luminairs

no,    i  believe  she  had  the  right  to  do  what  she  did ..    [  he  was  dishonest  with  her,    gaslit  her,    made  her  feel  belittled,    that  it  warranted  her  growing  wary  of  him.    maybe  there  was  a  better  approach  on  prying  for  answers,     but  as  a  last  resort,    verso  could  understand  her  reasoning.  ]     i  regret  it  immensely,    but  it's  too  late  to  take  any  of  that  back  now ..     sometimes  it  just —    [    his  words  trailed  off,    steps  coming  to  a  slow  halt  to  stand  still,     gaze  fixating  upon  the  view  of  the  monolith  in  the  distance.  ]    haunts  me ..    i  thought  maybe  i  had  come  to  terms  with  what  i've  done,    but  if  i'm  seeing  it  in  the  back  of  my  mind  when  i  close  my  eyes,    then  i  guess  i  never  really  did,     probably  never  will.

⠀⠀(     a  soft  and  knowing  chuckle  was  received  at  the  off  handed  comment  about  their  mutual  friend.     it  eased  the  space  between  them  but  for  only  a  moment  until  something  in  verso  shifted.     while  gustave  didn't  see  it,     he  felt  it.     the  way  the  air  around  the  other  turned  and  he  moved  away  to  soothe  the  nerves  by  moving  around.     he  said  nothing,     letting  the  other  rant  to  him  as  he's  allowed  himself  to  do  times  before.     the  information  about  this  new  person  slotted  into  places  which  filled  the  gaps,     the  answers  to  questions  he  would  never  ask  him.     eyes  turned  away  from  the  fire  to  watch  the  other  again.     the  light  illuminating  and  casting  shadows  across  his  face  as  he  moved.     )     verso. . .     (     the  mutter  of  his  name  came  out  unwillingly,     the  information  of  the  fact  he  killed  the  person  he  loved  changing  something  within  him.     he  had  mentioned  the  interrogation  once,     offhandedly,     but  gustave  stored  it  anyway.     )     a  coward  from  running  away  and  protecting  yourself  from  people  who  were  cruel  to  you?     if  she  was  smart,     she  might've  understood  but  i—-     (     gustave  cut  himself  off,     he  wasn't  defending  julie.     he  could  never  see  how  someone  could  do  that  to  another  person.     )     forgive  me.     continue,     i'll  be  quiet.          ✧          @facsimile

not  all  of  you,    no ..    mainly  lune —    if  anything  i'm  lucky  she  hasn't  brought  it  up  for  the  time  being.    [  if  he  was  to  have  this  conversation  with  anyone,    then  he  would  prefer  it  to  be  gustave.    there  was  an  unspoken  trust,    a  part  of  him  that  believed  even  the  darkest  secrets  wouldn't  budge  the  other  much,    maybe  he  expected  there  to  be  a  trace  of  disappointment,    but  nothing  more  than  that.    without  even  noticing,    he  began  pacing,    arms  crossed  over  the  broad  frame  of  his  chest,    and  though  hesitant  at  first,    he  finally  got  the  words  to  come  out.  ]     julie  was  the  only  person  i've  loved,    one  of  the  only  people  that  made  me  feel  like  i  wasn't  so  hopeless,    but  she —     she  was  too  smart  for  her  own  good,    almost  as  smart  as  you ..     barely  ever  missed  even  the  subtle  things.     [  he  paused  briefly,    giving  a  quiet,     disheartened  chuckle  before  continuing.  ]     i  was  never  upfront  with  her  about  my  immortality,    and  the  one  near death  experience  i  had,    all  i  could  tell  her  was  that  she  must've  been  exaggerating  it,     seeing  something  that  wasn't  there,    but  she  didn't  bite,    started  growing  wary  of  me —     [  ...  ]     i  thought  then,    that  it'd  be  easier  to  just  run,    keep  my  distance  from  her,    but  she  ended  up  tracking  me  down  eventually.    had  the  crew  hold  me  against  my  will,    interrogate  me  for  the  truth  that  i  refused  to  give  them,    and ..     i  was  too  much  of  a  coward  then,    ended  up  killing  her  before  she  could  even  find  anything  out,    because  i  feared  she  wouldn't  believe  me,    thought  she'd  say  i  was  talking  out  of  my  mind ..

⠀⠀⠀ノ  also  what  do  you  mean  it's  inspired  by  the  writer!gustave  au.......  what....  do  you  mean...  by  that.....  why  would  you  share  that  with   me....   /affec

⠀⠀⠀ノ  EW,  THIN  MINTS??  you  can  keep  those  cookies  hello,  i  dont  want  them  after  all  :/  i'm  so  glad  you  see  the  brilliance..  you  are  forgiven.  just  for  that  ♡

⠀⠀⠀ノ  SO  THE  STORY  GOES....  FOR  NOW!!!   BUT  THAT  IS  NOT  HOW  THIS  GIRL  SCOUT  COOKIE  SHALL  CRUMBLE...   /silly   duhhh,  how  do  you  think  i've  been  making  this  dictatorship  work??   don't  reveal  my  secrets  to  the  world.....   >n>   /j

⠀⠀i  have  not  forgiven  you.     you  mistake  mercy  as  forgiveness.     (     he  quickly  remedied,     tone  filled  with  anger,     still.     but  he  was  never  one  for  staying  mad  at  people  he  liked  for  long,     he  was  too  understanding  for  it.     he  learned  the  mentality  through  his  all  but  short  life,     why  be  mad  at  someone  when  you  never  know  when's  the  last  time  you'll  see  each  other  again?     forgiveness  was  never  easy  but  acceptance  of  what  happened  to  try  and  move  on  from  it  came  quick.     )     you  have  a  lot  of  work  to  do.     but. . .     it's  just  nice  to  know  that  the  man  i  got  to  know  was  real.     that  the  guy  i  had  started  to  trust  wasn't  lying  to  me  when  i've  basically  spilled  my  insides  out  for  him  to  see.         ✧          @facsimile 
            
            /*     no you cant turn this around on me now,,, you started it!! 

[  he  was  expecting  more,    to  be  yelled  at,    to  be  told  to  get  lost,    but  here  they  were —    the  other  had  just ..    accepted  it,    and  somehow  that  felt  worse  than  being  shamed.    maybe  verso  didn't  think  he  deserved  forgiveness,    because  truly  he  didn't,    he  knew  he  deserved  a  lot  worse  than  what  he  was  receiving  from  everyone,    the  treatment  lune  had  given  him  upon  finding  out  is  what  he  believed  he  should  have  gotten,     and  perhaps  that  is  why  he  just  stood  there,    taking  it,     because  she  wasn't  wrong.    he  was  a  coward,    betrayed  all  of  them,    and  there  was  no  sense  in  denying  it.  ]    really ..?    all  that  silent  treatment,    the  hurt  on  your  face —    just  for  you  to  forgive  me  that  easily?
            
            ⁄          the songs you chose on that playlist are honestly sick,,,    just say you want me dead next time  /j

⠀⠀(     in  a  way,     he  was  waiting  for  the  words  that  he  was  lying  about  the  things  he's  confided  gustave  in.     all  the  nights  by  the  fire,     when  everyone  was  asleep,     truths  and  admissions  they  kept  from  even  their  closest  friends.     only  because  it'd  just  be  easier  on  him,     only  because  it'd  make  the  decision  of  choosing  a  side  if  if  ever  came  down  to  it  easier.     but  it  was  unexpectedly  harder  to  hear  that  he  had  been  truthful  at  least  about  something.     gustave  didn't  know  if  that  was  better  or  worse,     that  what  he  kept  locked  were  real  things  he'd  never  spill  to  the  others.     he  nodded  his  head,     slow  and  accepting.     as  if  taking  the  information  in  and  storing  it  so  it's  something  real  he  can  hold  onto.     )     okay. . .     okay.     thank  you.     i—-     (  . . .  )     then  you're  still  the  same  man.         ✧          @facsimile 
            
            /*     i'll send it to you on discord.... that is a promise!! there's a couple songs on there that i'd love ur input on... AND BOTH OF THOSE LINES UHRRGHH </33 i cannot deal they make me sick to my stomach., i second that motion.

⁄          the canvas stays,    everyone is alive,    alicia doesn't off herself from staying in the canvas too long,     the world is healing yippieee !!!!

@facsimile          /*          dude its the way that i forgot she even said that.... god.... im in sooo much shock at everything. it would just go on and on and how would anyone really stop it. its somehow worse to carry on a "normal" life with immortality and possibly the same people to surround yourself with for eternity. its worse rhan the alternative of what verso has been doing before with the other expeditions and fighting to get aline out of the canvas. so heartbreaking. sandfall we are so AFTER YOU!!! and oh my god,,,... me and mae were talking about that too. because every time i reached a major plot point i was like "what would gustave do if he was there...." and just UGGGHHHH..... the secret third ending is actually this one.... and its the BEST ending maybe

⁄          "if you could grow old would you find a reason to smile"   was such a slap in the face,    because we know if he died from old age,    she would just repaint him regardless,    so truly what is the point of saying that either than rubbing the fact that he is exhausted from his immortality in his face.....    i can't be too mad at her because she is SEVERELY blinded by grief but it doesn't make it sting any less really  </3    but i imagine if gustave was still alive,    maybe she would've left the canvas willingly since there'd be the both of them there to convince her,    and they'd be there for one another while they'd wait for her to come back whenever she can UGHHDHBD

⠀⠀⠀ノ  too  late!!  NO  REFUNDS!!!  NOT  THIS  FAR  INNNNN

@tomorrowcomes          /*          take it BACCXKKKKKK I DOTN WASNT ITTTT

⠀⠀⠀ノ  the  train  of  suffering  is  now  passed  on  tew  yew

(  the  action  had  momentarily  caused  a  smile  to  take  its  place,  a  shake  of  her  head  at  the  endearing  childish  movement,  )⠀⠀⠀yeah..  we're  so  close,  i  didn't  even  think  about  getting  this  far.  i'm  glad  we  did.  maybe  one  of  our  throws  can  finally  reach  her  now.⠀⠀⠀(  a  lighthearted  lilt  of  tone,  a  small  flick  to  his  forehead  as  if  in  playful  return  of  the  earlier  nudge.  )
            
            ⠀⠀⠀ノ    TAKES  MY  EYES  OUT  AND  POINTS  THEM  AT  YEW.   WDYM  MEAN  TO  /YEW/   ????

⠀⠀(     gustave  turned  his  head  in  her  lap,     catching  her  eyes  as  she  looked  down.     his  right  hand  reached  out,     softly  and  quickly  nudging  his  finger  under  her  chin.     )     besides,     we  might  not  have  to  worry  about  him  any  longer.     we. . .     made  it.     i  can  barely  believe.        ✧          @tomorrowcomes 
            
            /*     WHY IS EVERYONE SO MEAN 2 MEEEEE </333 

(  the  girl  looked  down,  a  soft  hum  of  something  akin  to  acknowledgement  leaving  her.  she  would  probably  always  worry,  but  if  he  said  otherwise,  then...  )⠀⠀⠀...  oui.  i  am..  glad,  i  suppose  it's  the  best  case  scenario  after  all,  right  .ᐣ
            
            ⠀⠀⠀ノ  stares  at  you.  what  is  ur  issue  rn...............  ykw  go  ahead  and  hit  that  delete  button,  ok?  ok!!   /JOKE/JOKE/JOKE

yeah,    but ..    regardless  of  how  much  i  taught  the  other  expeditions,    they  still  haven't  made  it  as  far  as  you  have,    so —    think  it  says  more  about  you  lot  than  it  ever  does  me.     [  verso  really  didn't  believe  he  played  a  big  role  in  this,    all  he  could  provide  them  with  was  information  on  which  path  to  go  down,    and  that's  all  he  really  thought  he  was  good  for.    perhaps ..    it  was  all  the  past  expeditions  that  fed  him  this  belief  though,    because  none  of  them  had  ever  seen  it  entirely  through,    and  a  lot  of  that  messed  with  his  head,     sometimes  had  him  questioning  just  what  more  he  could  have  done  for  them.  ]     thank  you  for  finally  putting  trust  in  me  though ..    after  the  way  we  started  off,    it  feels —    relieving  to  have  earned  that  from  you.
            
            ⁄          that's actually one of his gradients.....    mhm it's true,    i seen it in the game files!!

⠀⠀i  guess.     (     he  shrugged  as  he  decided  then  to  throw  the  rock  towards  the  monolith  in  the  distance  before  turning  around  and  facing  the  other.     )     there's  a  lot  more  to  the  story  but,     thanks,     verso.     (     and  it  was  genuine  too.     the  other  was  right,     it  did  make  him  feel  better  to  talk  about  it,     despite  him  wanting  to  bottle  it  up.     to  keep  the  memories  and  the  story  all  to  himself.     to  spiral  down  with  it  until  he  inevitably  hit  the  bottom.     he  was  glad  he  had  someone,     anyone  at  all,     to  save  him  from  that  long  drop.     )     very  high  praise  from  someone  like  yourself.     you've  taught  us  more  than  we'd  ever  would  on  our  own,     so  you're  with  us  'til  the  end.     and.  .  .     maybe.     if  i  ever  find  it  again.          ✧          @facsimile 
            
            /*     i laughed pls,, ah yes... gustave taking a souvenir from the place of his almost death.. just so he can throw it back in renoirs face as the finishing move

maybe  it  was  for  the  best ..    she  went  out  more  peacefully  spending  her  last  day  with  you,    just  being  in  your  presence,    than  having  any  sort  of  serious  conversations —     you  may  have  had  a  lot  you  wanted  to  say  to  her,    but  you  not  saying  that  made  the  pressure  of  her  gommage  a  lot  less  suffocating,    i'm  sure.     [  it  wasn't  his  place  to  say  that,    but  he  had  hoped  it  at  least  provided  some  comfort  rather  than  nothing  at  all.     verso  would  never  say  anything  regarding  his  views  on  love,     but  deep,    in  the  back  of  his  mind,     there  was  nothing  he  wanted  more  than  to  have  someone  to  indulge  in,     someone  who  would  see  to  him  no  longer  having  to  carry  the  weight  of  everything  on  his  own,    albeit ..    it  would  be  all  too  fleeting,    so  would  it  ever  be  worth  searching  for  it  anymore ..?  ]     we'll  see  this  expedition  through ..     you  guys  are  a  strong  crew,    so —     maybe  you'll  be  able  to  experience  a  longer  life,     with  love  that  won't  be  gone  just  as  soon  as  it's  found,    hmm?
            
            ⁄          squints......    i almost misread that and thought you were referring to the rock he had back at the cliffs when renoir attacked them and i almost started tweaking  <33

⠀⠀⠀ノ  stares  at  yew..  sighs.  finneee   !!
            AND  I  WILL  DO  IT  AGAIN  (grin)

@tomorrowcomes          /*          oh... well... you can still drop!! :D!!!! BUT ITS YOUR FAULT BECAUSE YOU MADE ME PLAY THIS GAAMAMEEE!!1!1!!1! 

⠀⠀⠀ノ   ?!?!?!?  HOW  IS  IT  MY  FAULT  WHAT  THE  HELL.
            i  came  here  to  drop  but  YKW...  IF  I'M  PUBLIC  ENEMY  NUMBER  ONE...   /silly

⠀⠀you  are  so. . .     (     gustave  trailed  off,     not  exactly  sure  how  to  describe  the  man  next  to  him.     impossible?     unbelievable?     several  words  passed  through  his  mind  but  neither  one  seemed  correct.     he  shook  his  head,     dispersing  the  thoughts  that  came.     it  felt  great  to  have  a  second  chance,     to  throw  himself  back  into  the  expedition  and  take  his  role  again.     in  a  way  they  complimented  each  other,     as  much  as  they  came  to  crossroads  about  everything.     would  it  be  surprising  if  maelle  was  the  one  who  convinced  him  to  keep  giving  verso  chances?     probably  not.     gustave,     after  a  while,     finally  looked  back  at  verso  over  his  shoulder.     a  head  tilt  with  a  sort  of  pained  smile  at  the  mention  of  his  fallen  friends     )     it's. . .     it's  fine.     even  though  we  hadn't  expected  it,     we  all  knew  what  we  were  getting  in  to.     and  what  you  could  was  enough.     i'd  never  be  able  to  explain  how  thankful  i  am.       ✧         @facsimile 

whether  you  had  the  hunch  or  not,    i  believe  it's  still  right  of  me  to  tell  you  the  truth ..    [  a  dismissive  shake  of  his  head  followed,     gaze  landing  upon  gustave's  form,    but  only  momentarily ..     part  of  him  wondered  how  far  they'd  make  it  had  he  not  originally  stopped  renoir  that  night  on  the  cliffs,    but  he  liked  to  believe  it  wouldn't  be  nearly  as  far  as  they  are  now ..     not  without  gustave,    and  though  verso  was  more  versed  when  it  came  to  traversing,     the  other  male  was  always  thinking  of  the  best  course  of  action,    always  had  some  sort  of  plan,    it  felt ..      relieving  to  not  have  to  sit  and  watch  another  expedition  jump  head  first  into  their  own  demise.  ]     and  i'm  sorry  i  couldn't  save  more  of  your  friends  back  their  either ..     but  i  salvaged  what  i  could.

⠀⠀(     gustave  brought  a  hand  to  run  down  his  face,     at  first  they  told  each  other  nothing.     always  guarding  their  stories  and  words  behind  the  guise  that  it  was  too  personal  and  too  soon.     stubborn  men  who  couldn't  trust  easily.     now  truths  and  explanations  spilled  out  as  if  he  wanted  to  tell  him  anyway.     )     nonetheless  i'm  grateful.     i  don't  know  if  i  ever  truly  thanked  you  for  that.     (     he  said  quietly,     refusing  to  look  back.     it  was  easy,     then,     for  the  silence  that  came  after.     like  something  came  of  of  either  of  their  chests.     gustave  listened  with  an  open  mind,     and  strangely  a  laugh  bubbled  out  of  him  at  the  next  confession.     his  metal  arm  wrapped  around  his  midsection  as  he  did,     )     alright,     well  i  knew  that.     i  didn't  fully  believe  you  when  you  said  that.     as  out  of  it  as  i  was,     i  / did /  see  you.        ✧         @facsimile 

⠀⠀⠀ノ  (insert  spongebobs  crying  here)

@tomorrowcomes     &.     @facsimile          /*          the gangs all here...... sniffles.......

⠀⠀⠀ノ  the  kids  are  missing  him  so  bad.  (us  3)