middaeg | [closed / open for close CR] Ain't no party like a bonding party

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[closed / open for close CR] Ain't no party like a bonding party

Who: Enkidu & Caren (and later, others)
When: backdated to the evening before Valentine's Day
Where: The Coven / An inn
What: Bonding Ceremony / Drinking
Warnings: B for Bonding & D for Drinking

Closed to Caren
When Enkidu arrives they have their hair pulled back in a long ponytail kept together by a hairpin given to them during that gift giving holiday and they are wearing a thick, grey woollen sweater and a pair of white pants. Despite their clothes being new and their hair looking flawless they feel tired.

They offer Caren their hand as they walk up to the circle drawn on the ground.

"I still do not find this easy." They whisper the words softly. "It is not your fault. I just...I still do not trust them."

But this is something they need to do. For their own sake and for hers. She is too kind to be left without a bond. Once they have taken hold of her hand they squeeze it softly.

Open to close CR
When it comes to drinking Enkidu looks like a lightweight but really, they can handle a lot of beer. And this is their fourth mug and for the first time they're not thinking about Rathmores cutting off fingers, their friends suffering, their feelings towards the Coven or anything else. No, they're obviously enjoying themselves. At times they chuckle at every joke others make and it could be that they're stealing the food from your plate.

"Perhaps, when this inn closes we could go to the forest. It is quite great when you kick your shoes off and bury your feet deep into the earth. And when you are done with that you just run."

They smile broadly and take another big sip from their beer.

[OOC: feel free to mingle and make posts here. If people want separate starters, feel free to poke me!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It is very late when Enkidu gets his message and it is even later when they appear in front of him.

"I have received your message."

Despite the fact they have been drinking the tone of their voice is a neutral one. Slowly they sink into one of the chairs across of him and pull their legs up so they can rest their hands on their knees. They know very well what he wants to discuss with them and to be absolutely honest, they dread it.

Enkidu sighs and waits for him to speak.

Gilgamesh sits across from his friend, looking every inch a man of proper nobility. He has flared his hair and for the occasion he wears laced up boots, a black coat with matching gloves, a golden cravat, and his typical golden earrings; those, at least, journeyed with him here. Despite his sometimes-propensity for fashion-related horror, Gilgamesh somehow seems to manage to pull it together for truly important ceremonies. But then, that could be said about many things in his life and how differently his approach and mannerisms are when he takes them more seriously.

It goes without saying that Gilgamesh has attended Enkidu's Bond ceremony. He takes a sip from his own glass of beer, peering at Enkidu over the rim of the glass; with his hair arranged thusly, his eyebrows are more severe and his gaze more penetrating, befitting his regal status. His movements are slow, but not leisurely. An unstated intensity ripples through every gesture. And those eyes reveal a deep, solemn contemplation.

Finally, he says: "It would seem that much has changed."

It is a neutral statement. His tone borders on formality. This is of course the tone he took with his people in Uruk.

"Yet, I suppose that is to be expected. In other circumstances, you know what I would do, should someone solicit your friendship."

Namely, he would test their Worthiness. The usual method for this would be engaging in battle with himself. But were Enkidu to befriend someone without such abilities, Gilgamesh might devise another sort of trial. Here, as Gilgamesh has only lately arrived, it seems Enkidu has been making many new friends.

Not only that, it would seem his only friend has acquired a certain popularity.

In a sense, that is at it should be. For Enkidu to be loved is right and proper. And yet, Gilgamesh need not confess it: that deep, proprietary, possessive feeling swells up within him. The King is after all a semi-divine being born from a goddess, with all the jealous passions that attend the heart of a god. Though Enkidu has seen and loved and been loved by his human side as well as his divine, it is that hybrid blood of his that runs hot and fierce and inclines him towards a maelstrom of passionate energies. He controls them, of course. At least in this context.

But these emotions thrum heavily beneath the surface, unspoken but always present behind that all-seeing gaze.

He does not press the matter any further. Enkidu is his equal and his friend. He awaits their reply.

The person that sits across of them is, indeed, their friend Gil. Yet, the one that speaks is Uruk's king. The look in his eyes is intense, the sort of look he has when he demands an explanation of some sort.

"A trial of some sort. To assure they are worthy of befriending me." The answer is simple. They know this and they will be the last one to frown upon his possessiveness. "And I have been thinking about this a lot. I haven't bonded for months, aware of the words you spoke to me. I might have been crumbling apart but I've heard them. Your final decree. I did not wish to betray you, to engage with others without your permission...."

Enkidu's face looks completely neutral and they do not flinch at the intensity in his gaze.

" ...but my skin started to crack and I started to feel sick. Not like a human feels sick. No, differently. My body could not contain all this magic anymore, it was preparing itself to explode. And Cu has shown me nothing but patience and kindness..." They smile fondly. "...He eased my mind... And then there is Asura...and Ozymandias. Caren and Diarmuid. Ciaran Cu and Edelgard. People visited me when I was healing, they brought me flowers and worried in a way like humans do. And I realized...I could not wait for you. I could not take this kindness for granted, clinging to the fading hope of ever seeing you again."

They silence for a moment, still looking at him. But this time there is a regretful look on their face.

"...I never wanted to betray our friendship, Gil."

It is not Gilgamesh's intention to make Enkidu feel as though they are on trial. He would never desire that they should feel that way -- not unless the trial were a trial by combat, which is the purest form of interaction between them. It is simply that, for the King, the arbiter and watcher of humankind, all civilization is always on trial, and for his closest companion to be partaking of that civilization, it necessarily falls under his scrutinizing gaze and his sharp criticisms.

Still, when Enkidu speaks, Gilgamesh listens attentively. That firm, stone-faced glare gradually relaxes somewhat -- very minutely, but at that contrition, he looks noticeably calmer.

"Be at ease, my friend. I shall not fault you for doing what you must to survive."

How could he? It was he who had wished so fervently for that survival that he had cried to the gods that he should perish instead.

Ah... Gilgamesh should have been here long before. Then there would have been no need of these others to have aided Enkidu so.

Perhaps that truly is what unsettles and agitates him. With his great will, he should have sensed Enkidu alive and arrived of his own volition to rescue them from these sufferings. That was for him. His role, as the first of heroes. And yet. Others had been there. Others had come to his friend during their time of need.

But, as he always does, the King chooses to focus upon the future.

"Yet, I stand by my statement that things have changed."

It is nothing to berate Enkidu on, nothing to treat with guilt, but it is true. For you, the statement says, implicitly. Not for me. Nothing has changed for Gilgamesh. At least, that is what he would claim. The truth of that... might be cast somewhat more into doubt. But he evades this, and quite deliberately.

"The reason I speak to you is because I wish for you to anticipate the future clearly. Enkidu, you are my one friend. I shall not pass decrees on your other relations." Much as he might want to Test them, he will believe Enkidu's own views. That is the respect he grants to his friend. "But you are well aware that I, as an existence, am incompatible with the masses."

And, though he does not think of it in such terms, they are incompatible with him, too. Just look at the varied reactions on that network post.

"Therefore, you must know that my presence here, should you abide me --" (and, obviously, they shall) "-- may necessarily affect your other relationships."

To begin with, though he need not say it, Gilgamesh shall make massive demands upon Enkidu's time. And that is just for starters.

The words are no threat, only a word of caution spoken in the complete and honest appraisal of the King of Uruk, who is also Enkidu's true friend.

Edited (formatting/word choices) 2020-03-02 18:46 (UTC)

“…ah…” Enkidu sits back and moves to rub their face with their hands. “…Gil…”

Really, they can’t find any proper words. How do you express feeling something that is right between relief, worry and their own stupidity? Do humans have a word for it? A sigh escapes their mouth.

They realize how uncomplicated and free their life has been. How they had time and space to enjoy the presence of humans. They learned from the stories they told them and helped them doing tasks. No one questioned their presence, everyone knew who they were, what they were doing. There were adventures to have and there was no question that they would overcome said adventure. There was no doubt that a certain treasure would end up in Gil’s vault.

But here, nothing made sense here. They have been quite naive and perhaps a little stupid as well. While they know of the evil that could hide inside a human being, they had never expected to experience such evil. Not like this, not without their questions answered. Not without any sense whatsoever. No logic. Nothing that might underline the nature of an average human being.

“For the both of us.” They speak clearly. “I thought I could approach matters in the ways I know of. That humans would behave according to what I know of humanity. Ah…that there would be moments where I’d be amused with their stories and in awe by their strong wills. But it does not suffice. I have been quite a fool.”

Well, there’s no lie to what he is saying. Gil isn’t entirely cut out to be a part of those he deems beneath him. But then again…

“Perhaps you are incompatible. But I also know how strong willed you are. I also know that if you wish for something to happen that it will happen. And this place, this world…you cannot go on and live the way you used to. There is no such thing, Gil. It will change things for you as well.”

Enkidu is well aware of how bold their words are. To tell a great king that he has to change his way of living. Perhaps even change the way he perceives things. They watch him silently and maybe there’s still a part of him that is unable to process the fact that he is really here.

“I will forever be at your side, Gil.”

When they say that their voice is laced with a certain sort of warmth and affection.

One might say that it is somewhat curious that of the two of them, Enkidu, ever the kinder and gentler soul, is the one who feels a great cynicism towards humankind. Then again, under certain circumstances, Gilgamesh certainly has the capacity for bleak nihilism. Just ask anyone privy to his genocidal attempts during the Fifth Grail War in Fuyuki. Ah, but that was not this incarnation of Gilgamesh. Nevertheless, even in his more benign iterations, he is not exactly renowned for kindness and sensitivity. At most, he will pragmatically protect what belongs to him, whether it is his friend, his Master, or his kingdom.

"Your optimism is not at fault." By which he means their optimism towards humans... it is certainly not Enkidu's fault that it has been betrayed so terribly. But perhaps he also means that it is not categorically mistaken for Enkidu to be optimistic towards him. He will not pursue this point further... actually, Gilgamesh does not wish to speak upon the matter of change. And there are obvious reasons for that. At least he has reached the point where he does not necessarily argue with others every time the topic of his own necessary adjustment to this world arises. That's... progress, perhaps. "But as to the topic of wishes, I have been quite clear about my own."

Yes, yes, he is (obliquely) referring to that network broadcast again. Do not think he has forgotten.

"I am the first hero for a reason. If circumstances are dire and the danger is great, I rise to the occasion." He's just, you know. More used to bending circumstances to his whims. "Yet it is also my nature to push beyond the limits that others call reason. That is what it means to be King." He shakes his head. "You speak well of these mongrels. Perhaps I shall allow them to entertain me. However..."

He face pinches in displeasure once again.

"In the time you have been in this world, Enkidu, you have gained a conception of friendship I do not share."

That is... putting it mildly. And truthfully, as much as Gilgamesh had always believed there was nothing they could not speak of to one another, he thinks of the declaration he made when Enkidu died, that devastated and hopeless despair which he does not wish to revisit. The vow that he would only have one friend until time's end should be sufficient. More than sufficient.

And yet it is that very friend who has been swayed by the murmurs of some fools here into trying to undermine his decree through some mismanaging of definitions. If it were anyone else, he would be angry. Well, furious. But he cannot be angry at Enkidu. Yet he can be frustrated by a situation which would seek to force him to open anew the words he had cried to his dying friend, all because others have taken that definition away from him, even in Enkidu's own assessment of the concept of friendship.

"Whatever others may have told you about friendship in my absence... those words apply merely to the views of the masses. Should you choose to adopt their conception of the world, you may do so." He does not exactly like it, but Gilgamesh never demanded from the beginning that Enkidu make any vows so exclusive as his own. "These distinctions among friends that you refer to -- to me, they are meaningless. I have only one friend."

Nor can Enkidu simply force reality to change for themselves by simply using another person's definition of friend and applying it to a man for whom the significance is so clearly different. That is not going to work and apparently they are going to have this conversation as many times as it takes until Enkidu realizes this.

Edited 2020-03-17 00:20 (UTC)

It's a lovely hairpin, honestly. And...really, she thinks Enkidu looks lovely like this. But then, like the unvarished earth, they always looked beautiful, something that she could envy if she gave it a chance.

Gently, she squeezed Enkidu's hand in return.

"I understand." Her voice was soft, pitched only for them. "But know that I will defend you and keep you safe. That is my duty as your Master- and moreover, as a friend."

Really, she could understand. But as far as she knew, none of their fellow lost travelers knew the spell that would keep the pair of them safe.

"Do you remember your vows?" The sooner they said them, the sooner they could be on their way, and maybe she could give them some peace by showing her garden, winterized as it was.

Enkidu straightens their back a little when she speaks. At times they wish that things were more simple. Just them running through the forest, just them standing at their Master's side while saving humanity from a certain fate, just them being able to feel the earth underneath their feet.

Nothing like this.

"Thank you..." The words sound distant to their own ears. "It will take time to get used to this. After all...a permanent bond is...more than a temporarily one. I am sorry if I might fail at some things. Once I have been quite strong but I am not a very good witch."

Vows. Enkidu blinks. Vows.

"Ah...I do not have any vows. But I will think of something. If you speak yours first I have an idea how they must sound."

Before stepping into the circle they glance at the other witch. No, still no trust.

It'd be nice if things were simple. If she was back in her Church, where everyone came to, but not to see her...but she can't go back to that anymore. She can only go forward, maybe with this clay by her side.

She'd like it if they didn't vanish. But she knows it's a selfish desire too.

"I know I'm going to fail at things too. It's all right. It's simply part of the living experience." Thankfully she didn't say the human experience since, well, they had never been human.

She offered a nod to the witch, and while there was some looking confused at Enkidu's expression, they brought up their wand, and waited.

"We need to have our hands...like so." Caren brought hers up, palms up. "Pressing against each others. Once that's done, I'll start."

It'd give her time to brace herself when it came to the emotional flood.

"The living experience... Yes. Living."

Enkidu still doubts if they can truly live like a human. They're still out of touch with many things and nothing seems to be as complicated as human beings.

There is great hesitation in the way they move, as if they have to give their mind an extra push to go on with this. Slowly they press their hands against hers, frowning a little.

"There."

She offered an encouraging nod. It wasn't going to be easy-for either of them, since she wasn't very good at being human sometimes-but she was going to try her best for Enkidu.

"There. Now it's time for the difficult part."

She offered a small smile, before taking in a deep breath.

"I've only done this once before. It was intimate, and this may be intimate too, in a different way. But I came into this because when we were in the cells...it was safe for me to break down. I had to be strong for so many people."

Caren took in a slow, deep breath.

"So I vow this. I vow to listen to what you have to say. I will not smother you with my humanity; I will let you be yourself, first and foremost. If you are my weapon, you are a weapon that I will use with utmost care. If I am to be your master, then I will use you well."

She smiled suddenly, fierce and showing fangs. "If you feel the need for another, you may tell me at anytime, and we can have the bond dissolved, no hard feelings. But I will hope that whoever chooses you as your new Master will use you well."

"I know that it is intimate. Yet I fear...I am not human enough for such a thing and I do not trust the Coven, therefore the hesitation."

Because it is still there. It shows in how they stand, in how their hands move slowly. They have to and it would help her. It would help them both. So, no, they do not remove their hands and they gaze at her face when she speaks her vow. The words are reassuring. It would mean she'd give them a purpose. The last part of her vow is met with a confused look. Bonds weren't easy to disregard. They have seen what it did to Ozymandias. How unhappy it made him.

They spend a long time blinking and trying to find words. A vow of some sort.

"I vow..." Their eyes flash from her face to the witch leading their ceremony and the witnesses who are present. "...I will will keep you safe from harm. And that there will be no reason for you to cry anymore. You may wield me how you please, I will follow your commands..." In a way it is the same as forging a contract with a Master. "...I hope I will witness the growth of your human soul. I would like that."

They pause.

"Must I step back?"

Caren managed to smile, and shake her head. Enkidu...had the right not to trust them. It was smart not to trust them. She wasn't going to say not to, especially when they were here, binding them together.

And too, with Enkidu having their missing fingers.

But their words...they were simple, deep, and powerful-even if there was some puzzlement from the witches watching, not understanding what they meant. Even as there was a movement of a wand and murmured words, Caren watched them-and there was a change in her eyes. She wouldn't say it but- she was touched. And worried too, that they could be disappointed. She knew what she was.

She was so much like her father, it was sickening.

"No, I don't think you have to. Not yet." Gently, her fingers spread, and she made to interlace their fingers together. "We can spend as much time here as you need."

She could feel the difference now that the witches had done the ceremony. Just the subtle click, and the difference she felt in her body. There was the flow of emotions between them but...she hadn't realized how much she needed the magic. It felt wonderful.

It feels like a relief. Much more than the temporarily bond with Cu had felt. They can feel their magic flowing out of their body until everything is pleasantly even. As if their muscles finally are allowed to relax, as if their heart is finally ready to accept a situation like this. And yes, there are emotions but they aren't overwhelming or loud. It is merely a soft sort of...longing that they feel.

Yet Enkidu does not bring it up. That is her story to tell.

"I feel why it is different from the temporarily bond I had. There is more...it is more...calming... Is it the same for you as well?" They bend their fingers a little, holding on to her hands. They look at the witch who has been leading their ceremony.

"I do not want to spend more time inside this building. We have done what we had to do."

Still, they move to wrap her arms around her in a careful manner, pulling her close to their chest.

"I hope it was what you wanted it to be."

Everything felt so much better. She had felt so sluggish, a weight on her shoulders but...she hadn't realized why. Things had been getting bad then. Enkidu's emotions weren't clamboring at her as she thought they might but...

She'll still have to adjust. But it'll be all right. They both will be.

"It feels as if a weight has been lifted." There might be a witch watching, but she didn't care. She just wanted to lean against the good clay. Maybe even nap with her head on their lap.

Which was how she ended up face first and buried against their chest, and taking in their scent, slow and deep.

Ah, clay hugs.

"It's better then what I thought it would be." She meant it too. Still, she moved her face away, so she could speak without her voice being muffled. "But we can leave. We can cuddle back at your place. Or mine."

"Is it similar to your previous bond?"

Enkidu holds her close, carefully reaching out to pet her hair. They can agree to her words. It feels as if a weight has been lifted. As if they have finally been able to take some sort of stance in this. And yes, it helps that Gil is here. That he returned and gave them some sort of purpose.

"Let us go to your house. I have not seen it yet."

Slowly they let go and yes, there is a lot of holding and cuddling that needs to be done. And getting used to this.

"No. That was more romantic, and sexual in nature."

And this was a different kind of relief, a different reason to bond. It wasn't bad though. Not at all. It felt good to be held.

But she parted from their embrace slowly, linking their fingers together.

"You might like it. It's a mansion, and I've converted the back lot into a garden. So if you don't like the inside...the outside will be better."

"So your previous bond was more like Diarmuid and Cu? Is that the thing you are longing for? A boy friend?"

It seems to be the norm for bonds.

"Or the one you have lost?"

Because yes, they know what losing someone close can do. In their case, four thousand years of longing and mourning in silence.

"Hmmm, outside is always better. It is where flowers can bloom and where you can see the sky." Enkidu offers their hand. "Have you ever considered sleeping outside?"

If Caren had been anyone else, she would have sputtered. And if it had been anyone else but Enkidu, she would have killed with a frosty look. Instead, she shook her head, hard enough for her hair to swing, even as she felt her cheeks warm under the implication.

"I'm not looking for a boyfriend." Boyfriends just happened to find her. Sometimes. Besides, she's been hurt by having those longings lately. Her voice softened though as she explained, and her hand linked with theirs.

"We were never officially dating. Neither of us...could bring ourselves to say the words. I suppose you could say we were shyer, or we had less time then Diarmuid and the hound. It's difficult to say. As for sleeping outside...my instincts have me try to sleep outside, nestled against things, as much as possible.

"But I'd catch a chill if I tried that now. I don't have enough coverage, with how bare I am these days."

Enkidu listens closely, trying to paint a picture while trying to relate her words to their own experience. Once again they notice their shortcomings. It isn't difficult to imagine the bond she had with the person she longs for but it is difficult to categorize it. How it should feel, how they should behave, what the meaning of everything would be.

"Do you have to date before you start to long for another? It seems there is no system."

They murmur the words softly, squeezing her hand briefly. The connection feels good. A bit strange but good.

"Maybe that person will return one day, like Gil has returned to me." And well, regarding the sleeping outside thing... "If we have enough blankets and a nice fire it will be fine."

"There is...And isn't a system. You can long for people you've never met, things you've never seen. It's foolish, but it happens."

It's a good connection. But the fact that they're trying to understand for her sake and their own, had her lean up, and press a kiss to their cheek.

"It's unlikely they would remember me, even if they did return. Let's plan for a night outside, with a proper fire and other things instead."

"Hmm that. I think I understand what you mean. How it is to long for things you cannot name yet you do know they are there."

Enkidu lets out a surprised sound at the kiss but doesn't pull away at all and eventually the only logic thing to do is to return the favor.

"When Edelgard freed me from that cage and when I woke up in that bed I became aware of that. It is rather lonesome without a permanent bond. It took me a while to understand that. I realized I could not ask Cu to be at my side. It has been odd...I wonder if my soul has grown or that I merely came to understand human relationships."

They speak softly with a questioning undertone in their voice.

"As long as you have your memories of them...perhaps you two can create new ones over time." A nod. "Yes that sounds like a good plan."

"There they are." Her voice was soft, and she sighed-and made a soft noise when Enkidu returned the favor. Oh right, they did that sometimes. Mimicked what she did if they thought it was right. But...

"I'm not sure what it is. Maybe you'll find out. Or you may not. There's nothing wrong with not knowing sometimes. Or with creating new memories."

She offered a soft hand squeeze. "Shall we go?"

Hakuno has never imbibed, before. She has been warned against the Fae weakness to alcohol, of course, but even before that she never had the time or opportunity to partake. She has the echoed memory of feasts Gilgamesh has attended, is familiar with the scent of the wine he drank in the dimness of the room as she settled down to sleep, but her inexperience is obvious as she trails her fingers through the condensation misted over the side of her own mug, watching the foam settle and froth.

She glances up, and smiles herself, and it's easier this time to do it, to look at them with her own heart and eyes and smile back.

"I've never done any of that," she admits quietly, so as not to cut in on the rest of the conversations going strong around them. "I don't know how much Gilgamesh told you, but... well, there weren't forests or soil to relax in, in the place where I was created. Or time to do it, either."

She doesn't know how much Gilgamesh has told them about her origins, so she uses that word on purpose. Created, not born.

Enkidu is on their third of fourth beer and their cheeks are slightly reddened by now. It is not easy to get them drunk but when they are, they are absolutely wasted.

"Well, there is a first time for everything, isn't it? I like it how the earth feels underneath my feet. Ah, it is quite a sure feeling. Something solid, something you can always fall back onto." They take a large sip. "I believe you were busy battling a Moon Cell. A grail in disguise, isn't it?"

They cannot paint a picture of it at all but it must've been something fearful.

"Not even disguise, really." She gives it some thought, tipping her head slightly to one side. "It was... a magical construct covering the surface of the moon. Everybody knew it was the Holy Grail, that's why they all submitted their minds and souls into it to compete. It made an incredibly advanced simulation inside of itself, sure, but... well, the stage was limited, in a lot of ways."

There was packed dirt, there were the occasional flowers, but no true wilderness or even a meager forest—only manicured school grounds and winding, seascape labyrinths. She takes a sip of her beer and mulls over the sharp taste of it, a faint flush beginning to bloom in the pointed tips of her ears.

"The Moon Cell itself didn't get fought until we had won, I had made my wish, and it began trying to erase me," she says, and takes another sip. It's harsher than the sweets she prefers more and more these days, but the fizziness is nice. She doesn't have to choke it down, at least. "...unless he was talking about when BB took control of it and she had to be stopped. In that case, we fought it twice, come to think of it..."

If they are correct the Grail is a mere...object. A golden goblet of some sort. Gil kept it in his treasury. It could grant wishes, but then again if any mage would supply them with enough mana or magic, they could grant those wishes by themselves.

"Why did it erase you? Did you wish for erasure?"

They also knew that the Grail not always did what you wanted. It was a strange, fickle, magical thing. Coveted by humans.

"Gil mentioned BB, yes." They nod slowly and sip some more. "I remember her."

If the Moon Cell was a simple and logical existence, they absolutely would be right. The truth of the matter is more complicated; it's a supercomputer, inherently magical and impossibly ancient, that records and recreates just about anything—even the Holy Grail itself, which vanished from the Earth with most of its magic.

"No," Hakuno shakes her head. "I wished... for the War to end. For the Moon Cell to never make direct contact with humanity again, so that nobody else would be put through all that. But, well..." She shrugs, her mouth twisting into something a bit too self-mocking to be a proper smile. "As a natural process of the Grail War, as soon as the War was over, the Moon Cell would erase everything it had created to facilitate it—the stage, the Servants... and the NPCs. Copies of humans that had once lived, which it used to provide aid and services to the competing Masters. Just because I accidentally ended up becoming a Master, it didn't mean I was exempt from the normal NPC fate."

She's quiet for a moment, before drinking deeply. "I knew what would happen, after I made my wish and the War officially ended. I... didn't expect to be saved but, well... you know him." She laughs a little. "Even if you're dead sure about what's going to happen, or even possible, he'll turn around and surprise you."

She takes another drink and chokes on it, setting her glass down hard and coughing.

"—w-wait!" She waves a hand, patting her chest hard. "You... what? You remember her?!"

Copies of humans? As in humans creating copies of themselves? Or just simply multiplying? Humans did do that. When males and females slept with one another babies happened. Enkidu hums shortly, they have a feeling that Hakuno means it differently.

"So if I am correct you are a copy of a dead human?" From what they've heard humans had a tendency to go far when it came to Grail Wars. But then again, who where they to judge them? A weapon in the service of humanity itself had no right. "And through that way you have become Gil's Master?"

Enkidu just gazes at her, watching her drink.

"Hmm...she is at Chaldea as a Servant. I have never spoken to her but I know she is there. My Master has summoned many Servants."

"A copy of a living one," Hakuno corrects. "A girl in stasis for thirty years, give or take, because of a degenerative memory-based disease. The reason the Moon Cell made the mistake of thinking I was an actual Master candidate at all is because there was a corresponding, living human body down on Earth that matched me." She rubs her chest, soothing away the ache. "One of my friends, a homunculus named Rani, survived the War through a loophole. She should be looking after the original, now."

Or so Hakuno hopes. She... hasn't thought much of Earth, she realizes with a guilty little jolt.

"A Servant." Hakuno has to sit and digest that for a moment. "I... I see. I... didn't expect that."

"In a way it is surprising how far humanity will allow itself to develop when there's the possession of a Grail at stake. How they push themselves beyond their own boundaries. They sacrifice others without blinking. The stories I heard...the things I have witnessed myself... Ah...humanity can be wonderful and evil...and quite cruel."

Enkidu hums for a long time, trying to process the information they've gotten and the conclusion they made. It is not easy to be a human. It isn't even easy to understand them.

"Hmm yes. Well, my Master is Master of a lot of servants. A lot. If I am correct this isn't how things normally go."

"It can." Hakuno admits. "One of the last enemies I had to defeat thought the only way to save humanity was to shove it into advancement through eternal war." Her mouth twists at the thought of that man.

Twice H. Pieceman. The only other of her particular breed. Her natural, final, enemy.

"My Grail War had a lot of Masters," Hakuno admits. "It... wasn't supposed to be that way, I know for a fact. A lot of things weren't supposed to happen; me included. Gilgamesh included."

"You tend to inflict such suffering upon yourselves. At times you humans amaze me when it comes to that. Your cruelty, your selfishness, the utmost dedication you show when it comes to the suffering of others."

They have been on the receiving end of that and for a moment they silence to process the return of some memories. Their hand tightens a little around the mug they're holding, knuckles turning white.

"Hmm? Gil hasn't been a planned summon?" In a way that is not surprising. Gil has a will that overcomes many things. Even the will of a Grail itself. "Was he just there? Suddenly?"

A Bonding ceremony celebrated with friends sounds almost like a family gathering. Given who is involved, there is no way Cú would miss that. For this is a thing to celebrate, to throw a feast over, drink and be merry as they said. For both Caren and Enkidu he brings a small gift in form of matching pendants with jasper. There's nothing magical about them, no enchantments or spells, but should they want a certain spell engraved he can provide.

He'll joke, and he'll tease but above all else express joy they found each other. Probably more so after the drinking goes a little heavier.

"These are so beautiful!"

Enkidu has told Cu at least ten times now and to be fair, the beer is getting to their head a little. Maybe that is why they are talking louder now. And maybe that is why they are wobbling in their seat. Really, they used to be better at this. They used to empty more than six large vases of beer and still be able to stand on their feet.

"I cannot believe you have given these to me and Caren. If we wear them on similar occasions we do look like a couple who just got wed. And well, if Gil can take Saber as a wife, I can take a wife as well."

They are joking a little. They cannot marry. They cannot reproduce. And their kids would come out strange.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[closed / open for close CR] Ain't no party like a bonding party

Closed to Gilgamesh

SLIDES IN LATE with Starbucks

slides in with starbucks too

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Strides in with a Starbucks

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slides in late with starbux, probably for flavor

slides in later, also holds starbucks, a bigger cup