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[dadication]

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[dadication]

"And how would you paint yourselves, since you've clearly seen those of your kind and can compare to a human standard of beauty?" A beat of a few seconds. "Take in mind that a standard of beauty is one having a full set of teeth and a higher chance of bathing once a week." He didn't really understand standards of beauty that way, since that was never to be his world, not the way that he lived. Sometimes it was easier to be the scary scarred up hunter at the back of the room.

"There are jobs that need filling and hunters who are capable and with experience are hard to come by," he pointed out with a shrug of his shoulders. "After all, experienced hunters die often enough on the job." And yeah, probably some of them by the pace that they set for themselves. Guild liked to induct young to set that standard early. "I have a job that I need to get to, but... I suppose if you're holding me hostage and feeding me, I can't get away easily."

He turned his head as he heard that chair, judging the distance that was between them. "The spell has a short duration and is taxing where it comes to one's eyes. People aren't comfortable messing with their sight," he pointed out simply. "They rushed in, and they died. You didn't raid a village so the bounty is more of a 'if it happens' currently."

[gr1m]

The snakes were certainly hissing amongst themselves as Gabriel ignored them- "By that? Standard. I've got a working bath set up if you feel a want." So maybe he bathed more often than once a week, he took care of himself and had particular habits of cleanliness he could afford to keep up often enough. "My mother was beautiful, far beyond that standard, even if all I have is what memory is left of her. My father would often sit with her and have her face in his hands and tell her so as well."

Unlike his father, who he could just... well. He could remember how his father looked far easier.

"Might die less if allowed to take better care after fights." All he felt there was to it, he'd come across fallen hunters often enough when he went hunting, them just cold and alone out in the forest. "If that's what it takes to get you to take more time and properly recover," ten he would hold the man hostage.

"I don't think they ever found out what I was either," not even the one turned to stone with how quickly that happened.

[dadication]

Jack couldn't help the smile that tugged at his lips, just a bit. It had been so long since he had smiled that it actually hurt from muscles that hadn't been used in such time. The story about Gabriel's mother was an interesting one too, and he felt his fingers twitch in the furs. "I suppose... that's an option if we needed a second opinion on your looks," he remarked, more out of jest than any serious thought. Most living things were uncomfortable with fingers and hands exploring one's face after all. "Snakes might bite though, I suppose."

While he didn't think about it much, he remembered distinct aspects of his own parents. The morning sun highlighting his father's golden blond hair, the twinkle to his mother's blue eyes as she smiled at some joke. His siblings' laughter as they told crude jokes while they worked. He supposed he remembered their death's more these days, how cold and quiet the world was when death came.

"Perhaps, but I've survived for a good long while, and I've been pushing myself since I was a boy," he murmured with a little shrug of his shoulders. He also had very little, if anything, to live for, so the pain was a reminder that he had work to do. "You almost make it sound like you value the company. Careful, I might have to be touched by the sentiment."

No, the hunters had probably never figured out what killed them. The Guild had because it was their job to know. "It doesn't matter. Only young one's with something to prove would consider the bounty, and they are too slow and inexperienced to find you in this place."

[gr1m]

His head tilted as he considered Jack for a moment- "If you want to try I wouldn't argue, and I suppose I could get them to at least not bite. For the most part." The last part was dry, but there was something lighter to the dryness, a clear sort of little joking tease about the snakes biting at all. "If you're up to be a little daring at least."

He had a reason why he remembered things, a reason why he claimed such a stretch a territory despite it not being the norm amongst any creature. Reasons to change and keep odd habits because of what little there was left to really keep some hold of.

"I value life, something others could stand to do a little more of." Even if not in the same ways people did, he kept to his own ways and some of what he remembered being taught. "I won't be here for much longer anyway."

Not until the next seasons' turning at least.

[dadication]

"You know what I do for a living, right? Daring isn't a problem for me. It probably should be my middle name," he remarked just as dryly because really? He walked into situations where there was a high degree of being bitten, though now that he thought about it, he couldn't recall if gorgons were actually poisonous. He supposed no one found out since seeing one meant death.

He turned where he was sitting, moving forward in the bed so he was closer and at a better angle when it came to where he had pinpointed Gabriel's seat. Slowly, he reached out his hands, questing for a sense of where Gabriel's face was. After all, he was that daring, and what did he have to lose anyway?

"Well... we're in agreement there," he said with a heavy sigh. "People are the worst, but, there are some good ones out there. They just get stifled by all the bad." Some part of him still had a flicker of optimism, no clue how it survived anyway. "So your territory is really as large as you say it is, and you'll be moving on."

Now did Gabriel move with the seasons? Or some other base need? It didn't seem to be worthwhile to ask just yet. They weren't here to interrogate each other.

[gr1m]

"There's a difference between fighting and simply touching, Jack." First use of the name at all, and perhaps using it to drive in that distinction and not addressing him as simply hunter. "It's easy to hurt, after all." So very simply stated.

Still, Gabriel watched the hunter as he moved before sitting up and leaning forwards better, and one of the longer snakes of his hair moved. It's head gently bumped under one of Jack's hands, and if he followed with his hand he'd fine himself slowly guided to where Gabriel's face was.

"They do, yes." He went out among people and was usually left alone at least, but he was still there long enough to know it existed. "Yes, it is and I will be." Would return eventually, as he always did.

[dadication]

Questing fingers listened as Gabriel shifted to what he assumed was forward. His hands both stopped reaching at the bump of a snake's head, waiting as if he needed further permission. When a bite didn't follow, fingers of one hand walked and stroked their way along the smooth scales of that snake, touching and exploring even as he progressed until his thumb brushed Gabriel's cheek.

Now aware of the distance, his other hand moved until his palm cupped the opposite cheek, fingers splaying across the expanse and into some of the hair at Gabriel's temples. His eyelids closed, useless as they were for allowing him to see. His palm moved down along Gabriel's strong jawline to the tip of his chin, fingers stretching until they could feel the crest of Gabriel's eyebrow.

"The snakes... what colour are they? Your hair too?" He had seen colour a long time ago, so he could easily imagine those colours. Curiosity won over wariness as his one hand explored Gabriel's face with nimble and thorough touches and his other hand stroked and explored the snake, following it to Gabe's head and hair where other snakes were nestled.

"If I hear of anyone taking your bounty, I'll send word here. Should be easy for you to avoid detection," he murmured. And then distracted again. "Your skin is softer and warmer than expected. I feel scars though."

[gr1m]

Easiest way to guide was a snake, one that hissed softly as if pleased with the touch and following hand. A feel of it's flicking tongue likely felt against skin before it retreated amongst the rest once fingers went for Gabriel's face. Letting his own eyes closed as so many more followed Jack's movements. Keeping still otherwise so a feel could be gotten.

There was well maintained and manicured facial hair, and it was perhaps easy to feel that the gorgon did manage to take well enough care of himself.

"The snakes are black, but there are hints of red as well, my hair is brown. Dark enough they can sort of hide in it." Those snakes did lift up under Jack's fingers, a few exploring over his hand, a brush of their scales unlikely to be missed. Pleased little hisses, likely because it had been years since anyone had touched him and not meant some hurt to his person.

Gabriel hummed softly- "Let the snakes know, it will get to me better than any written word." Even if it may seem odd. "I've a lot of scars."

[dadication]

His fingers found their way across the entirety of Gabriel's face, exploring every centimeter for flesh and hair. His fingers traced lips too in order to get a sense of orientation compared to nose and chin, and his head tilted as he built an image in his head that was filling in the details that his magical sight couldn't grant him. It was extremely rare that anyone would allow him this opportunity, so he was going to take it.

The fact that the snakes seemed to enjoy his explorations as well was not entirely unexpected, since he figured that they were linked directly to Gabriel's emotions as well. He touched any that came in his path, soft stroking touches even as he counted them while he moved along, fingers carding a little in dark hair too.

"You take good care of yourself," he murmured thoughtfully. "And you have good even proportions. Based on feel and description, my opinion on the matter is that you're very attractive and thus turn people to stone based on their minds and bodies being unable to cope with the sheer beauty of your form." A very unexpert opinion, since he had few to base it on.

"Alright, I'll tell the snakes," he said, since it didn't sound that strange. "So do I. Two peas in a pod in that way." He slowly dragged his fingertips down the full length of Gabriel's face before allowing them to fall away. Any longer and it would probably become unwanted touch or seem like he was taking advantage.

[gr1m]

There'd be a scar, even if small compared to others, felt along his bottom lip. Hard to tell what caused it, but others on his face were much more clearly left by claws, or something incredibly sharp at least. Told that there would obviously be more elsewhere, but little else for the most part.

Slight constant movement from those snakes in his hair made it a little difficult to come up with a solid number of just how many there were, but a guesstimate could be mostly reached. Gabriel tilted his head only slightly to help make things just that bit easier for Jack-

Couldn't help the chuckle, of course. "I'll take that as a compliment." Took as good care of himself as he could at least.

Once hands fell away, Gabriel leaned back in the chair again, snakes settling in amongst hair. "Feel hungry still?" As if he felt a need to check, "Still plenty of stew."

[dadication]

Not as scarred up as him, but enough that he recognized that the gorgon had seen plenty over the years. He wondered how old the gorgon was, but it seemed far too personal to ask after such details after he had been granted the opportunity to touch. It was enough, satisfied a part of him that was nothing more than deep loneliness.

He shifted to lean on the headboard again, folding his hands in his lap now that their strange amicable moment had come to a quiet close. It was the most that either of them had probably had in a long time. He didn't regret coming here, didn't regret helping with the chimera.

"Well, limit how much stock you put in my compliments. I am blind, remember?" Well, right now he was completely blind, but he had his ways.

"No, I shouldn't eat any more right now. Let my stomach settle with what it has, but it's a kind offer," he murmured before he was shifting down in the bed to lay down, wincing a little at the pull to his wounded thigh. "If you don't mind, I think I'll maybe grab a few hours of sleep. Want me to move over so you can have the warmer spot?" He assumed Gabriel would eventually want to sleep in his own bed.

[gr1m]

"Likely the only one who wouldn't shoot first, actually talk. More weight than anyone else I've run in to." And apparently he didn't seem to care or min that Jack was blind. More than well proved he functioned just as well as anyone else who had eyes that could see.

A hand set against the bed as Gabriel moved to stand on his feet. "Rest, and don't worry about it. I've a few things I need to check on before I can actually rest more than this." He meant sitting down. "I can give you something for the bit of pain so you can sleep better with that leg." Another offer, like it's what he felt was needed.

No one else would have helped him after all, and he needed to do something about that chimera.

[dadication]

"I'm not like many others from what I have seen. It sometimes takes me longer than most to ascertain what I might be fighting," he pointed out. He was also more willing to have a conversation than to go in swinging. Besides, that tactic had earned him brief speaking terms with a gorgon of all things. Who could claim that lately?

He nodded his head and slowly rolled onto his side where he could curl up, leaving more room for the gorgon when he eventually decided to make his way to bed. Of course, he reasoned that might not happen until he was up and out again, but the sentiment was there that he didn't oppose sharing a bed with the owner.

"I don't need anything for the pain. It's just an ache at this point," he murmured, surprised that it was offered. "Tomorrow perhaps we can remove the carcass. I can sell some of the parts with some of the dealers I know and split the funds with you?"

[gr1m]

Absolutely no one could claim that lately more than likely. Still, there was a simple shrug, made no difference to Gabriel because the man had more than proven himself capable. What was lacking made no difference on his opinions on the matter.

"Then part of my rounds for the night will be making sure nothing catches wind of it there." He had his ways, and the last thing needed was some other creature or person trying to sneak in if there was somehow any word of a dead chimera anywhere in the vicinity. Reset some traps and cover the damned thing enough to be harvested from tomorrow.

The chair was moved back in to place, the sound of armor and even weapons being picked back up easy to catch. "I'll be back, and you are safe to sleep here even while I'm gone."

[dadication]

"If that suits you, sure," he murmured, knowing his offer to help would be refused. No point of it then, not if he was to stay off of his feet until the poison had passed through his system. He was cozy as it was, feeling safer here than he did at the normal inn establishments he would often have to suffer through.

He listened to Gabriel's movements, guessing what he was doing and when. He had no idea when the other would be back, but he knew that he wouldn't sleep easily despite the assurances. He was too light of a sleeper, had to be in order to survive.

"I will likely still be here," he assured in his own way. "Yell really loud if you need assistance." He likely still won't hear it, but hopefully the sentiment was there.

[gr1m]

"Easier to remove and harvest from tomorrow if it's still there, yes?" He wouldn't take help in covering up the corpse when it was mainly just working on traps and runes down there, causing a few tunnels to seal and all so that nothing could get in without his knowing.

His hood was pulled up with a little hissing from snakes as they settled in under it, making sure armor was buckled securely and he had his crossbow with him. "I won't be long if you remain awake- and I will."

Once he was sure the fire was in no danger of getting out of hand he was leaving the room, steps fading away as he went about his business of fiddling about with traps to seal certain tunnels; he'd done it before for other reasons, but for now it would do to make sure there'd be something there tomorrow and only the corpse. Definitely dead at least, and the walk of rounds still went as they usually did, making sure he didn't miss anything.

[dadication]

Jack listened to the motions of Gabriel around the room and the hisses of the snakes that seemed to add commentary during changes. He supposed that was normal, and it wasn't with a sense of dread that he was left alone in an unfamiliar room. That part was actually fairly normal as he traveled around a lot. The crackle of the fire was a comfort.

He didn't sleep, couldn't yet. His mind was too wired with the strangeness of this situation, of a gorgon offering room and board to a hunter whom he had claimed to hate before. He supposed being different than the other encounters with hunters meant that he had earned a different outcome. Plus, he couldn't be turned to stone with sight.

His eyelids were closed and he looked relaxed enough, but it would probably be impossible to tell if he was sleeping or awake. He was thinking, something he found was necessary to consider the next day, and tonight he was simply waiting for the gorgon to come back to determine what would happen next.

[gr1m]

Things were in the all clear by the time Gabriel reached the end of his walk, letting out a soft breath as he made one last pass by the carcass, a few bolts collected simply so he wouldn't have to make more of them. It didn't hurt that he did know every twist and turn in this abandoned mine and the cave systems that it had run in to before it had been left forgotten.

Gabriel made his way back eventually, letting the collected bolts and crossbow both rest on a worktable before he was pulling off the hooded cloak with a soft hum as snakes hissed. Going about removing armor and some of his clothing to get more comfortable, smoothing down a looser shirt.

Did help himself to a drink, a bottle pulled from a shelf and poured in to a cup, leaning near the fireplace as he did watch the hunter quietly for a moment. Still there on his return, as if he half suspected him to be gone before returning.

[dadication]

He was already estimating for time that Gabriel was gone for, and he actually didn't doubt that the gorgon would return. After all, there was still food, supplies and a fire burning down slowly. It made no sense to abandon it unless it was some kind of betrayal and in that case, he expected that the gorgon to be a lot more stand-offish with him at the request to touch his face.

So it wasn't a surprise when he heard foot falls beyond where he was resting, and while he couldn't be certain that it was Gabriel, he didn't move all the same. It wasn't until he heard the familiar sound of hissing that he knew that the gorgon had returned a few hours after leaving.

It wasn't difficult to pinpoint what Gabriel was doing either, not with the shuffle of clothing, armour, weapons and the like. He could pick up the sound of a drink being consumed as well, and that simply caused him to shift to press more of his face into one of the pillows.

"...need me to keep watch at all tonight?"

[gr1m]

Couldn't be that surprised that the hunter was awake, or had woken up when he re-entered the room. "No, there's a ward set up for that." Which meant that the gorgon himself was likely going to let himself rest, too.

Cup emptied and given a little rinse as well, boots were slipped off-

Gabriel was walking to another side of the room, and there was a large flat rock there he moved on to. The sound of scales brushing over stone and he let himself curl there among sudden coils, relaxing on that warmth. Head rested on his own arms as even the snakes of his hair began to settle. The fire was low, giving off just a little light, an even if he knew there would be alarm if anything came down certain tunnels the snakes would still spot anything amiss.

[dadication]

"Alright then," he murmured, leaving it at that. He probably needed the rest anyway, but he was more than willing to do his fair share when it came to keeping a place safe.

He listened as the gorgon moved around the room and was clearly removing a few more items of clothing, and if he expected Gabriel to climb into the massive bed with him, he was definitely mistaken. He lifted his head at the sound of flesh on stone, curious as he tried to locate exactly where in the room it was at.

Soon he was laying his head back down and settling in himself. Seemed secure enough. It took him some time to find a comfortable enough spot and trust his surroundings even to actually sleep, but he did manage it. Definitely was much needed rest anyway.

[gr1m]

Gabriel did sleep eventually himself, rested amongst coils on that heated rock; sometimes it was needed, that urge to simply, well. Feel secure in a way that involved something so much further away from human that he already was, a long and muscled tail and body that matched the snakes that made up some of his hair.

Did sleep silently, those smaller snakes hissing on occasion amongst themselves as the fire eventually burned itself out. Remained warm, quiet even with only the snakes as a bit of noise so there was no dead silence.

He found that dead silence worse, and perhaps it was why they took it upon themselves to keep up some little bit of noise so he could sleep.

[dadication]

He slept better in silence, though it was hard to achieve for him. He didn't have sight any longer to simply pop an eye open to peer about when something was amiss, so he relied more heavily on his hearing to alert him when something required his attention. It was a unique experience sleeping with the occasional sound of a low snake hissing.

The distance was far enough away that he wasn't disturbed, and if anything, their sound made it clear that Gabriel was still settled on that warming stone and not moving around the room too much. With the first burning down, he snuggled more into the furs and slept on, letting the hours tick away.

Strange to sleep well in the presence of a creature that could kill him outright if it was wanted. The same could be said about him, since a simple spell would allow him his sight and he could kill the gorgon from across the room. Neither happened.

Instead he woke sometime in the early hours of morning, stretching in bed and sighing as he came back to himself. He whispered soft words to cast the spell of sight, allowing his world of come into focus with the help of the spell. It wasn't perfect, but it allowed him to look around the place and be aware of things. He sat up in bed, rubbing his face with the heel of his hand and looked over at the gorgon who was... well, half snake. Of course he was.

God he needed a drink.

[gr1m]

The snakes hissed louder after Jack sat up and- well.

Gabriel made a low hissing sound himself, curling up more on that rock as if he didn't want to be woken up despite the snakes trying to act more as an alarm to wake up than anything else. There was no distress, simply them noticing the hunter was awake. Sitting up and moving.

Coils shifted even, because there was a lot of that tail that more than took up the entirety of that rock that was nearly the size of the bed he'd let Jack have for the night. His torso turned, laying somewhat on his back and head pillowed on part of his own tail.

[dadication]

Well, three could play the hissing game. When it seemed that the snakes were having a right go of letting the whole room know that he was moving around and awake, he hissed at them, though he knew nothing of actual snake language. Hopefully he wasn't swearing at them mistakenly.

He watched the gorgon shift and the sheer length and girth of that tail would certainly be enough to kill a grown man. So far, not formally awake over there on the stone, so he pushed off the fur that was covering him and slipped from the bed. He walked with a limp, wincing a little in discomfort from his leg.

He made his way over to the quiet embers and built up another fire with the wood available, intent on finding his pack and making some coffee. He was going to need it today. All the while, he watched the gorgon's outline.