realitymarbles | It began with a clash of blades at night under the pale moon...

It began with a clash of blades at night under the pale moon...

The Holy Grail War. A long, bloody, and more often than not it being a cruel war between mages that fought for tooth and nail against each other all for the sacred treasure to grant their wish, for good or for ill. Naturally, you would expect all forms of mages to participate in such a war... but not quite exactly alone either.

While it would seem impossible otherwise for a mage to fight in the Holy Grail War, the ones of a wiser choice would employ the services of Servants; Spirits of heroes from legends before and written in history. Although there are certainly cases where an unknown factor does come in unexpectedly and get involved in a war. A stray Servant seeking a Master, a new threat that suddenly becomes a higher priority than the grail itself for all parties involved... or perhaps, as in this case, a mage of considerable talent that somehow is thrust upon the war through outside factors and end up making a pact with a hero before either one realizes what has occurred.

A certain scene plays out that may seem familiar to some. A young girl is in trouble for her life while a menacing threat looms near by seeking for her life. Everything happened so fast for anyone to realize, but the moment the 'threat' had decided to make a strike for the girl's life was when a flash of bright golden light appeared only for a loud clash of metal to echo out harshly in the air and sparks to follow soon after.

"My my... talk about such a crude summoning," a young voice is heard behind the girl which soon immediately becomes apparently that the owner of the said voice suddenly lunges out with a large, gaudy axe coming towards the other Servant along with small ripples appearing around him with more weapons starting to protrude from thin air. Naturally the enemy Servant knew that this boy was nothing to be trifled with and a limited space meant bad news should they persist if they attacked, so a hasty retreat was immediately made-- leaving the young boy dressed in what seemed to be a fantasty arabic garb of royalty. You'd think this was straight out of an anime or something!

The boy casually brushes off his clothes and dusts his hands in mild annoyance now that the enemy had turned tail and run, ableit not very far from the feel of things. "I'm not the type to get riled up so easily, but even I can get annoyed if people start trouble but don't want to finish it." The weapon in his hands soon dissolved into golden specks of dust like it was nothing but an illusion... however, his sour expression and mood immediately changed the moment he turned to the girl that had almost had her life taken from her and beams at her with a bright smile forming across his face.

"So... I take it that it was you who had summoned me? It certainly wasn't that mongr-- aah, that brute out there, and seeing that that there isn't any one else here... I guess it must be you! But... are you my Master, I wonder? I would hope so, otherwise you're going to have a really terrible night ahead of you from the looks of things!"

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The soft sound of footsteps along with the rustling of plastic bags echoed in the silent evening as Orihime made her way home to the apartment that she lived in alone. There was a carefree skip to her step as she as she thought about what she was going to make for dinner. It was a bit late in the evening for dinner, but she was hungry and really enjoyed cooking. So, she thought about the endless things that she could make with what she just bought and what was at home. She was so lost in thought that she almost didn't hear the voice from being her.

Slowly, and with some caution, Orihime turned around. A loud gasp escaped her lips as she laid eyes upon two men with weapons behind her. The sight caused her to drop the grocery bags she was holding and she wanted to move away, but her body wouldn't let her. She was frozen in place as she witnessed what was going on before her.

The whole time her knees were shaking under her weight and the moment the other man vanished she fell to the ground. Everything happened so fast that it ended before things even began. She glances up, almost taken aback by the smile on the young man's face as he looks to her.

"Ahh... Master?" She questioned as her head tilted to the side slightly. "I don't know what you mean by your master but ... I should thank you properly for saving me..." It seemed strange that someone would want to kill her or that her life would be in danger.

Placing her hands on her knees, she pushed herself up and bowed before the young man. Her long ginger hair cascading over her shoulders and becoming a curtain around her face. "Thank you for saving my life."

As she was bowed she noticed a strange marking on the back of her hand. As she straightened up, her brows were furrowed as she used her other hand to rub at the mark.

It doesn't take much besides a good few minutes to understand the situation here. Poor girl must be confused as to what is going on and not enough time to comprehend it all happening at once. But still, once she has started to pay attention to the mark in her hand was enough for the little king to give his nod of approval.

"I see. So that's what it is." And just as quick as he had made his rescuing arrival, the Servant extends an open palm out towards his Master reaching to touch the said marks now glowing on her hand. "It looks like I am yours, after all! I, Archer, do hereby swear to be your sword and shield so long as we are connected by this contract. And as much I would like to explain more while we are both still well and alive, I believe it would be best to find ourselves in a more safer environment."

Now removing his hand away from hers and placing it on his chin in thought, he frowns a bit as things are slowly coming to him. Thankfully, the Grail provides each Servant summoned the general gist of knowledge when they are summoned into the era they are in about the world and the advances it has made. However, it doesn't seem much seems to come to mind in terms of 'security' that is close by for either of them.

"Well, at any rate. Your home should be good enough for now and I'll keep on being alert in case you get another surprise visitor. Until then, how about you lead the way, Master?" And yes, that 'Master' part was more of a cheery tone rather than spite in any sort of way. "And I'll do my best to answer any questions you may have, but I'd expect a mage like you should already know what's going on now, I'd hope!"

"Archer." It rolls off her tongue rather easily, though it feel strange because she would expect an actual name from him, but if that was all he was giving her at the moment then she wouldn't press the issue. He did save her life after all. "Thank you for saving me... Oh! I'm Orihime Inoue," she said her name as a bit of an afterthought.

Honestly, she wasn't really sure what was going on but she felt like she should. Maybe there was something she was told when she was younger about all of this, but it has since been buried in the back of her mind. Ever since her brother passed away she has been teaching herself the ways of magic and knew better than to ask her family for help, since she had ran away with her brother all those years ago.

When he mentioned heading to her house, she nodded and began to collect her things from the ground. Once she had them all she began to walk towards her apartment, glancing over her shoulder to make sure that he was following.

"It isn't that far away, only a few blocks. So, we should be there shortly." She said with a soft smile on her face and turned around to start walking again. Her step was hesitant and her body was tense from the attack, even though he said that he would keep an eye out, she couldn't help but be on guard.

"You don't have to call me master. Orihime is fine." Honestly she didn't want people to get the wrong idea if they heard him calling her master since he ... well, looked young and she didn't want people to think she was some kind of pervert. She shook her head, getting those thoughts out of it and blushing a bit. "Was that man and are you some kind of familiar?"

"Hm? You summoned me, but you don't know just who or what I am? My... either you're the luckiest girl alive to have me of all people to be at your side or the unluckiest one with some potential unpleasantness in your near future." There was hardly any gap or distance between the two once they had begun their way towards Orihime's home, although it seems that her savior now has finding himself both amused and a tad bit worried given his mixed expression is showing as he continues to converse with her so casually. "But... I suppose if you're willing to go for an informal partnership by going on a name basis, then its only fair that I should give you my name in return. I don't make it a habit of hiding my identity anyway. Officially, I am called 'Archer' given the type of Servant I am in this Holy Grail War. But as for my actual identity? I am the King of Heroes himself: Gilgamesh! Oh, but feel free to call me 'Gil' too. You're my Master after all, so you're free to call me whichever of those names or titles as you like!"

Quite a mouthful for someone who appears so young and the confidence of someone who undoubtedly believes that he is also untouchable, like the King of Heroes title that he so proudly boasted about being. Ah, but he can tell that she really wants some more solid answers with her other questions. It may be best to clear things up as possible while they have time to move to safety and not under attack.

"As for that man who had his weapon baring against you, it was no undoubtably a servant like me. The weapon he held was a sword, so its highly possible that it was a Saber class that had attacked you by orders of their own master. But given that a sword is a very common weapon, I wouldn't be surprised if they might be something else. Maybe a Rider or even an Assassin. Mmm." This does give him a good moment of thought since he didn't actually 'see' the weapon properly that was used. He was more concerned about blocking and driving away the threat from his summoner than be concerned about his enemy's identity! After crossing his arms and tilting his head to wrack his brain around for digging anything up out of memory, the little king simply shrugged and offered her yet another carefree smile. "Either way, it seems they need to be up close to land a blow. Good thing you've partnered up with an Archer, Orihime! I would be able to see them from a far distance before they even have a chance to get close to either of us!"

And to answer her last bit of question, he just... shrugs. Like it wasn't even worth much thought to begin with. "If you want to over simplify it, I suppose we Servants are in such a category, but our roles are significantly different than typical familiars. As heroic spirits, we do have our pride and dignity in who we are. Just because a mage anchors us to this world doesn't mean we have to bend over backwards for every little whim. Of course, each individual heroic spirit is different. Some may find comfort in life in serving someone as their new lord. I, myself, well... its difficult to order a king around, don't you think?"

An uneasy feeling began to settle in the pit of her stomach and she didn't like that feeling. The moment he mentioned the Holy Grail War things slowly started to click together in her mind. It was something that her brother had mentioned to her so long ago, and it all sounded like some kind of fairy tale that she had a hard time believing him. And yet, here she in a war that she never imagined being in and it was an awful feeling.

As Gilgamesh explained what was going on and answering her questions, Orihime nodded and made sure that she was going her best to pay attention to everything. He was kind enough to explain things to her and she didn't want to seem ungrateful or like it was a waste of his time to tell her about the war.

A soft laugh came from her as she nodded to his statement about it being difficult to order a king around. "I couldn't imagine ordering a king around," she said as she tilted her head back slightly to look up at the now completely dark sky. "It would be disrespectful!"

Biting on her bottom lip, she turned to glance at him. He mentioned that he was a Heroic Spirit and Gilgamesh at that, the person who was the beginning of all myths, legends, and stories about heroes. She was surprised that she could even summon a person of such great status. "How are you sustained? Do you need food and sleep or get mana from somewhere like the environment?"

After a bit of walking they come upon the apartment complex that Orihime lived in and she let out a sigh of relief. She knew she wasn't out of the woods just yet, but it was a comfort to see home and she desperately wanted to crawl into bed and sleep. "Here we are!" She said as she started to bounce up the stairs, her normal demeanor slowly starting to return to her. Fishing through her pockets she pulled her keys out and opened the door to her apartment, holding it open so he could enter. "It-it isn't much, but it's home..."

He actually was quiet for that question since it was an honest and simple question, but it also came loaded with a whole slew of answers of alternate methods and means for a servants to retain their form in this material world. So he was more lost in thought as he absent-mindedly followed Orihime all the way up to her apartment trying to figure out the best way to explain that without melting her brain in a massive information overload. So he really didn't realize it that they had arrived until he heard the jingle of her keys and announcing their arrival.

So naturally he HAD to take a look around now that his attention has focused elsewhere with full cat-like curiosity! And... well, for an apartment, it's not really bad. He's more used to more refined tastes is all, so he'll be putting his best efforts to not look disappointed or even pity for his Master. Not everyone can be born into the world of wealth like him after all. "Mm. It's... what's the word I'm looking for... cozy? Yeah, that seems right. Cozy! You can definitely feel a homey vibe here. A person could learn to get used to this... hm. Oh! Right, you've asked me something a while back, didn't you?"

And quickly to change the topic before having his Master be offended by his choice of words, the little king immediately shifts back to the said question earlier. "Now that we are in a more private area, I'd say its best to continue where we left off before. So, the thing about us Servants is that we do in fact need mana to sustain ourselves but how it is acquired entirely depends on both circumstances and the Master we are contracted to. A lot of variables in how that can work! In our case, so long as you can provide me with mana directly through your magecraft or through more physical means, I'd say we can keep a steady flow of things as they are now. Just keep in mind that I am a powerful Servant, so I may be taxing on you if you aren't careful!"

With his chest puffing up in pride at himself to assure Orihime that she had definitely scored herself to be part of The Winning Team, Gilgamesh then turns back to exploring her apartment. From the bedroom, the kitchen, and even the bathroom. Just every crack and small spot he can find and examine until he sates his curiosity of exploring his would-be home for a while. "And since I am an Archer, I naturally have the Independent Action skill which allows me to more or less act out on my own if need be... so the worst and probably only case scenarios are if I ever needed your mana directly is if I've launched a massive attack that required a lot to be used or if I'm injured and in need of aid. Both cases meaning I've spent out a lot more than I necessary, and if I spent a lot of mana just for attacking or for retreating to recover? It means that something had happened that required me to take things seriously."

Now done exploring around and somewhat satisfied with his findings, Gilgamesh once again faces his Master with that cheery smile that never seemed to go away even with all that other had been said and once again extending his hand out towards her but more as a handshake gesture this time. "Things may be all sorts of weird and will be messy from this point on, but I have all the confidence that we can make this work together. If you ever need money or resources, leave that to me! My riches as a king back from my first life still follows with me even now, so don't ever worry about that! Let's do our best and win this war together, Mas-- oh, no. You said Orihime, didn't you?"

As she listened to him describe her apartment, Orihime tilted her head to the side and thought about it before nodding. She wasn't offended in the slightest. In fact, she rather liked that he thought her apartment was cozy since that was a positive word in her mind. So, she smiled brightly.

"I'm glad you like it!" She said happily, thinking that he meant it was nicer than he really thought it was.

She listened as he explained how he was to gain magic and she was a bit confused when he mentioned more physical means. Since she didn't want to sound like she was completely oblivious she kept her mouth shut for now and simply followed him as he explored her apartment. Her mind was wandering on the possibilities of what he could have meant. Did he just need a touch from her to receive mana or were there different methods that she had no idea about?

All of this was a lot to take in and she was certain that she would forget something down the road, but she did her best to put it all to memory so she didn't have to keep asking him questions. She rubbed at her head since it was starting to hurt, but she was pulled out of her thoughts when he extended his hand towards her and she smiled softly before taking his hand.

The idea of being in a war didn't settle right with her, but it seemed that she was stuck in this with him, so she figured that she might as well participate since there was little else she could do if other Masters and Servants were going to start coming after her.

"I will do my best," she said with a nod when he said her name. "I think that I can with your help and it seems that we are already getting off to a great start! ...I know my apartment is a bit lacking, but is there anything that you need besides mana?"

"Hm! Now that you've mentioned it..." He trails off as he takes one more gazing look around the apartment. It's nice and cozy and definitely made for one person and all... but that's it. It's made for one person. So this will make the little king think for a moment on how to express his thoughts and as gently as possible.

"Well, I have no intentions on kicking you out of your own room... but if we are to be partners, I'll need to have a place of my own to sleep also. If, at the very least, I'll probably do some remodeling of my own to suit a certain area with my own needs if it comes down to it with the help of my treasury."

He casually shrugs his shoulders like the claim was nothing to be excited or curious about. Just a matter of fact, really. "Other than that, I suppose getting a lay out of this town and following you wherever you go on a daily basis is what matters next. For the sake of knowing this place to our advantage and keep you protected, mind you! Anything else... mm, I'm sure I'll find ways to entertain myself. Or provide a much more richer life for the both of us. I believe I can hire a servan-- err, a maid or something to take care of your housing necessities while we are gone if need be! I have a feeling that you'll be getting stressed and exhausted in days to come, but I know that you'll be able to over come any obstacles in your way, Orihime~!"

Then a sudden moment of realization came to him as glowing ripple suddenly appeared behind him once again with little things like jewelry, clothes, and other accessories begin to pour out from the mysterious hole. "Oh! That reminds me, just what are your specialties as a mage? Are you offense, defense, or the type that summons things to do your work? Either way, I think now is a good time to discuss our strategy against any threats and I'll get to work on protecting your home with anything I can offer. The best kind of work we can do together is teamwork, after all!"

"I don't think the landlord will appreciate you remodeling my apartment," Orihime says with a nervous laugh as she carefully sets down the grocery bags in the kitchen and begins unloading everything into its proper place. A frown quickly tugs on her lips as she realizes she doesn't have enough groceries to feed the two of them and begins making a mental note of what she'll need to buy tomorrow.

It is strange hearing him talk about a treasury since Orihime is a very frugal person due to her income coming from a distant relative and in order to keep money coming she has to do well in school. So, a lot of her time is spent studying to ensure she can pay rent and have enough food.

Walking out of the kitchen she takes a seat on one of the cushions and crosses her legs under her. "Well, this is Karakura Town and..." Orihime trails off before crawling to her bookshelf and shifts through several things before pulling out a map and spreading it across the table. "Honestly, for being such a small town a lot of stuff happens here... If you want to get a proper layout of the town the hospital or the middle school would be good places to start since they are in the little of the town."

She flushes slightly when he mentions following her around during the day or giving them a richer lifestyle. Nervously she fingers a few strands of hair that fell over her shoulders, this is a lot for her to process and she never really expected anyone to want to take care of her.

Twirling her hair around her index finger she blinks a few times when he asks what her specialization. "Eeeh..." She carefully touches her hairpins with a soft smile. "Mostly defensive, but I guess you could say I do it through the process of summoning... I'm also really good at healing!" She nervously picks at the pleating of her skirt before sighing. "My offensive abilities aren't the best since most of my skills powers rely on my intent behind the skill and without the intent to kill or hurt someone I can't."

Standing she places her fingers close to the hairpins to demonstrate her most basic ability. "Three Sacred Links Shield, I reject!" Three motes of light come shooting from her hairpins to create a triangular shield between them.

"Ooooh..." He leans in close to the shield now appearing before him in full awe. Reaching out to touch it with one hand to experiment with its reaction upon contact, he does look through the shield itself to give Orihime his full attention. "I see, I see! Then it looks like we have our bases covered after all! Leave the offense to me and I'll be relying on you to watch our backs! I think I have an idea on what to start with for you to give that extra boost now."

That being said though, he does take his attention back down onto the map she brought out. She did mention the hospital and the middle school as good starting points to stage the area... maybe he'll work with that later. "Hospital and the school, huh? Say, that reminds me... can you show me the routes you take when you are out? Because if we are.... here--" He takes his hand away from her shield to place his finger on the map. "--And you were ambushed here... then we can conclude that this area is either a hot spot for another Servant attack or is at least aware of your existence. Especially if that enemy Servant retreated. If you absolutely must go through here, make sure I'm with you, okay?"

Now that part of acting like a proper Servant was, he leans back and takes a deep breath. "Whew, that was certainly a lot at one time! Hey Orihime, I hope you realize that from this point on that we will be looking out for one another. So don't hesitate to ask me questions or favors if you think its necessary... NOW then!"

And with that, he leans back once again to stretch his arms and makes his way back to Orihime's bedroom and humming to himself like its no big deal. "If remodling is out of the question, then its a matter of making some adjustments! I'll be borrowing your room for a moment, Orihime. Looks like we'll be roommates on top of being a Master and Servant!"

Hey... is that a bed coming out of that treasury now? At least its coming out now that he is inside her room and not in between. "Oh! Do you prefer a soft or a hard mattress? I personally like a softer one, but after a while they get so hard to move around in."

Orihime's head tilts to the side slightly when he mentions that extra boost, half expecting him to explain further, but before she can inquire further he switches the subject to the attack.

Once he removes his hands from the shield and begins asking about the routes she normally takes, Orihime retreats the shield and the three motes return to the hairpins.

"Mmm~ let me seem," she says as she kneels at the table once more, leaning onto it with her elbows and her overly large breasts spilling onto it. Tracing over the lap with the tip of her finger she realized she really only took one or two routes to places and her main one was where she was attacked. "I guess I should start taking different ways home and to places," she says with a heavy sigh and she leans onto the table as she deflates at the idea.

"I doubt you want to come with me everywhere."

Her head perks up when he says they'll be working as a team now and she nods. They just met and she's still trying to understand everything, so she doesn't really know what to ask him. "If anything comes up I'll be sure to ask."

Curiosity gets the better of her when he says he's going to be borrowing her room for a moment and her eyes widen when a bed appears. "Ahh... M-medium?" She stammers as she answers the question asked of her, lingering outside the room to see what he's up to in there.

For what its worth, the constant bright light glowing from her room can totally illuminate the rest of the apartment as well as the sound of hard furniture being moved here and there. There may have been a good couple of "No, that's not right." And "Maybe this one? Over heeere?" being heard repeatedly, but it doesn't take long.

It was as if it was on cue that the moment Gilgamesh was done doing what he was planning on doing, the door cracks open with the little king crossing his arms all proud now that his current project was done. And Orihime's old bed mysteriously missing for this new regal looking one with a much more atmospheric feel to it. The sunflowers and wall mounts? Yeah, those were thrown in there for kicks, but it adds to the appeal, doesn't it? He's still feeling pretty proud about it though.

Now done for the moment, he turns over to the doorway and motions for his Master to come inside and see! "This is your room, so you should still sleep in your own bed and bedroom. I'm a king, so I'm not going to sleep anywhere besides a bed ,and no renovation is allowed. So clearly, we're just going to have to share! So! What do you think? Not bad, right?"

A nervous panic overcomes Orihime with all of the commotion coming from her bedroom. While she can't see what's going on in there, because of the light, she half expects her neighbors to start complaining about the noise and light coming from her normally quiet apartment. Since the light hurts her eyes, she heads to the front of the apartment to double-check that the door is locked and the blinds are closed so no one will question what is going on.

With her hands behind her back, Orihime drifts around her apartment until Gilgamesh grabs her attention. Heading back to the room to inspect his work, her jaw nearly drops to the floor at what she sees. Her room completely made over and more extravagant than anything she has ever seen before. Rubbing at her eyes and blinking a few times, she enters the room. Her fingers lingering on the elegantly carved wood as she shakes her head in disbelief.

"I--" she trails off, her head still spinning as she tries to grasp what just happened.

"This is amazing," she says as she looks to him, her shocked expression quickly fading before the flops onto the bed face first. A groan of happiness coming from her.

"This is waaaay better than my old bed."

That was it. That was the response that he was hoping to see! Seeing and hearing her reaction only swelled up his pride and ego even more so than before, and the moment she flopped flipped herself onto the bed also convinced him to join her as he unceremoniously drops himself on the other side of her.

"Right? Right?! And this is just barely scratching the surface of how our time together is going to be like!" He does roll over on his stomach to reach over and give his Master a comforting headpat. "Let's just say that this is my token of gratitude for you lending me your home to stay. Although I can't promise that I might not replace other things in your home."

Now propping his head up with his hand and leaning on his side, there is only one last thing left for the little king to establish. "By the way, since we are sharing the bed, I guess its only fair to say that I like to sleep very comfortably. I'm sure that won't be a problem at all, will it? Oh! You should probably make yourself some dinner before resting too. We both have quite a big day tomorrow!"

A soft sigh escapes her lips the moment his hand touches her hair and her eyes drift closed. She can't remember the last time someone touched her like this and she desperately missed it. The last time was likely before her brother, Sora, was killed so it brings back some fond memories for her.

Orihime lingers there for a moment, her breathing slowing as she relaxes, but she's brought back by his voice.

"Of course not, you're welcome to be as comfortable as you want here," she says as she rolls onto her side to face him. Likely not understanding what he means by very comfortably, but figures it means a nice pair of comfy pajamas like she wears.

"Oh yeah! Dinner," she jumps up as she says that and starts to head towards the kitchen. "Should I make something for you too?" Her head tilts to she side as she waits for his answer.

"Hm! Normally, Servants like myself don't necessarily need to eat anything for sustenance, but I wouldn't be opposed to trying anything out from your culinary repertoire." Pushing himself back up but moving only so far to seating himself at the edge of the bed. He was already comfortable so its taking a terrible amounts of effort to even bother leaving the room.

But the only thing that does convince him to get off and follow her is more to his own curiosity. After all, he is a king so his palate is leaning on the sophisticated side! "What do you plan on having? Just make what you were going to initially have and I'll just sample a small portion."

But is he going to give her a hand? Noooooooooot quite, no. Leave the kitchen wizardry to the experts! He will eventually saunter out and seating himself at the cushion she had out before... mostly to look at the map again and her. He did mention giving her an extra boost on something, so thinking on that should pass the time for him. Do your best with this already spoiled guest, Orihime.

Gilgamesh is in for the ride of his life when it comes to Orihime's cooking. She lacks the sophisticated palate he has, eating whatever she can find as long as it hasn't gone bad. So, she either needs to step up her cooking game or he needs to hire a cook because while her cooking isn't terrible, it isn't for the faint of hearts.

Heading into the kitchen, she looks into the fridge and sighs a little as the decides that she was originally going to make wasn't worthy of being served to her guest, so she decides to switch things around. It takes some time, but she ends up making some seared salmon, an omelet with some vegetables, a side salad, rice, and miso soup ( all in medium to small quantities that are normal for Japanese cooking ).

She places them on the table before pouring the two of them some tea. "Would you like the first bite?"

"Don't mind if I do then! Thank you for the meal!" Taking the utensils in his hand and after a little personal debate on what to start first, Gilgamesh begins to sample each portions of the served dinner. His demeanor did change from his casualness to a more thoughtful and eye-opening expression.

The fish... the salt and searing wasn't bad, but it felt like it was missing something. The vegetable omelet was simple to enjoy enough, but tasted a bit plain. The salad and rice was decent as they were, but the final touch on trying the miso soup was what tasted the best!

He still ate all of his served portions! No doubt about that! It wasn't the meal from a five star restaurant, but it wasn't a total travesty either. It was a conflict of flavors that really got him... or he just isn't used to eastern style of cooking. With his plates and bowls now empty, the tea that Orihime had offered was a nice, welcoming drink to wash it all down.

Now... how to say this without sounding rude or offensive? "Mm... hey, Orihime? When was the last tine that you had cooked for someone? Its been yourself here, right? Have you thought about expanding on what you know or learn from someone on how to make more things? I can make that happen too if you feel like broadening your expertise. Maybe a dessert lesson too on top of that?"

He doesn't have to worry about offending her, Orihime has thicker skin than most and can take criticism fairly well.

"That bad, huh?" She said as she picked at her own meal with some chopsticks before digging into it. Since she was used to her cooking it didn't really phase her that it was bland and needed more seasoning but she appreciated the feedback. "I never had anyone teach me how to cook, so everything I've learned myself. Sora used to cook for me before he passed away."

After finishing her own food, Orihime gathered up the dishes and started cleaning them.

"I'm not against learning how to cook better!" Honestly, it was the truth. She did want to improve her skills but she found it hard to find the time for it. Between school, the handicrafts club, and the adventures she often got pulled into free time didn't come around very often. Now she's been pulled into this war and another world within her own she had no idea about.

"You're going to spoil me with your kindness, Gilgamesh-sama."

"Admittedly, half of it is a kindness and the other half is really for my own benefit. And speaking of that, I've decided what to impart with you for both emergencies and perhaps something for you go wear as fashion, if you wish."

With a snap of his fingers, that golden glowing ripple that once had a bed coming out of it now has a blue and gold bracelet floating on out of it and lands right into his hands-- to which he starts to twirl around with his fingers. "A Noble Phantasm. I trust that you are aware of what they are as a mage, yes? As the first king, or rather, the oldest king in mankind's history, all in my treasury is the prototypes or the first and raw form of later weapons and treasures that people are familiar with. This one in particular was one that my personal attendant in my first life used while as a priestess of the gods."

He then stops twirling the bangle and snaps ot into a hold between his thumb and forefinger before continuing on. "So this one is special. I'm entrusting this to you because I believe you can make proper use of it, understand? This Noble Phantasm is used for healing purposes. So if either one of us is wounded, poisoned, or bound by a curse or something of the like then this should be your key to recovery. Lapis lazuli and gold for protection from magic and further strengthening your own."

And he did intentionally steer away from the topic of cooking. Sounds like this Sora person is someone of importance, so speaking about a dead loved one tends to bring down the mood. Its out of courtesy, you see. "Here, here! Put it on! I wanna see how well it fits for you!"

Thankfully for Gilgamesh Orihime is easily distracted, so she comes wandering over to take a look at the item that came from the portal. Listening to him explain the story behind the bangle.

"Oh, wow! It is so pretty," she says with excitement as she looks over the beautiful bangle, likely the prettiest and most expensive thing she has ever seen in her life. She seems impressed by the piece of jewelry before her and the story behind all Noble Phantasms originating with him.

With some hesitation, Orihime extends her hand towards him so he can place the bangle on her. It feels a bit wrong for someone like her to wear something so pretty and so expensive, but she feels if the protested or denied the gift he wouldn't listen to her.

Seeing Orihime putting on the jewelry does put a smile on his face though. A genuine smile from remembering the old times with fond memories. "With this, now our bond together as Master and Servant is truly complete. I'm looking forward to working and living together with you, Orihime."

But that's enough of thinking about memory lane for him! With dinner out of the way and some important things taken care of, the little king will raise up from his seat to let out a small yawn with pieces of his clothes starting to fade away into golden specks of dust. First starting with his coat and his shoes. "It looks good on you, as I thought. Maybe I'll be having some good dreams tonight. And with that, I'll be returning to bed!"

Now his shirt and pants are starting to go into aether as he casually makes his way back to her bedroom humming to himself. "Oh, and one more thing. I am told that I tend to cling when I sleep, so I'll toss in more pillows for us just in case!"

Even with a younger mindset and frame, the real trial of his unreasonable behavior begins now! Because the moment Orihime returns to her room, that little king of heroes will already be practically naked the moment he climbs into his side of the bed. With soft pillows being dropped on too as promised. Nope. Nothing out of the ordinary here!

With the bangle now around her wrist, she holds her arm up to show it off with a smile on her face. "Thank you, Gilgamesh-sama. I look forward to working with you too," she pauses for a moment, "It will be nice having someone to come home to again."

It is finally settling in that he will be here for a while and it brings her a little happiness, even with the unfortunate circumstances of the war surrounding his arrival.

Orihime watches in dismay as the little prince strips before her, her cheeks and ears reddening in embarrassment as she quickly averts her eyes. So that is what he meant when he said he liked to get comfortable. She groans a little to herself for being too dense. Slowly she follows him into the bedroom, careful to look everywhere but him and begins to wonder where all her things went.

Opening a few drawers, she started looking for her clothes.

"Ahh.. Gilgamesh-sama...? Where did you put my clothes?"

Edited (forgot icon) 2020-06-03 03:56 (UTC)

"Huh? I might have stashed them away somewhere when I was redecorating this room for a more comfortable atmosphere. Its probably stashed in a wardrobe or basket in my treasury somewhere. Why do you ask? You need some all of a sudden? It might be too late to take a bath, you know." He shrugs it off like its really no big deal as he shifts about on his side.

"Fuwaaaaahhh~! Aaaah this is the best! Feeling your skin on silk soft sheets, a just right on softness of the bed, and... oh, perhaps I should think of something to keep the room cool or warm at a set temperature next time? Thats a project for tomorrow... hey, are you coming?"

Not a single hint of deviousness or dubious intentions. This is just something normal for him and him wondering why she needs to dress up now of all times. At least the important bits are covered by the covers! "If you're looking for blankets, this one should cover for the two of us! Trust me when I say I don't skimp out on quality!"

Edited (Whoops, typos abound) 2020-06-03 04:12 (UTC)

She glances down at her school uniform, to him, and back to her school uniform. Surprised that he really doesn't see a problem with her not having clothes to change into for sleeping ... maybe they slept naked back then? Things have changed since he was alive after all.

Tugging her school cardigan off, she folds it before placing it on one of the dressers.

"I ... umm..." She takes a deep breath to calm her nerves. "I need ... sleeping clothes to change into. Like my pajamas!" She wasn't about to sleep naked with him. No way. Out of the question. Who does that?

And here he was all content with the pillow wall he was done forming between them. Oh, he wasn't bothered by her wanting to wear clothes. In actual seriousness, its just the idea of it sounds so silly to him that he makes some sound of an amused snort and a chuckle. Snorkle? Chortle? Yes, that'd be an apt description of it.

Never the less, its not like he'd straight up deny her either given now that he's shifting up for a proper upright seating position and snaps his fingers yet again for not just any appear wardrobe to appear, but a much bigger armoire coming out instead. "I was hoping to spend more time during the day tomorrow to properly decorate this room accordingly, but I guess it can't be helped. I guess its only fair to let you use this too. It all should be organized by shirts, socks, undergarments, and so on in each drawer." And with that, another plop back onto the cushions and a yawn escaping from his lips.

"What you're looking for should be in there. Somewhere. I won't judge you for feeling a bit bashful, but you should feel more confident and comfortable about yourself. There is nothing to be ashamed of or to hide between us, is there? You should at least try it once even if I'm not in the bed with you. It's quite the liberating feeling, if you ask me!"

Edited (Whoops! Html failure there. My bad! EDIT 2: AND typos. /cry) 2020-06-04 03:32 (UTC)

Relief washes over Orihime's features when the impressive armoire appears with her clothes in it. Hurrying over to it, she began fishing through it as she looked for something to wear to sleep. Commenting here and there about pieces of clothing she has forgotten about or about something no longer fitting anymore.

After finding something reasonable to wear to sleep, Orihime hugs her clothing to her chest as she turns to Gilgamesh, a brush running across her cheeks at the idea of laying in bed naked. "M-maybe I'll give it a try," it wasn't a no, but it still wasn't a yes either.

Excusing herself, she heads over to the bathroom to quickly change into her nightgown, throwing her dirty clothes into the hamper and heads back into the bedroom. She lingers for a few moments before crawling onto the unclaimed side of the bed. A sigh escaping her lips as her head and body sink into the pillows and blankets. "I don't think I can ever go back to my old bed," she murmurs before yawning.

"Then congratulations on teaming up with the king who only knows how to live in the high class life. You'll be in for a world of change starting tomorrow." Is it really just bragging if he has been able to prove it at least three times in less than an hour or so? He does sneak a peek at Orihime now that she is settling in... and his choice of words for her pajamas? "Huh... that's actually pretty cute."

Now rolling on his side again to face her and propping his head up with his arm and a pillow for support, the little king does take a nice glance over at his new Master. And now that he is this close? She is pretty too. Something about the plain cute pajamas also adds into the factor too. Probably. It does at least makes him bold enough to brush some hair out of her face.

"Given your age, I'm guessing that its safe to assume that you're in your middle years in school... not quite a senior or a fresh start junior either. That probably means that I may meet your personal friends soon since I don't plan on leaving your side if I can help it... want to talk about how we should plan on explaining to them our relationship? Unless you wish to be a teenage adoptive mother or something, haha!" That last part was obviously a joke, but he does give her a playful wink.

"Or shall I just be honest instead and introduce myself as your Servant? I think I can play the butler role well if I get enough practice. Being served to for so long, I'm sure I can be goof at that at least."

She noticeably brightens when he complements the nightgown she is wearing. Tugging on the sleeve for a moment before lowering her arm to rest against her stomach, beneath her breasts. "I made it in handicrafts club with Ishida-kun's help. It is the first thing I made successfully!"

Her eyes widen slightly as he reaches out to brush aside some of her hair, a soft blush quickly forming on her lips as she pulls her bottom lip between her teeth. Having someone so close is rare for Orihime. While she has friends they all tend to be wrapped up in their own things and she hasn't been very lucky in the romance department since she's head over heels for a shonen protagonist. So, Gilgamesh's simple gesture is enough to have her flustered and her heart beating slightly faster. She ever so slightly leans into his touch, likely an unconscious movement.

"You seem a bit young to be in my grade," she says as she reaches out to gently boop his nose. "I think we could pass as distant relatives? Maybe my aunt sent you to live with me while she goes to work overseas?" She taps her index finger against her chin softly as she thinks.

She flushers more at his joke, but does her best to ignore it. "I think you are a bit young and short to be my butler. Plus," she gestures around to her mostly modest apartment. "Butlers don't really help out with apartments."

"Hoooooh? So you're a seamstress then? Hrm... interesting. Maybe I can rely on you for anything regarding about the latest fashion for this era. I can buy anything, sure, but I'd rather also have something to not completely out of place either."

Pretty sure that was the highest compliment he has given so far. And given the subtle movements, and that not so subtle boop that makes him rub his nose in response, that Orihime had made only makes him keep up that hair stroke. Her hair is pleasantly soft and silky to touch, it seems!

"Distant relatives may work out. Its not unheard of for family to live, leave, or go outside the country. Ah, but I could play out as being a prodigy and enrolled in advanced grades because of that. I may look like this, but I do know a lot about history than most people in this time." But he does give a smirk that screams 'But of course!' at her comment of his lack of being a qualified butler. "Perhaps you're right about that. A king taking that role would be ridiculous. Alas maybe I'll find a maid to take care of me instead. Until then, I'll be relying on you then, Orihime."

"My fashion sense isn't the best," she bashfully admits. "Ishida-kun would be a better person to ask about clothes and in fashion." At one point in time, Orihime was a walking fashion disaster, but things have gotten better over the years.

There was a time when Orihime hated her hair, especially with how she was made fun of when she was younger, but as she's gotten older she's come to love and appreciate it. Which means she takes great care of her hair. Her eyes quickly become heavy the longer he pets her hair and a happy sigh comes from her.

"You're going to put me to sleep like this," she says lazily as she reaches out to run her fingers through his hair. Two can play this game.

A soft laugh comes from her when he mentions being a prodigy. It could work with him being a heroic spirit and all. "That could work as well, but you'll have to behave yourself." She imagines he would, but she can't help but tease him a little. "Mm.. I've been leaning this apartment by myself for a while now, it shouldn't be too hard unless you're saying you are messy."

"Mmm... not so much messy, but I like to have a woman's touch to things. I find that it helps put a relaxing and less tense feeling in many ways."

The feeling of her fingers threading through his hair and being just as affectionate as his own towards her was a surprise. He was for sure that this girl was n't as bold as this... maybe by rubbing off a bit of his influence on this girl may prove to be interesting.

Although her stroking his hair does make him lean in closer against her. So its a contest of who relaxes who first, is it? Well then! He'll start again by running his fingers from the top side of her head and sliding it down to the tips of her hair-- and starting to play with that! Mostly twirling the ends and using them to brush her cheek. This is not bad... a literal woman's touch as mentioned from earlier, perhaps?

"But you know, I am a guy who likes to play around and do as he pleases. Think you'll be able to keep up? I might have to play rough if someone thinks they can pick a fight with me or hurts you in anyway. I can be quite proud and protective to things important to me!"

Reaching out to stroke his hair doesn't feel bold to Orihime, it feels natural and the right thing to do. His hair felt nice against her fingers, she sinks her fingers further into his hair. The tips of her fingers lightly brushing against his scalp and occasionally massaging his head as she relaxes.

His closeness doesn't bother her. Perhaps she's a bit desensitized to it due to her female friends lean against her and grope at her, so she happily welcomes Gilgamesh as she moves in closer to her. Her arm carefully shifts under him so she can run her hands through the hair on his back of his head as well. The tips of her fingers dancing over the base of his neck before working back into his hair.

As he plays with her hair and tickles her cheek with it, she laughs softly. Even turning her face away from him but not trying too hard to get away.

"I think I can," she says as she opens her eyes half-lidded, glancing down at him with a soft smile on her lips. Given everything Orihime has experienced over the years, she can adapt easily.

Well despite what noble attempt he could muster on trying to stay awake, it seems that Orihime has been proven to be the superior expert on soothing a person to sleep. Because within moments of her response to him; All this little king could donis mumble a muffled "Good. Good," before he gets himself comfortable in bed as he said he would.

By being this close to Orihime and all, he does press his head against her chest and nuzzled his cheek against the fabric and wrapping an arm snug around the young woman as she had done with him.

Its probably a good thing the wall of cushions has been already made between them, especially if he's already in a naked state already. But here he is, all in his blissful glory and closing his eyes to doze off in what may be the better set of pillows than anything in his treasury may offer.

What a lovely way to end the night in a comforting embrace after originally meeting when her life was in danger.

Orihime flushes heavily at his closeness, especially as he lays his head upon her chest; nuzzling into her breasts unabashedly.

Several times she tries to muster up the courage to tell him to stop or return to his side of the bed, but each time her lips parted nothing came out. This is likely the result of people manhandling her and Orihime allowing it to happen (especially with Chizuru).

A soft, almost defeated, sigh escapes her lips as she settles into the bed. Her eyes slowly drifting closed as she is held by him. While she wishes a certain someone else was holding her right now, Orihime could think of worse ways to fall asleep.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

It began with a clash of blades at night under the pale moon...

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You know what's embarrassing? Having your tag done hours ago but forgetting to click reply :'D

at least you don't leave the tab like i do and have to write it all over again

oof. yeah, I feel you on that. that happened to me way too many times when I try to phone tag. >_>

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https://i.imgur.com/jdo0V33.jpg

/patpat

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