Strategy Management

When Haymitch entered the dining car the next morning, the others had already assembled at the table and were silently having breakfast. Effie had already lost hope that he would show up as she heard his heavy footsteps and looked up. A thankful smile graced her lips. His somber expression didn't change, but it didn't seem to bother Effie.

"Did the noble man finally decide to attend?", it mockingly came from Petunia

Haymitch ignored her and sat down at the chair next to Effie. Ramon threw him a cool look. Eustace pored over her hot chocolate. She had barely ever set her eyes on such a drink. At home, there was only water or tea. They probably couldn't afford coffee.

Instead of eating, Haymitch pulled a flask from his jacket pocket and took an eager gulp, which got him a blaming side glance from Effie.

Both of the tributes noticed that it wouldn't take long for Haymitch to slip away. Almost coincidently and without changing a word with one another, they began to stare at him. But none of them seemed to have the courage to overcome the cutting silence of the car. Eustace didn't dare to say anything and Ramon lost interest in doing so. In his eyes, he would be better off without Haymitch.

Haymitch tried to ignore the children's looks, but still they managed to get on his nerves. What did they even expect from him? He didn't do wonders. They would both die. But if he expressed that aloud, Haymitch would probably blow it with Effie. And somehow, he didn't want to go this far. An almost silent voice in his head kept him from it.

Only when Effie slightly nudged him with her foot from aside, he turned his head in her direction and theatrically raised his eyebrows. Effie nodded in their tributes direction and then she nudged him another time. An irritated snort came out of his throat which made the tributes flinch. Petunia surveyed him from behind her mug of coffee. Almost strategically, as if she was calculating the probability of every of his possible moves. As if she didn't trust him with the role of a mentor.

"All right", he sighed and leaned againt the back of his chair, anxious to ignore Petunia. "What questions do you have?" Eustace stared at him, questioning. Ramon pressed his lips to a thin line. Both seemed a little taken aback, like they hadn't actually believed for such a reaction from him.

"Come on", he snorted again and grabbed the ladle for one of the various cream soups. "Or did you stare at me like fish because I've got something in my face? I'm not stupid. So when there's something on your mind, spit it out before I change my mind and you can think of a strategy on your own." His voice was harder than intended and from the side, he heard Effie sighing.

"What Haymitch wants to say is that as your mentor, he's always willing to answer your questions regarding the arena and the Games", the young woman was quick to interpose and gave the tributes an assuring smile. She would have to remind him later to not terrify them. They had enough reasons to be frightened after all.

Petunia's disgusting laugh sounded through the car. "Well, I wish you all the best with your mentor. He was never capable of anything, so why would he be now?" Haymitch threw her a poisoning look and almost spilled pumpkin soup over the maroon table cloth.

"Do we have a strategy?", Eustace asked at that moment, before Haymitch could throw an insult at Petunia's head.

"Not yet, dear", Effie explained with an apologetic look as if it was all her fault. She must have taken their dialogue to heart yesterday, Haymitch thought. "But that's why Haymitch's here. He'll support you as good as he can."

He wanted to tap his forehead at her. Support you as good as he can, of course! What things this woman came up with sometimes. But the gaze Effie gave him was so full of confidence that he couldn't get his mouth open. So he would play this little game of hers, even though he knew that he could hold his hand into a flame just as well. The pain wouldn't be different in the end.

"To develop a strategy, we need to know your abilities first", said Haymitch and put a spoon of soup into his mouth. The tributes kept silent and didn't respond anything. What he had said even appeared logic to him, as if he had already played this game years ago. And deep down he knew that he had indeed been part of this Game before. And exactly for that reason, Effie would pay for this. She would pay for the public manipulations of hers, directly in front of the children where he had no choice but to say yes.

When both tributes stayed silent, Haymitch rose to speak again. "So?" He made his voice sound as bored as possible on purpose.

Eustace gave Ramon and then Effie a look, just to lower her head in defeat. "What's the matter, dear?", Effie asked in a worried tone when she spotted the girl's eyes brimming with tears.

"I can't do anything. I never held a weapon. I'm not strong and when I compare myself to the other tributes, I'm one of the smallest", she confessed with a choking voice. Her right hand, which laid on the table, trembled.

Effie's heart broke in her chest. She knew that her chances were low but she didn't want to give up. What an escort would she be, if she didn't even try to help Eustace? So Effie gave the girl a beaming smile. "But it's no problem, everyone has a special talent or an ability where you're better at than others."

Haymitch glanced at her in disbelief. He still wondered why she cared so much and what she wanted to achieve with it. The girl was a lost cause, he had seen it right from the start. When he was standing in front of a potential victor, he would immediately know. One could feel the atmosphere surrounding them. One could see it in their eyes. And yet it was only luck that saved you in that arena.

Eustace shook her head again. "What are things like sewing or cooking good for in the arena? Ramon's big and strong, he's a huge advantage", she tried to explain to Effie, as if she was the mentor and not Haymitch. While she spoke, she threw a friendly look towards Ramon to let him know that there was no negative meaning behind her words.

It was the first time Haymitch saw Effie Trinket being left speechless. He quickly decided that he loved how she looked when her silly Capitol brain tried to process Eustace's words. Her happy mask froze for a moment before she recovered, turned her head in his direction and their eyes locked.

Sighing, he leaned back in his chair. He had to bite his tongue to hold back comments like "Give up, you'll stand no chance." to not make the tributes or Effie his enemies. Since when did he even bother what others thought of him? Strangely, he didn't want to spoilt things with the new escort immediately. After all, she had made a better job within twenty four hours than Petunia in twenty years.

"Just because you never held a weapon in your hand doesn't mean that you can't handle one", he spoke and got a glare from the little girl. She was aware that he had only said it to make her feel better. Why did no one notice when Effie made such comments? She was the one who raised the tributes' hopes without a valid reason.

"Fighting isn't everything", Haymitch tried again and didn't know who he wanted to convince or why he bothered at all. But when he looked in Eustace's wide green eyes, one thing got clear to him: This year, it would be much harder to forget the tributes. "The other tributes aren't the only threat in the arena. You're small, maybe a disadvantage in a duel, but I wouldn't recommend such a fight anyway. You'll be better at hiding form the others."

Eustace eyed him skeptically, but seemed to think about it. Then, she nodded slowly and one could see that some of her fear had vanished. Even if not completely. Haymitch knew the fear she felt right now. It would only end with the second of her death. And if she was very unlucky, it would never end.

"See?", Effie said without noticing the conflict at all. Her smile seemed to reach from on ear to another and Haymitch immediately asked himself, if it hurt so smile like this all day. "There's no reason to worry about. We're in control of the situation."

"I cropped vegetables and some other plants at home", Eustace added after a while of silence. "I know how to handle a sickle."

It made Haymitch prick up his ears. He put the spoon down and surveyed the girl from head to toe. "It won't make a huge difference because with your statue, I don't recommend you any close fights. But it's good to be on the safe side. I'm not sure if the sickle belongs to the ordinary armory. A sponsor would have to send it to the arena for you and with Twelve's situation, well …"

"It means that Haymitch and I will have to make a huge effort to get sponsors this year", Effie interrupted him at this second and calmly smiled at the girl.

Haymitch's eyes narrowed and he glared at her. "How rude of you to interrupt me like that, young lady."

Effie turned to him and pressed her lips together in shock. He could see how her cheeks began to burn under the layers of make-up. "Pardon me, such was not my intention", she immediately said and gave him an apologetic look.

"Calm down, sweetheart. You've to stop taking everything personally", he laughed, amused how embarrassed she was. Capitols and their manners … Effie smiled another apologetic smile, but he put her off. He wasn't truly interested in her manners.

During the whole time Haymitch and Effie had dealt with Eustace, Petunia had watched them almost grumpy. She disliked how Haymitch voluntarily took part at their tributes strategy. Next to her, he'd never done a stroke of work.

Ramon ignored the scene as good as possible. He didn't exchange a single word with any of them and even Effie gave up after several failed attempts to start a conversation with the boy. Haymitch still regarded his yesterday's words as an empty threat. Ramon might be big and strong, but what could he do?

"So if the Gamemakers place a sickle at the cornucopia, I'll go for it?", Eustace asked, probably still thinking about her survival chances.

Before Effie could say something wrong, Haymitch stepped in. He himself noticed that he had probably spoken more words to this two tributes today than he had with all the past tributes together. He had never paid a lot of attention to his tributes. Only the first year after his victory had been different. "You're definitely not going for the cornucopia, no matter what. All careers will be there. It'll be a bloodbath. Turn around, run and find water."

"But that's not making any sense", Eustace retorted puzzled. "When they're willing to place a sickle at the cornucopia, why shouldn't I take it?"

"Because it's exactly what they want", Haymitch immediately answered. "They want you to run into the bloodbath. The Hunger Games are nothing but a show. The more blood the better, don't forget that." Effie huffed scarcely audible at his words. She's one of them as well, another, louder voice whispered in his head.

But Eustace understood what he had wanted to tell her. It wasn't the first time that Haymitch gave this advice. Mostly, it was the only one he gave the tributes at all. But the cornucopia was a lure and considering the possible death, it was hard to resist.

Hi and welcome back. I hope you liked this short chapter. I'll be back soon with another one! Feedback? :)