WHO: Expedition 33 (Gustave, Maelle, Sciel, and Verso) WHEN: post-mingle, pre-mission WHERE: the apartments WHAT: the remaining members of Expedition 33 NOTES\WARNINGS: spoilers for Acts 1&2 of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33
Verso tries not to click his tongue as he said more than he meant to say. He realizes he let too much of what he believed out as he tried to reassure her. But something inside of him does feel soothed to hear that he wasn't a replacement; he feels something ease but something else tremble and hurt.
His jaw works side-to-side. It doesn't matter what's inside him.
"No, I don't want you to leave me alone." He almost smiles to himself. It's a shadow of the feeling as he adds: "I chose your side and I don't regret that at all."
Shifting on one foot, he pivots so that he is facing her once more. His arms drop down at his side; his fingers lightly twitching. "But I understand right now I hurt those that I deeply care about, and that's not fair to you, to Sciel, to Gustave." A warmer smile.
A step closer to her and holds his hand out to her. "None of you did anything wrong. I'm only wanting to make space for you all to be able to heal together. Okay?"
She looks at him, frowning. She wishes he wouldn't smile. She's seen what a true smile is from Verso, and she doesn't think this is it. It just unsettles her.
Maelle's eyes drop to his hand. She doesn't reach for it. She looks back up to Verso's face.
"You have a bad habit of disappearing on people." Regardless of what he says.
"I do." It's best to just admit that much than act otherwise.
"That's why I want you to know that--" He points over her shoulder, like it'll be a proper indicator. "--I'm going to be living just right down the hall from you all."
Certainly, it was Sciel's idea but he agrees with it. This seems like a good way to segue into that explanation with Maelle. He wonders if she would feel troubled if it was someone else's idea, but he thinks this might be the best way forward.
"Because it's like I said, I just want you all to have the space to recover and heal." Another smile follows. "And Gustave and I will figure things out. I'm sure of it." He isn't. He shouldn't lie so blatantly. But he hopes that they'll figure something out, but that'll be on the man's terms rather than his own.
"Then we'll see about letting me come back." He teases softly. "I am the unfortunate stray that you all happened to come across."
"It's not across the continent. I'm still quite close."
He gives her another smile; he steals the words from Sciel yet again. Sciel and Maelle want him to still be with them; he appreciates the reassurance. And it was briefly nice to be invited in, but he agrees it isn't where he's needed right now. And he doesn't think that's wrong. It's not wrong when he knows the truth of things.
"You can come wake me up every morning, even." His eyebrows lift. "Or perhaps, I'll play some music loud enough to disrupt all the neighbors."
A casual reminder, a casual joke. He reaches out so that he could give her shoulder a little squeeze. It's about time that he headed down the hall to look at the new place he'll live. His smile is filled with fondness, because --
-- well, there is no because, he simply does feel that way.
Maelle thinks about brushing him off, because if he finds being considered family so offensive, he shouldn't touch her. But even she can recognize she's just sore, and she doesn't want to make things worse, so Maelle allows it. He's about to make an exit.
Distantly, she wonders what life would be like had they not been hit by the Gommage. Would Verso have found a place to live in Lumiere? Would he ever be comfortable there? Would she? Lumiere without Gustave was bleak, and she's not sure how she could ever endure Emma's grief or the tears of his apprentices, so maybe in the end the Continent would have been the only answer for her. Maybe Verso, too.
She doesn't know and it's pointless to dwell on it now. Maelle steps back and away, so Verso won't have to move around her when he goes.
"'Course you will. Every day, even. We will still be neighbors."
He does what he can to keep his voice as easy as before; his smile returns. However, he did share a bit too much with her rather than take away her guilt and burdens. It came out wrong, and he knew it's because of how he feels off-put by Gustave. Although, that isn't the man's fault; he doesn't think that he could find reason to blame him for anything, anyway.
Another light pat -- this time in the air, close to where she is -- and he slips past her to exit the apartment.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
no subject
His jaw works side-to-side. It doesn't matter what's inside him.
"No, I don't want you to leave me alone." He almost smiles to himself. It's a shadow of the feeling as he adds: "I chose your side and I don't regret that at all."
Shifting on one foot, he pivots so that he is facing her once more. His arms drop down at his side; his fingers lightly twitching. "But I understand right now I hurt those that I deeply care about, and that's not fair to you, to Sciel, to Gustave." A warmer smile.
A step closer to her and holds his hand out to her. "None of you did anything wrong. I'm only wanting to make space for you all to be able to heal together. Okay?"
no subject
Maelle's eyes drop to his hand. She doesn't reach for it. She looks back up to Verso's face.
"You have a bad habit of disappearing on people." Regardless of what he says.
no subject
"That's why I want you to know that--" He points over her shoulder, like it'll be a proper indicator. "--I'm going to be living just right down the hall from you all."
Certainly, it was Sciel's idea but he agrees with it. This seems like a good way to segue into that explanation with Maelle. He wonders if she would feel troubled if it was someone else's idea, but he thinks this might be the best way forward.
"Because it's like I said, I just want you all to have the space to recover and heal." Another smile follows. "And Gustave and I will figure things out. I'm sure of it." He isn't. He shouldn't lie so blatantly. But he hopes that they'll figure something out, but that'll be on the man's terms rather than his own.
"Then we'll see about letting me come back." He teases softly. "I am the unfortunate stray that you all happened to come across."
no subject
"Okay."
Maybe this way they can forget what she said. He and Gustave may never get along, and if so, it's better for them all to be apart.
"If you say so."
no subject
He gives her another smile; he steals the words from Sciel yet again. Sciel and Maelle want him to still be with them; he appreciates the reassurance. And it was briefly nice to be invited in, but he agrees it isn't where he's needed right now. And he doesn't think that's wrong. It's not wrong when he knows the truth of things.
"You can come wake me up every morning, even." His eyebrows lift. "Or perhaps, I'll play some music loud enough to disrupt all the neighbors."
He tosses out a quick chuckle.
no subject
"Yeah," she agrees simply to not leave him hanging. "But I don't think anyone would be upset to hear your piano."
no subject
A casual reminder, a casual joke. He reaches out so that he could give her shoulder a little squeeze. It's about time that he headed down the hall to look at the new place he'll live. His smile is filled with fondness, because --
-- well, there is no because, he simply does feel that way.
no subject
Distantly, she wonders what life would be like had they not been hit by the Gommage. Would Verso have found a place to live in Lumiere? Would he ever be comfortable there? Would she? Lumiere without Gustave was bleak, and she's not sure how she could ever endure Emma's grief or the tears of his apprentices, so maybe in the end the Continent would have been the only answer for her. Maybe Verso, too.
She doesn't know and it's pointless to dwell on it now. Maelle steps back and away, so Verso won't have to move around her when he goes.
"Guess I'll see you around."
no subject
He does what he can to keep his voice as easy as before; his smile returns. However, he did share a bit too much with her rather than take away her guilt and burdens. It came out wrong, and he knew it's because of how he feels off-put by Gustave. Although, that isn't the man's fault; he doesn't think that he could find reason to blame him for anything, anyway.
Another light pat -- this time in the air, close to where she is -- and he slips past her to exit the apartment.