video; [KINGOFHEROES]

[babbylon]

[Greetings and salutations, comrades of ALASTAIR! The face of a handsome young man opens the feed today, smiling wide and surrounded by lions on his bed. Yes, that's right, lions. Shishi, his mount, sits in the background, with his mate nestled nearby. And atop him, crawling across his legs, over his shoulders, even rubbing at his face, are cubs, golden and white and feisty. They growl and chirp at the jewelry floating just a few feet away, and a particularly brave one bats at it.

Their parents, as well as Gilgamesh himself, look appropriately proud.]

Good day. For those of you who have not had the pleasure of meeting me before, I am Gilgamesh, King of Heroes, and your resident lion tamer. I bred them as a hobby, back in my native Uruk, and so I have once again come into possession of several cubs.

[The cubs themselves appear no more than six weeks old. Gilgamesh has to shift a little to accommodate them, as they are absolutely intent on making the broadcast difficult by shoving their little furry bodies everywhere. Not that it bothers him much—he's laughing under his breath.]

They have all been weaned from their mother and thus are ready for distribution. Alas, I cannot keep so many for myself; I aim to find good homes for them among you all. I do ask you bear in mind these are wild animals at heart, requiring a great degree of time and attention to train.

[Though you'd never know it, seeming so harmless, so adorable.. After a time, Gilgamesh surrenders, and gets swallowed up by their insistent pawing.]

They are not... just... housecats to sit on a shelf and... w-wait, do not touch it...!

[The necklace goes flying down the hall as a mischievous cub bounds after it. Gilgamesh will snatch it back... eventually.]

(( All lions have now found loving homes! Thanks for the interest, everyone! ))

Comments

[keystaff]

Hm, well, you know about the Cards? One of their Guardians, Kero-chan's True Form is like a lion.

[If....the lion talked, could breathe fire and had wings. Sure.]

[babbylon]

[She's simply too cute for words. Rejoice, Sakura, in that Gilgamesh was very much fond of children and they were very much free from his wrath.]

I see. So you are reminded of Kero-chan?

[keystaff]

[She is oblivious, and most of the time - all the time, when people have potentially told him or others off regarding Sakura and her age, she herself hasn't been aware.]

Y-yes! Sort of. But these cubs seem more like his smaller form if anything. They're cute!

[Of course, most would probably be wary on the very idea of an eleven year old having a lion as a pet but. Sakura isn't exactly the average eleven year old. And with the missions from ALASTAIR, it might not be the worst idea.]

Is that one a boy or a girl? Did you name any of them? Or....wait, I guess you wouldn't have yet, if you were wanting to give them to others.

[babbylon]

This one...

[Gilgamesh hefts the troublemaker back into his grip and gives a little wave of its paw to the feed. It growls and it nips and it wriggles, clearly a born fighter and clearly not overly fond of being paraded about, unlike its siblings.]

...is a boy. He will require quite a bit of patience, but sometimes the brats of the bunch make for the best companions.

[Certainly some of the fiercest. Gilgamesh sets the cub back down and lets it run along.]

No names yet. I leave that to you lot, as it suits you.

[keystaff]

I'm sure he can't be that much more of a handful than dealing with Kero-chan.

[Or....Syaoran, with the fighting. Still, he does make her giggle a bit as she watches him before Gil releases him to go back to playing.]

I just thought that. It's probably better to let the new owners pick the names they would like. I've never really had a pet before myself to have any in mind.

[Their house was small enough with the three of them, especially as Sakura and Toya grew older. And their household is so busy it wouldn't be fair for any pets to be left to their own devices all day long while they were at work or school most of the time during the week.]

[babbylon]

[Gilgamesh considers her with a sterner expression. Really, it's more of a test than anything fielded in all seriousness, but he does need to make absolutely certain these cubs are going to good homes rather than simply satisfying a young girl's fantasies.]

Very well, Sakura. Tell me why you believe you would be a good candidate for looking after a lion.

[keystaff]

Why I'd be a good candidate for having one? Oh, um....well, these ones don't breathe fire like Kero-chan. They're not as dangerous. I'd do my best to keep them safe and fed! If I did have one, they could play with Brother too! I'm sure if I asked, Graham-san might help me train them.

[Lion cub could be the most fierce bodyguard. As if anyone would want to mess with Sakura and not be aware of the likely resulting fury of certain ALASTAIR recruits. Of course, if he decides to give one to someone else, she would understand and hope they would be better able to care for the lions.]

[babbylon]

They will want to hunt someday, Sakura. It is in their blood.

[Surely Sakura has experienced death in some fashion before, especially with all those demons they'd recently vanquished. Even so, it's a reality she needs to be comfortable with before taking on such a responsibility. Anything that might scar her is out of the question—Gilgamesh could be cruel, but he'd never harm a child like that.]

Are you prepared for that? That they will kill, and do so in your presence?

[keystaff]

I...I guess. Of course, they would need meat and need to hunt. It's what they do in the wild, the ones not in zoos, right? Hunting zebras or antelope and stuff. I've never needed to teach how to hunt, but maybe Graham-san could help me.

[But she is aware that it is an animal and has it's own needs, regardless of her own morals. This is about survival and instincts, not so much the likes of killing other people or fighting because they want to.

She's seen death now. It's probably inevitable that she would eventually, working with ALASTAIR.]

But maybe steaks or something for now until they are older and ready to go hunting? [Because she's pretty sure even in the wild at first, it's the lion's parents that would hunt for them until they were bigger, stronger.]

[babbylon]

I fear for what you will grow into and what you might see, Sakura, for you are good and pure in all things and it shall not last forever.

[More of a commentary on Sakura in general than her ability to keep a lion, but it applies just the same. He studies the innocent face for several moments more before making his decision: sharply, and on a whim, as most of his judgments come about.]

You may have a lion. But in return, I propose a trial, which you must overcome or else I will relinquish the animal.

[keystaff]

Good and pure....?

[She's. Not quite sure what to say to that observation and commentary. But all children do eventually grow up in the end. Most generally lose their optimism and innocence, but for Sakura it's still there. Probably always would be, though perhaps to a slightly lesser degree depending on her experiences as she gets older.]

I can?! Really? What kind of trial?

[That sounds fair enough. Especially if this would be her first pet.]

[babbylon]

I would like you to think of your greatest fear. What haunts you in your nights; what gnaws at your sleep, what invades your dreams and turns them dark; what terrifies the deepest parts of you so much you dare not speak of it, aloud or to anyone else.

[His eyes narrow, near imperceptibly.]

And then I would like you to defeat it.

[keystaff]

My greatest fear.....?

[Ghosts? Losing her family or friends? In a way that's....sort of already happened, arriving here without them as it is. She's not sure what to respond with, how to respond to this at all, simply initially just blinking and staring at her necklace for a moment.]

[babbylon]

If it has not come to you yet, it will soon. And I trust that when it does, you will remember what you have been told.

[Those are the stipulations. He stares back at her, expectant as ever.]

[keystaff]

Mm....I've already been separated from my friends, and my family though. And I'm not sure there are any....any...g-gho....ghosts?

[How does this work? What does she do now? He can't really expect her to manage this....? She can't quite see how she can.]

[babbylon]

[Through that intense stare shines a bit of mischief.]

You are afraid of ghosts, dear child?

[keystaff]

[sob why this. But she does give a nod.]

I could sense them, but I couldn't see them like my brother. He kept pointing them out and describing them. It scared me!

[Still does. Honestly, she'd rather deal with magical chaos like the Clow Cards over things like ghosts.]

[babbylon]

Did you know, dear child, that I myself am a ghost...?

[keystaff]

H-hoeeee?!

[A....ghost? Really?]

[babbylon]

Yes. A Heroic Spirit, sent down from the heavens, as dictated by the Holy Grail.

[Impressive, he knows.]

[keystaff]

You did say you were a hero. But....that seems kind of different from a normal ghost?

[Somehow? She hopes. Tries to tell herself. Because...ghosts.....she hasn't had quite the same sense from him. Or Archer or Saber for that matter? But of course that sort of power and magic is different from her usually sensing Clow's.]

The Holy Grail?

[Let's. Try focus on that rather than the Ghost thing. :l]

[babbylon]

It is another matter.

[Nice try, Sakura, but you're not quite astute enough for verbal do-si-dos with a king yet. Gilgamesh cracks an almost terrifying bold grin.]

If you are to face ghosts, you must therefore face me! Are you prepared?!

[keystaff]

[...It was worth a try.

Wait what?]

H-hoe? You?

[But she doesn't want to potentially hurt him with the Clow Cards? :l]

[babbylon]

Unless you'd prefer a different trial?

[He isn't making this easy, is he?]

[keystaff]

I wouldn't want to hurt you.

[But well. He is....kind of trying to help her face this fear in a way?]