epidemiology | PLAYER EVENT ★ HELIOLOGY

PLAYER EVENT ★ HELIOLOGY

INTRODUCTION.

It's difficult to tell time without the presence of a sun or moon. There are no stars. The world is in constant blackness, the heavens barely visible from below and the only light artificial. It's been like this for months.

Suddenly, those who expressed interest in observing the sun (or lack thereof) will all at once receive a text message on their ALASTAIR jewellery from 82736775:

Get your shit and go look at the sky. Now's the time. If you need me, I'm around.

It's time to get to work.

OBSERVATION.

Find the highest point you can and point the telescopes at the sky. Should be easy, right?

Be mindful that there are still guards patrolling the city, looking for escaped prisoners, and some citizens would be very happy to tip them off to your presence. There are still animals in the forests to contend with, and there are still nosey citizens who may ask you too many questions. There are also your fellow ALASTAIR agents, who may not be very willing to share the spot they already staked out before you just showed up.

People and animals aren't all you need to look out for, either. Seven hours after the observation starts, there is a lightning storm. It lasts for 30 minutes, bolts of electricity arcing across the sky. It might be a good idea to scurry down someplace lower when this happens -- you know what they say about lightning and height.

82736775 doesn't contact anyone after the initial text, so observers are free to give up whenever they decide they've been sitting out in the freezing dark for long enough.

[ note: even if you didn't sign up, feel free to tag in! your character won't have a telescope but that doesn't mean they can't mingle. ]

[ previously: ic info | ooc info ]
[ direct questions here! ]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[And then she realizes how close she is to her Servant, and well, being shoulder to shoulder with him. She looks down at their close quarters and back up at him again before she shoves the telescope back in his hand.

Her excitement got the best of her.

The Gem clears her throat and sheepishly floats away from him once again, lazily floating backwards after a jerky pull away.]

Yes. It's. Quite something!

[Gilgamesh accepts the telescope back with a chuckle, allowing Pearl her space. It was worth it. She was happy. She was overjoyed. Less with him than with the situation, but he could pretend—pretend that he hadn't made another mistake, that the giddy grin was all for him.

Gilgamesh holds the device to his chest and glances over at Pearl. His eyes are undeniably warm.]

How brilliantly you shine, in your own element. There's no need to be so shy.

[In that moment, he looks very proud of his Master. For that honest display of enthusiasm, for that smile she shared with him.]

It's nothing.

[She says rather stubbornly. How foolish she was to get so wrapped up in all this. And letting Gilgamesh see all this. Pearl scrubs at her face before she tugs up the scarf under her nose once more, as if it would hide her embarrassment.

The Gem rests her wrists at the base of her ankles as her knees come up to her chest once more. She stares down at the city, resting her nose against her knees as she does so, feeling how cold it was compared to the rest of her body.

After an uncomfortable pause, Pearl shifts in the air, clearing her throat. Professional, and meek at the same time.]

Thank you. For showing me that.

[Gilgamesh raises his eyebrows and all that affection warps into pure mischief.]

Are you chilly, by chance?

[The correct answer to this question is no, though that may not avail her from inappropriate intervention judging from that conniving expression.]

[Pearl lifts her head from her knees. While she can withstand the cold pretty well, better than the average human, she still hits her limits. She wasn't like Garnet who could withstand extreme heat and cold. Being high up in the air like this did little to tame the small shivers that ran down her spine here or there.]

I'm fine. [She mutters as she pulls her scarf up and around her cheeks.]

Truly?

[Because Gilgamesh doesn't sound as though he believes it. He approaches from behind and ever so subtly weaves arms around her shoulders. Wearing a more subdued smile now, he watches the very corner of her eyes with his own that are vivid and dark all at once.

To label this as putting the moves on would be something of an understatement.]

It's alright to tell me. I would not think less of you for it.

[And for as bothersome as his closeness might be, he's certainly warm enough for the both of them. It may very well have been his plan all along.]

It is quite enjoyable to have you in my arms, after all, so I hardly mind the excuse.

[She closes her eyes and crosses her arms stubbornly. Of course she was fine! She just needed to get back down to ground level and then she'd be--

Then there are arms wrapped around her. Around her shoulders. Granted, he's held her a few times before, but never this intimately. His voice next to her ear like that. It causes the Gem to tense up in his hold. A frightened bird in the coils of a snake. She knows he can be coy but, she was much more worried about the pair of fangs he was carrying. She would have been fine with it before, and not nearly as tense. Ready to spring away.

Her shoulders hunch, trying to make herself look smaller instinctively, staring ahead of herself.]

Hrnf... [Pearl mutters into her scarf, avoiding those red eyes of his, unsure of what to say about the situation. He was warm, but it did little to ease her anxiety.]

[Gilgamesh either doesn't pick up on or doesn't particularly care for those fearful reactions, as he only draws nearer rather than away. And those eyes are indeed focused on her, intensely so. When Gilgamesh found a target of obsession, he tended not to let go of it—not for anything. Such was the extent of his so-called passions.

However, he at least seems to sense her discomfort so high up, and so together they begin to float slowly back down. Still with his head nestled on her shoulder, still with that smoldering gaze that couldn't really be mistaken for anything else.

It was sometimes said that Gilgamesh's ludicrously high Charisma was something of a curse. Perhaps none know that better than Pearl right now.]

Let us get you back inside. You seem to have a particularly low threshold for, ah, excitement.

[He's gently poking fun. But a note of concern lingers there that perhaps she didn't do so well with heights.]

[Her cheeks inflate with a frown. Normally when she is this high in the air, she's either in a ship, or using a warp pad to travel. However, in this situation, she was left to Gilgamesh's devices. Ones she couldn't completely control herself. Pearl eases her tense muscles, seeing them slowly lower to the ground.]

I do not have a low threshold! I am content. And that's that.

[With those cheeks still ballooned with an even tighter pout, she steals a glance at Gilgamesh before averting her gaze. Those crimson eyes so up close like that. It sent a shiver down her spine.]

You are pouting, uqru.

[Gilgamesh fails to elaborate on the slip into a foreign tongue, unfolding from the half-embrace only to take her by the hand and guide her safe and sound again onto solid ground once they've descended. He holds to her fingers longer than truly necessary, as had become habit. He studies her with a softer expression.]

Perhaps you're in need of a massage when we return? I don't know if you've heard, but an Archer's hands are simply divine.

[So says the man who bragged about manifesting as any class. This conversation was headed nowhere good.]

[After being so weightless, Pearl tries her best to gather her bearings once they land. Right. Gravity was a thing. She stumbles a few steps upon landing, instinctively holding on tighter to Gilgamesh's hand as support. Thankfully, she doesn't trip over herself. Pearl straightens up, smoothing out the front of her shirt modestly, tossing back one of the ends of her scarf over her shoulder to rest comfortably over it.

At his offer, she visibly bristles like a startled cat, only for a brief moment. She pulls her hand away and shakes her head furiously.]

That won't be necessary! I'm relaxed now! [She laughs, a little forced as she twirls on one foot to emphasize how relaxed she was!]

See? Totally relaxed!

[Alright, that trips his inner alarm. Gilgamesh raises a skeptical eyebrow at his Master and folds his arms in a an inquistive sort of pose.]

Has something gotten into you? You're acting rather strangely.

[She seemed... off. Anxious. And he somehow doubts it's because of their little night ride. He probes at her thoughts questioningly but does not delve beneath the surface just yet; he trusts she'll simply tell him what's the matter rather than continue to dance around it.

And still Gilgamesh remains completely oblivious that anything he's done may have made her the slightest bit uncomfortable.]

[Pearly straightens up and shakes her head. If he does scrub her thoughts, they're a jumbled mess, questions and thoughts bombarding it. Which make no sense. Her mind running rampant. she rests her hands on her own hips.]

Nothing has gotten into me, haha! I'm just recovering from. Being in the air! I've never flown like that before! Usually it's in a spaceship! Or some kind of vessel!

[She waves her hand dismissively, accompanied by more awkward laughter...]

We should get back to our... sungazing! Should we not?

To our private time together, did you mean?

[This conversation continues to spiral downhill. Made all the worse by how he approaches her and winds an arm about her waist with a clever wink. There's being dense and then there's being Gilgamesh and that appears to be in a special class all its own.]

We may watch from our room. And make our own stars.

[Gilgamesh may or may not be referring to actual stars...]

[Dear stars. Pearl's eyes widen as he stares up at her Servant. Her chest inflates as she pulls her hands close to it, trying to make herself a little smaller in his hold.

She tries to respond to him, but she feels tongue become tied, and her throat dry as well. Seeing as words weren't coming to her, her body grows tense and--]

[And then she places her hand against his face, gently pushing him at him, her blush reaching down to her collarbone, hidden beneath her scarf. She looks away from Gilgamesh, trying to hide said blush from him. He was very... forward. Pearl was not familiar with people being that way towards her. If anything, it had been decades... Heck, she couldn't even remember the last time she--]

It's not our room!

[Gilgamesh misinterprets the gesture, holding that hand to his cheek and leaning into her touch. At once he becomes docile and quiet; almost like considerate if not for the ignorance that got them this far in the first place. He presumes the blush to be one of pleasure and so continues to push his luck, undeterred.]

Then come to mine.

[Like this, he's handsome, and gentle, full of poise and grace. Hardly a man who forced himself upon others or demanded the unthinkable. He peers at her expectantly, as if hoping for something. Wanting to hear one answer in particular he'd been angling for all along.

For all that he'd deceived her, he was honest in at least one regard: the affection shown her was very real, indeed, if twisted by his own nature.]

Unless you've suddenly found yourself otherwise engaged...?

[If it were possible, steam would be escaping from her scarf by now. Her eyes meet his contrasting ones. Pale blue meeting deep blood red ones. How he held her hand like that. His eyes soft, causing her chest to flutter. Her breath is caught in her throat, not that she needs air to breathe anyways, but. None the less, Pearl is taken aback by the simple gesture. But it said a lot none the less.

Her eyes search his face, brows knitting in conflict yet again. He could get like this a lot. But he's known for being crafty. He had been before. Gilgamesh had a lot to make up for. Her fingers twitch against his temple, unsure of what to do with themselves in their new position.

She opens her mouth to speak but she bites the inside of her cheek in uncertainty. Pearl pulls her hand back, shaking her head.]

I can't. [She tries to offer him an apologetic smile.]

You have a lot to prove to me, Gilgamesh. These dances, these outings of affection... [The Gem glances down at her feet.]

While they are endearing, I just can't. Not after all we've been through. [And then her gaze narrows in realization, a frown pulling at her lips...]

And what you've been up to as of late. Especially during the holiday festivities.

...?

[Gilgamesh looks confused. Realization that would dawn for most never comes for him; he just stands there, a bit put out, uncertain as to why she's bringing the matter up. A lot to prove? But he had nothing to prove. His mind struggles to twist around the logic but can't quite make the connection, other than that he's being refused. That much Gilgamesh can understand. That much he knows from experience.

And then she mentions what he's been up to and it slams into him all at once.]

Rin Tohsaka.

[Gilgamesh glances away. A fist forms at his side. Briefly, he sees red. And Pearl will know it, too, will feel it over the bond: he's quietly furious.]

She spoke to you once more. And that Servant of hers...

[Undoubtedly he'd been making the rounds by her order. No wonder it got around to her. There's simply no other way.]

Is that it, then? You took her word over mine? Without even bothering to clarify the truth?

[Pearl pulls from his hold and jabs a finger in his chest. She sees that flash of red, but she's not going to shy away from it. Not at all. Rin was obviously bothered by it. And Archer did come by to spar with Pearl. She was surprised he didn't take action against her.]

I know how forward you can get with people! Like you did with Kida when you two first met!

[She pulls her hand away and stares up at him, arms crossed over her chest as she raises her eyebrows high on her forehead.]

I'm not looking to start any conflicts here, Gilgamesh. And have yet to tell your side of the story.

[Pearl squares her shoulders.]

I'm willing to listen your side of the story.

She disrespected me as her father did before her. I've no apologies to make to some bratty child who's incapable of holding her tongue in the presence of her batters and I will not offer explanations for every instance I draw breath, as it seems you would have me do.

[Gilgamesh isn't hurt so much as seriously offended. He's nearly bristling and now seems more than a bit paranoid, glancing over his shoulder and spreading his prana to verify he's not being listened in on here, as well. It brings a terrifying sort of light to eyes, that of a hunter, or of one who finds himself hunted.]

There is no continuing on like this. You jeopardize your own safety by continuing to communicate with those who would treat us as enemies.

[And he does realize he won't get through to her absent extremes, so he tells her, point blank:]

Archer would slit your throat given the opportunity; the girl would not shed a tear. You make misstep after misstep, Pearl, and it brings me shame.

[...it brings me shame.

It strikes something within the Gem. Flashes back to homeworld. Superior Gems looking down upon her with great distaste for not acting accordingly. Pearl lowers her gaze, her hands hanging limply at her sides. He had a point. What was the point in interacting with this Master and her Servant? She was being put to risk, by her own doing.

She lifts her branded gloved hand to her chest.]

B-But I can hold my own! I can defend myself, Gilgamesh! I've been around for nearly 6,000 years! I'm not going to let someone strike me down so easily! [While she tries to plead her case, the edge of her voice shakes with hesitation, his last comment having done its damage to her self confidence.

And just when she thought things were going alright too.]

Together.

[Gilgamesh lets that word sink in for several moments, strong, critical, and sharp. Her ego may be hurt; her confidence may be shaken. So be it. She needs to hear this. This is a discussion they could no longer avoid. This is trap he refuses to fall into again and again.]

So defined by the contract, we act in tandem. United. Hiding these things from each other, concealing important information—it certainly makes us a pair. A pair of rats scurrying about blindly in the dark with vultures above us trying to pick at our bones.

[Gilgamesh shakes his head, allows himself to look withered. Worn about the edges. And this truly was tiring him out, faster than he ever would've anticipated.]

Strength has little to do with it. Servants do not obey the rules of decorum, Pearl. He will hunt you to get to me. You understand, don't you?

[But Gilgamesh was beginning to suspect she didn't. Not until just now.]

[She hunches her shoulders, almost flinching at his emphasizing. She brings her hands up to rub at her arms, head drooping as if she were a child being scolded. Like she had been told before, maybe she wasn't cut out for this. Being a Master to the King of Heroes. Then again, maybe she was going about this all wrong. Which was probably why she was being frowned upon by her own Servant.

She nods meekly, the weight of the situation settling in between her heavy shoulders. She speaks, barely above a whisper.]

Yes. I understand. I'm...

[...sorry. She bites her tongue. That was the last thing Gilgamesh would want to hear.]

I'll keep my distance from them.

Edited 2016-01-11 03:50 (UTC)

[And for the first time since arriving in this world, for the first time in years, Gilgamesh feels lonely. Faraway from the one person he was so certain he could trust, in a sea of enemies that now surrounded him—but maybe extending that trust had been where he'd gone wrong to begin with.

It would take only a few seconds to divest her of the Seals. He considers it. If it was such a mistake, then maybe...]

I can see that I have displeased you as well. I regret it.

[...maybe he can admit fault this time. Maybe it was for the best.]

I will return to my quarters, and so remain until you have cause to summon me. On my account... there will be no further trouble.

[He sounds utterly extinguished. In that much, there is earnestness.]

PLAYER EVENT ★ HELIOLOGY

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