tlv inbox

[superniceone]

Hey, uh. It's Gustave. I'll get back to you when I can.

[ic inbox for thelastvoyages - happy for comm threads or action spam if you're catching him around the barge.]

Comments

[palissant]

He does not like wardens. He makes this abundantly clear to every warden he gets past surface-level conversation with. Gustave gets a pass in a few ways - the first and most important being that he's already dead, had everything to gain by being here, and... the fact his death was at least 90% Verso's fault.

When the initial upheaval and drama of finding out Maelle had died and then been all but hidden away for three days while nobody told her brother where she was, when she's finally up and moving about and Verso is not feeling like he has to hover over her every moment or vet visitors at the door, he finally takes himself to Gustave's cabin and knocks.

They have some things to talk about. He has some things to talk about.

[superniceone]

"Hey." Gustave's face is a little drawn, his hair a little wilder than usual from the way he keeps anxiously dragging his hands through it. Maybe it should have registered as odd, the way that Verso seemed to have been as stressed out about Maelle's death as him — but mostly it just settles as correct. That is exactly the correct amount of upset to have been.

He doesn't step aside immediately, but only because he assumes that Verso isn't here to see him. "She's, uh— she'll be back soon," he says.

[palissant]

It's a reasonable assumption. Having Maelle stay with Gustave once she was well enough to move around made more sense and he was - while not thrilled - not opposed to relinquishing guardianship of her to this man in particular.

"I'm here to talk to you," he replies immediately, sounding just a little terse. "It's better if she's not here."

For... all of them, probably.

[superniceone]

Gustave's brow furrows briefly in confusion, or maybe concern, but he waves him in. "Right," he says, and he indicates the same chair Verso had used before. "I'm not sure how long she'll be gone, so sorry for skipping the pleasantries."

[palissant]

He shakes his head, heading in and pausing with brief hesitation before taking the seat.

"I need to--"

A sharp exhale. He waits for Gustave to be seated before clasping his hands together and bracing his forearms on his knees. Verso has never looked particularly well while Gustave has been here - he doesn't eat much and sleeps less - but right now he looks even more ragged than usual.

"You're the only other person here I would completely trust with Maelle's safety," he admits. Sheehan absolutely does not get that honour. "But if I'm going to do that, I--"

And this is difficult, because he's been keeping people away for months now, but here he is doing the exact opposite.

"I need to tell you about me. You need to know who I am."

GOOD MORNING.

[escapeartiste]

[Her head feels a little on the fuzzy side when she awakens, but she hardly sits around long enough to question it. Instead she unceremoniously pulls herself out of bed. What time is it?

She's probably late for work or something. Good thing they can't really fire her. Although it would be her luck if she were the first inmate to get fired for a job she didn't ask for.

It's that guilty feeling of sleeping a little too long or too well, you don't have to look at a clock to know something's amiss. But despite being convinced she's overslept to some degree, she wanders out of her room without much rush, stopping only to yawn and rub at her eye, blinding herself for a moment.

Food? Maybe just a juice box of some kind... She'll slowly make her way to the kitchen still deep in groggy sleepiness.]

Re: GOOD MORNING.

[superniceone]

[gustave spends more time than is probably reasonable by maelle's bedside. rationally, he's aware that this is a Thing that happens here, that there's no real cause for concern, that she'll eventually wake and things will return to as normal as they manage to get for this place. it's hard to let rational prevail at the sight of her comatose body.

so he talks to himself, talks to her, reads books she'd find offensively boring out loud. tries a half dozen times to talk himself out of his own existential crises, but that one is a work in progress. between her slumber and the way he's still grappling to recontextualize the facts of his world, he gets less sleep than he'd like.

but he's actually in his own room when she does wake, his own door left ajar in the hope that he might hear hers open. maelle's groggy lurch mostly just means that gustave is going to catch up to her fast, tearing out of his room to grab her in a crushing sort of hug.]

You're doing everything you can to turn my hair white, aren't you?

[it's obviously not genuine scolding, but the relief nearly matches what he'd felt when he'd found her again in the manor.]

Re: GOOD MORNING.

[escapeartiste]

[He catches her with only a surprised rasped gasp as a reaction. That feeling of something amiss clearly wasn't wrong but perhaps misplaced? Did she die again? Surely she would have remembered that, the last time was so hauntingly vivid.

She'll never deny a hug, especially from Gustave. Wow, he looks terrible. She's definitely missing some context. Whenever he's willing to let her go there's a sympathetic look for a response. A quick dig through her pocket to take out her lifeline.]

I don't think you need my help to do that, old man.

So what am I missing this time?

[superniceone]

Nothing much. Just a... weeks-long nap. [he's going to squeeze her shoulder when she pulls back, his eyes searching her face like he's looking for signs that she might not, actually, be alright, before something in his posture relaxes. he squeezes that shoulder, then releases her.]

Come on, let me make you something to drink.

[escapeartiste]

[There's definitely a passing look of confusion that only subsides a little as she nods in agreement to his offer, though not without typing some more.]

I'm pretty sure I can manage to get my own drink, you know.

[She won't say he can't get her anything, but just some insistence that she isn't a helpless child. In case anyone forgot.]

[video]

[helluvamess]

Soooo~ do you wanna be called 'Daddy Warden'?

LMFAO

[superniceone]

[it's extremely clear by his baffled expression that he just straight up doesn't get it.]

Uh— No? Just Gustave is fine, thank you. Is there a specific way you'd like to be called—?

:D

[helluvamess]

[Oh shit, this one's way too naive. He's gonna have a great time.]

Daddy Gustave, got it. Wait, or do you wanna call me Daddy instead? You been a bad, bad warden who needs to get punished~?

[superniceone]

[there's a moment of visual processing, before his brow furrows. he's not familiar with the slang, but he's definitely picking up on the context.]

Oh, sure, you're just being crass. That's— very weird, actually.

[helluvamess]

What, don't tell me you didn't realise this boat's a giant fuckfest? Admiral's a kinky bastard and likes to watch. Or you actually believe that it's really all about graduating and shit?

Video, not long after Verso's death is announced

[notthatkindoforion]

Gustave?

Where are you? Are you okay?

[She doesn't know if he saw the announcement or not. But she's not sure who else will be able to tell him, so... it's up to her.]

sorry, had an unintended hiatus

[superniceone]

[gustave has not, actually; the communicators are incredible technology, but keeping an eye on a network isn't second nature to him. the incoming message from tendi gets his attention first.]

What do you mean? What happened?

[he's trying not to immediately assume someone catastrophic has happened, but the barge has done very little to soothe any anxiety on that front.]

It's okay!

[notthatkindoforion]

I really think it's best to talk in person. Can I come see you? Are you in your cabin?

[Revealing a close friend's - family member, really - death over the network feels pretty callous, when it's no longer an emergency.]

[superniceone]

[well, that does absolutely nothing to reassure him, but it's not like the ship is so large he can't wait for her to arrive.]

Yeah. Floor five—

[he cuts himself off, remembers abruptly that she's been here before.]

I'll have the door open.

[notthatkindoforion]

[Deep breath.]

Okay. On my way.

[And she doesn't fuck around, either. It's only minutes before she knocks on his doorframe to give him a heads up she's arrived, before poking her worried face inside.]

[escapeartiste]

[She's seated at the table, reading. But it's pretty obvious she's really just sitting there waiting for Gustave to walk by, for as soon as he does she lifts her head and nudges her device on the table. Words are already typed out.]

Have you talked to Lune?

[superniceone]

[gustave is nursing a cup of coffee, but he's craning his head to look at her device the second it becomes clear she's waiting for him. as if it were his original destination, he slips into the seat next to her at the table.]

I've talked to her, yes. I haven't— talked to her?

[it still feels a bit odd, and weird, and kind of sad, and the sort of thing he wouldn't usually put off. maelle will be able to read the borderline embarrassment in his expression at the admission.]

[escapeartiste]

She's already been here for a few weeks.

[Which is easier to state than question the avoidance.]

I already told her everything.

Well

she read your journal and we talked a little.

['Talked'......]

[superniceone]

[if you could see the tips of gustave's ears through the fluff of hair, you'd be able to see the way the've gone slightly pink.]

I can't imagine it's sitting well with her. Any of it. It's just—

[he exhales. stalls by taking a sip of his coffee.]

It's all secondhand for me, too. I don't know if I'm— qualified to talk her through any of this.

[escapeartiste]

[Her pointed expression and eye roll gives away what she plans to type before her words are even offered.]

Yes, and the inmate teenager is.

[She wouldn't usually bring up the 'inmate' position but something else is grinding at her. But it might not be the right time for that...]

You're both dealing with the same thing. I don't understand. Why wouldn't you be qualified?

[Maybe they're talking about two different things?]