epidemiology | EVENT ★ SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL

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EVENT ★ SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL

Following the sudden entrapment of a group of ALASTAIR diplomats, it's clear the true threat to Chantes is still afoot. The sun's disappearance may have been what was on the mission tin, but the man behind the plot is still alive and kicking.

On the day the people inside the castle go incommunicado, King Christophe's head is unceremoniously tossed out from one of the towers. The word travels like wildfire from there: the Order of the Chimera's leader, Michel, has taken roost on the throne. But he doesn't seem keen on leaving much to rule — he's been busy littering the city with symbols from his grimoire. And with the king's death, they begin to stir.

If ALASTAIR sent the recruits here to save Chantes, Michel and his rituals are why.

THE DEMONS

All around the city’s landmarks (and a few within the castle), runes have shimmered into existence. Remember those? Bothersome little things that nullify powers. But they’re not nullifying powers this time. These runes shimmer a low, sinister red, even by the bright light of midday. They wait, complacent, not really doing much of anything… that is, unless you try to destroy one of them.

The moment a rune is tampered with in any way it flares brightly, and a thin red mist seeps out into the air. Each entity from the rune is a little bit different and fights in a different way, but all of them are unquestionably demonic. Some of them manifest physical forms and attack with claws and bolts of energy, but many of them are not so blunt. In fact, most of these demons are much more insidious, as recruits will quickly discover.

POSSESSION

Most of these creatures use possession as their main tactic, although their methods vary. Some demons keep themselves invisibly after that initial red leak of mist, choose a target, and begin to whisper in their ear. They’ll promise anything — power, riches, fame. Their words alter what might otherwise be sound judgment, making their target believe that not only are these demons perfectly capable of delivering, but they will impart their gifts just as soon as the recruit takes care of this one little task. Attacking your friend isn’t really so much to ask, right? Just think of the reward, just around the corner!

Some demons spark a frenzy in their target. An unquellable rage rises within them, urging them to lash out at anyone around them. Maybe they see a nemesis from their past transposed over a friend, maybe they’re trapped in an unpleasant memory and trying desperately to fight free of it — whatever it takes, these demons relish provoking an uncontrollable need to fight.

And finally, some of them will outright inhabit the body of their target and control all of their actions and words. The recruit will be fully aware of their actions, but unable to prevent any of it. They can only watch as the entity within them does whatever it takes to disable the friends around them — treachery, outright attack, whatever is needed.

In each case the demons can be exorcised if you happen to be with someone with a knack for it, but otherwise impossible to drive out. The demon will remain in its host until someone else successfully destroys the rune it came from, which will finally kill it. The demons know this, of course, and will focus all effort on stopping any damage to their rune if it seems under threat.

The destruction of runes inside the castle will open a thin breach in the barrier spell over it, allowing those inside to slip out (or those outside to slip in). They’d better move fast, though, as the breach will heal itself again in about 30 seconds. Miss your chance and you’ll have to hunt down and destroy another rune. (NOTE: Characters trapped within the castle may escape with enough time to take part in the possession aspect of the event with the rest of the game.)

Anyone with a sense for magic can easily tell that the longer these runes go without being destroyed, the stronger their energy pulses. Eventually even ordinary folk will feel it. Townsfolk in the area become uneasy and restless, and proximity to intact runes will begin to fill you with a sense of dread and unnamed anxiety. Something is coming. Something that must be stopped before it can be let into the world.

THE SUMMONS

No matter how quickly the recruits move, there always seems to be one more rune to find, one more demon to defeat. And still that energy is building. When the town clock strikes 12 noon, the runes are at full strength, and they begin to launch into a coordinated ritual. A summoning spell, to be exact. The demons disappear, their energy sacrificed to bring forth something even worse.

All over the city portals begin to open and beasts begin to claw out of them. These are chimeras, straight from myth, each one half the size of a building. They have vast wings and three heads a piece, a lion, a goat, and a dragon — plus a live snake for a tail. The tail’s what you should really look out for. A bite from the snake turns the bitten limb into solid stone, which will take either three days or a splash of blood from one of the chimeras to return to flesh and blood.

It can be discovered that these monsters have an odd vulnerability to pure iron. If struck or stabbed by something made of iron their skin blisters and burns — enough of this could prove lethal to it. Or you can murder them the old fashioned way, if you’re good at killing giant monsters.

Attacking them isn’t the only thing to be worried about, though. They’re smashing down buildings and attacking indiscriminately, so some characters might find their time well-spent evacuating citizens rather than partaking in the fight directly. The structural damage might be inevitable, but it’s at least possible to mitigate loss of life.

THE AFTERWORD

A few hours after the final chimera is killed, un-summoned, exploded, whatever its fate might be, recruits will find their ALASTAIR-given jewelry coming to life. It looks like they’re finally breaking their silence. Words scrawl across whatever surface you see them on, written in ornate purple script:

On behalf of this land, thank you for your diligence and hard work. You have ten days to settle your affairs in this world before your return to Oska.

Just that, then the jewelry dies out again. It’s a bit of an underwhelming show of gratitude, but it gets the point across. Say goodbye to any non-recruit friends you’ve made here, get the last word in on any arguments with the locals, settle your bar tabs — or rack them up, as per inclination.

In ten days every ALASTAIR recruit will simply fade away into a white mist from the perspective of the locals. But until then the city is yours, and most importantly, safe.

OOC INFO

Welcome to the concluding log of Chantes! There's been quite a few pieces to it, so here's an overall list of the week's noteworthy plot posts:

Peaceseeking player plot

Loki and Ahad addressing Michel's disappearance

A request from Arthur

Event follow-up with the fate of Michel. Please note that regardless of Michel's end, we will be reading player suggestions and taking them into account for the overall fate of Chantes.

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[King of Heroes... more like King of Zeros without the aid of his magic gate!!

Saber casts him a side long glance, clearly unmotivated by his petulant whining. ]

Of course. Heaven forbid you concede to take on so much as a single shred of responsibility, for once.

[isn't it bad enough he already cost them their attempt at negotiating for peace with King Christophe? with his mere presence alone, mind. it was a terrible idea from the start, really, allowing him to get involved. even so that's not the worst of it, now she's being forced to endure his company for hours on end. (her Gil-free vaca was nice while it lasted.) of course when the suggestion surfaced for the group to pair off and split up she wouldn't allow for Gilgamesh to be left alone with any of the other ladies present in their group. which was everyone. he may be less of a threat without his precious hoard of weapons but he's still a vile sack of filth.

so despite her own wishes to avoid interacting with him entirely, she's adamant about pairing up with him to wander in search of answers. the demon is an unexpected development, for the most part. she certainly didn't expect to round a corner and come face to face with one here in the castle, at least. in all honesty she'd prefer a demon's presence over Gil's any day, even if the latter does posses better oral hygiene-- demon breath is no joke!]

Look alive, naive!

[yeah, she's calling him out on his lack of actual combat skills.

armed with a slightly less rusty sword and an infinitely better fashion sense Saber takes up a fighting stance as the demon opens it's mouth wide to fire off what is likely the first of many energy bolts in their direction. with nimble feet she leaps to the side, dodging the blow without glancing back to ensure Gil does the same.]

[Honestly, at this point even Gilgamesh could be inclined to agree. He was no swordsman by far; he willingly bows his head to Saber's expertise in the field, knowing full well she outclasses him here. That may be why his tone's freer of its usual derision when she chastises him, and if she looks fast she can catch him blanching in embarrassment. What a humiliating situation, on top of those disastrous negotiations.

When Saber shouts look alive, he's damn well looking alive. He at least retains his speed if little else of his power, weaving around the blasts of energy and mirroring Saber's movements. He glances at what will become their battlefield and makes a quick decision.]

Keep it distracted! There must be a power source somewhere!

[He sensed as much, anyway. Gilgamesh leaves the demon to Saber as he aims to sneak past. This will probably end terribly.]

[distract it he says. yeah, sure. no problem. except it kind of is a really big problem??? an enormous problem if we're going off the sheer size of this thing alone. without the use of magic, it will be difficult to keep the demon's focus on her instead of Gilgamesh who has already taken it upon himself to inch closer to it in an attempt to pass it. she clicks her tongue in annoyance, stifling her protest. Fool! she wishes to call after him, but that would only draw more attention his way.

her gaze refocuses on the demon up ahead, her brow creasing as she's forced to make a split second decision. she raises her blade high above her and yells out loudly, charging toward the beast in a full frontal attack.]

[CRUNCH.

Fool, indeed. There's a cry of pain, and...]

Ah...

[...and Gilgamesh's entire left side has been snapped up in the beast's hulking jaws. It pays Saber no mind at all and instead focuses entirely on the threat to its rune, shaking him and sinking fangs in deep. Faintly he feels muscle tear and bone snap but the shock of it all means it only registers as a dull throb. He bleeds but it doesn't really seem to matter much. His expression's been frozen in a catatonic state. Without magic, his flesh was too human, too fragile.

Still, Gilgamesh was willful. His free arm acts on instinct and starts stabbing at whatever's in reach; into its mouth, jabbing an eye, anything. Ironically Gilgamesh becomes the far better distraction this way as the demon focuses its energy on making him suffer rather than attempt another assault against the two.

Its long tail flickers about, lashing to keep Saber at a distance. For now, not much else can be done except employ Gilgamesh as bait. If it just held onto him like that...]

[Saber sucks in a sharp breath as the initial spurts of blood spew from the beast's mouth where it's latched onto Gil's torso. her eyes widen as the sickening crunch of bone reaches her ears, asserting that the extent of damage done in all of that single instant is severe. her attention is torn away from the scene as the demon's tail swipes her path causing her to change direction and tumble out of the way.

she rolls onto her feet, crouched low and ready for the returning lash. she feared something like this would happen, and really she shouldn't be troubled by the fact that Gilgamesh is suffering. his cries of pain shouldn't incite any sense of compassion within her, she shouldn't care one way or the other if he lives or dies. truth be told, the demon would be doing her a favor if it killed him here and now. it could tear him limb from limb and in that amount of time surely she would be able to escape or otherwise destroy the rune with it fully distracted. either way she could walk away from this, free of the overhanging threat of Gilgamesh plaguing her for the rest of her days as an ALASTAIR recruit.

and yet, her feet do not move in an effort to retreat, nor does she make a direct lunge for the rune, instead they carry her forward as she leaps above the demon's tail as it hurtles past. with eyes gleaming she shouts and swings the sword down with all her strength at just the right moment. blood splatters across the hall as her sword chops clean through the flesh and bone of the tail, lopping off well over a quarter of it's length. she wastes no time, diving out of the way as she feels for the source of the demon's energy and let's her instinct drive her in that direction.

hopefully the loss of nearly half a limb will prove enough of a distraction for Gilgamesh to free himself or at least gain the upper hand in his own struggle.]

[You're too soft, he thinks, woozy and consciousness drifting as he's swung about like a toy. He swears he can smell it again, that strange combination of faint steel and soothing sandalwood. He's in pain, he should be screaming, writhing, doing something other than going limp in the demon's maw, but...

There's almost a strange of serenity to this. He wonders if the teeth are toxic, if it catches its prey with such methods. More than agony, he feels foolish falling for it—and in front of Saber, no less, the same woman he'd been incessantly bragging his combat prowess to not hours prior. Even like this, you know, I am a man of exceptional skill and peerless ability.

So much for that. Even Gilgamesh has to go sour at the thought of himself now.

Think. Think. Think. He's loss his sword somewhere down its throat; what could he do? It's been too long since he fought barehanded, but did he even have a choice in the matter now? It was risky, but he could position his arm and his legs just so, he could pry the jaws apart. Of course, if he failed, it would just make a meal out of him, and all the good intentions in the world wouldn't save him then.

Right. That's what he'll do. Time to see what A-rank Luck could really pull off.]

No good! It's protecting the power source!

[Gilgamesh shakes himself from his stupor and shouts down to Saber as he starts to force the jaws open and wide, wider, wider still. Indeed, the demon keeps shifting the block the rune. From up here, he can at least read the movements and coach her...!]

At your left!

[Saber glances left just in time to narrowly avoid a monstrously huge set of claws, jumping back out of range in the nick of time as they hurtle past. here marks the first time in history that Saber finds herself grateful for Gilgamesh's presence. however, if she doesn't get to that power source soon there likely won't be any Gilgamesh left. which she's still not entirely convinced is a bad thing, but given the circumstances he's proving himself a useful(???) asset... for the first time today.

possibly the first time ever.

honing in on the power source Saber makes an effort to get closer while dodging monster bits as Gilgamesh calls out the demon's movements to her. dodge left, veer right, duck!!! the thought occurs to her that perhaps she is placing a great deal more faith in him than he's deserving of by allowing him to guide her through this. she's far too trusting of his direction, but the realization that their teamwork is essential in ensuring their victory is indisputable. her instinct only stretches so far, if it were a matter of simply fighting the demon and defeating it one on one, instinct would be enough. but her focus must remain on reaching the rune, which divides her attention in two. the demon is fast, too fast to keep up with by herself, especially given the fact she lacks the capacity to use Mana Burst or any other form of magic to aid her in this. she's relying on her strength alone, together with Gil's coaching it will have to be enough to see them through.]

[so far she's not making much progress, dancing back and forth across the hall as the demon swings it's arms wildly to keep her at bay. at this rate, it could be hours before she makes it to the rune, and neither of them currently have the stamina to last that long. not to mention the longer this drags on, the longer Gilgamesh remains in the demon's mouth getting drooled on. so much for A-rank Luck. Gil might as well be a Lancer with how badly this day is going for him.

she'll have to switch things up if they actually want to get anywhere. so this time when she runs toward the rune with the demon in hot pursuit, she abruptly skids to a stop and turns on her heel to thrust her blade into it's palm as it reaches after her. it's jaw trembles, howling long and loud. and. spraying Gil with a fresh coat of saliva. and an extra heaping dose of demon breath stank.]

[...........not only that but the acidity in the demon's saliva appears to be, uh, eating through his clothes. RIP UGLY CHEETAH PRINT BLAZER!! (also he's going to need a thorough sanitizing after this) don't worry though, Saber will ensure this sacrifice is not in vain!! retracting the blade she lunges past the demon for the rune and finally makes it within striking distance! she reels back her sword to attack it with all her strength and--]

GYUH!!!

[--yelps in surprise as the demon suddenly snatches up her legs with a vice like grip. not a second later it's slinging Saber's body upward like a rag doll, bashing her against the ceiling prior to hurling her back down and slamming her savagely against the ground. ouch x2. before she can even begin to recover from that double whammy the demon has her pinned beneath it's massive claws and begins pressing down on her, roaring furiously as it attempts to squash her like a bug.]

[YEAH SO, HIGH RANKING LUCK ISN'T DOING SHIT FOR EITHER OF THEM AT THE MOMENT. TIME FOR PLAN B????? ]

[Saber has kept her distance from Gilgamesh, and rightly so, but this also means something has started to happen that she hasn't noticed—Gilgamesh has begun to change.

It's a slow process, to be sure, and in many ways Gilgamesh has remained stubborn. But he's had one too many conversations with his Master, just and merciful in every regard he was not. She's scolded him and corrected him. She's shown him how she fights, and he has fought with her, and it felt good. Good to work in a team. Good to look out for each other. Good in a way he hasn't felt in some time. Like he has a partner again, someone to rely on again.

Simply put, some of those better behaviors have begun to rub off on him. As obnoxious as he'd been earlier, he's completely focused now. He aids Saber how he can and does so with all earnestness; it seems even Gilgamesh can recognize this was absolutely not the time for blind obsession and pointless ridicule. And he surprises even himself, mentally cheering at every artful dodge and every nimble movement. Go, Arturia. Go, King of Knights. You will win. We will win. A demon cannot stop the likes of us.

But eventually any advantage they may have had fades. Gilgamesh cringes from the sting of acidic breath and spit yet still he holds out faith, at least until Saber falls prey to the demon herself. And it hurts to watch, but more than that, it enrages. It flips a switch previously undisturbed, no, no, no, you can't, you won't, I WON'T LET YOU.

Gilgamesh kicks his way out of the demon's mouth and what follows is... graphic.

His sword abandoned, Gilgamesh has only his bare hands left to his name, and they are all he needs. He lunges forward and nails the demon square in the chest, and it's a blinding mess of feet and fists after that. Ribs crunch. Teeth snap as they try and fail to bite at him. Gilgamesh bashes in the skull with the sharp strike of an elbow, and again, and again, until it's more than blood that spews forth—it's brains. Gilgamesh hits it so hard that its head caves outright, but he does not stop there.

Gilgamesh flies to the arm that's entrapped Saber, and he grabs it. He squeezes. He lifts the paw and yanks out the whole limb from underneath it, forcing it onto its back. And with only his nails, he tears into the carapace. It's vicious. It's violent. Anything that might've passed for guts or intestines gets sucked up like a whirlwind and shredded. Still, the beast lives. Still it struggles. Gilgamesh wields his body like the worst sort of weapon, as he once did long ago wrestling a Bull to its knees.

Gilgamesh addresses its cries, that are now sounding an awful lot like cries for mercy, with a single line:]

No one ever gave you permission to touch such a glorious King, mongrel.

[And with half his clothes hanging off of him, looking no better than a beast himself, he beats the demon prone and buys Saber the time she needs. The rune lies exposed and the demon... well... the demon is getting schooled in a completely new definition of pain. It's now or never, Saber. Go.]

[as Gilgamesh sets to work on tearing the demon to shreds, Saber struggles to regain consciousness after having her head smacked against slabs of stone like a ping pong ball. she has a vague awareness of what is happening, she can feel the ground shudder as Gilgamesh forces the demon back. the muted sounds of an unseen struggle taking place manage to reach her even with the loud ringing in her ears. finally the crushing weight of the demon's paw is torn away, and she coughs in response to the sting of oxygen flooding her depraved lungs once again.

cracking her eyes open she's greeted with the sight of the ceiling spinning round in circles. she moves to roll onto her side in an attempt to sit up... which she immediately regrets. her head throbs and her vision blurs but she forces herself to remain upright as her eyes scan the vicinity for the demon and Gilgamesh both. she's seeing double- but she can hardly believe the scene playing out before her to be true once, never mind twice. she hit her head pretty hard, after all- surely she must be hallucinating? she moves to stand but a sharp pain shoots up her leg and she's sent crumpling back down onto her knees as a result. glancing down she find's the target responsible, a bleeding gash on her thigh where the demon had dug the tip of it's sharp claw into her flesh. she winces at the sight of it, unable to even so much as attempt to heal herself without the use of magic. her attention is pulled away by the sound of Gilgamesh's voice, howling back at the withering demon- or, well, what's left of it.

her vision finally comes into focus, and her eyes widen at the horror of the reality taking place. hulking piles of ripped flesh and organs litter the hall and at the center of it all is Gilgamesh looking like something straight out of a horror movie. from this angle, it's difficult to tell which one of them is playing the part of the demon. Saber cringes as chunks of brain splatter onto the ground at his feet, blood staining against tanned skin and what's left of his clothing as he disregards it all in favor of charging full speed ahead. the overwhelming smell of blood together with the grotesque noises spilling forth is nauseating, were she not so accustomed to death she'd likely be hurling right about now.

instead she forces herself to her feet, sparing a lingering glance to a beastly Gilgamesh before picking up her discarded sword and lodging it into the faintly glowing rune. it's light flickers as it starts losing power and the demon's cries grow increasingly more desperate. she twists the blade and drives it in to the hilt, shattering the dark magic and putting it out of it's misery. cut off from it's life source the demon stills, turning cold and gray as it begins to fade, dissolving into ash and dust and wilting away into nothingness.]

[And as quickly as it came, the frenzied mood fades.

Gilgamesh takes a moment to catch his breath. With the destruction of the rune, their powers are slowly returning; a rift has opened above their heads, leading to the outdoors. But neither of them are in a state to move right now. Still, Gilgamesh shifts to Saber before he can think twice. She's leaking prana at a dangerous rate, he can sense it. She's been injured and though he has been as well, he reaches for her first.]

Let me help.

[No victorious boasting. No boisterous claims that he'd been the true hero all along, that Saber had just been a nuisance, yet how radiant she'd been, how loyal and true. No lecherous glances and no clever remarks, not a single one, only let me help. He dares closer like an animal uncertain, remembering her words from earlier when they had been at each others' throats. Don't touch me, don't come near me, disgusting, dishonorable, disgraceful.

Even as one arm hangs helpless from his sleeve and he's all but falling apart himself, he repeats:]

You are hurt. I will bear the blame of it. I will bear that responsibility.

[His eyes beseech her to trust him, just this once. Gilgamesh was not a creature prone to sympathy, but like this, she would disappear. It's a matter of pragmatism, too.]

[Saber drops down to one knee, eyeing the injury to her leg and assessing the severity of it. she could limp her way out of here if necessary, but how far would she get before encountering someone who could assist her? her thoughts of strategy are interrupted when assistance is offered from the least likely source. honestly, what alternate universe has she been thrust into now?

Gilgamesh wishes to help her??? don't make her laugh. all he's ever done is the opposite.

his words are refuted the moment they leave his mouth. it's difficult for her to accept the fact that his intentions are honest. this is after all the same man who refused to shoulder any sense of responsibility moments prior. now he wishes to take it all upon himself to right the situation? her grip tightens on the sword as he draws closer, he's in no shape to fight but neither is she... then again he did just tear a demon to shreds with his bare hands. she won't be quite so naive as to underestimate him. she meets his pleading gaze with nothing more than cold indifference.]

I've no need of you in such a capacity.

[her words are sharp, like the sting of a knife against flesh as she barks back at him stubbornly. she would rather face a fate unknown than accept help from the likes of him.]

T'is but a flesh wound in comparison to others I have sustained.

[like that one time during the fourth war when he impaled her. repeatedly. remember that??? she certainly does, which is why it's so easy to refuse him despite the fact she's well aware of the severity of the situation.]

Rather, your concern is better suited to your own survival from here on out.

[Gilgamesh cuts through her refusal the same way he always does: with unrelenting stubbornness. In this much, she'll know he remains very much himself.]

Chop my hand off, then, if you dislike it so much. I do not care.

[And perhaps against better judgment, he steps close. Into her territory, into striking range. She really could do serious damage to him as he is now, and especially when he makes a daring move to touch her leg. But it indeed seems to be as he says, that he's seeking to help rather than cause another argument, as a warm glow envelopes his hand and soon reaches to the wound.

It starts to stitch itself together. Gilgamesh has only so much to spare with their natural magic trickling back in at a slower rate, but he gives it to her. It flows through every part of her body until it reaches the troubled area and commits itself to healing. Gilgamesh stays right where he is, knowing full well that Saber was the same as any other Servant—she could end his life at any time with a single swing of her sword.

He trusts that she won't. Even if she shoves him back at this stage, it won't matter. The spell will remain with her and finish the job. Quietly, he mutters:]

You truly are something of a martyr, you know.

[But seeing her in action, recognizing they worked well as a team... that had been enough to change his mind from it's your fault to I will bear it. Perhaps he'll forget it later, same as that time in the jail cell. Perhaps he'll be cold and cruel to her again outside of this.

But for now, it's his hand on her leg, and she'll just have to bear it.]

I shall survive. So too will you.

[Saber shifts her weight to move out of range but she's not quick enough to get to her feet before Gilgamesh has already settled directly in front of her. her body jerks reflexively as his hand moves to rest atop her thigh, eyes flashing with hostility. she hisses with displeasure upon contact together as her stomach churns with a disgust he's proved himself well deserving of in the past.

not a second later he'll find her sword at his throat, the sharp edge of the blade pressing in against the vulnerable flesh. her hardened gaze locks onto his, a wordless exchange, warning him just how liable she is to slit his throat. she could kill him in a heartbeat and she wouldn't so much as bat an eyelash. but the stern expression he bears back at her suggests he already knows this.

the soft glow emitting from his hand reflects in his eyes and captures her attention as her gaze flickers down momentarily, watching in quiet astonishment as his magic proceeds to mend the torn flesh back together again.

his chiding comment has her eyes meeting his once more, only this time she stares at him quizzically... searching those deep pools of red for some form of explanation for this sudden shift in behavior. this close, it's difficult not to notice how vivid those crimson orbs of his really are, unlike any she's ever seen and comparable only to fresh blood pouring from a wound. up until now she'd only ever wished to see the life drained from them at the other end of Excalibur. this world has already given her the chance once before and she'd declined. now here she is for the second time being offered yet another opening to take his life and free herself of an unwanted burden.... yet still she stays her hand. a silent extension of kindness to mirror the generosity he's shown her.

though she feels it's pertinent to correct that last statement of his;]

The likelihood of you emerging from this affair with your life intact is rapidly decreasing the longer your hand lingers upon my person.

[her strict tone of voice suggests she means business, the itch to lash out at him in response to his disregard for her refusal can only be stifled for so long, after all. even if it's ultimately for her own benefit, he's still pushing his limits here... but then again that's really nothing new as far as he's concerned.]

[Gilgamesh must admit to certain degree of thrill, having her sword pressed so close, so harsh. He preferred his women dangerous this way, dangerous to the point of outright murderous behavior, and Saber has been definitively pushed to such a point—if he shifted his hand even the slightest bit in the wrong direction, he would surely lose it. If he spoke another word that displeased her, she'd cut into him and end his life.

But he doesn't and she won't. Very much aware of the weapon's presence yet refusing to budge from what he'd claimed himself as his responsibility, he stays until the last of the wound disappears. And once it does, Gilgamesh's hand falls away, and those red, red eyes of his stare at Saber. He doesn't move otherwise, purposely lingers in that vulnerable area. Dares her to do it, even. There's something distant and something deep in his gaze, something that lies far beyond her. Something ancient and something wise that only belonged on the face of the one that ruled them all.]

I have seen fear. I have faced death. You offer me neither of these things, King of Knights.

[The blade proves so keen that it bleeds him even with the mildest contact. But Gilgamesh does not flinch from it. He looks to the widening rift, their salvation.]

More await outside. I can sense them. Do not waste this gift I've given you. Be mindful of yourself and your power, lest you disappear.

[How fitting that Gilgamesh remains kneeling before her, as if paying respect. And perhaps in his words there is some. But mostly his tone is cautionary—yes, he would dare advise her. Yes, he would push those limits this far, because he is coming to know her better, because her ideals are too strong to casually take a life.

So close. So close. A centimeter more, and she could claim his head. If she allows it, he will move now.]

Beware, Arturia... do not fall to temptation.

[It would later prove almost damning advice. As if he knew all along what would happen.]

Edited 2016-02-08 12:21 (UTC)

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

EVENT ★ SYMPATHY FOR THE DEVIL

escape;

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cw: gore

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1/3

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3/3 i'm not sorry for anything

i lied, have one more for shits and giggles

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