Wedge of Heaven (AP.)

⠀⠀⠀❛ ⠀Fragile ? Never.⠀ ❜ ⠀DOROTHEA'S ⠀brows shoot upward, disappearing beneath her latticed hat — sincerely astonished at the very thought. Death is something inevitable for most mages, something they have no choice but to think about if they ever intend to pass their legacy on. The first step in the pursuit of knowledge is, for most, acknowledging that they themselves are stepping stones for their descendants; they must learn all they can, absorb all they can, and transcribe it for the next generation. All this is to say that even more than the average human, death is to be both acknowledged and prepared for by any half-decent mage— but one shudders at the thought of meeting it too early.

⠀⠀A moment of silence is allowed to settle in, a brief permission by the king's grace. Her words are worth mulling over in this moment, the way she rationalizes her choices in this tale of hers... Frankly, it's a little surprising that he has retained interest for so long. And it's not like the human mage has shattered any and all expectations he may have had of her... But even so, there is a laugh— not a lengthy one, but still one full of amusement. And once it ends, he takes a quick breath before giving voice to his thoughts.

thought her exposure to Servants was a product of the Grail War, her unique circumstances allowed for Irisviel to notice when they were in her presence. she already knew many existed in this city, so it didn't surprise her if and when she ran into one. but something about this man nagged at her. for some reason, the demeanor of the casually dressed Servant before her reminded Irisviel of that priest, which caused a slight frown to form on pale features before her expression returns once more to neutrality.

⠀⠀A king has no need to remember every face or name he comes across. This is especially true for the nature of Servants, when each incarnation rarely ever carries over the memories of past incarnations. Certainly there may be Heroic Spirits who lament the inability to carry those memories to the Throne of Heroes, but Gilgamesh is certainly not one of them. And yet, this place has given him constant irritations in the form of of these nagging thoughts of familiarity. And it seems that this artificial life form before him is the next one to contend with.

Blink once to confirm what he seeing.

⠀⠀A curious response... A very curious response. The king had merely acted on a whim, but now the conversation has taken a turn he didn't expect. Such familiarity from a man he has no memory of... It bordered on insulting, were the Archer in a foul mood today. But that wasn't the only stroke of luck— there was the tale shared by the human mage with the extravagant clothes, detailing a War with the King's own presence as overseer. There is a good chance that this man comes from that very Era... So, on another generous whim— Gilgamesh will play along.

⠀⠀⠀❛ ⠀A Command Seal ?⠀ ❜ ⠀SHE ⠀repeats the question, brows raised with apparent incredulity. ⠀❛ ⠀Assassin would hardly stand for that. Even if I used one in time, I doubt merely one would suffice. Nor would it solve the root of the problem: his disobedience.⠀ ❜ ⠀It may have turned out for the best that Assassin had knocked her unconscious before she could make an earnest attempt at exactly that. It would have been the easy way out, after all. And besides that, with the benefit of hindsight...

⠀⠀There are plenty of ways to deal with treachery and disobedience— and the methods one uses reveals plenty of who that person is. A resort to Command Seals could be interpreted plenty of ways, but the mage lays out her method plainly enough. A binding spell... All things considered, it is an interesting choice to make. Were the King of Heroes himself bound to curses and spells behind his back at the whim of his subject (his Master), he would surely kill them for such arrogance.

⠀⠀It seems the spirit of craftsmanship isn't completely dead in this city. So few things here are made with one set of hands and simple talent— but that alone wouldn't guarantee interest from the king. So the fact such simple wood carvings can draw in his focus... it's intriguing.

⠀⠀⠀❛ ⠀I suppose only the victor gets the luxury of discretion. I'm a gracious loser; I'll humor you.⠀ ❜ ⠀DOES ⠀the stench of defeat linger on her person even now ? Even if she were to feign ignorance, which she found a futile exercise to begin with, her slight wince at the mere question would have given her away regardless. ⠀

⠀⠀She was wise enough to answer his question directly, recognizing that a bluff before the king was meaningless. He listens to her brief recollection with only a single hum in his throat following the end. The finer details of the Ritual do not concern him in the slightest— the noteworthy detail was how the mage was seemingly betrayed by her own Servant. A lack of respect for an unworthy mongrel? Or perhaps something more… Hm— another detail to ignore for the moment.

" Well, it's quite obvious that you aren't Gorgeous P from behaviour alone!"

⠀⠀Once again, he must deal with someone who shows the king familiarity in a manner he does not recall. Such arrogance he must abide with due to the abnormal rules of this realm... Gilgamesh is quite aware of how he could be summoned as a Caster, taking a form from later on in his reign— he can only assume that is who this Caster was expecting... Hm— Gorgeous P? A peculiar title— yet he cannot find himself fully despising the nickname.

⠀⠀⠀❛ ⠀Hohoooh...⠀ ❜ ⠀⠀FOR ⠀a brief moment which no doubt chilled anyone within earshot, their exclamations nearly mirrored one another. She chuckles as if the memory amuses her, head tilting to the side as her hat casts a long shadow across her features. He carries himself differently... but not that differently. Without a doubt, this is most certainly the same man.

⠀⠀A textiles shop... A business for the interests of trading and selling valuable goods. How mundane, compared to the extravagant adventures and lifestyle of his younger days. He cannot help but let out a brief, yet hearty laugh at the idea. One instinct tells him to make the woman lose a finger for telling such an outlandish lie, yet another is impressed by the boldness to make such a claim to a king. But more importantly... yes, he believes her. The glimmer of truth does not escape his eyes.

" It's something of a long story. A very, very long story."

⠀⠀The golden King keeps a firm stance as the flying fortress hovers over the vast emptiness, a firm glare set towards that horizon. A single finger taps along his arm, a soft clink with each tap against the armor. There's a foul air about him, a growing annoyance as his stare takes in the bleached ground. The culmination of human history, culture and innovation... all stolen, robbed— a result of this "invasion" to rewrite history. Revolting.

⠀⠀⠀WELL, ⠀⠀clearly the bird lacks taste.

⠀⠀⠀⠀“— Ahh.” A pleased response comes from the golden king, amused by how quick the girl catches on. She must have caught word of certain interactions from others familiar with the situation— particular the Master of Chaldea. The perched bird briefly ruffles its feathers before the king stroked a finger underneath the neck, his gaze more focused on the bird than the girl.