#Because I want to draw her ruff a couple different ways to get a feel for it

[bonefall]

lol I sent the forstar ask, I meant to type DOESTAR but autocorrect wasn't on my side apparently

DOESTAR!!

I'm still messing around with my ThunderClan family tree fix, but one thing I'm HARD decided on is that Speckletail is part of her family. Her name refers to the speckling on a fawn.

Doestar is now the daughter of Deerdapple and Thrushtalon, her siblings are Deerpaw and Stagleap. Stagleap and Harepounce have one child so far, Speckletail, but I'm still looking to shuffle.

(One-eye is not her sister anymore. One-eye is a lot older than Speckletail, almost 20 when Speckle's like 14. Meemaw is an ANCIENT cat.)

I like Doestar's description of "creamy ruff" so much that I'm making it her family's thing. It's a patchy, irregular mane of spikes like that of a wet red deer.

BUT ANYWAY. BB!Doestar's not a sweetie. She continued the Crusades after Oakstar lost his last life to them, in his honor. Doestar ruled from the mid-Crusade Era to the early Campaign Era, leaving Pinestar in charge when she lost her final life to starvation.

Pinestar rules for a long, long time. He really doesn't like warfare and tries to avoid it when possible, but still taking care to not violate the Right of Challenge and prevent his cats from fighting. He really likes creative stunts like the Adderfang/Mudfur battle, though that particular idea backfired.

And that's Doestar! A crusader who appointed a much more peaceful leader after her.

[dulceackles]

heyyyy, could you maybe write a one shot with ethan x reader. Ethan read some mean online comments and completely shuts down, so the rest of maneskin calls the reader to have her help them cheer Ethan up, and at the end it’s just really fluffy with a group hug including the reader?🥺👉🏼👈🏼

Silent movies | Ethan Torchio

Requested: yes

summary: Ethan reads hate comments after a long day of practice and the band decides to take the evening off and have a movie night with y/n. 

Pairing: Ethan Torchio x reader (she/her, third person)

word count: 1.4k

content and warnings: well it’s only little angst in theory, it turns fluff, little cursing.  

The rain had washed the streets the whole day and the wind had pulled threes apart the whole day. It was hard to believe that even an outdoor loving person would have wanted to step outside but gladly Ethan, Victoria, Thomas, and Damiano had had a great time practicing their new songs yet to be released. 

Damiano and Victoria were in the kitchen making Tortillas for the band and Thomas had drifted into his own thoughts after a long day of work. Ethan sat on the couch, scrolling social media through on his phone to kill some time while waiting for their dinner to be ready. He usually didn’t dig in too deep what people were talking about them online but for some reason, one specific comment section stole his attention. Maybe he should have not cared, be the bigger person and not let some internet trolls get underneath his skin but maybe it was overwhelming to see so many people agreeing on just hating him. He didn’t know what he could have ever done differently in a public eye that would have made people dislike him so much. So maybe he didn’t even want to admit to himself how much it actually hurt him.

“Ethan?” Thomas snapped Ethan out of his thoughts, he looked confused. 

“Hmm?” He answered to him noticing he had gotten up. 

“The food, It’s ready.” Thomas said, “I’ve called you like two times now.” He muttered

“Oh sorry.” Ethan got up and started to walk to the kitchen with Thomas. Thomas however had noticed that something was bothering him greatly. He hated seeing his friend sad but didn’t fully know how to bring it up.

Victoria and Damiano were already filing their Tortilla’s as Thomas and Ethan walked to the dining table. 

“You asses couldn’t wait for as, huh?” Thomas pointed at them smiling. 

“Hey, We made these!” Damiano raised his hands in defense.

It didn’t take long for Damiano and Victoria to notice Ethan’s off behavior. It was painfully clear something was bothering him, he didn’t even say much during the whole dinner and that made Victoria worried and even though she tried to carefully ask him about it, he didn’t say much. 

“What’s wrong?” Victoria had asked. 

“Nothing. Just was on Instagram and have you guys seen the way some people talk there?” Ethan answered her, gently playing with the end of his hair. 

“Don’t worry about them, like you said they’re just being rude for the sake of it. It doesn’t matter what they say.” Damiano said. 

“true.” Ethan nodded his head but Victoria could tell Ethan was still feeling low. 

“Let’s have a movie night, we’ve played all day I think it’s enough for today.” Thomas tapped his hands to the table. 

“Yeah I agree” Victoria got up, “Let’s invite y/n too, she’s probably really bored at home too.” She knew y/n was really good at cheering people up.

Y/n heard her phone’s notification sound ring as she was laying in her bed reading a book she found on sale at the nearest thrift store. 

Vic: Wanna come for a movie?

y/n: Sure, what are we watching? 

Vic: Haven’t decided yet. By the way, Ethan’s really upset. He read some comments online. So heads up. 

y/n: ohh okey, I’ll bring snacks.

It didn’t take y/n long to drive to them even if the weather was ruff and she truly was happy it didn’t because she hated to drive in dark and in rain alone. Because wasn’t that just how horror movies started?

After she had parked she quickly trotted to the front door. She knocked on it waiting for someone to open the door and let her inside out of the sharp rain. 

“Snacks or won’t open.” Ethan joked behind the door. 

“Well for god’s sake just open the door it’s pouring here.” y/n laughed at him through the door. She heard the door lock twist open. 

“I brought Popcorn,” Y/n said showing a pack of microwave popcorns in her hand.  

Y/n walked in and took her now slightly muddy shoes off. “Sorry, I tried to jump over puddles.” 

“Hii Y/n!” Victoria screamed from the living room and y/n greeted her back. 

Ethan and y/n walked into the kitchen to make the popcorns into the microwave as Damiano, Thomas, and Victoria were throwing pillows to the floor to make the best movie night living room possible. 

The microwave howled as the popcorns were popping inside. 

“Did your mom told you you’d hurt your eyes if you looked into the micro too long too close?” Y/n asked Ethan as both of them were keeping a very close eye on the popcorns, “Or was that just my mom?” 

“Oh, she did!” Ethan smiled remembering the complete urban legend his mom too had told him once. 

“I always wondered if she believed in it.” Y/n slowly said as she turned to look at him. His hair fell long alongside his back and y/n too had noticed he looked a little tense. She wondered if she should have said anything or if he was better left alone.

“Victoria told me you were a little sad today.” y/n said gently, almost whispering.

Ethan hummed, “I knew they called you here to babysit.” 

“No they didn’t.” She protested, “No one just wants that you’re sad.”

“I just saw some stupid comments, it’s not serious.” He said. The microwave peeped and he took the steaming popcorns out. 

“I mean it is serious if you’re upset by them and understandably everyone would be.”  She looked into his eyes that were staring back at hers. 

“hmm. It’s just... I guess it just makes you wonder if there’s something true about what they say.” He looked down a little bit. They started to walk to the living room. 

“Well I think no, I see not one flaw in you and nothing I would change even if I had a chance.” y/n said as she laid down to the pillow see others had made onto the floor in front of the tv.

Ethan giggled and laid down next to her. “I wouldn’t change anything in you either.” He smiled at her. 

“aww, cute.” y/n laughed and snuggled to give Ethan a little cuddle. He rested his head on the pillows. 

“I just don’t get why people have to be so mean online.” He said as he gently played with y/n’s hair in his thoughts. 

“They just don’t have anything better to do I guess. It really has nothing to do with you and everything to do with them.” y/n said while drawing figures onto his hand with her fingers. 

“Yupp and besides, There’s always gonna be someone who likes you and someone who doesn’t,” Damiano said joining them on the floor and stealing the popcorn bowl. 

Ethan too got up to sit to make room on the pillows for Thomas and Victoria too. 

“That’s one thing I didn’t know though; like how much at the end of the day how much you’ll get shat on once you get noticed in the music industry,”  Victoria said as she and Thomas joined them. 

“True, well I guess sometimes people just need someone to use as a trash bag for their own negative emotions.” Thomas agreed, he reached his hand to crap a couple of popcorns. “I think, you know, we have each other and close ones and those really just are the people you need sometimes and who you know you can lean on. Yeah, You are the people whose opinions I care about, no one else.” 

“Awww.” Damiano, Victoria, Ethan, and y/n said at the same time and y/n could see that Ethan’s eyes had softened. 

Victoria wrapped his other hand around Thomas and the other one around Damiano pulling them into a hug and Thomas wrapped his hand around Ethan who then pulled y/n into the hug. 

“I love you guys,” Ethan said as they all hugged each other and he truly felt like at that moment, it really didn’t matter what they said on the internet. 

Y/n rested her head against Ethan’s chest and he pressed his cheek on top of her head yet before all of their hair got tangled with each other, they stepped back to their own seats. 

“So what are we going to watch?” Damiano asked. 

“We should watch silent movies cus people talk too much.” y/n snapped her fingers to her own pun. 

[dossi-io]

An introduction to DeVita

Do you want to learn all about the AOMG artist DeVita? This article will cover everything you need to know about the third female member to join the labels roster.

The content of this article is also available in video format, embedded at the bottom of this article.

Prelude

In early April of 2020, the Korean hip-hop label AOMG ambiguously announced that a new artist was signing onto the label. This label was grounded by the Korean-American triple-threat; Jay Park, who’s also one of its executives. This is a label with a very organic feel and artist-oriented nature, which stands out compared to many other music labels.

On April 3rd, the label’s official Instagram account posted a video. It was titled, “Who’s The Next AOMG?” where fellow AOMG members talked about this upcoming recruit. They sprinkled small hints and details by sharing their thoughts on the artist without mentioning who.

Around the world, fans immediately began speculating on who this could be. The major consensus was that it had to be the solo artist Lee Hi, due to reporting like this: “AOMG responds ‘nothing is confirmed’ to reports of Lee Hi signing on with the label”

A few other names got thrown in fan speculations like Hanbin (B.I), previous member of IKON, Jvcki Wai, and MOON (문) aka Moon Sujin. This despite a few of these already being signed to other labels.

On April 6th, three days later, the account was updated with a part two. This time dropping more hints, which would exclude many names from fan speculations.

On the 7th of April, the label’s official Instagram account posted a short teaser. The video sported an 80’s retrofuturistic setting, with a woman turned from the camera, dressed in all black, rocking braids, and some glistening high-heels. As it seemed to be a female, some were now certain that it had to be Lee Hi. A small few actually guessed correctly that the one who would be joining AOMG would be Ms DeVita.

Finally on April 9th, it was official! She debuted with the music video, from which the teaser clips was taken from, EVITA!, which accompanied the release of her EP, CRÈME.

What does the name DeVita mean?

The name DeVita, draws inspiration and meaning from two things. Firstly, Eva Perón – also known as Evita – who was Argentina’s former First Lady. When Chloe was learning about Eva’s life, it inspired her to combine “Devil” and “Evita”, thus creating “DeVita”. The name signifies the duality of how both Eva Perón and DeVita could be perceived. Either being a devil, or an angel depending on the eye of the beholder. Secondly, Salvatore Di Vita, a character from Cinema Paradiso, was also a source of inspiration.

An introduction to DeVita

Chloe Cho – now known under the artist name DeVita – was born and raised in South Korea, until the age of eleven. In 2009, she moved to Chicago, where she would learn English.

In 2013, she went back to Korea and participated in the third season of the show; K-pop Star. A talent show, where the “big three” (the three largest music labels in Korea) hosts auditions to find the next big k-pop star. However she didn’t win, therefore neither got signed.

Later on, she returned to Chicago and graduated high school. After reflecting on what she wanted to do next, she decided to make music. In 2014, her pursuit to become an artist brought her to the talent show Kollaboration. On this show, she performed covers and actually ended up being a finalist. Despite her talents, she did not triumph as the winner of the show.

Not letting these losses stop her, she started releasing music on Soundcloud. The earliest release I could find, Halfway Love (Ruff), was from 2016. Her catalogue consisted of both covers and original music.

One day, Kirin, an artist and CEO of the music label 8balltown Records, was introduced to DeVita’s music. He liked what he heard and the two linked up. In May of 2018, WEKEYZ, one of 8balltown’s producer duos released a track titled Sugar. This track featured both DeVita, and the AOMG rapper Ugly Duck. This was the beginning of many collaborations to come.

On August 28th of 2018, just a few months later, AOMG released Sugar (Puff Daehee Mix).

This was a remix done by Puff Daehee, the alter ego of Kirin. Along with this track, it was accompanied by a music video starring Kirin, DeVita, and Ugly Duck. For most people, this was their first time seeing DeVita.

DeVita continued doing features on many songs by Korean artists while creating a little buzz for herself. There’s one notable feature, which could be seen as an important milestone in her career. That is her feature on the track Noise, from AOMG artist Woo Won Jae’s project, titled af.

In a tweet a few days after the release of CRÈME, she shared the significance of this moment.

“I was still making minimum wage working at a restaurant back when Noise dropped- I wrote my part during my shift on the back of this receipt paper. This was about a year and a half ago. A little bit after that I got a call from Pumpkin at 3am Chicago time. He said Jay wanted to meet in Philly in 4 hours. They put me on a plane and the rest is history.”

The phone call she mentioned in her tweet, about Jay wanting to meet, must have been made around September 2018. Jay was performing in Philadelphia at the time. The moment they met in Philadelphia was actually captured through a photo of the two. However, this picture ended up getting removed later on.

Fast forward a few months and Jay had just released his Ask About Me EP. The project focused on a western audience, so he went to the States on a promo run. During his visit, he also met up with DeVita once again, as can be seen here.

Finally, on April 9th, her being signed to AOMG was officially announced and she debuted with her EP titled CRÈME. Her joining AOMG, looked like something that happened pretty naturally. The vast majority of artists she had collaborated on tracks with happened to be AOMG members. Getting comfortable with the AOMG family, likely made the decision to join crystal clear.

Artistically

Just a quick look at her body of work thus far, a majority of it is in English. However, she has no issues singing in Korean, as proven by her feature on Code Kunst’s; Let u in. The tone in her voice has this sort of mixture of many singers, a melting pot of sorts. It reminds me of Audrey Nuna, SAAY, H.E.R, some vocal riffs from Dinah Jane, and at times, just a tiny bit of Ariana Grande.

As an artist, she’s still in the early stages of carving out her own unique sound and style. There’s incredible potential here, but her distinct identity is not completely there yet. I see before me a caterpillar that within a couple years, will transform into a butterfly, with its own identifiable pattern to spread its wings out on.

From what she’s shown so far, I would say she seems most comfortable doing R&B and soul music. However, beyond a quick description I prefer to refrain from categorizing her. Mostly because artists generally feel limited when categorized. More importantly, because we have no idea what she has in store for the future.

Debut EP: CRÈME

CRÈME is DeVita’s “crème de la crème”. She constantly modified the tracklist to present her debut project in a way that held her personal standard; essentially presenting us her best tracks. The result is CRÈME, which consists of five tracks, with a runtime of fourteen minutes altogether.

This EP showcases the fact that she is a competent songwriter, able to write some soulful, emotional ballads. It is completely in English and all the tracks are written by her, telling both life stories of her own and that of others. A majority of the production was handled by her “musical soulmate”; TE RIM, but other notable names, like Code Kunst show up as well.

Tracks:

Movies, introduces the project in a very gentle manner. In the track, DeVita paints a picture of a criminal couple, getting a rush, by committing crimes together. The lyrics feel inspired by movies like Bonnie and Clyde. My initial thoughts were that, for some ears, it could possibly be “too” calm as an opener. It doesn’t demand attention the way EVITA! does. Simply put, it’s not a bad track. I would just have put this track later on in the EP.

EVITA!, is something different compared to what I hear from others in the K-R&B lane. I love the 80’s aesthetic in both the track and music video. Sonically, the nostalgic saxophone riffs, warm lush synth pads, thumping bass line, results in a trip back to the 80s. With this recipe, topped with DeVita’s “current” contemporary soul and R&B voice makes for an interesting combination. The music video had that futuristic 80’s look with the neon colors, and I loved how the guns she played around with looked a lot like the “Needlers” from the Halo franchise.  The title is once again just like DeVita’s name, an ode to the controversial Eva Perón. The instrumental was originally used by TE RIM, the producer of the track in 2017. His version has the same title as DeVita’s version and I recommend giving that one a listen as well, as it has a different feel to it. This track was definitely one of the highlights of the EP.

All About You, is a simple yet beautiful piano love ballad. Originating from her own tales of love, her vocals effortlessly capture what she felt during these moments.

1974 Live, is yet another ballad, but this time, with a calm guitar backing, playing a poppier R&B chord progression. DeVita’s voice is given a lot of space to be in the center of the track. As soon as I heard this track I became curious. What was the significance of this year, which would have her title the track as such? My questions were left unanswered… until the EP had marinated a while, when she tweeted: “1974 Live is about Christine Chubbuck”. In case you’re unfamiliar, Christine Chubbuck was a television news reporter, who made history in 1974. She was the first person to commit suicide live on air. According to her mother Christine’s suicide would on paper be due to an unfullfilling personal life. All throughout her life, she had experienced unreciprocated love. With this information tying back to the track, it becomes a lot less ambiguous and reveals a more cohesive narrative.

Show Me, is the final track of the EP, featuring immaculate production from the talented CODE KUNST. The sound is very moody, which fits her voice like a glove. This is my favorite performance on the entire EP, both lyrically and vocally. The lyrics present someone who’s fed up dealing with men, who talk the talk but don’t walk the walk. Now she’s looking for love with someone who’s honest and “real”.

With the project being a year old now, it has already gotten her nominated for both Rookie of the Year along with EVITA being nominated for Best R&B & Soul Track in the 18th iteration of the Korean Music Awards.

A majority of listeners seemed to enjoy the project. Many seem to be in love with her voice judging by the endless amounts of praise she has received, often described as painfully addicting, soothing, smooth, and so on.

I also asked a friend who’s a huge fan of Korean music, especially the hiphop and r&b scene to share her thoughts on the project. Here’s what she said:

"This whole project is empowering, in particular the tracks Show Me and EVITA! DeVita being a new artist, managed to impress me and many more listeners through this EP. As mentioned earlier, empowering lyrics with unique melodies and beats. Especially with the track EVITA! The fact that 1974 Live and EVITA! was referring to, two historically important women, is something that I love. This is one of my favorite EP:s of 2020 and DeVita is now included in my list of favorite artists." @Haonsmom

From what I’ve seen, only a few have been vocal about not really being too fond of the project. Some were left a bit disappointed, as they were expecting more hip-hop and R&B from an AOMG artist. The lack of “danceable” tracks was also a concern to some. Despite these criticisms, one thing was always mentioned; the girl has a beautiful voice and is obviously talented.

After listening to this EP, I hear a lot of potential. Being an EP with just five tracks, it definitely avoids overstaying its welcome. It’s brief enough to allow a listen through the entire project, no matter what you’re doing. My favorite tracks would have to be Show Me and EVITA!, but I found the whole project to be enjoyable. This EP is sprinkled with lovely vocal performances and simple but captivating production. I do still stand by my opinion that Movies would have fit better later in the tracklist if you’re chasing that mainstream ear.

I think the way EVITA! kicks you in the face, demanding attention, would’ve been a better fit as the opening track. In contrast to the other tracks, the energy level is unique, making the placement feel odd as the rest of the tracks have a chill vibe. All in all, this project gave me a taste of the “crème” but left me with a curious yearning for what this chef will whip up for dessert.

Bright future ahead

The addition of more female artists to the AOMG roster was much needed. Hoody was the first and only female member for about four years. This was the case up until late 2019, where she was then joined by sogumm, who had just won AOMG’s audition program called SignHere. Now funnily enough after DeVita, Lee Hi actually did end up officially signing with AOMG on July 22, last year.

Based on what I’ve heard during Devita’s Kollaboration days, she has improved immensely. This topped with her leaving the impression of someone passionate about their craft, bodes well for what's to come. She seems to be someone who'll constantly evolve.

Following an artist, at the early stages of their career, is something that I always find exciting. With such a lovely debut, I cannot wait to see what the future has in store for DeVita.

To view the content of this article in video format simply play the video embedded below.

Thanks for reading, watching. If you enjoyed this content feel free to follow my socials to stay up to date on when new content is posted.

https://allmylinks.com/dossi-io

Credits:

The first image in article: Original photo, pre-edit from @jinveun

Gif from the Sugar Puff Daehee MV: @moxiepoints

[shipmistress9]

HW2020 -- 4: Drawing Each Other

Part 4 of my Hiccstrid Week 2020.

This one... I’m not really sure how to feel about it. 😅 When I wrote it, it made sense. Now, I’m not so sure anymore. 🤣 Anyway, I hope someone likes it.

. o O o .

Astrid’s eyes were wide as she stared down at the piece of paper in her hands. This picture shouldn’t faze me so much, she thought absentmindedly, her fingertips hovering over the charcoal lines. And really, it shouldn’t. It was an image she saw every day, after all. Every time she walked past a reflective surface. 

And yet, there was something strange about this picture that she’d found lying on the ground after Hiccup had left the clubhouse in a hast just a minute ago. Sure, the lines were smudged from how quickly he’d apparently folded the paper to tug it away, but that wasn’t why this drawn version of her face looked so… different. 

It took her several minutes of inspection and even then she couldn’t really pin it down. As far as she was concerned, the image was flawless, just like all of Hiccup’s drawings. There was her usual round face with the pointy chin, the small nose, the slightly too-big eyes hidden by her fringes, and the small braid running down one side of her head. It all looked just like she was used to. 

And yet, it was different somehow. Deeper. There was an unfamiliar softness in the way her likeness looked somewhere into the distance, in the way she smiled, in all her features. Something warm and glowing. It wasn’t really tangible, more as if there was something beneath the surface. As if he hadn’t just captured her likeness but also her self.

Astrid swallowed and gazed at where Hiccup had disappeared. She felt weird. On the one hand, she was flattered by the way he apparently saw her, not just the fierce warrior but something… more. But on the other hand… He knew her so well. Of course, they knew each other for all their lives, but this… 

Gazing down at the picture again, a strange sensation blossomed in her chest and she made a decision.

. o O o .

“I think my idiot brother is in loooooove,” Ruff sing-songed over dinner a few days later, giggling at the surprised looks everyone else threw her. 

“I am?” Tuff asked, puzzled.

“He is?” came from Snotlout. “With who?”

Ruff grinned. “Well, with Hiccup, obviously.”

There was a heartbeat or three of silence as everyone looked at Hiccup. He blinked, then looked from Ruff to Tuff, then to Astrid and back to Ruff again. “Excuse me?”

Still grinning, Ruff nodded. “He’s been staring at you all night. And I just want to say that I approve of his choice, you’ve really developed well over the years. You have my blessing.”

Astrid’s lips twitched. None of their friends knew about how Hiccup had kissed her after she’d regained her sight a couple of weeks ago, nor did they know about the tender minutes they shared every now and then since that day. But even without that knowledge, it was clear what both Hiccup and Tuff thought about this idea. Hiccup buried his face in his hands, groaning, while Tuff shook his head at his sister. 

“You’re quite mistaken, sister,” he said in his usual slightly over-dramatic tone. “It is not me who’s in love. In fact, I’m not sure anyone will ever fall in love with such a malnourished runt with bad hair, strange teeth, and a twig for a neck.”

Ruff rolled her eyes. “But you were staring at him!”

“Of course, I was!” Tuff exclaimed. “But only to see whether I can understand what’s so special about him or whether he had something funny on his face or whatever. Because Astrid has been staring at him all evening.”

Now, all eyes wandered to her, surprise – and, in Hiccup’s case, the hint of a smile –  on everyone’s faces. 

“I… I wasn’t,” she tried to avert attention, though admittedly rather poorly and Fishlegs ruined her effort anyway.

“Actually, you were,” he said. “I noticed it too, just…” he trailed off, shrugging. 

Trying – and failing miserably – to play it cool, Astrid stood up and pushed away her nearly empty bowl. “You’re all daft. I’m going to bed. See you tomorrow.” Then she left the clubhouse in too much of a haste to look unperturbed, cursing herself but unable to help it. It wasn’t even that she didn��t want her friends to know she’d been looking at Hiccup. Sure, she’d rather they didn’t know about them just yet, but she also didn’t want to outright deny what was between them. No, what bothered her more was that Hiccup might be able to guess why she’d been studying his face so intently. 

As soon as she was back in her hut, she lit the candle at her tiny desk and pulled out a piece of charcoal and a fresh paper. With how annoying this incident just now had been, she didn’t want it to have been for nothing. Quickly, as long as the memories were fresh in her mind, she made some sketches of the details she’d studied just now, the exact outline of his chin and chiselled jaw. 

Once she was satisfied, she pulled out another paper, one she’d worked on a lot lately. There were thin lines outlining a head and face to get the proportions right but also some more detailed areas, those she’d practised before. Hiccup’s unruly hair, his bushy eyebrows, his nose, his lips, so quick to pull into a smile. And her favourite part: his eyes, always so alive and gleaming with passion for whatever he was up to at that moment. With sure hands, she added the cheekbones and chin then leaned back to inspect her work. The image still looked a little off, but she hadn’t expected anything else. For the final version, she would draw it all in one go anyway so it fit better. 

Smiling to herself, Astrid took a minute or three to look at her drawing. It wasn’t how she wanted it to be, not yet. It wasn’t like the drawing of herself she’d found, the one where Hiccup had captured so much more of her than just her looks. But she was getting there. And once the picture was as she wanted it to be, depicting Hiccup’s soul, the way she saw him, when she knew his face as well as he knew hers… 

… then she would give it to him and tell him that she didn’t just like him. 

She would tell him that she loved him.

. o O o .

One thing I learned about myself during all these shorts is... that I have way too much fun writing the twins. 😁

* - . - * - . o O o . - * - . - *

If you want to support me you can buy me a coffee. I love coffee 😊 (Ko-Fi)

[pi-cat000]

MSA: Shapeshifter/Werewolf AU

NOTE: So there is a ton of really good werewolf-Arthur stuff floating around and I love it. Here is one more. Also, I read this and got inspired. 

Summary: Werewolf-Arthur but Vivi and Lewis are shapeshifters. They all go out on the full moon Harry Potter style. Set pre-canon.

.

The sky is bright blue today. If the weather report is to be believed, it will remain clear for the next five nights. Perfect for camping. Everything is falling into place, and Arthur is feeling increasingly energised. There is an extra spring to his step uncommon for this time of the mouth. Even his Uncle Lance, who hovers, face creased into an almost permanent frown, can’t dampen his spirits.

Arthur shoves clothes into his bag, throwing a comment over his shoulder, “I’ll be fine. Mystery is supervising.”

“Mystery. Mystery ya friend’s dog. That Mystery?” His Uncle, leaning against the doorframe, scowls some more, sounding disgruntled. After so many years living with the man, Arthur knows that the irritation is just a poor disguise for worry. He pays it no mind, continuing to pack.  

“I think he is some form a Kitsune. You know, a Japanese fox spirit. He’s like Vivi, except, instead of pretending to be a human, he pretends to be a dog. Also, Mystery’s a few hundred years old, a whole lot more powerful, and he is super experienced when it comes to these things.”

“I don’t like it.”

Arthur sighs, lifting his stuffed duffle bag. His Uncle’s distrust of the Yukino family has been an ongoing source of tension this last week. Vivi’s dad had it out for him, some old prejudice about curses and bad luck, but Mystery has never seemed bothered by it.

“It’s either this or a night in the basement,” He reasons, twitching in discomfort at the thought of being stuck in the basement for another full moon. The idea is equally unattractive to his Uncle, who grimaces. Neither of them enjoys locking Arthur up for full moons. Especially now, when Arthur is older and more unpredictable, and there is a large iron cage involved. He hates that cage. Necessary for his Uncle’s safety, but unpleasant on all counts.

His Uncle relents, “I want ya to call every night when possible.”

Arthur hoists a tent up in his free hand with an ease born of supernatural strength. With the full moon tomorrow, the bleed between human and wolf is becoming increasingly pronounced, resulting in heightened senses and ability.

“If anything happens, even if it's bad, you come back, ya hear. I don’t give a shit about what ya do when you’re the wolf, you come back, and we’ll deal with it together like we always do.”

Arthur slips around his Uncle, heading for the front door and his waiting van. “Yes. I know. I will.”

“If I don’t hear from ya, I’m hiking out there to track ya down myself.”

The air is crisp — a beautiful day. Arthur strides out across the parking lot, relishing the feel of open space. The sprawling desert on either side of him beckons to him. ‘Run. Be free,’ his instincts tell him. The door to the front reception rattles in its frame, and his Uncle follows him outside.

“I’ll be fine. We’ve been planning this for ages. I’m even looking forward to it.” He turns, smiling despite ongoing misgivings. To look forward to a full moon is monumental. It is something entirely new for Arthur. Honesty, he’s still not sure how to deal with it and is almost waiting for it all to come crashing down around him. Surely, someone is about to jump out and inform him that this all a joke.

His Uncle hesitates on approach, torn for maybe a second before deflating. He steps up to put a hand on Arthur’s shoulder. The action takes a bit of stretching, due to Lance’s shorter statue.  

“I’m just worried about ya.”

“I know. I swear I won’t take any chances. This is going to work. Trust me.” It had to work because, as amazing as his Uncle is, he is still just a human-A human with a werewolf nephew who put themselves in danger every month. Arthur’s biggest fear is waking up one of these mornings to discover his Uncle dead by his hand.  

Thankfully, his Uncle nods in acceptance, reaching forward and pulling him down for a ruff hug. Arthur breaths in, scenting the familiar oil and grease mixed with tobacco underling the salami sandwich Lance ate for lunch yesterday. It’s a comforting scent. They separate, and Arthur steps away, swinging himself into the van, throwing his belongings into the back.

Lance walks to stand near the window, folding his arms once again.

“Don’t forget. Call. Every night.”

“I will,” Arthur answers, wavering before flipping the ignition and accelerating out of the lot. Vivi, living smack in the centre of town, is a half-hour drive from Kingsman Mechanics.

When he pulls up, the whole Yukino family is out on their porch. Vivi is having some disagreement with her father, her mum looks to be playing mediator, and the Yukino elder is idly tracking his approach. They make eye contact. Arthur sinks low in his seat, so he is mostly hidden from view. Just perfect. He’d been hoping to avoid drawing attention to himself.

While he waits, he deliberately ignores how the wards around Vivi’s house make his skin itchy and hair stand on end. Wards designed to deter creatures like him. The few times he had been invited in -on the rare occasion Vivi’s family are away- had left him with ringing ears and a clogged nose. The layers of illusion, plastered over the house’s plain exterior, coupled with the wards, play havoc with his senses. A common reaction when supernatural creatures encounter ‘fox magic,’ Vivi had tried to reassure.

Ten more minutes of arguing and Vivi throws her hands up in frustration, grabbing her bag and stomping up the garden path, visibly irritated. Over her head, Arthur catches the eye of her father, who is glaring daggers at the van. His eyes narrow, flashing blue. Arthur doesn’t need heightened instincts to recognise a warning sign. Internally, he groans, sinking further, putting his head below the window, resigning himself to another ‘stay away from my daughter or else’ lecture. So far, the ‘or else’ was impending, but Arthur can’t help but worry every time he accidentally reminds the patriarch that he exists. It throws a damper on his anticipation like a bucket of ice.

The passenger door opens. Mystery leaps up into the van, giving him a perplexed lopsided expression. Vivi clambers in after him, throwing her bag over the seat divider in the same movement. A puzzled glance is given when she notices him almost on the floor.

“Your dad hates me.” He offers.

“Oh, ignore him. He’s got his head stuck back in feudal japan,” Vivi gripes, twisting to pull down her seatbelt, “Right Mystery?”

Mystery, who has seated himself between them, nods, projecting his voice, /Though concern for one’s progeny is natural, the fact that I am acting as your guardian makes his worry unfounded. /

“See. Mystery agrees with me.”

“Is that what that was…” Arthur mutters, starting the van up so he can drive away as quickly as possible. He can still feel piercing blue eyes ten minutes later when the Pepper’s diner, in all its bright pink glory, appears on the horizon. Anxiety and fear are quickly killing the rest of his excited anticipation.  Now, he is wondering whether Vivi’s dad has a point.

“He’s right you know,” Arthur blurts, unable to help it, “Your dad I mean. About me being dangerous. I don’t even remember most full moons. I’ve ripped up all the basement floorboards and destroyed whole walls before.” He had even hurt people, back when he and his Uncle had lived in the city, but he can’t bring himself to mention that failing. “The full moon is nothing like when we’ve all gone running together or shifted to mess around. What if I hurt you.”

“Arthur,” Vivi sighs, turning to stare at his profile, “We’ve talked about this. There is no way we are letting you spend any more full moons locked up in that thing you keep in the basement. Not when we have a better option. My dad can go suck on a lemon, because, curse or not, I’m doing this.”

“What if something goes wrong and you regret it...”

“The only thing I regret is that we didn’t know you were a bitten-wolf sooner.”

Arthur hyper focuses on turning off the motorway, face heating up. Honesty, Arthur hadn’t known there was a difference between him and Lewis’s wolf nature until an offhand comment about werewolves had Lewis commenting that the full moon gave him a crazy appetite. Vivi’s dad had been by to threaten him enough times that he had assumed Vivi knew he was a werewolf and not a regular shifter, but she had simply nodded along with Lewis, asking if Arthur had a similar quirk. Then Arthur had been too embarrassed to correct them. The full moon was such an unpleasant experience for him that he had avoided talking about it for years, making excuse after excuse.

/To go on a hunt with one’s pack is a common strategy when dealing with lunar-madness — one of the reasons you wolves tend to congregate in one location. / Mystery adds, voice calmer.

“Exactly. You’ll have Lewis. You get along great when you shift. Also, I wouldn’t be much of a fox if I couldn’t keep up with you two bumbling lumps.”

“Lewis is a regular wolf, and you’re just so tiny. I could easily hurt one of you,” He objects.  

/Fear not, Arthur. In the unlikely event that you do not recognise your companions as part of your pack, I will intervein and keep you and them safe for the night’s duration. / Arthur eyes Mystery and exhales to release tension. Mystery was so good at masking his presence that sometimes Arthur forgot he was a crazy strong spirit. According to Vivi, her family had once been his vassals, actual foxes, before marrying into human lines. It was where she got her shifting ability and instinct for magic. Arthur’s not sure how Mystery ended up disguised as a dog, playing family guardian to a bloodline who were once his servants, but he’s not about to question it. If the supernatural world was anything, it was convoluted.

“Arthur.”

“What.”

They’d pulled into one of the vacant spots outside the Pepper's diner. Arthur realises he’s been sitting, staring at his lap, in silence. Vivi’s leaning over, waving to catch his attention. She smells like paper, grass, flowers and that electric undertone he associates with magic.

“Don’t let my dad get you down. This’ll be fun. I know I’m looking forward to camping, and the full moon is only one night.”

“Right. Yeah.” His dour mood falls away. Vivi’s eyes are sparking blue, signalling her enthusiasm. “You’re right.”

A knock on the van’s glass window has both him and Vivi twisting in their seats. Lewis waves from the other side and Vivi quickly winds the window down so she can call a greeting.

“Don’t suppose I could trouble you for a lift,” Lewis jokes, holding his thumb like he’s attempting to hitchhike.

“I don’t know. Where are you heading, stranger,” Vivi returns, leaning out to grin. Arthur feels a smile return, and he clicks off the locks so Vivi overbalances when Lewis tries the handle. It is the breakfast rush, so none of the other Peppers have joined Lewis outside- too busy serving customers- but Lewis has a giant portable cooler at his feet, which is probably packed with their cooking.

“Hey, Arthur. How are you holding up?”  Lewis meets, attention moving off Vivi. His eyes flash gold, catching the light, and Arthur gets that additional rush of excitement reuniting with Lewis always inspires. Vivi called it a ‘pack response,’ but Arthur’s not so sure, seeing as he feels the same way when he sees her. Vivi's not a wolf after all.

“I’m fine,” This isn’t his first full moon, so the concern is a little unnecessary. He still finds himself pleased to receive it though.

“There’s space in the back for that. Hold on. I’ll get the back doors.”

“Thanks. I brought an extra tent as well,” Lewis continues, tracking him as he circles around the vehicle to open the back.

Vivi sticks her head over the seat divider to watch them, commenting, “Because two tents aren’t enough.”

“You can never be too prepared.”

“We have space. Why not?” Arthur reasons, reordering his and Vivi’s stuff to give Lewis room to load up his cooler box and mound of additional camping supplies. Of the three of them, Lewis has definitely packed the lions share.

Then Lewis hands them all sandwiches, correctly guessing that no one has eaten breakfast, and they hit the road. While he and Viv eat, Lewis drives humming along to the radio. Thoughts of Vivi’s dad fade into the background, Arthur simply enjoying being in the presence of both his friends. Even Mystery, who tended to be more reserved, is joining in their conversation, seemingly looking forward to spending time hiking about in nature.

[shipmistress9]

What it means to be Chief - Chapter 1: Parting

So, I was asked to upload here as well so... here you go ;) Warning: M-rated ;)

When Chief Hiccup Haddock returned home that night, he was exhausted. What a day! What a long and very unpleasant day… But finally, it was over.

He unbuckled his fur coat and the uncomfortable weapon's belt, dropped both on the trunk near the entrance, next to a pair of pauldrons and with an exhausted sigh, he slumped down into the gigantic chair that had once belonged to his father. He rested his face in his hands, arms propped up on the table in front of him and for a moment simply enjoyed the ease and comfort around him.

The room was warm with a low fire burning in the hearth, its crackling the only sound and the air was filled with the scent of a hearty stew. He could feel his stomach rumbling at that. When was the last time he'd eaten? Breakfast? Probably… Although, hadn't he needed to leave in a hurry that morning because of that quarrel down at the docks? Had he eaten anything at all today? He wasn't sure… He probably should get up, look for the food and for –

With a light knock, a bowl filled with still steaming stew was placed in front of him followed by a second one and he noticeably relaxed as a pair of soft lips touched his forehead. He hummed due to her lingering kiss and the way her fingers lightly caressed his face.

"I almost thought you'd spent the whole night up in the Great Hall today." She said in a light voice, but beneath the teasing tone, he could also hear her weariness.

"Yeah…," he answered slowly. "I thought so, too." He grimaced slightly as she withdrew her lips and fingers but a moment later, he heard the scraping of wood on wood as she drew her chair back to sit down as well. He opened his eyes to look at her. The sight of her always served to make him feel better in any situation.

She already had put off most of her usual armor and her hair was already down, falling in golden waves down her back. She, too, looked exhausted but then that was no surprise, really. Summer was drawing to an end and the preparations for the winter were in full swing. These days, nobody was at a loss of work. "You should eat," she remarked, nudging him lightly. "before it gets cold. Would be a shame…"

Hiccup eyed his wife carefully as she blew on the spoon full of stew and then pushed it into her mouth. She put in a lot of effort into getting better with all this domestic stuff as she called it, he knew and appreciated that but that didn't mean that her skills in that area were worth mentioning yet.

In this case though, she seemed to have been doing well, because she hummed contently and her features relaxed instantly as she chewed on that first mouthful. Reassured, he reached for the second spoon and yes, he had to admit it tasted delicious! They ate in silence, both too hungry and too weary for any conversation for now.

After he'd emptied the bowl, he leaned back into the chair with a satisfied sigh. "That was just what I needed right now," he admitted. He was still groggy, his mind too full of thoughts about everything that he'd had to do today and yet, he felt better. The warmth of the fire from the outside and of the stew from the inside did their work and he felt himself beginning to relax. "And you made this?"

. o O o .

Astrid glared at him for a moment. There was just a bit too much of surprise in his voice at these words. But then, he was right… If she would have been able to prepare a meal only remotely like this, she would stop taking these dreadful lessons from her mother immediately.

"No, my mom did," she admitted, not ashamed of that fact. In a normal household with another couple, this confession might have been embarrassing for the wife in question but with them, things were different. He hadn't fallen in love with her for her domestic skills after all. She had to gain those eventually, she knew and always had known that, but for now neither of them cared too much. "She only let me slice the vegetables and meat." He nodded with a small smile on his tired face and closed his eyes again.

He didn't look well. Sure, after their meal, he looked better, but still not well. She knew that this day hadn't been an easy one, another one of Berk's gripe days and a council meeting to plan the additional chores for the upcoming winter. Repairing fences and storehouses, recapturing livestock, the usual. But still, there seemed to be more, something else that occupied his mind. Well, rumors had even reached her busy ears today. And they seemed to be true…

"How was your day?" She asked artlessly and watched him grimace. He pressed his lips into a thin line and slowly shook his head.

"And yours?" he asked back evasively. She gazed at him for a little longer, then stood up and walked toward him. She sat down on his lap, straddling him and lightly placed her hands on his neck. He groaned as she began to massage his stiff muscles but quickly relaxed further.

"Nothing unusual," She said absentmindedly while her hands worked his neck and shoulders. "After the meeting, I helped Valka and Eret with the young Hobblegrunts and Shovelhelms. Their training turns out to be much more demanding than expected. Luckily that doesn't go for the new riders as well. Their training went well, I would never have thought Snot of all people would be such a good teacher." She chuckled lightly and caught his lips twitching into a smile as well. Her hand wandered upward into his hair, massaging his scalp through his thick mane while he placed his on her thighs, drawing calm circles on their outsides.

"Later, I helped Ruff carrying more of her stuff over to her new house." She continued. "I never expected to see the day when she and Tuff actually wouldn't live together anymore but here it is. Although I'm not sure whether Snot is such a good alternative, compared to Tuff. Well, it was her choice… I just hope this thing with Tuff's Lia works out, for his sake!" She wasn't sure how closely her husband was listening by now. His hands were on her hips now, not yet drawing her closer and only holding her firmly. But he also seemed to be lost in his own thought, too caught up to relax. She knew her babbling would distract him from those all too demanding thoughts so she went on. "And then we all met at my mother's of course. She's still incredulous about how a bunch of green girls suddenly ended up being wives and I'm not saying that I mind her attempts at teaching us… I know she means well and I know she has a point but still…" She sniffed exaggeratedly and caught his lips stretching into a wider grin. Goal achieved!

She felt his hands digging harder into her hip, subconsciously pulling her toward him while she let her fingertips glide over his face, his cheekbones, his jawline, and his lips. She was reluctant to raise that other topic. He finally seemed to lighten up. But it needed to be done, they needed to talk about it if what she'd heard was true. She brushed her lips lightly over his before she continued: "And then, while my mom tried to teach us how to season the stew, Mrs. Ingerman showed up." Beneath her, she felt him stiffen instantly. Because, of course, Mrs. Ingerman had heard the news first and she was well known to be the biggest gossipmonger of Berk. "She told us about a T-mail that arrived from Berserker Island. Apparently, she's going to be a grandmother soon and was very excited. My mom gave me a reproachful look but I don't know that I'm ready to stop drinking the moon tea. Not yet…" She observed his reaction closely, though not because of what she'd said. They were on one on that point. No, she observed him because of what she hadn't said yet. "She also told us about another note that came with it." She mumbled against his neck. "A message from Dagur?"

. o O o .

There it was, that dreaded message and all those thoughts that had come with it. Hiccup tensed up all over again, ruining all her efforts to get him to relax in an instant. He barely noticed how his fingers dug harder into her and only lighten his grip as he felt her shifting uncomfortably beneath his hands. He didn't want to deal with that, not right now at least, didn't want to think about what they… what he needed to do! There was no way around it and of course, he had to talk about it with her, but not yet… Not now…

He nodded to let her know that there truly was a message from Dagur and that he didn't intend to keep it from her. He would tell her, she needed to know but not now! Now, he just wanted to hold her, to feel her. He needed her!

He wrapped his arms more tightly around her, drew her body against his and apparently, that was all the invitation she needed. He exhaled sharply into her hair as she purposefully ground her warm center against his crotch. The sensation sent a hot wave of desire through his already heated body. Gods, she was incredible! He felt her hand on his cheek, lifting his face toward her and a moment later, her lips were on his. There was no caution in this kiss, no hesitance, no room for doubts as to where it would lead them. Her tongue darted out to meet his, playfully challenging him and she pressed herself against him, her soft body melting against his chest. Her closeness wiped away every coherent thought in his mind in an instant, as always, and his body moved more out of instinct than anything else. She gasped into his mouth as he bucked beneath her, his growing bulge pressing into the damp heat between her legs. Their breaths mingled more and more while they worked each other up, hands gliding over skin and bodies rubbing against each other. Then she leaned back, quickly loosened the buckles and clasps of his armor and he used the break to push her shirt up and over her head - to reveal her already bare breasts beneath. He groaned as the sight sent another wave of hot need through his body and down into his loins. She really was-

"…incredible." He gasped shakily and reached for her, drawing her closer again. He ran his lips up and down her neck, exhaling against her sensitive skin while his hands carefully slid up her body. She arched into his touch, seeking more and he was all too willing to giving her just that. A suppressed moan escaped her, the sweetest sound, as his fingertips finally reached the swell of her breasts, grazing the sensitive flesh lightly for a moment before he moved on, carefully cupping those firm hills with his calloused hands. He watched her trembling in anticipation while his thumbs glided up to her peaks, playfully flicking them a few times, drawing light circles around them and finally pinched them in the way he by now knew would drive her crazy. She cried out and firmly pressed down on his crotch again, eager for more friction, more sensation, just more!

More… Yes, he could give her more, would give her everything! He leaned down to slowly lick over the hot, white skin of her breasts, leaving a prickling wet line to remind her where he'd been. His tongue and teeth made their way to her nipple, nibbling and teasing while his hands slid back down to her hips and through the tangles of her studded skirt toward her ass. He grabbed her cheeks and continuedly rolled her hips toward him to meet his jerking ones with every thrust. She moaned freely now, moving with him, her arms wrapped around his neck and her fingers dug into his back and buried in his hair. He moved a little faster, jerking up in abandon, spurred on by her needy noises and urgent motions. Gods, he needed her, wanted her, needed to know that she was his, that he was hers. He needed to - to stop! Now, or he would- would…

With a desperate groan, he pulled his mouth away from her and forced himself to stop thrusting into her through their clothes. She deserved better than this! At the sudden lack of sensation, she whimpered and gazed down at him through bleary eyes. He tried to say something, anything but his mind was too dazed already to form any coherent words. Instead, he just tugged helplessly at her skirt's tassels, the first thing he could get a hold on. She nodded, panting and crawled back, off his lap. He watched her in rapt attention as she quickly stripped off her skirt and legging only to reveal that she wasn't wearing any undergarment at all anymore.

. o O o .

Astrid threw him a feverish look while she got rid of her remaining clothes. She loved how he watched her doing so, completely captivated as if it was the first time he saw her like this. They were married for a few months now and getting naked, getting intimate with each other wasn't awkward or strange anymore. But it was still far from being ordinary and she hoped that would never change. She saw him swallowing as he raked her naked body and she gave him a sly smile as she sauntered back toward him.

Another thing she loved, although she would never admit it out loud, was how easily she could make him forget everything else with just a touch or a sound. She knew he never stopped thinking, never stopped considering options, never stopped pondering over one problem or another, one of his inventions or his duties as chief. His mind never stopped working unless they were together, skin on skin. She could see how his mind took a break now, how his thoughts rested and his head relaxed. It felt good to have this much power over him and even better to be able to do this for him. Because his mind needed a break every now and then, needed it dearly! And the simple fact how much fun having sex was was only the topping.

His eyes never left her as she dropped onto one knee in front of him and loosened the clasps that held his fake leg until she was able to take it off. While she stood up again, she let her hands run up his legs, rested them on his thighs and leaned over to give him another lingering kiss, almost playful in its innocence after their heated exchange before. Teasingly, she nudged her hands upward toward the considerable bulge in his leather pants and as they reached their goal, she rubbed against him with just enough pressure to make him shudder and gasp. Then, without tormenting him much further, she hooked her fingers below his waistband and pulled his pants and coverings down and off. He didn't help more than was necessary, knew all too well by now that she didn't want him to. Stripping him of his clothes was her privilege and his gift to her. As long as he didn't take over completely - and by Thor's hammer, she loved it when he did that! – it was her decision when and if they got rid of which clothes.

But tonight, she wanted to feel him, his hot skin beneath her hands. She crawled back onto his lap and pushed her damp center against his erection. "A… Astrid…" he gasped pleadingly but she didn't react like he probably wanted her to. Instead, she tugged at his leather armor and afterward at his tunic to pull both over his head, all the while twitching and twisting to further rub against him. As soon as his arms were free again, his hands were back on her hips, restraining her teasing, pulling her closer.

"Easy there…" she breathed and placed her hands on his chest, for stabilization and to indicate him to stay still. Slowly, very slowly, she pushed herself up, sliding her clit and her soaked core up and down his length. The sensation was overwhelming, sending hot desire through her already excited body but that was not why she did it. She watched with gleaming eyes as his rolled back into his head for a moment. He groaned and twitched beneath her, his hand still on her hips but he didn't even try to take over, made no further attempt to pull her close and down onto him. His hands didn't leave her but now they were more clinging to her than anything else, clinging to her for dear sanity while he waited for her to go on. He gave himself up to her, utterly and completely and his trust in her almost made her choke. Gods, how much she loved him!

She leaned down to place another kiss on his lips, not innocent at all this time as she nibbled on his lower lip and sucked it into her mouth just as she angled her hip the right way and firmly sank down on him, taking him in completely. They gasped in unison at the sensation and feeling so utterly full with him inside her made her shudder and clench uncontrollably. Gods, it felt so good, so right!

After a moment to adjust to him, she slowly began to move up and down his length, an exercise that suited her well-toned thighs. Every now and then, she paused to grind into him though, moaning wantonly when he teased that sweet spot deep inside her. She felt his fingers digging deeper into her butt cheeks as he tried to hold himself back, hold himself still as she wanted him to, to not grab her and thrust into her greedily. His cock inside her twitched and throbbed unmistakably, his heat radiating through her entire being. She became lightheaded and her breathing exhilarated uncontrollably as desire made her insides tense up deliciously. She was almost there, caught glimpses and sparks of her rising orgasm already. Just a bit more… She bit down on her lip, hard but wasn't able to completely suppress the needy moan from escaping her. His control over his body had become better during the past months but after she'd worked him up so thoroughly it was probably hanging by a thread by now. No more games.

. o O o .

Hiccup thought he might die any moment now. His head was empty, every thought thoroughly wiped away by her actions, again! All he could think about was how beautiful she was, how tight and hot she was around his cock, how sweet her moans and sobs sounded as she worked up both their tension.

God, yes, he wanted to take over, to mindlessly thrust into her hot and wet center until this unbearably tight coil in his guts snapped, until their howls echoed off the walls. But just as much, he wanted to just take what she had to give. Watching her bouncing up and down above him, watching her taking him in every time again, watching her face contort with barely concealable pleasure, it was incredible! And her noises… her helpless cries and urgent gasps, it was almost more than he could bear. No, he couldn't take over, even if he had wanted to. Just clinging on to her to hold his climax back just a little bit longer was about all he could muster.

He felt her tighten around him and recognized it as a sign that she, too, was close. Just a bit… longer… He told himself as a particularly drawn-out moan of her sent his head spinning. He forced his hands to loosen their iron grip on her ass and let them wander to her front instead. Another advantage of this position was that he had his hands free to pleasure her further! The rhythm of her bouncing faltered slightly as he rested his hand on her lower belly, moving up and down with her while his thumb pressed down on her clit.

She whimpered and sobbed weakly and moved a few more times, rubbing herself against his thumb before she firmly pressed down on his cock with a piercing scream. Her fingers dug into his skin, her entire body spasming as she came undone above him. Her inner walls clenched down on him hard, choking him and it finally was more than he could take. Even if their house would have come tumbling down on them right now, he couldn't have cared less as he arched up, pressing into her more firmly and released into her hot core with an unrestrained howl.

Some while later, Hiccup lay in the fur-nest by the hearth, his limbs entangled with those of his wife beside him. He wasn't sure how they'd made it over here from the gigantic chair but he didn't really care either way. After their shared climax, she'd all but collapsed on top of him, trembling and panting and his condition hadn't been any better. He'd been able to lay his heavy arms around her back and nothing more. It had been all his body had been capable off while his head had refused to work at all for a while.

But now, clarity slowly crept back into his mind. He remembered just how public their living room really was. He was the chief and whenever there was a problem, people just burst in here without hesitation. Or, Gods forgive, knocking! Right after their wedding, people had been a bit more cautious for a few weeks he'd noticed but that had worn off by now. Anyone could have barged in on them at any moment. And still could! In fact, it was almost a miracle nobody already had, with that news surely spreading like wildfire through the village.

"Astrid?" he asked cautiously. He didn't want to wake her but they were still lying around naked where chances were high for anyone to see them and the thought was weird. He knew that with the typical Viking-like lack of caution and restraint, things like that happened all the time. Hel, it had happened to him more than once when he was younger and had made deliveries for Gobber. But he never would have thought to find himself on the other side one day…

She stirred next to him, murmured something unintelligible and moved to cuddle him more closely. He laid his arm around her and began to cautiously rub her back, to slowly wake her up completely.

"Astrid, we should get up. Get dressed or get over to the bedroom or…" She stirred again but only to cuddle even closer to him and wrap one lithe arm around his torso.

"Mmhhhnnoo…" She mumbled against his chest without ever opening her eyes.

"But… Someone could come in, could see us… you… I mean…" He trailed off as her hold around his chest tightened and her warm body was suddenly pressed against his once more.

"Mmngh don't care," she murmured with a sigh and rubbed her cheek against his chest. "I want to stay like this… just a bit longer…" He smiled and closed his arms around her. He couldn't deny that he wanted that, too. "Just… Maybe pull over one of the furs?" She suggested hesitantly, almost like an afterthought. "It's getting a bit cold, you know…"

"Of course…" He chuckled but obeyed, covering them both with one of the bigger furs in reach.

They stayed like this for a little while longer, lazily caressing each other and murmuring sweet nothings. Her hand was on his face, her palm on his cheek and he nuzzled into it before she moved on, her fingertips outlining his features.

"What did Dagur want?" She suddenly asked and he grimaced.

. o O o .

Astrid watched him closely. Even relaxed as he was, her question had brought back those lines of stress around his mouth and eyes in an instant. She'd heard the rumors… That the men were preparing for a long journey on ships, just like they'd done years ago when they'd been looking for the dragon nest. She hadn't believed it really, why would anyone on Berk make such a journey on ships? Even if there were more people or equipment to transport, their dragons made for a far quicker journey, even if they were only used to pull the ships. But Mrs. Ingerman's mention of Dagur'S letter and her husband's anxiety… There seemed to be at least some truth is those rumors.

"He asked me for a favor," he finally answered. "You know I can't deny him that but aside from that, it's also a necessity for me… for us as well." He shook his head as if to chase away unwanted thoughts. Then he turned to the side, to better be able to look at her and began to talk.

"The Redthorn tribe… I guess you haven't heard much of them before?" He asked and she shook her head. That name didn't ring a bell, really. "They are a rather reclusive tribe in the east, or they used to be, at least. Dagur got word, that they became more active lately and with more active he means they are purchasing weapons and equipment. He doesn't know what they are planning, but… It made him wary and you know Dagur. Anything that makes him wary should be reason enough for everyone else to be cautious as well." He paused and ran his fingertips down the side of her face.

"He doesn't want to directly start a war. Thankfully, those times are over! But he wants to visit them. He wants to talk and maybe negotiate a peace treaty while everything's still calm. And he asked me to join him, said it probably would make a bigger impression on them when two tribes, two chiefs came with this request."

"Especially if one of them is the legendary Dragon Master…" she added with a playful smile but that only made him grimace further.

"Yeah, well…" He murmured reluctantly. "That's kind of where the problems begin. The Redthorns don't have many dragons in their area but are very hostile towards them nonetheless. If we want them to even consider a peace treaty, then we can't just barge in on our dragon on their island. We are the ones with the request after all. We have to abide by their rules as much as possible. My reputation as… as Dragon Master won't help. The Hooligan tribe is a powerful one and that's why they might consider a treaty but only if we keep the dragons out of it. Maybe we can change their minds later, but…"

She nodded thoughtfully. That explained the ships. "How far is their island? How long will we be gone?" Surely, Valka and Gobber would be able to run the village for a while, the blacksmith, in particular, was used to that anyway. But winter was coming and when they were traveling on ships they would need to return before the ice came.

She noticed how his face twisted in anguish and watched him more carefully. What else was there, what hadn't he told her yet?

"It'll take us about two weeks to reach their island on ships." He answered reluctantly. Well, that wasn't too bad. Even with a customary visit of a month's duration, they'd be back in two months, long before the ice closed up around them. But he still hadn't told her what was really bothering him.

"But?" She inquired more firmly and he sighed in defeat.

"But you can't come with me!"

. o O o .

Hiccup saw how her initial stunned expression first turned into disbelief and then into betrayal and rage.

"You promised!" She snarled and he winced at the accusing tone of her voice. "You promised you wouldn't try to protect me anymore! You promised that we would face any danger together, come what may! Dammit, you promised, Hiccup!" Her eyes were filling with tears and she turned away from him. Well, that went just as great as he had expected…

"I know what I promised." He replied, fighting to keep his voice calm. If they started to argue now he would never get the chance to explain it to her. "Believe me, I remember my oath. But this is different!" She interrupted him by turning back toward him and giving him her deadliest glare.

"How?" She spat. "How is this different? Why can't I come with you if not because this trip might be dangerous?" He bit his lower lip but otherwise forced himself to not evade her rage in any way. She would see it as a proof, as justification for her anger and wouldn't listen to him anymore.

"This trip won't be dangerous." He kept his eyes on her, begging her to listen, to understand. She didn't interrupt him this time which was a good sign at least. So he added in a lower voice: "Not for me, at least." Her expression turned into a confused frown so he hurried to explain further. "The Redthorns… There's something else about them. Something that shot them out at the chiefs' meetings, even long before we made peace with the dragons. It's… about their attitude toward women." He wanted to take a break, to see how she would react but he knew she probably wouldn't let him continue so he hurried on. "Their men don't see women as their equal, far from it. In their tribe, women are property and nothing more. They have to be quiet, obedient and… available. This trip won't be dangerous for me or the others but it would be for you!" He watched her pleadingly as she processed what he'd said. It was obvious when she'd come to a conclusion. Her face turned into a stony mask and she snorted harshly.

"I wouldn't be in danger, I'm quite capable of defending myself. But I would be the danger, right? You said it yourself, 'We have to abide by their rules'… You know I wouldn't stand back and let them treat me like that. I would endanger your treaty, right?" Despite her anger, his faces softened and he reached out to caress hers once again. Gods, how much he loved her, so smart and never afraid…

"I won't lie to you, that was part of the reasoning," He smiled at her apologetically. "But you are wrong when you think you wouldn't be in any danger." A memory rose in his head, many years old and he had hoped very much to never relive it again... He shuddered and his hands clenched into fists. To think, she could-

She huffed in irritation and clearly wanted to answer him back but he beat her to it. "I know how good a fighter you are!" He reminded her firmly. "But that wouldn't matter if they ambushed you with five men or even more. They wouldn't fight fair and if they thought you were getting ideas above your station then not even the fact that you are my wife would save you." He swallowed and felt the urge to draw her closer. She stiffened for a moment like she wanted to protest but then let him do so. Apparently, she wasn't angry anymore, or, rather not that angry at least…

"This is not keeping you safe while I head for the danger on my own, alright? This is just keeping you safe! I-" He took a shuddering breath. "I don't want you to ever place a foot on their land! Because that would be dangerous and unnecessarily so."

She was quiet for a few minutes and when she spoke again, her voice was calm and reasonable. "So, you're not taking any women with you on that trip? Ruff and Valka will stay here, too?"

He wasn't sure what she intended with this question but there was no point in withholding anything anyway. So, he nodded and said: "Yes, and Heather, too, if that works out. She, Dagur and Fishlegs are going to be here in a few days and then we'll set sails the next morning."

She gasped a humorless laughter. "So, it'll be just you boys going on a vacation? You, Dagur, Fishlegs, Snot, Tuff, and Eret? Right, I'm not worried at all anymore…"

"Well, I thought about bringing Spitelout and some of the other Elder, too. Those, who've dealt with the Redthorns before." He shrugged. "But aside from that, yeah, that's the plan."

She snorted again. "And that's supposed to make me feel better? Some old men to watch your back?" She paused for a moment, then shook her head and asked: "Toothless or me?"

"Erm… what?" he asked, not understanding what she meant.

"If you think I'll let you leave with only those muttonheads as backup then you're wrong! I know our friends have grown up, too, became responsible and all and are good fighters and I know every man would give his life to save yours but still. Either you'll bring Toothless or me to watch over you, it is your decision!"

"But…" he sputtered perplexedly. Hadn't she listened? "They wouldn't accept Toothless, the negotiations would be over before they even began!"

"I'm not saying he should come with you to the village! But…" She exhaled sharply and shrugged insecurely. "I don't know… Maybe he could stay in the forests nearby so he could reach you when you need him? You could equip him with that automatic tailfin you made for him once so he can fly on his own. I know he didn't like it but I'm sure he'd accept it under these circumstances! He could hunt on his own and hide from any villagers. He…" She trailed off and buried her face against his chest. "It's that or I'll come with you! Your choice!"

He felt her trembling in his arms and swallowed. She was worried… That was something he could hardly begrudge her… Gods, he had been worried, too, when he'd read what Dagur was planning! The Redthorns weren't an easy tribe to deal with and the thought of a peace treaty with people like them made him sick. But it was still better than open war. If there was even the slightest chance of avoiding that then he had to take it! Even if it came with a risk as well…

Her idea wasn't bad though, he had to give her that. It could work and it would make him feel much better on this journey. And if it served to keep her away from those horrible men, well, there was no choice to be made, really.

"I'll start rebuilding that tailfin at dawn then." He stated soberly. In his arms, she sobbed audibly but nodded, accepting his choice.

"I'll miss you horribly!" she said in a small voice close to breaking and he pulled her closer to him. Had they ever been separated for that long before? He couldn't remember that ever to have happened…

"I know," he murmured into her hair. "I'll miss you, too!"

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