This particular group hasn’t made it that far across the Continent yet. They’re still near the Spring Meadows, and the weather is lovely and temperate, a deceptively easy start to the trip.

(He wonders when Renoir will catch up. The man always does.)

Still, it’s a nice evening. Beyond the green meadows, blood-red trees giving way to autumnal yellow, an eclectic jumble of foliage which doesn’t correspond to any real passing seasons. The Stone Wave Cliffs are somewhere off in the craggy distance.

Expedition 56 isn’t furious with him (yet), but: they’re reasonably mistrustful. It’s odd that this man is immortal and can’t die, considering that everyone dies, and he has no better answer for it than the fact that something strange happened to him after the Fracture. So they’ve been keeping him at a safe distance, although that hasn’t seemed to stop the blonde.

The forest opens up near the edge of the cliff, a star-lit clearing with the Paintress visible in the distance. Verso’s still standing there, staring quietly at the massive huddled white figure, when he hears Ness approaching. He hasn’t summoned the piano yet; he’s still considering options.

Whatever speaks to you, right now. What could that be? He’s actually not sure.