stratagemstone

[stratagemstone]

"Ha, and here I thought all Nameless were welcoming. Where have you been hiding, friend?"

Taking in the other's appearance, Aventurine couldn't help but stare longer than intended. A look of confusion managed to slip passed his poker face.

"This... is the first time meeting, correct?"

|| @stratagemstone started following you

               " Since when did you start working with the Nameless? " Suddenly the Astral Express felt immensely cramped.

[stratagemstone]

A flash of skepticism crossed Aventurine's face. Clearly doubting the ranger's reasoning, but it didn't last long. Soon replaced with amusement.

The cowboy didn't seem the type to play dirty tricks, but Aventurine didn't buy into the fact they weren't looking for something in return. Either way, this was benefiting the gambler and he could easily push it to last into the long run. Only time would tell if Boothill was being truthful. For now, there was no harm in playing along.

"If you say so. Well, if you're planning on sticking around, you wouldn't mind if I ran some errands, would you?" Aventurine shifted the hat on his head before he began to walk forward.Taking his time to see if Boothill would follow.

"I must say, never had a bodyguard before. I could get used to this."

                " Look, ya' little brat, don't think t' much about it. " Not that the Ranger was happy about outwardly associating with an IPC member, but they both had the same end goal in the long run - So, he couldn't just let anyone take a shot at Aventurine.

He continued to stand beside the Avgin, hackles still visibly up to ensure no one tried to make a move towards them. The hand previously holding the hat down moved to the other's shoulder.

                " Just chalk it up t' the gentleman in me. Not like I'm gonna' ask ya' t' spend the night just 'cus I let others know not t' fork with ya'. " He did have ulterior motives, but not just so he can ask any kind of favor from Aventurine - he was trying to build rapport between them for the future - nothing more.

[stratagemstone]

You ALSO know what I want second

[[ a boy who monetarily wants for nothing and yet he still likes to steal things because its FUN ]]

[stratagemstone]

You know what I want >.>

[[ i love our wavelengths that no character was chosen and i just KNEW it was boothill so have tHEMMMMM lets hope they can deal with their dads' absolute batshit chaos ]]

[stratagemstone]

aventurine holding my cat insane crossover

[stratagemstone]

[[ still buffering shit but im opening up a RPC server for peeps to chill in outside tumblr!! theres channels for hsr, genshin, and wuwa- with gaming vcs and plotting/dashboard talk areas!! ]]

[stratagemstone]

power couple

[stratagemstone]

Aventurine's smile faltered as Boothill explained. The brim of the hat brought down to conceal his eyes as he tried to catch a quick glance behind him. Of course, a hat alone wouldn't hide his identity well. Especially if he's already been spotted, but someone at his side may at least avoid confrontation for the time being.

If the ranger was telling the truth, he would prefer to know who he was dealing with.Gamblers who have been cleaned out and looking to get their credits back? A member of the Family? He wouldn't be surprised if it was higher ups from the IPC. Either way, it wouldn't be the first time he's been tailed.

"Aw, it's sweet you're so worried about me." The gambler teased under his breath, keeping the hat pulled down. "But something tells me you're not just here out of the goodness of your heart. What would you happen to be expecting out of this?"

▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰▰ ⋘ cont. with @stratagemstone

                " Try not ta' think too much into it, kid. " The Ranger was confident that Aventurine wouldn't be wholly aware of the 'Hat Code', and if he was, he didn't say anything. Which was the best option right now.

                " Looks like ya' got some eyes locked onto ya' right now. " Surely, the Stratagem wasn't so daft to not notice some of the stares he was getting from some suspicious patrons. Boothill's voice was kept low enough for only the other to hear. " Ya' might not understand why I'm doin' this, but from the way they reacted, seems like those shirtbags understood. "

                  " Just keep it on 'fer now. It'll save us both a real headache in the long run. " A hand kept the hat firmly held down onto Aventurine's head.

[stratagemstone]

[[ from @booty-hill ]] He doesn't say anything. Boothill just walks up behind Aventurine and places his cowboy hat upon the blonde's head.

@booty-hill

Aventurine stares up quizzically as he feels something on his head. Fingers brushing along the rim of the hat before turning to the one behind him.

"Am I having a bad hair day or something? No offense, but it's not really my style. I much prefer my own hat."

[stratagemstone]

And what happens when you inevitably lose the gamble?

"Heh, I guess it would finally prove I'm not as lucky as everyone believes. It will happen eventually, but things would get boring without that risk."

[stratagemstone]

Then why are you so keen on throwing your life away? Like you said, even something of low value still has value in the long run.

"...A life can be quite the bargaining chip. It's not the first time I've thrown my life on the line, and I doubt it will be the last. After all, when you have nothing left to lose, you have all the more to gain."

[stratagemstone]

Oh, but, Aventurine- we're not talking about gambling here. Deep down, does your own life carry such a low value?

A look of annoyance began to show through. Aventurine clearly growing frustrated with the prodding, despite his attempts to keep his expression neutral.

"Something of low value still means it has some worth. That's all that matters."

[stratagemstone]

Do you believe your life is still only worth 30 Tanbas?

A mix of emotions seemed to cross Aventurine's face before finally settling on a weak smile.

"You see, even such a small amount can be a gateway to riches when played right. With strategy, patience, and luck, a single chip can lead to a life changing win. I'm living proof of that."

[stratagemstone]

"Good night."

[stratagemstone]

“Dealing with you is like herding cats.” 

Aventurine chuckled. "Well, I can't make it too easy for you. Otherwise things might get boring."

[stratagemstone]

Squish his face💖

(Hand trend on Twitter)

[stratagemstone]

With his smirk growing, Aventurine reached out to take the other man's hand to seal the deal. How fun. He's met countless people willing to bet it all but this was different. How much of it was really up to chance? And how much was really being lost?

Sitting back in his seat, the gambler crossed his legs as Sampo listed off the possibilities, thinking them over carefully.

Well, three of those items definitely caught his interest. He would be happy to walk away with any of them if he was being perfectly honest. And yet, the last item was the one to hold his attention the most. He couldn't help but laugh if it really was true. The absurdity. Yet from what he's learned from these past few minutes, it was plausible.

With a one in four chance, he felt confident with those odds, and after studying Sampo closely, he felt even more so.

"The case doesn't belong to you."

Now, that sure sounded like a fun time. Should Sampo lose, he could always weasel and sweet-talk his way out of a dangerous situation. And if he won, well, this case may not even be his and he'd walk away with a valuable trinket!

" Alright then, you've caught my interest, friend! " Sampo's grin never faded - there was a 25 to 75 percent chance Aventurine could correctly infer what was in the case - so the odds were substantially in the older man's favor.

" I'll take the chance." A hand crossed the table - a way to seal the deal for the both of them - and he chuckled.

" There are four options for you to choose from; An Ancient Penacony Artifact that's on it's way to a very wealthy buyer, a large sum of substances for distribution, several hundred thousand credits worth of priceless jewels, or - most interestingly - it doesn't even belong to me and another patron left it here by accident. "

" Which option are you wagering on, Aventurine? "