Ever since she was a little girl, back when she had nothing to do and not a thing resembling responsibility, Effie had always hated mornings. She had always thought that they existed purely to annoy her, pushing the rays of light right over her eyes and deliberately stinging them. Sunlight was evil, vicious. Even now she avoided it all that she could, preferring a safer, artificial glow.
She had no idea what her job was meant to be, these days. There were always hundreds of tasks and duties and errands shoved on her, and she had no clue why she was meant to do a single one of them. She was eternally jumping between jobs, leaping from standing in as a secretary to more glamorous work at events among various districts. They were always far more fun, though she couldn't help hoping for better sometimes.
She was pretty. Charming, she thought. Entertaining, at the very least. She would do anything she could to put on a show, even if it ended up with a hundred vicious monkeys dancing around her feet, or something like that. Glorious maidens carrying her to the river to bathe her so that she may ascend to- glory! That had never happened, though. She hoped for it to remain that way. But, who knew the way a day could go if you just let it? Either way, she would do whatever was needed to keep the crowds happy. She would throw out the juicy meat of her dignity if it would keep them satisfied.
Why couldn't Hela understand that? Perhaps stand to step down from her cloud of leather and skinless cats to see that lowly little Effie Trinket is, in fact, an asset?
She wouldn't, obviously. But Effie could dream, couldn't she? Just like she could hope that the morning would crawl back around the Earth and let her keep on dreaming in a more literal sense. Her eyes flittered over to her window, just in case. Her curtains were drawn. But she could see the sunlight creeping through. Ugh.
Yes, mornings definitely existed merely to irritate her.
She drearily climbed up from her bed, flinging her covers to the floor. Dragging herself over to her mirror, she clawed a comb through her short hair a few times. It scarcely mattered if it was a mess, always sheltered under a neat wig as it was, but she liked things to be tidy even if no-one knew about it.
She picked up a bright pink creature from a hook at her dresser, pulling it down over her head. It fell wonky, and she tugged at it to straighten it. The mirror flickered at her in the sunlight as she inspected her reflection. She sighed, and wearily applied her make-up.
Then, as she stepped out of the door to her smallish flat, she pushed back her shoulders as she saw a coin on the floor. It wasn't stained with the unfortunate glow of the sun, but the nice, clean light that can only be produced by a light bulb. The coin was silver, speckled with white, and Effie leant down quickly to pick it up. She rolled it between her fingers, wondering whether or not it was a socially acceptable thing to do to wish on a coin. Obviously, there was nobody around to judge her, but Effie prided herself on keeping up appearances, even when it was just her alone, examining her distorted reflection in a doorknob. She looked back at the coin to keep herself from thinking that her hair looked wonky in the doorknob.
Maybe the coin was special. Magic, perhaps. Effie didn't believe in such things, but she might consider starting if it could get her things she wanted. But…how does a person wish on a coin? Her eyebrows pushed together, and she tried tossing the coin off of her thumb. It spun wonderfully in the air, gleams of light flying off of it. Quick! What do you wish for, Effie?
"Um, um, um!" she said aloud. "I wish that my job was more fulfilling!"
The coin dropped to the ground. Well, that was a stupid wish. She was going to be so extremely… very angry if that wish came true! Or she might just enjoy life. That's what Salla would have told her to do, anyway. Then again, Salla once told her it was a totally great thing to take a long bath in caramel. Her hair didn't recover from that, but she was sure that her super-duper best friend had meant well. But enjoying life sounded considerably less stupid, and, well, enjoyable. And her job being fulfilling could help that in a way that a tub full of sticky gold ooze never could.
"Effie?" It was Kella a neighbour stroke friend-like person who Effie didn't like much, a small, neon dyed dog huddled on her arms. Effie thought it would have been sweet, if she didn't hate dogs like she hated monkeys. And gosh goodness did she hate monkeys.
"Hey, Kella! You look great this morning. I can barely get out of bed, my make-up's all over the place! Oh well."
Kella herself made Effie a bit uneasy, too. There was just something about her. Maybe the smallish features, or spiderlike hair, or the constant look of an old lady who would lure young children away for some undefined purpose.
"Aw, you look fine. You match my puppy!" The creature poked its head around at her as it nestled in the crook of Kella's prematurely wrinkling purple neck. It grinned with its pointy little teeth, and oh God, are puppy monster teeth awful. Effie's skin grew batches of gooebumps.
"Yay," Effie said, waving her hand manically around her head and hoping to God that the thing wouldn't slaughter her like its puppy pray.
"It's cute."
"Isn't it?"
Oh dear God, she was nuzzling it.
"I love dogs. I remember when I was younger, I always used to look over into my neighbour's garden and dream of their dogs, wishing that I could snuggle with them like their little boy, having them licking me all over and nuzzling my ears." Kella shivered with pure delight.
Effie hoped that her absolute and extreme horror wasn't showing. Eventually, she managed to sputter a few syllables over Kella's increasingly creepy little girl doggy fantasies. "I really need to get to work, and I think I might have to call in sick if I talk to you any longer!" No, wait, that sounded rude. "Because I'll be late!" she hurriedly rectified. "And I can't stand being late!" Effie walked quickly away, her high heels clicking. Effie Trinket does not run, not unless it is for a purpose. Effie Trinket might stroll, she might strut, she may even allow herself to stomp. But Effie Trinket draws the line at running.
Salla may occasionally give misinformed and sometimes dangerous advice, and also carry guns around in a way that Effie was somewhat uncertain of, but she didn't nuzzle and cuddle with dogs. This was something that Effie was unendingly thankful for.
Her magic coin sat way back on a higher floor as Effie exited her block. She almost wished that she had kept it, as a good luck charm or something. But then she might have had to expose it to dreaded sunlight, and that would have been awful.
Effie remembered that today she was to be given a Duty. An important one, too, apparently. Though it really only took a job not being "Feed my CATS!" for it to be given an IMPORTANT label. A metaphorical label, of course, because all of her duties were delivered verbally.
It was a dull walk to work that morning. She didn't speak to anybody at all on the way there after her encounter with Kella and evil demon friend of horrorful puppyhood. Her skin crawled at the thought of it.
She was relieved when she finally stood in Hela's office.
"Good morning!" she said brightly, her small weave bag pulled to her chest.
A girl sat on a wooden chair in the corner, scrunched into a heap of dirty clothes and tangled hair.
"Hello, Effie. It's a nice day, isn't it?" Hela smiled at her, drawing her attention away from the huddle. Effie hated the way that Hela said her name, drawing it out in a hiss like one of her darling cats. Not that Effie had anything against cats, of course. It would be unbelievably silly to hate cats.
"Yes, it is! Nice and sunny."
Hela smiled, baring her teeth. It was always a surprise for Effie that there weren't any huge animal fangs hidden behind her black lips.
"You have a job for me, you said yesterday?" Effie asked, smiling cheerfully, friendly and expectant. Maybe this would mark the start of her coin wishes grantation. Effie wasn't certain of that words existence, but she was too excited to care about thinking in proper English. She had a good feeling about this. Today was special. She had known this since she woke up that morning, she was currently convincing.
"Yes, I do, Eeeefiiiiee! Someone's a bit impatient this morning, no?"
"Yes, I am!" Effie answered playfully. "I'm excited!"
"Oh?" Hela asks, stretching out across her desk towards Effie. "May I ask why?"
"No reason. Just… a good feeling! You know what I mean?"
Hela shrugged, but appeared satisfied for some reason, as though she had just polished off a tasty fish. Ew, Effie thought. That was a gross thought.
"Well, Effie, I'm glad somebody here is happy." Effie's eyes again flew over to the dishevelled girl in the corner.
"Yes, it's her, you're right. No you don't win a prize, sorry. Unless you want a mint?" She waved a hand over a bowl full of brown fish shaped biscuits that were rather lacking in mint-likeness.
"I don't like mints," Effie said quickly.
"Okay. I don't care." She popped on into her mouth, slowly chewing on it loudly, making horrible little crunching noises.
"Um…" Effie said, tidying her skirt uneasily, trying to avoid looking at the girl in the corner.
"Effie, this is going to be your new assistant. You will look after her, and take care of her. She is going to live with you, you will feed her, and she will do whatever you wish."
Effie blinked. "What?"
"She is yours. This is your new Duty."
"She… What about when I'm at work?"
"She can come with you. What does it matter anyway, you don't need the money."
"I like work!"
Hela rolled her eyes impatiently. "This will be your work! This is important."
In the long time, or at least few years, she had been here, Effie had learnt that questioning things or even thinking too hard about them was worthless. She just went along with it most of the time, and she supposed that was what she'd have to do now. Even if it made no sense, and if she wasn't really entirely sure what was happening.
Relenting, she sighed. "Well, what's her name, then?"
"Her name?" Hela frowned. Looking over to the girl, she bit on her lip.
"Yes. I mean, I have to call her something. I mean, I could just use Girl, I suppose, but that sounds a little impolite, I think-"
"Katniss," Hela interrupts. Effie looks up at her, and quickly stops talking. "Her name is Katniss Everdeen."
Author's Note: I have no idea what this is and I'm sorry. I'll probably continue it anyway.
Thank you for reading!