I honestly think Haymitch and Wiress have some of the most complex relationships in the whole fanchchise: First off: they are peers, the most age difference that can have is 2-3 years only, but Wiress feels like she is at least a decade older, the games age you, the Capitol forces you to grow up in a span of 3 weeks, in SOTR she’s not a teenager anymore, she’s a victor, a murderer survivor. And now a mentor, and she tries her best to not think about how she could be classmates with Wyatt, so she tries to be as practical as she can, but here’s the thing: she’s still a teenager, no matter how much she or the Capitol denies it. She’s scared and unstable and already grieving, clinging to the hope that she won’t lose 8 people by aiding the rebellion, and when eventually she’s proven wrong in the worst way imaginable she’s left with Haymitch, an equally broken child-turned-adult. She knows what’s waiting for his family, she also knows that her own family is likely going to face the same fate. Her mind is fogged and cracked, his is dulled and angry. And she wants to, she truly does, not to resent him, but she does, and in return he resents her. Because she, even though she couldn’t have influenced the arena, fueled his hope of a brighter future only for him to lose everything and more, because he, even though she knows it’s not his fault, was one of the reasons she was tortured into oblivion. They also resent themselves, because it’s partially her fault he succumbed into addiction, because it’s his failure that caused her to lose her mind. They are stuck in a loop of miscommunication and guilt and resentment, all which are mixed with alcohol, trauma and physical distance. They can’t and won’t talk, not until years later. It takes them many years, arguments and quiet moments alone to achieve some sort of closure. It happens when she recovers enough from the trauma of the games, when he is sober enough to comprehend the memories. Maybe they talk for hours, maybe they just sit together, hands clasped and understanding settling between the victors. But one thing is certain: it’s far too late for them to tell each other : “it’s not your fault” they’ve carried that guilt for years, it will be harder to let go of it than to continue carrying it at this point, but what they can give each other is: I’m not mad. Because now they really are adults, the guilt is here, resentment-not so much, only in sparks of anger or a particularly bad night, but overall they no longer feel spite towards each other. She’ll never fully recover but she can invent and live and love again, and he is too deep into his addiction to ever allow himself these things, that is, not until the rebellion is over and he slowly starts to get better.
At the time of the rebellion they no longer have much to say to each other, they exchange warm embraces and (few) fond memories, but mostly discuss the rebel plan. He knows that her love is going in that arena, she knows that his children are going in the arena, Wiress already made the same promise as everyone to protect the mockingjay, but she also makes a quiet note to try and take care of them, Haymitch knows that Beetee will be crucial for the plan, so he’ll also he in priority, but he still wants to help him out of his own ambitions. It’s the same thought process that makes him want to offer some kind of comfort after her death.
Jesus that was long and honestly a bit messy and not exactly what I had in mind for their dynamic, but as much as I am a Beetress warrior I can’t not say that Hayress(?) doesn’t intrigue me, though I should say they are more of a platonic ship to me. I honestly have so much lighter hcs for them but I’ll go with this one: Haymitch was Wiress’ best man at her wedding (what is a male maid of honor for the bride? Butler of honor?) anyways, I love them
titsay
janainaart
germansingergirl
ellievsbear
discoholicmusic
dailybridgerton
gummygunk
blakekathryn
2087
