Annie Cresta is one with the waves (lifeisastorm) wrote in valarlogs, @ 2015-08-01 12:48:00 |
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It wasn’t often that Haymitch called on Portia but after another repeat load of dreams lately he felt the need to see a friendly, understanding face. And there wasn’t really a better one. He didn’t want to lay it all on Katniss, she struggled enough with everything as it was and unlike his dreams he couldn’t drink to forget.
So he’d grabbed a selection of cookies and muffins from the bakery and decided to surprise her in her office. He’d been added to the list of people allowed onto the premises so there was no issue getting into the studio.
Portia, meanwhile, was enjoying lunch in her office with Annie. They were looking over some new designs for a movie and trying to decide on the right kind of accessories to go with it when there was a knock at the door and Haymitch appeared.
“Haymitch” she smiled, moving to press a kiss to his cheek, “This is a nice surprise. Annie, this is Haymitch. Haymitch this is Annie” she said giving Annie a reassuring look.
The knock at the door had caught Annie’s attention and so she had looked over. Only to tense because it wasn’t someone who worked at the studio, which meant that her senses were suddenly on high alert, eyes guarded as she watched him through her hair. Suddenly she was thankful she had left it down that day. It acted as a sort of barrier.
Haymitch. She knew that name. And it was clear Portia got along with him.
Right. He had been the victor from District 12. Peeta had talked to her about him here and she thought he looked familiar. It didn’t do much for her nerves, but she at least was able to place him. That helped. So she just nodded in greeting as she folded her hair behind her ear. True it meant she couldn’t use it as a means of protection, as if it would shield her, but well… being polite.
“Annie” Haymitch said giving her a smile and a nod, speaking gently but not enough to be insulting. “It’s good to meet you. I hope you like sweet things, I’ve brought a load of cookies and things and it would be awful for my health if I had to eat them alone”
Portia laughed, squeezing Annie’s shoulder as she passed her in reassurance, “Don’t you believe him” she said with a wink, “He’s trying to sweeten us up”
One two three. It was a slow breath that was released, but it was one of her grounding techniques. The chair was real. The office was real. Stay focused on that. Stay focused on her surroundings and it kept her from spiraling with what if scenarios and panic. So she just forced a shy smile at the comment, fiddling with the charm bracelet the dreams had given her from Finnick. That always calmed her down.
“I suppose a little bit won’t hurt.”
She was curious as to why he was there, but as it seemed he and Portia were friends, she supposed it made sense that he might randomly show up. It seemed people who dreamt of Panem seemed to drift to one another as a means of coping in some strange way.
Haymitch and Portia gave Annie the time she needed to keep herself calm, they weren’t going to rush her. “That’s the way” he said as he sat down in the spare chair in Portia’s office, it was obvious he was comfortable there.
“I’ve known Haymitch for a long time, he’s been a good friend” she told Annie, knowing the other girl must be wondering why he’d just arrived.
“Portia’s the good friend, she puts up with me dropping in and feeding her sugar at random times” he corrected in an easygoing manner.
It was a bit confusing, but given there was the easy rapport going on, Annie was able to put it together. She still felt bad about the initial panic and the fact that she was still on edge, but some things just were. She didn’t let it control her, she just worked with it and some days were better than others.
“Makes sense.” It was nice seeing people who got along easily despite all the stress that Orange County brought. It was something necessary really. Even if she was more solitary besides her small group of friends, she knew how beneficial it was.
“Anyway, how are you?” Haymitch asked Annie, “Portia says you have an incredible eye for jewellery and designs”
“You do” Portia said with a kind smile as she moved to get Haymitch a drink so he could join them.
Oh. Okay, she was going to be more addressed. That was unexpected. So perhaps it shouldn’t have been, but Annie was awkward around people initially to begin with, so she never quite knew how to respond in situations like this, even if she’d been getting better after everything that had happened.
“I’m fine. Thank you. You?” Because there wasn’t much to go on. She had her work which kept her focused, she had repeats of dreams while fearing what was to come even if at the moment things had worked out, but she knew better. Johanna was talking about getting people together to go to a lake.
She really felt stiff in how she was holding herself, but she figured it would go away with time.
“As good as can be” he shrugged, “Some days are better than others. I’m sure I don’t need to explain” They didn’t need to hash out their shared dream experiences, unless Annie wanted to which he assumed she didn’t.
“We’re all in the same boat really” Portia said with a small sad smile, “But here, we can lean on each other when and if we want to”
That was something Annie could definitely understand. It was something she’d been living with for a few years now, so she just gave a small nod of understanding. That more than anything would explain randomly showing up with cookies and the like. Just needing that sort of break from the bad days.
“True.”
But as Annie was, well, Annie, she rarely actually spoke about it unless prompted or it seemed to be of need elsewhere. This didn’t seem to be such a case so she instead just took a sip from her water bottle.
Haymitch wasn’t going to push, he was just glad his roundabout comment hadn’t upset her. He relaxed a little more, “So am I interrupting a working lunch? Because if so maybe you girls should work less” he grinned at them.
Portia chuckled, “Work and fun is very much the same thing in our job” she said, with a smile for Annie, “But then we don’t have pushy clients we always need to please in quite the same way you do”
That was one of the nice things, the lack of pushy clients. They had deadlines of course, and it could be stressful given the nature of it all. But it wasn’t an overwhelming type of stress. At least it didn’t seem as such to Annie, so she was content to curl up in the chair she was sitting on and just listen. Though she did look at Haymitch as Portia mentioned his type of clients.
“What do you do?”
“I own and run a PR firm” he told her, “Abernathy PR, not the most original name but it works. I have a good solid client base” He’d been very lucky with his clients, having Tony Stark on board seemed to help there.
“He’s very successful, more than he lets on” Portia added to Annie, she was proud of her friend.
PR. That sounded… stressful. Far more stressful than making jewellery even if now it was for a movie studio and it would end up on film or actors and actresses and photographed and analysed and torn apart by fashion critics.
“Oh.”
Such an original response, but she nodded and it wasn’t like she was disinterested, she just didn’t have much to say since she tended to keep to herself most of the time anyway.
“Not anywhere near as exciting as what you do here” he smiled, “Tell me do you still take commission work? Or does the studio take all of your time now?” he asked curiously.
Portia took a sip of her drink and opened the box of cookies and things that Haymitch had put on her desk when he sat down.
“I still do commission work or coming up with things for street fairs and everything.” Because with the amount of times Annie needed to focus and how making jewellery did just that for her, it would be a shame not to be able to sell it. Add in long bouts of insomnia, she didn’t worry too much about losing time thanks to the studio. Perhaps one day it would get to that point, but it was a bridge she’d cross once she got there.
“Then perhaps I could employ your services sometime” he said, there were a couple of people who would appreciate well crafted personal jewellery. And he had no doubts that Annie was talented.
Why that seemed to startle her some, who knew. Probably because Annie just didn’t see Haymitch as the type to commission jewellery from someone. But she brushed it aside because really, it didn’t actually matter. It just seemed strange to her. Instead she just smiled some with a small nod.
“Just let me know.”
Haymitch wasn't surprised she found it strange, he wasn't an awful lot like his dream counterpart. Not drinking helped a lot with that and he wasn't nearly as resentful or depressed. Thankfully his life hadn't been as hard as his dream life.
And he looked forward to working with Annie on the presents he had in mind.