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The Clock Studios Theme Park was closed off.
Ratio watched from a distance as tourists were turned away by the Bloodhounds and directed to other sources of entertainment. Groups of friends were guided to the nearest bar, families to Aideen Park, and rich tycoon owners to shopping malls. If Ratio was accompanied by a certain coworker, perhaps they would be led to the nearest restaurant or VIP lounge. Preferably with a casino or some gambling element involved.
And if that coworker was here, Ratio could be persuaded into taking the risk and approaching the security with nothing more but a charming smile and too much money to get through. But with the IPC and the Family’s relationships at a low, the fact Ratio was already known to be sent by the IPC, and his general distaste for how these Bloodhounds were behaving currently, Ratio would rather not.
It took no less than five minutes to see a gap in their security. It wasn’t inherently the fault of the Bloodhounds; someone was simply making a fuss about not being let in, and it was slowly growing more and more loud and violent. Three of them moved towards her to calm her down or subdue her, leaving a nice gap for Ratio to slip through. It was one of the more secluded entryways; towards the side, hidden in the shadow of adjacent tall buildings.
Ratio walked slowly and calmly so as to not draw attention. He tapped on his earpiece lightly.
“Topaz? I’m entering now.”
“Quicker than I expected!” Topaz replied. There was a coo in the background, presumably Numby’s praise for his fast work, “Be thorough. We need to get everything we can before we talk to The Family.”
“Understood.”
“Thanks, Ratio,” Topaz said, “If something goes wrong, I’ll be on the other side.”
“I doubt that will happen.”
A lie; Ratio knew it wouldn’t happen. Even if a Bloodhound stopped him now, or he found nothing on that grand stage Aventurine performed on, both Topaz and Ratio’s goals would be satisfied. Topaz would have her evidence to prove Aventurine died - after all, that ‘evidence’ was already in Ratio’s hotel room. Hidden between plush couch pillows were sunglasses that painted the world pink, lucky dice with the letter A engraved instead of the number one, and even the smallest shattered remnants of that Aventurine stone. Aventurine must have hidden it alongside everything else, keeping it secret from Ratio with his infuriating sleight of hand trickery. While it wasn’t bloodstained clothes, it was surely enough to pass Aventurine off as dead to the IPC.
Ratio was only bothering himself to sneak in and search just in case there was anything left behind.
It took no time at all to get past those bumbling Bloodhounds and be greeted by a red carpet. He wasn’t sure how to get to the stage, but it shouldn’t be too difficult of a journey. For now, he would just keep going forward and hope nobody was there to stop him-
“Excuse me? Mister?”
A small hand pulled at his sash, tugging Ratio backwards lightly. It was the voice of a child, the strength of a child - but why would a child be bothering him right now? Maybe it was a Pepeshi - that would make sense. Ratio sighed. He would’ve preferred to have at least explored a little bit before being kicked out, though.
Ratio turned around, arms crossed, “What is it?”
He looked downwards and was immediately struck with the realisation that the small hand did not belong to a Pepeshi. A small child, no older than ten, looked back at him with big, bright eyes. Golden hair fell onto his face, shaggy and unruly. His shirt was torn by the collar, falling apart by the hem, and despite all of that, the boy beamed at Ratio.
Ratio crouched so he could properly face the child. His eyes were achingly familiar; a poisonous pink with vivid blue rings around the pupil. There was something different, though - Aventurine’s eyes were duller, like clothes that had been washed out after years of use. There was still a liveliness in this child’s eyes, untainted and joyful.
“Dear child, what are you doing here?” Ratio asked. Part of him wanted to reach out and see if the kid was real - he may be dreaming, but this was simply nonsensical. There was no doubt in his mind that this was a young Aventurine, but why would a hallucination like this haunt Ratio of all people?
“My friend left something behind over there,” the child pointed somewhere behind Ratio, presumably at the stage, “I need to go get it before we go.”
“How funny. I’m also looking for things my friend left behind. Perhaps we’re looking for the same man.”
“Does your friend have pretty eyes?”
Ratio almost laughed - what a silly question, “Indeed.”
“Then maybe we are looking for the same person! Let’s look together, then.”
“Where do you plan on searching?” Ratio questioned. He stood up straight as the child began walking ahead.
“The big stage! That’s where I saw him last.”
With a few strides, Ratio closed their distance. Now side by side, Ratio slowed his pace to match the kid’s small footsteps.
“Do you know where this stage is?”
“Mhm,” he nodded before raising his hand next to Ratio’s, palm open and waiting, “I can lead the way.”
How endearing, Ratio thought to himself, if only his adult self was this genuine. He accepted the invitation, his hand easily fitting around the child’s. The boy’s hand was shockingly cold, but Ratio said nothing about it. He only hoped it would warm up over time.
“What’s your name, child?”
“Kakavasha,” the child looked up at him, bright eyes glittering in golden light, “And yours, mister?”
“Dr Ratio.”
“Woah. You’re a doctor? You must know a lot of things!”
“I would like to think so.”
“My mama bought me a storybook earlier, but I can’t read it,” Kakavasha admitted, “My big sister keeps trying to show me how, but I just don’t get it. Do you think you could help me?”
“Of course I can.”
In celebration, Kakavasha began swinging Ratio’s arm back and forth in excitement. A foolish endeavour; the child was so small Ratio’s arm barely moved. To aid the boy, Ratio very professionally swung his arm to match Kakavasha’s movements.
◇─◇──◇─◇
The theme park was surprisingly empty.
Ratio expected Bloodhounds to be everywhere, but so far he and the child had encountered nobody. Maybe they were stretched thin; with the deaths of a stowaway, their star celebrity, and now an IPC senior manager, it would make sense that the Bloodhounds were busy, leaving nobody available to secure the park.
“We have to use this thing to get there,” the boy tapped a large green machine - the damned Bubble Pinball.
Ratio bit back his complaints, instead lifting the boy so he could get in and activating the machine for him. Watching the pinball zoom around, rebounding off all those rotating plates - Ratio wasn’t even in the device yet and he felt motion sick. He heard childish laughter as he saw the small figure of Kakavasha descend from the pinball machine. He stumbled a bit, which made Ratio flinch, but in no time the boy had recovered and was running away, his joy audible despite the distance.
No time to waste, then.
Ratio got into the pinball machine himself and braced himself. It was a speedy journey, but it never failed to make him a little queasy. He held himself tightly as he got down from the machine, a hand on his head in some attempt to stop his sight from spinning. It took a few moments to get it under control, and a little bit of stumbling around, but eventually the world came back into shape.
Kakavasha was nowhere in sight, but he could hear enthralled gasps and laughter from somewhere in front of him.
“Kakavasha?” Ratio called out.
“Over here!”
Blonde hair peeked out from behind a large entrance, beckoning him in. That wasn’t what caught his eye, though - what intrigued Ratio was the yellow blob sitting in the child’s hair. Ratio made his way over to where Kakavasha was quickly. Multiple wooden stands surrounded the boy, with many golden birds with feathers that faded into red perched atop of, tweeting and chirping every now and then. One of them was sitting on his head.
“Look, Doctor, look!” he pointed at the bird, “I think he likes me!”
It seemed that childlike wonder was always an integral part of Aventurine’s character. Back in the sandpit, he could see the man’s eyes aglow with excitement and surprise as he ran around the sandpit despite how tiny Aventurine had become. The delight when he was taken into the miniature version of the Golden Hour was reflected now, as Kakavasha tried his best to pat the bird nestled on his head. Wide eyes and big, genuine smiles that Ratio wasn’t used to seeing on Aventurine.
“Here,” Ratio bent down, leaving his arm out for the bird to perch on it. The bird hopped on his arm and let out a happy chirp as Kakavasha, finally able to see it, began petting its head gently.
“It’s fluffy,” the child cooed, “I want to take one back home with me.”
Ratio pet the bird too. It was eerie how similar he was to Aventurine; a fact that shouldn’t be shocking at all, given that Kakavasha was just the younger version of him. Still, Ratio felt himself reel from the memory of Aventurine petting a different origami bird in Golden Hour, asking Ratio if he could get one in the real world. Ratio scoffed at the question and reminded him that they were a figment of imagination.
Such a response wouldn’t do for a child.
“Have you asked your parents?”
“Uh huh,” Kakavasha nodded, “Papa said we don’t have enough room for it, but I have space next to my bed! I can train it so it doesn’t make a mess!”
The bird chirped gleefully. Last time Ratio checked, the birds could speak - he supposed they were hiding this ability from Kakavasha to keep up the illusion they were real.
“I’m sure you’d be a great bird owner.”
“I know I’d be!”
◇─◇──◇─◇
“I saw him there the last time he was here,” Kakavasha said, pointing at red curtains, “Before he performed.”
“Was it a good performance?” Ratio asked.
He shrugged, “I wasn’t there for it.”
“He’s quite a good actor,” Ratio said, “I’m sure he put on the best show possible.”
Kakavasha smiled, “That’s good. He looked a bit nervous.”
“Knowing him, his act would’ve gone perfectly.”
There was nobody inside except for the two, staring up in awe at the huge, red gash in the sky above. It looked like the sky itself was bleeding, gore spilling out of it. It was horrifying - it sent a chill up Ratio’s spine. The added absence of the little boy - who, while Ratio was busy gazing at the bloody mark, had bounded off to search on his own - made the situation all the more terrifying. Aventurine never revealed his entire plan to him; only the parts Ratio needed to know. He knew Acheron was involved in Aventurine’s grand scheme, and his gamble with her would lead him to the answers he desired, but Aeons, Ratio hoped it wasn’t as violent as it looked. The final blow Aventurine was betting on - it better have been kind to him.
That was enough of that. Ratio began his own search. While he had no idea where Kakavasha had run off to, he did not doubt that the child would reappear when necessary.
There were burn marks scorched in the cement, likely from that flaming lance Stelle occasionally used. It was, to say the least, concerning to see, especially when considering Aventurine’s aversion to fire. But with the power of Qlipoth at his hands, Stelle’s lance hopefully never seared through skin. Further ahead, much closer to the centre stage, was unmelted ice. Ratio picked it up - it was cold, but upon further inspection, it seemed more like some sort of crystal than anything. It would’ve belonged to another Astral Express member; March 7th. Stelle told her about her and her “six-phased ice.” This had to be the ice in question.
The closer Ratio approached the centre, the more evidence of a battle he found. Chunks of concrete uplifted, scattered around aimlessly. Scraps of metal and machinery spread out from each other. A smaller, but similar red gash in the ground.
It all led him to a strange item. A broken piece of a mask, he supposed. Ratio lifted it, feeling hard plaster under his gloved fingers. It was Aventurine’s style - a deep turquoise colour with gold outlines, shaped dramatically - why a mask was necessary, Ratio had no clue. He pocketed the item, relieved by how clean it seemed. No blood, no char. Just a flashy decoration. Perhaps Topaz would have the answer to where Aventurine got such an accessory from.
“Doctor, I found something!”
Kakavasha came running from somewhere off to Ratio’s right, holding something in his hands. Upon closer inspection, Ratio recognised it easily. Aventurine’s hat. He kneeled as Kakavasha approached, passing him the hat gently, big eyes curiously watching Ratio’s reaction.
Ratio grimaced. The ribbon was close to falling off the hat entirely, the peacock feather Aventurine adorned it with nowhere to be found. There was a small cut in the brim of the hat, but it was nothing next to the overwhelming rip towards the top, almost tearing the entire thing apart. Silently, he gave the hat back to Kakavasha.
“I think I’ve found everything I need,” Ratio mumbled, standing up straight.
Kakavasha played with the hat, thumbing at the small tear, “Do you think we’ll see him again?”
Burn marks, hard ice, upended concrete, broken machinery, a bloody rip in the sky. None of the things Ratio found were strong evidence to argue that Aventurine would come back home to him, uninjured and safe. That, alongside his expedition into “death” in the Dreamscape - the odds were stacked against him.
However, only a slim part of Ratio’s brain worried for the man. Not out of indifference towards him - that was a ridiculous suggestion. He had seen Aventurine take the worst odds and spin them to make a winning hand for himself. That man looked him dead in the eye, keeping the barrel of Ratio’s gun pressed to him, begging him to try and shoot him dead. Three shots, all failures. Luck had picked a favourite, and it was clearly Aventurine. Besides, Ratio had tampered with the odds of Aventurine’s survival himself - that little vial should keep that damned gambler going, enough to make it out the other end.
“Of course we will,” Ratio said matter-of-factly, “He’ll return to us eventually, whether we like it or not.”
“That’s good,” Kakavasha put the hat on his head with a smile, “I like him. He’s very handsome.”
“He is very handsome,” Ratio echoed. It didn’t seem like Kakavasha was aware of his relationship with Aventurine, so he supposed agreeing with him wouldn’t hurt, “Now let’s get you home. It’s late.”
“... Okay,” Kakavasha put a hand over his mouth as he yawned, following Ratio to those red curtains.
“Are you tired?”
“Mhmm.”
“If you’d like, I can carry you back.”
One eager nod later, and Ratio was pushing through red curtains with Kakavasha in his arms, Kakavasha’s head resting on his shoulder, giggling.
“What’s so funny?”
“You’re so tall! Everything looks like an ant from up here,” Kakavasha turned to Ratio, a big grin on his cheeks, “Do you think I’ll be as tall as you someday?”
Ratio laughed. He could, in good conscience, lie about that, “I’m sure you will.”
Noticing the hat was slipping, Ratio’s free hand pulled the hat back onto Kakavasha’s head.
“Doctor, you have pretty eyes too.”
“Do I?” Ratio asked, more so in surprise than anything else. If there was any doubt that they weren’t the same person, it was erased that second. The only other person to ever say such a thing was Aventurine, but Ratio assumed it was the alcohol speaking.
“Yup,” Kakavasha nodded, “It reminds me of the dawn. Sometimes, my papa, mama, big sis and me wake up really early just to see it.”
Ratio held onto him a little bit tighter. Aventurine said the same thing, but a lot more incoherently. He said something about dawn, something about a big sis, and something about Ratio himself, all with a drunken smile on his cheeks. Whatever spiel he was on earned him rolled eyes and Ratio begrudgingly carrying him back to his hotel room. To hear it again, sober - Ratio looked ahead, keeping his eyes focused on the path in front of them.
“Try to get some sleep, dear child. I’m sure your parents would like to hear about everything you’ve done today.”
He received no response. When he looked over, Kakavasha was fast asleep, Aventurine’s hat falling over his face.
◇─◇──◇─◇
Ratio rubbed the boy’s back lightly, “We’re here,” he said softly.
Kakavasha yawned, rubbing at his eyes as Ratio placed him down. It took Ratio a while of stalking by the gate to find a good opportunity to slip past Bloodhounds, but it was, once again, disappointingly easy to do.
“Where are your parents?” Ratio asked. He didn’t bother to look around. In truth, Kakavasha was nothing more than a dream, and he couldn’t imagine his family being any more real than Kakavasha was.
“Ah, they’re waiting for me at the Clockie Statue,” Kakavasha responded, his eyes wide from the realisation.
“You better not keep them waiting.”
“Um,” Kakavasha hesitated for a moment, looking around and fiddling with the hat, “Thank you, Doctor,” quickly, the boy threw his arms around Ratio and squeezed. Though taken aback, Ratio reciprocated, holding the child there for a moment before he let go.
“I hope he comes back soon,” Kakavasha said. He placed the hat in Ratio’s hand, “I think he would like it if you held this.”
Ratio looked at the hat. Torn and worn, but at least it was safe and with him. When Aventurine returned, he would get his vial back, hopefully with an anecdote about how well it worked for Aventurine, and Aventurine could get his hat back. Ratio ran his hand over a rip. It would take some work, but he could get it patched up and back to its original quality in no time.
When Ratio looked back up, Kakavasha was gone.