Caged | The Hunger Games AU ✓

iii. drunkard

the train had stopped to refill while we'd been talking. i can't tell what district we're in because as soon as i turn to look, we lurch into movement again, and soon the outside world is just a blur of colors, blending together in such a fashion that it makes me dizzy and i am forced to tear my gaze away unless i want to be sick. 

i sigh and stand, leaving the compartment before heading into the narrow corridor where our rooms are located. on the way i pass matthias, who greets me with a slight smile and a wave. i give a mere quirk of my lips in return. he smiles a lot; it's kind of unnerving. 

"goodnight, thalia," he says, and i can barely have the thought to wish him the same until his door slides shut.

upon entering my room, i notice it has been cleaned and my dress from the reaping is nowhere to be seen.  even though i had wanted it off a few hours ago, i can't help but feel like a vital organ has just been ripped from my body. now with new clothes and freshly-washed hair, the only remnants of home are the hairpins on my head and madge's gift on my shirt. 

in a daze, i don't bother to change or take off my clothes, only discarding my shoes before climbing into the bed. i pull the covers up to my chin and the soft, thick blankets warm me instantly. i trace the phoenix pin with the tips of my fingers before closing my eyes and letting the train rock me to sleep.

-

the last thing anyone wants to be woken up to is effie trinkett rapping her knuckles obnoxiously on their door, proclaiming cheerily, "up, up, up! today is a big, big day!" but sadly that's how i am pulled out of my deep slumber the next morning. i am not very joyous about that at all. i also have no clue how she can be this effervescent first thing in the morning.

i reluctantly climb out of bed and change into a cream-colored button-down blouse and stay in the same pants. i am careful to remember to remove the phoenix pin from my old shirt and attach it to the one i am currently wearing. i am grateful it's silver because it seems to go with everything, though i wouldn't care if it didn't. i would still wear it everywhere even if it were an unflattering shade of swamp-green. 

when i enter the dining compartment, matthias isn't there – again – but this time peeta is, and so is katniss. they are sitting next to each other, so i sit in the seat across from peeta. i start to wonder if this is a setup so matthias and i have to sit beside each other this time.

effie, of course, is at the head of the table again, muttering under her breath about matthias's tardiness and daintily eating her meal with such felicity that makes me realize why it's so hard to believe that capitol residents are real human beings. everything effie does is eloquent it makes me wonder how she manages to do everything perfectly all the time. it must be exhausting.

"there you are!" effie exclaims when matthias finally enters the room. by then i am halfway through my breakfast of waffles, fruit, and a drink peeta suggests that is called hot chocolate, which is sweeter than coffee and therefore much better. i'm mid-sip as i scan his outfit choice for the day– a blue blazer over a white shirt and black pants. it's interesting how he chooses to dress so sharply. 

matthias plops down next to me and hungrily examines his options before carefully selecting pancakes and fruit. he dumps a generous amount of syrup on his pancakes and his roll, which he has taken from a basket in the center of the table. i notice how he isn't eating everything in sight as we did at supper last night. we both know the consequences now.

"so what are you good at?" peeta asks, his voice muffled because he is eating a strawberry. matthias and i exchange looks and suddenly we are both spitting out each other's talents simultaneously.

"she almost took my head off with a knife once."

"he does exceedingly well with swords."

we both glance at one another sheepishly. peeta is smirking and so is effie. katniss just manages the slightest of grins.

"so, throwing knives and swords?" effie confirms. "that, i think, we can work with."

"i almost got killed by a knife in the first thirty seconds," katniss recounts. "i think they're close enough to the tributes that–"

"the games are different every year, sweetheart." that voice i have never heard before. i turn toward the door to see that haymitch abernathy is standing there, swirling whiskey in a small glass. you've got to be kidding me.

"how are you–"

"haymitch!" effie stands and, surprisingly enough, embraces him. haymitch barely lifts his arms in response. "i'm so glad you could make it!"

"haymitch?" peeta asks in disbelief, gaping at the man like a fish out of water. "what– how did you get here?"

haymitch winks and takes a swig of the alcohol. "magic."

i roll my eyes. i thought we would finally have a drunk-free mentored games this year, but apparently not.

"i'm here because you" - he points to katniss - "and you" - his finger moves to peeta - "still don't know a thing about the games. these two tributes are gonna end up waltzing in there thinking it's all reindeer games and sugar pies if they're left with just you two."

"they wouldn't!" katniss protests, crossing her arms. 

"we've seen the games," i add. "we know that they are anything but reindeer games and sugar pies."

haymitch ignores me. "so, i think i heard something about knives and swords, am i correct?" matthias and i both nod. "and what are your names - tessa and matt?"

"thalia and matthias," matthias corrects him stiffly. "and yes; i sword fight and thalia is good with knives."

"how far can you throw?" haymitch asks me. i shrug in response, deeply annoyed by even just his presence. "well that's not a good enough answer." he is trying to aggravate me, and sadly it is working, each word he speaks digging deeper and deeper into my skin until anger is burning every inch of my body and my bones feel like an inferno. "think about it. how. far. can. you. throw?"

i feel my fingers curling around the knife next to my spoon and before i know it i am firing it towards haymitch with all my strength and speed. he luckily ducks just in time because it surely would have killed him.

everyone gapes at me except for katniss and peeta, and haymitch looks impressed, so really it's just matthias and effie who are shocked. silence rings in the dining compartment. 

"well, let's go have a look, then." haymitch turns and walks back along the corridor and i look at katniss, unsure if i'm supposed to follow him or if the statement was rhetorical. when she nods and stands up, i go with her, following her down the train.

we finally stop at the third compartment, where the door is shut and the blunt point of the blade is lodged into it. haymitch grunts as he yanks it out of the wood and i am reminded of how matthias got my knife out of the tree yesterday morning in the forest.

speaking of matthias, i don't notice that he and peeta are behind me, and i almost trip on his shoe before catching myself, leaning on the wall for support. i am beyond relieved that i didn't fall into him again– i don't need him thinking that i have naturally terrible balance. it might be something he'd try to use against me in the games.

as haymitch examines the knife, he mumbles to himself. finally he says in a louder voice, "looks like we've got ourselves another group of victors this year," before taking another long drink of whiskey and walking away, twirling the knife with his free hand. 

gif is katniss, peeta, & haymitch

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i dont really know what this chapter is, to be honest. it isnt very good, sorry :/

but ooh haymitch arrived! i just had to bring him in because face it- katniss and peeta really are forgetful about certain details sometimes.

see you next monday and happy early new year!

xoxo,
kristyn