10300/Roommating

Roommating
Date of Scene:	27 February 2022
Location:	Queen Mansion
Synopsis:	Ollie gets a proper inspection from Stella
Cast of Characters:	Stella Roundtree, Oliver Queen

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Stella Roundtree has posed:
     There are so. many concerns when one has a roommate, particularly those of who they might bring home. It's an awkward serving of waffles if one loathes the person sitting across the breakfast table. Or at the very least, doesn't trust them. Stella does not trust easily, and thus the straightforward approach seems to be best. And thus, she's standing outside a gate, looking up into the camera. She presses the intercom button.

     "Hey there, I'm here to see a man about my roommate? Hella Rokkurdisardottir is the roommate, and I think that man is you."

     The woman appears to be in her late twenties with a leather jacket on fitted black jeans, and black boots. Her hair, golden brown and quite long, is in a low slung mermaid braid that is presently draped over one shoulder.

Oliver Queen has posed:
It takes a couple of minutes to get a response. Oliver had been downstairs in his 'Arrowcave', a term he still doesn't like but which seems to have stuck. He switches to some civilian clothes, a pullover sweatshirt and a pair of jeans, hopping up the stairs and pressing the button.

"That would make you, Stella. Sure, come on in," he says, sending a buzzing approval through the gate to let Stella in and going to meet her at the door. He's a little scruffy, having not shaved yet today, but he figures she won't hold it against him. Probably.

Stella Roundtree has posed:
     "That's right, I am Stella," she says with a curt nod. Entry granted, she eyes the location of all cameras, taking mental notes as she strides on in. While not a person who takes up any great amount of space, she walks with the confidence of someone who is pretty sure she's not in any danger.

     "Oliver, correct?" she asks, looking him over. It's definitely an appraisal, though the results are cryptic. No outward look of loathing, but no instant approval, either. "Just thought I'd drop by and see you for myself before we meet in some terribly awkward manner," she says. That makes her smile just a little more. "Are all the eligible bachelors in town mid-thirties billionaires?"

Oliver Queen has posed:
Oliver Queen gestures for Stella to come inside. He's not exactly in his Sunday best, but he'll do okay, his shoulders broad and his build tall and athletic. "Ollie's fine by me," he says. "I hope not. It'll be really hard to get reservations at the good restaurants on the weekend if they are,' he says.

He leads Stella along halls lined with antiques, tapestries, paintings, some of them by visibly famous artists, to his library, gesturing for her to have a seat in one of the chairs as he plops into another.

"Is this where you threaten to hurt me if I hurt her? Cause I have to say, a person would have to be really dumb to hurt Hella. Borderline apocalyptic."

Stella Roundtree has posed:
     "Ollie, then," she agrees, smirking at his joke as he leads her through the place. She walks quietly for moment, soaking in her surroundings, and then joins him in the library, settling into the seat.

     "You'd think, huh? It's pretty easy to do, and she's not really the vengeful type as far as I've seen," the brunette says. "She'd probably just think she did something wrong and punish herself for it. Besides, I'm not big on threats, I just like data," she says. "Just wonderin' what you're lookin' for, and if it aligns," she says, moving from studying the room back to looking at him. "Besides. I don't think Hella would tell you what I can do, seems like I might still be something of a woman of mystery," she chuckles.

Oliver Queen has posed:
Oliver Queen shakes his head, "She hasn't. And I'm not going to guess. I'm really terrible at those kind of games. I don't even do well on Jeopardy. So much for private academies being the best education," he says.

"What I'm looking for is to get to know Hella better and see where that leads. I'm not a shark looking for a quick bite and I'm not a lonely asshole who wants to get married at the drop of a hat," he says. "I don't want to put any pressure on what we have. So far, we seem to connect really well. That's not super common for me, honestly. Physical attraction is the easy part since we're both gorgeous, of course."

Stella Roundtree has posed:
     "Eh, who needs Jeopardy when you can buy whatever you want," Stella says with a shrug. "And that's reassuring, I'd miss her if you put a ring on her and I didn't get to see her as much," she says. Though whether or not she believes his statement is up for debate.

     "She hasn't really dated much, so mostly just wanted to check in and check you out," the brunette says, "Just girls looking out for girls, that sorta thing. She is such a sweetheart and it's been really sweet watching her have crushes and get some love. Very, very big heart on her," she says with a fond smile. "But I don't think you have to worry about pressure."

Oliver Queen has posed:
Oliver Queen nods, "Like I said, she and I seem to be in the same place right now. I even know she's dating another guy. She didn't tell me who, but it wasn't really hard to figure out," he says with a bit of a grin. Guess he fancies himself a detective. "I told her I don't mind the competition. I'm pretty sure I'll win anyway. I usually do."

"But I'm also aware that this is all kind of new for her. Kid gloves. Oven mitts, really, just for my own safety."

Stella Roundtree has posed:
     "Oh thank GOD, someone else knows," she says, exhaling, tipping her head back in the chair. "Yeah, that's perfect. I just didn't want some rich dude having a temper tantrum if he found out that she wasn't all exclusive, she'd be too nice to tell him to get lost. No offense meant, but... well. Not that it's a rare thing to happen with a lot of guys," she says.

     "I really do not need men banging on the apartment door making demands. Or on the couch crying while she's bein' all nice. So oven mitts it is. But wait... do you and the other guy know each other?" she asks, leaning forward, curious.

Oliver Queen has posed:
Oliver Queen shakes his head, "No worries at all. I know a lot of billionaire douchebags. They usually assume I'm one of them, too, and I just nod and listen while they tell me about all the shitty things they do," he says. "I get wanting to brag. Hey, I'm not shy about it myself. It's just that the things they brag about are mostly nothing to be proud of."

"We're acquaintances, I would say," he says simply. "Crossed paths a few times. He seems like a good guy. I almost feel a little bad. You can't steal someone from someone else, people aren't possessions. But it feels a little like I'm stealing her from him. But it's not going to stop me from doing it."

Stella Roundtree has posed:
     "I don't know you, but I figured I might at some point if things work out with you and Hella," Stella says. "And I'm not big on surprises. As for the other dude, yeah. I'd agree there," she says, her posture relaxing, not so tense, not so guarded.

     "He's a nice dude, when you get down under the exterior. Besides, they're not officially dating or exclusive. Fair game as far as I'm concerned, as long as everyone's in the know. Though sometimes stealing can be a bit of the thrill?" she wonders aloud. "Most people like to win."

Oliver Queen has posed:
Oliver Queen nods, "And I usually do. So that's probably one of the reasons for my positive attitude," he says.

"I'm not in any rush to push things along. I am going to ask her to go with me to a pretty fancy thing next week, so, if she hasn't told him, she probably should because we might be on the news or the gossip columns and such," he says.

"I actually need to ask her soon so she has time to get a dress. Do you think she'll let me buy her one? I don't want it to be a big deal, but a designer gown isn't usually something I'd expect a firefighter's salary to cover and I don't want her to feel self-conscious."

Stella Roundtree has posed:
     Stella raises her shoulders again in a little shrug, "That's between her and him. I'm sure you'll alert her to the possibility," she says. "But you can always 'ask for a friend'," she says, making little quote fingers. "She loves to help, if you set it up as if you know a guy who's doin' the same thing for someone else who is definitely, totally not her, she'd be honest about what she thought. But if you do get her something, she's big on feminine and pink and white, though I'm sure you can find something suitable. Oh! And a little bit of gold," she says, smiling. "Honestly, all her stuff's real cute."

Oliver Queen has posed:
Oliver Queen smiles, "I've noticed."

"I'll keep that in mind. That sounds like a pretty cute way to ask her. I'll be sure to take all the credit for it," he winks.

"I'm genuinely trying to be as direct and honest with her as I can. I can't say I've always been that way - I had a bad track record when I was younger. Truth is, I was pretty much a douchebag myself. But I've learned a lot. I've matured. So, yeah, I'm a bit older than might be ideal, but I wouldn't have been any good to her at her age. I wasn't any good to anyone."

Stella Roundtree has posed:
     The wheels are turning in Stella's noggin as she has a think. "I just want her to have a good time. And... you know... I don't think she likes guys making decisions for her, now that I think about it. If there's a way you can get her to see an' pick her dress ahead of time, I think she'd respect that. AH! Shit, why am I helping you?" the brunette laughs, shaking her head. "I don't love the age gap, but I chased older guys in my early twenties, too. Sometimes you learn by doing, for better or worse. Anyway. I don't mean to take up your time, Oliver. Ollie," she corrects. "I'm sure you have important billionaire's brunch things to attend to."

Oliver Queen has posed:
Oliver Queen grins, "You've been listening to a lot of capitalist propaganda," he teases. "The truth is, most billionaires don't do much at all. Why would we?" he says, getting up from his seat, "But I don't want to keep you either. I appreciate that you're looking out for her. I'm glad she has that kind of friend in her life."

"If you think I get out of line anytime, feel free to call me on it. Learning to admit my own mistakes is another thing I figured out as I got older."

Stella Roundtree has posed:
     "Look, I'm well aware that all you rich people and your promotion of avocado toast shares are the reason that Millennials can't buy houses," she teases. "If only the sheeple would awaken and all that." She rises as well, zipping her jacket all the way up. "Yeah, well. I worry. I wish I'd had someone checkin' in from time to time when I was her age, back in the Cretaceous. She's just really sheltered and I don't want her to get taken advantage of, even if it's just a broken heart." She gives a big stretch, "And you're a big boy. If you're out of line, it's not you I'll be tellin'." And with that, she's ready to re-enter the world! Or at least get some brunch herself, the big hypocrite.