Sometimes you just need. To see your babies in 2D to really get rid of the horrors of life and bring in the joy.
Thank you SO much to the wonderful @lethallana for taking on my commission and being so very wise about all of the little changes that made this art so utterly perfect. I must recommend her for your commission needs, she was a pleasure to work with!
This is canon to my OG!Verso and Sciel universe fic that will be wrapping up this week: You made me believe in something. A sequel will be following tooooo <3
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Look. Hi, hello. It's my birthday and I'm being self-indulgent because if not now then when?
I am in the process of writing a fix-it/AU fic for Verso and Sciel, a pairing that I have discovered to my distress is not particularly popular. But that has not stopped me before, and it shall not stop me now!
I am, for my sins, quite proud of it. So I'm sharing a little snippet of it, because it's becoming a bit of a beast and I need to keep my motivation up to actually finish the bastard.
Enjoy <3
“My parents don’t care about what I do with my days.” He says. Not the truth, but not a lie. “I’m sure they’d rather I was home painting, but I think I’d rather be here.” Also true. He’s doing very well at this.
The mention of painting does nothing to her expression, which makes him feel almost giddy with relief. Maybe she actually has no idea who he is.
“And besides.” He says, all in a rush. “What makes you think our stations are that different?”
“You really don’t know?” She asks, then gives him a long, lingering look down from his head to his toes and back up. “Look at the state of you. Of course I can tell. Those shoes look like they’ve never touched a speck of dirt and I’m sure your butler is proud of that.”
He wants to protest, but he can’t. His shoes are polished to perfection every morning whether he asks for it or not. That’s just part of his life. He’s never considered it as strange before.
“I, uh.”
Very eloquent Verso. Outstanding.
“I’m Sciel.” She says, taking pity on him. “And my farm isn’t too far from the city. It can even be a nice walk, if the day calls for it.”
“Verso.” He says. “Verso Dessendre.”
“Ooh, very fancy.” She says, leaning forward to flick a petal away from his shoulder. “Well, Monsieur Dessendre. It was a pleasure to see you again. But some of us need to work.”
This was inspired by a number of posts I've seen recently talking about how Sciel's playing is closest to Verso's in terms of quality when you find the pianos in the world.
Set in my AU world even though I think it would have worked just as well in canon <3
--
Sitting with her at the piano is a special, precious thing that he takes a moment to enjoy, before anything else comes. It is not the first time, but it is the first with this intent, after he found her toying with the keys of the piano one day and making something akin to a melody.
You know how to play and you didn’t tell me?
I learnt as a child, Verso. It’s been a long time since I had the spare time to practice.
She’s watching him now, eyes sparkling with pleasure at how quiet he is. Her head falls to rest against his arm and he takes a deep breath, humming to himself.
“Right.” He says. “Show me what you do know, and then I can figure out how to go from there.”
Sciel smirks at him, places her hands on the keys like she’s going to play something elaborate and beautiful. And then plucks out Frère Jacques with the sort of care that a five year old might manage.
“I did tell you.” She says, when he gapes at her. “When I was a child.”
“Hm.” He says. “And you explain your beautiful playing the other night how, exactly?”
“I’m being trouble on purpose.” She says. “You should know this about me by now.”
Verso smiles, his heart doing a silly little pitter patter in his chest at the mischief on her face. He leans in and kisses her forehead. “And you were worried you wouldn’t fit in with the Dessendres.”
Sciel snorts, playing a little flourish that is all too clever for her earlier attempts. “I’m a quick learner, mon coeur.”
It turns out that she very much is. She has the ear for music that he wishes he had always had - that would have made his lessons as a child at his mother’s hip much easier to endure. But it is beautiful to share this sort of moment with her, to experience the warm familiarity of this sort of lesson, only with himself in the place of the teacher.
They don’t get far, but they get far enough for them to play a little duet, their hands butting up against each other on the keys and their laughter at times louder than the music they’re making.Â
And it’s perfect. It’s the sort of thing Verso didn’t know he was missing until now, being able to share this thing that he adores with the woman that he adores.
“I love you so much.” He says, when she does a little flourish and turns to him, smiling bright and beautiful.
“And I you. You’re a wonderful teacher, Verso.”
“Oh I don’t know about that.” He says, rubbing a hand over the back of his neck. “I can be very impatient. Maman said teaching me was like herding cats.”
Sciel smiles, cups his cheek. “Perhaps you have an ulterior motive this time?”
He blinks, aiming for innocent naivety and from the look on her face, entirely overshooting it. “I don’t know what you mean.”
With a soft hum, she slides her thumb over his lower lip. “I don’t suppose I can tempt you upstairs to see what other collaborations we might excel at?”
“Yes.” He says, too quick, too obvious, but he doesn’t care at all. “Yes I’d like that.”
Sciel folds the cover down over the keys with a care that speaks to her understanding of the instrument’s importance to Verso. Then she takes his hand and pulls gently.Â
“Think about what you want to teach me.” She says, walking backwards towards the stairs. “And I’ll think about what I want to teach you.”
“Yes ma’am.” He laughs, as he stumbles after her. “Whatever you say.”
(This has been sitting in my WIP folder for a while but felt too short to put on ao3. I am still deeply in my feels about them, so enjoy. Spoilers for after The Reacher.)
--
Verso slips away from the campfire when everyone starts getting ready for bed. He struggles to sleep at the best of times, but tonight?
He goes back to the lake, to the place where Alicia offered him comfort in a way that wasn’t right, didn’t help. Sits at the edge of the cliff and stares at the monolith where his mother sat for so very long.Â
He’s not sure if it looks better or worse now, without her trembling form guarding its base.
Eventually, right around the time he’s wishing he still had some of his wine stash, Sciel finds him.Â
She was the first to comfort him after Alicia’s Gommage, knowing precisely how it felt to watch his sister fade away in front of him without his consent. She is intimately familiar with that impossible sense of loss, with death in general in a way that he will never understand, no matter how much his grief flares now.
Her head settles against his upper arm like it had earlier, when the petals of his sister rested like ash in his hands.
She doesn’t speak, which he appreciates. There's nothing that either of them could say right now that would actually help the situation.
No half-baked apologies or commiserations are going to change the fact that Alicia is gone, and he didn’t get to say goodbye.
Everyone else around the campfire at least had that opportunity when the Gommage was approaching their loved ones. Sciel lost Pierre without warning. It’s different but…Â
Her hands are gentle when they reach for his face, quick strokes of her fingertips over his cheeks to rid him of the tears that have quietly fallen since she joined him. She watches him without making eye contact, makes sure that she’s doing a good job without pushing him for something he can’t give her, not yet.
“Can I do anything for you?” She asks, voice little more than a whisper.
Verso shakes his head. He can’t ask for what he wants, what he needs. The physical comfort that she’s given him over the time they’ve been travelling together has reached its end at their mutual agreement. And while he would like nothing more than to lose himself in her, he respects her too much to push for it.
Sciel makes a quiet noise of consideration, shifting a bit closer and pulling one of his hands between hers. She lifts it to her mouth and kisses over his knuckles, tugging their joined hands to her heart.Â
He chances a look at her to find her already watching him, eyes soft and knowing.Â
“I don’t expect you to sleep.” She says. “But will you come with me? Rest?”
Verso nods. She doesn’t let go of him when she gets to her feet, touching him, grounding him, the way she’s learnt he needs when he’s at risk of shuddering free of his body with emotional overload. She guides him up with her, pulls him to a secluded section of their camp, well away from the others.
There’s already a bedroll there, a little lantern and some rations. He doesn’t want anything to eat yet, but it’s a sign of care that guts him effortlessly. Sciel settles down and then pats the space beside her.
“Little spoon?” She offers, and it brings a smile to his face for the first time. “I’m no Monoco, but…”
“Yes.” He says, dropping to his knees beside her. He feels a little like his strings have been cut. “Please?”
She waits for him to lie down on his side before she slips up behind him, close enough that he can allow himself to forget where he ends and she begins. Her arm settles over his ribs and her hand presses to his heart, her breath warm on the back of his neck.
“I’ve got you, Verso.”Â
And despite everything, for now, he’s happy to believe her.
It might just be because I am nearing the end of my big fic but I am all in my Verso and Sciel feels tonight.
Particularly the thought that a creation of Verso prime was the one to save Sciel when she was deep in her grief, which meant she continued on to meet painted Verso and meant there was some brightness and comfort in the final days of their lives.
All because of the actions of his original self, a man who would never know of his existence.
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An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 1/7
Fandom: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Video Game)
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Relationships: Original Verso Dessendre/Sciel
Characters: Original Verso Dessendre, Sciel (Clair Obscur: Expedition 33), Other Character Tags to Be Added
Additional Tags: Alternate Universe, Fix-It of Sorts, Meet-Cute, Developing Relationship, Flirting, Historical Inaccuracy, In that it's set in 'Paris' but I don't know how much an apple cost in francs in 18mumblemumble, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Verso Dessendre POV
Summary:
“Oh, very charming.” The woman laughs, brushing her hands off on her apron and turning back to the cart. “I hope that wasn’t meant to impress me.”
Verso ignores her question in favour of enjoying the colour in her cheeks. “You didn’t answer my question.”
She sets her crate down and turns right back for another. “I know.”
-
Or: In the original world, Verso and Sciel have an obnoxious meet-cute, charm each other, and start to build a life to love.
-----
Here it is, everyone, my love letter to this game and its characters. First chapter is a little short taster, they get longer from here on in. I hope you enjoy it - I’ve sort of casually poured my heart into it so *awkward thumbs up*Â
I was tagged by @sky-kiss and I haven't really got anything actively on the go at the moment but just as a reminder that I am out here as an obnoxious shipper: more Verso and Sciel that'll be coming in October.
I wonder why that month specifically 🤔 You'll have to wait and see.
“Shh.”
Verso chuckles as Sciel pushes at him, unsteady even as she sits squarely on her arse beside him. He catches her hand to his chest and pulls, the pair of them tumbling over together, Sciel ending up half-splayed over his chest. She shrieks her laughter, freer than he’s seen her in weeks and he finds he can’t stop staring.
“Shh.” He shoots back, a little mocking, and it earns him a smack right to his sternum.
“Someone’s going to come looking for us.” She hisses.
“No they’re not.”Â
He’s rarely been more sure of a statement than that. She looks at him like he’s lying to her again, so he kisses her instead. She tastes like wine and some of the dried meat from dinner, and he finds it as wonderful as always, even when she’s got his lip caught between her teeth, biting down just a little too hard.
“They know better by now.” He adds, when she sits back and stares down at him, eyes sparkling.
Sciel shrugs, notching her finger in the open neck of his shirt. “It’s not polite, Verso.”
“I’m not a polite man, Sciel. I don’t know why you’d think I am.”
She smiles to herself, so beautiful, so so beautiful even with the haze of alcohol over her making her all soft, making him all soft, making the world feel a little less… wretched. He stays still as she pulls her finger down, each fastened button popping open under the urging of her touch.
Tagging... honestly I don't think I know anyone else who's actively writing right now. If you are. Take this as a proxy tag, I love you.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 7/7
Fandom: Clair Obscur: Expedition 33 (Video Game)
Rating: Explicit
Relationships: Original Verso Dessendre/Sciel
Chapter 7 Tags: [various extra E rated tags], Weddings, Wedding Night, Post-Wedding, Married Life, Family Bonding, Pergnancy, Gardens & Gardening, Bathtubs, Happy Ending
Chapter 7 Summary:
Verso groans once he flops down on the bed, throwing an arm over his eyes.
“I didn’t think getting married would be so exhausting.”
“And that, mon coeur, was the easy day. Tomorrow we have to charm half of Paris.”
He lifts his arm to squint at Sciel from underneath it. “Why would you say something so terrible to me on the day of our wedding?”
--
And the story is complete <3<3 Thank you if you interacted with my little tale in any way, I really appreciate it!
Keep your eyes peeled for a shorter sequel, starting next week as part of my Year of the OTP commitment!
