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

[babbylon]

They wanted to help you.

[What more can he say? If still she feels no sympathy, she will never.]

[grunehexe]

Then I shall educate them on how best to do so.

[But rather than go to do that, she keeps staring at Gilgamesh.

Waiting to see if he will name them. If the use he has for whichever one he is protecting is greater than the regard he has for her.]

[babbylon]

Go on. Have it out with me, girl, no one else will hear you now.

[Still not talking. But he at least appears to have surrendered in another sense, shrugging his shoulders and sighing in mock defeat... ironically much like a cat rolling over and exposing its stomach.]

[grunehexe]

[So he wouldn't speak. At least someone she knows doesn't betray secrets. Hah.

It's difficult to keep hold of the anger and betrayal she feels when the person in front of her is so relaxed, and it leaves her wanting. Wanting for ways to stay angry- and that doesn't even begin to address that now Gilgamesh knew her secret as well.]

I have no reason to have it out with you unless you too decide to discuss my work with others.

[babbylon]

[Gilgamesh looks honestly perplexed by this, and his tone reflects as much.]

I have lived among magi for many years. Your strength lies in your ability to collaborate, not toil all by your lonesome. Have you perhaps considered that, if it were no longer a secret, others would be able to assist, and you would achieve a breakthrough all the faster?

[grunehexe]

If it were no longer a secret?

[She smiles, but it was a twisted, sick sort of thing.]

If it were known that I created with these hands a poison that seeps in to the lungs of man and burns them from within until they die screaming? That I begat a thing whose only purpose is to kill en masse faster and more efficiently than any soldier could?

[She doesn't even want to know it herself- nor see the looks in the eyes of others who knew what she'd done.]

[babbylon]

The magi of my world have committed far worse crimes.

[If she was seeking comfort or sympathy, she will not find it. The reality of it does not even faze him.]

[grunehexe]

As if the crimes of others erase the crimes of one?

[Just because someone had killed more than you didn't make you not a murderer.]

[babbylon]

I have known criminals, Sieglinde, and you are not among their kind.

[Spoken in a fashion that will entertain no argument. She would be very, very foolish to try.]

[grunehexe]

Yet my hands are stained by the sin of ignorance nonetheless.

[To her, it wasn't an excuse. It was a wrong she would spend her whole life attempting to make right.]

[babbylon]

Ignorant though you may be, you are far from alone.

[He has said his piece on the matter. She will have to connect the rest of the dots for herself.]

[grunehexe]

[She isn't alone. She knows that. It makes it more difficult to remain the Green Witch she thought she needed to be to find the cure.

Sieglinde doesn't reply, biting into her bottom lip before she leaves.

She has some questions to ask.]