Gamble of Wits || Finnick Odair

Chapter 44: Person of Interest

Covering her mouth with her feathered fan, Emilia stifled her barking laughter. Ovid's proud look turned into a seething glare as he stomped to his seat and sat down.

"Why didn't you try and make a better design—oh wait." He grinned at her and Eos rolled her eyes.

"Because I quit. Besides, I've been doing better than ever rather than settling for...less." Eos retorted with a stiff smile, not meeting Ovid's gaze. There was still unresolved tension between the two that hadn't been resolved in all those years that had passed. "I dare say; Cygnus and I made a better team than you and Marnie ever did."

"Mabel." Mabel corrected with a quiet squeak, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. She looked blue though not as blue as Ovid's hair and beard but blue like she couldn't breathe. Her sunshine yellow latex and feathered dress must've been restricting to her; the tension between Eos and Ovid certainly didn't help. "My name is Mabel. I know I'm a new graduate but—"

"Oh, I didn't ask. I know who you are." Eos cut her off and sat down with her legs crossed. "You're one of the students that didn't manage to find a mentor, weren't you? Ovid and you'll get along fine—he didn't manage to get a mentor either. His attitude to learning was...terrible."

Ovid breathed out loudly. "Cygnus had too many mentees that year."

"Yes, keep telling yourself that." Mabel awkwardly nodded and glanced between the two, stuck in the middle.

Sera glanced between the two former partners and cleared her throat loudly but she was promptly ignored. As much as she enjoyed watching a fight, she'd rather get through the parade recap and take note of each of the tributes. Training had just begun and it was only the fifth day since the Hunger Games season began. She had a lot to do and work had piled on.

Rubbing her temples, Sera tried to block out the chaos that ensued around her. Eos and Ovid's voices clashed like thunder, escalating into a tumultuous storm threatening to spill into Sera's already fragile state of mind. Their argument only intensified, each challenging the other with unparalleled stubbornness.

Taking a deep breath and sipping her tea once more, she steeled herself for whatever storm would come their way next. The light lavender scent soothed her headache a little still the clashing voices of Eos and Ovid didn't help at all.

She noticed Celsi and Faline covering their ears as the argument raged on while Creon noted down something in his diary and Zephyr was busy studying the screen.

She reached for the delicate china saucer. Her fingers circled the smooth silver-painted edges before she picked it up and slammed it into the glass table. Small cracks crackled like lightning where the saucer had landed in one piece as the room was plunged into relative quiet.

Everyone's heads snapped toward her and Creon's pen slipped out of his reach. "I can't hear the television." She quietly said with an innocent laugh, silencing the arguing stylists who nodded quietly. She shifted in her seat and moved closer to the screen. Her eyes and ears caught Creon in the corner watching her and then the screen before he scribbled something into his notebook. "What are you doing?"

Creon let out a quiet yelp. "Nothing. I'm just writing a diary entry."

To Sera, Creon's words sounded like an excuse but she didn't press him, choosing to ignore him and focus on the screen.

Faline did the same. Her eyes were once again glued to the screen. Celsi fidgeted nervously in his seat. "What was your parade like?" He asked, turning to Sera and Zephyr. Sera pointed at Zephyr while Zephyr pointed at her, both confused about who Celsi was referring to. "I meant both of you."

"Oh." Her parade was unmemorable. She hardly remembered it much. Everything before the games was a blur. "It was...just a parade. Nothing too exciting." Her eyes followed the chariot of the pair of District 7 tributes, neither seemed to show much promise. Though, they were fairly thin; she expected them to be stronger but then again neither tributes from her games nor Johanna seemed like much at first glance.