Eighth Dispatch: The Malnosso Have Answered My Plea, They Must Want to Hire Me

[trinkett]

Is anyone here good at fixing things? [Because Richard Sharpe's precious pistol is still in pieces and she can't go to the Smithy because Sokka -- whom she has no idea is gone -- is Katniss's ex-boyfriend and there's awkwardness there. Also, she sounds absolutely cheerful and not like she's terrified for her life because of the aforementioned Sharpe.

Effie might be somewhat out of touch with many of her emotions and what's considered normal, but she knows Sharpe well enough to realize that he might very well shoot her on sight for what has happened.

That's why, when she goes out walking later, she has her new enormous dog towing her along. She got him for Christmas. The dog she wanted was this.


The dog she got is this: .

His name is Jason. Effie has to carry a towel to contain the slobber. His hairs are definitely sticking to her amazing Rufus Praza midnight blue Star coat (structured with Swarovski-like crystals over the heart.) She has to pick hairs out of her very thick makeup. But he's worth it. She feels safe for once -- actually, legitimately safe to be out.

Comments

[rutagraveolens]

[The still unnamed Mockingjay whistles a few notes over in Jason's direction. Rue looks at the big dog and the big blobs of drool dripping to the ground, then back to Effie. Tribute. She hasn't heard that since the games and cringes slightly.]

And you're the escort for District Twelve. [Rue remembers the woman from the recaps of each district's reaping. She tries to remember the name Katniss had told her.] Effie Trinket?

[trinkett]

Indeed I am! And you are --? [She is studiously ignoring the mockingjay. Effie's not really a bird person. Jason simply continues to sit and drool.]

[rutagraveolens]

I'm Rue. [A small pause.] From District Eleven.

[She looks at Jason again.]

Does he always drool that much? [Certainly a change from the guard dogs that patrol 11.]

[inyourfavor]

Only when he likes someone.







Or when he smells chicken.

[rutagraveolens]

[Rue reaches up and holds her mockingjay a little closer.]

...Can I pet him?

[inyourfavor]

Can she pet you? [Jason simply sits in happy half-asleep zone and drools some more. He's temptingly fluffy, Rue. Can you resist?] He's not objecting. But I warn you -- he is a guard dog.

[rutagraveolens]

[...No, Rue can't resist the fluffiness. Heeding the warning he's a guard dog, Rue approaches carefully and holds out a hand first to let Jason sniff - or slobber over - it. Then she'll give Jason's head a gentle pat.

....he's so fluffy she could die]

He's so soft!

[inyourfavor]

[Jason barely moves. He just drools more, shifts the weight from one front paw to the other and back again, closes his eyes a little bit more, and then drools MORE.]

Oh. He likes it.

[Effie's not sure how to feel about that. He's supposed to be her vicious guard animal, after all.]

[rutagraveolens]

[Rue giggles as she continues to pet Jason.]

He's very friendly.

[trinkett]

[And Jason continues to enjoy it. Well. He drools even more and starts to lean against Rue, if she allows it.]

Yes. Yes, I see what you mean. [And that makes Effie a bit nervous. After all, she got him as a guard.] But that's because YOU'RE friendly.

[She looks appraisingly at Rue. Friendliness really isn't the best quality for a Tribute to have.]

[rutagraveolens]

[Awwww, Jason. Rue shifts, shaking a bit of drool off her shoe, but she lets Jason lean in. With how big the dog is, it almost looks like Rue could ride him.]

I guess I am. [It was a bad quality for a Tribute. Being friendly couldn't help you in the arena. Now being cute, that could earn Sponsors, but who would help a twelve-year-old?]

Are there dogs like this in the Capitol?

[trinkett]

[Rue could probably ride him, and definitely get dragged by him for miles if he took it in his big wooly head to go.]

Not JUST like this. [That's the carefully phrased answer.] The Capitol dogs are....wilder.

[Deadlier. Kill-y-er. Bloodier.]

[rutagraveolens]

Oh. Are they like the ones the Peacekeepers have?

[There were some nice Peacekeepers and their dogs were nice, but others were more vicious, able to bring down an adult with a single tackle and bite.]

[trinkett]

[Effie reaches down to mop up some of the slobber.]

Not...not quite. [She REALLY doesn't want to talk about Peacekeepers right now. She has Jason. He's enough. Satisfyingly non-mutant, Jason is what he is.]

The Arena dogs are far more twisted and nasty. Muttations.