Simply judging from the look on Katniss's face, Prim knew that her older sister must have thought she was trying to make excuses again. Her unwillingness to acknowledge the people she may have to kill was far from the repeat of not wanting to train when they had all first come to the Capitol. The blonde didn't understand why not thinking about it was looked at as unwillingness, or rather, weakness. All Prim wanted to do was prolong the sane moments, the times where her life wasn't mottled with fear and tragedy, where she could still enjoy doing something with Katniss, or talking to Gale, or sharing cooking tips with Peeta. Good memories were going to be what got her, personally, through the games, the remembrance of better times, and the hope that there would be more of the same in the future.

“There was that year that it was poison, too,” Prim remarked, recalling that both tributes from 12 had died after collecting rainwater in a rather arid arena. The blonde heeded the older girl's words, however, making sure to pay attention to how the trap was laid out. Soon, she practiced her own, but also wondered what to make of Katniss not knowing what was going on with Haymitch. The two had been so close lately, and Prim hoped that there wasn't more animosity between them. Their fights never were pretty.

For once, Katniss wasn't the person that Haymitch was angry with. After his talked with Johanna, Haymitch was irritated all over again, and he couldn't find it in himself to let things go and possibly just ask Gale what his problem was. If there was one thing that Haymitch hated, it was being blamed for things that weren't his fault. If the plan was go to belly up in the arena, it wouldn't be because of him, and Gale needed to understand that. Unfortunately, Haymitch couldn't think of a way to get his point across without decking the younger man in the face.

Training continued on this way for him, where Haymitch would think to stop and say something to his fellow tribute, and then decide against it. Regardless, he got in some more good target practice, and even made a few attempts at the obstacle course. If he could show his younger competitors that he wasn't old, feeble and down for the count, it would make 12 look like even more of a threat. Most careers liked to save the real threats for last anyway, something about the thrill of the hunt.

That night, Haymitch was one of the last tributes to leave the training floor. Katniss, Prim and Gale had already gone back upstairs, and Haymitch caught an elevator by himself. He was thankful for the solitude, needing a moment alone to clear his head before he entered the suite. Vaguely, he recalled Effie putting together a birthday party for Peeta, and of course, he thought that it was incredibly out of place and inappropriate. The last thing a new mentor needed was to have his head clouded with booze and good times when his real job was just about to be starting. 

[i]You're late.[/i]

That was the first thing that Haymitch heard when he stepped off of the lift, and he sighed at the grating sound of Effie's voice. “Do you want me to live or sing happy birthday?” he asked rhetorically, already on his way to his room. “Can't have it both ways.” Although, he did give Peeta a pat on the shoulder as he passed, as if to show him that he didn't think he was completely pointless. 

All Haymitch really wanted to do that night was relax. His muscles were sore, and he was tired from a long day, but he owed it to Peeta to remain on and try to have a good time. It was nights like this where he craved a drink, just one to settle his mind, to make everything less sharp and easier to deal with. He supposed, bitterly, after stepping out fresh and clean from a shower, that he would have to settle for sparkling juice. It was not something that the former Victor was looking forward to. Regardless, he dressed himself and headed back out into the living space to join the others. The dining table was covered in all sorts of treats from high-piled mounds of sugar to savory appetizers and everything was meticulously arranged. It was nice to know that Effie still found a way to be useful after all of her escorting was finished.

Pouring himself a glass of water, Haymitch plucked a slice of green fruit from a dish and popped it into his mouth. “Can I talk to you?” Haymitch asked, noticing that Katniss had come to fetch a drink for either herself or someone else. Over in the living room, Peeta looked relaxed, if not a little bored.

“Happy birthday, Peeta,” Prim smiled, finally joining the party. The blonde felt bad that she didn't have a gift for him. If they had been at home, she would have made him something, probably edible that he would have enjoyed. For now, all she had was well wishes. 

Taking a seat on the couch next to Gale, Prim smiled a hello at him. She was wearing a black tank top and skinny pants of the same color, her hair was down and around her shoulders, still a bit damp from her shower. “I saw you with Finnick today,” Prim mentioned. She hadn't gotten much of a chance to see Gale that afternoon, but she suspected that it would change now that they had a chance to breathe. “You two make a good team.”