act one , chapter one ...
the mentor's oath !

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alive ─ pearl jam ! )

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" ARE YOU SURE YOU WANT TO DO THIS ? "

Was there any other option? Mags volunteered to be tribute in Annie's place. They needed a mentor. Although it would be fine with just being Finnick and Mags, and mentoring was required, he wanted to help. All the other tributes had theirs, why did District Four need to go without one? That ran through Clyde's head more than enough times to count. Mags had done a magnificent job mentoring his daughter. He felt like he owed her in some way, shape, or form. After all, Mags was nicer to him than anyone else other than Effie and Tabitha.

He constantly hears the clicking of Effie's shoes. It's annoying. The heels come in contact with the hard floor that she was pacing on as he sat in front of her. Clyde had a difficult time not gritting his teeth to the annoying sound. He looks up at the colorfully dressed woman with signature tired eyes. Absolutely wanting her to stop pacing the floor.

"They're trained anyways. Besides. It's Mags and Finnick. They've won both of their games," Effie told her friend, who's been in hiding for the past 25 years of his life. She has made sure that no one else other than a few people knows his location on the outskirts of town. And now, he was sitting in The training center basically volunteering to give District Four a mentor.

"Effie, you're going to burn holes into the floor if you don't stop pacing," Clyde tells her. His voice calm, yet very much pleading, "You're gonna break your heels."

Effie abruptly stops, before fully facing the District Four survivor. She walks over to him, now closer than what they already were before. Clyde had everything to thank Effie for. She practically saved his life. He wanted to do her, and District Four a service. Hiding was something that he needed to do. But now, he felt as if he needed to be free as a fish in the sea that's eventually let go from its fisherman captor. He wanted to be seen. He wanted people to know that he was alive, and he was back. And he was going to help people win.

"You'll break your cover."

"What cover? All I have is a pseudonym and a tiny house on the outskirts of the district," Clyde replies back, fully looking up at his friend as she stands in front of him, "And a daughter who people do not know is my daughter."

"Think about Tabitha," Effie tells him, "Think about what you're sacrificing. And obviously she isn't well because the last games she was in, it was brutal for her. Her mother is dead. Don't leave her."

"I won't leave her. She'll be with me," Clyde quickly tells her, "She can help me. I think she has something to offer."

Effie shook her head. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. The Capitol escort puts her hands on her hips. She didn't wanna say it. She didn't even want to mention it. But subconsciously? She knew. This was more than just about helping. This was more than about being a mentor.

"This is about Haymitch."

Clyde paused. He's quiet. He does that every time he hears his name. It was a habit at this point. It traumatized him, but at the same time it gives him comfort knowing that he's still alive and that he's still mentoring (even though Effie has told him that he isn't in very great health). Clyde looks at Effie.

"You can't even deny it," Effie told him.

"It's not about him," Clyde says quickly.

"It always goes back to Haymitch," Effie slightly scolds. It's not enough to sound like yelling. It's more like annoyance, "Tabby already haunts him, you know. She looks just like you."

"That was the plan," Clyde says back.

Silence in between the two of them. Clyde looks away from Effie. Eye contact had always been difficult for Clyde. Looking away, he felt some sort of security. Eyes were a gateway to the soul. He didn't want people to see his. He grits his teeth, thinking about the whole ordeal they were having.

Effie gives a sigh. She eventually sits next to man. She knows why he's looking away. Even though she looks at him, she doesn't force him to look at her. She thought for a moment, smoothing out her colorful dress.

"Haymitch does feel guilty."

"Does he?" Clyde asks quickly. This makes him look at Effie, "From what you told me he's making all efforts to forget me."

"That's not true," Effie says back.

"It might be."

Effie looks down at the ground. Her floral patterns compared to Clyde's dark blue and green attire. They contrasted. Sun and Moon.  That's how she thought about their friendship. She thinks for a moment. She knows that he wants to do this. She didn't know if it was for the right reasons. But he was right about one thing. District Four needed a mentor. And he taught Tabitha well. It was how she won.

Effie looks at Clyde once again. "You are sure about this?"

"I've never been more positive about anything in my life," Clyde answers softly.

Another sigh escapes from Effie's lips as she finally stands up from the couch that she was just sitting on. A cross of her arms, she starts slowly pacing again, wondering if Tabitha would want to be involved with the games again. The 73rd games crushed her. And even though she wouldn't be in the games, she still felt that mentoring was going to take a huge toll on her. She fully turns back around to face Clyde.

"Fine," Effie says, "You can be the next district four mentor. On one position."

Clyde sits up. "And that is?"

"Be a father to your daughter, too," She tells him, "She needs her father."

"When have I not been her father?" Clyde asks, "She's very dear to me. I would never put her in a dangerous position on purpose."

Effie should have known that. Clyde cared about Tabitha so deeply. She knew that. Why did she doubt that? She didn't know. Maybe it was because people tend to say things without meaning them. It happened all the time at The Capitol. The woman in the currently pink wig then gives a slow nod. She knows that he is sincere.

"Right," Effie simply replies back, her arms now falling to her sides again, "Now I have to make you go through the─"

"Oath of becoming a mentor. Yeah, I know," Clyde interrupts, "When do we do that?"

"I've never seen you so eager," Effie muttered, before motioning him to follow her.

Clyde gets up from the couch that he's currently sitting in. He's now walking behind her. He's quiet again. Perhaps deep in thought. Maybe being able to haunt someone from his past was wrong. But he couldn't help but to even think what the potential outcomes could be if what happened didn't happen. It was twenty years into the matter. And Tabitha already did a great job haunting him, according to Effie. She had never seen Haymitch so freaked out.

The two of them head to a room. It's the District Four apartment of the training center where they were currently talking. Effie closes the door behind them. Clyde leaning against the wall with his arms crossed, now. "This is where you hold the oath?"

A chuckle escapes Effie's lips. "Not usually. But, you're an exception, I suppose. Besides. Snow trusts me. He thinks I can make a decision for myself."

"Trust me. The escorts do his bidding. Of course he trusts you," Clyde retorts back.

"Don't get sassy with me, Mulaney," Effie says back as she locks the door. She walks over to the table that's in the apartment and eventually sits down.

"Have a seat?"

"I'd rather stand for this, thank you very much," Clyde replies, walking toward the District 12 escort so that he could be closer to her.

Effie gives a shrug, "That's on you."

There is another silence between them. Effie's hands are held together on the table as she looks up at Clyde, who looks entirely bored, yet looks like he was a dog kicked by his owner. It was a sight. One that Effie didn't really like to see. She then decides to start.

"State your name," She says.

"James Barrow," Clyde replies back, which makes Effie look up.

"You're being absolutely preposterous," Effie tells him, "Your real name."

Clyde slightly smiles in amusement. "Clyde Mulaney," He then says back to her. It's more honest. He was happy to say that name again after all this time. He didn't feel right going by his pseudonym. Only a few people knew his name, but now he doesn't have to hide it from anyone anymore, which was a great weight lifted off his shoulders.

"Your District."

"Four. The fishing district," He answers.

Effie then looks up at him. "Put your right hand up."

Clyde does just that. He does it almost immediately as if it were second nature to him. He wasn't excitable, mentoring was one of the last things that he wanted. He knew that District Four needed help. But to have to haunt Haymitch in the process. . . That was a bonus for him. For now, at least.

"I, Clyde Mulaney of District Four, solemnly swear to assist and mentor my tributes without dishonesty or despair. I will faithfully execute my place as a mentor and will find the ability to teach and protect them in any way, shape, or form."

Effie gives a satisfied nod, watching as her friend puts his hand down after staying the mentor's oath to her. She didn't doubt him for a second. It's the first time she's ever heard Clyde so confident. It was new, certainly. But it gave her a glimmer of hope. It changed her mind on giving them the mentor position for District Four, even though he wasn't really a victor. Effie reaches her hand out, waiting on Clyde to shake her hand.

"May the odds be ever in your favor," She tells him.

This makes Clyde playfully roll his eyes. He eventually shakes Effie's hand.

"Are they ever in my favor?"