Reason

002

"..."

    So, Cecilia was the snitch. You thought she'd be the only IPC affluent senior manager you'd ever cooperate with, but it seems like even you had captured the eyes of a Stoneheart member. Not like you had a problem with accepting requests by those with a name, on the contrary you work with them much more often than most others would think, the only catch being you were much more hesitant to accept commissions from someone who's closely related to the IPC considering the major setbacks you'd get. Would you say this man knew that? definitely. Both profiling you as an incognito assassin by the IPC and the mysterious person who cut off a chunk of members from the IPC, probably even the 'glance' the two of you had during that split second was probably him recognizing you thanks to Cecilia's snitching.

    This experience of betrayal was never foreign, in fact— it was the norm to be betrayed by someone or an organization in many different forms for many different reasons, though it had one common ground of reason: to survive amidst the gaze of the IPC that governed essentially the whole planet. This reality was something you had to be aware of ever since you had chosen this route in life, as one would say "it's just a part of the job". But to see Cecilia, your longest standing patron just lazily cast out information to an IPC colleague of hers that could potentially report you as a high wanted criminal, it left you wondering what her own motives were. Nonetheless if you do or do not define it as a betrayal this opportunity of collaboration may kill more of your time, if it happens to please your standards of course.

"..."

    Seeing you hadn't even budge one bit even after giving you momentary silence to give thought, his smile only grows wider and his posture shifting to be much straighter.

"Not enough to make you talk? then keep the token and think about it a little more, when you're ready, you can go ahead and request my presence in the office. Friend, I have all the time to wait but make sure you don't disappoint me in the outcome."

♧

"I'd like to schedule a meeting with senior manager Aventurine."

"Card."

    You hand over your identification card, within a few seconds you notice the receptionist's face which was once that of a plastered smile shift into absolute disgust. But from what you can assume out of required professionalism it soon returns into that plastic smile.

"I apologize you are in need to be of higher ranking to speak with the senior manager, if you need any concerns, please direct them to the neighboring department."

"..."

    You were rather loss in what to say... she looks at you desperate to kick you out, deciding to accept the receptionist's response you nod and leave. Just as you hoped things wouldn't complicate further a supervisor comes and halts you, as a lowly worker you instinctively look at the man.

"I see you bear a token of the stratagem, such a person who owns the insignia must have a partnership with Aventurine— so there must be a good reason why you request his presence!"

    You look over at your hand that held the small token in question, the receptionist absolutely bewildered looks onward at you with a burning malice. Even you can notice her eye twitching as she still laughs it off with a following statement.

"I—Is that so? then I will alert your presence immediately! You may go ahead and go to Sir Aventurine's office."

"Ah by the way kid! Since these tokens are only that of a one-time use, why not give it to me? It's said the senior manager doesn't like older tokens, so I'll do you a favor and throw it out for you!"