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year 5, quarter 3
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As Quistis Trepe dismounted herself from his enormous frame, teetering and wobbling as if she had taken one too many laps on the whiskey train, Gilgamesh folded both arms into his chest and let fly another exuberant laugh, as if he were the one doing the actual drinking instead.
”And a small taste of my prowess, at that! My agility, my perception, my reflexes are such that I can cut a swallow out of the air as it flies!” bragged the swordsman as he then took to flexing his arms in a bodybuilder's pose. Granted, that was something he could only do with a weapon, but Quistis did ask to hear about his achievements earlier... ”I am certain that you will find me a most adequate challenge in combat, once we've claimed our prize here!” Omigod, he's being completely serious about that, isn't he?
Wait, that's a stupid question. Of course he is; Gilgamesh doesn't know what 'taking the piss' means.
Brimming with eagerness to gauge Miss Trepe's prowess for battle himself, Gilgamesh excitedly tried to glean out where the formerly butterfly-shaped blue light had streaked off towards, but could find nothing that stood out amidst the pretty flowers and exotic plants, some of which carried the gift of bioluminescence and glowed beneath the silver moonlight in a rainbow of iridescent colors and hues.
”Leave it to a butterfly to seek out a garden as the location of the next clue,” pondered the swordsman aloud, feeling properly amused.
When Quistis took the initiative to select a path for them to follow, the ground rumbled suddenly, and a wall of ivy jettisoned up from the earth directly in front of her, stretching as high as ten feet tall and completely barring any forward progress.
”Ghido's shell!” Gilgamesh exclaimed, reaching out for his teacherly companion, only to be denied as another wall of vines erupted in front of him, pushing the swordsman back some distance and separating the two scavengers from each other as the garden grounds transmogrified and morphed into a complex network of corridors and halls before their very eyes, a magical labyrinth truly fit for a couples' excursion across Torensten.
Momentarily stunned, Gilgamesh furiously shook his head to regain his senses, then spit out a mouthful of leaves. ”Miss Trepe! You're not hurt, are you?!” he called out from behind the newly formed barrier, looking around the terrain with a new feeling of unease.
Regardless of how she replied, an idea strikes the weapons collector, motivating him to reach deep into the lining of his polka-dotted trousers and, after about a dozen seconds of aggressive floundering, retrieve what looked to be a small silver whistle featuring a detailed resin sculpture in the likeness of his most trusted companion, Enkidu.
Winding his hand back, he tossed the miniature flute up into the air, aiming it just right so that it could sail over the ivy wall and land approximately close to wherever Quistis was.
”Use that whistle to keep me abreast of your whereabouts! Blow into it for three seconds, and I'll find my way to you!” Nevermind how he would actually go about achieving this feat, but by golly, Gilgamesh was determined to make it work. If he could get the instrument to her by tossing it over the walls, then he could just as easily vault over them like a rabbit with springs for heels.
As he prepared to search for a way back to Quistis, a voice rang out in the back of Gilgamesh's mind, soft and barely audible, as if the wind itself were speaking to him. His companion would also hear this unearthly presence, as well, whispering a phrase that tugged at the strings of instinct, drawing their unconscious attention toward the center of the garden conservatory, even as the flowers and plants formed barricades and blockages to keep them from seeing into its middlemost point.
Confront the labyrinth of hearts. Surpass the walls of your emotions, and be united again.
@blacksuit3 ● MEANWHILE IN THE GOBLET OF FIRE, LMAO ● 666 WORDS
[attr=class,text] She let him go about bragging. It gave her time to put herself back together. Her eyes turned to his outburst. Others turned to glare at him for interrupting the serene atmosphere. At least he seemed to be having fun. And part of her felt she should be ready for a combat at the end of their scavenger hunt endeavors… [break][break] Lovely. She had not worn her fighting clothes. [break][break] She gave a slight smirk shaking her head. “It’s only natural it would look for a flower to rest upon.” Where he was determined to continue the mission, she simply wanted to relax and enjoy the beauty before her. She took her time on her path, taking in the soft fragrances and gentle sights. Then, her stroll was suddenly disturbed. Not by the giant warrior, but by the rumbling ground beneath her. She took a step back to avoid the wall of ivy that now blocked her path. [break][break] Her brow creased with concern and she turned to see Gilgamesh had also been cut off from her. Was she in trouble? She felt her adrenaline rise in her as the room transformed about them. She could hear the gasps of the other guests, who seemed just as surprised as she. Gilgamesh seemed to regain his senses before her, as he shouted over the wall. “Yes. I’m fine.” She reassured him. “How about yourself?” [break][break] There was silence and she could hear some rummaging. Though how deep his rummaging went was a mystery to her. Then, she felt something small thump her in the head. She rubbed the sore spot, only to see what had scattered across the floor. It seemed to be a miniature flute. Then his set of instructions came over the wall. She frowned. But didn’t he know where she was already? But, it was not a bad plan for when they started navigating. “I...I don’t know how to play an instrument.” The last time she was forced to, she wasn’t very good. “But I will try…” She held it lightly in her hands as she looked about. [break][break] Quietly, the voice rose like a music note in the wind. [break][break]
Confront the labyrinth of hearts. Surpass the walls of your emotions, and be united again.
[break][break] She turned, but it seemed the middle was now obscured from view. Wonderful. It seemed they would have to find their way out. “I am going to start looking for a way that leads to the middle. If I find it or need help, I will trill for you.” With the flute she meant. [break][break] And, letting him know her plan, she took off in the only direction she could. But it seemed the walls were high and vast. But if she followed along the inner wall, surely she couldn’t get too lost?
Assured by Quistis that she would keep in touch via the whistle he had thrown over to her, Gilgamesh gave a nod, then turned to carefully examine the changed surroundings. Walls of green speckled by the additional presence of all manner of exotic and colorful flowers barred him in every direction, save one.
”Hmph. Talk about being railroaded...” complained the swordsman, who would have preferred to crack out one of his masterwork blades and just cut out a path to the center of the labyrinth. That was going to be hard to pull off here, given the copious amounts of absolutely nothing that Gilgamesh possessed right now. ”Maybe if SOMEBODY OUT THERE actually WROTE IN A FEW SWORDS or something, that'd be JUST SUPER!” To nobody's disappointment except his own, the warrior received nothing for his frustration.
Besides, nobody's ready for that kind of fresh hell just yet.
Understandably dejected by his inability to brute force his way through the problem, yet still fixing to win the scavenger hunt, Gilgamesh let off a brusque sigh and began moving in the only direction available to him.
Within seconds, he trips over an exposed root, landing squarely on his face with a worrisome crunch. Gilgamesh screamed in pain, his voice almost completely muffled by the earth.
Another attending participant, in the middle of his own navigation, stopped in the middle of his search upon taking notice of the enormous oaf in bohemian clothes flapping both hands and feet around like a fish with irreversible brain damage. Without a word, he moved on.
Angry and flustered by his mounting misfortunes, Gilgamesh pushed himself up, spitting out chunks of grass in the process. ”To hell with this!” Swiftly, he adjusts his frame so that it assumed a crouched position, and in that moment, he gathered his focus to the soles of his feet, then jumped upward—
THUNK. Against all explanation, his head makes full contact with invisible air, stopping all vertical movement as Gilgamesh seemed to crumple upward like a ragdoll, only to fall and crash straight back onto the conservatory floor, once again being fed a mouthful of grass against his will.
The corner of his mouth curls, letting him issue a low grumble. Stupid force fields...
Aside from a likely concussion (if it was possible for the nimwitted warrior to suffer one of those) it became obvious that the labyrinth was meant to be walked through, and the organizers of Torensten's Voyage de Amour went the extra lengths to enchant the gardens with just the right amount of magic to prevent unwanted cheating.
Well, here's hoping Miss Trepe was faring better...
(Of course she is, she's actually intelligent.)
@blacksuit3 ● HAVE SOME LOONEY TUNES PHYSICS, LMAO ● 446 WORDS
[attr=class,text] Quistis found the path not too terribly difficult. There were a few corners in the floral maze, but it was not terribly dizzying. The paths were meant to be easy and act as a guide. It was supposed to be a fun surprise. She could smell the soft florals of roses and lavender. There were some florals that luminesced in whites and pinks to light the way. She soon found a pattern to them and had an idea that she was to follow the heart shaped ones. They were delicately tended to by the gardener it seemed. She would have to find out their names. [break][break] She then picked up her pace. It was supposed to be fun, but she found herself oddly alone. The maze made her start thinking about her own heart. How she wished it could one day glow like the rose and blanc flowers. She supposed this event would not be the day. Then, she fretted. Perhaps she was not worthy of love? She could hear the chuckles of well paired couples as she reached the center. She smiled at their happiness. It was good to see them in their glow. [break][break] Ah, but she wasn’t alone tonight! And it did not take long for her to soon find the middle. The trick was not too terribly difficult to figure out after thinking the puzzle through. When she stepped into the middle she smiled at the well decorated area of beautiful balloons and light. She looked at the whistle in her hand. She was to call him, wasn’t she? Any normal person probably would have used this opportunity to escape their position. But Quistis was too soft to do that. She knew she’d feel far too guilty later. [break][break] Instead, she blew the whistle for him as directed. Ignoring the glares of the others.
How many years have passed since this labyrinth first claimed him, Gilgamesh wondered. Had it been ten-thousand? Twenty? Five-hundred? Did the very concept of time even possess meaning anymore? No matter where he turned his gaze, the bumbling swordsman was met with walls of outstretched ivy and thorns that seemed ready to suffocate all that dared intrude on these grounds.
For somebody with only two functioning brain cells, both of which were locked in a never-ending struggle for third place, a mere five minutes inside the verdant maze felt like eternity wandering the Rift. Even the flowers reminded Gilgamesh of that bucket-head Exdeath, what with their curled petals that pinched into one another, like that mailbox he called a sallet. A real shame he never got to tell him how gauche that helmet really was!
Oh, what's the point? Outside of a fight, Gilgamesh was about as useful as a set of rubber crutches. To think that he would find himself outclassed, outwitted, by something so ruthlessly complex and sophisticated as casual municipal entertainment!
Still upset that he couldn't just leap over the walls, a thought brushes by. ”Maybe I could just walk through them, instead?” Gilgamesh lifted his hand up to the tangle of thorns and ivy, feeling doubtful about the efficacy of such a plan. If he could suffer brain damage hitting literally nothing, who knows what these treacherous brambles might be capable of?
”Sure, go ahead! Feel free to lower the bar even further, my friend,” called out a familiar voice, drawing the large meatheaded warrior's attention. From behind a passage in the maze several paces down the hall emerged the samurai without a name, slowly clapping as if to applaud Gilgamesh for the hours of entertainment that his boundless stupidity provided. ”Don't mind me, I'm just here to see you flounder like a fish out of water. Watching you collide with that barrier enchantment was quite the act of comedy!”
Damn it, somebody saw that!? ”Throw me a freakin' bone here, coin boy! I'm trying to give this scavenger hunt a serious chance!” Gilgamesh spat back, waving a dismissive meat glove at the gadfly with two katanas. Did he just call him 'coin boy'?
The ronin scoffed. Openly. ”By dragging an innocent woman all over Torensten's rooftops and being a general public nuisance?” The sword-carrying fellow shrugged. ”I mean, sure, one might 'argue; that you're actually 'having fun here'—”
”That's exactly my point!” Gilgamesh interrupted with oblivious glee, completely missing the subtext being issued altogether. ”My treasure-hunting partner has proven most intrepid and courageous! It has been far too many moons since I last felt a connection so visceral and personal with another as passionate for the thrill of adventure as I am!” His monologue draws an expression of stunned silence from the other man. Was this fool being serious here?
It takes him several seconds for his brain to process it all. ”You know what 'consent' is, yes?”
Gilgamesh hums, confused. ”Isn't that something you sprinkle on top of cakes?”
Oh my god, I'm indebted to a complete idiot... A wave of nausea fills the samurai's stomach. He felt truly miserable for the other woman now, offering a silent prayer of remorse for her predicament.
”Weird time to be thinking about cakes, isn't it?” rhetorically asked the treasure hunter, passing by his companion to see if there was any routes that might lead closer to the center. ”I wonder how Miss Trepe is faring?”
Tweeeeeeee! The sound of a high-pitched warble pierces the garden maze, capturing the swordsman's attention the moment he recognized its distinctive tone. ”Talk about perfect timing!” he said, but quickly remembered an inconvenient detail in the form of he can't just jump over the stupid labyrinth. Technicalities: his Achilles heel. ”How do I reach her quickly if I cannot bound over the walls?”
He paused in thought, then took a long, focused look at the bramble walls.
A calm silence falls over the conservatory as the flowers of the maze walls thrummed and pulsed with the glow of magic, dotting the landscape in a rainbow of colors. Fireflies flashed their signals at one another, setting the scene alight with little stars formed of bioluminous chemicals, acting and reacting with the purpose of flagging down a mate. Frogs bellow out their calls in curated ponds as lanternfish shimmer and twinkle in the moonlight just beneath the water's surface.
Couples around the labyrinth giggled and cavorted with each other, trying to solve the mystery of how to reach the garden center so that they might obtain their next clue. Quistis had arrived there far earlier than most of them, a feat worthy of praise by itself; praise Gilgamesh might have given her, were he smart enough to actually know how to navigate a terrain-based puzzle.
The bushes rustle softly near the central gazebo, but the noise is too delicate to determine what caused it. Was someone nearby, or had it merely been the evening breeze?
The cacophony of leaves pushing into one another grows louder. Then, a bulge emerges inside one of the ivy walls.
Within seconds of that, a giant hand and arm thrusts its way out of the brambles, flailing around for a few more until a second hand and arm came shooting out. Then came a couple of labored grunts, followed by Gilgamesh's face and torso as they both desperately tried to struggle and squeeze their way through the maze wall before, at long last, the entirety of his meaty figure came tumbling to the garden floor with a resounding crunch.
Not even two feet next to him, the wandering samurai that had been following Gilgamesh stepped into view, entering the labyrinth's core from the only available opening.
He gave the sword collector a concerned look before turning to Quistis, lightly bowing in apology before moving to say, ”Are you in need of smelling salts, perchance? Conversations with him are known to induce confusion, and a woman of intellect deserves to have a clear head, free of distractions.” The man with no name then gave her a knowing wink.
If Gilgamesh had visible eyes, he would have rolled them so hard right now.
@blacksuit3 ● THE RIDE ISN'T OVER JUST YET, LMAO ● 1,033 WORDS
She waited, alone, for a few moments. She took in the beautifully tended botany. Then there was a rustling and she thought to take a defensive position - feet spread and arms braced. Surely bulging ivy walls were a sign of danger. A giant hand came out and she was quite surprised at its sight. But when it wore off and a second hand came followed by a face,
[break][break] Of her partner in the scavenger hunt.
[break][break] She relaxed and gave a soft high. Her head shook and she crossed her arms. Even if he couldn’t determine the riddle, one could simply follow along the outside wall until the exit was found. But no. That solution was too much for him.
[break][break] She heard the surprised gasps by the people in the conservatory. There was a call for security and she thought she could hear security marching through the maze now. They probably wanted to know about property damage and disorderly conduct.
[break][break] Before Quistis could ponder or more or talk to Gilgamesh, another man approached her. This one was more polite than the other. He offered her smelling salts. Did she look faint? “Errr….No...I’m fine. Thank you.” She raised a hand to wave away the offer. “Are you a friend of Gilgamesh?” She asked curiously, unsure of who this new guy was. He winked at her and she felt her cheeks burn.
[break][break] Then, suddenly, behind them there was a bout of heat as the fire jumped in size in the center brazier. The area brightened as they took the shape of fiery dancers. Each one spinning and fluttering around each other in unison. ‘The hunt finally closes on fiery dancers that flame the fires of desire.’
[break][break] Quistis watched, mesmerized for a moment. Then her mind already had the answer. “They want us to return to the start. To Legend Square.” She said softly, looking back to the other two men.
Being asked such a question had made the nameless samurai take pause. Alas, it only required a single cursory glance at Gilgamesh—who was now preoccupied with trying to remove a few sharp brambles from his polka-dotted trousers—for him to reach an answer. ”It's complicated,” he said to Quistis, calmly, still maintaining a sharp glare on the dimwitted swordsman.
”It can't be more complicated than this stupid maze was!” Gilgamesh interjected without reading the room, hopping on one foot as he tried to fish out another branch, tumbling backwards and hitting against the ivy thorns, yelping from the pain despite wearing a complete set of functional battle armor. ”At least tell me if we've found the clue?”
As if right on cue, a blossom of purest flame erupts from the center brazier, swirling and dancing at the labyrinth's center with a radiance that drew everyone's focus toward the spectacle. Gilgamesh could only gawk at the wondrous display, and he would have probably forgotten to breathe, too, if his body didn't do it for him automatically.
‘The hunt finally closes on fiery dancers that flame the fires of desire.’
The words hover on the air like notes from the plucked strings of a harp, spoken in unison to the visible metamorphosis experienced by the flower of fire, its petals transmuting into a cluster of flickering human effigies, each one caught in a dance that surely mystified all who gazed upon their performance. As it is with all good things, so too must this demonstration draw to a close, leaving the brazier to fade out until all was normal and mundane again.
Fortunately, Quistis was sharp enough to have figured out the answer. ”We haven't a moment to lose, then!” Gilgamesh hummed, nodding as if though trying to express the pride he felt for her astute character, despite being a riddle any lovestruck teenager could probably solve in three minutes or less. ”Our moment of triumph is close at hand!”
”You know, my friend, perhaps you ought to be more mindful of how you showcase your exhilaration?” advised the no-name samurai, whispering to the crimson-cloaked numbskull yet putting extra attention to certain words. ”It would be a great shame to see you involved in a misunderstandingwith thelocal authorities...”
At first, Gilgamesh simply glanced at his companion with a puzzled look; the proverbial wheel was turning, but the hamster running inside the contraption had already died. Why the heck are you talking so weird? Of course, once he began doing some simple addition, it became apparent that he was being told to pay attention to the damage his stupidity was causing to the conservatory's labyrinth attraction.
Finally aware of this fact, Gilgamesh began sheepishly shuffling his way toward the opening that his traveling partner had emerged from behind. ”We should, uhh...probably get moving along here...” Yeah, please, if you could just push this fracas along before it reaches its final stupidity, that'd be swell.
It was highly probable that Quistis Trepe would need to exert no effort to make her way from the botanical gardens all the way back to Legend Square, seeing as how she was doing nothing to attract undue attention toward herself. She could actually blame it all on her partner in this scavenger hunt, but something within her—something remarkably anomalous—compelled the teacherly woman to put up with his antics, or at least keep her head low enough to where she did not suffer too much from the backlash of his bravado.
Meanwhile, Gilgamesh was forced to lag behind her at the suggestion of his traveling partner, who had to spend approximately ten minutes elaborating on why his enthusiasm for the treasure hunt was actually a point of overwhelming stress for the woman he was supposed to be helping out.
In addition to all the other problems he was causing, to say the least.
”So...what you're saying is, that...she's not excited about the treasure hunt?” asked Gilgamesh. His question was like something a child would express, completely without any kind of awareness of what was happening around him. It left the no-name warrior baffled.
”No, what I'm trying to tell you, is that you need to involve her,” the ronin explained, articulating his words slowly on the off chance that Gilgamesh might be able to better understand him that way. ”You're not being considerate of your partner's feelings at all. It betrays the spirit of this festival, you know.”
His words mortified the weapons collector. ”How DARE you?! I'll have you know I've been nothing but a right proper gentleman to her! It's not like I kidnapped her or anything!” spat Gilgamesh, pointing a finger into the samurai's breast.
”Says the guy running on rooftops with a grown adult clinging to your arm like a thistle.”
”That was perfectly calculated free-running! I knew exactly what I was doing!”
”And you're certain you knew what you were doing when you vaulted your way to the gardens like a gazelle with springs for heels, again with your partner clinging on for dear life?”
”I didn't even jump that forcefully! You're making it sound worse than it actually was!”
...This was going to go on for a little while, at least until they got to Legend Square. And it would seem that fortune was finally willing to extend a hand of mercy to poor Quistis Trepe, because the amount of time that Gilgamesh spent bickering with his 'friend' was more time she would have to solve the final riddle, claim her prize, and get out of Dodge Roll with the quickness of lightning.
[attr=class,text] Quistis tilted her head to the side at the ‘It’s complicated’ response. Well, she certainly was not surprised. Things seemed over complicated when it came to interactions with Gilgamesh. He seemed to hop and still make a jester of himself. She frowned at the sight, shaking her head in disappointment, much like a teacher with a difficult student. The final stretch of the hunt was upon them. [break][break] And even though they found a second person to accompany them, she felt even more alone. It seemed she was to be left out of their conversation exchange, even though it was clear they were talking about her. Gilgamesh was not exactly quiet. Had she done something wrong? It seemed she was always being left out for some reasons she could not understand. [break][break] She quietly trailed the festival streets again, her eyes low. She didn’t seem in a particular hurry. She had hoped to learn about Torensten through this experience. But all the rushing kept her from doing so. Instead, she looked up at Legend Square again. She saw the statues of the heroes. And, as she pushed through the crowds, there was a small lot open where the fire dancers flitted and spun. They left streaks of light behind them and their costumes rustled and shifted to accentuate their dancing. The small coins jingled to the rhythm of the life music. [break][break] And it was here they would find the voucher for their prize. One of the dancers passed out a ticket to those who approached her. Quistis politely pushed through the crowd and took one from the lady smiling at her. She made her way back to Gilgamesh and his companion. “Good work, you earned it. Just take it to the booth over there for your prize.”
As it was pointed out earlier, Quistis was not the problem. Gilgamesh was. He and his companion (and that term is being used very loosely here) may have excluded her from their arguments, but it was the latter who was observant enough to call out the former's behavior as inappropriate, ergo socially unacceptable. Ironic, considering all of this criticism came from an actively wanted criminal.
But, the more he listened to the samurai with two swords, the more ashamed Gilgamesh began to feel about his actions tonight. He had been so utterly consumed with the thought of claiming victory, it never dawned on him that winning actually wasn't the point of the Voyage de Amour.
”I told you earlier,” said the ronin as the pair closed in on Legend Square once more, ”you were supposed to win the affections of your peers. That was the whole point of the treasure hunt.”
”But what's the point of hunting for treasure if it's not about the treasure!?” Gilgamesh whined, loudly, throwing his hands to the ground as if to highlight the absurdity of the man's explanation. ”Why do they even call it a 'treasure hunt', then!?”
”The treasure is love,” said the samurai at last, having finally run out of ways to simplify the subject. He pinched the bridge of his nose. ”The festival is aboutlove. You were supposed to participate with the intentions of finding apartner in life.”
Gilgamesh merely blinked. Each and every one of the rusted gears twirling inside that cavernous vacuum he called a brain screeched to a violent and cacophonous halt. Somewhere inside of it, what little functioning neurons he had remaining tried desperately to form a connection between all that the samurai had said and everything that occurred this evening.
Then, his eyes widen, but too many emotions flooded in all at once; not only had Gilgamesh made a complete ass of himself in front of hundreds of people, but his 'new friend' had neglected to explain the truth of this festival before he went running off to participate. On one hand, he wanted to punch the samurai through a wall, but his shame at embarrassing Quistis Trepe trumped any irritation he felt toward the other man, who had long since regretted trying to perceive any sort of humor in this pitiful farce.
All the manic energy in his body left him at once. Gilgamesh slumped his shoulders forward, and his face morphed into one of transparent sadness. How could he have been so utterly stupid? His fixation on having fun and winning had resulted in Miss Trepe's exclusion and an inability to appreciate the true purpose of the festival, which was the appreciation of Torensten's culture and history.
In the process of stewing in his own disappointment, Quistis emerged from between a crowd of observers surrounding a stage, where a troupe of shapely dancers dressed in the finest satins and silks enchanted the audience with their fluid movements and stunning control over their staves, each one set aflame at both ends. In her hand was a small gilded slip with words he could not read, but she explained that he was to take it to a clerk and have it exchanged for a prize of his choice. Even after all he had put her through, she was still choosing to act selflessly at her own expense?
Gilgamesh lifted his hand, and shook his head. ”I can't accept this, Miss Trepe, I'm sorry,” he said, to the nameless ronin's silent surprise. Was he hallucinating, or was this idiot of a giant actually showing remorse? ”I have done nothing but cause you grief tonight... You should be the one to claim the prize, if anyone ought to.” According to the painted warrior's face, it seemed like he was being legitimate with his feelings this time, yet the sword-carrying fellow still felt inclined to harbor skepticism.
He looked around at the whole of Torensten, realizing where he had fallen short: everyone was there to enjoy themselves, to spend time with one another, putting aside their own needs so that the community could benefit, even for a short moment.
Secure in his decision, Gilgamesh turned back to Quistis, ”I truly meant what I said earlier. Your dreams are worth pursuing, even if they seem lofty and unattainable. Love is a treasure that cannot be seized by strength alone, thus I am not able to help you find it.” For once, he was actually being sensible here, even if it was put a little too floridly.
He then made an effort to point at her side, a reminder that she still clung to the whistle that Gilgamesh had thrown to her inside the labyrinth. ”Please keep that whistle, Miss Trepe. If you are ever in danger, do not hesitate to summon me. I will cross continents, oceans, even the very thresholds of time and space to come to your aid, whatever it takes.” The no-name bandit rolled his eyes. ”I owe you that much for being so foolish and barbarous.”
Gilgamesh gave her one final courteous bow before turning on his heels to walk away, for he was much too embarrassed to remain in the presence of someone so upstanding and respectful, closely passing by his companion in the process. He had ruined someone else's pursuit of happiness, and that in itself was far more sinful than all the blood he'd ever spilled across the stretch of his long and battle-scarred life.
Watching him leave, the samurai was at a loss for how to react. It was such a dramatic turn of character for Gilgamesh, especially since he was prone to forgetting whatever life lessons came out of these scenarios. Was he too harsh? Common sense told him no; it was better to confront and accept the bitter truth than to have it be a sweet and convenient lie.
Still, he felt inclined to give Quistis one last piece of advice. ”I would get that whistle sanitized, if I were you. I'm truly sorry you had to put up with...well, all of that. Please accept this gift as recompense for your troubles tonight,” he said before reaching down to unfasten the pheasant's netsuke at his waist to retrieve an ornately lacquered inro box featuring a crysanthemum motif, inside containing a substantial amount of gil. He then winked at her once again, mischievously concluding with, ”he won't notice.”
Quickly, the ronin bowed to her, then quickly departed to catch up with the swordsman before any objections could be raised.
Of course, by the time they were already at Torensten's gates, angry shouting could be heard moving past the city walls. Apparently, Gilgamesh noticed.
@blacksuit3 ● I'M SORRY HE'S BEEN A PAIN IN HER ASS, RIP ● 1,114 WORDS
[attr=class,text] Quistis began to wonder why he looked so glum. They made it to the end, like he wanted didn’t they? They found the prize at the end. And yet, he was utterly disappointed. She wanted this to end on a good note, but it seemed her behavior had upset him in some way. She looked down at the ticket she offered, as he denied it. He worked for it. Why did he not want it? “That’s not true. By the looks of it, I caused you grief. We had a good time up until now…” Her brows drew together. True, it was bizarre and over the top. But it had been fun. [break][break] It seemed the man was full of surprising wisdom. She had not thought he knew what love was at all. And yet, here he was trying to encourage it. And then it seemed everything was moving too fast. “I...Thank you…” She was not sure how she felt about disrupting his day, but she was more than happy for a future ally, should she need one. But, he had already turned to go, and was becoming lost in the sea of people already. She felt guilty there was nothing she could say to make him feel better. [break][break] “It was no trouble…” She tried to reassure the ronin. Everyone had their own way of having fun. But he pushed the box in her direction. “Oh!” She could not accept this. She already made him feel bad tonight, she could not just pinch his gil too. But the swordsman was also gone before she could press it back at him. Well, if she had the whistle, she could always call him back to her. That’s what he said, right? Maybe she would invest his money, then give him back more than was taken from him upon meeting again. It seemed the right thing to do for his troubles.