#day 15: norse

[boardthatsinkingship]

15. Norse

✨ V A L T O B E R ✨

quick digital sketch that wasn’t quick at all

[samwisethewitch]

15 Days of Freyja Devotion

Day 3: Symbols and Attributes

Some of Freyja's Symbols are:

Cats. She is said to ride in a chariot pulled by cats, but these wouldn't have been domesticated housecats. To Freyja's earliest worshipers, cats were wild animals and fierce predators that could pose a serious threat. However, many modern worshipers associate Freyja with housecats as well -- myself included.

Boar. Both Freyja and her brother Freyr are associated with boar. Freyja rides a boar named Hildisvini ("battle swine"). Freyja may be associated with pigs more generally, since one of her names is Syr, "sow."

Falcons. Freyja has a cloak made of falcon feathers that gives the one wearing it the ability to change shape and fly. I personally associate Freyja with falcons and hawks.

Gold. "Gold" is used to describe the Aesir and the things associated with them in the Poetic Edda, but Freyja especially is associated with gold. Gold is sometimes called "Freyja's tears" as a kenning.

Amber is also associated with Freyja, possibly because of a shared connection to the ocean (amber sometimes washes up on the shore in Scandinavia).

The distaff and other spinning tools are associated with Freyja and with the goddess Frigg. Spinning was a very important part of Norse womanhood, and on one level, the distaff probably just shows that Freyja is a goddess of women. On the other hand, there seems to be some sort of connection between spinning and magic in Norse culture, so this may also represent Freyja as a goddess of magic.

The seidr staff is also associated with Freyja. Seidr staves weren't literally distaves, but they did look similar and some scholars argue that seidr staves were intentionally made to resemble spinning staves. Whatever the case, both types of staff are associated with Freyja.

Apples are associated with Freyja, and in Swedish folk practices people left some ripe apples in the trees as an offering to her.

Maidenhair, Adiantum capillus-veneris, was called "Freyja's Hair" in Iceland.

Common milkwort, Polygala vulgaris, was originally also called "Freyja's Hair" in Scandinavia but was renamed after the Virgin Mary during the Conversion period.

Orchids were also associated with Freyja before the conversion. While this was specifically a Northern European species of orchid, I personally associate all orchid flowers with her.

Rye is connected to Freyja in Sweden, where Freyja is said to oversee the ripening of rye.

Sheet lightning is said to be a symbol of Freyja's rage in Sweden.

The constellation we call Orion's Belt was called "Freyja's Distaff" or "Frigg's Distaff" in Sweden.

[grayjoy15]

Day 15: Norse - Angrboða, the Jotunn wife of Loki

[honoringthor]

15 days of Thor devotion ⚡symbols and attributes.

(some of this is upg)

🐐Thor is associated with storms, thunder, farming, fertility, protection, generosity, mankind. He is a god for everyone. The sound of thunder is said to be his cart rolling across the sky, lightning being Mjolnir.

Thor's most famous symbol is Mjolnir which is often worn as a pendant by Norse pagans, including me. Swastika were also a symbol of his before Nazis got a hold of it, now it's only really used by racists in the US.

Thor has Megingjord, his belt, sometimes seen in older art of Thor. Jarngreipr, a pair of iron gloves. He has a cart pulled by the goats, Tanngrisnir and Tanngnjostr. Thor also has a staff given to him by by the Jotun Grid.

Thor's personality is protective, loud, quick temper, direct, he is usually not subtle. He is also loving and generous. He's not particularly cunning but he's intelligent. He also seems to be restless and he can be reckless. He has a big appetite for food and drinks.🌩️

[genderdryad]

she/de/ic knight femme frosgirl trans lesbian flag!!

pls credit me if you use- thnx!

[rems-writing]

Variant 1126

Pairing: Loki!Wooyoung × Avenger!reader

Warning(s): Mentions of a painful past (iykyk, especially if you're a Bucky fan), Wooyoung being a cheeky little fuck lol, Fandral and Volstagg being absolute dicks (trigger warning: Volstagg mentions ripping off body parts), slight coercion, fluffy ending

Genre: Cracked out fluff with some angst

Nets: @blossomnet @mirohs-aurora-society

Context: Loki is the Norse god of mischief. In the MCU (Marvel Cinematic Universe), he is dead. When the Avengers defeated him in 2012, he was last seen chained up and ready to go back to Asgard to be imprisoned. However, in Avengers: Endgame, Loki escapes with the Tessaract when the 2023 Avengers show up and fuck up shit as they try to gather the Infinity Stones from all across the realms in different time periods.

Setting: this will take place during the Loki series. Specifically, season two. If you do not know by now, Loki sacrificed himself in the end of this series and is now the god of stories. He did this so the others could live. The fic will start with Mobius hanging out with Hunter B-15, Casey, and Sylvie before all five of them look onto a random screen to see other versions of the Earth we know today. Yes Wooyoung will be a variant lol

Includes: Hongjoong as Odin, Seonghwa as Freya, Yunho as Thor, Yeosang as Dr. Darcy Lewis, San as Bucky, Mingi as Dr. Jane Foster, and Jongho as Lady Sif.

To clear up any confusion, Odin!Hongjoong and Apollo!Hongjoong are two completely different godly figures.

Thank you to @bunnliix for helping me decide the order of the fics that I write and post

I also decided to tag @ja3hwa since they're a huge Bucky enthusiast 👁👁

"You know... I'm curious about something."

Mobius said out of the blue as he looked at his three friends peacefully eating their key lime pie. Hunter B-15 looked up at him curiously.

"What is it?" B-15 asked.

"Have we ever taken in variants that were actually doing what is told in accordance with the sacred timeline? As in they were doing what they were supposed to do yet we accidentally took them in?"

Mobius's question left them puzzled and they were now thinking about it.

"I want to know as well." Sylvie asked as well. The blonde Loki variant tilted her head curiously. Casey then came up with something.

"Remember that one Loki variant we took in? The one that Renslayer misinformed us about? He had eyeliner and a lot of piercings on his ear. He also bites."

B-15 knew who Casey was talking about and she blushed out of embarrassment.

"We were all awkward that day, including Renslayer. She apologized to the variant and we all left quickly. That same day, we never did anymore missions and just waited the next day." B-15 explained. Casey & Mobius nodded grimly while Sylvie was confused.

"A Loki variant that bites?! What is this variant? A vampire?" Sylvie exclaimed and Mobius chuckled before taking out his tempad and scrolling through the past Loki variants before stopping on the one they were talking about.

"This is him. Variant 1126. He is a Loki variant but when he visits Earth often, he goes by Jung Wooyoung."

Sylvie's jaw dropped as she saw a picture of a beautiful man on the tempad screen.

"He's a Loki variant?! He certainly doesn't look like one!" She exclaimed as she kept staring at him."

"I wonder what he's doing now." Mobius said curiously. The other three grew curious as well and they all sat beside Mobius. The older man soon clicked on the file and all four of them peered into the life of Variant 1126.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"PUT ME DOWN, YOU SMELLY FUCK! I'M NOT GOING TO ASGARD WITH YOU AND THE OTHER BIG BITCH!"

Yunho laughed heartily while San giggled lightly and tightened his hold on his sibling. One minute, you were sleeping peacefully. The next minute, your brother hoisted you up and over his shoulder before walking alongside the taller man outside of the Avengers Compound.

"YEOSANG! MINGI! DO SOMETHING!"

The two doctors tagging along simply giggled. Yeosang playfully swatted your ass while Mingi shrugged jokingly as if to say 'Sorry. My hands are tied.' Finally, you gave up and laid limp in San's hold.

"HEIMDALL, WE'RE READY! BEAM US UP!"

A bright light descended from the sky and crashed down onto the five of you before beaming you upwards to Yunho's realm.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

You thought you were going to hurl.

After you guys successfully made it to Asgard, you immediately ran over to the beginning of the rainbow bridge and dry heaved. Luckily, nothing came out. However, you were still nauseous. San patted your back and helped you stand up. Once you recovered, the five of you began walking to the kingdom of Asgard, taking in the sights before you.

You soon arrived at the entrance and two soldiers greeted you guys before allowing entry inside. You, Yeosang, San, and Mingi marveled at the sights of the golden interior before seeing two golden thrones and two men sitting atop said thrones.

"Welcome back home, my dearest Thor." The king greeted the god of thunder.

"Father~ I told you to call me Yunho!" Yunho whined softly and the king chuckled before standing up and walking towards him. He brought him into a hug. The queen followed suit.

"You know your father. The ever forgetful man he is." The second man chuckled. "Are these your friends?" He asked as he gestured to the rest of you.

"Ahh yeah! This is Dr. Kang Yeosang, San Barnes, and Y/N Barnes! But uh..." Yunho grabbed Mingi's hand and his voice softened. There was a hint of love and affection.

"This is Dr. Song Mingi. He's my boyfriend."

The second man clapped in delight while the first man's pretty smile never left his face.

"Greetings, Dr. Song. My name is Odin but you can call me Hongjoong."

"My name is Freya but you can call me Seonghwa. It is lovely to finally meet you. We have heard so much about you from our eldest son. He wouldn't stop gushing about you!"

"Mother!" Yunho exclaimed out of embarrassment and the tips of his ears turned red while Seonghwa simply giggled. While Hongjoong was talking Mingi's ears off, Seonghwa approached the four of you.

"It's nice to meet you, Dr. Kang."

"Same here, Hwa!"

You were about to swat Yeosang's head for being informal in front of the queen when you heard him laugh.

"Oh my. You are quite the excitable one."

Yeosang toothily grinned and Seonghwa returned it before turning to you. Both you and San were nervous as all hell. You two were sure that Hongjoong and Seonghwa would treat you differently due to them hearing about your past sins. When Seonghwa brought you two into a hug, all of those worries washed away and all that was left was shock and confusion.

"Welcome to Asgard, Namhae Wolves."

To hear him call you guys your official hero names rather than the Winter Soldiers almost made you cry. San let out a shaky breath of relief as Seonghwa pulled away. He held San's face in his hands and a choked sob escaped San's lips.

"I thought we would be treated differently. Forgive us for the hesitancy, your majesty." San spoke quietly. You nodded along in agreement and Seonghwa shushed you both.

"You are freed from the hands of HYDRA. You are both forgiven."

San smiled weakly while you bowed before Seonghwa. The queen turned to you and tilted his head curiously. His eyes were assessing you and you were growing anxious under his gaze. A teasing smirk appeared on the pretty man's lips.

"Y/N Barnes right?"

You nodded nervously and a slight chuckle escaped his lips.

"Oh my... so you're the one that my youngest son sees in his dreams. Looks like his prophetic visions have come to life." That smirk never left his lips and you grew confused by his words.

"Uh... what do you mean by that?"

"Oh don't fret, my dear. I just...remembered something. That's all." He patted your head lightly before bringing his hand down to your face. His fingers caressed your cheek and you found yourself leaning into his touch.

"Come now. We all have much to discuss."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It had only been a few hours since you landed in Asgard and so far, you loved it. The food was great, the conversation was lively, and the environment was relaxing. After lunch ended, all of you went your separate ways. Yunho and Mingi went with Hongjoong and Seonghwa to walk around in the gardens while Yeosang dragged San along to go check out the labs.

Leaving you by yourself to wander the grand hallways alone.

As you walked around, you were making a mental note of the structures and the archways perched above various giant doors that lead into different rooms. You then noticed a lone figure leaning against the balcony, reading a book. You were about to approach him when another figure blocked your path.

"Hey. May you please move out of the way?" You asked politely. The new person, with an arrogant smile, stood before you defiantly.

"Greetings! I am Fandral! Welcome to Asgard!"

Oh.

He was one of those people. Oh boy.

"Shall I show you around this grand ole palace or... shall I introduce you to a special room just beyond those doors? Where you and I can be alone."

As Fandral wiggled his eyebrows, his friends behind him cheered loudly and egged him on. Except for a young man who seemed tired of the bullshit his friend was doing.

"Since when...?"

Fandral was confused by your statement yet he kept the smile on his face.

"Whatever do you mean?!"

"Since when did I fucking ask for this shit right here?"

Your snappish tone made his friends quiet down, the young man snap his head up to pay attention, and Fandral's smile waver.

"Surely, you must jest with your words. I mean... look at me."

"Yeah i'm looking at you. All I see is an egotistic douchebag who thinks he can sweep anyone off their feet with those horrid pick up lines alone. Now run along. My patience is running thin and you do not want to see me when I'm impatient."

"But -"

"Scram!"

Your raised voice made everyone flinch and they ran off. Fandral trailed behind them like a dog with its tail hanging between its hind legs. Only the young man remained and his gummy smile was present.

Cute.

"No one has ever stood up to and rejected Fandral like that before. You certainly have guts."

"Let's just say I've had my own fair share of Fandrals before back on Earth, or Midgard as you call it."

"Fair enough."

The man with the gummy smile stuck out his hand.

"I'm Lord Sif, but you may call me Jongho."

"Nice to meet you, Jongho. I'm Y/N."

As the two of you walked down the hallways to get to know one another, you were unaware of the lone figure looking straight at you as you passed by. A mischievious smirk played on his lips as he closed his book shut.

"Well well... you're certainly a fiery one."

As he walked towards the library, he thought about you some more.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It had been now a few weeks since your stay here in Asgard.

Yeosang and Mingi were making good progress on whatever project they were working on with Hongjoong and Yunho by their side. Meanwhile, you were bored so you pulled San into a practice room and asked to spar with him.

Ever the competitor, San obliged.

As you two were stretching, you heard light footsteps approach you. You lifted your head to see who approached you.

And you almost toppled over onto San.

A body clad in black and green armor with gold accents, a sharp jawline, piercing eyes that reminded you of a fox, eyeliner underneath said eyes, and many piercings adorning both ears.

'His lips look soft'

'DON'T BE WEIRD'

'But they are'

'DON'T BE WEIRD'

"If you want to know how soft they are, why don't you come here and test them out yourself?"

His mischievous voice snapped you out of the daze you were in.

"Did I say that out loud?! Oh my God! I'm so sorry!" You exclaimed and hid yourself behind San's wide frame, hoping your brother would protect you. The young man chuckled smoothly and stepped closer.

"No you didn't. I can read minds y'know?"

Ok that was fine.

WAIT A DAMN MINUTE -

"Wait. Mind reading, black and green armor, a mischievous voice, and..."

That's when you noticed it.

The golden horned helmet he was holding in one hand along with a book in the other hand.

"You're Loki... aren't you?"

Your shy voice made his heart melt yet he hid it behind a suave demeanor.

"Yes. It is I. But since everyone here is using their Midgardian names, then I supposed you can call me Wooyoung."

The tales of his silver tongue were no joke.

As you approached him, you studied his facial features more. Wooyoung noticed this and decided to take advantage of your curious nature by leaning in. You squeaked in surprise and Wooyoung laughed airily at this. He retracted himself and walked over to the bleachers before finding a suitable spot and sitting down.

"Oh don't mind me. I am just observing. Continue with what you are doing."

As if to prove that he's telling the truth, he opened the book he was carrying and began reading. You huffed lightly and continued stretching before turning to face San.

"Want to start?"

San, who noticed the entire thing unfold, nodded. He had an unreadable expression on his face as he narrowed his feline eyes suspiciously at Wooyoung momentarily before getting into a fighting stance.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"FUCK!"

You were slammed down into the mat while San hovered over you.

"You're getting weak, little sis." He teased you while he helped you up. You were breathing heavily and hunched over. Wooyoung looked up discreetly from his book and watched the beads of sweat trail down your face.

How could you look so ethereal even whilst sparring?

He felt himself blush and looked back down at his book so San wouldn't catch him staring.

"Best two out of three!"

"You already said that -"

"I don't care! Best two out of three!"

San lightly chuckled before getting into a fighting stance once more. You tackled him and tried to get him in a headlock yet he beat you to it.

"Come on now. You should know by now that this tactic is getting old."

"I'm aware. Which is why I'm doing this!"

You jumped up and slipped out of his hold before grabbing his wrist and flipping him onto his front whilst you landed after practically doing a somersault mid-air. San groaned in pain and you pinned his arm behind his back.

"Ha! I win."

San laughed weakly as you let him go and helped him up.

"Finally! That was fun. I'll be right back. I'm going to grab us some water."

San turned and jogged off somewhere to fetch water for the both of you. You walked towards the bleachers and sat next to Wooyoung. The young god conjured a towel and handed it to you. You thanked him as you wiped your face to get rid of any sweat buildup.

"You sure fight hard. Do you and San always do this?" Wooyoung asked curiously.

"Yeah we do. Even way before we were captured by HYDRA, we would always spar in our old gym and see who the best was." You told him and looked down at the metal arm that was beside you. You moved it, flexed it, and wiggled your fingers around before sighing deeply.

"With these metal appendages, we're stronger than ever. However, we both try not to use them as much as possible since... uh..."

"I heard about what you both had to go through. And I'm so sorry this happened to you. This must not have been easy for you."

All mischief was lost and all you heard in Wooyoung's voice was softness and care. As he scooted closer to you, he looked down at your metal arm.

"May I...?"

You were unsure of what he would do yet you trusted him somehow so you nodded and Wooyoung lifted your arm before observing closely.

The intense gaze in those fox eyes made you anxious. He trailed his slender fingers up and down the metallic plating before skimming downwards to your hand. He then intertwined his fingers with yours and brought your hand up to his lips.

Wooyoung's plush lips made contact with the cold metal and stayed there for a minute before bringing it up to his face. He flinched slightly as your metallic palm made contact with the warmth radiating off his face. He leaned into your touch and his stare softened. A small smile was on his lips and he shifted closer to you.

"I'm sorry. I don't even know your name. My apologies." He said sheepishly and you laughed quietly before reassuring him that it was fine.

"My name's Y/N. Y/N Barnes."

"Y/N..."

The way your name rolled off his tongue made your insides feel tingly. Before he could speak any further, you heard a cacophony of voices booming down the hallway. You both turned to see Fandral, Jongho, and a bunch of Fandral's friends storming towards you. One of them threw Wooyoung off the bleachers so Fandral can take his place. Jongho helped him up while you rolled your eyes and crossed your arms.

"Listen here, you lowly mortal. I am Fandral the Dashing! I will not stop until you are mine! Do you think your malicious words can bring me down?!"

"Well you seemed butthurt so I assumed you were -"

"SILENCE, MORTAL!"

You rolled your eyes but shut up nonetheless as Fandral talked nonsense.

"However, I am willing to forgive you. You just need to do one thing."

"What?" You growled.

"Give me a kiss."

"No."

"KISS HIM, YOU PATHETIC MORTAL!"

The man that shoved Wooyoung off grabbed the back of your head and pushed you towards Fandral's puckered lips. You squirmed in his hold and tried to resist him without using your metal arm.

You were annoyed but you vowed to never touch anyone with your metal arm again.

"HEY!!!!"

A loud voice was heard and all of you turned to see an angry San sprinting towards you at lightning speed. The man holding your head punched San square in the face and laughed as he went down.

"PUNY MORTAL! NOW WHERE WERE WE, FANDRAL?!"

Wooyoung sprinted into action and tackled the man holding your head, leaving you to be free. Jongho helped Wooyoung pin down the man while you tried to get up so you could help San. However, you were stopped by Fandral.

"Come on now. It's just one measly kiss. What could go wrong?"

"Everything could go wrong if you don't unhand them right now."

You were relieved to hear Yunho's voice echoing in the hallways. Fandral froze and turned to see the god of thunder with the angriest of faces on.

"Thor! What a surprise. Could you please tell them to just -"

"I will not tell them anything. You on the other hand..."

Yunho grabbed Fandral by the collar and lifted him from the bleachers easily. Fandral's feet dangled as he tried to escape his grasp.

"Wait! Thor! You misunderstand -"

"Shut up, dude!" Jongho hissed to the man that was pinned down.

"Sif, you are on that pa-"

"Choose your words carefully, Volstagg."

"Like I will listen to you, Loki! Do you not know of both their past misdeeds as Winter Soldiers?! They have killed countless people mercilessly! And with those metal arms! If I was there, I would've ripped their arms off and beat them with it!"

Everyone went quiet as Volstagg, the pinned man, spoke of yours and San's former HYDRA induced sins in such an arrogant and proud tone. Yunho grew angrier but Wooyoung saw red. He was about to lash out when a booming authoritative voice.

"YOU SHALL NOT SPEAK ILL OF OUR GUESTS! FANDRAL AND VOLSTAGG, I SENTENCE YOU TO THE BRIG FOR FOUR WEEKS!"

Fandral nor Volstagg spoke a word as Hongjoong walked into the room.

"O-Odin... sire -"

"That's your majesty to you! Guards, take them down to the prison cells!"

Two guards dragged Volstagg while Fandral was released from Yunho's grasp and taken as well. You were glad that was over.

You could cry freely.

You fell to your knees and sobbed into your hands, which startled everyone.

"Father, should I wake San -"

"No, my dear. Look."

After Seonghwa finished speaking, Yunho looked to see his little brother comforting you to the best of his ability. Wooyoung held you in his arms and shushed you gently and lovingly.

"You are free of them. They will not track you down. It's ok. It's ok."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

It had been a month since the incident. San was grateful for Wooyoung's presence. At first, he was weary of the young god. However, when he heard from Yunho that Wooyoung successfully calmed you down, he approved of him.

You were leaning against Wooyoung as you two watched the sunset from the balcony of Wooyoung's room. Your head was on his shoulder while his arm was wrapped around your waist.

"So what happened during that meet up with your friends?"

You knew that Wooyoung went away for a bit before coming back in time for dinner. But you were curious as to what for.

"One of my good friends is gone."

Your eyes widened. A god died?!

"No no, my dear. You misunderstand me. He left behind his life in the Duat, the Egyptian underworld, and joined Midgard as a completely different man. With a clear mind and an open clean heart. He is currently with his beloved right now."

After the clarification he gave based off reading your mind, you understood.

"May I see what he looks like?"

"Of course."

He pulled out a group photo and showed it to you. You recognized Yunho and Wooyoung but the others were new to you. He pointed out each one.

"The one that looks like my father? That's Apollo. The one that looks like Dr. Kang? That's Ptah. The one that looks like your brother? That's Hercules. The one that looks like Sif? That's Sekhmet."

He pointed to the last god.

"The one that looks like my mother? That's the god that joined Midgard. His name was Anubis."

After looking at the eerily similar figures of the five gods, you looked back up at him. Wooyoung's face was filled with nostalgia and a hint of sadness. You gave him a side hug and Wooyoung gladly returned it.

"Have you guys thought about finding him?"

"We have, but we wouldn't know where to look. We don't even know if he is a man, woman, non-binary person, a pet, and so on. All we know is that... he is happy. And if he is happy, then who are we to rain on his parade? While we would love to know who he is in his new body and reunite with him, it just wouldn't feel the same."

You nodded in acknowledgement to his explanation and kissed his cheek.

"I love you, Wooyoung."

"And I love you, Y/N."

He kissed the back of your metal hand before holding it gently as you two continued watching the sunset.

[scotianostra]

On August 29th1930 the population of St Kilda were evacuated from the island.

There is a common misconception that they were forced to leave their homes but after struggling to make ends meet and a dwindling population making matters worse they asked to be evacuated, the population fell from 73 in 1920 to 37 in 1928, the loss of four men to influenza in 1926 hit the islanders hard. Another fact that many don't know is that St Kilda is actually the name of the archipelago, the main island of Hirta is where they loved but there are three more islands, Dùn, Soay and Boreray.

Dùn is nearly a mile long. Its name simply means "fort" in Scottish Gaelic but the fort itself has been lost - old maps show it on Gob an Dùin, which is at the seaward end. The small island is home to the largest colony of fulmars in Britain. Dùn was at one point joined to Hirta by a natural arch, a romantic tale says it was struck by a galleon fleeing the defeat of the Spanish Armada but the general consensus is it was simply swept away by one of the many fierce storms which batter the islands every winter.

Soay is the westernmost point of land in Scotland, and also the westernmost point in the British Isles, excluding Rockall. The name is from Old Norse Seyðoy, meaning "Island of Sheep". It is unlikely that this island ever had permanent habitation. Men from Hirta would stay for a few days while gathering wool. There are two sea stacks, Stac Biorach and Stac Shoaigh between Hirta and Soay.

Boreray has the Cleitean MacPhàidein, a "cleit village" of three small bothies used on a regular basis during fowling expeditions from Hirta. Boreray is recognisable for the stacks Stac an Armin, Stac Lee that are close to it, a remarkable story about Stac an Armin, on the far left in picture two is that three men and eight boys from Hirta were marooned here from about 15 August 1727 until 13 May 1728. As luck would have it, Hirta suffered a smallpox outbreak while the eleven were on the stack, and thus the islanders were unable to man a boat and retrieve them until the next year.

Hirta is the largest island at just over 2 miles long, it was populated from prehistoric times until this day in 1930 when the 36 inhabitants were removed to Morvern on the Scottish mainland at their own request. I will leave you with this description of the day.....

"The morning of the evacuation promised a perfect day. The sun rose out of a calm and sparkling sea and warmed the impassive cliffs of Oiseval. The sky was hopelessly blue and the sight of Hirta, green and pleasant as the island of so many careless dreams, made parting all the more difficult. Observing tradition the islanders left an open Bible and a small pile of oats in each house, locked all the doors and at 7 am boarded the Harebell. Although exhausted by the strain and hard work of the last few days, they were reported to have stayed cheerful throughout the operation. But as the long antler of Dun fell back onto the horizon and the familiar outline of the island grew faint, the severing of an ancient tie became a reality and the St Kildans gave way to tears."

[livingmydreamlife5555]

MCU dr: Daughter of Heimdall

Name: Astrid Heimdalldittir

Birthday: January 24

Height: 5'8"

Appearance: I have natural white hair like above, but it will be short like in the second picture. I have orange-brown like eyes like Heimdall, my dad. It also glows like his too.

Backstory: So long story short, I was born in Asgard to my father and my mom (who was a Valkyrie. We all know what happens to them. I might script she also survived). But anyways, Hela had been targeting me because of my powers that I got from my mom's side. It skipped a generation and got to me. Because of that, my dad teleported me to Earth, where I was taken to an orphanage. I grew up there, all the way until I was 15.

One day when I was 15 and walking through New York, the avengers were fighting a villain and a big piece of debris was flying my way. And me not knowing I had powers, I put my hands out to defend myself (my dumb ass would've died anyways) and my powers activated without me knowing. I had froze the debris to save myself. Me, being the scared teenager, ran back to the orphanage to hide from attention. But most of them noticed who I was. Next day before I knew it, I was getting adopted by the avengers and living with them 💪🏾

Powers: I will be able to control all the elements (more like tech, metal and others) but I first start off with Ice, Fire, Water, and Lightning. I also have super strength, super speed, y'know all the Asgardian stuff since I'm Asgardian. I also scripted to have the same Omni-senses like my father. My fighting will be like how the elemental benders fight in the Avatar ☺️. In the future I will learn how to use Asgardian magic too. I have like two pages for powers 💪🏾🙄

Extra info:

Kinda funny how I had this script for a long time and the official name of Heimdall's first child in the canon MCU is also named Astrid. He's a boy though 💀

I'm gonna be the Norse Goddess of Nature.

I can play multiple instruments, just like in my other realities. It's the one thing that I always keep

I scripted that Asgard isn't destroyed (duh) and that Loki doesn't die. So he will also be there with the avengers (I'm so excited to see him)

I based off my mom's appearance from the marvel hero Storm (she's so pretty please-)

I'm still going to school with Peter, and we'll be out own hero duo (like ladybug and cat noir. Love myself for scripting this).

I can talk to animals 🤭

I am able to control all the elements, including electricity, technology, and I can also do Energy Absorption, Solar manipulation, moon energy manipulation, water bending, earth bending, fire bending, airbending, blood bending, metal bending, lava bending, i can also control plants, techno manipulation, flora and fauna manipulation, matter manipulation, crystal manipulation, allspeak

This was one of my first scripts lol. Still glad I'm shifting here. It was also where I first shifted. I had scripted to have one of the children to wake me up, and I saw her. She was wearing a pink dress too 🩷🩷

-Honey out 🍯🍯🍯

[wordsbyrian]

Overprotective - Alexia Putellas x Reader

Summary: Part 2 of Team Dad, in which R is an overprotective father.

A/N: This isn't the fic that I wanted to post today but I was an idiot who made the decision to write a 5th holiday fic the day before I post. So you guys get this one which was supposed to be for next week instead but that means 2 holiday fics next week. Also this is barely proofread so sorry about that.

Ever since it became common knowledge that you are the team dad of the Spanish national team, fans have been making a ton of videos showing off your most protective on-field moments.

To be honest, you find the whole thing to be a little ridiculous because any teammate worth their salt should make a fuss when one of their own gets taken down.

But, in all fairness, you might take it a little too far, especially if the number of yellows your mouth has earned you is anything to go by.

Currently, you find yourself in one of those exact situations as you get in the face of the Norse player who just took Pina off her feet.

You’re so focused on verbally tearing the player a new one that you barely register the combined efforts of Mapi and Patri to push you away from her.

Even when your club teammates, Maria and Vilde, come over you don’t cool it.

It takes the ref coming over and threatening to card you for you to walk away from the young Norsewoman.

“Try doing your job ref,” you tell her before walking to get in position.

Luckily Pina seems to be perfectly fine, more than fine in fact because less than five minutes after coming back on the field, she does what she does best and sends the ball soaring into the back of the net.

“La Estrella Bebe does it again,” you say, joining the group hug and patting her on the head, “Let’s finish strong girls.”

And you do, although when Patri gets taken down by the same Norse player that took down Claudia, you can’t help but run your mouth.

“Ref, you’re eyes, do they work,” you ask the center ref, “I’m seriously asking because I want to know. Usually, when someone puts their studs into an opponent's legs, that’s a card. So I’m just wondering.”

“Watch yourself, Y/L/N,” the ref says.

“What, it’s a serious question that I want an answer to because normally that’d be at least a yellow.”

For a moment, you think that your pleas have worked, watching as the ref begins to pull a yellow card out of her pocket. Those hopes are dashed when it’s shown to you instead of the Norsewoman.

“Wrong person,” you say walking away.

When the game ends, after you’ve apologized to Maria, Vilde, and their teammate, you’re pulled to the side for a discussion with your coach.

With that out of the way, you re-enter the locker room only to be greeted by the sight of your teammates recreating your outbursts.

“Ref, do your eyes work,” Leila mimics to the amusement of everyone else.

“Ok tonto, we get it, you’re funny,” you say taking a seat at your locker.

Your protective streak shows itself again later that week during a team outing to a nightclub.

And by this point, you’re certain that the universe really wants to see you punch someone over one of the younger players.

Why do you say that?

Because for the last 15 minutes, you’ve been standing in the corner watching as a guy blatantly stares at Laia and tries to subtly follow her around the dance floor.

Of course, you do realize that she can take care of herself but it's always better safe than sorry.

What you don’t realize is how hard you’ve been glaring at the guy, trying to get him to leave her alone with the power of your mind.

And you don’t realize it until you find yourself glaring at your girlfriend instead.

“Hi amor,” you say, leaning around her to keep your eyes on the strange man.

“Hola,” Alexia responds leaning into you, “What are you doing standing in the corner by yourself?”

Filling her in on what you're doing, you aren’t surprised when she rolls her eyes at you.

“You’re supposed to be having fun,” she says, pressing her body against yours.

“No, I’m supposed to make sure all of you get home safe, especially you drunky.”

“I’m not drunk.”

“You’re not drunk,” you repeat incredulously, “So it wasn’t you that untucked my shirt so that you could put your hands up it. A ghost did all that?”

It’s a good thing you weren’t expecting a response because the slightly painful way Alexia rakes her nails down your back lets you know you aren’t getting one.

Rolling your eyes, you pull her closer to you and try to relocate the guy who was watching Aleixandri.

And you do find him.

The only problem is that he’s apparently gathered up enough confidence to approach her and it appears he is not taking no for an answer.

Shaking your head, you unwrap Alexia’s arms from around you and begin walking toward them.

As you walk away, you can hear her yell something about not making any dumb decisions but you’re too focused to worry about the consequences of your actions.

When you get close enough, you place your hand on the back of the man’s neck and yank him away from the City player.

“Hey there, buddy,” you say, turning him around to face you, “This is the only warning I’m going to give you, leave her alone. Stop staring at her from across the room and if you value your ability to chew your food, do not approach her again.”

The idiot looks unimpressed and slightly confused.

“What does that even mean?”

“It means that if I see you near her again, I will break your jaw so badly that you’ll be tube fed for the rest of your life,” you tell him, glare firmly planted on your face. “In fact, you might as well go home now because I’ll break your jaw if I see you talking to any woman for the rest of the night.”

He takes a step forward, trying to intimidate you, but the effect is ruined by the way his voice shakes when he says, “You can’t do that.”

“Do you want to test that theory,” you ask him, taking a step towards him in return.

By this point, a lot of attention has been drawn to the pair of you, so you’re not surprised when a few security guards make their way over.

“What seems to be the problem over here,” the taller one asks.

Shrugging your shoulders, you roll your eyes when the idiot begins speaking.

“The problem,” he says turning to the guard, “is that this woman has just threatened to physically harm me.”

“Is that true?”

“Of course not,” you lie, “Ask anyone, I did not say anything to him besides asking him to leave my friend alone.”

The people around you nod in agreement with what you’ve said.

Upon seeing this, the shorter security guard massages his temples and sighs heavily before speaking, “How come every time you come here we have the same problems, Jorge?”

He then grabs the idiot by the shoulder and leads him away. 

“So that guy regularly harasses women and he’s still allowed to come here,” you ask the remaining guard.

“His uncle is the owner,” he explains before walking off.

Taking a deep breath, you look over at Laia and see her laughing at something Patri said.

That doesn’t last very long though because you're approached by Jenni who informs you that it’s time to go.

It isn’t until you’re all walking back to the hotel that you learn that anyone heard what you said.

“Do you like to chew your food,” Claudia asks Aitana, recreating the way you pulled the man to face you.

“What are the two of you on about,” Leila asks.

“That’s what Y/N said to the guy who was bothering Laia,” Pina explains.

“No, it’s not,” Ona says, “It was more like this.”

You all watch as Ona stops in the middle of the sidewalk and puffs out her chest in a hilarious mimicry of you.

“Stop staring at her from across the room and if you value your ability to chew your food, do not approach her again,” she says, trying to make her voice sound like yours. “Then she was like, I’ll break your jaw and you’ll be tube fed for the rest of your life.”

You can’t help but laugh at the display because there’s no doubt that you looked that ridiculous while talking to that man.

“Y/N/N,” Alexia says, letting go of your hand, “Please tell me you did not threaten that guy from the club.”

“Alright, I did not threaten that guy from the club,” you say plainly, “I made him a promise, whether he felt threatened by it was out of my control.”

That gets you some laughs from the team but only earns you a glare from your girlfriend.

“I don’t know why I’m surprised.”

“None of us know why you’re surprised,” Mapi says. “Y/N spent the entire night standing in the corner like the overprotective papa she is.”

“I’m not overprotective.”

Unlike earlier in the club when everyone agreed with you, this time you’re met with various noises of disagreement.

“Alright, fuck you guys. I’ll just let creeps hit on you from now on.”

The response is as instant as it is simultaneous.

“No, you won’t.”

[strangesthirdeye]

Under the root of Yggdrasil (Loki x fem! Reader)

Summary: Sometimes being able to see your loved ones from afar is good enough.

Warning: It's Loki who doesn't like him. Medium angst, Loki s2 ep 6 spoilers? Norse Mythology, acceptance, Loki needs a hug,

As usual, I'm sorry if there are any wrong sentences or typos or grammatical mistakes, please forgive me and again English is not my first language, so I try to improve my language and writing in this way.

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

Staring at the one spot makes all the views in the corners of your eyes blur as you only focus on one spot. Your mind is somewhere else while your fingers unconsciously fidget on Loki's broken tempad. It's been a few weeks since the temporal loom event.

Since Loki sacrificed himself to save the entire timeline even universe. He's not dead but his absence is enough to make one. The way he smiled in sadness and willingly to be a pillar of the tree of life and also the way he said 'I love you' for the last time to you made you enough to shed tears.

All the events are back to normal and like nothing happened, yet you feel empty without Loki's presence. Mobius? He is retired. B-15? she's also thinking of retiring. O. B? busy with everything. And you don't want to bother Casey as he seems quite busy too.

While Sylvie, she has returned to her universe and that was the last time you saw her. She is still in the phase of accepting the truth after witnessing Loki's action.

How about you? It is very difficult to accept the fact that Loki is no longer with you. But still, you have to keep moving and living as normal. Which is quite difficult because you are both attached hip to hip to each other. Never lost from each other. Always found one another.

But ever since the Temporal Loom problem everything changed as Loki suddenly or willingly saved the Timelines by 'sacrifice' himself. you? You just let out an anguished loud shout to tell Loki to stop. But, Loki ignores it hoping you all are safe.

It was very difficult at first after a few days after the whole TVA problem. After Loki became the main pillar of the tree. Everything reminds you of him.

Not once, but many times. You yourself can't ignore that feeling but the next thing you know you're staring at nothingness with your cheeks wet with tears. You miss him and worry about him at the same time. Which makes you wonder in your mind. What is he doing now? Is he lonely? is he okay? All those questions running around your head which make you more sad and worried.

You always think about his well-being. You wonder if he can see you now from the Yggdrasil tree. Seeing yourself who cannot accept the fact that he is 'gone'. After all those things you both went through. Is this the ending you both got? Away from each other. Lost a loved one? is that the ending you both get? Funny.

Sometimes, if you are too worried about him or miss him, you will go to TVA and to the place where the Yggdrasil tree is shown behind the glass of the room where you, Loki, Sylvie, Mobius, Victor, O. B and Cassie were before.

Staring at the tree for a long time as you make sure that he is not alone although you can't see him. The green glowing tree really reminds you of him. And you hope he is fine there. Sometimes, O. B will come to check up on some technology in the room and notice you in front of the glass mirror standing stiffly with your eyes looking at the tree. He gives you a sympathetic look even if you don't look at him but he knows you just want to make sure Loki is okay.

'You look sad, when you think he can't see you'. Ever heard? yup, that's what you've been going through all along. Thanks Molly Hooper.

But what you don't know is that Loki actually has the same feelings as you. Missing, worried and sad. He missed you, He worried about you and He was sad that he couldn't be with you.

But, he can't do anything. His duty is what he has to do to make sure all Timelines are under control.

He missed your touch, he missed your voice and he missed your smiles. And he can only see you from afar. And that was enough for him.

[samwisethewitch]

15 Days of Freyja Devotion

Day 5: Names & Epithets Kennings

Freyja isn't actually a name. It means "Lady," and was used as a title just like lady is used today. It has the same root as the modern German Frau (roughly the equivalent to "Mrs."). We don't actually know Freyja's true name, which is just another layer to her mystery.

Some of the other names used for Freyja are:

Gef ("The Giver"). This is one of the titles I use most often when praying to Freyja, as I personally experience her as a very generous goddess who loves to shower her followers with abundance.

Mardöll (meaning unclear, possibly "Sea Brightener," definitely related to the sea). This name is so fascinating to me, because it seems to refer to some sort of oceanic aspect of Freyja that has not survived in mythology and folklore. As Njordr's daughter, it makes sense that she is associated with the sea.

Skjálf ("Shaker"). This one is intriguing, and I personally relate it to Freyja's role as an agitator and someone who "shakes things up." In several myths she incites armies to battle, and I'm reminded of those stories when I hear this name.

Sýr ("Sow") highlights Freyja's connection to pigs.

Thröng/Thrungva ("throng" -- referring to a throng of soldiers, maybe?)

Valfreyja (literally "Lady of the Slain"). Another of my favorite of her names. I use this title especially when working with Freyja in her aspect as Queen of the Valkyries.

Vanadís ("Dís [woman or female ancestor] of the Vanir"). I use this one pretty frequently. I see this title as highlighting Freyja's importance among the Vanir.

In the Poetic Edda, Freyja is also sometimes referred to by her relationship to other gods, such as "sister of Freyr" or "wife of Odr."

She is also referred to as the "Mother of Hnoss," but Hnoss is an obscure figure who is only mentioned in one or two places and may be a metaphor for wealth rather than an actual goddess. ("Hnoss" literally means "treasure.") I perfer to read "Mother of Hnoss" as "Mother of Riches" or "Mother of Treasures."

I also personally sometimes refer to Freyja as the "Golden One" or "Golden Lady," although this is not historical. As I've mentioned, gold is a kenning used for all the gods but especially for Freyja, and gold is called "Freyja's tears." To me, Freyja the Golden One is the source of material wealth and abundance, and I may use this title when asking her to help me with my finances.

[november-rayne]

A Gift for Loki - Summary

Young Prince Loki of Asgard is the God of Mischief and Chaos, the wild and unscrupulous little brother of Thor, and the son of the King of the Æsir.

Being second in the line of succession, Loki meticulously performs his palace duties by day, but by night he can be found living up to his reputation as a hard-core partying playboy.

Alas, a prince of Asgard cannot remain a fun-loving bachelor forever. Loki's world is turned upside down when duty calls for him to take a wife. His parents have betrothed him to the daughter of the most prominent Lord in the kingdom.

Loki would rather be dragged to Hel than to the altar, that is, until he finally lays eyes on his bride-to-be. Meeting Sigyn cracks the foundation on which he built his hedonistic reputation.

Can Loki give up his philandering lifestyle and become the husband Sigyn deserves? The Nornir have brought the two of them together; will outside forces tear them apart?

*This story is for mature audiences only.* 18+

*Minors DNI*

Warnings: Explicit descriptions of sexual acts, alcohol intoxication, and drug use. Specific trigger warnings will be attached before each chapter when applicable.

This story is NON-CANON. This is an MCU/Norse mythology hybrid AU: Thor and Loki are biological brothers, and Odin isn't the worst father. Comparably, in human years, Loki is in his mid-twenties, and Thor is late twenties. Set in Asgard, the realm is described as a large kingdom with territories and hierarchies among Odin's Lords and Ladies.

Genre: Fluff and Smut. An all-round feel-good fic.

Pairings: AU Loki x Sigyn

Chapters Index 👇🏼

*Contains SMUT

1. Prologue*

2. When Opportunity Knocks*

3. The Message*

4. Denial*

5. The Lost Prince

6. Ill-prepared

7. Meeting Sigyn

8. Doubt*

9. Family Dinner

10. Paths Not Taken

11. The Betrothal Feast

12. Discoveries

13. The Chase

14. Heart to Heart

15. A Token*

16. The Best Man

17. A Kingly Visit

18. Home*

19. Seeing

20. Oh, Brother

21. Fond Farewells- Part One*

22. Fond Farewells- Part Two*

23. The Bachelor Party

24. Brother Mine

25. Reunion

26. Unexpected

27. Sigyn's Virtue

28. Sera's Trials

29. Bed Rest*

30. Purpose

31. The Wedding

32. The Reception

33. His Goddess*

34. Epilogue*

A Gift for Loki One-Shots

The Gift of the Sun* The Gift of Distraction* The Gift of Distraction - Part Two*

*Contains SMUT

[honoringthor]

15 days of Thor devotion ⚡ what I wish to learn.

1st time completing one of these. I think I'll do Máni next.

What I want to learn from Thor is how to better stand up for myself. How to fight for what I believe is right. I want to learn to be more nurturing and more self reliance. I want to enjoy myself and get out of my own way.

[abstractednotebook]

Slavic Spring Deities (Post no.1)

Vesna and Kresnik (Vesnik)

Vesna

(VEES-nah) “Lady Spring”, “Lady of Spring Resurrection”, or “The White Maiden of May”

There are about 15 other names for this deity, the ones that I will focus on in this post in particular are:

Vesna

Name that means Spring

Derived from the Proto-Indo-European “wésr” meaning Spring.

Zlata Maja

Name means “Golden Mother of Life”

Zlatogorka

Name means “Golden Hill”

Marjetica

Name means “Daisy”

Fun fact! The daisy is also a sacred flower of the Norse goddess Freya!

She is a glowing radiant goddess, often described as having long golden hair. Vesna is also associated with the day that the Swallows return on approximately March 9th called Strinenija. At this point in the year, another goddess named Striga(Mora, or Morana) would be reborn as this Spring Goddess. The dates however, will vary depending on the climatic differences in the various Slavic countries.

She loves music, dance and song; as well as sensual pleasures (intercourse). She bedecks herself with a flower crown, and the land itself with beautiful flowers. She may be found naked dancing in a meadow, happily surrounded by birds and butterflies.

Like all the tales of Slavic Deities, she too can change her form to the animals she most connects with. These animals happen to be white birds, rabbits, or singing larks. These are also her messengers!

Quick Facts!

Does she have a sacred day? Time? Holiday?: Yes! They are Fridays, the entire month of May, and especially May Day!

Sacred Space(s): Literally; any flowery meadow, garden, or hill!

Sacred Animals: Rooks, Robins, Cranes, Mice, Shrews, Cuckoos, Fire-flies and Glow worms.

Sacred Plants: Maple, hawthorn blossoms, and wild roses.

Offering ideas: Honey cakes, flowers, apples, goat’s milk, flower crowns, bird sculptures (especially of her sacred birds).

Kresnik

(kre-ES-nik) “Living Fire”, “Lord of Spring Resurrection”, “The Lord of Life-Giving Light”.

There’s about 11 names for this Deity!

In folktales, Kresnik can transform into a bird, or really any shape he pleases; or become invisible! He rides in a golden carriage across the sky on a winged horse. We see him in Slovene folk tales wielding a “golden axe” and causing lightning.

Like his female counterpart (or in some tales she is his partner or twin), he too has golden hair (and mustache), he is bright and radiantly handsome; however he is sometimes described to have golden hands (sometimes going as far as to have golden wings).

Oh! And, he lives on a golden mountain where there grows an apple tree; but it’s not just any old run of the mill apple tree—it holds the golden apples of immortality! (Are you sick of the word “GOLDEN” yet?)

The firefly is a sacred animal to him, and I’ll let you guess why.

Quick Facts!

Sacred day, time, or holiday: Spring Equinox, May 6th, Summer Solstice (June 21 or 22), and oddly enough, December 6th and the Winter Solstice. In short, the Winter Solstice was considered his “birthday,” and then he was celebrated at the Summer Solstice with bonfires!

Sacred spaces: Hills.

Sacred Animals: Roosters, goats, red cows, bulls, bears, wolves, boars, oxen, dragons, horses, flying horses, dogs with white spots (specifically over their eyes, but any white spots will do just fine), woodpeckers, and lynxes.

Sacred Plants: Apples, yellow “corn marigolds,” grapevines, buckwheat, blackberries, red cranberries, asparagus, wheat, hay, and various other fruits.

Sacred Objects: Spoked “sun wheels”, flutes, fiddle, a golden hand (think Thanos), a winged white horse, a candelabrum, golden axe, or a club.

Offering ideas: Yellow apples, wine, cooked buckwheat, grapes, candles, incense, Frankincense, wheat sheaves, cranberries.

END POST

P.S: If you have any questions, always remember to ask them!! If I personally cannot answer it, I'll find sources that could help you out!

[olderthannetfic]

I get the anon hating HP because it was pushed on them so hard. I hate Eragon and the other Paolini Marty Stu And His Dragon books for a similar reason. It didn't help that I was in the same state as the author and teachers wouldn't shut up about how he wrote the book at 15. He didn't. His first completed draft was at 15, the actual thing got published at 18... because his parents worked at a publishing company and called in favors. I was a young aspiring author back then. Constantly being told how I should write a book like he did, it's not hard to get published, you must not want it very much, etc. on top of people hailing the incredibly paint-by-numbers plot (farmboy finds magic trinket, village is burned, he gets over it instantly to go on adventures with a grizzled mentor, he's related to important people, yadda yadda) and acting like the protag was the coolest, most well-written character ever. 13 is not a age of great taste for kids.

Between the kids gushing about it and the adults badgering me as if I were a failure for not having a published novel at 13, I developed a distaste for it that lasts to this day. As someone who turned into a linguistics major later in life, if anything I have whole new reasons to despise "I made a language! See, it's Norse minus the conjugation and plus a bunch of ' inbetween sounds!" (Although even at 13 I remember going, "The main character's name is Dragon with one letter switched? Dorky." which is impressive since I was a sweatervest wearing dork who collected novelty erasers and toe socks.)

Unlike HP, however, everyone who was into Eragon forgot about it and moved on. Most people I knew did not finish the second book or, if they did, didn't move past that one. Now it's a thing I never have to hear brought up again.

--

Yeah. If people enjoyed it, good for them, but my memory was that older sff nerds were like "His mommy and daddy published it. Pass." and it hasn't really had the staying power of some other series.

[athingofvikings]

A Thing Of Vikings Chapter 91: Ceremonies Of Light And Dark

Chapter 91: Ceremonies Of Light And Dark

The "Species Problem" is the general term in the biological sciences for the difficulty in defining what a "species" is, with literally dozens of recognized methods and criteria for the definition of a "species."  And in the context of this text, one of the more well-known examples—which has literally been known to start fist-fights among biologists of the author's acquaintance—is the question: are dragons one species, or many? (Note that first priming the biologists with strong drink or a lectern podium aids in achieving the desired results). 

The issue with defining dragons as a species is that dragons are, both in their genetics and phenotypes, a "terrible mess," to quote Frelsifrædi, Haddock, Levi and Lewis in their seminal paper "Genetic Variety Of Worldwide Draconic Populations: Diversity And Bottlenecks" [Journal Of Genetic Studies, Summer, AD 1781].  Dragon genetics and populations resemble a river delta, with numerous braided tributaries and links of gene flow between different populations.  In general, the archaeological record tells us that ancestral dragon population originated on Syndriland and migrated to the Javanese archipelago between 18 and 15 million years ago, where the numerous volcanoes and rich fishing waters of those island arcs helped define the dragon species' specializations as flying, fire-breathing semi-obligate piscivorous social animals who use geothermal hot spots as breeding sites. 

However, genetic analysis shows that, even during those early days, dragons were already specializing into different forms that were still part of a larger population capable of interbreeding and gene flow.  After leaving the Javanese islands and spreading out over the rest of the world, population isolation and mutation resulted in the creation of more breeds of dragon—but, like dogs, they are still generally capable of interbreeding with other members of their species.  Generally.  And here lies the headache of defining dragons as a singular species or as several distinct-but-closely-related species.  Because where does one draw the lines for the distinctions?

To illustrate this, consider that there are a number of general parent categories of dragon, with the precise count depending on the schema used.  The ancient Norse used a six-category system based on the dragon's general affinity (Stoker, Sharp, Boulder, Strike, Tidal and Mystery), a system which has survived to the present in various technical vestiges and common parlance.  Other systems have been devised in the years since those days, many of them more accurate but also more technical, and we will be addressing those later in this text.  But to use the familiar terms from the archaic system, generally speaking most Stoker-class dragons of the same size are capable of interbreeding and producing viable young.  The same goes for most Boulder-class dragons and so forth.  However, a Boulder-class and a Stoker-class might not be able to interbreed as successfully, although such crosses are known. 

To quote Dr Susana Fyodorna, the leading dragon geneticist at the University of Kyiv, "It looks as if the dragon genome takes the feature sets from the parents, smashes them together, and sees if it explodes or not.  Six limbs?  Four limbs?  Heptane or kerosene?  Spawn it and see if the build works!"  (Further note: Dr Fyodorna has a very potent left fist).  And her statement is essentially accurate; if the genetic code proves viable then a dragon is hatched, possibly one with unique features.  If the genes aren't viable, then the fetus might miscarry, with the most extreme examples resulting in the egg exploding in a manner similar to embryos with developmental defects.

In essence, the more similar two dragons are, the more likely they will be able to mate and produce viable offspring, but, to the frustration of biologists—and the amusement of their onlookers—this does not preclude successful matings and breeding between dissimilar dragons.  And while there are populations which are so dissimilar that there are no records of successful crosses, a line still cannot be drawn around one population separating it from another as "one species," not when there is still gene flow.  Yes, a Terrible Terror and a Bewilderbeast are certainly not capable of mating together, much less producing viable offspring… but the Terror can mate with breeds adjacent to it in size, as can the Bewilderbeast, and, via a dozen or more intermediary breeds, there can be gene flow between them—and drive the recording biologists to drink and pugilism. 

The reigning theory at present is that most dragon breeds are simply specific sub-populations of the greater dragon species which have achieved self-sustaining population numbers, and as a result can find similar mates without too high a degree of consanguinity.  Some of these populations have almost completely diverged from the greater species, such as the multi-headed breeds, where others, especially among the Strike-class dragons, have small populations and require regular interbreeding with other dragon breeds in order to avoid dangerous levels of inbreeding.  Strike-class in particular have high rates of egg miscarriages due to this factor—the biological tolerances on their plasma-generating organ systems are simply so stringent that developmental disorders are nearly always fatal, but their numbers are often so small that they must mate with dragons from different breeds to avoid inbreeding, meaning that the parental differentials often have terminal results for the embryos.

—An Introduction To Dragon Biology, 17th Edition, Oxford University Press, 1793

AO3 Chapter Link

~~~

My Original Fiction | Original Fiction Patreon