[ It isn't the wisest choice that he himself could have made, considering the spike in anxiety Gustave's very presence creates, but to completely avoid him would only hurt Verso's cause in the long run. He's already been forced to accept that he can't cross a certain line again, at least not right now, so instead it's to everyone's benefit that he try to win the other man over.

One may question his methods, but if Gustave's going to serve Verso's interests while staying alive, then he has some catching up to do. There's no shortcut for experience, but some tips never hurt anyone. ]

Right.

[ Wasting little time, he unfolds his arms and lowers a hand, where the shape of a slender sword shimmers into view. The golden gleam of the blade's tip fades into an onyx black as it reaches the hilt, where his grip shifts deftly from right to left. He's mimicking Renoir's grip on his cane. No dagger this time. ]

Should there ever be a next time defending against Renoir, I'm going to show you how to stay alive for as long as possible.

[ His shrug is tilted. He would like to believe that everything's going to go smoothly from here on out and Gustave will never be in that situation again, but Verso stopped dreaming ages ago. ]