InsaneJournal

Who: Effie Trinket and Katniss Everdeen
When: Early November
Where: Haymitch and Effie’s Place
What: Katniss comes to visit
Rating/Warnings: Low/None (Hunger Games stuff)
Status: Complete


Katniss walked up to the door of the address Effie had given her. She figured she should check in on the other woman after everything that had happened to her. She didn’t know this area, but it looked nice. She rapped her knuckles on the door and waited for Effie to answer.

Effie came to the door. It was Haymitch’s house, but Effie’d sort of left her mark all over it. Drape blanket, throw pillow, knick-knacks, vase of flowers. She wanted anyone who came through that door to know that a man lived here, but that man was taken. Damnit.

The sight of Katniss on the doorstep made Effie gasp. “Oh, Katniss. You’re here. Hello.” She said, gently. “Sorry, come on in.”

“Hi,” Katniss replied with a little wave. “Thanks,” she said as she stepped into the home and followed Effie into the house. “So uh...how are you?”

“I’m all right.” Effie turned and stepped out of the way, staring at Katniss as she came into the place. It was obviously Haymitch’s house, though Effie was leaving her marks here and there. “How are you?” It was important to Effie that Katniss have a good life in this world, especially considering the dreams were so bad to her.

“I’m ok, I suppose,” Katniss shrugged. “Been talking to a friend about stuff. Is this your place then?” Katniss asked as she looked around the house curiously. She’d not been to Effie’s house before.

“I live here now. With Haymitch.” How weird that must be for Katniss. Effie didn’t really want to dwell on that idea, though. “Can I get you anything to eat or drink?” She asked, moving through to the kitchen.

“You and Haymitch?” Katniss looked at the other woman, eyebrows raised in surprise. “Didn’t see that coming,” she remarked, more to herself than Effie before continuing to look around. “You got any lemonade?”

“Yes.” Effie said. She couldn’t imagine what must be going on in poor Katniss’ head at the moment. She smirked softly, too. “Yes, I’ve got lemonade.” She pulled it out of the fridge and poured them each a glass. “I really didn’t expect it either, but… I think it happened apart from those weird Dreams.”

“You guys are happy then?” Katniss asked, wandering into the kitchen to join Effie.

“Very. Alarmingly so. I keep waiting for the other shoe to drop.” Effie admitted, and held out a glass of lemonade to Katniss.

Katniss accepted the glass from Effie with a small thanks. “How long have you two been together then?” she asked, running a finger down the cool sides of the glass and making patterns in the condensation.

“...a few months?” Effie hazarded a guess. She wasn’t sure on the exact details. She’d gotten together with him far before she should have. That much she knew. Back before the Old Man died, she and Haymitch had been spending nights together, enjoying naked company.

“It feels natural now.” Effie admitted, then sipped her lemonade.

Katniss smiled at the woman as she explained. “I’m happy for you,” she told her. Given the awful things to happen in their Dream world, it was nice to have something good happen for them. And Effie did look happy. “And Haymitch? Is he ok?” she asked, taking a sip.

“Thanks.” Effie said, giving Katniss a smile. “Yes, Haymitch is fine. He’s really good, actually.” Not a mess in this world like he was in the dreams. Effie sipped from her own glass.

“What about you, Katniss?” She asked suddenly. “Is there anyone special in your life?”

Katniss grinned and gave a chuckle at that. “Who? Me? No,” she shook her head, leaning against the counter in the kitchen. “I’ve been a bit...unapproachable for a while, what with the Dreams screwing with me,” she shrugged. “It’s not exactly attractive to guys.”

“I’m sorry to hear it.” Effie knew that Peeta had been around, but that he was gone now. She didn’t know about any of Katniss’ other friends. “It’s been a saving grace to be able to talk to someone about all of this.” Without Haymitch, she surely would have gone crazy.

Katniss gave a little smile and shrugged again. “That’s all right. I don’t think I’d be a nice person to be with right now anyway. I’m feeling better about it after my talk with Arya, but still...talking to Haymitch...I still find that idea pretty terrifying,” she admitted before taking another sip.

Effie sighed, setting her glass aside. “We’re not the people we are in the Dreams.” She said, trying to explain. “I could never let that happen. Not to you, not to anyone. I’m so sorry for everything. I know how real it feels, I can only imagine what you must have gone through. Haymitch, too. His only priority now is to keep you safe.”

“Yeah, I’m uh...I’m realising that more and more, but each new bout of Dreams seems to put me back to square one,” Katniss shrugged. “Especially with all the other weird goings on around here. It messes with my head.”

Effie nodded. “I’m sorry to hear it.” She probably would have gone absolutely crazy if it wasn’t for Haymitch. “You’re not alone, though. We’re all here for you. Portia, Haymitch and myself. We’re here to listen. Always.”

“Thanks, I uh...I forget sometimes,” Katniss admitted. “Try and deal with it all myself, but Arya was telling me about how talking to others in her family helped her deal with it all. So, as counterintuitive as it is for me, I’m going to try and...talk more,” she gave Effie a little smile.

“I’m glad. Talking seems to help me a great deal.” Effie said, nodding again. She reached for her lemonade. “I’m more than willing to listen if you ever need to talk. I’m sure Haymitch is, too. Or we could all spend time together.”

Katniss quirked a smile at that, running her hand along the kitchen counter. “I think I’ll try a one on one meeting with him first, but maybe in time,” she replied. “How...how much do you...remember?”

Effie cleared her throat. “...you and Peeta survived the seventy-fourth games. That’s as far as I’ve seen.” She hated talking about it, but knew that Katniss would probably need to. She felt unbearably guilty for all of it.

Katniss nodded. “I wasn’t all that...approachable,” she paused to think about what she’d said. “I probably haven’t changed much, have I?” she quirked a little smile at the other woman.

Effie shrugged her shoulders. It wasn’t as if Katniss was all that different from the Dreams. but that made Effie feel even worse. She didn’t want to be that woman. That Effie in the Dreams. She was a horrible person and Effie would rather die than become anything like her.

“You’re…” She couldn’t lie. Effie chuckled. “No, you don’t seem that different. But I don’t know you very well here.”

“Not much to know really. I’m in school, I hunt, I have a friend called Arya who has a wolf...that’s me really,” she shrugged. It wasn’t much when you spelled it out like that.

“That sounds like the Katniss I know.” Effie smirked. “But there isn’t anything wrong with being like the you in the Dreams. Panem loves you.”

Katniss faltered at the mention of Panem. Panem today, Panem tomorrow, Panem forever, echoed through her mind. She couldn’t think of anything else. Her face went pale, eyes wide and she suddenly found it hard to swallow.

God, that was the wrong thing to say. Not only because of Katniss’ reaction, but because of the way it made Effie feel. She almost slipped into the Capitol accent. Her eyes went instantly to the floor and she cleared her throat. “I’m sure you’re--” she had to clear it again, and make sure she wasn’t talking like she belonged in Panem. “--you’re a great person here.”

Katniss still couldn’t think. She had to get out of here. She swallowed heavily, it felt like lead in her mouth. “I have to go,” she said quickly, putting her glass down on the kitchen counter and heading rapidly for the door.

Effie nodded. She wasn’t about to try to stop Kaniss, or anything. She was feeling embarrassed and guilty for what she’d said. “Okay.” She set down her own glass and followed Katniss to the front door to close it behind her. It was awkward, and she wasn’t sure what to say. So she simply let Katniss go.

Katniss barely remembered to utter a thanks over her shoulder as she burst out the door and hurried down the street. She didn’t look back.