[No matter how bumpy things have been lately, a dear friend is a dear friend.]
Salut Gustave!
Hope you’ve settled in well with your assignment. I miss our apartment already and it’s very strange to be so far away from everyone after an entire lifetime on a little island, but might as well make the best of something new, right?
I’ve been assigned a “husband” and child. The man is a strange fellow. He seems to be enjoying himself, but he’s not at all suited to taking care of children, so I’ll be busier than expected. The child, Frisk, is very sweet and helpful (despite a penchant for trouble!!) and insisted upon caring for the gardens. Very shy, though. I can just look at them through the window and the moment they notice, they look ready to scurry off. I’ve checked that there’s nothing toxic and left them to it. I didn’t want to have expectations but it’s ended up very bittersweet just the same.
Did you get a car? I hope you did, you’d be a good driver. I think Expedition 63 was wasting their time with them, personally, but for the distance these Americans travel just to go to work, they’re very useful. I think you could do a better one, couldn’t you?
Anyway, I’m hoping to take Maelle shopping again in the next few days so hopefully I will see you soon and we can drink & chat, but you can find me any time here:
[an address is typed here, in the suburbs between Palo Alto and San Francisco]
[ Strange to be writing back and forth to each other, like leaving little journal entries. Strange for the distance between them right now to feel like more than just the physical. ]
Hi Sciel,
Yes, getting there. It sounds like you're finding the good in the situation... you've always excelled at that. And if anyone could get a shy child like Frisk to warm up to them, it's you. Maybe they'll appreciate your own knowledge of plants and garden work.
I have an assigned partner, too: Ororo Munroe. It's a strange situation, but she's very kind and extremely interesting to talk with. I think it's probably as odd for Maelle as it is for me, but so far she and Ororo seem to be getting along. It probably helps that Ororo has some similar powers to Lune; there's a little something of the familiar about her.
Like you said, it's, well... bittersweet. A glimpse at something I wanted, once.
[ He deletes it; Sciel knows. However unsettled things might be between them, they still know each other well. He makes a mental note to find Sciel and take her for a walk or a drink when he gets back, to see how she's feeling. ]
Ororo and I are taking a trip today, to a place on the other side of this immense ocean we've found ourselves near. And I thought the Monolith seemed far! Lumiere seems smaller than ever now when I look at the maps and images of this country, this world.
We'll be back tonight. I've let Maelle know I'll be away, but maybe don't be surprised if she reaches out. It's good for us to be apart a little, I think. But it's still hard.
I'll be sure to check in with you for that chat and drink when I come back.
Ororo sounds like a good match for you! Is she as beautiful as her name? I love that you're taking a trip together so soon, too. Hopefully you two will be fast friends and can take that back with you to Etraya, and you won't even think of the bitter parts.
I will keep an ear open for Maelle, though. I think some time apart will make you both feel more normal, too. A day is good. Short enough to build up a tolerance, long enough that I'm sure she'll be excited to meet you at the door when you get back. She'll miss you. And I miss you, too! I'm looking forward to our drinks + chat. You'll have to tell me what you see and what it's like over there, and if they have Gestrals or something else entirely.
But in the mean time, stop checking your messages and go enjoy all the sights this world has to offer with your "wife"! Even with the mission, we all deserve to spend some time enjoying ourselves.
[ Ah, interesting. He peruses the schedule, amused; this marriage might be fake, but he can't say Ororo hasn't paid attention to his interests.
A quick study of the location later, and his interest is piqued: an island like Lumière, but much larger and with a far greater population. The architecture he glimpses as he flips through images looks fascinating, too. ]
I think that sounds like a great idea.
Will Maelle be joining us, or should I let her know we'll be back later?
[ It's good for them both to be apart for a little while, he thinks. And a day won't be so bad. With his new power — still strange — he could study a dozen trains in record time. ]
I'll let her know we'll be back tonight.
[ ...and ask Sciel to keep an eye on her, maybe. Or to be prepared for Maelle to check in with her if she gets lonely. ]
Is there something you'd like to take care of while we're away? As much as I appreciate the chance to study the trains, I'm happy to lend a hand if you need one.
It is unlikely, but there are a few places I wanted to check on that side of the world. The people who might be there will probably not be there. But I want to be certain.
I won't be long, of course. We will have plenty of time to do other things, too.
That's interesting, I wonder what all the changes are and where the discrepancies lie in this world's history versus yours?
Anyway, of course that's no problem at all. If I thought I might be able to find people I knew from home, I'd make it my first priority. Like I said, I'm happy to help if I can, otherwise I'll look forward to meeting up with you once you're finished. Sushi sounds great.
I let Maelle know our plans, so I'm ready whenever you are.
[ It's hard, because she already knows it's highly unlikely. There's no mention of mutants here, no Avengers, nothing of Wakanda. But... perhaps, some of her human friends and partners? Was it so outside the realm of possibility?
She had to at least try and find them. ]
Thank you. As I said, it won't take long at all. We will have plenty of time for sushi and taking a look at the bullet train.
Speaking of, perhaps you'd like to try and race it? And/or me, while we are there?
[ She might lose! Or she might not, it'll fully depend on how well he controls his powers by the time they arrive. ]
Well, I think we should certainly try the experiment, then, since we have the ability to attempt it safely.
Your original powers, really? Is it through a use of wind or heat? Or would it be some variation of instant evaporation through manipulation of the water molecules themselves?
I have command over anything that makes up what you know to be the weather - that includes wind, heat, and moisture. Getting you dry (and getting you all wet) would involve manipulating all of that at once.
[ It's a strange feeling, seeing those words together: Verso, Expedition 33. He wonders if Verso had written any journals for the Expedition once he joined, if Lune had allowed him to leave his words along with hers. ]
Gustave, Expedition 33.
It's good to hear from you. It's odd to be so separated from the expedition, but I suppose it's only to be expected. Maybe by covering more ground we'll be able to achieve more in the mission, although I also have found no clues leading to the morality shift. It's strange, though, isn't it? Unsettling to think we could be manipulated that way by something we can't even see.
Things have been going reasonably smoothly for me so far. My assigned partner is a kind and thoughtful person with powers like nothing I've ever seen before, although in some aspects they remind me somewhat of Lune. Really, I'm just grateful I was assigned along with Maelle. There are some kindnesses here, it seems.
I hope your own assignments are treating you well. Did you find yourself with an assigned family, too?
I've been trying to take advantage of this world's technology to travel around, but you can contact me at the following address. Or perhaps you'll let me buy you a drink one of these nights, and we can talk. I'd like that.
[ His chin dips down at the comments on how unsettling it would be to be manipulated by an unseen force. Certainly, he agrees. ]
Unsettling is quite the word for it. Horrifying is another. I'm just teasing you. So far I am myself and you sound like you. I hope that's enough to ease any rising concerns you may have.
But I'm glad that Maelle is with you. I like to believe there are more kindnesses here than there is cruelty. But I may simply be an optimistic. And in the spirit of optimism, I hope you're enjoying your time with your assigned partner. Not like that, but sounds like you've made a new friend.
I did, but we're being rebellious. None of us want to be in these roles so we only act it when there are others about. Otherwise, we are just ourselves.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
un: ScielCandide | text
Date: 2025-07-21 09:32 pm (UTC)Salut Gustave!
Hope you’ve settled in well with your assignment. I miss our apartment already and it’s very strange to be so far away from everyone after an entire lifetime on a little island, but might as well make the best of something new, right?
I’ve been assigned a “husband” and child. The man is a strange fellow. He seems to be enjoying himself, but he’s not at all suited to taking care of children, so I’ll be busier than expected. The child, Frisk, is very sweet and helpful (despite a penchant for trouble!!) and insisted upon caring for the gardens. Very shy, though. I can just look at them through the window and the moment they notice, they look ready to scurry off. I’ve checked that there’s nothing toxic and left them to it. I didn’t want to have expectations but it’s ended up very bittersweet just the same.
Did you get a car? I hope you did, you’d be a good driver. I think Expedition 63 was wasting their time with them, personally, but for the distance these Americans travel just to go to work, they’re very useful. I think you could do a better one, couldn’t you?
Anyway, I’m hoping to take Maelle shopping again in the next few days so hopefully I will see you soon and we can drink & chat, but you can find me any time here:
[an address is typed here, in the suburbs between Palo Alto and San Francisco]
Bisous,
Sciel
un: GustaveEiffel
Date: 2025-07-22 01:01 pm (UTC)Hi Sciel,
Yes, getting there. It sounds like you're finding the good in the situation... you've always excelled at that. And if anyone could get a shy child like Frisk to warm up to them, it's you. Maybe they'll appreciate your own knowledge of plants and garden work.
I have an assigned partner, too: Ororo Munroe. It's a strange situation, but she's very kind and extremely interesting to talk with. I think it's probably as odd for Maelle as it is for me, but so far she and Ororo seem to be getting along. It probably helps that Ororo has some similar powers to Lune; there's a little something of the familiar about her.
Like you said, it's, well... bittersweet.
A glimpse at something I wanted, once.[ He deletes it; Sciel knows. However unsettled things might be between them, they still know each other well. He makes a mental note to find Sciel and take her for a walk or a drink when he gets back, to see how she's feeling. ]
Ororo and I are taking a trip today, to a place on the other side of this immense ocean we've found ourselves near. And I thought the Monolith seemed far! Lumiere seems smaller than ever now when I look at the maps and images of this country, this world.
We'll be back tonight. I've let Maelle know I'll be away, but maybe don't be surprised if she reaches out. It's good for us to be apart a little, I think. But it's still hard.
I'll be sure to check in with you for that chat and drink when I come back.
Gustave
no subject
Date: 2025-07-22 02:08 pm (UTC)Ororo sounds like a good match for you! Is she as beautiful as her name? I love that you're taking a trip together so soon, too. Hopefully you two will be fast friends and can take that back with you to Etraya, and you won't even think of the bitter parts.
I will keep an ear open for Maelle, though. I think some time apart will make you both feel more normal, too. A day is good. Short enough to build up a tolerance, long enough that I'm sure she'll be excited to meet you at the door when you get back. She'll miss you. And I miss you, too! I'm looking forward to our drinks + chat. You'll have to tell me what you see and what it's like over there, and if they have Gestrals or something else entirely.
But in the mean time, stop checking your messages and go enjoy all the sights this world has to offer with your "wife"! Even with the mission, we all deserve to spend some time enjoying ourselves.
Sciel
un: Storm; text
Date: 2025-07-22 10:09 am (UTC)I thought we might take a quick trip.
[ She also needs to see who, if any, of her friends are in safe houses out there. ]
un: GustaveEiffel; text
Date: 2025-07-22 11:41 am (UTC)A quick study of the location later, and his interest is piqued: an island like Lumière, but much larger and with a far greater population. The architecture he glimpses as he flips through images looks fascinating, too. ]
I think that sounds like a great idea.
Will Maelle be joining us, or should I let her know we'll be back later?
no subject
Date: 2025-07-22 11:51 am (UTC)[ Yes, obviously a trip to Japan can be done in a day! She'll fly them and it'll be fine. ]
If you think you will be a while, then Maelle is more than welcome to join us.
no subject
Date: 2025-07-22 12:28 pm (UTC)I'll let her know we'll be back tonight.
[ ...and ask Sciel to keep an eye on her, maybe. Or to be prepared for Maelle to check in with her if she gets lonely. ]
Is there something you'd like to take care of while we're away? As much as I appreciate the chance to study the trains, I'm happy to lend a hand if you need one.
no subject
Date: 2025-07-22 01:05 pm (UTC)I won't be long, of course. We will have plenty of time to do other things, too.
no subject
Date: 2025-07-22 01:11 pm (UTC)[ Seeing as they're... married.... ]
Does Japan exist in your own world? Is that why you think these people might be there?
no subject
Date: 2025-07-22 01:17 pm (UTC)It does. Much of this world is similar to mine, names of countries and all. A few places are missing, along with a few people.
I thought perhaps some are in hiding - but there is no way of knowing until I actually look.
I hope that is alright. I would still want to know you a little better of course. Maybe we can have some sushi while we are there.
no subject
Date: 2025-07-22 03:23 pm (UTC)Anyway, of course that's no problem at all. If I thought I might be able to find people I knew from home, I'd make it my first priority. Like I said, I'm happy to help if I can, otherwise I'll look forward to meeting up with you once you're finished. Sushi sounds great.
I let Maelle know our plans, so I'm ready whenever you are.
no subject
Date: 2025-07-22 03:34 pm (UTC)She had to at least try and find them. ]
Thank you. As I said, it won't take long at all. We will have plenty of time for sushi and taking a look at the bullet train.
Speaking of, perhaps you'd like to try and race it? And/or me, while we are there?
[ She might lose! Or she might not, it'll fully depend on how well he controls his powers by the time they arrive. ]
no subject
Date: 2025-07-23 08:49 pm (UTC)And if I can't control myself that well and run straight off the island, then maybe you'd be willing to fish me out of the water.
sorry for the delay!!!
Date: 2025-07-30 12:23 pm (UTC)But yes, I will be there to fish you out - though I would hope that I make it to you before you hit the water.
And if not, I am pleased to inform you that my actual, original powers do include instantly drying you off. You will be in good hands.
no worries ever!
Date: 2025-08-02 01:29 am (UTC)Your original powers, really? Is it through a use of wind or heat? Or would it be some variation of instant evaporation through manipulation of the water molecules themselves?
no subject
Date: 2025-08-02 01:50 pm (UTC)I have command over anything that makes up what you know to be the weather - that includes wind, heat, and moisture. Getting you dry (and getting you all wet) would involve manipulating all of that at once.
no subject
Date: 2025-08-02 10:08 pm (UTC)[ Gustave, you may be drifting from the point of this exchange... ]
no subject
Date: 2025-08-03 02:56 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-08-03 03:01 am (UTC)Whenever you're ready to go, I'll be here.
un: verleso | text
Date: 2025-07-31 07:34 am (UTC)[ To Sciel and Maelle, it is easier to write but this feels like something. Still, it feels better than separating himself, he supposes. ]
Anyway, I am just checking in.
I have nothing to report in terms of figuring out the source of the morality shift but I did not just reach out to say I have nothing.
I also reached out to wish you well in this equally strange world. I am hopeful you are finding it all quite pleasant despite the mission we are on.
Well, that's all.
un: GustaveEiffel
Date: 2025-08-02 02:15 am (UTC)Gustave, Expedition 33.
It's good to hear from you. It's odd to be so separated from the expedition, but I suppose it's only to be expected. Maybe by covering more ground we'll be able to achieve more in the mission, although I also have found no clues leading to the morality shift. It's strange, though, isn't it? Unsettling to think we could be manipulated that way by something we can't even see.
Things have been going reasonably smoothly for me so far. My assigned partner is a kind and thoughtful person with powers like nothing I've ever seen before, although in some aspects they remind me somewhat of Lune. Really, I'm just grateful I was assigned along with Maelle. There are some kindnesses here, it seems.
I hope your own assignments are treating you well. Did you find yourself with an assigned family, too?
I've been trying to take advantage of this world's technology to travel around, but you can contact me at the following address. Or perhaps you'll let me buy you a drink one of these nights, and we can talk. I'd like that.
Thanks for reaching out.
Gustave
no subject
Date: 2025-08-02 11:24 pm (UTC)Unsettling is quite the word for it. Horrifying is another. I'm just teasing you. So far I am myself and you sound like you. I hope that's enough to ease any rising concerns you may have.
But I'm glad that Maelle is with you. I like to believe there are more kindnesses here than there is cruelty. But I may simply be an optimistic. And in the spirit of optimism, I hope you're enjoying your time with your assigned partner. Not like that, but sounds like you've made a new friend.
I did, but we're being rebellious. None of us want to be in these roles so we only act it when there are others about. Otherwise, we are just ourselves.
A drink would be nice.
You're welcome, of course.
Un: ScielCandide | Text
Date: 2025-08-04 06:46 pm (UTC)Un: ScielCandide | Text
Date: 2025-08-04 06:48 pm (UTC)Also, could you bring a pair of shoes?
no subject
Date: 2025-08-04 06:51 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2025-08-04 06:50 pm (UTC)[ Gustave please focus ]
Yeah of course, I'll be there in a moment. Guess this new speed actually is coming in handy for something.
no subject
Date: 2025-08-04 07:03 pm (UTC)I’m messaging Maelle next. If she’s not with you, I can go get her once you’re here.