Thanks for the reviews and favourites/follows. I'm away next weekend so it might be a little while before I can update again.

Effie cooed over the kids when they were finally let out of the remake centre. Haymitch didn't get it. They were both in miners get up, same as every other year, and try as they might no stylist had ever managed to make miners clothing look attractive, or sexy, or even interesting. And they did try, every single year it was some new hideous design that achieved nothing but making the tributes uncomfortable and making district 12 a laughing stock. This year the stylists had decided that instead of a normal headlamp, the lights on the helmets would be be set out like a ladybird's spots, six beams glowing at random angles. It would be utterly useless in a mine, and it was utterly useless at making the kids look appealing for the parade.

He left her to making final adjustments to their costumes and arranging them on the chariots. She made reassuring noises at them and they both appeared somewhat reassured. She was good at this. He wondered whether she would break when they died. Although the head gamemaker had insinuated that she was involved with the deaths of Rhinestone and Cosmo, the previous head gamemaker, he had trouble reconciling that with the caring woman he was watching now. He supposed that Seneca must have been lying, throwing random accusations at her to see what she reacted to. Like addict or whore. Although he was sure he heard pills rattling around in her handbag and he was sure she'd invited him into her bed the previous night.

It was too much to think about right now. He took another swig, there were only another two left in the bottle, but it would be enough to see him through until they made it back up to the penthouse for dinner.

The announcement came through that the chariots would begin leaving in thirty seconds so he made his way to the viewing area. The screens were currently focused on district 1, who unusually for them looked particularly stupid this year in square outfits made out of lumps of black rock studded with diamonds. Despite being a volunteer, the boy looked quite terrified.

"He's an idiot, it's only a horse. You can have him this year, I'm taking the girl." That was Gloss, who despite being 1's youngest male victor had been called upon to mentor again this year. It was rumoured that neither he nor his sister had much choice in the matter, they had won the two games prior to last year, and since nobody wanted to sleep with last year's victor, they were still the hottest thing around. Lots of people wanted to sleep with a matched set it seemed.

Effie reappeared at his side just as the chariots departed. She had a clipboard in her hands, and when he peeked at the sheet he could see timing for the parade. He guessed she really had saved the show. Pity really, it would have been fun to watch the gamemakers screw up like that. Snow would have had heads rolling. Although when he'd been a tribute they hadn't though of the chariots yet and it'd been a long walk down the parade strip. More than one tribute had tumbled with the nerves and the unfamiliar clothing, including little Suzie who'd been the first girl he'd mentored and who had never recovered her confidence after the audience had laughed at her. So perhaps it wasn't so bad.

The parade was the first chance he had to look at the other tributes, he avoided watching the recaps of the reapings as it meant sitting with hysterical children whilst they realised what they were up against. 2 were obviously the favourites, both photogenic and the cameras lingered on them more than the others. 6 were clearly at the receiving end of Snow's displeasure at the result of last year's games with two tiny twelve year olds, both of whom were crying. In the end 12's two didn't look so bad, especially after a particularly poor run of tributes from districts 6 to 11 which tested even Caesar's ability to put a positive spin on their chances. Miri and Davis were smiley and managed to look confident in contrast to the terror from the previous few districts. Effie had done a good job.

They came off the chariots flushed with excitement, Davis was even bouncing on the balls of feet and threw himself into a hug from Effie.

"Well done, you were brilliant."

"Do you really think so?" That was Davis, and he was clearly fishing for a compliment. He was becoming a bit too attached to Effie.

She seemed to sense this as she let him out of the hug and took Miri's hands. "Brilliant," she affirmed.

She led them to the elevators, still in their full costumes. The rest of the tributes were being led back to the remake centre to be undressed and have their costumes taken away for the museum. Perhaps she'd forgotten? "Effie?"

"Oh, the stylists are going to meet us upstairs and get the costumes off."

This meant they got to ride the elevators up by themselves, not at the back of the queue and crammed in with three other teams. She really was good.

"District 12 gets floor 12," she explained as she led them into the elevator and pressed the button, "that's the penthouse. Best floor in the building."

The children were still buzzing as they were led off to be changed. Effie started arranging for the dinner to be laid out ready for when they were done. He finished off the bottle of whisky and immediately started looking for a replacement.

"Really Haymitch?"

"I've been sober all day. No need for me to be sober this evening, not when they go to bed anyway."

"Sober, right."

He wanted to tell her to mind her own fucking business, but really with the job she'd done, especially since she'd done a whole load of things that clearly weren't her job, he kind of owed her.

"I have to go out after dinner, there's a party at The Grand. You need to stay sober for the kids. They'll want to go through strategy for training."

Haymitch had never been to a party at The Grand, he was never invited, but he knew what it entailed. The very rich and the very powerful, all under the guise of being potential sponsors, wined and dined and eventually fucked the popular victors. "The Grand? I don't think so."

"Yes. The Grand. It's my job. Besides there'll be lots of sponsors there, and I think they'll be interested in 12. The kids did a good job with the parade."

"They don't need those sort of sponsors. It's not worth it. I don't want you buying sponsors that way."

"Don't be ridiculous. It's a party."

"No Effie. I don't want you there. I need you here anyway, we need to talk." She narrowed her eyes at him when he said that, but he didn't care. He needed to go through some ground rules with her. Like no buying sponsors with sex.

"I don't know what you thought you heard Seneca saying, but..." She was cut off by Davis reappearing, the boy was definitely taken with her, and demanded all of her attention. She signalled the Avoxes and dinner was laid out on the table.

"Do we have an agreement Sweetheart?"

She glanced at the bottle of whisky in his hand. "Sure. As long as you stay sober."

Of course, sober. It was going to be a long night.