[Locked to their braaaains]

[thevineintervention]

Who: Aerta, Gilgamesh
When: Day 36, overnight
Where:There they stood, lofty arose the forest, and astonished they gazed at the height of the cedars
What: [As two friends battle a monster, there is an invasive weed creeping into the forest. It winds up the towering trees, silently observing as the defeated beast begs for its life.

Once the head is removed, she finally calls out from the low branch where she's seated.]


Gil . . . gamesh?

Comments

[all_that_glitters]

[... raising his head, surprised]

Aerta?

[thevineintervention]

It is you, isn't it?

[all_that_glitters]

As if you could mistaken another for me.

[thevineintervention]

M-mm . . . as if . . .

[all_that_glitters]

Now, what are you doing here?

[thevineintervention]

You're dreaming, aren't you?


[she leans against the trunk, and the vines creep up a bit higher. the tree creaks a bit in protest] . . . I won't leave.

[all_that_glitters]

... I suppose I am.

It's curious that you're here.

[thevineintervention]

It's not! This is the first proper dream I've had in weeks!

[all_that_glitters]

Really? An invasion of my own past?

[thevineintervention]

I'm not leaving.

[all_that_glitters]

[shrug]

Feel free to stay. I do have things to get done.

[thevineintervention]

Mm, that's fine! You seemed . . . busy.

[all_that_glitters]

I need to find the grandest tree here.

[wwwalkin']

[thevineintervention]

[the vines climb along whatever tree is closes, keeping up with him]


For . . . your glory?

[all_that_glitters]

And for my city.

[thevineintervention]

For your city, for your pride, from the Gods' forests...

[all_that_glitters]

There's no more deserving reasons.

[thevineintervention]

[following, following '^']

[all_that_glitters]

[walkinggg along with dreamkidu until they find they find that familiar tree]

The one most fitting to build a part of the City of Uruk out of.

[thevineintervention]

Gates. To protect and to flaunt . . .


[the vines grow low on ever other tree in the grove save the grandest. she rolls over the feelings: love for his city, love for his pride, pride of his city, love for what is wrought through his friendship with Enkidu]

[all_that_glitters]

That's right.

[readying an axe in his hand, looking nostalgically at Enkidu -- a happy sort of nostalgia, and not a "missing" kind, like what may have been before.]

Flaunting what we accomplished together.

[thevineintervention]

I think I understand. [standing a few paces behind them, watching]

[all_that_glitters]

Good.

[annd taking the axe to it, starting to cut it down with Enkidu]

[thevineintervention]

[winces a little in sympathy, but not looking away]

[all_that_glitters]

[with its size it does take them a fair amount of time, but he's not impatient -- stepping back in time to watch it fall once it gets to that point]

[thevineintervention]

Covet, claim, build . . .

[all_that_glitters]

Demonstrate.

[walking along the length of it, chopping off branches as he sees them]

[thevineintervention]

Prove?

[all_that_glitters]

Mm. I don't know if that's quite a word for it.

[thevineintervention]

[creeping up the tree behind him, but, uh, after he's done swinging]

Hmm~?

[all_that_glitters]

Perhaps only in the sense that it's proof of our victory.

[thevineintervention]

But you want to, you want to prove your victory. You want to prove, mm, want to prove . . .

[all_that_glitters]

That we prevailed. I wouldn't use "proof" for it.

[thevineintervention]

There's something else. Well, maybe I'll see it later.

[all_that_glitters]

Perhaps.

[stripping the bark offff]

[thevineintervention]

[ugh I was growing there '^' back over to other trees]


When you covet what you've wrought, it feels nice . . .

[all_that_glitters]

It does. That's my right as a king.

[thevineintervention]

[:oa]

[all_that_glitters]

To claim what I covet.

[thevineintervention]

There's something else, there's something else!

[she's sort of . . . poking at feelings. it's somewhere in their bond. their accomplishments. their defiance and victory.]

[all_that_glitters]

Mm? Our ability?

[thevineintervention]

I'll find the word...

[all_that_glitters]

Good luck with that.

[annd starting to chop the tree up, to make it easier to handle]

[thevineintervention]

[yes. we will just sit here pleased]