❖ jason's!

@☆ ┈ jason todd！ Has he finally gotten on Lady Luck's last straw?

Footsteps echoing against the silence, Aventurine's new shoes (won fair and square, he may add!) are quite difficult to run in, a little tighter than he'd preferred, but he supposes he cannot complain much when these shoes are free, technically. His pockets and wallet are full, heavy with cash he's won as well—fair and square! He has never cheated in his gambles, after all, as a game's integrity is what makes it more fun! But if he finds a loophole and takes advantage of it, then that's between him and the gods watching him, if there are still any, of course.

And yet these people do not understand that! They are gamblers of the lowest tier, terrified to risk it all. He's said this to them, earlier, while he's seated on someone's else supposed seat, that if they're too cautious, too *afraid,* then their gambling might ruin them instead. They have disagreed, which is what has them chasing after him, a couple of streets down from the bar. It isn't even an actual gambling den! It's started off as a fun, unserious game, a bet that wasn't supposed to be high stakes. But these men, who are now currently running after him, were perhaps a little too drunk, a little too high—and they had started betting their clothes, their money.

All of which Aventurine won, all fair and square!

But that reasoning won't get him out of this chasing game. In fact, they won't even hear it! So his only chance at surviving the night away from drunk, angry men—which is *definitely* not a preferred way to die—is to outrun them, which may also prove to be difficult. He's unfamiliar with the way these streets intertwine, as he hasn't yet familiarized himself with this... new world.

Upon turning right, however, he finds himself bumping into a wall—no, wait, not a wall, he realizes belatedly, as he takes a few steps backwards. The wall turns out to be a... ridiculously big man, taller than him by a head and a half, and while this wouldn't be too unusual back in his *actual* world, it is a rather unusual sight *here,* whatever this world is.

Aventurine is quick to smile, however, apologetic in nature. "Sorry, sorry! I didn't think there'd be someone once I turned!"

Perhaps he's paused for too long, however, as he hears the men chasing after him so near. The first thing he should've done is just *leave,* really, run, but he knows that it'll take him a while before he loses them on his trail. So he does the next best thing he can think of—pull this stranger into a tight alleyway with yet again an apologetic smile, and Aventurine pulls until his back is pressed against the wall. The stranger so easily towers over Aventurine, enough to hide the latter completely, especially with the lack of light, but Aventurine still reaches up to the collars of the stranger's top, pulling the man down, closer to his height.

Their faces are barely a distance from each other at this point, but Aventurine can only smile, that same apologetic smile, as he whispers, "don't ask. Just—Just play along, yeah?"

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