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winter-dayz · 6 months

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Every side of the story

Pairing: Choi Soobin x Reader Greek Mythology AU; Gorgon AU Genre: Fluff Words: 1404 Warnings: assault

Masterlist | Fictober Masterpost

Taglist: @soobin-chois

“It’s said that she was the only Gorgon that was mortal, which is why she was able to be slain by Perseus.” You spoke up, approaching the quiet man in front of the Medusa statue.

The Greek section was your favorite in the museum, having painstakingly curated the pieces yourself.

You had wanted the exhibit to be engaging and eye-catching while retaining a storyline and educational aspect. You wanted people to learn that there is more than one story—and more than one side to every story—for each of the figures you displayed. You wanted people to want to know more about the mythos, to want to keep coming back to the exhibit.

You supposed it had worked since you had seen this same man meandering throughout your exhibit at least once a week for the past couple months.

While you tried to add new pieces or change out ones that didn’t seem to garner much attention after a while, the Medusa and Gorgon display was the one he constantly returned to. So you made sure to keep it around and updated. Truth be told, it was always one of your favorite displays as well.

The quiet man hummed in acknowledgement and glanced towards you. He had seen you buzzing around the museum every time he visited, although you tended to stick as close to the Greek section as you could—even if there was no one but him in it to help or answer questions for.

When he offered no other words, you nodded politely. “Excuse me, I didn’t mean to bother or intrude. I’ve just noticed you in my exhibit a lot so I thought I would offer some discussion on a shared interest… My mistake…” You began to pass by, not wanting to annoy him.

“Your exhibit?” He questioned back, just as soft-spoken as you imagined.

To most, he wouldn’t seem so quiet. He was tall, towering over you even in your work heels, and extremely handsome. He was always well-dressed and seemed to carry himself fairly confidently.

What you had noticed, though, was that he shied away from eye contact, which was such a shame since he had such beautiful, blue eyes. He kept to himself, especially when the museum was busy or the exhibit was crowded, and made sure not to brush against or touch anyone. While he normally stood so tall above everyone, he seemed to cave in on himself when ignorant museum-goers would rudely comment on the Gorgons.

It was peculiar, his reactions, yet intriguing. Everything about him made you want to know him more, made you want to speak to him more. You hoped this minor interaction wouldn’t be the only one.

“Yes, I’m head of the Greek section here. So I curated the entire exhibit.” You hesitated before motioning towards the Medusa statue, “The Gorgons are actually one of my favorite stories in all of the mythos.”

He was a bit stunned. Obviously he had seen you each time he visited the museum, secretly admiring you from afar. But hearing that you were the one who had dedicated so much time into such an amazing exhibit… The passion you must hold for his own history… It made him admire you a bit more.

“Well, like I said, I didn’t mean to bother you so…” You mumbled at his silence, once again pulling away.

“You aren’t a bother!” He exclaimed, not wanting to see you walk away now that he had the chance to talk to you. “I’m sorry. I’m not– I just–” He huffed in obvious frustration with himself.

You giggled at his flusteredness. “My name is Y/N. It’s nice to meet a fellow Greek mythology enthusiast.”

“Soobin,” he offered with a small, grateful smile.

“My work day ends soon. Would you like to join me for coffee at the café so we can keep discussing the Medusa stories?”

Soobin’s pouty lips broke into a bright grin, eyes closing into crescents. “I would love that.”

🎃

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sor–” Soobin was panicking.

And as much as you wanted to comfort him, you were too stunned. The statue of the man harassing you stood stone-still, literally, in front of you. You couldn’t believe it.

“You turned him to stone…” You finally whispered; your words ripping a loud whimper out of the man as he curled further into himself, scratching at his eyes desperately.

That snapped you out of it. You wrapped your arms gently around Soobin’s middle, pulling him up from where he was beginning to crouch and, and pushed his head into the crook of your neck. He was hunched awkwardly, but he clung to you regardless.

“Hey, hey, shhhh…” You soothed. “Whatever happened, we’ll figure it out together.”

What had happened was far from something you could just “figure out together.” In fact, you could hardly believe what had happened even once Soobin was calm and explained it to you.

Soobin was a Gorgon.

Or a descendant of one, apparently.

His abilities were in the same realm as his ancestral origins. He could turn mortals to stone. However, because of his own mortal blood, his ability was diluted. It wasn’t so strong that he had no control over it; it also didn’t last forever. The stone would crumble away from the man in a few weeks or so, and he would be unharmed and without memory of what happened—granted no one broke his statue form first.

That would kill him… Apparently.

Normally, Soobin had pretty good control over his ability, and it didn’t affect him too dramatically. It was the reason for his beautiful eye color, though; it was a physical manifestation of the Gorgon genetics. However, when Soobin would get overwhelmed or experience too strong of negative emotions, he risked losing control.

That’s what happened when he saw you being attacked. Apparently.

Soobin was supposed to meet you at your usual café for your fifth date, but he couldn’t wait to see you. He wanted to pick you up from work and walk with you those extra few blocks, just to get as much time with you as possible. He was smitten with you.

So, when he arrived at the back-alley that employees of the museum used to leave and saw you pushed against a wall with a man pulling at your blouse, Soobin lost it.

He had wrenched the man away from you, instinctively dodging the swing of a fist that came his way. Soobin had only meant to shove the guy away, maybe throw a punch or two, but his carefully reined in ability activated instead.

The man’s eyes widened when he could no longer move his legs; his mouth dropped open and he let out a confused, garbled shout, but the stone encased him quicker than he could call for help.

He was a heavy statue to move. That’s what really made the reality of Soobin’s existence sink in. That man that had harassed you, attacked you, tried to… He was really a stone statue now. Just like the ones in your exhibits.

🎃

Surprisingly, you moved past Soobin being a Gorgon rather quickly.

Some days you still couldn’t believe it, but then you just looked at him. He was beautiful. Striking and eye-catching. Of course he was a descendant of Medusa.

He didn’t know her, but he had heard family stories about her and her sisters passed down through the millenia.

According to his own family’s sayings, she was beautiful—way more than him, he claimed when you teased him about his own good-looks. She was beguiling and strong and was a mortal woman originally, turned into a creature with wings and snakes for hair. She had been attacked by a man too, no one is sure who; although, poets claimed it was Poseidon or Zeus; Soobin claimed his family never knew and that Medusa refused to tell anyone. But, unlike you, Medusa didn’t have anyone to protect her. Instead, she wept at the shrine of Athena, the same shrine she had been attacked on the steps of, and begged the goddess to protect her. Athena turned her into a woman who could protect herself instead.

“It might not be true…” Soobin explained, after telling you the story he had been told.

You shrugged, cuddling into your boyfriend’s side. “It’s wonderful anyway. You know I love the different stories, true or not. I want to hear every side.”

#tomorrow x together #txt #choi soobin #reader #choi soobin x reader #tomorrow x together x reader #txt x reader #fluff #greek mythology au #gorgon au #oneshot #fictober

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intistone · 7 months

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I saw gorgon Y/n and I have a question.....

How the hell did you know the Black mamba was my all time favorite snake?

I did not know hehehe

but black mambas are really cool and honestly gremlins so it fits gorgon y/n pretty well i thinks

#fnaf sb #inti answers #fnaf the daycare attendant #fnaf au #fnaf moondrop #moon sb #sun sb #fnaf eclipse #gorgon au #stone heart au

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angie-starz · 10 months

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Doodles based on Gorgon!Kuruno AU by @number1villainstan

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ghoulsister1 · 7 months

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🐍~●Manfred With Gorgon!Reader Headcanon●~🐍

For @bucketinyourwalls 💗👍

From the moment you two met, you and him had an instant dislike of each other. Well, for you it wasn't that you disliked him. You despised him!

You were flying with Bolecke and was among the selected pilots when Bolecke started recruiting. Lots of the pilots felt you were a danger, due to being a Gorgon and having live snakes for hair didn't help but you could only turn people or objects to stone of you gave them your "Viper Glare" where your eyes turn green and reptilian. To Bolecke, you were a pilot no matter what you were and he made sure the other pilots didn't give you a hard time. You respected Bolecke and trusted his judgement.

However, you couldn't help but challenge him when he brought in a new young pilot. Manfred Von Richtofen.

Manfred was the son of a high ranking general and his family were aristocrats. He hunted and rode horses in his spare time and wasn't shy in talking about it or how you saw it "boasting" about it!

What really made your snakes hiss is that this young, arrogant aristocrat had crashed his plane the first time he flew......and he still was recruited!

"Bolecke, you can't be serious! He crashed his plane on the first try! The first try and he crashed!" You Protested to Bolecke one day in his office.

"Y/N he's just new to all this. There will be crashes at times. You've crashed once before if you remember" Recalled Bolecke and you grimaced.

"Yes, I'll admit I crashed before. But not on my first try!" You Retorted, your hair of withering snakes hissing in agitation. Bolecke nodded at you but you could tell he wasn't in no mood for arguments.

"Y/N, we need all the recruits we can get to win this war. We have to provide support from the air for our men in the trenches and if Manfred is willing to be pilot, then I say he joins us" Stated Bolecke.

"But Bolecke...." You Began but Bolecke cut you off.

"That's all Y/N. No more discussions. Manfred will fly with us" Declared Bolecke and you sighed in defeat.

"Yes sir" You Replied with a sigh.

You tried to be civil, but Manfred knew you weren't happy about it and he made it incredibly hard for you to try and be friendly. So became a war between the two of you.

"Morning rich boy" You Remarked as you crossed paths on the airfield to tend to your plane. Manfred scoffed at you.

"Morning to you hissy!" Retorted Manfred smirking at how irritated you became, your hair of snakes spitting and hissing at the young pilot as he passed by.

"Dummkopf!" You Muttered under your breath as you tried to calm your irritated snakes.

"Ignore him" You Whispered, stroking one snake and smiling as it calmed down.

Biting quips were thrown back and forth with you two, it became a routine to try and mock or insult the other in the morning, after flight training and before the evening. To see which one goes to the bed feeling more pissed off.

"Where's your noble steed oh Sir Rich Pockets?" You Smirked, the snakes moving and opening their mouths as if laughing.

"Don't you have some eggs to tend to Scaley Boots?" Retorted Manfred with a sly smirk. You scowled at him as he smirked triumphantly.

"Careful I don't hatch the eggs in your bed, I doubt you'd like a hundred baby snakes biting you!" You Retorted.

"Not before I turn that hair of yours into a brand new coat for myself!" Laughed Manfred and you both glared at each other.

As much as you wanted to use your "Viper Glare" on the pilot, you knew Bolecke wouldn't approve.

"Whatever. You just think you're a hot shot because Daddy is a general" You Remarked angrily and Manfred glared at you.

"At least I don't have reptiles for hair" Retorted Manfred and you both gave each other a cold look before Bolecke appeared on the field, looking at you two suspiciously. You both broke off the glaring match and went your separate ways to start training.

Things were frosty between you two. Mostly because you saw him as an aristocrat who just thought flying was a big game to him and Manfred saw you as a stuck up snob who thought you were better than everyone else. However after completing your training, you and Manfred's opinion of each started to change, just a little!

You saw how determined Manfred was to become the best and do Bolecke proud. He was actually pretty impressive in the air and you were honestly surprised how quickly he adapted to flying and he enjoyed it.

And Manfred saw how much you admired Bolecke and how you just wanted to show the others you could fly with the best, no matter what. It didn't matter if you weren't exactly human, you could fly and you'd be damned if anyone tries to bring you down.

"Nice flying out there, rich boy" You Remarked but in a teasing tone. Manfred smirked.

"You weren't too bad out there yourself, Hissy" Smirked Manfred and you scoffed lightly.

You two would tease each other, but in a much lighter way than when you two first met. Bolecke noticed it but still was unsure how long it would last between you two, so he said nothing.

It was after your flight in battle that things changed. Your plane had suffered damage but you managed to land as safely as you could in a nearby field. You suffered only a few bruises and busted nose due to the rough landing. As you got out of the plane you looked up to see none other than Manfred coming in to land. He landed smoothly and got out, coming over to you.

"Y/N! Are you alright? That was some hit you took!" Cried Manfred looking you over and your plane over. You weren't expecting anyone to come check on you, especially not Manfred.

"I'm fine, just a little winded and bruised. And a bloody nose" You Admitted as Manfred checked your face, seeing the injuries. You looked at him as he gently turned your head here and there, you two then looked into each other's eyes and you held it there for before you both quickly came to your senses and looked away.

You felt your cheeks heat up, embarrassed.

"Oh my gott! What's wrong with me? Why did I look at him that way? He was only checking me over and I was just staring at him! God I probably made him uncomfortable now! Nice going Y/N!" You Thought with a scowl, mentally scolding yourself.

Unbeknownst to you, Manfred was having similar thoughts.

"Mein Gott Manfred! Did you really have to stare at them like that! What is wrong with you? And they are probably uncomfortable now because of it! Gott verdammt!" Manfred Thought scowling with red cheeks.

You and Manfred glanced up at each other, shuffling awkwardly as you stood in the field.

"I...uh...we should probably..." You Began.

"Get back to base" Stated Manfred. You looked at him and nodded.

"Yeah we should get back" You Agreed. Manfred flew you back with him and you thanked him for it.

You sighed in relief as you removed the aviator hat off your head, Manfred watching as the hair of ivy green snakes unfurled and stretched, lightly hissing. The snakes seemed to be happy the hat was removed.

"You seem relieved to get that hat off you" Remarked Manfred. You looked at him and gave a shy nod.

"The snakes find it hard to move and sometimes breath at times. I worry one day they'll die. It's very uncomfortable on me" You Admitted. Manfred looked at you with what looked like sympathy.

"I understand. The snakes are alive so of course they'd feel uncomfortable underneath a hat all day" Said Manfred. You gave a small smile at him, feeling a little happy he understood.

The next day, after being cleared from the doctor, Volker came up to you with a box and a smile. You smiled at him. Volker was always nice to you.

"Got a present here for you" Volker Announced and handed you the box. You looked at the box, confused.

"For me?" You Asked. Volker nodded and you opened up the box. Inside was an aviator hat like yours, but it had special holes across it. You placed it on and all the snakes poked out through the holes.

"Oh my Gott! The snakes can finally breathe with this hat!" You Cheered. Volker smiled.

"Who got this made for me?" You Asked.

"Well, he told me not to say anything but seeing as you're happy with the hat and knowing you'll want to thank him, it was Manfred" Admitted Volker.

"Manfred?" You Reapeated, feeling a blush come to your cheeks. Volker nodded.

As much as you wanted to deny this feeling, you couldn't help but feel touched at the kind gesture.

Of course you thanked him

"Thanks for the gift, Manfred" You Thanked him one day as he was looking over his plane.

Manfred turned pink at you mentioning the gift and it didn't help you were wearing the aviator hat he had custom made.

"It was Volker wasn't it? He told you! I told him not to..." Began Manfred, stammering a bit and rubbing his neck awkwardly.

"Manfred, I appreciate the gift. Thank you. It...um...means a lot to me" You Admitted shyly with a blush. Manfred gave a small smile.

"You are welcome Y/N" Smiled Manfred blushing.

You and Manfred soon began to hung around each other a little more. You two could be found working on your planes together, helping him paint his red, giving points and tips to each other and celebrating a victory with a drink. There were some pilots that saw how the rising pilot treated you with respect and you respected him in return. And those pilots started to treat you more kindly. Though there were some that still found ways to throw an insult at you.

"Oh look, there's the reptile!" Chuckled one pilot as he passed you by, his buddy sniggering. You frowned but ignored him, tweaking your plane a little.

"You and me used to talk bad to each other, why not to him?" Asked Manfred curiously. You shook your head.

"These guys have been throwing jabs at me since I first joined. I used to throw jabs back but they would threaten to get Bolecke to kick me out" You Admitted. Manfred frowned.

"Nein Y/N. Bolecke sees you as one of the best. He'd never kick you for defending yourself" Replied Manfred.

"I didn't know it at that time. I was only a new recruit" You Added. Manfred nodded.

Whenever some of the guys gave you trouble, Manfred would step in and they'd instantly back off. You were touched by his gestures of kindness to you and you two became close friends, looking out for each other in battle and taking down enemies together. You two became a force in the skies, especially since you got a new plane to fly.

Days turned to months and despite denying your feelings, you had to admit there was an attraction growing towards each other.

Staring a little too longingly at each other, brushing your fingers against each other's hands sometimes hoping you both could reach out and hold hands, little smirks and winks thrown to each other. Subtle things like that. But none of you really admitting your feelings to each other. Both of you probably too proud or shy to confess first. Maybe you both feared the same thing: Rejection.

"My heart beats so damn fast whenever I see him or when we're together! God does he know what he does to me? That smug triumphant look he does whenever he racks more kills. Gott, what if he does know? Does he even feel the same way I do? Would he really love me as I am? Or am I misunderstanding this whole situation?" You Thought sadly.

"Why can't I get them off my mind? Why do they occupy my thoughts in my quiet moments? They are just so amazing! So beautiful! And yet....do they truly feel the same way I feel? Or did I misread this whole thing? What if they don't share the same feelings? Oh Gott what do I do?" Thought Manfred with worry.

You two would keep your feelings private until one night of celebration. Another victory scored for the Kaiser and a celebration was to be had. You stayed a while inside but quietly slipped out to get fresh air. You looked up at the beautiful starry sky.

"Lovely night isn't it?" Asked Manfred and you jumped a little, turning around to see Manfred approaching you, a bottle of some alcohol in hand.

"Manny! Jesus you scared me!" You Cried before chuckling a little as Manfred laughed.

"Saw you slip out, thought you could use some company. And a drink" Admitted Manfred showing you the bottle. You chuckled.

"Manfred Von Richtofen, the Red Baron becoming a thief! How shocking!" You Teased. Manfred laughed with you.

"I know! Mein Gott what will the higher ups say?" Teased Manfred and you two walked to a little clearing and shared a drink together.

"You know something Y/N, you are an amazing pilot. I'm honestly glad to fly alongside you" Admitted Manfred, glancing at you with soft eyes.

You blushed and smiled at hearing that.

"I can say the same thing about you Manfred. You're an ace in the skies. I'm more grateful to fly alongside you Manfred" You Admitted.

You both chuckled and looked into each other's eyes. It was then, Manfred shocked you. He leaned in and kissed you! He kissed you!

And you shocked yourself more by wrapping your arms around him and returning the kiss, indulging finally in the moment you two only thought about.

When you two broke away, you two were just surprised.

"I....Y/N I'm sorry....I just wanted to do that for a long time!" Apologised Manfred.

"I wanted to do that for a long time too Manfred, I'm honestly glad we did that!" You Admitted and you both smiled, blushing red.

Since that night, you two would sometimes often sneak off to engage in a full make out session away from prying eyes. Other times you'd two share a quick kiss before a mission. Even going as far as that Manfred would blow you a kiss as he flew alongside you which you'd catch and return a kiss back to him.

You may have shared in kisses but you two never said those 3 little words yet, maybe you two still felt a little unsure on where to proceed with this relationship. You didn't think too much about that though. If this relationship was one of only touches and kisses you were happy to do so, as you enjoyed kissing Manfred.

One night as you stayed over at his family's place after a dinner with the family, you were sitting on the settee your back to his chest as he held you. Manfred looked at the snakes, fascinated.

"May I......touch your hair?" Asked Manfred. You looked at him in surprise.

"If it's okay I mean. If not, I won't touch them" Assured Manfred softly. You smiled and leaned in closer in his embrace.

"I don't mind Manny. Go ahead" You Agreed.

Manfred reached out his hand hesitantly towards the withering serpentine mass you had for hair, the serpents eyeing Manfred closely.

"Do they.....do they bite?" Asked Manfred unsure.

"If provoked enough" You Answered. Manfred gulped nervously.

"Are they...venomous?" Asked Manfred hesitantly. You chuckled softly.

"I only said they were venomous to scare the other pilots. They aren't really venomous Manny" You Admitted.

Manfred reached out and touched one snake. He was expecting a bite but to his surprise and awe, the snakes slithered up and coiled around his hand and arm lovingly.

"Told you" You Remarked and Manfred smiled as he stroked the warm scales of the snakes with tender touches and love. You hummed in approval.

"Can you feel that?" Asked Manfred in awe.

"Yes I can, it's nice" You Smiled softly. Manfred continued his touches.

Manfred leaned down to you and both shared in a deep, lingering and loving kiss. Then your heart skipped a beat as he said 3 words.

"Ich liebe dich Y/N" Whispered Manfred, voice full of love.

You smiled and felt your heart burst. Tears sprang to your eyes as Manfred gently brushed them away.

"I love you too Manfred" You Whispered truthfully and you two resumed your kiss, deepening ever more as you embraced each other.

Thank you again to @bucketinyourwalls for requesting this headcanon. I had fun writing this dynamic. I had a Gorgon idea running around in my head so I thought incorporate it into the story since you asked for a mythical reader🥰

So I hope you like it and hope it's everything you requested and thank you so much again💗 Enjoy reading this headcanon and let me know if I can whip up another tale or two for you!

💗Thank you and have a lovely day, may both side of your pillows be super cool!💗

#request #headcanon #headcanon requests #manfred von richthofen #the red baron #attack of the hawkmen #young indiana jones #for you my dear #hope you enjoy #medusa gorgon #viperine gorgon #gorgon au

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fissions-chips · 3 months

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to deny your nature

(gorgon au pt. 2- day 5: 'help them', tw for brief description of wounds)

“Alright- bring him over here.”

Butler finished wiping down his hands, now stripped of their gauntlets, and turned to look at the serpent still coiled at the far side of the room. Artemis narrowed his eyes, wary. Protectively, he shifted himself about, lifting a hand to point at the pot Butler had slung over the cooking fire.

“What is that?”

The knight blinked, unsurprised (though disappointed) at the hostility still twisted into the gorgon’s tone- while he couldn’t blame the creature for being defensive, knowing now what he was trying to protect, it was exhausting knowing that he would be having to work under such hostility nonetheless. “Cloth,” he answered simply. “For bandages- I’m boiling them to clean them. If the wound’s already infected, I don’t want the dressing to make it worse. Now, can you please bring him over here?”

Artemis bristled, tail tip flicking like an irritated cat. “Near the fire?”

“Yes,” Butler sighed, holding up his hands in a sarcastic, unarmed gesture. “I need the light to see what I’m doing.”

For a moment, he almost thought the gorgon wouldn’t move, and he would have to simply make do with the weakening glow of the lantern- then, to his relief, the larger creature let out a huff of breath, before picking himself up off the ground and slowly uncoiling himself from the far corner. He moved as carefully as he could, eyes fixed on the small man resting across his body- even as he tried not to shift him too roughly, both he and Butler were met with a quiet yelp of pain, and Artemis flinched.

While the gorgon finished settling Jon across the floor, Butler used a stick to fish the boiled linen from the pot- replacing his gauntlets, he wrung them out, before setting both aside. Turning, he found Artemis crouched, Jon’s head resting across his side, hands held in his own as the serpent’s thumb rubbed an anxious circle across one’s palm. “Is this going to hurt him?” He hissed.

“It’s probably going to hurt, yes,” the knight muttered, positioning himself beside the prone man. Lifting the edge of his shirt, he could see hastily torn bandages haphazardly wrapped around his middle- they were dark with blood, and his brow furrowed. “But I’m not going out of my way to hurt him. I need to see what I’m working with here, especially if it’s infected. I’m not a doctor by trade, you know- I’m a fighter. Can you cut these?”

Frown deepening, the serpent idly flicked a claw and split the fabric, before turning his head to rest against Jon’s. Butler watched from the corner of his eye as Artemis’s hand tightened around the smaller man’s own. “I’ll try to keep him still,” he growled, the frustration in his tone not quite meeting his eyes, glittering as they were with worry. “Be quick.”

Glancing down, Butler steeled himself and carefully pulled the bandaging aside.

Almost immediately, he was once again hit by the stomach-turning stench of infection, and he winced. The wound was about as long as his hand and positioned just above the man’s hip, cutting well past the skin and into the flesh beneath. The skin surrounding the wound was swollen and red, seeping with blood and a foul, clouded liquid. Heat emanated from it, and when Butler, as gently as he could, pushed at the gash slightly to see how deep it went, the man whined, struggling against the other even as Artemis stilled him.

“Shh, shh…” The gorgon murmured, his free hand combing through the small man’s hair, trying to soothe him. The whine sharpened into a shout, and Artemis’s voice cracked sharply. “I’m so sorry, love- I’m so… he’s trying to help you. He’s trying to...” Lifting his head, he bared his teeth at Butler.

“Hurry!”

Lifting his hands, Butler moved back, not willing to prod further with the other’s teeth so close to his throat. “I’m done.” He announced, looking down at his bloodied hand and cringing. “It’s… it’s pretty bad. That’s a nasty injury.”

Artemis didn’t answer him for a moment, too focused on trying to calm the man currently shifting about between his hands. Jon’s expression was twisted into one of pain, even unconscious, and his hands shoved blindly at the serpent’s body. When the other finally managed to get him still once again, he bristled, snapping his teeth.

“It is- now fix it.”

Butler ignored the statement for a moment, scrubbing his hands clean. Then, he spoke.

“On that front, I have good news and bad news.”

The gorgon blinked. “What?”

Sitting himself down on a nearby stone, Butler began strapping his gauntlets back on, trying to ignore the memory of wounded flesh against his fingers- he was a fighter, yes, and a killer, but the feeling of blood and fevered skin against his hands was sickening nonetheless. “The wound wasn’t deep enough to pierce any organs- if it had, no doctor alive would be able to treat him now. That’s the good news. The bad news is, that’s a severe infection, and I can’t just stitch it up and make it go away. Even if I cleaned it out fully, it’d just come back, and if it gets into his blood… it’s out of anyone’s hands. He needs medicine, not field surgery.”

Artemis’s eyes widened. One arm was curled around Jon’s shoulders- it pulled him closer to the serpent’s chest, the gorgon’s face paling slightly. “He’s… you can’t fix it?” His voice twisted into a snarl, claws scraping against the stone.

It was a fearsome sight, even with the small man tucked up against him- Butler tried to remind himself of what he had seen only moments before, the creature instead trying to comfort his companion, pleading his forgiveness. It was strange to line up the images in his mind, what he knew to be true about Artemis’s species, and what he was learning now. He held out his hands in a helpless gesture.

“The wound itself I can treat- I’ve done sutures many times. That’s a flesh wound. But I’m not a physician or herbalist or magician- I’m not a healer. I’ve only ever been taught to treat my own injuries under the assumption that I, or my troop, would be able to get medicine if it got infected. I can go get medicine for him-“

“And let you run off and lead your kinsfolk back here?” Artemis hissed, cutting him off. His coils shifted angrily, voice spitting with venom as he reared back, eyes wide. “Do you take me for a fool? Despite your preconceptions, monster-slayer, I am not a dumb animal! I won’t let you and your troop kill him in your fight to kill me!”

Butler leaned back, startled at the sudden display of fury. His hand moved, on instinct, to close around the hilt of the sword that he didn’t currently have- Artemis saw the motion and snarled, coiling himself up once more to hide his companion, dragging him back into the shadows of the far corner. His expression, furious, spoke volumes, even as he turned his back on the other.

I rest my case.

Resting his head in his hands, Butler tried again.

“I want to help. I do. I don’t want him to die any more than you- you clearly… care for each other.” He didn’t know the word for it, and didn’t care to pry- his ideals had been challenged enough for the moment. “But I can’t fix him without medicine- I just can’t. It’s not possible. And I can’t make medicine- I’d need to go to a doctor.”

Lifting his head, he looked the other in the eye.

“I’m not- I wouldn’t bring them here. You’d kill them if I did.”

Tail tip drumming furiously against the ground, Artemis nodded.

“Oh, I would. Happily.”

Butler bristled- he fought to keep himself from snapping back. “And if I did, they wouldn’t kill him. They… they wouldn’t. Not my uncle. I wouldn’t, and-”

“I’ve seen your kind break eggs.”

Artemis’s voice was quiet- far from the furious note of before. He said it like it was matter-of-fact, even as Butler’s eyes widened.

“I’ve seen them dig up our nests, human. Our homes… Do you know how they force us out?”

He turned, dark eyes catching the firelight as he turned. Raising a hand, he pointed to the marred, pockmarked flesh across his jaw, tracing the line of it down his throat. “They smoke us out and set us alight,” he spat. “Old, young- it doesn’t matter.”

Butler paled. They… they wouldn’t do that. He tried to reassure himself. Would they?

“They trap us in nooses of wire,” Artemis continued. “Or in pits of sharp stakes. They use… tricks.”

The knight’s blood went cold. He’d been taught those same traps himself. He could remember, vividly, The Major outlining such methods and means to him. Staring down at his hands, Butler found himself faintly sickened.

“Can you imagine it?” Artemis whispered. His voice echoed across the stones, the shadows flickering and shifting around him as he set his head back down on his own body. His eyes were fixed on a point past Butler- as if they were fixed on something Butler couldn’t see. “Your own home becoming your tomb- your pyre. Assuming you survived, dragged yourself back to it when the smoke cleared… all of it is broken up anyways, or burnt to ashes. Even eggshells…” Closing his eyes, he was silent for a moment. Then, he sighed.

“There are exceptions to every rule, and I won’t pretend that there’s a ‘right’ and a ‘wrong’ to it. I deny my instincts every day, caring for this man as I do- he does the same, caring for me. You’re denying your instinct to kill me right now, I’ll give you that. That makes you better than most… but I cannot just blindly let you leave, knowing that they could come back here. You may not believe they would kill him, but I cannot say the same.”

With that, he turned back to Jon, settling down beside him and beginning to comb through the man’s hair once again. Watching the two, Butler was torn between frustration at being left at an impasse, and a confusing mix of pity and horror. Looking at the two, Butler wondered, for the first time, about what would happen if his uncle and their troop stumbled upon the two. A battle with Artemis would be inevitable, and surely to the gorgon’s death (for he was a maneater, and had admitted such)… but they wouldn’t harm Jon, certainly? Not without cause?

It was too much to wrap his head around at the moment. He needed a solution to his current problem, so he could leave before he began questioning things further- it wouldn’t be long before Artemis remembered that he had threatened to kill the knight if he couldn’t save his companion, and he clearly had no qualms about doing so.

With the way he could see the serpent eyeing him from the corner, Butler knew he was considering it already.

After a few minutes of thought, Butler spoke aloud.

“Do you think he would survive being left alone for a few hours?”

Scales rustled quietly as Artemis shifted about, though the other didn’t lift his head.

“…Perhaps.” He muttered. “But I won’t leave him.”

“Not even for the sake of getting his medicine?”

Artemis paused. Then, he slowly lifted himself upright, tilting his head.

“What are you scheming, human?”

Butler stood, taking a moment to stretch. His body begged for him to take off his armor- it was starting to shift from an ache to hurt. It was either stand upright and move about, or pay the consequences for hours upon hours in plate-and-mail… assuming the consequences wouldn’t catch up to him anyways, whenever he finally got the chance to sleep. He would have to settle for ‘keeping himself moving’.

“If you did, you could come with me. Hide somewhere near the village and wait for me to come back with the medicine- I wouldn’t be able to hunt down my troop that quickly, and if I let the townspeople know, you’d be aware well before we made it back here… and stop calling me ‘human’. My name is Butler.”

The serpent blinked- Butler could see the gears turning in his head as he slowly mulled it over. “If you alerted anyone,” he muttered. “I’d kill them. Brutally. Right in front of you… Butler.”

“And then me, yeah,” Butler was tempted to roll his eyes, but managed to rein it back to a simple shrug. “But- if I do this, you will leave the village alone. No hunting anyone from there again.”

Artemis scoffed. “Your own life isn’t worth enough?”

Butler finished his stretches, turning to give the gorgon a sharp look. “I’m going against everything I know here by leading you to a human population, whether you know about it already or not. My life can’t be the only condition here- even if it’s to save his.”

He nodded towards the loose pile of scales he assumed was most likely to be housing Jon- his suspicion was proven right when Artemis shifted, finally pulling his arms away from the other. Jon whined as he did, leaning into the serpent’s scales.

After a few more moments of thinking, Artemis sighed. “I will leave them alone… as long as they do the same for me and mine.”

The knight gave him another look.

Teeth bared slightly, Artemis turned away, beginning to rummage around in the shadows beyond himself- sharp claws curled around a pile of blankets and pelts, dragging them slightly closer to the firelight. “Jon’s wound is a sword wound- it’s unlikely that some passing rogue did it. Someone from that village, however…”

“How do you know it’s a sword wound in the first place?” Butler asked, watching as the gorgon gently dragged Jon onto the makeshift bedding. There’s a cot right there, he wanted to say- but he let the serpent do it anyways, not wanting to anger him again.

“Scent, mostly. It smelled of steel, before it had soured so badly.” Artemis offered. “And no animal would dare to attack him, with my scent nearby. They know better.” Pulling himself away from Jon completely, his face fell when the other flinched, blindly reaching out for him. Crouching, he pressed his head to Jon’s own for several moments, murmuring something that Butler could only assume was meant to be comfort.

When he finally reared back, he found Butler waiting with a blanket from the cot held out. Brow furrowing, he took it, eyeing Butler warily as he slowly bent and settled it across Jon’s shoulders. “No more than a few hours,” he warned. “He’ll be frightened, if he wakes here without me. He’s not coherent.”

Butler nodded- the quicker this is over, the better for everyone. Reaching down, he patted at his sides for a moment, brow furrowed in confusion.

“Did… did you take my coin satchel?”

————————————————

“So… how did you two meet?”

Butler’s voice had lightened considerably, despite himself- sunlight on his skin, after who-knew-how-many hours in that cave, made even the dire situation at hand seem a little bit more bearable.

Artemis glanced at him from the corner of his eye, seeming to mull the question over. Out from the shadows of his lair, Butler was finally able to get a good look at the gorgon- in broad daylight, he seemed… less draconic, though certainly no less intimidating, as he slithered along beside him, ears pricked for the sounds of other travelers. He’s only a couple of heads taller than me, Butler realized- though I suppose that’s all a matter of posture for him.

“Hmm… let me think- it was several seasons ago,” Artemis tilted his head, thinking. “Ah, yes. It was winter. My kind go dormant for those cold months, when the snow’s too deep for us to hunt in. I was deeply, deeply asleep- and I suppose Jon just… wandered in.”

“Wandered into a gorgon’s lair?” Butler muttered. “Did he know you were there?”

“Oh, heavens no,” Artemis waved a hand. “Jon didn’t know I was in the area- he had come from some far kingdom, running from… well, I don’t know what, exactly. But he wasn’t doing well- winter is a harsh time for anyone, but especially for a little pack hunter like your kind, all alone. He was skin-and-bones, as I recall, and freezing. So he wandered in at night, hoping to use my den as shelter, and in the dark he stumbled right over me.”

Butler blinked. “I’m surprised he survived.” He muttered.

Artemis tossed back his head and laughed- his voice had brightened considerably, no longer that same sinister hiss. It was almost charming. “So am I! I grabbed him, I had him right in my claws and coils- I’m sure it was terrifying for him, but I was so frigid and sleep-struck that I didn’t recognize what he was! All I knew was that it was something warm, and I was so cold… so I dragged him to where I was sleeping and curled up around him until morning.”

“That’s what saved his life- body heat?”

“Yes- simple body heat.” The gorgon rubbed at his arms, as if imagining a sudden chill. “I doubt I could explain to you just how cold winter feels, with one is born without it. When I awoke again, in the daylight, I found the saddest little man trembling against me- I won’t lie, I did consider eating him. It was a time as hungry as it was cold… but then I wouldn’t have his warmth anymore. So we made a bargain- he would keep my den warm, with that human trick, fire, and his own warmth at night. In return, he could stay in my den, protected from the weather and wild things, until the snow thawed. When that time came, however, he just… never left. He learned to clear away the traps left for me, leading others, those like you, away from my den. I never asked him to- we’d grown fond of each other.”

His expression had turned wistful as he spoke- then, Butler saw his face began to fall. “The den would be so quiet without him now… he’s a chatterbox. I’ve never met a more talkative human.”

I doubt you’ve met many that weren’t scared to death, Butler thought, though he held his tongue. It didn’t feel right, when the other’s expression was so clearly one of human-like grief. “I’ll do everything in my power to heal him.” He spoke. “You have my word.”

It was the honest truth- Artemis glanced at him again, eyes narrowing. Then, his expression softened somewhat, ever-so-slightly.

“That seems to mean a great deal to you…” he muttered, forked tongue briefly flickering. “I’ll hold you to it, then.”

——————————

Butler had always loved apocatheries.

Healing would never have come naturally to him, he was sure- simply put, he wasn’t built for it, and as a Butler it was never really an option. Something about the scent of herbs and ground medicine, however, he found soothing. Something born of someone’s hands to heal, and not hurt- out of plants and powders and things brought up from the ground, no less! Anyone could at least face an enemy they could see, head-on- but healers battled enemies unseen and not fully understood, and for that, they had Butler’s respect.

“Good afternoon.” He greeted the man, walking up to where the other was peering at something on the shelves. When the older man turned his head and noticed the sigil carved onto Butler’s armor, his expression warmed- for the first time that day, Butler was reminded of what that symbol meant, to townsfolk such as these.

Protection.

A brief pang of discomfort suddenly seized him, thinking back on Artemis’s grim words- he shook the thought away, giving the town’s healer a respectful nod and smile.

“Good afternoon to you as well, my boy!” Adjusting his spectacles across his nose, the old man began to walk back towards a large desk, where stone, mortar, and various medicines sat. “What can I do for you? I didn’t realize your lot was still in town! Someone got hurt, did they?”

Still in town? Did they leave without me? Butler’s brow furrowed, though he forced himself to focus on the task at hand. “No, not one of ours- I’ve been sent on behalf of a couple I came across. One of them is deathly ill, so I’ve come to retrieve some medicine.”

The old man blinked- then he nodded. “Oh yes, of course! Ah, what’s the problem, then?”

“An infected wound,” Butler answered simply. Then, thinking further, he added. “The man is too ill to travel, and was shaking in his bed, according to his partner. It looked quite severe, when I took a look at it- is there anything you can give me that will work, without them needing to come here? They were quite far away, and I doubt he’d make the journey- his husband was too worried to leave him.”

The old man’s face softened. “Oh, poor things, poor things,” he murmured. “How horrible- you’re a kind one, to bring it to them. I might have something for that, if you’ll wait just a moment.” Turning, he shuffled towards one wall, beginning to pluck bottles from the shelf and peering at their labels.

As he did so, Butler let his thoughts drift slightly. His troop had left, it seemed- to look for me, most likely. He would need to come up with some sort of excuse as to his absence- he couldn’t say he had been helping a gorgon… but he didn’t want his uncle to assume he had been missing for some foolish reason either.

Absentmindedly, he found himself asking.

“Do many people in this town carry a sword?”

Looking ahead, he found the man already mixing powders and tinctures into the mortar, grinding them into a fine paste. “Hmm? Oh, ah, not really. We’re peaceful folk- it’s only your lot, or so I thought. Do you need one, lad? I noticed you didn’t have one- there’s a blacksmith, the next town over…”

Shaken from his thoughts, Butler blinked. “No, no, I’m alright-“ he sighed. “I left it with that couple…” His expression darkened. No one else… could it have been-

He forced the thought away. No. Absolutely not.

“So they knew you’d return- you’re a nice young man, aren’t you? Reminds me of my boy.” The old man was nodding- when Butler turned his head, embarrassed, he laughed. “At my age, I’ve earned the right to call even someone like you ‘lad’- it’s alright. There’s no shame in kindness, even for a tough one like you.”

He held out a bottle and a small packet. “Here you are. The salve’s for the wound. Tell them to put it on every time they change his bandages- and they need to change them often! Cleanliness is the enemy of sickness and disease. The powder’s something to help with pain- once a day, mixed in water, if he’ll keep it down. If not, don’t give it until he can. Got all that, my boy?”

Butler nodded, taking them. Pulling out his satchel, he paid the healer in full, and then some. “Thank you, sir- I really appreciate it.” With another nod and smile, he left, looking down at the small bottle in his hand.

Such a small thing, to save a life.

He focused on that fascination, hoping it would help to distract him from the unease prickling at the back of his mind. Sure enough, as he walked back to the edge of the woods, he did not see a single weapon on anyone’s hip. He forced himself not to think on the matter further.

My troop wouldn’t hurt anyone without due cause- and they certainly wouldn’t leave someone to die down a bank. It must have been a traveling rogue, he reassured himself. I’ll keep an eye out.

Once he was well past the tree line, Butler paused at the trunk of a large oak and cast his eyes skyward- dark eyes glittered among the leaves, watching him.

“I’m alone, as you can tell.” Butler sighed. There was a sudden creaking from above, the furious rustling of countless leaves and branches as the gorgon slowly unslung himself from his perch- for such a massive creature, it was unsettling how still he could make himself, so much so as to be near-imperceptible, even in broad daylight.

“Do you have the medicine?”

He nodded, holding out the bottle and packet- Artemis plucked them from him and uncorked the bottle, tongue flickering. After a few moments, he seemed satisfied with his inspection- he sealed the bottle once more and handed them back to Butler, letting out a short huff of breath.

“It smells like something Foxy would make… will it work?”

“It should,” Butler nodded. “It’s supposed to go on his wound. This one’s a painkiller.”

With that, they began to make their way back- Butler let the gorgon lead the way, not trusting his sense of direction enough to guide them. Besides, his senses are keener than mine, if someone dangerous is roaming around…

“You seem troubled.”

Butler balked, startled from his thoughts. Artemis was looking back at him from over his shoulder, one brow lifted in silent question.

“It’s… it’s nothing. Why does it matter to you?” It came out harsher than he meant it to- the serpent’s eyes went wide, and Butler paled.

Artemis only looked away, however- after a moment, he shrugged.

“…It doesn’t. You just weren’t before.”

Both were quiet for several minutes, after that. Butler felt, in a way, like he had failed some sort of test. Stewing in that feeling only left him more uncomfortable- staring ahead at the long, spiraling black body before him, he sighed. Everything is too confusing right now.

He focused on the little bottle in his palm, given to him by a kind man. Something that would save a life. Soon, he would have fulfilled his end of the bargain, and he would be able to leave and find his troop, and his uncle, and forget about this whole disaster.

The silence was becoming unbearable. After a few more moments, Butler forced himself to push all the tumultuous thoughts from his mind, focusing only on the forest ahead.

“So,” he called, watching as Artemis slowed his pace to match his. “Your brother’s name is Foxy?”

It was a guess- and a lucky one at that, if Artemis’s lifted brows were any indication. “Yes.” He answered.

“And he’s a healer?”

Artemis nodded, voicing taking on a note of mild amusement- far more pleasant than the tension of before. “Foxworth… he has never quite reconciled himself with his place in the food chain. He can be fearsome, but doesn’t have much of a stomach for it. So he’s taken on the role of a healer, yes. Quite good at it too- I should visit him soon. I check in on him, every once in a while- make sure no one’s muscling in on his lands. I doubt he’d do much about it if they did, but someone has to keep his reputation ongoing…”

Butler found himself snickering, despite himself.

“So- he decided to call himself ‘Foxy’? Foxy?”

Artemis sighed into his hands.

“I’ll have you know I was quite against the idea…”

#this one isn't very whumpy i'll admit and for that i'm sorry bt. i do think there's angst in the details.#in the little things. and the next one will be whumpier i promise #gorgon au #there is soooooo much medical inaccuracy here but it's fantasy there's talking snake-men just gimme a break ok? google wasn't helpful loll #fission’s fics

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