term 'crush' on Katniss shocked her, and all the rest present, to the core. However one could soon see Cinna, Haymitch and Effie's brains all beginning to work with this new information, trying to find a way to use it to Katniss and Peeta's advantage.
Peeta joined them in the lower lobby once his interview was over, looking a little apprehensive as he walked down the stairs towards them. As well he might since Katniss immediately attacked him, furiously ramming him up against the wall and demanding an explanation for the 'revelation' he'd just made. The couple were dragged apart and Haymitch then said what he, Cinna and Effie had all been thinking. That he could 'sell' the 'Star Crossed Lovers' angle to sponsors and use it to get items they'd need in the Arena. He reminded Katniss and Peeta that although The Hunger Games were lethally vicious they were also 'just a TV show' and that any advantage they could get they'd have to seize with both hands.
Then the two Tributes were split up by the adults and a surly looking Katniss and worried looking Peeta were escorted up to their penthouse suite, for supper and then hopefully to get at least some sleep if they could before the next day, when the killing would start.
After supper, once Katniss and Peeta had gone off to bed and Cinna and his team had left Effie and Haymitch were sat in the lounge talking, They were both all too well aware that this might be the last night of both their young Tribute's lives, having been through many sad losses over the years together since Effie had been assigned to be the District 12 Capitol Escort. However, this year in particular they were even more worried for their young charges, as they had both grown more fond of them than they'd easily admit.
Haymitch had a large glass of spirits in his hand, as usual, but oddly he seemed to be barely drinking any. Indeed Effie had noticed that over their time in The Capitol during this particular Hunger Games that Haymitch had generally been far more sober than usual and had actually been trying to help their Tributes out for once, with proper good advice.
Effie took a sip of her glass of spiced honey mead and spoke mildly to Haymitch saying, "I still haven't forgiven you, you know."
Haymitch looked at her, seeming puzzled and then asked, "And to which of my many sins and transgressions does that remark refer My Lady, only it's hard to keep track."
Despite herself Effie smiled and replied, "I meant about the horrible remark you made about my dress tonight."
Haymitch replied "But it was true, it wasn't a horrible remark, it is a horrible dress, but the one Katniss wore was lovely! You ought to let Cinna design you some clothes instead of those clown suits, weird hats and silly shoes you insist on wearing. Also you'd look a damn sight better if you let the Prep Team create a new make-up regime for you as well! Get rid of all that thick 'slap' and excessive colour and ditch the horrible wigs, because I have a hunch that there's a beautiful young woman hidden somewhere under all that gunk."
At that Effie became incandescently furious and threw first her drink and then herself at him.
But Haymitch's currently sober Victor's reflexes were still quick enough to dodge the glass which shattered on a wall and as Effie flew towards him screaming insults and trying inexpertly to attack him he grabbed her arms and pinned them to her sides.
She continued to writhe in his arms trying to escape for some while, but eventually calmed down as he held her. Then her mood changed completely and she began to sob against his shoulder.
At first he could just about make out her words between sobs as she said. "I'm not young anymore, or beautiful Haymitch, no matter what you think. I try to keep up with the latest Capitol fashions but it's so hard and gets harder each year as I get older. My job has been so important to me, it's all I have, I don't even have any pets yet alone a man in my life. I need to looked 'up to speed' on the latest Capitol trends even if they are silly, and believe me I do know how ridiculous some of the clothes I have to wear look on me. But I have to wear them in order to fit in socially, in order to try and get sponsorship for my Tributes from the trendy young rich people of the Capitol. I can never be myself, it's all a show and a sham. I feel time is running out for me nearly as fast as for poor Katniss and Peeta. I don't have much longer to be able to do my job and recently I've come to hate it anyway. I can't stand the thought of sending any more children off to be slaughtered in those horrible 'Games' and I've decided that this will be my last year as an Escort. If we get a Victor then I will discharge my obligation to them and escort the winner on their Victory Tour, but that will be my last act in this job. In any case even to do that will be hard because it would mean either Katniss or Peeta will be dead, and that will break my heart."
Haymitch freed Effie's arms but continued to hold her as she calmed down. He then kissed her on her forehead and said, in a voice far gentler than Effie had ever heard him use before; "Thank god for that sweetheart, you've finally come to your senses like I always hoped you would. You were never meant to be part of this evil process anyway, you're too good to be a part of this corrupt and degenerate 'Game'. The quicker we can get you out of this damn job the better. I'm sure Cinna must know of a good job for a PR expert going somewhere in this city, one that doesn't involve becoming an accessory to child murder."
Effie heard what he said and smiled, becoming far more relaxed and relieved. She made no attempt to get free of Haymitch's encircling arms however and in fact seemed to lean in closer, saying shyly, "Haymitch, did you really mean what you said, do you really think that I might be beautiful 'under all the gunk'?"
A smiling Haymitch replied, "I don't just think you might be beautiful, I'm sure you are. Let's take that silly pink wig off and wipe of some of the make-up and see if I'm right shall we?"
He lifted the offending wig from Effie's head and threw it, not without a degree of disgust, across the room. Then he took out a remarkably clean handkerchief from his jacket pocket and gently began to clean the worst of the thick make-up from Effie's face. As he did so a face emerged that was that was very different from the 'clown mask' she usually wore, it was indeed the face of a beautiful woman. Effie then took out the pins that had held her real hair in place and her pretty blond locks fell onto her shoulders.
Haymitch stepped back, took a look at the beauty that had emerged from her 'shell' and whistled in appreciation. He said, "Wow Effie, I was wrong, you're not just beautiful, you are stunning, but that's still a horrible dress though!" He then grinned cheekily at her.
Feigning annoyance Effie yelled "You Beast! I'll have you know this is styled by one of the most popular designers in this city."
"What's he normally design then Effie, Bathroom fixtures?" Haymitch grinned.
She made no reply but smiled wickedly and seized one of the many cushions from a sofa and threw it at him. Haymitch ducked behind another sofa, he picked up a cushion himself to throw back at her and a 'soft furnishing fight' rapidly ensued until they ran out of 'ammo' and fell into each other's arms laughing. Hearing the noise of the battle one of the female Avox servants then came into the room looking concerned, but Effie kindly told her not to worry and to go to bed, saying they'd clear up all the mess themselves. This they did, and then as it was getting late they both headed off to bed as well.
Haymitch kissed Effie a fond goodnight by her bedroom door and she went inside, leaving him to go to his own room, smiling at how the evening had turned out. Then however his mood darkened as he suddenly remembered the terrible events that were to begin all over again in the morning and had to struggle hard not to go and get a bottle of liquor to drink himself into a coma, in order to get through the night.
Effie had similar problems sleeping and so took a warm shower, washing off the remains of her make-up and then sat at her mirror using a cleanser to remove any final traces. She'd sworn to herself not to wear the 'offensive' dress again and had set it aside to give to the Avox girl, who had been so attentive throughout their stay. She was about her size and several years younger and it would suit her far better she thought. She'd come up with a plan, she'd go and see Cinna and together they would both create and try to introduce a new 'trend' to the Capitol, one with a more natural look.
On completing her nightly 'skin regime' Effie then put on a pretty nightgown, intending to try to read for a while in bed until it made her drowsy enough to sleep, despite her dread of possible terrible events in the Games beginning the next day. However, she couldn't seem to concentrate on her book and her mind was racing with many strange thoughts, about Haymitch and how he'd suddenly become so much nicer, about Katniss and Peeta's deadly struggles to come, about resigning from her job and maybe even eventually leaving the Capitol.
Feeling unable to sleep she got up, put a dressing gown on over her nightdress and wandered to the upper level of the penthouse, intending to take a walk on the roof terrace and get some air to help clear her mind. But as she drew near to it she heard two voices, those of Katniss and Peeta, talking quietly together, with Katniss obviously having forgiven Peeta for his earlier 'revelation' about his feelings for her. She could see them both through the polarised glass of a half open sliding door. She didn't intend to eavesdrop but felt unable to leave as she overheard Peeta say to Katniss that he was so afraid that The Hunger Games would change him, that he'd 'loose himself' and become just another pawn in the hands of the Gamemakers, that he'd end up just another dead murderer.
Effie's heart broke as she heard what he said and she had to leave, feeling she'd intruded on something very private and almost sacred between her two young charges. They might well both die within less than a day and this might be the last time either of them could share their inner feelings with another human being.
Effie quietly turned back towards her bedroom, feeling terribly sad. But as she walked along the darkened corridor past Haymitch's room she saw the light was still on, glowing through the gap under the door. She also heard a sound she'd never thought she'd hear coming from Haymitch. He was sobbing!
She knocked gently on his door but there was no answer, so she tried the door handle and found it unlocked, so she slowly opened the door and looked inside.
Haymitch was not in bed but was sat in a chair fully clothed. He looked up as she entered and she could see tears in his eyes. She was astonished at the sight and rushed over to him. She knelt down at the front of his chair and took his hands, saying "Haymitch, sweetheart, what's the matter, is it anything we said tonight that is troubling you? I hope not because I'm so glad we have finally been able to be honest about our feelings for each other."
Haymitch looked at Effie with desolation in his eyes and replied, "No Effie darling, you're the best thing that's happened to me since my so-called 'victory'. I've been so alone but now I feel we might be able to make something good happen in both our lives if we can be together. No sweetheart, it's the kids, Katniss and Peeta that I've been crying for, they're so young and should have all their lives ahead of them and yet they'll almost certainly be dead within the next few days. There's something about those two in particular, I feel for them much more strongly than any of the other poor children I've sent off to be murdered. It's probably because of what Peeta confessed, about his love for Katniss. I believe that what he said was genuine and that's so terribly sad, even if Katniss is not so sure how she feels about him. To see a young love destroyed before it can even begin to bloom is worse than any normal loss of a pair of Tributes I've ever suffered."
Effie said, "I just saw the two of them talking up on the roof terrace. Though they didn't see me I saw them together and from the look on Katniss's face she does have some feelings for Peeta as well, from the way she was reacting to what he told her. I believe they are meant to be together. It's so tragic that only one, at best, can survive, but there's nothing we can do, is there Haymitch?"
"No my darling, nothing other than play the 'Star Crossed Lover's' gambit as well as we can and try to ensure we can at least save one of them. But when it's over I will make sure that if either one of them does by chance survive then they won't take the road that I did afterwards. I won't let them wallow in guilt and self-pity, festering like I was until you came into my life and saved me, my darling Effie."
Haymitch smiled at his new-found love, stood up and pulled her to her feet, taking her in his arms and then kissing her passionately, with Effie's enthusiastic co-operation. Their kisses became increasingly heated and they both began to caress each other. Effie's dressing gown dropped to the floor and Haymitch led her gently to his bed where she lay as she watched him undress. When he was naked she removed her nightdress and soon they were making love, both out of passion for each other and as a defence against the cruelty of the world outside their bedroom door.