Dead Man's Gambit / Haymitch Abernathy

02. Something to hate, something to destroy

ACT I, CHAPTER TWO
❛ something to hate, something to destroy. ❜
content: blood/injury, toxic family dynamics, implied parental abuse (physical&mental), alcohol use, driving under the influence, violence, sexual innuendo.

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     By the time her mother's handmaids were done, Renfri felt like an entirely new person. Alone in her room after sending the servants away, she evaluates her appearance in her floor-length mirror. She looks nothing short of breathtaking. When the cameras find her at the Reaping Ceremony, she's sure that Julius Flickerman and Sagitarria Templesmith will gasp.

Myra and Gwendys, the talented handmaids, had spent half an hour taming her hair into an elaborate spiral that coiled like a black serpent at the back of her head. Her eyes have been left bare of makeup, but a rose red blush dusts the apples of her cheeks, and her full lips are glossy and pink. The dress is the most captivating part of all, she thinks: a blue satin that shines like the sun's reflection on still water, ruffled girlishly along the neckline and sleeves, fitted with puffed sleeves and trimmed with white lace that outlines her bodice. It ends just below the knee and catches the air in the prettiest way when she spins. At her throat is a heavy pearl necklace with a gold and moonstone charm, carved in the shape of the two-faced man of House Xiu's symbol. Thin lace gloves cover her scarred hands; "The Capitol doesn't need to see your mistakes," Medalion had said when she gifted the pair. Her skin smells like jasmine oil, smooth and tingling from the rough exfoliant the handmaids used.

Renfri smiles at her reflection, a giddy sort of excitement filling her belly. It had been a perfect morning, and she is certain it will be a perfect day. In less than an hour, she will raise her hand and volunteer, making her first impression on sponsors and starting her legacy as a victor. Come noon, everyone in Panem will be admiring her handmaids' splendid work.

Myra and Gwendys had arrived late in the morning with a tray full of breakfast: golden-brown toast smeared with strawberry preserves, fluffy scrambled eggs, a couple strips of bacon that crunched when she bit into it, and a tall glass of kale smoothie with a hint of peach. From there, Renfri was led into a bath of pleasantly warm water scented with oils and dried flower petals. 

After drying her off and dressing her into a silk robe, Gwendys massaged several serums into her hair that made braids last days at a time as Myra shaped and painted her nails the same blue as the dress. While the polish dried, they both turned their full attention to the braids in her hair. Gwendys, upon circling Renfri's now-braided head like a hunting lioness, had pulled out three choice strands that framed her soft oval face. They dabbed jasmine and pine oils onto her skin and slipped the smooth dress over her head and clasped the ornate necklace at her back. 

When she found herself in the mirror, Renfri had been speechless. She kept her face flat as she tilted her head, analyzing the work. Finally, she said, "It's perfect," without a smile. "You two deserve some drinks for your labor. Tell Bartender Maxir that Lady Renfri will pay your tab for today." 

Myra and Gwendys curtsied and thanked her before they left, staying silent as their footsteps retreated hurriedly down the servant's staircase.

Renfri touches the charm on her necklace as she steps back from her reflection. She is going to steal the show. Feeling immensely satisfied, she falls onto her soft feather mattress, splaying her arms like a bird in flight. Elation is a flush of heat in her chest, filling her with golden light. Soon, everybody will know her name.

A sudden knock at Renfri's door interrupts her moment of bliss. She stands up quickly, brushes away the wrinkles in her skirt, and says, "Come in."

Medalion slides through the double doors, eyes sparkling with a fire Renfri has never seen before. She knows at once that her mother is drunk because of the way she carries herself, awkwardly shutting the bedroom doors behind her and shuffling toward Renfri's bed, stopping a few feet away with arms crossed.