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focus on me
[Continued from here]
[He's patient as Ratio finishes bandaging him up, his eyes curious on the doctor's hands as the other man starts to clean the streaks of blood from his arm. He doesn't have to do that. It feels... nice, to have the saline scrub him clean. Despite the pain from the injury, Ratio's tending is almost refreshing, putting him at ease - though maybe it's the methodical way in which he does it, the warmth of his hand as he holds Aventurine's wrist to keep him still while he wipes away the bloodstains.
A small surge of affection lifts in his chest, but he doesn't really know what to do with it. Everyone has their own agenda, everyone who works with him or helps him does it because of how useful he can be to them. Aventurine has spent years perfecting the art of being useful - because if he's useful, other people will try to keep him alive.
Is he useful to Ratio now? They're still working together, of course, Ratio needs him to complete his end of the bargain and vice versa. That doesn't mean that the doctor has to come up here and tend to his wounds like a caregiver or - or something else. He'd be just as useful to the other man with a wounded arm.
Aventurine frowns for a moment as he considers all of that before returning to the topic at hand, looking up toward his ally with an easy little shrug.]
I like drawing out the suspense, you know... it's not as fun if I don't have a riveted audience.
[But...]
Five hundred thousand credits and a secret on the table. He told me - grudgingly, after I got the knife from him and made him uphold his end of the wager - that there's a backdoor into Penacony. What's more, it's already been exploited by someone who's not supposed to be here.
[Aventurine's eyes are bright, excited at the prospect. He had planned for a more direct route, of course, but the idea that there's both a player in the game without an invite and that there could be an exploit to access the dream world... well, that has to be relevant information, right?]
[He's patient as Ratio finishes bandaging him up, his eyes curious on the doctor's hands as the other man starts to clean the streaks of blood from his arm. He doesn't have to do that. It feels... nice, to have the saline scrub him clean. Despite the pain from the injury, Ratio's tending is almost refreshing, putting him at ease - though maybe it's the methodical way in which he does it, the warmth of his hand as he holds Aventurine's wrist to keep him still while he wipes away the bloodstains.
A small surge of affection lifts in his chest, but he doesn't really know what to do with it. Everyone has their own agenda, everyone who works with him or helps him does it because of how useful he can be to them. Aventurine has spent years perfecting the art of being useful - because if he's useful, other people will try to keep him alive.
Is he useful to Ratio now? They're still working together, of course, Ratio needs him to complete his end of the bargain and vice versa. That doesn't mean that the doctor has to come up here and tend to his wounds like a caregiver or - or something else. He'd be just as useful to the other man with a wounded arm.
Aventurine frowns for a moment as he considers all of that before returning to the topic at hand, looking up toward his ally with an easy little shrug.]
I like drawing out the suspense, you know... it's not as fun if I don't have a riveted audience.
[But...]
Five hundred thousand credits and a secret on the table. He told me - grudgingly, after I got the knife from him and made him uphold his end of the wager - that there's a backdoor into Penacony. What's more, it's already been exploited by someone who's not supposed to be here.
[Aventurine's eyes are bright, excited at the prospect. He had planned for a more direct route, of course, but the idea that there's both a player in the game without an invite and that there could be an exploit to access the dream world... well, that has to be relevant information, right?]
no subject
Ratio glances up at points while he works, his grasp adjusting to Aventurine’s hand, a brow raised as he listens, wiping away the streaks of blood along the gambler’s knuckles and the backs of his fingers. The excitement is more than audible in Aventurine’s voice and he supposes this is why he was out there risking a knife in him. Why, as bright as his eyes get, he looks as if he’s forgotten the laceration he’s sporting.
It is not necessarily surprising that there is a backdoor. That was to be expected. That it has been exploited… hmm, that is an interesting tidbit. ]
You are a very busy man, [ he surmises, but in the time he’s known the gambler, the man hardly seems to know rest. He schemes as he breathes. Ratio recognizes as lovely as that information is, it doesn’t necessarily do as much for them as he’d like. He sighs as he wipes the last specks of blood from Aventurine’s pretty fingers and releases him. He seamlessly returns his attentions to cleaning up the mess he has made, collecting trash and bloodied gauze as he speaks, ] Wonderful. I don’t suppose he was so kind as to tell you more about this backdoor?
no subject
Aventurine drops the feeling, forces his mind back to the current conversation. Ratio is still in the chair in front of him and so he leans forward conspiratorially, carefully resting his elbows on his knees and clasping his hands in front of him. The injury gives a little twinge, but he can't be too concerned with it now.]
It's something about how the Dreampools work. They can be simulated - with enough power, you could even emulate a Dreampool separate from the hotel. The Bloodhound family has tight security over all the pools in our rooms to try and prevent anyone from cracking them open to study how they work.
[He glances back toward the pool in his own room, the eerie seashell glimmering in the low light.]
I bet if we so much as kicked it, we'd have security at the door.
[He looks back, meeting Ratio's eyes. He's gotten closer to him in his excitement, his voice low as if he's concerned about being overheard.]
But what I'm really curious about is whoever made it across. They'd need a friend, don't you think? Someone who could walk in the daylight.
no subject
He is charming as captivating and Ratio hardly recognizes he’s been so utterly ensnared himself, leaving the mess to lean forward himself. His gaze even follows Aventurine’s glance towards the pool, then back, their exotic eyes meeting with matched intrigue. The glow of the pool only illuminates Aventurine’s eyes.
He does, eventually, belatedly, recognize his folly and leans back, arms crossing over his chest. He’s gotten too comfortable with the gambler. ]
What you’ve uncovered, [ Ratio says at last, ] — is simply more questions than you had to begin with.
[ He picks himself out of his guarded position in favor of plucking through the first aid kit yet again. He offers a bottle of pain killers to Aventurine, giving him the space to continue as he likes. ]
no subject
You're not wrong, but I prefer to see it as an opportunity. It's - a possibility for a contingency.
[He turns back to Ratio again, only belatedly noting that the larger man has grabbed at the first aid kit. It makes him realize that he hasn't actually thanked him for his help. He'd gotten too excited to share his findings to properly thank him, and so he moves back toward the table, the small bottle of painkillers tight in his palm.]
It was worth the risk, to find a potential alternative path.
[He hesitates then, a little unsure of how to proceed.]
I... thanks, by the way. For this. [A gesture toward his arm.] You didn't have to - drop everything for me.
[No one else would have. Most of Aventurine's associates are in a strictly professional, use-or-be-used context. If helping him wasn't advantageous to their goals, they wouldn't have made the trip. But then again, Aventurine doesn't really know many altruistic people.]
no subject
Hmm. [ Ratio feels generous enough he doesn’t outright disagree, but his disdainful hmm does sound doubtful. Certainly, there were more level-headed ways to get this information. Aventurine’s animation makes it clear he’s too excited and dissatisfied with his business partner’s lacking excitement.
He isn’t expecting the gratitude. It gives him pause as well, the both of them faltering. Ratio collects himself first, ] I did give you my contact information should you need it. I do believe this counts. That remains the case for the future as well.
[ He zips the kit closed, though the rest of the messy bloody scene remains where Aventurine has smeared blood here and there. ] Should you need me, you need only call.
no subject
[He hadn't expected him to stay long. Ratio doesn't normally seem to enjoy being around him, though he thinks that he might be reading too much into that. In the end, his business partner is extremely pragmatic and logical to a fault - if he's better utilized elsewhere, he won't be here. So, Aventurine doesn't take it too personally when he starts to collect his things. He still has a room to clean up, after all.
And more information to obtain. Veritas doesn't think that his information was worthwhile - that's fine. There's always more information to get, and now he has a source. Granted, it was a source with a knife, but... a source, nevertheless.
He smiles airily, giving Ratio the space he needs to get collected. Far be it from him to tell him to stay, even if the company is nice. Aventurine has never needed anyone and he isn't about to start getting clingy now.]
Well, it goes both ways. Call me if you need me. Otherwise...
[A pause. He nods toward his dreampool.]
I guess I'll see you in there.
no subject
His eyes linger on Aventurine, the glow of the dreampool behind him, and he hesitates. ]
Do call me before you do anything rash.
[ The man already has one wound, he’d rather not come back to more… or worse. He collects the kit and begins to make his way back towards the door, ]
That includes meeting with your angry acquaintance again.
no subject
[It's - well, it's always sort of difficult to tell with Aventurine if he's teasing or being sarcastic, or if there's a nugget of truth in there. For what it's worth, he's touched that Ratio seems to care for his well being enough to say something like that. Like he wants to be there and act as a line of defense.
Or maybe he just enjoys watching Aventurine dig holes for himself.
Whatever the case, Ratio is reaching out and it would be rude of him to ignore it. So - yes, he will call him, even if he's being a bit insincere about it now. It's the least he could do, rather than forcing his companion to patch him up again.
He smiles blandly as Ratio turns to go, his eyes tracing over the outline of his figure as he moves for the door.]
'til then.