thelostprincessposts

[thelostprincessposts]

I’ve read literally every fic you’ve got, I love your writing so much! Especially the Expedition 33 one with the Writer!Reader and Verso

Anyways, if you’d like or want to, perhaps a wedding day fic with Verso? Reader or oc, I don’t really mind either! (And if you’re feeling spicy perhaps a wedding night instead, but only if you want!)

Hiii, I feel so blessed and honored, thank you for reading my stuff and enjoying it 😭💕 I’m glad you loved the OG fic, cause your req really fits into the whole narrative so I wove it into the lore – I hope that’s alright with you! Also, I did *pirouettes* ✨both✨ *leg* 💃 So here we go:

A Writer & A Painter | Verso Dessendre – Wedding Day (& Night) 

(Apparently, I lied when I said Part 3 would be the last part)

[Real Verso / Fem!Reader]

Part 1 of the fic preceding this | Masterlist

Word Count: ~ 7k Rating: E (contains smut)

“It's time.”

You had heard her high-heeled steps echoing on the stone floor before she even reached the door and came in without knocking. The look in the mirror you didn't cut short nonetheless. This would be the first and only time you'd see yourself in a wedding dress. You wanted to take it all in: the silk fabric adorned with the finest shimmering lace, the weight of the expensive pearls resting against your skin, and the view through your long veil.

The delicate fabric might have hidden your face, but it could never prevent you from recognizing your loved ones. Reflected in the mirror, Clea stood in the open doorway in her bridesmaid’s dress. This morning, you'd already had to bite your tongue to not blurt out how beautiful she looked. She had completely transformed her usually casual look, just for you – braiding her long, typically loose hair, swapping her headband for a flower crown, and donning the lavender chiffon dress. Granted, she had fiercely resisted wearing anything pink, even threatening not to attend the wedding at all if forced into it.

“My fellow three bridesmaids are driving me nuts,” she announced, sticking to her signature attitude. “They never stop moving. Who are they again?”

You turned to her in a graceful – at least you suspected everything about you was graceful today – motion. “My cousins from the countryside.”

Clea let out a clearly exasperated noise. “They act like it, no offense.”

You chuckled. “I know, they can be a handful. You get used to them… or you move to the city estate to get away from them.” Your chuckle turned into a grin that Clea returned. After today, your cousins would fade even more into the background, because you'd have two sisters now.

“Well, after today, just so you know,” she said, her tone dry as ever, “if you ever want them to visit, you'd better stay in that city residence of yours. Because I will object if they plan to come to our place.”

Her gaze softened as her eyes traced your silhouette. “I still can’t quite believe you all talked me into this, but you look amazing. Marriage suits you and Verso much more than it ever would me.” She stepped closer and gently adjusted your veil.

“How does he look?” you asked, your mind already drifting to the image of your handsome husband waiting for you at the altar. You knew you'd have to restrain yourself from running toward him the moment you saw him.

“As calm as you are – and I really mean that. If I’ve ever seen a couple ready for this, it’s you two,” Clea said sincerely. “Then again, I obviously never saw my own parents get married, so maybe that’s not saying much. Still… you two remind us of them.”

“Well, that’s probably the highest compliment you’ve ever given me,” you teased, surprised by Clea’s unusual softness.

Her mouth straightened into a more familiar expression. “Don’t get used to it,” she muttered, though she still fussed with your veil a little longer.

“Now come. Everyone’s already waiting for you. Time to get married in front of the church, our families, and the entire community. No pressure, though.” She stepped aside to let you pass, gesturing toward the door. How she’d managed to shake off your cousins was a mystery you weren’t sure you wanted solved.

Said cousins stood waiting with your father – who was doing his best to keep their excitement in check – in front of the large double doors that led into the nave. All of them were wearing their lavender bridesmaid dresses, giggling and greeting you with the widest, sweetest smiles. When their eyes landed on Clea, those expressions faltered just slightly but remained polite.

Your father, by contrast, placed a kind hand on Clea’s shoulder. “Thank you for bringing her,” he said. The two of them got along surprisingly well.

You loved your extended family, and your chosen one, too. Those who had never lived in the city simply didn’t fully grasp the more refined customs. And then, of course, there was the entire situation – you, the ambitious cousin, marrying the Painter from a distinguished family.

But someone was missing. “Where’s Alicia?” you asked, glancing around for your flower girl. Just then, the organ music started behind the doors, causing you, for the first time on this day that had begun with a civil ceremony and was now culminating in the church, to feel slightly panicky. You couldn’t begin without Alicia, could you?

“Don’t worry about her,” Clea commanded, while directing your cousins to straighten your train and veil, before placing the bouquet into your hands. She personally stepped forward, her hand on the door handles. 

“Wait, Clea,” you tried to stop her, but in true Clea fashion, she didn’t give you the chance. Instead, she pushed the doors open and took her place to your left, behind you, next to the other bridesmaids.

Everything suddenly grew serious as you took your father’s offered arm, your eyes wide behind your veil, and began walking. Beyond the open doors, the church revealed itself in all its beauty, row after row of pews filled not just with family, but people of standing, of influence – highly relevant figures from both factions. Up front, in the first rows, alongside your families, would stand the members of the councils. They had more or less invited themselves; there had been no alternative. This union was a precedent, and the groom’s mother was the head of one of the councils.

You would’ve almost walked through Notre Dame itself now. The head of the Writer's Council had suggested it, but was ultimately overruled, much to your relief. Getting married in Notre Dame would’ve felt excessive to both Verso and yourself, though probably even more so to you. Verso, after all, was more used to opulence than you were with your more modest privileges.

Everything around you felt hyper-present, somehow amplified. The light seemed brighter, the colors more vibrant, the organ louder, and your steps heavier as you pulled your long train behind you, careful to walk with elegance – not too fast, not too slow – and not to tug your veil away from your face.

The brightest spot was ahead, your destination. There, in the center, stood the priest. And beside him, Verso. It was just like in a storybook, the way the air seemed to shimmer around him, as if he were a revelation, the answer to every question you could ever have in life. A smile bloomed on your lips, blissful, as if all your dreams had come true.

That same smile appeared on his face too, gentle and perfect, the one that had enchanted you the very first time he’d played the piano for you. He stood there, waiting for you, a scene you’d only ever dared to imagine in your wildest dreams.

He looked positively proper – his suit perfectly tailored, his beard precisely trimmed, his hair neatly styled. Honestly, he’d look handsome in anything, but you preferred him in something more casual. Just the two of you, living day to day, maybe cooking together, going for a walk, working on your art, or sliding across the polished floors of the manor’s foyer in your socks, laughing. A crazy idea, one that had once led to Renoir walking in on you, giving you a scrutinizing look, then shrugging and saying to Verso, “Just don’t let your mother see.” After that, you’d both snuck off, snickering, to a different corner of the estate.

That version of Verso wasn’t visible now, but you knew he was still there. You could see it in the way his smile widened as you approached, slightly crooked, just the way you loved. To keep yourself grounded, you had to dig your fingers a little deeper into your father’s arm, just as you’d expected, so you wouldn’t run headfirst into your future.

Your father stopped in front of Verso and the priest. He lovingly brushed your hand, gave you a kind smile, then turned to shake Verso’s hand. Watching the scene through your veil, you thought to yourself that you would forever describe this scene as the moment when Verso had wanted to express his eternal gratitude to your father, because that’s exactly how it looked like. You had to suppress a giggle as you stepped the last few paces forward to stand across from him.

Your hands found each other’s. His thumbs gently stroked the back of your fingers in reassurance.

“Hi,” he mouthed, and the tears nearly welled up already.

“Hey,” you mouthed back with a smile.

The priest motioned for the guests to sit. “Dear children, you come before God and his church today to unite in holy matrimony…” he began his saintly speech, which you both listened to with reverent devotion.

When it came time for the exchange of rings, confusion started to settle in. You couldn’t spot them anywhere. You had agreed on one of your young cousins to be the ring bearer, but he wasn’t getting up from his seat. Standing there in front of all these people, you grew increasingly anxious, your eyes wide as you gave him a pointed look, but he just shrugged.

You were just about to say something when Verso leaned toward you and spoke in an amused voice, “You were probably wondering where Alicia disappeared to.”

“Uh, yes?” you answered, nervously glancing toward the front row, where the council members were seated in quiet anticipation. Couldn’t Verso have at least let you in on whatever wild plan he’d cooked up?

“Well, she had a last-minute idea.” He nodded toward the aisle, and your gaze followed his. There, Alicia stepped out from behind a pillar at one of the chapel’s side aisles – and the moment you saw what she was carrying, the tears finally shot to your eyes.

“Oh mon dieu, no. You didn’t… that…” you stammered, a little embarrassed by the wave of emotion the sight unleashed, trying to laugh it off, though your voice trembled.

Alicia made her way down the aisle, head held high and smiling wide, carrying a large, richly embroidered red pillow. And perched on top of it – Soleil. The cat seemed to know exactly how important the moment was, sitting prim and composed on her little boat, head held as high as Alicia’s, a ribbon tied around her neck with the rings hanging from it.

“Bonjouuur,” Alicia trilled as she reached you. “Sorry, we just wanted to surprise you with something.” She held out the pillow proudly, Soleil perched atop it like the most regal of ring bearers.

You let out a teary laugh, sniffled, and didn’t hesitate to let go of Verso’s hands so you could scoop the little fluffball into your arms. Soleil blinked at you with her beautiful blue eyes and gave a soft meow, like a quiet hello.

“My jolie Soleil,” you cooed at her, not caring what anyone else thought. “Tell me the truth, did you plan all this just so you could marry Verso yourself at the last second?”

Across from you, Verso chuckled. Soleil meowed again, this time in his direction, and he leaned in, grinning. She stretched her tiny head toward him and nudged her nose against his, then gave him a quick little lick on the tip of his nose.

“Little charmer,” he said, repeating the nickname he’d unknowingly given her the day you met. He’d just kept calling her that ever since. Verso scratched her behind the ears, and she purred approvingly.

“My word, this is highly unorthodox,” came the rather scandalized voice of the priest. “Wouldn’t a human ring bearer have sufficed?”

You both turned toward him, his expression a mix of confusion, disapproval, and perhaps a hint of shame at the unconventional display.

You almost wanted to say everything about this wedding was unorthodox, but you bit your tongue. It was Verso who stepped in, his voice laced with that disarming charm of his, trying to smooth over both the priest and the council members who were now quietly rolling their eyes in the front row, though a few wore amused, forgiving smiles.

“I apologize, Father. This cat brought my beautiful bride and me together. The Dessendre family merely found it appropriate to include her in the ceremony.” Verso gently took Soleil from your arms and presented her to the priest. “Please, feel free to take the rings.”

The priest pressed his lips into a thin line, clearly unsure whether the cat might bite him. He hesitated.

“She is harmless,” you assured him gently.

Your words seemed to reach him. He carefully lifted his hands from under his long robe and began fiddling with the ribbon around Soleil’s neck, eventually managing to untie the knot and retrieve the rings without incident. Verso promptly placed her back on her pillow with care.

“Thank you, Alicia, my sweet sister,” you said with heartfelt devotion, your chest full of love and joy. “You are a treasure. This meant everything to me.”

Alicia's smile widened, if that was even possible, before she turned to head to her seat in the front row next to Renoir, who shook his head at her in fond amusement, ruffling her hair as she sat. Then he offered his hand to Soleil, and once she allowed it, gave her a short scratch behind the ear.

“Well, now that the ring… cat… has delivered the rings, we may proceed.” The priest cleared his throat. Holding the rings, he turned toward the altar and sprinkled them with holy water. “Bless, O Lord, these rings, which we bless in your name…” Then he turned back to you, passing the rings to you both. “If you wish to enter into the holy sacrament of marriage before God and His Church, answer ‘Yes.’”

Your body was practically humming with anticipation. Finally, the moment had come. Slightly flustered from the spectacle, the ritual, and Soleil’s spontaneous appearance, you turned Verso’s ring gently in your fingers, your gaze traveling from the shiny gold band to his hand, then up into his eyes, sparkling with joy and completely free of doubt.

The unwavering presence of his love, more beautiful than any poem you could ever write, washed away every last hesitation, like a gentle, clarifying summer rain. “Yes,” you said firmly, trying to pour all your happiness into that one, simple word.

His loving smile widened into a delighted, irrepressible grin as he slid the ring onto your finger.

“Yes,” he repeated, his voice steady and sure. Now it was your turn to put the ring on his finger.

“Au nom du Père, et du Fils, et du Saint-Esprit,” intoned the priest, making the sign of the cross. “You may kiss the bride.”

Gently, if not reverently, Verso lifted your veil and flipped it back over your head. He exhaled audibly as your eyes met without the thin barrier between you, and you answered his expression of almost disbelieving joy with a smile as devoted as your heart could muster.

His hands found the skin at your neck through the lines of pearls, holding you delicately as he pulled you ever so slightly closer. His bright, joyful expression didn’t waver, not even as his lips met yours. You could still feel the smile in his kiss. The moment was pure euphoria, yet devoid of nervousness – just a deep, peaceful sense of having arrived.

Too soon the kiss, this promise, was over. Too fleeting was the brush of your hands against his arms, before the sound of applause surged around you and you had to part. The guests rose to their feet, some beaming, others more reserved – a Writer and a Painter had married, with as much blessing as could possibly be given.

You smiled across the front rows, from the council members to your own family, then to your newly gained one, to all the faces you loved. It couldn’t have been more perfect.

Verso’s fingers wove between yours. You leaned gently against his shoulder, every touch grounding you in that ineffable feeling of home.

“Shall we, Madame Dessendre?” he asked playfully, giving your hand a soft squeeze.

If it had been up to you, you’d have disappeared with Verso right after the ceremony, slipped away to your city residence and simply been husband and wife. You’d have gladly walked right through the chapel, straight outside, and just… kept walking.

Instead, and of course you had known this ahead of time, the day stretched on and on, as it had to become one for the history books.

And so the entire wedding party made its way to Dessendre Manor, where the family itself hosted the celebration. There was an army of hired staff, a lavish banquet in the afternoon followed by long discussions about what your marriage might mean for relations between Writers and Painters, and toward the evening, a bit of immersive theater performed around the long table.

Finally, as the evening reached its crescendo, Verso sat down at the grand piano. He took a moment to survey the room and lifted his voice once more, despite having given so many speeches already.

“The Dessendre family would like to thank everyone for their presence tonight. It has been an honor and a privilege to welcome you to our halls on this most special day. Our eternal gratitude goes out to those who made this union possible.” He nodded to the council members, who raised their glasses toward him. “This piece was written by my wife – a truth, a fate, though not inevitable. May this day always remind us that a life to love is what we really need.”

And then he played that silly little piece you once wrote him to end your connection, only to deepen it, because Verso had already loved you back then. It wasn’t quite the same now; it sounded more melodic, more hopeful, a few notes changed, tailored to the joyful situation you two now found yourselves in.

Once again that day, the tears came – so many times you had cried today, more than almost any other day. But they were tears of happiness, so it was alright. Every moment of this day had woven itself into the fabric of a dream worth living.

Those still present at this late hour applauded Verso’s emotional tribute to you. He rose, bowed, and walked over to press a soft kiss to the back of your hand, followed by a glance clearly meant only for you, questioning, as if to check whether it had been alright to play that particular piece. You answered his silent question with a smile and a wink. That little secret was now out in the open too, and you didn’t mind at all.

After Verso’s piano piece, the gathering slowly but surely began to disperse, finally, after what had felt like the longest day. You both said your goodbyes at the door to the last few guests, including your parents, who would be staying in a hotel in the city. They hadn’t wanted to overstay the Dessendre family’s hospitality, though Renoir, as always, had firmly and repeatedly insisted it wouldn’t have been a burden.

At long last, you and Verso could head to your family’s city residence, which they had graciously lent you for a while, so you could settle in as newlyweds. And truly, you were so grateful for the promise of privacy.

“Thank you, for everything, for all of this,” you said to the family gathered around you. The first person you embraced was Aline. The woman who had so fiercely fought for you both, who had debated and even argued with council members just to make this marriage happen. All to make her son and his once-unwelcome bride happy. To help begin to end the feud between Writers and Painters. Because of you? It was hard to believe she held you in such esteem. And yet she put her arms around you, squeezing tighter than you were used to from her.

“We’re happy to have you as part of our family now,” she said softly, then gently pulled away, offering you a smile full of warmth.

You returned the gesture and moved on to embrace the rest of the Dessendre family. Renoir, who had surely been reassuring Aline behind the scenes all this time, the way Verso had reassured you. Clea, brave and fierce Clea, who had worn a bridesmaid dress for you. And Alicia, so thoughtful, who had clearly come to know you well enough to give you the most special wedding surprise.

“Thank you, for bringing Soleil. You’re taking good care of her?”

Alicia nodded with a smile. Soleil would stay at Dessendre Manor while you and Verso were in the city. She would be just fine here, and, you told yourself, it wouldn’t be long until you returned.

Verso also said his goodbyes to his family, receiving a paternal pat on the shoulder from Renoir and a few whispered words meant only for him – God knew what kind of advice he was giving for the wedding night, and honestly, you weren’t sure you wanted to know.

“Send someone… or write, if you need anything,” you said as a final farewell, before you and Verso finally stepped toward the waiting carriage.

Finally, after the most beautiful and longest day of your life, you and Verso stepped through the door of the house in the middle of the city. You stretched your arms as you entered the cozy hallway, a yawn slipping out. As soon as Verso closed the door behind you, he turned to you, looking just as content, and just as tired, as you felt.

“How is my wife?” he asked, running his fingers soothingly up the long lace sleeves of your gown, over the intricately embroidered Bertha collar framing your heart-shaped neckline. He toyed with the pearls resting there, eliciting a soft hum from you, his eyes dreamily locked on your face.

“Very happy, my husband,” you answered, the words like sweet honey on your tongue. Verso’s reaction was blissful. He smiled with such joy, then brushed a gentle kiss across your lips. Your eyes fluttered, heavy with the comfort of his touch. “And very tired,” you added.

Verso nodded, his fingers soft and warm against your slightly tingling skin. “It’s been a long day. Come on, let’s get you to bed.”

You squealed when he grabbed you with a sudden motion and lifted you into the air. You laughed gleefully as he started up the stairs to the bedroom, carrying you in his arms.

“You were supposed to do that at the threshold, weren’t you?”

“Totally forgot,” he admitted at once. “Hope this makes up for it.”

“Careful, don’t step on the train,” you cautioned gently, but he managed each step with perfect precision, even while looking at you with that loving sparkle in his eyes, the one that never failed to fluster you just a little.

He carried you through the narrow hallway upstairs, nudged the door open with his body, and delivered your still-laughing self into the room. While still in motion, you pressed your face into the crook of his neck, placed a soft kiss on the exposed spot just above his high collar, and nuzzled his bearded cheek, drawing a pleased sound from him.

He stopped with you in front of the bed. You knew he was about to drop you both onto the mattress, and still, you laughed out of sheer delight when he did. You pressed a kiss to his cheek before rolling off him to lie on your stomach atop the soft bed, switching on the lamp beside it.

“Mhm,” you hummed contentedly. “I’m lying here now. I don’t think I’ll ever get back up again.” You snuggled into the sheets, eyes closed. “But the dress,” you complained playfully to get his attention.

As expected, it worked. You heard a soft chuckle beside you, then felt his hands at the back of your neck. “Look at that,” he murmured. “Every time I saw your back today, I dreaded this moment. So many buttons…” His nimble fingers began undoing the row that ran all the way down to your lower back.

“Why are wedding dresses made this difficult to put on and take off?” he asked, aghast, as the task dragged on.

“Nobody ever said marriage would be effortless,” you teased in return.

“Well then,” he said, shifting his weight with a rustle of the sheets, “consider this the first of a lifetime of efforts I’ll make for you. Whatever makes you happy.” Soft lips brushed your neck, and a small shiver danced down your spine.

Once the row of buttons was finally undone, a disbelieving grunt escaped him as he realized how many layers your rich wedding gown actually had. You sat up, wiggling the top half down and working your way out of the multiple layers of petticoats.

“This thing must’ve been incredibly heavy,” he sympathized.

“It’s alright,” you answered with a smile, standing up from the bed, eager to finally shed all the pomp and tulle. The gown collapsed into a pile of fabric on the floor, leaving only the light fabric of your chemise clinging to your body. As beautiful as the dress had been, you exhaled in relief.

Verso remained seated on the bed, watching with fascination as you undressed piece by piece. He let out a sigh of his own, finally loosening his constricting tie, both of you clearly exhausted by now, tempted to just collapse into the covers and call it a night.

Instead, he stood and came toward you. You used the opportunity to grab him by the lapel and pull him close, helping him out of his own clothes. Unfairly easy – just a jacket, a shirt, his suspenders, and a few buttons on his trousers, and he was free.

“Let’s get you out of this thing as well,” he murmured, his voice lower now, as he began playfully undoing the ties at the neckline of your chemise.

“Oh, Verso,” you sighed softly, even though his fingertips felt so wonderfully good on your skin. “I’m really tired…” It was all you could say, hoping he would understand if things didn’t go further just yet.

“Yeah, me too…” he admitted, but didn’t stop untying the garment. “How about we ditch all the clothes, take a shower together, and then just sleep?” He toyed with the edge of the fabric at your shoulder, slowly drawing it down, waiting for your consent. “We’ve got time.”

Warmth washed over you, and you allowed the last bit of fabric to leave your body. He immediately pulled you against him, skin to skin – after such a long day, it was the most comforting thing in the world. Your lips found each other in a deep, yearning kiss, just as you’d wanted to all day. Finally, you could mess up his far-too-neat hair with your fingers.

His large hands moved over the sore spots on your body, those places that had been compressed for hours and hours by your tight corset, eliciting another contented sound from you against his lips. In turn, you gently massaged the base of his neck, where his high collar had left faint little marks.

“Let’s go take this hot shower,” Verso whispered against your mouth and led you toward the bathroom, prompting you to reach up and begin undoing your elaborate bridal hairstyle.

Under the shower, the two of you would get lost in each other for a moment, washing away the stress of the day, hands wandering and lips locked in long, steamy kisses, spiriting each other into your newlywed state, senses blurred, until you curled up naked between the sheets of the bed, content, as if there had never been any other state of being and you had never existed in anything else. Verso would cover your face with kisses before the two of you slowly drifted off to sleep.

You didn’t know how much time had passed when you woke up again for some reason. The deep, dark night still stretched beyond the windows, over Paris, only the moon casting soft, cold light into the room, bathing it in a peaceful stillness.

Except for the warm body behind you, wrapping you in comfort, and the touch of gentle fingers along your upper arm.

“Verso?” you whispered sleepily. “Are you awake?”

A low hum came from him, his fingers lazily brushing up and down your arm, soft lips grazing your neck, causing you to shudder.

You nestled deeper into his enticing body, each second of his lips on your skin waking you further, your body and mind restored by a few hours of rest.

Verso didn’t miss your soft shifting toward him. His fingers, which had stayed on your arm until now, wandered up over your shoulder, to your neck, your chin, guiding your face gently toward his.

Your lips met in a sensual kiss that blurred your senses. Your body instinctively turned further toward him, opened to his caress and his lead – an opportunity he used to lean over you and deepen the connection between you. You clutched at his upper arm for stability as a wave of sensation surged through you and gathered as a tight pull in your belly.

Already, the two of you were engrossed in one another, your lips moving together with growing passion, the rising heat clearing away any remaining grogginess, replacing it with excited tingling. Verso was especially fond of holding your face and capturing your lips over and over again, drinking you in, feeling the soft vibration of your contented hums against his. He did it with intention, taking his time seducing your lips so thoroughly that soon you found yourself aching to feel his hands everywhere else.

You leaned into him, slightly squirming, nudging him into letting those hands roam further.

He smirked against your lips – how could he ever deny your body that wish? – and let go of your face, allowing his skilled fingers to explore your supple skin.

Maybe it was the fact that you were now husband and wife, or that you had fallen from sleep straight into the haze of his touch, but your whole body was already trembling, a near-overwhelming need pooling low in your center and tugging insistently.

He wasn’t rushing, though, his hand only brushing down to your throat, painfully slow, his mind focused entirely on savoring every inch of you rather than going straight to where your body already ached for him. But he noticed – he noticed how your breath picked up, how you writhed ever so slightly, almost surprised by how quickly you'd both heated up, his own arousal pulsing just as strongly through him. He had no intention of torturing either of you, but he wanted to build enough that the release would be beyond satisfying.

He moved to cup your breast, gently cradling the soft fullness, the sensation alone sending a tingle down his spine. You let out a quiet sigh as he brushed over your nipple, rolling it beneath his index finger, his heartbeat quickening at your reaction. He could see your expression in the moonlight – your eyes closed, lips parted in search of more air now that they were free from his. Your body relaxed into his touch, and into his lips now finding a new purpose: nibbling tenderly along the delicate skin of your neck, coaxing another soft sigh from your throat. How he loved the sound of you.

Even though your belly tightened almost painfully, you waited obediently, knowing that Verso only wanted to pleasure you. His body slid down yours, his hand on you some space ahead of his mouth, and you were unsure what to focus on.

But it was his mouth that reached a sensitive spot first, his lips parting to breathe over your heated skin, then enclosing your nipple, his tongue flicking over the already hardened bud. You arched your back into the sensation, a whimper escaping as the throb between your legs intensified. He took pleasure in making you feel this good, ignoring the pull of his own desire, even actively turning his body away from you so you wouldn’t feel how hard he was. He kept lavishing attention on you, tempted to return his hand to your breasts for longer consideration, but the way you opened your legs for him made your request unmistakably clear.

The heat beneath the covers built more and more, so much so that it began to irritate you – paired with the restricted freedom of movement, it was too much.

“Verso,” you breathed, “I’m hot.”

He didn’t respond with words, just a low grunt against your chest, never breaking the steady stimulation of his lips. He simply used his arm to push the blanket aside and let it fall to the floor, exposing your bodies to the moonlight spilling in from the night sky through the window. The cool air soothed your searing skin, the newfound freedom allowing you to part your legs even further for him.

You gasped as Verso’s hand slipped between your thighs. Your fingers clawed at the bedsheets for purchase as his index finger curled and circled your clit, the gentle pulsing there encouraging him. He rubbed you deliberately, with just the right pressure and pace, exactly how he knew you liked it.

But he also knew you wanted more. Your hips rolled forward, moving subtly with his touch, urging him to take the next step. Again, who would he be to deny you? He rose slightly, hovering above you, supporting himself with one arm, his gaze, from what you could make out, devoted, almost obsessed with giving you pleasure.

Your eyes fluttered shut again as his hand moved further, his finger finally finding your entrance. You placed your hand on his arm.

“Fuck,” he finally spoke, breathless, his first word of this quiet night a curse, just as you sighed at the easy slide of his finger inside. “You’re so wet.” And so irresistible – he had to remind himself that this moment was about you.

“Just for you,” you whispered, the whisper turning into a moan as he, overwhelmed by your words and what he felt, curled his finger inside you, pressing against that spongy spot deep within. Your fingers tightened around his arm. He stroked that velvety wall with purpose, always returning to that one sensitive place, giving it all his tender focus, building the pressure slowly, until he felt the first flutter of you clenching around him, your body alternating between tension and release. Then, he spread his touch, covering a broader area inside you, causing you to whimper softly.

You gasped again, his name on your lips. “This is so good,” you breathed, drenched in the sheer intensity of sensation from just the small, precise movements of his finger inside you. “Really, you could just go on and do this forever.” The pressure inside you built, radiating heat through your entire lower body.

A flicker of uncertainty passed through you, making you open your eyes to search his – hazy and kind of absent. “I’m sorry, is this terribly exhausting?”

Verso blinked once, his gaze sharpening briefly for the seconds he needed to answer. “I’m a pianist, mon cœur. I could do this for days,” he assured you with a cheeky smile that made you melt back into his touch. And then, a sudden, deeper push of his finger made you buck up with a surprised moan. Your eyes fluttered shut again as his touch grew bolder, his finger moving in and out with increasing vigor until you couldn’t help but rock your hips in rhythm with his hand, sigh after sigh escaping you, your arousal slick and flowing over his knuckles.

Your soft, silken walls twitched and pulsed around his skilled finger. You writhed, only to be steadied by the rest of his hand applying gentle pressure to hold you still. Instead, your own hands dug deep into his skin, so much that you feared you might hurt him with how tightly you clung to him.

A soft groan escaped him at your contractions, his self-control slowly but surely waning, shamefully so, as his cock screamed at him to finally get something – a faint touch, a tiny stroke, maybe a soft kiss, or, at best, the satisfaction of being plunged into the warm, soaked depth that was you.

As if you had heard his silent desperation, you loosened your grip around his arm and sent your hand wandering over his chest, briefly playing with the soft fuzz of hair on it, his firm abs, and the closer you got to his pelvis, the less he was able to focus on your pleasure, anticipating the imminent touch he desperately needed.

“Oh, Merde,” he lost his composure when your soft palm closed around his rock-hard shaft, its warmth like a cozy blanket. You felt moisture at his tip, the sign of his arousal, caught the drops with your thumb, and spread them gently, his finger still delightfully inside you, while you were already searching for more again.

“Fuck, I need you,” Verso groaned plaintively, amazed at how the simple touch of your hand was still enough to make him lose control like that. He was worried he would last just two or three thrusts once he sank into you.

“Yes,” you whimpered just as desperately for him. “Take me, please.”

Hearing you plead for his cock robbed him of the last shred of free will he had left. Whether you were married or not, hearing your voice like that – so completely responsive to what he did and said, so devoted – confirmed to him that he existed only to make you happy.

He penetrated you with his finger one last time before withdrawing it and guiding his hand up to your hip, gently pressing you to your side, him behind you, both of you vibrating with excitement to consummate your marriage officially. He carefully lifted your leg to open you up for him. Everything between you was hot, wet, and inviting to simply melt together, and so you did.

A satisfied, gurgling sound escaped his throat as he sank into you with a single, slippery move, and the relieving fullness of his cock inside you made you utter a very similar sound, you, after all that foreplay, barely able to respond any differently to what he offered you with his unique knowledge of your body.

“You alright?” he asked, voice low and sultry as his hand left your leg to roam over your body, settling on your breast.

Your own hand immediately laid on his as you exhaled heavily. “Yes.”

After your confirmation, there was hardly anything holding Verso back anymore; only with all his iron will was he able to resist pulling out and finishing on top of you immediately. Instead, he pressed a fleeting kiss on your shoulder, drew you close to his form, and pulled his cock through you in a simmering rhythm.

Your body practically fused with his, bending toward his thrusts, finding the perfect angle for you both to feel all the intense heat and pleasure of your connection as his movements quickly grew more passionate, hitting the perfect spot every single time he plunged into you. Your breathy sighs and moans turned into eager mewls, only spurring him on. Luckily, you responded contentedly, guiding him along, since he didn’t have enough mind left to pay attention to the direction of his thrusts. Shortly after, his hand was on your hip, gripping firmly into your soft flesh and pressing you toward him; he had to be inside you with everything he had or he would perish.

You searched for support on the bed frame, steadying yourself against his deep thrusts, your entire lower half ablaze with sensation. Had he asked you, you wouldn’t have known what to tell him to make you feel even better. Every fiber of your being already felt incredible. Your body showed him this on its own, tightening again and again around him and eliciting high-pitched whines from you. You needed release so badly now that you decided to take Verso’s hand and guide it between your legs.

He growled as you did so, finding your clit with single-minded accuracy to bring you to your well-deserved peak, circling it while fucking you with abandon, his momentary weakness replaced by the thrill of bringing you to climax.

“Mon dieu,” you whimpered as another wave overtook you, licking down your spine warm, then cold, then warm again, your body trembling.

“Come for me,” he purred sensually the exact moment your body twitched hard. Then, your nerve endings exploded, throwing you into a maelstrom of ecstasy, unstoppable and overwhelming. Mouthwatering, every fiber of your body trembled against his relentless cock hammering into you, helpless cries of elation escaping you as he launched your mind out of your body. You could have sworn you saw his mindless, devoted, focused expression from above – his eyebrows knitted tightly, determined that his muscles wouldn’t fail him now, on the final stretch, desperate to prolong your climax.

“No, no,” Verso stopped you as you tried to muffle your cries with your hand over your mouth. “Please, I love you like this. Let me hear how good you feel, mon cœur.” He needed to hear you, would have begged you if he had to, to call his name into the night. Thankfully, you obeyed his gentle command, and also gave voice to his name on your lips. Your twitching body made him clench his jaw in arousal, his hand gripping the flesh of your hip a little too tightly, he knew, but you were simply too irresistible.

“Fuck, I’m so close,” he warned you, his hips trembling against yours.

You felt that completely carnal urge to feel him inside you until the end. So you grabbed his hand and whispered, “Stay inside.” You wouldn’t be having children for a long time to come.

A croaky sound escaped him at your request; he was far too lost in you to question you. On the contrary, your words pushed him over the edge, making him come immediately and harder than ever before. Putain, it felt too good – your shared climax, pumping you full, feeling your shivering body receiving his release. He welcomed your lips as you turned your head to find his, your mouths meeting in a tender kiss. The high slowly ebbed away, his movements growing languid but remaining connected until the very last moment and beyond.

Your breaths mingled – hot, heavy, and sensual – as your pulsing bodies gradually settled into calm, and your vision began to sharpen again. Verso panted, still deep inside you, with no intention of pulling away just yet. He brushed a strand of hair from his sweaty forehead, then tangled his fingers in yours, looking down at you completely enchanted.

He pressed another kiss to your lips. “That was…” he began, hesitated briefly, searching for a word that would describe how this experience had felt, even though he knew your body so well. “Incredible,” he settled on.

“Yeah,” you confirmed, still a bit out of it, lazily stroking his chin. “I love you. So much.”

He smiled lovingly. “And I, you.” He laid his head down on the pillow next to you. “So, how long do you think we can stay here, being naked, doing just this, all the time?”

A wistful smile, which he couldn’t see, flickered across your face. “Practically forever, I reckon.”

After all, this was written in blood.

Ending note: I really researched a lot about how weddings in the early 20th century would play out and no, they didn’t really kiss at the altar in that time, but as I wanted them to, they were all just chill like that 😤

[thelostprincessposts]

Heat Waves [Painted Verso x Reader NSFW]

Pairing: Painted Verso x Reader

Summary: a trip to the hot springs gets heated with Verso.

Rated: R

Warnings: NSFW, vaginal intercourse. Minors DNI. This is smut with very little plot.

Author's note: received a request for sexy times with Verso involving *the* swimsuits. Thank you so much for the request! Requests are still open and I have a few to get to yet 😉

This was the dumbest thing you could have agreed to. You stood in the washroom compartment in a train car eyeing yourself in the mirror. The swimsuit left little to the imagination. In fact, when the Grandis designer initially handed it to you you thought it was not yet finished. Now the flimsy triangles barely held your breasts up, let alone covered all your bits.

The team was making camp at Monoco's Station after exploring nearby. It made more sense to make use of the train cars than to make camp in the snow. Monoco started reminiscing on how he and Verso used to take advantage of a nearby natural hot spring to soothe their bodies after sparring, to which Sciel demanded they take you all to. That's how you ended up here, desperately attempting to stretch the fabric over your body.

You couldn't deny that the thought of some relief from the hot springs sounded nice, but you were exceedingly nervous about the swimsuit situation. You and Verso had stolen shared conpliments and heated glances over the campfire, but going from flirtatious eyes to practically undressing yourself was quite the leap.

You sighed before shrugging your jacket on over the swimsuit. You weren't trekking in the snow in this get-up.

"Everything alright?" Lune asked as you met the team outside.

You plastered a smile on to garner some confidence before replying. "I'm great. Let's go!"

The walk to the springs was only a few minutes. The pool was hidden in a cavern - the tunnel already felt steamy and warmed your extremities.

There were lanterns lit around and above the pool, courtesy of Lune's fire magic. Moonlight streamed in from a berth in the ceiling above making it cozy.

The team started to shed their coats and boots, but you hesitated at seeing their swimsuits actually fit them well. Especially Verso...you couldn't stop yourself from staring at his unclothed chest as he waded into the water.

"Oh, this is heavenly!" Lune exclaimed as she entered the pool. You stood there contemplating if you were actually going to take off your jacket until Sciel interrupted your thoughts.

"Come on, Y/N. What's going on?" She called from where she sat on the edge of the pool letting her legs dangle in the water. Verso eyed you carefully before you sighed.

"Okay, admittedly, I think the Grandis messed up my swimsuit a little bit. Don't get me wrong - I'm thankful for the gift, but it doesn't fit me very well. Maybe I'll just head back for the evening."

"Come on, it can't be that bad. You're amongst friends. Get in here!" Sciel encouraged. Your eyes met Verso's and for a half second there was another shared look of laughter dancing in his eyes. It felt like you were full of inside jokes. He raised his eyebrow slightly in challenge to see what you'd do.

"Fine," you managed to get out as you slipped your boots off and undid the clasps on the jacket. You turned away before letting the jacket fall to your feet, and Sciel immediately howled.

"Holy ass!" She laughed. You turned around to show off the rest of the suit, causing immediate belly laughing from Sciel. Her laughing was contagious - you couldn't help but also giggle at how ridiculous you looked until you were both in a laughing fit.

"Y/N, I think the problem is not that the suit doesn't fit you, but that it fits you too well," Lune managed between her own laughter.

As your laughter eased up, you noticed that Verso was hardly laughing. His cheeks were heated as his eyes locked onto yours. He, in fact, made a show of letting his eyes roam over your body while the rest of the team was still distracted.

You fought the urge to wrap your arms around yourself and instead made for the pool's entrance to join the others. "At least it doesn't really matter once you're in here. The steam makes it hard to see anything under the water," Maelle offered. Always the one to make the team feel better in a silly situation.

"True, thank you," you replied softly and gave her a small smile. The pool was a little deeper than your waist, so you dipped into the water to submerge yourself.

Lune and Sciel were laughing reminiscing about a past trip to the beach with some of their work crew. Verso gave you a half smile and a discreet nod to the place next to him. You made your way over to the rock ledge and settled in next to him, sighing at how easily your body relaxed in the water.

"Nice, huh?" He chuckled.

"I didn't realize how tense my muscles were until this very moment. This is incredible," you replied closing your eyes to enjoy the moment.

"You should have told me. I could have massaged your shoulders for you," Verso said lowly into your ear.

Your heart raced at how close he was and at his proposition. Your knew your face was betraying you with a heavy blush.

"I'll keep that in mind," you smiled back at him. You felt his hand brush your leg underwater in a light caress. Whether it was intentional or not, it sent a jolt of energy through your core.

The team chatted in the water a while longer replacing your nightly chat over the fire. All the while, Verso's hand never left your thigh. His fingers drifted about making patterns you couldn't follow. It wasn't long before Maelle was yawning and Monoco accompanied her back to camp. Lune wasn't far behind, stating that she needed to update the expedition journal. "I think that's my cue to leave. Behave yourselves," Sciel teased, giving you and Verso a pointed look and laughing.

The second she left the cave you covered your face with both hands and couldn't help letting out a laugh. "Did you conspire with them to get me alone?"

You felt Verso pulling your hands away and saw he was grinning as well. "No, and thank goodness I didn't. Watching you blush from embarrassment is enough of a reward."

"Well, you got plenty of that today." He moved in front of you and his hands reached for your waist. He still kept a respectable distance, his arms out-stretched to reach you.

"I think I need to impose a new rule that you're only allowed to wear that swimsuit. No more expedition uniform," he grinned devilishly.

"Absolutely not. I'm burning this when we're done here."

"I can work with that. We'll skinny dip everywhere," he suggested as his fingers once again found themselves tickling your skin. This must have been what it felt like to be the keys he pressed upon when he played the piano.

"A compromise then - if I have to wear my suit everywhere, then so do you," you replied. You took the opportunity to reach your arms up around his neck. It felt right; it felt natural to be in his atmosphere.

"Ah, so you were checking me out, then," he mused with another suggestive smile. You felt your cheeks redden again, as if you hadn't blushed enough today. Your arms around his neck brought you closer to him. Verso's eyes were searching yours feverishly through this whole exchange.

"Admittedly, I can't complain about the lack of clothing," you confessed. Both of you spoke softer the closer you got. Verso opened his mouth to say something, but then quickly closed it.

There was a moment of comfortable silence in which you let your hands tangle in the bottom of his hair. Something shifted when you noticed Verso look away and his hands stalled their movement on your hips.

The way his eyes met yours when he looked back at you was enough to make your heart beat uncontrollably. He was searching for something again when he spoke. "Tell me I'm not imagining this...thing between us. I feel crazy each night, the way I want to have you next to me, but I don't want to act on this if you aren't feeling this too."

His words were careful, like he thought you might disappear. His grip on your hips felt tentative as he second guessed himself. Now you definitely thought your heart really was going to beat out of your chest.

"Verso, I want it. You're not imagining it. I wouldn't put myself in this position with anyone I considered just a friend," you said with a half smile. Your fingers wove their way into his hair and he let out a breath you didn't know he was holding.

"I've been imagining what I'd do if I ever got you alone and now that we're here it's like I've forgotten everything I've ever known," he said sheepishly. Your eyes began to search his the way he was searching you earlier. You inched your way closer to him as your arms pulled his neck towards you.

Your noses were nearly touching and your nervous breaths mixed with his equally heavy breathing. "Maybe we start with a kiss. It's always the first thing I think of doing when I think of you," you suggested. His nervous breaths were interrupted by the most genuine smile you'd received from him before he nodded and brought his right hand up to cup your face. His left hand remained by your hip gripping it gently while he brought his lips to yours.

It was slow and thoughtful, the way his lips moved against yours. You felt so afraid to breathe at first. The kiss was so perfect that it felt like you were frozen in time. If not for the sound of your heart pounding in your ear, you'd have sworn you ceased to exist.

You felt him smile against your lips and your eyes opened to see him starting to laugh. Your heart sunk in horror. "What?? Is something wrong?"

"No, mon couer. We're so stupid," he laughed again, placing his thumb under your chin. "We could have been kissing this whole time. Instead the most action I've gotten has been from Monoco snuggling me in my sleep."

You laughed along with him, taking in the way his eyes creased and the light shifted in his eyes. He kissed you again - this time with a bit more passion.

"Are you still feeling tense?" Verso asked when the kiss broke. You needed more of him; the thought of his hands on you was a blessing.

You shot him a smirk before stating, "I do believe you offered to rub my shoulders. Does the offer still stand?"

"It does," he confirmed before placing a kiss upon your forehead. "Turn around. I'll have you kneel on that rock ledge."

You did as he commanded, but you suddenly felt ridiculous in your swimsuit again. You snorted before reaching for the tie around your neck. "Alright, this thing has to come off. This string is killing my neck trying to hold these up."

Your fingers were having a hard time with the knot before you felt Verso's hands cover yours. He whispered into your ear from behind, "allow me."

You let your hands drop so he could undo the tie. Relief came swiftly once the top was released and thrown to the side of the pool. Verso's lips met your shoulder and then your neck, his hands resting on the sides of your arms. It was difficult not to feel his hardness pressing into your backside, which sent a whole new wave of redness to your face. Thank god this time you were turned around.

His hands moved to your shoulders and back, rubbing out any tension. Some un-lady-like words left your mouth making Vero chuckle behind you. Even just feeling his hands roaming your back was enough to spark goosebumps all over your body.

"Do I get to explore your back too?" You teased as his massage became more gentle and caressing.

"Anything you wish, my love," he rasped. You turned around on the ledge. With him standing in front of you and you seated on the ledge, your legs opened to cage his frame. With your top half exposed, your breasts sat just out of the water. He brought his forehead to rest against yours and your hand made its way to his cheek.

"What do you want? What have you imagined of us?" You asked. The question was purposely dangerous. Kissing him made you feel drunk and there was no sobering this moment now.

"Are you sure you want to do this?" Verso whispered. Your eyes met his. The gaze he offered was so delicate, you thought he might break at any second.

Your thumb grazed his cheek and over his lips. "Tell me. Better yet - show me."

Verso's breath hitched at your command. His eyes darkened as he stared into yours. "One word and we stop. Got it?"

"Do your worst, Dessendre." His lips were upon yours again, hungry and needy. Your legs wrapped firmly around his waist, your core flush against his hard sex. Lips battled for dominance as his right hand groped your breast unapologetically and his left supported his weight against the rock wall behind you.

"So beautiful," he murmured against your lips before disconnecting and moving to suck on your nipples. His hand found purchase on your ass. You took the opportunity to loosen your legs from his waist and slide your hand down to stroke him over his shorts, eliciting a strained groan from his lips.

Your hand moved against his length until you could feel his hips grinding against yours. Verso wasted no time removing his hand from squeezing your bottom and brought it down the front of your suit, plunging two fingers inside of you.

His fingers danced inside, hitting glorious nerves and filling you with ecstasy. His mouth and tongue found yours again, swallowing any sounds you made. As your kissing became heated, your hand trailed over the hair snaking over his abdomen and into his shorts. Your hand closed over his bare member and he pumped himself slowly within your fist.

His fingers continued their movements and whimpers spilled from your mouth. "I wish I could listen to those sounds all day," Verso prayed against your mouth. When he started pressing his thumb against your clit you reached down to pull his hand away.

Confusion etched his features until you said, "Fuck me, Verso."

You removed the hand from his shorts as you moved to discard your own bottoms. He did the same, throwing your suits to the pool side again. "You're sure?" He asked as his hand cupped your face. Your eyes met his in reassurance.

"I need a...deep massage to release all this tension that's been building up. Fuck. Me."

"You're going to be the death of me, aren't you?" You shared a grin before he reached to pick you up from your thighs. He lifted you until he was positioned at your entrance, both of your bodies still mostly in the water. You nodded as he pushed himself in and you wrapped your legs around his middle.

The way he was squatting down to stay in the water and the way your bodies floated made the movements leisurely. "Verso, you feel so good inside me," you murmured against his lips. He let out a deep moan - a sound you wanted to record and remember the rest of your days.

You could feel him moving you towards the edge of the pool. He placed your lower back against the edge and braced an arm on the ledge for some leverage as he continued to pump into you. "Deep enough?" He asked cheekily.

You could only moan in response; your mind felt like jelly the way he filled you up. His thrusts got faster, which caused water to splash onto the ledge and outside the pool. You began to laugh as the water spilled over your breasts. The hot springs had become a wave pool and your waves were beginning to put out some of the candles on the side of the pool.

Verso started to laugh too, both of you becoming hysterical and he stopped his movements. As you tried to catch your breath you said, "I bet this isn't what you imagined it would be like."

He shook his head, grinning from ear to ear. "It's better. It's fun with you."

He reluctantly pulled out of you and gave you a kiss. You pushed yourself off the ledge and back into the water, instead turning around and bracing yourself on the ledge.

Verso came up behind you and cupped your breasts. He gently played with them while giving your neck some attention before positioning himself to take you from behind. The water splashed a lot less from this angle.

Verso's hands gripped your hips as he thrust in and out of you. You could feel your walls tightening; he was too good at hitting your sweet spot at this angle. The unholy sounds pouring from his lips weren't hurting either.

"Just like that, baby. I'm not going to last," you panted.

"Cum with me," Verso instructed against your ear. He held his body against yours, clutching your breasts, as he pounded his last thrusts into you. That was enough to send you over the edge - your walls tensing around him as he unraveled.

For a moment the only sounds were the panting from both of you and the water lapping against the sides of the pool. Verso's grip on your breasts loosened as he pulled out of you. Your body pressed off the pool edge to turn and face him.

Verso stole another kiss from you while wrapping his arms around your middle. "You alright? Was that okay for you?" He asked.

"It was perfect, but...I am pruning up," you cracked up after running your fingertips against his jawline. "I think it's probably time to head back." He placed a kiss on your forehead before releasing you.

"Alright, fine..." Verso followed you out of the pool and collected your suits to wring out. Your gaze couldn't help but roam over his naked body now that you had full view out of the water. "You're playing a dangerous game, Y/N," he smirked over his shoulder.

"Can't help it. I say we burn the swimsuits." He handed you your suit and slipped his on, along with the rest of your gear.

"Absolutely not. I'm not sharing you with anyone else," he said before stealing one last kiss and swooping you into his arms to carry back to camp.

[thelostprincessposts]

You Matter to Me [Painted Verso x Reader]

Pairing: Painted Verso x Reader

Rating: PG

Warnings: none. Sad reader.

Summary: at an emotional night at camp, Verso comforts you. Can be read as an established relationship with Verso or as the ~*start of something new*~

Author's note: Inspired by "you matter to me" from Waitress. thank you @villain-in-the-dark for the hurt/comfort request!

Nights were never easy. Rest was not an old friend; it was more like a thorn in your side reminding you that you weren't doing anything useful. Most nights you found something useful to do - mend uniforms, sharpen weapons, prepare food - whatever needed to be done.

It's how your parents trained you. Your only goal in life was to take over Academy training and ensure that your Expedition made it to the Monolith. That included all of the tasks that went along with keeping yourself safe and making it easier for your team to continue on.

Tonight was strange. For once there wasn't much to be done. The team had become a well-oiled machine in the time you'd been together. They started picking up the tasks they'd seen you perform to the point where your expertise wasn't needed.

It was a strange feeling. This was the only thing you were meant to do - allowed yourself to do.

Lune was lightly playing her guitar at the campfire along to the sounds of a record the team found today. Sciel was checking in on the lost gestral children. Verso and Maelle were laughing about some secret they conspired across the campfire.

Anyone else would be able to relax, but not you. You eyed the expedition journal on the log and got up to snatch it. If nothing else, perhaps looking over the notes would glimpse some helpful information for tomorrow. You picked up the journal and strode past the team to find somewhere quiet to read. All the while, Verso eyed you leaving camp.

You found a tree looking out at the Monolith and settled near it to thumb through the journal. You hadn't had the courage to look af Gustave's entries yet, but it felt like tonight was the right time.

We found Maelle today. Will add more details on the Manor in next entry. Floating Waters gave us a taste of what to expect on the Continent. There were Nevrons everywhere. I am indebted to Lune for encouraging us to keep going and Y/N for leading us through today. Between Lune's impressive knowledge of the expeditions and Y/N's combat skills, I can't see us failing. We will finish the job. For those who come after.

Your throat worked over once or twice reading his words. It wasn't just that Gustave was gone; it was what his words boiled down to: you had a job. Your whole existence had boiled down to one purpose and as of late, that purpose began to wear on you.

You heard the sound of footsteps approaching cautiously before closing the notebook and looking up to see Verso pausing at the tree. "I was just about to check the weapons for tomorrow," you spoke, attempting to get up.

"Stop," he commanded. Your eyes met his to see concern blanketing his features. "Can I sit?" He motioned to the space next to you.

You sighed before moving back, your arms wrapping around your folded legs. He didn't wait for confirmation before settling in beside you. He picked up the journal to thumb through it himself.

"Adding an entry?" He asked. You snorted in response.

"Like anyone would want to read my thoughts."

"Where is this coming from?" He asked, turning to look at you. Verso was insanely talented at understanding everyone on the team. As much as you tried to keep your personal thoughts in tact, he was somehow always able to tell what you were thinking with just a look.

Your eyes refused to meet his, keeping your resolve on the Monolith. "It's just not my job, Verso. Maelle and Lune have it covered. I just wanted to see if there was any info we might have overlooked or forgotten." You sighed, feeling incredibly tired.

"Is it Gustave?" He spoke gently, as if any words might spook you away. To be fair, most of the time you found an excuse to flee away from long conversations. "I'm sure it was difficult to see his writings."

"No. I mean, yes, it is difficult, but something he wrote reminded me of something I'd buried a long time ago."

The sound of Lune's guitar still drifted your way, annoyance clear on your face as it turned to look in the direction of camp. Verso noticed, of course. His hand gently reached up to touch your chin and turn your face toward his.

"Hey - why do you always leave when we settle in at camp? I think Maelle is starting to think you hate us."

Verso's dumb eyes entranced you. Your eyes searched his in earnest, trying to decide if you wanted to open Pandora's box. After a long pause it was his turn to sigh. He lowered his hand from your chin and turned his attention to the Monolith. "Whatever it is, you don't need to keep it to yourself. I'm here. I'm not going anywhere."

The wind picked up and Lune's music stopped. You tried rolling your shoulders a few times before picking up the journal. It felt like a good anchor, something to ground you in the moment.

"Do you know what my life is like back in Lumiere?" You started. Verso looked back to you. His body turned slightly, urging you to continue. He didn't push.

"My parents were leaders at the Academy. I grew up there, whether I liked it or not. My future was predetermined. I always knew when my parents left that I'd be the one to take over training. I was 21 then and every day has had something to be done since: ensuring the children finish their schooling. Combat classes in the afternoon. Drills and team challenges in the evenings. Sometimes weapons training or Lune would come lecture on past expedition journals. Eat something, fall into bed, and do it all again the next day. The Academy hasn't changed in years, save for the new inventions Gustave would bring us."

"That sounds...intense. Do you enjoy it?"

"You know, it's been a long time since I asked myself that question. I buried anything I ever thought I wanted deep inside me when my parents were gone. It's my job to prepare the recruits. My job to make sure the kids are successful. My parents left that responsibility to me."

Verso nodded in understanding. He reached over to stop your fidgeting with the journal, instead covering your hand with his. "It's not the same, but my parents had high expectations for me as well. I know a little about carrying that weight."

You considered a moment while his thumb brushed over the top of your hand. "The Continent is not what I expected. My nights are filled with memories of Lumiere and pieces of dreams I once wanted. I've been grieving all the lives I never had. I used to love going to the park to hear Lune play. I used to love watching my mother make pastries on the weekends. Walking along the water with the couples on Saturday evenings. But it hit me that...I never got to really do any of those things. I was there, but my purpose has never been to do anything but prepare the Academy and finish the expedition."

"That's why you left camp earlier when Lune played?"

"I...wish I had any sort of talent like that. My parents never even let me learn. I don't know what scares me more these days: not beating the Paintress and being a total failure or beating the Paintress and returning to a life that has no purpose anymore. It feels like...I don't matter either way." Your confession felt heavy sitting in your chest. You couldn't help the tears that started to well up at admitting it out loud.

"Hey, Y/N, look at me." Verso's words were clipped and urgent. He brought both his hands to your frame your face and make you look at him when you didn't move. As a tear escaped down your cheek, his thumb wiped it away. "You matter. You matter to this whole team. You matter to me. Do you understand?"

The tears would not stop now. Unable to get a word out you nodded faintly, wanting to believe his words. Verso's body began to shift. He moved to his knees before slipping behind you. His back was now against the tree and his arms pulled you against him. You fit between his legs and he brought his chin down to rest on top of your head while he let you cry.

"You don't need a purpose to matter, Y/N. I know your job was important, but sometimes just existing is the most important thing you'll ever do."

The warmth of his body against your back felt nice. Your crying was starting to make your head hurt, but Verso's hands rubbed soothing circles on your arms. This went on for a few minutes before you could catch your breath.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to dump all this on you," you said quietly. You felt his arms gently squeeze your middle as he spoke.

"I'm sorry you've been carrying this burden. I'm happy you were able to share it with me."

Eventually you calmed and your mind had a slight panic at how much you'd shared with Verso. You tried to move, but his arms tightened around you again.

"Whatever it is, it can wait. When was the last time you actually slept?" He inquired. You could feel the way his words reverberated in his chest against your back. You took a deep breath before relaxing back into his form again.

"Why are you asking questions you won't like the answers to?" You muttered. He chuckled. The gentle rise and fall of his laughter against you made you smile.

"There she is." You felt his lips graze the top of your head before his fingers traced patterns you could not follow on your forearm. "Sleep. The work will still be there in the morning."

It seemed you didn't have a choice. Verso wasn't going to let you leave, and in the sake of being honest with yourself, you didn't want to go anywhere. "Thank you, Verso."

"Goodnight, Y/N."

You fell asleep breathing in time with Verso's heartbeat, his arms never letting you go.

[thelostprincessposts]

Requests open for: Verso

May open for other characters in the future, but for now taking requests/inspo for Verso fics ☺️

[thelostprincessposts]

Love this game cause like, you can chose to limit Verso’s suffering, or you can cause like five more life-shattering events if you want to.

You have to kill both his parents, but he’s made peace with that. You have to end a world full of sentient people, but he’s at peace. Fighting Maelle sucks, but he’ll do it. The betrayal on Lune’s face is terrible, Sciel’s acceptance worse. But he’s prepped for that.

What he hasn’t prepped for: Watching his little sister die by the hand of a girl who looks just like her, his older sister offing herself in front of him, killing his brother in law and oldest friend, listening to the journal entry where his girlfriend prepared to kidnap and torture him, three seconds later you can listen to his old lament over killing her because he didn’t want them unpainted —something he no longer wants so he killed the woman he loved for ultimately nothing— and then right there at the end when he has his chance at freedom you can restrict him to another lifetime of torment he didn’t want while Alicia slowly ends her life.

You can either go minimal with adding to Verso’s torment or just completely fuck this man’s life up more than it already is and while terrible is a little funny to me

[thelostprincessposts]

something about how Maelle immediately let's Alicia die, how she unpaints her with no hesitation or question, but Verso? he begs her, again and again and again to be unpainted, but still she forces him to remain. she could free him in a moment, but she refuses

[thelostprincessposts]

hi! just wanted to say that your analysis of Visages is so good. the Axons are all pretty fascinating individually and as a whole with what they say about the Dessendre's and Renoir and how he sees them.

I was curious to know if you had any thoughts on why, of the three Axons we get to see, Visages is the only one that doesn't have a Renoir analogue in it?

First of all thank you, that's very nice of you to say!

Second of all, thank you again for blowing my mind a bit, because this isn't something I'd actually thought about. I haven't sat down yet to obsessively pick apart the Reacher and Sirène like I did Visages, so bear with me.

Please correct me if I'm wrong: we're talking about Tisseur and the Orphelin inventor as Renoir analogues?

If so, two possible readings jump out at me, one more optimistic than the other.

The less optimistic: that Renoir's inability to completely understand his son extends beyond their artistic sensibilities and into their personal relationship. So Renoir sees a clear role for himself in the worlds of the Reacher and Sirène, but not in the world of Visages.

More optimistic, and I think maybe the one I lean more towards: that Renoir, while he may not always understand or agree with his son, does see him as a grown man with all the resources he needs to stand alone. Because Tisseur and the inventor are in service to their axons in a way that reflects Renoir's relationship to the people they represent: he's in a lifelong romantic partnership with Aline, so Tisseur devotes itself to providing Sirène with beauty. And Renoir's a parent to a young woman, Alicia, who isn't yet ready to fly the nest. She still needs a loving father and a supportive friend to build her the tools she can use to fly.

(You could probably argue here that building wings for your child instead of encouraging them to build their own is not the best approach, but I think I'm happy to just let the metaphor be.)

But Verso already has his wings. He's of an age, now, where a parent steps back and watches their child fly. Maybe the absence of a Renoir analogue on Visages is a reflection of that.

I think I like this one best because Renoir is present on Visages in the form of the Fading Man, who talks about how he would have given his own life for Verso, who "had so much more to do, to experience" (transcript).

I don't know. I wonder if my leaning towards the more optimistic read here feels at odds with my theory of Visages, which maybe read as a little Renoir critical? But I think parent-child relationships are complex, and you can be proud of a child and believe them ready to stand on their own, even if they confound you much of the time and make decisions you wouldn't make.

Sooooo.... I'm half-tempted to put this in drafts and think about it some more but it's liable to languish there for ever, so please enjoy some half-baked ideas instead! I'd love to know your take on it, anon, if you feel like sharing and again, thank you. I'm going to be thinking about this all week!

[thelostprincessposts]

Gestral Festival [Painted Verso x Reader NSFW]

Pairing: Painted Verso x Fem Reader

Summary: the team attends a festival. You and Verso share a romantic evening. Some fluff, some comfort, and some smut

Rating: R

Warnings: NSFW. Vaginal intercourse. Oral sex. SPOILERS IF YOU HAVE NOT FINISHED THE GAME. Minors DNI.

It had been a slough of nonstop trekking and collecting chroma to prepare to fight Renoir, and this came after weeks of trekking and fighting to defeat the Paintress. Needless to say, the team was due for a break of some sort. Unwinding by the campfire was proving to not be enough, though you all cherished that time.

That's why it was a no-brainer when Monoco brought up wanting to attend the annual Gestral Festival. Each year the Gestral Village celebrated their heritage with duels and music along with games and general merriment. "I, for one, wouldn't mind squaring up against some of those competitors from the arena again," Sciel laughed.

"It's not the worst idea for us to check the marketplace for supplies before we venture back to Lumiere," Maelle thought out loud.

You could feel Verso's eyes shift to watch you as your group sat around the fire at the end of the evening. You told yourself it was nothing, but ever since Maelle brought you and the others back Verso has kept more of a watchful eye on you. He was never too far ahead of you during exploration and after a fight he always assured that you weren't hurt.

Monoco, however, was well aware that Verso's attention on you was not 'nothing' and offered, "Besides, Golgra owes me a few favors. I bet we could get some private rooms with real beds for this excursion," to sweeten the deal.

Lune groaned in delight at the thought of a real bed. Your heart leapt at the thought of some privacy, where perhaps you could finally have a moment alone with Verso. "I'm not going to say no to a real bed," you said as your eyes met Verso's.

His lingered on yours slightly longer before he tore them away to announce to Esquie: "it's settled then; we leave for the Gestral Village tomorrow."

You could feel yourself smiling and laughing with the other girls before Verso caught your eyes once again across the fire and you saw a ghost of a grin spread over his features.

_________________

Lune was insufferable most of the journey over, asking Monoco millions of questions about Gestral culture and history.

"Look, at the end of the day it's mainly about Gestrals wanting to fight for glory. They'll find any excuse for a duel. It's also a way to showcase the gestrals that are coming of age in the arena for the first time," Monoco shared. "That...and lots of dancing."

"I wish Lumiere had festivals like this," Maelle lamented as the team walked through the woods toward the village.

"It used to," Verso said. "Before the fracture, there were festivals dedicated to all sorts of celebrations. Not just the gommage..."

You tried to picture Verso in Lumiere, but found yourself alarmingly sorry for all the things he must have felt he missed out on. Monoco continued to rattle on with stories of festivals past as you and Verso lingered behind the group.

"Did you enjoy them? The festivals?" You asked as your shoulder came dangerously close to bumping his.

"I enjoyed everything about Lumiere. I'm only sad that you and the others lived in a Lumiere that is now a stranger; with fear and limitations," he replied thoughtfully. Your steps slowed a bit as you chewed over his words.

"If we beat Renoir, would you want to return back to Lumiere?" The question was somewhat loaded, as you'd never directly asked him about his desires. You would undoubtedly return to Lumiere, but would he?

"What I want is not important. I can't allow myself to think past what we must do. We only have today," he responded. If he only had today, then today was the day you were going to act on your feelings.

"Don't you think you deserve more than today?" You asked, head turning to meet his gaze. He looked away quickly and opened his mouth to reply when Sciel shouted from ahead, "I see the gates!"

You waved back in response before turning to Verso to say, "I do. Think you deserve more," before jogging to catch up with Sciel.

_____________

The Gestral Village was decorated with colorful banners and garlands full of wildflowers when you arrived that afternoon. The gestrals were delighted to have guests and adorned the team with necklaces made of brushes painted various colors to don for the evening.

The gestral children swarmed Esquie in the village square, asking him to dance with them. Monoco and Verso peeled off to secure overnight arrangements with Golgra, which left you and the girls to wander the market.

You were helping Maelle haggle with a weapons merchant when Monoco approached with Verso. "Alright, I have bad news and I have good news. Which do you want first?"

Verso was avoiding your eyes at all costs. In fact, he looked anywhere but at the team. "The good news...?" Lune asked skeptically.

"Golgra humbly offered us rooming at her palace."

You crossed your arms in anticipation of the next part. "And the bad news?" You asked.

"Golgra has plenty of visitors. We've only got 4 beds, meaning...two of you are going to need to share."

"I already said I'd find somewhere else to sleep, Monoco. The girls should have the beds," Verso said tightly. Your heart leapt thinking of the chance to share a room with Verso. This was your chance, before anyone else could offer.

"I'll share with you," you said a bit loudly and rushed. Sciel snorted quietly before turning to admire a dagger at the table.

Verso's eyes shot to yours as he crossed his arms. "Don't worry about it, I want you to be comfortable tonight."

"Well there's no way I'm comfortable with you sleeping outside or slumming it somewhere else. It's no trouble, really."

"Y/N, you don't have-"

"My gods, she already offered, Verso! Just say yes and move on!" Sciel interrupted exasperated. She had a shit-eating grin on her face as she twirled the dagger a little too close to Verso's personal space.

"Put that thing down and I'll say yes," Verso replied tightly. You started to feel nervous that he was only saying yes because he felt he had to, and then you started to feel nervous all over again at the prospect of making a move on Verso tonight. What you didn't know was that Verso's reply also came from his own nerves about spending the night with you.

Sciel stopped twirling the weapon, but never broke eye contact with Verso as her grin only widened and she placed the dagger back on the stand. Verso's eyes slightly narrowed at her, knowing Sciel was pushing this. Their staring contest only continued a hair longer until the sound of trumpets erupted to signal the start of the duels in the arena.

"Come on, I don't want to miss the first fight!" Maelle exclaimed as she started towards the arena. Lune started after her; she was always looking out for Maelle. Your group followed, Verso falling into step beside you.

You felt his hand ever so gently on the small of your back as he guided you through the crowd heading to the arena. "Thank you for offering to share tonight. I promise to be on my best behavior," Verso said jokingly.

Maybe it was the festival, maybe it was the proximity of his mouth to your ear producing goosebumps up your spine, but you turned to him with utter confidence to reply, "well, that makes one of us."

Your words stopped him dead in his tracks. He couldn't help but grin when he saw the twinkle in your eye before you turned to enter the arena.

Sciel waited for you at the gate, linking her arm through yours as you found a place in the crowd. "Thank you," you said lowly and she laughed.

"I feel we should be thanking you for finally putting him out of his misery. That man has done nothing but stare longingly at you when he thinks none of us are looking. You are going to make a move tonight, right?" She asked.

Your cheeks heated, but you didn't have a chance to answer before the crowd erupted in cheers for the competitors.

____________________

Dusk brought the sounds of gestral music and the aromas of street vendors selling local delicacies. Your team regrouped at the village center to watch the musicians at the main stage. Verso brought you all food that he deemed safe for humans and you all merrily ate while enjoying the atmosphere. "You all better get your fill because we're dancing after this," Sciel announced.

To which Lune said, "any chance Eqsuie has more wine? I'm going to need it if Sciel is pulling me out there." You chuckled in agreement, your attention turning to find Verso as it usually did in conversation, but he wasn't paying any heed to the group.

He stood with his arms crossed at the edge of the crowd gathered to watch the dancers. His eyes were transfixed on the musicians as if nothing were more important to him. Monoco shook his head before starting away to find Esquie, "I'll get you girls some spirits."

When you finished your food, you went to stand next to Verso and offered him a cup of wine, courtesy of Esquie. He gave you a small smile as he took it - his fingers lingered on yours as he took the cup. You stood there shoulder to shoulder for a long moment just taking in the scene ahead of you in a comfortable silence.

"Thanks for agreeing to this. Maelle looks truly happy out there," you noted as you both watched Maelle and Sciel laughing while they moved to the lively music.

"Yeah, well, sometimes it is nice to remember that there are good things happening here." He downed some of his wine as Lune approached; her cheeks were healthily flushed from the alcohol and she wore a slight grin on her face.

"Those good things can happen for you too," you said quietly, just loud enough for Verso to hear. His eyes darted to yours as Lune grabbed his arm.

"Come on, old man. You aren't exempt from dancing!" She exclaimed while pulling him away. You grinned at him, putting your own drink down to follow them out to the dance floor. The team spent a good while dancing until the sun fully set and even the gesterals started to peel away from the crowd.

You could feel Verso's gaze on you more than a few times watching your body move. Once or twice you felt his hand graze your back, a move reserved only for you. Each time your eyes met his it felt like you were the only two people out there, which made your heart flutter in anticipation.

You were about to leave the crowd for some water when you saw Verso start to follow you. The intensity in the way he watched you sent a shiver down your spine as you reached the clearing. "I just need some water," you said, but before you could turn away you felt his hand gently grab your wrist. You turned to look at him in earnest, his eyes searching your face for something. "What? What is it?"

"Did you mean what you said earlier? About me deserving things that I want?" He asked sheepishly. You could tell that he was nervous, but still invigorated from the dancing.

You reached your hand up to touch his face, grazing his beard with your fingertips. "Of course, Verso. We all deserve happiness."

He leaned his cheek into your palm slightly and closed his eyes with a sigh. "It's been a long time since I believed that. Since anyone has told me that."

Your heart sank at his confession, but you were determined to stay in the moment with him. "I'll say it to you. Every day if I have to. You can want things. You can have what you want. You deserve to want whatever you desire," you delicately spoke.

Verso's left hand reached up to cover yours on his cheek before grasping it with both his hands and bringing it between the two of you. Your soul was marked by his piercing eyes. If this was all you ever got from Verso, it would be enough.

"I want you," he proclaimed barely above a whisper. His forehead dropped to yours as he took a tentative step forward, all the while still cradling your hand between his. You watched the expression on his face - a mixture of relief like this is a secret he's been holding onto before moving to anguish. "But I can't promise you forever. I can't even promise me forever."

You knew what he meant: tomorrow you would travel to face Renoir. No one knew what tomorrow would bring.

"Then just promise me today. Promise me tonight and that would be enough." His thumbs gently soothed over the skin on your hand before he exhaled a breath you didn't know he was holding. His eyes bore into yours with a new intensity you had yet to experience.

"Let's go to our room," he said before holding your hand to lead you through the crowd. You'd follow him anywhere.

___________________

Verso's kisses started tentative - taking his time to fully enjoy the breadth of your mouth. You'd only been able to close the door before he caged your form against the door. Every kiss became more confident, his right arm snaking around your waist to pull his body flush against yours.

The feeling of his hand tracing the exposed skin on your lower back sent heat to your core. You inadvertently kissed him with more passion, which he returned in kind. His hand continued to explore the skin on your lower back before making its way under your shirt to graze your ribcage. You could feel his thumb ghost the side of your breast, soliciting a breathy moan from you between kisses.

"I feel embarrassed to say I've wanted you for so long," Verso confided as his lips moved to your neck. Your hands made their way into his hair.

"Definitely not as long as I've wanted you, " you replied. He disconnected from your neck to bring his forehead to yours while catching his breath

"Tell me what you want. I've already confessed my sins. I want to please you. I'll give you anything," Verso murmured, close to a plea. His hands kept stroking your sides and you could feel your pulse thundering in your ears.

"Please, I need you," you whispered. It was more than a want; you'd never possibly want anything as much as this man standing before you.

"Need?" He questioned with a smirk. His eyebrow arched. "Where do you need me? Show me," Verso demanded.

Your hands gripped his to stop the worship of your sides. You brought one to fully cup your breast over your shirt and brought the other to grip your ass. "I want to feel your tongue tasting me."

"That can be arranged." He gave no warning before crashing his lips into yours again and picking you up to carry you to the bed. Your legs wrapped around his body as he lowered you to the bed.

You moved to raise your shirt over your head while Verso did the same with his jacket and shirt. He wasted no time moving to kiss your nipples, already hard and sensitive, his tongue circling one while he rolled the other between his fingertips. You could feel yourself growing more wet, your hips bucking slightly to find some relief. Verso's name spilled from your tongue in a moan.

"Y/N...say it again," he breathed, looking up at you from your chest.

"Verso," you moaned again. His face crumpled as he reached to crash his lips into yours again. He positioned himself over you, his kisses growing more and more greedy. One of his arms held himself up while the other moved to cup your center over your pants. Your hips ground into his hand as the heat pooled in your stomach.

It was getting too hot with both of your pants still on. Your hands reached for his waistband as his quickly moved to unlace your pants as well. By the time they were both removed, Verso was looking up at you from your core. His arms tenderly held your legs open while his eyes held yours. "You are so beautiful," he said before lowering his tongue to taste your center.

Verso's tongue moved expertly against your bundle of nerves. He paid attention to each sound you made before adding his fingers inside you. "Fuck Verso, you're so good at this."

You looked down to see him grinning at you in pride. It didn't take much longer for that tension to build and your hips bucked uncontrollably over his face. He continued to suck and play with your clit until your orgasm passed. "I could never have enough of you," Verso said as he shifted from your legs to move his mouth back to your nipples.

As he moved his mouth up your body you could feel how hard he was against your leg. You hand reached for him out of reflex, closing around the head, which made him groan in delight. His lips broke contact with your nipple to crash into your mouth once more. Tongues and teeth clashed as he ground into your hand. "I want all of you," Verso panted against your lips. Your head nodded as you guided him to your entrance.

"I'm yours," you whispered. He entered you agonizingly slowly. His length filled you until he was fully seated inside you. Your walls pulsed around him, begging for movement. Verso's pace remained unhurried; he brought his forehead to yours, his eyes never leaving yours as he pumped in and out of you.

Your hips rose rose match his pace. Verso's breathing was heavy and you could tell he was holding back from the way his eyes would close tightly.

"Verso, I want all of you too. I can take whatever you give."

"It's been so long. I don’t want to finish too quickly."

"You're doing so well, Verso. You can take whatever pace you want. You feel so good inside me," you assured as your hands rubbed up and down the arms that caged you.

He shuddered at your words and let out a moan. "I like it when you do that," he groaned.

"Do what?"

"Tell me I'm doing well. I need it."

Your pussy tightened at his words. He had a praise kink. "Verso, you've been so fucking good to me. Keep going, just like that."

He moaned louder at your words before picking up the pace. You made sure to praise him as he continued, saying things like "so good" and "you fill me so well."

"I'm not going to last much longer."

You placed a hand on his chest to gently push him away and out of you. He followed your lead and pulled out of you, allowing you room to move to flip over.

You buried your head into the pillows and reared your hips up to offer him an angle from behind. "Fuck, Y/N..."

You felt him insert his length again. This time his pace was relentless. He pounded into you, hitting that sweet, deep spot every time. You could feel your walls tightening again. There was no praise in this position - just the sounds of both yours and Verso's moans unleashed and his hips slapping against you.

As your walls shuddered around him, you felt his hips buck erratically as he came with you. His pace slowed as you both rode out your climax before he pulled out and turned your face to kiss you. Your breath was still heaving when you broke away.

"Was that okay for you?" You asked him breathlessly. Verso's beautiful fingers reached to move the hair from your face.

"More than okay. Tonight has been perfect."

"Well, it's still tonight as long as we're awake.." You said with a wicked smile. Verso returned the expression in kind before stealing another kiss.

Tomorrow was unknown, but at least you'd always have tonight.

[thelostprincessposts]

So Much for Stardust [Verso Dessendre]

Pairing: Verso x Reader

Summary: a little enemies to friends comfort drabble. Set before Act 3.

Rating: PG for themes - see warnings

Warnings: mentions of suicidal ideation and canon typical deaths. Angst.

Author's note: more word vomit, hope you enjoy!

If there was one thing you couldn't stand, it was liars. Life was too complicated and too short to trust anyone that didn't have the decency to offer you the truth. Needless to say, you didn't trust Verso when he happened to join the team and only seemed to offer half truths or avoided questions like the plague.

The others warmed up to him much quicker while you spent most of the nights at camp busying yourself with tasks to restock your supplies, help Lune log the days, or making sure Maelle was adjusting.

Verso tried to connect with you, but if you were being honest, you were so tired. Tired of losing people. Tired of fighting. Tired of the constant surprises during your travels. While Lune found everything fascinating, you were starting to unravel.

This whole trek across the continent was starting to feel like everything you knew was a lie. The stories of Nevrons while growing up could never compare to what your team was facing. The only basis of trust you had for Verso was that he had yet to kill any of your teammates - and on more than one occasion he was willing to take a hit for you.

There was one particular day that was harrowing after fighting Serene and seeing a vision of your brother. It was late and Verso had made his usual rounds with the group. Normally he'd watch you from afar at your regular spot at the edge of the cliffside, but on this evening he chose to venture to your side.

"Tough day," he murmured. Your heart was still hammering, venom pumping through your veins and pounding overtaking your ears. All you could muster in response was a grunt of affirmation.

A few moments went by before he came closer to lean against the tree. You didn't move from your spot on the ground. His eyes followed where yours gazed intently at the monolith. "Who did you see?"

"It doesn't matter. They're gone. They're all gone," you muttered before quickly standing to walk away.

"Y/N, I'm sorry..." Verso said before reaching for your arm. You turned to him at the contact before yanking his hand off your arm and taking a giant step back from him.

"Sorry for what, Verso? Sorry for keeping the information from us that Renoir is your father? Sorry for all the expeditions that perished before us? Sorry for this godforsaken gommage that takes my friends and family from me each year and next year will claim my life? I'd say your not to blame but I know you still keep secrets from us. Whatever you're hiding is not worth my life and certainly was not worth Gustave's," your voice cracked at the mention of your fallen teammate. "You're lucky Gustave isn't here. He'd have cast you out in a heartbeat at all your bullshit. Then again...maybe Gustave is the lucky one."

You couldn't escape the venom weighing down your soul. Verso had no response to your little outburst. It hadn't occurred to you that your shouting would attract other listeners until you heard Sciel behind you. "Y/N, I think that's enough. Let's try to get some rest."

All the while, your eyes never left Verso's as your chest heaved in anger. Something on his face softened the longer your eyes connected, but the standoff was cut short by Sciel once more pleading for you to drop the subject.

Sleep never came. You were lulled into a sort of stupor listening to Verso pace around the camp all night until dawn.

_________

The team was upset with you after hearing of your conversation with Verso. The next day was spent preparing to reach the Monolith. The team had mostly steered clear of you, though Maelle pleaded with you at breakfast to make amends with Verso.

You did feel bad about the way to left things, but you did not regret anything you said. It was an awkward day of playing the dance of avoidance, though you could feel his eyes on you every so often. It wasn't until dusk that you approached Verso near the lake. He was writing in his journal as he did most evenings after dinner.

"Can I sit?" You asked. He gingerly closed his journal and motioned at the spot next to him in a welcoming manner, though he didn't speak. You settled into the grass and watched as the last fragments of the sun dipped behind the horizon.

"I want to apologize for last night. You didn't deserve my anger. But let me be clear: I'm not sorry for anything I said. I'm only sorry I berated you in that way."

You could feel Verso's gaze move from your face to also watch the horizon. There was a long pause before he spoke. "You were right. Gustave is the lucky one."

Your heart sunk immediately and your face snapped to watch his, forgetting that you said that in your state of aggression. "I didn't mean that."

His face turned to look at you, eyebrow raised. "I don't take you as someone who says things lightly or without meaning. But you should know that given the choice, I wouldn't be here either. In fact, I've tried several times to not be here. That sort of pain doesn't leave your soul."

His confession struck you silent, but you saw no signs of insincerity on his face. In fact, this may have been the most genuine he'd ever looked to you and that only made what he said worse.

"I'm sorry, I didn't know," you replied, tearing your eyes away from his to look back at the now darkening sky. Your arms moved to hug your legs as you contemplated the sort of hurt he might be feeling.

"How would you? You've never given me a chance to tell you. Last night was the most you've ever said to me in one go."

It really hadn't been that long since Verso joined your team, but watching the rest of your friends smile and laugh with him had felt like a knife to the gut. You weren't sure what you could offer Verso at this crossroad of pain and confusion, but he was patient enough to not push for a response. The night air started to chill as you thought of what to say.

"I've been grieving my whole life," you whispered. The wind flowed through the trees, like it was carrying a secret away. "My parents. My friends. My brother. Gustave. You're just another person to grieve."

Verso nodded in understanding before sighing. "Is that why you joined the expedition then? To stop grieving?"

You looked up at him to find he was watching you intently for your story. "You never stop grieving. I think I came here for some sense of control. Everything in Lumiere feels predetermined - how you're preparing the next generation or how you will spend your final years. Coming here was the one thing I could choose for myself. I didn't understand it when my brother joined the expedition, but I do now."

"Did you see him yesterday?"

You gave a faint nod, a shiver making its way down your spine at the memory. "I had accepted that he's gone. He's been missing for 4 years."

"As Maelle would say, family is complicated," Verso replied. His tone was warm and you perhaps could understand why the team found it easy to speak with him. "For what it's worth, I've lived much longer than you and the grief never gets easier. I can understand wanting to protect the future generations from that pain."

"I don't," you replied rather quickly. His eyes searched your face, but only found truth. "Many in Lumiere are delusional about the removal of the Paintress solving all their problems, but in reality all these things will still exist in a world without the Paintress. Death will eventually take our loved ones. Grief will find us. It's just a matter of allowing people to live. But...I'd never want to eliminate those hardships or we'd never grow as people."

Verso's mouth crooked into a half smile as he ran his hand over his beard. "You know, you and I are a lot more alike than I thought."

"Yeah well...perhaps that's why I can't stand you," you muttered with a smile yourself. Verso couldn't help the laugh that bubbled up. It was ridiculous that just last night you unleashed your grief on him and tonight he was looking at you like you hung the stars.

"I enjoy speaking with you, even if you do hate me. Promise me we'll do this again sometime?"

This time a full-fledged smile made it's way onto your face as you took in the beauty of the way his eyes crinkled with joy. "Fine, but no more talk of doom and gloom. I get enough of that in my own head."

"Fair enough." Verso's grin matched yours until you heard the familiar sound of Sciel's approach behind.

"Hey you two - dinner is ready," she called. Verso helped you to stand before following you back to camp with his hand gently leading you. You weren't sure what had transpired tonight, but it felt like the start of something beautiful.

[thelostprincessposts]

somehow the thing that made me fall for Verso the most as a character is the one-off line where Monoco outs him as still liking trains

[thelostprincessposts]

Paperweight [Verso Dessendre]

Pairing: Painted Verso x Reader

Summary: AU painted world where soul mates exist. Reader starts to have dreams about Verso and is intent on finding him.

Rating: G

Warnings: Canon typical deaths?

Author's note: this is probably garbage, but there's so little Verso fics that I'm making myself post it anyway. I haven't written in a while so *shrugs*

Every word you say I think

I should write down

Don't want to forget come daylight

The dream was happening again: the sound of a soft ballad playing on a piano. It was peaceful and made you want to stay, but you knew the dream never lasted longer than a few minutes. Each time you had it another image would appear, meaning you were one day closer to meeting your soulmate.

The dreams started a few months ago, but you had kept them to yourself. That is, until you had one too many drinks with Gustave after work one evening. You'd let it slip that you thought you'd started having mate visions. Not everyone was lucky enough to meet their mate in their lifetime, and you weren't even really sure that the dreams were consistent at that point or if they were just manifestations of late nights or sleep deprivation, but Gustave was intent on hearing out your experience.

Your boss second and your friend first - Gustave was easy to confide in. You'd felt bad, knowing that he desperately longed to have the dreams himself, but he and Sophie took it upon themselves to create their own relationship despite perhaps not being each other's soul mate. It was common enough in Lumiere; the population dwindled each year and no one was really sure how the mates were fated. Plenty of young people had relationships anyway.

"So all you've seen so far is a piano? I mean, that's kind of fitting. Perhaps you will be able to sing his songs," Gustave quipped after taking a sip from the bottle of bourbon.

The emergency bourbon was kept around for these late night work sessions. Everyone was burning the candle at both ends either finishing preparing for the expedition in a few months, or spending as much time with their loved ones before the gommage.

The warehouse was dimly lit as you and Gustave made repairs to an electrical converter for a nearby restaurant: a work order your team willingly took on the side.

"I haven't even seen the piano. At this point I'm only hearing his music, which is beautiful," you replied as you reached for the bottle yourself.

"Everyone's dreams are different. I'm happy for you, though. Soon enough you'll be able to meet him. I just hope it happens before I leave with the expedition so I have a chance to kick his ass once or twice," Gustave laughed. You smirked, but the light feeling didn't last once he brought up the expedition.

It had been an unspoken rule that no one would bring up leaving. You were still a year younger than Gustave, Lune, and Sciel. You were planning on staying in Lumiere to keep working and performing when you could in your free time.

"I didn't mean to upset you," Gustave said quietly, looking up at you from the work table. You looked away, out the window angled at the night sky. Suddenly it felt like time was moving too fast. The sound of Gustave's tinkering, while calming, made you anxious.

"I think you should go find Sophie, and I think maybe I should head home. I'll finish this first thing in the morning," you offered, leaning off the table and grabbing the bottle of bourbon to stash away. His eyes also followed your gaze to the night sky and sighed, getting up from the work table.

How strange to feel like life was ending and beginning at the same time.

"Thanks, Y/N. I'll see you tomorrow."

That night you went home and hummed the piano song from your dreams, trying desperately to hold onto it until the next time the dream came.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The first images came to you weeks later. Dark hair and the sight of a piano on a cliffside. The cliffside was covered in the softest looking grass and flowers carpeted in shades of white, lavender, and dreamy yellows. It made no sense. You expected to see the piano in a home or perhaps at one of the local performance cafés, but not outside.

Part of you looked for him on every street in Lumiere. When you were helping Maelle with deliveries; when you were on stage on Saturday nights singing with the band; when you walked with Sciel to the market; but you didn't have much to go on.

The expedition was only a month away. How strange to have this secret hope in a time that felt so hopeless.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

You awoke startled in a haze. The dream was longer this time: places you'd never seen and snippets of sounds you'd never heard entwined with melodies on a piano. One of the melodies sounded a lot like the song you'd finished with tonight at the café.

You supposed it wasn't "tonight" anymore, but closer to 4 in the morning. None of what you experienced in this dream was alarming...until the end. The last flash of a clue happened to be clothing. And not just any clothing: an expedition uniform.

Could your soulmate really be going on the expedition, and you had not met him yet? You supposed it was possible that you didn't know everyone in the city, but you knew quite a few people around your age.

Your heart hammered looking at the clock again, trying to make sense of the dream. The gommage and expedition day was only a week away.

The second the sun rose you were out the door, your feet taking you to the Expedition headquarters at the heart of the city.

"Y/N, you're here early. Did Gustave send you?" Alan asked as he checked a crate of rations that were being dropped off.

"No, sir. I'd like to enlist for the Expedition," you replied, trying to sound even-keeled after having been awake in a panic for the last few hours. Alan hesitated as he stepped toward you, but gave a short nod when he caught the glint in your eye.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The dreams came every night leading up to your leaving. Gustave was irked by your decision to join, but vowed to protect you as well as he could.

You'd been training with Maelle for the last year or so, but if you were being honest, you weren't paying much attention. You were only looking out for her at Gustave's request when he was too busy with other projects.

You realized that you were seeing potential memories from your soul mate: a fireplace burning warmly next to a woman painting at an easel. You only ever saw her from behind, but the most beautiful records could be heard. A flash of a stuffed friend on a bed. Laughter and the sounds of another male saying that he was "owed another fight after that sorry excuse for a duel."

This time the dream ended with a final clue: the brightest blue eyes, with scarred skin around one side. The sight of them burned into your memory as you shot awake.

It was gommage day.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

You should have been dead: that much you knew. The blast of the initial attack left you incapacitated for hours. By the time you woke the area was only left with smoke and debris. Bodies surrounded you as you scanned the area for survivors.

It had all been a waste anyway. No one ever showed up for the expedition that matched the man in your dreams. You had known everyone on the team. You'd come to the conclusion that you were delusional and it was now your duty to protect Lumiere. Perhaps your mind had concocted this false hope to cover up some sick martyrdom fantasy buried in your heart.

It was still light enough outside that you could attempt to swim to a nearby outpost. Staying still didn't make any sense when you didn't know what attacked your team.

Then again, you didn't know what was in the water either. Your only bet was to move, and move fast. You slipped into the water nearby and took off despite your headache and fatigue.

It took an hour or so to reach an outcropping of rocks away from the beach, but close enough that you could make out the shoreline. Without any supplies, you drifted off quickly from exhaustion.

Your mind could not grant you peace even after that hell of a day. Your dream took you to the manor with the warm fire, but this time you could see the man peering over a bed. You were watching him from behind, just outside the door.

It was quiet until you shifted your weight and your boot made the sound of a wet sole squeaking on the marble floor. It made no sense because you weren't really there, right? You'd been sleeping against the rocks, sopping wet from your pathetic attempt to flee home.

The sound made the man's head pop up and turn slightly towards you. He was taller than you imagined with a strong stature. You couldn't see who he was watching over, but by the time his body turned to look at you, you were in awe.

His piercing eyes tore through yours, stealing all breath from your body. If this wasn't real, this was a cruel hope your mind had conceived to survive.

"Mon couer, what are you doing here? Why are you in an expeditioner's uniform?" He asked tightly.

You tried to will your body to move to his, but you were stuck. You couldn't move and you couldn't open your mouth. You could only stare at the horrific beauty of this dream that wasn't real and somehow felt like the most precious thing you'd ever experienced.

The dream was ending - you could feel the edges of your vision clouding before seeing one last look on your mate's face: determination.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

You were floating, so you must have been dead. Your eyes fluttered open to the sight of clouds and birds passing above you. The early morning sun was bright and made your head want to split open, so perhaps you weren't dead, but surely you would be soon once this creature disposed of you.

"Ah, mon ami! You are awake. Do not worry, I am taking you for a swim swim to a safe place." The creature spoke to you in a lazy lilt that somehow felt safe and endearing.

"Thank you, but I need to get back to Lumiere," you said confused. Land passed to your left as your eyes tried to adjust to the colors and sights.

"Ah, but you see, I am taking you to friends. Verso will know what to do with you," the creature hummed.

"What is a Verso?" You asked.

"Verso is my best friend. He will be your best friend too. You'll see! You should rest." The creature returned to focusing on swimming and you were honestly too tired to think of your next move.

Your team was gone, you had no weapons, and even if you did you weren't sure you could take this creature down yourself.

You were captive, whether you liked it or not.

"How did you find me? And why are you helping me?" You asked as you floated down a body of water much like a river.

"Verso and I look out for the expeditions. I was looking for survivors from yesterday's landing. I'm sorry about your friends."

You still weren't sure who or what Verso was, but the reminder of your friends' suffering had snuffed all other questions from your mind. It occurred to you that you were farther into the continent than you had ever hoped to be. It was still your responsibility to finish the expedition.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

The creature, Esquie you'd learned, was actually taking you to his friend Monoco, who lived safely on a mountain that very few dared to venture to. Esquie and Monoco argued for a bit about Monoco's involvement while you tore into the food offered once you reached the station. There was still no sign of this Verso, but you could only venture what sort of creature he'd be after meeting these two.

Esquie had left you in Monoco's care until Verso could collect you. This made you feel captive again, but Monoco advised against venturing on your own down the mountain. He told you of the nevrons and even started to offer tips on how to get to the Monolith in between challenging you to duels. You ceased to dream altogether, but to be fair, you were only sleeping in fits since the night you tried to swim home. A few minutes during the day...napping after dinner...and then staring at the fire all night.

Monoco tried to enthrall you with tales of his adventures, and it was during one of these such tales that you both heard the sounds of voices approaching. You were in the middle of laughing at one of Monoco's jokes when the crunching of snow beneath feet made your companion move toward the station entrance.

"Stay here," he warned. You were on high alert, having yet to encounter another being since Esquie.

You peaked around the train car in time to see several figures approaching - and what felt like a dream to you. You recognized your friends standing beside Monoco: Sciel, Lune, and Maelle all miraculously alive.

A sob tore from your throat as you sprinted down the station's center toward the group.

"Y/N! You're alive?" Sciel beamed. You crashed into her with the biggest hug you'd ever given anyone. You could feel Lune laughing beside you before joining in.

In the chaos of the moment, you'd failed to notice one more figure that was shadowed by Monoco initially. You broke from the hug and turned to meet the eyes of the man who'd been haunting your dreams the last few months.

His striking eyes locked onto yours for what felt like forever. You could hear the girls asking you questions, but your mind became blank upon seeing your soul mate standing in front of you.

"Am I asleep?" You asked, barely above a whisper. You were terrified to look away from him, fearing that your mind was playing tricks on your sleep deprived existence.

"No, mon couer. I'm here," the man replied. He also sounded in disbelief, his eyes never leaving yours.

"Y/N, this is Verso. He's the one you've been waiting for," Monoco introduced, though he seemed perplexed by Verso's words.

Verso's hands trembled as they lifted from his sides and flexed with a nervous tick as he reached towards you. Your feet moved before you could stop them - not that you wanted to.

Your arms reached up on reflex, your hands grasping the light scruff on his face. Neither of you broke eye contact once.

"I don't believe it," you whispered. "I was sure that my mind was making you up. When I signed for the expedition and you weren't there, none of it made sense."

His hands gently rubbed your sides as he leaned his forehead forward to rest against yours.

"I will never believe that you are mine," he whispered back. You would never get over the feeling of his hands on your body. It felt like a dream...that is until Monoco cleared his throat.

"So, what are you lot doing here?" Monoco asked.

The rest of the evening was spent catching up - learning the fate of your fellow team members and what lie ahead. You agreed to make camp one last night at the station for some much needed rest, and selfishly, so you could have some more time to speak with Verso.

You were the last two sitting by the fire when he asked, "should we get some sleep?"

"Will you still be in my dreams?"

"Only if you will enchant mine, Y/N. I don’t think I can sleep without hearing you sing."

Your dreams welcomed the sounds of Verso's piano before you saw him playing in a field, waiting for you to join him in this peaceful existence once more.

[thelostprincessposts]

I fear I will never recover from this man.

Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (2025) — developed by Sandfall Interactive.

[thelostprincessposts]

My husband just said "is expedition 60 the Rogue One of Clair Obscur?" and I -

[thelostprincessposts]

When Eris and Ruhn meet and bond over their horrifically abusive autumn-ruling fathers and their shared weight of being the eldest and heir

[thelostprincessposts]

We’re all… fine.

We be reading it all serious like it’s Shakespeare or something.

Tiktok, Insta and AO3: @littlespaceyelf

-

At least credit me if you’re going to repost and screengrab this! Keep my username in! Or post this version:

[thelostprincessposts]

Vibrance

[thelostprincessposts]

Purge trooper: Your droid is dumb.

Cal: *slowly removes his heart-shaped sunglasses* I beg your fucking pardon