Haymitch just knew it's going to be worse than ever the moment the girl looked at Effie with her puppy eyes. He knows she's trying to get her distance as much as she can and it had worked at some point but not this year, not with the siblings. She's already vulnerable enough that they she had reaped them from their mother and felt the responsibility to do everything in her power to get them to survive, now, she's getting attached to the two like she's falling off a cliff without any parachute on.
"This is going to be bad", Mags muttered while staring at Effie with the Locksmith siblings.
They went to the penthouse to get a night of quiet drinks before the fiasco of interviews and training began and what they saw is Effie Trinket being sandwiched by two children from District Twelve as she teach them how to sketch.
"Tell me about it", Haymitch breathed out in defeat and downed his glass of whisky.
He had promised Effie to stay sober or at least sober enough for the kids and he held his end of the bargain. He's allowed to get drunk tonight though. She gave him her blessing.
"Aren't you informing your escort what will happen if she gets too attached to her tributes?" Chaff asked.
"I did…million times before and I thought she had learned. This is different for her. Those kids…they just have her wrapped around their fingers and she is not even aware of it. She's too consumed by her guilt and desperation to get them to the end even though she's aware they're not going to make it", Haymitch answered.
That is sad indeed. They watched the three together and they all feel bad for Effie already. They know it's going to hurt when she loses them.
"If I didn't know any better, they actually look like a family. Effie looks like their mother", Finnick suddenly said.
It felt like a stab in Haymitch's guts, he almost winced from it. The more he stares at the three in the kitchen now, the more it sinks in to him what Effie had lost because of him. She wanted to be a mother and he had taken it away from her. She said she understood and she forgave him but it will not get her back her chance to have children of her own. Perhaps, it's why she gets easily attached to their tributes. Her motherly love just kicks in subconsciously because she got no kids of her own to give it to. That is on him no matter what she says.
"Maybe her gamemaker of a boyfriend can help her with the kids…it will finally make her services to Seneca worth it", Chaff mentioned and that's when the mood shifted.
Finnick and Mags tensed when Haymitch sent a glare towards his best friend.
"What did you just say?" he snarled.
It did not faze Chaff.
"It's not like it is not true, Haymitch. Trinket is screwing Crane. Crane is a gamemaker. All she needs to do is bat her colorful eyelashes to the blue bearded guy and perhaps, he can help your tributes. It's a good deal for all her efforts", he pointed out.
Haymitch is already seething.
"She's not like that. Don't ever talk to her like that, Chaff. We've known her since day one. She's not a whore", he snapped.
Chaff snorted.
"She may not be a whore but a Capitol is always a Capitol no matter what they do. It just naturally comes out one way or another and it did come out of your precious Trinket", he snapped back.
A glass of whisky hit the wall and shattered into different directions which startled Effie and the kids.
"Haymitch?" when no one answered her, she quickly sent the kids to their room before going to the Victors in the living room, "What the hell is going on? You scared the kids", she asked.
She saw Chaff and Haymitch glaring at each other with Finnick in the middle of them, trying to keep them apart.
"I think we should call it a night", Mags broke the silence.
"Yeah, think we should so Haymitch here can spend some quality time with his escort", Chaff said.
"Don't, Chaff…" Haymitch warned.
"Seriously, Chaff. Let's just go", Finnick seconded.
Effie is so confused at this point. A minute ago, they're all getting along and now Haymitch is ready to rip Chaff's throat out.
"Sure thing, kid. Got to make the most of his time with her before it's Crane's turn", Chaff spat.
That's when it dawned on Effie what the two were fighting about. It's about her. The chaos that broke inside the penthouse became a blur for her. She did not know who hit whom first but all of sudden, Haymitch and Chaff are fighting each other. The center table broke. Most of the vases in the living room shattered. Finnick tried his best but two Victors are more than he can handle. Mags tried to get them to stop too.
"Effie…" Grace's crying voice got her attention and saw that the disturbance caused the two to come back.
"Go back to your room and lock the door. Now", she barked and the two obliged like good little children.
Everything settles in her mind. The fight. The broken furniture and vases. Two Victors trying to kill each other. This is a mess. They will get reported.
"Stop! Please, stop!" she shouted but it's too late.
Peacekeepers came in the door and pulled the two from each other. Mags dragged Finnick to her side as the Peacekeepers literally picked up Haymitch and Chaff off the floor.
"Wait. This is just a misunderstanding. They just had one too many to drink. That's all. I can handle them", Effie tried to stop them from taking the two to detention.
"Sorry, ma'am, but they caused damage. It's protocol to bring them in detention", one of the Peacekeepers said.
She was about to retort when Mags had stopped her from doing so and they took the two Victors away.
Effie turned to the mess that was left of the penthouse and her brain started racing hundred miles per hour.
"Shit…"
It shocked both Finnick and Mags to hear her curse. Effie Trinket rarely curse.
"Don't worry, Effie. They're going to release them tomorrow. They're just going to detain them overnight", Finnick tried to reassure her but it did not work.
"No, they can't remain there. People can't get a wind of this. This is bad for Twelve and it's something the kids don't need right now: bad publicity. How can he be so stupid?!"
Effie went to the phone and started dialing.
"Effie, dear, there's nothing you can do. The Peacekeepers saw them in action", Mags explained.
She turned to the woman.
"You know very well that there's always something that I can do when it comes to this matter", the line was answered, "This is Effie Trinket, District Twelve's escort, may I speak with Commander Birch Ashbrook? Yes, of course", she said.
Mags stepped closer to Effie in concern.
"Don't do anything stupid, Effie. Birch is not someone you can just blackmail", she warned.
"I don't intend to blackmail Commander Ashbrook", Effie replied before the line is back up again, "Thank you. I will be there in ten minutes", she then ended the call.
Effie clapped her hands and the Avoxes hurried to the living room.
"Clean this mess. I don't want to see any broken shards of glass. Get me a new center table. I don't care if it's the middle of the night. Get it done", she ordered and the Avoxes get to work.
Another side of her that they have not seen. They know Effie has a heart and it shows every single time but in that moment, they saw the Capitol in her. Effie saw that they realized that too.
"There's a pressing matter on hand. I don't have time to be polite. Please do tell the kids to get some rest for tomorrow", she said to them before leaving the penthouse.
Meanwhile, Haymitch and Chaff sat on the opposite sides of the cell they're in. The tension is still high between the two but at least they're not trying to kill each other.
"Trinket is so going to murder me", Haymitch muttered out loud.
Chaff scoffed at that.
"She scares you that much? I can't believe you punch me because of an escort", he retorted.
Haymitch wanted to do it again but chose not to. Someone has to take the high road here.
"She made me promise to do everything I can to help the siblings and I got arrested. This is not helping the kids. This is putting bad publicity on Twelve and on them", he sighed and rubbed his forehead, "I know you don't like her and what she did during the break. Hell, I did not like it either, but it does not mean she's the worst person in Panem or she's what you're talking about earlier. She's not and you know that, Chaff. Effie is struggling with something and I cannot tell you what. She's having a hard time and she's not good in coping, unlike us. I am still trying to figure out what happened but all I know right now is she's so close to slipping. Having the Locksmiths as tributes doesn't help either", he responded.
That seemed to have made Chaff see reason for a bit.
"Of course, I know she's not the worst person in Panem. I just…I know what she meant for you even though I don't support it and when I heard the news, I flipped", he explained.
He is his best friend. Haymitch can understand that. He's being angry on his behalf.
"I appreciate it, really, but I still don't know either why she did it. She was going to tell me but she stopped herself. Like I said, she's struggling. I can't put more stress on her or she's going to break soon. We both know that can't happen", Haymitch stated.
Chaff shook his head but he gets it.
"Yeah, saw the Reaping in your district. I thought she's going to remain frozen there forever. Anyone with actual eyes can see that", he commented.
Haymitch was afraid of that too. He just hopes that Snow will not think of anything about that because it will go south fast if he decides to call her out on it.
"Now you have an idea, don't try to cause any distress on her…not this year. I wouldn't ask you for anything else", he requested.
It's also rare for Haymitch to request something on behalf of a Capitol citizen so whatever it is that's going on with Effie, it must have been big, Chaff mused.
"Fine. I will not bring it up again", he agreed.
Five minutes later, Effie came in the room with a paper in her hand which she handed over to the Peacekeeper. Haymitch frowned at her. How in the world she's able to get a release order for them? It's not like they committed public disturbance. They destroyed Capitol property and got caught in the act by Peacekeepers trying to kill each other. They expected to spend the night in the cell. It's protocol to keep them there overnight.
"The other one too?" the Peacekeeper asked her.
Effie glanced over to Chaff and nodded.
"He's with us too. Can we do this quickly? Time is of the essence", she answered.
"I will need to have this stamped—"
"Then get on with it already!" Effie cut him off.
Now, Haymitch is extremely worried. Effie does not do that in public, not if she can help it. It's rude and improper. She makes it a point to be proper at all times in public.
"Alright…we're done", the Peacekeeper said and went to unlock the cell.
Both Haymitch and Chaff walked out of there and went to Effie who does not hold her usual escort smile on her face. She's deadly serious.
"Princess…"
"Don't. I will deal with you later", she then turned to Chaff, "Your escort has been informed about this incident but I doubt that she cares. You both may go back", she cut him off too.
"What about you? You're not coming?" Haymitch asked.
He met her eyes as she pursed her lips.
"I still have to clean up your mess. Now go", she answered.