this isn't very festive!

[iheartmahogany]

Effie could walk in anything, so long as she was wearing the proper wig - otherwise, her balance was thrown completely off. But that was how she liked it; everything had its proper place, from train schedules to mealtimes to even the weight proportions of her dresses which, in some instances, were so large they practically engulfed her.

That's why she liked to keep her skirts above the calves, so that her shoes may never be missed by anyone who might be looking (and she expected many to do so). Even now her feet, tipped in five-inch high monstrosities that made her clip along as if she had hooves, were in full display. The rest of her dress curled in generous lines around her but, like her golden wig, was rigid and composed. In fact, the only real movement was Effie's face and hands, but that was fine; she was a very animated creature, always had been, and it worked well on camera, she liked to think.

Her main concern just then, though, was the fact she had gotten lost on her way from the restroom. There were always places to watch the Games and she usually had a front seat, but though they were soon to start, her real concern was to find Haymitch. Peeta and Katniss were going to need sponsors again, and it was her duty to make sure the right people were spoken to - though, to his credit, Haymitch had gotten a bit better in the charm department as of last year.

The largest Capitol buildings could turn anyone around, and Effie had no idea where she was. She recognized absolutely nothing, and even her sense of direction seemed off. The result was that Effie, while composed, was beginning to get anxious. She hated being late, anywhere, and she had places to be not just for decorum, but for her Victors! In fact, she was so distracted with concern, one could forgive her for missing the fact she was technically not in the Capitol anymore - nowhere near it at all, in fact.

Comments

[iheartmahogany]

Of course Haymitch was at the bar. Effie allowed herself to feel the usual brush of annoyance at that, so she wasn't completely overcome with relief at seeing him there. Haymitch was familiar, sadly more familiar than so many things in her life. Every year she saw him for the Games, sometimes more often than that, and even though he was never very helpful, he was a detail that was reliable.

It was not in Effie's nature to discuss what she did in bathrooms, but still, she was not about to be accused of gluttony. "Don't be silly, Haymitch," she said. Even if she was the sort to overindulge, her corsets tended to nip that in the bud. "What are you doing here? And what is going on?" She put her hands on her hips, pursing her lavishly painted mouth, the usual expression when faced with Haymitch's perpetual drinking, which wasn't terrible, but tended to put a damper on things.

[hungover]

"I know you don't frequent the lower establishments in the Capitol, but this is a bar," of sorts, since it had a lot more going on than that, "So I would imagine people are drinking. As for what I'm doing here -- the same as you, sweetheart." He wasn't admitting that he didn't know how they got here in the first place, but that was the implication.

He smirked, waving his half-emptied drink toward the stool next to him. "Come on, have a seat and practice slumming it. It'll make you more approachable for future tributes." He couldn't keep the edge out of his voice as he spoke about the idea of future tributes, not now that things had started to go into motion with his plans. Honestly, he still didn't know whether she'd be safe at that time. From the look of her, she hadn't witnessed Katniss' escape from the Arena yet.

[iheartmahogany]

"I know that," Effie said, somewhat snappishly, though she deflated slightly. She had been hoping for a better explanation than that, but she knew from experience that if Haymitch didn't feel like telling her something right away, no amount of insistence was going to work. She could push him around and get him to be places on time, but if he didn't want to use his fork, then Effie knew even as she begun the battle that she was going to lose. The same could be said for conversation with him.

The place didn't have the over-the-top grandeur of the Capitol, but it certainly wasn't unclean. "I don't 'slum'," she said. "And I don't think tributes find inebriation very approachable." Still, she took a seat, though she had to shift the bar stool slightly away from him. Not because she didn't want to be near him, but because her dress was too big to fit in that space without a bit of adjustment.

[hungover]

"Inebriation is my bag, so you might as well leave it to me. Being a little more relaxed might make them like you faster, though." He isn't about to admit that she's grown on him enough that she can be as high-strung as she always is and he'll find it familiar, if not a little charming. They work well as counter-balances, all right?

He glanced down at the frill threatening to jab him in the knee, hoping that it wasn't as hard as it looked to be. Who knew what Effie was wearing, really?

"Still, you're right. This isn't even close to the Capitol. Call it a ... happy upgrade." Peeta seemed happier, at least -- he couldn't speak for Katniss, and for all he knew she was just as sour as she usually was. It was hard to get used to things going your way when you were used to them blowing up in your face. Haymitch is still waiting for the other shoe to drop, so to speak, and to suddenly find himself owing the people running this establishment money or worse.

[iheartmahogany]

"I think I'm very likable," Effie said, which, really, were her true feelings on the matter. In fact, when it came to the fast-paced life of the Capitol, Effie was more than genial. So she liked to think, anyway.

Besides, she'd never thrown up on anyone's shoes, so she thought she had a leg up on Haymitch in that.

"How long have you been here?" she asked. "Have you spent the entire time at the bar, or have you bothered to make sure Peeta and Katniss are alright?" The lines were delivered with an odd mix of haughtiness and concern. She did expect Haymitch to want to take care of them, but knew that, what with his drinking, he probably had a bit of difficulty getting around to it.