Finis Chaldea

[Bloodedge]

Still, she fought. Gilgamesh could feel the collapse, though. As he held firm to the woman, he could tell there was the slightest amount of additional pull from her. It was no pull in any specific direction away form him, but rather... down. Oh? Weak in the knees, was she? Yet still, she fought. From her throat came a moan, a sound to communicate her satisfaction while creating his. A slight exhale passed through the nose of Gilgamesh. It could almost be called a chuckle, as if to boast his victory in this imaginary battle of theirs. Fingers began to trace his upper torso, and settled at the back of his neck. Was this a curious touch, or one born of thirst? Whichever it was, it was a welcome advancement from the likes of the normally distant queen. The hairs at the back of his neck stood on end as flesh goosed beneath fingers without flaw. He would only respond in kind, the hand around her back dropping to her waist, where a firm grip was applied before a separation of lips occurred. Even in this moment of parting, Gilgamesh's advances were ceaseless. His tongue remained extended, continuously brushing against Artoria's until he saw fit to speak. "Hmph. I suppose this speaks in volume. But what more have you to say?" he questioned. In doing so, he shifted his thumb to the woman's bottom lip, wiping from it a bead of moisture that remained when saliva bridging mouths snapped in twain. It seemed Gilgamesh wasn't very keen on allowing a response immediately either, as his question was immediately followed by another meeting of lips.

[Apollymi]

Artoria's body in general reacted to stimuli of its own accord. In the case of Gilgamesh it seemed to always be running on adrenaline and instinct alone most of the time. While they kissed like this she felt several changes in Gilgamesh, that little snort of his, 'I swear if you are being smug right now...' The start of a gentle musing before she lost her knees enough to have to give herself more focus. Goose flesh appearing beneath the tips of her moving fingers was something new and exciting in a strange way. As a person she seemed to have some sort of tactile fixation a new texture was something of interest. There was even the additional shift of little hairs on the back of his neck. Automatic responses of the body but what made them occur in this case? Well, she wouldn't get much time to consider it. He was shifting a hand to her waist, squeezing firmly enough to make her gasp. Not that she'd been breathing anywhere near steadily this entire time. No... she found herself near drowning at every interaction but found the endeavor well worthwhile.

Strangely enough, even as Gilgamesh aimed to withdraw he continued attacking. That tongue of his continued to slather her own even after his mouth left hers. A gentle thumb across her bottom lip separated a line of saliva that had left them together. Artoria had barely stopped moving her mouth, she hadn't even thought about closing it. Flushed face, lips gently parted, even after that little thing she unconsciously licked her lips while he was talking. He wanted to know what she had to say. Well, a lot now that she wasn't attacking his face so readily. Ah, but she wouldn't get to answer immediately either. His lips were upon hers soon after such a conversation would have started. How did he plan to get an answer to his question if he silenced her? Well, it did not make much difference to her either way. In truth she was not entirely certain how to answer his question though she had plenty to say. It'd mostly been something snarky about... his previously shallow kiss. Of course, she could not really poke at that considering the state this current kiss left her legs in. She'd literally fought a bone-shattering battle for eight days straight and felt less weakened by the experience. Obviously all of this was his fault in some way, and he was damned when she figured out what brand of sorcery he'd managed to slip into her soul. No that was jest, she knew certainly she liked him, but she'd still take no responsibility for this fiasco, even if she'd started it. When their lips separated again it would be her doing, not pulling back exactly just creating a bit of space while finally gently opening those eyes of hers. "You cannot ask me questions and kiss me like that at the same time... it is distracting," she claimed as if this was somehow the only thing she had to say. From that distance she went on to study his face.

[Bloodedge]

A question was on the proverbial table, but it was up to Artoria herself to find space for answering it. Never one to reject an opportunity for indulgence, Gilgamesh would not go beyond the thought of kissing her again without actually doing so. Second thoughts? He never bothered with those. How could he do anything else, when she appeared so reddened and desirous when he withdrew initially? This was nothing like the previous experience. Today, there was no escape. Today, Artoria stepped into his embrace of her own accord. Today, she sacrificed the mundane an left herself open to extravagance. Today was not the death of the Knight-Queen, but it was going to be the birth of a woman.

Upon finding space to speak, Artoria claimed he could not force their lips together after questioning her. How laughable; it wasn't as if she'd done anything to stop him. Was it not her own notion that allowed such behavior? They had so recently spoken of their similarities, after all. "Have I drained the memory from your brain this time? If I desire something, I will take it. Your inability to speak when I choose to claim your lips is of no consequence. Be less distracted," he said, rubbing her bottom lip again. What purpose did she have in staring at his face so brazenly? It didn't matter; he was performing the same act. Gilgamesh, however, continued pressing his thumb into her lip, dragging downward until that thumb was upon her chin instead. "No matter. The distraction you claim is currently nonexistent, so what now? Will you next assert that my face itself is too distracting for you to answer? I suppose I would not blame you. Yours is much the same."

[Apollymi]

There was indeed a question on the table before Artoria and unlike her normal sustanence it required consideration. How did one progress from this point? She was unsure... beyond that lack of understanding there was the problem of this man's behavior changing her own so drastically she was currently at the point where forming sentences was difficult. Of course, his snarky questioning and annoying nature seemed to balance out the overt desire she felt for him. Always playing tug of war with her emotions, Artoria jumped from desirous, to murderous, back to desirous over the span of a few seconds. 'I like his attitude and he still annoys me... I am definitely strange.' The woman came to this conclusion all on her own, but aloud she had something else to say. "The unmitigated gall one must possess to cause a problem and then blame the one you gave it to for their reaction," she stated. This man really knew how to push her buttons, how she'd not managed to attack him over the course of this day was astounding to her. Truly.

Ah, but again more important matters, because she was looking at his face and he was looking at hers. More or less, they stayed in a semi-constant staring contest. He claimed her distraction was nonexistent and she still needed to respond. Ah, but he still had more snark to give today, this time wondering if his face was a distraction because apparently hers was to him. If it were even possible Artoria's face flushed more than it was already. Actually, the reasoning behind it simply shifted even as that finger dragged along her bottom lip until his hand found her chin again. "I said no such thing!" was her immediate reaction. This man caused in her a fluster that left statements unanswered and compliments unacknowledged. Artoria was never sure how to properly separate the things he said to her, and with compliments falling from his face while he was so very close to her, she hadn't at all the necessary distance to calm her own nerves before plying to him. A huff escaped the lass but she did not move from this man, her decision on this man known as Gilgamesh had not changed at all, even as he annoyed her, even as he complimented her, even as he made her feel strangely about herself and him at the same time. "As for what now, I came here seeking you because yours was the face I wanted to see most. You alone sparked this strange feeling and you alone are meant to sate it. And show me this thing you call 'bliss'," she stated seeming quite certain of this regardless of her own immaturity. "I only move forward, to whatever the next step in that understanding is... without regret or hesitation." What a strange mix of things that statement was, but, Artoria herself was a strange mix of things. It made sense to her to express herself this way. Still she studied his face, she could almost question why it was him she was attracted to, but she was quite certain she was attracted to him. She did not look at other people the way she looked at Gilgamesh.

[Bloodedge]

Did he shift the blame for a problem caused by himself? Perhaps he did. Would he admit to doing something like that? Well he wouldn't lie, but he would continue shifting the blame. "It matters not if I was the cause, because it was your prerogative to fall victim to my appeal. As I said, I do not blame you. Because it is you, I will even take it as an honor," he explained. Complimenting only the best of mankind in the most pompous, self-serving manner possible─ that was Gilgamesh in a nutshell. In actuality, he had no ill intentions; that was simply the way he was. Words spoken to Artoria Pendragon were a thousand leagues above any almost-compliment he gave anyone else.

This staring competition between them would come to an end eventually, though it would only do so when the time came to move on. First, there was Artoria's insistence upon her distracted state, and what "wasn't" the cause of it. Red as her face was, she could hardly stand her ground. Gilgamesh would only continue his pestering until it produced results, and soon enough, the results were falling right out of Artoria's face. She'd come to this place today because she wished to see him. He managed to leave her feeling something she did not yet comprehend in full, and as a result, she sought his offer of bliss everlasting. How interesting; she admitted to these things in the most reserved way he'd ever heard. Of course, he would acquiesce without fail. To do so, Gilgamesh released the woman and took two short steps away. From where they stood, there was a nice enough clearing that he thought to access his treasury again. Even larger than the previous use, a Divine Gate produced a structure that set itself in the ground. What he called upon was... a hot spring, complete with surrounding stones and associated pathway. There were even walls erected around the structure, which in this case would at least keep the unwanted creatures out. "Without regret or hesitation, you say? Well then, do not hesitate. This will be a grander undertaking than any in this world, so the filth of the day shall play no part in it." With that said, he stood just outside the hot spring's entrance gate. Gilgamesh wouldn't bother explaining the legendary properties of the structure, or how he had such a thing in the treasury. Of course, he would also refrain from mentioning what was actually to be found beyond the wall. Artoria could find that out for herself.

[Apollymi]

According to Gilgamesh it did not matter if he caused the problem Artoria was speaking of, it mattered only that she fell prey to it. "Ridiculous. If you are going to do something, as audacious as you always are, at least own it!" she griped. Of course, such was simply her own inability to deal with compliments he presented, even those which she found to be outright serving him. Mostly because he always spoke of her as if she was something to be realized more than she was. It was always so random that her own reaction was to step away from it.

Still what would come from her reserved declaration of intent? Gilgamesh let go of her stepping away. Such was always an annoying moment. She did not step into his arms to allow him to walk away from her... Oh, wait. When did she start feeling so possessive about him? Well, probably around the time she'd started referring to him as hers. The fact that she claimed him in any way, even when it was just her and Excalibur to have the conversation was likely strange. Ah, but now there was something coming into view from a Divine Gate she did not expect to come out of one... a hot spring? She knew a Japanese hot spring when she saw one. There was one in the mountains she trained on and another on the property of the Ashikaga Residence, in addition to a few resorts peppered across the islands. A fond memory of a hot spring was something simply shared by all Japanese natives, she was no exception to this. Even in a moment like this, she could forget to take issue with this man's proclamation that this was to be a grand undertaking considering it was not like they were the only people of the world to engage in such a way. "Why is this here? How are you storing it?!" she was aghast. "I mean the weapons I get it makes at least reasonable sense. Storing food stuffs and smaller items without having to worry about their decay also fine. But an entire hot spring?! Where does one store this and acquire it and why? Nothing about this makes anything akin to sense." Even so, she was not actually complaining. No person of Japanese origin ever should, hot springs were precious things... and good for mind, body and soul. No fact of this would be more proving than steps taken forward until she entered such a space, she took steps along that stone lined path with a sense of nostalgia she only seemed to have in the presence of her sisters most time.

[Bloodedge]

Gilgamesh owned everything. However, he would not be owning up to the fault in this situation. The fact that he was desirable was simply something that always had been, and always would be true, as if it were a law of reality. Actually, yes... it was a law of reality! Ah, but it was no sign of weakness that even Artoria Pendragon could not resist fully. In fact, it could be called a sign of strength that she managed to defy him at all. Oh well; it was worth no extra thought.

Now, they stood before hot springs of an allegedly Japanese origin. He kept hearing more and more about that imaginary place, but even he had to admit, this particular facility was one worthy of the hype. As per always though, he produced a thing from the treasury, and the nearest onlooker expressed astonishment over the thing in question. Why was the hot spring here? Such should be obvious. How did he store it? Magnificently, as he stored everything. Where did he get it? A place. Why did he get it? Well, that was a foolish question. As smugly as... well, Gilgamesh... he stood with crossed arms and a wide grin, ready to boast his greatness once more. "Need you ask? If it is of value, it is mine!" he said first and foremost. One day, perhaps someone would actually understand that Gilgamesh repeated these words not simply as an expression of ownership, but as a matter of fact. "Though this is a more recent acquisition. I was told of this thing, and how it is of great value. It is only natural that I would lay claim to the most potent version of one. I took the liberty of fashioning the Fountain of Youth into one. The other two do not suit the purpose at hand, so this will have to suffice. Nothing here is beyond sensible."

[Apollymi]

Artoria found herself walking into a hot spring in the middle of the dessert, accompanied by a man she had committed to engaging with in a carnal sense. Her life had become quite strange since coming to this new world. Or rather the offshoot of their original world, as Gilgamesh had explained it during the attack of the white titan. Of course, Gilgamesh had nothing of use to say about it initially. If it was of value it was his, Artoria scoffed, and had only a snarky reply to offer. "Yes, and the only one who can beat me is me. Self-affirmation is wonderful but not an answer for outlandish behavior!" Strangely enough, she wasn't actually complaining. Mostly she was simply shocked and overtly snippy retorts was how she managed to calm herself to any real extent.

Of course, that wouldn't be allowed to work. Because the actual answer to how he came across this thing only started simply, and itself evolved into something outlandish. A recent acquisition, mentioned to be highly valuable, he attained the most potent version. Fair enough... the Fountain of Youth. Blink. Stare. Halt. "Are?" Another language slip of sheer surprise. He made the claim that this was the fountain of youth. THE FOUNTAIN OF YOUTH!! No. She couldn't do it. She thought she could let it go, but she couldn't. Nothing here was beyond sensible? It would suffice?! Artoria was bordering upon outrage and it came out as a series of sarcastic commentary. "Oh yes, perfectly sensible. I just have the fucking fountain of youth in my back pocket nothing odd or outlandish about that. Had it turned into a Japanese hot spring it is just sufficient. Filthy, unreasonable fucking cheat!" she said slamming a hand into her face. She'd just sworn twice back to back. Calm down. She needed to calm down. She was at a bath she would calm down. This man managed to inspire both awe and ire within seconds of each other. Artoria was quite certain her soul did not need the indecision associated with deciding whether or not she wanted to pursue him romantically or murder him in epic fashion. In fact, she wasn't even sure which thing she actually wanted most of the time. Deep breaths, lots of deep breaths, walk into the hot spring hold fast to being calm. Calm is what she wanted to be. Peaceful is what she would be. White noise is what she needed in her mind. Tranquility would keep her soul from bursting forth in her chest. "It is fine. I am calm. You are ridiculous. Moving on..." a new mantra was born this day. Into a hot spring, getting ready for a wash... pull down hair, dress would need to be removed, calm heart. Yes, these were things she'd work towards while keeping spiteful anger out of her words.

[Bloodedge]

Outlandish? That was nonsense. It was no matter of self-affirmation that he spoke with. Perhaps Artoria would be the first, or even the second to truly understand. "You fool, open your ears. When I say I collected all the treasures of the earth, it is not a metaphor," he said once more. Into the facility he went, hearing more ridiculous griping from Artoria along the way. What purpose did she have in this outrage? He possessed everything, as he made clear again and again. With her accepting his advances at long last, it meant only that she had access to the world itself. Her specific issue with his possession of the Fountain of Youth... that simply didn't make any sense. "You've witnessed the Sword of Rupture itself, faced the Shield of the Gods and worn the Aegis. It is beyond me why you think to question something this simple; the water you carry in that vial is of greater value," he declared, though perhaps that notion was somewhat subjective.

Regardless of her constant griping, Artoria entered the hot spring. She could have just done so without the extra flair, but that was of no importance. "Save your claims of ridiculousness. You will be in need of them later," he said most casually while discarding his clothes as if they were throwaways. Every article Gilgamesh wore was to be done away with right there in the open, caution to the wind just as his robes were. Alas, those pieces would not even touch the ground before being returned to his treasury. There he stood, nude and filled with pomp while sinking one leg at a time into the hot water. Grime be damned; those waters washed away even scum applied to the mind and soul in the most literal fashion. Any could enter the water, but one could only leave in peak physical and spiritual condition. It was liable to do little or nothing visually for individuals such as Gilgamesh and Artoria, but even the former could appreciate the sensation of an omnipotent cleanse.

[Apollymi]

Deep breaths. Artoria was so easily angered by outrageous things it was surprising that no one had been attacked already. Feeling such discontent gave her old memories to ponder. Looking at her computer screen checking the leaderboards for solo play she'd undertaken only to find, this scoundrel sitting at the top of said list. The fact that she was gunning for him in the competitive sense wasn't even a problem, the fact that he always had something ridiculously new going on as she climbed was an annoyance of the highest order. She could in an almost out-of-body experience see herself seething, and then without warning standing up and walking towards a specific room in her apartment with only a passing sentence to her younger sister. 'I'm taking a job.' That was it. Ah, how interesting that had become 'I am going for a walk.' The phrases had the same sort of meaning, she needed to go and find peace. It just so happened that such peace usually came with the death of another being. That thought helped drown further animosity, even as the explanation given by Gilgamesh would have caused more. She should have sharpened Excalibur at a time like this... it would have calmed her mind.

Calm responses could ensue after such a moment. What was this about the magic of the water she carried? "Given I know what that is... I would say the bottle is more impressive and that is completely subjective. It is only as useful as it is, because it allows the instant summon of the Fae Princess. In the hands of anyone else, such a thing would simply be drinking water, as you so colorfully put it," she said. She'd reached a point of calm, but snark was still ever present. As she slipped behind partition present for undressing a quick glance was all she needed to confirm the shamelessness of Gilgamesh. "I will say what I wish." Just that little confirmation of herself in a moment like this. Covering the fact that she indeed took a little peek. Completely naked again. Her eyes wandered, just briefly, she supposed if she was so comfortable naked she'd walk around that way too. 'I hate him so much. But I am still here... is this truly nature?' she questioned of herself, as dress was removed along with with slip of clothing beneath. She'd easily be naked and wrapped in a towel before emerging with hands buried in blonde locks as they were freed and still uncut after a thousand years... she should probably do something about that. As she shook it loose she stepped forward to submerge seeming to calm a bit more. "A full no to towels as well... alright," Shoulders deep in the water her head tilted back and her eyes closed for just a second. 'I really like this man even though he inspires within me a desire to murder even him. There is definitely something wrong with me,' she concluded.