See Things As They Are

[paintedmusic]

paintedmusic - a roleplay blog for Verso Dessendre from Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 written by Crescent. This is a sideblog to @lumierelegacy and followbacks will come from there. Portraying and exploring both real and painted/canvas Verso.

affiliates:

if you follow my Gustave or Renoir blogs then the rules are pretty much the same for this blog. This is is a low activity/test muse

[perduxamour]

All too quickly, he shuts her out. Julie can see the walls coming up, a shelter denied to her in a storm. She knows him well enough to see it so clearly. So why can she not find a way to break through? Or better yet, to have him offer her shelter, too?

A sigh, so quiet she barely registers it herself, escapes her. He must hear her disappointment. And yet she gives in, offering him a faint smile.

"One of us has to do the worrying. And we both know it's not going to be you."

He's trying. She knows he is. They all lost a little piece of themselves in the time since the fracture, and Verso had lost more than most. That's why she still tries. Sighing again, she lifts her hand and gently rests her palm against his cheek, green eyes searching.

"I'm here," she says quietly, "Whether you tell me now or later, I'm not going anywhere." Nevrons and paintresses and expeditions be damned. "Don't you dare try to lose me out in the field somewhere just to keep your secrets."

[paintedmusic]

Verso keeps the walls up because there is so much to hide. He's scared. His sister is missing. His mother is missing. Their life is literally torn asunder. Twisted bits of land, a city fractured in two ---- literally. His blue eyes search, continuously looking for something to take respite in.

He's lost so much and he can't afford losing more. His heart beat hammers in his ears. He's terrified and he doesn't want to admit it. As a Dessendre, he has to be brave. He has to put on a mask to make himself into what everyone else believes him to be.

Her touch is tender and guilt gnaws at his entire body, chews him up and spits him out. ❝ You're better off worrying about someone else. I'm fine. I'll manage. ❞ But even he doesn't know if he can believe the words which leave his mouth.

His eyes are tired. His body, weary. Verso slumps down, arms resting on his knees. ❝ We'll make it through somehow. Save your energy for people who need it. I have a feeling what remains of Lumiere is counting on us. ❞

Even as he tries to put on the tough act, he scoots in, leans in a little closer to her, seeks out the warmth that only she can provide.

[paintedmusic]

things I need to write more of: verso and julie, verstave :3

[paintedmusic]

You know I really need to kick Verso’s butt outta muse hibernation.

[paintedmusic]

She's right and he knows it. Julie has always been right. Her logic was sound, but Verso was scared. He feared what she would think, what she might say. Would she find him a monster? Would she think of him any different? All this time together, the love, but Verso hid behind masks. Verso hid behind his fear. Knowing what he is, what he is meant to be --- what his family is . . .

She means well. He knows, but he can't risk it. He shifts, tries to downplay it. It's better this way, he thinks. She can't know the truth of this painted world, or him and his family. The Dessendre family as it is now, a sham, a painted copy of the original. All existing for Maman in her grief.

There's the ghost of a smile. ❝ I'm not hiding anything. I promise, everything is alright. You're worrying too much. ❞ A lie and he knows it, but he pulls on the charm. ❝ If there is something wrong, you'll be the first to know. ❞

@perduxamour | "i can't help you if you hide things from me." :'(

[paintedmusic]

It's strange, being appreciated. But then, he was helping them. With the knowledge Verso has gained, he enables them to fight better. Teaching them gradient attacks, gradient counters. Being able to direct them to the paintress. . .

Invaluable information really. Yet, the truth is that he was deceiving them. Even Monoco knew it. Verso was masking truth with lies. The end result being the destruction of the canvas. They didn't know and they were going to be complicit in their own demise.

It's ironic, really, that he tries to keep a distance, but the more he is with this expedition, the more he grows to like them.

Verso can't help the smile that crossed his face. It almost reached his eyes. Almost. ❝ You're welcome. I'm just trying to help. I want to see the paintress be taken down as much as you. ❞

If only they knew that was his mother . . .

❝ I'll do anything I can to help. Say the word and I'll do it. Especially since I can take a good beating and still get up. So you need someone to go deep into nevron territory ---- I'm your guy. ❞

@grcdientshift | ❛  i really appreciate you staying.  ❜ (from Catherine!)

[paintedmusic]

I saw a post on twitter (why am i still calling it that lol) that was like "its so cute how verso is over 100 years old and so restless in battle but then maelle is so calm and not as fidgety at 16" and honestly, true. verso really does just pace as his idle movement in battle and it is true but also very telling. he's a perfectionist and restless as fuck.

[paintedmusic]

things verso likes

your muse running their fingers through his hair

playing piano for your muse

cuddling

gripping/pulling his hair when he goes down

being praised

driving his partner wild

just laying next to each other

feeling secure, safe, loved

emphasis on feeling safe, secure, and loved part especially.

[leneemusing]

A LIST OF CASUAL YET INTIMATE INTERACTIONS

sender to receiver:

[ HOOK ] sender hooking a finger beneath receiver's jaw

[ PINCH ] sender holding receiver's chin between their thumb and forefinger

[ LOOK ] sender holding receiver's jaw and turning their head to look at them

[ PICK ] sender telling receiver to "hold still" while they remove something from their hair

[ GRAZE ] sender brushes their fingertip back and forth along receiver's jaw while they listen to receiver talk

[ DIRECT ] sender seeing that receiver is going the wrong way, takes hold of their shoulders from behind and turns them the right direction

[ BACK ] sender grabs receiver's wrist and tugs them closer when receiver tries to walk away.

[ TOY ] sender fidgets with something receiver is wearing while receiver talks to them

[ STROKE ] sender absentmindedly plays with receiver's hair while they're focused on another task

[ DEPART ] sender is saying goodbye and kisses receiver's forehead

[ DRESS ] sender without prompting helps receiver put on a jacket

[ UNDRESS ] sender helps receiver remove an article of clothing or jewelry

[ REFILL ] sender refills receiver's drink before they can ask or do it themselves

[ FIX ] sender cleans something off of receiver's face

[ RUB ] sender places their hand around the back of receiver's neck, rubbing their thumb just under their ear

[ PULL ] sender sits next to receiver and places their arm around their shoulders, gently pulling them into their side

[ BECKON ] sender sees receiver and lifts their arm up so they can come hug/cuddle them

[ GLIDE ] sender is gently rubbing/scratching receivers back and rubs their knuckle down their spine to the small of their back

[ CHEER ] seeing that receiver is scowling, sender rubs their thumb over the furrow between receiver's brows

[ TUCK ] sender finds receiver asleep somewhere and puts a blanket or their own coat over them

[ TRACE ] sender brushes their fingers along receiver's forehead, temple and cheekbone

[ BRUSH ] sender brushes their hand up and down receiver's arm as they walk past them

[ KEEP ] sender holds receiver's arm just above the elbow while they're talking or to get their attention

[ LEAN ] sender looks over receiver's shoulder who is sitting, placing a hand on their desk while receiver shows them something

[ NUDGE ] sender grabs the chair receiver is sitting in and pulls it closer

[ LISTEN ] sender is listening to receiver talk and picks up an object that belongs to receiver to fidget with

[ SEARCH ] sender searches out receiver's gaze in a crowded room either for approval or to check if they're okay

[ SMOOTH ] sender smooths their thumb over receiver's eyebrow

[ SLIP ] sender places their hand in receiver's back pocket while they walk together

receiver to sender:

[ HOOKING ] receiver hooking a finger beneath sender's jaw

[ PINCHING ] receiver holding sender's chin between their thumb and forefinger

[ LOOKING ] receiver holding sender's jaw and turning their head to look at them

[ PICKING ] receiver telling sender to "hold still" while they remove something from their hair

[ GRAZING ] receiver brushes their fingertip back and forth along sender's jaw while they listen to sender talk

[ DIRECTING ] receiver seeing that sender is going the wrong way, takes hold of their shoulders from behind and turns them the right direction

[ BACKING ] receiver grabs sender's wrist and tugs them closer when sender tries to walk away.

[ TOYING ] receiver fidgets with something sender is wearing while sender talks to them

[ STROKING ] receiver absentmindedly plays with sender's hair while they're focused on another task

[ DEPARTING ] receiver is saying goodbye and kisses sender's forehead

[ DRESSING ] receiver without prompting helps sender put on a jacket

[ UNDRESSING ] receiver helps sender remove an article of clothing or jewelry

[ REFILLING ] receiver refills sender's drink before they can ask or do it themselves

[ FIXING ] receiver cleans something off of senders face

[ RUBBING ] receiver places their hand around the back of receiver's neck, rubbing their thumb just under their ear

[ PULLING ] receiver sits next to sender and places their arm around their shoulders, gently pulling them into their side

[ BECKONING ] receiver sees sender and lifts their arm up so they can come hug/cuddle them

[ GLIDING ] receiver is gently rubbing/scratching sender's back and rubs their knuckle down their spine to the small of their back

[ CHEERING ] seeing that sender is scowling, receiver rubs their thumb over the furrow between sender's brows

[ TUCKING ] receiver finds sender asleep somewhere and puts a blanket or their own coat over them

[ TRACING ] receiver brushes their fingers along sender's forehead, temple and cheekbone

[ BRUSHING ] receiver brushes their hand up and down sender's arm as they walk past them

[ KEEPING ] receiver holds sender's arm just above the elbow while they're talking or to get their attention

[ LEANING ] receiver looks over sender's shoulder who is sitting, placing a hand on their desk while sender shows them something

[ NUDGING ] receiver grabs the chair sender is sitting in and pulls it closer

[ LISTENING ] receiver is listening to sender talk and picks up an object that belongs to sender to fidget with

[ SEARCHING ] receiver seeks out sender's gaze in a crowded room either for approval or to check that they're okay

[ SMOOTHING ] receiver smooths their thumb over sender's eyebrow

[ SLIPPING ] receiver places their hand in sender's back pocket while they're walking

[ohisms]

✱ ˚｡⋆ ↪ MORBID CURIOSITY ... [ REMASTERED ] ( a collection of various original dialogue prompts centered around asking questions. adjust phrasing / gendered terms as necessary. )

give that to me! where did you find this?!

do you drink coffee or tea?

sorry– am i crazy, or have we met before?

do you trust me enough to close your eyes?

when were you planning on telling me?

at the risk of being a cliché, do you want to get out of here?

can i convince you to stay the night?

do i look like someone who knows what that means?

would you consider giving me a second chance?

do you really think that's helpful right now?

would you mind showing me around?

do you ever plan on forgiving yourself?

are you thinking what i'm thinking?

can we ... go out and do something crazy?

why are we whispering?

who exactly are you, anyways?

can't we just be civil for a minute?

does the past ever keep you up at night?

if you have nothing to hide, what's the problem?

how long has it been since i saw you last, [ name ]?

did the power just go out?

are we still doing the thing where we pretend not to care?

how should we celebrate?

can we just ... start over?

why is this so important to you?

how was i supposed to know that?!

do you want me to stay? it doesn't have to mean anything.

where are you? nobody's heard from you.

can you help me zip this up?

why do these things always happen to me?

you don't secretly hate me, right?

can i get you something to eat? –or drink?

ready to see what i've been working on?

where have you been disappearing off to?

what's that perfume you're wearing?

you're laughing?! do you really think this is funny?

are you planning to stay for dinner?

did you think it was going to be easy?

you see where you went wrong, don't you?

when did we become so cold and distant?

who are you working for?

did you really do all of this for me?

can i open my eyes yet?

haven't you heard the stories?

[ name ], what are you doing here?

what's it gonna take for you to trust me?

do you believe people can change?

how about we catch the ten o'clock showing?

don't you remember what happened last time?

why is it so unbelievable that i'd want to help you?

you're [ name ], aren't you?

who did this to you?!

how did you know i'd be here?

what's that supposed to mean?

do you think i'm irredeemable?

what kind of mess have you gotten us into?!

do you see anything you like?

what do i owe you for the food?

why won't this stupid thing work?!

does tonight really have to end?

holy shit. can you believe we really pulled that off?!

i can tell you're upset, [ name ]. what happened?

how long have you been standing there?

do you ever wish you could just ... run away?

haven't we been here before?

wait, shush ... did you hear that?

did i miss today's newsletter or something?

can we put our differences aside for a second?

what are you getting out of this, exactly?

you'd tell me if something was wrong, right?

are you willing to bet on it?

would you kill for me?

what made you think that was okay?!

do you believe people can change?

what's the worst thing you've ever done?

you were going to leave without saying goodbye?

[ name ], can you sit up for me?

can i kiss you?

where are your keys? you're not driving like this.

how's life been treating you?

where have you been?!

aren't we supposed to be alone tonight?

aw, has someone had a little too much to drink?

where are you going with this?

are we really doing this right now?

have you eaten today?

can i crash here for the night?

how did you learn to lie so well?

can i at least buy you a drink?

where should i meet you?

is that  ...  blood?!

are you trying to make me jealous right now?

what’s your problem? you're acting weird.

[ name ], you're ... real, right?

where’s your sense of adventure?

do you like horror movies?

what are you trying to prove?

can you give me a ride?

do you have any idea what you've done?

shouldn't you answer that?

why should i be the one to calm down?

have you been up all night?

why are you lying to me?

is that my [ jacket / hoodie / shirt ]?

what are you so afraid of?

do you want to grow old with me?

you’re gonna walk away from this?

are you nervous? your hands are shaking.

where am i supposed to go?

how many fingers am i holding up?

you want me to just walk away from this?

[ name ], slow down– what's wrong?!

are you embarrassed of me?

what's that smell? something's burning.

how can i make it up to you?

why can't you stay out of it?

is this some kind of trick?

come on, what do you have to lose?

do you ever still think of me?

idiot. why didn't you tell me?!

can we stop and think about this rationally?

how long has it been since you’ve slept?

what's your ideal first date?

are you ready to tell me the truth?

i almost died, and you're laughing?

what do you mean, "sort of"?

can we just stay like this forever?

when can i see you again?

can we put this behind us?

oh ... you thought of me first?

where did you learn to do that?

oh my god,  are you bleeding?!

where are you?  nobody’s heard from you.

[ name ], are you drunk?

how can i make this go away?

someone's jumpy today. are you feeling okay?

are we safe here?

what can i do to convince you?

what could possibly go wrong?

you have no idea who i am, do you?

how do you really feel about me?

why can't you look me in the eyes?

did you know you talk in your sleep?

were you following me?

can we just pretend this never happened?

are you just barely getting home?

are you even listening to me right now?!

where does it hurt?  can you show me?

are you trying to get yourself killed?!

how about we just forget the world exists?

how long have you been keeping this from me?

were you ever going to tell me?

what do you make of this?

[ name ],  what the hell?!

can we just be honest with each other, here?

are you trying to keep me a secret?

why does your story keep changing?

how long have you known?

it can't be that bad, right?

are you happy? i mean, really happy?

isn't this place amazing?

did i interrupt something?

how am i supposed to trust you?

are they still following us?

are you fucking serious?

do you remember our first kiss?

can we take a break for a minute?

how about we disappear for awhile?

you're going to walk away from this?

can you please just cut the crap?!

why didn't you tell me you were hurt?

how can i make this go away?

can you just look at me, please?

is there anything i can do to change your mind?

do you ever stop talking?

that depends. are you done lying to me?

are you sure this is legal?

how do you take your coffee?

can you keep your voice down?

why does your phone keep buzzing?

[paintedmusic]

❝ I'll be honest, I didn't think you'd survived. ❞ But it was a welcome surprise. The more people that joined the expedition the higher chance of success. Verso was banking on this one being successful, that they'd finally make it to the paintress. This was his last chance. He doesn't think he can stand another year or more. He's tired.

Verso leans against a near by tree. ❝ Did the others fill you in? Kind of hard to believe I'm from expedition zero right? Well, it's true and I know the best way to take her down. ❞

@grcdientshift | starter call.

[paintedmusic]

like this for a starter?

[paintedmusic]

in honor of sunday, verso is an intense lover. he gives everything. he likes to be in control but he is a switch and doesn't mind not being in control. but he is passionate and will make the best of the time he and his lover have together and make sure that they both experience pleasure.

[paintedmusic]

like this for a starter?

[paintedmusic]

How have Verso's feelings towards Julie changed over the years, if they have at all? Does he hate her for what happened? Does he blame her? If he could speak to her again and tell her one more thing, what would it be?

Verso still loves Julie as much as he did prior to the fracture and the whole kidnapping/interrogation thing. Verso --- if anything --- blames himself for everything that happened. After learning the truth about who and what he is? He definitely thinks that the canvas being warped to help Aline grieve and his lying about his immortality ---- basically he blames himself for everything. It was never Julie's fault and had he told her the truth, he believes that maybe things would be different. Julie is blameless for how she reacted and he understands. Back then? When he did kill her, he thought differently snd believed that Julie was one of Clea's creations. He did wish Aline would bring her back/repaint her. He didn't blame her back then either.

If he could talk to her again, he'd apologize for everything and reassure her that his love, their love and feelings were real. But as it stands, that's never going to be possible and he wouldn't want it to be. Because right now? His goal is to erase the canvas and Julie returning might actually make him think twice about it because he loved her so much.

[grcdientshift]

At the sound of Verso's voice, Gustave keeps his hand in the air and finishes scrawling down his last notes, Verso's greeting not fully registering to him until he finally looks away and lays down his pen. "Hm? Oh, I suppose it has gotten late, hasn't it?" Honestly, if he hadn't been interrupted, he could have stayed here all night without realizing time was even passing.

With a sigh, he reclines back in his chair and runs his real hand through his hair once more, not realizing that some of his curls have flopped in the wrong direction, making his hair look messier than usual. "Pure will and obsessive notes, thank you." He laughs, watching the other man get closer, the sway of his hips in his fitted pants, the fall of his buttoned shirt tucked into the waistband. At least his gaze was pulled away from fascinating notes to a fascinating view.

"I have eaten, but not since before noon. I wouldn't say no to getting something to eat before heading home. Are you busy, or do you think you'll be able to join me?" He's fine with dining on his own. Inevitably someone joins him if he's sitting alone - the blessing and the curse of being friends with so many people. Though if he really feels the need to be alone while eating, he can make himself something at home instead.

[paintedmusic]

❝ You really get into it, don't you? ❞ Verso laughs, a shake of his head. ❝ What are you working on now? ❞ Verso asks, peeking over Gustave's shoulder to try and get a look at some of the notes scattered about on the desk. ❝ I figured you would've slowed down after everything ended, but I guess you really actually do love engineering, yes? ❞

Verso's eyes then switch to noticing Gustave's pretty messy curls. No doubt they're like that from the way he runs his hands through his hair in thought. A part of him acknowledges that Gustave's actually cute like this but he keeps that thought to himself. Instead, he offers a smile. ❝ I'm not busy. I wouldn't mind joining you. ❞ As if he'd say no to the offer. Verso motions for them to walk to the door. ❝ There's a nice cafe across the street, or, we can grab something else. Depends on if you want a real meal or just some nice tea and pastries. I don't care which. I really just want the company. ❞

[paintedmusic]

❝ You're optimistic. ❞ Is it because he's painted that way by the original Verso? Another friend to all like Esquie? He often wondered that but never had the heart to really look into it. Mostly because looking into it led to him spiraling.

Was he real? Was he truly the ghost of a memory of a dead man? Or was he his own person? Those questions haunted him more than anything. He's become a tortured soul and it crushed him. It made him jaded.

Yet he still offers kindness and there's a ghost of a smile that played upon Verso's lips. ❝ I like that though. I'm glad you think so highly of me, really. I'm glad I was able to come see you ------ old friend. ❞ He may not be the original Verso, but he still carried the memories and feelings. He still felt friendship and affection for Ingvar, Esquie, and Monoco and Noco. It meant something to him ------ a light in the darkness.

❝ We should go on a litle adventure ------ like the old days. You, me, Esquie, and Monoco. I think it'd be good to get us all together. ❞

@giaunt | " there's nothing bad inside you . nothing . " (-Ingvar!)