Finis Chaldea

[Bloodedge]

"Hmph," was the simple utterance given as Gilgamesh's response. To call those little things showing off was almost criminal. In fact, he had something of a desire to show off on purpose, if only to prove a point to the contrary of Artoria's gatherings. "Then perhaps I shall show you the limits. We will see what you consider showing off when you truly know what I am capable of," he harped.

Such excitement! Only once had he seen the Queen of Knights so enthused about an upcoming activity. Now, she showed as much joy over the idea of cooperatively slaying Ishtar as she did before petting large felines. She showed such childlike glee, he should have made fun of the situation. He would have, and he even thought to, but... how could he even bother? That excitement was contagious for many reasons─ not the least of which being the signs of their future. With that particular note in mind, Gilgamesh could only share in the joy of it. "Fuhahaha! Then we shall make it the greatest show for the world to witness! The tale will be passed down for all eternity, of how king and queen once felled the epitome of entitlement! It will certainly make a better show than your feeble attempts." Ah yes, those feeble attempts to emerge victorious in this game they played. His next maneuver involved grabbing a handful of darts, tossing them all in seemingly random directions. Each dart found its home in the bullseye of a different board, including the one they had both been assaulting thus far. By his count, every dartboard in the room was now marked at least once. Was that so easily considered showing off?

[Apollymi]

Oh? She was about to be shown the upper limits was she? Well she'd await that moment with the utmost attention. In the mean time she'd just scoff. "Careful..." she seemed to warn over the top of her cup. She'd take another sip and sit it to the side before going on to wait. Strangely, that warning was playful, she was apt to see what he was capable of regardless of the context. She hated that he was so good at everything but that did not mean she discounted his ability at all.

Speaking of things Gilgamesh was good at, he was good at distracting Artoria. Something about her reaction to the idea of felling Ishtar amused him. He laughed again, what a nice sound that was... she really enjoyed it. In fact she found herself looking at him a bit stunned. She heard what he said but that did not stop the softness of her visage from creeping up in a moment. But it would leave pretty soon after it appeared, mostly because Gilgamesh would make it do so. How? Well, he drew a dart for every board in the most casual way after calling her attempts feeble. "Ugh, that is not fair... you are by far the biggest cheat this world has ever known!" she said crossing her arms over her chest. She'd gone and done it now hadn't she? She actually called him a cheat. "Bwahaha...hahahah....HAHAHAHAHA!~" the sound of her laughter would erupt soon after. "I cannot believe I actually said that. But really it is not fair. It is hardly showing off you know... it has almost negative flair when you do it like that..." she said her nose turned up in the air.

To make her point she picked up a number of darts equivalent to those thrown by Gilgamesh and gave a quick glance around the room. And then she began to flick her own around the room. Strangely enough she threw them all forward but each consecutive throw knocked into the dart thrown previously. Different speeds, different angles all of which caused them to fly off in differing directions. Each would find its home right next to one thrown by Gilgamesh. "That. That is how you get style points..." she murmured reaching for her drink and taking a sip. Still irrespective of everything else, she was highly amused... this was still a fun moment for her. One day they could fell entitlement but today, they could play darts while sitting alone in their bedroom and that was fine with her.

[Bloodedge]

It was almost prophecy, the claim that Artoria would call him a cheater. In keeping with the natural order, she did precisely that without fail. She went on to laugh and express shock over actually blurting that out, and furthermore claimed that couldn't count as showing off. Negative flair? Nonsense! "That was not an effort to show off. If I were to put forth such effort, the world may collapse," he said with full arrogance, yet without even a modicum of deception. "But, fear not. I will figure out a way to do so without destroying our precious garden."

Artoria showed a previously unmentioned feature of this little game. Style points? Well, that was a rather flashy move she pulled off when throwing her most recent set. "H'oh? Hiding a rule to gain a sudden advantage, are we? You insufferable woman," he said, oddly with a smile on his face. Gilgamesh appeared to be discovering the entertainment value of this game after all. "I will admit, that was an amusing trick. This game is not as purposeless as I believed."

And so, the play continued. Over the course of this day, they'd play until the boards were all but useless. Night had fallen, and Gilgamesh himself was eventually on his back while lackadaisically tossing one dart after another onto a single board. In doing so, he would be caught yawning once or twice. When was the last time he'd abandoned the workload for petty amusement? Well... that was well over a thousand years ago.

[Apollymi]

According to Gilgamesh he wasn't showing off, and if he did manage to put forth such an effort it would have brought about world's end. A chuckle escaped Artoria. She knew he said those words, that he believed them and she also knew given the man's general efforts in everything they were true, but that did not make them any less... "Ridiculous." she claimed looking playfully terse. "I invite you to find the restraint to show off in a way that does not wreak havoc on the entire world," she said though she seemed only amused and nothing less.

What was more, it seemed her expression and explanation of style points as a matter of course, was seen as her hiding a rule to gain a sudden advantage. He even went on to call her an insufferable woman. He did that several times since they'd known each other but this time there was a hint of something else in such words. He was grinning while he said it and as such Artoria could do nothing but look smug. Her nose turned up in the air with joyous indignation, especially considering he also admitted the game was not so pointless as he originally thought. "Hmphf. I hid nothing. It just had not yet come up. You of all people should know that a grand reveal is an important tactic~" she said happily enough excusing her own slightly misleading behavior. Still they could enjoy this a bit more and they would.

Time would pass and the night would settle. To Artoria's own amazement Gilgamesh showed at least the lightest signs of weariness as he laxly tossed darts into a single board. Artoria for her part in this had finished a goblet or three of wine and seemed to find herself rather content. She watched Gilgamesh from her eye and took note of his relaxed state as well. "Are you tired, Gil?" she asked almost rhetorically, wondering what kind of fanciful tale he might spin. She did not imagine he slept very often at all, but she'd soon enough find herself stretching in catlike fashion. After being gently amused and lounging all day even she found herself to be nearing an easy trip into her dreams. Strange though it was, she rolled a bit closer to Gilgamesh the warmth of his body inviting more comfort the closer she got to his form.

[Bloodedge]

Tired? Gilgamesh was not one who knew exhaustion. There may have been that one situation involving his accidental demise, but that was a minor miscalculation. Now, it could only be said that he felt... relaxed. Relaxed, yes─ that made sense. He was not tired, but he was at peace. People at peace took rest, no? Naturally. With that in mind, how could he not think of rest? How could he not become even further relaxed as Artoria scooted closer still to him? That question was one Gilgamesh would answer in his own mind, and with another question: Why not? Why shouldn't he take rest again while having present company?

In the end, it was only right that he answer the question presented... albeit with nothing resembling the truth. "Don't be foolish. I am not tired," he claimed. Afterwards though, he spoke something quite factual. In doing so, he abandoned this game of darts and hooked an arm around Artoria's torso. "I am as a man at peace. It is not sleep I seek, but a relaxation that can be known only now, while these chambers are inhabited by the likes of you."

[Apollymi]

A simple question posed to Gilgamesh never received a simple answer if Artoria was the one to pose it. She'd realized this quite some time ago. He argued against the idea of being tired, much the way a small child argued against getting ready for bed, but not without the normal fanfare of such an activity. He abandoned the darts game so Artoria sent them away as she always would when he tired of them. She'd had her fill, her three goblets of wine and a simple and playful evening. "If you say so..." she claimed. Still his reaction to such a thing was rather surprising to Artoria. Why? Instead of the normal fare of asking for extra time, or claiming not to be fully energized while falling asleep... he claimed he was simply a man at peace. He claimed what he sought was not sleep, but relaxation, brought about solely by her presence in these very chambers. That was so much more than simply being tired, and what was more he wrapped an arm around her torso. She looked at him with wide eyes, wishing to hide, but not pulling away... that warmth as always was rather inviting, there was also the matter of her reddened face which she now felt the need to hide. What better place to do so than against the muscles of his chest.

"You really just keep saying things like that..." she mumbled against him. "And it just keeps surprising me, but I do not dislike it..." she stated. It was not normal for people to like her being around as a matter of general comfort. Sure, she was strong and she fought well, she could protect people but she did not see the sort of world where just anyone enjoyed having her around for the sake of their relaxation. It was a notion she did not understand yet one she could not argue against. More so than that, over a few seconds her body relaxed against his, draped in a sheet she tucked herself into his body and found more than enough space to warm herself against.

[Bloodedge]

How interesting it was that Artoria could discern truth from untruth, yet did nothing to directly confront the latter from Gilgamesh. Of course, he wasn't going to say anything about that. Most of his words rang truer than any other statement thus far, and that same truth carried its way through his actions right away. He only became further satisfied as her face met his chest, regardless of her reason for doing so.

There would be no end to the proclamations of Gilgamesh; Artoria Pendragon should be acutely aware of that by now. Even so, she remained abashed each time his truths were spoken. That, simply put, was something the king could not tire of. Perhaps it would change someday. If it did, he would surely have some other entertaining antic to enjoy. For the time being, he would wholly accept what he had to deal with whilst rolling toward the woman, inserting himself beneath the sheet while his own garbs were banished to the treasury. A second night of sleep didn't seem like such a bad idea at all, now that he thought about it. A body's warmth tended to have that sort of effect, and in this case, that effect would spread even to the 'tireless' King of Heroes. "Hmph. Shall I say more? You wear shock and embarrassment like a fine garb; perhaps it will suffice as a nightgown?"

[Apollymi]

Strange though it was, since Gilgamesh told her the absolute types of truth about himself as he related to her, she felt no need to confront him about the minor deceptions he wanted for himself. Like claiming he wasn't tired when he obviously was. She considered those much lesser than any other type of thing, it needed no direct address. Surely he realized already it was completely pointless to lie to her and as such that minor deception was only for his own ego.

Beyond that Gilgamesh's clothing disappeared as he seemed to settle even more. He asked if he should say more and Artoria simply shook her head against him. "I would ask that you not. I do intend to sleep tonight and not be kept awake by thinking about all the outlandish utterances about me that are outside of my expectations," she muttered. Still it was quite comfortable against him. She shifted slightly so her face would be unseen but she left her body exposed against his. Even in a moment like this, she did not summon a knife to her hand or any such thing, she was content enough after the previous night to allow them to sleep naturally. "Nightgowns are specific to when times of waking might be outside of your own control... Oyasuminasai... Gil..." she said quietly. Closing her eyes and hoping that the flush would fade at some point. Strange though it was, she'd also admitted that she only wore clothing to sleep when she expected the possibility of being woken. How comfortable she must have been to sleep both nude and in bed with someone else? Extremely. Would be the answer given by either of her sisters if they were asked. Even so, she seemed calm enough and could find peace with this man at her side throughout this night.

[Bloodedge]

The moment Artoria's back was exposed to his fore, Gilgamesh's arm tightened around her midriff. Her smaller frame made it all too easy to keep her pinned against his torso. His groin was pressed firmly against her backside, the fronts of his thighs against the backs of hers. Artoria claimed she intended to sleep without being kept awake by his utterances. In this position, he considered keeping her from sleep via other, more physical means. The growth of his manhood against her flesh may have given that line of thought away, even as he refrained from acting on it. Now, what was that about nightgowns?

Ah. She felt enough comfort to assume she wouldn't be woken by outside sources. Though that was good in the grand scheme of things, it was also a very incorrect conclusion. "Fool," was all the king said before drifting off. He'd sleep in peace and allow Artoria the same, but for how long? Well, perhaps it would be during his stirring before the rising sun, that his hand slipped between the queen's legs to rub gently betwixt her folds.

[Apollymi]

After she rolled over, Artoria had her whole body encompassed by Gilgamesh. The flesh of her back met with the warmth of his torso, thighs met thighs and warmth and comfort spread throughout her body. It did not get past her notice the stiffening of his manhood, but even that did not cause her any great distress. "Shhh, it is time to rest. Oyasumi..." Ah, that goodnight was not for Gilgamesh at all, but such was her nature. Why was she foolish though? She wanted to question it but by then her lips felt too heavy to move and so did her body. That was a question for tomorrow, for today, she'd sleep comfortably in Gilgamesh's arms.

And that would be the case through the night until Gilgamesh began to wake. As his consciousness stirred his hand on Artoria's body also shifted. The fingers of that hand of his found itself lodged between the queen's thighs rubbing gently between the folds they'd already come to know so well. This was to be a strange rising today indeed but it was not one Artoria's body would argue with. In fact, that gentle rubbing would cause her thighs to twitch and her body to shift slightly. She became more relaxed as she tried to wake herself but those movements of his fingers would bring a tiny moan from her lips. Those thighs of hers would open up a bit more and she'd move against him and his manhood gently. She was not yet awake but her body's natural inclination was to accept.