tfln overflow / open post

[superniceone]

(open / overflow)

Comments

[recreatable]

"You didn't fantasize even a little bit?" He extends a hand like a marquee: "Famous inventor, hero of Lumière, eligible bachelor. You had to have imagined what it would be like."

[superniceone]

"Maybe— in abstract, sure. But I'm not the leader of 33. I was meant to be one name in a long list." Gustave smiles a little ruefully down at his own hands on the book. "I don't know. I wanted to see Maelle and my apprentices grow up. I wanted to see Emma get old. I'm not expecting a statue in the harbor, if that's what you're asking."

[recreatable]

"Hey, don't knock a harbor statue."

But he gets it, maybe. Gustave had expected to return to Lumière as invisible as he'd left it, if he returned at all. He hadn't thought his little sister would turn out to be the de facto god of this world. Reasonable.

"Well, there's nothing wrong with taking it one day at a time."

[superniceone]

"Perhaps," Gustave says, then sighs, turning enough so that his back rests against Verso's arm, propping himself up that way. It's a thoughtless, friendly sort of slouch. "I'm going to drink a carafe of coffee the second the city is back up and running again."

[recreatable]

Verso recognizes that having done so is his own fault, but it's still nice not to immediately find a reason to abscond after sex. It doesn't feel romantic, really, sitting here on the floor, but it does feel companionable, which has to count for something.

"That can't be what you miss most about civilization." He raises a skeptical brow. Maybe it's just the whole 'living in the wilderness for decades' thing, but there's quite a few things that he'd name before coffee, like— "What about the people? The culture?"

He nudges Gustave with an elbow. "I would think the lack of gestrals rated higher."

[superniceone]

"I haven't been gone from civilization that long," Gustave says with a quiet laugh, leaning his head back. "But I imagine some gestrals will end up in Lumière before too long. It's going to be— a long transition."

[recreatable]

Oh, Monoco would do well in Lumière. All those children to entertain. Maybe not full time, but it has to be better than wasting away at that station.

"I know what you can spend your time on," he says suddenly, glancing over at Gustave. "You can get the trains running again."

[superniceone]

Well.

That actually stunlocks him for a moment. "There's— a lot we'd need to do before that was feasible, just infrastructure-wise. But it would be amazing to get at least one up and running, wouldn't it? Even just for people to navigate across the Continent without Esquie." His voice is almost cautiously excited, but Verso will probably feel more than hear the way that he sighs. That's the sort of thing Maelle will be able to able to fix with a wave of her paintbrush, isn't it?

"Hey," he murmurs. "If this— confrontation with her father doesn't go as planned. She'll be alright, won't she?"

[recreatable]

Verso worries his lip. "She'll be fine," he says, because that's what he has to tell himself. In the real world, Maelle is trapped in a burned body with a dead brother and a mother who resents her. It doesn't feel good to think about it, but—

It'll get better.

"She's his favorite. Everything he does is for her."

Sounds familiar. Maelle has a way of attracting that in people.

[superniceone]

Gustave hums quietly at that, tries to take solace in the knowledge that no matter how things shake out — Maelle will be alright, somehow. "Tomorrow comes," he murmurs, and pointedly doesn't think about how it might not if things turn out poorly in Lumière.

He takes another deep breath, decides that he doesn't want to let himself ruin the ease between them with heaviness, and tries to redirect. "Another question." Gustave pauses for just long enough to reach up and touch his own neck. "Do I need to worry about this bruising?"

[recreatable]

The shift in subject is so sudden that he can't help but laugh. "Only because you bruise like a peach." He takes no responsibility, thanks.

"—You can tell everyone you were bitten by a Nevron, if you like. I'll say I had to tear it off of you."

[superniceone]

"Oh, yes, of course. One of those little leech Nevrons we've run into so many times on the way here." Gustave bumps his elbow back gently into him. "Need to find an excuse to head back up into the snow."

[recreatable]

Um, he's not particularly flattered at being compared to a leech, but he'll let it go; the post-sex afterglow has him feeling magnanimous.

"Regretting that you didn't make any snow angels?"

If Gustave even knows what those are. The people of Lumière don't even think gestrals are real; who's to say they know about snow angels?

[superniceone]

He mostly meant that most Nevrons would be more interested in eating him than taking a little nibble of his neck, but he offended if you must, Verso.

"Regretting I didn't bring any turtleneck sweaters to wear." Gustave's intention had been to park and read for a few minutes, but he's actually enjoying just kind of vibing here, Verso pleasantly warm behind him.

[recreatable]

"You can go as often as you want once you singlehandedly get those trains running." What was it Gustave said about it being a huge undertaking, requiring infrastructure, blah blah blah? "Maelle would like it, too. We used to go all the time."

Well, she went with her real brother and he went with Alicia, but the fact remains the same.

"I give great ski lessons, by the way."

[superniceone]

"Mmmm. That's right. Two, three weeks tops should be all I need." Gustave closes his eyes, not at all tired, but allowing himself just a moment to relax. They should leave soon, he thinks; it feels strange to be away from the group for too long. "We'll go skiing with the Grandis. Truly a grand romantic adventure." But he's smiling, not mocking.

[recreatable]

Verso lets the next few moments pass in companionable silence before reaching over to gather up both of the books. Maelle might enjoy reading them, too; then again, Maelle could bring anything she wants into this world, so maybe The Hound of the Baskervilles pales in comparison.

"Did you want a bag for these, monsieur?"

so French...

[superniceone]

"I brought my own, thank you," he says with another quiet chuckle, eyes still comfortably closed. "I'm going to tell you something before we go, and you're not allowed to tease me for it when we step outside your hut, alright? That's the boundary I'm drawing."

hon hon baguette... eiffel tower.....

[recreatable]

Wow, they could have a conversation about how Gustave trampled over every single boundary Verso ever set in his attempt to be Pepe Le Pew, but again: magnanimous. Besides, it's not like he's good at boundaries anyway. Just look at how he blurs the boundaries between truth and fiction.

"Tease you? That doesn't sound like me." Which is a tease in itself. He can't be stopped. "But now you've piqued my interest."

[superniceone]

Gustave is a horny little skunk. Verso's father was just trying to do him a favor by murdering him in cold blood, honestly.

But he snorts at Verso's answer, still clearly aiming for light spirits, good humor. "I wasn't— trying to be mean when I called you mon chéri earlier." There's not a chance in the world he'd be able to manage this if he actually had to look at Verso right then. What he's trying to say is: he really hopes that doesn't make Verso too self conscious to say that kind of thing in the future, because Gustave found it insanely hot!!!!

But he'll just clear his throat and move to get up. "That's all. Do you need to pack anything else?"

[recreatable]

Verso smiles to himself, smug and pleased, as he follows suit and gets up, too. He didn't think Gustave was 'trying to be mean', because that implies a level of audacity that Gustave just doesn't possess, but yes, the comment would have made him too self-conscious to ever say it again.

"I'm good," is all he says for a moment. There's nothing to pack; he's been living a minimalistic lifestyle. None of the creature comforts he'd enjoyed when he lived in the manor. He does pick his jacket up off of the floor and sling it over his shoulder, though.

At the threshold of the hut, he turns to hand Gustave the loaned books. "...So am I disallowed from teasing starting now, or once my boots touch grass?" It's an important distinction.

[superniceone]

Gustave snorts at that, taking the books and bringing his bag to his side so he can carefully tuck them away. "Oh, just say it, whatever it is." He's trying to sound annoyed, but he's grinning just a little too much to actually pull that off.

[recreatable]

A pause, then: "I'm flattered, actually." He's very mature about this; nothing to tease about. "Chéri."

Well, maybe a teeny tiny tease. Just a little!! But that's it as he steps out onto the red grass, glancing up at the sky in an attempt to approximate how long they've been gone. It's been— a while. Longer than he'd planned. He's not mad about it, though; this is the first time in a long time he's done something like this, spent time with someone for the sake of spending time with them, and the positive effect on his mood is pretty staggering. Maybe life isn't completely terrible all the time.

"Come on," he says, jerking his head. "We'll grab some more of those blossoms on the way back and charm the girls."

[superniceone]

Gustave will laugh again and roll his eyes at the little term of endearment, but the smile in his exasperation is genuine. Oh, he's definitely being teased— but it's an extremely pleasant way to be teased, makes his stomach flip like he's once again a teenage boy with an out of control crush.

"Better bring some for everyone," he says, "wouldn't want to hurt Monoco or Esquie's feelings." Gustave is joking, but he also definitely isn't, and he will spend the evening being taught by Sciel how to weave them into a flower crown. He isn't very good at it.

And when it's time for bed, he will, very boldly, unroll his bedroll only several feet from Verso's instead of politely on the opposite side of the camp.

[recreatable]

Sucks to suck. The daisy chain that Verso makes for Maelle is great.

It is indeed very bold to set up shop so close to Verso, but he doesn't comment on it. Instead, he kicks off his shoes and settles down on his own bedroll, eyes on the sky and its half-baked constellations created by a little boy.

"Good call." On Monoco and Esquie, that is. "I don't think I've seen Esquie preen so much in decades." He's too big for even a flower crown, but Maelle had fastened a few blossoms on him regardless. He'd seemed overjoyed, but then again, maybe he was just feeding off of Verso's uncharacteristically light energy.