Haymitch often skips the Victory Tour but as per Mags requests, he stayed to support Finnick and it also means Effie is staying and joining the tour.
Mags kept her end of the bargain. A few days after their talk, a rich businessman who used to sponsor the games was found dead in his hotel room. It was said that the cause of death was overdose. He knows better. It was Mags way of keeping all of them out of trouble. She works on stealth mode. If it's up to him, he will run his knife to that bastard's throat and let him bleed to death but then he will get caught and he will be arrested and executed.
"Is that how you felt when you won your games?" Effie suddenly asked him while they watch the young boy waves to his fans.
Finnick is a natural darling. Everyone loves him. It only makes Haymitch sick because he knows what will happen next. A lot of buyer will make their ways just to get him and that is the main reason why Mags enlisted his help to keep the boy safe.
"Not really. I don't work the crowd, sweetheart. That's your area", he answered.
"Clearly", she replied with a glare and that made him smirked.
It's nice to see her back to her old self again. She spent days in her bedroom after that night. When she came out, she turned all her energy working on the documentation for the shipping of two coffins back to Twelve. It took her three days at best to get herself together, that and lots of packs of cigarettes.
Even with her fire back on, he can see her playing with her lighter inside her purse while watching everyone. She's craving for it. He can tell. He's been an alcoholic for years. He knows an addict when he sees one. She used to smoke when she started working but it was more occasional rather than habitual. Now, she smokes every ten minutes. She cannot stop it.
"He greeted me earlier at the hall. He's very sweet. It's a shame", she muttered.
"Why?" he asked.
"This world will eat that sweetness out of him", she answered.
He frowned.
"What you on about?" he asked again.
Effie turned to look at him in the eyes and her escort mask dropped. He saw nothing but sadness in her eyes. He also noticed the dark circles around her eyes hidden by makeup.
"It has certainly taken it out of you as well as from the other Victors", she continued and then took a deep breath. "No one ever wins the games, doesn't it?" she asked.
Haymitch looked around for anyone that might have heard her. It's not a good thing to say in public and she's slipping. She knows it. She knows that most places are bugged and that people are listening and yet she's talking about the games taking innocence from Victors.
He stepped closer to her and tugged her to his body.
"No, princess. There are survivors but no winners. You have to stop talking like this in public. You're putting yourself at risk", he warned.
"Are you ever going to tell me?" she asked quietly.
"Tell you what?" he asked her back.
"…about the envelopes", she answered and that made him stiff and tightened his grip on her arm.
"Who told you? Did you receive one?" he asked.
It's been a while since he got one but it will be no surprise if he started getting some now. He's sober for the most time and he's not making headlines about his drunken behavior.
"I heard people talk…people in the games. Don't worry about it. It's been taken care of", she answered coldly.
Taken care of? That's now how one deal with it. If a Victor refused, a pressure point will be used against him until he obliged, not that he has left any to be used against him but still, you don't just go dismiss it.
"What do you mean? What did you do?" he asked.
"I am a fast learner, Haymitch. I can play this game and no I didn't do anything stupid. I am smarter than you think. Trust me", she answered.
She is deadly serious. She is more serious than when she's giving orders about schedules and interviews. The fire in her eyes are so bright that he might get burned.
"Fine but you will tell me about it in the train", he said and then resumed watching the ceremony.
They didn't get the chance to talk the entire day. Mags kept Effie close to her talking about districts' cultures and giving her tips about the in and outs of the games. Haymitch knew better though. Mags is doing that to keep an eye on her. It is also her way to give him and Finnick a chance to talk.
"So, what did you do with your prize?" the young boy asked him.
"What prize?" he asked him back.
"The money…Mags said there's going to be loads of money coming my way. I don't know what to do with it. My parents are dead and I don't have anyone except Mags. She doesn't need the money, she said. She's also a Victor and she got tons of them. I cannot think of anything to spend it with. What did you do with yours?" the boy answered and asked again.
He is naïve, Haymitch thought.
"Still spending it. Victors receive monthly allowance too so we got shit loads of money, yeah…build a house, a fucking mansion. Live life. That's a nice way to spend money", he answered not caring about his language in front of the boy.
He simply glanced at Effie just to make sure she didn't hear him to talk Finnick that way. She will be mad.
"She is nice, Ms. Trinket", the boy suddenly said and it got his attention. "I met her earlier. She's pretty. Probably the prettiest girl I've ever seen", he added.
"Hold your horses there, boy. You're sixteen. Trinket is not going for a minor or she will get arrested", Haymitch snapped.
Finnick smiled, not teasing, but a genuine smile.
"I think I will start spending my money with buying her something nice and you as well. I already thought of something for Mags", he muttered.
It makes Haymitch sad to think that sweetness will disappear soon enough from the young boy.
Effie is a sweet person and kind but I also feel that she can be very deadly and got some sort of darkside within her if provoked.
