Chapter Text
No one talked on the back of Esquie. The ride to a safe place to find a campsite was filled with quick looks of uncertainty between you, Sciel, and Lune. Shock over the lost of Gustave had sucked the happiness out of the remaining group and the grief of losing one of your good friends to that damned white-haired man cut deep into your soul. Although, you know Maelle must be struggling the worst out of everyone. As she was forced to watch Gustave be murdered, unable to even try to fight back.
(Gods damn that man! Why?! Why in the hell is he just killing everyone! And for what?!)
Shaking your head to try and simmer down the anger that is bubbling up inside you. Losing your temper right now would not fix anything. Gustave is dead. Maelle, Lune, and Sciel are still alive. "When one falls, we continue." But damn it all if that one who fell didn't hurt so damn bad.
"This spot looks perfect Mon amis!" Esquies calming tone floats over the group before crashing into the clearing.
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Camp set up, fire burning bright, the silence was almost suffocating between everyone. Maelle was off further away from camp, last you saw her, she was with Esquie. Leaving Lune, Sciel, and you silently sitting around the fire. The crackling and popping of the wood the only sound heard throughout the somber camp at the moment. Its honestly a battle between who can stare into the fire the longest without talking between you three. If anyone has to break the tension, might as well be you, because if everyone stays quiet any long you might just dive head first into the fire to escape the sadness.
Exhaling a long deep breath, "So... that fucking sucked." You croak out, giving a sad smile as you look up towards the other two without lifting your head.
"You couldn't have said it any better." Sciel agrees, lifting her head to look off in the direction that Maelle went off in. "I'm worried for Maelle though."
You and Lune nod to her statement. That poor girl is probably crumbling into herself. You'll have to go check on her soon. Out of the corner of your eye you notice Lune sit up straight, showing that sturdiness when others around her start to falter. She's about to discuss the next plan moving forward even thought you know she's masking her emotions well.
"The plan doesn't change. We head towards the Monolith. We keep heading north. With Esquie's help we can make it, thought we lost the Lumina converter so-" Noticing Lune start to spiral. You and Sciel quickly surround her on each side.
"Hey, hey, hey, it's okay." Sciel says soothingly, trying to pull Lune out of her head.
"We still have us four, all is not lost. I'm sure we will figure something out." You suggest trying to hold on to the tiny glimpse of hope left in your heart. "We have eachother to lean on, and if anything we need to stay strong for Maelle." That last part coming out in a whisper, unsure if you're really staying strong for Maelle or yourself.
The tension finally seemed to ease between you three thankfully. Even if the grief of today still lingered, you could slowly feel the weight lift of your shoulders.
That small sliver of peace was shortly lived as a dark figure of a man approached the three of you. You were the first one to notice the movement and swiftly jumped to your feet, summoning your trusty sword, a blood red blade with carvings in the middle that gave off a glowing orange aura. Hearing Lune and Sciel scrambing to their feet behind you at the sight of the intruder.
(Fuck, really? Right when everything was starting to settle down. ) You groan to yourself internally.
Slowly the details of the man were revealed as he walked closer towards the campfire light. The first thing you notice is there's no cane. Thank god. Releasing some of the tension in your body slighty, but not fully. Your body is still wound up like a spring, ready to burst towards this man at any sight of a threat. As the light glides up his long legs, it reveals that he's wearing an expedition outfit as well, thought you've never seen anyone from Expedition 33 wear it. Then finally as he walks fully into the light, what catches you off guard is the piercing blue, (hmmm...white? No no, ice blue, definitely ice blue.) eyes staring into your startled green ones. Frozen in between just staring at eachother, your eyes dart around his face. His beard frames his face well, pulling more attention to his plush lips that are set in a small weary smirk. Catching yourself staring at his mouth for too long, you flick your sight up to his hair. Slightly wavy jet black hair flows down, ending a few inches above his shoulders, but it's not the soft and fluffiness of his hair that catches your eyes. Its the stark white strips that mingle throughout his bangs and no where else.
After what seems to feel like forever between you two still locking eyes, you notice he's holding something in his hands.
"Gustave's arm..." exhaling the words out. Your posture falters and you take a wobbly step to catch yourself from the sudden pain at seeing it again.
"This seemed important." His deep and husky voice washed over you before tossing the arm to Lune. Glancing at each of you three, he speaks up again "If you want to reach the Monolith, the best path's through the quarry up north."
Right as he finishes his sentence, the three of you all speak at once.
"Who are you?"
"Where did you get that expedition uniform?"
"How did you find us?"
Snapping your head back to look at the two girls, silently asking "what the hell is going on?" Turning back to look at this man, you flick your wrist, desummoning your blade, before returning to Lune's right side.
Tilting his head towards the group, "Strange way of saying thank you."
Crossing your arms at the small jest, filing away the fact he also avoided all three questions shot at him.
A look of regret flashes quickly over his features as his gaze flicks towards the fire before fliting between the three of you. "Um, sorry i couldn't save your friend." His plush lips pull into a tight line. "I'm wearing an expedition uniform because I, too, am a expeditioner-" Once again nodding his head slightly towards your group.
Sciel beat you to replying as you are lost for words at his response.
"What? What you'd mean you're an-"
"I've never seen you before-" Lune cuts in only for the strange man to overlap her sentence as well.
"First expedition. Expedition Zero." He states matter-of-factly.
Stunned into silence once again, you manage to finally find your voice at this wild realization that someone, this man, who looks maybe early 30s tops, can be from an expedtion that happened some 67 years ago? Also not have gommaged? It doesnt make sense.
Taking a single step forward, jutting your finger out sharply towards him, "You're trying to tell me, that you, are from Expedtion Zero? How in the hell are you still alive and also how are you not-"
"Old?" He replies in return, pointing his finger in your direction as well. Turning his attention back to the group to continue. "I dont know exactly but, some of us stopped aging. And we're not affected by the gommage."
Sudden understanding now why the White-haired man was still alive at his age. Shocked at finding out this new information aswell as your heart dropping with dread knowing that devil of a man is basically immortal. As if Lune could read you mind,
" "Some" of you. Like the man from the cliffs."
"Renoir. Our commander." He confirms.
(Renoir... finally a name to the wretched man... but he was a commander? He was part of the first expedition! Why is he killing other expeditioners!)
Spiraling within your thoughts it's Sciels voice that pulls you from your mind.
"How could he turn on his own people?" She asks, her voice layered with confusion and sorrow.
"He believes his mortality is a gift given from the Paintress. Killing her would mean killing him too, and he enjoys living forever."
Speaking up quickly before the thought leaves your mind.
"And you. Why are you telling us this? Why aren't you siding with him?"
Slowly those piercing blue eyes bore into you again.
"Burying everyone you know while you live on... can wear you down a bit. I couldn't help your friend, but perhaps I can help you all."
Taken aback by his honest upfront offer to help. The thought of having someone who is also immortal might come in handy down the line.
"So you want to join us?" Searching his face for any sign of deception, only to find none. You'll still keep yourself on guard until proven otherwise.
"If you dont mind the company...yes."
Admists this surreal information dumping your group has been getting. Maelle slowly emerges to join around the campfire, keeping her focus on this man, that by the way you still don't even know his damn name.
"So if I want to kill Renoir... I need to kill the Paintress first."
The man slowly turns to face Maelle, but gives no answer. Unfazed she continues.
"What is your name?"
Slowly the man looked around to each of you before replying once again with his low husky voice. Almost like it's taboo to speak his own name.
"Verso"
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Awhile ago, Lune pulled Verso away to assumably bombard him with more questions. Leaving you and Maelle by the fire since Sciel went to bed early. Scooting closer to Maelle you nudge her slightly with your shoulder. Her big doe eyes look up towards you in question.
"Hey, know that I'm here for you okay?" Quietly reassuring her that she doesnt need to take the brunt of this pain all alone. She turns her focus back to the fire, no reply but earning a small short nod, letting you know she at least heard you. Sighing but knowing she will need time to process you stand up. Stretching your back out, earning a nice couple pops before patting her shoulder.
"Alright mon petit feu, I'm gonna go start my night watch, try and get some sleep, we have a trek ahead of us."
"Yeah, yeah okay. See you in the morning." Your ears strain to hear the words as you slowly make your way towards the edge of camp. Passing by Esquie, you do your nightly send offs to the now growing number of inhabitants in camp.
"Goodnight Esquie! See you in the morning!" Smiling at the massive pillowy being.
"Goodnight mon ami!" His cheery voice covers you like a friendly hug.
Slowly you pass by the area you know the Curator seems to like to haunt. Slowing your stride you walk towards the entrance as you peer in. As always the Curator floats ominously towards the back of the opening. Although being in close quarters with the Curator for too long gives you an unsettling feeling in the pit of your stomach, you feel the need to talk to him just incase he decides to possess someone. Hopefully he wont choose the one person who says goodnight everytime.
Seeing his sunken creepy face slowly move to face towards you, you raise a hand and wave.
"Goodnight Curator! Please don't possess any of us! And if you do, can it be the new guy?" Hearing the weird distorted sound emanate from the Curator, you decide to take your leave and post up by the only opening into camp you scoped out when you lapped the area for any hostiles.
Just as you settle down to mindlessly star up at the night sky, crunching of leaves to your left causes you to flick your sword into existence, standing in your battle stance ready to take on whatever Nevron stupidly stumbled upon you. Just before you strike to get a first hit in, Verso emerges from the brush. Hands raised in surrender, his own weapons were out as well. A sword slightly longer than your single one is grasped in his right hand but in his left hand you notice a smaller dagger as well. (Hmm.) A shy smile graces his face, almost like a kid who got caught sneaking around at night. Still in stance you raise your sword towards him, tilting it up once in question.
"If I told you I only had them out to defend myself if you attacked, would you believe me?"
That stupidly husky voice caresses your ears, doing your damn near hardest not to show that his voice is affecting you. Its almost as hard as trying to not swoon over his overly handsome face and those stunning eyes, ones that seem to glow against the darkness that surrounds you two.
"If I told you that creeping around in the dark towards someone you just met is totally not creepy. Would you believe me?" You retort back with a straight face.
"Touchè." A soft chuckle escapes him as he swipes his hand out infront of his chest, his weapons dissolving back into the fading glitter of chroma. Slowly rising his hands back up in mock surrender, nodding slightly towards your sword.
Sighing heavy, you flick your wrist, turning swiftly back around as the last bits of chroma burn out from where your sword once was. Sitting back down in your little spot, you give Verso no mind, if he wants to stay he can, or he can leave. A shuffle besides you startles you as Verso decides to plop down to your left. Sitting silently together for about 10 minutes, you can't take the silence anymore and speak up.
"Why are you out here Verso? Also why in the hell are you creeping around you weirdo."
You blurt out quickly. Crossing your arms infront of your chest, furrowing your eyebrows as you look over to him.
The quick fire of the questions seemed to catch him off guard as he snaps his head to look down at you with wide eyes before rubbing the back of his neck and giving another one of those soft chuckles.
"I was actually trying to hide from any more questions from Lune. Its been awhile since I've been around others and it was a lot to handle from the start." He turns his gaze back out towards the dark land infront of the both of you. Peaking at you from the corner of his eye.
That earns him a quiet laugh from you. The thought of Lune chasing Verso down to try to squeeze all and any type of information out of him.
"That's typical Lune, you should have seen her when we went to the Gestral Village. We couldn't get more than five feet before she was asking another Gestral questions."
•~*The memory that seemed so long ago when in reality it was maybe less than 3 weeks ago flit to the forefront of your mind. You remembered Gustave, Maelle, and yourself groaning everytime your group had to stop since Lune needed to interrogate everyone Gestral that was willing to talk. Also Gustave getting scammed for a wooden play sword when he was offered some "sword that surpassed all swords. And shot laser."*~•
Laughing out loud at your own memory only to feel the weight of sorrow flood your emotions at the thought of Gustave. Your laughter ending sharply as you turned your face away from Verso. Training your eyes to the ground, trying to fight off the sadness that gripped your heart. A shuddering breath rips it's way out of you, blinking quickly to keep these damn tears from falling from your lashes.
"Was he your significant other?" Verso asks you softly.
Snapping your head up to look at Verso shocked. Gustave your significant other!? Your body floods with confusion, not knowing if you should laugh or cry. Maybe both. Unfortunately both. Leaning your head back, a wet laugh thats a little too loud rips it's way out of you. To the point where you must look insane to Verso. Wiping your hands down your face to clear off the tears, trying to suppress the little giggles still escaping you before you fully look at Verso. Shaking your head finally that you seem to control your emotions enough to talk.
"No,no, a great friend, but nothing more."
"Oh, sorry for assuming." Rubbing the back of his neck again, you chalk it up as a tick for when he's either embarassed or nervous.
"No need to say sorry," Stretching out your legs and leaning back onto your hands to look at the stars. "I didn't know it at the time but fuck I needed a good laugh." Lolling your head to look at Verso. The moonlight glimmering off his face gives off such an enchanting glow that when he looks back to you, the brightness from his eyes makes you suck in a sharp breath. The moon caressing his hair giving the white streaks in his bangs a bluish hue making him look angelic.
Not realizing you started leaning closer towards Verso, entrapped in his eyes until his deep breathy voice was inches away from your ear.
"Glad I could help."
The warmth from his breath snapping you out of the dreamy haze you found yourself in. Jerking away like you touched fire, flinging a hand to your chest to calm the frantic beating of your heart. Feeling the warmth rise to your cheeks in embarrassment. Awkwardly laughing as you run fingers through your hair.
"Haha sorry, it's been a-a long day. I-I swear I'm a normally functioning human. My mind is just...scattered and your looks aren't helping and you know what. I think im gonna shove my foot into my mouth so I can shut the fuck up now."
Verso's deep laughter besides you only adds to the burning heat of your cheeks.
"Its fine, not the first time I have been blamed for something because of my looks."
Falling back into a now peaceful silence, you're actually quiet happy that Verso decided to join you during your night watch. Maybe having him around with the rest of Expedition 33 will turn out way better in the long run.
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