#and for me Viggo is the bottom

[theroomfloor]

Thinking Thoughts: Dagur x Viggo ship

This is a ship that I've been thinking about for a long time, and the more I think about it, more I like.

There's practically nothing about them, and, when there's, it's always about Hiccup and him at the center. But I wanted to explore just Dagur and Viggo, I think they both have a lot of potential.

I have some fun ideas that I want to draw, and maybe do mini comics.

I always liked the idea of Viggo never had much experience with relationships, this is normally part of my headcanon of him being aroace, but here would be another reason. Because he was heir, then a chief and a very cold and distant person, people never tried to get close to him intimately because they were afraid.

Everyone except Dagur, because he has no idea of danger.

For me, Dagur is an open book. His emotions are so strong that it shows through him. And he always says what he thinks, without thinking about the consequences.

Think of a version where Viggo joins his brother earlier, or Dagur not leaving after freeing Heather.

I imagine Dagur constantly flirting with Viggo, because yes, he's a dick and annoying, but he's hot, you can't deny it. But Viggo is always ruthless and has no qualms about threatening him.

*after Viggo threateningly asks Dagur to leave for flirting with him again*

Ryker: Are you crazy? You have no idea of the danger, do you?

Dagur: It's not my fault if your brother doesn't know how to have fun

Viggo goes straight to his room, and there, alone, he becomes a complete emotional mess. Your face turns completely red and feels like it's going to burn.

Viggo doesn't like Dagur. He doesn't even feel attracted to him. But it's the first time someone has shown any interest in him, it's uncomfortable but exciting at the same time. He's never been through this before and he doesn't know how to deal with it.

After a while Dagur gives up flirting with Viggo. And, strangely instead of feeling relieved, Viggo misses the attention. And against all his code and morals, he goes to confront Dagur about this and their conversation turns to something else. A hint: it's sex

*after a hot and wild sex, Dagur is completely satisfied and happy. Viggo is also equally satisfied , but very angry*

Viggo: This doesn't mean anything okay? This will never happen again and if you talk about this to anyone I swear I'll make you wish for death.

Dagur: Alright, babe.

Viggo: DON'T CALL ME THAT!

[emotionalmesshooman]

First, my character's name is Yrsa she was a lower-class citizen of the hunter tribe. Her and Viggo have known each other for a long time. She can be a bit reckless (kinda like the dumb ideas that the twins have). Then I was thinking "Yrsa" means she-bear, but Viggo calls her "little wolf" because it's sorta like an inside joke for them, and it's his name for her. Wolves can symbolize chaos and destruction, and Yrsa has accidentally set fire to multiple buildings, so Viggo thinks that part suits her. Wolves also symbolize loyalty and protection, which are both traits Viggo could associate with her. The little part is because she's short compared to him.

I also have a ton of possible small little stories between these two. Like Before Yrsa got Dawnwhip, she always dreamed of flying, but obviously, without a dragon, she couldn't, so when they were kids, Viggo made some prototype to the flight suit or a glider so she could fly safely.

Alright those are my ideas.....this is my attempt. Please tell me if I need to change anything.

Yrsa was many things, but a dragon hunter was never one of them. That's why she ran away when she tamed her monsterous nightmare, Dawnwhip the moment she turned 20. Leaving the dark parts of her past behind her and looking out into the new horizon that her and Dawnwhip would explore.

Only one thing tied her to the hunters, or rather one person. Viggo Grimborn, the myth, the legend, the hunter, the monster, the man, and he rarely asked for help. So when she got the terrormail from him that informed her he needed 'assistance', she saddled up Dawnwhip and left as soon as Dawnwhip's wings would allow.

"Easy there," the lavender purple monsterous nightmare landed on the hunter ship. Viggo had told the hunters not to fire, but it was clear to Yrsa that the poor men were ignorant of who she was or why they weren't firing. She couldn't help but laugh inwardly of how little Viggo changed since the last time she saw him at their yearly meeting. She dismounted Dawnwhip. "Your boss, he's in his cabin?" She spoke loudly so the hunters could hear her through the cloth that masked the bottom of her face, only allowed her blue eyes to be seen under her low hood that her black hair was tucked inside. One of the hunters nodded, and she walked in the direction of the cabin. "Watch my dragon, will you? Don't worry, she doesn't bite all that hard... the last guy had no complaints. " She laughed to herself at her joke but silently nodded to Dawnwhip. Yrsa trusted Viggo, but Viggo didn't trust these men, so nethier did she.

The caged dragons line the walls of the hallway. Their roars crawled under his skin and left goose bumps. Not of fear but because she knew she wouldn't be saving them. The golden engraved door-she knew it was just an oak door with gold painted onto it, but it still looked fancy. She didn't bother to knock when she swung the door open. He wanted her here, and he got her. He sat at the desk in the middle of the room, a smirk on his face.

"Hey Vig," She smiled and kicked the door shut, opening her arms for a hug she wasn't going to allow Viggo to skip. She took her hood and mask off to reveal two long black braids that had small bits of hair falling out of the braid and a crooked smile. A thin scar lay vertically on her lips from a game of Hide and Go Hunt that happened when they were kids.

”Ah! Yrsa, I’ve been expecting you, my friend.” He hugged her as well, putting his more business like personality to the side. He pulled up a chair for her to take a seat across from his desk. He went and sat down on his seat. “I did mention in my terror mail that I needed assistance, I know that would make you worry at the slightest, but let me assure you, everything is alright…” his cheerful tone and smile suddenly get serious. “Although I have had some problems with my dragons and my hunters getting along, you know that I don’t trust them at all, the hunters. They can be very hard to deal with, some more than others but the dragons have not been treated to my liking, I was hoping you would help me teach these hunters what it means to take care of a dragon and how to do it.” He chuckles, and lets out a sigh. “Sometimes these hunters are so hard to teach, it might as well be trying to catch a speed stinger.” He looks to the ground then up again quickly. “Enough about me, how was your flight?”

[ask-viggo-and-dagur]

You two would be bottomed by hiccup so bad.

Dagur: I personally wouldn’t mind it. But like, it’s not that important to me who “bottoms” and who “tops” in a relationship. Like, you can switch it up and have fun with it. Am I right, Viggo?

Viggo: I refuse to discuss my sexual preferences on the matter.

[amyrafierceblade]

The reason I cannot make any story with me as myself is very simple and very stupid: [tldr at bottom, kinda]

Because, let's say I get dropped into the HTTYD verse, about mid RTTE time, with everything I know still intact and everything I have on my person at the time of transport still with me.

At this very moment, I've watched all the episodes and movies, and I have three lead pencils and a small painting in my lap, a phone in hand, blue jeans with pockets of tape measures, a small butterfly knife and two quarters, a grey t-shirt, and a jacket with four more lead pencils.

With my knowledge of events alone, I could be an Oracle, i could mess with timelines themselves or make sure they go exactly as planned, or I could stay out of the way and keep my mouth shut.

With my items, i could tell what my world is like, plastics and coiled measurements, and a source of light and sound for however much longer my phone lasts.

But then my personality jumps in.

I would be an absolute fucking gremlin, probably following Viggo at his heels, singing random songs I know, dropping ominous hints that he wouldn't know if I could tell the future, if im a spy from the riders or if im just batshit insane. I'd use words in inappropriate contexts("yass slayy" to anything he feels accomplished about, "L ratio" to any loss he was upset about), call him nicknames he'd probably despise (debating between "queenie" and "sweetheart", completely platonic btw), and then just do random shit like whenever Ryker walks in, I'd just point at him and say "Egg."

I'd also graffiti his walls, papers, probably steal anything he was eating, and in general do everything that would, eventually if not quickly, get me killed.

[tldr]BUT THIS IS WHY I CANNOT ADD MYSELF, A'S MYSELF, INTO A STORY, BECAUSE I'D JUST FUCK AROUND AND FIND OUT LMAO

[vamp-ress]

Fic Rec: LOTRPS

Title: Seperation of Desire Author: chaosmanor Pairing: Viggo/Orlando Summary: I read this neat book called ‘There’s a Bear in There (and He Wants Swedish)’, by Merridy Eastman, about a time when her acting career failed completely and she worked in a brothel. I decided, since everyone else has moved on from the Rent Boy motif, there was space for me to play around there now, and hopefully find something new for you all there. Rating: NC17 (very, very much)

In the comments to my last fic we were discussing bottom!Aragorn and how there's so few fic featuring him. It's the same with bottom!Viggo - sadly. If you now say ewwwwww, noooo! then wait, hear me out. Before you totally disregard the idea, try any of chaosmanor's fics, but especially Seperation of Desire. It's a good, old rentboy fic, in which Orlando works in a brothel. Viggo, down on his luck and recently divorced (and trying unsuccessfully to pay child support) starts there as a driver. A kind of romance ensues until the point where it turns into an actual romance. In the end, it's mostly canon-compliant again, which wraps the story up nicely.

This is the one of chaosmanor's fics where Exene is an absolute bitch, but all of the character dynamics in this are fabulous and extremely interesting. Especially V/O of course. I'm always speechless how real and like actual people these characters feel. What a gifted writer! And yeah, the sex is hot. I promise you nothing compares to the way chaosmanor writes sex scenes.

[hiccupbutpurple]

Hypnosis - Vigcup?

Eeee yah that one I’ve got vague little bits for but it branched off from my Naga Viggo story (that’s also a Wip lol) and got distracted looking at Pokémon. That’s when I started reading up on Hypno and then the two together reminded me of the snake from jungle book. That kinda sparked the ‘huh Viggo should hypnotise Hiccup’ spiral and so Viggo is this monster thing that’s based off Hypno, but not a Pokémon, more just like an urban legend humanoid. He also doesn’t really have the dream eating thing but honestly that could be another cool concept I think.

Hiccup is wondering down a path while on a mission to deliver produce to different villages (probably shedded dragon scales), and Viggo offers to help him, which Hiccup gladly accepts. Viggo is basically scrutinising whether Hiccup is really worthy pray since he feeds off of mental abilities. Seeing Hiccup’s intelligence (despite the naivety when it comes to stranger danger), he decides that Hiccup is worthy.

It’s a smut fic with Viggo using his powers to hypnotise Hiccup into wanting him, it’s definitely dubious consent at best but Hiccup does end up enjoying it even though he was drained by the end (in many ways). It’s a slow process and over the course Viggo is genuinely just enjoying Hiccup’s company more and more. Hiccup is his own form of manipulator even if it isn’t intentional tbh. It’s fairly power-bottom Hiccup but Viggo is still pulling the strings a lot. The twins also have a bit to do with it all behind the scenes lol.

I also picture Viggo to have some sort of pendulum that changes shape to match a person’s interest and calm them, so for Hiccup he is seeing a figure of Toothless which makes him feel safe. Viggo also maybe gets a few snapshots of Hiccup’s thoughts during the whole thing which intrigues him further and ultimate makes him decide not to outright kill him, although I’m still on the fence about that! Or even some about Astrid and using that too but, again I’m not entirely sure if I’ll do that. Thank you for asking!

[evilwriter37]

Please be so kind and listen.

Could you write just in one sentence that Hiccup's cock is bigger than Viggo's?

Hiccup would still be the bottom and sub who endures the whump, just one sentence that states that he's larger and that it internally startles Viggo.

Please, think about it.

Be kind? After you’ve harassed me over this bullshit? What have you ever done that would make me want to write this? Maybe take your own advice.

[vacantgodling]

🌻🌻🌻🌻

thank u for the excuse to ramble about celestial weddings cuz i haven’t talked about this wip much on this iteration of my blog lol

celestial weddings as a wip started when i was watching a series of documentaries in 2021… i think? or 2022 i can’t remember. but it was a series documenting different wedding traditions and rituals across the globe and that got me thinking about a story that explored a multitude of different wedding traditions being the main focus. this lead to the idea that it shouldn’t just be a bunch of random weddings but it should be a polyamorous vibe where the main character is almost in an otome game scenario except they have to marry a number of different suitors for one reason or another with MY overarching goal to make fun and interesting fantasy wedding traditions.

this developed into the character of dagmar. i don’t have any updated art of him but here’s the most recent art i have of him

and then the story started to snowball.

so, dagmar is non-binary; and along with polyamory that’s the other aspect of this wip: every character is non-binary and most of them tend to go by multiple pronouns. dagmar himself (i use him a lot bc he is inherently masculine and he is the first of his pronouns in preference) goes by he/they/she. and i think what’s interesting about this wip and about dag in general is that pronouns tend to shift in relation to the person that they’re around and the relationship they have. for instance with one of his lovers, lilliabet, dag mainly goes by he/they. however with another of his lovers vigustav (one of the only two who uses a singular set of pronouns) dag actually goes by she/her pretty exclusively. i don’t know why this is exactly but i’ll explore it more when i have more of a brain.

the reason dag is marrying all these people tho is bc he’s been chosen as a potential candidate for the celestial ruler, who p much oversees everything that goes on in the realm and throughout the 8 spheres (or realms) in this world. they all have names and the like which maybe i’ll ramble about later but we move on for now. the celestial ruler has a council of celestial lovers who help them in their decision making and ruling and it’s one person from each of the 8 spheres that they marry. marriage does not have to be inherently romantic btw but in this story and in anything about this universe i may do it will be cuz i personally like romance but it doesn’t gotta be so yknow.

anyway i love all of dag’s relationships with his partners. btw this poly circle is a one axis many spokes scenario. the other celestial lovers become friends and close like family but none of them are particularly attracted to each other in a romantic or sexual way (this does not mean orgies or group sex is off the table in any way tho yknow. ya can do what you want without attraction in pursuit of closeness and bonding etc etc i don’t feel like getting into the weeds) however there have been more complicated circles of polyships of previous celestial rulers so yeah.

ALSO i wanted all of the relationships to kind of speak to a different type of dynamic that i like tho i’m still working on the kinks of this as i learn more about the other lovers and their personalities. lillia, viggo, aenlin, and zhujen i have the best grasp of a personality and dynamic of so that leaves 4 others i gotta get to know better. but here’s a doodle of all the lovers it’s kinda old also and not entirely accurate but i need to make character and realm sheets for them LMAO. also now all the lovers have names but back then they didn’t LMAO. so going L to R top to bottom:

lilliabet (she/they) ; rhohanen (they/he) ; vigustav (he/him) ; almine (he/she) ; aenlin (he/they/she) ; zhujen (she/her) ; muu (they/she/he) ; izul (they/them)

and slightly better doodle of my faves

(vigustav, lilliabet, rhohanen, aenlin)

[streets-in-paradise]

I saw your LTR and mate post and I was curious: what is mate and how do you pronounce it? If it's okay to ask.

Hi! It's absolutely fine to ask and i'm glad you did :)

Mate ( MAH-teh, according to the most accurate phonetical i found) is an infusion obtained from the leaves of a plant named yerba mate. It's a very popular hot bebreage in south american countries and Viggo Mortensen has been spotted drinking it many times

Although there are ways of drinking it on a mug ( a tea made of yerba mate leaves we call mate cocido), the most common way of consumption is sharing it on rounds and have it like this:

In the pic you see Viggo pouring the hot water into the leaves. After that, you are supposed to drink it sucking from that straw-looking bombilla. The bombilla has a filter at the bottom that stops leaves from getting into your mouth with the drink.

It's hard for me to describe the flavor, because it's something so common in my everyday life that I never got myself to wonder " what does mate taste like?". It's bitter, but less than black coffee. Some people add sugar or edulcorants to the water, but the most prevalent tradition is to consume it without any sweeteners. The yerba mate leaves can be combined with other herbs, orange peel, or many other natural stuff for extra flavor.

The thing about mate is that its culture of consumption is a lot about comfort and community. Where i live ( Argentina) drinking mate is an everyday ritual that connects people. It's very common to see people taking their kits to prepare mate to work, college class or wherever they go and have it with other people, sometimes even with complete strangers.

People get together in the mate round, it's a wonderfull socialization ritual and that bebreage is associated with comfort in and out of home.

The equipment to prepare it is easy to transport, the spirit of its consumption brings strong communitary feelings and i associate mate with comfort anywhere, during any season of the year. For all of that, plus the fact that we inherited it from rural traditions, i think mate would be a great companion for the Fellowship.

Despite they would need to heat water for it and that was not sometimes possible on the journey, there is a cold version that doesn't require heating but it's known under a different name ( tereré, version very popular in Paraguay)

If you are interested, i have some more headcanons about the fellowship and mate drinking.

Thanks for the ask!

[aestheticvoyage2023]

Day 340: Wednesday December 6, 2023 - "Lion's Mane"

There are plenty of new skills that I am always working on these days; engaged parenting will do that for you. Along with patience, and mindfulness each night, present with my guy for bedtime routine - I also get to learn how to brush hair! Beacuse at 2.5 years, this kid has still yet to have his first ever haircut! And so his little lion's mane grows and grows proudly - a feature I couldn't even imagine him without. Today I put it up in a boy-bun for schools successfully for the first time after Mama gave me a lesson (another new skill!). And Silly Miss Lilly accidentally taught me to start from the bottom when brushing... and thats definitely helped with the uncomfortable detangling we have been doing. I make sure to do it really good every night and every morning before school to keep those tangles out. And its all so unnatural for me, who hasn't had any hair on his head at all for most of the last 15 years! I get to play with all of William's instead! Without the daily Arizona summer sun, its starting to darken and even look a little Scotch Red. Fitting for our William The Lion.

Song: Jelly Roll - Long Haired Son of A Sinner

Quote: "To be an artist, you don't have to compose music or paint or be in the movies or write books. It's just a way of living. It has to do with paying attention, remembering, filtering what you see and answering back, participating in life." Viggo Mortensen

[aliciasinferno]

God I'm so fed up with this, I'm just gonna clarify how my mind works, don't like what I have to say, don't talk to me

I hate seeing things on repeat, again and again and again, it's getting tiring and even sickening

The character dynamics are so often the same it's stupid

So, here's what I like, what gives ME joy

Characters I enjoy as tops or/and Doms in mlm:

Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III (HTTYD)

Varian (Tangled The Series / VAT7K)

Adrien Agreste (Miraculous Ladybug)

Marco Diaz (SVTFOE)

Haida (Aggretsuko)

Characters I enjoy as bottoms or/and sub:

Viggo Grimborn (HTTYD)

Dagur the Deranged (HTTYD)

Hugo Rottewange (VAT7K)

Eugene Fitzherbert (Tangled)

Hubert or Andrew (Tangled The Series)

Luka Couffaine (Miraculous Ladybug)

Felix Fathom (Miraculous Ladybug)

Tom Lucitor (SVTFOE)

Tadano (Aggretsuko)

Himuro (Aggretsuko)

Ookami (Aggretsuko)

You want to know why I like this? Because it's rare! Just try searching for content like this! There's barely any diversity of fanfics or fanart!

[absotivelyplushilutely]

Positively SCREAMING about the upcoming Jellycat Autumn release! So many perfect Jellies I could cry.

My picks and honourable mentions are below the read-more (Beware: LONG).

Here are my top 5!

1. Huge Barnabus Pig - If I can buy only one (or even only one Jellycat for the entire rest of the year) this will be the one. I love my Bartholomew and Montgomery in Huge, I collect pig plushies, I was so excited to see the huge coming out. I hope they drop the rest of the series (Archibald and Edmund) in the huge size too, I couldn't resist them. Gotta think of a name that'll work with my Bartholomew and Montgomery (Rumbly Tumbly and Rolly Polly)

2. Floofie St Bernard - Incredible, and they're so big. This is one of my favourite dog breeds. I would looooove to have this one.

3. Viggo Mammoth - They have that droopy/tired eyelid thing I love they're floppy and chunky, and a big size, yes! Love Stellan too.

4. Myrtle Hippo - Chonk! Also the wrinkles by the eye make them look tired/worried which ai find very endearing. Awwwww.

5. The Cuddlebuds - I think I'd have to get them as a set, I couldn't split them up. Their butts appear to be hand sized, they have sleepy eyes ahh yes.

Honourable mentions (in no particular order)...

Top Row left to right:

Snowy Owling - So cute, reminds me of Guardians of Gahoole.

Bryno Dino - Such a sweet friend.

Bottom Row Left to Right:

Stellan Sabertooth - So gorgeous! For some reason I want to put a bowtie on them?

Nessie Nessa - I love them. They kinda give me Fossily Dino but make it Nessie.

Harvey Bear - Chonk! I think they look amazing to cuddle!

Realistically I'd get all of these if I could but I'm not rich and I don't have much room xD if I were to put them all in one list it'd go...

Huge Barnabus Pig

Floofie St Bernard

Viggo Mammoth

Myrtle Hippo

The Cuddlebuds (Myrtle Hippo and The Cuddlebuds [band name called it] are probably tied)

Stellan Sabertooth

Snowy Owling

Nessie Nessa

Harvey Bear

Bryno Dino

My system for picking is very much about cuddles and adventures (or um, potential adventures since I don't get to go anywhere usually xD). I mostly buy ones that will be nicest to cuddle, a selection of ones for photos/adventures, and very occasionally I allow one I'll mostly display or pat. I also limit how many I buy at once, if I can't hug everyone in the order at once then I need to reduce the number. Although it doesn't really come to that these days xD

Lastly here are a few more honourable mentions (but ones that I probably wouldn't get because of my above rules)

Top row, Left to right:

Amuseable Pink and white Marshmallows

Amuseable Doughnut

Amuseable Cream Star

Amuseable Rainbow Birthday Cake

(I'm not usually into the Amuseables, besides the cloud, rainbow, and moon, but these would all look perfect in my bedroom if I could decorate properly)

Second row, Left to right:

Sweater French Bulldog (Purple)

Albert Jack Russell

Georgiana Poodle

Jackson Husky

(I adore the Jellycat dogs, and I always have to fight myself not to buy them all, Jackson Husky is particularly sweet, and I'd be so tempted to dye Georgiana Poodle because she almost looks like my Cockerpoo. One of my rules though is that I have to truly desperately want a plush that is posed in a seated or standing dog position because they're less cuddly. I wish they'd do all of their dogs in a floppy laying down pose [like the Floofies], although I'd never be able to afford them all xD)

Third row, Left to right.

Daphne Pomeranian

Freya Pony

Isadora Unicorn

Adon Dragon

(Also very fond of these, I'd be especially tempted to add Adon to my dragon shelf but as I said, I try not to get too many posed plushies. Freya Pony is particularly stunning and I think if she'd been posed a bit more like Seraphina Pegasus I probably would've put her in my top 5 or 10.)

Fourth row; Left to right:

Spooky Greta Gremlin

Cauldron Cuties

Ooky Bat

Skeleton Bob

(Kinda a themed row. These are awesome and if I had a place to decorate for Samhain I'd love to add them in, plus they're very cute in their own right just as general plush.)

Fifth row; Left to right:

Gomez Gorilla

Little Snake

Timmy Turtle

(Gomez reminds me of Terk from Tarzan which I love, I can't tell if the longer fluff is comparable to Wilf Wolf or if it's more like Gus Gryphon both are good I just want to know. Honestly Gomez looks fantastic though, tempting even! Little Snake is probably one of the cutest snake plushies I've seen. Timmy the Turtle just makes me giggle, he's an angry looking little guy but I think he's just trying to remember if he knows someone xD)

I don't know release dates or anything, chances are I won't be able to buy right away anyway (I'll be lucky to get anything at all honestly 😅) but I'm really happy with what they'll be releasing! I love seeing other people's new Jellies even if I don't get any myself. It's also way more than I expected but I figure it could be two releases one for Autumn and one for Halloween, maybe three if they drop the Amuseable bags as their own set or something.

I figured the Autumn release would be more of a hit with me, I'm just not a Summer person. I'd say it's like they listened to people's requests for bigger Jellycats but realistically I know they design way in advance. Now, if only I could just come into money and a house somehow xD

[ask-viggo-and-dagur]

Hey Viggo, on a scale of 1-10 how likely are you to wear this?

7 or maybe 8. I would take it above those shorts any day! Wait… that’s just the top of me. Please tell me I’m not wearing those shorts on the bottom half.

[andarthas-web]

Baba Jaga’s Bitch

The phone rings, and rings and rings as the sirens howl in the streets below and Viggo prays to every saint he can remember that his call will go through.

After what seems like hours pressed into mere minutes, the ringing stops as the phone is picked up and he starts talking immediately, not even bothering with as much as a hello, because this is too important, too fragile, and he can't risk the only chance he might have.

"Aurelio just told me what happened. What was done to you. And I know it's bad, but listen John, he is the last thing I have of his mother. Please John. If not for my sake, then for hers."

There's a pause on the other end of the line, another thing that takes far too long and leaves him dangling and then…

"What are you offering?"

He breathes a short sigh of relief, starts talking, he's laid this out in his mind before he called, planned it, and yet, his hands are sweating and he needs to adjust his grip.

"How long does a dog live John? Ten years? Twelve?"

There's no reply and Viggo knows he's about to start babbling, but then, John was always a patient and careful listener, even when his superiors were drunk and rambling, even when the bullets were flying. It's one of the things that made him so dangerous.

"All this John….it doesn't have to end in blood. At least….not too much of it. Iosef has wronged you. And I know there is not enough money in the world to set this right, but maybe…maybe….Are you familiar with the irish legend of Cú Chullain? Guy killed someone else's dog, and to make it right, the guy had to take the place of the dog, protect the house, play fetch, I don't know. And I was thinking. I was thinking, maybe Iosef can be your dog. For the next ten years or so. Just…don't kill him. Don't maim him. But everything else is fair game. Maybe he can repay his debt to you that way. Maybe you can teach him to do better. To not….disrespect people like you. To be a good boy."  

He shuts up, feeling like he's offered too much and not enough at the same time, and at the other end of the line, there's just this awful quiet that rings louder than an death-knell, but John hasn't hung up yet, and his heart is stumbling like a wounded soldier returning from war, not sure if he'll make it home.

"Thirteen."

"DEAL! We have a deal. Meet me at The Continental in one hour? I will have Winston set up everything up so he can register the Marker. And I will deliver my son to you personally tonight, if that's alright with you?"

"Alright."

The line clicks, the call ends, and Viggo lets out a deep breath, shoulders dropping, and then he heads down the stairs. Avi comes to meet him up at the bottom, greets him, updates him on the success of the negotiations that finished up without him there, because his idiot son called him to complain about Aurelio disrespectin' him, not realizing how badly he messed up, much, much more than the usual drama, more than Atlantic City, and the worthless little су́ка doesn't even know it yet.

He's not rejoicing as he should, not as jovial as he should be after such a victory, and Avi notices, finishes with a "Congratulations. Sir?", confusion thick in his voice.

"Find my son. Take him up to my office. Make sure he does not leave. I will be back in two hours.".

He turns, the "Good work, Avi." he throws over his shoulder little more than an afterthought.

[theharpermovieblog]

#HARPERSMOVIECOLLECTION

2023

I re-watched Eastern Promises(2007)

Between David Cronenberg and His son Brandon, this will be the sixth film from the Cronenberg family on this year's list. That has to say something about me and my tastes.

Trying to find the family of a dead girl who left behind a child, a British midwife finds herself crossing paths with the Russian Mafia.

If you were to sit down and watch every David Cronenberg film back to back you'd notice something between the violence and strange horror. You'd notice the ambient noise in the background. Watch the restaurant scene in Existenz and the kitchen seen in this film and there is a similarity in the sound. Busy, yet flat and droning. Does it mean anything? Not really, except it's a very very small detail that shows you how much a David Cronenberg movie can not be confused for the work of any other director. Even this film, which isn't the same body-horror oddity that Cronenberg is known for, is top to bottom his own unique style.

Here Cronenberg works with actor Viggo Mortensen. A team that's worked together before. Whether History of Violence, this film, or last year's Crimes of the Future, it's worth watching their collaborations. Mortensen's low key cool style, often with an undertone of deep sadness and intelligence, fits the worlds in which Cronenberg places him. This film is probably their best work together.

Eastern Promises is a dark movie that shys away from nothing. And, I mean nothing. It's a story of loss, trauma, crime, corruption, rape, murder, and the possibility of redemption. And, in a brutal way, it puts these things on full display for its audience to witness.

The best part of this film is Mortensen's character. He is a seemingly loyal driver and soldier for the Russian mob, who despite having a conscience, lives in this horrific world and must take part in it's horrors. Mortensen is fantastic in the role, giving hints to his inner thoughts with only slight variations on his face. He isn't what he seems, but it's impossible for him not to be at least somewhat corrupted by what he's done, and it shows.

Vincent Cassell is also amazing in this movie. Providing a character that is at first shown to be one thing, but underneath is a product of trauma.

This is a very good film and might be one of my favorites of Cronenberg's.

Yes, I love his body horror films and his ability to alter my perceptions of reality. But, Eastern Promises is so well put together and so interesting from beginning to end, it's hard to not consider it as one of Cronenberg's masterpieces. It's a film that feels tense from the first moment. It's sense of ever present danger and it's tight rope walk of moral ambiguity from one end of the spectrum to the other, make for a film that sets itself above most mob movies.

Its a somber look at darkness, whether it's the pure evil of a mob boss, the pure good of a simple midwife, or those inbetween. The film is shot, paced, written and directed magnificently. And, unlike some other Mafia films, it's not overly long and self indulgent.

And come on, that bathhouse scene is iconically wild.

[writerfreak001]

#5 (hiccstrid) for the Kiss prompt pweaase😚

5. Angry Kiss

Hiccup was silent the entire way back, and Astrid could barely stomach the guilt swarming inside her gut. Not only did he strictly ordered everyone at the Edge to lay low and not follow Viggo and Ryker's ship after spotting it in the distance, but she knew he expected much better from her after she deliberately went behind his back to do exactly what he said not to.

She thought she could handle a simple stakeout to discover where they were going, but against her better judgement, she had fallen straight into the brothers' trap, almost losing her life and Stormfly's in the process.

Thankfully, though, Hiccup discovered she was missing not too long after she and Stormfly left and wasted no time in flying after her. If it wasn't for Toothless' quiet speed and Hiccup's determination to find her, she could have drowned into the depths of the ocean.

Astrid was in no shape to fly back home on Stormfly after the injuries she sustained from Ryker's gruesome interrogation so she had no choice but to hang onto Hiccup as he flew Toothless away from Viggo's blown-up ship with Stormfly following behind. Halfway to the Edge, Hiccup lowered Toothless onto a small island.

Astrid finally spoke. "Hiccup?"

The Chief's son slid off of Toothless' back and helped Astrid down before answering her in a quiet, clipped voice. "We're stopping here for the night. We're both exhausted, and I can tell you're about to pass out, and I absolutely don't need to fish you out of the water again.... so... we'll camp out in that cave over there," he pointed past Astrid's shoulder. She turned around to see what he was talking about and quietly nodded, not wanting to upset Hiccup any further.

She slowly trailed behind him with Stormfly as her walking aide as he marched forward with Toothles next to him. Astrid had almost stumbled a few times, but Stormfly was quick to keep her from flying forward.

When they were closing in on the cave, Hiccup sent Toothless in for some reconnaissance to make sure the cave was free of threats. When Astrid stabilized herself with a large boulder, she also sent Stormfly in to assist Toothless should he need it.

Without warning, Hiccup stormed towards her, planting himself a few feet in front of her. After a chilling, quiet moment, the Shield Maiden finally took courage and met her boyfriend's angry, fiery eyes.

"What were you thinking, Astrid?" His tone was short but measured as if he was trying to keep himself from shouting at her. She wished he would, though. She deserved shouting. When she didn't answer him, he continued. "For the life of me, I can't understand why you would deliberately disobey my orders and go after Viggo and Ryker. You're my second in command. You should have known better!"

"I know," was all she could say.

"Then why? Do you... Do you just think I throw orders around for the hel of it?"

Astrid slowly shook her head.

"Then why?"

Astrid inhaled a sharp breath and winced from the twinge in her ribs. "Because I didn't think I would get caught. I know, it was stupid and foolish, but I honestly thought I had a chance to see where they were going without compromising my position."

Hiccup gritted his teeth and clenched his fists to keep his anger in check. "Sneaking off isn't like you Astrid. You have never gone against my orders before so why now? Why are you so desperate for attention?"

Astrid balked. "D-Desperate for attention?!" She clutched the throbbing pain in her side as she moved away from the boulder. Almost falling over, she braced herself against another rock form. "You think I put myself through this for attention?! You're out of your mind!"

"No, you were out of your mind!" Hiccup couldn't take it anymore as his voice exploded in anger. "I could tell Viggo and Ryker were setting a trap for us to follow the moment I spotted their ship taunting our line of sight, which is specifically why I told everyone - including you - not to go after them! Where was your sense, Astrid? Did you get hit in the head a few too many times? Are you bored with the Edge? I just need some sort of explanation that makes sense to explain why you snuck away behind my back!"

"Well I don't have one!!!" Astrid fired immediately. "Sometimes I have to follow my gut and just go. Granted, this time was against my better judgement, but I won't apologize for my instincts to follow them."

"You're instincts?!" Hiccup was incredulous. "What instincts?! YOU ALMOST DIED!" The Chief's son slammed his palm against a large rock, and she jumped a little from the sudden impact.

"But I didn't!"

"Maybe not today but what about the next time you choose to disobey my orders? If you are so keen on following your instincts instead of following my lead, then maybe you should rethink your position on my team!"

"FINE! MAYBE I WILL!" Astrid shouted back. She held her breath and, with all her strength, marched into the cave, called for Stormfly and grimaced as she climbed onto her dragon's back. "I"m going back to Berk. You obviously don't need my help!"

"Oh no you don't!" Hiccup grabbed Astrid's arm before Stormfly could lift off and pulled her down from the mount. "You're too injured to fly no matter where you choose to go. I"m not going to allow you to get into another position where you might drown from your injuries!"

"LET. GO!" Astrid elbowed Hiccup in the ribs and tried to climb back onto Stormfly, completely oblivious to her bleeding wounds. Hiccup wrapped his arms around her, locking her against his chest, but she tried fighting him. Fishbone Hiccup was no longer Fishbone Hiccup, but despite his overwhelming strength against her own, she refused to be manhandled by her so-called boyfriend.

"Stop struggling, Astrid! You're reopening your wounds!"

Hiccup knew his girlfriend was a force to be reckoned with and at full strength, she would totally send him flat on his ass, but even though she was struggling to get free from his stronghold, he too was struggling to keep her from freeing herself.

"Let me go, Hiccup! Please, just let me go!"

"NO!" Hiccup was out of options. Without thinking, he grasped Astrid's cheek a little too roughly than he wished and kissed her hard on the mouth, pouring everything he was feeling into it. Yes, he was angry. Angry at himself for almost losing the woman he loved. Sad for Astrid, that she couldn't trust him when it mattered most. Thankful for finding Astrid in time before she sank to the bottom of the ocean floor. And grateful... Grateful for being able to spend this moment with Astrid, no matter how difficult she was being. The mere fact that she was alive was relief enough.

Astrid eventually gave up, and despite her injuries, she eventually melted into her boyfriend's arms as she found a strange feeling of solace in his kiss. She could feel all the feelings he was feeling as he kissed her and she kissed him just as fiercely, wanting him to know just how sorry she was for not doing as she was told.

When his lips eventually parted from hers, he did not release her from his embrace. "I'm sorry," he whispered into his ear. "We all make mistakes. Please don't go back to Berk. I... I need you here... on the Edge... I... I can't do this without you."

"I won't go," Astrid muttered just as Hiccup released his hold on her.

"Oh thank Thor."

----

WriterFreak001: I know this feels a little unresolved, but I felt like the focus should mainly be what led up to the kiss. Regardless, I hope you like this short story. :)

SEND ME A PROMPT!