Haymitch watches as Effie turned on her escort mode as she walks on the stage. Her escort smile is back as well as her high-pitched voice.
"Welcome…welcome…welcome…" she started with her thick Capitol accent.
It sends shivers down his spine to think just how difficult it must be for her at that moment. He knows she hates reaping children. He knows how much she hates losing them every single year. He knows how much she hates not being able to do anything about it because just like the rest of them, she's a slave to the game.
Effie reaped the usual type of kids: two innocent, thin, short, not a fighter material kids. Her heart sunk upon seeing them came on the stage but she didn't let it show or at least she tried because when her eyes met Haymitch's, she knew he saw little bit of her cracks.
"Happy Hunger Games and may the odds be ever in your favor", she ended and ushered the kids back to the Justice Hall.
She waited until it's time to take the kids to the train. She sticks to the schedule, threw orders to the Avoxes in the train and instructed the kids to bathe and get comfortable in their rooms.
"I would kill for a cigarette right now", she muttered once she's left alone with Haymitch.
She ran out of cigarettes before she came to Twelve. She wanted to buy some but her schedule is hectic and she wanted to see Haymitch right away. Now, she regretted that haste decision somehow because she badly needs it and she cannot afford to drink yet, not when she got work to do.
"They're not going to last", Haymitch muttered while playing with the flask Effie gave him.
She glared at him and then rolled her eyes.
"Don't start, Haymitch. Let's not deal with that right now", she said.
She just reaped them. She wanted to be able to breathe first before she can torture herself with work on trying to get them help even though she knows it's going to be useless because he's right. She's not ready to deal with guilt yet.
"Have a drink with me. It will help", he offered.
"I got work to do", she declined.
"Put those papers down and drink", he insisted.
She is fidgeting and becoming agitated. Without her cigarettes, she's losing her composure which increased her risk of making a mistake that might cost her life. Effie sat next to him and took the flask she gave him and had a sip of his whisky. She never liked the taste but it did take the edge off a bit, makes the stress more manageable.
"I don't understand why you would settle for that kind of liquor. It's disgusting", she commented.
He gave her a smirk.
"It does help though. That's the most important part", he said.
Effie has to agree on that. Perhaps, she can manage though for the Avox to get her some when they had a stopover at District Seven. She can't drink his liquor all throughout the journey. She will smell like him and it's not good. She opened her book of sponsors once again and checked who will be their targets this year. Haymitch watched her carefully as she scanned the names. He wanted her to stop making an effort to get the kids some Sponsors when they're not even going to last long in the arena but how can he tell her that when it's the only thing that's allowing her to sleep at night? She feels like it's the only thing she can do for them so he let her.
"It will be hard to sell them both since they're not fighters. We had couple of kids with innocence as their selling point and I think it will not work for us anymore. I can try and talk to them, find out what their hobbies are or special skills that we can work on. With the Sponsors, it will be a long hunting game for us", she said in her business-like manner without looking at him.
Her head is already at the game and she's determined to make it work despite the obvious fact that they're kids will never be a Victor.
"I wonder what you will come up with for their interviews", he muttered and she only glared at him.
At dinner, Effie proceeded to teaching them about table manners and how to talk like a civilized people. Haymitch focused on his food and tried to tune her out but she's goddamn loud. When the boy kept eating his food like the way he used to at Twelve, Effie snapped and scolded him that he started crying. Effie has a sharp tongue without her knowing it. He has seen her around Avoxes too and every time she talks to them, he sees the Capitol side of her coming out. Same thing with the boy she's scolding. Her Capitol accent thickens and her words reduced the boy to tears even the girl who did nothing wrong.
"Alright, that's enough. Both of you back to your room", he intervened and the two kids hurried back to their bedrooms in a flash.
Effie sighed and remained calm as much as she can but it's hard for her to do so without her cigarettes. He turned to her and put down his utensils.
"What was that about?" he asked.
"I already told him how to eat properly and he still won't listen. Can you imagine if this is the interview with Caesar? If he won't listen to me, how well do you expect he will do out there? People will laugh at him. They will scrutinize the way he moves and talks", she exclaimed.
The frustration in her voice is so evident that it's getting into him.
"…so you figured, you scrutinizing him first will be the best way to teach him that?" he asked.
She shot him a look.
"What are you talking about? I was only helping him", she asked him back.
"The boy was crying here, princess, and so was the girl. Perhaps, if you mind what you're saying and stopped being Capitol for once, then you will be able to help", he answered.
Effie halted. It's been a long time since he brought her being a Capitol to her face. He used to do that before back when they're just started working together but after few years, he stopped doing that because they finally see eye to eye. They had an understanding. Hell, they already slept together.
"I didn't know my citizenship is a big hindrance to my ability to help the children", she muttered coldly.
Haymitch sighed. That's why he doesn't want to get involved with her teaching the kids because it always ended up with them arguing and when they did, he ended up saying hurtful things to Effie.
"Princess, sometimes you say things that make other people feel like they're nothing. We're District people. We're not your Avoxes though I still think no one should talk like that to anyone but that's your thing. I don't doubt that you can help them. It's just…tone the Capitol side of you down a bit", he explained.
He tried. He tried to sugar-coat it a bit but it still hit her like a slap on the face. Sleeping with him made her soft to his words and she couldn't hide it.
"Thank you for your inputs. I will take it to consideration. Now, excuse me. We had a long day. I must turn in. Good night, Haymitch", she said and left.
