Chapter Text
“Run, Kakavasha”
His late sister’s words echo in his heart even now. They influence his every move.
Keep running. Don’t get caught.
When the Katicans advanced on his small village…
Run
When his new “master” gave him that wager of 30 Tanbas…
Don’t get caught.
Now that he is in a more favorable position, the words take on a less literal meaning.
When he sits down at the poker table with a wager of over 30 million credits…
Don’t get caught. Don’t let them see you.
When he points his own gun to himself with one bullet somewhere in the cylinder…
Don’t get caught. Don’t let them best you.
I’m caught…
Aventurine stalls at one side of a decrepit, rusty door. The scent of the night air seeping through the cracks in the frame. The maintenance of the Goethe Hotel seems to be lacking, A testament to the struggling of the people of Jarilo VI due to the effects of the Eternal Freeze. Dual chromed eyes lock with the half-lidded, unamused golden of a certain Doctor.
“Where do you think you are going?” Dr. Ratio raises an inquisitive eyebrow.
Aventurine gives a guilty smile and laughs.
“Well I hear the Underground has quite the gambling scene, Can you blame me for wanting to check it out?”
Ratio crosses his arms. “The IPC is on thin ice with this planet, if you introduce extraneous tensions because of your escapades , you can kiss your rank goodbye.”
“What, you worried about me?” Aventurine cocks his head to the side. Through Aventurine’s blonde hair, Ratio’s eyes catch on the number “35” on his neck. Aventurine has a habit of looking for tells. Subtle movements don’t go unnoticed. His mood sours. Reminders of his past always leave a bad taste in his mouth.
“I’m worried about the IPC’s reputation.” Ratio says flatly. “Something you clearly have no regard for. It must have been a miracle from the heavens that you were selected as an ambassador at all.” Sarcasm soaking his words.
Aventurine’s mask slides perfectly in place with a smile and a shrug “What can I say? I’ve got great luck.”
Ratio places a hand on the door frame, further blocking Aventurine’s path. “Matters of luck aside, we have a job to do here. I will not have you ruining our chances with your degenerative habits.” He spits the last words out like they would sully his mouth to have them linger.
“Good Doctor, as sweet as you are for caring about me so deeply, I assure you the IPC’s reputation is secure in my hands. Jeopardizing the mission isn’t in my interests either.” He pushes past Ratio and steps into the frozen, lamplit streets of Belobog, Jarilo VI’s last surface city. “If there’s nothing else, I’ll see you in the morning. I do hope you sleep well.” With a wink Aventurine disappears into the night.