chinsup | lacks her usual verve;

reasons why effie trinket got screwed.

While The Hunger Games trilogy is a favorite of mine, Suzanne Collins has a tendency to write off characters that Katniss Everdeen is close to, and none gets the shaft more than Effie Trinket. The bright and bubbly escort of District 12 has some of the most interesting character development in the novels -- and for some reason, Suzanne Collins ships her off to the Capitol to get (presumably) tortured during the entirety of Mockingjay for no real purpose other than to give Katniss one more thing to feel guilty over.

The year of time between Catching Fire and Mockingjay for Effie is largely unknown. The last we see of the escort is right after the catastrophic night of television and glamor for the Victor/Tributes on Caeser Flickerman's show. We're told everyone was sent home in the Capitol (presumably Effie, as well) and that's... all we hear from her until the very end of Mockingjay, when she gets Katniss ready for the execution of President Snow and the coronation of President Coin.

That's it. Seriously? For one of the characters that exhibits the most growth in the series? The bright and bubbly woman with the painted face who cheerfully calls out children's names to go die -- the one who goes from loving the Capitol and everything it stands for to supporting Katniss and Peeta over everything else? The one with the most potential and the most to lose in rebellion? And you're just going to shove her under a carpet?

With all due diligence, Ms. Collins, fuck your couch, and I'm going to do this properly.

** From here on out is all headcanon, but I think a pretty good baseline for what Effie endured. **
** You don't have to accept if you don't want to! **

Effie is taken from the end of Catching Fire to the Capitol, probably at the same time as Peeta and Johanna were. As the Mockingjay's personal escort and handler, she would presumably have a lot of information regarding her activities. Unfortunately for the Capitol (and for Effie), she is left out of the loop about a lot of bad things going on in Panem, and had little idea of what was going on in regards to the resistance. Maybe they didn't tell her out of suspicion, maybe they didn't tell her out of a need to protect her, or maybe they didn't tell her because they knew she would break if caught.

Either way, Effie has nothing to tell them.

The first week of torture is brutal. Beatings, lashings, anything the Capitol has lying around in their back closet -- going Medieval has proved effective before. They cut off her food next, letting her feel the starving pinch of hunger, until she's too weak to talk. They have to give in then, because a dead traitor isn't any good to them -- but still, Effie has nothing to say.

If I knew where Katniss was, I would tell her to cease this nonsense and turn herself in, but I don't, and I can't tell you something I don't know.

But when that doesn't work, the Capitol has to kick it up a notch -- and everyone who has seen Effie, talked to Effie, been in the same room as Effie knows how much she loves and adores her two prize-winning Victors from District 12. And it's in this that the Capitol has a premiere weapon against Miss Effie Trinket, which is one Peeta Mellark.

The Capitol could've positioned her cell alongside Peeta's, had her watch him get dragged past to his hijacking session. They could've had Effie forced to listen to him scream and cry and get bewitched into thinking Katniss was the enemy. She wiould've screamed and pleaded for the Capitol to let Peeta go, that Peeta was innocent in all of this, but of course they wouldn't listen, because Effie would say anything to keep her Victors safe.

But they still don't know where the Mockingjay is.

They execute Portia on national television and allow Effie to watch, informing her that she's going to be next if she doesn't own up to what she knows. Where is Katniss Everdeen? Haymitch Abernathy? Finnick Odair? Effie can't answer any of these questions, too fixated on watching her friends be shot in front of a crowd, their bodies tossed aside like garbage. She's forced back into her cell, where she stares at a wall and says nothing. She listens to Peeta's screams and doesn't react anymore, only hoping that they finally kill him and end his misery and suffering.

We're going to have him kill your precious Mockingjay. Spare him the suffering and just tell us where she is.
I don't know, I don't know, just leave him be, Peeta hasn't done anything to you --

Months go by -- months of torture, food deprivation, sensory deprivation, poisons and lashings and listening to Peeta Mellark scream for mercy, but she has nothing left to say. They eventually tell her that they're going to put her on television and shoot her, to lure Katniss Everdeen out of hiding, to get her out into the open for her own public execution -- and Effie Trinket, in her natural hair and emaciated figure and torn dress, actually laughs.

Katniss Everdeen, the Girl On Fire, risking her life to come and save a Capitol woman? Effie loves her, and she knows Katniss cares for her too, but to risk the movement? The people guiding her along would never allow such a thing. Haymitch would never allow such a thing. And she could hardly blame them -- her life isn't worth Katniss'.

I refuse to go on camera looking like this. I'm going to require a new dress, a stylist, shoes, and make-up if you have any hope of having Katniss recognizing me.

It falls to shit after that.

Peeta and the young lady from District 7 -- the resistance rescues them both. She hears the chaos and confusion and manages to haul herself up onto her feet to try and see, but everything is blackened out. She can hear someone call Peeta's name and Effie almost calls for Katniss, because surely she's behind this. The star-crossed lovers of District 12 and all that. There's a vague desperate hope that she'll be rescued too -- that she'll be brought back to wherever they are, but as the gunshots sound and the Peacekeepers storm the halls, Effie sinks back down to rest her back against the cell, because she knows that's not the case.

They have one goal. Rescue Peeta Mellark and get out. Katniss probably doesn't even know she's here.

And so she waits.

The Capitol has her lined up for execution. Certain death. Effie is terrified, surely, but she's past the point of showing it. She is numb, quiet, doesn't allow people near her unless necessary, and when they inform her of her execution date, she only asks that she look presentable.

She can't have her Victors see her in anything less than perfect dress, after all.

The rest of the story we know, ambiguously, anyway -- Effie was rescued, presumably by the resistance. She was dolled back up, her face painted, fed and taken care of -- expected to be put back to work making Katniss look presentably, which is probably what Coin told her to do. This woman, who has been tortured for the past twelve months, locked in a cage and forgotten about by everyone she cares about, is forced right back into her former position as Katniss' "handler" the moment she gets out. Eyes bright, chins up, smiles on! The show must go on and the world is focused on Katniss Everdeen, and Effie can't allow her Victor to look anything less than presentable.

When we last see Effie Trinket, she is encouraging Katniss quietly, her hand on her back as she gently guides her Victor onto the stage for the execution of the man responsible for her torment. And then she has to watch Katniss Everdeen murder the woman who wanted it to continue.

No wonder Effie Trinket has a vacant look in her eyes.