pawnstorm | [Open] It's getting hot in here

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[Open] It's getting hot in here

Who: Caren and anyone visiting the hot springs!
When: Post dungeon, could be right after fail/success, could be days after
Where: Hot Springs of course
What: There's a hot springs, so now there's a hot springs episode.
Rating: Could be a p-13 and beyond because some people are only wearing towels in this place.

[Win or fail, everyone needed a reason and a way to relax. With the fall of the towers, there was all sorts of good things to come from it. Some would say it was the birds; and others would say it was the hot springs.

The large, large pools of heated water. Sure, they could be used as a way to get all steamed up (or even steam punk) but after all that hard work, everyone deserves a break!

Bring your swimsuits, your towels, your drinks and snacks-who knows, you should be able to find them in the bazaars, or even on Airy. It's time to soak in the heat!]

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[Gilgamesh laughs under his breath at Setsuna's apparent reticence, and rises from the pool first to meet him. He uses Setsuna's arms as an anchor, and soon pulls himself atop the other man, playfully pinning him underneath. Despite the vulnerable position, however, Gilgamesh clearly means no harm; his eyes are warm and welcoming, like candlelight, rather than sharp and venomous like a snake's poison. He leans down to fondly bump foreheads, presses a kiss there not moments after. They wind up in a close heap, together, arms wound around each other.]

You always seem to know just how to brighten my day. It seems almost unfair that I cannot do the same for you.

[Or at least it always feels that way. All his efforts always pale in comparison to Setsuna's effortless kindness. Gilgamesh just didn't have the heart for that natural sort of sympathy. He could show affection, but he could not love as Setsuna did. He could not understand humanity as Setsuna sought to do, even if it was his ultimate purpose.

Perhaps he's a little jealous of it all. This man, who wasn't even a man, who could reach people as even he failed to do.]

[ For about a minute or two, Setsuna continues to say nothing at all. Although he's learned to trust this King, he still finds himself raising his guard by defensive instinct. In such a position, that very instinct especially rises. But he doesn't loosen his hold or does he attempt to shove the King away, instead he's trying to assure himself. It's all right... It's going to be all right. And so, he falls into respite within that passed time.

By the time that Setsuna's lingering tension fades, he closes his eyes. He already processed that the King is merely seeking comfort from him, and so he will try to provide at least that... He can't love in the way others could, but he can still love in the way a knight would. Towards the people he's decided to defend, he has plenty of that to give... He has long sworn to protect worlds from wars, and so that philosophy extends even to this world, to those which surrounds him. His fingers idly strokes through the golden strings of hair, following their trail in a soft, repeating motion. ]

No. There are still those that I cannot give to you as well.

[ Because now and perhaps even forever, all Setsuna can offer is his presence and sword... ]

[Since Setsuna has demonstrated some reticence to slip into the water together, Gilgamesh settles with him on the ground instead. He pulls the man up and against him so he feels less exposed, hands looping casually about his waist. He faces him with a soft smile, utterly at ease as he is always is in his presence. He reaches to brush a bit of imaginary dust off his cheek, then lets his eyes slide shut in contentment.]

You give this King just enough, brave little blade. Do not worry over it.

[Though Gilgamesh is greedy, and will always want more, he's resigned himself to Setsuna's limited understanding. Ironic, considering what his ultimate goals are, but even Gilgamesh knows there are other ways to reach people beyond sexual intimacy. Maybe Setsuna knew of just such a way, that the great King of Heroes couldn't imagine. Just as faith had been placed in him, he would place his faith in Setsuna to carve a path towards that faraway future.

He won't quite escape Gilgamesh touching him, though, almost insistently. One of his hands weaves through dark, dark hair, curls through his bangs fondly.]

I am happy to see you safe. Tell me, how did your foray into the towers go? I would hear all about your adventures, until the sun itself sets upon us.

[ Gilgamesh's mana... It's a little blinding. As Setsuna lifts his lashes to see the world again, the first to greet him is that strange light. It's not the first time, so he recognizes it easily. But he can never get used to it. A brilliant gold resonating against the air, stretching slowly towards the sunlight — indeed, it's a light that will always be impacting at each time. As if it's a blooming flower reaching out, wanting to shed its roots and simply fly away...

Setsuna recalls many things during such a moment. He remembers about the eternal war that this person is fighting his home... He claims that it's something to be proud of, but he wonders if he's only saying that because he can never be happy again. If he could at least find satisfaction through what he has, then maybe finding glory through war isn't so bad. If true happiness is beyond reach, then is it still considered tragic if one attempts to put together what limited cheer they could possess? If his fate truly can't be changed anymore... Then at least, Setsuna would hope for those wars to become meaningful one day.

He believes, after all, that fighting it's always terrible. Sometimes, a person really has to fight to secure what is important. Through fighting... he believes, something can bloom if there's a meaning to them. As the King speaks, his thoughts trail back to the present, focusing his eyes to this person's face and away from that distracting stream of mana. ]

I am also glad...

[ —that you are safe, too. Now, Setsuna thinks about the fallen towers. About the legend, about those two souls that never managed to connect... About the sensation of the sky flowing past him, something that he hasn't felt in a long while. Rather than form a solid thought about him, the King's question — quite predictably — instead forms questions for the young Meister. His travels through that tower surely added a page to his quest of understanding. ]

King... Why do you think that dragon banished the phoenix? Even though he wanted her to stay...

[It's just like Setsuna to meander off a different direction entirely, seeking his own form of understanding, but Gilgamesh has learned some measure of patience with him; he allows it, and he indulges it, because he's come to see that curiosity as endearing rather than a hassle. Though he still remembers how useless it all felt, burying that rose in the snow. Some attitudes wouldn't ever change.]

Sometimes, Setsuna, love grows so intense it turns to hatred.

[Gilgamesh knows the sentiment well. It's how he feels about one woman in particular, the same woman he'd entered the dungeon with. It always seems as if he's balancing off a precipice, and with too strong a push, he'll plummet towards that hatred. He'll loathe her as much as he loves her, someday. The selfish part of him believes she feels the same towards him, only balanced on the opposite side of the coin.

Gilgamesh shakes his head, part a few stray black hairs back into place before continuing.]

It consumes us. It blinds us. Both emotions share a common source: passion. And in all likelihood, that dragon... he still cared for her more than anything in the world. He simply could not reach her, as he wished to, and so she drifted away. Sometimes, Setsuna, love is doomed to fail.

[You are doomed to fail, he very nearly tells him, trying to reach others, as you do.]

[ ( *that fighting isn't always terrible. — a typo from previous tag, sorry! )

Those words are similar to that a certain someone told him in the past. A love so strong that it breeds hatred... That person knew well that he was wrong, yet when Setsuna questioned him, all he had to say was that it was foolish to doubt a soldier's reason to fight. It was sad; he genuinely only wanted to know why that person allowed himself to fall into corruption. What was his reason? At the time, there was nothing... Through that battle, Setsuna felt it — only a bruised ego seeking maddened revenge. It sickened him so that all he could respond with was force in return. He was much younger back then.

This time, as Setsuna looks back at that event, he thinks to himself that perhaps he could've handled that better. He should have... And he wonders about the dragon once more. Is his love truly doomed? He wants to find the phoenix's side of the story; only then would he know the answer, if that love reached her heart or not. Perhaps that dragon did fail because he gave in to corruption. But maybe... His emotions were powerful enough to reach that phoenix. Enough to spark a change within her and keep his memory... At least, that's what happened to him and that person he crossed swords with.

As Gilgamesh gingerly runs his fingers through his hair, the young Meister feels his consciousness drift into a lull. His mind is a mess, and his heart tightens, but he feels at ease. He's already accustomed to this pain, as well as the sensation of someone doubting him. He knows it... He isn't that naive, the King doesn't have to say it for him to know. After all, he already wrote it out in their letters. ]

I still want to believe.

[ Because I have already failed more than once. Like the desert flower that knows the pain of fires... Despite how many times it's burnt down, it will continue to bloom despite the ravaged earths. As long as humans hope, they will continue to stand up, no matter how injuries they would carry. Whether it's from their own mistakes, or from others, all it takes is acknowledgement.

Setsuna wouldn't be here with this King today if he doomed himself. No matter how many mistakes a person can make, they can still seek meaning if they have the will for it. He moves a little closer, huddling against this person's chest as he listens to that muted heartbeat. The future is still a faraway dream right now, but he will never stop running towards it. ]

Even though you dislike the way I think, I want to thank you...

[ Because Gilgamesh still respects him despite everything about him. He's kind of selfish too, always purposely dodging topics about himself. ]

I know.

[It's indeed a sign of his respect and his affection for Setsuna that he doesn't put him down outright for ideals that were still very much foolish to the cruel King. Even in his cruelty, he acknowledges that those ideals were worthy because they were so strong. He may not have agreed with them, but he didn't agree with Saber's overall philosophy, either—and he adored that woman, despite his love dipping into obsessive territory.

Setsuna may have been the knight, but today it seemed Gilgamesh would take on the role of reassurance, of protector and motivator. So be it. He holds Setsuna as close as he will allow, brings his head to his shoulder and presses a kiss to the very top. He's come so far, to allow this sort of intimacy. Gilgamesh is beginning to think that denying him sex may not have been such a bad thing, when he enjoys all of this already from a soul ordinarily so reticent.

And although it's rare for Gilgamesh to show earnest gratitude to anyone, Setsuna has more than earned it.]

I would like to thank you, as well. You see, I was uncertain when I first arrived, but you reminded me of someone important. It served to anchor me when I had little else to follow. If you want to believe, begin with yourself—because it was I who grew to believe in you, for what you had done for me.

[Gilgamesh dares another kiss to his cheek, before drawing back.]

You have warmed the heart of this tyrant king. That is surely worthy of great praise, even if you've no need of it.

[ Believe in himself... If it's that, Gilgamesh doesn't have to worry. Setsuna certainly had a share of doubting himself in the past, but he's moved on. Yet even during those times, he never once allowed those thoughts to fully cloud his judgement. And right now, he can stand tall, high enough to cause tremor through the skies. He has always fought for what he believes in, and that will remain shining through his silent presence. The King seems to realize that too, considering what he's saying to him.

Living and breathing within the King's proud arms is another evidence of that existing strength. He's here because he refused to ever fall, but he also knows that he's here because of the people that support him. Everyone from home, everyone that he met here in Enprise... He's so spoiled, he realizes. Though he's so distant and strange, everyone accepts and even likes him for who he is. It's easy for him to find reasons to feel like living on is worth it. Right, he doesn't need to hear such comforting words or feel such warmth at all... But no doubt, he too accepts them — just as others do for him.

Thus Setsuna does accept each gesture from his King. It's still illogical for someone like him, the concept of mana exchange that is. This world that requires physical contact with others to make it through life, it's nothing that he's heard of before. But... it doesn't feel bad. In fact, it's making him want to smile again. When did he start feeling like this? ]

Indeed... I have no need for such.

[ So he says, but he lets out another muted laughter against the King's shoulder. His voice resonates against that bare skin, leaving a sensation that is plain indescribable. He doesn't need it, but it doesn't mean that he doesn't treasure them.

He in fact really, really likes it... Hearing words of gratitude. Hearing that someone believes in him. And so, he returns that same belief to the person that gave them to him. Lifting his head away from that shoulder, he shifts up to briefly brush his own lips against that unguarded, pale cheek. ]

You said you wanted to know how I fared through the towers. Do you want to hear the [ obvious ] truth you already see before you, or do you want to hear something else?

I like it when you laugh.

[Certainly, it's an unguarded admission. Every part of him is right now. Adrasteius and Vietnam were special to him, and he always heeded their counsel, but Setsuna was different. He stood in a class of his own, made Gilgamesh feel as no one else could. Made him feel as though his doubts were foolish, that it was alright to walk hand in hand with others. That it was fine to laugh and to love, and that maybe... maybe...

Maybe someone could understand. If only a little. If only for a short while, before he lost them. That was the thing about human beings: they died off so quickly, and here, they disappeared. What if awoke one day to find Setsuna gone? It's a reality he must accept, so he tells himself he shouldn't come too close, shouldn't let him see too much.

But the reality is he's seen far too much already, and there's no taking it back now.

A soft sound escapes Gilgamesh when he's rewarded with a kiss, like the cry of animal discovering its kin for the first time. It's raw and it's real and it's happy, truly, an indescribable sensation. Being with Setsuna is indescribable. In fact, he prefers not to describe it, as it makes him embarrassed to admit how much the man has caused him to go against his own principles.

Resting brow to brow with Setsuna, Gilgamesh sighs. Someday soon, he'll awaken from this maddening dream.]

I believe you've already decided for us. Go on.

[Once more, Gilgamesh urges Setsuna to make the decision for himself.]

[ Hehe... Gilgamesh does, does he. Unfortunately, the King wouldn't be able to hear his laugh often. But that doesn't need to be said. ... However, today, he doesn't need to worry of that yet. Maybe it feels like a dream, but Setsuna will always strongly reassure of his presence. What did he say before? That the King is his reality. In that manner, he hopes that his King would also realize it someday — that he's real too, and that his memory will always remain even if he were to one day fade. It doesn't change the fact that he exists.

Exists. Even though if they were to part, Setsuna can promise his King that he will continue on living. He has made this same promise to many others, and he has no intention of breaking it no matter how much anyone would attempt it. Although looking at two different skies, they still nevertheless continue to exist... After Gilgamesh lets out such an unexpectedly cute voice, Setsuna has to hold back another laugh. He does this time, instead he smiles under his soundless expression paired with light eyes. ]

I, actually...

[ Nah. This is too easy. That's not fun... Instead of continuing his sentence, the young Meister suddenly — playfully — shoves his own King towards the waters before standing up to run. Now, he lets out that held back laugh as he remains in safe distance.

If the King wants to hear the rest, he's going to have to fight him for it. ]

[Well, he set himself up for that one.

Gilgamesh, being unguarded, gets pushed right back into the water with a yelp. Back home, this would've been extraordinarily dangerous; the instincts of a Servant were not easily subdued, and it would've read as an attack. Gilgamesh tended to respond to those with extreme prejudice with little in the way of survivors. But here it's all muffled, so it's alright. He just sputters in a particularly pathetic way and shouts after Setsuna, indignant:]

MONGREL! I'll destroy you for this! You cannot escape me now!

[If Setsuna wants to play, he'll play. Gilgamesh crawls out like a drowned rat and... is he desperate enough to cheat here? Yes, he'll cheat. He employs a quick bit of psionic magic to give himself a speed boost and goes chasing after Setsuna. Which probably makes for an amusing image, watching the King of Heroes fly past in nothing but a towel. But he's a man on a mission, and he will have revenge! Not even his own knight could get away with such insolence!

Here he comes. And once he gets close, he's totally returning the favor and tackling Setsuna into the nearest spring if he can. Deal with it, you brat.]

[ Hey, wait a minute...!? Setsuna could barely even react! Seeing the King bolt through the slippery floor with speed magic of all things, he could only respond with a surprised voice before the two boys disappear into the next spring. A pillar of water, no different from a fountain, shoots across the scene before all is silent again. Distant chirping of birds flow through the wind as nothing happens for the next few seconds.

Nothing on the surface at least. Underneath holds a unique sight. Through the warm aquatic surroundings, Setsuna opens his eyes to see his huffy King's red eyes staring right at him. Those cheeks seem to be just as reddish. He wonders if he teased too much. He couldn't help it... He wanted to take his first steps to reaffirming himself, of his existence, and of his reality. That road doesn't have to be a lonely one. That's why he thought to make it as lighthearted as possible. It's actually a little embarrassing.

How else could he say it without causing himself wanting to run... In these waters, his voice won't be able to flow. But he says it, anyway. He mouths something against the soft waves, staring at his King's eyes, as he touches that cheek with one hand. In these waters, he says it in their tongue: "I missed you." ]

[Setsuna may have teased too much, but much as Gilgamesh would deny it, he likes it. He likes to be noticed, in this way; spoiled, in this way, with affectionate intention. His words are only noise, nothing truly threatening, and even though he wrestles with Setsuna in the water it's all in the name of bonding. Setsuna understood the world through his abilities as an Innovator, or at least once did, but Gilgamesh understood it through contact. He touches Setsuna, not only because he likes him, but because it's as close as he'll ever come to achieving the man's stated dream. An impossible dream, yet one he encourages nonetheless.

Gilgamesh cannot hear what Setsuna says, but that doesn't matter. He feels it. He sinks into those fingers, nothing like soft but everything like what he wants anyway. Enkidu could never said to be soft, either, hewed so roughly from clay, yet he enjoyed him all the same. This association might have been dangerous, borderline obsessive by now, yet he's fallen too deep to break away from it.

So Gilgamesh tells him in return, softly, in the same tongue:]

I am glad that you are alive. I am glad that we met.

[He tells him what he wants from everyone, but from those who would dare to know him most of all—]

Remember me. Remember this. Remember how grand this life was.

[—because it has always be and always will be Gilgamesh's greatest fear to be forgotten.]

[ As an existence that values every other, Gilgamesh had nothing to worry of that regard either. Setsuna, who tries to embrace every little blossom within his short arms... He will never forget any of them. The meaning of the winter rose seals that fact. That although it may seem so futile, it isn't to someone like him. It's because everything is fleeting that he values them so much. No life is meaningless. Each and every individual that ever came into existence would always leave something behind; it stays, even if they were to part or fade away. In that manner, their memory is immortalized for generations to come.

Certainly, Setsuna will make sure to remember... Gilgamesh, against the watery gray and blue, is flushed along with the rays of the sun. His existence pierces through the aquatic scenery with vibrant colors. His distant King which floats so close to him now... The wordless Knight can only stare out as everything reflects against his eyes, nodding to make his promise one more time. As the King seemingly melts against his hand — the very same preserving hand which ironically fell lives — extends a touch so gentle that anyone would be reminded how contradictory Setsuna really is.

A living weapon that couldn't grasp love, yet shines it far more than anyone... He who broke the definition of love and proved to those around him, that regardless of the fact he's so broken and empty, simply carrying hope in his heart illuminates his existence with overflowing meaning. Setsuna too floats there, the remaining of his smile dissolving — returning to that usual iciness. He moves two hands down, taking hold of two of the King's. It's then that he brings the two of them up again, back to the surface reminiscent of that time.

And once the winds welcome them back to the world, Setsuna voices out: ]

I will continue to live on.

[ And thus, continue to remember everything. ]

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[Open] It's getting hot in here

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