italicscafe

[headfullof-ideas]

All right, I finished it much sooner than I expected, but I finished that drawing, and decided to post it as a separate post instead of yet another reblog to the original post, because I didn’t feel like it. So here I introduce and give a general description of the teenage cast of characters that originate from Berk, even if some of them no longer reside there. This may get a little long-ish

From left to right, we have Camicazi, Dogsbreath, Astrid, and Wartihog, the Berk residing teenagers. These kids are determined to find and bring their former peers back to Berk to face trial for what they’ve done, or something along those lines, they’re not sure what the ‘punishment’ beyond exile is for dragon riding. (Neither is anyone else) And the riders have already been exiled. But they keep messing with Berk, and the surrounding islands and tribes, bringing chaos and destruction practically everywhere they go, so they need to capture them to make them stop! They haven’t exactly told Chief Stoick yet though, he seems a bit indifferent or unsure how to handle the situation at hand.

Camicazi is a self-proclaimed thief, but her sticky finger tendencies aren’t as great as she boasts them to be. They really only come into some effect when she meets someone who doesn’t know her, which is unfortunately not a single person on Berk, who know to protect their belongings around her by now. She’s crazy, and wild, unruly with a thirst for injury and pain on others that can be slightly concerning at times. She’s a lot of bark, and not a lot of bite, except for when she does bite. She tends to be over dramatic about the wrong thing, and lies to save her own skin whenever she appears to be in the slightest amount of trouble. Camicazi can’t stand losing in anyway shape or form, and hates when someone is better at something then she is, even if she’s never done that thing once in her life.

Dogsbreath is Spitelout’s eldest son, Snotlouts older brother. With Stoicks wife, Valka, getting scooped up by a dragon before they ever had a child, and Stoick refusing to remarry, the title of Heir went to the next in line, his eldest nephew. Dogsbreath is the pinnacle of Vikingness to most of the other adults on Berk; big, beefy, a good fighter, ready to fight their enemies and the dragons with endless energy. Unfortunately, Dogsbreath isn’t the greatest with leadership. He’s arrogant, boarheaded, and the biggest bully to any of the kids who are even slightly not Vikingly in his eyes, which has most of the other teenagers standing on tiptoes around him so as not to get dragged in an alley and beaten. Dogsbreaths head is filled with reassurances that he will be Chief someday, throwing that weight around to anyone who tries to discipline him, with Stoick rapidly growing frustrated with Dogsbreath lack of care for the finer details of being Chief. Dogsbreath is only in it for the glory and fame, and none of the responsibility.

Astrid does not go with the riders in this story. With Hiccup non-existent, that relationship never comes to be, and neither does that eye-opening flight on a Night Fury’s back. Astrid is not fond of Ant, Hiccups stand-in, in this story, and is actually quite infuriated and annoyed by him. She’s not close to any of the other kids either, determined to be the best their is, and knock Dogsbreath off his high horse a little bit, especially since he keeps insisiting that they’re meant to be, as Heir to Berk, and Berks toughest Viking maiden. She hates him, but not as much as the traitorous riders, who she is determined to capture herself, bringing down their dragons as well. Astrid has the tiniest flicker of doubts here and there though, and eventually becomes the rider to a Deadly Nadder she names Stormfly, becoming a part of Berks first troupe of Dragon Riders. Don’t worry Astrid fans, Astrid gets there and gets Stormfly and becomes a dragon rider…eventually.

Wartihog is the village flirt and playboy, or as much of a playboy as a sixteen year old with no game can be, anyways. He’s a smooth-talking, yet easily distracted guy, who thinks he’s the coolest guy on Berk. Well, second to Dogsbreath anyways, who’d bash him if he thought Wartihog thought he was better. Wartihog assumes that all the ladies love him, and thinks he’s going to be some hotshot bachelor in the future, with rippling muscles and scars from all the dragons he’s brought down, further gaining the ladies affections. He’s incredibly vain, and loves looking at his own reflection, and refuses a helmet entirely so it doesn’t crush his ‘killer’ hair. Wartihog has a tendency of occasionally going after girls who are a few years younger than him, either because too many girls rejected him, their sister rejected him, or they have some defining trait he thinks is exotic, like hair or eye color. He’s a bit of a creep in that regards, but is pretty easily distracted by either food or another girl, or a girls pissed off parent.

Next up are the infamous exiled dragon riders. On the right are some pretty familiar characters, Snotlout, the twins, and Fishlegs, but on the left is Ant No-Name, and an OC named Kari. After Ant was exiled, Berk didn’t immediately send him away, too preoccupied scrambling to assemble the ships needed to go after the nest now that they knew how to. Which meant Ant was able to show the other, eager, teenagers the basics of dragon riding (hold on for dear life and don’t let go) before they went off to deal with the nest themselves. Ever since then, they’ve been in exile, trying to avoid the numerous enemies they’ve found themselves with.

Ant is called No-Name, because no one knows who his family is. No one’s even really sure how he got to the Archipelago to begin with, just how he got to Berk. His skin tone indicates his family is from far beyond the Archipelagos waters, and being the only person with dark skin in a predominantly white region of the world has caused some self-esteem issues to develop for Ant, which aren’t helped by most everyone else’s reactions to him either. He was the apprentice to Berks resident blacksmith, Gobber the Belch, for practically all twelve years of his life, until he bonded with a Night Fury he accidentally shot and tracked down in the woods, affectionately named Toothless. (Toothless is still named Toothless. I firmly believe that Ant imma name this bear Barry and this alligator Snappy Nekton would come to the same conclusion that Hiccup did when it comes to naming the dragon) Ant never wanted to be a dragon killer, firmly happy with being in the smithy and out of the spotlight, but inevitably was dragged into the spotlight when Toothless was revealed to the rest of the tribe, and he was exiled. Ant is a bit OOC at the beginning, because he’s lived a very different life. He’s quiet, a bit shy, extremely anxious, and sometimes goes mute when faced with something he’s afraid to mess up, or someone with a very thin trigger. His bangs aren’t up yet either, because he hasn’t had ‘character development’ yet (Toothless licked his face and his hair got stuck, lol(kidding)). He gets there though, with some friends and building of self-confidence.

Kari Hasselson (Harper typically, but that’s not a very Vikingy last name) is the second youngest of the initiates, about a year older than Ant himself. She’s got a bit of a temper, especially with Wartihog, and doesn’t have many friends either. Her relationship with her family isn’t…great, but she and Ant get to know each other better during Dragon Training, and she’s one of the first kids to reach out to learn about riding dragons. For all that she’s a spicy angry kitten as a child, Kari mellows out as she gets older, and I’m saying this now, she’s meant to eventually get with Ant. A LONG eventually. It takes years of friendship before they even get there, like, late RTTE age. They’re thirteen and twelve right now, no romantic shippy feels or anything like that happens right now, they’re two chaotic kids trying to become friends at the start of the story, when these drawings take place. They bond over being the youngest initiates through Gobbers crazy teaching methods, and then trying not to be mildly babied by the older riders when they’re in exile, planning tweenage revenge on the others as they go. Nothing happens at first. Kari is also not meant to be JUST Ant romantic interest, when I first made her, it was literally because I thought that boy needed some friends that weren’t fish, so I made him some. Kari just ended up also later filling the romantic role later as well, after I’d made sure she was a developed, rounded character with her own interests and life outside of being the love interest. She’s like an angry kitten.

As for the other, more familiar characters, each of the other riders had their own reasons for leaving. Fishlegs was stuck in the middle of a huge family, where he was swept under the rug, and didn’t want to kill dragons. The twins had an absent father, with a slightly overbearing mother, and an urge to go out and see the world, also leaping at the chance for chaos without an adult telling them no. Snotlout was sick of all his attempts at getting his dad’s attention being ignored in favor of his older brother, wanting to prove that he could do something Dogsbreath could never do. They’re a few years older than Ant and Kari, and with no Berk to fall back to, the kids are all scrambling to survive the Arhipelagos harsh weather and harsher inhabitants.

This is the drawing in its entirety. I’m thinking of maybe drawing the others characters, or at least the ones that are wildly different from their film counterparts. Maybe the Nektons and assorted characters from The Deep, to show what they’re like in this universe. I probably will

[serenefreakgeekao3]

Fear of Falling

CHAPTER TWO [Masterlist]

Pairing: Hiccup x ftm!reader

Summary: You and Hiccup have begun to get closer- to something even resembling friendship. What happens, then, when complications get thrown into the mix? Complications namely being Hiccup’s close acquaintances, who seem a little too invested in getting to know you.

Tags: carpenter!reader, awkward!Hiccup, meeting friends, mutual pining

Warnings: slight bullying, mention of transphobia at the end of the chapter, tales of a bad family life (for reader)

Author’s Note: This is when the whole ftm thing comes into play! At the end of the chapter, reader tells Hiccup his life story, essentially, where reader was disowned by his family. If this will hurt you in any way, feel free to not read, or skip the final part after Hiccup receives his gift! Sorry for the sad backstory, but it’s only for a small section! (Also, sorry it took so long for me to post this part, but if you notice its literally like twice as long as my first part. Unintentional, but it felt weird to try to split it up into two chapters. It flows easier this way!)

Words: 12552

“So where’s your dragon?”

The question catches you off guard, startling and turning to look at Hiccup’s curious face. It’s been a month since you claimed this land, and with the help of Hiccup and Skullgar your home is finally standing and all in one piece. You were settling in, moving furniture around until you felt comfortable with the positions and placing your few belongings in their proper places. It was a small hut, one story and one bedroom. A fireplace crackled on one side of the room, half of the building made into a nice living area while the other half almost resembled a shop. You had a long bar with stools, shelves for your tools, and currently sitting on the edge of the bar was the first piece you finished whittling. It wasn’t bad, actually. A little rough around the edges, but a small dragon- not based on any that you’ve seen for yourself, just carved from your imagination- that is big enough to fit in your hand sat there and watched over the whole proceeding.

“What?” You took too long to answer, but you didn’t know exactly what to say. You avoided the topic of the dragons for a long while- impressively, might you add, since dragons are apparently Hiccup’s lifeblood. You didn’t mind talking about them in a general sense, or hearing whatever happened in town. But if he was to ask about you flying, or where your dragon was, you were able to deftly change the subject. Maybe that’s why he decided to catch you off guard. He almost had a smug look about him, the kind of face that made you want to smush his cheeks together until he laughed.

“Your dragon. I sort of assumed that once your home was finished and the rest of the builders moved on- I don’t know, that maybe they’d be willing to settle down? I tried to make a nice nest outside for them, but I wasn’t sure about their size. I don’t think I’ve ever actually seen them before.” Hiccup continued as if it’s the most obvious thing ever, to claim a dragon. To have a lifelong companion such as that. As if the thought of not having one was unimaginable.

“I don’t have one,” You mumbled, turning back toward the shelf to unnecessarily fidget with a vase you were given by Gobber. You spun it a few times, then realizing that did nothing you began to push it a tad to the left, then back to the right.

“What?” You have a talent for confusing Hiccup, that tone in his voice is practically familiar to you now. “What do you mean you don’t have one?”

“I mean that I don’t have one.” You nod, turning to look at him, eyebrows raised. “It’s not that uncommon you know.”

“No, but-” Hiccup breaks off, holding out a hand toward you. His confusion began to mix with worry. “What do you mean- but you live all the way out here?” You hadn’t heard anything more about this location being unsafe from Hiccup since that first day, and you had figured he’d just drop it. It’s not like it should matter much to him anyway.

“Yes, I know. I chose the spot.” You tried to laugh, but it came out more as an awkward chuckle. “You were there, y’know.”

“No- I mean, yes I know I was there but-” Hiccup turns frustrated, looking away from you and scanning the air as if it held an answer for him. He runs a hand through his hair, flopping it around on his head before he throws his hand back outward. “You live all the way on the outskirts! If something happened to you, no one in town would be able to know. No one would hear, there wouldn’t be anyone to- to come and-” He huffed again, grabbing his hair roughly. The entire time he speaks he seems almost to be arguing with himself in his head. “I know you can take care of yourself, but against a dragon?” He finally turns his face to you, with almost a look of desperation. “What if they tame a dragon and attack from above? Pick off the people on the outside first, you can’t fight a dragon and their rider by yourself! You can’t outrun a dragon! What would-”

“Hiccup,” You try to interrupt, having moved close enough to reach a hand out to press lightly against his arm. It still, miraculously, works somehow. “I’ll be okay.”

“But you need a dragon,” Hiccup whines out, practically pouting at you. “They- they mean so much-”

“I know you love all of the dragons here, Hiccup,” You begin, your voice quieting, “But not everyone feels so intrinsically tied to dragons like you. Not everyone can bond with them as easily as you.” You shrug, trying for a smile but probably missing the mark, “There hasn’t been one to find me yet.”

“Well, if they can’t find you then we can find them, come on!” He takes your hand and immediately tries to pull you to the door. In the few times he’s taken your hand, you’ve always followed. This is the first time that you hold your ground, unmoving. Hiccup doesn’t pull, or tug. He turns, confused at your reluctance.

“I don’t-” You take a breath, shaking your head, “If I go out looking for one and can’t find one I’ll just be disappointed and heartbroken. I’ve met every single dragon on this island at least once, whether they had a rider or not. None of them have taken to me, Hiccup.” You turn bashful, pulling your hand away and crossing your arms, pulling them close to you. “If there’s a dragon out there for me, they’ll find me.”

“That seems like a fantasy, [y/n]” Hiccup begins, shaking his head and closing the gap once more. “We can try.”

“It’s fine, Hiccup.” You repeat, looking up at him with a sad smile. “I’m used to being alone.”

You turn away after this, missing the complete devastation that crosses Hiccup’s face. He shakes his head, mouth working with nothing to come out. He doesn’t know what to say to that, unable to voice how he feels. He’s never been the best with words, always sketching or trying to express his feelings through flying. At that thought he calms, brain working a mile a minute as his eyes flicker back and forth, unseeing.

“Come flying with me.”

You turn, confused at the sudden outburst. By the time you see his face again, his attention is still focused entirely on you, a wide smile stretching across his face. He bounds the few feet toward you that you had moved away, taking both of your hands with glee. “Hiccup, I-” You begin, shaking your head, but he just interrupts.

“Come flying with me, [y/n]! It’ll be great! I know you don’t have a dragon to fly on, but we can both be on Toothless. It’s so amazing, please, you have to experience it!” You laugh at his enthusiasm, almost blown away by the force of it. With your laugh coloured in disbelief, you begin to shake your head.

“Hiccup, I just said I don’t want to go looking for a dragon-”

“This isn’t about that!” Hiccup tries to convince you, shaking your hands slightly. “Flying is-” His mouth works as he tries to find the words, shaking his head, “You just have to try it, at least once!” You laugh again, shaking your head.

“I did try it once.”

“What?” Hiccup ducks closer, and you feel your brain malfunction for a split second. Why does he have to be so close? Was he always this physical?

“I’ve flown once.” Hiccup looks adorably confused, so you continue your point. “During the move. I told you, I’m not new here, but I was new to the old Berk. I lived there a month before suddenly everyone was packing house and moving on their dragons. I was apprenticing under Skullgar and, once he found out I had no dragon and was planning to just sail away to find somewhere else to live, offered up Grimrar as a ride. His family planned to ride his wife’s dragon and use Grimrar to transport their possessions. There was a bit of room for me to squeeze in.”

Hiccup’s confused face was adorably scrunchy, you decided. “But, wait,” He leans back slightly, shaking his head. “Transporting things and transporting people require completely different saddles. That would’ve been extremely dangerous…” Hiccup trailed off, refusing to believe your story.

“No, that’s true. Grimrar had the transport saddle on his back, I was squeezed between a couple of boxes and kind of held on for dear life. It was the longest day of my life, actually. Felt like it, anyway.” You smile, able to laugh about it now that the soul-crushing fear is no longer gripping your heart.

“That-” Hiccup scoffs, shaking his head. “No, that’s not true flying.”

“Well, I was technically on a dragon, and that dragon was in the air. Very, very high in the air-”

“No, that’s just dangerous- anyone would be scared of that!” Hiccup pulled on your still-connected hands, looking into your eyes earnestly. “Let me take you flying. Toothless will be so gentle-”

“Hiccup,”

“No, listen! It’s fantastic, [y/n]! It’s- it’s indescribable!”

“Hiccup, I’m afraid of it!” You sigh, shaking your head and pulling your hands back.

“Afraid of heights? But-”

“Afraid of falling, mind you.”

“You won’t fall!”

“You can’t promise that.” You turn once again, taking a new block of wood and the whittling knife that Hiccup gave you two months ago. Was it really only two months? You sat down on a stool in a huff, striking the first notch into the wood. Hiccup was quiet again, which honestly rarely happened now. You glance back up to see disappointment across his face, feeling a pang of guilt in your chest at the sight. “I’m sorry, Hiccup.”

“I can promise that if you fall we’ll catch you.” Hiccup’s voice was so serious, meaning every word he said. He took a step closer to you on your stool but maintained a proper distance still. The open window behind him framed him in an almost ethereal sunset-orange light. “Either Toothless, or me. We’ll catch you.” You felt hard-pressed not to believe him.

“That’d still require me to fall. Which is the part I’m scared of.” His shoulders fell at your insistence, glancing away from you and staring off into space. The room is filled with the sounds of your whittling and the fire crackling to the side, a comfortable silence only bellied by the discomfort of having to disappoint the guy you’re falling for. Hiccup turns and leans against the bar next to you, tapping his hands along it. The taps stop and you look up to see him fiddling with something in his hands just out of sight.

“Well,” He begins quietly, and you quickly lower your gaze back to your project. “If you ever change your mind, I’m always here.”

“You really are,” You begin to joke, smirking down at the slowly dwindling wood block in your hand. “Almost like I can’t get rid of you.” Hiccup laughs, thankfully, at your joke, not taking it too seriously.

“Well, just trying to shirk my chiefly duties, as you always say. Hide away from the clamouring.”

“Well, keep it up and they’ll know exactly where to find you. Then your point would be moot.”

“Not if we went flying together. Then they’d never be able to find us.” You feel your smile slipping, lifting your eyes once more to him. He was already staring back at you, determination set in his eyes. You’d only seen that once before, two months ago, and now you have a proper house to thank him for.

“They have tracking dragons,” You try to counter, smirking at him gently, “You trained them yourself, you know.” Hiccup lets the moment settle, half a minute of comforting silence between the two of you before turning away and sighing dramatically, throwing his arms out to the side.

“Woe be me! Forever and always, stuck as Chief and-”

“Hiccup!”

The feminine yell startles you, jumping hard and turning to face your front door. You try to calm your racing heart, turning and placing the sharp knife down before you accidentally hurt yourself. Your door flies open with a slam, Astrid striding into your home with an air of determination and aggravation. She glares at you before stalking around your home, in search of the man who has suddenly and mysteriously disappeared from your side. “Where is he?”

“Who?” You play dumb, visibly roaming your eyes around the room. “I assume you’re not asking after me?”

“You know who I’m talking about,” Astrid grumbles, lifting a couch cushion and looking under it as if Hiccup could’ve possibly hidden there. She places it back down, pressing it back into place before moving on. Just as forcefully she yells his name again, causing you to jump once more before sighing loudly.

“Look, I can honestly say I have no clue where Hiccup is.” You raise your hands in defence, raising your eyebrows and shrugging toward her. She turns to you with the full force of her glare, one hand on her cocked hip.

“Uh-huh. And can you ‘honestly say’ you didn’t know where he was ten seconds before I marched into your house?” You hesitate, then shrug at this. “Yeah, thought so.” She starts looking up at the rafters, twisting around in search of him. “Where’s your stairs? Or ladder?”

“It’s one story, Astrid. You see everything-” You are cut off by her throwing open your bedroom door, sighing loudly. You place your elbows against the bar behind you, leaning back and waiting. By the time she comes back, closing the door behind her, she marches directly up to you.

“Where is he?”

“I don’t know, Astrid.” You repeat, sighing. “What’s wrong anyway?”

“Where could he have gone, if he was just here a second ago, hm? He has to be hiding somewhere.” She doesn’t bother to answer your question, looking around once more as if he’d suddenly spring into existence behind the potted plant you were given by Skullgar’s wife.

“I honestly don’t know Astrid, alright? We were talking one second, then you screamed louder than a Thunderdrum and by the time I turned around he was gone.” You huff, motioning toward the window, “If anything he could’ve just dove through the window and been halfway back to New Berk by now.” At this Astrid turns, inspecting the window as if it offended her before she sighs, turning to you with her hands on her hips.

“What do you want with Hiccup?” You raise your eyebrows, glancing around the room in confusion.

“I’m sorry?”

“Why do you keep hanging around Hiccup all the time? I’ve had to come pull him away from you fifty times in the last month! I don’t even think I’ve seen you before in my entire life until I found you with him.” She walks closer, narrowing her eyes. “I swear to Thor if you’re a spy for those damn hunters, I’ll rip your throat out myself.” Your eyebrows continue to raise as she speaks, finally raising your hands up in defence.

“Hey, what? I don’t want anything from him! I just wanted to live my life peacefully, he’s the one who decided to take an interest in me.” She points at your chest, gearing up for another round, but you cut in quickly. “And I’m not a hunter! I swear it, I would never harm a dragon unless it was self-defence. And I never have! Hurt one before, I mean.”

“Then why don’t you have a dragon?”

“Because none of them chose me? I don’t know, ask them!” You huff an angry sigh, crossing your arms. “I’m not trying to go out and force them into liking me! Seems a bit inhumane.” She glares at you for a moment longer before backing up a few steps and crossing her arms in a mimic of you.

“Oh yeah? Then why does no one know who you are? Why hasn’t anyone heard of you before?”

“I don’t know?” You fold in on yourself, shaking your head. “Maybe you’re asking the wrong people? I don’t talk much and I keep to myself, usually. If you asked your little rider buddies, that’d be why none of them know me.” Astrid quietly takes this in, seeming to at least believe your words for the time being. “If you want someone likely to know me then ask any of the other carpenters; Odin willing, even ask Gobber! The man’s known me since my first steps onto the docks of the old Berk.”

“Gobber knows you?”

“Yes, Gobber knows me. He knows my whole story. I tried to apprentice under him, but he said he was full up. Introduced me to Skullgar instead.” Astrid remains quiet, eyeing me up. Eventually, she takes a step forward, threateningly pointing a finger toward you.

“Look, if you hurt him-”

“I’m not gonna’ hurt your boyfriend, Astrid.” You interrupt her, shaking your head as you turn away to grab your knife and whittling project once more, angrily taking a swipe at it. “I’d never do anything against my own Chief.” You miss the look of confusion on Astrid’s face, only hearing it in her reply.

“He’s not my boyfriend.” You glance up toward her with disbelief, taking another angry slice of wood. “Is that what he said?”

“Sorry then, your ‘husband’ I guess. We don’t talk about you. Or any of his Chief stuff. He just comes to me to-” You huff, shaking your head and looking up at her. “I don’t know why he comes here, ok? Ask him. I’m sorry if it pokes a hole in all of your little plans, but-”

“He’s not mine in any way,” Astrid repeats, crossing her arms. “And if he’s given you that impression then that’s another reason to kick his ass.”

“There’s been no impression-giving of any kind, at least not from him.” You look back to your project, swiping again. “I don’t know anything that happens around here, I just hear rumours.”

“Who-” Astrid is interrupted by three sharp knocks on your front door, and you glance up to see Hiccup standing in the still-open doorway, leaning slightly more to one side and giving an awful impression of a smile.

“Wow! Astrid! Didn’t expect to see you here!” He laughs awkwardly, as if forcing the sound out of his mouth is a struggle. “I was just coming to ask [y/n] here a couple of construction questions. For tomorrow’s workload. You know, Chief things.” He does that awkward laugh again, his eyes bouncing to you for a few seconds before forcing himself to look directly at Astrid. She’s now turned toward him with her glare and her crossed arms, unimpressed.

“Uh-huh. And just where were you, then?”

“I was out. Y’know, in Berk. Wandering around. Doing… Chiefly things.” He stumbles over his answer, shifting his weight from foot to foot. You felt your shoulders slowly relaxing with the spotlight no longer being on you.

“Oh, really? So you talked to Gobber then?”

“Oh, yeah! Of course! I totally did that!”

“So what did he need done then, Hiccup?” You look up to see Hiccup’s eyes widen in fright, his mouth working for an answer that his brain wasn’t providing.

“Look,” You call out to them, feeling uneasy with both sets of eyes suddenly turning toward you. “Not that I don’t thoroughly enjoy the company, but if you’re going to argue about things I shouldn’t be privy to know, perhaps you should take this back to Berk?”

“Good idea,” Astrid mumbles, striding forward and roughly taking hold of Hiccup by the bicep, beginning to pull him out. He leaves his attention on you, even as he’s dragged backwards, and he throws a smile your way that shocks the breath out of you. He mouths out the words ‘Thank you’ before bumping his head against the door accidentally. He turns with a yelp of pain, rubbing the back of his head before remembering to grab your door and close it behind the both of them.

It takes a while of sitting on that stool, whittling to your heart's content, before you finally manage to unwind the knot that Astrid had wound up inside of you. You always figured Hiccup’s constant attention on you would lead to some bad news, but you weren’t prepared for his girlfriend- or, rather, his second-in-command to charge into your new home demanding answers you didn’t have. And what was about that? Why was she so adamant that they weren’t together? You thought it was a known thing, something inarguably certain among the Vikings here. Wasn’t Hiccup being pressured to marry before the whole town decided to pack up and move?

You shake your head, trying your best to dispel the thoughts of Astrid and Hiccup from your brain. Surely there’s something here to distract yourself with. You turn toward the bar, reaching to grab your little whittled dragon when you notice instead its disappearance. Checking the floor around the bar, you can't seem to find it. Well, it's gotta be around here somewhere, right?

“You think that’s him?”

You pulled back your hammer, taking in a breath and letting it fly down onto the nail. You were currently helping build the leatherworking shop that Hiccup would most likely take over, nailing boards to the floor. You hadn’t bent a single nail yet this day- a new record! You just hope you can keep it that way.

“Shh, your obnoxious voice is gonna’ give us away!”

“If anyone’s voice is obnoxious it’s yours!”

You could hear some whispered bickering behind you, but you knew it wasn’t aimed toward you. The voices sounded eerily similar, though differing slightly in pitch. You couldn’t quite place them. You pull another nail from the collection hanging between your lips for easy access, holding it in place and taking another swing downward. Another success.

“But how do we know it’s actually him, though?”

“I don’t know, he’s our age and looks handsome enough. That’s what Hiccup said right?”

You almost drop the spare nails, saving yourself from choking on a surprise cough at the mention of Hiccup. Curiosity begins to burn in your stomach, but you can do this. Not everything you do has to be centered around that man. (As if you weren’t currently helping to build his shop- but that didn’t count, you were assigned to be here… Out of the three choices that Skullgar gave you.)

“Is he handsome? I can’t really tell, nothing compares to my beauty.”

“Keep telling yourself that, troll snot.”

“Ow, hey!”

You heard a bit of a scuffle behind you, sucking in a deep breath through your nose and placing the second-to-last nail against the floorboard. Did these people really think they were being quiet? Who were they talking about, saying Hiccup found someone handsome?

“Shhh!” One whisper yelled toward the other, stumbling being heard as one fell to the floor. “You’re going to give away our position!”

“You’re the one who punched me first!”

“We’re on a mission, get it together!”

The last nail is held in place- just hammer this one in and you have the perfect excuse to turn around and peek at whoever is making a ruckus behind you. You lift the hammer, ready to slam it down-

“What was his name again, [y/n]?”

You miss your mark, slamming the hammer down onto the side of your hand instead of the nail, yelping out in pain and dropping the hammer in shock. You shake your hand out, turning immediately to look behind you for the source of your name. Unexpectedly, you spy a couple people around your age that you know to be of the same group of dragon riders that go out on rescue missions with Hiccup sometimes. They look similar- you were mostly sure they were twins- with blonde hair and blue eyes that were set wide and locked directly onto you. The three of you stared at each other for a few beats too long before they both ducked at the same time, trying to hide behind the foundation of the building you were currently kneeling on. You shake your head in confusion, calling out a soft, “Hello? Can I help you?”

“I told you you were too loud-”

“Shut it!”

“Ow-”

“Hey,” You call out again, raising your voice slightly to talk over their bickering, “I can hear you, you know.” You watch as they both slowly raise their heads back up, peaking at you over the floorboards. “You said my name?”

“Well,” The boy began, placing a hand on the floor and hoisting himself up to your level, “We’ve heard a lot about you.” He walks over to where you still knelt down, plopping down next to you and raising an arm to rest against your shoulder. “There’s only so much you can hear about a guy you don’t know before you go mad.”

“Mad with curiosity,” The girl huffed, climbing up onto the floor herself and plopping down in front of you. You lean away from the guy next to you, causing his arm to fall off your shoulder as you look uncertainly between them.

“Someone’s been talking about me?”

“Yeah, Hiccup can’t shut up about you,” The guy insists, and you slowly lower yourself to a sitting position instead of kneeling, getting a bit more comfortable. The girl chimes in, waving her hand around with emphasis.

“Well, technically Astrid brought you up first. She kept asking him about you, then asked us if we knew you-”

“Which we didn’t-”

“But once everyone began to find out that Hiccup’s little hideaway was with you-”

“We thought he kept going out flying with Toothless again-”

“Then he began to get a lot more vocal about you.”

“How skilful you are at carving, how you were homeless and that was just ‘unacceptable’!” The girl snorted a laugh at her brother mimicking Hiccup's voice on the last word, nodding along.

“At least he hadn’t lied about your looks though,” The girl continued, wiggling her eyebrows toward you. Unconsciously you began to lean slightly backward, tilting your head at the two. You finally found your voice, talking slowly and trying to understand the constant back-and-forth.

“I think you have me confused with someone else.”

“Oh?” The guy begins with a grin, leaning close into your space, “Is there another carpenter around here that’s our age and goes by the name [y/n]?” You feel your cheeks begin to heat up, looking between the two.

“I feel like I’m at a disadvantage,” You begin, slowly once again. “You both seem to know so much about me and I don’t even know your names.”

“Tuffnut,” The guy blurted out, finally leaning back away from your personal space, placing his hands behind him to prop himself up.

“Ruffnut,” The girl followed up, pointing at herself. She still had a crazy sort of grin on, and you wondered if that was her attempt at being friendly? Or flirting? Either way, she completely missed the mark as you just grew more and more uncomfortable.

“Right,” You begin, looking uneasily between the two of them. “You are the dragon riders that Hiccup goes out with sometimes, right?”

“Hey, hey, hey,” Tuffnut interjects, pointing a finger at you. “We're security here. We take regular patrols, keep an eye out for the baddies.”

“Everyone keeps an eye out for baddies, Tuffnut,” Ruffnut sighs hopelessly at her brother, then turns her attention back to you with a grin, placing her hands in front of her and scooting herself closer. “We don't have big, strong jobs like yours.” She bats her eyelashes at you, and before you know it you feel yourself scrambling to stand, backing away from them both.

“Alright, well it's been great, but-”

“What? Where are you going so fast?” Ruffnut asks, trying to pout at you. You just shake your head, bending over to grab your hammer and place it in the loop on your apron.

“Work- Uh, carpentry things, y'know.” You take a few steps back, watching Tuffnut stroke his braids like a beard, and Ruffnut huff as if irritated. You throw a hand up, your thumb pointing behind you. “Gotta’ get the… The wood-” Unable to find any words to properly explain your exit, you just give up, turning and walking away from the two.

What in Odin’s name just happened…?

It's certainly peaceful here, you think to yourself. You're walking along the cliff's edge, but far enough away that the drop doesn't send you into a panic. You hear birds chirping, the trills of content dragons, and a low murmuring of people going about their daily lives. You aren't too close to the town, but you could still see it where you stood.

You hadn't seen Hiccup for about a week now, which felt a little weird. It had gotten to a point that he came to visit you daily, so now bereft of his company, you felt a pang of loneliness. It was fine though, you were sure he was doing something important.

You are taking one of your small daily breaks, just taking a peaceful stroll and people-watching. You turn to look at the horizon, water as far as the eye could see.

FIRE

You gasp loudly and stumble back as a ball of fire is suddenly hurtling at top speeds, upward from below the cliff. You fall onto your butt, looking up with wide eyes as the fire begins to hover in the air in front of you. Not a ball of fire- a dragon, coated completely in it. The dragon shakes violently and the fire subsides, leaving the bright red scales and long neck of a Monstrous Nightmare.

Then you notice the man sitting on its back, who suddenly calls down to you.

“You think you're tough, huh?”

You press a hand to your chest, trying to calm your racing heart. You suck in a deep breath, shaking your head at him. You push yourself to stand just as the dragon flies over the cliff, landing down and lowering its head for the man to climb down. You look up- no, down, at this man. He was… kinda short?

“I heard you're a tough guy,” The man continues, taking a few steps forward to poke his finger at your chest. “Well, sucks to be you, ‘cause I'm the toughest guy here.”

“O-kay?” You say, or question, drawing out the vowels. You scrunch your eyebrows together, looking the man up and down. “I'm sorry, do I know you?”

“You should!” He calls out, pressing his fists against his sides. “‘Cause if Hiccup ever fails at being Chief, then I'm going to be the one stepping up to the plate!”

“But,” You hesitate, unsure if you want to argue your point.

“But what?” He shoots back immediately, eyes widened at you. “You think I can't do it?”

“It's not that,” You trail off, tilting your head curiously. “But, wouldn't Astrid step up to be Chief then? Or even Hiccup's mother? I've heard she's around here somewhere.”

“I'll let you know, Valka is actually one hundred percent on board with me being Chief! She loves me!” You purse your lips at this, feeling like it's inaccurate but unable to argue it.

“Alright, well.” You take a small step back, just trying to gain some distance between you and the small man. “It's a good thing I met you then if you'll be Chief someday.” You just play into his antics, hoping his aggression would die down.

“Snotlout!” He yells out, and you flinch at the volume so close to the man.

“Uh, bless you?” You scratch the back of your head, confused.

“No, it's- Ugh, it's my name!” He takes a step forward, closing the distance once again to poke your chest once more. “And you better remember it!” You raise your hands placatingly, nodding your head.

“Of course, yeah, no problem, big guy.” You watch a pleased grin stretch across his face before hearing your name called out behind you. You've never been so grateful for Skullgar than in that moment. “Oh, looks like I'm being called to work. I'll, uh, see you around?” Without waiting for a reply, you spin and start a light jog back to the work area. You hear one last thing from Snotlout, yelling as you gain distance.

“You owe me an arm wrestle!”

You approach slowly, both hands up and in front of you; one holding a sponge frothing with soap, the other a wet washcloth. You take careful steps- this time, anyway, since normal steps apparently didn't work last time- and try to close the distance between the sponge and Grimrar. The dragon eyed you suspiciously, his giant body coated in a purple dust that causes him to sneeze once more.

“Now, just hold still. This will only take a second…” You trail off, taking another step closer before Grimrar’s eyes widen, kicking off the ground and bucking around wildly. You try to dodge an errand wing, windmilling your arms to try to catch yourself before suddenly you fall onto your backside, groaning.

“Why did Skullgar think this was a good idea…?” You complain under your breath, inspecting your arms and wiping some of that purple dust off of you.

“I think you'll have a lot better luck if you approach from the front.” A kind voice startles you, so it takes a few moments for the words to sink in. You turn to see a rather portly Viking, blond-haired and smiling. He was currently leaning forward against Skullgar’s fenceline, looking between you and the dragon.

“Uh, sorry?” You ask, standing and holding the wet sponge and washcloth out, away from your clothes.

“Grimrar, there. If you wanna’ catch him by surprise, it'd be better to approach directly from the front. A blind spot, y'know? Because his eyes are on the side of his head.” The man moves his hands to either side of his head as an indication, and you turn to take a better look at the dragon for yourself.

“Huh,” You huff out, nodding back toward him. “That's really smart- and helpful. Thank you.” You nod toward him, looking back to Grimrar as you try to circle around. Unsurprisingly, he's grown wary and suspicious of you, turning his head to keep you in his eyeline. “Well, that can't be helped I guess.” You huff again, kneeling down into a crouch to take stock of the situation.

“By the way, the name's Fishlegs,” The kind man continues, hopping the fence and beginning to take slow but confident steps toward Grimrar. “I'm one of Hiccup's friends.” I groan, just barely catching myself from facepalming into the sponge in my hand. Huffing, I stand and look toward him warily.

“You're not here to threaten me, are you?” I ask hesitantly, moving back toward the bucket to dip the sponge back in. “Or flirt? One of them did that too.”

“Probably Ruffnut,” Fishlegs guessed accurately, “She's a bit of a wild card. I wouldn't be too worried about her, though, her main focus is on Eret, ‘son of Eret.’” He's now right next to Grimrar, and to your delight, the dragon hasn't bucked once. Fishlegs reaches up, petting the top of its snout before reaching under with the other hand to give scritches to its chin. You're unsure what you've just watched, but Grimrar enjoyed the petting so much that he shook himself down into a puddle on the ground, completely relaxed. “There you go should be good to go.” He dusts his hands of the purple powdered stuff, looking at you with another smile. “And no, not here to threaten. Just trying to help.”

You can't help the pleased smile that crosses your face, moving up next to Fishlegs. Grimrar doesn't move from his splayed-out position, even once you place the sponge against his scales. “Well thank you,” You nod to him with a genuine smile, taking up your task with renewed vigour. “What's with all of you dragon riders wanting to meet me so bad?”

“Oh, no,” Fishlegs tries to correct, raising his hands. “I wasn't trying to follow you around or anything. I live right across from Skullgar down that way,” He makes a gesture, and you take a quick glance before refocusing on the dragon. “I was heading down to the Hall when I saw you struggling, just figured I'd offer some friendly help.”

“Well it's certainly appreciated, thank you.” You smile back at him, moving away to grab your bucket of soapy water, heaving it over closer to the dragon. You dip the sponge, continuing your work on the other side.

“But,” Fishlegs continues, and you glance over with raised eyebrows. “I think the reason you're being hounded with all of us is likely Hiccup's fault.” I blush slightly, turning my attention back toward the dragon, trying to play it off. Fishlegs continues, but you swear you could hear a smile in his voice. “Once Astrid found out where he keeps running off to, Hiccup couldn't stop talking about you. House designs, carpentry ideas- he even gushed about the fact that you knew next to nothing about dragons. This would normally seem like a bad thing to someone as obsessed with dragons as Hiccup, but he enjoyed being able to teach you everything about them. Something about how your ‘curiosity is insatiable,’ and how your ‘eyes light up as bright as dragon’s fire' when you hear about something you like.”

By the end of his long tirade, you felt both embarrassed but strangely pleased. There was so much to unpack about everything you just heard- but not while covered in purple dust.

“That's… Very interesting,” You struggle to find the right words, settling just for that. You finish washing the face of the dragon gently, checking over him to make sure you got every scale. “I think the twins said something similar.”

“Well, that makes sense. They do complain the most when it comes to Hiccup’s raving.” You huff a laugh under your breath, finally dropping the sponge and washcloth into the bucket and taking a look at yourself.

“And as much as I'm enjoying this conversation, I should really go get cleaned up.” You smile toward Fishlegs, giving an awkward wave.

“Sure, see ya’ around!” He does a quick wave in return, turning to continue his way toward the Great Hall. You huff in frustration, looking back down at yourself. ‘This purple pollen is gonna’ take forever to get off of my clothes!’

Hiccup was back! He had been away for close to a month on some sort of scouting mission, according to the rumours. You could’ve just asked to make sure, but you felt hesitant in doing so. They would’ve asked why you wanted to know, and you didn’t have a good answer besides, ‘I miss him,’ so you decided to instead pretend as if everything was fine. And it was fine! You obviously could withstand a month away from your crush.

You only knew Hiccup was back because Toothless had flown right over your home as you were about to enter inside, finished with your day of work. They were a black blur above you, but the call of the Night Fury was unmistakable, and you turned to watch them fly toward the town before vanishing among the trees. You bite your lip, holding back a smile. If he was back, does that mean he would visit? You were excited to see him but didn’t know when that would be. If he was going into town, then it couldn’t hurt to visit him for once? He had always kept inviting you to the Great Hall anyway, what hurt could that do?

You leave your home without even entering it, turning and making your way back to the town. You jogged some of the distance, trying to tell yourself to temper your expectations. He might be busy, unavailable for you to pester. Or, he could be wandering around to tell everyone he was back and would be excited to see you. You pulled in a deep breath at that daydream, trying to push it away. Whatever happens, it’ll be fine. If Hiccup was busy, you could just go to the Great Hall for some dinner.

You finally exit the copse of trees between your house and the town, walking into the darkly lit area. Dragons mulled around in some places, casting large shadows across the ground and staring at you wearily. A few other people were walking through the town, though you expected they were all just trying to make it home themselves. You’re finally closing in on the Great Hall, hearing a ruckus of laughter and cheering from inside. Toothless sat outside the building, grooming himself before glancing up to look directly at you.

You freeze midstep, your eyes growing wider as Toothless stares at you. You’re unsure what to do, having never actually met the dragon before, personally. It was just the two of you out here- the sounds of your fellow Vikings just inside the big door, out of reach- and you felt more vulnerable than most other times in your life. This was one of, if not the, deadliest dragon known to man. And he was staring at you with wide green eyes as if determining your worth for himself. Finally, after a few minutes, Toothless turns away and resumes his previous task.

You couldn’t help the large sigh of relief you let out, slowly inching your way closer to the door. Toothless made no more moves to acknowledge you, and you felt relieved by it. Pushing into the Great Hall, you hadn’t seen everyone so lively in such a long time. Though granted, you hadn’t been here for every other end of the day, when the Vikings were finally able to let off a little steam. Most of the older ones were drinking, but you finally spied a table farther in the back, surrounded by all of Hiccup’s friends you had just recently met. The twins, Snoutlout, Fishlegs, and even Astrid sat in a circle around the table, laughing loudly and talking amongst themselves.

It is when Fishlegs stands, pushing away from the table and walking to a nearby buffet that you see him. Hiccup is sitting between Fishlegs’ empty seat and Astrid, laughing and shaking his head toward the twins as they begin to wrestle around, likely in some sort of disagreement. He is holding a cup out, moving to take a drink from it when his eyes scan the room, settling on you. You can see his eyes widen slightly before he slams his cup onto the table, the liquid inside splashing up and over the rim of the cup. You laugh and begin to approach as you watch him look down with surprise, then begin to stutter an apology toward Astrid, who had unfortunately been caught in the crossfire. That glare you knew so well was back on her face, though it seemed contrasted with a grudging familiarity and acceptance of Hiccup’s antics.

You hear a barely-there, “Excuse me one second,” From Hiccup before he spins and moves to make his way to you. Except, in the time it took him to clean his spill and apologize, you had closed most of the distance already. So, he spins and moves to step forward, then tries to catch himself as he notices you are already right behind him. His arms windmill, and you reach out to grasp his hip to keep him from falling over.

“Hey, there. Going somewhere?” You ask, with a smile, forgetting to remove your hand right away. You could see a blush lighting up his cheeks, but it was likely from the alcohol he was drinking, not anything you were doing. If he even was drinking alcohol.

“No,” Hiccup stutters out, clearing his throat and standing straighter. You realise where your hand is with his movement, and quickly pull it back to your side. He smiles, taking a small step forward to lean into your space. “I saw you come in! You’re finally here, you’re actually taking me up on my offer?”

“To have dinner in the public eating house?” You chuckle, trying to make a joke, and Hiccup shakes his head with his big smile.

“To eat here and share my table. I can introduce you-”

“Oh, he knows us!” You turn at the loud voice, finally noticing that every person at the table- including Fishlegs, who returned with a massive pile of food for the center of the table- was watching both you and Hiccup with varying emotions across their faces. Astrid and Ruffnut looked annoyed, Fishlegs pleased, meanwhile, Tuffnut and Snoutlout looked almost mischievous, with wide smiles. You realize it was Tuffnut who had called out, crossing his arms and leaning back.

“He does?” Hiccup asked slowly, his eyebrows raising, accompanying a look that almost portrayed fear. But why would he be afraid of that?

“Sure does!” Tuffnut answers and Ruffnut stands suddenly, pushing her brother’s head before moving to sit next to Astrid. The two girls lean in close together, whispering. Fishlegs continued to look on with a pleased expression, nodding as he reached for a large hunk of meat.

“Yeah, he met all of us over time while you were gone.” Fishlegs agreed, and you laughed nervously.

“Uh, yeah, actually,” You agree, turning your attention back toward Hiccup. He looks like he doesn’t know what to say, so you proceed to explain. “There was Astrid that day that she was looking for you. But then Ruffnut and Tuffnut found me working a few days later. Snotlout was on the back of his dragon and was flying by when he noticed me.” I smile toward Fishlegs, waving my hand in his direction. “And Fishlegs actually helped out a lot with one of the tasks Skullgar gave me the other day.”

“Oh! That's,” Hiccup hesitates, looking between you and the table before nodding, “Yeah, that’s good.” He doesn’t sound too confident in his words, but you nod along anyway. “I was actually going to introduce them to you! At- uh, at some point.”

“Sure you were, Hiccup,” Tuffnut called out, much too loud in your opinion.

“Wha-” Hiccup hesitates, looking unsure of himself. “Why don’t you take a seat?” Hiccup moves toward the table quickly, pulling out the only chair left- between Fishlegs and Tuffnut. He gestures to it with a smile before hopping delicately over to his seat, on the other side of Fishlegs. You sit down, reaching toward the middle to grab something small you could pretend to eat, just for something to do. Tuffnut immediately leans in close to you, invading your personal space.

“So, tell us about yourself [y/n], we’re all dying to hear.” You hesitate, then look up to the rest of the table staring at you still. Hiccup also scans the table, noticing the same with a wince and a sympathetic look toward you.

“Oh, well,” You hesitate, placing your food down on the table gently. “I just moved to Berk recently- right before the whole town moved actually.”

“Well, we know that,” Snotlout complains, leaning forward over the table. With how much of his chest you could see hanging over the table, you couldn’t help but wonder if he was standing on his chair to appear taller. “Hiccup told us that one already. Tell us something new!”

“Yeah, where are you from, anyway?” Tuffnut asks, still leaning into your space. You look quickly toward Hiccup and Fishlegs, both of whom have their eyebrows pulled together, cringing at their friends’ questions.

“Oh, I’m from, uh,” You hesitate, moving your gaze toward the table and idly playing with your food. “Just, somewhere pretty far away. I rode on a boat- well, a few boats. It took weeks before I finally found somewhere I felt safe enough to call home.” The table around you was quiet, contrasted by the reverberating crowd surrounding the group of you in the Great Hall. Cheers and calls were being thrown around, too loud and too many to distinguish any of the crowd’s words in the background. It was Ruffnut who broke the silence of your table.

“Well, that’s extremely unspecific of you.” She crosses her arms, disappointment clear across her face. You could only shrug, picking your food back up. Astrid’s voice across the table startles you, unaware that she has been listening.

“She’s right. It was. Why don’t you tell us the name of where you’re from?”

“Astrid,” Hiccup interrupts quietly, raising a hand to her arm with an expression that was clearly asking her to stop. She only tugs her arm away from him, standing and placing her hands on the table in front of her, leaning closer to you.

“No, I want to know. Why won’t you tell anyone where you’re from? Got something to hide, [y/n]? Planning something you don’t want us to find out about?” Her glare is back, which really is the only expression you recognize on her now. Her laughter from earlier had seemed awkward to you, but you had preferred that over this. She was questioning you again, but now in front of all of her friends. And Hiccup. He looked horrified up at Astrid, but he wasn’t stopping her.

“I-” You begin before Fishlegs reaches out to press a hand to your arm. You look at him to see a hard expression on his face, looking directly at Astrid.

“Leave him alone,” His voice is so contrasted to what you are used to- that kind and soft voice replaced by something cold and hard. “You’re better than this, Astrid.”

“I’m just asking-” Astrid throws her hands out, changing the target of her glare.

“No, you're interrogating.” Fishlegs removes his hand from you, and you can’t help feeling a pounding in your chest similar to adrenaline. “He lives in Berk, with us. He’s not evil, he’s not plotting anything, and he certainly isn’t causing a scene like you are.” You are surprised at the strength he exhibits, watching him with new eyes. You could see Astrid’s shoulders slumping. It takes her a bit of incoherent stammering, but she eventually rests her eyes on you again.

“I’m sorry. That was uncalled for.” She sits back down slowly, Ruffnut reaching out to rub her back. Your heart was still hammering, but you felt like you had to say something.

“I ran away from home.” Well, that certainly was not something you should’ve said. Every single head turns toward you, everyone but Fishlegs leaning forward over the table to get closer, to hear anything else. “To, uh,” You stutter slightly at the attention, feeling a blush heat up your cheeks. “To answer your question. That’s why I don’t want to say where I’m from.”

The lot of them lean back slowly, realizing they aren’t going to get a story after all. You let out a soft breath as Astrid nods, and you can see her expression opening slightly as if she is beginning to finally trust you. You aren’t sure how you feel about that, but you figure it couldn’t hurt. You finally let your eyes roam back to Hiccup, who once again has a pinched expression and seems antsy, staring between you and the door to the Great Hall. You wondered if he wished the both of you were alone together once again- just like you were wishing for.

“Bet you wished you ran away from home,” Tuffnut called over the table toward his sister, a sinister smirk stretching across his face. Ruffnut groans, calling out her own answer back about how she’d rather he ran away so she could have their dragon for herself, and the rest of them broke into laughter. The conversation naturally progressed, and it was like you had a front-row seat to Hiccup interacting with his friends. It was different, seeing him in a setting that wasn’t just the two of you, or out in town performing as Chief. He was just a guy here, sitting with his friends and enjoying the night. It was nice, to see this side of him.

The common thread of every conversation was the same: dragons. Each one had their own dragon (although the twins shared one with differing names), and each dragon had its own behaviours and personalities that caused clashes with not just each other, but with other dragons and its own rider as well. You thought they all were living happily ever after with their dragon, but it was almost as if every single one of them had an oppressive roommate who treated them like pets instead of the other way around.

Currently, Astrid was going on about her dragon, Stormfly, who had been pouting in her backyard for the last two days, refusing to fly, all because Astrid had forbidden him from eating her next-door neighbour’s lamb. She’s whining, and the table is commiserating, trying to come up with some sort of plan to fix the situation.

“I still think you should just feed him a lamb.”

“Tuffnut!” Astrid called out, reaching over to smack him in the head, “I just said I don’t want to kill my neighbour’s lamb! He just got it, and I want to be a good neighbour!”

“Not his lamb!” Tuffnut argues, jumping up and away from the table, dancing out of reach. “Just any lamb! Buy one and feed her that!”

“No,” Hiccup warns, shaking his head with an amused smile, “That’s setting a dangerous precedent. Soon, all she’ll agree to eat will be lambs. Then the other dragons will get jealous, and before we know it we won’t have any of them left. That’s why I put those feeding rules in place, we have to be careful.” He explains this like it's only natural, the easiest thing in the world, and reaches down for another bite. You shift in your seat slightly, watching him. He seems so… adult. He’s not fumbling his words or awkwardly tripping over; he has a confidence with his friends that makes you almost jealous, but mainly just curious, like you couldn’t help but want to see more.

“Well, then I’m out of ideas!” Tuffnut threw his hands in the air in defeat, and everyone at the table laughed. You glanced around, feeling slightly out of place during these conversations. The only dragon info you really had was what Hiccup had supplied to you. Tuffnut plops back into his seat with a huff, shaking his head. “How do you get a dragon to stop eating lamb?”

“You spike it with something gross?” You throw out, causing both Astrid and Hiccup to whip their gazes onto you.

“What do you mean?” Astrid asks, leaning forward and resting her arms on the table. You shrug, thinking out loud.

“I mean, if I had something I was eating, that suddenly tasted like the grossest thing in the world, then I don’t think I’d end up craving that food anymore.” You hesitate at their stares, shrugging again, “Personally, anyway.”

“Well, how would we even do that, though?” Astrid asks, genuinely curious. Hiccup puts his food down, watching you with intention. You can’t tell what’s running through his head, but you were just hoping not to make a fool of yourself.

“Well, do dragons eat dead things? Or just hunt for living creatures to eat?” You purse your lips in thought, looking up to escape the sight of everyone watching you. Tuffnut begins to laugh but stops once Ruffnut elbows him harshly.

“They eat dead creatures, yeah. We’ve been trying to train them out of hunting, at least while they’re at the village, so they mostly eat things we’ve prepared for them.” Hiccup answers, smiling toward you with encouragement. You nod, then pick up your food, gesturing with it as you speak.

“Well, then, stick an eel inside a sheep.” You take a bite, looking around at the confusion on everyone’s faces. “Like, chop it up and stuff the inside with it?”

“Stick an eel…” Ruffnut begins, with her twin following up,

“In a sheep…”

“That’s a brilliant idea!” Astrid calls out, and you watch in shock as a genuine smile spreads across her face, caused by you. You never thought you’d see the day.

“It really is,” Hiccup whispers breathlessly as he stares at you, so quiet you question whether he had actually said it or not. Fishlegs elbows Hiccup’s ribs, who in turn startles and looks down at the table, his face heating in a blush. You wondered what that was about, but felt pleased as the rest of the table began to congratulate you on your idea. Astrid shortly excused herself, calling out her need to execute this plan immediately.

No one else seemed ready to leave, even after they all finished eating. The Great Hall’s population was dwindling down slowly, but you felt warm, comfortable and safe among your new friends. And you couldn’t help it- you finally, truly believed they were your friends. They joked with you, including you in conversations even when you didn’t know most of the things they were talking about. Snotlout personally was a fan of telling you stories, gesturing largely with his hands and making a show of it. Fishlegs interrupted with corrections to the story or trivia bits, while the twins held responsibility for the comedic one-liners, inserting at points to make the table laugh again and again.

The fires were dying down and everyone seemed to be settling down, having quieter conversations with each other. No longer joining in, but enjoying their company, you pull out your little whittling project and set to work. It was Snotlout who noticed, bringing it up.

“You carving something over there, carpenter?” You look up to see all of them turn to look, Tuffnut leaning close to you to spy why you were holding under the table. You laugh, bringing it up for all of them to see. It was a sitting dragon, fashioned after Grimrar this time (as he was the one dragon you were most familiar with), with his front legs pulled together in front of him and wings spread out halfway. His details weren’t finished yet, but the general shape of the dragon was formed.

“Just a gift.” You smile, shrugging, setting the dragon on the table to test its weight. It took many tries to get it to stay upright and sitting evenly. But now it stood like a tiny idol or doll, staring blankly ahead.

“Oh,” Ruffnut drawls out, leaning her face close to the dragon to inspect it. “Which dragon is this?”

“It’s Grimrar!” Fishlegs calls out before you answer, reaching and snatching it off the table. “The wings are slightly smaller than his wingspan, and his snout is a little thinner, but you definitely have done a great job!” Fishlegs sets the dragon back on the table, looking at it again with a smile. You nod, agreeing that it was, as Fishlegs explains to the rest of them who exactly Grimrar was.

“Oh, you have to carve me one! Hookfang would be a perfect sculpture!” Snotloud called out, leaning across the table in excitement. “How big can you make it? As big as a house?”

“Don’t be unreasonable,” Ruffnut calls out, pushing Snotlout back down into his seat.

“Yeah, I don’t know if I could carve anything bigger than this,” You pick the project back up, waving it in emphasis. “But I’ll see what I can do? I can’t promise anything though.” At this, both of the twins begin scrambling toward you, begging for you to make one for them as well. They begin arguing with each other about the features that the idol should exhibit, both wanting emphasis on either head as the ‘better’ one. You just laugh, shaking your head and tuning them out as you move your attention back to your project. Now that they knew of it, you figured you’d better finish the details quickly and give it to Skullgar before he hears about it from someone else.

The night finally draws to a close as Snotlout begins snoring on the table, the rest of your friends finally standing and moving to the exit. Everyone seems tired, Hiccup especially, and you know you’re going to regret how long you stayed up when it comes to work tomorrow. Although, you were due for a day off at some point. Surely it’d be fine if you slept in tomorrow. Everyone said their goodbyes at the doors to the Great Hall, Toothless sleeping in a ball nearby. Hearing Hiccup’s voice, he begins to stretch and stand, leisurely making his way closer to Hiccup. As you turn to leave, a hand on your arm stops you.

“Hey, why don’t I walk you back?” You turn to see Hiccup’s eyes- a simmering juniper colour in this low lighting. The night was dark, and there was only one torch on the wall nearby. You hesitate, remembering how tired he was.

“I’ll be ok Hiccup, you go get some sleep.” He just shakes his head, taking a step closer.

“Please?” This causes you to pause, watching his eyes and wondering if you’re really reading desperation in them. “It’s a long walk through the forest, I don’t know if I’d be able to sleep without knowing you made it home safely.” Your eyes glance away from him, scanning his retreating friends in the distance.

“But what about the rest of your friends? Not worried about them?”

“They live in town,” Hiccup argues, sounding uninterested in them, “And they have dragons.”

“Sure,” You agree, unwilling to argue with him further. You knew you just craved more of his attention, having not seen him in so long and being surrounded by people when you finally did. As you both begin to walk, you hear Toothless following behind you. Your shoulders become stiff over time, uncomfortable with an unknown dragon so close to your defenceless back.

But nothing happens. It is a quiet walk, and you move to carry a torch but Hiccup took it before you could so he was holding it up between you. The circle of light it gives off was eerie, almost like you both had your own little bubble away from the world. Well- the three of you, as Toothless slunk low to the ground behind you both. It was only when your house was coming into view that Hiccup finally spoke up.

“I’ve been arguing with myself all night, but I have to ask.” You turn to look, your eyebrows raised as he tries to give you an imploring smile. “Will you carve a little Toothless idol for me?” You see Toothless raise his head out of the corner of your eye, looking at you and tilting his head sideways.

“Oh,” You begin, laughing at the unexpected request. “Speaking of, I actually have something for you.” You watch his face get overtaken by surprise, quickly raising your hands. “Uh, not Toothless though. I carved something else. From memory. It’s probably not very good, actually-”

“I’d love to see it,” Hiccup interrupts your rambling, smiling brightly at you. You suddenly become nervous, those nerves growing the closer you get to your house.

“Ok, just,” You huff out a nervous breath, trying to smile for him, “Temper your expectations, I probably got a lot of it wrong.” You push open your door, wandering inside your house. It's a bit more messy than the last time he was here, but in a way that shows it's lived-in now. You move directly toward the shelf beside the bar, picking up the idol you just finished carving the other day. It was supposed to be Stoick the Vast, carved from your memory of that giant statue that had stood on the old Berk island. He was a rather large man, with a long beard, a small bull-horned helmet, and holding the handle of an axe with the head on the ground in front of his feet. You’d added details- curves in his beard, decorated armour, and bulging muscles.

You’d heard a lot about the previous Chief. You never met the man, but still had fierce respect for him. The stories told of him were grand and awe-inspiring. He was the Chief who had protected his town from dragon attacks. He had killed so many and protected so many others, it was no wonder there were so many stories to tell. But just as well, there were stories of him being gentle. Caring for a baby Hiccup and touring him all around Berk. Accepting Hiccup’s love for dragons in the end, and helping implement this new lifestyle, surrounded and loved by dragons until the end.

You hold it out toward Hiccup, avoiding his eyes as you move behind the bar, emptying your pockets onto the counter. Hiccup approaches the bar slowly, staring at the figure in his hand silently. He taps the bar with his other hand, curled into a fist, and you wonder if this was a bad idea. Then you hear a sniff. Hiccup looks up, tears clear in his eyes, and smiles sadly toward you.

“I don’t know how I could ever repay you.”

“Oh,” You begin, shaking your head, “You don’t have to. I just hope I remembered it correctly. He was your dad, wasn’t he?” Hiccup nods in response, looking back down to the figure and tracing the curves with his finger. He laughs softly, placing it on the bar upright.

“You should make one for yourself.” You tilt your head curiously, confused by his meaning. He continues, explaining, “You should carve your parents into one of these. So they can watch over you while you’re here.” Your face drops, immediately looking away from Hiccup. You feel restless and start walking around the bar and away from Hiccup.

“No,” You shake your head, moving to start tending to your fireplace. “That’s fine. I’d rather carve the dragons.”

“But,” Hiccup hesitates, looking between you and the gift he received. “I didn’t know how much I needed this until it was in my hand. Maybe you just don’t know-”

“Hiccup,” You interrupt, feeling your heart start to pound in your chest. “I’m so thankful you like the gift, but not everyone had close relations with their family like you did.” It is quiet behind you as Hiccup takes this in, and then you feel a hand touch your shoulder. It startles you since you hadn’t even heard him approach.

“I’m sorry,” He’s apologizing, and it sends a twinge of guilt through your stomach. You finally look away from the fire, up into his eyes. “I didn’t mean to upset you.” You sigh, taking his hand from your shoulder and pulling him toward a bench nearby. You sit down, and Hiccup quickly sits next to you. You could hear some sort of rustling outside, the bobbing head of Toothless out of the window seeming to have found something to entertain himself with.

“Don’t be sorry,” You whisper, pulling your attention away from the window and back to him. “You didn’t know.” He moves to interject, but you touch his hand again and he falls silent. “My relationship with my parents was never close, but,” You take a deep breath, staring into the fire. “They disowned me.”

“What?” You could spy Hiccup shaking his head in confusion out of the corner of your eye, but your attention was stuck to the fire, the image of those days playing out in your head. “Why?”

“Because I wasn’t what they wanted me to be.” You take another deep breath, turning to look into his eyes. “I was born with a girl’s body.” You watch his confusion dip even further, and you feel panic rising in your chest with every word that spills out. “I am a boy, as you and everyone else have noticed. But I grew up with the expectations from my family that I’d be a woman because I was born in this body.” You sigh, shaking your head and looking back toward the flickering flames. “They trained me as they would any of their children, teaching me how to defend myself and fight with a battleaxe. They taught me where to slice a dragon open to kill it with one hit, and how to lay traps that would capture anything that walked over it. They trained me, sure, but they never loved or cared for me.”

Hiccup remains silent, and you don’t even notice as tears begin to spill onto your cheeks as you continue your distant stare into the fire. “When I came out to them,” You began, sucking in a breath and having to steel yourself to continue, “They thought it was a joke at first, laughed. Then they told me no, I couldn’t be a boy. That I wasn’t allowed. I don’t know what they thought, that I could just stop being who I am?” You sniff, finally closing your eyes and dropping your gaze, feeling tears splash down onto your hands in your lap. “I started dressing more masculine, and it just felt right. It didn’t take long for them to have had enough. They gave me an ultimatum. ‘Stop playing dress up, or leave.’” You huffed out a desperate laugh, but it wasn’t funny to you. You didn’t know what else to do. “So I left.”

“[y/n],” Hiccup whispers your name with so much emotion, that you finally raise your gaze back to him. You couldn’t read the mixture of emotions on his face, but he looked pretty. And concerned for you.

“It’s okay Hiccup,” You whisper out, shrugging. “I began binding my chest, packed all the masculine clothes that I owned, and took the next boat out.” Staring into Hiccup’s face, you hear yourself spew out, “I haven’t regretted a second of it.”

“Really?” Hiccup asks with feeling, leaning forward toward you.

“This Berk feels more like home than anywhere else ever has,” You finally admit, able to pull a real smile to the surface. Hiccup raises his hand, gently wiping the tear tracks from your cheeks. After, he lets out a long breath, looking at your fireplace and reaching to throw a log on top.

“So does anyone else know?”

“Well,” You begin, wagging your head from side to side in consideration. “Gobber knows. I don’t know if he told anyone, but I have a suspicion that Skullgar knows as well.” Hiccup’s eyebrows raise to comical heights.

“Gobber? Gobber knew this? For how long?”

“Since the moment I got to Berk.” You softly laugh at his expression, glad to have gotten that off of your chest and not have Hiccup leave you in the cold. You don’t think he realizes your immense gratitude for just accepting your story and not questioning your gender- he hadn’t even made a big deal of it. The only thing that mattered to him was your parents disowning you, like only that thought was unimaginable and not any of the rest. “Maybe not the second I stepped off of the boat, but I began to ask around for handiwork I could help with. Gobber found me, practically drowning in my own tears and fright, and calmed me down. I couldn’t help it, I spewed out my whole story for him to hear. He didn’t judge me or anything, even helped me get my apprenticeship under Skullgar.” You smile softly, tilting your head. “I owe him a lot.”

“Wow,” Hiccup whispers, sinking back onto the bench and looking at you with amazement. “You’ve been through so much just to end up here.”

“It’s okay, really,” You insist, reaching to take his hand with yours, holding it. “I’ve built myself a life here that I actually enjoy. I have friends now, people who actually enjoy my company. I don’t have to kill things on a weekly basis, and no one questions my outfit choices anymore.” You chuckle softly, thinking back. “Honestly, I was sort of suppressed and numb back then. I don’t remember ever feeling happy.”

“But you’re happy here?” Hiccup asks, leaning forward as if this meant the world to him, as if you hadn’t been already trying to convince him of this fact. You laugh, squeezing his hand and nodding.

“Yes, I’m happy here, Hiccup.” He lets out a breath of relief, his shoulders slumping along. You can’t help the smile that crosses your face, surprised about it after having just talked about your past life. “There’s so much more to this world than I could’ve imagined.”

“Well,” Hiccup begins, smirking and shrugging a shoulder, and you pull your hand back lest he think something ridiculous- like how you have a massive crush on him that’s getting harder to suppress. “It’s actually a lot more than even this.” He gestures around your house, but likely indicating the entire town of Berk. He has that smile on that usually means he’s thinking of dragons again. “When you go flying, you really can see how big this world is. Everything seems so small in comparison. Like, it’s not the end of the world if you end up making a mistake, y’know?”

You study his posture, wondering how often he went flying when he got anxious about his chiefly duties and responsibilities. Did he go flying to calm himself down, or did he get energized with the wind in his face? He had mentioned a map he was currently drawing out once before, and your curiosity burned to see how much of the world he has explored, how big the drawing had gotten. You begin to yearn to see him like that, in his element and happy. You wanted to feel that, while also seeing him at his happiest-

“I think I’m ready to go flying with you.”

Hiccup sits straight up, his hands reaching out to take both of yours with an overwhelmingly excited expression. “Wait, really? Seriously?” You laugh at his excitement, nodding your head.

“Yeah. I mean, Toothless doesn’t seem to mind me that much. And,” You shrug, chuckling again, “I have to admit, you’ve got me curious.”

“Yes!” Hiccup cheered, jumping to his feet and pumping his fist in the air. “Yes, definitely! Tomorrow?” You tilt your head, consideringly, then nod.

“Sure. I’m due for a day off. Why not?”

His expression was almost more than you could take, so filled with excitement and hope and love. You wanted to grab him and hug him, wanted to take his face into your hands and press a kiss to those upturned lips, you wanted- You cut yourself off with a shake of your head, standing and facing him. He took your hands once more, staring deep into your eyes. “You won’t regret it.”

Hiccup was going to end up the death of you, you were sure of it.

TAG LIST: @lecoindetobi , @yakosobaboba ,

[oncewhenalongtimeago]

Wildflower pt 5

Pairing: Unrequited!Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III x Fem!Fiance!Reader

Words: 3,389

You spy something in the darkness. 

Tags: Mild age difference, fem!reader, heavy exposition, non-canon politics, original characters

<Previous -

The sound of water meeting water rang hollowly through the wide corridor. It was nearly met in tempo by the sound of your boots scuffing against stone, your way lit by a set of torches thrice as thick as your arm and four times the length of your head. 

You lay deep in the belly of Berk’s mountain at a depth that nearly felt equal to the highest of its peaks, reaching past the clouds with a thin rock finger.

You walked confidently, bolstered by experience and the knowing of a warrior having traveled the same path time and time again and having come out all the better for it. Despite that, the hairs on the back of your neck prickled, your neck feeling icy. 

The cold shivers that had often plagued you as a child threatened to return as you passed a gaping, light-less, uneven archway, natural, rocky spires looking a lot like jagged teeth contrasted against the awning darkness. 

That was the Thorstons’ territory. 

There was some large contention between them and the rest, what with the Thorstons being such an untrustworthy people, all of them responsible for handling all of Berks honored dead.

You couldn’t help but to find them odd.

It was nearly imperceptible at first, moving in time with your own step. Somehow, even after you stilled, the sound of footsteps did not. Sound traveled throughout the caves. It always had. It still did, peeling like the tinny creaking of wood, the deep groaning of a hollow belly. 

There was something small blinking in the darkness, shifting. 

It did not carry the awful sound of claw scraping against stone nor the sound of ever-spinning teeth and rapidly crumbling rock. It could be nothing but a man. And yet, your grip on the handle of your axe tightened.

Was it one of the Thorstons? The bulk of them spent most of their time enacting burials and spent even more time wandering in old crypts and tombs, skulking in all the great tunnels underneath Berk. The outer fringes of them and those too young to lurk so long underground spent their time wreaking havoc along the surface. It was perhaps the still air and the rotting must that must have led to their insanity and all their asinine behavior- at least, that’s what many supposed, mostly in the times they could be the least heard. It could have been merely a rumor. 

You stood stiff and grit your teeth as that small prick of light in the dark grew larger. You’d not let anyone get the jump on you, as the Thorstons tended to do to most unlucky wanderers. Admittedly, the darkness did something to foster uneasiness, to prickly something deep around your bones, where feeling was strongest.

One set of twins from the Thorston house had nearly undergone the same year of dragon-training, their father eager to be rid of them despite the fact that they were much too young for the art of battle. They had been there for a day.

Fortunately, they had been held by the laces of their waist-wraps by their mother, who pleaded to her husband for more time to let them grow and mellow- the arena was no place for baby-sitting. They had only become more reckless, something wild seeded in small hearts during that one terrifying day. They were not the sort to turn your back to- they were the sort to beat on, if you had to.

You waited, watching as soft form emerged from the darkness, a metal lantern handle grasped in one hand. It was dangerous wandering off the path with such a tiny, weak flame- she’d need more fuel soon, a new candle to keep the way lit.

It was Hilde, older sister of Fredis and daughter to Olfson Bonde. Hilde was a shy girl around your age, very clearly Ingerman, though she lacked the sharper drive and ambition for knowledge. 

Her eyes remained trained on the ground just up until the moment she reached the end of the tunnel.

“Ah,” She began timidly. It was hard to tell in the darkness, but the area just under her eyes was slightly extruded, the sides of her face looking wet and sore. She’d been crying; she was also an idiot, walking around without a weapon so deep in the tombs. 

“Off to hit the books, then?” You asked gruffly. You didn’t relax, though some of the tenseness in your arms didn’t feel as strong as it had before. 

“Ah-uhm-” She started, looking downwards.

On we go. You didn’t wait for her to finish before you turned again and started walking. Tension melted its way down your back as you kept going, though the awareness never left. 

The world grew a slight bit lighter.

It was not the natural sort of light- it was just as artificial as most of what had preceded it. Still, it marked an end. Through the darkness and past hazy grays, something else emerged- large and only just lighter than the darkness curling around you, sanded and carved and knotted at the borders in a way that made it seem as if, by some miracle of the Gods, it had merely grown from the dead rock around it.

Setting your shoulders and adjusting your burden, you headed straight ahead, reaching out and pressing a flat palm against a wide wooden door.

You turned and heaved, pushing inwards, feeling just as much give as you felt anything work in protest. You usually wouldn’t open it any more than a crack. It was a waste to press the doors open all the way, knowing that once they hit the inner walls you’d have to go about pressing them back into place.

It wasn’t just you this time, though. There was Hilde here, too.

They were heavy doors. You would have appreciated some help. It was a pity you got none. 

Generally a teary girl, she waited and wrung her hands as you finally felt the door jerk one last time before swinging open wide enough to come to a stop just before the wall.

She’d been the same way all throughout Dragon Training, just sitting around and waiting for help.

You ground your teeth.

Inside, the narrow cave walls opened up wide to reveal a hollow cavern. There was an insurmountable number of old books mounted along wooden shelves embedded into the library’s walls. It had two layers, connected by a thin wooden staircase, shelves and railings made up of a deep, dark colored wood, knobs and thick balustrade carved with a level of craftsmanship you were hard pressed to find even half-matched anywhere else on Berk.

It was much lower than it was wide, walkable enough not to pose an issue and yet with enough space to require nearly an impossible amount of care for each and every tome. Many had fallen into disrepair, not at all because of some lack of love. It was a shame that no one on Berk really read.

The only threat down here besides that of man was the threat of Whispering Deaths. While rare, they were a danger enough to have you with an axe at all times. 

The excitement was enough to nearly have you anticipating it; a risky fight to the death, a book well-read- the first rarely happened, but, well, what was the difference, really?

-

You walked past dusty shelves, not quite touching them but remembering what it felt to graze your fingers against smooth wood. 

Reading was a pastime of yours. Books of fiction were rare and valued; eddas, poems and sometimes the new, odd tale were snuck in onto the shelves by some wily author. Most of the texts here, however, were purely practical; How to fight, what to forage and how to forage it, records, the works.

You wondered if, one day, your small little cookbook might end up on the wall; if someone had picked it up, stolen it away, hoarded it for themselves- very unlikely, as you’d lost it deep in the woods. It had been a rainy, muddy day then.

You heard some shuffling from beyond the shelves, not unlike the twitching and twittering of mice. It was also something like fabric- and most probably none of your business. 

“-Got no fuel.” You caught the end of it, something old and gruff and rasping. 

It was a bastard from Ingerman house whose father was a meathead who managed the old tomes. He couldn’t ever have been accepted anywhere decent, hidden away in the darkness with knobbly fingers and knees, old wrinkling skin and a long mustache. 

He managed all the books sequestered away in the bowels of the Great Hall -who had them and otherwise- past winding passages and other things. 

“Oh, but it’s awfully frightening, isn’t it?” She pleaded. Your eyes threatened to roll at the sound of her voice, “If you’ve got just some to spare-?”

You weren’t sure exactly how long you’d been under the mountain, but it was still well lit. You knew that the Librarian replaced the candles inside the Library once every day in the mornings, which was a very sordid and lengthy affair. 

It took them until half a day to flicker out one-by-one down the library halls, so it couldn’t have been any later than midday- she’d have no need of any fuel unless she wanted to wander off the paths, but that was both her own prerogative; her own sordid responsibility to bear and to prepare for.

“You’ll have to settle like the rest of ‘em. With the…” He grunted, looking quite intensely annoyed, pale eyes flickering, “Torches.” 

It was very likely he had none he was, well, willing to spare. You knew he usually kept some for himself back behind the desk. 

You also knew he’d be able to make his way up from the Library’s belly in the pitch darkness. It was something about his nearly milky white eyes that guranteed it, you were sure. It was for that same reason he kept the passageways dim- the brights were painful to look at and he had all the passageways memorized just fine anyways.

“But-but-”

“Get on!” He said suddenly and quite loudly, seeming as if, in that moment, Hilde had worn out all his goodwill, “Always-Always-Always! Always takin’ my pens, my paper- not my candles! Stay away from my candles!”

”-But I need them.”

“And you’ll need my helmet too, then, won’t you?! Should I jus’ give any ol’ one of yeh's my worldy possessions any time you ask, eh?!”

Hidle yelped in response, sounding quite pitiful, shooting him a glance that was both wounded and offended.

Privately, you would admit that you didn’t think too highly of him either. Of course, it was the folly of anyone who thought themselves better to always fall in last and neither his complaints or musings had ever reached past the surface level.  

As the sole carer of all the books and tomes sitting under Berk, his superiority complex devalued the arts he loved so much in the eyes of all. You didn’t mind all of it most times though, most particularly because his biases made him quite easy to please.

You didn’t mind them much. You had your own set-up to tend to- some kindly pile of books and scrolls settled atop an old brown table. 

You let a thin, wooden container fall from your hands with an easy tap, the sound muffled by the layers of parchment already darning the tabletop. Your fingertips grazed lightly over the frayed, burned edges of a book, giving it one last once-over before you closed it with gentle hands, pulling out a chair with your ankle. It hooked around one leg as you settled back down, tucking yourself in quite nicely. 

In the records, you found nothing besides the usual discrepancies. You had very little to work with, but, well if you’d really cared for the conflict, you would have stayed by the Chief.

The Jorgenson head was a bastard child. A man from the Haddock clan, now long deceased -an uncle of your betrothed’s father- had bedded one of the Jorgenson’s women, their affair just barely hidden under the dark of night and only a thin guise of secrecy. She had been the sister of the head or a cousin or some other such thing. 

If the stories were to be believed, the Jorgensons had already been most prone to things like preening and blustering and roaring. With the birth of Spitelout’s son, who was spoilt and bulky and reckless as the rest of them, their wild behavior had only gotten worse. The reports told you so.

 You had to do some reading between the lines, eyeing records of birth and some council scribblings, which hadn’t at all been particularly well-taken. To your benefit, the families kept their most important records to themselves.

You frowned with some displeasure, holding back a displeased sigh, cloth shuffling over wood by your side.

You hadn’t been snuck up on- it was quite the opposite. You were much too aware of her as she settled beside you, fidgety. 

You didn’t grace her with a glance and yet you could tell she was watching you anyways. It was the force of her eyes that had done it; eyes that felt like the legs of a million pairs, all belonging to one long, buggy body. You felt that it annoyed you perhaps even more so than it had annoyed the librarian. 

You knew she was hoping to come up with you. Unfortunately for her, if there was one thing you loathed even more than petty arguments, it was company... Hers most of all.

She was plushy and gentle in nature as if she’d been born to be a mother, yet at merely enough winters to match Arne, she was surely unready to bear the life, her thoughts still too malleable, mind easily swept away by the currents of strong personality and opinion. 

She knew not so much of diction or lawspeak, having lived a life pressured to show loyalty to a clan she’d probably never once been considered by. She was naught but a small, carved piece, moved by the unfeeling, gargantuan hand of her ancestors’ player in this very large game. 

Some might have considered her a good wife or a kind companion- you thought her a pest.

“Take your hands off the tome.” You snipped roughly at the sound of shifting leather, “You’ll dirty it.”

Truthfully, some parts of the dragon are edible. 

Dragons can be prepared during times when too much food has been stolen and the air is tense. To its detriment, the meat is difficult to harvest, tough and light with little substance- at worst, it can make even the most hardy Viking easily sick, and at best, it makes great efforts to steal space in the stomach preferably used to harbor better things.

While most find it distasteful, for some, it can make quite the decent traditional meal-

You read the same line over and over, furrowing your brows as Hilde’s harassment of the librarian became her harassment of you.

“He likes Bjorner an awful lot,” Hidle said reservedly, displeased. 

You raised a brow, slightly surprised as you flipped pages- the Librarians didn’t seem to be the type to dish out praise to anyone. Bjorner didn’t seem to be the type to enjoy such pastimes, either.

She shifted in her seat again, brushing against the loose ends of scrolls and papers peeking over the side of the desk.

“What is it?” You asked suddenly, irritatedly.

“It’s-“ she started, quite timidly, “it’s a bit about wood. Some land. We lost the deed- a deed. It was- it was damaged in the raid.”

You rolled your eyes. ‘We’ was a strong word- she was barely a member of her house. “And you’re getting married in order to secure the land, because someone else’s put a claim on it. Yes?”

“Yes.” Hilde nodded tersely, muttering, “But I- uh, uhm.”

You grunted, returning your gaze back on to your hands.

Things like this happened all the time. Raids were chaotic. It was very easy to steal and to sabotage and to rob. It was a pastime of some people, which you thought to be a poor substitute for the raids of old.

Individual property was very difficult to maintain what with all the burning; it was a generally accepted rule that you got to keep nothing but the men at your back in battle. Power was in the plain and the easily accessible- whoever hoarded those had the most sway. In that sense, your relationships were your most valued possessions, for who else would have a vested interest in protecting your shared goods besides those with a claim?

“What?” You asked incredulously, “You want me to come to the wedding?”

“Ah! No, no, please- my father’s off at sea, so I can't get married now, really, but you-you’re the Chief's girl. You’ve got to be able to do something.” She pleaded, before adding hesitantly, “To stop it.”

“Chief’s girl?” You raised a brow at her.

“Well- well, you will be.”

You wanted to do something again, but you’d exhausted your list of things to roll, ways to excuse her brashness without excusing yourself.

She was deluded if she thought Hiccup was going to be Chief. She was the only one in the world who did. Not even his father himself had ever considered the thought.

Really, you were as much of a Haddock as she wasn’t a Bonde- of course, she would be losing the name soon. Knowing the Jorgensons -and all the clans, really, but they were surely the worst- if it all came to fruition, it would happen as soon as possible. Of course, once it did, she would be with child sooner than not, which would be quite unfortunate. But that was life

She was a few winters older than you- older by three, if you’d cared enough to count, so her partner could be no less than Jorvik. Older brother of Jorunn, a Jorgenson who was also a male of your year.

“Well, he’s handsome- You like him well enough, don’t you?” You asked, looking back down at your tome.

Jorvik was pleasant enough, if not a bit terse.

He had a flowing, short mop of dark hair and a well-muscled body. He was an honorable, avid warrior, and did very well during the raids though he cared not for the matters of the home, so if Hilde was to manage both the home and her in-laws, she would be very sorely alone- they would surely be the pair to be matched. They were the obvious one. He was dashing enough in personality for a Jorgenson if not a bit ugly in face, and so you were sure she’d have had a preference for him anyways.

“I-I-I- But there has to be something.” Hilde exclaimed, blushing blotchily, as if she really did think you might have known how to get out of things like marriage, and promises, and other such obligations. “I-I- Don’t want- I mean, I’ve tried to ad-dress the council-”

“No.” You said tersely. If this waa the one thing she’d ever decided to have a spine about, you’d rather she never have one at all, ever again.

The privilege of having choices- You looked at her, rather unimpressed. You’d never been offered the same courtesy, after all. Why should she be?

“It’s- I’m sure it has to do something with Grom Halfdan and his will, you see.” Hilde continued hesitantly after another moment of silence. “With the, uhm-”

“He keeps his spare candles under the desk, third drawer. You might be able to use it to find- Well, the Librarians keeps a record of all the wills and things, you see.” You suggested to her tersely. “Go off and find it for me, will you?” 

“Oh!” She said, sounding quite pleased with herself. It didn’t take long- she hurriedly moved to comply, pushing away from the table and whisking herself away.

You waited for a moment, until the sound of her shuffling became faint in the dark of the library then quickly picked up your axe and left.

You had no time for clingy, distraught girls.

[yellow-faerie]

Houses on Berk

OK so I've been wanting to do a series of posts, of sorts, that outlines what we canonically know about each house of Berk, and then go into my own headcanons for how houses and families work.

This is basically going to be an overview post, going over various rites of passage within Berk and what houses there canonically are. This is really for anyone who wants to use it as I'll be adding links to all these posts to the fanwiki.

I'll be putting everything under the cut to make sure it doesn't clog up anyone's dash :)

What known houses are there?

Stated as houses we have:

House Haddock - Wiki Link - Post Link

House Hofferson - Wiki Link - Post Link

House Ingerman - Wiki Link - Post Link

House Jorgenson - Wiki Link - Post Link

House Thorston - Wiki Link - Post Link

House Larson - Wiki Link - Post Link

To my understanding, house names are surnames and you would might move houses if you got married when you changed your name. The only other mentioned surname I can find for a character placed on Berk is Hardacre which is in reference to a character who appears once in the comics. Because of this, I like to include House Hardacre as another house when I want to and sometimes put some other named characters in it [Wiki Link - Post Link].

I do have a few other houses that are entirely headcanon:

House Witchwood - Gothi's House - Post Link

House Broksen - Gobber's House - Post Link

House Eretson - Eret's House - Post Link

House Hartwell - Valka's House Pre-Marriage - Post Link

And then some honorary, non-Berk houses, as I am a firm believer in the house system being widely used throughout the archipelago:

House Grimborn - Wiki Link - Post Link

House Beserk - Dagur and Heather's House - Post Link

Why do some people use their house as a surname and some people don't?

There are going to be Doylist explanations for why, I'm sure, but here's my Watsonian one (with a healthy dose of headcanon):

So in the case of a lot of minor characters, they do have surnames, we just don't ever hear about them because the characters are so minor it doesn't matter.

I'd say the most likely explanation is that epithets are considered more important than surnames. Surnames (or house names) are sort of a placeholder for a future epithet [think Phlegma the Fierce] or title [think Silent Sven]. I imagine that if someone overlapped with names and epithets/titles, you would stick of House X on the end.

I don't necessarily think that this House system is a Berk only system, mostly because my idea of the History of Berk (and my film variants of Hiccup I and II).

What is the purpose of a House?

Politics, mostly. The heads of each of the houses will have a say at Berk's meetings - such as the one we saw in the Great Hall in the first film, discussing the search for the nest - and would have priority to speak over the rest of the people at the meeting.

If your house is better beloved and more powerful (have control over resources, land, etc.) then you are going to be able to speak more freely at these sorts of things as no-one wants to be the person who spoke over you.

It's also a way for the chief to maintain order. It's far easier for them to have about thirty/forty people (I haven't yet decided what number of houses is reasonable) to keep order within their own house and the different branches.

Inter-house marriages would probably not be entirely weird either as houses are like very widely spread. After four hundred years, you're going to end up with a house that has a lot of branches that are really not so genetically similar anymore (the exception to this is probably the Thorston's which I'll get into in that post).

I don't like to think about it too much because it is a little bit weird but there doesn't seem to be much immigration and emmigration on Berk, so I'm just imagining that this is just a thing that happened and felt it was probably worth mentioning.

Houses also tend to have traditional roles within them beyond being a warrior (you would have the warriors of the house and also those going for a more traditional role) - for example, the Hoffersons are traditionally tailors and work with fabric; the Jorgensons are hunters; the Ingermans are historians and bookkeepers; the Thorstons are devotees (devote themselves to the gods, although it tends to be different for each Thorston); etc, etc.

Rites of Passage

This is just a general section on Rites of Passage that may change between houses or may be consistent. I can think of four that have been mentioned in canon:

Naming

Coming of Age

Marriage

Funeral

My headcanons for this is that all rites of passage (apart from coming of age) can be done by the Chief, the Village Wise Woman and the Head of the house (or a proxy) of whoever is doing the rite of passage. There also appears to be a need for witnesses, since Gobber accompanied Agnut when she went to do the twins' coming of age.

Naming

Naming in the films and shows is shown to have been done by the chief (as in A Viking For Hire) and chosen by the parents (I believe it's mentioned throughout the show that parents had chosen names). A Viking For Hire also shows that the name the parents chose is more like a consideration for the person doing the Naming as Gobber decides to use a different name - not sure how appreciated that was.

This is so that there are options - if you are Stoick, you can't ask either the Chief or the Head of your house to do the naming as you are both, so you can then either have a proxy or have Gothi do it (my headcanon here is that Gothi named Hiccup using Prophecy because Stoick and Valka were struggling with a name).

It also means that you can have the ceremony as big or as small as you want - if the chief does the naming, it's probably going to happen in the Great Hall so there would be large crowds, but if the Village Wise Woman did it, it would be in her poky little hut up on the mountain so barely any people at all.

Coming of Age

I think there are two mentions of coming of age ceremonies in the shows - there's the Thorston Induction and there's Snotlout's own coming of age.

The Coming of Age is the one that is really house dependent and so my headcanon is that it can only be done by the head of the house or a proxy (but needs to be witnessed by the chief or the wise woman or another member assigned by them, hence Gobber coming with Agnut for the twins' initiation test).

I think it needs not be said that killing a bear at nine months is nigh on impossible for even the greatest of the Jorgensons, although their initiation is something similar (due to their whole hunting thing going on) but it's more like hunting a bear at thirteen which is a much more reasonable age to go bear hunting.

Each coming of age ceremony/rite of initiation really depends upon the historical context of their trade, and some houses are more about doing tasks to prove yourself and some are more symbolical welcoming you into the house once you turn into an adult in their eyes.

Weddings/Union Ceremonies

Weddings!! We all love them.

There are only two that we really see/hear about in any detail (that I can remember anyway) - the Hofferson/Jorgenson marriage that fell through, and the Hiccstrid marriage in the third film. Here is what I can gather from those:

There are ceremonial items for each house that are somehow used (think, the Jorgenson Axe) - I imagine that these are probably used in coming of age ceremonies as well as they're symbols of the house

Weddings can be political as there are things exchanged (think the hundreds of boars (???) Spitelout had) - possibly just a bride price but I like to believe that the Vikings exchange resources both ways and often the gifts are more from each house to the newly weds as they set up their new life

There are three parts to the actual ceremony - the Feast, the Vows/Union Words and the Dance. The Feast appears to be before the vows (or, at least, Fishlegs did it before the vow for shits and giggles) but I'm putting it after because it's Vikings, they probably feast well into the night. The Union words probably change between couples, the ones Fishlegs chose being very very old and traditional and newer ones involving a bit more participation from people in the Union. And the dance is just kinda some fun, I don't have much for that other than that Vikings are always up for a good party.

The Bride and Groom traditionally wear white or creams (at least pale colours, possibly using undyed fabric - I like the idea of undyed fabric as if it's to signify the start of something new)

There is a Berk Officiator - this one I take with a pinch of salt. I much prefer the idea of it being the chief, the wise woman or the head of the house that the married couple is joining that does the ceremony just because of stuff I've previously established, but I did create a Berk Officiator for the sole purpose of the Hiccstrid Accidental Marriage AU

Other marriage traditions change depending on what I'm writing but I usually take historical or quasi-historical influences for marriage headcanons here.

Funerals

And then, Funerals. We have a few examples of funerals - Stoick's being a big example, but also a few others. This is the only rite that I could find a wiki page for (as seen here).

Between each, the eulogies slightly differ which I imagine is due to each house having their own slightly different words. I also can't work out if the vikings of the HTTYD world only believe in Valhalla (and maybe Hel), or if we only see the funerals of people they consider fallen warriors.

Again, under normal circumstances, it's probably done by head of the house, chief, wise woman, etc - it's probably done by Gobber for Stoick because it's such a small funeral and Hiccup has literally just lost him.

Final Thoughts

So, this is the first post in what I'm hoping is going to be a series, we shall see if I manage to keep the momentum up. I have all the thoughts but getting them onto paper takes Time.

I'll be adding the links to posts when I make the posts and hopefully because this is under the readmore it should update even with reblogs.

And yeah! That's pretty much it - I might also make some history posts at some time in the future about Hiccup I and Hiccup II, and the Wilderwest and the Dragon Eye (and the tribe before the dragon hunters). If I do that I'll probably add some links for them down here.

[usagirln120]

Fishlegs Ingerman: Hogwarts AU

Fishlegs Ingerman is a Muggleborn wizard that was born on the 20th of September 1980 and started attending Hogwarts on the 1st of September 1992, being sorted into Ravenclaw House.

He didn't have many friends before he started attending Hogwarts due to his weight and even after he started at Hogwarts, he didn't have any friends but he was friendly with Hiccup who he often studied with in the common room.

He mostly spend all of his time either studying or helping Professor Eberwolf with the magical beasts at the sanctuary in the Forbidden Forest.

He never actually didn't get any real friends until he became a member of Makarov's Army in his Fourth year when he and Hiccup became real friends and also meeting Astrid, Snotlout, Ruffnut, Tuffnut, and Heather there as well.

He wasn't supposed to follow along on the horcrux hunt at first due to being a year under but when Heather was capture by Death Eaters due to her brother's betrayal, he and the twins decided to tag along either way.

Which proved to be a good thing when the Muggleborn Registration appeared just a few days after they went on the run.

They eventually returned to Hogwarts to participate in the Battle of Hogwarts which he and all of his friends survived.

After the battle, he finished his final year at Hogwarts before he started working at the same Dragon Reservation as Hiccup and his sister, he also got married to Heather but they eventually divorced after the birth of their daughter but they still remained close friends with Heather eventually becoming the god-mother of his and Ruffnut's, who he later re-married, twin boys.

He has a Poplar wand with a Unicorn Hair core.

His Patronus is a Swedish Shortsnout.

His favorite subjects are Care of Magical Creatures and Charms.

His least favorite subjects are Defense Against the Dark Arts and Flying.

[lifblogs]

Feedback Fest 2024!

1. Intersections by Caedus501

Fandom: Star Wars: Rogue One Rating: Teen and Up Audiences Pairing: Cassian Andor/Jyn Erso Word Count: 138,967 Works: 6 WARNINGS: Graphic Depictions of Violence Dawn of Fate Summary: Jyn is a slicer making a living in the fringes of space. Cassian is a Rebel spy doing what he can to give the Rebellion an edge in the ongoing war. The two unknowingly meet each other a couple years before the events of Rogue One and are forced to rely on one another to evade the Empire. Running With the Rebel Summary: Jyn Erso is now making her living smuggling contraband throughout the galaxy. Cassian Andor is undercover in the Imperial Navy. When Jyn is asked to help an Imperial Lieutenant who may be more than he appears to steal coveted resources from the Empire, she is given no choice but to agree to lend her skills to the heist. A pre-Rogue One story. Against the Odds Summary: Jyn Erso is trying to stay one step ahead of everyone trying to find her by moving from planet to planet. Cassian Andor trying to track down not only Jyn and Galen Erso, but a weapon with terrifying potential. Based on a tip, the two meet just once more before the events of Rogue One shape both their destinies and the future of the Rebellion. Choices and Consequences Summary: A moment during the action of Rogue One that explores how events might have unfolded if Jyn and Cassian had indeed known each other prior to being forced together for a mission to Jedha. The Effects of Trust Summary: Jyn has a sudden realization that changes everything. Cassian decides to trust the woman fighting beside him and together, backed by a small band of Rebel soldiers, they take on the Citadel Tower on Scarif. Everything in its Place Summary: Jyn and Cassian must rely on one another to escape the Empire and other dangers in the wake of the Battle of Scarif. WHY I LOVE IT: I love this for the graphic depictions of violence. This takes characters I love and gets into the nitty gritty of their lives before their movie in a way that feels so canon. It’s like further experiencing the side of Star Wars we saw in Rogue One, and even what we saw in Andor before Andor was ever thought of. And on top of that I was pleasantly surprised by the fact that this turned into a fix-it fic where Jyn and Cassian live. If I remember correctly the author was surprised too. This is such a thrilling story with so many stakes. There aren’t any chapters with each part, and yes, some are almost novel length, but this writer makes it easy to keep scrolling and reading. It’s like a gritty spy/action movie where the romantic leads keep dancing around each other.

2. Infernal Fascination by evilwriter37 @evilwriter37

Fandom: How to Train Your Dragon/Race to the Edge Rating: Explicit Pairings: Hiccup Haddock/Astrid Hofferson, Dagur the Deranged/Hiccup Haddock, Heather/Astrid Hofferson, Hiccup Haddock/OC, Hiccup Haddock/Heather/Astrid Hofferson, Hiccup Haddock/Fishlegs Ingerman, Hiccup Haddock/Fishlegs Ingerman/Astrid Hofferson, Past Dagur the Deranged/Heather, Hiccup Haddock/Viggo Grimborn Rating: Explicit Word Count: 470,811 Chapters: 120 WARNINGS: Graphic Depictions of Violence, Rape/Non-con, Incest Summary: Takes place after the events of "Maces and Talons." Hiccup is captured by Dagur the Deranged, who wants nothing more than to call the Dragon Rider his own. This reignites the war between Berk and the Berserkers, while the war with Viggo Grimborn and his Dragon Hunters is only just starting. Iconic beginning author's note: "My hand slipped." WHY I LOVE IT: What’s not to love? Okay, I mean if you don’t like the warnings, don’t read. So now we’re past that, and I repeat: what’s not to love? I am here for the Game of Thrones version of How to Train Your Dragon (but better), okay? I need that Dagur that’s basically canon and would win in a staring contest against Ramsay fucking Bolton. Give me the violence, give me the gore, give me the angst. This fic can be described in a few words: epic, and messed up. So basically, I’m in love. Everyone is written so well, nothing’s out of character! (Unless you skip to, I don’t know, chapter 80, and check in on how Hiccup’s doing then because, well… That’s barely Hiccup anymore!) That’s right! This man gets broken. And not just instantly. This fic is in it for the long haul. This is a breaking that takes time, and it actually breaks the readers too. (Please never ask me about the OC Bryn. She’s wonderful. It’ll always be too soon.) Well-written, well-plotted, put together by a mad freakin’ genius. This fic will change your life, and guess what? The ending is happy. *mic drop*

3. Red Hot Chili Professors by whelvenwings

Fandom: Supernatural Rating: General Audiences Pairing: Castiel/Dean Winchester Word Count: 25,297 Chapters: 10 WARNINGS: No Archive Warnings Apply Summary: Dean's doing fine. He's always late for work, he's not taking care of himself, and he isn't planning on changing that - but seriously, he's fine. Except for one thing: someone's brought back the chili pepper rating system for all of the professors on campus, and Dean isn't rated the hottest. It's Castiel Novak, the guy who's always walking around in terrible sweater vests, who's got the full ten chilis - and that's something Dean does plan to change. WHY I LOVE IT: I haven't read this in a bit, but I remember the absolute joy this brought to me. Dean's POV is so silly in the beginning that I was laughing out loud at 5 in the morning. I love seeing how he and Cas get together in this, and the rating system is such an amusing sort of backdrop for all of this, and it and Cas being a bit of the antagonist is fantastic. Also, Cas in sweater vests. Need I say more? An absolutely enjoyable read. I read it all in one go, and I'll do it again!

4. Whitechapel by BeesAreAwesome

Fandom: Supernatural Rating: Mature Pairing: Castiel/Dean Winchester, Amelia Richardson/Sam Winchester Word Count: 46,051 Chapters: 8 WARNINGS: Graphic Depictions of Violence, Major Character Death Summary: Chaos reigns in the streets DI Winchester has sworn to protect. A series of murders have arisen out of the poverty and desperation of the East End slums, and it is his task to hunt the man responsible. His brother Samuel, a notable psychiatrist at Bedlam Hospital, and Castiel, the precinct's surgeon, are always at his side to lend a hand. Between Dean's altruism, Castiel's cleverness, and Sam's attention to detail, they're certain they can catch the killer at large. But each man has his own twisting darkness within him. Tension rises quickly as they spiral out of control and the body count continues to rise. No one can be truly certain that each man is innocent, nor whom they can trust. WHY I LOVE IT: This story really flings you into the setting of 1800s London. There's no doubt you're there. From the description, to the colloquialisms, the clothing, the mindsets and culture—you're there, no questions asked. I didn't realize I'd love a Supernatural AU like this, but I couldn't stop reading! I love how dark and gritty it is, I love the twists, I love just how dramatic it all gets. This is a fic worth reading, and then re-reaading.

5. In Me by paintitb1ack

Fandom: Supernatural Rating: Explicit Pairing: Lucifer/Sam Winchester, Non-consensual Pairings (the fic isn't tagged like this, but I want to be accurate) Word Count: 38,810 Works: 3 WARNINGS: Rape/Non-con, Graphic Depictions of Violence Things Unseen Summary: So, Sam is being plagued by Lucifer. Again. And why write a fix-it fic when we could write something far more devastating? (Setting: Post "Into the Mystic") Living Large Summary: Lucifer!Cas has transported himself and Sam Winchester topside. The archangel is furious with Sam's physical attacks and refusal to say "yes" so, with his boy's greatest fears in mind, he prepares to give him absolute hell. Meanwhile, Dean switches gears from locating Amara to finding Sam. Drafted Summary: Broken, Sam Winchester allows Lucifer to possess him. The archangel is absolutely delighted, and decides to spend as much time as possible wreaking havoc among humans. Back at the bunker and expecting the search to be difficult, Dean reluctantly teams up with Cas and Crowley to hunt Sam Down. Fortunately (and unfortunately), he is wrong. Sam is very easy to spot, what with his face being plastered all over the news after a few violent escapades. Lucifer and Sam end up on the run with not only Dean, Cas, and Crowley on their tails, but the police as well. If only the archangel hadn't been so keen on getting himself on the FBI's Most Wanted List. WHY I LOVE IT: So this series has been abandoned, and I don't think this writer writes at all anymore (I just hope they're okay!), but I think this is still worth getting into. Every chapter is such a rush. They fly by. They're so messed up. Every chapter is shocking, and devilishly (haha) fun. This was one of the first Sam and Lucifer fics I read, and I am so glad I found it in the first place.

6. Lionheart by paintitb1ack

Fandom: Supernatural Rating: Explicit Pairing: Lucifer/Sam Winchester, Non-consensual Pairings (again, not how it's tagged, but this is true to the story) Word Count: 65,072 Works: 2 WARNINGS: Rape/Non-con, Graphic Depictions of Violence, Major Character Death Consequences Summary: So Crowley decided to imprison an archangel in his basement. I think you know what happens next. The Arsonist Summary: Sam and Lucifer are dead, and Dean bringing the former back could mean bringing the latter back as well. Unfortunately for the rest of the world, Dean decides that he doesn't care. But when Sam is resurrected, it's clear that something is wrong with him. Something happened while he was dead, something that changed him into someone who is nearly as difficult to deal with as Lucifer. Now with two big problems on their hands, Dean, Cas, and a few of their friends (and enemies) must try to find a way to set it all right. WHY I LOVE IT: This right here is on my list of favorite Sam/Lucifer fics. I adore it. It is so sick, and twisted, and in the best way. The plot progression is fantastic. I love how everyone's flaws are being used against them, or is driving different parts of the narrative. Again, unfortunately, this one is also unfinished, but I remember having the absolute time of my life reading this. Wherever the author is, I hope they're okay, and I hope they know that their fics are still loved. This was a bit like a welcome into the fandom for me, along with the series above this one. I think I'll cherish them in all their dark glory, always.

7. Not So Stoic by evilwriter37 @evilwriter37

Fandom: How to Train Your Dragon/Race to the Edge Rating: Explicit Pairing: Viggo Grimborn/Hiccup Haddock, Viggo Grimborn/Astrid Hofferson, Hiccup Haddock/Astrid Hofferson Word Count: 181,184 Chapters: 54 WARNINGS: Graphic Depictions of Violence, Rape/Non-con Summary: Hiccup is on Berk recovering from drowning, and Viggo uses the sleep-deprivation caused from the Midnight Sun to attack. Without help from the Dragon Riders and with Hiccup still weak, Berk is taken. Upon their attempted rescue, some of the Dragon Riders are captured, giving Viggo more pieces to his game of thrones, heirs, and suffering. WHY I LOVE IT: Another masterpiece from my brother! More grimdark How to Train Your Dragon/Race to the Edge for all those who want it! The often-implied darkness in the show is fully used in this story, turning it into something even more dark, graphic, adult, and incredibly emotional. I cried so many times reading this, I believe. There is one chapter that still haunts me to this day. I probably think about it once a week. After I read it my first thought was, "GRRM wishes!" If you want broken characters, love persevering, angst, and feeling what it'd be like to be in this fantasy setting under a conqueror, then this is the fic for you! Often, it is not just the great writing of the villain that brings this piece together, but the great writing of our heroes as well. You will not be stoic reading this.

8. A Thousand Lives by pretchatta

Fandom: Star Wars: Rebels Rating: Mature Pairing: Kanan Jarrus/Hera Syndulla Word Count: 64,725 Chapters: 18 WARNINGS: Graphic Depictions of Violence Summary: A thousand lives; a thousand loves; two souls. They always find each other, lifetime after lifetime, until they start to remember their past lives in dreams that fade as soon as they wake. They are soulmates in every sense. Kanan is an Inquisitor, working with the ISB to capture a Force-sensitive boy who is being kept out of his reach by a troublesome rebel cell. They're infuriating; every time he gets near the boy there's something about the cell's leader that always knocks him off-balance. It's almost like she's... familiar, somehow. Hera is a fighter, working with the mysterious Fulcrum to protect the newest member of her crew from the dark servant of the Empire who hunts them. He's relentless, but every time he finds them there's something she can't quite place about him. It's almost like he's... wrong, somehow. The hunt is on, but it can only last so long. The Ghost crew will need to find help from across the galaxy to stay ahead of the Inquisitor but Kanan has a few tricks of his own. WHY I LOVE IT: I will be honest that for some reason I procrastinated reading this fic, but once I truly started I stayed up all night reading it. It occupied so much of my time until I was done. It had a grip on me that just wouldn't let up. If you're looking to lose sleep, this is the fic for you! In all seriousness, I love the implication that in every universe, no matter what, Kanan and Hera will be together. I adore that each chapter has an epigraph, mostly of other fics. So not only is there a look into a different universe, a tone to set each chapter, but it is a celebration of fandom by connecting it to other writing. I love that. I love that this is a story that loves stories. It's exciting, and the enemies-to-lovers "will they, won't they" is great. Like, we know they're going to be together. The other universes say so, but that doesn't mean finding out how isn't an interesting read! Also, haven't we all fantasized about evil Kanan? I mean, come on. I think Star Wars thrives when it comes to evil AUs, and this one's no different.

9. Undercover by Loth-Cat (Starbird)

Fandom: Star Wars: Rebels Rating: Mature Pairing: Ezra Bridger/Sabine Wren Word Count: 24,996 Chapters: 12 WARNINGS: No Archive Warnings Apply Summary: To preserve their cover on an Imperial planet, Sabine and Ezra have to put themselves in a very awkward situation. Dealing with it afterward, though, is much, much worse. WHY I LOVE IT: Do you like spies and secret missions and rebellions? Do you like fake dating? Do you like undercover missions where they can hardly break character for fear of being discovered? Throw in some romance, and then this is for you. I will admit I'm not caught up, but when I discovered this fic I ate it up. I loved it so much it inspired me to even write a one-shot (but that's another story [pun not intended]). I adore Ezra and Sabine, and I adore Sabezra. Seeing them put into this situation is fantastic. I also love that they are being treated as adults who can hold their own against the Empire. This one is a bit of a slow-burn, and it's really perfect because it just fits Sabezra so well here. After all, it took a bit for Ezra’s crush in canon to fade, and then turn into something deeper. I think this author really understands these characters, and they are so kind too! (Yes, we've spoken, and I love them, ngl.) Perfect fic. No notes.

10. Post-Vacuum Calamity written by sp8ce @rockstarsatan

Fandom: Supernatural Rating: Mature Pairing: Lucifer/Sam Winchester, Non-consensual Pairing Word Count: 34,458 Works: 7 WARNINGS: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings It'll Last Longer Summary: While vessel hopping after Vince Vincente, Lucifer calls Sam up as he realizes that, on top of being a way to torment Sam, threatening violence against others is more leverage against Sam now that they're both out of the Cage. Sam receives a call from Lucifer. He's not doing so well. On Your Marks Summary: Lucifer continues to threaten violence against others as a means of controlling Sam. Sam's still not doing so well. Second Skin Summary: Lucifer frames manipulating Sam through threats of violence as a win and continues to use that leverage as a way to control Sam. Sam is trapped with no power and little autonomy trying to make sure he can successfully keep Lucifer placated. Down a Stream: Gravity Summary: Scared of what Lucifer will do if he declines, Sam meets up with Lucifer as instructed. Utilitarian (If It...) Summary: Sam feels culpable regarding the abuse Lucifer is putting him through. Into The Fossilised Liquid Sunset Summary: Sam comes to a realization and shatters the existing dynamic that Lucifer has cultivated. Hanging From A Telephone Wire Summary: What Lucifer makes Sam do to himself gets increasingly violent. WHY I LOVE IT: I remember reading this series right as it started, and then I unfortunately didn't keep up with it. When I tried coming up with 10 fics to share with you today and came up short I thought of this one, remembering how good it was, and how much fun I had with it (evil fun, mind you), so I found the series, and binged it in less than 24 hours. I was dying to have this on this list, to have this writer on this list. One of my favorite Sam and Lucifer fics to date! It is messed up in a way that I personally couldn't have come up with, and if you have read any of my works, then you know that's saying something. What this writer also adds to the Sam and Lucifer relationship is a poetic way of describing things. I know this writer (heck, my friend, they're my friend) wants to be a song writer, and it's evident in the descriptions of how Sam feels. Somehow that just makes things so visceral. Not going to lie, it is hard to get me to feel disgust while reading Sam and Lucifer because usually I'm over there laughing maniacally or something, but this series does it! And of course, I love it. I love how Sam is the only POV character as well. It really makes you feel stuck in his head, stuck with Lucifer, just like he is. It makes you wonder what the other characters are thinking and doing, but in such a way that you recognize that world has fallen away for Sam and is no longer important. Lucifer is. I also love how in this modern fic writing age that there isn't any therapy kind of talk or anything. Sam twists and twists his own identity in so many ways that the reader will know are wrong and harmful, but Sam doesn't. Sam believes all of it, and you have to sit there, and read this pain. It is enjoyable in a way that's hard to describe. I do think one of my comments mentioned I was over there frothing at the mouth. This is such a quick read too despite being a novella, so far. What a great series!

Honorable Mention

Beneath by ninepen

Fandom: MCU, Thor Rating: Teen Pairing: Some Thor/Jane Foster, and some Loki/Jane Foster Word Count: 1,807,000 Chapters: 230 Summary: Loki sits in a prison cell and waits to hear his fate. If luck turns his way, that fate could provide him with another opportunity to finally earn the respect, admiration, and power he covets. He doesn't dare dream he could return to Midgard. There he's met a number of people of interest... but there is only one he's vowed to visit. If Loki fails again, does another abyss await him? WHY I LOVE IT: To start off, this is an honorable mention because it's not on AO3. Unfortunately it's on ff.net. Yeah, yeah, I know, but this is one of the greatest fanfics I have ever read, and probably one of the greatest writing undertakings in the MCU, or fanfic community at large. It's detailed and expansive, reminiscent of the writing styles of the massive 14-book fantasy series The Wheel of Time. I have been reading this since 2012, though I haven't read it and caught up lately (yes, as far as I know, this is still going). The attention to detail is in everything, from characters, and clothing, and setting, to science and research. As a physics nerd, I'm incredibly impressed. Loki and Jane have an enemies-to...something slow burn in this, and it lets us see Loki in such an intricate light; the intricate light that he deserves. Every second in this story it is easy to picture Tom Hiddleston doing these actions and saying these lines. I also love Thor in this. This writer understands Thor. He's smart, just not Loki-smart, but really, who is? Thor leads Asgard in a war against most of the 9 realms. That's right, there is a massive war in this. This is like reading a 5-star published sci-fi/fantasy series. Nothing is left off, nothing is veered away from. This fic is surely one of the greatest of all time.

[ao3feed-hijack]

The Group Chat is for Roasting

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/5ehqTVt

by ThatAwkwardFaeNerd

Jack and Hiccup’s friends never let them get away with anything.

Or: a chat fic detailing some of the chaos that happened between meeting and hatching the egg.

Words: 9020, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Series: Part 3 of Dragon Babies and Other Unexpected Acquisitions

Fandoms: How to Train Your Dragon (Movies), Rise of the Guardians (2012)

Rating: Not Rated

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: M/M

Characters: Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, Jack Frost (Guardians of Childhood), Toothiana (Guardians of Childhood), E. Aster Bunnymund, Nicholas St. North, Sanderson Mansnoozie, Pitch Black (Guardians of Childhood), Astrid Hofferson, Ruffnut Thorston, Tuffnut Thorston, Snotlout Jorgenson, Fishlegs Ingerman, Heather (How to Train Your Dragon), Dagur the Deranged, Eret (How to Train Your Dragon), Jack's Sister (Rise of the Guardians), Parent Original Characters

Relationships: Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III/Jack Frost (Guardians of Childhood)

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Urban Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Modern with Magic, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Dragons, Influencer AU, Alternate Universe - Twitch Streamers, Texting, Chatting & Messaging, Social Media, YouTube, Memes, Hijinks & Shenanigans, chat fic, Shit goes viral

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/5ehqTVt

[reviewinghiccup]

NEW BERK | HTTYD FAN-FICTION

NEW BERK: A FAN-FICTION SERIES

Title: Your Life is Made Up of The Everyday

Characters: Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, Astrid Haddock, Fishlegs Ingerman, Snotlout Gary Jorgenson, Spitelout Jorgenson and introducing, Zephyr Haddock.

Author's note: Hey guys I'm so proud of my first little fict on HTTYD. The timeline is set after the movie, including after they met Toothless and his family. I have been writing a lot about father-son relationship and was tinkering around with the idea of Hiccup as a dad. Hope you like it. Wishing you guys a wonderful weekend reading!

Premise:

Its been 5 years since Hiccup, Astrid and their children went to meet Toothless at the tip of the Hidden World. Zephyr is now older. An intelligent, strong-willed viking pre-teen. With her father's brains and mother's brawn, she traverses the great island for new discoveries. Unfortunately, there is only so much to discover within the thickets and forests of New Berk. Things have fallen stale, and the child wonders if that is all there is about the world.

YOUR LIFE IS MADE-UP OF THE EVERY DAY

It is a cold, but sunny Wednesday afternoon. A knot welled in the middle of Hiccup's forehead, swelling into a migraine as Snotlout, once again insists that the new Storehouse be named in honour of his father.

"It is the right thing to do and you know it!" Snotlout says accusingly. "Snotlout, for the last time, we don't pay tribute like this unless the person has passed on."

"SO?" Snotlout replies indignantly.

"SO?! YOUR FATHER IS NOT DEAD! He's standing right there," Hiccup's hands gesture towards Spitelout, aged and white haired. "Oh, don't listen to him Boy-O. He's changed a lot since becoming chief. Pride can overcome a man of weak consti-tu-tion," Spitelout spewed, taking Snotlout by the shoulder as they left the Great Hall.

"What? No! That's not, what - Oh gods," Hiccup lets out, rubbing his forehead with his thumb and index finger. "What's next on the agenda Fishlegs?"

"Well, the Timbermans are wondering whether you can officiate their son's wedding this Friday?"

"Which one?"

"Jason."

"Didn't I officiate his wedding last week?"

"No, that was Jazon. Zen. With a "Z"."

"Why would they name their sons the same name?"

"Its not, if you really think about it. Not technically. At least," Fishleg mumbled. The knot spreads to the back of Hiccup's neck. "Yeah, yeah," he relents, shoulders slumped, "put me down for it."

Just then, a huge beam at the entrance of the Great Hall cracks. Hiccup hears it. His head turns to the sound. "Do you hear that?" he asks. "Hear what?" Fishlegs wonders. Instinctively, Hiccup yells "Get out of the way," to the family walking towards the beam. Grabbing a long staff, Hiccup quickly intercepts the falling beam with it stabilising the structure.

"OK, EVERYONE OUT OF THE GREAT HALL! NOW!"

"What happened?" Astrid said, panting. She had come from the armour mason's shed to the Great Hall when she saw the commotion. "The beam gave way," Hiccup said, studying the rotten wood.

"You see here? This is where the woodmites bit through the stem. They've eaten all way through the bark! I told you this would happen. Didn't I tell you this would happen? We need to apply the Funnel Glue to drive them away. The woods dry. When was the last time the Funnel Glue was applied. When?" he said getting up and looking around for answers.

Astrid and Fishlegs tried not to make eye contact. "Whose responsibility was it to apply the glue?" he asks. Astrid looked guilty.

Hiccup sighs, "Zephyr."

"Where is she?" he says, storming out of the hall. Astrid runs after him. "You know where she is."

"This is irresponsible of her. This is very irresponsible of her. She knows the danger of woodmites. After the crashing of Bucket's Barn last summer. She knows the danger, I've told her many times," he rants. Astrid nods. "She knows. I know she knows because when I asked her if she did, she said she heard me."

"Well..." Astrid hummed, he didn't hear her. "That's it I need to say something." Astrid grabs his arm. "I know what you're gonna say," he claimed.

"Well, then let me say it anyways. She's young -"

"Young? I was young once too, but I did my chores as I was told. We all did. Even the Twins. Albeit they could've done it better, but we did everything we could to help the community. I didn't say anything when she didn't take out the trash. I didn't say anything when failed to water the community garden and we didn't have cabbages for four weeks. But, this is too much Astrid, I need to say something now. I'm putting my foot down."

"Ya done?"

"Not completely, but go on," he said, arms folded.

"She's going through something Hiccup. Can't you see? Don't you recognise it? That sullen boredom. Small island syndrome. You had it? I see it in her eyes. She going through the same thing you went through, and what she needs now, is not a lecture, what she needs now? Is her father."

God I hate it when she's right, Hiccup said inside. "And you know I'm right," Astrid replied confidently. He rolls his eyes. She was right. "Fine. I'll go find her."

Blade in hand, Zephyr attacked a bush "TAKE THAT!" she challenged it, slicing off its branches "It might be small, but never underestimate a sharpened blade!"

"HAI-YAH, YAH! YAH! YAH!"

"Wow, you really showed that bush," Hiccup said, coming from behind her. He gave her a gentle smile. "What did I do now?" she murmured, shoulders slumped.

"What? What's with the third degree? Can't a father watch his daughter completely annihilate an inanimate shrub?" Zephyr smiles. "Of course he can, it's just. Whenever you come see, there's always something to tell me, and its not always good news."

Hiccup recalled feeling the same with his own father once. That on the most times his father sat him down "to talk" it was more of a one-sided directive than a two-way conversation. "Have you always felt this way?" he asks.

"Not always. But, more so recently, yes."

"Well, you're wrong. Because today, I'm here to see what you're up to."

"Really?"

"Yeah! Anything you want to do."

"Don't you have to work?"

"Your mother will deal with it. Between you and me, I let her wear the pants once and awhile. Good for morale," he whispers.

"Sure you do Dad," she replies, cheekily.

"Hey, what does that mean!" Zephyr lets out a slight giggle. "Come here missy!" Hiccup catches his daughter and places her on his shoulders. She falls into uncontrollable fits of laughter and Hiccup's heart swells three times its usual size. The knot in his head and neck melts.

He has grown bigger in ten years while, his daughter, smaller in size than most children are (as he was) could still sit on her father's shoulders. "Now tell me, what have you found?"

She showed him Lars Creek. A body of water Isla Ingerman named after her great uncle Lars. She then brought him up stream where they found huge conifer trees, and pointed to the one she wanted to have and decorate for Snoggletog. "I marked it with an Z, that's my initial," she said proudly "the other kids know not to touch it. Or else," she held up her tiny blade in defence.

"Oh, I see that," he encouraged.

She then took him up the high hill and showed him a view of the village from it. "That's where I look to know you're coming to find me," she says "I'll pass through those pines and into the thickets by a shortcut to reach the stone you always see me on. Just so you know where I'll be."

"Wow, this view. I've never seen New Berk like this. In this light."

"You've never had the time."

"Yeah, you're right. I've been neglecting you," he admitted.

"Nah, it's alright. It's my fault to. I've been avoiding you too."

"Me? Why?"

"Because I know that I've been slacking behind my chores, and well... the less I saw you, the less I felt guilty about it."

Hiccup then realised, she could see the Great Hall from here. She could see, in particular, the entrance of the Great Hall now fallen and lying on the stony pavement. She knew that it fell. She knew why.

"You've really had this place figured out, I'll give you that," he decided to say instead of giving her lecture on Funnel Glue.

"Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"Uncle Fishlegs said that we used to ride dragons. He said that we don't anymore because it was safer for them to live in the Hidden World. But I just can't help but feel..."

"Yeah?"

"Like, maybe that was a mistake. What if, we need dragons and its better for us to have them? Like, life would be so much more interesting than... than..."

"Than this?" her father continued.

"Yeah."

"You know Zeph. I was in your shoes too."

"How could you be? You got to ride a Night Fury. I doubt you know what boredom feels like."

"Yeah, but before I rode one, I was like any kid on Berk. I was just like you too. I had my chores. I rummaged and scouted the forests. Marked my trees. I did almost everything you have. And then one day, the adventure found me."

"BUT I WANT TO HAVE AN ADVENTURE NOW! I WANT TO BUILD A LIFE WORTH LIVING!"

"Woah! Woah there," Hiccup laughs. "You're only 10 my dear. You have your whole life to build."

"I just wanna be like you Dad. I wanna go on adventures like you and mom did. I wanna be a great leader too. A great warrior like mom."

"And you will be," he said, taking his daughter by the hand "Zeph, I know what it feels like to want more. Wishing that I could push the invisible walls on this island and walk away from it. Fly away from it. But your life is made up of the every day. Whatever you choose to do, it reflects on whatever happens to you in the future. As a kid, mom practiced every morning, her backflips, cartwheels, sword-fightings. You still see her do it now. I used to have to practice flying dragons. It took years to study them, and even with all the knowledge I have, I'm still learning. Things takes time. And the best part about you, is, you have so much more of it."

"We all have to do mundane things in preparation for the greater things to come, you know?"

Zephyr nodded. "Let's get back. It's getting late," Hiccup says getting up. The town was quiet, and empty. It was supper time. The sun had set, and the moon painted the village light blue. They were three blocks down to their home. Zephyr could see her mother setting the table through the window and Nuffink jumping up and down helping her. She took her father's hand and squeezed it.

Hiccup held on to it tightly. All said and done, he loved his daughter, more than anything else and he wanted her to know that he is there for her, in all her good and all her bad, trusting that she will indeed, find her way someday.

"Hey dad?"

"Yeap," Hiccup said, his other hand pressed against their house door, about to push it open.

"I forgot to put Funnel Glue on the pillars of the Great Hall."

"Is that so?" he replied, smiling "Well, then, something for us to look into tomorrow morning."

END NOTE:

So, I did it! Ha-ha. If anyone is willing to share their drawings of an older Hiccup / Astrid and Zephyr, feel free to do so. The post has no drawings, because I can't draw and I didn't want to take from googled sources because they don't always pin the original creator.

So if you have any you wanna share, feel free to reblog the post with your characters in mind. I might reach out to use some of your work in the future if this Fan Fict actually becomes a series.

I took liberties and named Fishlegs and Ruffnut's daughter Isla Ingerman. Thought it sounded pretty. Also, Lar's in an homage to Ruff and Tuff's actual uncle they mention in Episode 13 - When Lightning Strikes, Season 1 (Riders of Berk).

[toothbrushfingers]

Orphaned

A httyd oc one-shot

[Mention of Major Character Death(s), Ocs, Angst, Whump(?)]

Characters: Tove Jorenson (oc), Scuffnut Ingerman (oc), Åse Jorgenson (mentioned/oc), Snotlout Jorgenson (mentioned), Hiccup Haddock (mentioned), Hookfang, Unnamed Deadly Nadder

Summary: Tove opens up to Scuffnut after the death of her mother.

Sorry for any mistakes, this is kinda my first official fic

~~~

Tove sat with her legs crossed over a cliff, fiddling with the grass beneath her. The wind whipped through her hair, tossing it carelessly into her face. But she didn’t care, she simply sat on the edge of that cliff, staring into the ocean so far below her.

Hookfang sat curled around her protectively, rumbling soothingly. He wanted to help her stay grounded, and to make sure she didn’t do anything rash. The sea stack they sat atop wasn’t very large, but it was big enough for them. That’s all that mattered.

The familiar flapping of wings and chirps of a nadder soon came from behind. Tove did not acknowledge them, simply stared with glassy eyes into the depths below.

The thump of a dragon landing rang gently through her ears, as uncharacteristicly gentle footsteps came to join her in her spot.

“You’ve been here for hours” The voice was that of Scuffnut, Tove’s best friend since they were both too small to even remember. Neither looked at the other, simply taking in their surroundings instead.

“She loved this spot,” Tove began after a moment or two of silence, “did you know that? This is where she’d sit. To get away from it all. And I never wanted to sit with her. I was so stupid for that. Stupid an.. and selfish.” Scuff turned to look at Tove, noticing that she was now looking to her thighs, soft tears dripping off her reddish nose.

But she said nothing, simply rubbed calming circles onto the brunette’s back.

“I shouldn’t have gone. If- If i woulda’ just.. stayed here. She- She’d still be here. Gods, this is all my fault” It was becoming clear in her voice that she was boarding a full on sob. She tried to stay calm, keep her head cool. And she had, until now. “I.. guess it just hadn’t really set in until now,” Tove tipped her head back and let out a humorless chuckle before sighing softly, “man, orphaned before I ever even knew what hit me.”

She turned somewhat quickly to Scuffnut, face red and chin quivering with a pathetic half smile. Scuff looked at her sympatheticly, before grabbing her shoulders and bringing her into a tight hug. The hug lasted a while, as Tove held onto her for dear life, sobbing harshly. Hookfang rumbled, pressing his snout against her back.

After a while the two parted, once again sitting in silence, looking to the water.

“Ya know… He said he’d be back..” “Wha- … Who..?” Scuff asked, confused. “My- My dad. Before they left for that.. ‘meeting’. I remember I didn’t want him to leave. I… I could just feel something was gonna happen,” she took a deep breath before continuing, as if bracing herself. “he told me, ‘I’ll be back in no time.’.. but- but he never came back.”

Scuff didn’t know what to say, she’d never really seen Tove this vulnerable, not like this. And so there they sat, in comfortable silence, watching the waves calmly play beneath them.

After a while, the sun began to tuck itself in for the night, and Tove’s angry stomach rumbled viscously, demanding for something to eat. “I think we should head back,” Scuff started, “You’ve been here all day and I’m sure Hiccup has the whole village looking for you by now.” Tove let out a dry chuckle at that. She stood slowly, as if it were her first time on legs. “Thank you… For being here.” Tove spoke quietly. Scuff didn’t respond, only pulling her into another tight hug.

The two climbed onto their dragons and headed back to Berk. Tove would be ok, at least Scuff knew that.

[ashleybenlove]

"I don't remember them being this aggressive."

I guess Astrid and Fishlegs took the rest of the gang to the island in Loyal Order of Ingerman to meet the Dramillions after the Ingerman niblings left.

[the-writing-trash-panda]

It’s Not Home Without You

Pairing: Fishlegs x Heather

Words: 418

Prompt: waiting for the other

Genre: humor

Time: after 3rd movie

The atmosphere in the room was so thick one could cut it with a knife; Fishlegs and his eldest son Skjor had engaged in a game of maces and talons, neither planning to lose. The two stared at each other, a silent threat.

“How much longer will this last do you think,” Bjorn asked Ingrid; his mind starting to go numb from boredom.

“Well it’ll have to wait, it’s getting way too late for this one,” Fishlegs said, picking up his daughter and carrying her to her bed. After about fifteen minutes of wrangling the four-year-old Fishlegs finally got her to sleep and set about cleaning the house.

Heather felt herself drifting off as the council meeting kept dragging on. She wasn’t even sure what they were talking about anymore and truthfully she didn’t care; she just wanted to be back home where she could enjoy the beautiful chaos of family life. She could already imagine what it would be like with little Ingrid constantly waking up because she didn’t get a lullaby.

“I believe this is a good place to stop for the night, let’s continue the meeting tomorrow morning,” Ragna the Rugged said, officially giving Heather permission to leave. One would think that being the chieftess of the island would give her more authority. Just as she was about to leave, Oddmund the Odd approached her, his introduction to the conversation making it clear that he didn’t plan on letting her go any time soon.

Back at the Ingerman house, Fishlegs was stuck following around his four-year-old daughter cleaning up the new messes that she made. She had insisted that she would go back to bed if she had one of her stuffed dragons but none of them were good enough.

“Ingrid sweety it’s getting really late and you need to go to bed, do you want the stuffed razorwhip,” Fishlegs said, handing the toy to his daughter. Ingrid looked at it for a few seconds before tossing it back at her dad and breaking out into a full tantrum.

“I want mommy,” the little girl screamed, her arms and legs flailing all over the place. So do I thought Fishlegs as he moved his leg away from Ingrid’s mouth.

“Have you tried singing to her,” Skjor suggested, jumping out of his sister’s bitting range.

“Of course, she always gets a lullaby that’s why she won’t go to bed,” Fishlegs said, grabbing his pan flute and hoping that this would appease Ingrid until Heather got back.

[bh6-fanfictionfeed]

Ice and Magic

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/yZ0DWNu

by frostlings

Cousins, Harrison "Hiccup" Haddock III and Jackson Overland Frost meet prim and proper Elizabeth "Elsa" Oldenburg, the daughter of the minister. They get to know her and her special abilities while fighting an evil sandman along the way, and maybe while they're on that road, they might even find warmth in her, despite of her being a human embodiment of cold

  :a story by @frostlings

//story is fictional and characters are not mine !! each belong to their respective companies !!

Words: 6124, Chapters: 2/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Rise of the Guardians (2012), Toy Story (Movies), Frozen (Disney Movies), Tangled (2010), Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon), Brave (2012), How to Train Your Dragon (Movies), Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Big Hero 6 (2014)

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: F/M

Characters: Elsa (Disney), Jack Frost (Guardians of Childhood), Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, Merida (Disney), Rapunzel (Disney), Andy Davis, Fa Mulan | Hua Mulan (Disney), Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider, Hans (Disney), Astrid Hofferson, Snotlout Jorgenson, Fishlegs Ingerman, Ruffnut Thorston, Tuffnut Thorston, Toothiana (Guardians of Childhood), Nicholas St. North, E. Aster Bunnymund, Pitch Black (Guardians of Childhood), Aurora (Disney), Cinderella (Disney), Tiana (Disney), Anna (Disney), Hiro Hamada, Tadashi Hamada

Relationships: Elsa (Disney)/Jack Frost (Guardians of Childhood), Elsa (Disney)/Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III, Other Relationship Tags to Be Added, Elsa (Disney)/Tadashi Hamada

Additional Tags: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Alternate Universe - Harry Potter Setting, Hogsmeade, Hogsmeade Dates, Hogsmeade Weekend Trips, Polyamory

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/yZ0DWNu

[bi-bi-want-dragon]

The Little Things

From Meet the Ingermans

FF.net | AO3

A/N: More Ingerman family fluff for you! As always, let me know what you think, and feel free to let me know what you'd like to see from this sweet little family in the future!

~~~

“Do you have to go?” Ruffnut pleaded with her husband, swaying with their daughter in her arms.

Fishlegs chuckled.  “I don’t think Hiccup would appreciate me taking more time off.  It’s already been a month.”  He closed the distance between them as he pulled his tunic over his head.  “I think I’m convinced you and Nutmeg are okay.”

“But I like having you here,” Ruffnut pouted playfully.

“You won’t be alone,” he said, kissing her cheek.  “And besides, Astrid’s coming with Nuffink and Zephyr.”

“Astrid can’t do the things you can for me,” she said, wiggling her eyebrows.

Fishlegs choked on air.  “Heh, um, you know” - he cleared this throat loudly - “you keep that up, and Nutmeg won’t be an only child for long.”

Ruffnut rolled her eyes and stepped to the side.  “Alright, alright, get out of here.  Go do your job,” she teased.

He smiled and leaned in for a long, slow, lingering kiss.  “I love you.”

“I... Uh, love you too,” Ruffnut sputtered, trying to reign in the onslaught of not-so-ladylike desires that crashed over her.

Fishlegs chuckled and kissed the top of Nutmeg’s head before stepping out the door.  “Astrid will be here soon!”

Ruffnut shook her head with a smile as the door shut, followed closely by Nutmeg’s quiet squeak that quickly grew into a cry.

“Oh, baby girl, I know,” Ruffnut cooed, swaying her way to her favorite chair by the fire.  “I don’t like when Daddy leaves either.”

As her daughter quieted, Ruffnut stilled, trying to place the unfamiliar sound slowly filling her home.

Wait.

That was silence.

And she didn’t want to immediately sleep through it!

Moving painstakingly slow so as to not jostle and frighten her infant, she lowered herself to rest in the oversized chair.  She sighed a quiet breath of relief and pulled her knees up, resting Nutmeg against her thighs.

And then there was a soft knock at the door.

So much for peace and quiet.

The door slowly creaked open.  “Aunt Ruffie?”

“You guys can come in, Zephyr,” Ruffnut quietly replied over her shoulder.

“Oh, um...  It’s just me, Auntie,” Zephyr said shyly, stepping inside and closing the door behind her.

“Where’s your mom and Nuffink?”

“Um, well...  Nuffy wasn’t being a good boy today...” Zephyr started, craning her neck to try to see the new baby.  “And Momma didn’t want to bring him here and scare the baby...  So, um, so Daddy brought me before he went to work.”

Ruffnut wasn’t sure if she was relieved for Astrid’s thoughtfulness or disappointed in the lack of entertainment.  “Well, don’t be a stranger, Zeph,” she teased.  “Come over and meet the baby.”

Zephyr smiled and stepped further into her aunt’s home, slowing her walk as she stepped around the chair.  Her eyes widened when they finally found the sleeping baby, and she giggled behind her hands.

“Come on, snuggle up,” Ruffnut coaxed, freeing one arm and patting the open space next to her.  “I know you want to.”  She extended her arm in a further invitation.

Zephyr giggled again as she climbed up onto the couch next to Ruffnut, who secured her free arm around the girl to make sure she didn’t fall.  Zephyr grabbed Ruffnut’s shoulder to steady herself, and used her other hand to reach out to the baby.  She stopped herself, though, remembering how fragile her little brother was a year earlier when he was born.

“It’s okay, you can touch her,” Ruffnut encouraged.  She extended her legs slightly, enough that if she lifted her arm from her daughter she wouldn't slide off Ruffnut’s thighs in her deep sleep.  “See?  Feel her hair.”  Ruffnut demonstrated softly stroking the infant’s head.  “Feel how soft it is?”

Zephyr looked to her aunt, who nodded in confirmation that, yes, it was really okay, before reaching out to lightly pet the baby’s head.  She giggled quietly and let her hands fall to pet her little arms instead.  “She looks so squishy!”

Ruffnut laughed quietly.  “Yeah, she does, doesn’t she?  A lot different from baby Nuffink, huh?”

“Maybe.  But not anymore,” Zephyr said, scrunching her nose.  “He’s very squishy now.”

“Oh, is he?”

“Uh-huh,” Zephyr confirmed, before turning a little more somber.  “But he wasn’t before.  He was tiny.  Teeny tiny.”

“Yeah, he was.  A lot smaller than her, huh?”

“Yeah,” Zephyr said quietly, remembering how scared her Momma and Daddy had been that Baby Nuffink wasn’t going to be okay.  “But...  But, she’s going to be okay, right Aunt Ruffie?”

Ruffnut’s heart swelled.  “She’s going to be just fine, Zeph, don’t worry.  Just like Baby Nuff is now, right?”

Zephyr took a deep breath and nodded.  “Right.”  She looked back down to the baby and smiled again.  “What’s her name, what’s her name?!”

Laughing, Ruffnut said, “Uncle Fishlegs named her Nutmeg.”

Zephyr smiled a big, toothy grin at Ruffnut before turning back to the baby.  “Hi, Nutmeg!” She said, and then leaned in and lowered her voice just a little.  “We’re going to be best friends.”

Ruffnut bit her lip and tried to hold back tears, ignoring the fact that she still seemed to be a little off from the pregnancy hormones - even after not being pregnant for a month.

Zephyr continued, “And you’re really gonna like Nuffink.  He’s my little brother.  He’s...  Kinda silly and crazy right now, but I’m sure he’ll calm down...”  Zephyr stared off into space for a moment.  “Eventually...”

Ruffnut snickered.  “Is Mommy having trouble with the new baby?”

Zephyr nodded.  “He walks now!”

Ruffnut shuddered internally.  She did not envy the Haddocks.

~~~

Fishlegs was only half listening to Hiccup as he talked about a book collection of some sort on his way home.  The first full day away from his wife and daughter had been an agonizing one, and he was sure everyone noticed.  He was more distracted than he was present the entire day, but was so busy from being a month behind that he didn’t have time to go home for lunch to see them.

“Legs?”  Hiccup’s voice broke through.  “Don’t you think?”

“Huh?  Oh, yeah, right, that’s great.”

“The fact that we don’t have traders coming as often is great?” Hiccup clarified.

When did they get on that topic?  “Oh, uh, no, no it’s not.”

Hiccup chuckled.  “Thinking about Ruff and Nutmeg?”

Fishlegs sighed.  “I’m sorry, Hiccup.  It’s just-”

“I know, trust me, I get it,” Hiccup reassured him with a pat on the back.  “The first day away is always rough.  You don’t have to explain to me.”

Fishlegs smiled at him.  “Thanks, Chief.”

Needless to say, Fishlegs was overwhelmingly relieved when he finally opened the door to his home, quickly finding Ruffnut and Zephyr cooing over a happily squirming Nutmeg.

They looked up as the men entered the main room, Zephyr’s already-bright eyes shining more.  “Daddy!  Look at Nutmeg!”

Hiccup laughed.  “I see!  Did you have a good day with Ruffnut and the baby?” he asked, beckoning her over with his hands.

Zephyr hesitated for a moment, looking down at Nutmeg.

“Zeph, baby, we’ll be back to see Nutmeg in no time,” Hiccup laughed again.  “But right now Mommy needs our help with Nuffink, don’t you think?”

Zephyr patted Nutmeg’s head and sighed.  “The work of a sister is never done, is it, Aunt Ruffie?”

Fishlegs and Hiccup snickered as Ruffnut smiled and said, “No it is not, Zephyr.  No it is not.”

Zephyr ran to the door and took Hiccup’s hand.  “Come on, Daddy!  Momma needs our help!”

Hiccup looked back to his friends and rolled his eyes, waving as he shut the door behind him.

“Did Hiccup tell you Nuffink can walk now?” Ruffnut mused.

Fishlegs thought for a moment.  “Well, that’s not all that strange.  I mean he did just turn one-”

“By himself?” Ruffnut added with a mischievous smile.

“You mean-”

“Literally just stands up and walks like it’s no problem?  Supposedly,” she shrugged.

“Oh, oh good.  Odin help us all, we’re done for,”  Fishlegs prayed as he joined Ruffnut.

Ruffnut laughed and leaned back into him, pulling Nutmeg to her chest.  “That’s what I said, too.”

Fishlegs happily wrapped his arms around Ruffnut and caressed Nutmeg’s check.  “How did my lovely ladies do without me today?”

“We missed you a lot.”  She turned her head to kiss his cheek, but he was faster.  He caught her lips in a quick kiss instead, making her giggle, before leaning in for a deeper one.

“I missed you both, too,” he said softly.

Fishlegs wasn’t sure if it was his exhaustion seeping into his bones or if he had simply spent more time working today than he thought, but the rest of the evening flew by far too fast for his liking.  Dinner was finished and cleaned up in no time, the fire slowly dying, the sun long gone from the sky.  Before he knew it, Ruffnut was standing and stretching, musing that it was getting late.

Fishlegs softly replied, “You go ahead and go to bed, love.  I think I’m going to stay up for a bit.”

Ruffnut was going to protest, but then she caught the soft smile and glimmer of adoration in her husband’s eyes as he looked down at their sleeping girl.  So instead, she simply leaned over to kiss him, whispered, “I love you,” and went off to bed.

As silence fell over the house, Fishlegs watched the quick rise and fall of his daughter’s chest as she slept in his arms.  It was such a simple sight, and yet one that he never grew tired of seeing.  Not after the image of her still and blue body laying limp in Tuffnut’s arms was seared into his brain.  Not after those agonizing hours of Ruffnut fading in and out, followed by the even more agonizing minutes waiting for Nutmeg to take her first breath.  No, each breath she took was precious, and it was a sight Fishlegs prayed he would continue to see until he breathed his own last breath.  It was a sight that he refused to take for granted.

Ruffnut told him that she didn’t even remember the stretch of time between her birth and her first breath.  She simply remembered the pain ceased, and then her daughter was in her arms, pink and breathing and lively.  And Fishlegs thanked the gods every day that Ruffnut was spared the torment of those few minutes.  She had been through enough, she didn’t need that memory on top of it.

Fishlegs smiled.  “You’re so beautiful, baby girl,” he whispered, leaning over to kiss her head.  She squirmed slightly in his arms and yawned but otherwise didn’t react.  Though it was enough to bring a small happy tear to Fishlegs’ eye.  “I promise, I’ll protect you.  I’ll always keep you safe.  I’ll always fight for you.”

He smiled.  “And I’ll always love you.  You’ll always be my baby girl.  The strongest of the Valkyrie and the sweetest of the Vikings.  More than you may ever know.  But I’ll know.  And that’s all that matters.”

She yawned again, and then her eyes fluttered open.  Her face scrunched up as if she was about to cry, but then softened.  She seemed like she was exploring her father’s face.

Fishlegs smiled.  “Hello, beautiful.”

She blinked as he spoke, eyes continuing to trace his face.

Fishlegs chuckled.  “Curious little one, huh?  You get that from me.”

She started to turn her head side to side, but her gaze kept returning to her father’s face, staring up in wonder.

And Fishlegs started to cry.

He laughed at himself as the tears fell down his cheeks.  “Oh, look at me.  All you have to do is look at Daddy and I’m a mess.  Completely at your mercy.”

She brought her hands to her mouth, but her eyes never left her father’s face.

“Gods, I love you so much.”  He brushed her cheek with his thumb, which she turned into.  “You may not know what that means yet, but I promise you will.  That’s all you’ll ever get from your mom and I.  More love and support than you’ll know what to do with.”

She yawned again, eyes fluttering between opened and closed, caught somewhere between wanting to sleep and wanting to investigate her father more.

Fishlegs smiled.  “You can be whatever you want to be, and your mom and I will still love you with all of our hearts.”

She closed her eyes again, but this time they stayed closed.  Fishlegs took a few more moments to watch her, to make sure she was still breathing, to make sure she wasn’t leaving him anytime soon.  And eventually he was satisfied enough to carry her to their room and lay her in her cradle.  He was going to leave it across the room where she normally slept, but after a moment of deliberation, he couldn’t help pulling her bed right next to the bed he shared with Ruffnut.

He knew she’d be okay, that she would continue to breathe through the night just like she had for the last month.  But he also knew that if she was anything like her mother, she’d make use of her independence in no time.  So for now, while she was still so small and dependent on her parents, Fishlegs would take advantage of the chance to keep her close.  And he prayed that even when she did grab ahold of that independence, she would still love him too.  And maybe stay relatively close.  At least.

[dnatalok]

Hiccup: *Hosting a meeting with The Dragon Riders*

Hiccup: Tuffnut? Ruffnut? Your thoughts?

Tuffnut: I wasn’t listening, but I strongly disagree with Snotlout.

Ruffnut: I wasn’t listening either and I strongly disagree with Tuff!

Ruffnut: Wait, what are we talking about?

Hiccup:

Astrid:

Fishlegs:

Snotlout:

[edge-of-bizarre]

Fishlegs gives Hiccup a lift to the mainland so Hiccup can impress his fiancée with a nice dinner, love is in the air, and possibly smoke if Hiccup manages to burn sushi

The first time i draw hiccup for this dang au and i make him too small... its cause i miss baby hiccup

North of Nowhere tag

bonus:

Curlers with a purpose: area woman tries to woo local fisherman

[crazy4dragons]

Mama’s Boy

Nuffink is being bullied at the Academy. Canon-verse, a few years after HTTYD3 ends. Rating: PG (very mild language, bullying, a bit of mild violence). 

Mama’s boy.

Nuffink fought back tears as he ran out of the Academy, his classmates’ sneers echoing in his head.

Mama’s boy. Mama’s boy.

It all started when a group of kids happened to walk by the Haddock house while Astrid was giving Nuffink a cuddle and kiss goodbye, just as she did every morning before school. It had been their routine ever since his very first day, when he and Astrid both cried — him because he was nervous, and her because she realized that her baby was officially growing up, and all the mornings of completing paperwork with him snuggled in her lap were over.

Nuffink never thought of his bond with Astrid as odd, but the other New Berkian children certainly did. After all, he’d just turned ten years old, and once you hit double digits, hugs and kisses from your parents just weren’t cool.

That only added to the list of reasons to tease him. Nuffink already knew the others snickered behind his back when he couldn’t hit swing his mace hard enough, or hit the target with his axe. And then there was Spitelout, who had somehow talked his way into teaching a class on strength and persistently mocked Nuffink for not being able to do more than ten push-ups in a row.

“You’ve got Jorgenson blood in you somewhere,” he’d laughed. “And Jorgensons aren’t weak.”

The teasing had been happening all week, but Nuffink hadn’t told anyone. Hiccup was off at the annual tribe meeting, and with Astrid left to do the work of two people for a few days, he didn’t want to burden her with his problems.

“Nuffink, wait!”

Nuffink turned around to see Zephyr running towards him. She was a level above him in training, so they weren’t in the same class. Evidentially, however, she’d heard what happened.

“Who’s bullying you?” she demanded, blue eyes narrowing just as her mother’s did when she was angry. “I’ll kick their asses and send them all the way to Hel.” The language she got from Snotlout and Tuffnut, both of whom she spent way too much time with.

“Forget it.” Kicking a stone, Nuffink sank against a large boulder and buried his face in his hands. “I’m never gonna be good enough, especially not if you and Mama keep taking care of me.”

Zephyr sat beside her brother and wrapped him in a hug. From the day he was born, he’d been her best friend. Sure, they fought sometimes as all siblings do, but mostly, they were inseparable. “I’m your sister, Fink. I’m supposed to take care of you.”

“Why, because I’m a baby?”

“No, because we’re family, and family looks out for each other.” Zephyr stood up. “Now come on, let’s go home.”

Nuffink shook his head. “We can’t go home. Mama will ask why we’re back early and I don’t want to bother her with this. Not until Dad gets back tomorrow.”

“Then what do we do?”

“Let’s go to the cove,” he mumbled, wiping his eyes. “We can hide there until the classes let out.”

Zephyr shrugged. “Alright. If that’s what you want.”

The two children crept out from behind the boulder and began walking towards New Berk’s hidden cove, trying to stay off the main paths so they wouldn’t attract attention.

“Aren’t yer two supposed to be at the Academy?”

Nuffink’s heart sank as he heard Gobber’s voice behind them. It figured they wouldn’t make it very far unnoticed, not with Gobber, Valka, and Astrid all working hard to maintain the island.

“Uncle Gobber!” Zephyr smiled. “We were just heading to the Ingermans’ for lunch. Fishlegs invited us.”

“Does yer mother know?”

“Of course. We cleared it with her this morning.” Then, before Gobber could say anything else, she grabbed Nuffink’s arm and urged him forward. “Bye, Uncle Gobber!” she called behind her. “Have a good day!”

The rest of the way to the cove was fortunately fairly vacant; the only Vikings around were a few women and Mildew, all of whom were too caught up in the latest gossip to take notice of the two Haddock children.

“Zephyr,” Nuffink began once they were safely concealed behind the bushes.

“Yeah?”

“What if Gobber asks Mama if she really told us we could eat at the Ingermans?”

“Then we make up another lie,” Zephyr said.

Nuffink bit his lip. “I don’t know. I hate lying to Mama. You know that.”

“It’s either lie or tell her what happened at the Academy.”

“Fine,” he sighed. “But if I get grounded, it’s your fault.”

“Wait.” Narrowing her eyes, Zephyr strained her ears in attempt to detect whether or not she was imagining her mother’s angry voice in the distance.

“If you ever so much as come within ten feet of my son again, I swear to the gods I’ll chop off your legs with my axe and ship you off to the Outcasts!”

Yes, that was definitely her mother.  “I don’t think you’ll have to worry about telling Mom the truth,” the girl began cautiously. “She already knows.”

“How?” Nuffink’s mouth gaped in shock.

“Because nothing happens on this island without Mom and Dad hearing about it,” Zephyr said, giving off her best Hiccup impression, hand gestures included.

The boy sighed. “I just hope this doesn’t make everything worse.”

“Mom’s the chieftess,” shrugged Zephyr. “Everyone has to listen to her.”

“Yeah, but her going out there and defending me is only gonna make me look like a stupid Mama’s boy even more.” He kicked a twig on the ground.

Zephyr opened her mouth to respond, but before she could say anything, Astrid emerged from the bushes, fist clenched around the handle of her axe.

“Please don’t make a fuss, Mama,” Nuffink begged. “It’s bad enough everyone thinks I’m too weak to take care of myself.” He fought back the tears brimming in his eyes.

Dropping her weapon, Astrid caught her son in a hug. “My baby,” she murmured, holding him close.

“I’m not a baby,” sniffled Nuffink as he felt a tear slip down his freckled cheek.

“You aren’t weak,” Astrid assured, standing back and pressing a hand to his shoulder. “You’re kind, clever, and thoughtful, just like your dad. And your father is one of the strongest people I know.”

“But I wanna be like you,” insisted the boy.

Astrid laughed. “Trust me, love. One child like me is enough.” She nodded towards Zephyr. “Now come on, you two. Let’s go home.”

…

The next day, Nuffink trudged into the Academy, eyes on the floor as he forced himself to move through the gates and over to his class. Part of him hadn’t even wanted to come to school that morning, but the other part of him wanted to show up and prove everyone wrong.

“Thanks a lot for being a tattletale to your Mama, Mama’s boy,” Spearlout taunted. “She came to my house and cussed out my whole family because you can’t keep your stupid mouth shut.”

“I didn’t tell,” Nuffink said in a small voice. “Word got out and —”

“Mmm-hmm, a likely story,” cut in Hildegard.

Nuffink’s heart tumbled down to his stomach. His excuse was only partly true. Astrid had first heard of the incident from others, but after they’d gotten home from the cove, he’d broken down and told her everything, prompting her to make rounds to several households and threaten the guilty parties with her axe.

“Baby,” laughed Spearlout.

“Hey!” Tearing away from her group, Zephyr charged towards her cousin and elbowed him in the ribs until he fell to the ground. “You leave my brother alone!”

“Ouch! Zephyr!” Spearlout cried, struggling back to his feet and throwing a punch at Zephyr’s nose, which she swiftly dodged.

Hildegard inched closer to Nuffink. “Why don’t you get in there and help? Oh wait, you’re too much of a baby.”

“Yeah,” chimed in Leif. “You can’t do anything on your own.”

“Zephyr, please,” Nuffink begged as he watched his sister aim for Spearlout’s eye. “You’re only making it worse.”

“What in Thor’s name is going on?”

The children turned to see Spitelout stalking towards them.

“Your grandson is messing with my brother,” spat Zephyr.

Spitelout laughed. “Well, lass, yer brother needs to toughen up. He is a quarter Jorgenson, and Jorgensons aren’t weak.”

Holding back tears, Nuffink ran out the Academy and towards the Haddock house. He didn’t care about being tough, not right now. In that moment, all he cared about was going home to Astrid.

As he turned the doorknob, the chieftess turned away from her newly returned husband and narrowed her eyes. “Alright, who do I need to kill?”

“Kill?” Hiccup cut in.

“These half-troll kids — and Spitelout — are bullying Nuffink,” Astrid spat, looking back at Hiccup. “He said it’s been happening all week, but I only just heard about it yesterday. I swear to every god in Hel, I’m—”

The Chief held up a hand. “Take it easy, milady. I got this.”

“But —”

“I got this,” he repeated, kissing her cheek before approaching Nuffink and swinging a comforting arm around his shoulders. “What’s up, bud? Who’s bullying you?”

“Spearlout, Hildegard, Leif,” sniffled Nuffink. “The rest of my class sometimes joins in, too, but mostly it’s them.”

Hiccup offered a comforting smile. “I’ll take care of it,” he promised, ruffling his son’s hair as he opened the door to leave.

“Don’t make it worse, Dad,” Nuffink said, wiping his eyes.

“I won’t. I promise. You can even come with me if you’d like.”

After a moment of silence, the boy took a deep breath and nodded. “I’d actually like that,” he decided slowly.

With that, Hiccup and Nuffink set off for the Academy, where they discovered Zephyr cursing at Spitelout while Spearlout sat against the wall, a purple bruise forming around his eye.

“Excuse me,” Hiccup began. “I don’t know what all this is —” He gestured to the group “—But whatever it is, it’s over.”

“Look what yer lass did to my grandson,” Spitelout growled, motioning to Spearlout. “And then she has the nerve to pull her smart mouth on me. Whatever happened to respecting yer elders?”

Hiccup glared at the older Viking. “It is my understanding, Spitelout, that you and Spearlout are both guilty of bullying my son.”

“Oh, Chief,” laughed Spitelout. “Yer got t’ stop being so soft. You yerself was weak as a lad, and look at yer now.”

“Yeah, I’m in charge of this island,” Hiccup pointed out.

“And yer doing a terrible job,” Spitelout insisted.

“Putting all feelings about me aside, we need to talk about what’s been going on here.” Glaring, Hiccup folded his arms over his chest. “Spearlout, Hildegard, Leif, come over here and stand with Spitelout.”

The three children hesitated.

“Now,” Hiccup ordered, his voice firm.

Muttering under their breaths, they dragged themselves forward.

“When I was a boy,” the chief began, “most of the other kids my age treated me just the way you’re treating Nuffink. It left me feeling like I wasn’t good enough to be a Viking, and certainly not good enough to be Chief. So I told myself that if my kids were ever made to feel that way, I’d find everyone responsible and make sure they served a fair punishment.”

The children’s eyes widened. Spitelout grunted.

“And because you made my son feel bad about himself, I’m going to ask that you kids clean out the yak stables every day. For a moon.”

“But Chief! It wasn’t that serious!” insisted Spearlout, looking to his grandfather with his one good eye.

“That is ridiculous, Haddock,” Spitelout barked. “Yer can’t make them do that.”

“But Chief!” tried Hildegard.

“Two moons.”

“That’s not fair!” Leif shouted.

“So not fair!” Spearlout echoed.

“Three moons.”

Spearlout opened his mouth again.

“I can make it four,” warned Hiccup, prompting him to bite back his retort. “As for you, Spitelout, you’re on outhouse duty until the end of the season. You will also no longer be working at the Academy. From now on, Eret will be teaching strength training instead.”

Spitelout’s eyes widened. “But Eret isn’t even a born Berkian!” he exclaimed.

“And I’ll be there, watching you — all of you — to make sure the jobs get done,” Hiccup continued, ignoring Spitelout’s outburst. “Is that clear?”

The four nodded.

“Now get to work. Classes are over for the day,” Hiccup ordered before turning to Nuffink, who was observing silently. “You ready to go, bud?“

Nuffink nodded as a small, crooked smile appeared on his lips. Maybe taking after his dad wasn’t so awful after all.