Work Text:
Aventurine had just came back from his work trip in Penacony to find chaos reigning in his apartment. Impressively so, Parmenides was sleeping through it all, softly snoring as Muffin threw chalk powder at Acorn, Bell and Rose, who were projecting a livestream in the living room, its volume way too high.
Aventurine blinked, confused as he recognized Owlbert’s voice, from the livestream. He dropped his matching coat and briefcase by the door, together with his shoes, and stepped farther inside.
The livestream was showing a racing event, its participants the cat cakes of Herta’s Space Station. Aventurine tilted his head, his gaze focused on his critters, who were smashing their soft paws on the tablets he’d bought them, in support of the racer they bet on — Acorn was cheering for Lucky Snack with whom she was friends with, Bell seemed to favor Troublemaker, a cat cake that resembled their favorite streamer, while Rose betted on Pure Sugar Child, who appeared surprisingly agile despite her shyness. When Pure Sugar Child claimed victory for the third and last round, Aventurine’s critters erupted in meows, varying from happiness to dismay, all equally aggravating Muffin further.
Aventurine stepped in, before his whole furniture would be covered in chalk powder.
“Back from dreadful work and not even a greeting,” he said, pouting. It immediately set three pair of wobbly eyes, one pair of robotic gleaming eyes, and a pair of puffy, sleepy eyes on him. “So, what’s all this fuss about?”
[Aventurine]: Snack Dash?
After gathering more information from his three enthusiastic sugary babies, Aventurine wrote to his Nameless friend, whose name often appeared on the livestream, among the supporters for Trash Cake.
[Miss Stellaron]: Yes! It’s a pretty chill game, you just need to cheer on your favorite contestant
[Aventurine]: Oh my, should I be worried about my babies getting into gambling?
[Miss Stellaron]: As if they wouldn’t get that from you first!
[Miss Stellaron]: No but seriously, it doesn’t involve real money at all. You use Bounce-Bounce Snacks to enter arenas as a spectator, and Herta’s Space Station gives them away
[Miss Stellaron]: Actually
[Miss Stellaron]: Look at this!
[Miss Stellaron]: [attached photo]
Eyes blown wide, Aventurine stared at his screen, where a picture of a cat cake resembling him had just popped up. The cat cake in question was flamboyant, with the same colors that Aventurine preferred to wear, as he knew they complimented his complexion and hair. The cat cake also wore — or were they part of him? — pink shades resembling Aventurine’s, and a watch identical to the pair he and Ratio owned, the only ones in existence. Did Ratio have a hand in creating this silly critter?
[Aventurine]: What a dashing fellow
[Miss Stellaron]: This is Honey Dice, he takes after you a lot! He doesn’t participate to many matches, but he’s all in for everything he does!
[Aventurine]: Heh that’s my motto!
What followed was a series of more pictures that Aventurine cooed at, as he sat on his couch, snuggling his own cat cakes.
Looking at his sleeping critters, he nudged them awake with a light bop on their soft snouts. “Hey, what do you think of visiting the Space Station?” he asked, immediately piquing their curiosity. “You could meet both old and new friends, and see the races up close.”
Before going to bed, Aventurine checked the time, cringed internally, and opened Ratio’s chat.
[gambler]: Hey doc!
Ratio started typing immediately, three dots appearing and disappearing for a good handful of seconds.
[doctor]: Why aren’t you asleep?
[doctor]: It’s 3:26 a.m. in Pier Point
[gambler]: You’re awake too! Still in your lab, I bet
[gambler]: Tsk. Tsk. Dear Veritas, you need a break!
[doctor]: That might be true. Do you have any ideas?
[gambler]: Actually, I wanted to invite you out to visit Herta’s Space Station with me and the babies
[gambler]: They want to meet their old friends and the new critters that joined the Space Station
[gambler]: There’s even a game that has them very invested!
[gambler]: So, what do you say?
[doctor]: It’s a date.
Aventurine felt his heart pound in his chest, his cheeks heating up as he read those words, knowing Ratio meant them wholly.
[gambler]: [attached picture]
[gambler]: Look at this doc!
[gambler]: Isn’t he a cutie?
Ratio took a moment to start typing. Aventurine couldn’t help but want to know — see — his reaction.
[doctor]: Indeed
[doctor]: Does he takes after you in other aspects apart from his design?
Aventurine chuckled. He remembered what his Nameless friend told him — apparently, Honey Dice not only was a participant, but he was also running a betting pool for the critters that weren’t taking part in the racing event. Aventurine definitely supported this venture.
[gambler]: Honey Dice is a daring entrepreneur!
Before he could type more, Ratio called him.
“Hello doc, did I pique your curiosity?”
Aventurine could feel the warmth behind Ratio’s chuckle. “I’d always agree to a date with you, no need to sweeten the deal,” he said, though his voice was warm. “You seem interested in this critter so similar to you.”
Aventurine shrugged, even if Ratio couldn’t see him over the phone. “Well, I’ve a soft spot for these cat cakes, and seeing one so similar to me is… peculiar.”
“Hm. You’re really looking forward to this.”
“Oh? Planning to steal another cat cake for me?” Aventurine teased, though he’d prefer not to have a repeat of the calls from Herta’s Space Station and the Nameless to check on his cat cakes, after they discovered they ended up in the hands of an ‘IPC executive’.
At the reminder, Ratio sounded appropriately flustered. “No. No, it’s just… since we’re visiting the snack community on Herta’s Space Station, we’ll very likely end up meeting this Honey Dice.”
Aventurine couldn’t hide his smile. “Heh. Honestly… I’m curious about how Acorn, Bell and Rose might react.”
Asta and a handful of other researchers greeted Ratio and Aventurine, once they disembarked from the latter’s shuttle. Asta’s curious gaze strayed more than once towards the container in Ratio’s hand.
“Oh, the little ones are back to visit their friends?” Asta asked.
“Heh. They love this new racing event,” Aventurine said, cheerfully offering her and the other researchers a winning smile, “doesn’t this make it the perfect moment for a visit?”
Asta seemed more at ease at his words. “Absolutely! Let me show you to the area. Most of the critters participating in the even are gathered in the distribution center, in the seclusion zone,” she said, turning to face Ratio. “I’ve been told you’ve been there before.”
Ratio gave her a sharp nod. For the occasion, he’d forgone his bust, but Aventurine could tell that he was half-regretting it, with how the researchers standing behind Asta were gawking at him.
“Lead the way, Miss,” Aventurine said, smoothly. “We’re so excited!” A choir of enthusiastic meows echoed from the container in Ratio’s hand, making Asta all the readier to lead them to their destination.
The candy in Aventurine’s hand was given an apt name, Bounce-Bounce Snack. Aventurine kept poking one of the many snacks given to them, captivated by how gelatinous it was.
He could feel four pairs of eyes staring, three of which more focused on the candy in his hand than him. Ratio had let their cat cakes out. Now, they were laying on their laps, a little away from where their friends were gathered.
“Veritas, do you think they deserve these?” Aventurine asked, showing off one of the candies — their cat cakes’ eyes widened, their pupils blown impossibly wide.
“Hm. Let’s test this out,” Ratio said. Then, taking Aventurine by surprise, he leant in and took the snack in his mouth, eating it in one bite.
Acorn cried out in anguish, Bell jumped up in protest, while Rose slumped down inside his shell. Aventurine wasn’t faring any better, his cheeks aflame.
“Not bad,” Ratio remarked, “they don’t have a specific taste, albeit it’s pleasant. Hm. I wonder what’s their caloric intake.”
Aventurine was still wrapping his head around the feeling of Ratio’s lips on his fingers that he didn’t even realize his cat cakes had already dove for the Bounce-Bounce Snacks in the pouch Asta had given him.
From Ratio’s amused glance, Aventurine could tell he was enjoying Aventurine’s reaction all too much.
“Very well!” Aventurine exclaimed, smoothly raising the snack pouch out of their critters’ reach. “Let’s meet the rest of the cat cakes’ community!”
Acorn and Bell were eagerly wobbling with enthusiastic jumps ahead of Aventurine, while Rose hesitated slightly behind his siblings.
The first to notice their presence was Lucky Snack, who nearly toppled over a sleepy Troublemaker to greet her friends. Acorn was clearly overjoyed at meeting her friend, and Lucky Snack seemed to set at easy even Rose, who was shyly looking around himself, hoping to see Lambda’s Snack. Instead, he noticed a different critter, one whose shell was a glamorous shade of teal.
“Meow?”
Acorn and Bell seemed to pique on Rose’s curiosity, their stares joining their sibling’s in observing the new cat cake.
Honey Dice didn’t seem to mind the stares, not even when Aventurine’s cat cakes crowded around him, sniffing at him — maybe Aventurine should’ve given them a talk on how to interact with strangers. Next to him, Ratio huffed, clearly finding the spectacle amusing.
Then, Acorn tried to bite Honey Dice’s shiny tail, causing both Ratio and Aventurine to scramble to stop her in time.
Despite the less than ideal first meeting, at least in Aventurine’s opinion, his cat cakes took a striking liking to Honey Dice, even wanting to share their snacks with him. Honey Dice also didn’t seem to hold a grudge, basking in the attention and indulging them.
Aventurine’s dear cat cakes also seemed eager to introduce their parents to their new friend.
Aventurine couldn’t read Honey Dice’s expression from behind his shades, but he got the impression the interest was reciprocated. Perhaps it wasn’t just wishful thinking. Once Acorn, Bell and Rose joined Lucky Snack and Lambda’s Friend to greet the rest of the community, Honey Dice lingered behind, staring silently up at Aventurine and Ratio. When they sat down close to him, Honey Dice didn’t let out a sound, before jumping on Ratio’s lap.
Ratio clearly played favorites, Aventurine didn’t even hide his chuckles at how Ratio kept feeding Bounce-Bounce Snacks to Honey Dice, every time he meowed for an extra one.
“Not worried for this little one’s caloric intake?” Aventurine teased, petting Honey Dice’s smooth shell.
Ratio didn’t even bat an eye. “He appears smaller than the rest. He needs more food.”
Aventurine raised an eyebrow. Honey Dice might’ve been on the smaller size, but he was by no means ‘small’.
“Hey, little one,” Aventurine cooed, catching Honey Dice’s attention. “Do you mind taking a picture with me? I want to show you off to a… friend of mine.”
Honey Dice easily jumped on his lap, his head raising from inside his shell to strike a pose that showed off his shades. Aventurine also made sure his shades were extra shiny, before taking a picture and sending it to Topaz.
[Aventurine]: [attached picture]
[Aventurine]: Look at this beauty! A daring businesscatcake, just like his role model!
Topaz might’ve been busy working at the time, but she took less than two minutes to reply to him.
[Topaz]: No way
[Topaz]: Don’t badly influence this little one! I hope he doesn’t end up in trouble…
[Topaz]: Why is he so cute!
Honey Dice stretched his gelatinous neck to peek at his screen, not even bothering with discretion. Aventurine chuckled, “My friend is complimenting you. Look at what a handsome pic!”
Once Honey Dice was distracted once more by the Bounce-Bounce Snacks that Ratio kept feeding him, Aventurine replied to Topaz.
[Aventurine]: Heh. He’s a great fashion sense!
[Topaz]: Ugh. An elegant, velvet texture shell the color of the night sky would look much better for a cat cake
[Topaz]: And sparkly light blue eyes!
Aventurine covered his mouth with a fist to hide his grin.
[Aventurine]: Hm. Maybe I should suggest a Lady Bonbon… and a Trotter Cake to pair them together?
Aventurine hid his phone in his pocket, not bothering to check Topaz’s surely flustered replies.
When it was time to bid farewell to the cat cakes of Herta’s Space Station, Acorn, Bell and Rose were inconsolable. Interestingly, even if he tried to play it off, Honey Dice also seemed reluctant to see them go.
Amidst wobbly goodbyes and gut-wrenching yowls, Aventurine had an idea. He only needed to steal a glance at Ratio to know they shared the same idea — its brilliance marked by an apple hitting Ratio on the head, and then roll off for Pure Sugar Child to paw at.
“Honey Dice,” he said, crouching down, “are you up for an adventure?”
Aventurine had just returned from his latest work trip in Penacony to discuss the beta trial of Currency Wars, for which he’d proposed the idea of adding some cat cakes for the Cosmic Scholar’s bond effect.
As he stepped into his apartment, he experienced déjà vu. Genuinely amazed by Parmenides’ ability to sleep through the loudest of noises, Aventurine focused his attention on the hellish landscape that became of his living room.
He wished Ratio wasn’t busy with the Intelligentsia Guild to share this moment with him, though the loud noises might give him a migraine.
Honey Dice was proudly facing a projected diagram of a fictitious cryptocurrency, named “Bouncy-Fancy Paw”. Bell had their snout squashed on their tablet, eagerly taking notes and sharing their ideas with Honey Dice, while Acorn napped on the side, and Rose stared at a fuming Muffin.
Muffin wasn’t taking well to Honey Dice’s lesson.
“Ridiculous! Ridiculous!”
“Meow!”
A cloud of chalk followed. Ratio had updated Muffin’s program, improving his language module to include the latest update for the cat cake’s language.
Aventurine left his briefcase by the couch and took Parmenides in his arms, without waking him up. He sat on the couch, waking Acorn up and finally capturing the other critters’ attention.
“Oh, please, continue,” he said, pointing at the diagram behind Honey Dice. “Before discussing the market’s opportunities, let’s focus on the name.”
Aventurine was rewarded with a cloud of chalk to the face.