professional simp who sometimes writes | 22 | find me on a03: archiveofourown.org/users/emmykitten | i also stream on twitch: twitch.tv/emeraldkitten5683
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the
Organization for Transformative Works
Word Count: 9.8k
Chapters: 2/2
Relationship: Aventurine/Dr. Ratio
Summary: He’d long since come to terms with the fact that his entire being — every action he took, every emotion he felt, and every word that came out of his mouth — would always belong to the IPC, and it was in his best interest to keep Ratio at an arms’ length so that he wouldn’t one day be as trapped as him by association.
or: Aventurine knows he shouldn't let his friendship with Ratio become something more, but his heart has other ideas.
--
I realized I never made a post about this fic, but here's my longest fic to date! It started out as a character study on Aventurine and expanded into a fic I'm pretty proud of, so I hope you'll give it a read :)
alright so, I've been thinking a lot about dr. ratio lately, and his ult dialogue has been irking me: "esse es percipi" which roughly translates to "to exist is to be perceived."
berkeley, the philosopher that coined the phrase, only did so specifically to criticize the people that believed in this idea - he did not hold it himself. he explained this notion as asserting that "objects of sense have only an ‘in-and-out’ existence, that they are created and annihilated with every turn of man’s attention." that is, things (both people and objects) cease to exist once we stop perceiving them.
esse es percipi is an ideal that doesn't really have grounding in any system of logic or reasoning, and unless you have some groundbreaking conception of the world that has never been explored before, it completely breaks down if you think about it for more than 2 seconds.
here's the thing, hoyoverse is usually very intentional with its use of philosophical thought in the game - the writers seem pretty knowledgeable on the topic and the dialogue that engages the player with any sort of philosophical inquiry about the nature of life, things, or relationships, is always very insightful and deep.
so I don't believe that this was a case of them not knowing anything about philosophy and just randomly picking a phrase that sounded cool.
but if it was intentional on their part, then why?
it simply doesn't make sense to his character for him to hold a blatantly flawed ideal like that. it leaves me wondering whether this is supposed to be either a joke or an implication regarding some aspect of his character that hasn't been revealed yet.
Genuinely I feel annoying as fuck for saying this but like I can’t stand the way anybody else but me or my mutuals writes Aventio/Ratiorine 90% of the time
So, to vent my frustration, here’s a not in order at all bulleted list of stuff I absolutely despise when seeing content of them. This is not to call ppl out or anything, I just wanna rant about my preferences lol
oh and cw: mentions of slavery, nsfw, suicidal tendencies and non-con
-one or both of them being way to horny/flirty
Maybe this could work in content with an established relationship, but like, these guys don’t fuck, I’m sorry, they don’t. They are the biggest virgin losers ever regardless of if they have had sex in the past or not. Some of yall don’t get that they were acting in Penacony for the most part and Aventurine’s flirtiness didn’t have any weight behind it, he was really just messing with Ratio. I think if he were seriously trying to court Ratio, he’d probably be LESS flirty, but that’s just me. I understand why people make nsfw of them without any kinda buildup because well it’s fun, but for me personally I don’t really like it 90% of the time, however I fully get this is a me thing. I can tolerate it more in fanart bc well it’s fanart so yeah there’s not gonna be 3000k words of lore behind it, but like if I’m reading a fic and Aventio go from not even being in a relationship to having sex on a whim it just confuses me.
-yandere anything
I despise this trope already but it makes me 100000x more annoyed because holy shit neither of them would be a yandere I get it some people like this but WHYY THEMMM it doesn’t make sense. Yandere Aventurine makes me even more mad bc why the fuck would he make someone suffer like he did when he was younger???
-emotionless Ratio
Idk why half the community treats Ratio like he’s an unfeeling logic robot who’s sole goal is knowledge even when the game beats you over the head about how he’s the exact fucking opposite of that, but honestly I think this is just a symptom of the fact that a lot of ratiorine writers don’t give two fucks about him at all and he’s practically written as a plot device for Aventurine’s characterization.
-misunderstanding why Ratio is a tsundere
I’ve seen a lot of people misinterpret how and why Ratio is a tsundere towards Aventurine, citing it as if he doesn’t want to be associated with him/looks down upon him/is ashamed to like him when that’s really not true at all. Ratio respects and cares about Aventurine a hell of a lot, and he isn’t shy at all to show it when it’s necessary (see DSAIWYTBOL or the “if you can’t hold on any longer then tell me”). However, the reason he pushes away Aventurine isn’t exactly personal (although Aventurine’s closeness to him is part of the reason why).
Rather, Ratio tends to downplay his close relationships a lot, likely as a defense mechanism, as he admits himself that he isn’t good with people in one of the dialogue options with trailblazer for the express visits. Now why he is this way is a subject of speculation because Ratio rarely ever talks about himself, and the only character who actually has a voiceline on him is Aventurine himself, so it’s very hard to get an outside perspective on him. His character stories don’t really help that much either, as they are more about his personal philosophy and journey in life rather than his personality.
However, taking what Ratio says towards Aventurine at face value when he has proven the opposite (especially considering how the trope of the tsundere is kinda centered on the character in question spouting bullshit) results in people completely misunderstanding their relationship which can get REALLY annoying. Ratio doesn’t think Aventurine is an idiot in the slightest, he just worries about how his methods put himself in danger, not his capabilities.
-fast burn
You’re telling me these emotionally constipated idiots will get together easily? No. There’s a reason I write the most crazy bullshit happening to them before a confession scene and that’s because that’s the only way you can get them to confront their goddamn feelings quickly.
-slavery aus/anything like this
Self explanatory. If you have fetishized Aventurine’s past or made stuff like this please stay 1000 feet away from me at all times or block me. Thank you 🙏
-babying Aventurine
He’s one of the most competent members of the cast, but somehow people act like his breakdown scene in 2.1 is how he behaves 24/7 when that isn’t true at all. Aventurine is incredibly smart, and single-handedly clawed his way to the top. He does not need Ratio to save him. Would he appreciate Ratio’s support? Of course, and he definitely needs loving relationships in his life, but Aventurine isn’t a damsel in distress and not everything in his life is miserable and related to his trauma.
-or the horrible reverse of babying Aventurine: his trauma doesn’t exist actually and he’s perfectly fine/ they write him like it never happened
This one is rather rare and it has overlap with a few of the other points (seriously I’m gonna tweak out the next time someone writes the character who is implied to have survived sex trafficking being a person who would even dream of crossing others boundaries). Usually this happens because people treat Aventurine’s playboy mask as if it’s his actual personality and not traits he picked up to survive and succeed at his goals, and while admittedly even Aventurine is losing track of where the mask ends and he begins, some of y’all take it wayy to far even going on to unironically call him a fuckboy when he’s anything but that.
The thing is, I think this happens when people erase who Kakavasha is from their minds, and act as if that side of Aventurine is a purely innocent child and all the “bad” parts of him are part of Aventurine’s mask. However, that’s not true, and Aventurine’s most admirable traits ARE Kakavasha’s. His strategicness, his intellegence, his bravery, these are all traits he possessed long before becoming Aventurine of stratagems, something which he demonstrated when he for example got his sisters neckless back, or made that bet with his first enslaver.
Aventurine’s purity and Aventurine’s capabilities are not separated between Kakavasha and Aventurine of Stratagems, both of those qualities ARE Kakavasha’s so if you are going to write him with the mask off, you have to write BOTH, not give into one or the other.
The things I tend to drop when writing him with the mask off are his false compliments and niceties, acting like he really gives a shit about the IPC’s goals, turning down the flamboyance and cockiness to reasonable levels and making him seem less like he’s playing pretend. Honestly I don’t think it’s that hard yet this is still a pitfall I see a lot of people stumbling into.
-Ratio talking like a goddamn encyclopedia
I understand he’s like that sometimes, but he also is well versed in internet lingo and seriously nobody unironically talks like that 24/7 because it’s pointless, and Ratio doesn’t use big words to seem smart, he uses them when they are necessary.
Like I’m sorry but if they are in a middle of having sex and unprompted Ratio starts talking like a biology textbook I’m closing the fic and running around my room screaming BECAUSE GOD IS IT CRINGE. Promoted it can be funny because yeah I can see him doing that but oh my god HE WOULD NOT SAY THAT I don’t even want to give an example it pisses me off that bad but trust me it’s a common phenomenon AND I HATE IT
-Aventurine trying to kill himself 24/7
He isn’t an active suicide risk every goddamn day of his life, he’s just self destructive and those are TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.
Yes, he tested if you could die in the dreamscape several times, but that’s because one of the favorable outcomes for his mission WOULD BE DYING in the dreamscape. He’s not doing this during a normal work week and even if I believe he still has suicidal tendencies, he’s not gonna throw his life away randomly or over nothing
-Ratio holds authority over Aventurine in any capacity
No, just no. Like the only other thing he might have over him is being intelligent, although they both are smart at different things so even then does it matter? Like I’m sorry but normal human with the ability to float and make imaginary constructs versus LITERAL FUCKING STONEHEART is not a fair fight on Ratio’s end. It doesn’t matter that he’s physically larger than Aventurine, muscles don’t mean shit in a sci-fi setting, especially when your opponent can just summon 3 bajillion coins to drop into your head at a whim and there’s nothing you can do about it. Not like Aventurine would ever dream of hurting him, of course, but seriously people need to stop acting like their different in stature really means anything. Even in terms of position, Aventurine probably outranks him so this false sense of authority people apply to Ratio in their relationship is confusing at best.
Hmm, well that’s all the things I remember to bitch about although I probably have more complaints. To be fair, whenever they aren’t written like incredibly smart people who are idiots hopelessly in love with one another when together I pop a blood vessel so most of these (besides THAT one) are non issues and if you have made/enjoyed these don’t feel ashamed because of my opinions. I needed to let out my inner grinch every once and awhile, so thanks for reading
Okay I've been meaning to do this one forever because mischaracterisation goes crazy about this man and I gotta correct some facts.
Dr. Ratio is a very blunt person. He sounds harsh and doesn't mince words. He seems almost self-centred and cocky in a way. That is until you actually look into what he's saying and how he talks to others.
I've talked about him before specifically in regards to his role in the 1.6 update. He's a foil to Ruan Mei meant to show empathy in the scholarly field. His bluntness and cold voice versus her over explanation at times and soft voice. The entire point of him sounding as cold as he does is to put an emphasis on actually paying attention to what he says and how he acts.
In 1.6 while Ruan Mei has the entire space station at risk with her swarm experimentation Ratio's mini investigation about the Everflame Mansion situation was done without anybodies knowledge lest they be at risk.
The entire reason he's in the Intelligensia Guild rather than the Genius Society is because he cares about spreading his smarts across the cosmos. He doesn't want people to be stupid because it's not good to be unawares so he's strict and maintains an air of harshness to impress what he deems necessary for people he's around to know.
People love to bash the English dub of him because he sounds harsh but if I'm going to be completely honest he's far from harsh. He's blunt and strict and won't mince his words but he's not mean like people make him out to be. I quite commend Jordan Paul Haro for his performance because of the way he brings Ratio to life. With the borderline pretentious tone he has it mean you truly have to listen to his words not his voice which is something many people fail to do.
Take this line for example. Many think he's being cold and rude but let's think about him and his character for a second. He shows his care in his bluntness. He doesn't enjoy putting on performances for anybody. In my opinion what he's saying is that he wants Aventurine to worry about himself(because we all know how that guy is) and to stop pretending with his over the top and super extra way he acts around people. He's saying he wants him to focus on himself and stop pretending all the time.
All in all Dr. Ratio is a pretty cool guy. He cares about people by spreading what he knows and doesn't bother with false pleasantries and lies. He's not a cold-hearted jerk he's just a guy who doesn't show very much emotion because he deems it unnecessary.
Fact Checking Some Myths About Aventurine and the IPC
Especially in light of Jade's new myriad celestia trailer and the reveal of the other Stonehearts, I've seen a ton of wild claims about Aventurine--particularly how he's an unwilling member of the Stonehearts and needs to be saved from the IPC--that just aren't sitting right with me because they're based significantly more on the fanon take that Aventurine is an "innocent victim" than any actual evidence displayed in the game. So I wanted to take the time to collect some in-game evidence to see if we can sort out what Aventurine's actual relationship to the IPC is. Time to do some fact checking--this is a long one, buckle up!
Claim #1: Aventurine was sentenced to die by the IPC.
Verdict: There's no actual evidence that Aventurine was ever sentenced to anything.
This entire idea that Aventurine was actually successfully sentenced to die by the IPC comes from two pieces of "evidence" in the game. First, the scene with Dr. Ratio where those words are stated:
Leaving aside whether the IPC legally has the right to sentence anyone to anything by themselves (they're a corporation, not an actual governing body), this is the exact line that Dr. Ratio fans have been bending over backward to prove is "just an act" and that Ratio would never actually mean this (because if he actually meant this, it would make him pretty racist). So if we've already busted our asses to prove this line isn't true and was just Ratio and Aventurine acting... why would we be using this line as evidence that Aventurine was actually sentenced to anything?
We can't say "This entire scene was an act because Sunday/the Family was listening in!" and then go "Okay, but this one part is definitely true (despite there not being any other evidence in game to corroborate the statement)." Either this scene is acting, and this line isn't true--or the line is true, and Ratio's kind of a racist. Make up your minds, people. 😂
Actually, I can help make up your mind. We can prove that this line is likely a strong part of Aventurine and Ratio's deliberate act because Ratio's comment (which took place in 2.0) doesn't actually make any sense once Aventurine's story is fully revealed (in 2.1).
Ratio relates Aventurine's slave brand to the IPC, suggesting that the brand is proof that Aventurine is "doomed" and "sentenced to die by the IPC." Ratio even goes so far to say "Or was it from the Amber Lord himself?"
But from 2.1, we know that Aventurine's brand had nothing to do with the IPC, and his former slave owner was definitely not an IPC employee (as he refers to the IPC the same as Aventurine's sister did, "the guys in black").
Aventurine's brand came from being owned by a non-IPC-affiliated slaver--it had nothing to do with the Stonehearts or even Oswaldo Schneider.
So Ratio's entire comment linking the brand to the IPC makes no sense, and therefore his statement that the brand marks Aventurine as a "doomed Sigonian thrall sentenced to die by the IPC" also makes no sense.
Instead, I would argue that this line is a perfect example of the kind of exaggerated acting that Ratio and Aventurine were doing specifically to make the eavesdropping Family see Aventurine as an easy target. With this line, Ratio is emphasizing that Aventurine is a sitting duck without his Cornerstone, that he'll be weak and helpless--and that no one in the IPC will come help him, because they've already sentenced him to die. This is Ratio deliberately baiting Sunday into thinking that Aventurine will be easy, isolated prey without his Cornerstone--which is exactly what Aventurine wanted Sunday to think.
This line, which comes from a scene that we've already established is a deliberate act to mislead someone, cannot be used as evidence of Aventurine's real situation within the IPC.
"But then what about the trial scene with Jade?!" I already hear people saying. "Aventurine was definitely going to be sentenced to death!"
I'm not arguing that death wasn't a possible option for Kakavasha initially; it's clear that committing severe enough crimes can earn you the death penalty in Star Rail's universe. But I think we need to take another good look at this scene and see what really happened here.
First, we need to clarify that this scene with Jade was not an actual trial. The scene begins with a broadcast which clarifies that the suspect in the "Egyhazo-Aventurine Fraud Case" was just caught, and the IPC are conducting investigations into the "motive of the suspect."
So Jade's scene with Aventurine is not an actual trial (I mean... Jade's not even legally a judge!); it's an investigation with the goal of determining why Kakavasha would have tried to scam the Intelligentsia Guild and IPC at Egyhazo.
We can confirm that this scene with Jade is not an actual trial because she is even says "We haven't been able to find you any defense [lawyer], so you perhaps will have to defend yourself."
To which Aventurine responds that he easily could defend himself from the charges--but that it's pointless to do so. Why? Because he never intends to get to a trial in the first place.
He's there to gamble with Diamond (who he asks to see right on the spot, indicating that he's done his research in advance and knows who the head honcho he needs to talk to is). Instead, Jade says that he'll have to gamble with her, to which he agrees, and lays down his terms.
(He even says "I bet you won't send me to the gallows." We know that Kakavasha always wins his bets--he bet she won't send him off to a trial to be executed, and he once again won his bet!)
Jade, known for picking out "unpolished stones with great potential" and promoting them into positions of power to extract their value, agrees immediately, and literally tells Kakavasha to go change his clothes right then and there. She really said "I like your confidence; you're hired on the spot."
So... This was not a trial, Kakavasha never went on trial, and because he never went on trial, we have zero evidence in-game that he was ever sentenced to anything.
The IPC doesn't give a shit about the murder of some no-name slaver (I mean come on, think of how many other murders they've covered up at this point--do you really think they're holding one past murder of a no-name NPC over Aventurine's head years later?).
They might give a shit about the money they lost on Kakavasha's schemes, but Jade's entire schtick is one of equivalence--having Kakavasha join the IPC as a Stoneheart means he will ultimately generate infinitely more wealth for them than his schemes ever cost them in the first place, and that's the central piece of Jade's statement in this scene:
Is Aventurine's whole role in the Stonehearts exploitative, focused on his endless ability to win bets and generate profit? YUP. But that's ALL the Stonehearts' goal at this point--he's not unique in being "exploited" for his value. One look at Topaz confirms that.
So, ultimately, we have no evidence that Kakavasha was ever sentenced for his crimes, let alone that he was sentenced to die specifically by the IPC.
Claim #2: The Stonehearts will execute Aventurine if he tries to leave or fails his mission(s).
Verdict: There's no actual evidence for this either, beyond the obvious that most people in a powerful enough position in an evil corporation probably can't just up and quit their jobs without consequences.
I've seen this idea that the Stonehearts are planning to execute Aventurine--either for his past crimes, for failing a mission, or for trying to leave the IPC--many, many places, and unfortunately, I really think people are reaching this conclusion strictly on "The IPC is evil" vibes alone.
The IPC is evil; they coerce nice people like Topaz to buying into lifelong contracts; they're colonizers and exploitative capitalists, so of course they would threaten to execute poor innocent Aventurine!
Look, I won't defend the IPC. They are evil. But post hoc, ergo proctor hoc--just because one thing is true, doesn't mean the other statement naturally follows.
Just because the IPC is evil and exploitative (and probably does kill people to shut them up) does not automatically mean they're out to execute Aventurine for the slightest mishap.
I've seen many people say "He was going to be executed for his past crimes, so what do you think will happen if he tries to leave the Stonehearts?" But A) We just established he never went to trial for those past crimes in the first place, so we have no idea if he would have actually been sentenced to death anyway, and B) We have no evidence in-game that any of Kakavasha's past crimes would be back on the table if he were to try to quit the IPC. This is literally just fanon, based on the vibes of the IPC being evil alone. Probably informed by Topaz's "lifelong contract" situation giving people the impression that everyone who works for the IPC has to have a lifelong contract.
What evidence do we have that Aventurine is not at-risk of being executed for screwing up a mission? I mean, Aventurine himself says it. When Jade first states that Aventurine might be punished for destroying a Cornerstone, the only two possible punishments he states are:
If execution was on the table, wouldn't that have been the first punishment Aventurine listed?
And Jade's myriad celestia trailer also states that the only punishment on the table is whether Aventurine will be expelled from the Stonehearts:
And the biggest proof that execution isn't on the table?
The fact that Diamond himself agrees that Aventurine should not be punished even for the serious act of willingly breaking a Cornerstone. If Aventurine can do something as serious as breaking part of Qlipoth's will and body, something he was told to treasure more than his own life, and still get away with it... You can bet the IPC really does not give a shit about his old schemes anymore. Aventurine is way too valuable alive for them to be constantly threatening to kill him.
(But then what about Obsidian's statement that she wants a "bloodbath"? Surely that's evidence that he would have died if they voted against him?
First of all, "bloodbath" is a pretty common metaphorical term. I don't know about you, but any time people get into big drama at my work, this term comes up ["They were all talking shit; it was a total bloodbath"]. "Bloodbath" can mean any intense struggle; it's often not literal death.
However, I'm inclined in this case to say that the real reason Hoyo threw in this "bloodbath" line was just to double down on Obsidian's obvious vampire aesthetic. She's a "vampire." Duh, of course she needs to say something about blood. I think this line speaks more to establishing Obsidian's character as a violent, self-centered person than anything to do with Aventurine's actual situation.)
So, there is no actual evidence in the game that Aventurine is still being held accountable for his past crimes, or that the IPC is planning to execute him for messing up on a mission.
In fact, there are several pieces of evidence in the story suggesting the opposite, that multiple people, including the other Stonehearts, think he's kind of crazy for trying to get himself killed every mission he goes on.
When Aventurine was affected by the Harmony's power, the "future" Aventurine asks him this directly.
"Why does every one of your schemes put your own life at risk?" And players are told the answer to that isn't because of the IPC--it's not because the Stonehearts are out here forcing Aventurine to gamble with his life. When the "Future" Aventurine suggests Aventurine might be taking these risks because of the IPC, real Aventurine flat out says "You don't know me at all." He's not taking the risks for the IPC--he's taking them for himself.
Later, "Future" Aventurine even says that if Aventurine just used tactics like Opal's--which he claims Aventurine could easily do--then he would have been able to claim Penacony for the IPC without putting himself at risk at all. But Aventurine chose not to do that; he chose "death."
Because Aventurine is actually, at least slightly, suicidal. I don't personally think Aventurine would ever have turned a fully-loaded gun on himself and pulled the trigger, but he was actively seeking opportunities to die. Before Penacony ended, he was deliberately putting himself into situations where his life was at risk, taking unnecessary gambles with his life on the line--because then he would win either way. If he won the gamble, he would get whatever prize was promised, and if he lost the gamble, then he would have the "freedom" of death, to be reunited with his family. (It's important to note that the only time the word "freedom" is used in Aventurine's story through 2.1 is in direct reference to death--it is never used in reference to getting "free" from the IPC.)
Aventurine's plans were not self-destructive because of the IPC. They were self-destructive because he was self-destructive. And, in fact, multiple other members of the Stonehearts call out this behavior as a bad thing.
Jade describes Aventurine's ploy in Penacony as "overplaying his hand."
Topaz describes Aventurine's work habits as:
Then there's even Sugilite, who clocks Aventurine's suicidal tendency directly by stating that Aventurine's "death" scheme in Penacony wasn't for the IPC at all--it was entirely for himself.
If the Stonehearts were holding execution over Aventurine's head at all times, why would death be an "unnecessary [personal] extravagance"?
The takeaway from all the other Stonehearts' dialogue about Aventurine is that they actually think he goes too far and that his methods are more risky with his own life than they need to be.
Does that sound like a group of people who are planning to kill him on the drop of the hat?
Okay, okay, I can hear you saying "But that still doesn't mean he can leave the Stonehearts without consequences. They would kill him if he tried to leave."
To that I say: A) There's no actual in-game evidence for that statement; it's literally just "IPC is evil so they definitely would do this" vibes, but B) Is that statement really unique to Aventurine? Do you think Topaz could leave the Stonehearts without consequences? Do you think Jade could just fuck off and leave the IPC if she got the desire to?
It's pretty typical, I would think, that anyone who achieves a high-ranking in a stereotypical "evil capitalist mega-corporation" is not free to just abandon their high up position without consequences. The phrase "You know too much" comes to mind.
I'd argue that people are probably right--Aventurine probably could not leave the Stonehearts without something severe happening, at the very least a memory wipe--but that this is probably true of all the Stonehearts. They're too far up the chain. They know too much about the inner-workings of the literal planet-destroying world-domination company. They've had too much access to insider info to easily leave their positions.
Not being able to easily leave the position has nothing to do with Aventurine personally or his past crimes. It's just (at least likely) a basic fact of being too high up in the morally-grey-at-best super organization. (Well, then again, apparently no one even knows if Agate is dead or not, so maybe they actually don't even care lol.)
Claim #3: Aventurine didn't want to join the IPC; he's working with the IPC only because he's forced to.
Verdict: The game suggests in several places that Aventurine joined the IPC of his own free will. Whether he's still loyal to them is not 100% clear.
I think this is the biggest question mark I'm left with when reading other people's posts about Aventurine--this enduring idea that Aventurine never wanted to join the IPC and was only forced to do so because he was captured and death was his only other option.
But that is literally not what the game is telling us at all. The game tells us--in multiple places--that Aventurine orchestrated his own circumstances so that he could gain an audience with Diamond and win a position within the Stonehearts by his own gambles.
First, let's re-examine that scene with Jade. One of the first things Jade says is "What kind of person would come up with a scheme [the Egyhazo fraud] that doesn't benefit them in any way?"
The takeaway from this is that Kakavasha did not actually stand to gain anything from scamming the Intelligentsia Guild into digging for Tayzzyronth's remains in the desert at Egyhazo. All he achieved with this fraud was putting himself at risk of being caught by the IPC.
Does that sound like Aventurine to you? The guy whose mantra is literally:
So obviously, Aventurine stood to gain something from scamming the IPC at Egyhazo. What could he possibly have wanted to achieve by creating a scheme that seemingly didn't directly benefit him? Well, he says it himself:
Aventurine wanted to be brought before the IPC. He got caught on purpose. He once again gambled with his own life, betting that, instead of being put on trial for all his past crimes, he could convince Diamond (though it ended up being Jade) to invest in him. The game literally tells you, in multiple places, that Aventurine was taking another one of his stereotypically crazy, potentially self-destructive gambles to try to achieve something:
Aventurine wanted the IPC to invest in him. He wanted in on their power and wealth. No one in the IPC forced him to target their organization not once but twice with his "desert-digging schemes" when it is clear that Aventurine could easily make money elsewhere. No one forced him to suggest this gamble with Jade to convince the IPC to invest in him. No one forced him to, in the words of the game itself, "seek a Cornerstone."
Aventurine's character stories are the only indications we have (for now) about what his motivations for joining the IPC might have been:
They suggest he joined with the intention of gaining wealth and power to help his people and others who aided him in the past--only to find out that that was no longer possible, invalidating his original reason for joining and likely leaving him without motivation or will to really even stay in the powerful position he had worked to get into. Part of his suicidality is likely linked to this--that he set himself a massive, unbelievable goal in an attempt to gain power and wealth to finally help his people--only to be entirely too late. But in any case, these character stories make it clear that he did personally seek to join the IPC of his own free will.
(And I mean, hello? The whole point of Jade as a character is being the one who sees people's desires and then grants them--ergo, Aventurine's desire was, in fact, to join the IPC himself.)
If we needed any more corroborating evidence for this, just consider everything post-Penacony, when Aventurine has decided that he does actually value his life now and wants to live. Aventurine would have had so many chances to "escape" the IPC if he so chose. First, he could easily have pretended to actually die within the Nihility. He could have entirely fucked off with Argenti's help, created a new identity, and made himself a pile of independent wealth from gambles, all without the IPC ever knowing where he went. But he didn't.
Then, he had a second chance to betray the IPC and fuck off again with Boothill's help. Boothill had already knocked out Aventurine's bodyguards at the door--there was literally no one else around. A little blood on the floor and no one would have doubted that the IPC-hating, wanted vigilante Boothill had done away with Aventurine.
Hell, Aventurine knows the Trailblazer. One word to the Trailblazer, and Aventurine could board the Astral Express and be whisked off to the other side of the universe.
But none of those things happened. Aventurine made no effort to remove himself from the IPC--even though he knew he had broken a Cornerstone and would be facing possible punishment. He didn't even make a single mention of trying to "escape" the IPC at all.
Because he isn't trying to.
(And edit, an addendum, because I kept seeing this on Twitter too: A bunch of people were claiming that because Aventurine wasn't smiling when he got his Cornerstone back, that was evidence that he hates the IPC and doesn't want to be there:
Like... did they forget that every single time Aventurine makes his major gambles, he has such anxiety that he can never convince himself to believe he'll actually win, to the point that the "Future" Aventurine accuses him of clenching his trembling hand beneath the table? Is it really that surprising that someone who never actually believes he's going to win would have a shocked face when he does win here, especially after witnessing the literal power of an aeon restore something he thought was broken forever? Come on now...)
Would the guy who always wins his gambles bet that he would get a promotion if he absolutely didn't want his job?
People really, really seem to struggle with this aspect of Aventurine's character, going out of their way to ignore the game's text and suggest that he definitely absolutely would never, ever have joined the IPC of his own free will. People really hate the idea that Aventurine is a morally-grey character who makes choices that are actively harmful to himself, like willingly joining an organization that is exploiting him.
Knowing that the IPC played a part in the Avgin extinction, people literally cannot fathom that Aventurine would willingly join them.
But I think that denying this part of Aventurine's character is bad. There's no need to reduce Aventurine to an innocent, helpless victim who is being exploited against his will and who would never do a single evil thing himself. That's not who the game is telling us he is.
The game tells us, repeatedly, that Aventurine is a survivor who will do whatever it takes to succeed at whatever he sets his mind to--even up to murdering innocent people to survive himself. Up to willingly joining the IPC to seek wealth and power. He's not a 100% good person who is still being forced through an existence he has no control over.
He's a self-destructive gambler who makes terrible choices with his own life, and willingly joining the IPC to let the Stonehearts exploit his abilities is one of the most obvious indications of that in the game.
Please stop denying Aventurine his complex, three-dimensional character writing to make him your pure, innocent trauma woobie. I'm begging people.
Claim #4: Aventurine wants revenge on Oswaldo Schneider.
Verdict: There's no evidence in the game (yet) that Aventurine is even aware of Oswaldo Schneider's role in the Avgin extinction, let alone actively trying to seek revenge for it.
Personally, this one hurts me the most, because this is where I'd like to see the story going. I want it to be that Aventurine was partially motivated to join the IPC specifically to orchestrate an inside job and get the Avgins' revenge on Oswaldo Schneider.
But even I have to admit that there's currently no evidence for this at all in the story.
For one, we have no confirmation in-game that Aventurine actually knows Schneider's direct role in the Avgin extinction. Aventurine clearly knows that the IPC could have intervened (he was there; he saw they didn't do anything), but we have no actual confirmation in the game's text that Aventurine knows Schneider told his people not to get involved, leading to the massacre. The only reason we players know of this is relic text, which isn't available canonically to characters in the game.
It is very likely that Aventurine is smart enough to figure this out or do the research to learn it, but as of right now, we don't have that confirmation in game.
Similarly, we players are given no access to Aventurine's actual conversations with Boothill. We have no idea what they talked about other than this one statement:
It seems likely, based on this, that Aventurine did say something to Boothill about being willing to go after Oswaldo Schneider, but we won't know for sure until the game reveals more.
What we do know is that even if Aventurine does give Boothill information on Oswaldo, it might not really be because Aventurine wants personal revenge.
Oswaldo's Marketing Development Department is basically the sworn enemy of the Stonehearts' Strategic Investment Department. The two groups are in an internal cold war, vying for "votes" from the seven board members who are actually leading the IPC.
So even if we see Aventurine taking actions against Oswaldo, it might not be because of a personal grudge, but because literally Aventurine's entire department hates Oswaldo Schneider's guts on principle in the first place.
So it's very difficult to say what is going on with Aventurine and Oswaldo Schneider at this point, and in the end, we just need to wait for more information.
Phew, all right! That was definitely long enough. I've gotten it all off my chest. I hope I've managed to give people some more canon material to chew on for another look at Aventurine's character, which is rich and complex and definitely cannot be reduced to simply "pure innocent victim babygirl."
Maybe now I'll be a little less salty when I see misinformation spreading like a wildfire again on Twitter.
This is overall really well written and thank you for pointing out that Aventurine clearly wants something from the IPC, that he was not going to get executed there, and that he was never going to get executed in the future. (One little nitpick though, what Ratio said there could have been true AND he wouldn’t be racist if but considering the context yeah he’s probably not sentenced to death).
However I’ve seen some people point it out in the comments but I think it’s pretty heavily implied that the IPC were the ones to capture and enslave him originally. Knowing Boothill’s lore, how we have seen lower ranked IPC members behave (Aurum alley) and the fact that Aventurine’s first enslaver seemingly got him from or at the very least went to lower ranked IPC members to ask about his condition/origins, which a) why would they know specifically unless they had custody of him and b) this implies that those employees would know (or could at least guess) that Aventurine was a slave and they were like “yup that tracks”
Either way we don’t know for certain WHO enslaved Aventurine originally, but considering that the Kataca and the remaining Avgin were either dead or “missing” it’s not insane to assume that the only remaining faction in the area- the IPC, is responsible for this, especially considering that it’s not above them in the slightest. Hell, one of Topaz’s lines in the Belabog quest makes it seem like this is kind of normal for them if it’s clear the other party can’t offer anything
The IPC will do whatever profits them, so enslaving and then selling the survivors on Sigonia because they have nothing left to offer would make perfect sense.
Now whether this is something Oswaldo ordered or something his subordinates decided to do on their own is another thing entirely, but I think it’s unreasonable to suggest that Aventurine knows nothing about him, let alone that he’s unaware that he’s behind the situation on Sigonia
A) Considering the first thing he asks Jade upon becoming a Stoneheart is about the fate of the Avgin, there’s no way in hell Aventurine didn’t use the IPC’s resources and his own position to scour the universe for any and all information about the Avgin
B) As you said, the Strategic Investment Department and the Marketing Department are enemies, so he’d probably learn information about Oswaldo anyways
C) Aventurine might have even learned of it on Sigonia, considering the Avgin did make a deal, although he probably didn’t know what it meant back then, as he referred to the IPC as “the men in black”
D) This kinda seems like it’s Oswaldo’s thing, and what happened on Boothill’s and Aventurine’s planets is incredibly unremarkable to him, so I doubt that in universe it would be an insane assumption to make.
Aventurine’s relationship to the IPC is complicated. I don’t think it’s a stretch to say that he doesn’t like being in the Stonehearts or the IPC, considering how self destructive he is, or the very reasonable ways in which he would hate them. However, I do think he deliberately tried to join them, although the reasons behind it are unknown, being a Stoneheart grants him money, power, and the one thing he truly needed- autonomy.
It’s clear he’s planning SOMETHING with these assets that has nothing to do with the IPC, “may your schemes be ever concealed,” and all, plus him putting the suicidal facade back on for Jade when he know he’s had a change of heart and doesn’t want to meaninglessly risk his life anymore, meaning he’s keeping up the act so she- and by extension the IPC- won’t know about it.
Personally, I have two theories as for why he’s still with them, as it’s clearly not love of the Preservation, or the material things they can offer him (as he has them but it doesn’t satisfy him)
Revenge
This one is almost self explanatory, both because the IPC has wronged him and his people (to what degree you may decide) and because Aventurine was thrust into the role of the savior of the Avgin, and since he failed to save them, he might as well do away with the people who failed them too.
Moreover, he probably also does not desire to see other people fall into his situation, as despite everything, Aventurine is extremely empathetic. The first thing he asks when getting his Cornerstone is if there are any other survivors of the Avgin, and if he can pay the people who helped him on a random unknown planet back. He absolutely has enough motivation to want to tear open the IPC from the inside.
2. The Order
It’s speculated a lot that Ena is Gaithra Tryclops + the one who gifted Aventurine his luck, and this is a theory I personally believe.
However, I also learned that they would destroy civilizations that got too powerful to maintain Order, and that they came into conflict with the Voracity who was well, voracious, consuming and taking literally everything.
Sound familiar?
Whether he’s aware of it or not, Aventurine taking down the IPC would be much like Ena taking down the Voracity (who mirrors the IPC a lot, both in methods and with individuals like Jade, who are indicative of them with her snake motifs), so if he can’t save his people, he’d be fulfilling what his mother goddess would have wanted by destroying entities that got too powerful, such as the IPC. We honestly don’t know a lot about Gaithra Tryclops, but considering her believers also seemed to consist purely of a small clan (and not a massive civilization), I think it’s fun to speculate that small, tight knit communities were part of the Avgin’s beliefs/culture, and that they perhaps didn’t favor the opposite of that.
That’s just speculation though, although personally I want both 1 and 2 to be true because that would be sick as fuck and because if I hear Aventurine get called “an Emanator of the Order” I will actually explode with joy.
I think the reason this dissonance exists is because Aventurine creates it himself. Unlike Topaz who seems happy to be there, or Jade who’s fine with what they do, at best he’s like “this is part of the job” and at worst he’s making plans that could get himself killed (and are pointed out to be unnecessarily be that way by other Stonehearts) because it’s clear that nothing the IPC provides him is satisfying or gives him purpose. Prior to talking to Acheron, he literally doesn’t believe his life is worth living, and she believes his existence under the facade that is “Aventurine” is quite fragile.
It’s clear that behind in the IPC isn’t good for him, and that he’s not enjoying it, but this can coexist with him choosing to stay, as what you want to do and what you need to do are two separate things.
As for Aventurine… well, not OUR Aventurine, but the title in general…
You mentioned the Aventurine-Egyhazo case, one which is suspiciously named that considering Kakavasha was not Aventurine at that time, and would not have become him by the time it was granted a name.
What, or rather Who, was this “Aventurine” and could he be the reason why leaving the IPC would be hard for our Aventurine?
After all, I doubt Diamond would randomly make him a new cornerstone out of nowhere considering that we have seen the resources they take to make in the recent Myriad Celestia, no matter how valuable Jade believes he is. Moreover, the IPC included the rest of Aventurine’s background in their broadcast about him, save for him being a slave and him killing his master, which are suspicious things to cover up if they had nothing to do with the case at hand, or at the very least the IPC’s reputation.
I’ve had a theory for a while now that the master he killed (not the first one, perhaps he was passed between people as that wouldn’t be unprecedented in slave trades) was the previous Aventurine, and the biggest part of Aventurine’s gamble with Jade was that she would be aware that losing a Stoneheart to a random person would cause a big stir within the galaxy, so replacing him with the previous one, and writing it off as “just a scam case” could ensure his survival. Moreover, considering that it seems like Aventurine’s watch was taken from his previous enslaver, who’s to say he didn’t take anything else from him? Like earning his cornerstone? The man also held a glass of wine in the one shot we got of him, and that kind of visual motif is present throughout the Stonehearts (Topaz offers us one in her demo, Jade and Aventurine both have it in their animated shorts).
That’s just my little crack theory that I’m praying comes true though. Overall, thank you for making this post, as what pisses me off the most is when people act like Aventurine is helpless, when he’s anything BUT that.
Sorry, I usually do not respond to reblogs of the stuff that I post because I don't want to detract from anything anyone else has to add to any conversations, so please let me know if you'd rather I delete this response and I will do so ASAP!
But there were just a few things here that I really did want to continue the discussion on (since I want to be talking about Aventurine 25/7 lol):
1. "I’ve seen some people point it out in the comments but I think it’s pretty heavily implied that the IPC were the ones to capture and enslave him originally."
I definitely agree that the line about the "guys in black didn't say much" is really weird and does imply that, at the very least, IPC members were at the slave sale and watching what was happening when Kakavasha was sold.
However, there's a couple logistical issues with the idea of the IPC being the ones to capture and sell him themselves:
A) Based on Kakavasha's appearance in this scene, it has to have been at least ten years since the Avgin-Katican extinction event. If we say that the IPC could have picked him up at or after the massacre, that would mean the IPC kept Kakavasha for ten+ years just to then randomly decide to sell him off, which doesn't make that much sense to me, and nothing like that is mentioned in his story.
B) If it was the IPC selling Kakavasha, why would they use a local currency that (based on Jade's reaction to it) is worth literal pennies compared to IPC credits? The amount that an IPC member would stand to gain from making a transaction in red tanba coins doesn't seem like it would even remotely justify the effort to sell an intractable prisoner like Kakavasha. (And especially if the IPC has been on the planet for years already--should they not have switched to credits? Getting new planets on the same economic credit system is like IPC takeover step number one.)
C) If, again judging by appearance, many years have passed since the massacre, does it make any actual sense for the IPC grunts stationed there to even know anything personally about the Avgin massacre anyway? In order to know anything directly about the massacre, they would have had to be stationed on Sigonia years and years ago and kept their jobs there for over a decade, which seems kind of unlikely for the lower-ranked "guys in black."
Basically, the whole line is very odd given the amount of time we're supposed to believe has passed since Kakavasha was a child in the desert.
So my thoughts go in two possible directions here: First, that the IPC grunts were just present at the slave sale (maybe actually stationed there or maybe just for their own entertainment) and could have simply joined in on the natural gossip that would spring up when an Avgin was the person for sale.
Or, second, something that is pure speculation and I don't have evidence for but seems like it might resolve some of the logistical issues: We know Kakavasha scammed the IPC not once but twice. His first scam against them was not at Egyhazo but on Sigonia.
If the Egyhazo fraud was an obvious attempt to get himself caught by the IPC, is it possible that his first fraud on Sigonia was also an attempt to get himself caught by the IPC?
It seems possible that Kakavasha could have taken a gamble and tried to get himself caught by the IPC to do exactly what he did with Jade later on--only to not succeed. Perhaps instead of making it to a higher-up willing to take his bet and invest in him, he got caught by lower-rung IPC members, who realized they could take out their anger about being tricked by him--and line their own pockets with a tiny quick buck--by selling Kakavasha off as a slave instead of turning him in to their boss.
If IPC grunts were actually directly involved in Kakavasha's sale, this seems like a possible explanation. But there isn't really any evidence for this, just what seems most logical to me.
2. "But I think it’s unreasonable to suggest that Aventurine knows nothing about him, let alone that he’s unaware that he’s behind the situation on Sigonia."
Sorry, I saw a couple people saying my original post suggests Aventurine doesn't know anything about Oswaldo Schneider, so I guess I should have bolded the text in that section, but what I actually mentioned about Aventurine's knowledge of Oswaldo was:
"It is very likely that Aventurine is smart enough to figure this out or do the research to learn it, but as of right now, we don't have that confirmation in game."
Theoretically, I agree that, at this point, Aventurine has access to enough information to have figured out Schneider's role in the Avgin extinction; I was just noting that the game hasn't actually confirmed that he does yet.
However, there are two things I think might be useful to add to conversation:
A) Kakavasha appears to have actually been very out of the loop before joining the Stonehearts. Even if we say he was actually very young when joining the Stonehearts (say 18-19 years old), we're still looking at a minimum of ten to twelve-ish years since the massacre. In ten+ years, he was never informed or had the opportunity to learn that the Avgin had essentially all been murdered, and had to ask Jade for that information? Boy did not have access to the news at all before joining the IPC.
So, given that he didn't even know all the Avgins were dead before joining the Stonehearts, I'm not sure I'd go so far as to say he knew about Schneider's role in the massacre and that was an original motivating factor for him trying to infiltrate the IPC. It seems reasonable that he might know it now, but it also seems clear he did not know it at the time he joined.
B) Information about Oswaldo Schneider is actually canonically extremely hard to come by. Boothill only even got Oswaldo's name by forcibly breaking into the Garden of Recollection.
We also know Schneider's whereabouts are not public knowledge and Aventurine himself does not know where Schneider can be located, despite being a Stoneheart, so I'm inclined to think that information about Oswaldo's role in many of the Marketing Development Department's royal fuck-ups is very, very restricted and hushed up, to avoid PR nightmares for the IPC.
So yeah, I always lean on the side of Aventurine being hyper-competent because he is my obvious favorite (lol), but there do seem to be canonical reasons in-game that he might still not fully know the extent of Schneider's involvement in the Avgin massacre.
3. Re: Aventurine's reasons for staying in the IPC:
I'm inclined to agree that the connections between Ena and Gaiathra are a bit too numerous to be purely accidental, and I agree with your take that Jade seems like she has some connection to the Voracity (especially given her whole "create an endless whirlpool of ever increasing desires" schtick). I agree that it will be interesting to see how the situation with these symbols plays out in the future. However, that said, Ena was an ally of Qlipoth and (presumably at least) approved of the sense of order Qlipoth established in the world by combating forces such as Ouroboros, so it seems a bit strange that Ena might stand against Qlipoth's organization after previously being their ally.
(Then again, it's somewhat hinted that the IPC itself is not really all that faithful to Qlipoth anyway, despite their claims of being "All for the Amber Lord," since Qlipoth is said to not care about what the humans swarming around their body are doing...)
Also definitely agree that the wealth and power of the Stonehearts has no particular appeal to Aventurine anymore now that he can't use it to help his people (which is why I think he just throws the money away on frivolous things and gifts to others now).
That said, I don't think his self-destructive tendencies and suicidal nature can be connected much to the IPC; he had these traits before joining them, and I strongly suspect he'd have them even if he'd never joined the IPC either. The loss of his family, people, home, freedom, bodily autonomy, and literal innocence after being forced to murder other people in a Hunger Games-esque death maze definitely sent him into a spiral separate from anything going on in the IPC.
I totally agree that he currently has no sense of purpose with the IPC--but I just don't think he'd have any sense of purpose without the IPC either. Hard agree the IPC doesn't make him happy, but pre-Penacony, I honestly don't think anything could have made Aventurine happy. It's like "Why bother even wanting to leave the IPC when I have nothing outside of it?" At least with the IPC he does have material comfort, people to talk to, and some goals to be working toward, even if his methods for chasing those goals are just hurting himself even more in the long-run.
I also definitely agree the IPC isn't really doing any active good by him--they're literally profiting off his willingness to throw himself into death's jaws--but they're also the ones telling him to chill. 😂 And it is clear that Topaz is probably one of the only legitimate friends Aventurine has. Even some of the others, like Pearl, seem to think relatively kindly of him (and hey, even Sugilite is like "Pfft look at this loser trying to kill himself" lol), so I don't think that Aventurine is receiving nothing from being part of the Stonehearts.
This is just my personal take, not really based on evidence, but I think Aventurine's original relationship with the IPC can be described as something close to "mutual parasitism." The IPC is using Aventurine for profit--but, at least until the end of Penacony--Aventurine was using the IPC to seek opportunities for death. They were both using each other.
Now that Aventurine no longer wants those opportunities for death, he'll have to redefine what his relationship to the IPC will be, and I think that this is what we'll see from his character moving forward--him deciding where his loyalties will lie, whether pro-IPC to genuinely aid the Stonehearts in the War of the Aeons (which isn't a bad goal, even if the IPC's means are bad) or anti-IPC (with the intentions of taking down Schneider and the whole enterprise).
4. "You mentioned the Aventurine-Egyhazo case, one which is suspiciously named that considering Kakavasha was not Aventurine at that time, and would not have become him by the time it was granted a name."
I know people are fond of this idea that there was a previous Aventurine and Kakavasha killed him and took his place, so I absolutely don't want to rain on anyone's parade, and I think everyone should keep embracing every theory that they find fun and interesting... But personally I just can't get behind this theory because I just don't see any evidence in the game that Cornerstones are passed down from person to person, let alone that there's ever been previous generations of Stonehearts.
Although the IPC itself is old as hell, we don't have any proof the Stonehearts as an organization is particularly that old, and the fact that they're still in the midst of trying to win votes from the board of IPC trustees gives the impression that they're a relatively newer group. (For example, their known competition is Oswaldo Schneider, who is specifically noted to be have a "lack of experience" being one of the reasons he hasn't been promoted yet--these two departments are much newer than people are treating them.)
There hasn't been a mention in-game of any previous generation of Stonehearts, any Cornerstone ever being passed down, or Kakavasha being responsible for the death of a Stoneheart, which I feel would surely have come up at some point in his story.
I also don't realistically think it is possible for him to have been a slave and had a master at the time of the Egyhazo fraud case, as the people scammed first were not the IPC or Stonehearts but the Intelligentsia Guild, and their representatives were described as "extremely cautious" about believing Kakavasha. Would someone still trapped in slavery have the freedom to A) meet with the Intelligentsia Guild and B) convincingly sell them on the idea that he is a reliable source of information on aeonic remains? It seems unlikely an active slave would have the freedom to develop and carry out this fraud.
There's also the fact that the Egyhazo-Aventurine fraud case is only ever discussed as a fraud, not a murder case. A lot of people have drawn this connection between "murder of the master" and Egyhazo that just doesn't seem (to me at least) to actually exist in the in-game text. It's possible the Egyhazo fraud might have gotten some people killed, but it isn't treated anywhere in-game as being connected to any notable murder.
So I just really don't think there was a previous Aventurine. I'm sorryyyyy; I know people really like this theory!
But if there was no previous Aventurine, why would the case be called "Egyhazo-Aventurine"?
To be honest, I think the most likely explanation here is that the actual game writers just made a tiny flub and forgot that Kakavasha wouldn't yet be called "Aventurine" when they decided on what to name the fraud case.
Writing flubs in Star Rail are actually way, way more common than they seem, and several times in-game stuff has been retconned and revised as the game goes along. There's kind of glaring plot holes in multiple places, actually. (For example, Robin's backstory of losing her mother to the fall of the Stellaron specifically in Penacony doesn't make sense unless Halovians are a long life species or Penacony has more than one Stellaron that the devs just never bothered to tell us about lol.)
So, given that no mention was ever made in-game of there being a previous Aventurine or Kakavasha being responsible for the death of a Stoneheart, I am much more inclined to think this was a writing mistake than anything else.
However, if we really want to come up with an in-universe way this is possible, my thought would be: We know that Aventurine did his research on the Stonehearts before carrying out the Egyhazo fraud. We know he was gunning to see Diamond right from the beginning. So if you're deliberately setting yourself up to get the attention of the head honcho and your goal is to provoke the highest members of a specific group to look at you... Why not do it with maximum gumption?
Isn't it possible that Kakavasha himself gave "Aventurine" as a fake name when carrying out his fraud, deliberately to provoke the Stonehearts?
If you want to catch the attention of a specific group and your only means to do so is through sheer confidence alone, presumptuously naming yourself in their style seems like a great way to get their eyes on you.
Then Qlipoth said "Well you wanted to be Aventurine so bad, here you go!" lolol
(But this doesn't have any in-game evidence either, I'll admit, and I'm definitely inclined to think that the writing flub is actually the more accurate answer lolol.)
Again, I hope I don't come across as discouraging or disagreeable; I really think everyone should have and enjoy their own theories about the characters, as that's definitely the most fun. The previous Aventurine theory is just not my personal cup of tea.
Ah, and this is a tiny thing but I'm very nerdy and hyper-fixated on Aventurine's design so I can't help myself: "Moreover, considering that it seems like Aventurine’s watch was taken from his previous enslaver"--Aventurine's watch is canonically from Penacony actually!
(This isn't to say I don't think Aventurine could have taken previous things from his old master though; personally I would have snatched anything worth value to sell while making my get-away, so I agree he could have taken the old master's watch too! I just think the social media character marketing posts Hoyo makes are very funny and cute so I want to share them at all times lolol.)
Anyway, sorry to have rambled at you so long like this; if you want me to delete this response totally just let me know; I know most people are not expecting a response to a reblog!! 😆
Thank you also for sharing all your thoughts too. I will latch on to any excuse to rant about Aventurine and seeing other people put so much thought into this character is my favorite thing in the world right now~
Honestly you’re so right and I love your interpretation of him, I think the real enemy is HSR’s confusing writing and continuity errors lmao
I like the Ena theory because it’s badass + thematic parallels + FUCK YEAH KAKAVASHA MESS THEM UP and as much I’m hoping they make it canon I sadly doubt they will go in that direction.
Hsr is a great game when you accept that the writing really isn’t all that and the ~vibes~ is where the enjoyment lies haha.
I do love the differing interpretations people have of Aventurine though. Personally I lean towards the more heroic, tragic side of interpretations: a man who lost everything determined to never let it happen to others again, even as he looses his sense of self along the way. However, I completely get the appeal of other interpretations.
What makes Aventurine interesting to me is that him not having a clear sense of self is a deliberate part of his character, and brushing aside the timeline shenanigans for a bit, it completely makes sense why he is the way he is, even if who he is is unclear, if that makes any sense.
I actually adore the theory that he named himself Aventurine to provoke the Stonehearts, so when Jade tells him to pick a new one, he goes with that? Haha
The reason why I adore the “Aventurine’s master that he killed was the previous Aventurine theory,” is because of just how goddamn well it meshes in with his story. Killing his enslaver just to take his place, exchanging his rusty chains for golden ones. I honestly doubt HSR’s writers are smart enough for this to be intentional, but a small part of me can hope lol
Ultimately, like many other characters in Star Rail, Aventurine’s story is about finding himself, and so long as people understand that he’s an active participant in it (and not just some helpless baby being dragged around by the plot), I’ll always appreciate people’s viewpoints on him, as he’s one of my favorite characters too
I think it is particularly interesting how Aventurine's relationships with Jade and Topaz were depicted in 2.3.
At the risk of inciting the wrath of Aventurine/Topaz shippers (I'm sorry, everyone can ship what they want; this particular ship just isn't for me!), their interactions were framed in a very familial manner, at least when Aventurine was involved.
Jade is clearly projecting herself as a mother figure for him, directly calling him "child," a "kid," and taking on a disciplinarian role such as in this scene, where she nabs both their room keys to stop them from whining at each other. On Jade's end, this is very deliberate--given what we know of her cornerstone ability, she can almost certainly see the void that Aventurine's mother's death left in his life, and she is intentionally acting in a maternal manner in order to ensure his compliance and respect. (Personally, I'm of the opinion that Aventurine is smart enough to clock this manipulation tactic, but also that he's going along with it because why not? He was going to be manipulated anyway, might as well get free mom out of it.)
Topaz, meanwhile, definitely feels like she's being cast in the "annoyed sibling" role, particularly in this scene where they squabble so much the Trailblazer can't get a word in edgewise and Jade has to step in as the parent figure to correct their behavior.
Although the relationship is clearly different than the kind and supportive one we saw between young Kakavasha and his older sister, the "siblings fighting over a toy" and "sister irritated by bratty brother" vibe (I am such a sister myself, I feel this dynamic in my bones) was out in full force in 2.3, creating a very strong parallel to the missing sister figure in Aventurine's life.
I just think it is particularly interesting that the hole in Aventurine's heart was created primarily by the loss of his mother and sister--and then 2.3 suggests echoes of those exact roles being filled by other women who have stepped into his female relatives' places.
Given her maneuvering to fill the mother role on purpose, I have to wonder if Jade didn't also have something to do with Aventurine's connection to Topaz (clearly another favorite of Jade's). Did she help to cultivate this friendship and sibling-esque rivalry between them on purpose, with an end goal in mind?
It seems to me that it would be much more difficult for Aventurine to cut ties with the IPC if the Stonehearts were providing him with not only wealth and power but also a simulacrum of the very family he wanted to die to meet again...
okay shit, jade maneuvering to fit the role of a mother figure is something I figured already but damn, if she also artificially created a sibling relationship between topaz and aventurine then that is fucked up.
like I agree that aventurine would catch on that jade is manipulating him and just go along with it in the case of the relationship between him and her. but topaz just isn't the type of person to try to manipulate you like that or fake that kind of bond unless it was specifically asked of her. so I think it'd crush aventurine a bit if he found out because he'd never have seen it coming.
alright so, I've been thinking a lot about dr. ratio lately, and his ult dialogue has been irking me: "esse es percipi" which roughly translates to "to exist is to be perceived."
berkeley, the philosopher that coined the phrase, only did so specifically to make fun of the people that believed in this idea - he did not hold it himself. he explained this notion as asserting that "objects of sense have only an ‘in-and-out’ existence, that they are created and annihilated with every turn of man’s attention." that is, things (both people and objects) cease to exist once we stop perceiving them.
esse es percipi is an ideal that doesn't really have grounding in any system of logic or reasoning, and unless you have some groundbreaking conception of the world that has never been explored before, it completely breaks down if you think about it for more than 2 seconds.
here's the thing, hoyoverse is usually very intentional with its use of philosophical thought in the game - the writers seem pretty knowledgeable on the topic and the dialogue that engages the player with any sort of philosophical inquiry about the nature of life, things, or relationships, is always very insightful and deep.
so I don't believe that this was a case of them not knowing anything about philosophy and just randomly picking a phrase that sounded cool.
but if it was intentional on their part, then why?
it simply doesn't make sense to his character for him to hold a blatantly flawed ideal like that. it leaves me wondering whether this is supposed to be either a joke or an implication regarding some aspect of his character that hasn't been revealed yet.
actually !!! about this !!!!!!!! dr ratio has always been someone who mocks the academic society of hsr constantly, so his ultimate line being "to exist is to be perceived" seems pretty suitable, especially given the fact that he is actively not being perceived by nous despite his accomplishments (and understanding how hsr's society works, this is treated more as a point of shame, as in a show of inability of dr ratio, which is definitely not the case)
so in a sense, for the rather strange society that hsr is, to exist (to be respected/recognised as an academic/genius) is to be perceived (by an Aeon, which is like some Dude. really).
I actually really like this idea! maybe it's not reflective of his own views but a commentary on the absurdity of the Genius Society.
also I saw what you put in the tags and
yes! I'm probably not the most knowledgeable about the lore of the game, but I adore psychoanalyzing my comfort characters through the stuff I notice about them while playing the game. if anyone that knows the lore better than me wants to chat with me abt it I'm all ears :)
maybe I should look at some of the other characters' in-battle dialogue too....
This newest Simulated Universe update fascinates me because it requires strategy, thinking ahead, and more luck compared to the rather straightforward systems before. Like sure, there was dice incorporated into Swarm Disaster and Gold and Gears, but they also allowed you to focus on optimizing one path in particular with predictable challenges and buffs. Now, you have to be adaptable. You never really know what you’ll get and you have what feels like less time to gather what you need thanks to only 5 rooms being in each ‘level’.
It seriously feels like the Simulated Universe has changed to mirror how someone like Aventurine would play it rather than someone more straightforward like Ratio. Sure, it’s meant to be mentally stimulating and a challenge, but it’s still kind of suspicious that the branch of the Simulated Universe Ratio has collaborated with Screwllum on is so unlike Ratio himself.
Not to mention there is actual gambling with the Wealth domains. Ratio added a slot machine??
What I’m saying is Aventurine is in Ratio’s head and that man cannot deny it any longer.
alright so, I've been thinking a lot about dr. ratio lately, and his ult dialogue has been irking me: "esse es percipi" which roughly translates to "to exist is to be perceived."
berkeley, the philosopher that coined the phrase, only did so specifically to criticize the people that believed in this idea - he did not hold it himself. he explained this notion as asserting that "objects of sense have only an ‘in-and-out’ existence, that they are created and annihilated with every turn of man’s attention." that is, things (both people and objects) cease to exist once we stop perceiving them.
esse es percipi is an ideal that doesn't really have grounding in any system of logic or reasoning, and unless you have some groundbreaking conception of the world that has never been explored before, it completely breaks down if you think about it for more than 2 seconds.
here's the thing, hoyoverse is usually very intentional with its use of philosophical thought in the game - the writers seem pretty knowledgeable on the topic and the dialogue that engages the player with any sort of philosophical inquiry about the nature of life, things, or relationships, is always very insightful and deep.
so I don't believe that this was a case of them not knowing anything about philosophy and just randomly picking a phrase that sounded cool.
but if it was intentional on their part, then why?
it simply doesn't make sense to his character for him to hold a blatantly flawed ideal like that. it leaves me wondering whether this is supposed to be either a joke or an implication regarding some aspect of his character that hasn't been revealed yet.
Someone: Wow, Aventurine has gotten so much healthier since dating Dr. Ratio. True love really does that, huh?
Dr. Ratio, tying Aventurine to his chair and forcing him to eat vegetables:
Dr. Ratio, grabbing Aventurine's face and forcing him to drink water:
Dr. Ratio, handcuffing Aventurine to himself and forcing him into outdoor activities:
(Dr. Ratio kissing him goodnight and holding him in his arms, whispering how much he loves him when Aventurine can't sleep, or can close his eyes and only see his family)
(Dr. Ratio holding Aventurine in their bath together, reminding him that he's there, that Aventurine can trust him to protect him)
(Dr. Ratio bringing a drop of sunlight to Aventurine's life per every kiss, every smile, every whispered "I love you", reminding Aventurine that there's something, someone worth fighting for)
Dr. Ratio, chalk poised and ready to attack, in order to force Aventurine to meet with ppl/make friends:
Dr. Ratio tying Aventurine to his bed when he gets sick and violently lovingly nursing him back to health:
Dr. Ratio, anonymously blackmailing Aventurine and the IPC to get Aventurine time off to relax:
a/n: inspired by this artwork here, done by @kimeoshi
description: Ratio creating an Aventurine sculpture, fluff
the statue's pose was nothing if not an intricate one, but he wasn't fully incapable.
the life-size statue, needed, simply some finishing details. using cold tools in his hand to shape the fingers, add details to the hair... the tool flipping to sit between his fingers when he decides to press his fingertips into the statue's face, his eyes closing… drawing from his memories. Ratio finds himself yearning, forefinger smoothing out the bridge of the nose, thumb shaping the lips. in any other situation, it would feel illegal to stare at those lips for so long. his plaster covered fingers tracing the curve of the lips he likes so much, wishing the statue could depart them at his touch like the human version of it does. he is but a spectator enveloped by his own work.
satisfied with his work, and knowing he needs to step away, perfection doesn't exist, Ratio walks off, leaving the statue to dry.
an acceptable time later, Ratio's hands are clean from the plaster, his step firm, walking into the room full of statues... of himself mainly. except for the one in the middle, the one that looks like it is dancing, freshly completed. Ratio stands, extending his arm to hold the statue's extended one, the other one moving to the back. is this how it would feel like to dance with him? his posture returns to normal. Ratio steps closer... he needs to know if he got it right, gazing at the plaster lips. thump, thump, light sound informing him someone is approaching. like a flash of lighting, Ratio covers the statue with a plain white sheet and turns to face the person about to knock on the door. ... there is no knock, the door opens without a warning.
"it is polite to knock," Ratio says not even looking at the person entering, his gaze on the book he quickly fetched.
"indeed, but in the room of clay models, I doubt you'd be doing something in need of knocking" the blond man jests and flashes him a bright smile. his relaxed steps echo in the room, mentally reminding Ratio to place some rugs on the floor. Aventurine gestures to the sheet covered model, "this is the new one?"
Ratio quickly attempts to make a convincing excuse. "I'm unsatisfied with it, it is not for your eyes, dear gambler."
"you, unsatisfied? I assure you it is perfect, may I see?" Aventurine's hand resting on the sheet ready to tug it. Ratio reached out, putting his own hand over his. "don't"
Aventurine's eyes sparkle, smirking, "oh... you made something that isn't... appropriate~"
Ratio shakes his head, keeping his cool, despite the gambler getting under his skin immediately. "it is perfectly appropriate, the statue isn't nude."
Aventurine steps closer to him, ignoring the clay man under the white sheet, "this makes it even more interesting, who would you make out of clay and marble, that would make you this defensive?"
Ratio blinks, gulps, can he not just drop the topic? by instinct, from observing the lips for so long on the grey-white man, his eyes drop to Aventurine's lips, scanning if he got it all right.
"... weak attempt at a distraction, doc" Ratio's ears barely register the words.
"it's you." he settles, coming clean, in the simplest terminology.
Aventurine tilts his head, Aeons he is so pretty, "I'm the distraction? or are you..."
Ratio moves past the statue, so he doesn't block Kakavasha's view, and in a swift movement pulls off the sheet.
Aventurine observes his likeness in silence. "I was told my eyes are the money piece, in this form, you don't get to enunciate them." his arms crossed across his chest as he looked over the details.
"I'm unsure if I got your lips right."
"ahh, so that's why you're not satisfied" Aventurine turns to face the taller man. "why not test?"
"I am not kissing my statue." Ratio coldly replies. in his mind that is true at this moment. yet, in a desperate time such as ten minutes ago, he'd happily press his lips against the cold unfeeling sculpture.
"who said kiss?" Aventurine gently takes Ratio's hands and presses his thumb against his lips. He takes the other hand and presses the thumb to the statue's lips, "go on. test."
Ratio is once again reminded of how human he is, and how human this man treats him. he can feel the flush in his cheeks, and despite it, he does trace... both lips with his thumbs. similar, almost there... "your softness, warmth... could never be replicated." his hand falling off of the statue.
Aventurine's voice turns softer, "is that so?" speaking against the thumb on his bottom lip. "also~ if you wanted to dance, you should've just asked."
subconsciously, Ratio steps closer, he cannot control being drawn to the brightness of Aventurine, like a moth to a flame... the most beautiful flame this moth has ever seen. the moth wishing this could be the only flame for him.
Aventurine's eyes soften, "is anything bothering your mind, Veritas?"
"I really..." Ratio seems distracted, focused, lost, and determined, his moth form jumping around the flame, "I really want to kiss you right now."
Aventurine smiles, stepping closer, "allow me to fulfill that wish" the smaller hand cups his cheek, pulling him down, the height difference painfully obvious as Ratio leans in. once their lips meet, it is no longer just about the kiss. Ratio's arms embrace him, and pull him closer, Aventurine's hand gingerly caresses his cheek, and the other hand seeks Ratio's hand on his back, taking it in his own. it becomes about holding each other, enjoying the intimate proximity.
how could he be so lost? his wings flapping around the bright form of heat. his mind fills with useless, obviously untrue thoughts, such as; I could die in this moment and I would never regret it, this is what perfection feels like, oh he is mine, please be mine. it isn't until the kiss ends that he realizes how much of his mind was preoccupied, he looks sad, feeling it was too short.
"don't pout," Kakavasha whispers.
"I fear I could never come up with enough words to describe you, no word could ever be enough. no word would dare to match the exquisite depths of your eyes, the lingering song of your laughter, the melody of you saying my name, the softer than cotton feeling of your skin under my fingertips, the way I can barely keep standing when you look at me like this after we kiss. although it will never stop me from trying, dear gambler"
"your poetic, romantic side outmatches me, doc." the blond man smiles, pulling the taller man in for another kiss. before their lips meet, he exhales, "I'm insanely fond of you too if it wasn't obvious already" he smirks and tilts his head up to meet the taller man's lips.
a/n: this beautiful artwork (linked in the beginning) had me writing this piece while I was still in bed and barely awake.
I saw your Dr. Ratio post and now I am humbly coming to you to request a character analysis because I want to understand his characterization more than just a surface level jerk because I KNOW he’s not one but I just can’t really grasp the concept fully so if you’d be willing to go more in depth I’d be greatly appreciated. Thank you!!
I've written three character analyses about him, and if those don't fill the void, then you can send in another ask when you're done pointing to which parts of his character you don't quite get! I'd be happy to explain :D But here's my analyses!
SPOILERS FOR 2.1 CONTENT!
Now, you might be saying - "Aurae, Oh No! and Are You Satisfied? are much too basic songs to analyze Dr. Ratio to
SPOILERS FOR 2.1 CONTENT.
Now, you might be saying - "Aurae, you already did one, why do you need a second?" And my answer is, "LORD, I FOR
Now, you might be saying - "Aurae, you've done part one, and part two, so why do we need a part three?" The answer is because of two things
Okay, so I know that pretty much everyone has noticed the Aventio bits in the Divergent Universe video that was released a few days ago, but I wanted to take a moment to point something out in the famous question 2 section at the end.
So, as most probably already know, this is what I'm talking about. Aventurine puts up a sign that says "Find Ratio", when asked who the Trailblazer could team up with. This in of itself confirms Aventurine see Ratio as an ally, but what happens before it is just as important.
This is where Owlbert first puts forwards the question. Now, nothing particularly special happens in the prior one. Everyone gives pretty standard answers for their specific characterizations, Screwllum's is the only one that's helpful, and Ratio and Aventurine give their typical responses pretty quickly.
That changes however for the second question.
Aventurine does not answer immediately, unlike everyone else, including Ratio. Which means he had to think about his response.
Further evidence of this comes from Aventurine's pose when the question was first asked.
He's doing a thinking pose (also sort of mirror Ratio lol), and he doesn't do this for the other question (so it isn't some sort of default animation). And given that his responses to question 1 and 3 both related to money/bribes, he did not put this same level of thought into them.
It's also pretty easy to miss due to Sparkle transforming and everything, but if you look carefully...
He looks at Ratio, or in the very least glances in his direction, possibly to look at his sign. However, it also exists the possibility that Ratio was the first person he thought of when thinking of a good teammate.
And then a moment later...
Ratio glances back, which leads Aventurine to put up his own sign.
Now, Ratio staring back could mean many things. It could be that he started staring at Aventurine because Aventurine was staring at him. It could be that Ratio noticed that Aventurine hadn't answered yet, and was urging him to do so. Or, dare I say it, he saw Aventurine hadn't answered yet, and was concerned about him. Ultimately, there is no way to determine the true reason, given that none of the G&A guests talk.
But it is extremely telling that Aventurine, who could have just tied it back into money again, was the only guest who gave a specific person to team up with. And it was Ratio, not one of his IPC coworkers, not a member of the Astral Express, but Ratio. Someone who, at some point, Aventurine believed that Ratio would not understand his methods so much so that he forced him to point a gun at his chest, as seen in the infamous Final Victory Lightcone:
(Please note that, in the short video for this lightcone, Ratio tries to pull the gun away from Aventurine, but Aventurine pulls it back).
And assuming that Aventurine was reading Ratio's sign card, there exists another possibility.
As seen above, Ratio responds with the phrase "Walk Your Own Path". This is in line with pretty much everything known about Ratio. His main motivation is to "cure" foolishness. He wants people to overcome their problems. He's a teacher, a strict one, both metaphorically and literally. His role in the interlude quest before Penacony was to both push the Trailblazer to figure out what was going on with the researcher's disappearances and step in if things went south. It's also why one of the reason he gives Aventurine that note in the main story (that, and that they were likely being watched by the Family) instead of telling him directly. Every interaction, voice lines, and the fact that Ratio does not wear his plaster head in any scene he appears in with Aventurine, implies that he does not see him as foolish. He knows Aventurine is capable. Hell, in the most final Penacony main story mission, he says Aventurine is his responsibility or something along those lines (unprompted, mind you).
But it also relates towards Aventurine's backstory. Aventurine, for all his good luck, has had one sucky life. But he also has fought tooth and nail to survive, through gambles and wagers and money and being quite literally sold away to live. In that sense, his life also has never been his own. But I think he managed to regain some hope by the end of Cats Among Pigeons, and of course, Ratio's note, which told him to live (in a Ratio way).
So imagine: Aventurine sees Ratio's response in the video, thinks about what he would do, what he would do following his own path...and says to find Ratio.
Now, it could true that I am pulling at threads here, but there is evidence of trust. In one way or another, these two emotionally constipated too smart for their own good dumdums care about each other and show it in the most convoluted ways imaginable. And for the that reason, I think that these two mentioning each unprompted on multiple occasional, this video included, is very telling. They're important to each other. They went from shaky allies to two people who will bring up the other in conversations. Hell, I already made a post about the cake cats, and how in Divergent Universe, what this video was explaining, gambling got added, which could have only been done by Ratio, because let's face it, Screwllum would not.
I don't think you're pulling at threads at all, they went out of their way to add an animation for aventurine that was used like once just for that interaction. I feel like hyv wanted to show SOME kind of development in their relationship with this, and I choose to believe these were intentional ratiorine crumbs.
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