[ He looks over and up into Verso's face, amused, his eyes going half-lidded for a moment as he tips his head lightly into the fingers that toy with his hair. It feels nice, but more than that, he can't remember the last time someone touched him this way. Fingers threading gently through his hair, toying with the soft waves and curls there.

Sophie, maybe. A thought which still hurts, even lying here next to Verso. He carefully lifts it, sets it aside into a mental box he can lock and push into the depths of his mind, and re-focuses, smiling right back at Verso. ]

Well, he needed help.

[ This is clearly reason enough for Gustave. ]

And a lot of what I did back in Lumiere was find better ways to build things.

[ He shrugs, lifting his right hand and setting his elbow on the grass so he can lazily swing that hand over to run the back of it over Verso's bare stomach in an affectionate, idle caress. ]

Besides, it's not like it's all that likely anything other than Nevrons are going to be coming toward the village. As far as I know, the current human population of the continent can be counted on just over one hand.

[ And it might help protect them from the white-haired man. He doesn't add it; Verso must already know what Golgra had told them, that he'd showed up and slaughtered so many. ]

It won't take me long. And then we'll head straight to the cliffs.