It is... not necessary?

Aventurine raised an eyebrow in surprise. The hand behind his back clenched the chips a little tighter, more nervously. This... wasn't part of his plan.

Making an agreement with anyone wasn't a difficult task for him. A few flattering words or manipulations and, lo and behold, the job was done.

Not without exceptions, of course. Sometimes (too often) Aventurine does take risks. Then one hand clutches a revolver, pulling the trigger exactly three times.

Damn threes, of which there are too many in his life.

It usually works. His confident smirk and apparently blank shots are enough to completely flip his interlocutor's opinion. Even if no one but him knows how wildly the hand he hides behind his back at times like this shakes and clutches his chips. There's no need for nerves, he's the strong one, the only winner, right?

Right?

Aventurine realized that today's meeting was one of those exceptions. So, having cranked the drum and put the muzzle to his heart, he was about to pull the trigger..... almost.

You don't need to do that.

... It seems this time it didn't go the usual way. And Aventurine might have been able to make a joke out of it if he hadn't felt the other person's hand carefully take the revolver away from him, as if to show him that such a risk was not necessary here.

The chips dug almost painfully into his hand as Aventurine, for the first time, seemed unable to utter a word.