thecapitol | (no subject)

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(no subject)

WHO| Effie and Darius
WHAT| A stressful period is about to be made more stressful.
WHEN| Mid-day
WHERE| The Tribute training center.
WARNING/NOTES| None atm.

This was not good.

Katniss and Peeta were missing. And of course, she and Haymitch were use to going at this solo, but there was...a difference. Because usually they were not stressed about missing mentors and their tributes.

At least she assume Haymitch was stressed. If his drinking habit were any indication, at least.

"Hold the elevator please." She said, tone clipped as she picked up her pace, sorting through files as she went. There was a party, tonight, to try to gather sponsors, but she might be flying solo. Which might be better all things considered.

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Slowly, infinitely slowly, he began to be able to move, so long as he didn't take his eyes off of her. Her small sounds reached deep, somewhere as deep as the fear, and he hesitantly put out a hand to touch her shoulder.

Effie started, looking up at him with wide blue eyes. Was he...was he trying to comfort her?

With everything going on, everything going wrong she hadn't had time to talk to anyone. If anything she had just been doing her best to keep Haymitch going, so their tributes would do well. But she was so scared, so worried about Katniss and Peeta, and just everything was going wrong. Even the little things. And now this?

So that little bit of contact completely undid her. Her face crumbled a little, and sure folded down into herself, leaning against him.

For a moment, he could not remember what to do. He simply sat, hands awkward and not touching anything, still trembling himself. He looked down at the light, and carefully shifted it closer to them both before slowly, tentatively wrapping an arm around her shoulder. When she didn't reject that, he squeezed a little, trying to be comforting without making a sound.

She leaned into the squeeze, letting it out. Effie was far better at taking comfort than she would ever be at giving it (no matter what she though about it.)

Finally she lifted hr head, producing a handkerchief out of somewhere and dabbing at her face.

"I'm so sorry for that." Apologizing to an Avox wasn't normally something one did, but neither was crying on their shoulder.

He smiled for her, an expression that felt unpracticed and strange on his face, looked odd with the too-bold makeup. Gently, he took the handkerchief from her hand to fix a bit of her makeup that had gotten smudged.

That was even more unexpected.

Effie held still, letting him move to fix her makeup, and gave him a smile when he finished. Because it was such a kind thing to do, and so...un Avox like.

He folded the square of cloth neatly, offering it back to her, and never took his eyes off her. That was the key, maybe, for him to stay floating above the terror that still sat so close.

She put it away and settled to the floor.

"I don't know what else we can do?"

But the panic was starting to subside. And logic set back in. Clear thought process. Such as...

"We certainly fell very far, didn't we?"

That elevator didn't move slowly when it was working properly. She knew there were some sub floors, and everything had gone by so fast, but it still felt...wrong.

He released her slowly, kneeling beside her instead, and still didn't look away, but he was clearly listening, and nodded slightly. Hesitantly, he gestured to himself. Maybe they were at the Avox levels? They were the deepest he knew.

If took her a moment to get his meaning, and then she sat back, looking up into the darkness to consider it. Normally it was a 12 story drop she was use to, a few more on those rare occasions she had gone down to the training area. She knew the Avoxs were under that but...she shook her head.

"No, I think we went farth than even that. It felt farther."

And how much farther she had no idea. All she could remember was dropping far to fast.

He shrugged, a gesture that felt shockingly casual to him. But he didn't know. And he wasn't sure he wanted to. Looking away from her, at the doors, made his heart start to race again, and so he snapped his gaze back.

She felt another pang of sympathy for him as he looked back to the floor, before redirecting her attention.

Out. How could they get out of here.

"Maybe if we climbed up..." Because she was going to do well in her smart business suit, wig and 5 inch heels. Truly good climbing attire.

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