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This will not age well, but I don’t care. Of course, there will be minor spoilers, so if you haven’t finished 2.2 and watched the 2.3 stream, come back when you do.
Acheron’s PoV
Hmm…
What was I doing here again?
Ah right, I was waiting for…waiting for…
Wait, where am I?
“Emanator! So glad to have you here with me.”
You accused me of murder…mister…
mister Adventuring.
“I deeply apologise for my prior actions. I hope we can be friends?”
Friends…wait, where is the Express? Why am I alone with you?
“I texted you to come here and meet me…”
Oh yes, of course. So why were you looking for me?
“So I was with Jade, and I think we made a major discovery. Can I borrow your button?”
Huh?
You want to borrow the button? Are you the Masked Fool?
“No?”
Prove it to me, stonelung.
“It’s stoneheart, but okay.”
My bad. I remember it was some vital organ.
Aventurine’s PoV
Jade was so pissed after I told her I turned down the Fool’s button…so now I need to find another one to test our theory.
I don’t know who has a button, but Jade saw that Acheron had one, so that’s who we’re tracking down.
She is currently doubting my identity.
I pick up my phone and transfer 100k credits to her.
“Sparkle doesn’t care about winning, she has no money to spend like that.”
“So it is you, then. What do you want with this button? Do you want to blow up the Stellaron girl again?”
I sigh. Her memory lags, so she’s still at the point right after she black holed me.
“No, I want to test something out.”
“Explain?”
“It would be easier to show you, miss Acheron.”
Acheron eyes me with suspicion, staring deeply into my wretched, beautiful eyes. My blessing and my greatest thorn.
Gingerly, she hands the button over to me.
I retrieve a small basin and fill it up with water.
“Are you making a river?”
No, I’m not.
I lift the button over the basin, and gently drop it inside. The water completely submerges it.
“You want to deactivate it by short circuiting it?”
Not really.
Acheron taps her foot impatiently, but I know it won’t last long.
10 seconds later, she asks me what she is doing here.
Ratio’s PoV
Damned Gambler.
He went to see the Emanator himself! Is he an idiot?
He doesn’t even have his cornerstone…
Which room was it again?
395, 397, 399…
Here it is.
I reached my hand out and pulled the door handle downwards, rushing into the room.
Or so, I tried.
That gambler locked the door…truly a gamble.
Wait, that isn’t important right now.
“Gambler open the door!”
Acheron’s PoV
Aventurine is heading towards the door.
He opens the door and a man with purple hair steps in.
“Doctor! Why are you here?”
How interesting.
“I…I can’t have you dying. This time we can’t blame the family for your unalival.”
“Sure…I’ll believe you.”
Ah, so it’s not…that.
If I was pretending to be forgetful, I would be able to watch people in private scenarios because they think I don’t remember what happens.
But I am forgetful, so even if I watched them, I wouldn’t remember.
“What are you doing with the nice galaxy ranger over there?”
“Ratio, are you jealous?”
“No?”
“Don’t deny it so quickly, doctor.”
“Miss Acheron is taken?”
“Wait, by who?”
“Doctor!”
Jade’s PoV
I wonder if Aventurine has met success…well, he hasn’t failed yet.
If he fails, I would have seen a red line across the hotel, so, yes, he is likely successful.
Oh, he’s calling.
“Miss Acheron has agreed to cooperate with us to check out the theory. If we succeed, we will have a new chip.”
That’s good news.
Make sure she doesn’t get away, Aventurine.
Or Diamond won’t exactly be happy about your…cornerstone…well, what used to be your cornerstone.
Aventurine’s PoV
Jade sounds disappointed in me.
Oh Mama Fenge, please watch over me.
“Gambler? Are you okay?”
“Mr. Ratio, maybe I can give him CPR?”
No, no. I’m fine, guys.
I get up from the floor.
“Do you think the button will turn blue?”
“Miss Acheron, why would it turn blue?”
“Because it’s submerged in water?”
I thought you saw in white, black and red?
“But the button is already red, it doesn’t make sense for it to turn red.”
“Why does that kind of make sense?”
What colour do you see blue as?
“I…don’t know. I only see red, black and white. So I don’t know what blue became.”
“Idiot gambler…”
How was I supposed to know?
“I need to treat your ignorance.”
What do you mean-
Ratio walks towards me and stuffs a hard object into my mouth.
I try to say something, but my voice is muffled.
“It’s safe to eat.”
I chew up the thing and swallow it.
What is it?
“A dog treat?”
Wait, are you Sparkle?
“What kind of stupid question is that? Topaz told me I should be less uptight when around people I can trust.”
So you fed me a dog biscuit?
Acheron attempts to stifle her laughter. “I don’t think I will be able to forget this…”
“It’s a practical joke, gambler. Forget it, taking stoneheart advice was my fault.”
???’s PoV
Why won’t these annoying people shut up and go away?
No seriously, I need that little peacock to stop looking in this direction. I need air.
Even if that purple woman sees me, she’ll forget about it. But the same can’t be said for these IPC-
I can no longer hold my breath. I let out a violent cough as I crawl out of the basin.
The doctor guy jumps up in surprise, his eyes widening like Sampo’s [redacted].
Acheron stares at me in bewilderment.
That little peacock seems really smug right now. Rightfully so, he won.
But at least I’m the center of attention now.
Guess I actually managed to steal the show during the climax, huh?
“Why are you dressed like…”
I’m a fool, of course I dress like one.
“No, I meant to say…why are you dressed like a stripper?”
I-you-
The button was too small for my regular clothes to fit inside.
“Did you try?”
No, I’m not stupid. You want me to change back so you can drown me!
“Can you all stay quiet? Someone tell me what just happened!”
Purple doctor man walks to purple sword woman and begins a biased retelling of what happened.
“I won’t drown you. Don’t you trust me? I’m hurt.”
Don’t give me those puppy eyes, I won’t fall for you.
He’s distracted. Now’s my chance.
I bolt for the door and flee the room.
Aventurine’s PoV
It’s not over yet.
She thinks she got away, didn’t she?
Well, she will be coming back…for this.
I hold up her cell phone and one of her pets.
She’s a fish out of water now…her only choice is to cooperate with the IPC.