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

[babbylon]

[Gilgamesh waves his hand and, as if by magic, a long spear appears from a golden portal, settling into his waiting grip.]

By putting you on the other end of this pike, of course.

[...he's joking, right? Right.]

[headlining]

[Keats looks like he's watching a magician fumble with a hat while trying to dig for the rabbit on the inside. Which is to say, he looks thoroughly unimpressed.]

[His tone is incredibly deadpan.]

The Gilgamesh fanboy shall try to kill me with a magical spear he summoned from out of nowhere. Whatever shall I do.

[babbylon]

Oh, I wouldn't kill you with it.

[Winning smile.]

You'd still be very much alive by the time it impaled you.

[headlining]

[His expression doesn't even falter. He almost sounds casual, like they're talking about the weather or something equally mundane.]

Oh, good! Gives me more time to talk your ear off, though I'm not sure if you want that, do you? Based on how huffy you got before.

[babbylon]

[Gilgamesh shoots the spear at the wall and it promptly disappears. Indeed, that attitude had him prickly earlier, but now that he's gotten used to it, it's almost cute. Like he's trying so hard for attention that he'll go about it by any means possible.

Gilgamesh, being Gilgamesh, fails to see the irony in this and opts for the patronizing approach.]

I don't know about that. You may very well tire yourself out first. Since I'm so magical and thus inexhaustible in every way.

[headlining]

Aw, you underestimate me. I've talked off the ears of many people before, I can't say a spear will stop that track record.

[He grins.]

But no need to involve spears. We can just have a good chat about your ideas. I'm a reporter for an occult magazine, after all. I'm sure my editors will love the Sumerian angle.

[babbylon]

A magazine...?

[babbylon]

Excellent! Interview me straight away! Ask me anything!

[Gilgamesh appears to have misunderstood...]

[headlining]

[Actually, you may not have misunderstood at all, Gil, because Keats, well...he kind of thinks he needs to do his job. He may be kidnapped by a strange organization and thrown into an alternate dimension, and he may not believe anything he's seeing, but damn him if he doesn't get a scoop out of this. Even if it is a hilarious scoop he'll probably chuckle over reading.]

[He works for an occult magazine, after all. Part of the stories in that thing are read for entertainment.]

Haha, alright, alright, calm down now, there's an order to these things. I'd have to record the thing, you see, so a possible interview could only be done face to face. Plus, I'm sure you would have a lot to say. I'd have to take notes, and all.

[babbylon]

[Gilgamesh looks positively ecstatic! Either he just has that much of a taste for the spotlight, or his moods were prone to whiplash; all talk of otherwise dismembering Keats disappears in favor of his big debut. Could friendship blossom between two unlikely comrades after all?!]

That will not pose an issue. And I will allow you to take appropriate documentation, nay, I insist upon it!

[He has to get everything just right. Oh, it's been too long since he's been in tabloids, this is so exciting...!]

We should commence at once! A story as riveting as this cannot wait!

[headlining]

[AND SO KEATS AVOIDED A TERRIBLE FATE OF BEING IMPALED BY A SPEAR. Ah, the act of appealing to Gilgamesh's vanity and narcissism, you saved the day. Somehow.]

Then set a time and a place, and I'll see what I can do about that. I can't shirk on my work, so I'd better get started on it soon enough.

[Just mentally going "HEADLINE: GILGAMESH IS A GIANT DWEEB INCARNATE" right now, don't mind him.]

[babbylon]

What? We cannot do it right now?

[He's impatient, alright. He's great and everyone needs to know about it.]

[headlining]

I wish I could, but I'm in awful need of a typewriter. I can't record your story without the tool to record it with, right?

[babbylon]

[Gilgamesh heaves a sigh, then renders his judgment thus:]

Three days. I can provide the device, so long as you provide an appropriate line of questioning. And everything else.

[headlining]

[Oh man, he's getting a typewriter out of this? He'll be so nice to you for this, Gil, he'll be so....on second thought, nah, he'll still be a jerk, but a more appeased jerk, at the least. Just going to mentally congratulate himself for getting the best scenario out of this (admittedly hilarious) situation.]

[He grins.]

You bet I will. I don't want the editors hounding me for missing out details. So don't you worry, I'll do the best I can.