Video;

[gates_of_babylon]

[There's an audible groan over the feed before Gilgamesh's tablet actually turns on and his irritated expression becomes present--though, it's a lot smaller than it usually tends to be. A much younger edition of the Sumerian King reaches up to pluck bits of dirt and leaves from his hair, finding himself standing just outside of the city and holding a gigantic golden axe over one shoulder.

He's not really pleased with his situation.]

He brings me out, but doesn't realize that the potion itself does wonders to my center of gravity when it's first imbibed... [Stretching his arms out and setting the tip of the axe against the ground, the young king regarded the camera with a weary smile.]

Hello, everyone--it's your future King. While I'm in a good mood for once, is anyone interested in playing a game or going on a bit of a hunt?

Comments

[action] o9

[itsmagicallydelicious]

[Kariya doesn't often venture too far out of the city, but the city limits are a place he's well-acquainted with; it's much easier to find unoccupied buildings here, abandoned spaces where he can feel a little more secure than a back alley in Exsilium proper.

It's also not an especially cheery place, however, so the flash of an oversized golden axe and an undersized golden head is bound to catch the eye. A little confused and a little wary (lesson learned: small children and weapons are not unusual here), he approaches from the front as the child finishes his message.

There's an odd echo of familiarity here somewhere.]

... Hey. You're going on a hunt?

[Which had definitely been an odd thing for the child to say, but everything about the kid looks out of place anyway.]

[action]

[gates_of_babylon]

[Gilgamesh turned to face Kariya, dipping himself in the length of a thinning creek before he lowered the blade of the axe into it as well. Casually enough, the young King began washing the trim of the blade with his bare hand.]

I may. It depends on what interest I gather in people willing to actually leave this supposed prison.

[All the same, he smiled eerily towards Kariya, amused that the man would approach a child holding a Noble Phantasm.]

And, what are you doing out so far, sir?

[itsmagicallydelicious]

[He's not unaware of the unusual aura around both child and weapon, but the whole of Exsilium is a mess of different energies and magicks dulling one's ability to sort them through -- nowadays the best he can do is gauge the level of danger and whether to approach.

(Being in over his head isn't a new feeling, so it's debatable whether his judgment is sound enough either way.)

For the moment, he smiles back uncertainly.]

It's only a prison in some ways, yes. I like it here -- much more peaceful.

[gates_of_babylon]

Ah, well--maybe the city is peaceful. I wouldn't say the situation itself is at all.

[Shrugging, Gilgamesh turned his hand over and nonchalantly--dismissed his Noble Phantasm. It disappeared in golden wisps of raw, unprocessed mana.]

I can see why you like the outside, though. Despite the pollution, as you way, it's more peaceful. If anything, I prefer it over that iron cage, myself.

[itsmagicallydelicious]

Quiet, yes. But no, not peaceful by definition.

[A very precocious child, and one who seems able to fend for himself, at least in the matter of defense. It's not surprising, if he came to this world with those powers -- children of magi are very much like this.

It's probably safer not to assume, but Kariya can't quite help it.]

I think both have their good points. We are on an island.

[He doesn't explicitly point out that the whole island is their prison: they aren't only the hostages of the Initiative, if you want to think of it that way. It's a little too morbid here, though, however mature the child may be.]

[gates_of_babylon]

Boys and girls raised outside of war don't understand what peace is. [He smiled curtly in response, knowing what kind of upbringing this man must have had. Someone who considered 'this' to be danger had to have been someone brought up in an easy-going time.

Though, he regretted being mean enough to correct the older man.]

Not that I want to be rude, sir. It's just that--if you believe anything about this world is warlike, then I must question your insight. A state that rules through fear is a peaceful one.

It isn't ideal and while I'm going to change that, I cannot think that this is all that dangerous a place. [Yep, this kid is fucking terrifying.]

[itsmagicallydelicious]

[(Compared to Gilgamesh's time, his world is indeed a very peaceful and complacent one, where total war is clinically and efficiently cordoned off to other places in the world. It wasn't that way half a century ago -- is that what they call progress?

The Holy Grail War is a bit of a farce of a war in its own way.)

Kariya is a little taken aback, to say the least. This is not a normal child; he knew that already, but the feeling keeps growing. He's missing an important piece of the puzzle. It's never stopped him.]

Well, I don't know if I would call it warlike. Or if I'd call my upbringing peaceful. [A small smile, crooked.] But in the world I knew, a state that ruled through fear wouldn't last. A false peace. [He has to believe that; each of the Great Families is a small state of its own.] It always pays to be careful.

How will you change it?