"Sure," Gustave says, laughing. "Thanks for the good day." But he'll roll over and stay up late enough reading that he's noticeably tired the next day, and he will absolutely blame Verso.
And for once he'll succeed in acting like a normal human around Verso for the next several days. Sure, he smiles easily for him, but at least he's not weird about it!! It'll be not long after they've returned again from Sirene with 46's journal in hand that Gustave will perch near Verso without asking.
Seems like you and Lune are finally on solid ground again, is what he wants to say, but maybe it's better to let Verso bring that up himself. So, instead, he supplies: "How come you've let Maelle see your poetry and not me?"
He is on solid ground with Lune again, which is something. Progress. Verso is very fond of Lune perhaps because she has very little patience for his bullshit, but it feels good to be her friend again.
He's in a good mood, is the point. Rare, but becoming more common these days. It almost feels like the future isn't a horrible, scary, oppressive void sometimes.
It's because of his good mood that he replies, "Maelle is a harsh enough critic already. I'm only showing it to undiscerning flatterers these days."
"Oh, we've looped back around to effusive praise, huh? I thought we were closer than that now, but if you insist." Gustave leans slightly forward, his forearms resting on his knees. "You're a man of unmatched wit, after all. I'm sure the poetry resembles its author."
"Ah, well. It's typical tortured soul stuff. You know, eternal darkness, endless torment, broke a nail."
It's embarrassing, actually. Very confessional in a brooding teenager sort of way. Maelle's criticism had at least kept things lighthearted, when she'd complained about him trying to rhyme 'agony' with 'travesty'.
"But if it's wit you're looking for, I'm sure I can spin up a dirty limerick."
"My disappointment is immeasurable." Gustave's words are gentle and lighthearted, clearly not serious. He clears his throat and offers out one of the books he'd borrowed from Verso, grip careful.
"Anyway— your flowers are pressed in on page thirty-three." He thinks he's funny. "They could use another week or so, honestly, but— you know, it's been a while since I was able to give someone a flower that didn't mean goodbye."
Gustave's intentions with the flowers might not be romantic, but he's still fully interpreting it that way. It's sweet! It's been a long time since he experienced sweet. He's going to cherish these dumb flowers.
"Thanks," he says, genuinely, as he takes the book. Then: "Did you finish it already?"
"That you're never going to let me read. Rub it in, why don't you." Gustave hesitates, rubbing the back of his neck, clearly sheepish. "Sorry, really. I'll keep it down."
"It's fine," he presses, because it is! He would have said something sooner if it was that bothersome, and if he didn't find it cute. The last thing he wants is for Gustave to move his bedroll back to the other side of camp out of shame.
"...And I didn't say you could never read it." A shrug. "I'm just not sure it'll be to your liking." Jokingly: "They say true art is an acquired taste."
Mostly he's just going to make an effort to be less— expressive. Even if Verso finds it cute, he doubts anyone else does.
Gustave does smile a bit at the concession. He's still embarrassed, sure, but he's relaxed, at least. "When we make it back to Lumière," he says. "When I've got time to really sit with it and appreciate it. How's that?"
Verso thinks for a moment. This is his SOUL he's baring, after all, so he's somewhat reluctant to just give it away for free. "—Do I get to learn something embarrassing about you, too?" It's a fair trade.
Gustave hums, shaking his head. "No, wouldn't work. I'd find it too silly to be embarrassed about it. I could let Esquie try to teach me that dance? I've always been a 'stand still and sway' sort of guy."
"I don't know who taught him that — it definitely wasn't me." It's ridiculous but charming, like most things about Esquie. For all Verso knows, he came up with the dance all by himself. Probably made Francois watch him practice. "But all right. I'll provide the music, then."
He's not knocking Esquie's dancing! He's knocking his own!
Gustave tips his head down and laughs, because this is somehow more absurd than letting a gestral cut his hair. "How drunk am I allowed to be for this?"
"Oh, well, you know I have been eyeing Monoco. I've heard all about how warm that fur is." This is the stupidest conversation he's ever had, and his mood is so buoyant for it.
Somewhere in camp, Monoco's nonexistent ears are ringing.
"Yeah, but he kicks. And gestrals don't need sleep, so he'll talk your ear off all night." Poor Monoco really did nothing to get this criticism, but also, it's true. "Plus, you'll wake up with all that fur in your mouth."
Gustave is laughing silently again, his shoulders just trembling with it more than anything else. "Are you afraid I'll steal him away? It sounds like you're just making things up now."
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superniceone) wrote2025-06-23 06:53 pm
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And for once he'll succeed in acting like a normal human around Verso for the next several days. Sure, he smiles easily for him, but at least he's not weird about it!! It'll be not long after they've returned again from Sirene with 46's journal in hand that Gustave will perch near Verso without asking.
Seems like you and Lune are finally on solid ground again, is what he wants to say, but maybe it's better to let Verso bring that up himself. So, instead, he supplies: "How come you've let Maelle see your poetry and not me?"
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He's in a good mood, is the point. Rare, but becoming more common these days. It almost feels like the future isn't a horrible, scary, oppressive void sometimes.
It's because of his good mood that he replies, "Maelle is a harsh enough critic already. I'm only showing it to undiscerning flatterers these days."
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It's embarrassing, actually. Very confessional in a brooding teenager sort of way. Maelle's criticism had at least kept things lighthearted, when she'd complained about him trying to rhyme 'agony' with 'travesty'.
"But if it's wit you're looking for, I'm sure I can spin up a dirty limerick."
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"Anyway— your flowers are pressed in on page thirty-three." He thinks he's funny. "They could use another week or so, honestly, but— you know, it's been a while since I was able to give someone a flower that didn't mean goodbye."
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"Thanks," he says, genuinely, as he takes the book. Then: "Did you finish it already?"
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"Yeah," Gustave says, smiling a bit lopsidedly. "I've had a few late nights. It was good."
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"Don't worry about it." A shake of his head. "I was up anyway, thinking of more tormented poetry."
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"...And I didn't say you could never read it." A shrug. "I'm just not sure it'll be to your liking." Jokingly: "They say true art is an acquired taste."
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Gustave does smile a bit at the concession. He's still embarrassed, sure, but he's relaxed, at least. "When we make it back to Lumière," he says. "When I've got time to really sit with it and appreciate it. How's that?"
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"I don't know who taught him that — it definitely wasn't me." It's ridiculous but charming, like most things about Esquie. For all Verso knows, he came up with the dance all by himself. Probably made Francois watch him practice. "But all right. I'll provide the music, then."
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Gustave tips his head down and laughs, because this is somehow more absurd than letting a gestral cut his hair. "How drunk am I allowed to be for this?"
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He went off with a total stranger!!! Not to belabor the point, but Verso really could have killed him!!!
"But I'm afraid that next time you'll go off with Monoco and wake up with one less foot."
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"Yeah, but he kicks. And gestrals don't need sleep, so he'll talk your ear off all night." Poor Monoco really did nothing to get this criticism, but also, it's true. "Plus, you'll wake up with all that fur in your mouth."
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idk when maelle makes him old so just imagine him as a senior citizen if you want
verso showing up with a walker
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when i lock the thread again it means im too embarrassed to carry on
😠he was diagnosed with scoliosis AFFECTIONATELY
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spell it manoeuvre like a real brit
my work laptop autocorrected ton to tonne and i got so mad
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canonizing that gustave has smelled bad this whole time
it's always been canon, verso is just used noseblind after monoco
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ignore how my default icon doesn't fit the tone at all
oui oui bonjour
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