Effie had her arms clasped in front of her and Seneca stood a few feet away. "I'm sorry, Effie. I just came to see how you're doing."
"I'm fine." Effie said shortly. Haymitch had gone unnoticed by the other two in the room. He knew it was wrong to listen in but he half wanted to see Effie go off on him. He knew she was primed and ready to burst.
"I don't think you are." Seneca offered and took a step toward her.
Effie held up her hand and stepped back. "Seneca, I'm tired. It's been a long day. I've got two families to contact tomorrow and funeral details to help organize."
Seneca nodded, "Don't play games with me Effie. Tell me if you're upset with me."
"Oh I am." Effie said shortly. "I woke up expecting just one of them to die. Oliver had a chance. Maybe he wouldn't have won, but he certainly would have lasted longer than a pre-bloodbath explosion."
Seneca didn't seem surprised at her anger, "I did what I had to with Tabitha. She assaulted you, stole from you, and harassed Peacekeepers."
Effie crossed her arms, "Yes, I'm aware. But what about Oliver. How did he deserve that. That boy followed every rule and even went out of his way to keep Tabitha in order."
"Everyone was aware of what that girl did. When I say everyone, I mean the entire nation. The newspapers have been running stories about the professionalism of District 12's escorts and mentor. Everyone expected a punishment. I received an order from President Snow. District 12 was made an example of. Failure to comply with rules will enact immediate punishment."
Haymitch bit his tongue and waited for Effie. He knew the way Seneca just talked to her would get her even angrier. "Yes, you received an order. I'm sure. So I can't wait to see the tabloids tomorrow. What will they say about Seneca Crane who murdered both of District 12's tributes hours after a darling interview with that District's Escort and longtime girlfriend, Effie Trinket. I bet they're writing them now. No one can speculate that 12 was favored now. Was that the motive all along? I get it Seneca. I'm as much a slave to my image as you are. I didn't peg you for a puppet though." Effie downed her full glass of wine and clutched the empty glass in her hand.
He took a step toward her again and Effie snapped, "No!" she said loudly. "I'd rather you not touch me right now."
Seneca ignored her and moved closer. Haymitch could see Effie's front was crumbling. For a woman who didn't drink much she had already drank too much. "Effie…" Seneca said shortly. "Let me…"
"I don't need your help right now!" She said harshly. "Every time I look at you my whole heart hurts. I need you to go!"
Seneca took the glass out of her hand and held her arms at the elbows. "Effie I came here to help. Let me help." He said quietly.
Effie stared up at him, "Did you mean what you said after the interview?" Haymitch could see the tears welling in her eyes.
"Yes." Seneca said with a confused tone.
"Then you would have thought twice about killing both of those kids. You didn't…" Effie said and looked away.
"Effie… I get orders from the President!" Seneca said firmly, "You know I can't say no."
"I love you…" Effie said quietly and tears rolled down her cheeks. "I meant that and this hurts. I need you to go. I need space, you have to go. Please." Haymitch watched as Seneca made no effort to move.
He knew he was good for several things, and interrupting was one of them. "I think I heard the lady say she wanted you to go." Haymitch clapped his hand on Seneca's shoulder.
Effie stepped back and wiped her eyes. A million expressions flashed across her face, the most prominent was embarrassment. She sniffled and looked pointedly at her glass of wine. Seneca sighed and stepped back. "Abernathy." He said shortly and moved away from Effie.
"Crane." Haymitch answered back just as short as Seneca.
Seneca searched for Effie's eyes, but she didn't lift them. "I'll keep in touch then Miss Trinket."
Even Haymitch, out of touch with feelings could feel the intended sting of Seneca's words. It was well received with a fresh flood of tears rolling down Effie's cheeks, no matter how hard she tried to hide it. Seneca turned and left, his footsteps echoing all the way to the elevator. Even after he had left the floor Effie stood still and wiped her eyes.
"I'm sorry." Haymitch said gruffly and rubbed the back of his neck.
Effie had enough to drink to make her truly open with her words. "Sorry?"
Haymitch knew he should say more but here was where he fell to pieces. Words being something he wasn't ever good with. "I'm really sorry, Effie."
Effie laughed and took a long sip of her wine, "Don't say it unless you mean it."
He paused and looked over at her, here now she was really hurting. As much as he hated the idea he heard her say it to Seneca. She loved him and the man had hurt her today. He knew enough of how she worked that she was panicked over the tabloids running stories about her and Seneca now. Surely she was still pissed at him for the comments he couldn't even seem to stop himself from saying.
"I do mean it." He answered back after a healthy pause.
"I've heard two men tell me 'I'm sorry' tonight and I believe neither of you." She finished off her glass of wine and looked for the bottle to refill.
"Then don't believe me, I know that I mean it." Haymitch took her glass and filled it up again.
Effie took the glass back and frowned, "You're more frustrating than him!" She gestured to the elevator that Seneca had left in.
Now it seemed that Effie was in a mood to air all her grievances. Haymitch sat on a bar stool near the counter and helped himself to the whiskey in a nearby decanter. "Am I?" He knew she wouldn't need prodding to get her listing the ways.
Effie huffed and took another long sip, "We have this fight every year! You make your rude comments, half ass your job, drink yourself stupid and become a first rate pain in my ass!"
Haymitch had to stop himself from visibly showing that he was cracking up inside. Sure Effie had some emotions attached to the words but she was drunk, make up smeared around her eyes from crying and she had a way of talking too much with her hands when she was feeling particularly heated about something. "It's just who I am, Effie."
Effie scoffed, "No!" She said firmly, "No that is not who you are! I remember last year and so do you. You are all those things, yes… but you're different too. You're the most exhausting person I know."
"Many people would say you're exhausting. I'd be first in line to say that."
The teasing only made Effie drink more and get more flustered. "Stop teasing me and just admit you know I'm right!" She whined.
Haymitch sipped his drink and smiled. Effie whining was usually annoying but now he knew he was pushing it too far. She had been through a lot today. "Why would I bother teasing you if I didn't already know all that to be true? If I disagreed with you we'd really be fighting." He nodded and drank again.
Effie had been geared up for a fight and huffed again. She was losing ground, she had thrown her best artillery at him to get him upset and he just laughed it away. She changed course, "Who is Mari?"
Haymitch stilled and almost coughed his whiskey up as he was mid swallow. "Who?" How the hell did she even know that name. That was before Effie's time. That was information he never spoke of. That name hadn't been said to him in a long, long time.
"Mari." Effie said quickly, "Marianna. You've called me that several times now."
Haymitch felt his heart pound and his blood pound in his ears. "No, I haven't ever called anyone that."
"Yes, you have. Just the other night. When I had to pick you up off the floor, clean you up and get you to bed. You told me to leave and I wasn't safe here. You called me Marianna." Effie fired back rapidly and set down her wine glass.
Haymitch loudly cursed in his head. He thought he had been over the days he used to call out her name in his sleep or when he was really drunk. It would seem that he wasn't as okay as he led himself to be. He downed his drink and shakily reached for more. Effie reached out and clasped her hand over his on the decanter. "You're not drinking yourself out of this answer, Haymitch."
He looked up at her and sighed. This woman was all kinds of infuriating and at the same time, it's what he liked best about her. She took his silence for a while and then spoke, "You can drink after you tell me. Please… tell me Haymitch.."
If there was one thing he knew about Effie it was that she wouldn't give up until she got her answer. "How did I win my games?" He asked quietly.
Effie relaxed and looked over at him not sure how that question answered any of hers. "You used the forcefield to turn the weapon back on a career from district 1." She replied easily. "It bounced right back and killed her."
Haymitch nodded, "Yes, awfully clever, wasn't it?" He said darkly.
Effie noticed his mood and wasn't so sure she should have pressed the matter. "Yes, it was."
"Clever enough that I used the arena against another tribute… Guess who didn't like that?" He said lowly. "The gamemakers weren't particularly pleased and old Snow himself was angry. What do they do to tributes and victors who piss them off, Effie?"
Effie frowned and knew exactly where this was going. She regretted asking, how horrible was she to bring this up on a night like this? "Haymitch…" She said softly.
"I make comments about Crane and your involvement with him for a good reason. People like him and Snow killed my whole family and the girl I loved days after they set a crown on my head. Everything I fought to live for was murdered because I used their arena to survive. Those people cannot love and only hurt others. You saw Crane's potential tonight and look how it left you." He answered.
Effie breathed shallowly and didn't move her hand from his on the decanter. "I'm so sorry, Haymitch." She squeezed his hand. He was right about Seneca. She had seen a side of him she didn't like tonight. It hurt all the worse because she was falling for the Head Gamemaker.
"You remind me of her sometimes." He said and pulled his hand away with the decanter and poured a full glass. "She was easy to tease... like you."
Effie nodded and found her bottle of wine and emptied it into her glass. She didn't know what to say. She could sit here and spew awful things about gamemakers and the games. Not when she was dating the gamemaker and working for the Capitol.
"You have to watch who you love, Effie." He said sadly. "I can see it written on you. On your face and the way you've drank 5 times the amount of alcohol I've ever seen you drink. You love him and it hurts. Maybe it didn't before, but now it does. I knew enough of love to know it should leave a girl like you… like this."
*How'd you guys like Hayffie here? I've been waiting to get Haymitch talking about his past. I just love him!*