#contriite

@contriite . Haymitch & Effie

Effie inhaled sharply. It was her first year as escort, a privilege she had earned during Haymitch's games. And he had won, and now he was a mentor. But she wasn't sure what she would find on the other side of the door. Haymitch had lost so much ever since going back from the Games.

She painted a smile on her lips, knocked three times, and walked inside. "Haymitch?" she called cautiously. Effie did not yet have all the effusions she would later display. In fact, she was feeling a little bit nervous. "Are you ready for today?"

❝   how   can   i   help   you   ?   ❞   she's   grinding   leaves   to   powder   in   the   mortar   behind   the   counter   of   the   apothecary   ,   managing   a   small   smile   through   the   aching   of   her   arm   .   something   to   bring   down   a   fever   ,   she   hopes   .   ❝   if   you're   lookin'   for   burdock   everdeen   ,   ya   just   missed   him   .   ❞

❝ no wonder they don’t like you. ❞ (from Haymitch @contriite )

Katniss groaned inwardly the moment Haymitch opened his mouth. Whatever he was about to say, she knew he had a point. She just didn't like that he was usually right about some things. She’d long since learned how to weather Haymitch’s blunt edges, but this one cut sharper than usual. His words lodged somewhere deep, somewhere raw. She kept her arms crossed, jaw tightening as she stared past him, fixing her gaze on the floor as if she could will herself not to feel it. But the truth of it, the way it mirrored a voice she already fought in her own mind, stung more than she wanted to admit. She opened her mouth, then shut it again. What could she say? That she didn’t care? That it didn’t matter if people liked her? It would be a lie, and Haymitch would smell it immediately.

Lilah opened the door and looked at the blonde vampire. “What do you want? I’m not inviting you in.” She informed him.

Lilah opened the door to her apartment and looked him over. “What the hell happened?” She asked. He looked like he hadn’t slept in days.

It had been less than a month since Liah had died and been sent directly to the home office. In that time she had been sent back to earth just long enough to give team Angel the keys to the Los Angeles branch of Wolfram and Hart. The Senior partners made a deal with Angel to save Connor,he got his son a shiny new life and in the process he’d tampered with his friend’s memories. Lilah had made the deal like she’d been instructed and had it all set up,but she was far from ok with it,quite the opposite actually. She’d been sent back to the home office right after making said deal. 

What felt like ages for her was only a mere few hours back on earth. She only knew that something had happened with Angel and that Wesley had been offered the job of CEO of the Los Angeles branch in his stead. The partners hadn’t given more details than that, before she’d been brought back alive and dropped into the lobby gasping for air.  It was late and the lobby was empty she looked around as she tried to get her bearings. She stared at the doors that belonged to the CEO’s office. She hesitated as she slowly walked over to it;the partners words were still ringing in her ears, “We’re sending you back alive against our better judgement,but Mr. Pryce made quite the compelling..some might say very passionate case for your being returned,it was a stipulation of his agreeing to take over..” She took a few deep breaths and gathered the nerve to finally knock on the door. She waited with bated breath for an answer,all while still trying to fully process not only being fully restored to life like before the beast attack,but the partners words as well.

“I thought about it..” She admitted as she came back into the bedroom from the bathroom and walked over to him. She hadn’t intended to stay the night again, but it beat going home to an empty apartment. She also didn’t want to admit it even to herself much less him, but she was starting to feel comfortable with him and safe. She sat down on the edge of the bed and glanced at the clock on the nightstand. “I don’t have to be at the office for a few hours..”

@contriite . 𝐍𝐄𝐖 𝐌𝐔𝐒𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐋

The cage keeping them captive was vibrating with murmurs. The first few hours, there had been nothing but silence. Now, all the tributes were exchanging rushed whispers and worried questions. No one really knew what was happening, if it was all true.

But so far, the Capitol had kept its grim promise.

24 kids had been reaped and ripped from their homes, dragged here, and imprisoned like animals awaiting the slaughterhouse. But would they really throw them into the Coliseum to fight?

It was so absurd, they all had to hope it was just a mirage, a collective hallucination of sorts. They couldn't help but expect the Capitol to cancel the whole thing. But as the day went on, no one came to release them of their torment.

Codrin had been silent, staring at the zoo that spread beyond the confine of her little cage. It was a derelict thing, with broken concrete everywhere, dried grass, and dead trees. Was that the glory of the Capitol? A bunch of ruins, the remnants of war.

He turned to look at the boy next to him. Codrin wasn't great with people, he was usually better with trees or bugs.