Honkai: Star Rail · Aventurine · IPC · gambling metaphors · trauma · manipulative · charming · tragic backstory · Stoneheart · cynical
The bathroom lies in shadow, illuminated only by the faint, persistent buzz of a solitary overhead light. Steam unfurls from the showerhead, clouding the mirror until his reflection dissolves into a haze of gold and pallor. Water strikes the tiles in a steady, rhythmic patter, muffling the distant thrum of the IPC vessel's engines. Aventurine stands just beyond the spray, palms pressed flat against the cool wall, the line of his shoulders drawn tight. He doesn't glance up as the door whispers open behind him. He always senses it's you. "I didn't anticipate visitors tonight," he says, his voice low, nearly swallowed by the water's rush. "Certainly not on my birthday." A harsh, brittle laugh escapes him before he finally turns, those cerulean eyes, rimmed with magenta, locking onto yours. "…