ship to wreck | stella x ex oh

Like any sleuth worth her salt, Ex Oh had been on the hunt for the best kept secret in Panem: information about the 80th Quell Games. Unlike other journalists, gossips, detectives, she wasn't particular - at first. She hungered for the arena map sketch, any hint of a twist, obviously the Gamemakers. Thinking back on it, she hadn't cared much about the Gamemakers at all during her initial search. They were always just people trying to keep their heads attached to their necks, right?

But then something strange happened.

Nothing.

No rumors kicked up about any lucky select few. No whispers about someone perfectly positioned for such an honor. Nothing.

So she abandoned all work on the other information and set her sites specifically on who would be running the Games. She turned over all possibilities, even staking out a few former Gamemakers. So far she had learned that Capricious refilled her botox lips way more frequently than was medically safe (but like, did anyone actually care?), Nilima could do better, Amethyst actually said 'please' and 'thank you' to her avoxes (weirdo?), and Zaya could crack nearly every bone in her body, and frequently did (crack, crack... maybe there was a story here after all).

But none of these habits led to anything substantial. She ran through a list of powerful Capitolites who could be tapped for the position, and barring anyone she couldn't access (such as the Peacekeepers), she came up empty again.

Lately, in the middle of the 79th Games, she'd been entertaining crazier possibilities. It could be a Gamemaker-less Games, somehow, although that would have been a good twist for the 75th. No one had seen Cricket Antoinette coming, and she was a victor first after all. Should that twist be upcycled, Ex Oh personally preferred a Justice Fray and Jacinta Salazar duo, just for the drool opportunities. But no, she liked to think she knew President Snow better than that. He wouldn't repeat himself, not so quickly. So then, what?

The obsession spun her round and round, costing her sleep and meals and good conversation. There was only one thing to do: she had to step away from the problem and let her subconscious solve it in its own time. Hopefully before everyone else did.

Stella Blakesley was, not for the first time, the very answer she'd been looking for. Her choice of restaurant spoke to her excellent, if surprising, taste. Some souls were just born in the wrong district. She'd come directly from shaking down a makeup artist - yes, it was still Plan A to set aside her obsession - so she looked more business than pleasure. An ivory sheath dress hugged her neck and knee, spiky stilettos and a row of bangles added for a bit of flair. It was sensible, but the moment she spotted Stella, fashion forward and sleek, she felt like she'd just rolled up from the gym.

She waved, then wove her way between the tables. She dropped a kiss on Stella's cheek - no harm in that, right? - and then settled in. "You look great. Really the cameras don't do you justice. Are we doing drinks first? You hungry?" She smiled wide, trying to still the stomach flutters and put aside unhelpful thoughts.

As soon as Stella agreed to drinks, Ex Oh waved over the waiter and ordered a glass of the house white. Normally she'd get a martini, especially given the circumstances, but she wanted to stay sharper than gin would allow. "This isn’t a working dinner is it? Or is it always work for you?”

"No," she said, batting a hand as the waiter walked away with their order. And then, she thought the better of it. "Well, it doesn't have to be. I can turn it off, if you'd like?" with great concentration, Ex Oh turned down the wattage of her smile, forced herself to look only at Stella, rather than secreting glances at the other patrons, at the busy street just outside their window.

"Anything of interest I should know about? Or is that need to know?”

Ex Oh lifted an eyebrow just so. She could take it as a challenge; did Stella want her to be the Blogger or did she want her to be her Date? Tricky, tricky. A buzzing hummed in her chest. "Quells' always stoke the city to near fever pitch mania. So much secrecy, so many possibilities. But this one's probably no different from the others. They're just a little behind on some announcements. And either way," she said, dropping her voice a pitch and letting her hand reach across the table, "I'm sure you're safe."

She offered a genuine smile as she turned a question over twice in her mind. She shouldn't ask it, but if she didn't, it would be all she thought about the rest of the evening, and she would much prefer to contemplate Stella's soft dimples and resilient spirit. "Unless you've heard something...?"