I did watch Mockingjay part 1 (twice!) and loved it! Luckily, there was no Haymitch nor Effie shots during the bombing of D13 so we are able to imagine whatever we please about their wherabouts in that timeframe, and this is one possibility. Divided into three 100 words drabbles because of reasons


1.

When the first Capitol bomb hits the ground it's like an earthquake and it feels somehow familiar, like falling off the edge of the bed while drunk, like spiralling into darkness as the day dies and there's no one in the house to turn the lights on.

He distracts himself counting the blasts but somewhere around forty the thundering of explosions above resembles too much a cannon going off in the arena. So he tries to stray his thoughts again but all that comes to mind is Katniss' song. Except it's not her voice singing in his head... it's Effie's.

2.

Every child knows the best defense against monsters and nightmares is a thick blanket over their head. She must know though, since she's not a child anymore, Thirteen's issued blankets aren't thick enough for that task. Even then, Effie Trinket is curled up in hers, pale thin fingers gripping a corner of the rough fabric the only visible part of her.

He kneels on the ground next to her bed and in the space between detonations and cries, when plaster dust fills the air and collects on their clothes, he speaks:

I wish I was drunk out of my mind.

3.

Her grip slacks so he hooks a finger on the blanket and lifts it just enough to see clear empty eyes staring back. I wish you were all dolled up, he says.

She blinks and her grip closes around his finger, pulling, till his hand is snugly under her chin, against her warm throat, and he can choose to give in to the pull or leave his fingerprints on her neck... But he can't, so he rests next to her and quivers, already tasting the loss on his lips when she whispers against them:

I will never not like you.