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]

[Oh, Ran. Even the great tyrant must laugh in good humor at you.]

Mind yourself, Ranmaru. Your feminine side has been exposed!

[unoradinary]

Don't be ridiculous! Our mutual love for animals transcends all boundaries, be it sex, age, or even species!

[She doesn't sound like she's denying what he said though, judging by tone at least.

But she'll always make an exception for animals, as someone who basically lives among them.]

[babbylon]

[Waving dismissively. Or at least seeming to, his eyes shine in a way that suggests he has a weakness for this wild child.]

For you, the answer is no. The two of you would be an absolute terror together, I cannot in good conscience allow it.

[unoradinary]

N-no way...!!

[REJECETED...]

Making such an offer only to reject me...was this your plan all along, King of heroes...!?

[This sounds way too dramatic...]

[babbylon]

I live to make you suffer, foolish child.

[Melodrama contest? You're on.]

[unoradinary]

[M-MASAKA...!!]

Then I'll just have to take one! Ranmaru Rindou will not be denied, even by the likes of a King!!

cw: this terrible joke

[babbylon]

Do not plunder this sweet pussy, madam, it does not belong to you.

[It had to be done.]

i wish I could say "I can't believe this" but we've known each other too long 1/2

[unoradinary]

[unoradinary]

[And she just laughs.

Like a lot, earnestly.]

That was terrible...!!

[babbylon]

The vulgar euphemisms of this modern world never fail to amuse.

[They are quite a pair, though, aren't they? He doesn't laugh, but his faint smile says enough.]

[unoradinary]

Hey, nothin' wrong with gettin' a little lowbrow sometimes.

...that means I'm getting one, right?

[babbylon]

[A considering hum.]

And what, pray tell, would the great Ranmaru Rindou do with a lion?

[unoradinary]

Well, the average person gets themselves a normal cat.

So having said that, a lion's just right for me.

[There are a lot of ways to take this, but either way that's her answer, simply put.]

[babbylon]

[It seems to satisfy, at any rate. Gilgamesh dips his head in acknowledgment.]

So noted. Then I have one binding condition.

[unoradinary]

Shoot.

[babbylon]

Show me your best and brightest smile.

And show it only to me, because I am very greedy.

[And because I am very fond.]

[unoradinary]

[...it really is the last thing she expects, but.]

I'll swing by then, yeah?

[Hey, if they meet in person it fulfills one half of that condition.

Lions guarantee the other half will be fulfilled, even if he hadn't asked, really.]

[babbylon]

If you so please. I may look forward to it.

[This also implies he might not. Can't be too obvious in his biases, at least in public.]

[unoradinary]

See you in a few then.

[Ranmaru heads out to meet him pretty much immediately, and his wait is shortened further by the fact she's pretty excited about the prospect of lions. It isn't long before she's arrived.

Whether he's there when she arrives or still in his room, she still announces herself all the same.]

Yo, Gilgamesh!

[babbylon]

[Gilgamesh's eyes shine with a very clear warmth once she enters, though his greeting borders on smarmy.]

You kept me waiting, girl. I was about to give yours away.

[A lie quickly revealed once he picks up the cub in question—a snowy white lioness with a pretty pink bow wrapped around her neck—and ushers her towards Ranmaru. The proud little cat prances all the way over to her and chuffs for attention, dipping immediately into a roll.]

Go on. Introduce yourself.

[unoradinary]

Oh you've got to be kidding me with this...

[Pretty much immediately she's down on her knees, briefly resting her hands on the ground to lean against as she leans herself closer.]

Look at you! You're so cute! I can't even deal right now.

[Lying down on her side then, she picks the lion cub up and rolls onto her back, holding it above her and practically cooing.]

You're coming home with me. What do you think of that, huh? I'm Ranmaru...

[She'll...get back to you in a second, Gil. But that being said, if he wanted her best and brightest smile, he has it here in front of him now. He'll just have to share it with her new friend there.]

[babbylon]

[Ah, there it is. Ranmaru was wild by nature, just as much of a lioness herself, but there were softer edges that showed themselves sometimes—like now, as she grins, as if she could not be made happier with anything else in the world. Gilgamesh would deny their friendship to his grave, would push and shove her away if asked, but as he looks on it is abundantly apparent how happy he is himself to have her around.

The cub wriggles, nearly as energetic as her master, and tries to roar... of course, it only comes out as a series of cute chirps, but she does try. Shishi comes over to play with them both, playfully nudging at Ranmaru's side and nibbling at her coat.]

I am glad.

[He doesn't specify for what, exactly, but here, he may not have to.]

[unoradinary]

[While Ran could definitely be criticized on her lack of knowledge in many areas, if there was one thing she truly understood, it was other people. It was for that very reason that she knew their friendship was a very real thing; others could warn her, or even think her naive for it - mainly Gilgamesh himself, really - but she trusted in herself to recognise things like this in other people. It was one of the things she was truly good at, along such other talents as beating up the police and knowing how to survive in the wilderness.

That being said, when Shishi approaches Ranmaru sits up to accommodate his arrival, supporting the cub in one arm to place it in her lap. She moves her other hand to the fully grown lion, attempting to placate it with some affectionate petting.

Strangely, while it's probably not that unusual to see Ranmaru take to anyone as quickly as this (even animals, really) considering she's a very physical person herself, she's comfortable amongst both lions in an entirely different way, more familiar, as if she's been surrounded by them before. Like she knows exactly what to do.

In between giving Shishi attention, she leans closer to her own cub, grinning.]

It looks like papa wants to play too, huh? I guess you take after him.

[But even in between that, she looks to Gilgamesh.]

C'mon, don't just stand there. You're missing out on all the fun, Gil.

[babbylon]

[Gilgamesh does not need much convincing; he slides off the bed and rushes at Shishi from behind, tackling him and wrestling right there on the floor. He wouldn't act like this around just anyone, as now he seems nothing more and nothing less than a young man enjoying himself in the moment. Acting like the brave Hero the story told of. For he is a King before he is anything else, but once, he was a great adventurer that Ranmaru would've idolized.]

Hah! I've got you now, you hideous little beast...!

[He's got him, but only for a few seconds. Shishi roars in defiance and rolls Gilgamesh over, forcing all his weight down to keep his master pinned. And there's some struggling, but it's short-lived; it is a game they have clearly played many times before, and a game Gilgamesh has clearly always lost.]

Such insolence. I should have you skinned.

[Ranmaru's cub mimics her papa and tries to wrestle with her, too. There can be no doubt she will grow into the fiercest thing.]