video; [KINGOFHEROES]

[babbylon]

[The feed opens to Gilgamesh lounging on a couch, wine in hand, smirking faintly at nothing in particular. A snowy white lion which some of you may recognize lies curled on the floor, napping away; as for Gilgamesh himself, he's as relaxed as could be. Quite a far cry from his time in imprisonment.

And indeed, when he speaks, he sounds confident as ever—albeit in a lazy sort of way, words flowing like syrup.]

What does "heroism" mean to you?

[An open-ended question he allows to hang, for a moment or so, before continuing on.]

Would you consider what we're doing here to fall along those lines? Or, perhaps... yes, I'm aware some of you are new to this little group activity of ours, regarding the sun. And doubtful that you're all as sincerely invested as ALASTAIR wishes us to be. It does seem a bit trifling.

[Only Gilgamesh could consider the death of light itself to be trifling. He yawns, then rolls over, kicking his feet impatiently like a child awaiting entertainment.]

If they all died, it wouldn't really matter, would it? ALASTAIR would spirit us away to the next grand adventure and the cycle starts anew.

[In his obstinance, Gilgamesh dumps his wine right on the floor. He seems to revel in it, in the mess he's made. In the mess he intends to make.]

So I suppose what I'm asking is [smile blossoming into a grin] do you believe it's possible to save everyone, at the expense of yourself? Is that the proper way of a hero, or just someone naive enough to pursue "goodness"? To those we put atop pedestals, were they ever worth admiring at all?

[His eyes narrow at his jewelry. To call them serpentine would be an understatement.]

To those who believe firmly in the principles of justice—do you earnestly think you were doing the right thing all along? I wonder.

Comments

[digophelia]

What do you expect? What did you want me to do? I can't carry you.

[babbylon]

Wasted your time on someone else.

[digophelia]

It wouldn't have been right for me to turn away from anyone I found in a cell.

[babbylon]

Do you always do the right thing, Alice?

[digophelia]

Not everyone does the "right" thing.

[babbylon]

You seem more aware of it than most.

[digophelia]

I've seen far too many who declare what they do is right and just and are complete monsters. The notion of being pure and perfect is utterly laughable. Mankind will never be without its flaws and what is good and evil isn't so clean cut. Did you expect me to say otherwise?

[babbylon]

I already knew what to expect. The way you cut apart men, how you fall into a rage when defending others...

[Even for me, it's unnerving.]

It speaks to someone who disregarded right and wrong long ago in favor of survival.

[digophelia]

I don't disregard them. I disregard the naivete that all will be well and to let another fix it for me.

[babbylon]

You're awfully frightening for something so small.

[But she probably knew that already.]

[digophelia]

How so?

[ Actually, no, she isn't at all aware. ]

[babbylon]

You tell me, "I'm not mad." But your actions suggest differently. They suggest...

[Is this being too harsh? No. She deserved it, as did all the others.]

...you lost your mind long ago, and you fight in desperation to defend what remains.

[digophelia]

[ Fairly harsh, yet, despite how angry it is, her anger is surprisingly well composed. It's not the first time she's been told this, nor is it going to be the last. The level of composure she possesses may be even more frightening.

It was never Alice's intent to be frightening, but if it kept her safe, so bet it. Despite being so close to losing her temper, she doesn't storm off. It's like being called insane by the Mad Hatter.

Maybe she's too used to this. ]

You would know that too well yourself, wouldn't you. You have very little room to speak in that matter.

[babbylon]

[Maybe he is, too. He doesn't even bat an eyelash at the accusation.]

How so?

[digophelia]

Your fixations are absurd, unreasonable. What good does it do to cling to things so fleeting and so out of your grasp? Those things do drive men to madness and considering how long you've been alive, I would say the same for you, too. You're obsessive.

[babbylon]

I play to win, to own, and to possess. What you label obsession, I qualify as greatness.

[digophelia]

Is it? It seems like insecurity.

[babbylon]

Over what, exactly? As I already told you, the world was once mine. If anything, it's...

how did i miss this

[digophelia]

It's what.

[ Her solution to her anger was to hold it up and countless times she will say in those cases that she isn't angry only to find her anger is bigger than she thought. ]

How should I know, what, exactly that is. But it's no different than a child trying to take whatever they lay eyes on, to mask whatever they feel. As I said -- unreasonable. Though, if you feel that way, maybe I ought to sink to your level and say this book is mine now and I'm not giving it back.

[ Spitey spite spite. ]

[babbylon]

Boredom.

[He sounds depressed. More so than he'd been in that cell. As if there were no greater foe he faced, and perhaps now it is true; perhaps he has grown so old and so jaded that he's simply tired of everything. A life lived only for the promise of fleeting excitement, for wine, for women, and for dying pleasures.]

I don't want it back. It was intended as a gift. To bring you some degree of peace, because I felt sorry for you in all your wretchedness.

[The words taste bitter on his tongue. He spits them out, unwanted.]

I can see now that was a mistake.

1/2

[digophelia]

I don't want or need pity.

[ Alice finds herself snapping, though there's something about this that makes her reconsider. If she feels guilty, it's hard to tell beyond her anger. She's not sure what to think about that, among other things. What good does that do for her? It won't undo what has been done, it won't bring back her father. It would be better to explain that she doesn't take to kindly to having her father somewhat insulted, let alone her.

But Alice is far too guarded to admit it's not the book, it was her father. It did bring her peace, it helped bring back the image of her father. Of course Alice isn't going to admit to that, stubborn as she is. ]

So what if I was grateful? That doesn't matter.

[digophelia]

It doesn't matter what you call me, I don't care anymore, I've been called plenty worse.

No, what matter is that in your arrogance, you've indirectly insulted a good man. Not a king or a legendary figure, a good man who cared deeply for those around him, especially his family. I don't care what you say about me or what transpired back in that cell, don't speak so lowly of him. If it weren't for him, I wouldn't be alive.

[babbylon]

Of course you don't.

[Gilgamesh just stares flatly into the feed. Something like defeated.]

You don't care about yourself in the slightest. Just like some lowly slave girl, and that's what's most pitiful of all.

[digophelia]

[ Sighing through her nostrils, Alice almost sounds equally tired, but she's still pretty angry to being referred to as mad. Insane. She will say she's used to it as much as she likes, without admitting to herself it's salt in the wounds.

No, she doesn't care that much for herself, she would even say she's a lost cause and has. Why not? She's been told that plenty of times before that she's started to believe it. ]

Why does it matter to you?

[ So she just blurts it out without even thinking. ]

[babbylon]

It doesn't.

[He's lying. It's obvious.]