Of all the days for him to be caught off guard …
For a man who has often claimed an uncanny ability to never lose no matter the odds stacked against him , Aventurine certainly does have a habit of getting himself into unforeseen trouble . The gambler could list a hundred reasons why seeing a doctor would not be on his list of priorities following a violent confrontation with some of his … disgruntled gaming buddies , but as it turned out , he was in the exact neighbourhood of Ratio’s Pier Point residence when his vision began to blur .
So ended his night on Veritas Ratio’s front step , his clothing visibly dishevelled , ruby red blood staining the side of his mouth & the fresh wound on his upper right temple , a harsh gash startling to purple around the cut , which was to say nothing about the way he stood hunched over , one hand pressed against his aching ribs while the other was cradled to his chest . A quick glance was enough to tell his wrist was sprained .
“ Ah hah , Doctor , you are home , it must be my lucky day ! ” He quipped , but the usual ever - present smile on his face looked more like a pained grimace tonight as the scholar ushers him inside & makes him sit before he can protest . The blond opens his mouth to give a trademarked cheery greeting when his vision blacks out for a moment & he starts to fall forward , jarring himself back awake when he feels hands on his shoulders to steady him .
“ Ugh … oh , this ? Just a scuffle . A minor … spat at the bar down the street . One of my new friends was a bit frustrated at his lack of success at the poker table & thought it prudent to call me out for cheating . Apparently he didn’t like my response which was to get better at the game , so they opted to drag me outside to exchange words about their displeasure .” Which was , of course , code for being jumped by several very large men & beaten until he could barely stand up . “ Nothing I haven’t dealt with before , but I thought I would pay you a visit while I was on the area , see how things are , you know ? ”
Aventurine tilts his head back to look at Ratio , inadvertently giving him a good look at his neck , where start red - purple & excessively violent bruises have bloomed like flowers against pale skin . Distinctly fingerprint shaped bruises , matching the ones around his injured wrist . Having moved his hand away from his side , there was a dark patch of blood there too , leaking through the gash on his shirt from a switchblade of some sort , which was now steadily oozing blood all over the floor .
“ So … how have you been ? ”
