An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
This is for them sad boi hours
Chapters: 1/1
Fandom: Ancient Greek Religion & Lore, Greek Mythology
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Relationships: Artemis/Orion (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore)
Characters: Artemis (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore), Orion (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore), Huntresses of Artemis (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore), Aphrodite (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore), Zeus (Ancient Greek Religion & Lore)
Additional Tags: Love, Greek Mythology - Freeform, take on artemis and orion, orion constellation, Forbidden Love, Tragedy, Major character death - Freeform, Death, Huntresses, Artemis - Freeform, goddess of the hunt - Freeform, The Hunt, Bear - Freeform
Summary:
My take on the myth of Artemis and Orion. Been wanting to do a version of it for a while, so I hope y'all like it! I wrote this at like 3 am two weeks ago.
After they're married, Artemis and Orion try to have sex. It doesn't exactly work out.
Or, a look into Artemis's slow development of how to define herself in terms of sexuality.
Notes:
This is more a character piece for my AGES verse than anything else, inspired by Starbooks13's comment on my last fic in this verse.
It's not quite clear, but Orion is the Native American character in this series, as he was reborn Mescalero Apache. If I'm able to really explore this verse in full, I'll go into that more, but for now it's only more or less mentioned.
Also, as someone who doesn't define themselves along the asexuality spectrum, please let me know if I've represented anything incorrectly here. I want to make sure everything's presented with respect.
on AO3
(Ages verse: Part 1, Part 2)
Fic Under Read More
After they're married, Artemis and Orion try to have sex. It doesn't exactly work out.
"You want to put what in where?" She asks.
"Well, that is how it's done," He says. She is fully clothed, lying next to him on the mattress, on top of the sheets. He's on top of the sheets too, but he's not...clothed. As in, not anything on. Naked. Artemis isn't bothered by this as much as she thinks she should be. He's very beautiful. Aesthetically pleasing. This new body of his is all lightly tanned skin and dark eyes and hair just a tad too long. And she's not not interested. In the um. Sex thing. If that makes sense.
It's just the actual doing of the act that turns her off.
"I'm just saying," She says. "This sounds much more complicated than it's worth."
Orion sighs. She watches the movement of the breath all down his chest. When she looks back to his face he's staring at her too, and blushing. She smiles at him, more teeth than lip. "You are killing me," He says.
They both go quiet. She sits up and tucks her knees in close, running her hands down her dress and the way to her feet, the only bare part of her. It's still not quite a joke for them, having lost and found each other. It never will be, but right now it feels particularly painful. She was worried all through their engagement - though it was significantly shorter than last time. Afraid the past would repeat itself.
"Hey," Orion whispers. She turns to look at him. He's rising up on one arm, leaning towards her. "It's okay," He says. He presses a kiss to her shoulder that she feels all the way through the fabric. It's the 1920s, not the era of strapless dresses and halter tops. Her wedding dress is all white lace and long sleeves. she actually likes it, though she could have been married in trousers and a fedora and been just as happy. "I'm sorry," Orion tells her.
"You're sorry?" She asks. She turns to face him. The tiny braid she had woven into the right side of his hair earlier that night is falling out. She pushes it behind his ear and he leans into her hand. "That was all my fault."
"Technically it was Apollo's fault," He says. His smile is bitter sweet.
Artemis's mouth twists sideways, neither a grimace or a smile. "Yeah, well. I'm messing this up too, sorry. I mean, married people tend to have sex. But," She's starting to ramble and rant now, she knows. But she's earned the right to it, "A wife should be able to decide, especially if she's forced into it. I've been saying it for thousands of years and I'll say it again. Sex is used for power by men to own women. Tarnished once, tarnished forever. Ownership."
Orion smiles at her, then leans back again."I don't want us to be like that," He says. "If we have sex I want it to be because it's the closest we can get." He shrugs. "Or something like that."
She considers him - his long lean lines that trace down his entire body, the muscles that twitch at the press of her hand, his legs, his arms, his hands, his...thing. She laughs, unable to hold it in.
He sighs again.
"Your penis looks like a dead fish," She says.
"Well that ruined the moment," He gets out of bed, and starts to pull on his clothes.
"So we're not going to do...it," Artemis says.
"Artemis," He still manages to caress her name somehow, which soothes her worries. "If you say it like that, I don't think sex is a good idea."
She's relieved and also a bit disappointed. She likes the idea of sex with Orion, she guesses. The actual execution she's not so into.
For a long time, that's just kind of their thing. They talk about it more. Maybe it has something to do with the vow she made that made her this way. Artemis doesn't say broken and doesn't even think it. There's nothing wrong with her at all, clearly. She can't even comprehend wanting sex enough to actually do it.
Orion, to his eternal credit, won't think of it as an actual issue. She knew there was something special about this one.
"I love you," He says. "Not that I wouldn't want to have sex with you. But, if you aren't comfortable I'm certainly not going to be. And this really shouldn't be the most important thing in the relationship."
It's like that for decades. Until the late 1990s into early 2000s. Artemis acknowledges that she was very much behind the curve in terms of sexuality definitions. But there is something to being in a very insulated group and not really liking the internet that results in that sort of situation.
She can't remember the exact year, much less the date, but it's Athena who sort of starts it all off. It's another awkward large family dinner that Hera sometimes desperately throws together, especially if she thinks Zeus is cheating on her again.
"So, I think I'm going to start going by aromantic," Athena says. She took to wearing over large Gloria Steinem glasses at the time, saying they felt like another aegis. "If not aromantic asexual."
"What?" Zeus asks.
"Aromantic asexual. Aro Ace," Athena says.
"Sounds like something Artemis is," Ares laughs. He then continues on in the same fashion for five minutes or so until he looks up and locks eyes with Apollo, who seems headed in the direction of murder. He turns and faces Orion with the exact same face. It's the first time they publicly agree on something. Artemis is seated in between them. When Ares finally meets her eyes after all that, she just shrugs.
"It is a funny pun," She allows. "But, um. I'm pretty sure on the romantic thing, I'm set. Now what's this about 'asexual'?"
Athena turns to look at her. "You don't know?"
"I know what celibate and virgin mean," Artemis says. "And I'm good with Greek and Latin roots. But this is a new term for me in regards to people."
"Umm. Asexual - doesn't experience sexual attraction? There's a lot of range in that though and - "
Artemis cuts her off. "Don't worry about it. It doesn't quite sound like it fits me - " Next to her Apollo starts choking on a bread roll. "But um," Artemis shrugs. "I'll have to give it some thought. Good for you, though, I'm glad your happy. Found a label to apply that you like." It sounds a bit awkward and stilted, but she thinks Athena appreciates it.
It's the biggest dinner topic though, Athena's new label that's really not quite new, until there's a fight for the last spanakopita. It's very difficult to find good ones in the U.S., so all old Greek food inevitably leads to some kind of brawl in the family.
The problem with this is that every few years or so Athena will knock on Artemis and Orion's apartment door or call with some new sexuality she's certain will fit Artemis this time.
"Demisexual," She announces in 2005. "Emotional bond before sexual attraction."
It's close, but doesn't quite fit. Sometimes Artemis uses it in self reference down at the archery range and dog kennel where she works. Not everyone still quite knows what that means so and she still has trouble with the fact that she still isn't having sex with the person she slowly became attracted to.
In 2010, again, much too late, Athena comes by the door with what feels like the right answer.
"Grey-ace," She says. "It encompasses a lot. Rarely feel sexual attraction, or when you do feel it, it's not enough to act on it. Or can enjoy sex, but under limited circumstances." She clearly ran to the door, and is breathing hard. Artemis quietly listens. "Again," Athena says, "It's a range."
Artemis thinks about it that night, watching Orion breathe. It's a lot less creepy than it sounds. It' s reassuring, when she was once used to associating his stillness with death. Plus he falls asleep so easily she has to occupy herself somehow.
"Hey, sweetie?" She asks.
He stirs. If Artemis is using a pet name, it's serious. "Yeah?" He asks, still sounding sleep clogged.
"I think I'm grey asexual." She pauses. "And demi romantic." Artemis has been doing research of her own.
"That sounds nice," Orion says. He promptly falls asleep again.
She shakes him. "I'm telling you something important."
"What?" Orion blinks tiredly. His eyelashes flutter against his cheek in a rather compelling pattern. "Oh, yes. Labels. Do you want this to be your label?"
"I don't much like labels," Artemis admits. "I just know it works for me. If anyone asks."
"Thank you for telling me," Orion manages. They have become a bit more culturally aware then to know the right words to say, though both still have a long ways to go. "I'll remember." There's a long pause, and she thinks he's fallen asleep again. "Do you want a hug?" He asks.
She looks at him, his crumpled hair and sleep shirt, his abs peeking from the v neck. "That would be nice," She says finally.
She lays on top of him and listens to him breathe until they both finally fall asleep at the same time.
A not so serious entry into my AGES verse. Mostly just a character piece exploring two characters I think would be best friends if they ever met.Orion has gotten mostly used to the whole being reincarnated thing. His wife is a badass, Apollo and he have reached a tentative truce, and he has to deal with only so many stupid people a day.
But the gods are gods. And most modern day people don't have two lives running around their heads.
Ariadne really gets him. Plus they've got the whole star bling thing going on so no other friends can match that.
(A not so serious entry into my AGES verse. Mostly just a character piece exploring two characters I think would be best friends if they ever met.)
On AO3
(Part 1 of this verse) (Part 3 of this verse)
Fic Under Cut
When Orion wakes up in the morning, Artemis isn't there. This isn't too unusual, sometimes Apollo has emergencies and they have to go off and do freaky twin things together.
She hasn't been gone too long, he can tell. Maybe an hour or two. When he actually gets out of bed and heads to the bathroom, some fog from the shower is still fogging up the mirror and the bathroom windows. And it still smells like sandalwood from the soap Persephone gives Artemis. He breathes it in for a moment and then showers himself.
It's Saturday and he'd actually been hoping to relax with his wife. Maybe go hunting in the Catskills. They both need it. It reminds them of who they are.
Either way.
When he gets out of the bathroom, his phone is lit up with a series of text messages. (He doesn't like the iPhone. But the whole Family has one. So he has to have one too. It's like he married into the mob, only the punishments are much more creative.)
There's one from Artemis. She doesn't like the iPhone either. Apollo actually programmed hers for her, so it belts out "What Makes You Beautiful" whenever he calls. The adverse side effect of that is that Orion has become programmed to jolt awake when he hears it because he associates it with too many 4 am phone calls. He's not a morning person.
ARTEMIS: Apollo related emergency. Had to go to Vegas. Love you, see you this evenining.
She almost got through one message without a typo. Orion's impressed. Mostly affectionately amused though.
There are then seven texts from Ariadne.
ARI, QUEEN OF THE STARS, LADY OF AWESOME, YOUR BEST FRIEND*: YOOOO
YOOO
ORIOONNNNN
COME TO BRUNCH WITH ME
DION IS BUYING MY ANNIVERSARY GIFT AND TRYING TO AVOID ME
I WANT TO HANG OUT
YOU'LL BE A LOSER STARMAN IF YOU DON'T
*Ariadne, it goes without saying, is the one who programmed his phone.
He calls her back instead of texting.
"When will you stop being one of those people who calls instead of texts?" She answers. "It's super annoying for the rest of us. What if I was on the toilet?"
"You'd still answer the phone," He says.
"Yes, but it would bother you," She says. "But anyway. Join me for brunch. Starbros 2k15."
"I mean I'm not doing anything."
"Yes. It's decided. The best bagels in New York. Times Square. Noon." She hangs up.
Orion is not sure how this became his life.
He technically met Ariadne before he'd ever been reincarnated. He doesn't remember a lot of it, because underworld memories are fuzzy. Most people who die, at least those who he knows in the loop, forget everything when they come back. They drink Lethe water and forget. But he was made of stars. Stuck somewhere between the underworld and mortality, a mashup of memories and the soul. That's what Melpomene told him the first time they met. He just nodded politely in response.
So he knew what he was. And everything pre being dead came rushing back sometime after meeting Artemis Again. (The capitalization is important).
And Ariadne, who despite now technically being immortal and never being reincarnated, was dead once too. Briefly. Dionysus came and got her and his mother and maybe a goat or something when he stomped up to Mount Olympus.
And apparently they hung out back then. Since they were both stars. (Ariadne remembers everything about being dead. She doesn't like to talk about it).
That's why Orion recognized her at first sight when he and Artemis came back to New York. (That's a story for a different time. If you are marrying into the Olympians though, Orion definitely advises divine eloping).
Since then, Ariadne decided they were best friends. It was much easier to just go along with it. And Ariadne's pretty cool too, so there's that.
"You're late," Ariadne tells him when he finally finds her, sitting at a table in front of that coffee shop with the best bagels in Manhattan, no doubt, why are we arguing (TM).
"You didn't exactly give me great instructions." Orion says.
She pushes back her aviator sunglasses and adjusts her braids. "I gave you excellent instructions. Now. What do you get the best husband for your 2,000...3,000...somewhere in there anniversary?"
"Well Artemis usually tries to book us in a nice restaurant, and then we get bored halfway through and proceed to do somewhat illegal activities in Central Park."
Ariadne raises an eyebrow.
"I mean illegal like freeing ducks from the zoo or punching catcallers in the face. And that's only after I talk her down from castration. Artemis may have determined she's not exactly asexual per say, but we're not running around giving people a free show."
Ariadne half frowns and tilts her head. "It's too bad, you're both very beautiful."
"Oh my god."
She tilts her head back and laughs. "Orion, the sudden Christian."
"It's a common phrase, everyone says that!" But he's laughing too. "I don't think you and Dion have exactly that kind of relationship."
"We're not the free wheeling sex monkeys everyone seems to think so too either." She says.
"I know, I've already gotten this lecture."
"Every time it's like - bet you're going to have an orgy for Christmas? Orgy for Valentine's day? No, we're actually a very monogamous couple. Not that we're not very much for polyamory rights, but we're much more straight edge than everyone thinks."
"Every year you give me this speech," Orion says. "I think I understand."
"I mean,yes, a crown of stars is a bit ostentatious a gift to give someone you're meeting for the first time, but it's a far cry from a dick pic."
"Can you imagine dick pics back then?" Orion asks. "I mean a real, accurate depiction. You'd have to pay someone to painstakingly tile by tile reproduce it on a vase."
"I'm pretty sure someone tried to do that once," Ariadne says. "It's not out of the question."
They have had this conversation, or one like it, at least 100 times over. It feel new every time. Or maybe there's something soothing in the repetition.
"So is that what I should give Dion?" Ariadne asks. "His dick on a vase? Pretty sure I have it memorized by now."
Orion rolls his eyes. "Yes, that's exactly what I meant. Besides, I know you have his gift picked out. You bought it a month ago, I was there with you. When you picked up a tiger cub from the zoo and named it Jamal."
"Yes. Artemis is great at sneaking in there, by the way. I shouldn't be surprised, but I am."
He smiled. "She's something."
Ariadne smiles back at him even wider. "Yeah." She slides her aviators back down again and leans back in the chair. "The problem is that I don't know how to occupy myself. And Jamal is going to be a great gift. Dion loves tigers. They're his babies. But I know he's got something planned, and what exactly am I supposed to do all day? Hang out with my best star bro."
Orion shakes his head. "That's the weirdest name."
"Embrace it. I'm making us matching leather jackets. Think up a cool nickname."
Later they walk around Manhattan. Down twelve or thirteen city blocks and then across, because they can. It's a trait of the human turned immortal. Endless wonder at what they can do.
Ariadne rolls them through the MOMA just so she can drop Pepsi cans in odd places and see if anyone thinks they're art. No one's caught her yet.
They know the city well. It's been a few centuries for her and over thirty years for him, so the streets almost feel like a forest. Not quite though. There's something wild to both of them that hem them in here. Probably later this week they'll both wonder off with their spouses to somewhere remote because they'll have to.
"Hey, " Orion asks after a while. "What's it like having ten kids?"
"I love them all," Ariadne says. "But they have their own lives. I'm enjoying empty nesting. Enjoy it while you can."
"I'm not sure we're going to do the kids thing at all."
"Says the guy the myths afford 50 sons and daughters."
"Ew. No way. You'd have to name them by numbers."
She peers at him and raises one eyebrow. "You are so lucky you missed the Romans."
Sooner rather than later, as agreed, which Ariadne may or may not know, he drops her off by the harbor, where a small yacht is anchored.
"Hey pirate," She yells up.
Dionysus makes dolphin noises down at her.
Orion doesn't ask.
"Hey, starman." Dionysus calls to him. "Your wife's looking for you."
Orion smiles and waves them off. Ariadne climbs up the steps to the boat where Dionysus has a hand reached out for her. For a moment they resemble exactly their Titian portrait. Minus the unnecessary nudity.
Back at the apartment, Artemis is sitting on the couch, her legs tucked up under her.
"Have a good time?" She asks. She's sharpening hunting knives from the table in front of her and cataloging them by size.
"Yeah. Is the Apollo emergency resolved?"
She shrugs, but he can see the smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "Mostly. He's due for a freak out in a few weeks again, but we'll deal then."
"Do you want to go hunting?" He asks.
She turns to him, expressionless. Or at least, that's what some would think. But her eyes twinkle green and silver and her nostrils flare sightly, like she's scenting the air. "Always." Artemis says, after a while. Then she gets up. "Do you?"
"I don't know, you see, my wife's expecting me at home, and I shouldn't go off with strange women..."
She punches him lightly on the arm.
"Yes. Only with you. You know that, right?" He asks, suddenly worried.
He shouldn't be.
"Of course." Artemis smiles softly, just a hint of teeth to remind him of who she is. She leans in to kiss him.
3 Worlds where Virtue Let in Love, and One Time Where Patience Won Out
An Old Fanfic that I recently crossposted from StoryWrite to AO3.
Artemis x Orion, Greek Myth AUs
AO3 link
1) "Firefly" Inspired
"Take the bridge" Artemis told. Atalanta. The pilot rolled her eyes before heading back to take the wheel. "Opis!" Artemis called to her lieutenant,busy shining a gun. "We need to land and get passengers."
Opis smirked."Maybe if we hadn't kicked Callisto out for being a companion -”
Artemis's eyes narrowed. "There's a reason I named this ship 'Huntress'. We follow the rules of nature. Not the laws of man. Which means I'm not letting some prostitute legitimize us just because the government says so." She turned to head down to the cargo hold.
"Yet Hippolytus is on board. And you used the exact same reasoning once for why we couldn't have men on the ship. Said it made us look like we needed protection or something."
"...he's different."
Opis knew better than to point how being gay didn't exactly make Hippolytus a woman. But Artemis's logic was still seriously flawed."We need a mechanic - what if a man's the best one for the job?"
Unfortunately "Orion" was the best for the job. At least on 3 planets. And they didn't have time to stop off on any more border planets without taking on a decent job.
Not with far too many people watching their tail.
And he just had to be handsome too. Now she had to watch the girls.
___________________________________________________________________
Reavers. Oh, dear god. And everything was in chaos - and how was she going to protect her crew (No longer "her girls", when did that happen?)?
Atalanta flew them through - faster than anything she'd ever done before - a tactical maneuver that involved her hiding behind three moons (It would get named after her one day).
Orion got injured. Why was she the only one who cared? It was like it happened in slow motion - a stray harpoon jettisoning through the window when they landed. It scraped his side, but they didn't have time to stop long.
“If you die on me - " she warned, eyes narrowing fiercely on the man in the medical bed, " I'll give you the worst eulogy ever."
"Not going to happen." He whispered, and squeezed her hand. It was only when a drop of water fell on his cheek that she realized she was crying.
2) I Spy
Working for Zeus, of O.L.Y.M.P.U.S. was great fun, if you got past the every day unloading of misogyny from the higher ups.
Which might be why she sometimes did her own work.
There was something soothing in vigilantism. The feel of a repellar gun tight in her hand (only $1000 on the black market, and boy was she lucky for it) and the fact that she wore white and those freaking rapists were scared for it. She thought of leaving an A in fire behind when she bashed their faces in and left them for the "rightful authorities". But she was better than that. Good enough to wear white, tie them up, and not get caught. Be a legend that wasn't a legend.
Which was why the man known only as "The Hunter", getting more press and imitating her style, was becoming a threat. And why her brother had been urged to take him down.
"You're the best marksman, Apollo." Zeus had said, and she'd seethed.
It was too bad. She was even beginning to like the guy. He paid a weird, sweet, kind of tribute with every hit. Writing "FOR HER" in red spray paint over each group of tied up thugs.
Too bad he didn't understand "not interested". As in, 'chaste due to chosen profession, thanks'.
"You're late." He said when she finally found him.
"I'm never late." Her boots clanked hard when she jumped off the roof top to land behind him in the alley. "You're in trouble."
"Just 'cuz I'm not in your special CIA group?" His eyebrow quirked. "Please."
"No. You'd get in though."
He ducked his head, with the blush reserved only for her as decoration.
"You're just sloppy."
"How else was I supposed to get your attention?"
Artemis rolled her eyes. Of course she had to save him now.
3) The Coffee Shop
Artemis would rather work at Dick's sporting goods. She considered writing that on her name tag, but apparently Starbucks didn't think its baristas should speak their minds along with their names.
She got the job from her brother (of course) because...well...
"OHMIGODIGOTTHENIGHTSHIFT, WHATARETHEYCRAZY? ITOOK10CUPSOFCOFFEEBUTISTILLFEELREALLY -" and then Apollo cut off. Largely because he went unconscious due a little something called "adrenal exhaustion". And so she ended up working the night shift to cover for him.
That didn't mean she actually had to write her real name on her tag, though. "KILLYOUNOW" worked just as well. And that typically meant any potential customers - typically drunk off their rocker kids once the shift was toward ending - instead turned their heads toward Selene and asked very quietly for their Mocha Lattes.
This guy, though? He seemed a little too preoccupied to even notice her name tag foreshadowed his imminent demise. He didn't even order a caffeine product with a nigh unpronounceable name.
"Have you ever just, questioned your life?" He ran a hand through shaggy dark hair and then focused on her, "What you've done for the past 5 years of your life?"
Artemis blinked.
"About as much as I think about the taser my apron's front pocket." She smiled at him. " It would take me less than 2.5 seconds to shock you through your skull and dump your body in the trash outside".
To his credit, he laughed in a way that wasn't patronizing.
"Sorry. It's just..." he trailed off. After a pause, he looked up at her again, "Good reflexes."
"It's what I do." He smiled and this time, it reached his eyes.
"What's your real name?" He asked.
"Yours first."
"Orion."
She gave him a cup of coffee on the house.
Now) "Sun, Moon, Stars, Rain"
The 1960's were not a good time. First of all, free love was probably the worst thing to happen to feminism while at it's final, glorious, onset and secondly, people were planning to land on the moon. Her moon. The stars were clouding from so much pollution. Artemis was angry.
"Oh, Artemis, darling!" Great. What now?
"Aphrodite."
"Aren't these a wondrous times? The whole place just zings of rebirth - oh, did I tell you?" Artemis began tuning her out. Stopping only when she heard "Orion”.
"What?"
"Oh, dear, your brother found him," Aphrodite lightly touched her arm. She didn't even shrug her off in her shock. "Wanted to be an astronaut, the crazy man." The goddess of love's eyes slightly softened, momentarily bringing her to her former glory.
___________________________________________________________________
"You're not growing old, you know." She informed him.
"That a fact, my lady?" He looked different now. His skin was a few shades darker, for one. His hair a bit curlier. But his eyes were the exact same shade of brown.
She fell back into their old arguments. It was easy. "I'm not your lady."
"Never were." Gods, he was beautiful.
There was a lump in her throat. "I'm sorry."
He blinked, startled. Kissed her brief, hard, still tasting the same.
"Too bad," He murmured into her mouth, "You're beautiful when you're unapologetic."
"I love you." Artemis mumbled back. "But you're crazy."
