#OC Annika

[thesquiddlesquad]

Ten years ago today, I started writing the first instalment of The Moons of Aerith. In early September this year, I finished writing the sixth and final part. These characters (and the others that the page didn't have room for) have been bouncing around my mind like a DVD logo for almost eleven years now, and they show no sign of going away. (Not that I want them to)

From left to right: Opal, Pedro, Annika, Luci, Lee, Hannah. The three on the left are the protagonists of the first half of the series, and the three on the right are the protagonists of the second half.

Here are the notebooks I wrote each part in:

[thesquiddlesquad]

"honeymoon phase" i am literally healthily insane and obsessed for the entire duration of the relationship. skill issue

[ink-flavored]

🏳️‍🌈75 Question Pride Month Ask Game🏳️‍⚧️

Happy Pride Month! Celebrate by delving into your OC’s relationship with their queer identity—everything from sexual and romantic orientation, to gender, to intersexuality. And on that last point, I want to give a big shout-out and thank you to the intersex writers who gave me advice on how to structure the intersexuality portion of this game! Remember to send an ask to the person you reblog it from to make sure everyone gets to play!

🌈General✨

Is “queerness” accepted or rejected in their society? Is it a concept at all?

Are queer people expected to “come out” in their society? If so, when did your OC come out? If they haven’t, why not?

Have they come out about one aspect of their identity, but not another? Why?

When did they realize they were queer? Did they discover everything at once, or one identity at a time?

What did they do to explore their queerness? Have they tried to explore it at all?

Were they supported and encouraged to explore their identity?

Are many of their family members queer?

Are many of their friends queer?

Did it take them a long time to figure out which labels they prefer? Are they still searching for the right fit?

Have they experienced marginalization for their queerness?

Do they exist in a supportive community of other queer people?

Do they consider queerness to be a big part of their identity, or as banal has having red hair?

Do they try to hide their queerness on purpose? Why?

Are they as loud and proud about their queerness as possible? Why?

What do they love most about being queer?

❤️Romantic Orientation🩷

What’s their romantic orientation? Do they use multiple labels for it?

Do they enjoy dating or prefer being single?

Are they in a committed relationship right now? Queer-platonic or romantic? Both?

If they’re single, have they ever been in a romantic or queer-platonic relationship?

How would they personally define “love”?

How would they personally define “romance”?

Are they loveless? [for an aromantic perspective on lovelessness check out this essay]

Are they polyamorous? Do they consider it an orientation or a preference?

If they’re alloromantic, have they ever explored aromanticism? How did it go?

Do they enjoy reading, watching, or otherwise engaging with art about romance?

How has their romantic orientation shaped their interactions with peers and family?

Does their society conflate sex and romance? How has this impacted them?

Does their society enforce amatonormativity? How does this impact them?

What do they love the most about their romantic orientation?

How does their romantic orientation interact with their other identities?

🏳️‍🌈Sexual Orientation❤️‍🔥

What’s their sexual orientation? Do they use multiple labels for it?

What is their society’s view on sex and sexuality?

What is their personal view of sex and sexuality?

What do they personally think about sex?

How important do they consider sex in their life and in their relationships?

What kinds of people do they find especially attractive? What’s their “type”?

Would they ever consider a sexual relationship with someone they aren’t attracted to? Under which circumstances?

If they’re straight, have they ever explored a different sexuality? How did it go?

Is their society open about sex, or incredibly puritan? How has this impacted them?

Does their society enforce heterosexuality as “correct” or “normal” with all other sexualities being deviant? How has this impacted them?

Is their sexuality seen as especially perverse or inherently sexual? How does that impact them?

Is their sexuality infantilized or seen as “too pure for sex”? How does that impact them?

Are they sex-repulsed, sex-neutral, sex-favorable? At all times, or does it fluctuate?

What do they love most about their sexual orientation?

How does their sexual orientation interact with their other identities?

🏳️‍⚧️Gender Identity⚧️

What’s their gender identity? Do they use multiple labels for it?

What pronouns do they use? Have they tried out a ton before settling on these? Are they still trying things on?

How would they personally define “gender”?

How do they prefer to present?

Do they care about their gender identity “matching” their presentation in the way their society expects? Why or why not?

If they’re trans, do they plan on medically transitioning? In which ways? If not, why not?

If they’re trans, do they plan on socially transitioning? In which ways? If not, why not?

If they’re cis, have they ever explored the idea of transness? How did it go?

If they’ve detransitioned, what made them choose to stop? Are they more content in their gender now, or still deciding what’s right?

Does their society conflate sex and gender? How has this impacted them?

Does their society impose a gender binary? How has this impacted them?

Does their society impose gender roles on people? How has this impacted them?

How is transness viewed in their society?

What do they love most about their gender identity?

How does their gender identity interact with their other identities?

💛Intersexuality💜

For more information about intersex variations, check out the InterACT Intersex Variations Glossary

How do they feel about being intersex, if any way at all?

How would they personally describe or define what “being intersex” means?

How long have they known about their intersexuality?

How was their childhood impacted by their intersexuality, if at all?

How was their adolescence impacted by their intersexuality, if at all?

How has their adult life been impacted by their intersexuality, if at all?

How has being intersex shaped their interactions with friends? Family? Intimate relationships?

How often do they talk about their intersexuality?

Does their society conflate sex and gender? How has this impacted them?

Does their society enforce sex binary? How has this impacted them?

Does their society impose gender roles on people? How has this impacted them?

How does their society view intersex people in general?

Is there anything else about their culture that makes being intersex easier? More difficult?

What do they love most about their intersexuality?

How does their intersexuality interact with their other identities?

[walder-138]

PICREW GAME (Tagged by @cloudofbutterflies92 )

Thank you for the tag!!!! This picrew’s so pretty oml

Guinevere (1950s version) and Abbey Foster, both giving somebody the side eye

Ester ‘Bullet’ Wilde as a teenager during her punk phase and off-duty in her hometown (the government still couldn’t deyassify my girl)

Young Annika Voronova and Jenny Rhodes (Clancy)

Tagging: @imagoddamnonionmason @justasmolbard @eccentrcks @raresvtm @alypink @iamcautiouslyoptimistic and anyone else who wants to join!

[welldonekhushi]

Black Ops OC's as Vines!

Adler was about to destroy this copy. Thank god I recovered it before he could have taken this masterpiece away.

This is a special vine compilation created for my beloved mutuals, having their Black Ops OC's, (along with mine.. sniff) doing shenanigans with each other when the canon isn't in the mood to give them pain and suffering. Because I hope it stays that way. Hope you enjoy! ♡

Name of the OC's that have been used in this compilation, under the cut!

(In case any of you have been missed out in this compilation, my deepest apologies. But, next time you can be the lucky one!)

Aleksandra "Aleks" Clarke @alypink

Mila @efingart

Jodie "Bell" Hall @imagoddamnonionmason

Charles Moore @deeptrashwitch

Koa "Hunter" Nikau @islandtarochips

Abigail "Abby" Mason @revnah1406

Marlene Monroe @eccentrcks

Annika Nikolayevna Vorovna @walder-138

Helina "Bell" Soldatova @iamcautiouslyoptimistic

Vasili "Bell" Sokolov (which is me)

[thesquiddlesquad]

Annika and Opal consider themselves sisters. They've lived together since Annika joined the Magi and they're very close. Opal is 10 years older than Annika and was her mentor, so she's the older sister. The Magi all call each other Brother/Sister (name), sort of like monks/nuns, but Annika specifically refers to Opal as 'my sister'.

Melissa has a younger stepbrother named Frederick. They've lived together since they were around 8 and 4 respectively, so while they still refer to each other as 'stepbrother/stepsister', they are functionally siblings.

Does your OC have any siblings that aren’t related to them biologically, but are considered as such — either by your OC themselves or by their caretaker(s)? If so, why are they considered siblings? (e.g. adoption, step-families, childhood environment, long-term friendship, etc.)

[snappyep]

kiss of life (or death)

[ask-hetalia-alaska]

It's my favourite race of the year, Iditarod started yesterday!

[brightaxe]

chews through the veilguard cc like it's my job

[crescenthoax]

“Please. Make me forget. It's over. I know it’s over. It's over. But I no longer know who I am.”

“(…) You speak of survival, yet what you truly desire is victory. You cloak this delicate ego of yours beneath the guise of a yearning for peace. At what cost, Annika? What kind of victory is it the one who begets more adversaries and puts further walls between you and the world?”

i’m never gonna love (again) – chapter xxxiv

[thesquiddlesquad]

You know the feeling when you're watching the news and it's negative story after negative story and you can feel it sucking the life out of you, but you just can't look away? Yeah, so does Pedro. He's very prone to doomscrolling and feeling obliged to do something about every social issue ever. Annika is usually the one to pull him out of the Doom Pit. She's very determined and proactive and she will not stand for anyone saying negative things about Pedro - even Pedro himself.

[scionshtola]

17. Taking a step away from “canon”, do you have any wholly unique side quests and adventures your Warrior of Light has gotten caught up in? Did they chase down ghosts of their own past, get married, open a bakery, or fix an ancient blood curse on their family line? Have they reunited with loved ones or buried old hatchets? If there’s some unique story behind your character, how does it show up and how did it play out? (x)

After returning to the Source from the First, Corisande journeyed to the Bozjan Southern Front to aid the resistance in their effort at reclaiming their home. They had no idea they would find their mother there, already aiding the resistance as a scout. When Corisande left her village nearly 6 years ago, it was with the understanding she and Annika would likely not see each other again. But word of Corisande's feats as the Warrior of Light had made their way to their former village deep in the Golmore Jungle, and Annika, hearing of what her only child was doing, was not content to stay hidden in the forest when she could help (wonder where Corisande gets that from!). Neither of them could believe their eyes when they first saw each other, and are still overjoyed to be reunited.

[rjlupin78]

working on an OC for marauders era🧑‍🍳 more stuff abt him below

full name: Annika Maurie "Janus" Belvoir (for now, also Janus is not the set name so their tag stays annika, not his deadname she still uses it just has another name as well. the name collector over here)

his moms Leonie Belvoir née Rosier, Druella's sister. Leonie is an eccentric and not very well liked woman that was ostracized from her family until recently

on the other hand, Annika lives with her dad in Bristol and has since she was nine, hasn't seen their mom since either. timeline just so happens to line up that Leonie leaving their family let her rejoin her own

despite Annika being a first cousin to Narcissa, Bellatrix, and Andromeda she's never met them and knows next to nothing about them outside of them being his cousins. the first family member on that side that she gets to know is Sirius due to them both being gryffindors, they think he's weird but alright

Annika's not the biggest fan of the marauders but thinks James and Peter are pretty funny, absolutely hates Remus later in their school career. most one sided rivalry ever. saw him and the marauders late one full moon night post them becoming animagi and instead of thinking he was a werewolf thought he was just really ahead in his animagus studies and has hated him since. dramatic and somewhat stupid king. very confused confrontation later on where Remus is convinced Annika knows and Annika is convinced Remus is gatekeeping his technique, once Remus figured out what Annika thinks though just points her towards the other marauders to learn about it. hating thus cancelled

sometime in the second semester of year one her hair is burnt as a prank by some asshole and it's the first time Annika's ever looked in the mirror and recognized himself

more lore to come at some point

[ink-flavored]

💐100 Question Romance & Love OC Ask Game💘

Do you love love? Does your OC feel the same? Look no further for an excuse to talk about everything romance! Plus there's a few about aromanticism in there! I tried to make the questions applicable to most relationships, but you want something a bit more poly-focused, here’s a link to my polycule dynamics game. Remember to send an ask to the person you reblog it from to make sure everyone gets to play!

😍Do they like romance? Have they always hated the idea, or are they a swooning hopeless romantic?

❤️How do they feel about the concept of “love”? What does it mean to them?

❓Have they ever questioned the idea of what “love” is? Where did it lead them?

💞How many times have they been in love?

💭What’s their most formative memory about love or romance? It can be good or bad.

💖What’s the easiest part of love for them?

🖤What’s the hardest part of love for them?

💝What do they want the most from a romantic relationship? Is it what they need?

👨‍❤️‍💋‍👨Do they prefer a steady partnership or casual dating? Neither?

🥰Who are they in love with right now, if anyone?

🔥Who was their first love? How did it turn out?

💋How romantic do they expect their partner(s) to be in a relationship? Is it a deal-breaker if expectations aren’t met?

💓How romantic are they in a relationship? Does it depend on the partner, or are they moon-eyed with anyone?

💌Which “traditionally romantic” acts (love poetry, flowers, etc.) do they love the most? Would they rather receive this kind of affection, or give it to someone else?

💐Which “traditionally romantic” acts (love poetry, flowers, etc.) do they hate more than anything? When it’s directed at them, or when they’re expected to give it to others?

💟What is the dating culture in their society like? Do they participate in it?

💯What’s their idea of a perfect date?

⏳Have they ever tried speed-dating? How did it go?

📱Have they ever tried dating apps? How did it go?

💍Are they expected by their society to date and/or marry? How do they feel about it?

💜Do they have a “type” of person they tend to date?

📃Do they have high standards about who they date? Low standards?

🧀What’s their cheesiest romantic fantasy? Do they want to recreate it in real life?

💘Do they often “make the first move” when it comes to love? Or are they waiting for the object(s) of their affection to pick up the hints they’re dropping?

📢Are they able to confess romantic feelings easily, or do they clam up at the mere prospect?

💦Is it super obvious when they have feelings for someone, or are they a master at hiding it?

💗What’s the longest amount of time they’ve ever pined after someone?

🤍Have they ever been on either side of an “unrequited love” situation? How did it turn out?

🏃‍♂️Is anybody their “one that got away”? Have they ever “gotten away” from someone else?

💔Have they ever had to break up with someone? Why?

🔂Have they ever broken up and then gotten back together with the same person? How many times? Did it work out in the end?

❌Have they ever been rejected after a confession of love? How did they handle it?

🚫Have they ever had to reject someone else’s feelings? How did it go?

🤏Have they ever had a romantic interest “stolen” before? Have they ever made a move on someone they knew a friend was interested in?

🤔Do they consider “having a crush” and “being in love” different things? Where’s the line?

🤥Have they ever lied to make a relationship more viable? Did it end well, or blow up in their face?

😳Have they ever been broken up with in a situation where it was kiiinda their fault? What was the issue?

🍨What are their methods for getting over a break-up?

🐸Do they tend to jump from one relationship to the next, quickly entering another as soon as the previous one ends? Why?

💡Have they ever been in love with the idea of someone instead of the actual person? What was the aftermath?

💛How important is being in a relationship to them?

📅Have they ever stayed in a relationship long past its expiration date? Why?

💥Did any of their relationships end catastrophically? What happened?

🤝Are they still friends with any of their ex-partners?

😲Have they ever been cheated on before? What happened?

👺Have they ever been the cheater? Were they ever found out?

1️⃣How do they feel about the concept of finding “The One”? Is it an aspiration or something they roll their eyes at?

👀How do they feel about the concept of “love at first sight”? Do they believe in it?

😨Do they have any “taboo” or unpopular opinions about love or romance?

💚Are they aromantic? Have they considered it?

✋Are they loveless? [for an aromantic perspective on lovelessness check out this essay]

💙Have they ever been in a queer-platonic relationship? Would they consider it?

💕Where do they draw the line between friendship and romance, if at all?

✊Do they practice relationship anarchy? [for more information about relationship anarchy, check out this guide]

🔢Are they polyamorous? Have they considered it?

💫How would they feel if, in a monogamous relationship, their partner asked them to try polyamory?

🗂️Do they have a hard time separating their romantic feelings from other kinds of love? Which ones?

⁉️Do they often feel like they’re “doing love wrong” in their relationships? Anything specific?

📈Do they often prioritize romance and love in their life? To the detriment of other relationships?

😡Are they a jealous partner?

👥Are they jealous of any of their friends’ or family members’ relationships?

😥Are they often left behind in love? Were they single and watching all their friends get married?

🤷‍♂️Would they be happy without romantic love in their life?

🚒How important is physical attraction to their romantic relationships?

👯‍♂️Are sex and romance conflated in their culture? How does this impact them?

🥴How often do they expect sex in a romantic relationship? Is it a deal-breaker if expectations aren’t met?

🙅‍♂️How would they feel about being in a sexless relationship?

👫Have they ever been in love with someone who was already in a relationship? How did it turn out?

📚Do they like romance as a genre? In books, movies, games, etc.?

✅Do they have a relationship they can look up to as a positive example of romantic love?

👎Do they have a relationship that’s a perfect example of “what not to do” in their life?

🤕What are their “hang-ups” or insecurities about love and romance?

👄Are they an effective communicator in their relationships?

🦸‍♂️Have they ever played match-maker with their friends or loved ones? How did it go?

🧐Have they ever been “match-made” by someone else? How did it go?

💒Is marriage an important consideration for them? Out of choice, necessity, social pressure?

👰Is marrying for love a rarity in their culture, or commonplace?

💎Would they want to propose to someone, or be proposed to?

🎉Do they want a huge showy proposal, or something more private?

🎁What’s their ideal wedding, on a scale of “courthouse wedding with 5 people maximum” to “100+ guests, massive ceremony, all-night reception”?

👗What sorts of clothes do married couples wear in their culture? Do they plan on wearing the traditional clothes, or doing something different?

🔓Have they ever had to break off an engagement? Why?

🏆What kind of love is prioritized in their society? Does it impact how they’re able to love?

🌹What’s considered “romantic” in their society? How does that impact their relationships?

👪How has their family influenced their ideas of romance and love?

🙋‍♀️How have their friends influenced their ideas of romance and love?

⛪How has their religion or faith influenced their ideas of romance and love?

🗺️What are some cultural customs surrounding love and romance that they practice?

👑Does their culture have any formal courting customs? Have they been taught how to properly court?

💄Are people pressured to fit a specific beauty standard in order to be “romantically viable”? How has this impacted their love life?

🙄Have they ever dated someone for their family’s sake? How did it go?

🤨Have they ever “pity dated” someone? Have they ever been “pity dated” by someone else?

🥣How does their culture view a “serial dater,” or someone who refuses to settle down?

➕Do they care about people’s “body count,” or how many relationships they’ve been in?

👶Would they ever be in a relationship with someone who already had children?

🤱If they ever ended up single with children, how would they feel about entering a new relationship?

🌑Would they date a widow? Would they date again if they were ever widowed?

✏️If they had the chance to erase one past romantic mistake, what would it be?

🩹Do they often give romantic advice to their friends or family? Is it good advice?

👂Do they often seek romantic advice from friends or family? Has it helped?

[walder-138]

Questions for Annika, Jack, & Oswald:

What's this oc's biggest fear?

What's this oc's mental health state?

What's your favorite thing about this oc?

How does this oc feel about physical affection?

How does this oc get along with people they just met?

VICE!!!!! WHADDUP GIRL!!!! TYSM FOR THE ASK!!!!!

1) What’s this oc’s biggest fear?

Annika: People. Not in a social anxiety typa way (scared of judgement etc), but of what they are capable of. Annika has been exposed to human cruelty from a young age, growing up as a child soldier in a terrorist organization convinced her that every single person around her wanted to hurt her.

Over the years, her fear manifested into hate for humanity. It was never real hate, but ‘hate’ was the only label she could put on it without feeling like a coward. Fear is weak, Anya. Fear is weak. Hate and anger protected her; who wants to pet a rabid dog?

Jack: His scientific ‘research’ being exposed to the public. Jack is incapable of fear or anxiety; he’s a textbook sociopath, but he really doesn’t wanna stop performing his research and experiments (he worked on MK Ultra since he became a doctor) Seeing it flourish due to his involvement has been his greatest achievement, that being taken away from him would tear him apart.

Oz: Losing his daughter, Jenny. I’ve said this before and I’ll say this again; she’s the reason why he got off drugs following Vietnam and stopped being a verbally abusive misogynist to almost every single woman in his life. Oz knows that if he lost her, he’d most likely have a pretty bad relapse and fall back into his old bad habits.

2) What’s this OC’s mental health state?

Annika: Take a wild guess.

Jack: He’s balling honestly 😭 With everything that happened with Bell being a complete success, (assuming Annika isn’t Bell; she detonates the nukes) he basically saw his top project take off. Sure, the dumbasses in the safehouse didn’t listen to him about keeping Bell under that trance or whatever, but he can always start again; make another one.

Bro’s walking on sunshine!

In reality, Jack can’t feel anything. All of his emotions are fabricated. There could be a spark; of hope, or pity, or amusement, or some kinda love, but it’s never enough. He’s almost completely numb. He hates it sometimes, but Jack can’t miss what he’s never had.

Now about the state of his actual brain… uh ask Abbey about that. She fed him the curb

Oz: Shitty. He is constantly haunted by visions from his past. He can barely sleep at night without seeing his men -his sons- dead around him. The heroin, the morphine, and the LSD were the only things keeping him from having to see their mangled bodies scattered every time he blinked. Rehab helped him get over his addiction, but he hated talking to those damn prissy ass shrinks. But now that Jenny’s around, he can’t be high all the damn time, so Oz has to deal with it without any assistance from anyone but his ex.

He’s stressed, and he thinks he can’t do it anymore, but he wakes up every morning and does.

3) What’s your favorite thing about this OC?

Annika: How far her development’s come along. I based her off me when I play video games (I rage a lot 😭) and had to think about how, realistically, someone with an erratic fighting style would come to develop it. Since I die a lot, I figured Annika wouldn’t have any formal military training except by the terrorist organization she was raised in. I really wanted to make her a reflection of my video game playing style, and I’m happy to say that she does. Just with more depth now.

Jack: He’s not far along in his development process, so this will most likely change but so far, it’s how two-faced he is. When you talk to Jack, he genuinely seems like a nice guy that you’d wanna crack a couple cold ones with on a nice, hot day, while all of his ‘patients’ are horrified of him. Dudebro’s the reason Abbey doesn’t like British people ��

Oz: I’ve got two things. How real he is. I’ll admit; a lot of my ocs are over exaggerated, but at least in my opinion, he’s the most realistic. I’ve made a post going slightly more into depth about this a while back. The other thing is that Oz is somehow my 2nd most morally stable character after all the shit he’s done 😭😭😭

4) What does this OC feel about physical affection?

Annika: She yearns for it. Annika’s never felt the loving touch of any individual that wouldn’t later be used to hurt her. Now, I’m not saying it’s a smart idea to abruptly give her a hug, unless you wanna pull back a bloody stump or you’re her girlfriend, as that scares her, tying back to her fear of people.

Jack: He doesn’t particularly care for it one way or another. Jack might tuck someone’s hair behind their ears if he’s being patronizing, or pat them on the shoulder to reassure them, he doesn’t really get anything from it. He won’t provide any physical contact if it doesn’t benefit him, unless it’s with his partner. Everyone else, even Jack’s own kids, can go to hell.

Oz: Oz is touched starved. At this point, he’d take any form of physical contact from anyone. The problem is, he doesn’t feel like he deserves it, so he recoils from it at every opportunity it’s shown. He says it’s unmanly, but if a woman even patted him on the cheek, bro’s getting a bit excited 🤭

5) How does this OC get along with people they just met?

Annika: Not well. Annika already hates the people she actually knows, introducing her to a person she doesn’t know will ensure hostility. Unless you’re going on a mission with her, she doesn’t want to know anything about you. She doesn’t want to know what you think about the weather. Her life wouldn’t be impacted if you lived or died, and she wants you to know it 😭If she can, Annika would just walk away after the initial greeting.

Jack: He’s the opposite of Annika, at least on the outside. He introduces himself, shakes your hand, and offers to take your coat. Very gentlemanly, especially to women and children. He presents himself as a genuine caring and kind man, giving gifts and offering to listen/help anyone around him. So whenever people (Abbey) accuse him of doing something, everyone tends to be like “Not Jack! He helped me sort through my divorce!” even if they barely know him, cause Jack’s just so damn polite.

Oz: Oz is extremely awkward. Most of the times when he’s meeting someone for the first time he just kinda stands there like🧍‍♂️waiting for his friend to finish talking so he can go watch the Patriots game. He isn’t rude about it though; he’ll smile and wave but he isn’t too good at small talk. Only when he starts to open up more will he start being the asshole we all know and love.

[lilandraws]

Project Yakshorn Island: Week 03 - First Arrival

Takes one to know one

Word count: 4920 Characters featured: Hilda (mine), Annika (@kirkwords), Hiccup, Silent Sven, and Gustav Summary: A month after the establishment of Yakshorn Island, Hilda arrives. Read on AO3 or read after the cut

Heavy footsteps approaching stirred Hilda from her nap. A big warm hand shook her awake. She squinted at the sunlight and frowned at the man who woke her. ‘We’re almost there,’ Uncle Sven signed and she groaned, turning her back towards him. He shook her again with a force so strong she could feel her bones shake. She finally looked at him. ‘We’re almost there,’ he signed again. ‘Your new home! Are you ready?’

‘Yes,’ she signed repeatedly as she sat up and rubbed her eyes. She stretched her arms and folded up her sleeping bag then followed him to look over the bow. The cold ocean air kissed her cheeks, blowing through her short brown hair. She giggled, running to catch up to Uncle Sven. She looked up to see Gustav flying with Fanghook just above the ship while Hiccup and Toothless were nowhere to be found, likely gliding above the bright white clouds. On the horizon, where the sky met the sea, was Yakshorn Island. It looked a lot smaller than the Berk Isles, especially with the lack of structures. She didn’t really know what to expect from it, considering that it was previously uninhabited, but if someone could set up base there and Hiccup had let her move there, then that meant it was safe. It looked like it had greenery, too, which meant food for the flock they brought. 

She looked back at the small flock her uncle insisted she take. They huddled closely together at the back of the small ship, chewing on hay. Their eyes glazed over, not particularly impressed or fond of being on a ship. She only hoped that they wouldn’t blame her for the move they’re going through as it wasn’t her idea in the first place. It was a long back-and-forth about them between her and Uncle Sven. Hiccup was told that there was a wild flock on Yakshorn so there was no need to bring a flock but Sven insisted that she bring one anyway, so that she had a flock just in case she failed to herd the wild flock. Aunt Revna had to step in, before Hilda could even scream, for them to come to a compromise: bringing a dozen sheep. (Uncle Sven had wanted her to take half of their flock which was much much more than a dozen.) She knew he was just looking out for her but the implication of failure still hurt. She looked at the man standing next to her, his eyes looking at the distance. Gray hair was starting to grow on his silly mustache. His freckles were darker under the sun. She always felt a strange ache when she looked at him. He looked a lot like her father, if her father had a mustache instead of a beard. He raised an eyebrow and smiled when he caught her looking at him. He looked like he was about to say something when something caught his attention behind her. A gust of wind almost blew her towards him. She looked over her shoulder and saw that Hiccup and Toothless had dropped in and flew next to the boat. Hiccup was yelling something, pointing to the island, then took off. She turned to Uncle Sven. 

‘What did Hiccup say?’ She asked.

‘He’ll fly ahead,’ he answered. ‘He’ll meet us there.’

—

Hiccup was talking with Annika, the young woman living on the island, on the beach when they arrived. She was blonde and tall like Astrid. Hiccup introduced them as Annika stepped forward to shake their hands. Up close, Hilda noticed dark circles around Annika’s green eyes and her convivial smile did not exactly reach her eyes. She spoke slowly, making it easier to read her lips, “My name…Anni..ka.” She then waved an arm towards the expanse of the island, welcoming them, then pointed out a small hut in the distance. She was now turned away as they walked, mostly facing Hiccup, so Hilda took in the view. 

The island didn’t feel so small now that they were here. The air was cold yet inviting. There were grassy fields, hills, and forests beyond the rocky beach. Toothless, Fanghook, and her flock of Terrible Terrors chased each other in the fields. She could imagine a small village around the land where Annika built her hut. A sliver of hope fluttered in her chest. Maybe, if a village were to be built, she’d be a respected part of it because she was here first, like Gothi was in Berk. Maybe they could see her as an equal. Though, she didn’t offer any wisdom nor did she really want to be a Village Elder (and it took a really long time to be an elder). Maybe that was a silly thought. 

She almost dropped the pack she was carrying on her back when Gustav bumped against her. She scowled and pushed him away, but he simply stuck out his tongue. 

‘Beautiful,’ he signed, gesturing around them. ‘Maybe I should move here, too,’ he added and laughed when she rolled her eyes. ‘What? You can’t see me living here?’

‘No,’ Hilda shook her head. ‘Would be nice if you moved but you have a family.’

Gustav furrowed his brows, glancing at Uncle Sven who was walking ahead. ‘Same as you,’ he signed.

‘It’s different,’ she shrugged. 

Gustav scratched his helmet, a thought turning in his head, and she hoped that he would drop the subject but instead, he signed, ‘Not different.’

She sighed, shrugging again, ‘Fine, not different. But the village is different, you know that,’ to which Gustav nodded.

They finally reached the space where Annika had built her hut and it looked like she had been gathering wood and building frames, in preparation for Hilda’s arrival. Hiccup was already inspecting the frames built while Annika was nudging her craftsmanship with her foot. 

Uncle Sven came up to Hilda and Gustav after dropping the bags he was carrying. He pointed to a field beyond the hills in the far east where a small hut, like Annika’s, was under construction. ‘Annika built a house over there,’ he signed. It was a good hike away from Annika’s hut—a distance she personally didn’t like considering the new environment, but it seemed to be the most sensible place for the sheep. Uncle Sven continued, ‘She thought you’d like it. Big space for sheep. Is it okay?’

‘Okay,’ Hilda nodded. 

Hiccup must have yelled something which made Gustav quirk up and run towards him, already removing his pack from his back.

‘We’ll eat first, then build the house,’ Uncle Sven signed, grabbing her pack from her. 

—

It looked like the only conversation she was missing was Gustav getting scolded one too many times, judging from Gustav’s sulking and Hiccup pinching the bridge of his nose in frustration. Annika didn’t seem to say or pay much attention to the young men as they built nor did she try to make conversation with Uncle Sven. Maybe she thought Uncle Sven was deaf, too. It wouldn’t be the first time someone thought her family was deaf—they had an affinity for not speaking, after all. Hilda always thought that maybe the gods found it funny and made it come true for one of them. Though, of all the families the gods could play a trick on, she was thankful it was hers. She couldn’t imagine being deaf in a family full of people who relied  solely on spoken speech for communication. 

When she was done with her side of the wall, Uncle Sven caught her attention as he was hauling chopped wood. He signed with his free hand, ‘Help me build a fence?’

She nodded, walking in the direction he was heading. He had already placed four markers around the back and side of the small hut so she counted the paces it took to get from the hut to the furthest marker, making an estimate as to how much wood they would need. She stopped by the furthest marker which stood several paces away from a stream she hadn't noticed before. It was a small one, as clear as day with gentle movement. Uncle Sven handed her the rope and a knife before he knelt and started hammering a stake down. She wrung the rope as she waited for him to hammer a few stakes in place. Once he did, she started placing the horizontal parts of the fence, tying one end at a time, falling into a steady rhythm. 

The sun was getting ready to sink when Gustav stood next to her and held the other side of the wood she was tying up. She nodded as thanks while she tied the other side. 

She slung the rope over her shoulder, ‘You’re not helping Hiccup anymore?’

‘I can’t help build a roof,’ he answered. ‘Don’t know how.’

‘Or did you annoy him again?’ She raised an eyebrow and he groaned, shaking his head as he picked up another piece of wood to hold against the fence. 

‘Not my fault!’ he signed with one hand. 

‘Sure,’ she laughed.

—

By the end of the day, most of the hut was finished with only half a roof and furniture missing. They managed to herd the flock into the sheep pen, too. She sunk to the ground and leaned her back against their make-shift dinner chair-log around the fire. Gustav was animatedly telling a story as their food was grilling and both Hiccup and Uncle Sven had an amused look on their faces while Annika looked… sad? With downcast eyes and creased brows, tending the fire. She would glance at Gustav and smile when Hiccup checked in with her but her mind was elsewhere. Hilda quickly averted her eyes when Annika’s eyes met hers, heat rising up to her ears and heart pounding against her chest. 

Uncle Sven tapped the wood by her shoulder before handing her a stick of grilled meat. ‘You okay?’

‘Yes, good. Thank you,’ she smiled, accepting the food. 

Hilda glanced at Annika before eating her meal. She never really questioned why anyone would set up base alone on an uninhabited island and as far as she knew, Annika never really questioned why Hilda wanted to move to said island either. But Hilda would be lying if she said that she wasn’t a little curious. Berk would have welcomed Annika if she needed a place to stay, especially with her friendship with Hiccup, so why didn’t she—

Uncle Sven tapped her again before she could dwell on the thought any further. ‘Sleep? It’s been a long day,’ he signed. 

She stretched her legs before standing up and signing, ‘Okay.’

—

Before she knew it, three days had passed and Hiccup had to go back to Berk. Uncle Sven somehow managed to build a bed and table for her in between tasks. The roof’s thatching was almost done, too, which is a miracle in and of itself considering how none of them were thatchers. Her body ached from the hard labor and she longed for a warm bath. She groaned, running her hands through her hair, at the realization that she wouldn’t have warm baths for a while. She doesn’t even have bowls for soup either! Maybe this was all a big mistake. Hilda looked down when she felt someone tapping her foot as she was sitting on the frame of the roof. 

Gustav looked annoyed with his cheeks all red and puffed up. 

‘What?’ Hilda signed. ‘I’m busy,’ shaking a handful of heather at him. Uncle Sven was on the other side of the roof, paying them no mind. 

‘Annika yelled at me,’ he answered, speaking as he signed. His gestures slurred into one another. ‘I should have left with Hiccup!’

Hilda smirked and raised an eyebrow, prompting him to elaborate. He had promised that he wouldn’t leave until the house was built and she was settled in, and he was far too proud and stubborn to break a promise. 

He pouted and dropped his shoulders. He looked like he was muttering as he signed shyly, ‘I dropped a piece of wood on her foot.’

She felt a sound escape her lips and he immediately shook his head and waved his hands, ‘I said I was sorry but she’s still angry at me!’

‘I’d be angry, too,’ she signed. ‘Wood’s heavy.’

‘She’s scary when she’s angry,’ Gustav signed and attempted to copy Annika’s expression, as if it was going to gain him sympathy. 

She laughed then repeated for emphasis, ‘Wood’s heavy.’ She kicked his helmet, tipping it over. 

Gustav quickly fixed it and slapped her foot, giving her the middle finger. She stuck her tongue while he glared at her then he turned to face Uncle Sven, who must have cleared his throat or something and signed, ‘Just say sorry again later,’ to which Gustav sighed deeply. 

—

Hilda laid on the ground as Uncle Sven and Annika set up the campfire. The grass was soft beneath her, tickling her skin. Gustav sat next to her and signed, ‘Let’s go for a swim tomorrow? Annika said there’s a lake over there,’ he pointed overhead, towards the west of her hut. It was too dark to see anything beyond the trees and it must have been several meters away if they couldn’t see it during the day. Maybe that’s where the stream led. 

She took a deep breath and nodded. ‘I want a warm bath,’ she signed.

‘Go back to Berk,’ he laughed. 

She huffed and waved him away, closing her eyes. Hilda knew it was a joke, of course, and she was thinking the same thing just a few hours ago, but it felt different when someone else was saying it. And even more annoying coming from Gustav of all people.  She let out another huff. A swim would be nice though. She could already imagine dipping in refreshing cool water after a hard day's work. She opened her eyes and sat up, only to find Gustav gone and Uncle Sven walking towards her. 

He knelt in front of her, ‘Let’s build a tub tomorrow so you can have a warm bath soon.’

Her heart welled up and tears crept up her face. Had he been watching them talk? Or did Gustav tell him? Or did he just remember? Either way, she nodded, grinning, ‘How?’

‘I’ve got spare boat parts, can be used for a tub,’ he shrugged. ‘I can build a basin, too. For the other things, I’ll need to come back.’

She tackled him into a hug, almost toppling the big man over. She grinned so wide her cheeks hurt, ‘Thank you! Thank you!’ She squealed as she signed, making Uncle Sven wince. For once in her life, she drew back and apologized which made her uncle raise his eyebrows in surprise.

‘It’s okay,’ he signed. ‘Your voice is a good thing.’

Hilda rolled her eyes. She pointed at him then plugged her ears, scrunching her nose and closing her eyes. He took her hands away from her head and shook his head with a smile. His shoulders were shaking a bit, maybe he was chuckling. She pursed her lips.

‘Was this,’ she started, nodding to her hut, ‘Am I making the right choice? Moving?’

‘Now you doubt?’ Uncle Sven patted her back, almost making her cough. ‘We already built a house.’

‘A little scared,’ she admitted. ‘On my own.’

Uncle Sven’s features softened. He nodded and looked into the distance, beyond the hut, beyond the sheep, beyond the stream. ‘You were very small when you came to live with me,’ he finally looked at her. ‘Now, you’re bigger. Stronger.’

Hilda smirked, ‘But not strong enough to ride a dragon?’

‘That’s different,’ he pursed his lips. ‘Can’t say if this…’ he gestured around them and shrugged. ‘...is good or bad but I will support you. If good then good. If bad, you will always have a home in Berk.’

‘I thought you didn't want me to leave,’ Hilda signed and rubbed her nose, sniffing away any sobs that might escape her.

‘Can’t keep you forever,’ Uncle Sven ruffled her hair. He smiled and cupped her cheek. ‘Your father would be proud. You're all grown up.’

‘Are you and Aunt Revna proud?’

‘As proud as we can be.’

And that's when her tears poured.

—

Her stomach dropped the moment she let go of the vine, limbs ungracefully flailing in the air. A scream flitted out her lungs before she hit the cold water. She emerged with a sharp inhale, only to be met with a big splash to the face. She snorted, barely even looking when she splashed back and dove back down to grab his foot, pulling him under. Gustav yelled under water when he saw her, air bubbling out his mouth. She grinned, quickly swimming away to shore. She laughed as she crawled upon the sand, Gustav thrashing behind her to splash her the best he could. It was horribly inefficient, of course, but highly entertaining. 

‘Loser,’ she jabbed a finger to his forehead when he dragged himself next to her. 

‘Siren,’ he flicked her hand away. His hands shot to his ears when she started singing from the top of her lungs. He lunged at her, covering her mouth with his wet wrinkly sandy hand. With the other he signed, ‘Shut up! Shut up! Annika might think you're dying!’ which only made her sing with a stronger force and made him tighten his grip on her face.

Hilda licked his hand, against her better judgment, causing Gustav to jump away from her at the cost of getting sand in her mouth. 

‘You’re so gross and immature!’ Gustav signed after wiping his hands against his pants. He also flipped her off. And under normal circumstances, Hilda would have made a retort but all she could focus on was spitting and rinsing the sand off her mouth. She wished she had made a retort though because now, Gustav had an annoying look of victory on his ugly face and he was no doubt laughing at her. She kicked water towards him, immediately cutting his laughter off, and flipped him off.

—

It was a strange feeling: missing Uncle Sven and Aunt Revna. She thought it would feel the same as missing Grandpa Sam but it was worse. Way worse. And the fact that Gustav was still here, for who knows what, was not helping at all. Since Uncle Sven left two days ago, she had hugged all her sheep at least once a day but they weren't fans of the affection so she needed to chase them around the pen to give them a hug. It was ridiculous and Gustav would laugh at her. She could give Gustav a hug instead, but he refused to wash the few clothes he brought and she’d rather hug her sheep than a stinky Gustav. It's not like he was a fan of her hugs either. He always said that she hugged people like she was trying to crush their bones.

Gustav sat across her, rambling to himself as they watched their food cook over the fire. Annika had excused herself from meals ever since Uncle Sven left. Hilda poked the fire and turned her stick of fish around. Did Annika think she and Gustav were too young to be good company? Or maybe she found their antics annoying? Or maybe…

Gustav nudged her foot. ‘What are you thinking about?’ 

‘We should invite Annika to eat,’ Hilda signed. 

Gustav groaned and she raised an eyebrow. He took a stick from the fire and wrote on the ground: SCARY.

She rolled her eyes and took the stick from him, writing NOT in front of what he wrote so that it read: NOT SCARY. Then she added, SAD.

It was now Gustav’s turn to roll his eyes. ‘How do you know?’

She didn't. ‘I just know.’ But grief is a familiar friend she can recognize anywhere.

Gustav looked to the direction of Annika’s hut though it was too dark to actually see it. ‘Tomorrow. Let's set up camp near her hut. You invite her.’

—

If a dragon could eat a mountain, it would look like the dragon that was guarding the wild flock. Its limbs were as thick as ancient trees, its head bigger than boulders, its antlers as wide as ships. At the end of its tail was a leathery ax. Its skin was painted like the sunset. She could feel its movements all the way from the hill where she and Gustav observed it.

‘What is that?’ Hilda asked but Gustav wasn't paying attention to her. He watched the beast slack jawed and wide eyed. She tapped his shoulder and asked again.

‘No idea,’ he answered, scratching his helmet. She had long given up on wondering if he knew that his helmet was not a part of his head. He added, ‘I’m not Fishlegs.’

‘You haven't seen it before?’ Hilda signed.

‘No,’ he signed. ‘Did Annika not mention it? How will you catch them?’

‘Annika must haven't seen it with them.’

‘It’s a big thing to miss.’

The flock around it was quite big for a wild flock. It must have been more or less the size of Uncle Sven’s flock. They looked tiny next to the mountain of a dragon but they otherwise looked calm, grazing around it. Some of the sheep were even huddled by the crook of the dragon’s forefeet. 

Gustav tapped her shoulder then pointed at the dragon then the sheep and made a show of ravaging an imaginary sandwich. She shook her head, pointing to the huddled sheep.

He furrowed his brows. ‘How will you get the sheep?’ he asked. ‘Pinky, Point, and Thumb can't take that down,’ he added, nodding to her trio of Terrible Terrors who were preoccupied with chasing each other's tails.

She shook her head again then pointed to the dragon then to herself. ‘We’re the same. I'll need to befriend it.’

‘You’re crazy,’ he signed as he got up. ‘I’m gonna go set up the campfire. Come with?’

‘No, I'll meet you later,’ she signed and watched him leave, disappearing into the woods. When she turned back to watch the dragon, she found it staring right at her. 

Hilda held her breath as it tilted its head to the side and watched her with intelligent eyes. Pinky, Point, and Thumb must have felt her freeze because they crawled right next to her, engaging in the staring contest with the giant. It stepped forward, dropped its jaw, and spread its colossal wings. A gust of wind fell upon the island like a wave. Birds and dragons alike took to the sky in panic, the earth rumbled beneath her, her Terrible Terrors trembled as they covered their heads. Even the dragon’s flock ran circles around it. Hilda’s heart pounded against her chest, a chill running down her spine, yet she stayed still, eyes locked with the giant. 

It blinked. 

Then it turned away.

—

Gustav looked horrified and relieved  when she got to the camp. She had to reassure him multiple times that she was okay and that no, she did not hear the loud roar; no, the dragon did not eat her or any of its sheep; yes, she was still deaf; and no, she did not become more deaf because of the roar. And to her surprise, he declared that he was going home tomorrow. 

‘We need Fishlegs’ brain,’ he had signed. ‘We need to know what dragon that was.’

She thought he would have demanded to stay two weeks more to act as a “guard" but maybe the giant spooked him too much for that to even cross his mind. It did sound like a good idea—him going home to gather information about the giant—but she couldn't help but feel sad that he was leaving her. 

He waved his hand in front of her face and looked like he was expecting something from her. 

“What?" she asked, raising her brows.

He nodded towards Annika’s hut then pointed at the extra fish they were grilling. 

‘Can you knock for me?’ she signed as she stood up. ‘Don’t want to scare her.’

Gustav made a show of groaning and sluggishly stood up. Annika’s hut was a few paces away from the campfire and he made every single step count. Hilda rolled her eyes and planted her hands to her hips as she waited for him to catch up.

‘What’s wrong with you?’ she signed when he finally made it but he simply ignored her, knocked, then sprinted back to the campsite. When the door opened, the situation finally sunk in. Annika didn't know her home signs! And her friend who did know her home signs, for whatever reason, bailed on her. She hoped the signs were straight forward enough for Annika to understand.

She stepped back when Annika came into view. She didn't realize that they were the same height. The older girl somehow always felt and looked taller than her. The dark circles were prominent beneath her green eyes. She had a feeling Annika’s flushed cheeks and red nose wasn't just from the cold but she chose not to say anything about them. Instead, she made a sweeping gesture between them and pointed to the campsite, then she made the shape of an “o" with her hand, fingertips facing her face and tapped her lips twice. 

Annika watched her hands closely, brows furrowing then for a split-second, her face lit up. “Okay," she said, nodding.

Dinner was quiet with Gustav only glancing at Hilda every now and then with a barely concealed smile. Annika mostly kept to herself, focusing on her meal while looking out into the sea. Strangely, when she caught herself staring at the sea, she would straighten up and stare at the fire instead but the sea somehow always pulled her away. Perhaps now would be a good time to ask her about the shepherd dragon but Hilda wouldn't even know where to start. Annika didn't even mention the dragon in the first place so what if she didn't know anything about it? That it was even there? On top of that, a giant dragon seemingly protecting a flock of sheep sounded like something out of a fairytale. Instead she nudged Gustav with her foot and broke the silence, ‘When will you leave tomorrow?’

‘Dawn, maybe,’ he shrugged. ‘Will you miss me?’

‘No,’ she signed with a smile to which he rolled his eyes.

She was in the middle of asking him to write her letters when Annika caught his attention. He turned his back to Hilda and it was too dark to properly read Annika’s lips. When Gustav finally turned back around, he pointed at Annika.

Annika glanced at Gustav before signing. Palm facing her, she touched her fingertips to her chin then brought her hand forward and out like she was blowing a kiss. ‘Thank you.’

Hilda smiled, heart fluttering. 

After Annika left, Gustav turned to Hilda with a look that only meant trouble and wrapped his arms around himself. He rubbed his shoulders and arms sensually while making a kissy face. 

Hilda groaned, raising her hand and closing her eyes, which earned her a punch on the shoulder. She yelped and pushed him away. She grabbed a stick and wrote on the ground: MORE YOUR TYPE. He squinted as he read then scowled at it, pointing his thumb down.

‘Same look as Astrid,’ she signed, shaking her head in disbelief. She mimicked Astrid’s posture and pretended to have a braid to hammer down her point. 

‘I don't see it,’ he waved her away. 

She grabbed the stick again, poking him before spelling slowly on the ground so that he had a stupid look on his face while reading the word: STUPID. 

—

Dawn came too quickly. Gustav woke her up before leaving. She knew he wasn't fond of her hugs but she hugged him tight anyway. He had to take a moment to catch his breath after she let him go. She also bid Fanghook goodbye, planting a sleepy kiss on the dragon’s head. They were gone before the sun rose and Hilda couldn't return to sleep alone. 

—

Her sheep were too aware of the giant dragon watching them to graze peacefully. Hilda couldn't blame them as she felt the same way. She almost felt bad for herding them so close to the wild flock but if she led them anywhere else, she’d feel a tug in her heart to bring them where they were right now. The earth trembled beneath her. She faced the giant and found it stepping forward, taking a deep breath. It was going to roar for sure. She yelled to catch her dragons’ attention and signed when their eyes were on her. ‘Gather sheep, lead them back to the pen.’

Point snapped at the sheep while Pinky and Thumb corralled them to the right direction. They moved just as the wind blew and the wild flock started running in circles. Hilda stood her ground, leaning against her crook, while her bones shook like the earth beneath her. The giant’s eyes were on her and hers on the dragon. Her heart threatened to escape her ribs, beating hard against her chest. The giant was trying to push her for sure, but it would take a lot more than a roar to spook her away. She raised her arms wide open with a grin. It was her turn to roar.