[His laughter is naturally cut off the second she starts climbing him like a tree, replaced swiftly with a pained sound. But it's the only sound he makes, gritting his teeth instead and taking a half-step back, leaning away as she makes a move for his face. Instinctively, his eye closes in that brief second before her claws connect with his face.]

[Fortunately for him, he's used to feline roughhousing from much larger cats than her and he grabs at the scruff of her neck to pull her away, holding her a full arm's length away once he's able to pry her off. She's free to try mauling his arm to be let go, but despite otherwise ignoring her to assess the damage, he will keeps a firm hold on her.]

[There are marks the whole length of his body. Some are merely angry welts where claw didn't manage to completely break skin due to the speed in which she climbed and others hold little beads of red. The worst, of course, is the claw marks on his face. Gilgamesh reaches a hand to his face and his fingertips come back with some red. He looks at the beast that did this with a significant lack of kindness in his eyes.]

I should toss you into a bag and let the waterfall take you for marring my face like this. [He smiles, the hard look in his eyes being replaced with his earlier amusement.] But you're an interesting little mongrel to attack someone like me so brazenly when you're at an even greater disadvantage than normal and you managed to put me in a good mood. It would be a shame to put an end to you now.

[...It's a compliment????]