Unwelcome Company
Who: Saber, Gilgamesh
What: Saber is having a perfectly lovely time window-shopping, when she discovers she has some unexpected --and entirely unwelcome-- company.
Where: Interdimensional Market
When: 25 April 2009
Watch For: Gil being his usual creeper stalker self. Green apple soda, African grey parrots, and the famed lion plushie.
Saber's scoping of her new surroundings seemed to, at times, take her to some truly strange places. Today was no different. She had never seen a market of this size before, neither during her natural lifetime in Britain nor her magic-sustained existence as a Servant in Fuyuki City. The casual observer would be hard-pressed to notice her sense of being overwhelmed, but even then, her eyes subtly betrayed her by shifting quickly around from one new vision to the next. There was so much to take in, and even the normally-stoic King of Knights found her sense of curiosity gradually overcoming her.
So many things she had never seen before! She paused to peer at a bottle of green-coloured liquid that seemed to boil within the glass -- if indeed it was glass -- with no visible heat source. Its identity escaped her, but it was quite fascinating to see. In another, she noticed a strange grey bird with a thick beak that seemed to be able to speak like a human being. She found wonders such as these much more interesting than the shiny baubles in other shops.
But something else had caught her eye entirely in what was apparently a toy shop: it was a doll made like an animal, and for all intents and purposes looked quite like a lion. She could not resist it, how very strange and yet --on some level, it very much appealed to her.
Almost on their own, her arms lifted to pluck the toy from the shelf it rested on. Unfortunately, the toy was beyond the reach of the petite king. With a slight frown, she stood on the tips of her toes, trying to reach it, but to no avail.
The King of Knights may have found such ordinary, ridiculous things suitable of her attention. Her fellow monarch however saw them merely as idle wastes of time, the meaningless works of a decadent society. Still, he was kind enough to understand that a woman must be allowed her flights of fancy, so this otherwise vulgar behavior was forgiven. Oh yes, he'd been observing, following, watching...through means known only to him it would seem, but means he possessed nonetheless.
A humored smirk sets on his face as he watches the target of his affections struggle to reach some toy...and fail. Really, was this the same willful woman he'd fought not a week ago? Much as he enjoyed her that way, he wouldn't mind seeing this side of her more often as well. All in good time, the Sumerian decided. For now...?
A longer, sable-coated arm reaches above Saber's head to pluck the lion plush from the shelf. Should she turn, she'll see none other than the Archer-Class servant himself, Gilgamesh, holding the toy in both his hands. An amused smirk and quirked brows frame his boyish looks; He seems utterly casual and at ease.
"I never would have imagined you'd be interested in such things, Saber." He eyes the object curiously, understanding flashing within his crimson eyes, "Ah, but you are the lion of Britain. Please." He presents the stuff imitation almost reverently.
Her somewhat good mood was soured almost immediately as soon as the bane of her existence made a most unwelcome appearance. It had already been a two-fold embarrassing situation, both in failing to reach the topmost shelf as well as betraying an interest in the toy lion in the first place. But the fact that it was her hated enemy who had caught her in this precarious position added insult to injury.
She might otherwise have betrayed herself with a slight flush of her cheeks, but as her hatred overrode all else. Instead, she glared at him coldly, her arms dropping to her sides and refusing to accept it from him.
"No, thank you," she replied icily. As much as she despised the King of Heroes, there was no excuse for not following proper protocol.
That affable air the Golden King possessed about him could change so instantly, as Saber was sure to know. That benevolent gaze hardens to the razor-sharp edge of knife within the span of second, eyes narrowed at the woman's rebuff. His mouth quirks into a displeased frown, a roil of boiling anger pulsing through his being for just a moment's notice...
And then it is discarded with all the carelessness in which he flings his power noble phantasms, "As you like, then." He shall place that meaningless object back upon it's perch without missing a beat, fitting his attention then on the far more valuable object before him. "Really though, what's with that look?" His infuriating smile is back in its proper place, perhaps aggravating all the more in that no violence may be done in this place, "I came all the way here to see you after all, are you not being a little rude?" Clearly, they both had their own opposing senses of decorum, "I'm not even here to fight; I will abide honorably by the King's Treaty in place on this in-between realm. All I want is to talk with you a bit, it has been so long."
Musing thoughtfully, an almost innocent expression of curiosity rises on Gilgamesh's face as he taps his chin, a look surely out of place on one in which the capacity for such cruelty as has been witnessed, "Sadly, we are missing the King of Conquerors, so this cannot properly be called another meeting of Kings." Sneering, he regards her avariciously; They both knew who was responsible for that, "But if you can turn up, I suppose he might as well. Indeed, I hope so. Still, there are advantages to a more informal, private session..." His eyes must certainly say what his words leave unspoken.
If the King of Heroes thought that her hatred of him could be so easily dissuaded, he truly was a fool. That he thought of her as an object not unlike the lion toy had been apparent to her from the beginning. And if he thought that she could be similarly purchased, well, he was certainly in for a rude awakening. Even if he had been completely oblivious to her continued rejections.
Her glare never lessened, even in this place she refused to trust him in any shape, manner, or form. Destroyer of countless civilisations and lives, she did not dare to lower her guard even in an otherwise safe location. Moreover, Gilgamesh wielded weapons other than those which could be summoned from the Gate of Babylon. She knew better than to underestimate him even here.
As low as she thought of him and however depths she thought he would sink to, Gilgamesh never failed to surprise her when he sunk to new lows. Her previous glare morphed into one of mixed disgust and disbelief. "You--"
Speechless again, mere words did no justice to the revulsion she felt, a natural reaction towards his licentiousness. She would have summoned Excalibur on the spot and had her sword speak for her had they not been in the Hub.
A muted, but nonetheless aristocratic laugh issues from the Hero-King's lips at Saber's repulsed expression, "Oh, so now we are modest..?" One hand plants itself on the wall facing the other servant's back, "Well, that's a fine quality for a maiden to have." Leaning a bit closer, Gilgamesh's stare into Arturia's own quite deeply, manifesting the same barely restrained hunger she'd seen the night of their reunion. He'd no doubt present quite the intimidating figure to someone who knew what was capable of in this scenario, but the King of Knights was another matter entirely.
"Really now, Saber, why do you persist in this obstinacy?" A lone brow quirks highly, "The Grail War has ceased, you may exist independently of it now. You have a new life to enjoy, just as I do. So why not enjoy it? What else might you possibly have to do?" Boredom certainly seemed to be a potent motivator in much of his activities at least, but he wonders how much Saber's own reputable stoicism can tolerate.
"I see you have taken up with that bothersome organization." Just speaking of the IPA seems elicit a sigh from him, "Those people are not worthy of you, the King of Knights. At my side, you will learn of all the earthly pleasures and delights. Each day shall be a bright new dawn for the two of us." On the bright side, he had a captive audience; She would not be able to refute his persuasions with her sword, "Any sensible King must bow to a greater one, there is no shame for you to submit. It is perfectly natural."
While other, less-wilful persons would be intimidated by the King of Heroes's advances, the King of Knights glared back, seething in quiet rage. What those sea-green eyes reflected back was not only a deep-seated loathing, but that if she had been able, she would have drawn Excalibur before ever allowing him into her personal space. In fact, any longing in her eyes would have been that she could simply cut him down before enduring any more such indignity.
"That is quite far enough, Archer," she told him, folding her arms over her chest. "And modesty has nothing to do with it."
"The Grail was merely one way to achieve what I truly want. Rather than waste my time with such --"
She paused briefly to place emphasis on her next word, putting as much disgust into her voice as possible. "--base pursuits, I would much prefer to spend my time doing something useful."
Saber's eyes narrowed into slits. Whether or not she trusted the organisation as a whole, the fact that it bothered Gilgamesh made it at least something worthwhile. "Well now -- not that it is any business of yours, but yes. Some are not so different from the knights who served Britain."
An involuntary snort escaped her. "If that is true, then at least now you know why I will never bow to you."
While she hardly thought herself a great king, Gilgamesh certainly wasn't. At least, if the King of Heroes had ever been someone worthy of the love of his people, he was no longer. As insufferable as he had been during the War, something about him seemed even more repulsive than ever.
An annoyed cluck of the tongue precedes a distinctly annoyed look from Gilgamesh at that last comment. There was much he would tolerate from Saber that no one else in existence could afford to get away with, but such overt defiance was -still- annoying. "Hmph, is that what you think?" Withdrawing, he'll cross his arms stubbornly and fit her with a chilled frown, "I am quite fond of you Saber, but I'll discipline you for that, at the proper time and place. Don't forget my decree; I am still expecting you, though I will give you a bit more time." Before taking matters into his own hands, that King seems to suggest. He want Saber at her best for their next strength, and is willing to wait for her to accrue the necessary prana.
"Heh, so that's it, hm?" Quick on the uptake when necessary, he believes he's uncovered Arturia's new motivation, "You think you can find something else like the grail out on one of those worlds? Something that can grant your wish?" He laughs the idea off; Not the prospect of another grail, but that she is still chasing after such an irrelevant, "Well, I had the same thought, myself. Though you can continue to exist independent of the Grail now, your current form will not be of use to me." Now there was a statement dripping with suspect, but good luck getting any more out of him, if she even deigns to press the matter.
"Really though." A stray hand reaches up to brush his golden hair idly, casting a brief glance around to make sure they weren't attracting attention, "It reflects badly on me if you take up with such mongrels...but I suppose I cannot stop you, for now. You'll only make it more difficult for them, though. Can your kingly chivalry bear that burden, Saber?" The implication in the matter was clear. While the King of Heroes respected her willfulness in his own way, he had nothing but contempt for the Kingship she preached, finding her rule weak, ineffective and characterized by an unrealistic desire to please everyone instead of finding solace in pleasing herself. For all she found him an inferior ruler, he thought the same of her. It was a strange contradiction that the same nobility was what so entranced him to the diminutive warrior romantically.
She was honestly surprised that Gilgamesh backed off at that point, the surprise reflected for a brief moment in her slightly-widened eyes. But whatever respect Saber might have rendered towards him for that was all too quickly dissipated by the words that followed them. Whatever nobility he may have once possessed was so buried underneath that of a depraved tyrant for so long that even a mere glimpse of it was as fleeting as any mirage, quickly buried beneath so many layers of corruption. She would almost pity him of she did not find him so utterly repulsive, the almost polar opposite of everything she cherished.
"You will be waiting unto Judgment Day itself," she told him primly, gladly taking his annoyance or anger over his mockery or pretense of affection. "Go find some other trinket to amuse yourself with, for I will not suffer you."
He was awarded with a scowl and a soft 'tche' of disapproval for his trouble. "Perhaps, perhaps not. That there may be other means to grant my wish through some way other than a relic, and that wish I will not relinquish."
For all her fury when it came to the King of Heroes, the fury in her eyes from what lengths she would go to in order to be granted her wish ascended even her hatred of him. Even if her spirit were crushed into a thousand pieces and she could fight no more, she would not give that up. He would have better luck commanding the very heavens to move.
Still, whatever evil designs his cryptic words hinted at could not be good. She masked that concern with a disdainful scowl.
"I really do not care how it reflects on you. As I said, find something else to amuse yourself that will not reflect so poorly on you." Planting her fists firmly on her hips, she continued to glare at him. Even with her prana level far from what she needed it to be to fight him effectively, she would not have thought twice about showing him just how much she appreciated his continued mockery.
"Whether or not I continue to assist them, it makes no difference as far as your designs on me are concerned. And it will be a burden I bear gladly." As plagued with inferiority as she was, she nonetheless had her pride as a knight, and it was something she had no qualms about displaying before him. It was the one thing in this world she took pride in regarding herself, and his continued contempt only served to lower him further in her eyes.
"Trinket?" Gilgamesh shall scoff at the word, tilting his head towards Saber seriously, his brow lowered with disappointment, "Do not speak so poorly of yourself Saber, for you are no trinket. You are a treasure beyond compare; fiercer than the sharpest sword, more beautiful than the brightest jewel, elegant beyond the most potent wine." Eyes widening with each descriptor, the depth of his excitement and obsession becomes increasingly apparent, "Gold pales when placed next to you! If I am as bright as the sun, your pale beauty is that of the moon. You are all that I desire amidst this useless, hollow assortment of sad worlds, and for as long as I exist, I shall pursue you..." The Sumerian Hero leans over once again, speaking in a bare whisper aside her ear, "And neither law of nature nor edict of man shall keep me from. You -shall- be mine, Arturia Pendragon."
And like a flip of the switch he withdraws once again, all trace of dangerous intensity gone from his face, "But I can see I've caught you in a foul mood. I'll be sure to call on you again when you are in higher spirits, but I warn you against ignoring me for too longer, or you will find your God's reckoning day arriving pre-maturely." The subdued fires in his eyes roil again at that proclamation, reiterating the point that whatever she may think of him, the King of Heroes is not one to be thought of lightly or discarded out of hand. "I hope you will not make light of the depth of my passion for you again either, it does wound me so." Absurdly, he pantomimes an arrow striking him in the heart, before miraculously turning to leave. He could always find her again, after all.
"Oh, also..." Like something he'd forgot, the Great King casually reaches over...
and promptly knocks the lion plush from the shelf he'd placed it upon, conveniently landing at her feet.
"No one minds if a woman relies on others, you know." With that parting shot, the fifth king of Uruk removes himself from the store.
Saber froze, her eyes wide --yet neither retort nor rejection rose to her lips. And while it was hardly the first time she had been rendered speechless, the very nature of it was unique. She was nothing more than an object to him, and his lust and obsession were easily dismissed as merely wanting that which he --as the Golden King who believed himself to be entitled to /all/ the riches of the world-- did not have as his possession. And, once attaining it, would discard it as so much dross, to simply be tossed into his Vault once he became properly bored with it, like a child grown tired of a new toy.
--Or was it? Again, there was the faint hint at a true Heroic Spirit worthy of reverence, though once more she believed herself to be simply imagining things for all the corruption hiding it. But even then, the uncertainty remained.
In truth, she could not understand it, being seen as a woman. Whether she was loved or despised, respected or mocked, she had been a Knight and a King, and not a soul thought of her as anything other than a man. But she hated the fact that the only one who had ever seen her in another way had been him. It almost made her sick think about it. No, he was seeing that which was not there; she ceased to be a woman when she withdrew Caliburn from its ceremonial stone. It had been praise meant for someone who was not her, even if he would not see it.
It was probably not a wise decision to be completely honest; though chivalry demanded that she refrain from lies, as a prudent ruler she understood all too well that truth, on occasion, needed to be obfuscated. But perhaps to honour the memory of the Feast of Kings, or perhaps to try to make him understand somehow, she spoke plainly and dispassionately.
"Yet, you mock what I am," she said guardedly, "I am a knight and a king. Whatever it is you wish me to be, I cannot be anything other than what I am, any more than a sword can cease being a sword."
And with that, it was gone. She frowned again; she had been in quite a good mood before he had appeared. However, she withheld the sour comment that was on the tip of her tongue. Perhaps if her silence would finally silence him, she could suppress her simmering anger, and did nothing more than glower at him.
She made no move to retrieve the toy, watching him with a cynical eye as Gilgamesh at last took his leave. It was not until she was reasonably certain that he was gone that she knelt to pick it up off the floor, glowering at the stuffed lion by proxy. He was wrong: her burdens she could not share with another soul. He should have understood that much, at least; it was possibly the one single point of the Path of the King that they agreed upon. It was the duty of a King to bear the weight of his people upon his shoulders --a duty that each King must bear alone.