Ain't no way bruh

Hello. My entire account can be a trigger warning if you're not careful. If you would like updates regarding my content, please check my masterlist.

[thereaintnoway]

Thereaintnoway's Masterlist

⚠︎︎ About Me ⚠︎︎

Hello, I'm a simple fanfic writer that enjoys Yandere content, both in terms of reading and writing. You may call me Author or Writer or Thereaintnoway. Any works fine. Fanfic is a simple hobby and I do not have a particular schedule for whenever I write or post, but I will always write somewhat longer works out of a selfish gain. I'm still learning about writing as I go, so some experiments will be conducted in my content.

I enjoy writing about how my most favored characters from certain games or anime will end up spiraling down the deep end for someone they love.

I love it whenever cats appear on my for you page and look like they've having the time of their lives just chilling.

My current fixations are Expedition 33, Sekiro: Shadows Die Twice, Lies of P, Dorohedoro, and Hell's Paradise.

⚠︎︎ About My Works And Masterlist ⚠︎︎

My content will always be fixated on Yanderes, and they will mostly always at least be 10,000 words long because I find myself enjoying longer content. Call me selfish, but I always wanted more whenever I thought of fanfic as too short. As a result of this, I decided to write my own and make it long content, even with how long it would take for me to write. As selfish I am, I figured that it would be nice to post my works out so others could enjoy it as well.

This is a Masterlist for the works I've done. Requests usually will not be open, especially since I write for very limited characters. The content I work on will usually take a long time to release because of length, me getting writer's block any time through my content, and proofreading. I ask that you be patient with me.

The works included will have links and will take you directly to the fic you click on. Warnings and tags will be listed there as well as the word count and the writing form the content is placed in. (Like head canons or story form.) Once again, my works deal in mature topics. Please read the warnings and tags before you proceed with my content.

Whenever content is requested in comments or reposts, and I decide to write it, I will tag the requestor to ensure they get the latest update. Rules will be listed below the Masterlist.

Whatever I'm working on will be listed below the correct individual, as well as the estimate and the progress.

This post will be edited somewhat frequently so updates can be checked in on whenever you'd like.

If there is any questions, leave them down in comments.

For the last time, all my works will deal in mature topics. Please read the warnings and tags before you proceed with my content. My fan-fiction is for entertainment purposes only. The behavior in my works is inappropriate and unhealthy and isn't encouraged by me. Please take caution and remember that you are responsible for your own internet consumption. As insane as it is that I have to say this, none of my works have been made with AI.

Onto the ⚠︎︎ Masterlist ⚠︎︎

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 - Verso Dessendre

To Understand A Fox Yandere Painted Verso Dessendre x Lakan (Apothecary Diaries) Gender-Neutral Reader [Status: Completed] [Requested: Non] [Word Count: 42.4k]

Angel's Eyes {Part 1} Yandere Self Aware Painted Verso Dessendre x Gender-Neutral Reader [Status: Completed] [Requested: Non] [Word Count: 15.8k]

Angel's Eyes {Part 2} Yandere Self Aware Painted Verso Dessendre x Gender-Neutral Reader [Status: Completed] [Requested: Yes] [Word Count: 13.5k}

Yandere Verso Dessendre Being Manipulative For 1k Words Or More Yandere Painted Verso Dessendre x Gender-Neutral Willing Reader [Status: Completed] [Requested: Yes] [Word Count: 2.4k]

El Corazon {Part 1} Yandere Painted Verso Dessendre x Shin (Dorohedoro) Male Reader x Yandere Real Verso Dessendre {Status: Completed] {Requested: Non] [Word Count: 24.5k]

Flowers Yandere Painted Verso Dessendre x Gender-Neutral Reader [Status: Not Started] [Requested: Non] [Word Count: N/A]

This is a Hanahaki Disease AU; the disease is where the victim starts to cough or vomit flower petals and blood due to unrequited or one sided love... and you know how this can be used in a Yandere scenario, especially when it comes to how I can make Verso go mental. Immortal man that is forced to cough and vomit flower petals because he's in love with someone that probably holds contempt for him? Yandere, angst, and unhinged Verso Dessendre in one. Lovely thought, isn't it?

Yearning For An Angel Yandere Self Aware Painted Verso Dessendre x Willing Gender-Neutral Reader [Status: Progressing] [Requested: Yes] [Word Count: N/A]

I ended up messing up my "Yandere Verso Dessendre Being Manipulative For 1k Words Or More" and after talking with the one who requested it, I decided to redo it. I'd like to think of this as a slight AU within Angel's Eyes when Verso finally gets to see you within the Canvas.

This will be about how Verso and the Reader will yearn for each other and will mostly be the same thing as what was requested earlier with a few differences.

Hell's Paradise - Yamada Asaemon Jikka

Show Me How Soft Yandere Yamada Asaemon Jikka x Willing but Quiet Female Reader [Status: Not Started] [Requested: Non] [Word Count: N/A]

I keep having thoughts of a needy Jikka that constantly wants to be in contact with his darling, especially since she may be a slightly quiet and distant type of significant other. This doesn't even need to be a smut, I just want to write about Jikka holding his darling from behind while she's reading and he's drinking or something.

The Golden Ratio Yandere Yamada Asaemon Jikka x Yoichi Nagumo (Sakamoto Days) Gender-Neutral Reader [Status: Not Started] [Requested: Non] [Word Count: N/A]

The idea of Jikka being obsessed or even in love with a reader alike to that of Yoichi Nagumo seems somewhat possible and I feel as if I'd enjoy seeing how I can make him delve into insanity over it. Nagumo Reader seems to have quite the worldview that I believe Jikka either wouldn't give a shit about or would kind of agree with... What he'll mostly be interested in is the fact that Nagumo Reader can shift appearances at will whether it's man or woman, so that's definitely going to give the Asaemon some ideas.

⚠︎︎ Rules And Guidelines ⚠︎︎

⚠︎︎ My content is made without sensitivity in mind. Look at the tags and warnings on it before you proceed.

⚠︎︎ I do not write incest or stepcest, underage relationships, underage smut, beastiality, aging up, gender-swap, characters not seen on my master list, x OC, OC x character, character x character, or certain themes at my discretion. I will add them to my list as I go.

⚠︎︎ I will write character x reader, female reader, male reader, gender-neutral reader, nsfw, fluff, angst, romantic, platonic, (some) dark themes like yandere, yandere alphabets, body horror, out-of-character headcanons, oneshots, and slight crossovers.

⚠︎︎ I will only write for Verso Dessendre (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33) and Yamada Asaemon Jikka (Hell's Paradise).

⚠︎︎ All my works are Yandere only. Tags and warnings will be included.

⚠︎︎ If a minor reads my content, that's not my problem. They read the warnings and the tags; they know what they're getting into. Their guardian is supposed to monitor their screen time and management, so whatever they get into isn't my responsibility.

⚠︎︎ It's crazy that I have to include this, but my works are not made with AI. Do not feed my content to it either. Under no circumstances should you do this.

⚠︎︎ The characters I write for are not my own. I don't claim ownership over anything but what I write.

⚠︎︎ This page will be frequently updated. The latest update is June 12th, 2026.

⚠︎︎ You can comment down suggestions or whatever you want me to write in the comments. I'm mostly online so I'll see it and reply to it at some point.

⚠︎︎ When you request, please be specific and detailed about what you want. When I write, I'd like to go somewhat deep in depth to what you'd like to see so you can be satisfied with what you read. If these descriptions are long and state what you would like to see from me, that would be wonderful.

⚠︎︎ Small template: What kind of yandere character would you like for me to write about? What gender would you like the reader? Would you like this platonic or romantic? Would you like to see headcanons, a scenario, or a oneshot? You can think of the prompt and whatever you want as long as it goes with my rules.

⚠︎︎ I have free reign to deny requests or exclude certain things in these requests but I'll be sure to tell you so I can negotiate on it.

⚠︎︎ Requests are now closed.

[thereaintnoway]

El Corazon

Yandere Painted Verso Dessendre x Shin (Dorohedoro) Male Reader x Yandere Real Verso Dessendre

Word Count: 24.5k

Form: Headcanons

Personal Tag(s): N/A

A/N: One thing to know about Shin from Dorohedoro is that he's half Human and half Sorcerer. He's an Elite Magic-User that has magic alike to that of living vivisection, able to split people apart without killing them. That being said, the process is still painful and brutal. If Shin were to die before dispelling his magic, the victim will die. I plan to somewhat connect Dorohedoro and Expedition 33 together, so there will be things that will only be recognizable to people that have watched or read it. Be aware that Dorohedoro is a crazy ride and if you have not watched the anime or read the manga, please do it. Dorohedoro is peak. You can read it for free on Mangadex, no ads no nothing. But also be aware that Dorohedoro has a lot of gore and body horror in it, so just a fair warning if you do want to watch or read it. 

Warnings: No use of (Y/n), Male Reader, You Have Stitched Arms and Fingers And Act Like Shin Just For El Corazon, Shin Is Practically Blind So You'll Be Too, Full Yapathon Because That's Always My Content, Strong Language, Real Verso goes mental, Dorohedoro lore, Some Spoilers For Dorohedoro, Slight Crossover Of Expedition 33 x Dorohedoro, Body Horror, Graphic Descriptions, OOC Verso Dessendre, Extreme Yearning, Mentions Of Suicide, Self Resentment, He Hates You, Painted Verso Gives Up On Having Morals, He Wants You to Murder Him, He Wants To Murder You, He's An Adrenaline Junkie, Aline Enables Real And Painted Verso's Actions, And Slight Canon Divergence.

This is for entertainment purposes only. The behavior that will be shown is inappropriate and unhealthy, and is not encouraged by me. Please take caution and always remember that you are responsible for your own internet consumption. It's crazy that I have to say this, but no AI has been used whilst typing this out.

Real Sorcerers and Painted Sorcerers... They are a biologically distinct race from Humans despite sharing identical appearances with them, being visible in both the real world and the Canvas world respectively. Sorcerers are known to use their magic to either create doors connecting their plane of existence to the respective other world, its residents being experimented on as guinea pigs.

Identifying a Sorcerer can be easy-- Ranging from things like watching the black smoke gushing from their fingertips or watching it be exhaled from the mouth in a stream; perhaps even watching the black particles emitting off of droplets of their blood. 

Because of the amount of magic that has been cast within the other worlds, it has been warped. 

Rain becomes toxic to Sorcerers, with them even experiencing detrimental physical pain alike to that of pricking needles or fevers full of sensed fear and hatred. Half-Sorcerers aren't affected as much by the rain, but still experience minor effects if left exposed for too long in large quantities. 

Once every year, those previously dead from Sorcerer attacks will rise once again as zombies because of the magic smoke gathered in the air, attacking those that are outside during the time of their rise. 

This was the chaotic world that those in the Canvas and Human world had to reside in, all affected by Sorcerers that thought it wise to experiment on them. 

None really knew just why Sorcerers existed, but at some point, the Magic Users were actively rebelled against by the Neighborhood Association, oftenly getting hunted down and tortured because they were tired of being guinea pigs. This militia was brutal and were efficient in their work... but it didn't take long for their relevance to fade, as a "patchwork man" had dwindled down their numbers... 

First three... then six... It had mostly been around those numbers for three months, all spanning to murder 65 Neighborhood Association members. However, after those three months, the numbers had suddenly jumped to 46 at once and caused the militia to disband, as those that had went after the patchwork man would always be found with their bodies mutilated but still alive. It was most likely a display of their magic being live vivisection after this man had finally gotten his magic pipes to work... causing people to label him as some sort of devil. 

None within the Canvas knew why Sorcerers were created... all except one. It always traced back to one man--or rather--who he was created after. 

Painted Verso Dessendre, the man who had been created from grief, harboring memories of which were not his. Most of which had been of an uneventful liar that had wishes to live his own life amongst a family of painters... but within more of these memories laid a man that was mentally sick, having believed he was doing what he must for the better for himself and his "lover." Painted Verso could recall memories of his counterpart that made him sick to his stomach... 

The Real Verso was normally seen as a wonderful painter and pianist that preferred for his life to be centered around the music he loved. Under every veil and every lie laced with "truth", he had but one person he held an extreme amount of emotion for. 

Admiration, yearning, love, cowardice, and even self hatred. Yet, there was never regret in his memories, even despite all the wrongs he had done to the one he loved--or rather--you. 

The real Verso, for years, had held a yearning love filled with admiration as to how you were so shamelessly yourself. From childhood to adulthood, he could never keep up with you; you would always have to slow down for Verso and hold his hand, leading to a seeding self hatred spreading through him no matter how good he would try to be. The real Verso would be athletic, charismatic, and would express his talent for painting... but yet it was never truly himself. 

He may never have been himself, but you always were. There was no envy in the real Verso either whenever he would look at you; there was just a simple look of admiration mixed with wonder, as if trying to think of how he could be like you. You guided Verso for so long to the point that the thought of separating from you was unthinkable. Physical distance was tolerated whilst emotional distance was not. 

Everyone had something to hide... even you.

It was knowledge that was quickly buried, but as it turns out, you are a Half-Sorcerer that lived in the real world as a Human with your father. Your mother had been murdered not long after your birth because she was a Sorcerer, leading to you living a quiet life with your human father by working in a joinery as a carpenter. 

You had went to school with Verso, and despite the different upbringings, the painter found you absolutely... fascinating. You had but one thing to hide, but other than that, you were as honest as could be. You were always so easy going and approachable, even having a deep care for Verso himself. Even despite the two of you having different friend groups, the both of you would always gravitate towards each other at the end of the day, and Verso could never get enough of it. 

Sometimes he would even visit you when you were at the joinery with your father. There was always an easy air around everyone, and no one let anything slip about you being a half Sorcerer. It wasn't hard to think of you as a Human, especially since you never used your magic. Both you and your father hid the heritage well from the boss of the joinery, who would let Verso hang out as long as he helped around a little bit. 

This would lead to him visiting your home as well; staying over wasn't rare, and Verso always made his stays enjoyable with you. The painter could always talk and talk and talk whenever it came to you, and Verso knew you'd listen. Ranting, rambling, yapping... anything--you as his best friend would always listen and would always look invested. You actually took Verso seriously and it always ticked the right feeling in him. 

You knew him better than anyone else... with him always feeling as if he could tell you everything. Obviously, Verso could never tell you of his feelings, only ever able to love you in silence. How could he not? 

The one problem about this was the very fact that Verso didn't know if you loved him back or not. In a time like the 1900's, people weren't open about a love such as his. He loved another man and he was having to pretend that you were just... his best friend instead of his possible darling. Verso's affections could only be shown in a manner of which didn't convey his true feelings--he had to lie to himself and everyone around him, watching as the man he loved would continue on as if everything was normal. 

It hurt to have to watch everything go by without Verso ever having the chance to tell you how he feels. He didn't want you to gravitate away from him just because he confessed, no matter how slow your distance may be. Verso knew there was a chance that he would be able to stay friends with you, but the very fear that plagued his heart made his will to confess shrivel. 

This made things feel unfair, as Verso was always thinking of the man he loved and was always looking at you as if he was just hoping that you would turn around and look at him the same way. It made him wonder about how you would love him. 

Would your love be like a guiding light where Verso would always be able to take your hand and let you lead him to safety? Or would it be a blunt love where Verso would receive affection and words of affirmation straight up? 

These thoughts only made him yearn. Verso loved you so much to the point it made his heart hurt. Sometimes he asked how you could always be yourself and how you never feared the expectations of what your wants will do to others. - "It's my life. I don't owe anything to anyone but to live my life as I see fit."

The painter couldn't understand the way you thought, as his mother and father wanted the best for him by having him pursue something he didn't truly want to partake in; your father, on the other hand, gave you the choice and protected you no matter what. It was most likely that your mother would have done the same if she were still alive. 

At times where you would visit Verso's home, he would let you enter his Canvas so the painter could show you around. Hell, Verso would even show you how to paint so you could create some things of your own. 

You ended up painting a Sorcerer called Noi who could heal physical wounds with her magic smoke. Her looks were odd as well, with her having longer white hair and bright red eyes that shimmered every time she talked. 

The real Verso didn't really think anything of her, but she was a confident young woman and was just as easygoing as you were. Though, she was much more cheery, allowing for her to get along well with Esquie. 

Verso never seemed to have a problem with her considering she wouldn't be able to interfere if you and him left the Canvas... but it'd be a shame if another version of you would be stuck in this Canvas with him unable to do anything about it... 

Slow cut-in to foreshadowing...

Even if Verso was now a grown man, he, you, Monoco, Esquie, and Noi had hung out within the Canvas a few times. All of these occasions were an adventure all on their own, with you and Noi having a quiet shock about how this kind of world exists. You both started thinking that Verso was a sort of Sorcerer, but he assured the two of you that this was just an ability the painters had. 

In exchange for leaving a sliver of his soul in his Canvas as its creator, he could paint whatever he wanted into existence as long as he had the creativity and Chroma for it; Chroma was the energy that powered every creation within this Canvas, as all Painters needed it for making a new being into reality. They could erase a being to reclaim Chroma or could create a new life form to drain their force. As this was Verso's childhood Canvas, he played here and created the Gestrals, having created Monoco and Noco after his dogs. 

As Gestrals... they both loved a good fight, and Verso made the entire race more simple than anything. Noi loved fighting against these guys and ended up winning so much the Gestrals started to fear her. She might even be better than Golgra in the future...

Please, during the adventure, everyone ended up going to Verso's Drafts and he's never been more embarrassed- He had his head down the entire time and his voice was a mere unintelligible murmur as he slowly pointed everything in his Drafts out with a dark heat over his face. This man was mortified. 

So much color... So many flying Esquies... So many fucking RAINBOWS- Verso knew that this was made by his baby self when he had played with Clea but... it still made him want to close his eyes and smile and just nod like everything was embarrassing him. To be fair, it was... but he really felt as if he wanted to deflate and melt. His own crush was seeing the product of his younger mind, and he just... Lord have mercy. What made it even worse was the fact that you actually kind of liked it in this rainbow wonderland. 

So much of Verso's child-like personality was revealed and the way you looked at him just made him even more flustered. Your amused smile and arched eyebrow before you pat Verso's back and looked forward again... he could only sigh with embarrassment and gratitude that you weren't making fun of him over it. 

He admired you. To Verso, you were so enchanting to the point that you may have changed the painter's perspective on how he lived. You were so perfect to him, after all. Good looking, intelligent, absolutely chill, and an approachable person that would listen whenever needed; meanwhile Verso was a liar that could barely muster up enough courage to tell his own family what he wanted for his own life...

Verso loved you. Verso loved you so much to the point he couldn't fathom the possibility of you ever leaving. The painter knew it was selfish... but he was glad that you lived a constricted life as a Human despite being a half-human; it just meant that you would never be able to go to the other world and leave him. Further down the line, Verso would be able to tell you how he felt. He would be able to love you as his future darling freely instead of having to stay silent about all of his yearning glances and all of his loving smiles. 

Verso thought this life would continue forever... but of course it couldn't. It was just a simple accident-- Verso wasn't there to personally see it-- but you had nicked your finger when you picked up a plank of wood, leading to some of your blood trickling onto the ground. 

To identify Sorcerers, look at the black particles in their blood." 

Unbeknownst to you and your father, the owner of the joinery had seen the particles emitting off of the droplets of your blood and wasted no time with calling the Neighborhood Association. All of this happened whilst you were getting your small wound patched up... and not long after, the militia was there to take you away--the one man Verso truly loved.

Verso didn't hear anything from you or your father after that. You never went back to your job, and instead, Verso heard that your father had been murdered, all for marrying a Sorcerer, having a child with one, and defending a half-magic-user. The painter also began to see wanted posters with your face on them, and fear began to settle into his heart. 

You definitely weren't dead, but you no doubt had to resort to murdering people just to stay safe in a world full of people that wanted your kind dead-- No one would help you, and Verso didn't know where you were. Your boss had been the snitch that sold you out, and those within this world would keep their doors closed. Your home was currently empty after the militia escorted the corpse of your loving father out, with his face badly bruised just for marrying a woman that grew up on the other side of reality. 

Your father wasn't buried. Instead, he was burned with the corpses of other Sorcerers. Verso hadn't been there to watch it and he was sure that you weren't either, but... this could have been him. He could be beaten for loving the half-human he's loved since his childhood, and he could be murdered by the militia for hiding the fact that the one he loved was a half-magic-user.

He didn't care. One way or another... he had to find you. Verso had to protect you, at least... Maybe he could get his family to--No. That'd end up getting them killed if he got caught. Somehow, he'd have to find you and help without being seen. He'd have to convince the Neighborhood Association that you weren't a problem and just wanted to live in the real world as a Human. You were just like everyone else-- You never experimented on anyone, you just... you were just born different.

It's not as if it's your parents' fault either. They loved each other so much and now their lives had been taken because one person had been born a different race... soon adding another life that would be hunted down the line.

Verso couldn't focus. He was endlessly worried and couldn't rest until he found where you were at. You weren't a murderous fugitive; you were just a man that was trying to defend yourself. Verso needed to take down the reward for your head... Verso needed to keep you from killing... but he had no leads. 

Verso couldn't find where you were at. For three months, he tried, only to hear that a Sorcerer was being regarded as a "Patchwork Sorcerer" and had murdered 65 people. Verso didn't know how many wanted posters he had torn off the walls, nor did he enjoy hearing how his family had attempted to convince him to stop looking.

It was killing him. He didn't know that his best friend had to cut off his own arms just to be able to use his magic... nor did he know that a deranged doctor was helping him by searching the insides of his arms to activate the smoke pipes in his body before stitching everything back together. 

All Verso knew was that as time passed, the death toll grew higher. 

It all stopped when 46 more Neighborhood Association members had been split and mutilated into pieces whilst still being alive; their flesh slowly rotted, making for a more brutal end to the militia who had soon disbanded after their units had frayed to a snap. A hospital was also soon set up for magic victims, but Verso had no care for it. 

What did matter to him was that he soon had a visitor. It was the middle of the night when he heard the pebbles thrown at his window, but there was no mistaking the figure of his best friend standing outside, making Verso open the glass panes immediately; he fired questions without stopping, obviously furious at where you had been and how much you had made him worry. 

More than anything, Verso was relieved... His love was safe and had returned to him... Still, what concerned him was your state of being: Your hair was clearly a bit mussed and you had scars everywhere on your body. There were even stitches on your arms and fingers after you had your deranged doctor help you. Verso happened to acknowledge that your arms were already decomposing... but your next answer made a pit form in his chest.  - "In the world of Sorcerers, there are some that can heal injuries and illnesses. I'll ask them."

You were leaving. You were leaving to the world of Sorcerers, where your best friend could never reach you. 

Verso's chest felt as if it were distorting... His feelings were being thrown all over the place and he was trying to comprehend your words. You were leaving. Verso would never see the one he loved again. You would ask others for help. You were leaving Verso. You were leaving him alone. 

No. No no no. Please don't-

Verso should have wanted to feel good for the one he admired, but he couldn't. He wanted to beg you to not leave him; Verso wanted to plead and hold you by your rotting hands whilst he tried to get you to stay... but the painter knew that there was nothing left for you here. 

Your family was dead, and you couldn't get a job; you were a wanted Sorcerer in this world, and that's all you would ever be to the people outside. Even if it included leaving an obsessed pianist in the dust, that's exactly what you would do. You said you would visit him, but the musician knew it would never be enough for him. 

As you spoke of what could be waiting for you in the Sorcerer world... Verso couldn't listen. Voices were drowned out, and there was but one thing in his mind: You are leaving him. 

Verso proposed that you should stay over just for one more night. You could get the food you wanted as well as a change of clothes from Verso's closet before you would depart. You could even take a shower and do whatever you needed. Just... Just one more normal day was all Verso wanted; one more normal day with the best friend he loved...

The moment you agreed, this finally allowed for him to settle down at least a little bit. For the rest of the night, it was like how it was back then, but this time, you didn't need to truly hide your heritage. You were free. 

You told Verso of your time surviving and what you had to do: Stealing, dine and dashing, murder, and even assault, all in the span of a few months and all because you're a half-Sorcerer. It made Verso feel terrible because he couldn't do anything to help. He knew you didn't want to include his family into his problems, especially since all of them could get executed for simply trying to defend a half-Sorcerer like you, but the Neighborhood Association was gone now, weren't they...? They disbanded because you had mur- 

Right... You murdered all of them. Before Verso saw you again, he was too focused on finding out where you were rather than getting to truly understand what you had done. You had committed countless crimes just to survive; if you were ever caught, you'd be faced with death. You would probably even be thrown into the Lake of Refuse... Verso couldn't have that--no matter what--it couldn't happen. 

If it did, your skin would melt right off and the sewage would get into your internal organs. You would be in for a slow and painful death that would melt you from all the sewage and acid. Countless Sorcerers had been thrown into the Lake of Refuse because of the Neighborhood Association, and Verso knew they had all disbanded by now, but the very thought of you getting caught by someone and having to melt alone... He couldn't handle it. 

It didn't take long for you to start sleeping too. And starting from then, Verso felt something plunge over him. Thoughts he shouldn't ever have were surging through his brain...

His room was soundproof, so his sisters wouldn't hear you if you screamed... Your arms and fingers were already turning gangrenous, so... if Verso cut them off, it would be just like the first time... If Verso cut your fingers and arms, you wouldn't be able to leave... You would be able to stay. It would come at the cost of your freedom, and your arms and fingers, but... if you wanted to live as a Human so bad, Verso will let you; he will be the one to keep you safe from those outside, even if it came at the cost of his own Humanity. 

That night, Verso's room was stained with the blood of the best friend he admired so much, hearing your every shriek as the man you thought you could trust cut fingers one by one before you could use your magic. Verso took away your one way of freedom, shackling you down to his arms after taking your own away. The painter's words of comfort fell on deaf ears, even as much as he would attempt to tell you that it would be okay. 

He was here now; no one could touch you. Before, Verso couldn't protect you... but now he could.

There was no "i'm sorry" or "please forgive me". Verso knew what he was doing. Seconds were ticking by in the slowest way possible as he watched the horrible crime he was committing. Every torn stitch and every brutal cut before your fingers and arms fell to the ground... Every splotch of blood and every puddle that started to pool on your best friend's floors... Verso couldn't focus on what he was feeling when his entire focus was on keeping you from going to the Sorcerer world. 

He could see the smoke coming from the pipes in your arms and it absolutely amazed him. Seeing someone's insides was an experience in of itself and there was an urge to paint it crawling within him. Those smoke pipes belonged exclusively to you and he just felt euphoria radiating from every pore. This way... he could get to know your body.

There was an odd urge to dig around within you, and it took everything in Verso to get himself to not put you through more pain than he already did, but those detached arms and fingers were not safe. 

It was just... Verso wanted to see every part of the man he loved. The thought of it made him absolutely ecstatic--he was practically trembling while looking at your detached limbs. This was a chance to get a look at all the nerves, bones, muscles, and blood vessels within your body and potentially paint it so he could immortalize the look of you outside and inside.

Verso was now enamored, picking up your arms and fingers like they were something to be worshiped. The shapes of those stitches etched into your skin and the blood that slowly dripped from your amputated parts rendered Verso completely fixated and infatuated. He wanted to cut it all open and see for himself, as crude as his methods were. No matter how bloody he got and even if he couldn't put it back together, Verso wanted to see it all. 

He wanted to dissect his own darling as meticulously as possible and wanted to see if there was a way to truly be with you. Marriage was putting it lightly--Verso literally wanted to have his own blood flowing through your veins drop by drop. The thought of being able to know you so intimately like that... god, Verso may have just gotten weak in the knees...

If he was asked if there was any regret...? No, he had no care for it. There was no regret, nor was there any more self loathing--Verso didn't need to struggle with catching up to you anymore. He could keep you by his side for eternity.

Verso felt nothing but pure love as he held you close to him. Blood may have started to soak into his clothes, but it felt so good... Your head against his chest, the slow but labored breathing, the weight against his body, and even the way your shoulders would twitch every so often at the leftover agony. Your arms were already decaying thanks to how your arms had to be cut days ago, with your eyes now bereft of emotion as you felt a gentle but affectionate nuzzle from Verso. 

The content painter rested comfortably like this... simply laying his head against you and keeping you held close. Verso's smile was filled with an odd reverie, but it was filled with something more triumphant--an indomitable love and admiration that bordered on worship.

You were the reason he was able to take such large steps forward. If the one he admired was able to be himself... then he taught the infatuated musician that he would be able to as well if he hadn't bothered to care for what his actions would do to others. 

His heart... his God... His universe... Verso thanked you from the very bottom of his heart, finally being able to pull you into the kiss he longed to take for so long. It tasted like blood and iron, but to him, it may as well taste like heaven. And besides... Verso will be able to take more in the future. More and more and more... 

Painted Verso hated his counterpart... He hated him with a passion and could never see him as a normal person; to Painted Verso, his counterpart was a mentally sick and desperate man who could barely stand to let go of one person. But yet... the painted variation couldn't talk, as he had someone that he couldn't let go of either... It was annoying because he was practically infatuated with the same person. Verso was utterly in love with the painted version of you. 

You are a counterpart of the real Verso's best friend. Aline ended up making the painted counterpart after the real Verso's death, with the real you having committed suicide much before; your family motto was "an eye for an eye" and if the real Verso wouldn't let you have your freedom, you wouldn't let the painter have you in return. It made the musician see that even if he may have wanted to be with the man he loved for eternity... he could never shackle you, for way or another, you would find a way out. You didn't care if it meant your end.

Aline caught onto the state the real Verso had been in after his darling's death and ignored it at first, having not known what he had done just yet. Despite knowing that her son's best friend was a half-Sorcerer, she knew that her son still cared for you dearly. In her mind, she thought that her son had sunk back into his grief for the best friend he fell for and clearly couldn't truly get over.

Verso knew his family wouldn't really be able to understand the feelings he held for his darling; they'd immediately think he went mental and wouldn't be able to think of him as one of their own. To be fair, he understood the circumstances, but when it came to his darling, there was a visible lack of restraint. He can't blame himself for folding when you were so... you. Verso always loved you because you never needed to hide anything about yourself, unlike a certain musician. He loved his half-human friend and wanted to be like him, but yet he remained a simple admirer that couldn't even keep the one he loved alive. 

One day... he would join his love; Verso was sure that both you and him were going down instead of up for the atrocities the both of you committed... but you two would both be together every step of the way even if you may not want anything to do with him in the afterlife. 

With Aline being Aline, she didn't give her son too much leniency, but she gave him a small break from his usual duties and made sure to keep an eye on him. This had changed after his death, where she, out of her grief, would decide to give you a second chance at life in the form of a painted creation within the real Verso's childhood Canvas. And just like Esquie, Monoco, and Verso himself, she would make you immortal to ensure that her son could live as happily as could be. 

With the best of intentions in mind, she would unintentionally make her new son miserable. 

Back to you as a painted creation, you had your memories of the real Verso camouflaged as moments in the Canvas, excluding the part where you had gotten your fingers and arms cut off one by one, so you only remember having to survive against the Neighborhood Association in Lumiere before your future was changed to go to the Sorcerer World; perhaps Aline may have known what her son did and refused to tell anyone about it whilst keeping it buried in the depths of her knowledge. 

Even with how busy she was before, it would be hard not to catch onto how her son was acting after he had shackled his darling to him. Aline figured she'd check in on him and went to his room to make sure he wasn't entirely slacking.

And for whatever reason... her mind blurred as if she couldn't remember. 

Ş̸̜̦̦̦̓́̐̈́͆̅̇̚h̸͎̲͍̉̉͊̈́̓̕͝è̷̛̗̳͚̙͇̘͍͕̊̑̿͘͜ d̶͇͆̓̂̆͌͛͠ī̶̧͙͖̲̘d̶͇͆̓̂̆͌͛͠ r̵̨͇̰̭̜̈́͑è̷̛̗̳͚̙͇̘͍͕̊̑̿͘͜m̶̜̍̄è̷̛̗̳͚̙͇̘͍͕̊̑̿͘͜m̶̜̍̄b̶̡͙̖̹̻̙̠̯͓͐͘è̷̛̗̳͚̙͇̘͍͕̊̑̿͘͜r̵̨͇̰̭̜̈́͑; A̶̤͍̟̲͓͕͍̼͕͎̽́̒̇͝l̶̘̫͚͎̟̙̺̼̦͈̋̽̔ī̶̧͙͖̲̘n̸͉̠̘̲̼̼̩͗͒̕͝͝è̷̛̗̳͚̙͇̘͍͕̊̑̿͘͜ j̸͈̆͌̂̋̑́͂͜͠ų̷͕̙͚͖̲̱̐̒̀̆̎̈͜s̷̠͕̪̥͐̌ţ̸̛̞̒̑̌́̄̽̀͝ c̷̡̪̘͎̻̦̀͑̒̈̂̿̑̓̚͜͝h̸͎̲͍̉̉͊̈́̓̕͝ō̵̝̭͙̊s̷̠͕̪̥͐̌è̷̛̗̳͚̙͇̘͍͕̊̑̿͘͜ n̸͉̠̘̲̼̼̩͗͒̕͝͝ō̵̝̭͙̊ţ̸̛̞̒̑̌́̄̽̀͝ ţ̸̛̞̒̑̌́̄̽̀͝ō̵̝̭͙̊ l̶̘̫͚͎̟̙̺̼̦͈̋̽̔ō̵̝̭͙̊ō̵̝̭͙̊k̴̼̺̤̗͒͐͊͜ͅ b̶̡͙̖̹̻̙̠̯͓͐͘â̸̠̋c̷̡̪̘͎̻̦̀͑̒̈̂̿̑̓̚͜͝k̴̼̺̤̗͒͐͊͜ͅ. Į̴̧̝͔͍͖͇̹̗̅͆̈́̈́̒̕ţ̸̛̞̒̑̌́̄̽̀͝ w̷̡̲̲̞͎̣̱̟̰͎̐̋̒â̸̠̋s̷̠͕̪̥͐̌ h̸͎̲͍̉̉͊̈́̓̕͝â̸̠̋r̵̨͇̰̭̜̈́͑d̶͇͆̓̂̆͌͛͠ ţ̸̛̞̒̑̌́̄̽̀͝ō̵̝̭͙̊ c̷̡̪̘͎̻̦̀͑̒̈̂̿̑̓̚͜͝ō̵̝̭͙̊m̶̜̍̄p̸͕̗̃̔́͑́͝r̵̨͇̰̭̜̈́͑è̷̛̗̳͚̙͇̘͍͕̊̑̿͘͜h̸͎̲͍̉̉͊̈́̓̕͝è̷̛̗̳͚̙͇̘͍͕̊̑̿͘͜n̸͉̠̘̲̼̼̩͗͒̕͝͝d̶͇͆̓̂̆͌͛͠ ţ̸̛̞̒̑̌́̄̽̀͝h̸͎̲͍̉̉͊̈́̓̕͝è̷̛̗̳͚̙͇̘͍͕̊̑̿͘͜ v̷̧̬̽͂́̎̉è̷̛̗̳͚̙͇̘͍͕̊̑̿͘͜r̵̨͇̰̭̜̈́͑y̶̡͕̮͇͖͕̮̳̲̓ s̷̠͕̪̥͐̌ī̶̧͙͖̲̘ḡ̴̛͓̬͒̓̉̉̐́͘̕͜h̸͎̲͍̉̉͊̈́̓̕͝ţ̸̛̞̒̑̌́̄̽̀͝ ō̵̝̭͙̊f̴̧̭͓̘̱̖̯͋̇͒̀́ y̶̡͕̮͇͖͕̮̳̲̓ō̵̝̭͙̊ų̷͕̙͚͖̲̱̐̒̀̆̎̈͜r̵̨͇̰̭̜̈́͑ ō̵̝̭͙̊w̷̡̲̲̞͎̣̱̟̰͎̐̋̒n̸͉̠̘̲̼̼̩͗͒̕͝͝ s̷̠͕̪̥͐̌ō̵̝̭͙̊n̸͉̠̘̲̼̼̩͗͒̕͝͝ c̷̡̪̘͎̻̦̀͑̒̈̂̿̑̓̚͜͝ō̵̝̭͙̊v̷̧̬̽͂́̎̉è̷̛̗̳͚̙͇̘͍͕̊̑̿͘͜r̵̨͇̰̭̜̈́͑è̷̛̗̳͚̙͇̘͍͕̊̑̿͘͜d̶͇͆̓̂̆͌͛͠ ī̶̧͙͖̲̘n̸͉̠̘̲̼̼̩͗͒̕͝͝ h̸͎̲͍̉̉͊̈́̓̕͝ī̶̧͙͖̲̘s̷̠͕̪̥͐̌ b̶̡͙̖̹̻̙̠̯͓͐͘è̷̛̗̳͚̙͇̘͍͕̊̑̿͘͜s̷̠͕̪̥͐̌ţ̸̛̞̒̑̌́̄̽̀͝ f̴̧̭͓̘̱̖̯͋̇͒̀́r̵̨͇̰̭̜̈́͑ī̶̧͙͖̲̘è̷̛̗̳͚̙͇̘͍͕̊̑̿͘͜n̸͉̠̘̲̼̼̩͗͒̕͝͝d̶͇͆̓̂̆͌͛͠'s̷̠͕̪̥͐̌ b̶̡͙̖̹̻̙̠̯͓͐͘l̶̘̫͚͎̟̙̺̼̦͈̋̽̔ō̵̝̭͙̊ō̵̝̭͙̊d̶͇͆̓̂̆͌͛͠ w̷̡̲̲̞͎̣̱̟̰͎̐̋̒h̸͎̲͍̉̉͊̈́̓̕͝ī̶̧͙͖̲̘l̶̘̫͚͎̟̙̺̼̦͈̋̽̔s̷̠͕̪̥͐̌ţ̸̛̞̒̑̌́̄̽̀͝ y̶̡͕̮͇͖͕̮̳̲̓ō̵̝̭͙̊ų̷͕̙͚͖̲̱̐̒̀̆̎̈͜r̵̨͇̰̭̜̈́͑ â̸̠̋r̵̨͇̰̭̜̈́͑m̶̜̍̄s̷̠͕̪̥͐̌ â̸̠̋n̸͉̠̘̲̼̼̩͗͒̕͝͝d̶͇͆̓̂̆͌͛͠ f̴̧̭͓̘̱̖̯͋̇͒̀́ī̶̧͙͖̲̘n̸͉̠̘̲̼̼̩͗͒̕͝͝ḡ̴̛͓̬͒̓̉̉̐́͘̕͜è̷̛̗̳͚̙͇̘͍͕̊̑̿͘͜r̵̨͇̰̭̜̈́͑s̷̠͕̪̥͐̌ l̶̘̫͚͎̟̙̺̼̦͈̋̽̔â̸̠̋ī̶̧͙͖̲̘d̶͇͆̓̂̆͌͛͠ ī̶̧͙͖̲̘n̸͉̠̘̲̼̼̩͗͒̕͝͝ â̸̠̋ b̶̡͙̖̹̻̙̠̯͓͐͘l̶̘̫͚͎̟̙̺̼̦͈̋̽̔ō̵̝̭͙̊ō̵̝̭͙̊d̶͇͆̓̂̆͌͛͠y̶̡͕̮͇͖͕̮̳̲̓ m̶̜̍̄è̷̛̗̳͚̙͇̘͍͕̊̑̿͘͜s̷̠͕̪̥͐̌s̷̠͕̪̥͐̌ ō̵̝̭͙̊n̸͉̠̘̲̼̼̩͗͒̕͝͝ â̸̠̋ ţ̸̛̞̒̑̌́̄̽̀͝r̵̨͇̰̭̜̈́͑â̸̠̋y̶̡͕̮͇͖͕̮̳̲̓ n̸͉̠̘̲̼̼̩͗͒̕͝͝è̷̛̗̳͚̙͇̘͍͕̊̑̿͘͜â̸̠̋r̵̨͇̰̭̜̈́͑ ţ̸̛̞̒̑̌́̄̽̀͝h̸͎̲͍̉̉͊̈́̓̕͝è̷̛̗̳͚̙͇̘͍͕̊̑̿͘͜ ţ̸̛̞̒̑̌́̄̽̀͝â̸̠̋b̶̡͙̖̹̻̙̠̯͓͐͘l̶̘̫͚͎̟̙̺̼̦͈̋̽̔è̷̛̗̳͚̙͇̘͍͕̊̑̿͘͜. Ş̸̜̦̦̦̓́̐̈́͆̅̇̚ō̵̝̭͙̊r̵̨͇̰̭̜̈́͑c̷̡̪̘͎̻̦̀͑̒̈̂̿̑̓̚͜͝è̷̛̗̳͚̙͇̘͍͕̊̑̿͘͜r̵̨͇̰̭̜̈́͑è̷̛̗̳͚̙͇̘͍͕̊̑̿͘͜r̵̨͇̰̭̜̈́͑s̷̠͕̪̥͐̌ ų̷͕̙͚͖̲̱̐̒̀̆̎̈͜s̷̠͕̪̥͐̌è̷̛̗̳͚̙͇̘͍͕̊̑̿͘͜d̶͇͆̓̂̆͌͛͠ ţ̸̛̞̒̑̌́̄̽̀͝h̸͎̲͍̉̉͊̈́̓̕͝è̷̛̗̳͚̙͇̘͍͕̊̑̿͘͜ī̶̧͙͖̲̘r̵̨͇̰̭̜̈́͑ m̶̜̍̄â̸̠̋ḡ̴̛͓̬͒̓̉̉̐́͘̕͜ī̶̧͙͖̲̘c̷̡̪̘͎̻̦̀͑̒̈̂̿̑̓̚͜͝ s̷̠͕̪̥͐̌m̶̜̍̄ō̵̝̭͙̊k̴̼̺̤̗͒͐͊͜ͅè̷̛̗̳͚̙͇̘͍͕̊̑̿͘͜ ţ̸̛̞̒̑̌́̄̽̀͝h̸͎̲͍̉̉͊̈́̓̕͝r̵̨͇̰̭̜̈́͑ō̵̝̭͙̊ų̷͕̙͚͖̲̱̐̒̀̆̎̈͜ḡ̴̛͓̬͒̓̉̉̐́͘̕͜h̸͎̲͍̉̉͊̈́̓̕͝ ţ̸̛̞̒̑̌́̄̽̀͝h̸͎̲͍̉̉͊̈́̓̕͝è̷̛̗̳͚̙͇̘͍͕̊̑̿͘͜ī̶̧͙͖̲̘r̵̨͇̰̭̜̈́͑ f̴̧̭͓̘̱̖̯͋̇͒̀́ī̶̧͙͖̲̘n̸͉̠̘̲̼̼̩͗͒̕͝͝ḡ̴̛͓̬͒̓̉̉̐́͘̕͜è̷̛̗̳͚̙͇̘͍͕̊̑̿͘͜r̵̨͇̰̭̜̈́͑s̷̠͕̪̥͐̌ ţ̸̛̞̒̑̌́̄̽̀͝ō̵̝̭͙̊ ų̷͕̙͚͖̲̱̐̒̀̆̎̈͜s̷̠͕̪̥͐̌è̷̛̗̳͚̙͇̘͍͕̊̑̿͘͜ ţ̸̛̞̒̑̌́̄̽̀͝h̸͎̲͍̉̉͊̈́̓̕͝è̷̛̗̳͚̙͇̘͍͕̊̑̿͘͜ī̶̧͙͖̲̘r̵̨͇̰̭̜̈́͑ m̶̜̍̄â̸̠̋ḡ̴̛͓̬͒̓̉̉̐́͘̕͜ī̶̧͙͖̲̘c̷̡̪̘͎̻̦̀͑̒̈̂̿̑̓̚͜͝ ō̵̝̭͙̊r̵̨͇̰̭̜̈́͑ è̷̛̗̳͚̙͇̘͍͕̊̑̿͘͜s̷̠͕̪̥͐̌c̷̡̪̘͎̻̦̀͑̒̈̂̿̑̓̚͜͝â̸̠̋p̸͕̗̃̔́͑́͝è̷̛̗̳͚̙͇̘͍͕̊̑̿͘͜ ţ̸̛̞̒̑̌́̄̽̀͝ō̵̝̭͙̊ ţ̸̛̞̒̑̌́̄̽̀͝h̸͎̲͍̉̉͊̈́̓̕͝è̷̛̗̳͚̙͇̘͍͕̊̑̿͘͜ Ş̸̜̦̦̦̓́̐̈́͆̅̇̚ō̵̝̭͙̊r̵̨͇̰̭̜̈́͑c̷̡̪̘͎̻̦̀͑̒̈̂̿̑̓̚͜͝è̷̛̗̳͚̙͇̘͍͕̊̑̿͘͜r̵̨͇̰̭̜̈́͑è̷̛̗̳͚̙͇̘͍͕̊̑̿͘͜r̵̨͇̰̭̜̈́͑ w̷̡̲̲̞͎̣̱̟̰͎̐̋̒ō̵̝̭͙̊r̵̨͇̰̭̜̈́͑l̶̘̫͚͎̟̙̺̼̦͈̋̽̔d̶͇͆̓̂̆͌͛͠... â̸̠̋n̸͉̠̘̲̼̼̩͗͒̕͝͝d̶͇͆̓̂̆͌͛͠ Ṽ̴̮̻̼̙̋͐̿̋̌̇̊è̷̛̗̳͚̙͇̘͍͕̊̑̿͘͜r̵̨͇̰̭̜̈́͑s̷̠͕̪̥͐̌ō̵̝̭͙̊ h̸͎̲͍̉̉͊̈́̓̕͝â̸̠̋d̶͇͆̓̂̆͌͛͠ c̷̡̪̘͎̻̦̀͑̒̈̂̿̑̓̚͜͝ų̷͕̙͚͖̲̱̐̒̀̆̎̈͜ţ̸̛̞̒̑̌́̄̽̀͝ ō̵̝̭͙̊f̴̧̭͓̘̱̖̯͋̇͒̀́f̴̧̭͓̘̱̖̯͋̇͒̀́ ţ̸̛̞̒̑̌́̄̽̀͝h̸͎̲͍̉̉͊̈́̓̕͝â̸̠̋ţ̸̛̞̒̑̌́̄̽̀͝ v̷̧̬̽͂́̎̉è̷̛̗̳͚̙͇̘͍͕̊̑̿͘͜r̵̨͇̰̭̜̈́͑y̶̡͕̮͇͖͕̮̳̲̓ r̵̨͇̰̭̜̈́͑ō̵̝̭͙̊ų̷͕̙͚͖̲̱̐̒̀̆̎̈͜ţ̸̛̞̒̑̌́̄̽̀͝è̷̛̗̳͚̙͇̘͍͕̊̑̿͘͜ b̶̡͙̖̹̻̙̠̯͓͐͘y̶̡͕̮͇͖͕̮̳̲̓ s̷̠͕̪̥͐̌è̷̛̗̳͚̙͇̘͍͕̊̑̿͘͜v̷̧̬̽͂́̎̉è̷̛̗̳͚̙͇̘͍͕̊̑̿͘͜r̵̨͇̰̭̜̈́͑ī̶̧͙͖̲̘n̸͉̠̘̲̼̼̩͗͒̕͝͝ḡ̴̛͓̬͒̓̉̉̐́͘̕͜ y̶̡͕̮͇͖͕̮̳̲̓ō̵̝̭͙̊ų̷͕̙͚͖̲̱̐̒̀̆̎̈͜r̵̨͇̰̭̜̈́͑ l̶̘̫͚͎̟̙̺̼̦͈̋̽̔ī̶̧͙͖̲̘m̶̜̍̄b̶̡͙̖̹̻̙̠̯͓͐͘s̷̠͕̪̥͐̌. 

A̶̤͍̟̲͓͕͍̼͕͎̽́̒̇͝l̶̘̫͚͎̟̙̺̼̦͈̋̽̔ī̶̧͙͖̲̘n̸͉̠̘̲̼̼̩͗͒̕͝͝è̷̛̗̳͚̙͇̘͍͕̊̑̿͘͜ f̴̧̭͓̘̱̖̯͋̇͒̀́ō̵̝̭͙̊ų̷͕̙͚͖̲̱̐̒̀̆̎̈͜n̸͉̠̘̲̼̼̩͗͒̕͝͝d̶͇͆̓̂̆͌͛͠ ō̵̝̭͙̊ų̷͕̙͚͖̲̱̐̒̀̆̎̈͜ţ̸̛̞̒̑̌́̄̽̀͝ w̷̡̲̲̞͎̣̱̟̰͎̐̋̒h̸͎̲͍̉̉͊̈́̓̕͝â̸̠̋ţ̸̛̞̒̑̌́̄̽̀͝ h̸͎̲͍̉̉͊̈́̓̕͝â̸̠̋p̸͕̗̃̔́͑́͝p̸͕̗̃̔́͑́͝è̷̛̗̳͚̙͇̘͍͕̊̑̿͘͜n̸͉̠̘̲̼̼̩͗͒̕͝͝s̷̠͕̪̥͐̌ ī̶̧͙͖̲̘m̶̜̍̄m̶̜̍̄è̷̛̗̳͚̙͇̘͍͕̊̑̿͘͜d̶͇͆̓̂̆͌͛͠ī̶̧͙͖̲̘â̸̠̋ţ̸̛̞̒̑̌́̄̽̀͝è̷̛̗̳͚̙͇̘͍͕̊̑̿͘͜l̶̘̫͚͎̟̙̺̼̦͈̋̽̔y̶̡͕̮͇͖͕̮̳̲̓, b̶̡͙̖̹̻̙̠̯͓͐͘ų̷͕̙͚͖̲̱̐̒̀̆̎̈͜ţ̸̛̞̒̑̌́̄̽̀͝ h̸͎̲͍̉̉͊̈́̓̕͝è̷̛̗̳͚̙͇̘͍͕̊̑̿͘͜r̵̨͇̰̭̜̈́͑ m̶̜̍̄ī̶̧͙͖̲̘n̸͉̠̘̲̼̼̩͗͒̕͝͝d̶͇͆̓̂̆͌͛͠ s̷̠͕̪̥͐̌h̸͎̲͍̉̉͊̈́̓̕͝ų̷͕̙͚͖̲̱̐̒̀̆̎̈͜ţ̸̛̞̒̑̌́̄̽̀͝ ī̶̧͙͖̲̘ţ̸̛̞̒̑̌́̄̽̀͝ ō̵̝̭͙̊ų̷͕̙͚͖̲̱̐̒̀̆̎̈͜ţ̸̛̞̒̑̌́̄̽̀͝; h̸͎̲͍̉̉͊̈́̓̕͝è̷̛̗̳͚̙͇̘͍͕̊̑̿͘͜r̵̨͇̰̭̜̈́͑ m̶̜̍̄ī̶̧͙͖̲̘n̸͉̠̘̲̼̼̩͗͒̕͝͝d̶͇͆̓̂̆͌͛͠ s̷̠͕̪̥͐̌h̸͎̲͍̉̉͊̈́̓̕͝ų̷͕̙͚͖̲̱̐̒̀̆̎̈͜ţ̸̛̞̒̑̌́̄̽̀͝ ō̵̝̭͙̊ų̷͕̙͚͖̲̱̐̒̀̆̎̈͜ţ̸̛̞̒̑̌́̄̽̀͝ ţ̸̛̞̒̑̌́̄̽̀͝h̸͎̲͍̉̉͊̈́̓̕͝è̷̛̗̳͚̙͇̘͍͕̊̑̿͘͜ f̴̧̭͓̘̱̖̯͋̇͒̀́â̸̠̋c̷̡̪̘͎̻̦̀͑̒̈̂̿̑̓̚͜͝ţ̸̛̞̒̑̌́̄̽̀͝ ţ̸̛̞̒̑̌́̄̽̀͝h̸͎̲͍̉̉͊̈́̓̕͝â̸̠̋ţ̸̛̞̒̑̌́̄̽̀͝ h̸͎̲͍̉̉͊̈́̓̕͝è̷̛̗̳͚̙͇̘͍͕̊̑̿͘͜r̵̨͇̰̭̜̈́͑ s̷̠͕̪̥͐̌ō̵̝̭͙̊n̸͉̠̘̲̼̼̩͗͒̕͝͝ w̷̡̲̲̞͎̣̱̟̰͎̐̋̒â̸̠̋s̷̠͕̪̥͐̌ m̶̜̍̄è̷̛̗̳͚̙͇̘͍͕̊̑̿͘͜n̸͉̠̘̲̼̼̩͗͒̕͝͝ţ̸̛̞̒̑̌́̄̽̀͝â̸̠̋l̶̘̫͚͎̟̙̺̼̦͈̋̽̔l̶̘̫͚͎̟̙̺̼̦͈̋̽̔y̶̡͕̮͇͖͕̮̳̲̓ s̷̠͕̪̥͐̌ī̶̧͙͖̲̘c̷̡̪̘͎̻̦̀͑̒̈̂̿̑̓̚͜͝k̴̼̺̤̗͒͐͊͜ͅ.

All Aline could remember was desperate eyes and a tight grip on her wrist... Terrifyingly tight... Her son's voice... as well as how brazen it sounded--like an animal backed into a corner as he begged her to keep it all quiet. 

Aline's mind blurred and she had refused to acknowledge what her son had done. Even when both he and his darling had died, she kept her son's secret buried within the confines of her heart. The Paintress had chosen to blend the memories of her painted creations and erase certain chunks of certain events, ensuring that the painted counterparts of you and Verso would love each other. No matter how corrupted things would get, this was the least she could do for her son. 

If he couldn't have you in this life, there was always the next. 

You go, girl. Enable your dead son shackling the freedom of his best friend by cutting off his arms.

Back to the Canvas...

Considering you couldn't be the only Sorcerer within the Canvas, Aline had to do some extensive research on the other plane of existence when she made the different world within Verso's childhood playground. And as it turned out, the Sorcerer world was a more fancy variation of the Human realm. It wasn't warped unlike the Human world and was entirely clean whilst being filled with a society of masked Sorcerers that go along their every day lives. 

They all worshiped Devils, who had previously been Magic Users before they started to train for years to become higher beings. Wearing armor whilst conducting various tasks to build up an indestructible body was stage one. Eating Devil meat is also said to accelerate the transformation, but isn't very much needed. The final stage of Devil Training is to not use magic for a year, but the trainee isn't required to wear the armor anymore. If they use their magic, they fail Devil Training instantly. 

Sorcerers also have a special organ in their bodies that allowed for their smoke to work, and if the organ was attacked, it would disrupt their whole flow and would stop the magic from flowing out of their body. Sometimes, Sorcerers aren't born with the ability to use their own magic unless they cut off their own arms and find the smoke pipes in their body; activating them this way was used by desperate and poor Sorcerers but was efficient. 

Sorcerers truly were different from Humans; with slightly different organs and extra parts from within to dictate where your smoke would stream from-- It was fascinating. Then again, creating so many Sorcerers cost Aline immeasurable Chroma, especially when it came to the Humans in Lumiere as well. She would have to leave and come back later... Be grateful for your renewed life, half-Sorcerer.

In your life in the new Sorcerer World, you would continue your life of crime and would continue to dine and dash...

You would also get to know Noi again. She and you didn't recognize each other due to your makeshift mask and her devil training armor, especially since you were so different now. This just ended up with the both of you being enemies instead of friends.

Originally, she was a Sorcerer training to become a Devil. When the both of you met, you had been dine and dashing from a diner that belonged to an acquaintance of Noi, making her run after you and stop you. There was a small annoyance at the fact that she was the righteous type, but that annoyance quickly disappeared when she had healed your rotting arms, leaving nothing but perfect skin and stitches. 

You immediately bashed her head in with your claw hammer after and ran, yeah, but that was the start of a wonderful friendship... again- 

In the meantime of having your arms healed, you would later become a Cleaner that took jobs directly under a red haired man called En; he had a fondness for mushrooms considering it was his Magic. Whilst the ability itself wasn't impressive, it was the amount he could spout at once, being capable of engulfing an entire city in his smoke if needed. If that wasn't enough, En also had charismatic leadership, as annoyingly narcissistic as he can be...

You and Noi had met more at the same restaurant you had dine and dashed in (very bold of you), and just kept getting along. This allowed for the both of you to finally recognize each other when you finally took off your masks. The both of you felt fucking stupid for getting in such a dumb fight, but this allowed for Noi to ask you on why you had changed so much, allowing for you to immediately fill her in on what had happened back in the human world and making a frown shift over her face. 

Shit really didn't go right for you, and you had to leave Verso behind as a result. Speaking of Verso--he hadn't come back for a while. But why were you in the Canvas? How? If you were in the Sorcerer World, how did you get into Verso's childhood Canvas? Did he know you were in here? 

Noi didn't ask, but she quietly watched. The more she did, the more different you seemed from Verso's best friend. You weren't really him, were you? Both Verso and his darling had disappeared at some point and never returned until now, but you still looked like that somewhat younger version of the painter's best friend, and to be fair, she still looked like a young teenage girl too. All that would most likely change whenever she would become a Devil... 

Well, even if you weren't Noi's best friend, you looked like him and behaved like him, even post trauma. To Noi, you were still her best friend and she'd treat you accordingly. It wasn't long before the both of you would fall into a usual routine now that you two could actually spend good time together. From small contests as to who could eat faster (you always won), check ins on Devil Training, or check ins on Cleaner assignments. Whatever the case, the both of you were growing closer, and that would cause a problem later on in the future...

Noi would fit as your fighting partner and as a general friend better than any version of Verso ever could, so the very fact that the real Verso's darling made such a woman would just become such a problem later on, especially with how resilient her Devil training would make her later on in her life.

If the real Verso were here right now, he probably would have been pissed at the prospect of his darling being able to meet someone like Noi in the real world. It was the fact that his own best friend could have grown up with her, leaving Verso in the dust in the process... He would be a terrible and selfish human being for not regretting what he had done, but his lack of regret was most likely still in his body. The real Verso most likely would have repeated what he had done without hesitation; he would have cut off his darling's arms and his fingers section by section and never let you go. 

However, now that the real Verso was dead, this caused Painted Verso to finally come into the picture... and he was immediately burdened with memories that weren't his. Yet, he remained unknowing and continued through life as if he were real. 

Like always... no one knew what he did. That's what he thought, anyway. In any case... Verso couldn't share it with anyone. Not with his family, his best friends, and not even you. Especially not you. 

But even if Verso wanted to tell you, he had no way to get to you. You were always in the Sorcerer world, and he had no idea of what you were up to. He could somehow follow a Sorcerer through their personal door, but if he was ever figured out to be Human after having no way out, he'd probably get sold for being a particularly "inferior" race. Yeah... Verso wasn't up for that. 

He'd just have to wait for you to come to him.

That didn't come until after the Fracture... where everything had started to go wrong. By then, you had already gotten stronger and became an actually frightening individual within the Sorcerer world. People began to recognize you and Noi as En's Cleaners right when they had began to see your heart mask and your claw hammer. 

It was a simple whim when you heard from En that the human world was starting to get fucked up even more than usual. And upon hearing this, your mind had immediately drifted to Verso, who was still in the other world. 

... Maybe it wouldn't be too bad to see how he was doing since you didn't have any work to do for the day.

You came back to Lumiere... only to find it completely shredded. Buildings were tilted and snow drifted down whilst paths were completely destroyed; there were no people walking around, leaving no debate that Lumiere had been decimated and abandoned, especially with the Nevrons walking around. You destroyed each and every one you had found, but found no trace of anyone in Lumiere. This allowed for you to start searching elsewhere until you had found out that the land had been split in two. 

One section of Lumiere you were currently in and another that was safe from Nevrons; you just had to find a way to get there... but how? No Sorcerer would really care about getting a way to Lumiere unless it was for experimenting, and they now had the Nevrons to use as their practice dummies. It wasn't as if your boss was interested in Humans either; he had other business keeping him in the world of Sorcerers, practically making him unavailable for help, especially with how arrogant he was. He wouldn't help with this. 

You wouldn't be able to ask Noi either... mostly because you didn't want to include her in on this. You knew she would help you without hesitation, but this world was kind of your business as a half-human that used to live amongst the people... even if you ended up running as a result of the other half of your lineage. 

Well, you would have to do this on your own. So here you were, wandering the continent for the day and getting rid of any Nevrons you may find along the way. None of them were strong enough for you to really feel that beat of your heart... Nothing made your heart thump and never made it pulse like you were on the edge of life and death. Perhaps if you found a stronger one and engaged with it, you would be able to feel that sensation again. 

Whenever you were on the run from the Neighborhood Association, you were always prepared for life and death, even if you wanted to be on the former's side more. Nevertheless, you remained in between with both strength and weakness; you found your true in between, even if it cost you everything. The very feeling of your heart rushing and your instincts on high alert was a feeling you chased with every last drop of your being; it gave you the very rush you craved ever since you were just a patchwork child on the run. 

The true in between of life and death as well as strength and weakness... If you knew it all, you would be able to truly know yourself. That's why you believed that if more people went through the same thing you did, they would be able to be better. But you mostly wanted that because it would give you better fights. 

Whilst you were on the continent, you happened to wonder about the Monolith that stood across the ocean. Naturally you couldn't just swim across it, nor were there any islands to landmark across (yet) so you just went back. This allowed for you to explore the areas around Old Lumiere before you had come across Monoco's Station. Oddly enough, the Grandis didn't want to fight--not you, at least--so they let you through and allowed for you to meet Monoco again. 

With all these Nevrons around, he seemed to enjoy a good fight, like all Gestrals. You were happy to give him one, just like he was for you, but whilst your blood rushed, it wasn't as if you wanted to kill Monoco, so the both of you stopped without dealing a fatal blow to each other. 

Fighting was now out of the way, leaving the both of you in good spirits and allowing for you two to talk. 

Since the Fracture happened, Monoco was a part of a team that specialized in finding lost Gestrals. However, he made this station as a sort of base for himself with the Grandis, allowing for him to be their muscle if their trickery didn't work on certain Nevrons. Monoco also told you that the other section of Lumiere was on the other side of the Continent, making you sigh in disappointment before you asked about Verso. 

Oh, that man hadn't made his appearance in ages. Monoco told you that he had no idea where Verso was--the real one, that is-- and asked you why. - "I heard about the Fracture from Mr. En and wanted to see if Verso was alright."

... The real Verso didn't have anything to do with the Fracture, and he hadn't come back to the Canvas in ages. Besides, you kind of disappeared for a long time too. You didn't have much to do with the Canvas, but you were now asking questions that even Monoco didn't have the answers to. In fact, you should be the one to know; you and Verso were the closest and Monoco heavily doubted that you two would sever contact with each other.

Who the hell were you? 

Monoco was now suspicious of you. You have Verso's darling's face, but you obviously act differently to the man. Plus, you have stitches around your arms and fingers and you now have a heart mask with a sort of suit. Monoco didn't know much about the real world, nor did he know a lot about Sorcerers, but you weren't really his best friend, were you? This Canvas was a product of the real Verso's creations, so- 

... Oh. He got it now. You weren't Verso's darling, but a recreation; something went wrong in the real world that led to both the real Verso and his best friend disappearing, now allowing for you to be created by someone else in memory. It was fair to assume that another version of Verso was somewhere out in this Canvas as well, and if that were true, it'd be fair to assume that the real Verso and his darling may just be dead. That was a cold thought that put a pit in Monoco's wooden body. 

He knew the real Verso and the real you were both kind of new in life... and unlike Gestrals, they only had one shot at it. To think that at the age they were at... they already died. And out of grief, someone had created the both of you again so you could live once more; memories that weren't yours and a life to continue even despite having just come into this reality... That's a painful reality to uphold for yourself, especially since you don't even know the truth about who you really were. 

Monoco didn't know how much of his thoughts would be true or not, but if you were here, then a painted Verso was probably somewhere in the safer part of Lumiere. And if you wanted to see him, then you should go. Monoco even offered to accompany you, only for you to shake your head. 

The Gestral had the Grandis to take care of, and you wouldn't disrupt him with that, especially when this was a matter that related to you. So, you left and quietly departed across the continent even if it was a pain, making your way past Nevrons you couldn't bother to waste your energy with killing. 

There was but one problem... When you had made your way to the edge of the Continent... you saw that it was surrounded by another body of water.

... Huh. All this effort and you were thwarted by another ocean... Damn it. 

You could only sigh and make your way to the Spring meadows, finding a chill place to lay atop the Indigo Tree. What you didn't know was that people from Lumiere were making their way from the Dark Shores over to the Meadows... and they were currently fighting their way through everything. Starting from the moment they made their way to the bridge before the Eveque boss fight, you were immediately on your guard and watched from above. 

Unfamiliar person... Random people... Wait, was that Renoir-? 

You immediately dropped down, much to everyone's caution before you took your mask off and asked if Renoir had recognized you. Verso, who was standing a bit far back, practically choked up upon seeing you again. 

You looked so different than how you were before... 

Back when you had so many scars, your arms and fingers rotted and your eyes somewhat dull with the reality you had to face; now Verso was sure your scars had healed over, your skin perfectly fine albeit the stitches remaining, and your eyes had regained the cool glint they always had before everything happened. 

Whatever the case, you looked... You looked as if you had found a good spot in life, even if it was without Verso by your side. 

What was even worse was that you still looked so perfect to him. Verso watched in the background, his eyes filled with a quiet disbelief and his face pale as if he had seen a ghost. He watched you speak with his father with a smile, your carefree and approachable demeanor allowing for people like Simon to ask you about the continent. You answered of what you knew and the Nevrons you had encountered thus far, but it was still relatively new for you since you were in the Sorcerer world more than you were in this realm. 

You were still so enchanting to Verso and he could only stay still; his feet felt glued to the ground and wouldn't move no matter how much he wanted them to... It was the thoughts in his mind that kept him from walking forward. 

The things he did to you... Would it really be alright for him to approach you when he had such knowledge? Would it truly be alright for him to long to spend time with you when he could do the same thing? He didn't want to, but... if he truly was anything like the memories in his head displayed him as, he'd shackle your freedom and wouldn't even allow you to commit suicide. He knew he'd keep a better eye on you and would never lose sight of you. 

The thoughts just now--they were exactly why he couldn't get to know you again. But why didn't you remember what he did to you? 

Before Verso could even think of walking away, you looked straight at him and perked up. 

He folded without a moment of hesitation. Some things just never change between painted creations and the real person, huh? Both fold immediately. 

When he heard you why you had come to the Human world and you immediately thought about him and wanted to see if he was alright, he could swear his chest flipped a few times; Verso quickly assured you that he was alright, but was more curious of your life in the Sorcerer's World. What did you do? What's with the mask? Did you ever get to improve your magic? 

And in a snap, it was as if the both of you had went back to how it always was back then: Inseparable and dynamic. Whilst you were calm and observant, Verso was beginning to get more enthusiastic and wondrous. The only difference was that the both of you were just a bit older than last time and were blissfully unaware of your fates. 

Renoir could see how happy his son was with you. And honestly... he was glad. He could remember just how jovial Verso was as a little boy whenever he would hang out with you. All throughout elementary, middle, high school, and even beyond, Verso's lips would curl upwards and he would laugh as if he were truly happy with you and you alone. Renoir could see that same warmth that he himself had felt for Aline when he was as young as the both of you; he could see that same love Verso would gaze upon you with, even if you were busy reminiscing about moments in the Sorcerer World. 

Though, that glint in Verso's eyes would sometimes darken with something unrecognizable whenever you brung up people that sounded like a problem. And against better judgement... Renoir ignored it. 

This was the privilege of the young and Renoir wouldn't afford to ruin it. He would declare that the Indigo Tree would be a rally point and a safe spot for future expeditions, allowing for everyone to rest here so you and Verso would have more time together. 

For but one day and night, Verso and you were able to spend time together. The both of you never separated from each other, even as Simon or Renoir would come over to question you about more things about the continent or the Sorcerer World. Seeing as how the Magic Users were reported to be practicing on Nevrons instead of Humans, perhaps there would be a small alliance between the two races. You agreed to bring it up to your boss, seeing as how he had good control over most of the Sorcerer World through various business and power of fear. 

That being said--people within Expedition Zero still held caution for you because you're a half-Sorcerer and an unknown variable within the continent. It was only natural, and you didn't really care about it considering they weren't a survival problem for you. 

You didn't mind. But Verso? Oh, he for sure did-- He glared their asses down immediately and quietly pledged that he'd leave them in a ditch if they tried to do something to you. With what you told him, Verso knew you could protect yourself better than he could, but as your best friend, he would help keep annoying gnats away from your hair. 

You didn't need his help--Verso knew it-- but he found himself concerned for you regardless. As a result of how you grew up after you were found out to be a half Sorcerer in the human life, you began to enjoy the rush of surviving. The thrill of being hunted down and having your heart rush until it begins to hurt... Verso could see the ecstatic grin on your face as you lifted your hand to your heart; he could see that hungry look in your eyes at the thought of having someone truly challenging to enjoy. 

Your adrenaline was rising at the thought and you had to clutch your heart to calm yourself with a faint chuckle. Something told Verso that this would become a regular habit for you, but he rubbed your back regardless with his palm and asked if you were alright. This gained a nod from you before you simply told him of that small tendency of yours, explaining it as an adrenaline rage that excited you beyond measure. 

Verso wondered if he could provide such a challenge for you--That would mean he would need to get stronger. Maybe he could ask Simon for a few tips while sparring with him, even if he may not be able to beat that hunk of a man- 

But then he heard of Noi. There was a pang inside of him whenever he heard you talk about her; she was your Partner and worked as a fellow Cleaner ever since she had sacrificed her Devil training just to heal you on the last days before Blue Night. You were her upperclassman and superior, so she called you her "senpai". 

Verso had no right to feel a grueling sensation writhe within his chest. He had no right to let it almost show on his face, so he forced it down. Verso forced himself to choke his festering irritation with a smile as he listened to you speak about Noi as if she was the perfect one for you. 

She sounded like the ideal partner... She matched your strength--hell, she even exceeded it--and she was just as excited for good fights as you were; Noi matched you simply for the fact that whilst you were observant, she was more impulsive. The both of you were bound by the Devil's Contract during Blue Night, too... 

You signed each other's contracts and put them in each other's bodies with Chidaruma's Magic... and now were bound for the next four years. Verso had to bite the inside of his cheek to keep himself from choking up again. He kept looking at you with that smile even if it wavered... and suddenly he regretted talking to you. Verso opened up, and you did too... but it emotionally crushed him in the process. 

He wasn't even a Sorcerer, so he couldn't be your Partner whether he wanted to or not. He didn't have magic smoke and he would be viewed as inferior by other people if he were to ever make the decision to come with you to the Sorcerer world. Verso wouldn't belong, even if he had made himself at home right by your side. In both worlds, at least one of you wouldn't be accepted by its people. 

It's as if the world was just rejecting the very notion of you two being together, but it was one of the pains of growing up as rivaling races: the both of you would find new people to get along with and would drift apart as a result... but Verso didn't want that. He wanted to reach out to you and still be able to feel your hand in his. Verso needed to hurry and grow the fuck up, but he only wanted to do it if he was with you. Independence was needed for one's decisions in life, but now that he had you back, he didn't want you to leave--he needed you--he loved you and you still didn't know it.

It wasn't fair. Noi had an entire job with you and an entire world where she could be with you and Verso was stuck in this hellhole. He's known you for longer than she has, so what's the deal? Why do you like her more? How long does he need to be with you just for you to look at him again? 

Is she enamored with you just like he is? Does she believe you're complete perfection just like he does? Does Noi believe you're everything to her just like Verso does? No? That's what he thought. You smiled at him a thousand times before and laughed with him just as much; you shared just as much moments with him and spent years of your life with him and him alone. Noi couldn't compare to him, so why not pay attention to him instead? 

Verso immediately brung up that he wanted a way to get to you. He didn't want it to be just a one-way connection where you could go whenever you wanted. Verso knew it was out of the blue to ask for such a thing, but he was worried for you. If you're really out there and murdering people like the Cross Eyes for a living as En's Cleaner, then what if you were badly injured?  - "Noi can heal me. I'm alright, Verso."

... Right.

That ugly feeling in Verso began to simmer even more than usual as he bit the inside of his cheek again to the point it was a wonder he didn't start bleeding. That jealousy... it hardened his gaze and made him close his eyes to keep you from seeing it. He could feel his veins focusing from under his skin and could feel his fingers digging into the tree below him, but he took a few shivery and deep breaths before giving you a calm smile. 

He requested for you to visit him at least somewhat frequently... or at least let him stay over and let him meet Noi. Verso is... interested in her and wants to see her considering you seem to speak so well of her. Maybe the three of you could all get along together, especially since Noi seems like the kind of person that would gladly get to know him since he's your first best friend. 

Yeah, right. Verso just wants to scope her out and see if she likes you. Even despite how you talk about her, he knows the both of you are nothing but best friends. And yet... the urge to see for himself had seeded within him. 

The real Verso knew who Noi was, but Verso didn't. He didn't have that experience of exploring the Canvas with you and her, or at least he thought. Perhaps his memories were blended to match in with the Canvas... but that would leave him contemplating how much of his mind had been manipulated by his mother. She could have at least erased Noi or something... that way you could just be alone with him instead of being best friends with this... woman that matches in so well with you. That's how you view the friendship between yourself and Noi anyway. 

Just a ride or die friendship.

Verso's jaw dropped when he heard that you and Noi fucked up an assignment and ended up driving off a cliff on the way home at one point. Literally ride or die and now he can't trust you in a car anymore even if it never happened again. 

Anyhow... you said that you'd visit Verso monthly or every two months depending on how things are. If you can get a break from work, you'll go back to the continent or back to Lumiere so you can spend some time with him too. Starting from then, his shoulders lowered. He mumbled something like "you better hold that up" before allowing for the vibe to sink back to something peaceful. 

Verso wished that it could stay like this forever, but he knew that you eventually had to go back home. He saw you off and waved goodbye to you when you summoned your door to the Sorcerer's World. 

Like your mask, your door had a pulsing heart design on it with stitches on the lower ends of the door. The words "Tic Toc" were above the heart and "El Corazon" was below it. 

The heart.

Why was a heart so common with you? Did it have to do with your mask? Or did it have to do with your magic that was so destructive with its living vivisection? Maybe it was the fact that your heart always rushed and started to pump faster with exhilaration every time you found yourself a challenging opponent? 

When you left... why did you have to take Verso's heart with you? In reality, you had taken it a long time ago... and he was never able to take it back. But yet, he didn't want to take his heart back and wanted you to keep it. He wanted you to treasure it and keep it with you for the rest of your days, even if it would render Verso unable to love anyone else like he loves you.

Renoir could see that same frown on his face whenever you would leave to go back home, just like in older days. Yet... the show must go on. 

A lot happened when you were gone... again. Simon split off from Expedition Zero to find painted Clea sometime before everyone got to the Monolith; and when they did, the real Clea told them about everything going on to serve the first mindfuck before she attempted to kill them when they refused to return to Lumiere. 

Aline was the Paintress that surrendered to her grief, and everyone else was just paintings within a twisted man's childhood canvas. The only way to really excavate Aline was to exhaust her Chroma, and if that included doing things the hard way, real Clea would do what she must. She succeeded in destroying the Expedition--mostly, anyway--Renoir and Verso, who were immortal, caught her attention and annoyance the most. 

It wasn't the killing that disoriented the pair, but it was the reality that they weren't real. Aline, the woman they were searching for, was the very Paintress that would begin to doom their world... and over what? She created them... and for what? Did this mean that everything that happened before... it was just for her amusement? No... It couldn't be. 

Clea described her own mother as struck by grief and was acting irrationally. There aren't many who were close to Aline other than her own family and a few people from the Council of Painters, so who died? None on the Dessendre family had died, yet Alicia was scarred by the fire. 

The fire. If everyone was created, why would Aline have Alicia keep her burn scars? If Aline was a creator, why wouldn't she heal the wounds off of her own child? Alicia didn't do anything--at least anything Verso was aware of--to have her face permanently disfigured. Aline wasn't immature enough to leave a mark like that on her own daughter's face just because something happened, right? 

What happened in the fire to make Aline so mad? 

Renoir was probably busy by then, just like Aline. Clea wouldn't rush in to save Alicia from a fire, as crazy as that sounded... but Verso... he would be reckless enough to do such a thing. He knew what would happen when he did, but he would do it anyway. Either way, Alicia was saved but kept her burns, and Verso was... somehow completely fine? It didn't add up. 

His mother was mad at Alicia and left her burn scars... Verso was the only one that could possibly rush in to save his sister, but he was perfectly fine despite Alicia having the remains of what happened that day... and everyone was fake. 

There was only one conclusion painted Verso could come up with: He died in the fire, and struck by grief, his mother stuck herself in his Canvas and recreated her family as well as the real Verso's best friend just so she could live a normal but unhealthy life. Real Clea was trying to get Aline out, which most likely meant the real Renoir was trying as well... Where was real Alicia? Was she safe? 

Verso immediately questioned Clea about it, only to get a simple answer.  - "Why would you need to know? It holds no influence whether you do or not." 

She called the painted pair obscene and fake before mumbling about how she didn't have time to get rid of them like this before she disappeared. This inadvertently let Verso and Renoir off the hook and allowed for them to process what had happened whilst they made their way back to Lumiere. 

... Yeah... It was a quiet trip home. Verso remained sat on the deck, wanting you to come back so he could just regain all of his energy in your company. He didn't care if the both of you were just sitting around and doing nothing. Verso just wanted to stay silent and absorb the comfort you always gave him whenever you were around. He wanted to lean his head against your shoulder and hold you so he could hear even the slightest hint of your pulse. 

He wasn't real anymore... You weren't real... No one was real... Nothing was real... 

Wait. If he was immortal... then would he eventually outlive you? Would you die one day and he'd be forced to live past you? The already quiet and dreadful air around Verso grew at the thought. He'd have to wait for you to come back before finally telling you as well... It'd be a lonely month. 

Well, Renoir and Verso came back and reported their findings. They reported the Nevrons in the continent and the new rally point that would be held for any expedition coming after. The two also spoke of how they met a Sorcerer... and how you would speak to your boss about having Sorcerers experiment on Humans to see if they would stop. They had the Nevrons to experiment on, after all.

This allowed the Renoir and Verso to move onto explaining the truth about this world... Aline was the Paintress and was trying to warn everyone about who she could keep alive by slowly erasing and replacing a number each year... but no one believed them. To make things worse, there was suspicion placed upon them. Why were they the only ones to survive? A father and son no less... Both of them interacting with a Sorcerer and getting them to speak with the representative of such a barbaric race as well? Very suspicious... 

The lack of trust was making Verso feel uneasy, and he began to keep away from those in Lumiere. He also began to see Renoir looking towards the Monolith more often... most likely longing to be with his wife again. In a way... Verso could understand; just as Renoir longed to see his wife again, Verso yearned to see you. But unlike him, who had seen you and would continue to have you visit him every now and then, there was no guarantee for Renoir. 

If Verso wasn't able to see you again after all this, he probably wouldn't be able to stand it either. 

Even despite a small while passing by of Verso avoiding everyone, Julie never seemed to take it personally and would continue to spend time with him. It helped him feel less lonely when he was surrounded by people that now held suspicion over his head. Perhaps it wasn't bad to have one more friend.

Verso decided to open himself up to Julie at least a little bit. It wasn't like how it was with you, but he now had someone he could spend his time with without having to seem suspicious. If he didn't have you, perhaps there would have been something special with Julie instead... 

The way she always looked at him was so kind and interested whilst you were calm but reactive. Julie would be able to defend herself with Chroma-- oh, Verso would have to teach you that one. Even if you don't need it, it would undoubtedly be helpful just in case something happens... God, Verso can only hope that you're immortal like he is. 

The month had passed, allowing for Verso to finally see you again. Of course he didn't immediately spring upon you the facts of this world, but the both of you walked around Lumiere whilst you took your mask off. Over the time you left, the place still somewhat looks the same. You spoke about all the places you dine and dashed at, making Verso gently nudge his elbow against your arm. Clearly, he wasn't too amused at the memory of your crimes...

Would it really be alright to tell you the truth of this world? You were so peacefully oblivious and were doing all that you wanted as a Cleaner but Verso was helpless to the reality in front of him; he didn't want to ruin the look you had on life, especially if it would end up changing the way you behave. Verso just got to meet you again and he wouldn't be able to bear being the one that changed you for the worst. 

His thoughts snapped back to what happened in the Manor... That dull and bereft look in your eyes compared to how firm they looked now... That can't happen--Not again. 

Even if Verso would try to hide it from you, you're still his best friend; you know when he's hiding something... and it really doesn't help that he looks like his mind is on something else, so you asked him what was up when the both of you were in a safer spot together.

He told you the truth: The Paintress being his mother, everyone's fake life as creations, the real enemy being the real Renoir, the truth about the Gommage, the entire painted family being immortal, the suspicion because of his and Renoir's survival, and the drama outside the Canvas. Yes, Verso knows he sounds crazy; practically almost everyone is a doppelgänger in this Canvas world and he may just live past everyone because he's immortal. He might even live past you and that's something he doesn't want happening. 

Verso naturally kept out the part of what his real world counterpart had done before death... He wasn't ready to tell you about that yet. 

The truth of this world... well, it didn't really have to do with you too much, right? Besides, it didn't have to define your life, so you didn't really care. You lived your life how you wanted, so you're fine. You'll do your best to help get that immortality off of Verso if it's not what he wants, but anything else doesn't really include you so you're fine with it. 

... Verso forgot that you're just a chill individual. As long as you can live your life however you want, you don't care how you die. Maybe he should have expected this... 

A resigned sigh immediately escaped from him whilst you remained unbothered. 

Verso admired the way you perceived things and could never understand how you did it. Some things just never change about real life and the painted world, even if the both of you are fake.... and he supposes that it's always been like you to stay calm and observant. It must weigh in you in some way even despite how you act; Verso knows you're not fully calm about it when the reality weighs down on everyone the same way. 

You're not real... and you'll die no matter what. You already had a job that can completely cut off your life and you've had experiences that could end on life or death. You don't want to die, but you live in a manner that is content for yourself, so whether it comes or not, you will accept it as it is; you only live once--you may as well make it good.

Verso wished he could have the same outlook as you... but with the memories he has and what his real self did to you... he feels resentful of himself. He hates his real counterpart, he hates the fact that he's painted to look just like that monster, and he hates the fact that he's so attached to you. It felt like an abnormal pull that wrung the love out of his heart and let it bleed out in the open. You acted like yourself and it felt like you were giving Verso the joy he pursued for his entire life. 

His family thought it was a sort of puppy love when the two of you first met each other, but it never went away. It festered--it got worse--he became lovesick every time he couldn't see you. No one could mistake that admiring and devoted look in his eyes, even if it would grow sinister upon your leave. Yet, they ignored it. His family ignored the conspicuous pain the lack of your presence caused him, and they ignored all the irrational signs to dismiss it as an innocent love.

You mentioned that you wanted to fight challenging people... You wanted your heart to race and pulse like back in the old days. You wanted to have someone that could give you a good fight... You wanted to fight someone that could have a good chance at killing you, and you wanted a full death match where both you and your opponent can die. One vulnerability could mean death and you would have to be at full focus. 

Oddly enough, Verso wanted to be that one person for you even if it meant the both of you would kill each other in the process. He wanted to see that hungry and bloodthirsty grin on your face and wanted to hear your heart pumping as your blood rushed. Whether he did something to truly enrage you and turn you against him... maybe he could tell you of what his real self did... or maybe somehow kill Noi. 

If you and him kill each other in the end... the thought just gave him a shiver of something alike to that of pleasure. It was a reverie that forced him to come face to face with the fact that even if he didn't want to be like his real counterpart, he would always be as twisted and as sick as him. In some ways, the fixation and thoughts will never change between the real individual and painted creation; the both of them wanted to be the center of their darling's world, no matter what it took. 

That look on his face made you deadpan and ask what he was thinking about, making Verso jolt out of his thoughts and quickly dismiss your words with a quick "nothing notable." Yeah... you didn't buy it, but you let it go anyway before Verso asked you to help him train. He knows the offer was sudden, but he figured that these Nevrons would cause a problem to him in one way or another. In exchange for helping him, he'll make you dinner or can teach you about using Chroma. Perhaps he can find a strong Nevron for you to fight as well if he's immortal? He can go out and search without dying. 

Still... having a chance of dying just to find a strong Nevron wasn't very appetizing and he knew fully well that was what was going on through your mind too. You just decided to teach him anyway because... he's going to be alive for a long time anyway; he may as well learn how to really defend himself before the next Search and Rescue team gathers itself up. 

It was clear to Verso that the way you fight paired with your magic was fucking brutal--your very weapon, a claw hammer, could twist necks, bash peoples' skulls in, and inflict lethal infections on people. Even without your weapon, you were damn well a big problem. You got hands, legs, a head, and elbows. You can beat the shit out of anyone with your entire body and your reflexes alone. 

If Verso wanted to catch up to you, then he'd have to work hard and get strong fast... but you said that an experience like yours is vital as well; obviously, you were referencing your time as the patchwork child that went wild by dismantling the Neighborhood Association, but Verso hoped that it wouldn't get to that point... 

We all know how that went. 

Anyway... over the occasions you had time, you would train Verso on fighting and techniques to defend himself; these techniques weren't just with his sword, but with his own strength and body too since sometimes he may be unarmed. Naturally you let him develop his own style of fighting since he was a dual wielder, but you made sure that he had fundamentals and basics down. 

With Verso, he was watching your every move and making sure to take in how you do it. Your strength was more vast than his was, but Verso was sure that whenever he would learn how you fought, he would be able to predict you and would be able to give you a good fight. Verso's physical strength wasn't anything like Simon's, but he was damn sure that he could combine finesse and precision to make his own style that could even rival yours. 

You fight with complete brutality that made your opponents want to surrender if they had a consciousness for themselves. Weaponizing fear can be a specialty for you whenever you fight, especially when you can go for places like the nose, throat, and eyes. Gaining more experience is also important in which you've already had a head start in, so you know what Verso goes for whenever the both of you are sparring. 

It somewhat amazes him that the slightest movement of one of his limbs lets you know what he does... and the way you can use your claw part of your hammer to twist someone's head straight around. 

Please, he was back to back with you because he made a reckless move and ended up with the claw hammer up to his cheek whilst your other hand kept a firm hold on him to keep him from moving. If he was your enemy and not immortal, his life could have ended right there. But... he was your best friend and was an immortal man. Naturally he'd still feel the pain and would regenerate, but he wouldn't be a true kill. 

That admiration was already creeping back up in him, but he needed to focus- 

That was how things went during the year. Verso learned from you during the months you were available and he spent time with you after as to keep up his end of the deal. Sometimes, Julie would join the two of you and watch, allowing for the three of you to keep a small dynamic going on. You remained as the calm one... essentially keeping both Verso and Julie in check when they would both go off to do stupid shit. 

Though, since Verso was immortal, you kept more of an eye on Julie. It wasn't as if you really cared for her, but she was friends with Verso and she seemed like she liked the man, so the two were somewhat alike to that of a package deal. Seeing as how you accompanied them whenever you could, that just made all three of you a trio that wouldn't go without each other unless needed. 

Julie seemed curiously suspicious about you. Why did you disappear for weeks at a time and only come back for a few days? Mostly the only time she sees you, you're training or sparring with Verso or letting him cook for you and letting him teach you about Chroma so you don't have to keep your claw hammer on you every time you go somewhere. Speaking of that--why was that your weapon? What happened to your arms? What happened to your fingers? 

She was getting too curious--Julie wasn't the kind of person to accept Sorcerers or traitors, so she would definitely turn on you if she found out who you were, and Verso didn't want to entertain that thought. If anyone had really found out who you were, you probably wouldn't really care and would only make a move if they would make it a genuine problem. However, Verso is the type that doesn't want any of that happening in the first place and will extinguish this flame of hatred before it can get a chance to burn brighter.

Teaching Verso how to fight with and without a weapon may or may not have been a bad decision. 

You're the chill one and Verso's just right next to you glaring someone down. 

"Why this dude look so mad💀" type shit

Thanks to what you taught him, Verso knows just where vitals are and knows just where to strike if he wants to kill people, especially in the time of the Canvas right now: The Fracture happened, and Lumiere was split in two. Taking care of the remaining people in Lumiere and getting food for everyone just made everything a survival situation that took the worst and best out of everyone. 

Killing people shouldn't have been common in Lumiere, but it was because of how bleak the reality was outside and inside. It made things all the easier for Verso if people wanted to be idiots and try and expose you while you were living in peace. Of course he wouldn't immediately move onto killing people--Verso was patient--but still, he would watch people closely when they figure out that you're a Sorcerer. If they plan on doing something about it, that's when he makes his move. 

He knows that whoever it was, Verso would remove them. Whether it was someone random, Verso didn't care. The very time he was living in, the amount of effort he's put into his devotion, and the lack of care he had for people that weren't close enough to him would define how quick he moved. 

Even if it were someone like Julie, Verso wouldn't hesitate. He knew how close-minded she was, and as much as he got along with her, he wasn't going to throw away his friendship with you, especially when he knew just what his counterpart did when they were going to leave him. It's not as if all Sorcerers were bad anyway--just look at how you behaved despite being able to split everyone into living fragments of their former selves. 

Naturally, Verso wouldn't want to kill Julie, but he sees how she looks at you: She's suspicious of you. Julie never sees you around unless you're doing whatever with Verso and you look pretty strong but you never go on the Search and Rescue expeditions; you know your way around a good fight, too. Your arms and fingers are stitched as if you needed to undergo a surgery but that would have rotted your skin... yet your arms remain completely fine. No rot, no nothing even with how much time passes.

No amount of Chroma or can help you with that when your arms are completely decayed, so who the hell helped you? Who did you need to fight? Where did you go back to? How did she never know you before? How come no one ever heard of you but Verso, Renoir and Alicia? All three were in the Dessendre family so of course they all knew of you, but no one else did.

Who the hell were you? 

The more Julie prods, the more Verso keeps his eye on her. It makes things easier when she begins to talk to him about how she feels about you: She was convinced you were a Sorcerer and was suspicious of you because she didn't know anything about you. It wasn't as if Verso would give you away either, so he nodded along and kept what Julie said in his mind. 

What made Julie's theory turn into something knowing was when it had started to rain. You had immediately gotten a headache and retreated inside to take a nap, much to Verso's worry... but Julie? She pieced it together the moment she saw you wince at the first drop of rain on your skin. And that irritated look you gave the sky like it had personally betrayed you? You're a Sorcerer... and you're a dangerous one too. 

The only other question was what connection you had to Verso and his family... All of you knew each other well, but who were all of you if you were to conspire with a Sorcerer? Did Verso just not know? Or was he working with you? What was your goals? Julie knew nothing about you... and she was really starting to grow suspicious. She was starting to keep tabs on you.

Verso knew it was justified to have such suspicion, especially since you never said anything about yourself; you didn't say who you worked for, neither did you specify the work you did--you didn't even say where you lived or why your arms were fine even with how they would have rotted with how they were stitched. You were an unknown variable within Lumiere with how neutral and chill you were, and that meant you were a friend to mostly no one.

For years, Julie would tell Verso everything she was thinking about you. For years, Verso would lie and keep his eyes on her to make sure she didn't do anything stupid to you. For years, he would decide what to do with Julie with her not knowing that the one she should really be cautious of was always right next to her... 

Then she decided to go and apply to the Search and Rescue team... How convenient. Even Alicia joined this team... Apparently she wanted to leave Lumiere for a little while since she was old enough to explore the continent by now.

Verso initially thought nothing of it, and he was too busy sparring with you and getting stronger to protest. He was oftenly getting better and harder to predict, making for a more amusing time for the both of you, even if he wasn't good enough to pin you yet. Still, Verso was getting better at fighting and defending himself... He would be able to come up with a style of his own to properly combat you one day. 

One day...

Soon enough, that Search and Rescue team set out for Lumiere while you were in the Sorcerer World...

Let's go gambling!!

Rrr (The entire group got jumped by Nevrons) Aw dang it!

Rrr (Verso got turned into a donut) Aw dang it!

Rrr (JULIE AND THE OTHERS SAW HIM COMPLETELY FINE IN THE AFTERMATH) Aw dang it! 

Rrr (Verso got captured and interrogated by them--probably halfway tortured too) Aw dang it! 

Rrr (Verso and Renoir had to kill the Search and Rescue Team) Aw dang it!

Don't gamble, my friends.

It ended in flames and blades everywhere in Verso's body. In all honesty, he could barely feel a thing other than the fact of how unfortunate this was--Julie shouldn't have trusted you or him--or maybe she should have kept her nose out of your business. Maybe she shouldn't have captured him like this or... no--he gets it--Verso understands... but the fact remains that she shouldn't have been so dumb about it. 

Julie knew she wouldn't win when she saw Verso killing everyone else, especially after he had been training with a brutal individual like you for so long. 

Verso could now understand how you felt when you were younger... The adrenaline rage whenever you were the one being hunted--the feeling of your heart pumping through your ears and your blood rushing as you fought your hardest to survive, no matter the cost. On the edge of life or death with strength and weakness... Verso found the true in between where his senses were at an all time high and his body thrummed with exhilaration and catharsis. 

It was a high trip where your body trembles... but you know it won't fail you. For as long as Verso's been training and sparring with you, he knows his body won't fail him. His mind was focused and he knew what he had to do, and his own body will do whatever it took to complete it. 

His survival.

Julie saw how Verso had glared at her like he had gotten enough of the mistakes she made. The first was getting too curious and trying to prod at you. 

The second was actually telling him--the dude who has the fattest crush on you and has known you since childhood--about what she felt about you and thinking he'd actually get rid of his feelings for you just to side with her. 

The third was then trying to interrogate Verso after he didn't even do anything to the group. Granted, both he and Renoir seemed crazy for trying to convince everyone that the Paintress was an ally, but he didn't do anything other than that. 

There was something missing about how Verso lowered Julie to the ground after stabbing her in her vitals... It was more of a blank look than anything; no tears, no knitting of his eyebrows anymore, and no scowl. He simply placed Julie down as gently as he could, but he didn't look sorry. He didn't look regretful over his decision and he looked almost ominous with the amount of blades in his body. Verso just watched Julie pass with but a single thought: He didn't want to do this, even if it had to happen.

By now, the adrenaline rage was gone and Verso didn't feel much, but perhaps it was because he couldn't process right after everything that had happened. 

Maybe Verso would be able to delve deeper into his feelings about this situation in the future when he had more time to think... and maybe he would live to regret it. He had already been told to not trust Julie since Renoir believed that she was a simple creation of Clea's--someone that would turn Verso's priorities away from freeing Aline at the top of the Monolith--yet the man knew that Julie just wanted answers. 

Clea wasn't even the kind of person to make an individual for such a pointless purpose. Besides, her making her appearance and telling Expedition Zero of what was truly going on had already planted the seeds of doubt within Verso's brain.

He and Renoir attempted to convince everyone that the Paintress was the force driving them to live, but the others wouldn't believe things they couldn't see. And because of that... they had to go. 

Verso, in that moment, sought to write his thought process down in his own expedition journal.

He knew that it would come down to this one way or another, but there was so much things to tell Julie that he knew she wouldn't believe. He wouldn't ask for forgiveness, but he would ask for a sliver of understanding. This world was made by a child that just wanted to have fun with his family and now it was a product of destruction. This child was still out there somewhere... and was still painting without surcease. 

Verso had to make a decision--in doing so, he wouldn't look Julie in the face because he knew he'd end up explaining everything else and sound crazy while doing so. But in that moment, there was just a boiling rage at being captured without having her listen to anything he was saying; it was as if Julie only heard the things she wanted to hear and wouldn't listen to anything else. If she and everyone else listened, maybe things could have gone better. 

If Verso hadn't lied or kept things from her... like this reality and you being a Sorcerer, maybe she could have accepted it despite having a close-minded process of thinking. Julie was blinded by her sense of righteousness, just as Verso was. They weren't so different, and that was what he liked about her when the two were friends keeping each other company within Lumiere whilst you were gone... but Julie was always a second option to Verso. 

He never allowed anyone so close but his family and you... and Julie wasn't an exception. Verso knew she liked him, but the feelings weren't reciprocated, and that's when she started to snap out of it; that's when Julie started to question everything, and that's exactly when Verso knew that he couldn't fool her for much longer. 

It may not be okay when he has his mother bring Julie back... but maybe Verso would be able to start over--maybe he would be able to explain everything to her this time. Even if she would hate him and would stay away from him, Julie would know the truth. That was all she ever wanted from him, and this time, Verso would be able to give it to her. 

It won't be forever. Even if some painted creations are modeled directly after those within the real world, they still deserve to live as their own. Everyone within the Canvas deserved to exist. 

Verso will accept any outcome if he was able to fully fight for it. 

However, both Verso and Renoir knew that they and Alicia couldn't go back to Lumiere anymore. Another expedition where only the Dessendre family survived? Yeah... they'd get exiled anyway, so they may as well live out in the Continent. Renoir considered defending the Paintress personally... and as his children, Verso and Alicia followed his head.

They would eventually head back to the Monolith and would continue to defend the Paintress... but it wasn't the life Verso wanted. He didn't want to spend his entire life protecting this place, even if it was with his family. His immortal life completely dedicated to his mother... Verso didn't want that. He only had a couple of days out of the month to spend with you and if he had to spend the rest of his immortal life just killing people and Nevrons while you were aging, he would crash out.

The recent events were already pulling Verso away from his father, so by the time he talked to him about his decision, an argument had broke out... and then a fight. It was the first time the two had raised a hand against each other, and Verso felt terrible because he knew that his father was trying to convince him of what was safer for him. 

Verso didn't hate him, but his father's love hurt. Painted Renoir's love was so overprotective to the point it was controlling and never left any room for his family to breathe. Painted Clea had already been taken and Aline had been trapped at the top of the Monolith. Painted Alicia had been created as a scarred teenager with blame that wasn't hers, and Painted Verso was at the very center of this Canvas' problems. This family was a mess and he couldn't handle it anymore. 

And so, Verso left. He was immediately aware of the silence that surrounded him upon being truly alone within the Continent, as he couldn't hear any footsteps other than his own. There were no words other than his own, with his thoughts being the only thing to keep him company. The only thing remotely alive around him were birds or animals or Nevrons that would patrol their designated areas. 

Was Verso really alive in the first place? The abrupt thought stopped him and made him really think of his situation: He was created after a dead man who he really isn't and has memories that aren't truly his. There's something about having a face and name that isn't his own; his looks, charm, and way of behaving isn't his own, nor are his tastes. The only thing that Verso can truly call his own is his soul... but his mother doesn't wish to accept the fact that he isn't who she wants him to be. 

Verso is the very problem in this Canvas and if he ever wanted it all to stop, he would have to be permanently removed... or have this Canvas shattered entirely. But... Verso didn't want to die--he had desires of his own, and yet, he was a poison that would wilt his family, both painted and real. 

He is the reason his real family ever entered this Canvas... and he's the reason you were created in this hell. What he did to you... Verso never wanted it to happen again. In a way, he started to fear himself; he wouldn't think twice about killing people that found out you were a Sorcerer and tried to do something about it, he never regretted killing Julie despite her being the friend that cured his loneliness back in Lumiere, and... what had happened back with the real Verso and the real you.

The memory itself was still vivid in his mind. He could remember the pained shouts, but it felt as if there was a ringing in his ears. Your blood soaked through his clothes with every cut and he could see red everywhere. The scent of blood... The taste of it when he kissed you... His heart was speeding up and thumping with his nerves, and the way his mind had shifted to even dissecting you because of the desire to truly know you both outside and inside... Verso could feel sweat beading over his face as he took a deep but shuddery breath to calm himself down. 

He shouldn't have shown himself to you. You shouldn't have come here. Because of this, you endangered both yourself and him to the tendencies that lived inside of him. 

Was the love he held for you truly his own? Was it real? The thought that the love he held for you just being inherited made him bite at his bottom lip to the point it bled. 

The feelings inside him... sometimes he wanted to rip them out and throw them away. He wasn't sure on what was his and what wasn't anymore. Verso couldn't process enough to sort them all out and he didn't know which emotion was which. All he knew right now was that he was stressed and afraid of himself. 

Verso didn't want you to come back for him, but he also knew that he would go insane without you. He didn't truly want to lose his feelings for you; they were precious to him and he wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. These feelings made Verso who he was, and he couldn't bear to lose them even if they choked him from the inside and suffocated him until he couldn't think right. He loved you--truly, he loved you and he wouldn't be able to stand living or dying without you. 

Verso loved you, and that made him selfish. His family was being torn apart because of his very existence, and he wanted to keep living for the scarce moments you were here with him. He lived for your half crooked and approving smirk whenever he put up a good fight during sparring, he lived for your deadpan expression every time he taught you new ways to conjure up your Chroma because it was all so tiring, he lived for the moments he and you could peacefully exist together, and he lived for the potential day that you may realize just how he feels so you can reciprocate. 

Until that day... Verso will not die--he must, but he won't--he refused. If he died, then he'll come back, and he'll keep coming back until the both of you have reached the end point. Verso may be created after the image of a man that held a dubious love for you, but his love is his own. A painted creation deserves to live too, and he deserves to love, no matter how corrupted the emotion may be. 

His heart felt warm... but it also ached. Verso felt exposed and vulnerable, the events that previously happened and his current thoughts stripping down the walls he had erected after the fight with his father. He held his own chest and felt the pump of his heart, wishing that he could feel yours too. 

Verso wanted to feel its beating as he put his ear up to it. The rhythm that belonged exclusively to you would become a lullaby for him; it would be a song that only he and you would hear. Not only would Verso be able to hear you, he'd be able to feel you: Your warmth, your shape, and the distinct sensation of your skin tracing along his fingers. Maybe he could trace the stitches on your arms before tangling his fingers with yours... That was Verso's personal heaven. 

Your heart... The heart had been a constant with you when it came to your door, appearance, and bubbling rage. To Verso, he thought of the heart as a... sort of identity you have. Your connection to it made you memorable... but he thought about having it as a nickname only he would have for you. 

The real Verso wanted to practically merge himself with you with an irregular fixation... and the painted counterpart couldn't say that he didn't want the same thing... Your heart was his own--to him at least--and so that was what Verso would secretly call you.  - "My heart."

How did you love? Was it soft with small touches and reassurances that you were always here? Or was it rough like keeping him at arms length but keeping him protected? Did you love quietly like making sure everything would be stocked at a potential home and always keeping contact with him? Would your love manifest in a blunt way where it would always seem as if the two of you were best friends with something deeper clearly seen? There were many ways that someone like you could love... and Verso wondered if he could be the one to take it out of you.

Thinking about it allowed for him to calm down and finally rest somewhere. For the month... this was how it would be: Deep thinking as he wandered the continent and searched everything as if they would hold the answers he seeks. Amidst his thoughts, he wondered if you were alright and if you had found a worthy opponent yet. He was working his way up in terms of strength and combat ability by destroying the Nevrons he encountered, and would be happy to show you when you would come back. 

It was probably from all the thoughts he had and how lonely he was, but when he saw your door appear out of your magic smoke, Verso had immediately pulled you into a hug the moment you stepped out. He had too much time to himself and was just glad to have company that wasn't someone that would kill him later on in life or someone that would betray him in some way. Verso needed someone to trust--someone that won't ever leave him or hurt him after he had been stung every time he attempted to reach out to other people. 

Verso needs someone that he himself won't betray or kill... but he knows that when it comes to you, he can't predict it. The immortal man is an unpredictable variable that will go through various changes in the time he's given. Even if he may be someone that can tolerate the distance from you every time you leave, he won't be able to know if he can tolerate it in the future. No one will be the same in a year, no matter who they are. 

Situations, personal being, the people one hangs around with, their surroundings, and the things they do... Things can and will change, and that scares Verso more than he could really think about. He doesn't want you to change... so he'll cling to you as much as he can before the inevitable comes. 

Verso was probably going through something again... like most times. So, you just let it happen and placed a hand on his back to let him soak in the comfort of having someone by his side. He really needed the assurance after everything that had happened, so he was just with you for a while and was soaking in everything about you.  - Will you change and grow distant from me?" - "What brought that up?" - "Just... please answer." - "... I guess I'll change somewhat in the future, but it's not like we're gonna disappear on each other."

You didn't know how much Verso was counting on that--he never wanted you to leave, but he knew it was bound to happen. Of course you would return, but he didn't want to keep waiting alone for a month. Verso knew that he was being needy and knew that he was being a vulnerable man right now... but he had a right to, didn't he? 

... He didn't know.

At this point, you weren't just his best friend or the one he loved and admired; you were his therapist, lawyer, spiritual and physical help, calming factor, his miracle, and his heart. 

He didn't pull away until he was fully calmed down, but after, Verso quickly apologized for the sudden hug and explained what had went on, allowing for you to listen from next to him. 

It felt so tiring to wander alone without anyone to hear but himself... and Verso knew this factor was only getting worse since there isn't much to count on whilst he's planning for what to do in the future... Wandering the continent and killing Nevrons didn't exactly seem very interesting, but Verso didn't have much else to do and he didn't want to go to the Sorcerer world just yet despite wanting a life with you. 

He didn't really know what to do. Thanks to the decision he made, he wouldn't be able to even get close to his mother. He was now enemies with his father, his older sister was missing, and his younger sister would barely even be visible to him anymore. Verso felt lost. 

Then you outstretched your hand to him. His eyes immediately lifted to look at your stitched fingers and wrist before drifting to look up at you, seeing the faint smirk on your face.  - "I got someone for you to meet."

Just like all those other times, Verso would take your hand and allow you to guide him. It felt even just slight freeing to walk along the continent with you, being able to explore and fight alongside you as the both of you decimated the Nevrons you came across. If Verso had ignored everything else in his life that pointed to the fact that he should die, then it would be just like the old days of when he would follow you while you guided him somewhere.

Your hand was rough and calloused thanks to how hard you would grip your claw hammer whenever you fought, but it just made you more recognizable; just like how your hands would never change their rough feel as well as the stitches etched into your skin, your eyes would never lose that composed and slightly half lidded look. You would always remain as someone that Verso could lean against if he ever needed it--a pillar of light that he could always hold onto for reassurance--and he would never let go. 

He treasured every moment with you and you didn't even know it.

With his hand in yours, you took Verso to meet Monoco and... those two didn't exactly get along at first. They were just... staring at each other. Verso didn't know who the fuck Monoco was, and Monoco knew exactly who Verso was.

... It was super awkward, but now Monoco was wondering why you had memories of him whilst Verso didn't; his counterpart was the creator of this Canvas after all, so he deserved to at least know what happened, right? Well... apparently not. 

Long story short, you watched as Verso and Monoco tied themselves together just to get along. Just to make sure they were safe... you went along with them as they battled Nevrons together and got along that way. Thankfully, the both of them were fucking ridiculous and they used the power of bromance to become friends. You, putting on your glasses because you were off duty and your sight kind of sucked ass, watched all of this with a deadpan, but since the two weren't being awkward anymore, you suppose it was okay.

Verso ended up asking Monoco about a way to travel the continent in safer measures since both you and him couldn't just keep fighting Nevrons every day when exploring.

Esquie would probably love to see all of you again even if two of his friends are different now. You, Verso, Noi, and Monoco... All of you could go on adventures again just like last time. It's a once in a lifetime chance... so you said fuck it and called Noi over when you went back to the Sorcerer world. 

Now that Verso could actually meet her... holy shit, this woman is tall. She is actually 6'10; it was because of her Devil training before she was eventually disqualified, but holy shit, everyone had to snap their heads up to look at her. Noi was as energetic of a woman as ever and seemed ecstatic to have the group back together after so long, but Monoco explained everything to her and her ass was trying to comprehend it. 

The real Verso and the real you are dead... and the painted Verso and the painted you are right here. That explains why you and him seem so different yet the same. The two of you have the same dynamic and have some memories of the ones you were painted after, but you two aren't the ones who had come before. The both of you were painted in grief and were now living through life unaware. It made Noi frown at the knowledge that the both of you were brought into reality without ever getting a say in it, and now that the both of you found each other again even despite the vastly differing worlds, you would be going through this friendship again. 

In hindsight, it wasn't a bad thing. You and Verso got along just fine and the both of you already had a long past with each other that extended to childhood. Verso even had feelings for you that would never die even if the both of you would never be able to truly go back to your identities in a past life that was either unremembered or resented. 

However, the both of you lived in two completely different words and Verso is immortal. You are too, even despite your lack of knowledge about it, so Verso may end up rushing things because he believes that his life will go by much slower than your own. Your job takes you away from him constantly and Verso clearly has an issue with it despite letting it happen time and time again. Someday, he would snap and it might just create a rift between the both of you slowly but surely-- After all, emotional distance between the both of you wasn't tolerable when it came to him.

Physical distance was something else that could be worked around unless Verso would be sure that he won't see you again... and the last time something like that happened, it left both him and you in a morbid spot. 

Keep in mind that Noi and Monoco still don't know what the real Verso did--his painted counterpart has kept it from everyone else as the deeply guarded secret constantly veiled by both truths and lies. It wasn't him that did this, but it was the one loyalty he held for the real Verso: keeping his deepest secret from everyone and making sure it would never escape for as long as he lived. 

While Noi was still processing what Monoco did, this allowed for Verso to scope her out. From her and your dynamic, the both of you were definitely best friends and partners within the Sorcerer world. You and Noi are a brutal but loyal duo that have an intense love for fighting challenging opponents. 

Verso saw no romantic love between the both of you whenever he saw you guys talking, and it seemed as if you were the composed anchor compared to Noi's recklessness. Yet, the both of you were clearly close and would definitely have each other's backs through everything. Noi is a powerhouse despite also being a healer whilst you're completely destructive and can be as devastating as you want when you can get your wounds restored in the end. 

Even despite how close Noi can be with you... there's no romance. Verso began to tense down when he had finally pieced together that you two just had no feelings for each other other than something completely platonic. You two are just best friends and have a huge amount of care with each other because of it. 

Verso suddenly found himself curious but jealous of the both of you. He couldn't explain why he found himself so interested, but he found the line of romantic and platonic in your relationship to be clear and firm despite how much the both of you let slide. 

You'll definitely allow hugs from Noi and will sometimes reciprocate in certain situations, but you also get stunned whenever she gets close to you in such a fashion. Noi allows touch from you since it's mostly when she gets hurt, so there's always a fine line, but Verso doesn't find himself feeling jealous of such contact. 

Instead... he finds himself envious of how Noi is so truthful about herself. She's like a more hyper version of you... and Verso wishes he could be the same way. He wishes he could be truthful and upfront about his feelings for you, but you're always so calm and composed about how you act around him to the point Verso can't tell if you like him back--he also knows that if you rejected him, he would never fucking move on. 

The thought made his heart ache and made him clench his fists. Noi is everything he isn't: She's a woman, she looks good, she's an absolute giant, she hits as hard as a truck, she can give you good fights that make your heart rush, she can heal you with her magic, she's truthful to herself and everyone around her, and she's completely blunt about what she likes. Verso can't be like that, and it's not as if he wants to be a woman either--it's the simple fact that he's a liar that can't even tell one man how he feels for him. 

Verso was jealous of the both of you, but he admired you guys with a fervor. He envied the relationship you two held with each other because there was nothing to hide; there was no dark secret to hold about the other and it was a completely genuine platonic love born of people that truly understood each other.

Envy twisted within him and writhed with a grueling knowledge that he was no longer the one that truly stood beside you. He stood under Noi even with how much time you and him had spent together. Verso couldn't match up to her and he felt his heart beginning to pump. It didn't feel good... It wasn't filled with exhilaration, but rather his self hatred returning to him. He wasn't enough for you no matter how hard he tried. 

No longer was he the one to stand beside you--Noi was. It just made things even more heart wrenching that she didn't love you romantically. Verso was getting replaced and he wasn't there to watch it happen, but he knew that the process and results had already taken place. 

It was a childish desire to always want to be the one to stand by your side... just like how it was childish to want things to stay the same. He loved you but he didn't know just how you felt about him. You gave him more of yourself than you gave mostly anyone else... but you also gave that amount to Noi, and perhaps more. 

Verso wanted to be selfish. He wanted to be greedy. He wanted to be yours. Verso was sick of being just your best friend. He was sick of just admiring you. He was getting sick of you. You drive him to insanity just because you exist as someone he cannot truly visualize himself being with. 

To Verso, you were too good for him. Your complete truths despite the situation, no matter how hurtful or brutal they are, makes Verso envious. You worked under the most dangerous man in the Sorcerer World and held a fearful reputation as his Cleaner, but Verso didn't care for that. He cared for the fact that you had your life entirely sorted out and you knew exactly who you were. Even if he told you that you were just modeled after an unfortunate man that got paired with a horrifying painter, you probably wouldn't care. 

You didn't carry the burden over your shoulders like he did--you moved past it without a care in the world. You had a mentality that Verso respected, admired, and envied. He wished that he could move on from the man he was created after, but these memories, looks, and the family that chained him to resembling to someone completely disgusting... 

Verso hated himself. He hated every inch of who he is and who he used to be. He hated his feelings for you, he hated just the kind of monster he could become because of you, he hated the fact that he would murder other people for you, he hated the fact that he would choose himself over his own crumbling family because of you, and he hated you. He hated you so much and was sick of you, but he could never get enough of you. 

The very fact that he lived was a poison for his mother--who was already deteriorating at the top of the Monolith--but the very fact that you lived was a poison for him. Every part of this Canvas was a slow acting poison that acted like an aphrodisiac, easing a victim into its clutches and making them forget what needed to be done... Verso was only human and was completely taken under his drug: You.

Countless times, he could have thought about how he would free his mother from the Canvas and erase it for the sake of the ones he loved... but instead, they were spent fantasizing about you and yearning. 

He promises that he tries to keep thinking about his family--He swears. And yet... you always win because you leak through the crevices without him able to seal them fast enough. And like always... Verso falls for the same trap; the phantom threads of his resistance fray and snap strand by strand before he's engulfed in the relieving poison that unravels his dreams and mind. 

It was just admiring and envying you over and over again, delving his twisted and enamored being into the spiraling dark. You can say one thing and Verso will be hung up on it and will look at you like you hung the stars; you can lay a hand on his shoulder or can grab his hand to guide him and he will feel it everywhere in his body like a wave of warmth rippling through his skin. Verso's heart would swell and he would find himself wanting more. 

Your touch made him realize how cold he was without it. Your warmth and the familiar sensation of you made him realize just how hollow and numb he truly felt when he just let time pass. Your hands, so rough and stitched but familiar, made him think back to how it used to be... back when the both of you were just children hanging out with your father in the Joinery. 

He craved and needed more, no matter what happened. You always gave him little bits of contact and he wanted more--Verso wanted your love and your attention. He wanted your touch to trail just how you felt about him down his skin, Verso wanted you to talk to him like he was the subject of your interests, he wanted you to look at him like he was the only one in your world, and he wanted you to taste him as if you were starved and desperate. Verso was insatiable and he couldn't help how much he enjoyed the thoughts swirling through his brain. 

What could he try to make any of this happen? How far would he go? How much did he prioritize you over the safety of his own family? What would he do to replace Noi as the one that stands beside you? 

The answers flooded his head, but these answers all sounded so... appetizing; all of his options would make you hate him... 

Verso knew that envy and self resentment had homed itself within him for a while now, but to think about bludgeoning Noi's head in... He felt terrible, even if his mind kept showing him the image. If Noi was gone, then this would leave Verso as the only one on your mind. He could fill in the gaps she would leave in your heart if he came to live in the Sorcerer world with you... but if you found out of what he had done, this would permanently separate you two. 

But this would leave him on your mind forever, even if it's only thoughts of killing him... The thought shouldn't have filled him with a morbid exhilaration, but... it did. Verso would have to kill Noi as many times as it took, given her regeneration and her status as an immortal; not only would it be a good fight and made Verso's heart begin to rush, but it made him think of just how you would try to kill him time and time again. 

He could just imagine it: You could split him into pieces with your magic, you could dig the forked edge of your clawed hammer into his head and brutalize him until Chroma would eventually regenerate his wounds. You could mess up Verso's body beyond repair and he would take it all with an infatuated smile, but he couldn't be the only one to get hurt... You wanted an opponent that gave you a real challenge, right? Verso will be the one for you. He will be the only one that gives you a rush in a real death match...

Verso will slice up those stitched arms and fingers of yours once more and will stab you right where your smoke pools within your body. Your confusion over the lack of your flowing smoke will allow for him to take more of your joints down to prevent you from moving... And when you inevitably fall in this battle of endurance and attrition... Verso will be the one to keep you with him once more, and this time, he won't leave you alone; he'll be free to love you as much as he wants without ever having to worry about competition.

His body is already getting hot and bothered and he hasn't even gotten started on killing Noi yet... God... only you can give him these emotions... Only you can drive him insane like this... How he loved you... and how he hated you... No one could ever take up as much space in his mind as you could, and it made Verso despise himself. He didn't even know if getting you to love him would be able to get rid of such emotions either.

But Verso doesn't even know how you feel about bisexual people or gay men. Actually--you seem like the kind of person that really doesn't give a shit about them. You're probably fine with them--but are you gay-? You don't like Noi romantically and you never paid much attention to Julie, but you also never paid much attention to guys either. You're just at a completely chill temperament with both genders and it's actually pissing Verso off. 

He needed to ask in one way or another, so he just decided to ask Noi. - "Hey, do you know if he's gay?" - "Huh? I don't know. Let me ask him." - "Wait no, please don't-" - "Yo, Verso's asking if you're gay." - "I dunno. I'm not picky."

... That was humiliating. But... you're not picky? He'll take it. He might have a chance. 

Anyway, with all of you guys, that put together a party of four and allowed for an expedition to Esquie's spot.

It didn't feel like it would before; this wasn't an expedition without worries when Nevrons were around. Still, it was as if everyone was being gathered for one last adventure around the Continent. Hopefully Esquie still had his rocks and didn't throw them up somewhere-

The only bad thing about making your way there was that the Nevrons had gotten weaker. All four of you couldn't get the fix you wanted for your battle high and so you may have had to spar with each other in the days that it took to get to Esquie's place.

And thankfully, the entrance to it was just wide open, allowing for everyone to just enter as they liked and absorb the familiar surrounding that was rocks and water. A mime and a Petank here and there, but nothing everyone really needed to attack; they were kind of just all chilling at the bottom near the water with a few mushrooms and geysers. 

The fastest ball in the Canvas hasn't changed one bit--Esquie is as energetic and as whimsical as ever, so he never changed in terms of personality. He was definitely glad to see everyone once more... yet he could see that they all differed in some way. 

You're strong as hell with stitches around your arms and fingers... and you had that wacky heart mask that you always wore backwards--completely different from how you were back when you still lived as a Human. But when you had the mask off, your sight was completely wack so you had to wear glasses that just made you look... bitable to Verso, honestly. He likes the glasses on you... a bit too much. 

Said immortal Dessendre was now traumatized and had a self hatred that reached the heavens--in which he himself couldn't reach with how much people resented him. He deceived, betrayed, and killed many... All that resentment would pile up at some point, but it was a weight he carried over his shoulders every day. 

Noi on the other hand was completely jacked and practically immortal herself. Her healing magic would just restore every wound she'd take and she's a practical tank that can fuck anyone up with a single punch. 

Monoco... well... he's obsessed with Nevron feet now. 

Esquie however has stayed stagnant. Oddly enough... that was comforting. The very image that he, the ever so mythical creature built like a giant stuffed toy was still as comforting as ever made everyone smile, no matter how faint. He seemed enthusiastic to go on adventures with them all as well. 

Everyone was here so... may as well.

One problem though... He lost his rocks.

Okay bro. Okay.

Knowing how everyone is when it comes to Esquie, they helped him get his rocks back so he could fly around the Continent as he wished. It was then that an idea came to Verso: If he could get Esquie to help the other expeditions reach the Paintress... naturally with some help from Monoco or you and Noi... maybe there would be a chance. The only problem was painted Renoir. 

He had most likely already gotten stronger and was with Aline right now considering there was no barrier. No one could harm the large Paintress that sat in front of the Monolith as if she were in a bad dream every day, and it's not as if she does anything anyway other than lower the number on the Monolith every year. Plus, the way deeper to the Monolith was filled with Nevrons recreated from Clea's ideas. 

Plagiarism.

Renoir must know this lack of sufficient defense as well, which is why he's preventing any expeditions from getting close to the Monolith; so far, none have been able to even set foot on it with him as its protection.

If Verso can just look at the expeditioners and see if they were any good... this could go well--the problem however was that there would be many more search and rescues that knew who Verso and Renoir were since they helped with the shield dome and many more, so he couldn't just walk up to them completely. 

Verso would have to wait a while before he would be able to scout out the expeditions... In his time... he could explore the Continent, or he could spend his time with you and Noi. 

Gain knowledge on the continent, the Nevrons, the challenges, the terrain, and the Axons... or open the door to the Sorcerer World and live amongst another race to learn everything about them. The Sorcerers, the Devils, the culture, what kind of world it was compared to the Continent, what kind of person your boss was, and just how you lived as his Cleaner. 

The latter was tantalizing and seductive, the thought of being able to live with you and be with you forever calling to Verso like a light in the dark. He could be closer to you and could have more of the presence that soothes the mental wounds engraved upon his soul. 

No. Non. He can't. As much as he wants to, he can't. He needs to--his family needs to leave this Canvas--they need to be safe and--fuck... Verso can't think. His mind is jumbled... 

One at a time. His family's safety is his top priority and he needs to make sure he can save as much as possible. 

Okay--his family- His real father is trapped at the bottom whilst his mother is trapped at the top... Alicia is presumably outside of the Canvas whilst Clea is taking care of a solitary war with the Writers outside... Verso doesn't know where painted Alicia is, nor does he know where painted Clea is... but his painted father is guarding the Monolith... 

Saving everyone in the Canvas was damn near impossible, and convincing a crazy woman that doesn't want to leave a fantasy world will be even harder, somehow. That's if Verso can get past painted Renoir first... 

God, Verso just severed every connection he had to saving everyone... He felt so fucking stupid, and now he had to work from the ground up with a stupid obsession to his head. This could take years or even a lifetime to make sure even one thing goes right, so if Verso fucked it up again, he wouldn't have another chance for a while... He needed to go by carefully... 

The expeditions... Verso would probably need to start in about 40 or 30 years to make sure no one recognizes him. Before that time comes, he'll explore the continent and will make sure he knows his way around whilst ensuring that he can also get to know the Nevrons in each spot... He can figure out the weaknesses Aline has... and he can slowly crawl his way towards an ending he's not sure he wants. 

This whole situation isn't about what he wants--it's about what he has to do and the sins he'll have to commit in the future. The resentment will pile and Verso will bear the burden upon his heart and soul; the scar that sits upon his face is proof enough of his karma, along with the blood that's splattered over his clothes and skin throughout the years. He had gone too far and killed too many... and as a result, the flames of hatred would manifest. 

It would continue. Years upon years where Verso wouldn't age... He wasn't sure if his eyes were deceiving him, but you weren't aging either. Your looks hadn't changed ever since he had first seen you and there were never any scars on you when you had come back. Could you perhaps be immortal as well...? God... Verso shouldn't have counted on that thought as much as he did already... but here he was, hoping like a mad man so you could stay with him... Outlive any problems... Live with him. 

There was no gommage either when you had visited the world every month... You had exceeded the age on the Monolith... but it was clear that Noi did as well. The real Verso's darling had created her, so perhaps immortality was in the picture in his mind as well, but God fucking damn it did the painted Dessendre want to smash his head against the wall until it burst. For whatever reason the Sorcerers in the Sorcerer World had never been affected by the gommage. Did Aline just forget about all of them? Either way, it felt... unfair.

It didn't explain why Verso and you had certain memories and had certain gaps in your minds. Unless Aline had made this happen, deleting certain memories or blending them so they could make sense within the Canvas... That meant she knew about what happened... and this gave Verso a faint sense of satisfaction.

She knew what happened and she was still on his side, having created the both of you so that the both of you would maintain a good relationship. Perhaps Verso had kept the memories of what he had done as a lesson... but it didn't make him learn in the way Aline would want. He was completely messed up, his mind having made itself up with what to do.

Perhaps Verso should have been ashamed at his thoughts... and he certainly was, but the concept of what was right and wrong were long since gone. He was so tired of denying himself... and then again, what he had done would make for a wonderful battle to the death for the both of you. Verso would die over and over again in his struggle to tire you out before he would eventually gain his win.

The thought of how many times he could die by your hand... The thought of your anger and your bloodlust all registered his way... The thought of your betrayal and the amount of fury behind all of your attacks... It all excited Verso beyond measure and made him tremble with excitement. Even if this would end with you hating him, it was all worth it.

If Verso were able to die somehow... he would want it to be by your hand. He wanted to be murdered by you, and it was a secret he had to bury in the confines of his heart.

Another secret... but this one wasn't hard to hide as long as Verso didn't think about killing you right next to you... He'd probably end up trembling and biting at his finger again.

Goodness, never mind-- The Sorcerers and whatever Aline did to you two wasn't important. If Verso wanted to focus on the Canvas, he couldn't keep relying on your company to go by every month--Verso had to stay focused. It may have been big news that you wouldn't age, and this gave the immortal Dessendre all the chances in the world to hang out with you. But, this also gave him more chances to find more methods on finding a way to expel his mother from the Canvas; Verso can fully focus his efforts on his family instead of rushing all the time he can with you. 

Years upon years where Verso would wander and find out new things about the world his real counterpart created with the real Clea. The Axons created by his father, the manor doors left behind within the Canvas, and the expedition journals he chose to leave. He would hear about the expeditions and their search to stop the Paintress, their efforts cut short by Nevrons or their own wrongdoings; Verso would occasionally watch some, gauging whether he should join them or not. 

It was around year 69 when the barrier around the Monolith had been erected, only making Verso's goal even harder. Yet, after then, the climbing handholds and the grappling points made getting around easier... Perhaps Renoir had caught onto the fact that the expedition had gotten past him and advised Aline to lift a barrier. Whatever the case, although it helped with the islands, it completely fucked up any plan Verso may have had earlier. 

No way was he joining expedition 60. It was legendary, yes... but... he wasn't stripping down for the sake of... that. And plus, they knew too much. Verso watched them straight up push through the barrier made of pure Chroma with just their muscles... and despite how humorous it seemed at first, it made him realize just how dangerous people truly were. 

He had to keep getting stronger. 

Fighting Nevrons, fighting Monoco, trying to fight Axons, fighting Noi, and fighting you helped him develop his technique for dual wielding. The way the Nevrons were all diverse as well as Monoco, and with your brutal teachings and Noi's endless persistence in battle, Verso was able to come up with something that displayed his own behavior. 

A self sacrificing idiot that can be a speed blitzing berserker. That's it. 

Verso could fight his father like this... He was sure that the man wouldn't die and would only be slowed, but fighting so much and learning from combat allowed for the younger immortal to stand a better chance. 

It was then that he finally managed to join one of the expeditions with Monoco. Expedition 58 had made their way to Old Lumiere, where they had seen Clea's defeated Axon on its knees. Verso could remember attempting to fell an Axon when he was with painted Renoir... only to completely fail. If someone was able to kill a being like The Hauler... who the hell did it? 

Expedition after expedition fell, and Monoco was noticeably growing sick of seeing it. There was an uneven ache within even his own wooden body for seeing these people dying over and over again to the same Nevrons. He had separated from Verso and went to his station, not wanting to see humans suffering at the hands of the painters that refused to touch grass. 

Painted Renoir, Nevrons, the dangers of unpredictable land, and the Paintress killed everyone whether it be mentally or literally. The grand scale of one's motivations with this Canvas determined the bite-back given... and to even live had a greater cost every year. This naturally drifted everyone's wants further and further into the sky, leading to more death and resentment laced through his Canvas. 

From the moment year 49 had struck on the Monolith, things had changed. 

The real Alicia entered the Canvas and was supposed to aid the real Renoir with finding a way to excavate Aline. Things hadn't gone as planned when the Paintress used her Chroma to paint over her own daughter, giving her a life within the Canvas as a regular citizen of Lumiere. It certainly wasn't what the real Clea had wanted... but it would keep her little sister out of trouble until she would remember everything on her own or would eventually stir up trouble in the Canvas. 

In the meantime, Clea paid a visit to Verso and made sure that he kept an eye on Alicia. He was informed on the fact that the younger girl had lost her memories and had been reincarnated as a baby in Lumiere, which was... absolutely terrible timing--lord have mercy Verso was going to go mental trying to keep everything together and in line within this Canvas. 

Still, he would be the only one to do so without looking suspicious, even with the scar over his eye. It was most likely that no one would recognize him either with how long it's been, so Verso would be able to see what changed about the home he used to stay in. 

Though... his mood still felt as if it had been spoiled upon returning considering everything that had happened out in the continent. It was definitely his fault that his own interrogation happened, but it was still irritating to be in a civilization that was previously suspicious of you now having no memory of who you were. Perhaps in a way... it was relieving too; Verso didn't have to worry about having any bad looks cast his way, nor did he have to worry about having to watch where he was going. 

He felt like you when you returned to Lumiere, but it wasn't as if he had committed a crime... Instead, Verso had looked upon all the spots he had previously occupied with you and the people he knew. Training at the expedition area with you or Simon, hanging out with Julie near the hanging gardens, the replaced restaurants he used to eat at, and the Opera House he could have once performed in. It all felt... distant with time, slowly getting farther and farther without him having any power to stop it. 

His time as an oblivious man was over... and now he would look after the next oblivious individual.

Alicia... She was but a baby, but Verso saw that her parents loved her; they carried her small body as if it was a blessing from god, cherishing their time with her before they would inevitably fade. 

Her name, Maelle, had meant "prince" or "princess." Her parents clearly never viewed her as a blunder in life or a mistake in passion one night. Through Maelle's life, she would love. She would grieve for this world, and she will walk a path that hasn't been trudged by anyone before. Maybe when she grew old enough, she would help shape the fate of the Canvas. 

Verso looked upon her small form from afar with a soft sigh. 

His own little sister who would be living another life as someone she truly isn't... He felt a kinship with her... but this was now her opportunity to live. Verso would keep watch in the background, even if she may potentially never know who he is. 

He hoped that his sister's life would shine with truth. Verso may be destined to toil through life mired in deceit and a morbid obsession with the man he admired, but one of his wishes was for Maelle to live happily. 

His brief time of slight prayer was cut off when he had heard your door slamming down behind him, the scent of your magic smoke steaming as the familiar creak of your red door opened up. 

For just a little longer, Verso could enjoy his time with you before he would go back to the inevitable reality of the Canvas. Just like his mother, he could bide his time with his obsession, as vain as it was in the face of what he was expected to be. Sometimes, Verso can succumb to the drug he's loved for his entire life. 

It sounded so trivial... His situation sounded as if he was crazy and completely dependent on you whenever you had made your appearance in his life... and it wasn't completely wrong, but to continue to pay all of his attentions to the strife between his family within this Canvas would have driven him insane long ago if not for you. 

You're like a thorned rose, but he would gladly prick his fingers and hands as much as needed if it meant holding onto you. No matter how asinine or daft he seemed, you would always return to him in your moments of brevity.  

He could wait as long as it takes and would always wait. He was impatient, yes, but he could wait.

For now... it was time for him to enjoy his time with you before he changes the course of your relationship to his liking. 

[thereaintnoway]

I got the feeling that a reader who's also a yearner for Verso would be BAD. Like BAD BAD. I imagine him getting extremely unhealthy addicted to it? Even more so than normally? Someone who would willingly give him the things he yearns for seems a perfect brooding point unhealthiness.

👁️👄👁️

Yandere Verso Dessendre Being Manipulative For 1k Words Or More

Yandere Painted Verso Dessendre x Willing Gender Neutral Reader

Word Count: Shit I don't know probably 1k or a bit over it.

Form: Probably a Scenario

A/N: I actually considered writing something like this, especially since I was always set back by the fact that the reader would naturally be more disturbed by Verso's feelings and would want it to pass. Lord, I'm gonna yap again lol. I'm gonna leave a cut below this because... I don't know how long I'm gonna yap especially since I have El Corazon to finish, but... it's had its time I'm gonna yap about this for a little bit instead lol. Just to clarify for those who didn't even ask: I'm not dead-- I'm working on El Corazon and I have been for the past week. I'm trying to get through the lore of Expedition 33 and I had an idea pretty much... right at the end of my fic but it's 5:00 in the morning and I don't wanna do all of that again so I'm going to think about the idea later. It's probably because I'm just tired and I've been working on El Corazon all day and all night until I saw the scenario request, but writing that 20k word fic is fucking me up.

Personal Tag(s): N/A

Warnings: I Yap Again But Not For Long, Definitely OOC, Gender-Neutral Reader, Verso Is Morally Dubious, Yandere Verso, Toxic Behavior, Obsessive Behavior, Manipulative Verso, I Make Him Mental, And Willing Reader.

This is for entertainment purposes only. The behavior that will be shown is inappropriate and unhealthy, and is not encouraged by me. Please take caution and always remember that you are responsible for your own internet consumption. It's crazy that I have to say this now, but no AI has been used whilst typing this out.

This really depends on how deep Verso is in his obsession and his love with you.

If the reader is a yearner like Verso and he knows early on of how they are, he may still hesitate to act on it because he doesn't know if the reader would love him specifically. But when he knows it's specifically for him and he's had time to fully acknowledge that he's a loser that can't resist the pull the reader gives him? All bets are off--That man is folding effective immediately.

Even for him though, he may just start slow at first. He knows the reader loves him and they want to give him affection, but he's still trying not to overwhelm them with all the... bullshit in his mind. Verso holds the reader constantly and has his eyes on them 24/7, not because he always wants to be in contact with them and wants to see if what he's experiencing is real and not a dream, but because he wants to see if they're really in for this like he is.

The moment he sees that they are, the flood gates will open. His emotions, the similar feelings he and the reader share for each other, and the unmistakable realization that he isn't... entirely crazy for yearning so much. We know he's lived a long time without affection and yearns even without being a Yandere. To add in that factor means that it's just increased tenfold and the fact that the reader can keep up with it is music to Verso's heart.

Verso always gives into affection the reader will give him near the end because he's had enough of denying what he wants and needs. He has never been asked what he wanted when he lives within the Canvas; his mother, father, sisters, and fellow expeditioners never asked, so he stews in it alone and is conflicted as a result. Verso doesn't have an outlet and has these issues in the end, never able to tell the truth unless you yourself--and I mean you--make him do it.

When the reader asks, his wants are... varying and diverse. How can he even tell the one he loves that he wants to destroy their entire world? Even with the reader, he may avoid the truth, but the very fact that they asked made him truly think and would make him realize that they care.

Warmth, devotion, love, and the desire to protect. It thrums through him as he holds the reader's face and simply looks at them like they're the most precious individual in the world to him. The feeling is pure to him and he wants to repay these efforts however he can, which is why he will always stay near his darling after.

It doesn't take long for his wants to grow corrosive.

The reader yearns for him, just as he yearns for them. He's aware that it can be exploited, so that's exactly what he does. The very moment Verso has the opportunity to start getting the reader to look at no one but him, he will take it. Everything about him will be used to compel the reader to stay by his side constantly, whether yearning or not. Verso makes them believe that being right next to him will keep them protected, especially with his touch. Still, there are other forms of keeping the reader with him when he probably doesn't even have to move.

They'll always feel his eyes on them, and when they look at him, those silver eyes that contrast so well with his hair will always look so soft. He's just waiting for the reader to come to him and stay by his side, especially when he looks as if he's spacing out by looking at them. And that's not wrong; looking at the reader just calms him down and makes his guard lower to the point he can just space out while looking at them. Sometimes it might be awkward, sometimes it might be wholesome--it's a 50/50, but it will always have the reader coming back to him in the end and he knows it. Verso will use his eyes and will make the feel of his sight feel familiar; he will make his gaze feel like a comforting embrace.

Whenever available, Verso will be touching the reader in a way. He'll hold their hand whenever exploring the continent, he'll have his arm looped around their side to pull them closer whenever sensing a sort of danger, Verso will cup their face in his hands whenever he looks longingly into them, and more. God, hugging each other after a hard moment is exactly what Verso needs because we know fully well that he has plenty of times that are either overshadowed or ignored because... other things are happening. Verso being able to hug you is him being able to lower his guard and acknowledge the fact that he can't lose you.

The reader will almost never be alone. One way or another, Verso will be around. Sleeping? Right next to them. Eating? Verso probably cooked their portion and is eating right next to them. Small tasks? Still right next to them and helping. Out in the continent? Always right next to the reader and ready to protect. Verso makes his presence familiar and will always affiliate it with normal things so it seems natural. With how the reader is, this will allow them to come back to his side like a natural magnet. His warmth and the natural love he will give off for the reader only makes him more compelling and just pulls them in until there's no way they'd leave.

Verso will let the reader do anything to him. I'm not kidding. He'll let the reader hold him for as long as they want. The two can be laying around and he'll be letting them rest on his chest while his thumb just slowly rubs against the skin on his darling's back. The reader wants to be clingy and kiss his face? It just makes the skin on his neck and face heat up, especially if his darling is always so enthusiastic whenever they do it. It makes him feel loved and he will do it right back but in a more gentle manner. The reader wants to brush his hair? Absolutely wonderful, he'll teach them how to take care of his hair and will let them style it because holy shit there is no way he always looks good with almost any hairstyle. And his natural hair when he's been like a feral cat in the wild before he met you? His genetics are crazy and his face card is lethal. Get mogged.

A n y w a y , him letting the reader do anything they want to him just reinforces the fact that Verso is comfortable with them and them alone. He doesn't let anyone else touch him like this unless we're talking about Monoco styling his hair, so the reader is practically the first. Just acknowledge the fact that he will not let this go without repayment; he will help his darling style their own hair or will give them as much affection as they want in his own time and way. The moment Verso and the reader are cuddling, he's not letting go for hours. Lune wanting information be damned, Verso will glare her down until she leaves. Him spending time with his darling is time with them and them alone, so when someone else interrupts it, intentionally or not, he will get offended. Verso may not make it too obvious depending on how bad the interruption was, but he can and will keep it in his mind.

Petty.

Verso's reader will be slowly isolated so Verso can truly be the only one they look to. Thoughts of their family will subtly be pushed away with him as the replacement; thoughts of the reader's friends will be pushed away when he pulls them closer to him. Verso's control, unlike Renoir's, is quiet and slow. By the time one may realize it, it would be too late for the reader since they're already ensnared in Verso's embrace. The ones the reader was previously acquainted with or were close to would now be distant, leaving a certain immortal as the only one they could truly count on and cling to.

Vulnerabilities... Verso exploits his own vulnerabilities and will manipulate you to keep you with him. He acknowledges that with how dubious his love has grown, he's become a worse version of his father. Renoir's love is controlling but it stems for the love and desire to protect his family. Verso wants to do the same, but he dives deep into his own vulnerabilities and will twist them to make the reader want to help him.

He wants to reach out but he doesn't want to get stung, and he knows the reader will feel compelled to make him feel completely cared for. Verso doesn't want to lose the one he's gained such corrosive feelings for with a fervor, and he knows the reader will fight for him. His identity as a man he truly isn't as well as his guilt for being the one source that needs to die--Verso must die, but with the reader, he doesn't want to. He has wants and needs, and it makes him selfish because the longer he lives, the more his real and painted family deteriorates. Verso has resentment piled on his shoulders and he lets the reader hold him through it--not just because they truly want to make him feel better--but because it keeps them chained to him.

When Verso is making use of his methods, he acknowledges that he himself is getting pulled in and is getting more attached to his darling who is yearning for him so obviously. His methods may attach his reader to his side, but it also attaches him to their side and leaves him anxious whenever he can't be in that position. By relying on his methods, he would most likely get unstable if you weren't even in his sight.

It was in the way his heart started to fill with that anxious anticipation... the way his leg would start to bounce and the way his eyes would scan the area around him. He yearns for the reader just as much as they yearn for him, so the very fact that they aren't around is a rare occasion, and Verso would rather keep it that way so it doesn't happen again.

The moment he even sees his darling again, he slowly lets go of a breath he didn't know he had been holding and immediately pulls them close when they inevitably make their way over to him first. It's at times like these where he and his reader are most content--together and real to each other.

Verso lives for the reader. Verso fights for them. They become his entire world and he removes what threatens it. He manipulates the one he loves, having already lost sight of what's right when his own ways of warping the relationship had started to take a mental toll on him as well.

When the reader yearns for Verso, he will take advantage of both that and himself to ensure that the both of them are chained together. He will take the reader's freedom and make himself the very one that they focus on. Verso will willingly chain himself down to his darling as a better measure, ensuring that there's no room to even breathe.

Every action underlining the reader's want to help him will be under his control and he revels in it. Underlining his own moves, words, and thoughts was the sensual energy that his darling was the only one he would truly love and he would be the only one they would look to.

To Verso, the thought of what's right has lost its meaning; he's already lost plenty he loved before, and he won't have it happen again, whether he has to chain the reader to him or not. Don't get him wrong--Verso loves his darling--he truly does, but his fear corrupts, as well as the feelings he's gained for them before he truly gave up on denying himself.

When the reader yearns for Verso, it lets him become a monster and allows for him to be selfish. He doesn't turn his lover into his pet, nor does he break them or pretend that they're lower than he is. He just ensures that the both of you can genuinely look at each other like the other is the only one worthy of being selfish for.

You know how some couples are so toxic they can turn around to being good for each other? Verso turns you into the same kind of fucked up as he is and I kind of respect it.

[thereaintnoway]

Angel's Eyes {Part 2}

Yandere Self Aware Painted Verso Dessendre x Gender-Neutral Reader Angel's Eyes {Part 1} will be linked here.

Word count: 13.5k

Form: Headcanons

A/N: Happy Late One Year Anniversary to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33. I started working on this on the day of the anniversary so I felt a little awkward about timing but hey, what can I do? Anyway, I happened to figure out something about myself and my writing. Writer's Block hit me hard with this one because my strength doesn't lay in actual creative writing. Things that aren't laid out for me like E33's story leaves me to myself and makes me think. I ended up getting distracted a lot more, but I didn't want this fic to be short. I know people wouldn't mind if my content was short because it's still Yandere Verso, but I'd still much rather have something over 10,000 words, even if it takes a longer time than usual. If you would like to be personally tagged whenever I update, just say it in the comments. I'll tag you in the fic you request or want to be tagged in.

Personal Tag(s): @just-a-shapeshifter08

Warnings: Gender-Neutral Reader, No Uses of (Y/n), Full On Yapathon, 1k Word Recap, Definitely OOC, Mentions of Suicide, Verso Is Still A Gustave Hater, I'm not a Gustave Hater I Swear I Love Him, Teaching Verso Modern Slang, Stalking, Strong Language, (Slightly) Graphic Descriptions, Verso's A Yearner, Toxic Behavior, Obsessive Behavior, Yandere Verso, He Might Genuinely Be Delusional, And I Make Him Mental. 

This is for entertainment purposes only. The behavior that will be shown is inappropriate and unhealthy, and is not encouraged by me. Please take caution and always remember that you are responsible for your own internet consumption. It's crazy that I have to say this now, but no AI has been used whilst typing this out.

Verso felt as if his efforts were completely put to waste within this Canvas. He managed to get the ending he wanted for so long and managed to finally allow for his family to get started on the reconciliation process... only for it all to turn back to the battle before the real Renoir. It all clicked for Verso right then and there that all his efforts were for naught.

His efforts to put the real Verso to rest were for naught, his sacrifice and the look of betrayal from everyone as they were erased with the Canvas, and his very past... All because of this damn game defaulting to restarting everything and everyone, time would be wound back to the Renoir fight. No one remembered anything but him; he remained as the only witness to just how stupid he could be when a fake ending was dangled right in front of him. 

It was never that easy... Life altering shit could never leave him alone. 

Verso didn't want to fight Renoir again, nor did he want to fight Alicia again. He didn't want to become a crutch for his sister and mother, being used to shield their selfish wants. Verso didn't want to be subject to the worst fight of his life, endlessly reaching for an ending that would just loop him back to the past. He was willing to bet that even if he let Maelle win, he would be looped right back to the expedition flag again. 

Verso wasn't willing to live a life he didn't want either, even if it meant that his immortality was gone. His options within the Canvas had been crossed out one by one, and he'd like to believe that after Julie had died, his mind just began to deny that he didn't have a way out. It began to grow stagnant with a desperate belief that there would be a way out, even if it came at the cost of his own comrades. He had his Painted family at one point, but the stagnancy broke everyone apart before they slowly started to disappear one by one--all because of Verso. 

There was no way to access the outside of the Canvas, as he was a painted creation; a painting should stay within its bounds... unable to reach the world outside. 

A creation should stay within its bounds, but it won't-- Verso refused--His mind still had one more chance to look up to. 

His Angel.

When Verso first came into contact with you, he had a sort of... hate toleration relationship with you. Your power to control him wasn't welcome at all, and it felt as if he was having the last of what was his getting ripped away from him. Verso didn't need your help, but yet, he had it anyway. It didn't meld well with him that he had to tolerate your abilities, especially since he couldn't see you or know just who you were. To him, you were a simple force that kept him physically moving. You controlled him like a puppeteer and kept him safe, keeping his life in your hands despite him being able to protect himself. 

The very fact that nothing was his own pissed him off-- Verso's body wasn't his own, his looks weren't his own, his memories weren't his own, his mind was barely kept together, and his functions weren't his own. All he had was his soul, and he felt as if he could barely cling to it without feeling like he hadn't lost everything already. The fact that his Angel never had any bad intentions made it even worse since he didn't know where to place his anger and helplessness. He's had enough of feeling that way, but your clueless presence just made his eye twitch. 

Eventually, Verso would begin to hear the voice of his Angel as well. Your voice and hearing the things you said truly locked in just how broken minded he would be... When Verso thought that he had began to deny that there was a way out after Julie... maybe he was lying. Maybe it was when he had begun to hear you in Siréne that he began to realize that you would be the end of him. You said that "you loved this game" and were in complete awe of it as if everything was just something for you to enjoy. 

Verso had been aware that he wasn't real and that he was a painted creation. He was Aline's Masterpiece, never to step outside the Canvas or experience the real world. To you, Verso was just a character that you enjoyed and ran around as. You sympathize with him and understand why he would do the things he does, but he still isn't real to you. Verso will never be real to you, no matter how much he wants to be. Because of this, there may not be a real understanding between the both of you if Verso ever gave a hint that he was self aware. 

Being self aware has a cost; In this instance, it meant that you were more entertainment than something real. When Verso became self aware for the first time, he ended up losing his will to live; He then became self aware even more for the second time in Siréne, and it felt like his mind broke on him. His sanity and his mind were no longer his own, now corrupted upon realizing that he was just a third rate character that could be manipulated and moved like some corrupted puppet. 

He wanted it to stop. For so long, Verso has wanted his mind to stop. His mind was too loud to sleep and was in too much disarray to truly process how much of a pathetic existence he had become. To be self aware meant that you took in knowledge that shouldn't be known until it would break your mind. The more he began to accept it, the easier it was to give into the warm gratia of having someone's welcoming control over him. Verso couldn't do this alone--He couldn't win against the Paintress or go through any of these events alone... If an outside force was willing to aid him in this task, he would accept it. 

Verso began to give up on resisting and instead went along with your manipulation. The more he did, the more he began to realize that it felt... good. Verso was tired, but now he had something to hold him up in his time of need. He had someone that would help him keep moving. Verso had someone that would keep him safe as much as they could and inch him closer to his goal... even if it meant that everyone else would be erased at the end. 

Truly, he was indebted to you. You helped him get through everything while carrying him through his destroyed mental state of being. Verso, at first, only ever used your power as a means to be relied on in battle and exploration. Yet, now, he was entirely reliant on it and reaching for more as if it were a sort of drug. And you know what happens when one gets overly reliant on a drug. 

Perhaps it was something alike to that of an unwanted addiction... but Verso felt tired and he felt no other way to truly process everything. He could only look to the omnipotent being that helped get him through the harder moments of his life. If he went without you, Verso probably could have gone through it all on his own, but it most likely would have rendered him without direction. He felt as if he was lost when Act 2 ended, only for you to be guiding Maelle instead.

Call it irrational, but Verso felt an uncomfortable amount of possessiveness right about then... He had no reason to feel this way, but he could see that Maelle didn't even realize she was being controlled by you. It felt completely natural to her, and the realization that you could have been controlling everyone the entire time pushed Verso's unpleasant emotions closer to the cliff. He felt unreasonable with the amount of envy he felt for his own sister just because she had you behind her for just a few minutes. 

This envy led to pondering of if he could reach you and where exactly you were. He could always hear you in his head whenever you were active and could always feel you around him, but there was always the very distant feeling of you whenever you weren't currently controlling him... You were somewhere near him... and there was but one chance to figure it out. 

Just one chance to find you, and Verso would take it. It's not as if he had much left for him in this Canvas anyway. Everything within this Canvas was a game, and if it was just that, there was a way to get back to the past and a way to see what would go beyond. If he could somehow go into the functions of this game, then he might just be able to get everyone and everything back... Verso might be able to get the ending painted Alicia wanted. 

He took his chance and went beyond the bounds of the Canvas, allowing for himself to slice right through to watch as the coding of Expedition 33 exposed itself to him. There was too much to catch onto at first, especially since he didn't know just how to manipulate it... Layers upon layers of coding with walls that extended deeper in... Verso had to slash past every layer until his eyes finally landed on the screen connecting you to his world. 

You were right there... but there was a screen separating the both of you. If Verso sliced through, then he could risk breaking the one thing sourcing him back to you and that wasn't a risk he could afford to take...

That had been before the expedition back to Lumiere, but now after everything, Verso's desperation had reached an all time high. He was on his last leg and his only chance was to try and reach you. The closer he got to your screen, the more desperate he was beginning to feel. It's obviously been on his mind to get you to know that he was self aware at least once, but he could only ever give small hints that you obviously didn't catch onto. Right now was the moment where he would attempt to reach your world.

This could end with him completely breaking the one link between him and you, it could end with a complete defeat on his end, or it may end with him turning into petals just by trying to cross into your world; but to him, it was all worth it. Naturally, if he was in his right mind, he probably wouldn't do this, but he's not. He's desperate and he felt insistent on chasing this one chance that fully presented itself to him. 

With one slice of his Verleso, your screen split open. Verso grabbed the sides of the slashed screen, now ripping it open even further and allowing for his hand to outstretch past the coding.

There was no feel of his hand evaporating into petals. There was no numbness... and it felt as if the atmosphere was different. Verso could keep going. 

He immediately began to push the rest of himself through the rip in code, allowing for his eyes to finally land on the familiar surrounding of your room. He was immediately aware of the distinct feel of it that was different from the canvas: The soft scent of what he presumed was your shampoo and body wash, the light feel and atmosphere, and the music coming from your TV... It was something new, but what caught Verso's attention the most was the feel of his current surroundings. It never had anything heavy like within the Continent or within Lumiere. This place seemed devoid of worry and was perfect for enjoying oneself. 

No wonder you felt so at ease and looked so carefree whenever he saw you... This was your safe space... and Verso just so happened to drop in. However... where exactly were you? He knew you had walked out of the room for a little while to do something whilst the credits of the game were still rolling... so you were most likely still in the building. Verso could hear the clinking of plates as well, so you were probably washing dishes right about now, but he could also hear you talking with some people... Maybe you had some people over? Friends? Family?

He decided to just wait in your room and think of how he would be able to convince you to let him stay. Verso would undoubtedly have to take things slow, especially since he had to explain the fact that was just a video game character. The thought made him grimace... Verso wanted to be more to you than some character you control... When he explains it all to you and you finally adjust, that would allow for him to change your perspective on him. The longer he would be able to stay, the longer he would be able to connect with you.

Verso knows he looks good and he knows he has charm. He'll be able to give subtle hints, he'll be able to get closer to you, and he'll be able to repay all the love you gave to him tenfold. 

But as for how he'll be able to convince you... If he wants to live with you, then he'll definitely be taking up space... Do you have any roommates? Do you live with your family? That'd be a problem, but Verso never heard or saw anyone in your room... There were people over, however, so he simply had to assume that they were roommates or just visitors for the day. You never seemed to talk to them either whilst you were playing through the game, so... perhaps they weren't important.

He needed to go through your information again when he gets back into the coding... but for now, he was still thinking whilst sat on your bed. Did you even have a lover already? The thought made him grimace... but if you did, he had plenty of ways to split your relationship apart-- Wait, no, you didn't. He didn't see anything like that when he went through your info... You actually might be free, thank god-

Getting a job may be hard when there's no proof of Verso's existence, so he wouldn't be able to provide. Even if he's immortal, he still has the want and need to eat, so he'd be taking up your resources. Maybe he should just pull you into the Canvas--No. It's way too early and Verso really doesn't want to explain you to everyone to risk them becoming self aware. If they become obsessed with you like he is, he'd have to code all of them out of existence and would end up ruining what his painted sister wanted. 

Either way, he'll be staying whether you'd want him to or not. The second you'd know he's real is the moment Verso is locked into this moment, and when you know that he's fully aware of you, he won't be able to let you go. He never intended to, but he knew that you may go into shock when you saw him. Seeing a random man in your room can do that to you, but Verso would have to convince you that he's not here to harm you for all the parries you missed against Simon and Osquio-

He's here to do just the opposite, in fact. Verso is here to give back all the love you gave to him when you guided him. He just needed to... communicate with you first.

The moment you walked into your room, you completely froze upon seeing Verso sat on your bed. The moment he saw you, a faint smile immediately grew over his face. But for you, you had no idea what he was doing. Of course you recognized who he looked identical to, but to you, Verso wasn't real. You ended up thinking he was some random dude that ended up in your room. You just pointed at him with a weirded out expression like that Spiderman meme, but before you could do anything, Verso quickly got up and shut the door behind you so the individuals outside wouldn't be able to see anything going on.

Verso also made sure to reassure you that he wasn't here to kill you, having to keep you still and make sure you wouldn't try to get out. There was much to explain, and he knew he had to take it slow. Where could he begin? 

Well, he had to convince you of who he was, for starters... Obviously, he was Verso. He even summoned his Verleso with his Chroma so you could believe him better. Same voice, same looks, same charismatic personality... but how did he get here? Yeah, that was the part he had a hard time explaining, so he just had to use his Verleso to split the coding in your TV. 

You requested that he stayed in there for now since you had family over. 

He'd obey any request but that one. Besides, he could always blend in and say that he's your boyfriend. You just gave him a slightly weirded out look alike to that of when one would hear something out of context, but Verso only faintly smiled in reply and tilted his head like the idea itself wasn't stupid. He wanted to stay with you, so he found no want to go back inside the game.

But realistically, this was a convenient opportunity to get closer to you. You already knew him, and it was his time to know you. Being able to camouflage as your lover would be helpful to him, and Verso would naturally take things slow since he knew you were still adjusting to the fact that he was... sentient and heard all the simping you did over him. He saw you do the IShowSpeed face when he brung it up. The embarrassment coming from you was palpable... but he felt more flattered that you considered him hot enough to simp over. 

Well, considering he wasn't leaving and your family was in your home, you had to do something about him... and something told you that his ass wasn't leaving. He probably wasn't going to hide either, so was pretending that he was your boyfriend the only answer? Unfortunately, yes. You didn't exactly understand why Verso wanted to be your lover so badly either, but he never told you of what being self aware cost him. 

Verso wants and needs. He's selfish and he's a liar. You know this and you understand his decisions. You would relate and would do the same thing he did to save your own family, but Verso still isn't real to you. He's just a video game character. 

He wants to be real. He wants to be real with you, but he would always be just a character.

It was his turn to protect you now... If he was your significant other, he would be able to protect you and repay the love you gave him for the past week. He wouldn't tell you just how deeply rooted his feelings for you were, but he knew that they were real. Even if he wasn't real to you, his feelings were. Verso loved you and he's determined to show it to you. Being a fake boyfriend was just a way for him to get closer to that goal. 

Verso would be more than you could ever want or need. All those comments about how good he looked and all that time you spent dressing him up so he could look his best... You could do it all again, but Verso would be able to reciprocate this time. Go ahead and dress him up as much as you want--Just let him give you the love you deserve.

Convenience was his best ally right now, and it allowed for him to meet your family right away. Verso remained charismatic and got along well with your parents as he stayed beside you. The both of you played along with a lie that would spiral into something much more, with you finding out just how much Verso really knew about you. Thank god he cut deeper into your code and looked into your information, but he could tell that the amount he knew about you was unsettling.

He mentally promised you that he would tell you that he wasn't a creep... even if he is. He knows your name, address, number, card info, IP, everything. Verso knew that he would be going through your information again whenever he would inevitably be forced to go back. Anything that included you, he'd go through it, but you didn't need to know that- All you needed to know was that Verso knew the necessary amount of information to be your stalker boyfriend. The more this would go on, the more he would know. This truly was working out in his favor.

It seemed to be a whole day with your family. They didn't seem to expect you to find a boyfriend like him and were pleasantly surprised with you, even if you were... somewhat disturbed with Verso's extensive knowledge on you. You barely even knew what was happening. All you knew was that the man you played as in a game was now standing next to you and pretending to be your lover. And here you were, spending an entire day with Verso and your family. To put it short, you were disturbed.

You may not know it now, but it was like how it was when you were controlling Verso. He felt just as disturbed about this, even if in a different way. And the more he would get to know you and stay, the worse it would get; Whether you would like it or not, Verso would get closer and closer to you. You didn't know why you found the thought somewhat frightening, but you felt the need to get away from him. It was just a gut feeling from you but you thought he was... odd.

You could be completely wrong and Verso could just be normal, but how did he know all your information? He talked like everything was normal; it was as if he was a controlled fountain of knowledge. Verso had completely melted into the role of being your significant other already. He had the small touches down and was looking at you as if you were the only one for him.

Keep in mind that this is still a random man to you... This is a random man that knows your personal information and is pretending to be your lover. You know he can kill everyone in the room if he wanted. He didn't, but what if he did? The more you thought, the more anxious you got.

Verso naturally seemed to notice this. He was still going too fast. 

He lowered his hand from where he was touching you, but he made sure to keep his peripheral on you to make sure you were comfortable. No matter the small smile you put up, Verso could see that your shoulders were slightly tensed and your eyes kept flicking to him every so often.... Were you scared of him? The thought made him stop--He didn't want that--How was he supposed to get you to love him if you were scared of him? Verso had to think about it whilst he was still talking to your family-- How could he fix this?

This wasn't going right for him, obviously. Not even an hour in and he's already fumbling the bag. This man is internally panicking. The moment your family goes away to do something, he's already pulling you into your room and apologizing. He is folding under zero pressure and he's trying to explain himself so you can be at least a little less frightened of him.

See, he just wanted to get you comfortable, and now he realizes that the small touches probably weren't helping his case when he came out of your TV screen and looked through all your information. Considering your family had no idea of who he really was, you were the only one he really had to look after.

Slower... He needs to go slower. Verso took a deep breath and began to answer your questions. He explained his time in the code as well as how it leaked into your personal information. Your TV had your wifi, and your wifi was connected to every electronic within your home... so Verso was able to look through everything that belonged to you. That's how he knew about your family and your personal life. He knew it was a creep move, but... he never thought he'd be able to go through the screen to truly meet with you.

Verso explained that he had no real idea of why he was the one to gain such sentience after being nothing but a line of code within this game. He was just used to convey a moving story, but here he was--living and... breathing. He's painted into a Canvas, but he's also a line of code that ascended beyond his purpose. Verso found something new amidst his broken mind, and that just so happened to be you.

It wasn't your fault that all of this happened... If this was a popular game, then many people knew of his existence as well. Yet, Verso didn't know if any other copies were sentient, nor did he know if they were able to leave the screen like he was. The only one he was ever focused on was you.

This was way too fast but he told you of his feelings for you. He knew you didn't know about his sentience back in Act 2 or Act 3, and he knew you didn't understand. Yet, Verso felt a love for you that went unrivaled by anyone he's loved before. He wanted and would protect you better than anyone else could, so please just let him stay. Verso will do anything you want. He'll take over with chores and he'll help you around the house. He'll find a way to raise money. Verso will do anything. Just let him stay with you.

... You had a feeling that he'd just stalk you until you said yes, so... you agreed- A small smile immediately grew over Verso's face as he thanked you... but you made him sleep on the couch. 

He could see the vision. His back was going to get fucked up- 

Even though he was supposed to sleep on the couch, you agreed to let Verso stay as your fake boyfriend and would show him around so he would get familiar with his surroundings. This would allow for the both of you to be unbothered by randoms and would get Verso gather information whenever he wished. Knowing him, he would be able to do it without much problem.

The one thing Verso would have a bit of trouble with is adjusting to a normal life. He's lived his years hindered by Nevrons and immortality to the point he's just used to having to be on his guard all the time. He's glad to be safe with you, but he has no real idea of how to live in a place that isn't the Continent. Verso naturally understands the basics but you'll most likely have to teach him the more you two get acquainted with each other.

The real problem right now was Verso's feelings for you. If he fell for you when he was just behind the screen and feeling how you controlled him, if you would go further with anything, then just how bad would he get? You didn't want to push it and you didn't want anything to get lost in static... even if you're letting him be your fake boyfriend for now.

Should you even be letting him stay here? Wouldn't there be some sort of limit to how long he can stay in the real world? Is there a way to somehow get rid of his feelings for you? You know you admired him and simped over him a little back when you were playing, so that could have made it worse, but would there be a way to somehow redirect his feelings to someone else?

... With how he's looking at you, definitely not. You're gonna have to deal with this for a while. Okay, maybe living with him for a little bit wouldn't be too bad. You just had to get used to it... and just not pay too much mind to the fact that he's a video game character that came out of your TV... He's just your fake boyfriend, he's not a game character.

The both of you walked out of the room and went back to hanging out and speaking with your family over more carefree topics. Verso still stayed close to you but he seemed less tense and was slightly more free with his replies.

Verso got the shovel talk... and you got second hand embarrassment; but know that Verso will take his title as your boyfriend to his "real life" grave. There was nothing that warmed his heart more than to hear the shovel talk from your father because he was your "significant other." If Verso can take it further and be your future husband, he'd truly be all yours.

When your family finally left, you could only sigh and sit down. This day didn't go how you expected it to... You had a fictional man that was infatuated with you and he was going to stay in your life at least until he returned to his own world. But with the way he's acting, the chance of that happening is slim. 

Living with Verso wasn't a very bad experience though. He doesn't seem as if he'd be a bad roommate— Oh, you know the best thing? He doesn't start problems either. Verso is completely chill as long as you don't mind him hanging around you a lot. 

Well, considering that he spends his time with you, the both of you end up talking about your world and the things going on with it. Not much news goes on in the Continent and Verso was never really interested in what went on in Lumiere, but tons of shit was going on in your world. He could listen to you yap about it all day and you probably wouldn't even be halfway done with what occurs in your world.

Please, the modern slang would get to him- - "What the hell is 'rizz?'" - "Uhm... Being charismatic and flirting, I guess." - "What is 'gooning?'" - "UHM- Let's search this up-"

The very idea of Verso having a phone is somewhat amusing. You just let him borrow it for a little bit and he doesn't know what to do with it. He's not particularly bad at technology and he adapted to using the Lumina Converter easily, but there's a fine line between something simple and something advanced. Your phone has almost everything in it-

He can barely type. It takes him thirty seconds to type a sentence because he accidentally presses the wrong thing and ends up deleting all of it.

Please do not teach him slang. Please do not teach him slang. Please do not teach him slang. - "Tung Tung Tung Sahur?" - "I question why I ever thought simping for you was a good idea." - "Simping?" - "I dug my own grave with that one-"

Yes, have fun explaining... But that's the thing... Verso would happily listen to you yap about whatever slang is going on in this time. As long as it's you talking, he could listen forever. Sometimes you can see him looking at you with a small smile and his head tilted. He looked as if he was invested and just waiting for your next words. It really seemed as if he was hanging off of every word you gave, and it gave the slightest flutter to you.

Keep in mind that this man is still attractive to you despite being a stalker and a line of code within a game. This fucker isn't some fat old man, but a handsome individual with damn good hair and striking eyes. You know what Verso is capable of; you've played as him ever since he first joined in Act 2. You know how dangerous he can be all on his own, and now he's your devoted problem.

Even with how attractive he is, you can't let it distract you.

To get your mind off the topic, you decided that you'd show him the actual functions of Expedition 33. Of course Verso knew how it worked when he saw the code, but he didn't actually see it for himself. So, you decided to show him and boot up the game. Surprisingly enough, it didn't crash even despite the lack of Verso's coding from within.

Starting from then, he could recognize the main menu music. It made a faint smile grow over his face when he heard it. Perhaps he recognized that the music could all be abbreviations of the pieces he used to play for his family, but having it differentiated like this was beautiful too. The thought that his pieces were able to be enjoyed... most likely with all of them having piano and different instruments in them made him content.

You decided to start a new game so Verso could watch it through. Starting him off with a masterpiece was the wrong decision, he'd end up getting picky in the future.

Anyhow, new game has been started... and Verso is already slightly squinting because you were starting as Gustave... The obvious avoidance to the man made you softly chuckle and muse about it, making Verso look at you with a slightly exasperated expression.

He didn't exactly want to tell you why he would avoid Gustave, even if the answer was obvious to him. Verso just didn't like how much you enjoyed the man. His moveset was so... limited and he was an endlessly naive man with aspirations too big for his body to handle. Naturally... he didn't say that to you since you'd probably take it the wrong way, especially since you knew he let Gustave die. 

You then proceeded to ask if he could save him this time.

No. Absolutely not. His face said it all with his eyes looking to the side and the faint scowl on his lips. Verso couldn't fathom why you wanted him to save Gustave so badly... It wasn't as if he was real any-

... He couldn't say that. Verso couldn't even think it. He was... He was just as fake and real as Gustave was. The only difference between the former was that he was just more aware... Gustave never got the chance to be, and as much as Verso wanted it to stay that way, perhaps he owed it to everyone to at least try. They wouldn't know why, and if it wasn't for you, then Verso would have let this exact loop happen countless times... He would have watched Gustave die time and time again despite being able to stop it, but one ask from you could change up the story and events.

He really didn't want to do this though... Verso was a selfish bastard. The thought of keeping Gustave alive and having you pay more attention to him... He really didn't want to do this... If he changed up the story, there's a chance that the others would get self aware as well... If they began to know about you... He wouldn't be able to bear someone having a chance of becoming as self aware as he was and figuring out that you existed. 

Wouldn't you be happier if it was just one person that was so devoted to you instead of so many? Verso could do so much better than them... They'd be too much to handle, but he's just one man. He could be everything you ever wanted in a lover... but you want to save the man who barely mattered? Verso understood that you enjoyed Gustave's character and that he grew on you. He even understood that Gustave was one of the reasons that everyone had gone so far... That man was even one of your reasons for continuing.

It was always known to Verso alone that he despised the man who would be dead and buried if he never did anything to fix the future. He detested and hated Gustave for even existing; Verso absolutely loathed him. To anyone else, it was a petty jealousy problem, but to the immortal man, Gustave was someone that could ruin everything. You were so attached to him and for what? He was right here and you favor a dead man.

Verso was real and right next to you and you still favor a dead man. What was Verso missing? Why did you love Gustave so much? What did he have that he didn't? Was it the prosthetic? Did Verso need to cut his own arm off and replace it with something like Gustave's? Was it his brilliant mind? Did he need to cut his own head open and check what he could change? Was it his behavior? Just what coding could he fix for it? Was it his relationship with those around him? He could just automatically fix everyone's relationship levels to 7...

Oh, how he envied Gustave for being so likable... Verso envied the man with his entire being... He was so tired of him because he knew he could never be like him. Verso already tried to be like one dead man and he couldn't match up to it; what made him think he could be like Gustave? Why couldn't you just pay attention to him? Verso just wanted to be the only one on your mind... and it wasn't as if you never looked at him. Verso was just greedy and he couldn't get enough.

He wanted to tell you of his feelings so badly... He wanted you to be aware of just how much he lost when you started to guide him, but he knew it would only freak you out. Verso was now forced to keep his emotions inside despite wanting to go tear a dead man in half. Yet, he would rather not be despised by the one he loved the most... so, reluctantly... he agreed to save Gustave. Even if it would reset all of his progress and would make him go through this journey again and again... if Verso could be controlled by you, he would be fine with it.

He quietly watched as you played through the game, letting him take over sometimes so he could get the hang of parrying or dodging. The window for parrying didn't exactly seem too tight, but it wasn't an obvious one either. You just had to know exactly when to parry, with the dodge giving you the exact timing to press the deflect button. It seemed like quite a generous game... and since Verso had seen some of these move sets before deflecting wasn't actually all too hard.

Verso seems like the kind of person that would go through every inch of a game, especially if it's the one he's from. He'll take in everything, remembering what changed and he'll even tell you about the Lumiere from his time. The places he enjoyed and visited and even where he lived. He knew you'd seen the place before and unlocked all the Manor doors, but some things went without elaboration. Luckily for you, Verso was here, and he was ready to info dump on you about Lumiere.

He kept telling you stories about the stores and the flower gardens. Verso looked almost... wistful as he spoke, his eyes somewhat half lidded and his smile soft but widening ever so slightly. He reminisced about the past with a clear enjoyment, even if most of his life afterwards was complete suffering. Verso wanted to go back for at least one day...

Alicia's letter... She dreamed of an ending where both the painted family and the real family could live in peace. She wanted Verso to give it to Maelle to see if she could achieve this ending herself, but the man had forgotten to give it to the younger girl. As a result, Verso's painted family was gone whilst the real one remained in turmoil in and outside the Canvas. If he could code the game, perhaps he really could change it... He could fix all this himself and live peacefully with you.

Still, this meant he'd have to go back into the code and truly spend hours just wiring everything to fix what he fucked up. He'd gladly do that, but... he's with you right now and he'd rather put that time to the fullest...

So to delay having to go back to the Canvas, he had you put the game down and had you show him any other games you had. Quite a few... Verso could tell that you were passionate about them too. You clearly enjoyed showing them to him and even enjoyed letting him play some; He was absolutely terrible at them by the way, but it was okay, he was still learning-

It's a 50/50 on whether he likes Minecraft or not. Either he thinks of it as his personal Canvas and a game he can play with you or he views it like the Canvas... Like the real Verso. Either way, yeah, Minecraft is pretty fun- Verso is still creative- Depending on the materials he'll either make a homeless shelter or the most beautiful thing you've ever seen, no in between. - "We're not living in a dirt mushroom house." - "It's okay, I've lived in worse. And besides, the sun is going down. Didn't you say mobs spawn?" - "We're not in your Canvas, there's Dark Oak wood right there- You have an axe, use- Hold the button, you're stripping the wood, not chopping it-"

You two already have a wonderful dynamic going on and it's because of video games. Who says they're bad for people?

The both of you played for a good portion of the day and got some good progress in before you decided to rest. You still had work to do the next day and had to be responsible sometimes, as lazy as you may be afterwards... so, you had Verso sleep on the couch.

Lord have mercy on his back, he had to sleep with his pillow to his spine💀

When morning comes along, Verso's definitely the first one up. He'll cook for you and wake you up and everything. If you didn't have an organized schedule for when you ate or when you woke up... you do now- Verso's practically a househusband now. He'll cook and clean and make sure you're ready for the day. Him being in the expedition and him just being alive for so long in the continent made him proficient in small tasks such as this.

Verso's cooking definitely isn't mediocre considering the amount of time he's had to provide for himself. He definitely ended up cooking for the expedition as well, but to have you enjoying what he provided felt like a dream... If he had more time to cook he'd make you small lunches too. Perhaps tomorrow, but for now, he just made you a breakfast and watched with a blissful smile as you ate. Those eyes of his were dangerous-- They are pathetically cute when he wants them to be. - "Stop looking at me like that." - "Like what?"

This asshole knows what he's doing and you know it. He knows you know.

Verso having the look of a househusband made you think of Tatsu from The Way Of The Househusband. It made you squint to think of it for a little bit, making the man in front of you tilt his head. He asked what you were thinking about and you said you thought about seeing him in an apron and sunglasses. The thought made Verso arch an eyebrow before he smiled and nodded.

... Huh. Okay, if that made you happy. Dress him up to your content.

Anyhow, you had to go to work. This left Verso alone for a good few hours... He could either explore your home or he could adjust the coding within Expedition 33. Verso had a few hours to work before you came home. He could make some decent progress before he comes back and decides to make food before y-

... He didn't know your schedule.

Verso proceeded to look around for a solid thirty minutes looking around for your schedule so he could know when to get back. It was then that he realized that he had connections to your wifi and your electronics. Verso felt stupid as hell for a few moments, but he quickly made his way over to your TV before using his Verleso to slice into the code. This allowed him to peer deeper and look through your information once more...

... Alright, he can get back before then and start making food for you.

Verso soon started to think: What code would he have to switch around within your game to fit that of Alicia's letter? She revealed the truth to Maelle and wished that both families would be able to survive despite one side believing only one could live. Maelle had lived amongst both sides for a long time, so perhaps she would be able to find an alternative to what Aline or the real Renoir had planned.

It may not be who Alicia wanted this ending from, but Verso would be the one to bring upon the ending his younger sister wished for. A Life To Dream... He could finally fix everything from within the Canvas and can help his sister achieve the ending she wanted... If he could do this and return to live with you, this would render his life complete. He didn't need anything else. No one else and nothing else was needed in his life... just you and only you.

To make this ending, Verso had to make some files disappear... and he had to recreate some in their place. There would be no guarantee that he would be able to simply go back as much as he wanted to repeat his process if he messed up, so he would truly have to think this through if he wanted to complete this. Verso never ended up making any actual process aside from deciding just what he would delete and replace. He was simply within the code, reading through everything and sorting through what he figured was important or not.

This task would be a tremendous one... He truly had the world of the Canvas and the one outside of it in his hands... Verso could create and delete what he wished... It felt just like being a Painter, but this time, Verso really did have control over everything. To have such daunting ability after only being limited to Chroma... he truly was indebted to you. Once again but not really, Verso was able to take control of his own life.

His own life... The thought made his heart pulse--It was a pulse of both anxiety and exhilaration. For a long time, he's wanted to be his own person, only to have numerous things stopping him. But his life was taking a wonderful turn... Verso wouldn't be reduced to being a dead man, nor would he be a 100+ year old painting that resented his own life. He would be a simple individual that will live as your househusband.

He has your schedule recognized, he has your information recognized, he knows the kind of food you enjoy, and he knows exactly where you work. He even knows your hobbies and knows your favorite restaurant. Verso practically knows everything about your every day life and it hasn't even been that long. He absorbed every bit of knowledge that included you and ended up remembering all of it as a means to win your favor and truly capture your heart.

Yeah... Coveting your heart sounded perfect.

For the rest of the day, it seemed to go by with a wonderful flow. Verso put a small break in his thinking and rearranging of the coding in his game, made a good dinner for you, and made sure to clean up after himself before keeping you company whilst you did... whatever. Playing games, yapping to him about whatever, sometimes asking him questions about the Canvas or what he wanted to do, or just enjoying your time with your hobby.

Verso had a feeling that this was how it was going to be for as long as he stayed here. This felt so peaceful... He never wanted to leave... This life with you was nothing short of his dream life.

Your scent curled along the surroundings of the house, your voice either lifting or lowering in tone as you gamed on your TV, being able to see your furniture and hear the sounds of people walking beyond your house whenever he woke up in the morning, and even being able to eat breakfast with you... This was but one of the peaceful days he would have, and there would be more in the future.

When was the last time he felt so free of worry? He didn't need to think of any Nevrons, nor did he need to think about his immortality. Verso didn't very much need to introduce you to his family either for obvious reasons, but he also didn't want to. The thought of you being all his to treasure and love in knowledge is all that he needed.

For the next few days, you warmed up to Verso. On small occasions, Verso started to play the piano whilst you were chilling in your room, allowing for background noise as you hummed along and continued with your activities. You would even let Verso accompany you as you went shopping for groceries. He seemed to carry the bags and follow you like an absolute gentleman--We love that for him. 

He makes sure not to be in his expedition uniform whenever he goes out too. Verso knows he may end up looking out of place. 

He put the Civilian outfit on and you told him to put that shit back. You knew you wouldn't be able to stop staring if he kept that on, so you made him put Renoir's suit on instead. What you probably didn't know was that Verso just wanted to see you react to him personally in this outfit for you... He was tempted to ask whether you liked what you saw again, but he knew he'd probably get ghosted for an hour- Verso will just have to wear it later on when you were more comfortable with him.

Sometimes, whenever the both of you were out, you'd show him around and would treat him to small activities or foods you enjoyed so he would get to know his surroundings. Whenever the both of you would be out and about, it always seemed to give Verso the feeling that he was out with his lover. He couldn't always stay in the house if he really wanted to live in your world, after all. Plus, if he knew his surroundings, he wouldn't need to follow you everywhere to know where everything was.

Verso would be able to get the groceries on his own, get some gifts for you, perhaps get some work of his own, and would be able to help provide for you. He could release some piano pieces, but they sounded so alike to the soundtrack of Expedition 33. Perhaps he count paint a few pieces or let people request some art from him. God knows what kind of requests he'd get but he'd probably have to start somewhat low considering his family isn't very much real in this world...

Imagine him figuring out that his parents are references to real life people- 

Getting back into that the world of painting made him grimace though, so maybe not... Maybe Verso would just stick to piano... Still, he has the gift and talent for painting, so maybe he should put it to use...? The longer he stays away and allows for a skill to rust, the more time it'll take to refine it once more.

He couldn't hesitate on this. Verso didn't want to bring you into the Canvas, that would just complicate things. Then again, it would make some problems easier... If he would be giving the perfect ending to those in the Canvas, then wouldn't it be better if he really could bring you in? There would be no interruptions from outside, and Verso would be able to keep an eye on you. He'd be able to protect you.

One of the reasons he wanted to leave the Canvas was because he wanted to personally protect you, after all... He wanted to be the only one for you. What good was he if he couldn't provide for you? What kind of man would he be if he couldn't accompany you everywhere and be the very gentleman you may just need in your life? He knew he had problems but they were all things he could work through or personally code out of existence.

Verso wanted to protect you, but how far would he be willing to go? The thoughts he had whilst he was still within the Canvas... it really seemed as if he had went insane and you truly didn't know the scope of his emotions. You simply thought that he was a man with small feelings for you. You let him stay here and you let him start off as a sort of friend to you.

What were his feelings for you in specific? They were all so intense when he was still in the Canvas... He was desperate and he was running on fumes until you had caught him and began to help him.

Verso felt as if he was indebted to you... He felt grateful for your control and your aid. He wanted more of it and viewed it as a warm gratia. This all felt so simple though... It never felt as if Verso was able to truly think on how he felt because of how much things he had to do. There were so many things that weren't organized and that included his thought process.

Who were you really? You weren't an Angel; You were a completely normal person with a normal life. You're a kind individual that was letting him stay even with how creepy he may have accidentally presented himself as on the first day of your meeting... You're an understanding individual, even if you may be choosing to ignore the fact that he quite literally came out of your TV. You're a completely normal individual with no special traits... but he found himself infatuated with you.

Verso was mired in self hatred and mental wounds that stretched as far as the eye can see... He betrayed countless and had desires that rendered him unable to truly speak to someone unless he wanted to be abandoned. Verso was scorned and unable to expose himself, but he found it in his heart to rely on someone else to help him--but not just anyone--an Angel that had no idea of his sentience. This immortal man was guided and just led to his life goals without you wanting anything back.

Truthfully, Verso didn't think of you as an Angel. A God was more fitting.

His mind couldn't add up the amount of gratitude he felt for you. It all felt garbled in his head, even as he attempted to try to think. He revered you, but it didn't feel like enough. It felt as if whatever he may try to do for you will never measure up to what he truly wants to hold up to you. Protection wasn't enough, nor was providing for you. Verso just couldn't think of how he could give everything back.

You gave him love when you didn't know that he was sentient. You gave him the best of the best and dressed him up so he could look as good as possible. You controlled him and made sure he got along well with everyone. You let Verso grow into someone beyond his programming.

He wasn't a line of code anymore. Verso could have been a glitch that started to malfunction when you came into the picture... His nature as a self aware individual was already accounted for by the code considering he knew the truth about the Canvas, but it only intensified when you came into the picture. You gave him love, but you also gave him suffering. You didn't know just how much you gave him or made him lose, but you pushed him to the very brink; That's why he was allowed to break past his original purpose.

Verso's heart could barely handle the thoughts and emotions he has for you... He loved you and he needed you. You consumed his every thought and desire. 

You don't understand just how much Verso will let you get away with. He will let you do whatever you wish with him as much as you'd like. Puppeteer him, love him, hate him, hurt him, or even kill him. Verso will take it all with a smile--He'll even thank you for it. Verso may not understand why you'd do all of that to him, but he will accept it all with complete faith. Yes... he loves you. Isn't that how you made him? Didn't you give him so much because you loved him too? 

Verso has many wants and desires, both simple and complicated. Considering your control has always felt like a warm embrace, what Verso wanted from you was a simple hug. Give him a small kiss and a smile and tell him that he did a good job. Hold him close and let him rest in your arms. Let Verso finally relax and close his eyes and just never let him go. Run your fingers through his hair and let him sleep to the feel of your touch on his scalp. Let him rest on your bed with you and just tell him that he can finally rest...

With that new anniversary hairstyle, the hair goes crazy and he won't mind you doing whatever you want with it. If you can just play with his hair while he rests with his head on your lap, he will die happy. Braid his hair, brush it, run your fingers through it, he doesn't care; This man will wrap his arms around you and will happily sleep the time away. Verso just seems to have the feeling that if you brushed your fingers through his hair, he'd start to get sleepy.

You'd let him rest like this, yeah? He's fought enough, hasn't he? Yeah... he has. Maybe he'll lift your hands to his face and gently nuzzle into one of your palms... maybe give them a few kisses and let you just hold his face... Verso would savor it all and just take in the moment... and just think of how perfect you are. He'd even let you hold his face while he looks up at you with completely lovestruck eyes.

You're completely normal, and yet you're out of his league... To think Verso hated you before... and now all he wants to do is adore you. You'd let him do that, won't you...?

God... you're too good for him. He can't ever think of how to truly explain how much of a mindfuck he was going through right now. His Angel turned out to be the most normal individual in all of existence and he's still being a pathetic yearner.

Just give Verso one chance...

He needed to tell you how he felt, but he also couldn't have you slowly distancing yourself from him as a result; Verso's not stupid, he knows that what he's feeling isn't healthy. He also knows that the longer he waits to tell you of how deep the extent of his feelings go, the closer he is to tumbling off the cliff and falling further into his love for you.

Right now... there are none that can get in his way. Your family loves him and you have no roommates. You never told him about any friends either, so he's in the safe zone. Verso can take his time as he'd like... He can keep being your househusband, even if the two of you weren't even in a relationship.

He's been fantasizing about you so much to the point he forgot to think of what he would have to do if someone tried to get in between you two. It was bound to happen, whether it was because of you or him.

One of the best things about being in your world was that it wasn't like how it was out in the continent... People weren't very adept at combat and weren't able to defend themselves like Verso was. He knew you wouldn't want violence, but sometimes, people don't learn. Verso will just have to... temper them a little bit and be rough with them so they understand. Violence isn't always his first option and he'll always try to keep it polite with someone that tries to get in between you. But sometimes it just doesn't work... so roughing them up and warning them is his next option.

Verso just really hates people that want to intrude on his business and never get the hint. He will also never threaten someone; instead he warns them. When he does, he'll even make sure to watch them from afar for a little bit to see if they'll try to reach you regarding what he did. If they do, then it won't be hard to go back on his no killing rule and make them disappear. Besides, it's not as if you'd notice. They're not exactly important to you... and the price of one life is just a small thing in Verso's pursuit of your love.   

Maybe he'll even steal their money too-

He can already imagine your reaction when he just held out a wad of money to repay you for all the stuff you already did for him.  - "... Where did you get this?" - "I mowed some old lady's lawn, don't worry about it-" - "But you were here pretty much the whole day-?"

Verso's more controlling than he seems. He doesn't really stop at just watching you. If he's already with you, he'll keep constant contact with you to keep you away from people he deems as troublesome. Constant contact already keeps people away, but if there's bold people, then he'd be happy to give them a death stare. He can still use his Chroma as well, so he'd feel happy to get them alone and dispose of them that way... but he knew you wouldn't approve of it.

It wasn't "moral", and he understands that this world is different from his. Verso wouldn't kill someone over something as simple as trying to get with you. However, it was still immoral to try and steal another's lover when their future husband was right there... Verso was just going to teach them some manners.

Who did they think they were? Verso was spending his valuable time with you whilst you were available after work and this person felt as if it were appropriate to interrupt with such disrespect? If this was going to become normal, then he might actually drag you into his Canvas. He understands you having friends and family but he won't tolerate anyone trying to get so close to you in an intimate fashion.

Verso trusts you, but he doesn't trust the random people that might come up to you. Every time that Verso stalks you, you may be able to feel his eyes on you. Verso is always aware of where you are, and will never be too far. It won't feel overwhelming, but you'll always be able to feel his eyes on you. He has a specific feel to him that's distinct, but it feels more like he's just watching over you than anything.

Somehow, his stalking is more like him being your guardian angel this time. There are times when Verso doesn't exactly want to be found though, so he'll actually try to conceal his presence so you don't feel the slight pressure of his eyes on you.

As much as you may feel protected under his gaze, there's still the slight dread at being actually stalked by this man. There's a quiet dread at being stalked by a man that has capabilities beyond your measure.

You had to tell him to stop stalking you when you got home- He definitely wasn't going to do that, but hey, that's not what he told you. Whether you know he's lying or not is up to you, but Verso isn't letting you out of his sight at all. He's already the type to be protective and watch over you from the background, so the very fact that he's so fixated on you makes his small stalking problem even worse.

If you began to get more distant from him because of the fact that he was stalking you, Verso would begin to process just how much more dull things were without you. By now, he had already gotten used to having you around and would be used to the sounds that would come from you or your room as you had done whatever, but if he couldn't hear it or if he knew you avoided him, it felt as if he was completely alone again. He couldn't stand the silence and couldn't bear the way you would subtly shift away from him whenever he would make an appearance.

Verso would begin to feel a sort of sickness within him. It was like a pit that would slowly begin to grow larger and darker. He relied on you because you gave him the angel's light he craved upon himself, so to live without it left him completely in the dark. His chest would tighten and it would ache without you, and it would only further darken the thoughts he would try so hard to hide.

It's most likely common knowledge by now that Verso has been wrestling with dragging you into the Canvas. He doesn't do it because you have people keeping you here. You have a life that you're content with, and Verso trusts that. He just never trusts anyone or anything else around you, which is why he stalks you and makes sure that you're alright through your day. 

When you're out, it's inevitable that people will come up to talk with you. Whether they're some random person, an acquaintance, a coworker, a friend, or your family, Verso will always watch them closely. When he knows that they'll be a bad influence for you, no matter how close they may be to you, Verso just wants them gone. It's only worse with how much you may talk to these people. You smile and laugh with them and it makes his chest ache once more.

It always felt like theft when these people stole a smile from you that should have been directed at him. Verso knew it was unthinkable and petty for no reason, and he never did anything about these people because he knew you wouldn't like it. As much as he wanted to, it would break the still thin threads that bound the both of you if you had found out. And if you did, Verso would have to snap these very strings just to keep you with him. He knew that soon enough, he wouldn't end up caring for what you thought was right or not.

Verso just didn't want anyone coming in between you and him.

He was sick. The pit within Verso's stomach had grown and it would slowly consume him. He wanted to keep you with him, but he didn't want to cage you. Verso knew that whatever he wanted would end up barring you anyway because the world you lived in was terrible. When you were with him, you would never be free. Even despite this... he wouldn't let you go. The moment he was physically in this world with you, your fate had been sealed.

Everything had connected for him when you gave him a home with you. Your kindness made him think of you as a God, but you may be something alike to that of a curse to Verso. You're a consistent curse that would keep giving him chances, and it would pull him in closer to you as a result.

You're not unaware of this fact, but there's already a sense of foreboding. Ever since you figured out that Verso knew everything about you, the feeling stayed within you. You knew this most likely wouldn't end well... but maybe you just didn't want to give this life up and continue with living normally. Maybe you wanted to continue this life even if it included a frightening but attractive man that would never give you up for anyone or anything else. 

Even if it included his family... Verso's thoughts already revolved around not showing you to them when he was close to coding painted Alicia's hopes into existence. Verso loved his family, but he didn't trust them. He couldn't and he wouldn't because he knew they would end up ruining his life with you. They would try to pull him back in, but he didn't want that. They would probably try to eliminate you too, and Verso wouldn't let that happen.

He wouldn't want to fight them or even murder them just because he finally found someone to love. Still, he will if he had to. Not even his family would be able to pull him away from you.

He didn't want anything to do with his family, painted or real. Verso wanted a fresh start with you to be free of his past shackles even if he would end up chaining you down to him. He wanted to take and take and take until all of you was in his arms. He wished to keep his angel shackled to him, even if he himself had to tear off your wings.

Selfish... So selfish... He was always shackled to a life he didn't want and now he was doing the very same thing as his mother... Verso is a hypocrite. He's a terrible man, and yet... he can't bring himself to fully feel regretful over it. Ever since he began to have these feelings for you, he was already conflicted with the emotions within and was just trying to... find a way to excuse them or justify them. But now he actively knows they're there and has simply added them to the events he's experienced and the things he has felt.

Verso doesn't want you to see just how terrible of a person he is. He doesn't want you to fear him and instead wants you to see him as a charismatic and charming man that caught your heart in a normal fashion. Still, he's already slipped up a few times. With every mistake, it just sets you further away from him.

Verso can certainly think that he's a patient individual. He waited for decades just to evict his mother from the Canvas, and he'd probably wait lifetimes if it would get you to willingly walk towards him. Verso may yearn, but he's still aware and will still think everything out as calm as he can, as much as he wants something or someone...

He has all the time in the world; He can spiral about the feelings within him and can drive himself insane by trying to downplay everything, but it won't entirely control what he does next. He knows what's important and has self restraint, so the more time that passes, the more Verso will manipulate you into willingly walking into his arms. He will keep everything that goes on in his mind away from your knowledge so you can push away what he had done before.

He knows he's frightening and he knows what he did back in the Canvas... but he won't ever harm you. Verso would rather kill himself than even lay a single finger upon your head with hostile intent. Why would he want to harm you? Why would Verso want to snap the threads that tie him closer to you? He didn't want to break the connection the both of you shared. He didn't want to betray you.

He's lost plenty because of how many he's betrayed and lied to or failed to protect and he won't let it happen ever again. Verso won't let it happen with you, especially since it's his turn to protect and provide for you. So what if you don't need it? It's better to have more than less, and besides, there's always that one occasion where things always take a turn for the worse. Verso will never let that happen, naturally, but it can always happen. Maybe he should let it play out for a little while before he steps in... Maybe it'll let you cling to him and rely on him more. 

Perhaps enough for him to drag you into the Canvas... No. Non. Too much for now... He had to keep convincing you to like him, no matter how long it took. Even if it began to deteriorate his mental state, he would convince you. It would make everything worth it.

For days, weeks, and even months, Verso would live as but a simple roommate that you knew had feelings for you. He would teach you how to play the piano, his fingers always close to yours and his heart never settling. His hands would never stop trembling even the slightest bit the closer he was to you. He felt feverish and breathless whenever you looked at him with a smile or showed interest in his hobbies. 

For months, you and Verso would grow closer. Over this time, he slowly isolated you from the people you once knew. Verso would manipulate you and would slowly intertwine the seeds of doubt within your brain so you could retract as a more reserved individual with other people. He would lie to you so you would grow closer to him and him alone.

Verso will be the one to understand you, even if none else will. Even if not physically--he will emotionally distance you from everyone without you really knowing it. He's a natural manipulator with how much he understands lying and veiling the truth. The fact that he spent so much time with you allowed for him to understand you better and allowed for him to manipulate you even more.

By now, Verso has already made painted Alicia's wish a reality; He coded it so that the painted family could live in peace whilst the real one could live without the Canvas. Verso knew that his painted family would remain stagnant, but he ended up removing their immortality and let them live in Lumiere. Verso brung back those lost (even if he wanted to code out Gustave) and let them live in peace. Simon.. and even Julie. She could live without him and could live without having to worry about his lies and betrayal.

This could be his one gift to everyone in and out of the Canvas, even if it would no longer include him. He wouldn't leave an expedition journal either. The last time he did, he seemed as if he was going to take drastic measures and commit suicide. And if Verso would leave a journal, he would probably accidentally leave a clue about where he's at.

He didn't need that happening when he had you to look after.

Over the time Verso has spent with you, he has helped you endure the hardest moments of your life-- From either stress, not having many people to talk to as a result of his subtle interferences, and possible exhaustion, Verso made sure to hold you close. 

"It'll be okay. You'll be okay."

Previously, Verso would use these words for his sister. In the fire... and within the Canvas when he was about to evict her from the Canvas. Whenever he said those words, it always included a pang of pain in them. Both times were heart wrenching decisions that he had to make for the sake of his family. 

However, now, these words were spoke with a satisfaction that bordered on morbid as his fingers stroked through your hair. He was sat on your bed and was letting you lay against him, finally allowing for him to embrace you for the first time. Your warmth was so much more close than how it was within his game... It was all physical now and up close. You were now under his complete guard and touch, his fingers tracing a tender but dark triumph over your hair and skin.

Verso may have wanted to be the one in your arms at first, but this was just as good. You could be held close to his chest and he could gently kiss your forehead knowing that he was all you sought in the moment. Soon, his time would come where he could be in your arms instead, but for now, he could be your only source of comfort. Verso would let you finally rest with your head against his chest, knowing that times like this will occur more and more. Every time it would come up, he would be the only one your weight would lay on.

Verso's body was a physical barrier separating you from the people you may need in the future; his words were the emotional wall that assured you that he would never leave your side and that you would never leave his. You suspected nothing about him even despite what you had first thought of him in the first few months of when Verso had made his appearance. Unknowingly to you, Verso had painlessly plucked your wings and entrapped you with bounds of unbearable devotion. 

A simple man that outgrew his purpose and came from your TV... A little weird, yes, but if he was going to stay, why would you deny him? Verso would become a permanent in your life, as you would be in his. And one day, Verso will ensure that the both of you intertwine and bloom together.

Verso didn't deserve an angel when he had such selfish intentions and such underhanded ways of making you so dependent on him, but there was no regret in his body. If there was, he would bury it and leave it to rot, never to be seen again. For Verso, all that mattered was ensuring your heart was filled with gratitude and love for him, shifting your previous doubt into devotion. 

It'll be okay. You'll be okay with him. That's all you need to keep in your mind.

[thereaintnoway]

To Understand A Fox

Yandere Painted Verso Dessendre x Gender-Neutral Reader

Word Count: 42.4k

Form: Headcanons

Personal Tags: @nijiiroruinene

A/N: Ever since I wrote the self aware Verso headcanons, I've begun to wonder how Verso would fare whilst going crazy over someone that has the personality Lakan from the Apothecary Diaries. Considering that Verso is obviously a good liar (for reasons that are his own), I wondered how he would act after falling for someone that he couldn't ever understand. I wondered just how he would act with someone that's two sides of the same coin with him. Both liars, but both act entirely different and lie for different reasons. He lies for his family, but you lie for the hell of it and you're just generally terrible. If Verso were to be completely obsessed with your sly fox-like behavior but can't understand it at all, how would he deal with it? That's what I'm here to think of and type about. If you would like to be personally tagged whenever I update, just say it in the comments. I'll drop a quick follow to you before I tag you in my next Yandere Verso fic.

Warnings: Gender-Neutral Reader, You Have Fox Eyes Just For This One Fic, Full Yapathon Once More, Full Spoilers to Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's Act 1, Act 2, and Act 3, No Uses of (Y/n), Strong Language, Definitely OOC Verso But He Wants To Live, You're a Terrible Person, Verso Hates You, Stalking, He Legitimately Wants To Murder You, Graphic Descriptions, Very Slight Slow Burn To Yandere, Fucked Up and One-Sided Hater To Simp, Sadistic Behavior, Morbid Behavior, He Wants To Perform Live Vivisection On You, Slightly Graphic Descriptions, NSFW Content, Very Slight Somnophilia, Masturbation (Verso), Extreme Yearning, Mentions of Suicide, Maelle Kinda An Enabler With Verso's Yandere Feelings, and (Slightly) Forced Companionship.

This is for entertainment purposes only. The behavior that will be shown is inappropriate and unhealthy, and is not encouraged by me. Please take caution and always remember that you are responsible for your own internet consumption. It's crazy that I have to say this, but no AI has been used whilst typing this out. 

Over the time Verso has been watching over his sister in Lumiere, he's seen many kinds of people. Engineers that feel pressured by the Paintress and wish to take her down, children that have been passed between multiple families as a result of the gommage, students born to research about the world and ultimately defeat the Paintress, and people that simply wish to enjoy life. There are those at peace with their death, and there are those that aren't. But there are people that are still determined to change the ticking clock on the Monolith... even if they couldn't do it. 

Between many who cannot do much and those that have the power to change things within Lumiere, it seemed to lay with those in the council; Essentially politics. And in Verso's mind, none of that really interested him. He's heard from previous expeditions on how the people at power were. Most had taken small steps to a goal of which couldn't be reached in time, or the others had simply stayed stagnant as a result of not wanting to give up their position. It was always the same thing, so he tended to avoid it unless it somehow came up in conversation.

Still... Verso considered his little decision as a whim, but he decided to check out those in the council. What he found... yeah, it wasn't very interesting. It was always someone below the age of the gommage limit, but someone that never looked as if they could change anything. Verso still couldn't consider the people he saw as interesting... at least until he saw you. When his eyes landed on you, he could just tell that you were either the best thing to ever happen to this council, or the worst. There was no in between with this analysis. 

Your eyes were narrow and slanted like a fox, and your smile was soft but shrewd. He couldn't tell if you were a man or a woman, but there was just a certain air about you that said you were dangerous. The way you looked at people with carefree and always composed eyes... You looked like a sly fox, and Verso always knew that was never a good case. He could also see that the council members around you didn't exactly like you either. With how unsettling the air around your jovial figure was, he wouldn't blame them. 

It was always people like you that made Verso stay away from politics. The oftenly uncaring nature of those "above" as if the people "below" them don't matter. He thinks you act as if everything is on your time, with everything else being put on hold if you so wish for it. Obviously, he could be wrong. He's only had small glimpses of you through what he chose to analyze before he would eventually leave, but he still couldn't shake the feeling that there was something dangerous about you. Why did you act the way you did?

He couldn't afford to keep his mind on you, but there was something tugging his mind towards you. Right now, you were a puzzle he couldn't understand... and Verso knew he shouldn't get involved with someone like you. But Verso has somewhat enjoyed puzzles... especially when it came to people that he couldn't comprehend. Still, he has no full intent on going through with understanding you. If only you weren't a part of the council... maybe he could have followed you from afar and could have watched you for a little while. But something inside him said that you were... a sharp individual. 

Even if Verso couldn't get in range of you, he could go with what he hears by rumors. Apparently you were a fond of strategy games like Chess, Go, and Shogi, but were "useless in everything else" considering how much you lazed about and told tales like what he saw you doing in the council room. Verso hadn't heard of the last two games, so they were presumably foreign. Just like everyone else, you're below the age of next year's gommage, so you have an extra year to live before you're gone, and you have no significant other of any sort. 

He also heard that you have Prosopagnosia and have only seen people through Go pieces. It would explain why you suck at fostering real connections with people... It's because you can only see them with their worth and actions. Verso could also apply that for why you made for a good Strategist or a good Tactician. Something told him that you really sucked with expressing your genuine emotions to people. In a way... Verso felt bad for you. People found you so unsettling and weird to the point they refuse to get along with you. There even seemed to be a saying to be as far away from you as possible. 

He was sure that you didn't care about the fact that people stay away from you, but he still felt a sort of pity. You couldn't see anyone's faces and had to judge with the pieces of a board game. Not only that, you sucked at making real friendships with people and ended up making them dislike you instead. For such a long time, who knew how long you've been going through this rinse and repeat? It started to remind Verso of his own situation, and that was beginning to irk him. 

Verso decided to think on the more miniature details like who exactly you were. You're some grandly important eccentric that's always two steps ahead of everyone and will always push someone to where they need to be. Moving people like they're Go pieces is what you do best, and it seems like a long game to you. Below your surface level smiles and that look of blank amusement, Verso felt an odd want to learn more about you. You drew his curiosity, and he could feel himself wanting more...

Something he didn't expect was for you to apply to the expedition and resign your spot as a council member when it was time to depart to the continent. Of course he knew you were a Strategist or a Tactician, but he never figured you would be the type of person to quit your position and willingly put yourself in a world that is absolutely terrible. And you should know more than most people, judging from how many expeditions you've supposedly aided before they departed. But you still wish to embark on the expedition... Verso couldn't figure out why. 

There were so many things about you that remained a mystery to Verso. He just couldn't figure you out, and he hasn't even talked to you yet. He knew fully well that he'd have to at some point considering Maelle was in this expedition with Gustave... and since Renoir was going to undoubtedly attack, people would end up dead, and the younger Dessendre would have to step in to aid. And that was exactly what had happened. Everyone landed on the Dark Shores, and they were immediately ambushed by Nevrons and Renoir. Verso could only save Maelle, leading to him having no idea where you ended up. 

At least, that's what he thought until he found you whilst stalking Maelle's expedition. You were in the Gestral Village, having been playing some makeshift Go games with the wooden idiots. Naturally, the brush faced life forms thought the game was utterly stupid when they kept losing. You never seemed to mind and kept up your winning streak with every Gestral that came by. Eventually, you finally saw your group and reunited with them them in your usual carefree nature. Apparently you had landed in the Ancient Sanctuary, allowing for the Gestrals to lead you into their village after you bribed them and said you would help them make better Sakapatates. 

You didn't. You gave them advice as to how to upgrade their Sakapatates, but you let them find the materials on their own. 

You really made it past all these dumb Gestrals that wanted to test their weapons on you? Unharmed? There was something slightly suspicious about that, but Verso didn't have enough evidence to assume something from your position.

Anyhow, since you were now back with the expedition, you were now the Strategist and a part of the last stand team. You worked on tactics with Lune, oftenly pointing out the flaws and things she was overthinking in her plans. So it looked as if the both of you were getting along, even despite your meddling and obnoxious nature as a carefree eccentric. And to be fair, the members of Expedition 33 that had survived were all odd. All of you had quirks that made you all get along, so perhaps you had found a small home with your group... even if you were still insufferable sometimes.

Your relationship with Lune does look to be more like two acquaintances debating. But when it came to her asking you questions about politics, your demeanor would drop into something bored. It immediately became obvious to her that you would actually rather not involve yourself in politics, but will only involve yourself to get what you want. Your behavior really does piss her off... and for whatever reason, Lune is starting to believe that you're just too smart for your own good. There's no such thing as interesting to you unless it's something you want.

You view Lune's "face" as an Advisor piece in Chinese Chess.

Eventually, Sciel had joined the group once everyone had seen her in the Gestral Arena. Conveniently, you "forgot" to tell everyone about her with how distracted you were with telling Lune about everything you had learned within the continent. This time, Verso knew damn well you were lying. You couldn't be a sly fox and lie this time... at least not to him. Liars like you and him may be hard to catch until it's too late, but another liar can always tell whenever the other is pulling a trick from under their sleeve.

But of course... foxes are sharp. Verso saw you look back at him with a small smirk whilst the expedition was distracted with talking to Golgra. The moment your eyes landed on him, he could just feel the slight shiver of alarm going through him. Just seeing you was enough to understand how other people felt about you. It was your eyes and that smirk that really sold the look that you were amused at seeing someone that wasn't in the expedition. He knew you were sharp and that you may have a chance of finding out about him eventually, but he never thought it would be that fast... 

You never did end up telling your expeditioner allies either. You just looked forward, your eyes closed with that sly smirk on your face. Once again... Verso couldn't predict you. He didn't know what you were thinking about upon seeing him for the first time... More like he couldn't predict anything that was in your mind. No change in face, and he wasn't close enough to see if there was any change in your demeanor. Verso knew so many dumb facts about you from rumors, but he didn't know anything important other than the fact that you see people as Go pieces.

It was really pissing him off that he still didn't know anything about you despite how much he's stalked your group. Of course he knew that you only just came into the picture, but there were so many unsolved problems and so many quirks about you that Verso wished to solve. You shouldn't have interested him as much as you did, but here he was, getting irked at the fact that you were barely showing anything to him. No shock upon seeing him--not even any interest-- just plain amusement on that face of yours. It was as if you anticipated someone like him coming along. 

Then again, the thought of people out in the continent wasn't something never thought of before; But it was still rare. People usually went out on the expeditions because they figured they could use their last year of life helping in a hopeless mission. Or perhaps they went out because they had nothing waiting for them back at home. Verso could feel himself wondering which one you were... and just why you kept so much tucked to your chest despite not being in a place of politics anymore. Then again, he couldn't talk. He kept a lot tucked to his chest too.

Soon enough, it was time to get Esquie with Golgra's advice. When the creature of nonsense proposed that everyone gets Florrie from Francois, you volunteered to stay behind... probably because you didn't want to help. Verso could only deadpanned as he watched you talk with Esquie, your amusement with the fastest ball palpable as you taught him how to play Go. You seemed curious on how a legendary creature like him would process through the game, so you played until everyone had gotten back. Gustave immediately decided to scold you about your carefree habits in which you brushed off, much to the man's slight annoyance.

Gustave is so Dad-coded, I love him so much.

In general, the relationship between you and Gustave has been like this. You do something for your own amusement like provoking someone in riddles with your jovial tone of voice, only for Gustave to stop you or scold you in the end. The prosthetic-having man knows the provocations or tales you spout are almost impossible to do or figure out unless someone truly strains their health. Whether this makes you a cruel person for condoning such actions is unknown, but Gustave has his eyes on you even if you're the brains of this operation with Lune. You're invaluable to this expedition, but you're also painfully provocative.

Gustave also knows that you're unpredictable in nature. No one can lie to you without you figuring it out immediately after, or you're sincerely uninterested in matters that don't include Nevrons or life forms outside of Lumiere. He believes that as long as you have the information and games you desire, you are content. There is no cruelty within you, but there is also no kindness within you. To Gustave, as long as you did your job as the Strategist and Tactician of the expedition by getting everyone out of sticky situations, then he and you would have no problem with each other. 

You view Gustave's "face" as the Knight piece in Chinese Chess

When your expedition had gotten to the Stone Wave Cliffs, Verso didn't have much time to watch you guys considering he was getting rid of the stronger Nevrons. Remember that one Bruler Nevron that got smacked off a cliff and into the abyss? Yeah, Verso took care of that one before it could jump all of you. And he continued to watch as everyone progressed to get Florrie. Side quests, items, and paint cages were acquired with your aid, even if you seemed as if you'd rather do anything else. 

Whenever you follow the expedition around, you're always in the back. It could be because you just don't want to fight, and Verso also knows that you're not... interested in helping. You never look behind yourself for any sneaking Nevrons, however... You're not very cautious, are you? It feels somewhat purposeful, but he can't figure out what your goal is. Nothing is ever different about you whenever you decide to be in the back or take over with some activities. 

These activities include the little games like paint cages or side quests, you find yourself of more interest and use... until it came to things like exploration. You lacked in motivation and would rather prefer to just lay down by the expedition flag. The only reason you do go with everyone is because you'll get left behind and you need to analyze Nevrons for weaknesses. 

Speaking of that... whenever you're in battle, you analyze your opponent deeply. Your eyes will almost never leave your enemy, and your eyes are always narrowed as to focus. Battles are strategy to you, and you think of it just like how you play board games. You use your opponent's behavior to predict and find out their weaknesses. When you find it or find a way to win, you will use Chroma to project your plan into the others' heads. Of course Nevrons don't seem predictable since they're only painted creations, but they all share the same nature, and that allows for you to manipulate it or keep your expedition aware. 

Verso never thought of you as someone that could be physically strong, but he was wrong when you legitimately picked up a full log of wood and threw it at a Nevron because everyone else was downed and you really didn't want to keep fighting. *Ahem* Lamp Master *Ahem*- Don't ask how the log got there, but it actually launched the Nevron into the water below the cliff. And as everyone was relieved at this defeat, Verso could hear you complaining and wanting to play some Chess instead of doing all of this. It made him faintly snicker from where he watched, only to realize something. 

You know how all of this goes... The Lamp Master has a second phase, so everyone had to go back to fighting. Revive Tints and Healing Tints were used just to keep people alive because Exhaustion and Dizziness was actually doing its part in annoying everyone throughout the fight. You had to scrap a few battle plans and think of many on the fly too, so by the time you actually did think of something, the team was mostly downed and injured. 

Anyway, Lamp Master was defeated, and everyone was finally allowed to relax when they had given Florrie over to Esquie. You, Sciel, and Lune quickly jumped down to get to a safe spot to relax. But of course, something had to go on from where Maelle and Gustave were. You could all see the electricity from his prosthetic arm exploding from where you were all stood, but nothing could be done since the Lamp Master had come back for a phase three. You accepted your fate right then and there. Esquie's ass did nothing that entire fight because it was "scary". 

Maelle finally jumped down onto him without a word, now covered in Gustave's blood and traumatized at seeing her father/brother figure get murdered right in front of her. Everyone pieced it together without needing to say anything. As Esquie swam away from the Stone Wave Cliffs, Sciel was now comforting Maelle and letting her cry into her clothes whilst Lune and you were already silent, thinking about your situation. 

Well, Gustave was gone. That was one of the Knight pieces gone, as well as a brilliant mind full of creation and aspirations... How unfortunate. You could only frown and think about how the Lumina Converter was lost... leaving Pictos and Lumina out of the picture. If that was gone, then most of your chances for defeating the Paintress were gone. Even with the abilities of your teammates, most are gone by now, leaving another Knight and three Advisors. In any case, this is a dead end, and there's still much that isn't known about the Nevrons and the Continent. If only you had stayed for a little while longer, you probably could have taken a hit for Gustave and let him and Maelle escape instead... Then again, it wasn't like you could just turn back time and fix what happened.

When Maelle was finally able to speak, which was most likely when everyone got back to camp, she explained everything. The man on the beach had attacked once more whilst Maelle and Gustave were throwing rocks... only to get struck from behind. The latter tried his best to fight back against Renoir, only to fail and be disposed of. This left nothing of him, not even his invention or his journal. It was clear that everyone was affected by this loss, but you really needed to figure out a way to keep going despite this. So, you took a seat in front of your Go board and started to move pieces along as to trace your thoughts together. 

Even if Gustave died, you needed to figure out a way to continue. There was too much still unknown about the continent, and your group had only just gotten Esquie. You could now use him to swim around, but now you needed a sense of direction... No one knew where to go, and no one knew what place led into further locations that could help proceed. Exploring everything would take forever and everyone needed to make up for their lack of numbers with strength. But if the Lumina Converter was destroyed, then that takes everything out of the equation. 

Back to Square 1...

You could only sigh and tilt your head back. Gustave dying really did make for a pain in the rear... If only you died instead, he could have kept the squad's morale in check. You would've moved on from his death by now, but everyone probably would've hated you if you did that without at least attempting to avenge him. But realistically, what could you do against a man like Renoir? You understood your limits, and your specialty laid in strategizing, not fighting a man whose abilities you have no idea about. You needed more knowledge... and to do that, maybe you needed to poke the bear a little bit. Even if it did include you either getting hurt or dying, there wasn't a way for you to get info unless you decided to take a good risk.

Whilst your head was tilted back, you saw Verso wandering through camp with Gustave's prosthetic arm and his Lumina Converter. You recognized him as the man who was stalking all of you back in the Gestral Village... and you could only feel a faint smirk tread onto your face. Was that man watching as everything went by if he had Gustave's arm and his invention? If that was the case... what a cruel man. Of course you couldn't fully make that judgement, but the fact that he had been watching all of you for God knows how long and never stepped in is quite the cruel act. 

Verso could already feel your eyes on him once more. And that feeling was back in his body. It was as if you had completely locked onto him. Verso could feel your amusement, but the bad thing was that he didn't know what exactly you could do with this amusement of yours. You were still unpredictable, and you supposedly only did things out of self interest. That was what creeped him out a bit more than it should've. Verso can't decide a good countermeasure if you're... like this- 

It was then that you finally got up from your Go board and decided to join the conversation. With a closer look, Verso could finally see your narrowed eyes and your smile as you gazed upon him. If he was going to work with you guys, there was naturally things that everyone needed to know. But... the only problem was you. When it came to any other expedition, Verso could lie all he wanted at first and no one would know. He could twist his words and misguide people without a problem. But right now... there was a sharp and amused little fox right next to him... and he could tell that he wouldn't be getting away with any lying unless you felt amused enough to let it pass. 

Verso was already going through so much, and he was already realizing just how much your presence was fucking everything up for him. You made him feel anxious and made him feel as if you could see through him. With just one slight widen of your smile or the way your head would tilt, you might know everything he was attempting to hold in. You were dangerous... Too dangerous... Verso had to get you out of the way somehow... but how would he do it without anyone recognizing your absence? 

The absence of an eccentric Strategist would surely poke a few holes in everyone's plan to survive, and everyone would notice that you're gone, whether they'd want to or not. This put Verso in a bad spot if you suddenly went missing when he himself just joined the expedition... He needed to get the heat off of him first... so he would have to wait. Verso was fine with that. He was patient... He could wait for everyone to lower their guard around him so he could get you out of the way before you became a bigger problem. 

And to do that... he needed to get closer to you. Maybe he could use your eccentric nature and your lack of communication as a way to get closer to you like no one else could. He could kill you that way and finally have no risk of you exposing his plan. And plus, it would allow for him to get to know you. You wouldn't be a mystery to him anymore... and he could finally get rid of this fucked up curiosity of you inside of his head. It was like hitting two birds with one stone, and Verso knew fully well he could achieve this. He's done it before... so what's the difference now? 

Verso cautiously told everyone what he knew after giving them the Lumina Converter and Gustave's arm, having to twist his words to make sure no one knew the truth... but he could see your faint smirk widen the moment he did. This man could only pray that you never told anyone about his lies and just shut up. Verso told everyone about his stopped age, how he was in Expedition Zero, how and why Renoir was so loyal to the Paintress, and his own want to join the Expedition. 

He found it odd how everyone so easily let him join their team, but they only had four team members... so increasing it to five would be beneficial. Verso had no doubt that no one trusted him, and that he didn't trust them in turn. He'd rather keep it that way considering what had happened the last time he tried trusting another Expedition... Just for a few moments, his mind drifted to Julie before he quickly pushed her away from his mind. He made sure to tell everyone of the basics and what they needed to know, as well as how he'd be directing them to where they needed to go. 

That was when you stepped in, offering to go over the details with him over a game of Go. Verso didn't know how to play, but you offered to teach him whilst going over the details of where to depart next. And so he did... He took a seat across from you and listened as you explained the rules. Then he started to play--terribly, might he add--and answered the questions you had whilst helping you plan for where to go. But oddly enough, you never bring up his lies and instead focused on the game or the plan.

You didn't need to. Him trying to focus on keeping up his lies while attempting to make good moves was enough for you to figure out whenever he was being sly or not. 

Verso, not knowing this, didn't question it and instead focused on the game. You had him pretty outnumbered, and he was pretty sure you were holding back considering he was a beginner... How ironic. It really fit the situation he was in right now. Despite how much he knew about this world and how much he's experienced in it, you could break it all down at any moment because you knew he was keeping everything tucked to his chest. And if he couldn't team up with you guys... he knew his death would be prolonged... and his parents would fight again when the Monolith would eventually reach 0. He couldn't let that happen, no matter what. 

Surprisingly, Verso brought up his lies to you. He could only grimace once he saw that look on your face again. It felt like a fox was just smugly looking at him and he was about to take whatever he said back, but his family was horrible in terms of grieving and he needed them to touch grass. So, he talked to you about how he needed you to stay silent about his lies. He'll tell you more about the Continent and the Nevrons. He'll tell you more about the past and what he experienced. Just... keep silent about it to the others. 

He knew you weren't the type to really care about telling anyone else. And something told him that as long as he dangled your current wants in front of you, your loyalty was as good as his. By now, Verso knew that whatever you didn't care about always went one ear and out the other, so he figured he would focus on what you wanted. If he could strike a deal with you, he could get an annoying cockroach out of his way. 

But there was one problem... Verso didn't know what you wanted. He didn't even know why you joined the expedition in the first place. You clearly didn't care about the Paintress, you didn't care about helping anyone progress through an area, and he couldn't charm you since you couldn't even see his face. You were just the person meant to counter his every move, and every time he looked at you, he could feel himself getting a little pissed off. And judging from the look on your face... your ass knew it too. 

That fucking smirk... Verso could feel his eye twitching a little. How he wanted to punch it right off of your face. It wasn't even smug; It was so genuinely amused and filled with curiosity. 

You're a problem. You're the biggest thorn in his side and he wishes he could take you out of the equation right now. You're right there and you're untouchable. Everyone is around, and they're all cautious of him. The moment he moved to do something hostile, he knew they'd overpower him and torture him. It was just like back then... and since you were a Military Official once before, you definitely knew how to torture people for information. Your nature shattered any hint of lies Verso had, and... he felt that you were a better liar than he was. It was unsettling. 

Someone who was way younger than him but could lie better than he could was a problem. But the fact that it had to be the Strategist and Tactician of the group... He's in a troublesome position and he doesn't know how to get out. Well... he does, but he doesn't know how to persuade you and he can't kill you just yet. He only knows that you're a damn nerd that likes board games and you're too smart for your own good. 

Oh, how much he hates you already... How much he wants to leave you to your death... but he can't and he hates it. This man despises you, and he knows this expedition is going to be an absolute pain with you around. 

Enough. He needed to get to know you. That way, he could propose a deal with you. The two of you needed to be on equal standing, and he wasn't liking where he was at right now. He was telling you so much... and he didn't even know your interior. Even if he had to keep his allies somewhat close, he had to keep you closer as to make sure you never made any bad moves against him. It was a damning fate to him. Why were you the way you were? You were such a pain in the ass, but he wanted and needed to get to know you better... 

Verso kept playing Go with you whilst analyzing your every movement. Every upward twitch of your lips when he said something amusing to you, and every narrow of your eyes the very moment you knew he would be lying to the others... Verso hated being fully exposed, but if it was for his goals, he would do it. He continued to analyze and speak to you, taking everything you said to mind. 

But no matter what you said, he couldn't predict you or figure you out... How rude of you to be a puzzle he had no idea how to solve...  - "It feels nice when people reciprocate knowledge." - "Is that so?"

He could feel his eyebrow twitch when he saw that fox-like look on your face again. You are such an asshole. You refused to apologize for being so mysterious and off-putting and now it was his problem that you were having a fantastic time. He wanted to choke you and throw you off the cliffside. You should've died instead of Gustave. 

This was going to be his relationship with you. He would be your #1 hater while having to spend time with you because he had to make sure you didn't expose him. He had to deal with your troublesome ass because he didn't know enough about you. And for as long as this happened, he would have to keep feeding you information without getting any back. This wasn't an equal partnership, and it felt more as if he was a sort of... pawn to you. 

He wasn't wrong. When you looked at him, the Chinese Chess piece acting as his "face" read as Soldier; It was the lowest piece you could ever see anyone as. 

Just like the others, he was just a pawn for you to move. It made him look at you with a clear look in his eyes. There wasn't any dullness or a blank look. He was completely clear eyed, giving you the exact wordless explanation of how much he wanted to kill you in that moment.  - "Such killing intent... but will you actually do it?" - "No. But at some point or another." - "Fascinating. Excellent."

Of course you would think of him wanting to kill you as "fascinating". Of course you would want him to kill you. Why wouldn't you? You were probably used to death threats since you're a military official, huh? Either way, he would enjoy leaving you to your death whenever the opportunity came. And don't even think about trying to come back if you survived. He'd rather proceed without you.

Surprisingly, you offered to keep silent about Verso's lies and truths if he kept talking to you about the Continent and the things he's experienced in his time here. And anytime Verso would offer anything, you wanted him to play Go with you. You apparently wanted to see his progression in both the board game and how long he would be in this group. To you, this was all a game. And as much as Verso hated you... he really couldn't deny the faint grin that drifted over his face. 

He hated you and wanted to kill you. How dare you make him so excited and intrigued to play a game like this? You're troublesome in more ways than one. 

Verso continued to play Go with you, stacking loss after loss until you had grown tired and decided to rest. 

Right now... he had lost time and time again, just like in your little offer to him. And if he kept losing, he knew he'd go crazy. The amusement kept eating at him the more he thought about it. He could kill you, yes... but he'd end up a target, and the thought of losing to you indefinitely pissed him off. Verso craves his own version of death more than the meaningless torture the expedition could offer. So... he instead thought of how he could win against you next time, both in Go and giving you information. 

Verso knew victory wouldn't come immediately, so he just had to keep clashing with you... He had to keep losing and give you more wins, even if it came at the cost of his pride. If he can get you to lower your guard... he could win. The thought made him smirk. If he can smile at your downfall, that would be one of the most satisfying moments he'd have in his usually dull life. 

When the next day came along, he had everyone set off for the Forgotten Battlefield. Verso stayed distant but close to you at the same time. Quiet, but he kept an eye on you and Maelle. Said teenager was understandably still hung up on Gustave, still holding onto his prosthetic arm whilst everyone proceeded. Her insistence on burying him allowed for Verso to bring up a spot that everyone could bury the dead man at. And when they started to continue forward... you walked closer to Verso.  - "And just how many people have you buried already?"

He didn't reply. He simply took a deep breath through his nose. In and out... Verso then kept walking, refusing to look back at your faint smirk. 

When he was showing you all defending against Gradient Attacks, he completely ate shit. You were dying of laughter because of it. You were fully tearing up and not being able to breathe. When Verso got resurrected, he could still hear you snickering and could see your lips wobbling every time you side eyed him.

He immediately told you to shut the fuck up before continuing, ignoring your cackles. But like always, you had followed from behind with your hands in your sleeves and that small smile on your face with closed eyes. No matter what Nevron you all faced, you remained in the back, directing the way to win over to your expedition and giving the smallest of support. No matter how many corpses were surrounding the area, you continued with that same look on your face. You were probably a coward that just didn't want to fight. 

No hint of weakness on that face of yours, either. All you wanted to do was play Go, and the boredom still showed on your face through your smile. You really don't care about being here. The only reason you are is probably to keep an eye on him or just make sure people don't hate you. It was probably the latter you cared about more, really. Keeping an eye on him wasn't something you needed to do since everyone still never trusted him. The others would do the job for you, and you knew it, so the only thing you needed to focus on was doing the bare minimum so people couldn't give you shit about being lazy. 

The only individual that couldn't keep up the unbothered exterior like you did was Maelle, who had an emotional outburst. She blew up at everyone, understandably. She was overwhelmed at how none of this affected anyone and how everyone could just continue. Lune couldn't afford to entertain Maelle with her outburst whilst Sciel attempted to console the girl. Verso backed off, and you had only stayed quiet with that smile now gone from your face as to wear a look that was reminiscent of you appraising a board game. 

Of course you thought that losing Gustave was unfortunate, but... losing his brilliant mind seemed more important. Naturally you wouldn't say that though, so you simply looked to the side whilst Sciel did her best to console Maelle. Verso naturally caught onto your lack of care and could only scoff. Were you such an uncaring bastard to the point you couldn't even comfort a traumatized teenager? Before he could think anything else regarding your... ignorant state, the Dualliste had suddenly caught all of you off guard. Everyone had to focus for this one, even you. 

As terrible as you were in anything else, you were perfect for predicting the Dualliste's next movements and the way to win for everyone. The element he was weak to, any possible weak points, and recognizing its every moveset was directed into everyone's heads with your Chroma. For as long as there was battle, you would continue to be a driving force of aid that will move people to where they need to be for the best outcome. 

And of course, your win had come along, allowing for everyone to live and be guided to the burial spot. You only stayed still with your hands in your sleeves as you watched the others mourn Gustave's death. And as you did, you happened to see Verso looking at some of the stakes he had most likely buried here, seeing multiple expedition arm bands brushing along the wind. Clearly, Verso's buried plenty of people, most from different expeditions and some not even having a number on them. Perhaps they were the search-and-rescue teams that had been sent after the Fracture. 

You waited until everyone was done mourning before you finally headed back to camp and finally got back to your board as to plan the next move. For a good while, Verso talked to everyone but you... but he kept an eye on you. This happened to catch Sciel's attention once she caught him staring, procking her question of why he was so cautious of you. The immortal Dessendre's answer was more or so avoidant and more filled with humor as to distract her from how much he really didn't like you.  - "Foxes are pretty sly, don't you think?"

Whilst it was still Verso's turn to speak, he inquired Sciel as to what she thought of you. Her answer wasn't all too surprising at first, but the second portion of what she said struck a nerve of confusion within the immortal Dessendre. Sciel thought that you were a somewhat odd person with how much time you spent in front of your Go board, but she considered you as someone that she could trust with her life. And that answer shocked Verso more than he'd like to admit. These people... they actually trusted you with their lives? You? The sly fox that will only think of their board games and their own amusement? 

Then again... since you are the Strategist and the Tactician... it would only make sense. You haven't steered anyone wrong with your directions so far, and as eccentric as you were, you still aided the expedition and were considered as irreplaceable with your battle plans that guided everyone to victory. Even despite everything you do being inherently selfish and for your own gain, you will help the expedition and will guide them as best as you can with your intelligence. This helps more when it came to asking Lune, who had said you were dependable despite your odd nature. 

Verso then asked if she knew anything personal about you. It would be a perfect opportunity to get some dirt on you to target in case if anything went south... Of course, Lune was suspicious of his question. However, she mentioned that you had a wife and a daughter. However, due to some unfortunate circumstances, the former had died from an illness whilst the latter wanted nothing to do with you. 

What a not so good family life... Verso could relate, but it certainly wasn't this bad. His family at least still loved him enough to mourn him, even if not properly. He probably shouldn't be glad about that since he's actively trying to die- But from what he's hearing... You might just suck at being a lover and a parent, and he can actually target that. Of course he won't do it out of nowhere, but now he has something to hold over you and he knows that he can now piss you off. Verso knows it's cruel... but it's only fair to have this information since you already hold so much over his head without having to try.

Perhaps it was just him making such a ruckus over you in his head though. Lune and Sciel had said you were trustworthy, as provocative and as carefree as you were. It really didn't tone down the fact that he hated you, but he decided that he'd... tolerate you a little better than before. So... after he was done talking to Lune, he walked over to you and took a seat across from you to request another game with you. Seeing your smile of amusement and your willingness to comply made Verso think that this was how it was going to be for a good while. 

The thought of more and more games of Go, each of which he would get better and start to predict you more... and perhaps by then, he'll be able to kill you. The thought felt somewhat distant to him considering he didn't know if you would survive long enough to have your life taken by his hands, but he hoped you did. Maybe things would change and maybe he wouldn't want to kill you by that time, but right now? Absolutely not, he wants you dead in a ditch. 

You questioned him as to what he planned to do now, and he proposed recruiting his oldest friend, Monoco, out in his station. Since the Gestral was relatively close by, he figured everyone could use the extra manpower with how the team only had five people. You didn't need to think on it much, agreeing with that simple smile as you continued to play. And now that Verso thought about it... you truly were tolerable whenever you weren't subjecting him to be your pawn. And you were giving him advice whilst you played with him, whether it was knowledge about the game you two were playing or general advice about life. 

He figured he didn't really need it, but it was getting the both of you closer in a way. Go was becoming something he didn't even care about to something that was played whilst you two discussed expedition plans together. It was certainly better than bland talking, especially when you didn't have that fox-like look over your face. Of course it wasn't anything deep regarding the both of you, but you two had no care for connecting with each other right now; Business was business and nothing more. 

Verso soon brung up the matter of the barrier around the Monolith. Considering it was made of completely dense Chroma, anyone that would attempt to get through it would vanish into nothing but gommage petals. But to get past this barrier, everyone needed to get through Old Lumiere. Verso didn't miss the way your eyes flicked over to him when you heard that name. You didn't seem to believe that it was still standing after the Fracture... but then again, what did you know, right? 

You asked him more questions regarding Old Lumiere, and he answered as he could. He told you about the Axon that had been killed, in which sparked some curiosity within you. Verso could already see the fox-like tendencies with you, so practically seeing a pair of fox ears perking up on your head with your curiosity wasn't very hard to imagine. And oddly enough, it was a cute thought. He grimaced for a moment at the thought of regarding you as "cute".

Still, he told you about the Axons and how they were made with pure Chroma. They mostly stay on their respective islands, but they're beyond what Esquie can get to right now considering they're guarded by corals. And even if everyone wanted to go to them, they would probably get fucked up because Axons are known for being unfathomably strong. Not even Verso could take them down. Then you said "skill issue" and he sent you the most exasperated look that had you snickering. 

After you and Verso had finished a few rounds of your board game with him obviously going down another road of losses, he finally separated as to relay the plan to everyone else. It proceeded as normal, with Verso slipping in a few lies that he could tell you caught onto... then everyone finally separated. Not much happened after. Verso saw Lune and Sciel hanging out, and you and Maelle were playing... Chess. You looked to be teaching her and helping her with a few lessons. 

He could overhear you teaching her how to multitask. Not just in battle, but in general. Like now, the both of you were playing and discussing things with each other. But unlike with how you and Verso would play, Maelle would stop and hesitate on her moves or would come to a complete halt while she responded to your musings. She needed to think on her feet as she fought Nevrons or people. Maelle needed a way to multitask without hesitating to look at one or the other repeatedly. 

... Perhaps Maelle had asked you on some tips as to how you strategized or something. Either way, the fact that you were actually helping her made his shoulders lower for a moment. Your relationship with Maelle seemed rather normal. Not a parental figure to her, but she is your comrade, so you figured you'd help her so she could be more convenient in battle. General advice was offered as well to help the teenager concentrate on both the game and processing your words. Since she was young, she didn't need to think too much on the advice you gave her and instead filed it to her mind for later on in her life.

With how long you had been working with Maelle and her capabilities, you had learned to view her "face" as the Knight piece in Chinese Chess. She had potential to become better in time as she got older. 

The thoughts in his head suddenly questioned why you were actually giving her genuine advice instead of just bullshitting her like you did to him. It honestly irked him a little bit, but he went to his own spot in camp so he could space out or wander about his past again. Verso didn't need to be an ass right about now, so he'd rather avoid you and Maelle for the rest of the night.

Well, by the next day, everyone was now in Monoco's Station. And to now have such an... interesting Gestral on the team was only more fitting to the very odd group. The snitch ended up exposing Verso for not teaching anyone Gradiant Attacks... so you ended up looking at him with that faint smirk on your face, already making him want to sock you in the face again. The Grandis giving the girls new outfits didn't know if you were a girl or a guy, so no outfit for you unfortunately. Maybe if you dressed like one, the Grandis would grant you a pure white outfit of your own...

Everyone denied the suggestion immediately, much to your amusement.

It was now time for Old Lumiere. Everything was going so well... until Monoco decided to go crazy and show off by forming into a Stalact. He proceeded to break the walls that blocked the path off, but uh... he split everyone up. Monoco, Sciel, and Lune were on the left side whilst you, Verso, and Maelle were on the right. 

Because of this very incident and how Monoco was quite versatile with his transformations, you began to see him as the Cannon piece in Chinese Chess.

Maelle regarding how everything seemed like home definitely caught your attention, so you decided to keep your eyes on her as well. Being with both subjects of interest seemed to get you more enthusiastic than usual, based on how you followed closer with them instead of behind. Verso was somewhat annoyed by it considering you were now going to be catching onto more information that he was trying to keep from you. If you kept paying attention to Maelle, you would eventually learn the truth about the Canvas, and he was going to have to remove you if you made a move to tell anyone. 

Then he had an absolutely brilliant and stupid idea to ditch you guys. You contemplated snitching on him to Lune because of the sudden disappearance, but you decided to keep it to yourself until you knew the reason why. As much as it didn't seem like it, when it came to something happening to you and you survive, you're more vengeful than people would like you to be. So depending on how Verso answers this when he comes back, he could be in tons of trouble or he could be off the hook. Who knows? 

Anyhow, you and Maelle explored Old Lumiere with Noco. It didn't take long for the both of you to reach the mansion leading to the Paintress' Heart, meaning it didn't take long before Verso revealed himself and started to clash with Renoir. This was like a soap opera and you were all in for it. But on Verso's side... he really hated the fact that you were watching. All this just meant more info for you, and you already had enough on him. The fact that you were just staying with that small smile on your face AGAIN was pissing him off more.

Lune, Monoco, and Sciel finally joined the group, and clearly, the first woman was not having it. She found the Expedition 58's journal, so she was creating a justified scene over it. Thankfully it didn't continue because Renoir was still right there... so here you all were, fighting the man. And luckily for you, it was your time to get information on him. That chance to poke the bear finally came, but Renoir didn't seem to have any weaknesses. You could only watch his attack patterns and skim out mental ways to play this for a few turns before finally turning up with something. 

You still didn't know his weak points, so it really was no wonder he was so dangerous... especially when he started to charge up a whole Chroma nuke. Now that was unfair. Verso could hear you mumbling about it while Renoir was charging up the sudden wave. And within the next minute, there was a change. 

Lune and Verso were now pissed off, Noco has been broken, Monoco has a dull ache in his wooden heart, Maelle was confused, Sciel was trying to comfort everyone, and you were mumbling about how the hell you survived getting nuked. Hell, you looked disappointed-

Everyone decided to go back to camp after that to cool off. But right now... Verso was on thin ice, and had to deal with Lune's accusations. Imagine how much surprise he felt when both you and Sciel happened to vouch for him. The latter told Lune that Verso hadn't led you guys astray yet whilst you said that it would still be valuable to keep him in the team for the information he knew. This expedition already had a small amount of people, so having all the people you could get was necessary, especially when one of them knew a good amount of how to progress within this world.

It was a small vouch, but Verso was confused nonetheless. You defended him? He's showed that he wanted to kill you at numerous points, but you still defended him, even if it was regarding the state of your team. And you kept vouching for him against Lune's words until she had finally given up on it. It made him think on if him wanting to kill you was truly rational. But he couldn't get enough time to think on it when the Paintress' Heart was now gone, leaving no other option but to fight the Axons to get enough Chroma to make a weapon that could break the Barrier by the Monolith. 

Since the Axons were brung up, this had to mean you would have to start planning on how you could defeat them without having any casualties. Naturally, you knew that everyone could take care of themselves just fine, but if Axons were truly as dangerous as Verso explained them to be, then you would have to plan accordingly. 

He watched you separate to your table to start making moves when everyone had split up. And whilst you were thinking, there was a contemplation going on within Verso on whether he wanted to thank you or not for defending him. It would've been easy to just leave him to his fate considering he had ditched all of you, so why did you help him? God, this was already irritating him... He may as well just get this over with so he doesn't have to thank you later. There's probably a lot of things he'll have to say thank you over in the future if you survive and keep aiding everyone, so he finally decided to talk to you after making his rounds with everyone else. 

He finally came along for another game of Go, and you had him explain the extended knowledge on the Axons. He explained the Nevrons as beings made entirely of Chroma, created a bit later after Expedition Zero. There were currently only four Axons, but one was dead and another was a bit too far up for everyone to reach. This left the two right by the Monolith; One had already been weakened whilst the other was there for proximity's sake. 

You nodded along whilst continuing to plan with what Verso had told you, moving your Go pieces and letting him take over for his turn. But then Verso brung up the topic of you vouching for him and keeping him in the expedition. He knew it was probably only for the expedition, and as much as he didn't like you... he thanked you. You gave your close eyed smile and that small nod.  - "I can't lose my best player."

Your best player, huh? You probably only called him that because he was one of the only people that played with you on a daily basis. He was really the only one that consistently played with you at every point everyone came back from the expedition. The more it happened, the more regular it began to get, and it didn't feel like he needed to get information on you just to keep you from saying anything.

He had a ton of moments where he had been tossed out because he had "betrayed the group for withholding information." Naturally he remembered that there was still the offer you proposed that you would stay quiet about everything if he gave you the info he knew about the continent or his experiences, so he knew you'd keep your mouth shut upon hearing anything. From his past or not, or even things out of topic... you never told anyone and kept it to yourself. You also used this information to plan ahead for any Nevrons your group would come across, but never used the info for anything else regarding blackmail... yet.

Though to be frank, hearing Verso talking about being betrayed didn't help you plan anything. But you never told him to stop talking about it and let him keep venting. It could be because you never cared about what he said unless it was important... but he still felt his shoulders become lighter upon finally speaking of his past, even if only slightly. It wasn't every day that he got to speak of it to someone else and have them listen. When was the last time he told anyone about everything? He really couldn't remember... but when was the last time he had let his guard down like this? If it was with you, he was definitely losing his mind. For Christ's sake, he literally wanted to kill you not long ago. 

But here you were... listening to him in silence with your game put to a halt. No judgement, no teasing, and no sly fox face. You could be just not listening to him, but the way you would slowly blink every so often refuted the thought. You were... simply listening to him rant. Maybe you were just taking in the information so you could blackmail him later, but there was a clear look in your eyes that said you weren't thinking about it. You couldn't care less about putting him in that position since it held no interest to you right now. 

By now, you were confusing him. He was confusing himself. You weren't usually like this. He wasn't usually like this. Why were the both of you acting different here? Why were you listening without teasing him? Why did he keep talking? The words just kept flowing and he had to stop himself. He had gotten too into talking... That was when you finally looked back at him. Something he thought was shallow info dumping about the way his past was had turned into a ranting session, so now he was just looking from you to the grass.

Then you started to speak about yourself, most likely to make sure this exchange was something equal. Verso's eyes slowly drifted over to you almost immediately. You were being vulnerable now? What the hell was happening? You had no reason to expose yourself, but you told him about the most vulnerable moments of your life anyway.

There are many mistakes you've made in your life, whether you could control them or not. You were born with your Prosopagnosia, leading to your father thinking you were a failure. Then you failed to claim the title of an heir simply because you were too cowardly to take the position. And then the fault with your wife and your daughter... 

You knew fully well your daughter had every right to hate you, seeing as how she didn't even show up when you departed from the continent. Still, you wanted to at least have her nearby. You would never fault your daughter for thinking you had abandoned her. After all... when you had been with your wife, you only ever thought of Go or board games... way too much to see the obvious answer that was right in front of you. And thanks to that, your wife died from an illness whilst you were on a trip overseas, leaving a daughter that despised you for being an uncaring bastard. 

Even despite being beaten with a broom and being bloody, you had reached out to your young daughter once, only for her to hide into her new guardian's clothes. It was only natural since you probably looked creepy as hell covered in blood, but it still hurt. And having everyone see you covered in blood only surfaced more rumors about you being some creep. 

And now Verso was back to feeling that pity again. He could feel the want to get to know you rising up again. This was something real from you. He could feel the residual regret leaking from you even if you covered it up with your terrible behavior. Verso could feel the longing that rested within you. He could feel that even if you reached out to try and repair the relationship you could never have with your daughter, she would always view you as the fox eyed bastard. 

Verso couldn't decide whether he wanted to kill you or not anymore. It's only been a few days and his opinion on you has been wildly swinging back and forth. He wanted to kill you one day, he was tolerating you the next, then he wanted to kill you again, and then he was back to tolerating you. He couldn't understand himself. You're an enigma if you keep making him feel like this, and he really needed to figure you out. Not just for blackmail, but his curiosity about you was killing him.

If he could, he'd like to split you open just so he could see if there was anything different about you... What was so intriguing about you? Why did he feel so interested? How could you make him feel such a range of emotions in such a small amount of time? Ugh, if only he could perform vivisection on you while you're still alive... maybe you'll keep going with those stupid comments. He'd probably end up stabbing your artery so you can't circulate probably.

Verso could only faintly smirk at the thought, immediately replying with a quick "nothing" when you deadpanned at him and asked what he was thinking about mid game. Mind you, you were still telling him of your own faults, so this man just smirked out of nowhere while you were kind of just trauma dumping. You two are perfect for each other, trust. 

After the both of you had gotten vulnerable with each other, it was just silence other than the sound of you two playing Go. It was uncomfortable, nor was it comfortable. It was simply in between... but it was melding into something truly neutral now that the both of you were finally on common ground. Verso's relationship level with you was beginning to develop further, and he really didn't know if that was good. It'd at least keep him from trying to kill you, but it meant he was getting closer to you. 

He didn't mean for himself to get vulnerable with an expeditioner... not after what had happened last time. He's practically guiding everyone to their deaths and they don't know it. Not even you do-- but if he told you, what would you do? Verso still can't predict your actions even if he knew the most painful parts of you. He had to know all of you, but he knew he didn't have that kind of time. Well, more like you didn't have that kind of time. Verso had all the time in the world... and he more or so hated that. 

But the more he thought on it, the more he realized that he would have to take the time you had right now... or at least the time you had left before everything would crash down after the Paintress. Everyone was almost there... just... two Axons left. It would be okay. He would be okay. He would be alright after everything disappears.

You and Verso spent a long time playing together without much words. But once it had gotten late into the night, the both of you finally stopped so you could get your rest. And with that, Verso was left to wander once again in thought after taking another line of losses. But considering Monoco was now here, he was able to talk with the Gestral, who had already brung up the long play session of Go with you. 

This allowed for Verso to finally talk to someone about you and the conflicted feelings he has for you. You were useful and tolerable sometimes, but you pissed him off at any other opportunity. He called you a conceited liar guided by your own pleasure and displeasure despite having heard your very vulnerabilities earlier. Verso even commented that your eyes looked just like a fox, with you having the most annoying and shrewd smile whenever you caught onto one of his lies for the thousandth time a day. 

He never told Monoco about his more dark thoughts when it came to you. Killing you and splitting you open would definitely make Verso sound like a homicidal maniac, and he really didn't need to feel a larger side eye than what Monoco was currently giving him right now. Verso couldn't even see it, but he could feel it; It was atrocious. And the only reason why Monoco was side eyeing his best friend was because of how much he was describing you. The Gestral probably knew what was going to happen in the next few days regarding the immortal Dessendre's mental state and his feelings, but he just decided to throw one tease at him.  - "Keeping them on your mind a lot, are you?" - "Never telling you anything about my opinion on someone ever again."

Anyway, the next day passed and everyone decided to go to Visages first because apparently the island had been weakened at some point. You found yourself rather interested in it and its use of masks... There were so many despite the changing settings and the changing feel. How long has this been stagnant in the water? You mumbled something about the Axon being truly talented at his art whilst you continued to walk behind the group. But with Verso... he thought this entire island was suspicious. 

He found himself confused by this area. Everything from the different masks trapping the expedition in their mouths as to transport everyone to a different area, the control of emotional shifts in the areas created by the Mask Keeper, as well as the distinct song the island itself was emitting... Verso knew he's been through this area a fair bit of times, but he never succeeded on defeating the Axon. And he never went through the alternative paths. 

Seeing them now made him realize that he missed lots of information about the man he was created after; the real Verso. His manor door was in here... and it led to his room. All the toy trains, the Esquie plush, the piano, the small Gestral figures, and all the paintings that looked reminiscent to that of various locations within the Canvas... Normally, Verso thought that the manor doors in the Continent were randomly placed, but he now sees that this wasn't the case. The real Renoir truly did mean something when he painted Visages into existence... and now he wants the expedition to break it down so he could get to his wife. 

Now, who was the real Axon? Was it the big one or the small one? No... It was most likely that the big one was the simple mask the real Verso would always keep up, leaving the smaller Nevron as the real Axon. There were so many tricks this Nevron has pulled, and the island it resided on was deceptively large. Deceptions laid everywhere, with the truths laying within every layer the expedition would defeat. Yet, it didn't seem as if they knew it yet. This entire island was the real Verso and the lies he's told. 

The more painted Verso walked through, the more he learned. And the more he explored, the more reactions he showed you because he was too focused on figuring things out for himself to hide his subtle reactions. This was more than enough for you to catch onto the fact that he knew more than he was letting on... again. Even then, you only chuckled and closed your eyes to keep following behind everyone. Verso had to snap himself out of thought and go back to normal upon hearing this. 

It subtly disturbed him at how much information you were willingly keeping inside because of a mere offer, and it made him contemplate where your loyalties laid. Certainly with yourself, but why stay with the expedition other than survival? It was clear that almost everyone here bored you, but what was it with him? Why else would you look so amused whenever he came around for a session of Go? 

Was he truly that interesting to you? Sure, he was alive for 100+ years and had knowledge no one else had, but surely it couldn't be that interesting to you. Was it because he consistently played with you? Was it truly because you were interested in how he would grow to beat you in a board game like Go? Were you interested in what would happen after, or did you think that he couldn't beat you? Did you crave death? Were you truly that pathetic of a being like he was?

Maybe not. Maybe survival really was the only reason. But it still disturbed him at how you always seemed as if you never cared about anything outside of your own business. 

"A conceited liar guided by their own pleasure and displeasure." Yeah... That really did sound like you. Maneuvering around people and getting what you wanted, even if people got hurt never occurs to you. You will let a war start and you won't do anything about it because you have no self interest in stopping it. You are carelessness and selfishness in one body. And the fact that he's truly only realized it now is making him reluctant to connect with you once more. The more he thinks of you, the more he realizes that you're just terrible.

There was no kindness within you, nor was there any cruelty.

The thought that you were at such a power as a military official made him glad you were here. If you died, then Lumiere might just be at a better place despite your brilliant mind. But as for right now... you were a dangerous person that probably shouldn't return to Lumiere as a military official. The thought of how many people you may have let perish when you could have stopped it made him internally grimace. 

After everyone had explored everything, getting all the items and journals or destroying the Nevrons in the area, they finally made their way to the Axon. You could hear voices whispering from within one of the masks gifted by the mask keeper... and it sounded familiar. It sounded like you when you had come back to the brothel your wife had resided in... Your screaming of anguish upon the realization that your thoughts had been too shallow to realize just what you wanted with your wife. 

Verso could see the changed look on your face. Your slightly wide eyes and your faintly furrowed brows. The conflicted and disturbed look in your eyes and the shake in your hands... Verso's stomach churned. It didn't feel like anything bad, but it felt... satisfying. You had finally broken composure and your guard was completely broken because of a mask that had you snapping back to your memories. You were finally crashing back to reality. Seeing this very face on you made a morbid satisfaction swirl in Verso's being. 

The both of you were snapped out of your thoughts when Sciel threw the mask over the edge. This initiated the fight with the Mask Keeper, who flung masks at everyone. They looked similar to the masks the painted Renoir had used back in the fight in Old Lumiere, giving yet another faint hint as to who had created the Axon islands.

There was no way that this Axon was weakened. This big ass thing finally fell only for the real Mask Keeper to take the previously flung away mask and lift it over his "face". His chuckles as he attacked the expedition rung through the dark surrounding, warping the area around him as to set everyone as the main cast. Whoever said this Axon was weakened, count your days in the afterlife. I'm coming for you and I'm throwing hands. 

The moment the Mask Keeper was truly defeated--or rather when he used masks to stick onto everyone-- you could immediately see the moment you had realized your wife had sent her own finger as well as her daughter's pinky finger in the past. Fengxian... Maomao. They were the two people you could truly see, but both were so unreachable..

Sciel had managed to steal the mask from the Axon, finally defeating it. Her complete transparency to herself and others allowed for a quick realization that made things easier for herself... but to liars like you and Verso... it showed things that shouldn't have been unveiled, whether it be a past you both weren't proud of or something that could never be in the future. Even if it was for mere seconds, both you and Verso had gone down a spiral of memories. The deeper your feelings went for the people you cared for, the more it hurt. 

And right now, the both of you were on the floor and staring at the ground like it owed you 100,000 Chroma. Verso was the first to get up, and was the first to see how you were still sat with your hands on the ground. Your face wasn't visible, but he could practically see the sense of lingering regret crackling within your being. The truth was a cruel thing, wasn't it? 

Over the time everyone had returned to camp, you remained uncharacteristically silent as you watched Maelle offer the mask of pure Chroma to the Curator. This allowed for him to keep it so he could turn the materials into a Barrier Breaker later. 

The matter of Maelle seeing Renoir never occurred to you when you were still in your mind over your wife. Everyone else had to comfort her whilst you simply stood and watched in the background. Yet again, you offered no comfort and stayed with your hands in your sleeves. By the time this was over, you were already walking back to your Go table. And starting from there, your thoughts began to spiral. 

Every game with your wife had always been filled with unexpected moves to the point you thought her mind was above your own. Never once had you won at Go, but you had won at some other board games a few times before. 

To you, seeing someone's face for the first time was like a breath of fresh air after being in a poisoned swamp for ages. Your wife's face... to see it after not being able to distinguish between nose, eyes, lips, nose, ears, and cheeks had you awestruck. Your wife's eyes, holding such defiance whilst holding such a calm face and exterior... It was a beauty you thought you could never hold. 

Verso seemed to see your moment of thought and remembrance as he walked towards your table. He then sat across from it, his head now tilted as he smiled and offered a game. You quickly snapped out of your thoughts and agreed before taking your pieces away from the board. Verso quickly did the same, now making his first move. 

Your facial expression from within Visages was still locked into his mind... as well as the way it made his stomach flutter. He could see how your thoughts were still somewhat tumbled, and he could see how silent you were. Then, Verso finally spoke, asking what you had felt when the mask was forced onto you. Seeing your eyes flick over to him with that dangerously blank face made a faint smirk drift over his lips. Not like you could see it anyway... 

He let the silence linger for as long as needed until you had finally spoke once more about your wife. You practically gushed about her and how you had seen her face for the first time. He really couldn't imagine how it felt to see everyone's faces as Go pieces, only to have a face appear right before you. And honestly, even if he asked... he really didn't care for your wife. He just wanted to see how badly it affected you when the mask was forcibly flung on your face. Verso wanted to hear it. He wanted to hear you talk to him about it. 

When you had finally gotten to that part as to how it felt when her face was suddenly shown to you amidst all the chaos in Visages, the mask just made you freeze up. Her face along with your biggest faults were shown to you because the Sadness Mask had latched itself onto your face. It all happened in a flash and forced you to process all your memories at once. It forced you to face the realization that your value for convenience was your own fault, especially since you had never changed your ways at all. 

Your lack of care was still a constant, but this time, it never really harmed you because it always included people you never cared about. The only person that remained was your own daughter, and she wanted nothing to do with you. So now you were entirely free to let people do as they wished as long as it didn't involve you or her. 

You were sick-- Your lack of change spoke that you still really didn't care-- You refused to change, and that's ruining the life you could've had with your daughter. If you had changed and started caring more for the people around you, perhaps your daughter would have at least looked your way. But here you were, completely the same and regretting it without making a move to stop it. 

Verso called you a disgusting piece of shit and that your daughter was right to hate you. 

You immediately trailed your eyes over to him before you smiled and snorted. You then began to laugh, tilting your head back and placing your hand over your face. Your Go stone was dropped to the grass below you, hysterical laughter being released from you after years of simply being the creepy military official. 

You knew what you were, and you were fine with it. You never took what Verso said to heart, even agreeing with it. That look over your face was there again. That shrewd smile and those cunning eyes. It was the look Verso hated so much, and yet, it felt so much more real this time.

Your eyes were filled with a dull joy, and your smile was faint but true. There was no lie here. There was no lie that needed to be told. And for once, it felt nice. You had been exposed, but your fun hadn't been taken from you. Right now, it was just the two of you, with everything else having faded into darkness. 

And when you finally looked back at Verso, he saw your eyes widen. - "A Human face... So that's what you look like, Verso..."

Hearing his name spill from your lips put a halt to his movement. You looked to be in awe, your eyes slightly wide once more and your lips half-parted. For the second time in one day... you were caught off guard. You were completely silent and you were just staring with disbelief that you could see Verso for the first time.

His eyes contrasted so well with his hair... You could only stare with a tilted head, as if mesmerized. Why'd it make for an adorable look on you? The fact that you looked so stunned and frozen in thought felt oddly funny to him. He could only snicker and look at you with a crooked grin.  - "In love?" - "I have a wife, Verso." - "Had." - "Okay-"

And now here the both of you were, sharing a laugh despite Verso having called you a piece of shit not even five minutes ago. This banter was getting to him, and it seemed that seeing his face loosened your attitude quite a bit. He figured that he understood it considering how this was a rare time you've ever seen someone's face. And oddly enough, to have you looking at him like that made him feel a pang of warmth. Your behavior was loosened up and now you were looking at him like he was something beautiful. 

It made his heart pump. He had never been looked at like that... not even by Julie. Honestly, Verso didn't know if his love for her was one sided or not. All he knew was that he needed to let go of it because he let something slip while getting attacked by a Nevron. So why was he getting looked at by you like that? Why was it making him feel stupid? 

Goodness, the mood in him kept switching over and over again... He really needed to check if he was having mood swings or something, he was sure it wasn't healthy for him. If he was going between wanting to see you break to wanting you to look at him with tunnel vision, he was probably off his rocker again. Monoco might have to smack him with his bell. The thought itself wasn't very desirable... 

The hours had passed with the both of you playing Go once more. With every day, the matches got longer. Verso was starting to look forward to playing with you. Whether it had been to get dirt on you, discuss expedition plans, try to beat you at your own game, or see just how morbidly satisfied he would be at how to break you. But of course, he never did. Verso got beaten each and every attempt. It was either that you would pull some bullshit technique out of your ass and put him in checkmate, or he would resign because he could already see his impending loss. 

He would have continued for the entire night had it not been for you needing your rest. Either way, this left him time to reflect on what had happened. Over one day... everyone had defeated the Axon in Visages, and in doing so, led to everyone being caught vulnerable by his masks. And in that time, Verso had noticed you fallen on your knees with your hands on the ground. You were completely trapped in your mind, your thoughts having been of your dead wife. The thought of her was presumably driving you crazy, even as everyone had gotten back to camp. 

And now that Verso had played a few games of Go with you amidst your vulnerable point in time, you had finally gotten to see his face. Why was that? 

Was it because you were vulnerable? Perhaps... There was a chance that being spiraled down into memory lane truly fucked you up, but you never denied what you were and what you did. You even accepted being called disgusting and that your daughter was right to hate you. Verso even said it from the bottom of his heart, and you didn't mind. You knew it, and you completely accepted it. Maybe it wasn't from vulnerability.

Was it because Verso had spent enough time with you to become familiar? No, people like Maelle, Lune, and Sciel have known you longer, and you never gave any sign of being able to see any of their faces. 

So why was it him? He couldn't think of why. Verso couldn't understand. He still couldn't understand you. Verso spent so many hours playing with you and conversing with you just to try and understand you. Even if he had been able to get you to answer something in the deepest depths of your regret, he couldn't understand you. Verso couldn't get why he couldn't understand you. This fascination was beginning to grate on his brain... It was beginning to stir his mind and was making him spiral.

How deep did he have to go to understand you? How many games would he have to play with you? How many times would he have to lose? How much vulnerability would you be able to show him before he would have to force his way through your head? How much information did he have to disclose to you just to have you give everything to him? Did he have to sacrifice everything just to truly understand you?

Or did he just have to rip you open just to see? If so, how much would he need to cut you up? If it truly were just you two... he would have split you down the middle and looked at your insides already. Maybe it would solve his morbid fascination that mixed with something truly curious about you. But he needed you to live. He needed you to stay alive just so he could understand at least something about you. Verso needed to understand just why he wanted to know everything about you. 

You were supposed to be a bastard military official that was weird and creepy... but here he was, starting to see you as something more. You are fascinating to him. He's never seen anyone like you... and everything in his body wants to understand you. Your body, your emotions, your mind, and your heart. He'll give everything just to see it. He would give everything to see who you truly were. 

Nothing outside of you would help him solve this. There was just a simple tunnel vision, and it all led to you. Verso's mind was completely wired to think of you and your behavior. You were so terrible, and yet he wanted to see more of it. He wanted to see just how much worse you can get. He wanted to completely understand what made you tick. What made you happy? What made you irrationally angry? What would drive you completely insane?

Would he have to target your daughter? The thought made his breath hitch. Yet, it made him chuckle when he suddenly realized just how fucked up he was becoming because he wanted to understand you. Only a few days with you and he was now being pulled down into the depths with you. He was going to be reduced to someone as bad as you were if he kept hanging around you. Yet... there was a thought that kept breaching his defenses. 

Did he have to sacrifice everything just to truly understand you?

Right now, he was still sat at your Go table, his head in one of his hands as he stared at the finished game in front of him. His thoughts filled his head too much to understand the game, but pieces were still arranged from where you and him moved them, giving him the arrangement as to how you won. No matter what strategy he tried, he always lost. You always got one over him in the end. Strategy was your thing, and you could see through all of it. Even your ability required for you to think and use your Chroma to spark your battle plan into everyone's heads. 

When you played, you sacrificed whatever you needed to lure Verso into multiple traps and made him think double time as to how to get out of it whilst you talked to him and distracted him from making better choices in his moves. And in Lumiere... he'd wager you were the same way. You sacrificed whoever the hell you needed just to lure people into multiple traps, manipulating them and distracting them to make sure they made the wrong moves and fell into your deceptions. You were fucking terrible, and you were the lowest of the low. 

He was fine with that. Even if it made him sink down with you, he wanted to understand you. No, it wasn't just a want--It was a visceral need that ripped its way through his brain every time he talked to you. Every unpredictable thought and action that came from you made him want to keep it in his memory for eternity. If he wanted to understand you... he needed to be as unpredictable as you. He needed to stop being a straight arrow and go out of line so you couldn't predict him. 

He needed to sink down to your level. In his way, he'd need to become a sly fox of a bastard just to match up to you. It was the only way to win against you, and he knew any other win would be like nails on a chalkboard. Oh, how he hated you so much... To beat you, it required utter perfection to avoid your traps and not get distracted by your words. He needed to avoid your lies. And to do that, he needed to understand you down to the tip of your very soul. 

In the limited time you had left until everyone would defeat the Paintress and have Renoir surface... he needed to understand you and beat you. It was a task for sure... but he needed to do it. Verso couldn't lose you. Losing to you and losing you in general... He couldn't allow it. He didn't care about what he had to destroy or what he had to lose. 

If it meant he could understand you, he'd sacrifice everything.

Slowly, he took a few breaths. He forced himself to calm down. Verso needed to stop thinking of you. He needed something to distract himself with. 

This left Verso wandering in the night once more before he saw Maelle with Esquie. He decided to join them, as he had no need for sleep... and it would be nice to spend time with his sister, especially since he had spent most of it trying to win against you to no avail. And he needed to stop thinking of you ASAP or he'd end up spiraling again. 

But of course, whilst he was playing piano, Maelle teased him over his continuous losses with you. She made him pledge to beat you at least once. Naturally, he said yes. The more he played, the closer he'd get to victory, after all. And the more he'd play, the closer he'd get to understanding you... 

By the next day, everyone had now made their way over to Siréne. And already... Verso was glaring down at the Axon below. He had already gotten seduced by the Axon's song already and may have dropped off a cliff because of it in the past, but he really hated was what he saw from it. People from the past that looked at him as if they weren't already dead from his hand... or a future that could never come true because his immortality stopped it in multiple branching ways. 

He fell for Siréne's song again with a curse, drowning in memories that included Julie and the more happy moments together when he had begun to fall for her. Distantly, he could hear Monoco's voice saying something to him. And when the bell's chime rung in his head, the memories were suddenly parted to clear what was happening right in front of him. He could see you affected by Siréne's seduction. 

The look in your eyes was almost wistful as you looked at the Axon. It looked different to when you had seen his face for the first time, with you most likely thinking back to Fengxian. There was a look on your face that said you wouldn't look at anything else for the world. It twisted in his stomach and made him bite the inside of his cheek to keep from making any visible reaction. 

It shouldn't have affected him as much as it did, but he could only remember just how you looked at him yesterday. When you did... did the moon make him look better? Did it illuminate him better than it did for your wife? Did he... Did he make you feel anything other than disbelief for seeing a Human face? Would you lo-

Verso was cut off from thought when Monoco nudged him with his staff again. And with a nod and a small exhale through his nose, he followed the group. 

Siréne's song was heard everywhere through the destroyed walls of Sirene, and it was an irritating scratch at the back of Verso's brain. He had to keep thinking throughout the entire way, and the constant train of thought had him falling behind... or rather, close to you. Distantly in his mind, he could hear you humming something. And as if Siréne wasn't there, her song disappeared. 

You had a small smile on your face once more, your eyes slowly blinking as you hummed along to some tune to distract yourself from Siréne's melody. The song you were humming wasn't something Verso had heard of before, and he could hear it breaking up a little as you attempted to focus instead of give into Siréne's song. So, to keep the both of you sane, he struck up conversation whilst staying behind everyone. 

The both of you ended up speaking about the more simple time of your lives and were finally getting to know each other more. Honestly, you should have started with this so the both of you didn't come off as enemies, but hey, life plays out. Even if it did start the both of you off as a rage baiter and 100+ year old man that progressively kept falling for it like a fucking idiot... You know how it goes. Some good friendships start off with them hating each other... but this didn't seem like a friendship anymore... at least to Verso anyway. 

The most simple things between hobbies, your favorites of anything, your most hated things, or even talking about some older times. Finally talking without doing anything else made Verso feel light in the shoulders. It felt like taking a walk through Lumiere with you and never having to worry about anything even if everyone had to take care of Nevrons or a few mini bosses just to get to items they needed. 

Then he brought up his hobby of the piano. He always enjoyed it more than painting, even if the latter was engraved into his movements and brain just as much as the former. Maybe one day, he could play and you could listen. You considered having him play while you were working, and the thought was actually somewhat nice... Since you were a military official, you'd definitely have work occupying you. And if he was there... just you and him... that wouldn't actually be too bad. 

Even if this meant nothing to you, this moment was taking up all of Verso's brain. He could only be glad that he was on the last stand team with you right now. Monoco was there too, but Verso was only focused on you. And the Gestral could clearly see that... It appears that he was right with his thoughts... and it appears that Verso might be having the most fun he's had in a long time. Well, as long as his best friend was happy... 

If only Monoco knew...

It wasn't long before everyone had gotten to Siréne herself. Her dancing had clearly enchanted mostly everyone, and it wasn't long before they started to see the images of those they loved. Sciel saw Pierre and a potentially born baby, Lune saw her parents, Maelle saw Gustave, Monoco saw Noco, and you had seen Fengxian and Maomao... When Verso locked his gaze onto them, their images were now engraved into his head... more notably, on Maomao. And just before you could reach out to them, he immediately caught your hand. 

His mind began to drift back to his waterfall of thoughts... back when he thought about getting Maomao out of the photo just to see if he could understand another part of you that way. His memory was soon cut off when he felt the sudden static of Siréne's seduction starting to close in on him. But yet, the fact that she had even bothered to interrupt him from even trying to understand another part of you made him glare her down. 

Mistaking this as a refusal to acknowledge what could be, she immediately erased the images in front of everyone. This allowed for Verso to slowly let go of your hand. He could see how lost you were upon having Maomao and Fengxian gone, but he quickly reminded you that there was a bigger problem to deal with. The both of you immediately glared Siréne down right after Verso had spoke. The reasons were certainly different, but it didn't change the intent. And the feel of fighting with you was a good one this time, especially since the both of you finally had the common goal to take this Axon down for showing you things that could have been, but couldn't anymore. 

Siréne's fight was a dance, adding more Ballet Nevrons and Glissandos as the Axon changed the tone the closer the expedition got to winning. The closer they were to defeating her, the more desperate her dances got. She even resorted to throwing a fucking building at everyone, causing the last resort team to come up. You, Verso, and Monoco had to clutch. Seeing as how Siréne was left in a frantic state, it wasn't too hard to find a plan to defeat her.

But the aftertaste of having her song blasted through everyone's ears made you swear that you were gonna go deaf. You could barely hear yourself think. And Lune, being the absolute girlboss that she was, personally got up in Siréne's face and started blasting. This left a piece of her cloth made of pure Chroma. 

You ended up asking Verso if your ears were bleeding. He couldn't hear your ass for a few minutes, this man was just as cooked as you were.  - "Can you say something real quick? Are my ears bleeding?" - "Huh?" - "How many fingers am I holding up?" - "I can't hear you. Why are you holding up two fingers-"

Lune made sure everyone was okay with Revitalization before they all went home.

Now that two large sources of Chroma had been accumulated, the Curator was able to create the Barrier Breaker. But even before then, Maelle had yet another little episode... with the Paintress already being aggressive to her despite the teenager not doing anything. The Curator most likely had to step in and aid her before anything had become too difficult... but it still affected Maelle just as much as any other episode before. 

Sciel had to comfort her again whilst you kept your eyes on the Curator. Verso could hear you mumbling about him... questions about him about why he was really helping all of you. Before you could delve into thought and ask, the Curator held the Barrier Breaker over to Maelle again. Then she finally took it, allowing for everyone to return back to the campfire. It was mostly silent with the realization that the expedition had made it far enough to finally breach the Paintress' dense barrier. 

Not even Verso could believe it. This Expedition with only 6 members were about to face the Paintress. The moment everyone survived Renoir in Old Lumiere, he had felt his heart hoping that everyone would survive (except you until now) long enough to at least get the Paintress to a weakened state long enough for him to expel her from the Canvas... and it finally looked as if it was about to happen. And best of all, he actually wanted you to survive- 

It was all fine and dandy until Sciel brung up the fact that someone was hiding a terrible secret. You guys saw the way Verso straightened up, he was scared shitless and he could hear you snicker. Never has he wanted to choke you more in his life... until he saw Sciel make Esquie spit out the wine he had stashed in his body. 

Verso could see the vision. All his fucking wine was gonna be gone in five minutes. 

Anyhow, Sciel offered wine to everyone, but Verso seemed to see that you weren't drinking it. You were simply holding the cup and joking around with everyone. Not even a single sip--you just held the cup in your hands and talked with everyone. Were you not a fond of drinking? 

Verso made sure to invite you to a game of Go and struck a deal with you. You drink and he'll tell you whatever you want. He could hear you mumbling about such a tantalizing offer before you finally drank the wine in your cup. You seemed to take a few moments to think about what you wanted to ask before finally firing off a few questions. They were quite vulnerable questions, but Verso did say that he'd tell you whatever you wanted. 

What did these games of Go mean to him? Internally, they meant everything to him. He was getting to know you, and you were getting to know him. He could tell it was making the both of you lower your guards around each other, more so than any others in the expedition, really. But externally, he said that they were good mind exercises and a means to discuss whatever needed to be talked about. 

Verso could hear your various "hm's" of contemplation at his answer, and your mumbled sounds were slowly beginning to fall apart. The immortal Dessendre then proceeded to watch as you immediately fell over and completely passed out. 

So that's why you didn't drink. You're a lightweight... How adorable.

Verso could only chuckle at the thought. You, a military officer with the power to make anyone disappear at a whim, were a lightweight that passed out with the sip of a drink. It was no wonder he only ever saw you drinking juice or water. 

He may as well return you to your tent since sleeping on the floor certainly wasn't good for you. And as he laid you down, he finally got the chance to look at you. Now that you were asleep, you looked peaceful... Your small smile was now gone from your face to keep a more neutral expression, and your demeanor was completely vulnerable. To think even a sly fox could look so perfect was astonishing. 

Verso could feel his own demeanor softening in the face of your peaceful exterior. For a while, he just sat there and watched you as you rested contentedly in your tent. He began to wonder what it would feel like if he laid there and rested with you. Even if you woke up and questioned him about it, he could always say that he passed out from drinking too much. And besides, Verso has been wanting to get closer to you for a while now. 

For as long as the both of you have been talking, he's never actually been able to touch your skin. He felt how warm you were when he carried you into your tent, but he never actually touched you. Verso could feel his hands twitch slightly at the thought. All to fully know you, he supposed... 

One of his hands then gently outstretched to rest over your cheek. Your body temperature had only heightened thanks to drinking, making your skin nice to touch compared to Verso's cold hand. His thumb drifted along your cheek for a few moments, with the man himself remaining full of wonder because of how different you were in your sleep. He could just hardly believe that someone that looks so much like a fox can look so relaxed now. Verso knew it was because you were vulnerable and passed out, but he still couldn't believe it. 

He was content to just sit and watch for the rest of the night. There was no way he could get his hand to move anywhere else unless he wanted to lose his mind again. Verso would have stayed there for the rest of the night if Sciel hadn't come in. It made him pull his hand away as he heard her beckoning him to join everyone. Verso would have stayed, but... Sciel ended up pulling him out of your tent. This subjected him to watching everyone celebrate and dance with each other... but he was thinking of how much he wanted to play Go instead. 

Verso finally got up and walked to a cliff farther away from camp... only for painted Alicia to walk up to him. It was welcome company, as silent as it was. The two simply stood in silence for a few moments until Alicia had finally worked up the courage to hold out her letter to Verso, who took the envelope and looked at it for a few moments.  - A Life to Dream.

He didn't know what this letter was implying, nor did he intend on reading yet. But he knew better than anyone at how Alicia's been treated just because of what happened in the real world. Aline did a terrible thing to even keep her scars on her face after painting her into this Canvas, and Verso was sure that Alicia was painted to feel a sort of regret despite never even doing anything. His sister didn't deserve any of this, but she was forced to live in this Canvas, neglected but cared for. This wasn't living. It was surviving with strangers that had the memories of the living and the dead. 

Both she and Verso were in a pathetic existence of immortality that no others knew about, and it was suffocating. Their mother; a captor and a slave. And them; creations chained to memory. Alicia shan't be restrained by something the real Verso chose to do in the past.  - "My beautiful sister doesn't need this ugly mask." 

The hug that followed after was more bittersweet than anything. Verso hadn't really gotten to spend time with Alicia for as long as he had gotten into that fight with his father, so to finally connect with his sister again felt like a soothing balm to his heart. He could tell Alicia felt the same way. 

The hug was interrupted when Renoir suddenly interrupted. Both Alicia and Verso had to listen to their father's attempt at persuasion. It made Verso hesitate because he knew Renoir was right. The lives within this Canvas were as real as the ones outside... and he could love or hate certain people, but it would make no difference if he chose to erase all of them at the end of his goal. Even if his mother painted the Humans, and even if he held interest in certain beings, what he planned would erase everything. 

He would ruin the gift his mother gave him. But... Verso's always been selfish. He knew he would do it anyway. If it wasn't for his sake... then it would be for the ones outside the Canvas... for his real family. 

After both Renoir and Alicia left, Verso quietly went back to camp to see everyone still partying. They were all distracted with each other, allowing for the immortal Dessendre to return back to your tent. You were still laid there and passed out, but you looked better than how you were before, blacked out from too much wine.... even if it was only one cup. 

After that conversation with Renoir, Verso felt mentally drained. The only thing he wanted to do was watch you. So, he sat down beside you and went back to holding your face. Taking in your peaceful expression and calmed breathing felt like a respite to his soul... Verso could only wonder what you were dreaming about. Were you in the void, just like he was? Or were you dreaming of something nice? Were you dreaming about your wife and child? 

Right... Your wife and kid... Back in Siréne, Verso finally got the chance to see them. He never got to fully think of them because of how the Axon reacted to his thoughts of... targeting your daughter, but now he finally got the chance to think about it. Verso could remember seeing your wife was a beautiful woman... Her face was so stoic, but her eyes were filled with such defiance... Verso could understand why you wedded her, but to go on a trip overseas... You really fumbled the bag. How could you fumble it after marrying her? 

He could only smirk. Maybe his little fox wasn't very sly after all. 

In any case, he now has a good image on how your daughter looks. If he ever decides to target her, he has the perfect image to track down. But right now, the only one on his mind was you. Your daughter was doing Verso a favor by leaving you alone. It was giving him plentiful amounts of time to find out more and more about you. Opportunities and chances for everything were crawling and wriggling in his brain like centipedes scrawling into the deepest parts of his mind. 

By now, Verso was laid right next to you. There was an odd infatuation in his eyes and a soft grin on his face as he looked at your peacefully sleeping face. The downward arch between his thumb and index finger was held under your chin as the palm of his thumb brushed along your bottom lip. There was tunnel vision again... and it was only on you. You were the only one in Verso's world, and he couldn't hear anything else but you. There were no distractions. Only you and him. Only you. 

... How would it feel if he kissed you? 

He couldn't help himself. It was a small kiss, but it felt like a surge of warmth flooded everywhere through him. This kiss--short and small-- was enough to dismantle Verso's mind. He wanted another... and another... and another. Verso wanted to restrain himself but--

...

Why was he lying to himself? He didn't want to restrain himself at all. Verso wanted to kiss you everywhere as much as he wanted. His hands ached to touch you and travel everywhere your skin allowed him to go. Verso wanted to see you look at him the way you looked at your wife. He wanted you to look at him like how you did when you first saw his face. He wanted you to look at him with such longing... that way you'd understand a smidgen of how much he wants to understand you. Verso wants you to love him the same way he loves you, even if he hates you just as much. 

He could barely afford to keep his feelings to himself, and it was killing him on the inside. How long could he go before he couldn't take it anymore? There was already an aching problem between his legs that he had to take care of, but he didn't want to leave your side. Verso instead settled for spooning you despite his groin being a pain. His heart was pounding in his chest, and he could only rest his chin down on your shoulder. 

Your scent, proximity, lack of awareness, and intoxication was tempting him... and honestly, Verso knew he was more selfish than anyone he's ever known. His greed has been his undoing a good number of times... and he was fine with that. 

He tipped your chin up with one finger from one of his hands, keeping his other arm around you as he placed a kiss on your neck line... and then your pulse point. Verso would have loved to suck a hickey onto your skin, but he couldn't ruin what he had with you right now... This had him resorting to just spooning you more instead, only making the matter between his legs even worse. The feel of your warmth and the comfort of feeling you in his arms must be getting to him... and your scent. 

Verso could feel his eyes getting half lidded as he nuzzled into your neck to get a better take. It wasn't feminine nor was it masculine, but it was something that could distinguish you from a crowd if someone was close enough. Verso was going to remember it for the rest of his days. He knew he'd turn his head whenever he caught even a small whiff of it. Even if it was something different, he knew would look at the source because it would always remind him of you. 

The thought of you disappearing on him made his already half lidded eyes fill with defiance. In just a day's time, everyone would be breaching the Monolith and would be facing the Paintress. If everyone won... or if they lost, Verso would lose you. He'd rather he lose you after time than just immediately. And either way... you'd be going out peacefully instead of in battle... He would rather prefer to see that than... have you struck down by a Paintress creation or the woman herself. 

When you shifted, Verso could feel himself freeze. He held his breath and stayed entirely still until he realized that you had simply shifted positions as to stay comfortable. 

This man wasn't going to survive the night-- he needed to get out right now. The more he thought about it, the less he wanted to. But, he had to if he didn't want to wake you up with a throbbing cock, so he reluctantly pulled away from you. The lack of warmth was immediately felt by him, and he had the instinct to go back to spooning you. But he couldn't. He just... couldn't. 

Verso slowly exited the tent and looked back at everyone still celebrating with each other before finding a more private spot that wasn't too far from camp. And now that he was alone, he finally slumped against the wall with his eyes never focused. He couldn't think of anything but you. It could be the wine spreading to his brain, but... the bulge in his pants was more true than anything else he could process. 

It's been a long time since he had been hard. There were more important things than getting his pleasure in the past, but in this moment, he's never been more selfish for himself. Before he knew it, he was already touching and teasing himself. His hand had went into his pants but hadn't went beyond his briefs, teasing himself by keeping his palm away from what he really needed. And thanks to him being somewhat far away from camp, there was no need to hold his sounds back. But even so, he was groaning and biting at his bottom lip, attempting to muffle himself as his hand traced the exact shape of his cock. 

He wished it was you touching him... He wanted that shrewd smile and those fox-like eyes looking at him with that smug and teasing shape as you teased him just below what he needed. Verso figured that you were the type to be more passionate instead of teasing when it came to things like sex, but... the thought of you being a complicated scamp while he's vulnerable was making his cock throb... This man wanted you as close to him as possible while you jerked him off. He wanted you kissing him and wanted you milking his dick whenever you were in control. 

Just thinking of it was making him tilt his head back with beads of sweat already forming. He couldn't handle teasing himself anymore. When he had finally pulled himself out, his tip was already leaking of pre-cum that trickled down the head of his cock. It didn't take long for him to get to pleasuring himself. Normally he would have teased himself a bit more by stroking with his thumb and index finger around the rim of the head, but this occasion... this time was different. He was satisfying himself while thinking of you. 

Everything in his head was so tantalizing... You were a catalyst for so many reactions within him and he needed to understand all of it. He needed to understand himself if he wanted to understand you, but right now... all he was focused on was you and his pleasure. Verso forgot just how addicting it was to satisfy himself like this... stroking and chasing the fueling sensation in his hardened cock with a fervor alike to that of a hungry dog. 

His pace was consistently changing to fit the needs in which his thoughts had shaped. From slow but rough to something filled with pressure and enough to make him just barely start drooling. He's never figured on how much he needed pleasure like this until now, and he wanted you to help him so badly... He needed your hands on him and God knows how long he can control himself before he ends up doing something worse than kissing you in your sleep. 

The thought of you even agreeing to satisfy him was enough to fuel all of his carnal desires. He knew that from how devoted you were to your wife, even after her death, you wouldn't agree to aid him with such wants. You would probably hate him if you knew what he did to you already... but if you did agree to help him with his problems, even if just for stress relief, it'd be the experience of a lifetime. 

Verso treasured the thought of having that fox-like expression on your face twist into ecstasy under his ministrations. It didn't even matter if he wasn't getting anything. As long as he could make you lose that stupid composure you had, he'd love it. Considering you weren't man or woman, he had no idea just where he had to touch just to get you to feel pleasure by his hand, but he would find any spot available. Verso will take his sweet time exploring your body with his hands and lips, kissing everywhere and watching for your every reaction.

The thought of you doing the same to him and exploring his body for your own was enough to heat his body up even further. Did you have any experience with giving blowjobs to anyone? If you didn't he would love to be your first time. Just the thought of having you suck him off and having you slowly take in more than what you could handle was enough to give him the need to dominate. But if you aren't new to giving blowjobs, you'd certainly know where to pinpoint just where he was most vulnerable... 

He immediately started to rub his thumb under the head of his cock, making his legs twitch as his breath caught in his throat. Verso was torturing himself with self inflicted teasing and was willing to break himself for the rest of the night. The more this went on, the closer he was getting to tearing up. He needed close intimacy with you so badly. You didn't know how deeply you were torturing him. Your drunk ass was still passed out in your tent and Verso was here, just touching himself and thrumming with energy for you. 

He was depraved, but he wasn't willing to let anyone else help him. Verso had gotten an offer to be "adventurous" with Sciel, but the thought of getting with her when he had you... why would he miss his chance to get with you when you were right there? There was a horrible military official that only saw people as Go Pieces and Sciel thinks he'd choose her over you? Absolutely not, his taste in people has grown questionable and sometimes grotesque, but now he's sunk to the bottom of the barrel and he's staying there. It's why he was fucking his own fist, only making his tip leak of more pre-cum the closer he got to his release. 

Verso's pre-cum was spreading over the body of his cock like sap, only to be smeared by his palm as it pumped at his dick. It was acting as a good lubricant, allowing for him to adjust his pace to something more filled with pressure and speed. By now, he was focusing on how good he could fuck you and how fast he could make your eyes roll to the back of your head. The thought itself was more to humble you and that fox-like expression, but the more he thought about it, the more it started to stick. 

If you had ever let him violate you while the group was exploring some place in the continent, he knew fully well that he'd fuck you somewhere that had a chance of someone seeing. Being able to cover your mouth while he fucked you from behind and directed your hips against his was like a fever dream. Verso wanted a position where he could be skin to skin with you. He wanted to hear you praising him up close and wanted to make sure you couldn't ever pull away from him while he was giving you the time of your life. Verso wanted to fuck you and spill into you as deep as he could. It wasn't even for the sake of pregnancy, he didn't care about that, nor did he even know if you could get pregnant. He just wanted to spill as deep as he could in you. 

Somewhere near Nevrons and a place that someone just might be able to pick you two out. He wanted a place somewhat visible and slightly near danger so the both of you are at the very peak of caution while being completely pleased out of your minds. Whether the pace was slow and sensual or a pace that was brutal and fast, he was fine with it. He will gladly indulge in your wants as long as he could be as close to you as possible. For as long as it's the both of you, he'll gladly bend to your wants. For as long as he gets to be yours, Verso will gladly worship every part of you. The thought of being able to cum inside you like that... it sounded like absolute heaven, because the thought of it was enough to make him gush thick ribbons all over his hand.

Now here he was, trying to catch his breath with his arm lifted over his eyes. God, you made him feel so good... This only made him crave you even more. Maybe he should've taken a cold bath instead... Verso had to clean himself up anyway before he made his way to his own tent to rest off how sensitive he was. He could have gone to your tent again, but... he'd probably get hard again and he really didn't need that right now.

Tomorrow finally came... and it was time to depart to shred the dense barrier belonging to the Paintress. Verso could barely focus, he only had his mind on you. You had absolutely no idea of what he did to you yesterday night, and he planned on keeping it like that. It wasn't hard to pretend like nothing ever happened either. If you didn't know about it, everything was golden. And since you were unconscious... you didn't need to know what he did during and after.

The Paintress' barrier truly was something like repellent. It crackled against the Barrier Breaker and refused Maelle's attempts at poking through. But with enough force and endurance from the teenager, she had managed to break through and shatter the Chroma dense barrier. And with that, everyone was now allowed access to the Monolith to personally face the Paintress. 

The candles lit in her walkway remained without melting, and the Paintress shifted as if she were in a bad dream. She was curled up, always in the same position until the next gommage would come. Just like everyone, she was stuck in a cycle of creating and erasing her very own paintings. But this time, this expedition would have to stop her... even if Verso was still holding back information. 

Even with everyone's power, nothing was working. Gradient Attacks had no effect, Chroma was nullified, and your attempt at planning came up with absolutely nothing. There were no indications of abilities or any available weak points, it was actually getting ridiculous. You were at a complete loss as to how to continue until Aline had finally come out from within the Monolith. 

And immediately after seeing everyone--particularly Maelle--she set everyone's faces on fire. All except Verso and Monoco were set aflame, and it was just absolutely unnecessary. Yes, everyone was here to take down the Paintress, but was it truly necessary to set almost everyone's faces on fire? Absolutely not. Verso had a thought that was an impulsive anger to who Maelle truly was--Alicia. 

Aline still hadn't gotten over it... and she still blamed Alicia even despite the real Verso making the decision to save her. He made the decision to help his own sister from dying in a fire, so why was Aline getting pissed over it? This was her own daughter and she was attempting to burn her just like what had happened in the manor that day. Verso had to pull Maelle close just so he could get Aline to recognize him. 

It was the only choice he had, and it actually worked. It extinguished the flames on everyone's faces and allowed for everyone to go further within the Monolith. But what was interesting about the areas within was the amount of information they held... Verso looked more conflicted about this place than any before. 

The layers within the Monolith were all recreations of the areas within the continent. The Spring Meadows, the Hidden Sanctuary, the Stone Wave Cliffs, Frozen Hearts, and finally, Lumiere. Memories belonging to the Paintress flowed without her knowledge and gave insight as to things that conspired in the real world... yet none knew any of it except Verso. He saw you looking at him when one of the memories had come up... It was the one about a boy learning how to play the piano with his mother. 

Surprisingly, you asked if he was alright. And judging by your more neutral face, you had figured out that he had a past with the Paintress. Verso only answered with a small nod and that he'd tell you later over a game of Go... even if he knew that it wouldn't be happening whether the expedition failed or won. In the back of his mind, he knew you knew he would still be holding everything back, even with as much information as he had told you already. And for as long as it was necessary, he would continue to veil every truth with a lie, no matter how many layers it took. 

Everyone proceeded forward and kept going through waves of Nevrons before they finally came across an inner cave that looked suspiciously like a boss arena... 

And then began the family soap opera once more. Verso and Renoir were beginning to have an argument that no one else could understand. Only fragments could be put together, but there was no time to think about it when the battle had started. Renoir had always been an annoying fight filled with style, but this man always looked like he was never trying. It always looked as if he was just... vibing while fighting everyone. 

Essentially, it looked like he thought of this as a chore. But considering his wife was a few ways behind him, he had to take this seriously. It still didn't change the fact that this wasn't something Renoir or Verso wanted to do. They both knew what was at stake, and they knew that the others had no idea too. A man that wanted to protect his family even if he was controlling, and a man that wanted to end it all for his family and the one beyond the Canvas. 

Perhaps Renoir had only lost because he never accepted any help from Expeditions like Verso did. Throughout the years, Renoir had done all he could to get in everyone's way and would eradicate the people he could. He would have succeeded with getting rid of a major problem if Verso hadn't stepped in back at the Stone Wave Cliffs... and because of that, it started a catalyst of problems that rendered Renoir beaten on the ground. 

His last stand pressured everyone to the ground like heavy gravity, only for all of it to stop once the Curator had appeared. For the first time, the Curator and painted Renoir had finally met. And once again, Verso was being brung up as the only fraction of what remained of the real Renoir's son. The guilt for simply existing crept in for a few moments because the painted being that he was... just wasn't real. His existence was a poison for those that knew him, and because of him, many have died or had their lives ruined by him in one way or another. 

The Curator, aiming to help Maelle remember who she was throughout the entire journey without making things too obvious, had made her help him gommage painted Renoir.  - "I loved them too." 

And with that, Verso's father was now gone, with only petals left in his wake. Maelle, Sciel, and Lune were all glad to finally had revenge for Gustave... and you were simply glad you didn't have to worry about everyone getting mad about you not caring much about the man's death. Verso and Monoco were now realizing that the incoming battle was now possible... Defeating the Paintress was actually something that could be done. Forcing her out of the Canvas... Verso could finally save his mother. 

Whilst everyone was still celebrating about defeating Renoir, you turned around to look at him. - "What do you think? Was this what you were looking for?"

He couldn't answer with his words. Verso instead just looked at you with a hesitant expression over his face before looking away. His eyes were avoidant and uncertain. He didn't want to do this, obviously. As broken as this family was, it was still his family. Verso still cared for all of them, even with the amount of problems he had with them.

His father was trying his best just to keep his family together despite the stagnancy of immortality, and Verso was here to break everything apart. He was doing this all for his family, and yet... he knew his father was right in some ways. He wasn't a stranger to this family, but he was to the ones outside the Canvas, only raising questions as to why he would bother to try and break his current family when the strangers outside either didn't care for him or clung to him like a lifeline. 

A son and a brother will do what he does best when it comes to his family. - "... I'm doing what's right." - "But is it what you want?" - "... What are you getting at here?" - "How long has it been since you were asked what you wanted?"

... That was a good question. When was the last time he was asked what he wanted? He was painted into this world and made immortal without his consent, he was captured and interrogated, he was forced to betray people, and he was forced to get close to people when he would've rather preferred to stay away. Out of everyone, none had asked him what he had wanted. Not his mother, not his father, and certainly no one from the other expeditions. Even if they did, it wasn't a deep question or he didn't feel comfortable enough with the person to answer. 

When the question came from you, it should have felt minuscule. Why did he freeze up when he heard it? Why did it have to be you saying it? Why did it have to take you, a person who could normally care less about others, to make him realize that he was never asked what he wanted? Why was it always you to be the one that made him feel so many varying emotions in the span of a couple of days? What did you even want to see by asking him? Why haven't you cracked that fox face at all when you talked to him? Why were genuinely curious of what he wanted? 

Did you truly care to listen to what he wanted? The way you asked him was a mumbled inquiry, your eyes focused on him and nothing else to make sure no one else heard. This was something just between the both of you... something that he knew would stay with both you and him like many other chats before. Maybe you asked because of how different he had been acting ever since everyone had gotten to the Monolith... He was clearly distant, and it seemed as if he was in another world today. That was more than enough for someone like you to piece together that something was wrong, but would you let it go if he brushed it off? He knew you would, even if you'd still keep an eye on him. 

There was care for him within you, and he could see it. It was an acknowledgement from you. You kept your eye on him, not because you didn't trust him, but you cared. He hated that his feelings were unhinged enough to want to stay close to you. 

What did he want? Did he want to die anymore? The desire to was still there. He wanted to berid of the poison that his existence constantly emitted. Him even being in this Canvas is a catalyst for suffering, and is the reason why his mother has been killing herself just by staying in here. He's the reason his mother and father are fighting, constantly hurting each other when they should be with each other. It was a period where they needed each other the most and his mother was pushing her husband away. The only way for this to end would be if he permanently died, but he could always be painted into existence... unless this canvas was destroyed. 

His desire to die has drilled itself into his psyche for a long time now... but then his mind shifted over to a certain fox-behaved individual. Back in his thoughts, he was still fascinated by you and lacked an understanding of you that scratched at his brain. He needed you to live. Even despite your behavior, you gave him a respite that he couldn't feel anywhere else. It was a faint feeling whenever it was with Julie... but he won't make the same mistake he did last time. This feeling with you was like an intense fervor... Verso couldn't lose you. With his own volition, he had to make the best out of the time he had with you right now.

What did he want? Verso wanted to be with you. He wanted to be able to live with you and keep playing Go. He wasn't as good as your wife and he didn't act like her at all. He knew that, but he could be better than her. She died from a sickness, but he's still alive to play with you. There were still the strategies he thought of after his... pleasure session. He could learn. He could adapt. Verso knew he was being irrational, especially since you're devoted to your wife, but... he could replace her. He could be better. He will be better. He'll be a better lover than your wife. All he needs is for you to live. But as for what he wanted...

Verso wanted to play Go with you. Just one more game before you would disappear. Seeing you blink with surprise before you finally smiled and accepted made a faint smirk lift over his own face. It was a promise. One more game. 

After this promise was made, everyone was already moving towards the Paintress. And immediately, his thoughts began to think of his mother. The moment he saw her, his chest dropped. She... she was deteriorating before his very eyes. Even despite how much mental ache it put him through, he kept up a stoic face and simply... watched. His mother wasn't supposed to look like she was from the void. She was supposed to look like a regular Human. She needed to leave the Canvas immediately and rest or she'd end up dying. 

She even sounded like she was fading in and out of reality. It wasn't a deranged voice but more like she was trying hard to distinguish what was real and what was fake. She couldn't even remember if the man in front of her was her real son or the clone she had created. That was how destroyed her mind was from grief and her time in this Canvas. Verso tried to get her to leave-- He tried the gentle way of telling her, even as she gently tugged at his sleeve to get him to go with her. 

Enough. His promise with you could wait. He needed to get his mother out of the Canvas first. Even if it included facing her in battle and slowly lowering what was left of her energy, he had to do it. It would let her rest. Even if it would make everyone disappear at the end of the day... his mother could finally rest. 

But trying to get a crazy and desperate woman to rest is not easy, and everyone was trying their hardest to keep up with her sudden movements. Her attacks were normal and she was sending things everyone could easily parry, but this woman really wouldn't give up. When she had collapsed to the ground once and the giant version of her had started to lift itself up, Verso knew damn well there was no winning unless they had something stable to fight on. 

So he called Esquie. And the moment he fed Soarrie over to him, Verso could see you looking at him with a quiet squint. There was no time to say sorry, so he gave you an apologetic look and just pulled you onto the fastest ball. 

"The Paintress rips reality apart" the fuck you mean she rips reality apart?

Between her mumbles about the fire and how cruel Renoir could be, it truly felt like fighting a Goddess. There is no planning for fighting a god, so everyone had to simply endure and learn the Paintress' fighting pattern until she had run out of energy. None except Verso had understood what was going on when she had finally fallen to the ground. Her power had waned on her and she couldn't do anything else but heal the creations even she felt pride for. 

She wasn't speaking. She was only healing and shielding everyone, making the fight more reluctant and filled with pain when it came to Verso's thoughts. His mother was now weak, and she was trying to help them with all the strength she had left. Verso couldn't take it. It was all he could do to simply hold her when she slowly stumbled her way towards him. Her body felt like a hollow wall that would crumble if he tightened his grip any further. 

Verso knew she couldn't understand why he would evict her from the Canvas, knowing it may just get rid of his immortality or the one person keeping him alive. But this wasn't about him. In his head, it was about his mother and her slowly dwindling health. Who knew what this did to her body outside the Canvas? How much paint leaked out of her eyes? How much of her health was drained? The Dessendre family already suffered enough and he needed to make it right. The death of her real son caused so much conflict, and her painted recreation would fix it. 

One by one. Step by step. He would help rebuild this family, even if it came at the cost of his life and the cost of this Canvas. 

Slowly, Maelle aided with comforting the Paintress and gommaged her as a more gentle eviction from this world. Mostly everyone seemed relieved that everything was finally over... with Verso staying on his knees for a few moments to think of how everything would play out. Now that his mother was gone, his father would be free to leave the bottom of the Monolith. Not long after, everyone will be gommaged, including you. It was a reality that he had to accept, even if he didn't want to. 

Verso stuck close to you on the ride home. The both of you were quiet, just like most others except for Sciel. Even with the check in to see if Verso was still immortal, he respectfully declined and went back to standing in silence with you. It was comfortable, even if he didn't know what you were thinking. Even if the vibe around Verso was still uncertain, there was something about you that allowed for his shoulders to lower. Your presence? Or the knowledge that you were always right there when he looked over? 

He didn't know, but it felt relieving to have someone there, even if they didn't know what would be happening a little later from now. 

When everyone finally landed in Lumiere, Verso watched as everyone talked to different people. Lune was explaining what she had found on the continent to her friends whilst Sciel was explaining how everything went to her own acquaintances. Monoco and Esquie were being distracted by children that currently examined them with wonder. You were busy being smug to the council members that most likely wanted you dead, and Maelle was giving Gustave's journal over to his apprentices. This left Verso to go to the harbor on his own. 

It was a waiting game, practically. His eyes were focused on the Monolith, waiting for the moment he would see Renoir's chains being unbound. But during the wait, he felt something still in his pocket. Verso took it out, expecting to see something unimportant he had forgotten to throw out. Instead, he found Alicia's letter. Verso knew he originally had no intent to read it, but seeing as how this may just be his last moments alive, he may as well. 

A Life to Dream had hopes of both sides of the Canvas living and having their happy ever after. Alicia was tired of the conflict surrounding the living and the painted, even if most barely knew of what was happening. Those that did always fought a battle that was hopeless to attain. But perhaps Maelle could achieve something in between. She had lived amongst painted creations her whole life and bonded with those with souls within, even if they were artificial. 

Yeah... Verso may have fucked that one up a little. He ended up tossing the letter in the water and watched it melt into seabed below. Not even seconds after it had disappeared, he could feel a sudden surge of Chroma sourcing near the Monolith. This moment... it would either end everything or make him continue his suffering.

In an instant, everyone around him was now panicking as they began to disappear. Verso could see everyone confused as to why they were dissolving into petals, even after the Paintress was defeated. Sciel had accepted it, and Lune could only refuse what was happening even if it was going down right before her very eyes. And you, just like Sciel, had accepted what had come. Perhaps because retribution would come for you one day, even if it was this one.

The silence was suffocating, leaving only the crashing of the sea waves and the sound of cold wind blowing past him. There was a dull feeling within Verso as he quietly looked back, only to see nothing waiting for him but an empty Lumiere. Verso stayed there for a moment now that he was the only Human left in this empty space. And for whatever reason, he chose to stick around and explore Lumiere once more before he would most likely never return. 

Seeing it so empty and dark... There truly was nothing left except petals.

Verso finally took a seat. Something in him had now shut down, so now he was just sitting in silence. He wasn't even thinking of anything, but he couldn't hear anything or see anything. There wasn't much feeling in his body either. It all just blanked out now that he processed that everyone was really gone. 

The moment finally something changed was when he heard someone take a seat next to him. Maelle? Alicia? Maellicia. As far as personality went, Verso really wasn't liking it. Maellicia was still his sister, but... it was clear that she didn't consider him as her brother. Not fully, anyway. There was something about it that had him scowling on the inside. It wasn't as if he wasn't being considered human, but it churned something disgusting inside him. He barely scowled at her words but still felt like a hit to a vital organ.

His own sister said this to him. Verso was not in the mood for this, and he didn't think she understood the things he was feeling. The conflict inside him was immense, and it wasn't something she could fix. He was lost and dull. Realistically, Verso didn't want this Canvas to survive after everything that happened, but here he was, now following after his sister since she was saying the real Renoir would be soft on her. 

She wanted to resurrect everyone. The thought of it made a flicker of irritation appear in his eyes. The thought of everyone being painted yet again... They wouldn't even be themselves anymore. Even people that are painted with a direct person in mind won't be the same, no matter how much you know them. Sciel, Lune... or even you. The thought that you wouldn't be the same person weighed heavy on his soul. Everyone would just be like him, and it pulled strings within him that couldn't help but make him crack a negative face. Of course he didn't say anything to Maellicia about it, but the thought was still there. 

Verso didn't have the energy to refute anything that was happening right now. And Alicia's letter still weighed heavy in his mind. Just like her, Verso was tired of the conflict circulating around the Canvas, but he didn't know if a neutral ending was possible. He kind of already fucked up having the painted family in the picture, so saving the family outside of the Canvas seems like the best course of action. But... this was his sister he was trying to be with, so he may as well just push that idea to the back of his mind for now... 

He followed her all the way to the Curator and watched as he transformed into the real Renoir. Verso immediately began to feel out of place. He felt as if he didn't belong here, even if he should have been the very image of Renoir's son. Verso was called a masterpiece, now being addressed as a piece of art. He knew it was true, but it was still... weighing on him. 

With every moment that passed, Verso was feeling worse and worse. He was now watching Maellicia and his father arguing about the fate of the Canvas... whether to keep it alive and allow for the inhabitants to live... or to destroy the Canvas and keep any further painting away for Maellicia's mental state. 

Verso could finally die. He could have passed on. He could have had a gentle ending by fading into petals by his father's hand, only to have that taken away from him. Verso proceeded to get pulled onto Esquie, where everyone had then made their way back to camp. It was simply silent, with Maellicia attempting to paint everyone back into existence. This made Verso's eyes return to the Go table before his thoughts began to turn to you. 

You wouldn't be the same. You wouldn't be the same sly fox. You wouldn't be able to piss him off like you usually did. You'd just be a copy. You'd be just like him. You wouldn't be genuine. That behavior... now gone. It may seem like it's still there, but there will be differences that he could point out. Maellicia doesn't know your past. She doesn't know your secrets. She doesn't know the first thing about you and she's painting you into existence. Maellicia may have gotten your Chroma, but she can't fully replicate you. You'd just be a clone of who you once were, just like him. 

There was a part of him that resented what was going on. He didn't ever want anyone to be like him. The people in this world... they may have been painted, but at least they weren't painted directly after someone. Verso wouldn't wish this fate on anyone, and yet, here he was, watching his own sister try and paint those lost back into existence. Perhaps he shouldn't help her. Maybe he should let those who were gone rest. But there was always the thought that he wanted you to live with him, even if you weren't the same. Verso was still a selfish bastard that needed you to stay with him. His desires felt weighed in his mind, and he didn't know which one scaled lower or higher. 

You wouldn't be the same in one hand, but you'd still be with him. He wouldn't know what way you'd change, but knew that in some way... you would be different. Perhaps it would be the way your face looked, or maybe it would be the way your personality was structured. Would it be in your memory, or would it be in the way you spoke? You were such a complex person that he couldn't understand, and he wanted it to stay that way. No matter how much he tried, he would never be able to understand why you thought the way you did. He would never be able to understand why you were such a terrible person, and would never be able to comprehend you. 

Verso knew he was like you. Maybe in one world, he could have been just like you. He could have been a liar that didn't care about anyone else and only moved them like they were pieces in a board. But then again, what has he been doing most of the time? He's guided everyone to where they needed to be and he's a liar. Verso has led many to their deaths just because he wanted to get them to help excavate his mother from the canvas. 

He and you weren't very different, but he still couldn't understand you. Could you ever understand him? Could you look at him and comprehend him? He needed to know... Did you ever understand him? Or was he as much of an enigma as you were to him? Verso had to know. 

He folded and taught Maellicia how to paint💀

Now that everyone was back, Verso immediately checked in on you. Maellicia, Esquie, and Monoco certainly took notice of this... but the immortal Dessendre couldn't afford to care right now. He needed to see what was different about you. 

Your appearance was fine, as was your voice. You did seem somewhat disoriented from being brung back after death, however, so he couldn't tell. But when it came to the others, uh... he was in the hot seat again. Lune probably wanted his head on a platter and Sciel didn't want to hear anything he was saying. 

Cut to him having to make it up to everyone else instead of spending his time playing Go with you... It was more of a half hearted effort, but at least he still tried. This led to him having to go to all sorts of different locations as a little side quest. Speaking of side quests, it's time for more side content. 

For Maellicia, you know damn well the entire way there was a long journey. She has a small fear of heights and has vertigo. It really didn't help that the Reacher was growing the more everyone progressed, and there were plenty of Nevrons that were attempting to knock the entire place down. So now everyone was getting rid of them to at least make sure the Axon could reach greater heights to the stars. 

By the time everyone had reached Alicia, it was clear that she didn't want to talk to Verso. She even stopped time so she didn't have to interact with him. And whenever it had resumed, both Maellicia and painted Alicia looked more comfortable with each other. Verso never got much time to comprehend what had happened when Alicia lifted Maellicia's hand up to her chest and said something about "sending her to her family." 

It took a few seconds to have him figure out what she meant... only to see his sister dissolving into petals just a few moments later. Verso panicked and tried to stop it, only to be too late. His sister was now gone, and he was glaring at the paintress beside him despite knowing she may have been right about her decision. Maybe he should have seen this coming. His sister was just as ready for death as he was, but to have her dissolved right in front of him just removed a part of him that was keeping him mentally within this Canvas. To have her gone just like that would only make him go against Maellicia in the near future. Not that she or Verso would know that yet anyway.

Everyone ended up leaving, and Verso would eventually talk to Maellicia about what happened. The two didn't exactly... make up over it, but they acknowledged it as something that had to be done. Alicia knew what she wanted, and even if Verso would attempt to protect her, he can only protect people that want to be defended. Anyone else would just make a problem over it, and Alicia had to be one of those people. Verso could only hope that she was now content. 

But it was the matter of which Maellicia gommaged Alicia. The former looked as if this were something that didn't matter. She acted as if making someone disappear was an act of kindness and something that could be done on the daily. It was her face when she made Alicia dissolve into flower petals. It was so... so blank. She didn't care. She didn't say anything to comfort, nor did she look apologetic. Maellicia just stood with that blank face, even when Verso had glared back at her. 

He hated that he had to move on from it. Grief was universal, even for him.

But then came the talk about Gustave... He didn't know why he didn't lie. Perhaps it was because he owed Maellicia that much, but he told her the truth. He had let Gustave die, even when he could have stepped in at any point. It was once again a topic that the two hadn't made up over. They simply stood in silence for a few moments before moving on from it and instead deciding to paint over the Monolith. 

GOMMAGE LEVEL 3 *Ash Baby Meme*

For Esquie's quest, he had Verso helping him decorate a rock for Francois in exchange for Urrie. But the thing about this turtle is that he's relentlessly stubborn, just like Clea. It really wasn't a surprise that Francois refused the offer and started picking a fight. Verso just ended up shooting him a few times before the fight ended. Maybe the Lumina Converter was a bit too strong for the strongest turtle... but at least it got him to toss the rock out from... wherever he had it-

Esquie was now able to swim underwater and get more Lumina points. This also allowed for everyone to go down to Renoir's Drafts and... Verso's Drafts, but he immediately pushed everyone's attention away from that. You looked at him with the smug fox face again because you know damn well he had shit to hide there, already making him want to sock you once more. But a n y w a y, he finally managed to get his third Gradient attack after working on it for so long. 

Sometimes after a fight, the halo over his head will stay on, perhaps because of adrenaline slowly wearing off, and you took the opportunity to poke at it. Verso would always end up looking at you with the playful exasperation when you did. And then you called him an Angel considering he was immortal and always watching over everyone. God knows what that did to his insides, he wanted to be a sort of guardian angel to you right then and there. 

Monoco had Verso help him bring Noco back. If the two of them were fast enough, they could go ahead and resurrect the young Gestral in the river. That's how it would have gone, at least... if Monoco hadn't smelt so damn bad. Golgra smelled him halfway across the continent and just appeared out of nowhere. If only you were here... you might be able to pick out her weak points and be able to pick out a winning strategy.

But no, you were chilling back at camp, probably strategizing with Lune. This left Verso and Monoco to suffer for about 10 minutes by fighting Golgra. This woman even went serious for a little bit before deciding it was time for leg exercises. But, she watched as Monoco finally resurrected Noco. After resuscitation, the small Gestral didn't seem to remember anything. He didn't remember Verso or the expedition, but he did remember Monoco and Golgra. 

This lack of remembrance was already making the bell carrying Gestral tear up, especially as he visited Noco back at the village later on. Verso had to give him a few pats to the back and make sure he was all good to keep going. 

Monoco now has his Gradient Attack- *Ernesto De La Cruz gets crushed*

Lune had apparently wanted to see where her parents' expedition went to... and of course it had to be on Siréne's island. But if it let Verso get the heat off of him again, then that would work. Everyone chose to ignore seeing her dance and sing in front of a door for 5 minutes, much to Lune's relief before she finally managed to open the large door with a song from her guitar. It finally allowed for everyone to proceed before a Chromatic Glissando filled with Ballet Nevrons suddenly popped in from below. It was time to start shooting, and Verso did not stop until all of them were finally dead. Thank god for Sciel's Intervention, that just gave him four turns to do whatever the hell he wanted.  

Then came Lune's reaction when she had finally gotten a hold of her parents' journal. They had thought of her as a backup plan... How wonderful. That left Lune to come back to camp with a more sullen air to her. Verso had to come up and talk to her to make sure she was alright, leaving her to tell him about her relationship with her parents. Verso was completely fine with hearing her vent, but one thing that took him by complete surprise was the sudden kiss to the cheek. He didn't want it from her, though... Naturally he didn't say that, but it lingered in his mind as he wiped the kiss away when Lune was gone. 

He was not helping her "compose a song." There was only one person he wanted hang out with and fuck out his stress with, and that was the military official that looks like a fox. No one else was in his mind for that one, so he made the excuse that he had to help Monoco clean his Nevron legs. Verso proceeded to make his escape- 

Sky Breaker acquired- Time to abuse the dark stains-

For Sciel, Verso decided to stretch the limitations he had with her and try to get her to swim. It was obvious that she had quite the aversion to it, so he decided to help her. Step by step, and he would use his knowledge as his high school's swim captain once more- It took a small while before he was able to get her to start swimming, but he made sure to keep his eyes on her and made sure she was alright through the entire way. Then he made her ass swim all the way back, much to her dismay. 

It didn't take long for her to come back to talk to him when she had gotten changed back to her usual clothes. The reason she really hated water... Verso could only sympathize. He may have done all of this over a half hearted attempt to get everyone to trust him again, but he knew when  he should start caring, and this was one of the moments. Sciel's attempt of suicide and her longing to get Pierre back was her second chance. And to think that Verso may just take that all away again in the future... 

He wouldn't prefer to think of that, especially since he was getting rid of everyone's future with his wants. Gustave, Pierre, Lune's parents, and your daughter... he was getting rid of everything. Maybe that was for the best, considering the way things were conspiring right now.

End Slice has finally been acquired. It's time to spam foretell and consume it over and over again- 

I couldn't find a good spot to write for Sciel but you view her "face" as an Advisor piece.

Now, for you. It's been a while since he was able to even interact you with how busy he was with everyone. He just ended up slumping onto the chair across from yours by your Go Table, already procking you to ask what was wrong. This man has had a long few days just dedicated to making sure everyone could trust him again. These days could have gone to playing with you, but no. All he wanted to do was play Go with you and fulfill that promise he made with you, and now that he could, he wasn't going to let anyone else interrupt. 

The both of you finally got to playing. And when he did, he could see that you were more hesitant than usual. He asked why, only to get the answer that you were worried for your daughter. She was certainly independent and could handle herself, but you were still worried for her even if she was nothing but petals drifting along the ground now. Verso quietly listened, watching you make your move before he made his own.

He made you another promise. He'd help you bring your daughter back. It was a lie that slipped past him, and he could see you look at him. There was no small smug fox face, but rather a slow blink as you stared into him. You knew he was lying, and you could see his exact thought process. He didn't get how. Was it just a matter of how you act or how you grew up? Was it a matter of your experiences or just something you acquired along the way? 

He knew he couldn't understand you, but could you understand him? It was the thought that had plagued him for a long time, especially with how long he had been playing Go with you. He's been solidified into his own thoughts without thinking of your actions or what you might do simply because he couldn't comprehend it. 

He finally asked you on whether you could understand him. With how you looked at him, he had to elaborate further. Verso spoke of how long he had been trying to comprehend your thoughts and actions, only to come up with nothing. He didn't understand why you were the way you were, nor did he get why you even went on this expedition. Verso decided to come out with it and ask. I mean, you wouldn't go on it just because your age was just below the number on the Monolith, right? 

Well... That was one of your reasons, at least. And plus, no one was going to be waiting for you if you came home. Your daughter wanted nothing to do with you, and you knew she may just be glad if you died along the way. In fact, you were kind of hoping for your death when you joined the expedition. The fact that you survived against painted Renoir for the first time was by pure luck. There's nothing special about how you survived. It's just that the Nevrons were too focused on everyone else for you to get murdered out in the continent. 

Honestly, when you had been in the Gestral Village, you contemplated going out and getting yourself killed simply because you thought it was just you and Sciel. You had no intent on surviving because you had no one that wanted you to live. Your fellow council members didn't like you, your wife was dead, your own daughter hated you, and your expedition members were either dead or didn't care for you that much. The only thing keeping you alive may as well be luck and the fact that you were useful to keeping up plans on the battlefield. 

Over this journey, you wanted death, but you also wanted knowledge. There was something stale about being in the council. You've seen the same things within Lumiere, and you were tired of being mentally taxed with assigning roles to people you couldn't even care to remember. Being on the expedition was much easier, especially since you knew most people would die. Less Go pieces to remember was better for you, especially since you could experience more of the world and kind of do what you wanted. 

Still, not everything could go as you wanted. You somehow survived despite aiming to die on the expedition. And the more people that joined the team, the more that you felt pushed to keep living despite that being something you didn't really want to do. That's why when you had begun to gommage back then, you never resisted. You wanted to be with your wife and daughter, even if it was most likely a broken family that couldn't ever be repaired. Then Maellicia brung you back. 

You couldn't even remember what you had seen when you had gommaged. All you knew was that it felt peaceful and that you wouldn't mind having that done to you again. The feeling of being gommaged wasn't even painful. It was just feeling your body slowly going numb on you as you remained confused on what had happened until the very end. It made you realize that at any moment, death could really come for you. So you accepted it like Sciel. 

Verso could piece together your behavior now.

You stayed behind everyone because you probably didn't care about being stabbed in the back by a Nevron. At least that would notify people that there was an enemy right behind them, and it would get you out of everyone's hair. 

You were fascinated at the thought of Verso wanting to kill you because that was precisely what you yourself wanted. It wasn't just a morbid fascination with his emotions, but it was a hope that he would actually muster up enough courage to really murder you. 

Verso called you a piece of shit and that your daughter was right to hate you. The fact that you accepted it without any protest and even laughed about it should have said volumes to him. You know how terrible of a person you are, and you're waiting for death to take you to let you serve your crimes. You've been waiting a long time.

The main reason you accepted your gommage was because you wanted it. Something that could have been going through your mind by that time was "about time", only explaining your calmness towards the way you had been disappearing. 

You thought it was pitiful that Gustave died because his mind was now gone. His mind, certainly more brilliant than yours, had to go. His naive but wonderful mind was now gone when it probably could have been you instead. Whether your death was to Renoir or not, it could have been you, and that's what you wanted. 

The Paintress never mattered to you. All that mattered was what you had deemed interesting and not interesting. The thought of dying was at the top of your list, and had been the entire time. 

All the signs were in front of him and he didn't notice. He had went through the same thing, and he didn't notice. It was now silent and still at the table. It didn't feel uncomfortable, but it didn't feel comfortable. It was back to that neutral feeling again, with Verso processing every detail he missed before. You gave out the smallest of hints, so of course he couldn't catch onto it. You never called out for help either, but that was something that was harder for him to accept. 

How could he help someone that didn't want to be helped? As much as you wanted to die, and as much as he knew how wrong this was, he was selfish. He didn't want you to die yet. He couldn't have you die yet. Not here. Not yet. You couldn't leave him. Not again. Even if it prolonged your death, he won't let this happen. He knew he would end up being like his mother by making someone exist when they don't want to. It destroyed him that he was doing the same thing she was. You would be going through the same existence he was, but... not entirely forced to live? You wouldn't be immortal, but you can age with him. You could live your life happily with him. 

He knew he originally wanted the Canvas gone... but he was starting to want to live again. Thanks to you, he wanted to live again. He knows you're a terrible person, and even if you'll never change, he wanted to be able to live with you. He doesn't want to just be a comrade or a friend. He wants to be more. Verso wants to be everything to you, just like you are to him. Verso knew he couldn't keep his feelings in forever, so he just decided to confess in his own way. It wasn't direct in a way that you may understand, but it was enough for him. 

Verso got up from his side of the table and made his way over to you before pulling you into a hug. He could hear you mumble a question on what he was doing, but he only told you to shut up for a few moments while keeping his fingers entangled your hair. It was an intimate motion that spoke of how he felt, even if he knew you may not feel the same way. 

God knows how much the both of you have needed a hug. Even if you may not be comfortable with it, Verso wanted you to at least know that he was here for you. You must have been lonely after your wife had died... surrounded by so many people that wanted you dead or never wanted you around, but it would be okay. Verso wanted you to know that he has went through the same thing you have, and still is. You're not the only one here, but he wants to make it better for you. Just him and you. 

As long as you can give him a chance, he'll do his best to make it better. He'll do his best to love you and ensure that you can find a reason to live. And if you can't, then he will be your reason for life. For as long as needed, he will be with you and will give you the attention you need. Games of Go, deep talks, silent company, any affectionate touches, or even stress relief. Verso will be here for you like no other. He will be better than anyone you've ever loved before. He will put your wife to shame--No, that sounds really wrong--He will love you better than your wife ever could. 

It still sounds really wrong, but there was no other way to say it or think it without Verso wanting you to cheat on your dead wife. I mean, she's dead, it's not like she can say anything or do anything about it. (This man is going to get his ass beat by Fengxian in the afterlife.)

The warmth that thrummed within Verso when you had finally hugged back felt... different than before. It gave him the security that you were trusting him, even with how many times he's betrayed your group. It was a given that you'd see it coming with how much shit he's told you in the past week or two, but even then, you trusted him. You didn't mind being close to him. You even relaxed in his arms, even if it was only somewhat. 

The feeling that flowed through him wasn't alike to anything he had felt recently. Not the morbid fascination of who you truly were, nor the intense obsession to find out more about you. It wasn't desire or a greedy want to keep you by his side by any means necessary. It simply felt as if this is where he belonged. This felt like a real kind of love. It spread through his veins like a wildfire and he had no intent to stop it at all. 

He wanted to kiss your forehead even if he knew that'd be going too far. It was already enough that you were relaxing into him, so to want more was just greedy of him. Still... when has he not wanted to be selfish? He always wanted more when it came to you. More of your warmth, more of your smiles, more of your presence, and more of your attention, and more of your love. Verso knew that to you, it wasn't any kind of love but something platonic. But he could hope, couldn't he? 

He could imagine that this is something deeper than friendship and that he hasn't been yearning for the past couple of days... Verso could imagine that you loved him back and were hugging him back because it was just him you were comfortable enough with... Him and him alone. He could pretend that it was just him and you here. 

After a while of simply staying and reveling in the feel of your presence, you finally pulled away, much to Verso's disappointment. Yet, he saw the softer look in your eyes. That made it all the more worth it. If you would look at him like that all the time, he'd actually believe that you were in love with him too. The knowledge that you didn't hurt his heart, but he'd get you to do it one day. Someday... Maybe not today, but sometime soon. 

Maybe he could personally ask Maellicia to not resurrect your daughter... and by extent, keep your wife dead in the ground... Maybe. He has beef with a dead woman btw. I really need to stop making him hate dead people💀

The both of you continued your Go game after a few minutes, with the mood notably lighter. But it seemed different. It was more aware, and it was as if you were truly equal to each other. Verso has spent the entire time in this expedition attempting to catch up to you or at least be in the same league of acknowledgement so you could stop looking at him like he was so easy to manipulate. But even if the both of you were equal, he could never win. 

Even with the amount of strategies Verso thought of, he would have to resign or watch as your unpredictable nature pulled out a win from seemingly nowhere. Those useless moves you had once pulled before would later hold the complete win over his head, making him watch as he lost time and time again. He still didn't get it. Of course it's only been a week or two since he first started to play, but these games have grown on him... and he still couldn't understand them. He wanted to so badly, but... he didn't know enough. 

He truly had to know you and become like you to win. In the future, he would have plenty of time to understand you, but today isn't one of those days. Over the time the both of you would have, it would most likely still be a long journey until everything calmed down... but until and beyond then, Verso would stay by your side and keep you safe. You've always planned with your brilliant mind as to get a way to keep everyone alive and get them out in one piece. Everyone owed you for your hard work, so in return, Verso would be your guardian angel. 

He'd make sure your plans would go without suffering, and if something got past him and ended up interrupting your thinking, he would obliterate it without mercy. Goodness, he was starting to feel relieved that no one else survived the expedition... who knows how many of them would have tried to turn on you or him because of the way you two are? If they did, it'd probably be a reenactment of the Search and Rescue Expedition... Keeping you alive and getting everyone else out of the picture did sound nice, but... there was still the problem with Renoir... Everyone had to live anyway. 

Well, against his wishes, he had let everyone live in his mind. And not long after, you finally stopped playing as to get your own rest. This allowed for Verso to sit in front of the table to analyze his endless losses. 

You let every piece shine even despite sacrificing them, but you always seemed to let them go out with a clear purpose. Whether it's to catch your opponent into a trap, or it's to give your units more space. Sometimes, having less pieces on your board made your plays even stronger, and he didn't get it. 

Goodness, did he love the way you thought... He wanted to take your brain and keep it for himself--

Before he could go into a trance about it any further, he saw someone take a seat in front of him; Sciel. She seemed to want to play a game with him since he looked as if he wanted to play a little more. Whilst he did... he didn't want to play with her. Still, he indulged Sciel and taught her how to play, teaching her the moves of which pieces had done. It didn't take long before Verso would win, and it didn't take long before his calm victory turned into something alike to that of boredom. 

It made him think while he was playing. What would happen when he won against you? Would he feel triumph? Or would be feel completely empty because he had finally gotten one of the things he had been searching for? He knew that to beat you, he needed to understand you. So... when he had done such and finally claimed victory over you... what would he achieve? 

Would he get a defeated smile from you, or would he get an ask for a rematch? What kind of person were you when you lost? Were you accepting, or were you sour? Did he need to know what kind of reaction you would have to understand you? But that would come after winning against you, so... Hm. How confusing. 

The moment the thought shifted through his mind, Verso placed his stone down, claiming his victory yet again. Sciel's confusion over the game only made him think back to you once more. Was this how you thought when he had first played with you? The thought of it made him chuckle, catching Sciel's attention. Yet, Verso shook his head with a small smile and got up from where he sat. He seemed to be done with playing for tonight, so he thanked Sciel before going back to his tent. 

He didn't feel content with playing with anyone else. As such... he would only play with you. Winning would most likely feel much better with you, as would losing to you. 

When the next day had finally come along, everyone was already on Esquie as to explore what the rest of the world had to offer. More areas, info, mini-bosses, more Pictos, outfits and hairstyles, and more Lumina points. 

When everyone got the Chic outfits, Verso was contemplating begging you for just one chance. Whether you were in the suit or the dress, he just wanted one chance. On his knees and begging. On his knees and his arms around your waist. He wants to kiss you at least once. He promises he won't get horny again. He swears- 

When you wore the suit first, Verso wanted to hold your hands and just drift his thumbs across your knuckles. You looked so refined and would have fit into the attractive military official persona completely. He wanted to kiss you and slowly strip those clothes bare. Layer by layer, his hands would search every corner of your body and he'd keep you still with kisses over your skin. The thought of being able to keep his fingers intertwined with yours while slowly pushing you to the brink of pleasure was something this man craved and yearned for on a daily basis.

He thought the exact same thing when you wore the gommage suit too.  

If you wore the dress, God, Verso wouldn't be able to take it. His fingers would be dragging up and down the exposed skin of your back, he wouldn't be able to help himself. And he knew damn well he'd be using the very tips of his fingers because he believed he couldn't touch you while you were dressed like that. Verso just wanted to kiss you everywhere. Your chest, your back, your arms, your wrists, your thighs, everywhere. To hell with what he thought about getting horny, he was in a "no one is getting me to pull out" situation. 

Verso had to snap out of it before he became a real degenerate. When you waved your hand in front of his face, he quickly shook his head and looked to the side as if he wasn't thinking of bending you over and pleasuring you somewhere just barely visible to everyone else💀

Some areas of the continent, Verso still had some memories of. Yet some were faint. Some areas also had the small sliver of the real Verso's soul in them, allowing for the young boy to explain whatever lore to everyone in his dazed voice. 

One of these areas happened to be the floating Manor. Beyond the large pair of doors was a deep presence that reeked of something suppressed, and there was the sound of Chroma being warped from just beyond it. From what the boy had talked about before... this was the place painted Clea had been trapped in. The real one had decided to turn her into a being with a single minded purpose of creating Nevrons... What a cruel fate. 

Everyone had to return the colors the Nevrons had stolen. This meant that the Eveques, Dualliste, Lamp Master, and Goblu were all defeated through some good effort. Having to kill so many bosses made for quite the amount of breaks to be taken in between exploration. But after everyone had finally gotten everything they needed, they finally decided to open the door... even despite the presence that laid beyond it. 

And when they did, they finally saw Clea. She was in the middle of creating a new Nevron, but when she turned to them, she didn't seem to recognize them. Clea didn't recognize Verso or Maellicia... so her own memory must have been erased or something was keeping her from the realization. Still, due to how cruel the real Clea could be when it came to creations inside the Canvas, she probably erased the personality of her painted counterpart completely to make her become a Nevron producing factory. 

What a cruel woman she was... Even if it was to get Renoir out of the Canvas, she created the Nevrons so the expeditions wouldn't have much of a chance with their Chroma trapped inside of their bodies. There would be none left to return to the Paintress, and with the dwindling numbers of those in Lumiere... it would have sped up the process to get the Paintress and Renoir to fight again. 

Just what was Clea going through outside the Canvas...? What solitary war was she fighting because her family members were either dead or in the Canvas? What bloody acts was she committing?

She probably took the real Verso's death personally... He was her brother, so it would be no wonder, but still... to completely change the life of her painted counterpart to go against her mother still felt rather barbaric, didn't it? 

The fight with painted Clea took complete perfection if anyone wanted to damage her. If they didn't, her Chroma would end up healing her, rendering everything that everyone had put their effort into as completely useless. Who knows how long everyone had been there to parry her attacks? But either way, the longer this went on, everyone was getting used to her attacks, so they managed to keep disrupting the flow of her Chroma to get her away from healing. 

It didn't take long before everyone finally managed to beat her. Her current state of being was now knocked out, replaced by the personality the painted Clea had once donned before her forced labor. She finally recognized Verso... but before the two could actually reach out to each other, painted Clea suddenly pulled away upon hearing the pulse of the real Clea's control within her. 

There was no way to paint over the latter's control, as Maellicia wasn't talented enough at painting to manipulate over the former's skills. This left painted Clea to use her very own creations to turn against her. This very sight rendered Verso helpless once more as he watched his own sister using the Nevrons to stab herself over and over... trying to find a way out of her fate. Once, he did the same thing out of pure desperation, only to wake up later with weapons still buried deep into his gut. 

The difference between him and painted Clea however was the fact that she could die. Her scream was bloodcurdling before her figure finally exploded into nothing but Chroma. To think she had been suffering like this for so long... This was a mercy kill, and Verso could do nothing else to aid his own sister. His family were all put into situations where they couldn't aid the other. Whether it be mentally or physically depended on the person, but they couldn't help each other no matter how hard they tried. 

The fact remained that he couldn't save her. His family was now entirely gone, leaving no reason for him to mentally stay in the Canvas. Verso may have wanted to live, but there was no one left that he really wanted alive other than you and Maellicia. He ended up sticking close to the both of you after that so he could keep the both of you safe and alive. For you, it seemed like the usual, so you didn't mind it too much and softly hummed as you followed everyone from the back. But Maellicia had no idea what the hell Verso was doing and seemed more or so disappointed at being treated like she was still 5. 

Everyone explored more of the continent, now beginning to go under the water. This allowed them to go down to Renoir's Drafts, where everyone was going up against overpowered Nevrons. The expedition was probably just crawling their way through with how many Chroma elixirs everyone had to drink by the time a fight was done. 

Everything the merchant sold was so expensive too... Whoever the hell fought him while everyone rested, I salute you because fighting three units at once is probably complete hell. But everyone made sure to buy all the items the merchant had to offer and made sure to get all the items... including the one that needed parkour to land... 

Now for the reason everyone would mostly go to Renoir's Drafts... Simon. 

He's been alive for as long as Verso, but unlike him, Simon has been locked within the void and hasn't been able to get out. His mind has been broken down due to his surroundings as well as the manipulation placed upon him by the painters of the Dessendre family. Thus, the only thing left to do was to perform yet another mercy kill. But when it came to Simon...the actual Sword of Lumiere has made himself known, and he throws a hand, feet, and a blade. Simon seemed more like some sort of animal that was moving out of pure will instead of consciousness.

His missing hand and his lack of eyes made it seem as if he wasn't all there. Whenever he made a sound, it seemed more like a roar than something notably Human. Simon slowly stumbled whenever he moved, but whenever it came to fighting, he locked into his movements and started to hit as if he was born for it. It was only a testament to how long he had been fighting on his own. If Verso had been like Simon... maybe his mind would have been broken too. Verso would have been immortal, forever slaying Nevrons and Axons as if he were a simple beast on a hunt. 

A Hunter must hunt. Fear the old blood.

As tough as Simon was, not even he stood a chance against the expedition. Maybe he would've if the group hadn't had the Lumina Converter, but considering they did, Simon had finally went down. Then second phase came to fruition with the source of his love for Clea. Simon's sudden increase of power and his sudden use of physical afterimages made for slow understanding of what he was capable of. He could definitely keep up with the Lumina Converter now, so if he got any stronger than it would be a problem with Maelle, Lune, and Sciel. It would be worse if the last stand team had to go out to play. 

But as it turns out... you, Verso, and Monoco had no choice. Simon used the abilities given to him by Clea to gommage the first expedition team, leaving the rest to take over for his third phase. You had to think of a strategy on the spot, but Simon had no element weaknesses or weak points visible. His afterimages had tripled as well and made Verso work triple time just to keep you uninjured whilst you had thought of how to adapt easier. 

He used Chroma to reduce everyone to a drained physical state, and demanded perfection, just like painted Clea's fight. It was a matter of patience and adaptation to how slow his attacks were thanks to his afterimages. You had to use your Chroma to shoot Simon's rhythm into Monoco and Verso just before the Sword of Lumiere could start attacking. Starting from then, you just focused on supporting and giving the two more turns to fight, having to revive them or heal them until Simon had finally went down. 

When he finally did, it felt like a sudden relief. And it seemed as if Simon was now in a state where he could process things enough to at least recognize Verso. In a moment of approval and pride for his own comrade, Simon gave his weapon over. Perhaps it was to pass the torch... or perhaps it was a way to show that he was proud enough to give something so helpful over to Verso. But either way, it was a sentimental moment as Verso had watched his comrade slowly disappear into petals.  - "I lay you to rest, my friend." 

Soon after everyone left, you examined the sword Verso had been left with before giving him a crooked smirk.  - "Looks a little heavy for you."

He smacked you upside the head for that one, hearing your small snicker and seeing the fox-like smirk on your face. 

But anyhow, everyone chose to set up at camp after this. The day was pretty long, and everyone had spent it either exploring or trying to get through all kinds of Nevrons or bosses. The sudden set off for the last stand team had you, Verso, and Monoco out of beat too, so the three of you were all mostly tired. You ended up flopping halfway into your tent, making Verso deadpan before he had to drag you all the way in. This allowed for him to keep watch over you again. 

It was certainly better than simply sitting at the Go table even if he did want to play. But then again, he didn't want to play with anyone else either... so he would rather keep watch over you. Now that you were resting, you looked more peaceful. Certainly more peaceful than before, so it let Verso's shoulders lower before he eventually laid down next to you to rest. He didn't have enough energy to go back to his tent, and he didn't feel like it. Besides, if you asked why he slept in your tent, he'd just come up with something on the spot.

Being able to rest close to you felt so right... It felt like something Verso could get used to in the future. The longer he would be able to stay with you, the more he may be able to make you wish to keep living. You've done the same for him somehow with your unknowing charm, so perhaps he would be able to as well. You could see his face now after all, so Verso may just be able to charm you. 

Good hair, good looks, and some good flirting can mean some good charm from him. If he was thinking of pursuing you, then a little bit of flirting shouldn't be too bad. He knew you were... married, but, your wife is dead. And why not lay your love on him instead? From what he's seen from Fengxian, Verso would assume that you didn't engage in much affection with her, even if you did have a child with her. 

Verso's thoughts then went to Maomao. She looked to have more of Fengxian's looks, but may have your eccentric personality. And if she truly did hate you, then it wouldn't be hard for Verso to turn her further away from you so you could get a new start together. Either that or he would have to get you to get her out of your life entirely. And knowing you, that would be a hard task. You probably would've loved to be a parent if you hadn't been on that trip overseas... 

The thought of being a good parent was an adorable one. It was reachable, but Verso highly doubted that you wanted another child until Maomao forgave you. Now that... wasn't very reachable. And even if Verso did get rid of her, if you found out, you would be hell bent on trying to get revenge on him. Goodness... if only Maomao and Fengxian never existed... Why did they have to make things so difficult for him when they weren't even alive or around? 

By now, Verso was holding your face again with one hand whilst trying to think of how to bypass them. Fengxian and Maomao were his worst problems right now. They were the very clog that he had to break apart, but if he did, you may not want to speak with him anymore. And if he would attempt to force himself onto you, that would be... immoral. As dangerous as he already acted and as much as he wanted to get rid of your wife and child, he knew he couldn't. They were both solidified into your memory as your life lessons. 

How could he get you to love him without making you repulsed that he wanted you to cheat on your dead wife? Why couldn't you love him instead? Why wouldn't you love him instead? The thought that you were still so attached to your dead wife and your distant child made his jaw flex. Yet, he took a deep breath and made himself calm down. 

It would be okay. He could figure something out. And if he couldn't... he'd just have to do it the hard way. But that would be if all his other options failed. Him resorting to the hard way would just be a last resort. He wouldn't do it until he truly had to, as tantalizing as it was... 

Verso just decided to get his mind off of it and go to sleep. He didn't want to have murder on his mind the entire night, especially if it was about your family, so he just decided to sleep it off. This man ended up spooning you while sleeping. He didn't even take your blanket either, so you were just completely overwhelmed by the heat and tried to move around a lot, only to not be able to because Verso was spooning you. 

He started off the next day by waking up to you still asleep. You were probably still in deep rest after the energy you expended from yesterday, so Verso took this time to watch you again. He cradled the side of your face with his hand in your rest, the tips of his fingers tracing the warmth and feel of your skin. His thumb traced directly under your eye to directly trace the shape of it and recognize it. He already did recognize most of you, but as if another feature would make itself known to him, he continued to look out for anything new. 

The future... In the future, he would get more of this moment. He would be able to hold you whilst the both of you rested, and he would be able to feel more of your warmth closer and more intimately. Verso would be able to walk around Lumiere with you as your husband... and he would be able to--

Verso was cut off when you suddenly woke up. You were naturally confused as to why he was in your tent and spooning you, but he just came up with a lie on the spot and mumbled that he was tired after dragging you into your tent since you passed out halfway through it somehow. 

Judging from the slow blink and the look you gave him, you knew he was bullshitting, but Verso instead smiled and tilted his head to give off a more jesting and playful expression. His hand didn't seem to stop tracing across your skin, and you never seemed to move away. It was strange; Could he consider this as progress to the future, or was it because you were still half asleep? 

... It was probably the latter but Verso could hope- He was already being bold by keeping his hand cradled over your cheek, but his touch was gentle and barely there. More of a light trace, but it needed more; It needed something more purposeful... so he decided to lean closer.  - "... Can we stay like this for a little while longer?"

It was comfortable and warm within your tent, so it wasn't entirely because he was trying to get closer to you, but he was using it to get more confident in his desires with you. A closer proximity and comfort was important within this moment to his bolder wants, so he slowly started to drift his hand from your cheek to gently hold your hair. 

He could tell you everything he's feeling, or he could just stay quiet...  He could tell you about how much he's thought of your future together with him, or he could just stay entirely quiet and just rest with you. It was still morning after all... and the thought of resting with you even more felt nice. 

Verso didn't know why, but you accepted by simply closing your eyes. It wasn't as if you were going to do anything with Verso anyway, but the bliss that flooded through him in that instant gave him a confidence boost that a future with you truly was possible... You were vulnerable with him and let him rest with you, even if may be because you were too tired to stop him. The fact remained that the both of you were now sleeping together by choice. 

This gave him the opportunity to cling closer and cause even more discomfort to you through too much warmth. The only reason you let this happen for about 30 more minutes was because Verso seemed truly happy about how this had conspired. But it didn't take long before you finally pulled away and shooed Verso off to the other side of the tent, much to his disappointment. He thought you liked warmth, but perhaps not. 

Wrong. Verso was too warm. He's too much. The sheer affection and love he holds for you is way too much and you can't reciprocate that much. 

Still, you only sighed and told him to get ready since the expedition would probably be embarking soon. 

When the both of you got out of your tent, Sciel seemed to catch on and start teasing the both of you immediately, yet, the both of you didn't have much of a reaction to it. You only walked towards the river to take a bath for yourself whilst Verso gave a half hearted explanation and made his way to his tent so he could get a change of clothes. Yeah... Sciel wasn't going to give him or you an inch of respite over that one, so you just decided to hide until everyone had to go... leaving Verso to take most of the teasing. 

The thing was that he didn't deny any of it, nor did he agree to any of it. He didn't want to give much indication of his feelings to anyone here, even if it was probably blatantly obvious from how much he only spent time around you. But what gave away more of it was the amount of times he would smile around you, whether he would be amused or happy. It was an obvious fondness that he had for you, and he could tell that everyone most likely saw the smiles he had whenever he was with you. 

Verso was mostly with you in and out of camp, after all. He accompanied you everywhere often and got along with you. Verso even protected you without hesitation so you could plan without any delays. It would be natural that everyone would assume that the both of you were intimately involved... Even if it wasn't the truth, he wanted it to be with all his heart. He wanted to be able to love you in all the ways he could because he could see an actual future with you. 

He'll get Maellicia to overwrite his immortality, and he'll get you to fall for him so the both of you could live as an ordinary couple. You'll be the military official in the council whilst he would be your husband that plays the piano for you whenever you'd want or need. He'd give you your every want as he could, even if it included getting rid of certain people. The both of you would live somewhere quiet, and would keep to yourselves. The both of you would age together... and would be a normal couple. 

By the time Verso had finished changing, he could hear everyone getting ready to leave on Esquie so they could explore the last area that was under the water... the real Verso's Drafts. From what the painted counterpart had seen of the entrance, it was most likely the young young Verso's drafts... so it was probably filled with all sorts of stupid shit. He knew the moment you saw it, you'd be looking at him with that stupid fox face again... Verso wanted to kiss you to make you stop. 

He could only deadpan at the thought before finally stepping out of his tent to meet up with everyone else. They all seemed ready, and you didn't seem to be uncomfortable with what happened earlier in your tent, so it was probably just water under the bridge for you. You even had that close eyed smile on your face that looked reminiscent of a fox, so you were most likely okay.

Anyhow, everyone finally made their way over to Verso's Drafts before delving into it. Immediately, the color changes were phenomenal. It was so... bright and vibrant and filled with candy. It was filled with flying Esquies and mood killing Francois'. Half born Gestrals were just chilling everywhere too. No one could tell what was an enemy and what was some chill dude because there was so much shit around the area.

Verso seemed rather soft here. It was more as if he was more calm and was able to relax a little considering he still had memories of this place. He remembered most of where everything was, so he was more than happy to take the lead and guide everyone to everything. He took over with getting cake for a door, playing hopscotch, going on the swing ride, popping balloons and getting your ankles broken by this one Gestral, all of this was... a journey, that's for sure. You would have picked some candy off of the walls if Verso didn't smack it out of your hand. 

Considering that there was no Nevrons here that would sneak up on anyone and you were probably going to do some stupid shit, he pulled you to the front with him so he could keep a better eye on you. You mumbled about it whilst everyone was walking around, but Verso never answered. He only looked at you with a small smile before looking forward again and continuing forward. The both of you definitely ignored Sciel's amused look as she and Maellicia looked towards each other with knowing looks. 

Everyone knows his feelings. 

All of these enemies were... unpredictable at the least, it was actually insane. You had no idea what they were going to do next and you were still recovering from getting juked by that damn Gestral. But you saw that dark pink Francois keep bouncing into the air with confetti and rainbows appearing from his shell. There was nothing predictable about this area other than it being a child's dangerous playground and you just decided to roll with it. 

God, don't even get me started on Osquio. Everyone just barely got the Lumina working and were still getting used to the passives, so they were just barely ready for the battle ahead. But what came across wasn't exactly... battle heavy. It was more or so they everyone was putting on the act as heroes whilst Osquio acted as the big bad.

With the amount of power he had, he could have destroyed anyone inside the Canvas if he wanted. He even decided that he would erase the entire world if everyone hadn't parried his last Gradient. Nothing in this fight was serious. The way the quality decreased after everything made it even worse, so you just gave up and chose to sit your ass down until Osquio finally fell. 

When he did, you could see many things happening. Monoco was mad because he didn't get to have Osquio's foot, Lune was trying to calm him down, Maellicia and Sciel were watching with amusement, Osquio was flipping Esquie off, somehow taking him off guard for once whilst Verso finally saw his younger counterpart. The small boy was only there for a moment, but his stance looked satisfied that his other variation could get some happiness within this place.

Then Verso got whoo'd.

Everyone got the Osquio outfits, already leading to you practically wheezing because Verso looked ridiculous crawling or flying around. The moment looked vaguely familiar to when he completely ate shit trying to parry a Gradient Attack and you just laughed at him for five minutes straight... He put himself back into his regular outfit right after, continuing to hear your small snickers. 

It wasn't long before everyone had went back to camp as to get more Chroma for the expedition in Lumiere. Everyone had fooled around for long enough, so it was time to get the trapped Chroma from within the fallen teams that came before them.

So everyone went from chronological order. The Spring Meadows, the Flying Waters, the Stone Wave Cliffs, the Forgotten Battlefield, and all the rest. But more than anything, the Forgotten Battlefield had the most stale Chroma to pick from. By the time Maellicia had searched every area, everyone was now at the Dark Shores with an army of Chroma formed expeditioners behind them. 

Now this allowed for everyone to finally go back to camp so they could rest up and regain their energy. No one was exactly tired, but they needed the extra rest for the time ahead of them. You decided to spend it by playing Go and exercising your mind with Verso, who had gladly spent more time trying more strategies against you whilst talking with you.

Lately, the topics being talked of weren't really about business. They were more or so just free topics since the way forward was always so straightforward despite the means being difficult as all hell. It was comfortable and light hearted, especially as you brung up the way he acted in the real Verso's Drafts. You said it was adorable... and with that small smile you had on your face when you mused about it made Verso feel almost flustered. It wasn't as if he could help himself though, as there was many things that were in disarray as a result of the real Verso's absence. 

Did doors deserve cake? Yes. Did he have to pop those balloons belonging to that young Gestral? Definitely not, but did he do it anyway? Yes, just to fuck with it. And did he need to tamper with the Esquie statues? No, but he liked the sounds they made. Did he need to force everyone to ride the swings? Absolutely not, but everyone got free cake out of it and free Esquie outfits. 

He got disappointed when you didn't wear it. You said "it was degrading as a human being". How cruel. Since when did you care for that kind of humiliation? You never did seem like the type, but hey, he figures out something new about you every day. 

Everything seemed regular. It was all simple play and simple conversation... at least until you brung up the real Verso. You seemed curious of him compared to the Verso now, and you could see the man's energy beginning to lower to something more quiet and unmotivated. 

The real Verso... the real liar, or the little boy that was sick of painting? 

Verso harbored memories from both. Memories ranged from when he was young and still playing in this Canvas to a grown man that put up a mask every day to meet his parent's expectations. Despite his passion for the piano, he was never able to play for himself. All of his songs had been composed for his family and never for himself until painted Verso had managed to make something. Even then, it was a song complicated of his feelings and his never ending search to end his life. 

Now that he thought about it... did he really deserve to want to live? He spent most of his life trying to die, and now he suddenly wants to live because of a single person he couldn't understand. Ever since he's been in contact with you, he's been... unhinged as of late. His mind has been almost rewired and he feels as if he's not in his right mind when it comes to you. Whenever you're with him, he feels like he's on a sort of high. It's an obsession, and he knew he couldn't stop it. 

Yet, Verso lives not as himself, but as another man. Would this man have loved you if he knew you? If you were in the real world... who would you truly be? Would you still be a person in the military official category, or would you be a simple individual? Would your fox-like personality remain the same as if you were ever in the real world? Would you retain your wit, and would Verso ever be able to meet you? The conditions themselves were all unlikely, and he highly doubted the both of you would even know the other existed. 

The fact remains that painted Verso has been living his life as the simple recreation of grief. His very existence has caused the destruction of this Canvas, and the more he lives, the more he indirectly destroys. The reason Aline and Renoir were even in this Canvas was because of him. The reason innocent people kept dying was because of him. People were created for no reason but a grief system and they were all being gommaged or brutally murdered by Nevrons because of him. There was so much blood on his hands simply because he exists. 

Did he even deserve to fall for someone? He genuinely felt as if he loved you, but you clearly loved your wife. Why was he attempting to break these barriers and get you to cheat on her? You have a child, for god's sake... Why did he want to get rid of her or turn her away from you? It scared him that the thought of getting rid of your own daughter was... so appealing to him. Just being so obsessed and in love with you like this was only making him worse. The amount of bodies that have been piled under his hand whether directly or indirectly must reach higher than the Reacher at this point... Did some of those bodies include his painted family? 

Why was he asking this question? Ever since they were created, they were destined to be erased or disposed of in some way. Verso just never expected to have to be the one to kill all of them. Renoir, Clea, Aline, and maybe even Alicia. He just wanted to incapacitate Renoir... He wanted to somehow save Clea before she ended up killing herself... He wanted to excavate Aline from the Canvas so she could recover... and he wanted his sister to live a life that she could really be proud of.. but he failed in all of it. Every single attempt has ended with him losing one less family member of this painted relationship until all that was left was him. 

Why did he believe for just a few moments that he had the right to live? Why did Verso believe that he could actually be with you? It made him sick to his stomach that he could live like none of this ever happened. It wasn't as if he could accept you being alone or being with someone else either. He fell for you, and as self deprecating as he was, he couldn't let go.

He knew he couldn't understand you, but he didn't know what kept drawing himself to you. You're an eccentric individual drawn by your own pleasure and displeasure. Your lack of care for others has led for your prosperous self at the cost of another. Your cunning nature allows you to keep your position, and your way of playing Go has been the way you lived through your life as a military official. 

You're a terrible person, but you're capable of deep care. It showed with your wife and your child... so was Verso terrible for wanting access to that side of you? You always seemed so casual with him, even when he hated you. Was he anything more to you than some ally? When he slept with you, did you think of it as anything more than a lazy comrade? Was he sacrificing himself for your strategies like some pawn? Was he still just a Soldier piece to you? 

Why were you even able to see his face? He never did get to think of it fully. You were able to see your wife's and child's faces because you loved them dearly, most likely. Being able to finally put certain faces together took lots of effort and you barely ever tried for everyone. So why was it that you were able to see his face? You didn't really love him, did you? Or was it that you just had to care about the people enough to put their faces in the right order? 

Maybe people had to see who you truly were so you could see if they were worth the time of you actually discerning their face. The expedition sees you as a dependable figure with an odd way of acting. They know you were a military official, but they may not know just how terrible you are. Verso sees you for who you truly are and hated you for it, only to fall for you sooner or later. 

Both you and him can see through to each other, even if there's no complete understanding. The both of you are simply two liars that came to this conclusion under different circumstances. But either way, you're the same. Two sides of the same coin. Perhaps that's why you were finally able to see his face. And maybe that's why he fell for you. 

Maybe the real Verso would have been better at ignoring you and hating you. But really... painted Verso wasn't the real Verso at all. He could try all he wants, but he will never be the man he was painted after. It's why he gave up on it, even if he could never become his own person. 

He was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard the tap of a stone against the Go board. His eyes scanned the pieces in silence before he looked back at you. The question about the real Verso was still in the air, but he didn't know if he could answer. He didn't know how to. It'd be better to ask Maellicia. What made it worse was that you never prodded him for answers. It was just a simple question, and whether Verso would answer it was up to him. Whether he lied or not, you would catch on. You probably wouldn't call him out on it, but he knows you know about it. 

But this wasn't a matter of nerves--He just didn't know what to tell you. You were even letting him think on it without a problem. The thing was about the real Verso was that he was a real sore topic... Esquie never spoke of him whilst painted Verso was around and Monoco was probably missing the real painter in the deepest parts of his heart. The real Verso caused so much pain with his decision to help Maellicia, and painted Verso knew the man would do it all over again if he had the choice. 

What would it matter if he told you? He knew you'd stay quiet about it and you probably wouldn't care even if he told you every single detail. Verso already told you that you weren't real and that your life could be erased at any point to render your progress useless, so that probably just drove your motivation to live entirely down into the trash. But this also just meant that he could tell you everything and you would just nod along and keep it in mind for your conversations later. 

Whatever. If everyone was going to be fighting Renoir tomorrow, it would be all or nothing. There's nothing to keeping everything from you, so he just decided to spill. And spill he did- He told you about everything. The real Verso and his life outside the Canvas, how he died to save Maellicia in the fire, being painted into the Canvas, and his entire life within this fictional world. He even told you about how he's been feeling about this expedition. Naturally this included you, but he saved you for last because of how much bullshit you've been making him feel for the past few weeks. 

This obsession to find out just who you are and why he wished to understand you so badly... not even you could understand why he was like this, but you could see that it was an actual problem. Verso was in a state of mind that made him hyper fixate on someone to the point it was unhealthy, and you never bothered to really look at it until now. Now then, since this includes you, how will you get out of this...? 

You could isolate yourself, but Verso would definitely catch on and he'd directly address you about it. The only option was to keep proceeding as normal, but you couldn't exactly enable his behavior. Besides, you were working with Verso, so it wasn't as if isolation was a choice. You just decided to stick with him and keep talking about it to try and get to the root of the problem. Maybe getting him to understand you would help him get over this hyper fixation. Helping him through it was the least you could do for the hug and the comfort he gave you the other day. 

... But you really had no idea to help someone when they were like... this. Verso was finally breaking down in front of you about his feelings and you were just sat across from him in silence. You were just staring and listening. This was awkward, but it wasn't as if you could just walk away. You were actually wanting to hear Verso out. It wasn't just because Verso himself and his situation was interesting to you, but you wanted to make sure he was alright. You just had no idea how to go through with it, so you were just listening and watching as Verso ranted and vented to you. 

Would a hug help? Probably not, but it was at least something.

You just got up, making Verso stop before he saw you walk over and offer an arm. You yourself looked as if you had no idea what you were doing, but you were offering a side hug regardless. Verso just started chuckling into his hands, already procking you to ask what he was laughing at. 

To Verso, your little offer of reassurance was adorable. You looked halfway hesitant about it too, like you were out of your element. To be fair, you certainly were, but at least you were trying. Your eyes were looked to the side and your lips were twisted into something less like a grimace but a frown of uncertainty. The energy around you was even rapidly shifting from a slight anxiety to something trying to decided whether to pull back or not. But before that could happen, Verso turned your side hug into an embrace with your head in his chest. 

It definitely wasn't what you were aiming for... but if this calmed Verso down, it could work. It appeared as if he wanted to be the one on the outside and keeping you in. His hugs were awfully warm as well... As long as the air outside was cold, being with him wasn't too bad. But if it was warm... he's banished. That didn't matter right now though--What mattered was making sure he was alright. 

He did seem fine. The vibe around him was less sullen and hesitant, now more of a calmed and content air. The atmosphere around the both of you had finally melted down into something comfortable and... almost lazy. 

God... forget about the real Verso. Forget about the Canvas. Fuck the mental breakdown. Fuck how he felt earlier... Whether he deserved you or not didn't matter if he would have you anyway. He was fine just like this...

Though if you could hug a little higher or sit down, that'd be appreciated considering how you were hunched the entire time. You know he won't move but you stay in the hug anyway because this man is mentally unwell and needs you. Plus he's warm. You could probably give him some of your soap and shampoo though... That earthy scent is not doing him any favors...

Anyhow, the next day came by slower than most. Everyone was focused on defeating Renoir and keeping the Canvas alive. The expeditioners made of Chroma will be the distractions for his creations whilst everyone else will make their way through to get to the end of Lumiere. If all went well, everyone would be allowed to live and rebuild. And even if some died during this last fight--hopefully that didn't happen--Maellicia would be able to bring them back in the rebuilding process.

Everyone will return... and everyone will live happy lives. Verso would have to make sure Maellicia leaves the Canvas every so often to keep her alive.  - "Tomorrow comes."

Lumiere, despite it being night, was engulfed in color as Renoir's and Maellicia's creations battled against each other. It was a war that was more or so to buy time. Considering Maellicia couldn't keep up the expeditioners for long, everyone had to rush through Lumiere whilst grabbing the useful items they could. Thanks to the amount of Pictos and Lumina Points the group spread amongst themselves, they were able to breeze through everything without a problem. This allowed for more time to be bought with the Chroma made expeditioners. 

The further everyone got, the less Maellicia could keep everything up. But with less creations to monitor and more Chroma coming back to her, she was able to keep moving without a problem and was able to get some interesting sights along the way. 

Expedition 60 was truly valiant. The remaining member of the group attempted to swim back to Lumiere and got so close, but unfortunately, not even the power of his muscles could win against the Paintress' Gommage. 

Within Lumiere's Opera House was the younger Verso playing the piano. There was none to accompany his performance, yet the sounds of his piano reverberated within the destroyed opera building. His songs had all been composed for his family, but despite this, none remained to see it except Maellicia. It didn't seem as if she had known this however, and instead kept her eyes on the painting of Gustave and Sophie that remained immortalized on the ceiling. Their love was visible to all that was left...

It only gave more determination to defeat Renoir and bring everyone back.

When they all approached the older man, he looked to be simply waiting for them. Maellicia attempted one last time to convince Renoir to let her stay in the Canvas, but he wouldn't budge. His view on this was valid, after all. His wife had left because he wasn't around in her time of need, so he lived years of his life inside a Canvas to wind her down and expel her from within this painted world. Now his youngest daughter, who is vulnerable to this Canvas, is compelled to repeat this pointless war. 

Maellicia, who is choosing to want to save this Canvas, acknowledges her real self. She acknowledges the teenager who has burn scars over her face. Maellicia acknowledges the part of her that can barely talk. She sees the part that gets hurt every time she tries to breathe properly. Maellicia acknowledges the guilt that writhes inside of her because her real brother saved her from a fire that she herself accidentally started. She harbors the guilt and shame, but this may be her time to make it right. 

Her brother, although he isn't real, has someone that he wants to love. He has someone that he's clearly infatuated with. Verso hasn't had the chance to love someone without their reciprocation or without being betrayed in some kind of way. This was the one chance to at least let him live his life. This was the one chance to let him love and live a life where he's untouched by flames. Verso carries grief and so much pain, but he has someone that can help him shoulder it. He now has someone that will love him, whether Maellicia has to force it to happen or not. 

The Dessendre family is fighting once again, but this time, it's on an even worse scale. Renoir gets his very power from his family, but his very own daughter and someone created after his son is now fighting against him. To make things even more destructive, Aline came back despite Maellicia hiding the Canvas, so an unwell old woman, a vulnerable teenager, and a 100+ year old halfway suicidal man is fighting an unwell old man sick of his family's shit. 

To a good extent, the 100+ year old halfway suicidal man was pretty sick of it too. He wanted his future with you, but he didn't expect it to be like... this. This was just beating down a man that Verso thought of as his father. His entire family was doing it, but did they not feel anything about it? They were fighting so hard... Verso couldn't see a hint of hesitation on their faces. But for him, he's been feeling guilt mixing within his body once again. The same thoughts as before were plaguing his mind. 

He wants to live, but his very life spreads poison wherever he goes... He's the reason people suffer here, and he's the very reason so many lives have been lost to the gommage and Nevrons. Verso is the very reason everyone in this Canvas has died. He's the catalyst... All Verso wanted right now was to live, but he didn't deserve it when his very wants would cause more deaths than good actions. Did he even deserve to want to live? Verso even wanted to love a military official that couldn't care less about who they kill. He fell for a selfish bastard of an individual that treats people as pieces of a game. 

This wasn't the time and place, but Verso was hesitating... He was stopping... Verso was getting pulled into his thoughts and was getting overwhelmed with his feelings again... He didn't want this. Verso didn't want his family breaking up because of him. His real counterpart already caused a major split, and if this continued, it would be the real breaking point--

The real Verso.

... Right. Verso wanted to die--not because of his own wants but because of his family and his real counterpart. That young boy was being forced to paint for eternity even despite being mentally exhausted. 

Did his wants outweigh the consequences...? What should he do...? Why couldn't he move? Anytime he thought about going to one side, his stomach sunk and he felt like saliva was pooling in his mouth. He tried to swallow it down but his stomach felt like it wasn't taking it in. Verso was almost about to tear up. He was about to throw up from the mass of nerves that were bunching up in his brain. 

He was stressed and he could barely process and he couldn't even move. Everyone was distracted with Renoir, but since you were still in the back to keep planning, you obviously saw Verso's frozen state. Anytime it got to his turn, he was skipped because he wasn't moving. It was obvious he was having a mental breakdown right now, so you had to keep him safe until he was able to process again.

The first person he saw was you. Your eyes were filled with worry and your brows were knitted closer together. The fact that you were concerned for him and actually took action meant he was probably being a burden right now. Verso felt as if he didn't have a right in this situation despite it being about him in the first place. He couldn't fight like this... 

What should he do? What could he do? He didn't know what was right. He didn't know what he wanted. He just wanted it to stop. This wasn't the time and place for panicking but--

Verso was taken out of his thoughts when you placed your hand over his chest. You didn't say anything, nor were you looking at him. You were still watching the fight as you kept your hand over his heart. You could feel every beat and every shudder as he focused on your touch. It was firm but gentle, and he could tell you were still trying to think. Trying to keep him stable whilst trying to think of a way to defeat Renoir was probably weighing you down. 

He was losing his mind. He felt completely powerless to stop this. Verso couldn't do anything, even when he saw Maelle stab her own father through the chest. Was he going crazy? He felt like it... Everything was going by and he couldn't do anything about it. His mind was entirely absorbed, and he was refusing to take either side. He couldn't hear what Renoir was saying, but he could see his mother stumbling from the real world outside the Canvas. 

Amongst your touch and the distant sight of his mother, he could hear his heart. It thumped and thudded in his chest. And with a quick apology, he jumped straight through the image of his mother. Before he could touch her, he found himself within a different surrounding. But in the distance was a small boy on his knees and keeping his attentions on the Canvas on the ground. 

This was a choice he wouldn't get to make again if he chose to pass it up. Would he choose his real self and the family outside of this Canvas, or would he choose you and the future within? 

If you'd like to see how Verso's ending goes, this would go out like usual. Maellicia would attempt to stop him from setting himself and the real Verso free, leading to him having to fight her. Using the advantage that Maellicia didn't want to paint him out of existence, he ended up overpowering her and forcibly excavating her from the Canvas. Everyone else had arrived too late to stop this, and were now watching as their victory was forcibly taken from them at the last possible moment.

Monoco and Esquie had known this was coming for a good while now, and they had accepted it. Even if they didn't mind being in the Canvas, as this was all they had known, they were glad that they could help their best friend with his last request of helping the Dessendre family move on from the real Verso's death. 

Sciel accepted Verso's choice with grace... but that didn't mean that she forgave him for it. He had already betrayed everyone twice, and this makes for the third time. Verso lied to everyone again and just destroyed the only chance to repair Lumiere. Not even Sciel could forgive him for it. She pulled her hand away before she and Verso could even connect, for as flowing as she was, she couldn't bring herself to accept what he did. 

But you know who was the most pissed? Yeah, you definitely know- Lune was death glaring Verso with complete contempt. She despised him for his actions. She detested him with every inch of her being, and she knew she couldn't do anything about it. Verso was still immortal and she couldn't kill him to release some of her frustration... so instead she sat down and glared. There wasn't anything else she could do. 

On contrast to Lune and more alike to Sciel, you accepted this with a simple sigh. It looked like how it did when you first gommaged. Closed eyes with your hands in your sleeves and a more peaceful look on your face. Even your small smile was graceful as you let yourself slowly fade into petals. 

Verso couldn't bring himself to feel regretful upon being able to see you so peaceful. Even when you slept, you didn't look so liberated. Now you were almost ethereal; You were ready to go and were ready for the next life. Verso was left simply watching you and your figure slowly disappearing into petals. Before you could fully go, he grabbed your hands. 

He pledged that you would be his and he would be yours in the next life. No matter who you were and no matter how terrible of a person you were. No matter the time, he would reunite with you and would be your husband without fail. He'd just have to find you before your wife does.

Until Next Life.

If you'd like to see how Maellicia's ending goes, everything should have gone right. Everything was brought back, and everyone was now alive. Verso now had a life to live in Lumiere, and he had a job close to you as a sort of assistant. 

You never changed in your ways. You recalled tales and were useless for anything other than your own work. That just meant that you and Verso were free most of the time, so everyone ends up seeing the both of you just playing Go. You started to teach him some other board games as well, allowing for him to make his choices between the strategy games so he could use a bit of a change with brain exercises. 

Verso sees that those from the council don't understand how he was able to stand you. Clearly, they don't need to know the countless breakdowns he had during the expedition because of you. He just ignored them with a faint smile whenever they would ask, seeing you goading someone into doing something almost impossible unless they strain themselves to the maximum. Verso had to stop you before you accidentally killed someone... Not like you would've cared anyway- 

The more he worked with you, the more he began to pick up on some of your nature. The both of you began to have the same small smirk and the same sharp wit. Trying to trick the both of you while you were together was now an impossible feat, especially since the both of you are complete liars that know when another would attempt to get one over on you. This ended up with having everyone else either ignoring you or attempting to avoid you even more than usual.

You out of everyone having Verso as an assistant has made everyone's lives worse and the both of you are all in for it. It really makes things worse that the both of you are dangerous and Verso has no qualms with protecting you. His immortality may be gone but his sacrificial tendencies are not- You have to remind him that he doesn't have eternal life anymore, but he doesn't care- If something dangerous is coming up to you, he's going to remove it with efficiency. 

Considering everyone was ignoring you now, that gave you more time to play together or just chill around, especially since the both of you just chilled at home. Yes. The both of you live together now. Maellicia was the one that had this happen and was the one to get Verso a job with you. Domestic life with the both of you is actually... quite calm and relaxing. 

As mischievous as you can be, you don't do much inside your own home. You're completely chill and you take care of yourself just fine. Verso's the same way, so the both of you have a rather quiet life together. The only way it becomes loud is if someone else is in the house or if something's out of order. The both of you probably could have been a couple if Maellicia painted over you, but... Verso fortunately didn't let that happen. 

He wanted you to maintain your nature as much as possible, and to have it tampered with... such an impurity wasn't welcome in his mind. He of course wanted you to love him as much as possible, but he also didn't want it to be forced or have you painted over because it reminds him of Clea. Having you with your very being taken from you and replaced with something so unlike you was horrifying to him. He wouldn't be able to think of you as a Human anymore, and he doesn't need that happening. 

Thanks to how much people that avoid you, he doesn't have to worry about getting hit on or having you as the subject of someone's fondness. On the rare occasion that it does happen, it would have to be with someone that you'd be acknowledging constantly, otherwise you wouldn't even pay them any mind. Even then, you mostly let Verso take over with actual talking since you're always doing your own work, so it's not as if you actually care for the person that's trying a little too hard to get with either of you.

When he sees this... absolute random trying to get closer to the both of you, he can feel his head tilting and his eyes narrowing. Verso wouldn't act immediately and will simply watch. This random individual would take your time, and you look more as if you'd just brush them off. You barely even look at them and are more focused on your work or annoying the people around you with small provocations you knew they couldn't fulfill. 

Your lack of care for this individual just makes things too easy for him. For the first few times, Verso would keep watch whilst giving subtle hints that he was already with you... even if you two weren't together. Usually it works considering Verso's scar just gives him a sort of scary look that stuns some people enough to keep them away, but those that are bold will still stick around to bother either him or you. This show of persistence is something he shows quiet "disappointment" to. 

It's in his eyes as he quietly stares into the random person occupying your or his time. There's a sort of satisfaction but fake indifference he has in his eyes as he realizes that he can get this one alone and intimidate them just enough to make them disappear from your life. Then it would be all perfect again.

Maybe it would be a quick and civil talk where he could convince this person that he was already taken by you... or maybe the stubbornness of this random individual would make him grab them by the hair and point his Verleso into their chest. It would be so easy to revert back to his old ways of when he would just kill people like they're expeditioners that did him wrong. They're so lucky that he's living a normal life with you right now... If he was still on the expedition with you, he would have already used his Verleso to just... No. Not yet. It was still too early. You'd know it was him. 

He would tell this person to quit their job or he'd make sure his threats come to fruition. Verso would then stick close to you and make sure the rando doesn't approach you or him again. 

In a way, this gets rid of annoying people for you, and you already have a good idea of what happened anyway because Verso has this small smile whenever you bring it up. Well... as long as it keeps him happy. You let it slide and kept up with work... at least until you started hearing questions on if you and Verso were truly together. That's when you looked at him with a blank face... in which he gave an innocent smile back and confirms the question without even letting you deny it. 

He might even give you a kiss to the cheek for good measure, leading on the life of a healthy couple. 

Whatever kept him happy, right?

Fucking asshole. This is your life now. But who knows? Maybe you'll be able to keep up enough of a fake love life to the point you actually fall for him. He has more strategies he could go for, and he has all the time in the world. Verso will make you love him in one way or another. This is just one step of many.

[thereaintnoway]

Angel's Eyes

Self Aware Yandere Verso Dessendre x Gender-Neutral Reader Angel's Eyes {Part 2} will be linked here.

Word Count: 15.8k

Form: Headcanons

A/N: I've been seeing that there wasn't any yandere stuff in Expedition 33... I wish to change that, and... I need a post to prove that I'm not a bot. Even for Headcanons, this is kind of a long drabble. Like... my laptop is lagging the more I type the headcanons. I had to start typing on Wattpad and copy and paste it onto Tumblr. And this gets slightly more comedic as the main plot goes on. But this is also filled with my yapping going through the story. My yapping is only somewhat in depth to what goes on for Verso's character and the story. So it's not just yandere, but it does include those kind of themes- Verso addresses you as his Angel further down the line.

Warnings: Gender-Neutral Reader, Full Spoilers for Clair Obscur: Expedition 33's Act 2 and Act 3, No Uses of (Y/n), Strong Language, Definitely OOC, Verso Fucking Hates You, He Becomes a Gustave Hater, Graphic Descriptions, Mentions of Cannibalism, Obsessive Romance, Toxic Behavior, Existential Crisis, Very Slight Slow Burn To Yandere, Verso Crashing Out, Maybe a Mental Breakdown Or Two, Overprotective/Possessive behavior, Extreme Yearning, Consideration of Suicide, and Delusional behavior.  

This is for entertainment purposes only. The behavior that will be shown is inappropriate and unhealthy, and is not encouraged by me. Please take caution and always remember that you are responsible for your own internet consumption. It's crazy that I have to say this, but no AI has been used whilst typing this out.

When Verso joined expedition 33, he expected the same thing as the others. He would tell them what they needed to know, help them reach his mother and expel her from the Canvas. The members of Expedition 33, despite being struck with grief at the death of one of their comrades, all seemed promising in terms of taking the Paintress down. The Lumina Converter also worked wonders of which Verso himself had to admit.

Right from the first battle he entered with the expedition, he felt that something was odd. Throughout his entire life in the Canvas, he's sometimes had the feeling and thoughts that his body was not his own. After all, he had memories that never belonged to him, and has went through life as a dead man.

After going through a bit of his life already feeling like he was a puppet for another, he didn't feel right about this. He was already living as someone he wasn't, so the fact that he couldn't control his own body wasn't comforting. Perhaps joining this particular expedition wasn't a good idea... but it was too late to back out now. And no one in the group seemed like they were intent on controlling him.

And even despite this control, whoever was doing this was trying their best to protect and help the team survive. Whatever was controlling Verso felt warm, helping him move away from danger or successfully deflect a potentially dangerous attack from a Nevron. Even so, he wasn't in for it and could only wait to get control of his body once more.

It didn't take much for that to happen, and that was when he was teaching the expedition about parrying Gradient Attacks. But it didn't last long... considering he was back to getting his body's control taken from him not even a minute later.

The same thing as last time happened. He couldn't control himself, but whoever was controlling him was a helping force in keeping him away from damage. It was no wonder he'd be reaching high perfection ranks with certain battles.

Verso knew he had to save his questions for later... so he watched as his body moved without his own power, running around and destroying Nevrons or exploring the area.

The more he was forced to run around, the more he began to analyze. Every now and then, his figure would be forced to stop for a few moments before continuing in a small jog as if the person controlling him was looking around. It was as if they weren't familiar with their surroundings, taking it all in as they went.

It was genuine, along with how his body was moving to parry more often than not... like the one behind the scenes was getting used to the attacks of their opponent as well. Of course, deaths couldn't be avoided, but mistakes were inevitable, no matter who someone was.

Through small moments in time, Verso had control over himself again... like just before the Dualliste or whilst the members of expedition 33 were burying the prosthetic arm of their dead friend. It was at important occasions where Verso was able to control his body like it was his own again. But after, his functions were once again taken away from him.

He couldn't help but get irritated at this. Who the hell was controlling him? Was he the only one going through this, or was everyone just going along with it? Were they really used to having their own control torn away from them? Of course it was given back, but it was always torn away not long after.

But not long after this, the control disappeared in camp. And it was gone for a long time, allowing for Verso to finally feel like he had his control. He went up to everyone and asked his questions in a manner that didn't seem like he was going crazy, but they all seemed fine.

Was really it just him? As if he didn't have enough on his plate already. But really, why was it just him that was going through this? It didn't make sense. Did it have something to do with his mother and looking after him? Or was it just something else entirely?

Non, this kind of protection wasn't entirely keeping him from harm, and it didn't have the feel of Chroma to it. It was otherworldly. Clea? Non, she didn't care enough about this counterpart of him to give him such protection. Maelle had no idea of who she really was by now, so it definitely wasn't her. Who was it?

Verso stayed up for a long time thinking of what happened and why the control over his body would become absent at one point or another. Over and over again, his mind would go through it. Who was it? It was driving him crazy and he didn't know if this was going to interfere with what he really wanted.

Would he really want this to continue? The feel of this presence had its upsides and its downsides. It was just that the knowledge that this wasn't his choice was flowing. Nothing really was his choice since he was created. He'd lived a long life and not much had gone right for him.

His mother absolutely sucked at grieving and needed to touch grass, his father was refusing to give up on his wife who was going through mental deterioration, his oldest sister was fighting a solitary war with both herself and the Writers, his youngest sister was living her life inside a Canvas without even knowing it, and he was the crude clone of a dead man.

It was the reality he was burdened to live with for a long time, and he was tired. If this power was really helping him at the cost of his own control, he could only hope that it could let him get the ending he really wanted for both himself and his real family. But for now, he needed to keep his eye on Maelle and make sure to steer attentions to forcing his mother out of the Canvas.

Perhaps he could figure out how this lack of control worked as well. After all, there were gaps between this control and when it would suddenly stop. It would give Verso enough time to depart, but he would need a good reason for it lest he gets questioned by everyone.

The expedition continued. Verso had everyone recruit a certain Nevron foot collecting Gestral into the expedition for extra manpower before heading into Old Lumiere. But unfortunately for everyone, Monoco did a bad and split them all up. Knowing him, he was crying about it despite having no face under his mask.

He in fact was.

But anyway, Verso proceeded with Maelle and Noco, being guided by his lack of control. The longer he went through with having his own body manipulated to attack and defend, the more he started to think of it as less tedious. It was clearly intent on helping him, and felt rather warm. Whatever this was felt like it was guiding him.

Sometimes the one in control would make odd decisions as if they were on crack (Machine Gun Verso), but for the Perfection Rate, he figured it was worth it. Probably. And it kept him from temporarily dying, so that was a plus too.

Verso and Maelle battled their way through the Nevrons, and when he felt the warm control over his body lifting, he figured it was his chance. Verso quickly disappeared from Maelle's and Noco's sides to follow from afar, noting another thing about the force previously manipulating his body. So not only did the control of another have its restraints, it had to know where the subject was to manipulate it. That was useful info.

Verso continued to watch as Maelle battled alone. And when she had reached the old manor, it was only a matter of time until the door would open. He rushed for it, only to have Renoir block his attempt. Not only did it piss Verso off, but the family soap opera ended up spreading to everyone else, so the whole expedition knew the drama. 

No time to linger on it. Verso needed them to survive. Having just one of them gone could drastically lower the chances of taking out the Paintress. And having that person in the background controlling him would be a real help right about now.

Really, he was too occupied in battle to think about how odd it was that he suddenly needed the aid of this random behind the scenes helper- But he'd need all the help he can get. And if this power helped him with anything, he wouldn't mind having it control him just a little while longer. Just until he forced his mother out... That was all...

Renoir really was a pain in the ass, even with the force controlling Verso's movement. Maelle ended up disappearing with a small slap and a kick from Renoir (sorry Maelle), and Lune was downed, leaving Verso to clutch up. Both he and his little guardian angel had to lock the hell in. And that they did, just barely taking the win.

When it came to Renoir gathering Chroma, the power that controlled Verso was suddenly gone. It just left? Just like that? Seriously? Look at the Chroma bomb right above them and tell Verso that this was the best time to leave. Alright fine, he didn't need you anyway-

Status Update: Noco has been broken, and the Paintress' Heart disappeared. Verso is fucking pissed, and everyone is mad at him.

When it came back to being at camp, the controlling force had gained on him again. It had him talking to everyone and had him making the right choices to gathering their trust once more. But then came the Axon talk. Lord have mercy, he knew he had this random guiding angel helping him, but against an Axon? Well, he didn't know about that one-

He supposed it was their only shot, even if the road was dangerous. Though Verso would have preferred to stay away from them, perhaps this expedition would prevail. And if this helping hand didn't duck out on him again, it would be fine. This man was actively counting on it by now, and he was having beef with it not even a day or two ago.

He still does. He still doesn't know who's controlling him. Verso still doesn't know why they're helping. He has no idea where they are, he doesn't know what side they're on, and he doesn't know how to stop it. And this helping force just disappeared from helping him before Renoir sent an atomic bomb level of Chroma towards them.

Still, he was getting used to how this was going. It felt like a warm gratia whenever he knew his movements were being taken over, and it was beginning to get comforting. It was nice to have something that was on his side and guiding him. It felt like a small respite when Verso would normally have to go through it all alone.

Just two Axons were needed and the Curator would be able to create a weapon capable of piercing the barrier to the Monolith. A few steps backwards, a few steps forward. One at a time.

Visages... Verso never really could fully figure this one out on his own. Masks everywhere, the faces were singing, and it all had to do with emotions that were being concealed or bared. The entire feeling of this island was odd. It felt like being clouded by mist when one could see the straightforward path. Layers upon layers, and he couldn't figure it out.

But the more he went through with destroying every mask, the more he began to realize it. All the Axons the real Renoir created were made after his family. Verso knew that Siréne was his mother, with the Hauler being Clea, and the Reacher being Alicia. This left the Mask Keeper as the real Verso.

And upon entering the manor door in the Anger Mask's section, this was only confirmed. Pretending like he didn't know what was going on had Verso on his guard most of the time. But to have the warm feeling that someone knew what they were doing with him was beginning to comfort him more and more. An otherworldly presence on his side for once? About time. He could rely on it.

More and more, he's relying on this strange protection and its ability to manipulate his body. Verso wondered if they truly knew him. Did they know his thoughts? Did they know his feelings about being in their care? Did they know him inside and out to be able to control him this well? Did they know if he wasn't the real Verso?

No. They probably didn't. The way they've been curiously gazing around while making him explore every inch of an area most likely meant they were experiencing everything for the first time. It seemed as if they were mesmerized by the world of the Canvas and weren't familiar with their surroundings at all. And with how they've been swimming around with Esquie, they were eager to get to know everything they could.

In any case, the longer they stay like this, the more they'll know. Verso doesn't know if they'll really stick with him if he pulls his full intentions into the light. He just hopes they won't know what he truly wants. The unexpected protection has been helping him a lot, and he really wouldn't like for it to leave.

It felt odd to him that he was starting to find respite in having his very being controlled or moved without his own power. It was as if he could rest under the care of another. For as long as he's been going alone, it was a good break despite having his body constantly functioning. Truly, it was a weird feeling.

When it was time to defeat the Mask Keeper, Verso was really wondering if people had weakened this Axon. Two phases of nonstop fighting. He understood that it was like masking who you really were, but this was just tedious. Perhaps he should have expected such from a creation like an Axon.

Then again, Esquie exists.

Soon enough, the Mask Keeper went down. And Verso had a thought resembling that of "I still can't understand you." He couldn't understand the real Verso despite being created with his memories. There were only hints from his mother, the journal gathered from the Manor, and the Mask Keeper. Verso truly couldn't understand who he was created after... so perhaps his real counterpart was the better liar.

Sirene... Verso has went here before. And same as Visages, he never liked it. He himself had gotten hypnotized by Siréne and ended up seeing something he could never have. Julie... 

What made it worse is that he fell for it AGAIN. This probably would have been a repeat of how it was before until Monoco managed to step in with the bell gifted by the Grandis. This allowed for everyone to get moving once more, being careful to avoid the sight of Siréne and her singing.

But soon after exploring a small bit of Siréne's island, Verso started to hear something other than the Axon's singing. Humming. It was somewhere distant, just like how it felt when his body's functions were taken from him. Was this the person controlling him? Either way, it helped him focus away from Siréne's voice.

Even so, he looked around to make sure no one was following and... nothing. It didn't seem as if the others could hear this voice either. At least they made no notion that they could hear it. Once again, this left Verso wondering why only he was the one affected by this.

This voice seemed to be talking as if the expedition could actually hear them. Well, Verso could, but he never gave any look or sign that he could. He simply kept going as if it was all normal. Every comment, every thinking process, and every fawning comment over the music or area. Combining that with the distantly warm control and the otherworldly presence that was undoubtedly them, Verso felt more compelled to find out where they were.

As odd as it was... he couldn't help but feel as if this were somewhat endearing. This was his guardian angel...? They sounded like quite the individual if they were making comments on everything. They apologized or cursed if anyone from the expedition died, mumbled their process as they debated on what skills to use, and gave satisfied comments whenever a stronger enemy was defeated.

Then came the next comment, "This game is so beautiful."

A game? What did they mean a game? Verso found out this Canvas wasn't real a long time ago, but a game? Was this really someone outside of it, or was this something beyond him entirely? Was the world outside of the Canvas fake too? Double whammy...

Verso was lucky that you couldn't see his internal struggle... or the way his eyes slightly widened as this information ran through his brain. This was nothing but a game. The Canvas was fake, he knew that. But the world outside the Canvas... was fake too? Why was he the only sentient one? Why was he the only one that could hear this?

He was going through an existential crisis again. And if he told anyone else, he'd end up sounding crazy. What would the expedition think if they ever heard that he was getting controlled by some random being that isn't able to be seen? What would they think if they heard that he was now hearing another person's voice that wasn't his own? They'd think he finally went mental. In all parts of his brain, he really did think that he was going insane. It wasn't the first time, after all...

Thank God he was getting his body controlled right now. He probably would have been having trouble processing or breathing. His rhythm had been thrown off, and he felt as if he had to throttle himself just to calm down.

Really, who the fuck were you? Verso felt unsteady... awfully dizzy. Yet he was forced to keep moving. He felt as if he was going to throw up. His heart was beating through his ears. If people noticed him, it would be obvious he was in a trance. His mental state was deteriorating. All these questions were flooding his mind again at a pace where he couldn't keep up. He should have been used to this kind of news, but it still put a hole in his mind. Once again, another secret he had to keep from everyone.

Verso felt like he was in his mind the entire time he was in Siréne's island. It all went by without his knowledge, but he was fully aware of the voice speaking in his mind. He felt like he was breaking down just by hearing this voice. With every question, his mind was destroying itself. With every comment your voice made, it made him want to scream. 

Why couldn't life altering shit just leave him alone? He didn't know who this twisted angel was, but they needed to get out of his head. Did he have to kill himself just so he could do it? Just so he could go back to when this voice and presence didn't bother him anymore?

Look at Siréne. Look at her. Move, body. Fucking move. If he could just get a few moments to look at her... then maybe he could be free of this. Maybe he could be free of you.

... Non. Looking at Siréne didn't work. Not with this voice in his head. It was as if it was the very counter to things like this Axon's charm. This voice pulled his very attention to it and made him pay attention to every word. This was it. His mind was finally breaking and he couldn't even express it in his own body.

He wanted to scream, but his lips wouldn't move. He wanted to end it somehow, But his body wouldn't move on his own. He had to do something. Anything to end this... Was this really his life now? Will this really continue even after the expedition manages to expel the Paintress from the Canvas? The one controlling his movements didn't even know that they were ruining his mental state and that was even more crushing. This being didn't know shit and they were destroying his mental world.

What made it worse was that when he and the expedition approached Siréne, Verso felt the gratia of this "angel's" control lifting. And it horrified him that he didn't want this manipulation to leave. He had just spent the last 30 minutes going through a mental breakdown that definitely amounted to him hating the one manipulating his body, and he didn't want it to disappear? He wanted this person to keep controlling him like their puppet?

He has officially gone insane. He's about to crash out-

All this confusion got him so pissed off he was glaring Siréne down like she was the one causing him all this distress. Compared to how he was before, he wasn't seeing anything the Axon was showing him. Instead, he was too blinded by his confusion and his anger. And now here he was, moving in this being's control to be guided once more. And really... Verso doesn't know if he's glad or absolutely dreadful about being in their care. - "Is she throwing a fucking building at me?" - *TF2 Frying Pan Hit SFX*

Anyway, Siréne was defeated. Soon after getting the Barrier Breaker, the manipulating force was lifted from his body in camp. Verso seemed to wait for it to come back... until he eventually realized that it wasn't. He couldn't hear the angel's voice anywhere either. Of course, just when he was finally deciding that he had to at least slowly accept this, the warmth left. It always had to at the worst of times, especially when he internally wished for it to linger.

It was a confusing feeling he was having. It was conflicting. This feeling has caused him so much mental troubles, but it also gave him a warmth none have given before. It gave him an existential crisis and a mental breakdown, yes, but what about the control that made him feel like he could relax and flow? It's been so long since he was able to feel like that... as if he could finally rely on someone or something to aid him. It was more addicting than it should've been. It was like grace, even if just for a moment.

He should have hated the thought of being controlled... of having his safety in another's hands when he was perfectly capable of protecting himself. To think to have someone guiding him made him shove all of that off to the side... Verso was beginning to think of it as some kind of Angel guiding him along. This Angel wasn't perfect at all in terms of being a guardian figure, but they tried their best- And they sounded like they were more interested in trying out everything this world had to offer.

... Including the Gestral games. Explains why you would willingly torture yourself along with HIM AND THE EXPEDITION BUT HEY, HE HAD NO PROBLEM WITH IT.

Verso suddenly had a thought. If this was a game... then would he be able to manipulate it to his liking? He seemed to be the only sentient one. No one else was aware of what he was going through. Perhaps he should keep it this way... There would be no benefit to telling anyone anyway.

Verso knew Monoco would tease him over it but keep whatever he said in mind, and he knew Esquie may end up saying some nonsense like the overpowered and fastest ball he was. Maelle would just give him the side eye like she had no idea of what he was talking about, and Sciel would just smile and nod. And don't even get Verso started on Lune. Either she would interrogate him on what he was talking about, or she would just look at him like he's crazy.

Now, if this truly were a game, where would Verso be able to manipulate its functions? Would it be high above? Or would it be down below? Is it beyond the seas? Or is it somewhere out of bounds of what Verso had explored before? The bounds around the Continent looked like it was surrounded by Chroma, but maybe... just maybe he should try to slice it apart. Maybe that would go well... Maybe he should check the next time his angel stops... playing.

But for now, he could only wait for them to come back and resume control over him. It was only a little while longer until they would guide everyone to fight the Paintress, after all. And he knew fully well they'd be able to do it. If they were able to get the team to win against two Axons, they could have them win against his mother too. Verso was close.... He was getting close to his goal. This was the closest any other Expedition has come before. Well... maybe except Expedition 60 but he wasn't getting involved with that-

He needed you to hurry up and come back. Not just because he felt as if he needed his mother gone from the Canvas already, but he was feeling... cold. It wasn't something warm clothes or a nearby flame could fix... but he wanted to feel the presence of you. He could always feel whenever you were near or whenever you were going to tap into controlling him again. But right now... it felt entirely cold.

Verso knew you couldn't exactly know what he was thinking, but the sensation of you was like having a warm embrace flooding inside of him. He wanted to hear you. He knew he could when in Siréne's island, but... he was having a mental breakdown by then and was about ready to crash out-

It was still stunning knowledge and a double whammy that the life he was suffering truly was just a game. Everything he's done... was just for your entertainment? Were you a cruel God or a Guiding Angel? Or were you just a Puppeteer keeping him moving? He knew he couldn't stick to going crazy about how useless his existence was. The less he thought about it, the better.

Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad to give Soarrie to Esquie and just fly to the barrier of the world to cut it up... Non. He could be patient. He could wait. He could wait until the right moment to give it to Esquie or have him find it somewhere. Verso could wait for you.

And that he did. He waited for you to come back. For hours, it was cold. For hours, he stayed awake.... thinking. Verso always did this. His thoughts were varied most of the time... plans as to how to force his mother out of the Canvas, thoughts on his own existence, thoughts on keeping an eye on Maelle, and thoughts on the memories shoved into his mind. However, now, his thoughts were all pointed on one thing.

Just you. Only you.

The same questions twisted in his mind until you had come back. With the warm gratia that twisted in his body and a few words from you making sure you had everything ready to go, he finally got moving under your guidance. He checked on the others, got all of his wine spat out by Esquie, got a letter from Alicia, and got talked to by his father before finally being allowed to skip the night.

From what he heard, you're quite curious as to what's going on. You are completely lost lore wise and have no idea what's going on. Honestly, Verso would prefer to keep it like that, but he knows that won't be happening later on. He just has that kind of feeling that his lack of revealing information won't be able to last. 

But finally, it was time to defeat the Paintress. You had Esquie swim up to the barrier, finally allowing for Maelle to break it with her Barrier Breaker. And when the wall of Chroma was finally sliced apart, Verso could feel as if he was finally at the moment he had been waiting for for so long. And as everyone entered the Monolith, Verso could hear you getting interested in the candles. The candles out of everything. Not the hulking woman with her feet out?

Well, Verso did suppose his angel was an odd sort. But you did seem to be fond of the music, softly humming along as you had the team jogging to the Paintress. You really did sound more as if you were along for the ride for this entire trip, vibing and checking out everything you could like a curious puppy. It hasn't been long since Verso's had better contact with you, and you were building him up, breaking him down, and building him back up with how you were behaving.

You really had no idea that he could hear you and feel just how warm your control was over him. You just enjoyed everything you came across. To him, your behavior was... adorable, but it made something inside of him churn. You really had no idea what you did to him. It made him want to show you in some way. Perhaps something small like little notes along the wall whenever you would pass by with another character. Or perhaps something upfront and visceral? No... Maybe. He needed some way to show you that he was aware of you... and he needed you to stay with him until the end, at least until he died.

He had to keep his mind off of the thought when everyone went on to fight the Paintress. She didn't react to anything they were doing. Regular attacks, elemental, void, or gradients. Nothing would work, and Verso could tell you were trying to figure out if there was some stupid gimmick with this. But no, soon after everyone was wasting their energy, Aline came out. And she... set the girls' faces on fire when she did. There was no reason to do this by the way. Maybe it was impulsive anger when she saw Maelle, but there was no reason to do that. - "SHE HAS NO FACE AND SHE'S TORTURING WOMEN THAT HAVE FACIAL FEATURES! DO SOMETHING, VERSO-!"

Verso could hear you yelling that. First: Did he think you were stupid? Yes. And second: He's trying. Shut up-

He's getting burned alive while holding Maelle close. Perhaps that could make his mother remember who he was, even if it was a cruel way to do so. It certainly struck concern with you when Aline had suddenly stopped and disappeared into a portal. No words from her, but a simple path that led further into her domain. - "That isn't a trap, right?"

The inside of the Monolith was so damn long, but it was filled with so many glimpses of lore that you couldn't understand, especially when you got to the manor door leading to Aline's message. Verso heard many "I don't get it" comments in his head, and that was okay. You didn't need to understand, and he would rather keep it that way-

Verso also heard a distraught "No" when you guys got to Gustave's grave. Did Verso hear you say you wanted to play as Gustave again? Too bad. No you don't. Verso is here instead, and he's more than enough for you. Gustave was limited, whilst Verso wasn't. Obviously, he's the better pick for you. And besides... Gustave is dead. Verso is here for you instead. And unlike him... he won't drop dead after getting stabbed in the gut.

When everyone finally got to Renoir, you got jumpscared with the music. Thank God for the Play First Pictos, you could actually vibe with the music. But for the love of God, the fight was hard to focus on when you kept getting distracted by the banger in the background. Verso heard so many apologies from you whenever any one of the expedition members got hit. It really didn't help that Renoir was still being a pain in the ass.

But finally, he went down. And the Curator appeared. When Renoir revealed that Verso was the only part left of his son, he could feel that everything was going to unravel soon. Verso could hear your confusion. He's known you've had a lot regarding him and how much he's kept hidden. All his hidden glances every time someone says something closer to the truth or every time he deflects anything major with humor.

Thankfully, his hidden knowledge was kept in the dark when the Curator and Maelle gommaged Renoir... now getting rid of one piece mentally keeping Verso in the Canvas. Everyone was fixated at what Maelle had done, but Verso was now realizing that his family was going to be gone the more this continued.

Renoir was now gone. Aline was going to be shoved out of the Canvas. Alicia would probably be safe if she stayed at The Reacher, and Clea was already gone. He had no idea where she was at, but Verso could only hope she was safe too. And here he was... contributing to his own family's destruction. Even despite them all being painted creations, they were still his family. He still cared. Which was why there was a pit in his chest.

The moment his family was either dead or gone, he'd have nothing mentally keeping him in the Canvas anymore. He'd have nothing. And once again... Verso felt nervous. The closer everyone got to Aline, the more he could feel the pit in his stomach getting deeper and deeper... It felt like he was sinking the closer he walked.

He didn't want to do this. But he knew he had to. As he approached his mother, hearing her was tearing him apart. She sounded like she didn't know what was what. The way she moved wasn't strained... but it looked like she was in a daze. Her mentality was deteriorating, and it was because of him. With him here, he was a poison. And he couldn't do anything about it... but force her out of the Canvas. To do that, he had to stay strong and keep up the firm exterior... as much as it pained him to do so. - "You need to go home."

He had to focus on expelling his mother from this place, even if it ended up killing him in the end. And with your help, he would succeed. He would hear his mother's words, hearing how her words mixed reality with the Canvas. And he would fight as she got more desperate. Verso would watch as her energy dwindled. It hurt. He was watching his mother's body and mind falling apart, and it hurt.

When she was weakly and stumbling towards him, he did the only thing he could in the moment by holding her. Aline couldn't understand why he would go against her, and he knew it. He could hear her weak words as she laid in his arms, but Verso needed her safe. He needed her alive. Verso couldn't have his mother slowly killing herself in this Canvas because of him. He knew he wasn't exactly her son, but... maybe he could comfort her and have her think she was the real Verso for just a few more moments.

Maelle gommaged Aline, finally allowing for her to be released of the Monolith. Was it over? No. Verso knew it wasn't. There was still one that was below. But... Verso was fine with that.

Truly, he was indebted to you. You have no idea how much he long he was waiting for this moment... how long he had been aching for this. Thanks to you, the expedition had finally defeated the Paintress. And if you wouldn't be compelled to "play" as him when someone later down the line would reveal everything, he was fine with that.

...

...

...

....

....

....

.....

... Who was he kidding? He wasn't okay with it at all. The thought of you controlling someone else was... unthinkable to him. You've been playing as him ever since he let Gustave die. Surely, you would still enjoy playing with him, even if he lied by omission, right? He wouldn't have to manipulate the game so you wouldn't be able to play as anyone else, right? You wouldn't go with Maelle, right?

Then again, if his immortality was gone, there would be none to play as. Perhaps that was for the better. Verso knew he was getting a bit odd with his thoughts over an individual that was controlling his every movement. Getting to hear you made his mentality even worse, so perhaps it was for the best that he wasn't able to get any further with you.

You didn't know what was coming. You were simply overjoyed at defeating the Paintress, especially as everyone went back to Lumiere. It was happy. Too happy. And then Verso pulled out the letter from Alicia. To be honest, he completely forgot about it- But he read through it, quietly tossing it in the water below the harbor.

He chose one over the other, and if it got everyone erased as a result, he was fine with that. He truly was. His soul would be granted eternal rest if he was able to gommage like this. But he didn't. Everyone else was fading into petals behind him. The same sight every year. And this time, it included more people he had grown to care about. Lune, Sciel, and Maelle-- or rather-- Alicia. At least she was outside the Canvas now. She was safe...

He was the last remaining Human, and he felt... bereft of emotion. Verso couldn't hear you. He couldn't feel your warmth. He couldn't feel your grace... You weren't a part of the Canvas, so you shouldn't be gone. Where were you? Verso couldn't even feel you watching anymore. How cold it felt... He thought that since he wasn't gommaged... you would still be here. But apparently not.

So here he was, aimlessly wandering Lumiere. Some stores had changed, but it mostly stayed the same even after a long while of staying away from the split off land. And after a while, Verso decided to sit... and wait. For what? For anything, really. For you to come back, mostly, but... he didn't know what he was doing. He had grown dependent on a force that had come out of nowhere.

It gave him warmth and the sense that he wasn't always alone. The protection of an Angel was just a bonus. And this Angel spoke as if they didn't know he was listening. It wasn't much of company if they didn't know he was listening, but their voice made its way into his head. They've said a lot as they went through this journey... but Verso couldn't help but want more. He wanted to hear you more, and he wanted to feel the sensation of your warmth more. Verso just wanted more of you. He wanted to be greedy and keep wanting more of your time.

He never get enough of you, really. Most of the time spent with you was being too busy to think about you or was kind of just... hating your existence- But now he found himself wanting more of you, even craving your presence the moment it left. He didn't get much time to admire it compared to when he was having a mental breakdown over things you said.

The more he thought about it, the more he started to crave you. He still needed your company. Verso needed you to stay with him. But where were you? Where were you?

Before Verso could fully think on it, he heard someone take a seat next to him. Maelle. Or Alicia? Maellicia- And when she sat next to him, he could hear you. You were with her the entire time? He spent so long (10 minutes) debating how to get you back and you were with his sister. For the longest time, you've only ran around as him, only switching for specific dialogue with people before switching back to him. Did you go to Maellicia because you wanted to, or were you forced to?

What was his chest aching so much for? Even if he was possessive over a presence that had accompanied him the entire time he had joined the Expedition, he shouldn't have had such an unpleasant taste in his mouth at the thought of his own Guardian Angel choosing to guide another all of a sudden. Did he deserve it for not telling anyone about what would happen? Probably. But he'd at least like a warning-

Judging from what he heard you talking about, you had figured out the truth. Everything in this world was fake... that Alicia and Maelle were one... Alicia was supposed to help Renoir force Aline out of the Canvas, only to be reborn from the Paintress' Chroma to live as Maelle. It really was quite the mindfuck, and Verso could tell you were still processing the fact that he was dead, too. To you, perhaps everything that you had went through with the expedition may have been... just an exhilarating experience at this point. But to Verso, it was everything.

Though he didn't know what allowed you to get all this knowledge, he supposed that it was an inevitable outcome. He knew he couldn't keep up the facade that he didn't know anything. There was no more use for it anymore.

To be honest, the conversation with Maellicia didn't make him feel much better about... anything, really. Even with her sympathies to him being pushed in the middle... he didn't need any of it. He already knows. He doesn't need to hear it. His mood was made progressively worse when Maellicia spoke of keeping this Canvas alive. There was nothing to keep alive, and painting everyone back... it made him feel a sort of... disgust. Painted from memory... just like he was.

 Yet, Verso thought back to Alicia's letter. She wanted a way for both sides to live. Both the painted and the living. Just like Verso, Alicia was tired of the conflict between Aline and Renoir. And even if it was too late to get them on common ground, perhaps Maellicia could think of something. It wasn't what Verso wanted, but he also did want to believe that she could prove a good silver lining. It was either that, or the destruction of the entire Canvas.

And Verso chose to trust her.

So he followed her to the Curator, watching her closely for any signs that she may be disturbed at any potential control. She seemed... different. But not that she was scared, she seemed much more calm and confident upon remembering her Painter side. Maellicia didn't look as if she could hear your voice either.

So it was still just him. He couldn't deny the sense of relief in his mind. It was still only him that could hear you. Only him that could feel you. Whenever he got a moment to be fully alone, he would go beyond bounds and make sure to change things up. And if he could, he'd make sure you wouldn't be able to control anyone else. No switching to anyone else... just him. Only him.

The thought kept him calm, as well as having a mind to make sure that he could interact with you in the future. Small snippets could do... He could thank you for all the healing tints you gave him, he could compliment you on every successful counter, he could subtly tell you to calm down in battle whenever you don't know what to do... There was many things he could change up so he could perhaps finally be able to move whilst in your power. And perhaps if you wanted to stop playing, he could stop you from leaving. You weren't done so quickly, were you?

Verso was snapped out of his thoughts when he and Maellicia finally approached the Curator. The moment he shifted back to Renoir... it was awkward. Being regarded as his mother's masterpiece didn't feel comforting. Verso couldn't find any words to say. It just felt... oddly uncomfortable, especially as Renoir and Maellicia started to get into an argument about it. Honestly, Verso could see it from his father's perspective. He didn't want Maellicia to be in the same space as his mother.

The thought of his own sister having a deteriorating body and mind made him grimace.

The next thing he knows, he's slowly beginning to gommage and Renoir's creations take form in and around Lumiere. It wasn't a bad feeling as parts of him slowly withered away. He would have waited it all out in a trance if not for Maellicia pulling him along when Esquie and Monoco arrived.

By the time everyone got back to camp, they were watching as Maellicia attempted to paint Sciel and Lune back into existence. And whilst he probably shouldn't have for the sake of things going against him... he helped her paint, allowing for the Chroma to flow. And thus, Lune and Sciel were back in the party.

Status update: Everyone is back, and they're mad at him again.

Cue you having to make him get along with everyone once more... He's never felt more relieved to have your control over him in his life. But it wasn't long before it had left. After all, you had gone through the entire Monolith and defeated the Paintress in one day, only to get rewarded with this. It was most likely that you had gone to rest, leaving Verso to spend his time himself.

Verso really didn't know what you thought of him. Fortunately, you never seemed reluctant to control him or play as him, still keeping him in your party even after everything. You didn't really hold much against him either. If you were actually in this world, then he could definitely see you being mad at him too. Still, thank Esquie you weren't- Though, Verso really would like to see you in his world for once.

You've seen so much of him. Every moment was seen by you until you would eventually leave, so it was only fair that he'd see you too, yes? But how would he do it? Perhaps it would be just like how he started to hear you? In Sirene, where he had heard your content and in awe voice marveling at everything coming out of nowhere? Verso had no idea, but he wished to hear more from you.

He knew he was being selfish to want more of someone when they had already given him so much attention. He was being greedy, but... he brushed aside his care for it. He's always known he was a selfish person, and it never occurred to him that it could actually bite him in the ass in a way like this. Moments that seemed so insignificant suddenly held value in his mind. Verso remembered every moment you took while going for cosmetic changes. - "Who told you that you could be this drippy, my man?"

He recalls you cycling him through different outfits, mumbling about the gommage and flower suits looking pretty good. You froze at the Civilian outfit though. - "... Oh no, he's hot..."

You proceeded to avoid the outfit for the sake of not getting distracted while in combat. He looked too good. Even the flower suit and the gommage suit was pushing it, but you kept it on him. Every now and then, you caved and fit the outfit on him.

Right now, he has painted Renoir's suit on with his regular hairstyle. The same one his real counterpart had gotten burned down in... By most means, he didn't care. He simply thought it was an interesting coincidence, especially since you once said that you wanted the overcoat on him too. It would have made him look even better. Like Father, like son, he supposed. He wouldn't have minded the look either, but perhaps it wasn't the best for combat. Definitely drippy though.

Anyhow, now was the opportunity to peer into the vulnerabilities of this game he was trapped in. Verso was already on Esquie, having him fly to the closest barrier he could to slice through it and peer into the code. So much to manipulate to the point where the Dessendre had no idea where to start... He had lots to change, and he had no idea how long it would take. Fixing so many areas of code and having to think on how do it took a while of trial and error. But when he figured it out, he immediately got to fixing things up.

First: Verso ended up changing the fact that he himself couldn't move whenever you were controlling him. Of course he was blessed with the feel of your control over his body, but sometimes... you played for too long. You got to the Paintress in just a few days to a week. You've been playing enough on some days. Don't get him wrong-- Verso loves that you enjoy controlling him and loved that you're a fond of playing the game for as long as possible. But if he ends up getting the feeling that you've been playing for too long, he will refuse to move.

Verso trusts you and your usage of your time. But he has no idea what you're doing whenever you're not playing the game, and he has a good inkling that you're using up all your energy on playing through the story or some side content, He'd have no problem with it if you didn't have that somewhat tired tint to your voice whenever you spoke to yourself about the game. So, the next time this would happen, Verso wouldn't allow himself to move and will instead wait for you to leave so you can get your rest.

Imagine you play something else and he finds out. That man would NOT be happy about it. He had you stop playing for a reason, and if you start playing something else, he would have to find a way to crash your game or turn your TV off. Verso will not have you making your health worse... He won't let you play it even if you get your rest either because... Expedition 33 is right there. Play it. Play him. Experience everything as him.

Second: Verso finally made it so that he could see you. For a long time, he's wondered of what you looked like. He's wanted to put a face to the voice and feelings that have flooded his brain. What were your surroundings? What did you dress like? Were you actually the angel he thought of you as? Your voice already rung in his head like church bells, and he was sure that either way, he wouldn't prefer anyone else controlling him... He knew that he would always have his Angel's eyes on him to keep him protected. How perfect...

Now, since Verso can see you and can move to his liking, he tweaked his idle animation. Instead of having an animation like Gustave's where he brushes his arm off or scratches the back of his head, he'll look to where you are with crossed arms and a small smile. Verso knows that you're sometimes doing something while the game is running, so he loves to watch until you're done. He also knows that if you come back to him looking at you like he's patiently waiting for you to return, you may just end up getting flustered.

Then again, Verso can move however he wants now, so an idle animation really doesn't matter. He knows he'd just end up looking at you with an interest as to what his angel could be doing that isn't controlling him. Whatever could be more important than guiding him? But the fact that he can look at you whenever he wanted and have you slightly flushed despite you thinking he wasn't aware of you... Verso found the thought to be oddly enticing, so he knew damn well he'd just be watching you until you returned to keep playing the game.

What a sight that would be... A sight only for him... Your flustered face as you mutter an apology and get back to playing... All for him, and he'd eat it up. Especially in combat. If you can't parry something, he'll use his own muscle memory to parry it for you. That way, there's guaranteed counterattacks. If you praised him at the end of a battle, in which he knew you would, it would make him feel good to give you a mostly flawless victory. The others are on their own though, sorry. They aren't getting any help-

Third: He found a way through your devices. In Verso's time editing the code, he went deeper and deeper, only to find a different wall. Naturally, he sliced through, finding more code and paths diverging to different information. Your information. Of course... Verso looked through all of it. Hours upon hours of looking through everything, learning just where you lived and just what you looked like... Of course, he couldn't do much with this information with how limited his options were right now.

But he could watch you now. He stopped needing sleep since forever ago, and he'd rather watch what you're doing. Whatever was connected to your Wi-fi was where he could go. So here he was... watching you for hours. Hours and hours. He lost track of time just staring at you, stalking you through the camera of your devices as you went about your day. Verso just couldn't help but keep watching.

What an individual you were... Verso truly was blessed if he was able to be controlled by you. He could feel himself falling in love already... His eyes were already softened as he looked at you, linking your voice and the way you controlled him together. To think that anyone else could have been his guardian angel, but he landed you... He struck gold with this one, didn't he? Your face was already burned into his mind to the point he refused to look at anything else in your room until he had let everything sink in.

How warm he felt... This time, it felt much more like a pull in your direction. His heart was pounding the more he watched you, and the thought of being in your life gave him the right feeling... Verso could finally thank you for all that you've done for him, and you could finally interact with each other without the threat of a glass screen. Oh, how enticing the thought was to him...

He wished he was there with you. Verso wished he was real. He couldn't even envy the real Verso anymore because not even he was real. There was no way to code his painted self into existence for you. As much as he tried, it would be impossible... just like how it would be impossible to force you into the screen with him. It made Verso livid that he had to stay behind a screen barricading himself from the one person that aided him for so long.

Life altering shit really couldn't leave him alone, and it was driving him insane. One thing after the other, and it always ended with him behind a barricade that he could never pass. One barrier after the other, and he was always stuck behind it. His head was beginning to spin. Why couldn't he be real? Why couldn't he be with you? Why could he only be behind a screen? Of course he could get your attention by any means, but he could never be real. He could never truly be with his angel.

Verso could feel himself slowly sinking down to his knees and clutching at his hair. He hates this. Fate's always been cruel to him, and he's always had bad luck. A full 100+ year old life, and the moment he thought he finally found someone he absolutely knew he couldn't let go of, they were completely oblivious to his existence while being a fully living being. Why couldn't he be real? Why couldn't he be born in the same world as you? Why couldn't he be there with you? This was the problem with having found heaven. Having it taken away from you or having it just out of your reach is more terrible for having known it in the first place. 

You have this man crashing out and having a mental breakdown behind your screen and you have no idea💀

Verso didn't calm down for a while. It's been a long time since he was able to let his anger out like this, so he was there for a good amount of time, now simply sitting down and watching you. He was pathetic... He was yearning for you and nearing the end of his sanity because he didn't exist. No... it was because he would never be anything more to you than just a character you play as.

But he wanted to be more. He wanted to be so much more... You took up so much space in his mind, you took up all the control in his body, he could feel how warm you were when you did, so why couldn't he take up anything more than something temporary? Verso didn't want that kind of life. He didn't want to be temporary to you. He wanted to be permanent. He wanted to be driven into your mind without any hint of leaving that way you could understand just how he feels about you. Verso wanted to be attached to you and never wanted to let go. He would do anything just to physically be with you.

The more he stayed behind your screen, the darker his thoughts got. He needed ideas that would let him fully be with you. He needed to know a way. He didn't care if it was from small things like slowly getting you in the know that he's self aware, or things like him tearing himself apart just to display his own heart out for you. He knows he would split himself down the middle if he could end up keeping you warm inside his bones. His immortality had to be good for something. Hell, if he needed to sacrifice any part of himself to you, he'd do it without hesitation.

Do whatever you want with his sacrificed parts. Keep them somewhere, toss them out, request more, or even eat them. You could do whatever you wanted with his sacrificed body parts and he would give as much as you need. His heart, his kidneys, his entrails, his brain... Do whatever you want with them. He's immortal... He can regenerate it all. If it meant that he could physically be in your presence... he'd gladly spill his guts and vomit as much blood as necessary or go through whatever pain needed. One way. Just one. All he needed was one way to get beyond this damn barrier, and he'd be the happiest man alive.

Verso probably would have stayed behind your screen for the rest of his life had it not been for Esquie popping up after sensing his turmoil. Thank god for the fastest ball because Verso actually snapped out of it for a while. And despite having the tug to not leave the coding where he could see you... he eventually flew back to camp on Esquie's back.

With how long Verso was gone and how he came back looking like he had an original experience for once in his 100+ year old life, Monoco was now concerned. He and Esquie came up to him to talk about it, and really... Verso didn't feel much of a reason to hold it back, especially from his closest companions. And even if Monoco made fun of him over it... he knew how ridiculous it would've sounded, so he was fine with it. And besides, the two knew what was going on with the Canvas, so it wouldn't be hard to believe that there was a double whammy in this world.

If he had to know the truth, they had to know too. Double it and give it to the next person.

Finally connecting with the both of them over his problems made Verso feel slightly better, especially since the both of them knew it was serious with him. Did it interfere with his original plan to erase the Canvas or himself? Yes. Did they know they'd follow through with whatever he wanted? Yes. Even if it included somehow getting him to you or getting you to him, probably. They just have no idea how they're gonna do it-

Verso didn't want to do anything obvious since it might scare you out of playing the game, and that's the last thing he wants to happen. He still needs you. That very fact seems to somewhat disturb Monoco, and to some extent, Esquie. Their best friend was now obsessed with someone who only he could see and hear and feel. It wasn't the first time Verso has been off his rocker, but it was still concerning nonetheless, especially since he had to act like nothing was happening at all-

Maellicia, Sciel, and Lune are completely left in the dark about this. And you know fully well Lune is gonna skin Verso for information regarding this mysterious person controlling him- Anyhow, it is now Act 3, and it is time for side content.

"Why is this game so fucking hard now-" <-- You forgot to equip Painted Power and decided to try fighting Golgra in an attempt to resurrect Noco.

***Cue intense farming that lasted a day***

Anyway your team's beefed up now, you farmed lumina at the Tower Peak of the Monolith. You decided to face everything now-

You were an absolute sweetheart at helping Sciel get over her fear of water and learning of her darkest secret. "My lovely caramel queen, Sciel." You never called Verso anything like that before so now he was side eyeing Sciel to see what the hell he didn't have that she did. Getting jealous of her is insane when she's married and HE KNOWS THIS- For the record, you did not have her and him get together.

"Sorry, Verso. You probably wanted to score." He in fact did not want to score when you're an available option. This man wants to score you so bad, he refused to let you choose the romantic routes or would switch them around the moment you click so you pick the friendlier options. Verso would choose you over anything in the world and that is not something debatable.

New swimsuit though. You put it on Verso, slowly looked down once and kept your eyes on it for a solid 30 seconds before putting the Renoir suit back on in shame. Verso proceeded to watch in amusement as you bonked yourself a few times to get out of horny jail. The fact that this fucker was tempted to ask if you liked what you saw, he knew he lived to tease. And for your own sanity, you kept your eyes away from that swimsuit and kept him in the more presentable outfits- Thank God you didn't have him run around in it, you would've saw the physics💀

Esquie, as always, was the fastest ball. His shenanigans has always helped someone in one way or another. And that included making a rock of Francois with Clea over it. You felt so bad about being trigger happy on Francois' fight but it was the only way to get Urrie. Learning that Francois used to be so much more happy with Clea in the picture only made you more sympathetic, especially since you knew what she was dealing with outside the Canvas.

Getting a max level bond with Esquie allowed for Verso to learn Angel's Eyes. He gained inspiration from you. His Guardian Angel keeping an eye him to make sure he was well protected and making sure he made the right decision, even if it was a lie he tried so hard to hide. Aureole was practically an embrace from you keeping him safe and alive. (This man is going delusional)

Now, for Monoco's, you came back to Golgra for revenge. It definitely took a few tries, but you got it. Hearing you thank Verso just for doing enough damage to her was already fulfilling to him. And to Verso, beating Golgra is harder than beating Renoir. This is a generational achievement, and he needs to congratulate you. (He ended up sprinkling in a bit of dialogue while talking with Monoco.) - "Thanks for helping. I never understood how Golgra got so freakishly strong." - "I could take Golgra on by myself, but I had a little Angel beside me." - "Bah, you're just blessed. I'm never showing weakness around you ever again." - "Jealous?"

The moment Verso said he would be sure everyone checked in on Noco at the Gestral Village, you raced his ass there and checked on how the little dude was doing. Both you and Monoco were close to crying upon seeing how different Noco was. He will never be the same again.

Anyway, level three Monoco Gradient Attack. *Taco Bell Sound*

Doing Lune's questline was the least you could do after farming Lumina at the Tower Peak for so long. But holy shit, was doing that Glissando kind of irritating, especially since it exploded into dancers that you had to go Machine Gun Verso on. Even in the end when you got that expedition journal, you saw how upset Lune was at how her parents said that "she would finish their work".

Verso made you choose the option to not help her compose, he knew where that shit was going ever since he got that sudden kiss to the cheek. Whether or not you understood the innuendo Lune gave, Verso wasn't letting it happen and switched the options last second before you could help. Still, it was enough to give the level three gradient.

"Doors of Chroma... OUPUN" *Nuke*

Maellicia's questline was the hardest. There's a sudden jump of difficulty when you get to a certain point of the Reacher, and it's when you get to the Ladder Area. And that's not even halfway through the area, so you were just having Verso run his way through, occasionally getting into trouble and making sure the Nevrons couldn't knock the place down.

So... there was a problem. Verso edited the code so that you couldn't walk around as anyone else, but, the next time he came to, he felt that your control was gone from his body, but he could still hear you. And when he heard that you had fun battling Alicia, his eyes immediately looked towards Maellicia without his head moving. Shit had him looking like Higiruma in the tub because he realized his sister broke through his coding.

Even the power of painters could break past the game entirely...? Well, Maellicia didn't really seem as if she knew what she had done, but that makes it all the more dangerous. If she knows of what's just directly outside of the bounds in this Canvas... Verso could end up having more trouble than he would think. If she figured out you existed... he couldn't let that happen. If she got any ideas, he would have to put that to an end.

 And the moment Maellicia gommaged painted Alicia, he only got worse. That glare he gave her? Yeah, he was not happy with her. Verso saw how blank Maellicia looked after the deed was done. He knew painted Alicia wanted this to happen, but it didn't make it any easier to accept. His sister was now gone, marking another reason as to why Verso had no reason to stay in the Canvas. Only a few more left.

What Verso hadn't accounted for was the choice of lying to Maellicia or telling her the truth about if he let Gustave die or not... Either way, you saw the option. There was no use hiding it from you, and he could hear that you had gone silent. He could see the expression on your face that you had no idea what to think. Complete silence and the lack of a decision on this part made Verso's heart ache.

Don't look at him like you got betrayed. He had to make a decision, and he thought that if Gustave was still alive... he would have gotten in the way of everything. And besides... Verso was better for you. Gustave's skill tree was barely even open, he would have been a liability to the team. You've barely even known Gustave, it was only for one act- Expeditioners died all the time, but he would still be here for you. Verso would still be here for you. He was here- It was okay-

Oblivious to his self aware struggle, you had him tell the truth. And whilst the conversation seemed to end on a lighter note with Maellicia painting "Papa, va t'en" on the Monolith, Verso could tell you still weren't entirely happy with him. And honestly, he wasn't entirely happy with what happened either. Maellicia just created an entire problem that suddenly dropped him on thin ice with you.

He never really got the chance to reconcile with you either when you suddenly paused the screen and saved the game before closing it out... On the inside, Verso knew he was wrong for letting Gustave die, and over the time that's passed with you controlling him, he knew what kind of person you were. But... on the inside, Verso knew he would do it again if he had the chance to do it over. He would let Gustave die as many times as needed.

Did Verso need to entirely code him out of the game? Definitely not. But did he want to? Absolutely. Even after Gustave's death, he's been a thorn in Verso's side for a long time. Why must you still favor him even after he's gone? Gustave was endlessly naive, and if he couldn't survive, what good was he? He was nothing but an engineer with too many dreams too big for his own body. It was actually making Verso livid at how much you still loved Gustave despite him being right here. You could love him instead, but... you choose the man who had a leading appearance for one act...

Verso has beef with and is hating on a dead man btw.

Verso didn't code Gustave out, and instead made his way to the barrier of coding because he had to fix the programming Maellicia had unknowingly broken past. This man had to make sure the coding was tight before he began to watch you from behind the screen. Now that you weren't playing the game... you didn't look so sour about Verso's decision anymore... Hold on- Were you playing another game-?

Why were you playing as a puppet Twink in a horror fantasy world? Yes, I'm a Lies of P fan, what gave it away?

No. Non. No no no. You were not getting away from him like this. You were not playing as this... TWINK when Verso was RIGHT HERE- He forcibly crashed your game. Whenever you would try to go back into it or into another game, Verso would crash that one too... All except Expedition 33.

Play him. Don't avoid him. Play him. You had more to do with him, and he wouldn't let you stop until he knew you had enough. Get over Gustave and keep all of your attention on him. He's alive, so keep your attention on him. Verso couldn't accept the fact that you'd get sick of him, even if he was acting like some possessive jerk right about now. He knew you didn't know what he was truly like, but he couldn't help it.

Because of you, he wanted to live. He wanted to find a way to live with you. He wanted to find a way to be by your side... Verso wanted to find a way to be physical. You've been protecting him for so long... it'd only be natural for him to do the same thing when he would find a way to you. He could watch over you and protect you. The thought itself was nice... but he could experience so much with you in the real world.

The world wouldn't be filled with Nevrons... and the world wouldn't be destroyed. He could even ride a train with you. God knows how much he would sacrifice just to even be acknowledged by you. Perhaps when you beat the game, he would leave an Expedition Journal for you... After all, it's not like you would know if it was real or not. But what use would a journal be when he could appear in front of you and tell you directly?

 It was almost time, and Verso had gotten you to go back to playing Expedition 33. This man had to rush back to camp. He was out of breath by the time you logged on, and had to act like he was perfectly fine. Everyone looked at him with complete concern when he came back looking like he ran 10 miles.

By now, you had gotten over the little problem with Verso letting Gustave die... mostly. He saw the mini sour looks whenever you remembered, and could only mentally mumble an apology, even if he never meant it.

Anyway, you went on to defeating Clea, having to get rid of the Dualliste, group of Eveques, Lamp Master, and Goblu. You also talked to the last bit of the real Verso's soul, in which he had talked about Clea in a rather wistful tone as if barely remembering her. How long had it been since he had last seen her from outside those large doors? And how long had it been since he had been forced to keep wandering the Canvas he had created?

Painted Verso seemed to be keeping his eye on the small boy. The child was aware of everything right now, so was he aware of how this was a game? He didn't seem to be... So it really was just the painted configuration that was knowledgeable of what was happening here... all because you controlled him enough for him to figure it out.

... Verso wondered if Gustave ever felt you controlling him. But whatever the case... he wasn't enough.

Anyway... the Clea fight was a nightmare. Her fight demands perfection, as does her character in general. God knows how many times you second guessed to the point Verso just had to parry for you and get the counterattack. But eventually, you learned on your own and started to mostly get the moveset down. And in thirty minutes... you finally beat it- Even for you, thirty minutes on a boss fight is insane.

Man, the painted family is so sad, it got Clea killing herself just so she could escape being a living Nevron factory. And with that, all of Verso's family was now gone. He truly did have no one keeping him in the Canvas. The only reason he'd really be staying is for Maellicia. As mad as Verso was at her... she was still his sister, even if she was... the "real" version. He wants her to leave the Canvas or... find a good middle ground for everyone, that way he could find a way to get to you.

Maybe internally, Verso somewhat envied Clea for being able to... die. He of course felt regretful for not being able to find her earlier, and felt an odd anguish at the thought of his older sister having her entire being stolen from her to... just become a Nevron factory. And by now, Verso wanted to live with you. But even Clea could die, even if it included having a painful end. Verso didn't know if it was morally right to think that at least Clea was at peace now when there was still a part of him that envied her being able to die. 

He didn't know what to think about it. It was an odd but empty sensation in yet another part of himself that was now gone. All that was left of it was his memory with his sister, whether those memories were real or not. 

Now, the other area to go to... Renoir's Drafts. You were convinced that every place in Act 3 was Hell. Every place in Act 3 was out for your head, you swear you're not crazy. Verso might be considering switching the difficulty to Expert just to fuck with you- Or if you're already on Expert, he may just be nice and switch it down for you.

Everything in Renoir's Drafts was so expensive, you were lucky you farmed hella at the Tower Peak in the Monolith. You could barely afford everything there, but you managed to get all the weapons and Pictos the merchant was selling. But that one item that needed parkour... that was the one downside to Renoir's Drafts.

And of course... Simon. It took a day. Even with Verso helping you, it took a fucking day- The two of you were bashing your heads against this and forgetting to respecc because you thought it was too much work. You just didn't want to get rid of the Machine Gun Verso build, that shit go brrr- And third phase did not bode well for Verso, and being erased from the Canvas so suddenly made him contemplate taking Simon out of the game.

So, time and time again, first phase, second phase, and third phase was went through... Simon was not giving an inch. He kept spamming the long combo, so you just ended up doing the Solluminati's slow turn gif whenever you saw it while parrying as best as you could. But when it comes to Simon, any combo just becomes long af...

Anyway, by some miracle, you somehow beat Simon. And when Verso got his sword, he could hear you snort. - "Looks a little big for you. You sure you can hold that?"

This was supposed to be a sentimental moment and you ruined it with... that- He almost looked at you with complete exasperation. Anyhow... that was Verso's new weapon now- The double damage was gonna work wonderful with End Bringer.

Now... you moved onto Verso's Drafts. Even if it wasn't exactly him that made it, Verso still felt somewhat embarrassed when he saw how colorful it was. He knew it was made by a literal child, but still... it felt like your crush was seeing baby photos of you... and hearing you having a laugh about how soft Verso was in this place was relieving, especially since you acted along with any behavior in this place without a hint of judgement. - "The door wants... cake?" - "Doors deserve cake, too." - "He spitting facts."

You made sure to get every slice of cake you could, getting every Pictos and fighting every merchant you could. Any little side quest and any little mini game, you made sure to do it. Any mini boss and hidden area, you made sure to find. That meant you ended up having everything, so now you were "ready" for Osquio.

The cutscene was so adorable, you could barely stop smiling at how Verso and Maellicia were playing. The dynamic with Osquio, Esquie, and Verso was perfect. The "coucou" wave was everything. It's like Verso was living out his childhood again, and he was having his fun with it.

You in fact were not. You died time and time again, even with Verso's help- This felt like Simon all over again- You and Verso were once again bashing your heads against this boss, and it was the goofiest thing ever. - "Oh my fucking God, Verso, why did you make this guy-"

Well, Esquie had to have an evil cousin, and Osquio fit the bill quite nicely. Whee for Esquie, Whoo for Osquio. That punch combo is a fucking menace and you were not having it every time it popped up. By the time you were at that last attack, Verso did not trust you to get that last Gradient. He parried that shit for you.

There's so much to love about the last cutscenes. The low quality finish, Osquio's flip off and Esquie actually getting taken aback, Monoco getting upset about not being able to take the ultimate cake eater's foot, Verso getting to see the the last sliver of his real counterpart's soul once more, and him getting whoo'd.

The little punk look was nice with the vibrancy. Both that and the Esquie outfit was cursed, absolutely cursed. Verso could hear you snickering as you made him run or fly around in them. But yet, you switched back to the suit soon after.

Now, you made sure to do everything you could in Act 3. Every Pictos, every expedition journal, every hairstyle, every merchant, every mini boss, every major boss, etc. So now you were practically loaded up for the final boss.

Coming back to Lumiere was absolutely peak. The music and watching Maellicia's army full on tackling Renoir's creations felt like looking at absolute cinema. And there were so many colors in the sky, it was wonderful. Dramatic af, too, especially with the real Verso playing the piano in the destroyed opera house. 

You stayed there for a while, simply listening to the different songs he played for a good while. And whilst you were there, you happened to look up... seeing the painting of Gustave and Sophie. If only Verso could play those songs for you... They were all songs he had composed of and for his family, but perhaps he could make a song about you... and play it for you as well in the future.

The Expedition 60 journal. Legendary. This game is so tight. Absolute Cinema.

Anyhow, the time has finally come where you guys finally go up against Renoir. And unfortunately because you went through all the side content first, you may have just bombed his ass. And you felt kind of bad because this guy really wanted to save his family and you just Judgement Cut this man with Steeled Strike.

But you actually felt bad when you saw that Verso... really didn't want to do this. Verso was being used as leverage to keep the Canvas alive, and he could tell that Maellicia was going to become like Aline if this kept going. He couldn't have that happen, especially when most of his entire family was fighting each other. Aline, him, and Maellicia against Renoir. This was escalating to a point where he didn't want to participate. There was no middle ground in this fight, and the more it proceeded, the more the family was being broken apart. And once more, it was because of him.

He didn't know what to do. His family was tearing each other apart, and it would leak outside the Canvas if this all went down the drain. Who knows what would happen if Clea joined this fight? Verso knew she wouldn't, as she had things to do, but... if she did, this conflict would've ended with everyone split apart.

Verso couldn't do anything in the conflict he himself was participating in. His mother disappeared soon after Renoir was defeated, Maellicia was still trying to get her father to allow her to stay in the Canvas, he was refusing to budge despite how weak he was, and Verso was realizing that he was being used as a crutch for another unhealthy coping mechanism.

The moment Renoir showed Aline's struggling figure, Verso's decision to switch on Maellicia had already been decided. Whether it would erase his potential future with you... that was fine. An either or would work. Maybe his coding would still be in the game... and maybe he could find a way to be with you. But right now... he needed to forget it. He needed to do what he could with his family... and at least make sure there was the smallest sliver of them being able to reconcile.

But watching his mother right now was already making him think into what Maellicia would become if she stayed like this. Verso couldn't let that happen. The moment he had his chance, he took it and leapt further into the Canvas. And there, the sliver of young Verso's soul continued to paint. His painted counterpart could finally end this and give everyone peace... even if it is in his own way.

But of course... Maellicia didn't want that. There was one more battle. And if it was with his sister, then so be it.

If you seem to lean more towards Verso's ending, he wouldn't stop you. In fact, to have your control over him during the last battle seems rather fitting. His guardian angel with him until the end, supporting and protecting him even with the lies and decisions he put everyone through. 

Still... this fight definitely wasn't something he wanted to partake in. Whether Maellicia or the others thought of it as selfish or they understood didn't matter anymore. Verso found a reason to live with you, but he would still let himself die just to ensure that his family never ended up breaking themselves apart. He finally had a way to fix it, and he would make sure it happened... even if it put a complete stop to his wants.

In a way, it felt relieving to have multiple ends visible in sight. For the past few days, Verso had been through a roller coaster of emotions. This journey was both exhilarating but frustrating... He had unexpected help and he's undoubtedly grateful to you. Verso feels as if he owes a lot to you, and he wants to repay you. But yet... depending on how this goes, he can or he can't. Either way, he'll find a way to say thank you, whether he has an expedition journal pop up as post game content.

He may not be there to bring it to you himself, but you can learn the extent of his feelings if you read it. Verso supposed that he would be fine with it if you thought it wasn't real and just something... random. Maybe you'd think it was addressed to Julie. But... no. She hasn't been on his mind ever since you found his expedition journal talking about her. It was a sore subject, but... he knew she couldn't be brought back.

 It's too late for that. He couldn't keep looking back at the past, especially when he had an Angel helping him in the present. You helped him get this far, even if it included the end of everything in this Canvas. Maellicia was gone. Esquie and Monoco were gone. They knew what would happen... but the others didn't. Sciel may have accepted her fate, but she certainly didn't forgive Verso for his last minute switch up. And Lune... oh boy. Verso figured he would get the worst of her anger, even if it was in a stare that communicated her anger and resentment.

"As long as one of us stands, our fight is not over." And here Lune was... finally sat down now that her long awaited goal was ripped away from her at the last moment possible.

Verso was okay with it. He was fine with all the resentment and regrets fit on his shoulders. As long as he could do anything for his family... he would. When Verso started to disappear with his younger counterpart, there was a sense of peace to it. He could finally go in peace and ensure that his family could make a better choice in the future.

Now, if you're leaning more towards Maellicia's ending... Verso won't let you pick it. Either he'll switch the options around last second, or he'll make the option not able to be clicked on. He doesn't get why you're doing this. Verso understands being attached to the expedition team, but the rest of Lumiere? No, not at all. He won't let this happen.

Why abandon him for Maellicia? Don't you see that what he's trying to do is for the better of the real individuals outside the Canvas? Of course, the younger but real Verso said that he thought of the life forms inside of the Canvas as real as well, but... the painted counterpart can't afford to care about that when everyone was almost already all gone.

There's only a few people left, and it's not worth it. Maellicia may have her burn scars, and he may be gone, but... spending your life in a Canvas isn't worth it. Verso is willing to sacrifice himself and the people he cares about for this. In a way, he still is her brother. And just like the real Verso, his painted counterpart would kill himself just to save her. So of course he didn't let you pick her ending. You're getting his, whether you like it or not. 

But it really didn't matter. When you were going through the credits, Verso was before the Renoir fight again. Everyone was still here... and all your progress was still there. But no one seemed to remember what had went on just moments prior.

... So he couldn't save anyone. It'd just turn back at the end. How cruel that everything he did was just... for naught, but it also turns him back to you. The last stretch he had was to get to you. He had to get to your screen. While Verso was there, he could code out most of everything else. He just had to find a way to get Esquie out while making sure the others didn't see him. Just like back in Old Lumiere, taking care of enemies helped him make a sudden ditch. 

Now, while the credits rolled, you had left it running while getting a good break for yourself. And that was perfect time for Verso to get through your screen. He had to slice through it for himself. Verso had the thought that it may destroy your platform, but he had no other choice. He's waited long enough, and after figuring out for himself that all his efforts were for naught inside the Canvas... he figured that he would try his luck with you. 

Either he would reach you, or he would turn into petals trying to go to the real world. He went through enough. He went through 100 years of bullshit... Verso can be allowed this one thing, right? 

He sliced right through and finally outstretched his hand. The moment it went through, Verso could feel complete exhilaration. To think it was this easy and he had delayed it out of caution until now... He was already started on getting the rest of himself through your screen when you had come back from whatever you were doing. And as Verso saw your figure completely frozen in shock, he could only chuckle whilst stepping out of the screen, now staring at you with complete infatuation.  

He finally had Heaven in his hands. His angel was finally in his grasp, and he wasn't letting go.