Prompt #10: You look better without it anyway
A.N. Hey guys! It just occurred to me that for anyone who has me on author alert, I really must seem bipolar because in like a month I've posted three different stories about three different fandoms. YOLO it's summer. Anyways I figured I'd try my hand at the Hayffie fandom, instead of just lurking like I have 4 months. Prompts are from Tumblr but anyone reading this will know that anyways. If you like, please R&R. Enjoy.
Effie Trinket was a stickler for manners. Which, by proxy meant that she was a stickler for personal hygiene. There was nothing wrong with looking presentable and being clean; there was everything wrong with looking like something the cat dragged in. It was what she had grown up around, generally the people of the Capitol with self-respecting, dignified people. However, the same could not be said with those who lived in the districts. Year after year Effie had watched as two children from district twelve were reaped and brought to the Capitol. At the beginning of the journey they were dirty and unkempt with knotted hair and dirt under their nails. Within a few weeks they were transformed into human beings with clean skin and soft, silky hair.
However, there were exceptions to every rule. In this case that exception was Haymitch Abernathy. Year after year Effie had watched Haymitch fall further and further into the bottle and just become more and more unhygienic and less like a man. He just seemed to have given up on life, and she really couldn't blame him but it probably wouldn't kill him to make an effort. Especially seeing as he was on television for the whole nation to see for a good chunk of the year.
Effie looked up as Haymitch stumbled into the room, knocking a vase off of the table next to the door. She had to stifle her frustration at his drunkenness in the middle of the afternoon; it was bad manners to be indignant in public. The blue liquid in his cup sloshed around the class before spilling onto the carpet under his feet. The Avoxes barely batted an eye as they went about fixing and tending to everything that got destroyed in Haymitch's wrath.
"Haymitch!" Effie's annoyed trill called out to Haymitch who looked over at her with a confused expression.
"Trinket! Ye look like a poodle!" Haymitch drawled before laughing and taking another drink from his glass.
Effie huffed and stood, grasping Haymitch elbow and dragged him out of the room while he continued to cackle madly in his drunken stupor. God, she hated when he was like this. And to insult her? In front of everyone? Inexcusable. She dragged him down the hallway until they got to his living compartment, where she opened his door with the key she had acquired and thrust him into it, closing the door behind them.
Effie almost gagged once the door had closed. The room smelled worse than he did, how did anyone live like this? The room was littered with empty and unopened bottles alike, mixed together with laundry and general garbage.
Effie swiped the drink from his hand and poured it down the drain. She spun on her heel to face him before he could protest, waving a finger at him.
"I've had enough! Haymitch this cannot continue. You need to sober up and start acting like a mentor!"
Effie was absolutely brimming with anger and for a moment Haymitch just stared at her like she grown another head. He wasn't used to her being so angry and forward; she got annoyed a lot but usually she just went off on some manners rant and then went back to whatever she was doing. Her outburst caused him to sober quickly and only served to fuel his own anger.
"Now you listen here princess, and listen good. First of all, don't ever touch my alcohol. Second, who do you think you are telling me what to do? You're just as bad as I am; I'm just not a hypocrite about it."
Effie bristled, "How dare you! We are nothing alike!"
Haymitch laughed, "Take off the wig then princess. Show the world the real Effie Trinket."
Effie's anger dissipated almost as soon as it had arrived. Sometimes Haymitch really surprised her, as drunken as he was he still had the mind of that sixteen year old bot who had won the Hunger Games nearly twenty-five years ago. He hid it well but he was still cunning and Effie doubted that anything got past him.
She sighed, "Haymitch… this is my world. This is what is expected of me. At least I can embrace it; all you've done is run from it."
Haymitch glared at her before turning to search for another bottle that still had any alcohol in it. Effie watched him with her arms crossed over her chest. He had no right to go around accusing her of such things. She was perfectly happy as she was, her dreams would be complete if she could get transferred to another district. Any other one would do, at least the mentors were easier to deal with. She was willing to put money on the fact that escorts in district two didn't have to deal with this.
"What're you still doing here woman?"
Effie glared at Haymitch across the room before pulling over the garbage can and beginning to toss any garbage within eyesight into the thing. She was so frustrated with him, and she felt that if she cleaned up where he lived maybe, just maybe he would clean up his attitude.
"What're you doing now?"
Effie didn't break her stride as she continued to throw things into the bin. "Cleaning."
He gave her an incredulous look, "Cleaning?"
She nodded, "Yes, cleaning."
When she felt a hand on her elbow she automatically elbowed whoever was behind her and heard a soft wheeze.
"Jesus Trinket, calm down."
Effie spun on him and shoved him away from her. "Calm down? How am I supposed to calm down when my mentor is a washed up alcoholic with no manners? Huh? And you look terrible, you really do."
Haymitch's glare equalled her own as they stared at each other not saying anything. Suddenly Haymitch turned and before Effie could say anything he had closed the door to the washroom with a resounding thud.
Rolling her eyes, Effie went back to her cleaning. At least she could work in peace and without him in the room she was actually able to not only get some work done, but she was able to think. She could hear water running and she wondered if maybe he was going to make and effort for once. Effie would love to see the look on everyone's face if once, just once Haymitch made an appearance without being too drunk to remember it.
A little while later Effie heard the door open and looked over to see Haymitch standing in the doorway. She couldn't help but gape at him. He actually looked like a man, and clean he actually looked… attractive. She clamped down on that thought to stop it from going any further; she was so not going there, not with him.
His hair was brushed and he was clean shaven, something she hadn't seen for as long as she'd known him.
"Well?" he demanded, "Do I meet your standard now Ms. Trinket? Am I good enough for the Capitol?"
Effie stopped cleaning and gave him a good look over before heading to the door; once it was open she turned to face him.
"I'm glad you got rid of the beard Haymitch, you look better without it anyways."
The door closed behind her without a sound.