OPEN POST; [ VERSO / CLAIR OBSCUR: EXPEDITION 33 ]

[reverso]

(( verso's not even in the party yet but this is such a jam ))

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[crimsin]

[ He does so, transforming again in that same crimson flash and alighting on Verso's upturned palm. ]

I would like to know anything and everything, mon ami. But perhaps let us start with the giant glowing number in the distance.

[reverso]

[Does Verso have pockets somewhere on the front of his ragged Expedition uniform? He does now, according to me. Carefully, he lifts Nico up and tilts him into the entrance of a chest pocket. The lapel of his coat will even give him a bit of shade so he can still poke his head out.]

Yes, I gather the Monolith's hard to miss. That is where an entity named the Paintress rests. Every year, she awakens and paints a new number to adorn that stone.

[While Nico is getting comfortable, Verso glances at it along the horizon, frowning. Somberly-]

And anyone who is that age undergoes the Gommage. It is exactly... how it sounds. They are erased, gone forever.

[crimsin]

[ Oh, the share is nice. He pops his little head out of the pocket enough to look around while they go. ]

Adelphe preserve. So young... is there no way to stop it? Is the number counting down?

[reverso]

[adelphe whomst

Away from the shore they go, heading north, trekking through green meadows. He supposes they should find somewhere a bit more shaded to spend the day, because as sheltered as Nico might be in his pocket, it's still a risk wandering around in the sunlight.]

It is. A few days from now, I reckon, and you'll see her form rise up and paint a 33 next.

[He keeps his eyes cast forward as he walks, casual and yet still keenly aware of their surroundings.]

To stop it, you'll have to stop her. And plenty have tried. It's a harder task than you'd think to even reach her.

[crimsin]

[ Don't worry about it.

There is a very tiny, soft, squeaky curse from the bat in Verso's pocket. ]

If that is the case... how can I help?

[reverso]

[That seems to surprise him, and he halts his walking briefly, looking down at his squeaky pocket.]

Help? Aren’t you more concerned about finding your way back home?

[crimsin]

[ Nico looks back up. There's something kind of comical about such a serious look on the face of a bat. ]

I cannot ignore this injustice. Human life is already perilously short. Having your years stolen from you is a cruelty I will not abide.

[reverso]

[Has he ever seen a bat look so serious? Well, of course not. But more staggering than that is the sentiment itself. This stranger, who claims to be from a different land altogether—impossible as that should be—is offering help so soon after hearing about what ails this world?]

That's very noble of you.

[But it is such a quick offer that he wonders if this is a subject Nico already feels fervently about.]

But I'd have to be honest... You offer your help, and the only way to do so would be to put yourself at risk. Many previous Expeditions who hail from Lumière have already failed, ending in their deaths.

[crimsin]

[ Humanity never ceases to astound him. Faced with the impossible, still they fight. It moves him every time. ]

Perhaps then you need something unpredictable, non? Something new? Besides, I have not survived these last three centuries by being easy to kill.

[reverso]

[The want to survive and keep going is admirable, isn't it? To circumvent the reality of death at every turn.]

Hm. Maybe you're right. But... three centuries? Really? Vampires live that long?

[Undead, perhaps?]

[crimsin]

Oh, much longer than that! I am thirteen hundred years old, all told. Three centuries is how long I have spent living with humans, helping them fight for the betterment of our world.

[ If nothing else, it’s probably nice to know that Nico has combat experience? ]

[reverso]

Thirteen hundred?

[Shit. That is far more than he expected.]

You really are old.

[help sorry that's his takeaway for now]

[crimsin]

Rude!

[ In Verso's pocket, Nico flails, though not enough to accidentally dislodge himself. ]

I will have you know that I am very young and spry!

[reverso]

[He pats down his pocket as if calming the little bat in there.]

Sorry, but once you're over a thousand, young and spry are not words used to describe a person. I don't make the rules.

[crimsin]

Do not measure me by human standards! It is unfair!

[ MEAN VERSO. ]

[reverso]

[HE'S LEARNING THAT NICO IS EASY TO BULLY. HE'S JUST POKING FUN]

You look good for your age. How about that?

[crimsin]

[ Long pause. Have you ever seen a bat pout before? ]

Fine, I will accept it, if only because you are human and do not know any better.

[reverso]

[He pauses, wondering if he should offer this, but then figures there's no harm-]

I might be human, but I'm rather old for one, too. I think I have the authority to recognize a fellow elderly person when I see one.

[crimsin]

[ Nico shifts again, looking up at Verso from his spot in his pocket as best he can. ]

Is that so? You look quite young to me. How old are you really?

[reverso]

[Yes, look at this scruffy dirty scarred face.]

I'm a hundred.

[Holds up a finger as he walks.]

And before you ask how, you can blame the Paintress for that.

[crimsin]

[ Nico only chuckles, small and batty and squeaky. ]

Then allow me to say you look very good for your age, as well, mon ami.

[reverso]

[Pfft.]

Just minutes into our acquaintanceship and you're already using flattery against me. Well. I'll take the compliment.

[He is, in fact, a little vain, even if it's a moot point these days. It's nice to hear after these... very long years.]

So, what's it like, fighting for humans for three centuries? You said it was for the betterment of your world?

[crimsin]

Oui, that is right. Vampires have been the ones in power since time immemorial. Humanity bears the unfortunate burdens of being servant and food source both to my people. It is an injustice I hope to see set right one day.

It is not an easy road, nor a short one, but very worthwhile. I walk it gladly.

[ You know, after he helps with this whole mess he's now in. ]

[reverso]

[Damn. A truly noble heart in this one. For a moment, he hardly knows what to say.]

I imagine that's not a very popular stance among your fellows. How's it working out for you so far?

[Three centuries is a long time to make change, or... to face failure over and over again.]

[crimsin]

Not very popular at all! I am in exile for my beliefs.

[ Another one of those squeaky bat-laughs. He's clearly not very broken up about it. ]

It is better, in recent years. I grow more hopeful by the day.