#after one of my least favorite Vikings

[actualdraccus]

My car has to be on an odd number.

[thesinglesock]

my old How to Train your Dragon obsession suddenly re-emerging now, after I've spent years learning about Historical Viking Clothing and Crafts is great actually cause I get to apply the Fun History Knowledge to my favorite blorbos, and now I have some very specific scenarios.

in Viking culture, gift giving was a big complicated very significant thing. And one gift that was Especially Significant was that of a New Shirt. Women would propose to the guy they wanted to marry by making him a brand new linen shirt. I could go on for several pages about what that tells us about viking culture, gender roles, and also the extremely fun ways viking age stories used "gifting a shirt" as a symbol in romantic stories, but I'll restrain myself. This post is about How to Train your Dragon.

Astrid Hofferson can't sew. There's no way. Girl spent her whole life training to be a warrior, she has not had the time or patience to sit down and learn to sew (even though it involves a whole lot of stabbing things with a sharp object). I mean even her own clothes are made with minimal amounts of sewing (a needlebound tank top and some furs wrapped around her arms instead of sleeves).

Hiccup Haddock Horrendus III, on the other hand, knows how to sew. Sure he mostly works with metal and leather, but leatherwork requires sewing. I'm pretty sure I can find actual footage of him using a needle. Also his clothes are nicely sewn, and since he grew up without a mum, and his dad is a very busy man, he must have made at least parts of his outfit himself.

So my question is: how did they ever get engaged. How did that proposal go? Did Astrid suffer through learning a new skill so she could spend months of her life painstakingly stitching together the Worst Shirt Ever Made? I imagine her rage quitting after she has to undo that one seam for a fourth time, and in true Astrid fashion, just chucking it at Hiccup with full force when he walks into the room.

or! would Hiccup defy Viking Gender Norms because he gets that Astrid has no interest in sewing? and then he gets it into his head that it has to be the most elaborate shirt on the whole island cause it's for his girlfriend and he can't even remember ever seeing her in a nice shirt before? and that's a shame cause she deserves to have nice things! And he overthinks every choice along the way because what if she hates it???? But ofc it turns out really nice and she adores it.

[dr-spencer-reids-queen]

invisible string

Pairing: Spencer Reid x Female!Reader

Word Count: ~1.1k

Warnings: fluff

Request by anon: this is about to be super self indulgent but could you by any chance do a spencer reid x barista!reader maybe he keeps going back to the same cafe or something and memorizes like little facts about coffee or something lol i love your writing so much!!

Summary: Spencer keeps going back to the same coffee shop not because of the coffee but because of a certain someone that never fails to make him smile.

Square Filled: invisible string by taylor swift for @spencerreidbingo

Author’s Note: any and all comments are appreciated <3

x

“I need a double shot espresso and a strawberry refresher,” you call to your coworkers. You’re working the register when a tall man walks up to the counter. Man, he is super cute. “Hi, what can I get for you?”

“I don’t come here often but I hear you don’t take large cups? What are they called?”

“Venti?”

“Yeah, that,” he chuckles. “What do you recommend?”

“I personally love anything caramel. It gives me enough sugar to counteract the bitterness of the coffee.”

“I’ll do that, then.”

Man, he is clueless but he’s so cute. You’re not sure if this is a bit or if this is who he actually is but you like it.

“What kind of coffee do you want?”

“Hazelnut Americano with caramel drizzle.”

“You got it. Anything else?”

“No.”

“Name?”

“Spencer Reid.”

He pays for his coffee and you start making his order since there is no one else in line. You write his name on the cup and walk to the pickup section and call his name. The way he bounces over to the counter is kind of cute.

“Have a nice day, Spencer,” you grin and hand it to him.

“Thank you. You, too!”

The next day when Spencer comes in, he is more confident. He’s still nervous since he finds you attractive but he’s not going to let that stop him.

“Hey, I remember you. You ordered the hazelnut Americano yesterday,” you smile and greet him. You yawn and cover your mouth. “Sorry. It doesn’t matter how much coffee I drink, I am still tired.”

“Did you know that coffee was discovered by an Ethiopian goat herder?”

“I did not but it makes sense. He needed all that energy to round up all the goats. What’s your name again?”

“Spencer.”

“Yes, that was it. Sorry, I have a terrible memory.”

“I have an eidetic one.”

“What is that?”

“An eidetic memory is the ability to recall an image from memory with high precision—at least for a brief period—after seeing it only once and without using a mnemonic device. I have an IQ of 187 and can read twenty-thousand words a minute.”

“So, you’re really smart?”

“Yes,” he chuckles.

“Okay, come back tomorrow and I’ll have a fact for you.”

“Deal.”

There is a line forming behind him so Spencer quickly orders and leaves just as fast as he came. You have to wait an entire day to see him again and this time, you have a fact lined up for him.

“Hi, Spencer,” you smile. “I think I got a good fact for you today.”

“Let’s hear it.”

“Did you know that ketchup was once sold as a medicine?”

“In the 1830s, it was believed that the condiment could cure almost anything, including indigestion, diarrhea, and even jaundice,” he nods.

“Alright, smarty-pants, I’ll have to try harder tomorrow.”

“I have one for you about coffee. Did you know that bees love the taste of coffee?”

“Is that why they always fly near me when I’m having my morning coffee in my sunroom?”

“It might be.”

Another line is forming so you grab his coffee order and move on with your life. The only thing you’re looking forward to now is Spencer when he comes in. He shows up the next morning at the same time he’s been showing up, and you find yourself smiling because of him.

“Spencer! The usual?”

“Actually, get me your favorite drink.”

“Are you sure? You’re not allergic to anything?”

“Nope.”

“Coming right up.” You ring him up and accept his cash. “I have another fact, and I think it’s a good one. Did you know the Vikings discovered America and not Christopher Columbus?”

“Yes, approximately five hundred years before Christopher Columbus, the Scandinavian explorer Thorvald, brother of Leif Erikson and son of Erik the Red, died in battle in modern-day Newfoundland.”

“Okay, you’re good.”

Spencer blushes at your small compliment. “My head is filled with facts that I can’t seem to forget like coffee beans are actually the seeds from the coffee plant’s berry-like fruits. The coffee plant is a shrub that grows in tropical climates in parts of Africa, Asia, South America and North America. It produces an edible berry-like fruit known as a coffee cherry, which typically contains two coffee beans. These beans are then processed and roasted to create the coffee we know and love.”

“I did not know that.” You really like talking to him but every time he comes in, there is a line forming behind him. You have to move on so you put in his order. You turn to your coworker who barely begins to make his order. “Can you take this? I want to make his cup.”

“Sure, smitten kitten,” she grins.

You grab the empty cup and make your favorite drink for Spencer. When you’re done, you write your number on the side of it in hopes he will use it.

“Spencer?” He walks up to the counter and you smile. “Here you go.”

“Thank you. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“I’ll be here.”

Spencer doesn’t notice your number until he gets to his car. He smiles which makes you smile because that is a good sign that he likes what you did. The next day, he comes in with someone. He hasn’t used your number yet but maybe he’s nervous. The man with the dark skin encourages Spencer to make a move on you, and he pushes him toward you.

“Hi, Spencer,” you smile.

“Hi. This is my friend and coworker, Derek Morgan.”

“Hi, Derek.” You turn to Spencer. “I got one for you. I really think I’ll get you this time. Did you know that in Ancient Egypt, the New Year celebration was called Wepet Renpet?”

“I didn’t know that.”

“Wait, really?” you gasp.

“Are you serious?” Derek asks Spencer at the same time as you.

“I’m sorry, yeah, I did.” You tip your head back and laugh. “While we celebrate New Year’s Day on January 1, the Ancient Egyptian tradition was different every year. Meaning ‘the opener of the year’, Wepet Renpet was a way to mark the annual flooding of the Nile River, which usually happened sometime in July. The Egyptians tracked Sirius, the brightest star in the sky, to time their festivities.”

“You know, one day, I’m gonna get you. I’m gonna know something you don’t.”

“I’ve been barking up that tree for years now,” Derek chuckles. You and Spencer look at him and he nods in understanding. “I’ll go wait over there.”

“What can I get you two?”

“Caramel Macchiato and a Hazelnut Americano.”

“Is that all?”

Spencer looks at Derek who nods in encouragement.

“Would you like to go on a date with me?” he stutters.

He blushes as he talks which is super cute.

“I’d love to.”

“Great. I still have your number. I was nervous about using it but I will now.”

“Don’t wait too long,” you grin.

There is something pulling you and Spencer together, something of an invisible string.

x

Follow my library blog @aqueenslibrary​​​​​​ where I reblog all my stories, so you can put notifications on there without the extra stuff :)

[thebubblesareevil]

A Deal is a Deal…

I haven’t really posted any danny/kaldur in a bit so here you go

Danny was having a really long, really stupid day.

First he was late for his exam because he woke up to kitty and johnny fighting in his apartment. By the time he got that sorted out he had to rush to campus.

Then, by some miracle, the proctor let him in despite being late only to realize he was in the wrong exam halfway through. (He decided to finish the test and turn it in rather than admit his mistake.)

Then he finally managed to stop and get a truly unholy cup of coffee that he topped off with his last bit of ecto shot only for someone to run into him, spilling his coffee.

Which really didn’t make the blind date Sam set him up with anywhere near bearable. She was nice, don’t get him wrong, however Sam has two types of friends outside of Tucker and him. He was pretty sure he would have preferred hearing about the deforestation of the Amazon than have the heavily pierced girl get wayyy too excited when she realized he was from Amity Park. After he finally escaped with the excuse of feeding his dog Sam decided to call to find out how the date went.

“She did the thing Sam.” He stated bluntly as he struggled to unlock his door.

“And which thing would that be Danny? The one where she’s interested in your personality or the thing where you might need a restraining order?” He groaned, thumping his head on the door before checking the hall for neighbors. With the coast clear he phased through, once more leaving his arch nemesis to fight another day.

“The second one, or at least that definitely seemed where it was heading. She kept asking about all my favorite cemeteries back home.” He threw his keys on the counter, dropping his bag to the floor.

“Well did you tell her about the one near the old clocktower? I’m sure she loved that.”

“Sam, she wasn’t asking about nightly walks and talking to ghosts. She made some not so subtle hints about what she liked to do there.” He could hear Sam wince through the phone.

“Eww, sorry Danny. She really seemed like someone you would click with.” He sighed as he looked through the bare cabinets.

“Not your fault, to be fair things were going great till that point. Plus most people don’t see half as much as I do in graveyards. It could have been worse.” He grinned.

“Oh yeah, what are you thinking?”

“Do you remember that guy from the protest you set me up with awhile back?”

“You mean Orion? What about him? You said he tried to gas light you.” Sam almost sounded offended on behalf of her semi-cannibalistic friend.

“Oh he did more than that. He followed me home.”

“No!”

“Yep, apparently I was being stingy and he thought I owed him so he tried to steal my bike.” He laughed.

“Ugh, don’t worry I’ll be sure to pass the word on to his new partner Marcy. I guarantee he’ll regret it.” He shrugged as he ate a piece of plain bread.

“It’s whatever, at least he didn’t try to kill me.” Sam sighed.

“It was one time!”

“Oh really?” He said as he munched. “If I remember correctly it happened twice.” He could hear the sound of Sam smacking her forehead.

“The first time doesn’t count, that was an accident! Besides Valerie tried way more than I did.” She huffed.

“Yeah, I know.” He yawned, heading over to the bathroom, discarding his socks and shoes along the way. “Some how neither of you are even my worst exes to date.” Sam snorted.

“No I think that title belongs to that crazy Viking that was convinced you were going to start Ragnarok.” Danny felt a small tug at his core as he brushed his teeth.

“What can I say? She was charismatic!” He claimed after spitting into the sink.

“Yeah well Miss. Charismatic nearly talked you into a war with her brother just because he flirted with you.” The tug on his core got stronger. “Personally I would have gone with the brother.” Danny nodded as he nearly tripped walking to his bed.

“I mean, that was never in question. Regardless, I’m swearing off Vikings for the next century.” Danny began struggling to take his shirt off without setting down the phone. The tug on his core was stronger than ever, try as he might to ignore it.

“You really suck at this dating thing, I killed you twice and somehow I’m still not in your top ten-” Danny struggled to escape his stupid shirt as his core PULLED, sending him tumbling to the ground. With a groan Danny finally gave in and just pulled the stupid shirt through his body only to come face to face to someone that was distinctly NOT his bed.

He looked around,coming face to face to someone he was actively avoiding.

“Ello Phantom? How’s death going for ye.”

John Constantine, accompanied by what appeared to be some of the newer members of the Justice League.

Danny decided the best option for this would be to do his best impression of a confused, semi-hungover college student.

“Look man, I don’t know who you are, or what you want but do you have some coffee or something? I’m dying over here.”

“Yet not foolin anyone mate. Need a favor from you. Or rather your better half of you don’t mind.” John replied vaguely as he rubbed his hands together before blowing some kind of powder all over Danny.

Danny stood there flabbergasted, as a rain of dust? Covered him head to toe. He stood there for a minute before his face started to twitch as John began to chant a spell. Danny took a deep breath and-

“AACCHHOOO” John jumped back as the sneeze disrupted the dust.

“What the hell man?” He scolds as he rubbed his nose. John grunted.

“Stubborn little shit huh? Too bad we need the Phantom and he’s coming out one way or another.” Once more he began to chant, Danny however chose to ignore this fact as he took in the faces surrounding the circle. They were clearly some of the younger heroes, even a few apprentices by the looks of it. But Danny really didn’t have time for this, he had another exam tomorrow.

“Look man, I’m not sure what you’ve been smokin or how I got here but unless you’re gonna help me study for my engineering exam, then I gotta go.”

“Please wait.” Danny spun around to face the hero standing behind him, stopping him before he even started to leave. The handsome hero stood tall, clearly he was the leader of this group, which begged the question of-

“Why? What you guys possibly want from me?”

“Allow me to explain. I am Kaldur’ahm, though I am also known as Aquaman. We are seeking the help of a spirit of hope and protection that goes by the name of Phantom. We need his help.” Danny gave the gilled hero a considering look.

“With what?” Kaldur’ahm somehow managed to stand up even straighter.

“A powerful magician by the name of Zatanna was pulled into the Infinite Realms. We need to help of Phantom so we can venture into the realms to retrieve her.” He replied with a barely noticeable sense of urgency. Danny raised a brow.

“You want to go to another dimension? With help from a ghost named Phantom? And you want my help to what? Summon him?” John scoffed, completely ignoring the glare Aquaman sent his way.

“Don’t go playin dumb mate. How exactly do you think you got here.” He pointed to the floor “ That there is a summoning circle, invoking Phantom by name. Now here’s how I figure it. Either you’ve gone and disguised yourself or you decided to take this poor sod for a joy ride.” He smirked. “So which one is it mate?” Danny glared at the Englishman.

“Whether you’re Phantom or not we need help.” Danny sighed as he looked back at the hero.

“Well what’s in it for me? You dragged me from my apartment and you want my help, give me a reason.” He announced.

“Name your price demon.” Danny rolled his eyes at the annoying sorcerer.

“Not a demon.” He paused, trying to figure out what he could ask for as the little heroes started to get nervous. He was gonna help them one way or another, ideally they would give up on him and send him back to his apartment. It would be easy enough to get a magician out of the realms. Danny took one more look around the circle before grinning.

“How about a date?” He said, looking directly at Kaldur’ahm with a grin. He laughed before he continued “Just Kidd-”

“Deal.” Danny choked on his own spit as his cheeks lit up like a Christmas tree. John shouting from the other side of the circle.

“What the bloody hell kind of request was that?!?”

“ I didn’t think he’d say yes!!!!” Danny covered his cheeks as the handsome hero smiled at him.

“A small sacrifice to help a friend, though not a difficult one.” Danny’s face turned a darker shade of red as green started to bleed into his cheeks. ‘Was this guy seriously flirting with him right now?!?’ The hero raised a single smug brow at him, tilting his head just slightly to the side.

“Do we have a deal?” Danny took a deep breath, coughing into his hand.

“Uh, yeah sure, I’ll get your friend back from the realms.” Kaldur’ahm smiled, Danny blushed. “I guess I’ll just… yeah.”

“We shall begin preparations immediately. Once Phantom arrives we should head out immediately, the less time Zatanna spends in the realms the better.” His face closing off as he got serious, Danny couldn’t deny it was cute before he realized what he said.

“Oh, yeah no, you guys aren’t going.” John practically growled causing the hairy green kid to back up.

“Like hell we aren’t! Just because you claim to be a spirit of protection doesn’t mean I trust ye.” Danny turned a steely glare on the sorcerer as he walked towards him. He made it all the way to the edge and the look of confidence he’d been sporting during this whole ordeal dropped from his face as Danny stepped over the edge of the circle.

“I don’t give two shits if you trust me! You aren’t welcome in the Realms John Constantine. Not until you get that piece of patchwork you call a soul sorted out!” He looked around at the rest of the people in the room. “Besides, it’s against the rules to bring the living into the Realms and I’d rather not have to deal with Walker today, thank you very much.” John glared.

“Look here you dead piece of sh-”

“HALF-dead thank you.” He interrupted as he started to float off the ground. “Now buzz off before I change my mind.” John looked as though he intended to reply when Kaldur’ahm stopped him.

“Enough Constantine, we need his help. For Zatanna.” The British asshole grumbled to himself as he scurried off to the side. Danny stepped back on the ground, making his way over to the Atlantean.

“Hey Kaldur’ahm, before I get your friend, you don’t actually have to go on a date with me.” He looked away as he rubbed the back of his neck. “I was gonna help you anyway, I just wanted to get under Johnny boy’s skin.” He just looked at Danny with a smile.

“I thank you, however a deal is a deal, it’s too late to back out now.” Danny’s jaw dropped as the Atlantean grinned. “And please, call me Kaldur.” Danny coughed into his hand to try to force himself to talk.

“Okay… well… okay then… um…” he studdered, dying a little more inside. “I’m gonna go get your friend we can…uh… talk about the details after.” Kaldur nodded as Danny reached a hand behind him to open a portal.

“Agreed, and please be careful Phantom.” Danny paused.

“You can, you can call me Danny.” He back with a slight stutter.

“Very well Danny.” He smiled. Danny blushes as he backed up into the portal, tripping over his own two feet as he fell through. Once on the other side he quickly reached out to find the intruder in his domain. She was easy enough to find, he didn’t even bother transforming. She was standing on an unclaimed floating island only a few miles from where he opened the portal.

Armed with the knowledge that she regularly worked with superheroes he thought it would be best to announce his presence before he surprised her.

“You wouldn’t happen to be a magician by the name of Zatanna would you?” The fierce woman turned, her wand posed, ready to send a flurry of spells at a moments notice.

“And if I am?” Danny smiled.

“A friend of yours asked me to come get you.” She looked at him suspiciously.

“And which friend would that be?”

“A cute Atlantian with a killer sense of humor, named Kaldur.” She raised an eyebrow at that.

“I’ve never heard him described as having a sense of humor.” Danny chuckled.

“Yeah, I told him I’d come get you in exchange for a date. He didn’t even hesitate. Like he’d actually wanna go on a date with a ghost!” He replied with a laugh. Zatanna however did not join in and instead looked Danny up and down before looking him dead in the eyes. She grinned.

“Gotta say I can’t exactly blame him. It’s not often he gets asked out by handsome shirtless men.” Danny squinted at her confused before looking down. His eyes went wide as he realized he hadn’t been wearing a shirt the whole time!

[mmogurl]

So, last night I finally got through Daemon's arc in Fire and Blood.. There are going to be major spoilers in this post, so only click -keep reading- if you have read it already.. or don't care if I spoil it by talking frankly about its contents! I will be discussing Rhaenyra as well as Aemond. **SPOILERS!! IF YOU KEEP READING! YOU'VE BEEN WARNED.

So, I am just completely wrecked by his ending and how Rhaenyra basically pushes him to it with her psychotic, stupid ways. I mean.. I strongly disliked Rhaenyra after the show, before even reading the book (especially after that fight where she says she can't trust him which is not in the book). But now after reading it, I utterly despise her! She's awful! Horrible.. and the worst kind of stupid! It's like, she just goes kind of nuts, but nobody notices that she has. But it's so obvious that she is not thinking clearly, that or she truly doesn't care about anyone or anything.. Like they are all just pawns to her, dogs to use. But then she doesn't even know how to move them properly on the board - hence my calling her stupid.. I feel like her response of ordering Nettles death was the last nail in the coffin for Daemon, and he was just like.. Fuck this shit.. I mean she literally says, she doesn't care if the lord there takes her head in her sleep.. and she slept with Daemon! Can you imagine that shit?? And this is after she said it's perfectly ok for him to sleep around with Mysaria while Rhaenyra is seemingly uninterested in him, so it's not like she was jealous. But, it seemed like he might have actually cared for Nettles and so he sends her away to save her from all the fucking madness surrounding Rhaenyra and by proxy himself... The line where he and Aemond are talking and the young prince says he's lived long enough.. where Daemon simply replies.. "On that much we can agree," is just so telling.

Imagine having been instrumental in putting Rhaenyra on the throne only to have it become so fucked in the end. And ultimately, I don't think he has the heart to do what he SHOULD do.. which is kill her.. he just decides to go off and die an honorable death in battle like a fucking Viking warrior going off to Valhalla.. But it's so bittersweet.. I hated it.. hated how it all felt like it was for nothing.. because Rhaenyra's a fucking idiot who can't listen to a god damned bit of advice from her much more experienced husband! Like, he suggests TWICE in the book to give Ulf and Hugh something to keep them happy and twice she refuses! So how does it come as a surprise when they turncoat?? But let's be realistic.. the whole Red Sowing was fucking foolhardy to begin with! Tell me, does it make sense to give the power of a god to bastards with no allegiance!? And then to not even buy their allegiance!? It's. just. stupid. Stupid stupid stupid. I'm going to be writing my fic with even more fervor now, because honestly, the entire war in the book.. What happens to Maelor, what happens at Tumbleton!? It's all a nightmare and should be avoided.. A terrible, terrible wrong that must be made right! Ugh! Rhaenyra was already an opponent in my fic - In the Shadow of Dragons. Without spoiling the story, I already have it out for her, but now it's on like fucking Donkey Kong, bitch! Ugh, and to lose Daemon and Aemond at the same time!?! X_X!!! It was at least an awesome battle and the art in the book was epic level, but they are both my favorites and now they are both dead. Now all that is left is to read about how cake eating, psycho Rhaenyra gets overthrown. I am currently at the part where King's Landing has gone into revolt.. and I'm thinking it won't be pretty for her when it happens. And there's another thought.. when you see everything awful that happens under Rhaenyra's rule, one cannot help but consider.. That even Aegon might have done a better job!

/End Rant

[folklore-barnes]

just finished s3 of valhalla yesterday. thoughts:

- the thing i was most afraid of was a bad ending. but thankfully, valhalla actually had a wonderful ending, and i am very satisifed with it.

- the season was AMAZING, i'd say it is easily the best season. it had so many adventures and many moments that made me pause the show 'cause i could not believe they happened. and my favorite thing, it was very colorful and had very wholesome moments, but a good amount of sad moments as well. which i also loved.

- the villains were the best!! i loved every single one

- i loved all of the conflicts as well. they kept me on my toes the whole season

- i would've preferred more seasons of course, at the very least one more. so that we could see leif and freidys find the golden land, reunite with harald ii and also for harald to meet him because that is his son, after all. and of course, for us to see harald and freydis rule together at some point. but i guess they just didn't have the same goals, and that's okay.

- queen aelfgigu shouldn't have died but i also understand how it felt necessary for the plot. so i'll let it slide.

- the whole dynamic of king canute's sons wanting the throne and the issues with duke william had me wanting a spinoff with william, emma's sons and canute's sons

- in general, it was a fantastic season. i enjoyed every bit of it and i have many more thoughts, but all i have to say is:

thank you to the entire cast and crew of vikings: valhalla. you did a wonderful job in every season and i wish you would've stayed a little bit longer. at the very least, one more season. but it was a really good ending, despite the fact that we could've had a little more.

btw, i do not forgive y'all for killing off kaysan, batu and dorn. one of the most painfully devastating things i've ever had to watch❤️‍🩹

ALSO, I NEED HAROLD HAREFOOT FICS. WHERE ARE THEY?

[explosionshark]

2, 3, 9!

2. Did you reread anything? What?

I actually did reread a lot this year (for me)

The Priory of the Orange by Samantha Shannon - I reread this as a buddy read with my homie @nataliving who hadn't read it before. It was fun going back after reading A Day of Fallen Night last year. I think overall Priory on a second run meant the pacing issues stuck out to me more, but I was delighted to find that my favorite parts of the book still held up really well.

A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny - reread this advent calendar style for the second year in a row. This time got @holdsteady to join me. Super fun, highly recommend this for anyone who wants to read something Halloweeny and fun next October.

Stranger Things Happen and Magic for Beginners by Kelly Link - this was a big Kelly Link year for me. I re-read these two short story collections as well as reading her other two collections for the first time. I'm basically caught up except for The Book of Love. Anyway - there were a few stories in Stranger Things Happen that I really liked, but overall Magic for Beginners hit way better for me

The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman - reread this in anticipation of the prequel, The Daughters War, being released. Probably the first book I've ever genuinely been able to call a comfort read. Loved it even more on a re-read.

Whipping Girl by Julia Serano - re-read this when the new edition came out. As vital as ever, able to present things in a very approachable way, it's a foundational and highly recommended intro to transfeminism for a reason, I think everyone should read it at least once.

The Golden Enclaves by Naomi Novik - also reread this with @nataliving. It's my favorite Scholomance book, I wanted to be keeping pace with them while they got to all my favorite parts. Super fun to buddy-read this, I truly love this book.

3. What were your top five books of the year?

okay not counting re-reads

Penance by Eliza Clark - this is a fake true crime book. a book about toxic relationships between girls, a book about true crime fandom, a book about the true crime industry, a book about bias and journalistic ethics and perhaps most importantly a book about TUMBLR a decade ago. Also the most brutal and realistic portrayal of bullying between girls i've ever read. Could NOT put this down.

A Tide of Black Steel by Anthony Ryan - another book in the world of the Covenant of Steel series, which I read and loved last year. Just really good fantasy, I've become such a fan of Anthony Ryan. Love how he writes women and gay people and magic and sword fights! Been patiently working my way through his books, waiting for when I'd get a queer woman out of him and the answer is NOW! Thera, my hyper-competent bisexual viking babe. Love of my life.

The Daughters' War by Christopher Buehlman - as mentioned above I really loved The Blacktongue Thief. My main critique when I first read it was that I wish it had more Galva and then BAM Buehlman announces a prequel from Galva's POV. It's basically a war memoir, Buehlman really gets to show off his horror chops here, which is always a plus for me. Loved it, read it once on audio and then again in print, both versions are great but the narrator was really strong, added a lot.

The Jasmine Throne and The Oleander Sword by Tasha Suri - okay counting these as one entry bc they're part of the same series and I read them pretty close together. EXTREMELY COOL FANTASY SETTING. Indian-inspired, cool mythology, cool magic, lots of intrigue and court politics and some of the best women-vs-misogyny i've ever read in a fantasy book. ALSO a lovers-to-enemies lesbian relationship that made me fully feral. Some of the best pacing I've ever read in 500 - 600 page books, absolutely propulsive, literally no part of these books dragged for me which is WILD.

White Cat, Black Dog by Kelly Link - as mentioned above, it's a big Kelly Link year for me! White Cat, Black Dog might be the strongest collection I read from her this year. There was only one story I didn't really care for. Link is so incredibly talented - her style is so whimsical, but there's always this brilliant, vulnerable emotional honesty to her work. Look, I won't lie, sometimes she's a little hard to follow and I can't say I understand everything I read from her but the way I don't get it STILL feels satisfying somehow. It's a good tension! If you're interested in trying a story from this collection, you can read one of my favorites, The Girl Who Didn't Know Fear for free via Tin House

9. Did you get into any new genres?

Not really! Okay, wait, no, that's a lie. I read some history this year, which I don't usually do. The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson, The Wager by David Grann, The Medici by Paul Strathern. Cool, interesting stuff! Good texture for my reading list!

[soda-gremlin]

Thea Sisters Book Reviews: Part 1

I will be posting my honest and unfiltered thoughts on each and every one of the Thea Stilton books >:3 (Including the Mouseford books and Special Editions, or at least the ones released in english)

There will be three per part, a part posted every Friday, and this one is Dragon's Code, Mountain of Fire, and Ghost of the Shipwreck :D

Dragon's Code: 6/10, ah yes, the titular first book of the series. Where we first meet the girls, their mentor, and how they got their name. You’re probably wondering why it’s ranked so low. Well, you know how the first episode of a series is always so different from the others, and it's often people’s least favorite? This is because of “growing pains” so to speak. The series was finding its tone, its footing, its characterization, so it's only natural it's gonna be a cut below the others. And also because it was released in the early 2000s, it was kinda stereotypical in its portrayal of Violet.

The book is from Thea’s perspective, and it starts with her meeting the girls. From there, we see the girls’…rough interactions, and then they’re faced with their very first mystery. It starts with a strange mouse, Hans Ratson. Supposedly, another new student. He’s been acting suspiciously ever since Thea and the girls met him. Then the Whale Family, who work at Mouseford, keep saying cryptic things about what happens if you “stick your snout where it doesn’t belong.” Then after random things start going missing, the girls begin to investigate. They find a secret room, with codes, and most importantly, a dragon statue. After solving the puzzle and the mystery of why all those random items disappeared, they find a Viking ship down in a cave! And down there as well, hanging down from his ankle via a length of rope, is Hans Ratson, or more accurately, Bartholomew Sparkle, a journalism teacher, and one of Mouseford’s best graduates, who disguised himself to investigate that very mystery the girls were.

Like I said before, this book isn’t really the best, since the codes felt kind of overly convoluted, and the girls’ personalities are…not the best. The character designs and illustrations are also notably rougher than the others. 

All in all, despite not being the best book in the series, you should still read it. It’s not a bad book at all. And you get to see how it all started.

Mountain of Fire: 6/10, same reason as the first one. The girls head to Australia to Nicky’s ranch, where her sheep have fallen ill. Who is behind it, none other than the ranch’s rival, Mortimer MacCardigan, the usual jealous, petty, money-grubbing villain from the older books. He poisoned the grass that the sheep eat, and now Nicky and the girls have to find a way to heal the sheep before they die.

This book is definitely not bad, first off the villain has a lot of personality, and is quite memorable, if just for how much of a petty bitch he is. Like damn, imagine being a grown ass man beefing with a college kid. I also liked the conflict with Mortimer, his son, and Nicky, I thought it was interesting. How the hell did Mortimer have a kid?? Who knows. The conflict just didn’t catch my eye as much as the other ones, but that's not an inherent issue with the book. The representation was a little…iffy, I have to say, but I’m not that qualified to talk about that, so I’m just gonna leave it at that. Also, this book is from 2006, so that should explain a few things.

I would still read it though, don’t let my neutrality on this book sway you. It’s still pretty decent, at least compared to the shit they publish now. COUGH COUGH IRRELEWOOD HOAX COUGH COUGH.

Ghost of the Shipwreck:

-Part 1: 

7/10, a short but fun read! We follow the Thea Sisters as they prepare for the hatching of sea turtle eggs, but Professor van Kraken mysteriously disappears. Once they get into his lab, they hear that he’s been sending a Morse code. After rescuing him from Windy Grotto, they find out that there are treasure looters on the loose after the sunken treasure nearby. After getting van Kraken back on the surface and almost crashing the submarine, the girls are attacked by strangers in black diving suits, likely the ones looking for the treasure. And just when they think they’re saved, it turns out that the new ferryman Captain Coral is their boss! They get captured, but with the efforts of van Kraken, they’re rescued and the treasure is recovered. 

Although it only accounts for half of the book’s content, this is a good story. The villain is memorable and is actually competent, the action scenes have that thrill that keeps you interested, and not to mention Violet being an absolute girlfailure, trying to deal with her crush on Professor van Kraken. My only gripe is that it was far too short and that the second part should have been its own book.

-Part 2: 

7/10, also a good read! The girls are invited by Violet’s parents to Beijing to see an opera her father is conducting. When they get there, they meet Xiao, Violet’s childhood friend, and he shows them to their suite (did I mention that Violet’s parents are bougie?) and Violet whisks them all around Beijing. They eventually end up at a market, and they each get a differently colored stone to represent them. They also find a beautiful lacquer box to keep them in, however, as soon as they buy it, someone is already trying to get them to sell it. They refused, and from then on, their trip went off the rails. They find out the lacquer box is the key to a treasure, and that’s why Madame Hu, the pushy woman who tried to buy the box, wanted it so badly. 

I also think this was a fun story! Although, as I said before, this definitely needed to be its own book instead of being shoehorned into one book with a completely different story. The highlight of the book is definitely Madame Hu. With a striking design, intimidating demeanor, and underhanded tactics, she’s one of the best villains to come out of this series. (I might just be biased because she’s hot.) In general, the mystery is interesting, especially Violet’s mysterious, almost prophetic dream that just– never gets explained.

All in all, definitely read this book! Well– Read both stories in this book that is.

[paula-in-dreamland]

Fanfic writer interview

Thank you @errruvande for the tag!! :))

My AO3

How many work do u have on AO3?

Officially 3 - 1 in-progress multichapter, 2 "one-shots" (cause I'll probs expand eventually)

What's your total AO3 word count?

~42k (estimate cause some the stuff being counted towards the word count are from nav pages in the fic)

Your top 5 stories by kudos/likes

I mean if we included ff.net in this...that would be completely different. But we are not. So it's literally the three I've posted:

1. A Game of Revenge and Loyalty (HG AU, Sigtryggr x Stiorra centric) 2. Some News Isn't Meant To Be Shared (Canon Universe, canon divergence, Sigtryggr x Stiorra) 3. Vorres Lille Dukke (Vampire AU, Sigtryggr x Stiorra x Reader)

Do you respond to comments? Why or why not?

Yes, or at least I try too! I think it's important to engage with your readers when possible to not only thank them but also because engaging with someone about you work is fun! I've been dying to talk to people about my fics so you better believe I am going to take the opportunity when it comes! It's why I post them in the first place!

What's the fic you've written with the angstiest ending?

Maybe Some News Isn't Meant to Be Shared ?? Cause it is fluff, but if you read between the lines and think about what transpires in S5 after that moment...yeah. Angsty/Whumpy as fuck. Other than that, I have yet to write something with a truly angsty ending. Unless you include one of abandoned WIPs on ff.net.

What's the fic you've written with the happiest ending?

I have a bunch of WIPs with truly happy endings that I'll eventually write/post. Very romcom. Very sweet. As for current? LOL I guess Vorres Lille Dukke ...

Do you write crossovers?

A true crossover where characters from two different fandoms interact? No. But, I have done crossover AUs by putting TLK characters in those universes (a la my Hunger Games fic). And, I guess, you consider some of my fics crossovers in that I draw from Vikings and TLK when worldbuilding. Like Sigtryggr (and Stiorra but we ignore that in modern aus) is descended from Ragnar Lothbrok. So, I tend to draw from that show for depictions of those characters.

Have you ever received hate on a fic?

Not on AO3. But, on ff.net over ten years ago. Broke me. I was 14, 15? Posted my first multi chapter fic. Within the prose, I had littered ANs throughout it rather than keeping it to the beginning and end. Why did I do that? Because I'd see a few other fics in the fandom do it so I figured it was the norm as I was a newbie to writing/fic writing. I think they also had a few other things to say. I end up eventually taking the fic down, and now I think it's fully gone as I don't have it on my laptop anywhere :/ But yeah. Be nice to fic writers. English could be their second/third/fourth language. They could be a preteen or a teenager. They could just be starting out.

Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

HA. HAHAHAHAHA. HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH. Yes. It's mostly M/F. Just recently M/F/F for the first time. As I work through my WIPs, also exploring kinks a bit more. So, more on the vanilla side.

Have you ever had a fic stolen?

Nope. Don't think so.

Have you ever had a fic translated?

I think someone reached out to me on ff.net to translate one of my fics from ages ago? Have had people ask to print them out before! But not on AO3 (yet)

Have you ever co-written a fic before?

Okay I VAGUELY remember maybe doing it, or starting to do it 10+ years ago? But I also use to be an avid RPer on here, so uh...yeah we co-wrote a lot of fics that way ;)

What's your all-time favorite ship?

Oh fuck you can't ask me that. *pulls open junk closet door and gets covered in characters/ships* *Proceeds to grab one at random, then sticks arm out from pile* UH!?!?! THIS ONE?! *holds up Rosalie and Emmett from Twilight*

No, but like in all seriousness: 1. Rosalie/Emmett 2. Stiorra/Sigtryggr 3. Padme/Anakin 4. Kim/Tommy 5. Caroline/Klaus & loads more.

What's a WIP that you want to finish but don't think you ever will?

So, I am really hoping I get to all my WIPs for Sigtryggr/Stiorra because I love them and want to put them in all the scenarios. As for past fandoms/dormant fandoms, I don't think there are any that I want to finish, more so ones that I wish I had given more time too? And now it's too late cause I did not leave myself detailed enough plot notes to trigger my memory? Nor got that far in the first place?

What are your writing strengths?

I think I write some kickass dialogue. I also think I'm decent at writing scenery.

What are your writing weaknesses?

Introspection. is. so. hard. And being concise. And you know...allowing subtext to speak for itself instead of telling the reader directly.

What are your thoughts on writing dialogue in other languages in a fic?

I think it's awesome! But, it can make reading hard if you're not familiar with the language as you have to scroll down to find out what the hell they are saying if it's more than a few words. I also personally think you should stick to languages you actually know/have studied unless it's like a tiny little phrase/nickname. Or, ask someone who actually speaks the language. Because google translate is not reliable lol.

What's a fandom/ship you haven't written for yet but want to?

None currently. But did consider writing a reader fic for Bleach at one point lmao.

What's your favorite fic you've written?

I don't have a favorite because the one that would probably be my fave isn't written yet ;) But, I tend to like all of my fics even the poorly written ones from when I was 14/15.

Tagging: @azriona @holy3cake @ladyaldhelm @whitedarkmoonflower @gemini-mama and anyone else who writes :)

[fuckyeahhiccannamonth]

HIIIII HICCANNA NATION, long time no post!!!

Sooooo long story short, a bitch overcommitted HARD last year, and had like 17 Hiccanna month posts that I completely ran out of steam to finish. And then because I felt so guilty I didn't finish THOSE, I also didn't reblog all the incredibly awesome posts the rest of y'all made, and I'm really sorry for not giving my people the love and appreciation they deserve!!! And then, of course, my life from like October through like March became an absolute shitstorm, and I got semi-threatened with eviction and then friend-dumped by one of the most important people in my life D: It was a whole Ordeal™️, and sadly, my brain was too fried to think about my favorite awkward blorbos 💔

BUT BY GOD, THE TIME HAS COME FOR ME TO GET MY LIFE TOGETHER AND PULL THROUGH FOR ALL YOU WONDERFUL PEOPLE WHO HAVE MADE THIS FUNKY LITTLE EVENT COME TO LIFE!!! I WILL finish reblogging all of last year's Hiccanna Month posts before the end of this month if it kills me!!! And by god, I WILL have this event again, because it's what y'all deserve!!! I don't have the spoons to post much of my own stuff this year (except maybe some leftovers from last year lol), but I'm going to be more on top of my shit about hyping anyone and everyone who decides to participate :3 I'm so grateful for each and every one of you, and I can't tell you how happy it's made me that you all have made this event for my little rarepair OTP bigger and better than I ever imagined 💚🧡💚🧡

I am, however, following suit for some of the other RotBTFD ship months and cutting down from one prompt a day to two per week for 8 prompts total, with an overarching theme for each week. I honestly don't have the spoons to do a prompt every day this year, although for future Hiccanna months, that could change. The two-a-week format seems to work better for a lot of people anyways, since I've gotten feedback that 31 prompts in a row is, er…pretty overwhelming, to say the least ^^; So two prompts a week for this year, and we will see if people like this format better!

@gryffindorkxdraws a tag for you, as promised 🩵

AND NOW, the prompt list!!! Apologies for only giving you guys a couple weeks of prep time—I know it's usually more ^^; But y'all know I'm flexible about late submissions, and it's totally fine if you submit for Hiccanna month after July! And who knows??? If I'm feeling spicy, I might tack on a bonus week for the first week of August 👀👀👀

WEEK 1—MUSIC Special thanks to @lovestrucklyuniverse for suggesting a focus on music from Hiccup and Anna's movies—I'm enamored with that!!! Of course, these prompts are just suggestions, and if you'd rather make something inspired by a pop song, alternative rock jam, or Eurovision ballad that reminds you of Hiccanna, then have at it!

1. For the Dancing and the Dreaming—A re-imagining of our favorite Viking wedding song with Hiccup and Anna! They're certainly the sort of people who would do all manner of impressive feats and grand gestures to win each other over, but the joke is on them—they don't need to! Sometimes, pledging love and devotion is enough, and there's no need to slay monsters or gift troves upon troves of treasure to prove yourself worthy of someone.

2. More Than Just the Spare—One of my absolute favorite things about these two is how they rise above being overlooked and underappreciated and accomplish some truly spectacular things. This prompt is all about Hiccup and Anna showing that they can be more than anyone ever expected them to be—preferably together, while being madly in love!

WEEK 2—MOVIES AND TV Let's be real—we've all dreamed of seeing Hiccup and Anna interact (and adorably butcher flirting several times) on the big screen. Whether it's through an epic Disney-Dreamworks crossover (god, we all wish, right?!) or imagining Best Awkward Blorbos in your favorite TV show, this week is all about Hiccanna slaying in visual media!

1. Romcoms—Have you ever watched a romcom and gone "You know what would make this better? If it was about Hiccanna!"? Furthermore, have you ever watched a romcom and gone "Well shit, this is literally just about Hiccanna!"? Well, now's your time! Make something inspired by your favorite Hiccanna-coded romcom, or a romcom you desperately believe needs more Hiccanna energy in it! Or, hell, make up a brand-new cheesy romcom plot for these two and make us all swoon 💞

2. Dramas—We forget it sometimes, but not everything in these two dorks' lives is sunshine and rainbows. Hiccup lost a whole-ass leg! Anna almost froze to death! They both grew up lonely, friendless, and (relatively) isolated from their communities! For this prompt, take your favorite drama and Hiccanna-ify it—or aplify the Hiccanna you already see! It can be any subgenre you want—coming-of-age drama, period drama, weird avant-garde indie drama, you name it! Subject those guys to some Dramatics™️ and let us see :3

WEEK 3—LITERATURE AND TEXT PROMPTS This week is all about something so many of us long to have an excuse to do--write about the blorbos! Whether you're looking to try your hand at fic for the first time or you're coming back to add more much-needed Hiccanna into our ever-sparse internet ecosystem, these text prompts will hopefully get your fanfiction juices flowing. Pick your favorite(s) of the four for each day, and write away! If you want to try and do all of them then have at it, but don't stress yourself out!!! I wanna make sure this year's event is as chill and no-pressure as possible, since I know a lot of options can be overwhelming, especially for Anna and I's fellow ADHDers! And if you don't want to commit to writing anything, or writing just isn't your strong suit, that's okay too! Use this week to make something based on any literature that brings Hiccanna to mind, or any literary world you'd love to see our favorite awkward ship in. Happy creating! Also HUGE shout-out to @lilandraws for helping me narrow this down from 40 fucking prompts, because when I tried to just casually make a list of text prompts I liked, I got, um...a bit carried away ^^; Also for giving some absolutely hilarious commentary that singlehandedly got me through the workday, bless 💚💚💚 And thank you to @creativepromptsforwriting for the prompts themselves!

1. Pick your favorite(s)!!! a) “Two bros, chilling in a small bed…” b) “Someone just handed you a cat?” c) “Sorry I tried to kill you.” “It’s fine, but next time you should try harder.” d) “Takes one to know one.”

2. Pick your favorite(s)!!! a) He had prepared himself for all the different ways she could reject him. But what he hadn’t prepared for was for her to actually say yes. b) “Want to hear some random facts about geese?” c) “What are we?” “Human. At least I hope we still are.” d) “I can’t stop thinking about kissing you.” “And what are you going to do about that?”

WEEK 4—COMIC BOOKS And now, for the ultimate kick-ass combination of visuals and literature—the visual novel and comic book!!! Since Hiccup and Anna are, fundamentally, animated cartoons (as much as they are much more to all of us!), it seemed fitting to wrap up with this one :3 This week is all about comics, and what epic shenanigans and hijinks can come of Hiccanna-ifying them!

1. Sci-Fi/Fantasy AU—One of the things comic books and visual novels do best is exploring fantastical scenarios and limitless possibilities. The iconic superhero AU is probably the most well-known, but your options don't end there! Do you have a favorite comic about guys on spaceships exploring the galaxy and battling aliens? Or a comic about a party of DnD-style adventurers taking down an evil wizard? Throw some Hiccanna in it and let us see! The sky's the limit, and really, you don't even have to stop there! (Note: Using AUs for ANY of these prompts is real and valid and encouraged, so don't feel like this is the only place where you can use wacky AUs! This is just the one where they have a special focus/emphasis. But AU away whenever you like—Hiccup and Anna kinda require an AU to even be able to interact, so it sort of comes with the territory!)

2. Favorite Comic Book Adaptation AU—Many of us have been lucky enough to see a comic we like be adapted into something else, and can say with confidence that the adaptation kicks absolute ass,, whether it be a movie, TV show, novelization, video game, or whatever else! Like with the previous prompt, superhero comics might be the first thing to come to mind. Of course, I'd be delighted to see Hiccanna in the world of the Spiderverse, Invincible, or your favorite DC or Marvel movie, but keep in mind these aren't your only choices! Something like Scott Pilgrim vs. the World or Netflix's The Sandman would be a totally valid option as well! Have fun and go crazy :3

Aaaaaaand that's all for now! Tag those posts with hiccannamonth2024 or hiccannamonth24 so I can see them and reblog, and happy Hiccanna month-ing! Can't wait to see what everyone comes up with and shower all my love on it 💗💖❤️‍🔥 See you next month!!! We will go through all of July…and beyond >:3

As far as content goes, literally anything is welcome--edits, art, drabbles/fanfic, videos, interpretive dance you record yourself doing that has Hiccanna motifs, it is all fair game as long as it’s Hiccanna-related!

Your ever-determined Hiccanna month hoster person, Fuckyeahhiccannamonth 💚

[adobe-outdesign]

OK to Jynx Review?

While I'm not the biggest Jynx fan, Smoochum is okay. Jynx was always kind of a weird pick for a pre-evo, as it doesn't really feel like Smoochum's presence really enhances the line in any way, but it is nice to at least have one design here that isn't quite so questionable.

Visually, the pink and yellow palette is nice and there's a fair amount of emphasis on the lips, which makes sense as kissing things is Smoochum's entire deal. The hair is cute and has a nice shape to it as well. It's nothing all that memorable, and I'm personally not a huge fan of human-like baby Pokemon like this, but it's harmless.

Also, side note: Smoochum looks 10x cuter in its original GS art. The slightly wider body shape, inquisitive expression, and little buck tooth really make all the difference.

I've gone on record saying that Jynx is my all-time least favorite Pokemon and yeah, sorry, not a fan of this one.

Obviously the biggest problem here is its face, which is undeniably pretty racist and generally just uncomfortable. This is not helped by it being extremely human-like and vaguely sexualized, with the kissing thing and the chest. They did try to fix it a bit by giving it purple skin as opposed to the original pitch black color, which is slightly better—but purple's not that much different and they didn't really do anything to fix the face, so it's kind of a band-aid solution at best.

Speaking of which, I've noticed that most people try to justify Jynx's design with baseless speculation, which is weird because we know exactly why it's Like That. Here's a design from the beta version of Red and Green (the following information is courtesy of Helix Chamber):

This is either beta Jynx or a Pokemon closely related to it. Its name is Buu, which makes it obvious that it's based on the Ultraman monster Woo, which is A) female (note that Jynx is 100% female), B) a yeti-ish creature (hence the parka here and Jynx's inexplicable ice-typing), and C) a creature with a dark face:

There's no evidence to suggest that GameFreak meant any harm here, but that doesn't make either the beta design or Jynx itself less racist. Just kind of an unfortunate design all around.

Also, even putting that aside, there are just some other odd things with Jynx. It's abnormally humanoid, with hair, five fingers, a dress, and even boobs for some reason. I love humanoid 'mons, but this is a bit too much, and it's hard to see Jynx as something that lives out in nature normally. I also wish something in the final design reflected its ice-typing.

Here's a particularly good redesign that fixes most of my issues with Jynx but still feels like it captures the spirit of the original to some degree:

However, and this is going to sound weird: I think Jynx should get a regional.

Here me out: I get that GameFreak probably doesn't want to acknowledge Jynx too much, but a regional would be the perfect opportunity to redesign it— the regional could even be featured in place of regular Jynx going forward in things like the anime. There are some interesting elements to the design that you could play with—give it tentacles or fins and make it a water-type siren, make it normal-type and give it a viking theme, theme it after different kinds of dancing like Oricorio, etc.

Though on the bright side, Jynx's existence did at least give us one very pretty TCG card, so there's that much, at least:

[avid-adoxography]

🍎, 🥭, 🍈, and 🫛 for any f/o of your choosing!! 🩷🩷

Hi bestieee! 💜 I think I'm gonna do these for Lord Kardok, it's been a hot minute since I've talked about my warlord husband <3c

🍎 - what’s your f/o’s favorite drink? any drink, alcoholic or non alcoholic!

Scottish wee heavy ale, hands down.

He loves a full body, strong beer at any time of the day (and night), especially on the few occasions when he can sit by the fire to whittle.

It reminds him of home. The only rare good parts of it, at least.

🥭 - did your f/o have stuffed animals growing up? do they still have stuffed animals? do they have a favorite?

No, simply because playing with them was seen as something weak and feminine, absolutely unfit for a future warrior.

He did, however, had a small wooden sea serpent figurine with runes carved along its body that his grandmother gave his mother (and later passed to him) as Nafnfest (name-fastening gift) for his Ausa Vatni (“sprinkling of water", a naming and accepted right after birth ceremony).

🍈 - does your f/o believe in fate? do they think everything is preplanned out by the universe or a higher power, or do they think that the idea of fate is bogus? why?

Fate is the highest power in the universe according to Lord Kardok's Viking faith. Men’s lives were shaped by Fate, the gods are subject to Fate, even the world itself has a fate which it could not escape.

Yet his strong belief in Fate in no way suggests that he believes men possess no free will, or could not in some ways affect their own destinies. As the Norne weave the Fate of all, Bhaltair believes life is an evolving, ever changing pattern that is constantly in the process of creation.

Unfortunately, he also thinks each individual’s place in the overall weaving of Fate is determined by the placement in the evolving pattern of the threads of the lives of his parents and ancestors who preceded him, which puts him in quite a bad space considering his father, who has exiled him calling him a Nithing, one who was not even considered a man because he so lacked honor, because of his supposed betrayal against his family and swore to kill him if he ever dared to return home.

Alas, acceptance of whatever unexpected twists and turns of Fate might bring to one’s life, courage in the face of adversity and even death, and conducting oneself with loyalty and integrity is something he has been taught and which he respects despite it all.

So the cycle continues...

🫛 - how does your f/o feel about pet names or nicknames? do they like them? hate them? what are their favorites and least favorites to be called and to use?

Lord Kardok isn’t exactly the type to come up with pet names, for he's a man of action rather than words.

Given the above, he’d rather just call [undone] with some more usual terms of endearment, like Mo ghaol (my love) or Mo leannan (my sweetheart). He might call her Elskan/Elskan mín (my love) too if he's particularly in the mood to be romantic, but that's about it.

On the receiving hand, however... He's mostly fine with whatever [undone] decides to call him, the only exception being the "Angry Pony" thing she sometimes hits him with when he's acting particularly insufferable.

Also, one might also expect him to loathe the whole "I could eat a horse" joke, but with your wife being able to turn into a dragon and all, well... It actually makes him lose his composure in a way he would never admit even under torture (if you get what I mean *wink wink*), but don't tell him I've said it teehee~.

infodumping ask game

[dragonmasterhiccup]

A flicker of a smile peeked through her lips when he mentioned himself knowing her, the warmth coming even when he seemingly only used his words. "I'm glad you do, Hiccup."

Being a little comforted by the fact Ruffnut did back off after, Freya hadn't fully registered what he said about Arvid until he completely finished, blinking at her boyfriend in a bewildered expression. "Wait…you're telling me that guy wanted to dance with me..?" She scoffed, waving one of her hands in the air as if shooing something away, "Maybe him and Ruffnut should've tried dancing together instead..!"

She dramatically gasped when he gave a subtle 'threat' concerning the other viking, although the amused smirk she had on went against her 'protest'. "Hiccup! You wouldn't dare..!" Resisting the urge to quickly peck his cheek, she felt pleased that the future Chief showed he had the same inclinations towards the whole situation, even if she assumed he wouldn't actually hurt Arvid. Probably.

Acknowledging that he mentioned next year, another smile made itself visible on her lips, snorting quietly to herself before answering: "I think Gobber will outshine both of us..!"

Her eyes landed on the flowers he laid out on the table, lightly touching the intertwined black tresses to discover that he hadn't even messed up her braid either. "Yeah…I usually don't like keeping my entire hair in a braid anyways…but, thank you for helping, again."

Chuckling alongside him, Freya shook her head while poking his shoulder. "Hey, you still got it!" Her hand reached for his, gaze enveloped in affection. "Also, off topic, but I really enjoy hearing you laugh. You should do it more often." She added the last part in a playful manner, although she meant it.

"Nope…maybe we should pick a day where I finally count them all." She jested, simultaneously attempting to finish marking the rest of his freckles as he looked away.

It felt..nice talking everything out, despite Freya not used to always voicing her concerns about..mostly anything. Normally, she'd keep it to herself and wait until it didn't bother her as much, but this was different. And she was grateful for that. "I appreciate you, you know."

Melting into his touch, her eyes calmly shut as he kissed her, yet another smile forming at his response. "Thank you…I was just..nervous, I guess, to speak on things like that.."

She tried to contain her excitement once the winning question came, scooting closer almost immediately as she inspected his braid. "Yup, sounds good. Sure." Thankfully, Ayla's tie still remained strong enough to reuse, much to her relief.

Freya carefully held the small plait in one hand, her other one gently untying the lace from the auburn strands before undoing the braid. Not realizing how enthusiastic she appeared by the simple action, her voice was quiet as she spoke. "Thank you for letting me do this.. I've probably said that a hundred times already but I don't know what else to say.."

Brushing through the piece of hair with her finger, she made sure it wasn't tangled or ruffled in any way before attentively interweaving it. "Even though I don't like waking up very early… I'll see if I can at least get out of here more..promptly tomorrow." It was her favorite holiday after all, so she strived not to sleep in.

Sparing a short glance at the future Chief, she felt content, even if the braid was already close to being finished. "I'm happy I get to spend this Snoggletog with you, Hiccup. It's way easier to do that than trying to avoid you all day.." She chuckled, wrapping the tie around the intertwined locks as she shifted back to examine her completed work.

"There. Done!" Freya proudly lifted her chin, placing her hands on her hips. "Pretty good, if I do say so myself.." Remembering what happened a while ago with them both, she suddenly ruffled the top of his hair. "I hadn't said this yet, but your hair is very soft."

Realizing they still had the face paint on, she stood while stretching her arms. "Well… If I wanna get up on time tomorrow, I should probably..get to bed now… Clean this paint off.." She was a bit reluctant to be the one who brought the reminder that they eventually had to leave each other's company, but it had to be done.

Nodding to confirm, he replied, "If I hadn't gotten to you when I did, he was going to move in." At her comment, he couldn't help but laugh. "Ruffnut and Arvid? I think she'd sooner punch him than dance with him! Then Tuffnut would punch him too, just to not feel left out..." The mental image of it made him laugh a little more, shaking his head at the thought.

Grinning, his voice made him sound more serious than he actually was. "I would! Can't have him thinking he could just, move in on you like that now, can I? No, I think that Toothless and I should pay him a little visit, give him a little taste of just who he's dealing with..." Attempting to suppress a smirk, he arched a brow, nodding with as much seriousness as he could muster.

Laughing, he dropped the facade, running a hand through his hair. "No, no, I--I probably wouldn't, unless he continues the way he was going tonight." The way Arvid glared at Hiccup didn't get past the future chief, and that anger could someday rear its ugly head...with himself or Freya as the target.

Finding her snorting to be kind of cute, he smiled warmly at her and answered, "Gobber outshines all of us, every year!" Laughing lightly, he added, "If I'm dancing with you, I may not even notice Gobber's moves next year..."

Giving a small nod, he said, "Anytime. I'm here for you, no matter what you need." Cheesy? Probably. But, she did say he was the only one who could get away with it...

Turning to face her, he was still laughing, "Got what? Limbs?" Holding up his arms and sticking out his right leg, he jokingly said, "Ah, yes! Three out of four! Not too bad, hey?" Still smiling, he tilted his head. "Yeah? Thanks, I uh, I like yours, too!"

Playing along, he nodded. "Sure! But," he held up a finger, "but, I wouldn't know what to do with you staring at me like that. I'm afraid the only option is for you to count them while I sleep," he spoke casually, a hint of a smile tugging at his lips, "otherwise, you might not get me to sit still long enough!"

The laughter having died down, he laced his fingers between hers, sitting closer. "I know. And...you oughta know that I appreciate you too. More than I can ever say."

Shaking his head, he gently brushed a stray hair out of her face. "Don't be. If we want this to work, you need to know that if anything is bothering you, I want you to tell me, and I'll do the same with you."

He couldn't help it, he chuckled lightly at her restrained excitement when she heard his request. It made him suspect that she was hoping he'd say that all along.

Tilting his head to give her better access to the braid, he was still smiling as she removed the tie. "Yeah, of course. It's not exactly easy for me to fix it myself, given the length and angle."

Keeping his head still, his eyes darted over to her. He too was glad she was no longer avoiding him. Now that they were so close, he couldn't imagine what things would be like if she distanced herself again, or they never got trapped in that cave. "Me too. You know, I was thinking..." He paused before continuing, "I was wondering, do you think we could meet in the cove for a bit tomorrow? Just the two of us? A-and our dragons, of course..."

He squeezed his eyes shut, suppressing a grin when she ruffled his hair. Once she finished, he reached up to smooth his unruly locks, "I guess it is kinda soft. Not sure what I did to get it that way, but I'm glad you enjoy it, all the same!"

His expression fell a bit, realizing they'd have to say goodbye soon, even if it was only for the night. Reaching up to touch the paint on his cheek, he said, "Right, I uh, I forgot about that..." Standing up as well, he pushed his chair back in.

"Why don't we help each other get the paint off, before I head home?"

[joemomrgneissguy]

"And into one end he plugged the whole of reality as extrapolated from a piece of fairy cake, and into the other end he plugged his wife: so that when he turned it on she saw in one instant the whole infinity of creation and herself in relation to it. To Trin Tragula's horror, the shock completely annihilated her brain; but to his satisfaction he realized that he had proved conclusively that if life is going to exist in a Universe of this size, then the one thing it cannot afford to have is a sense of proportion."-Douglas Adams, Restaurant at the End of the Universe

Happy New Year's Eve!

A time for reflection, and hopes for the future. If you're in an extra ponderous mood this year, perhaps you would like to reflect on not just the past year, but all the years the Earth has been. If so, you may need a little help. The Earth is a little over 4.5 billion years old, which is a timescale far beyond what humanity can fully comprehend. To get around this, metaphors are often used to put things in perspective. As the year comes to a close, I wanted to share one of my favorites: the geologic calendar. The basic premise of the calendar is simple: if all of Earth's history was scaled down and compressed into a single year, when would everything happen?

The answer to that question, at least from a human perspective, is simple: at the end. Or... mostly so. It's like a coming rain. A few drops fall before they all do.

Here are some of the highlights:

By January 7th, we have the moon as our companion By January 10th, we have oceans and continents The earliest direct evidence of life does not appear until March 27th It is not until mid-June that photosynthesis introduces oxygen to the atmosphere From November 3rd to the 9th, the world freezes over twice, forming Snowball Earth As the ice sheets thawed, we get the first animals in mid-November. Not long thereafter, the diversity of life exploded on the 17th with the beginning of the Cambrian, filling practically every niche in the oceans with new and complex organisms practically overnight. This new life would venture out onto land by the end of the month. The first forests took root in the first days of December. Nearly all of it was destroyed by volcanoes and climate change in the Permian extinction on December 10th, but dinosaurs rose up from the ashes and conquered the earth until December 26th. Mammals and birds took their place. By the 28th, we had bats in the air; whales in the sea; and horses, rodents, elephants, and countless others roaming the land. The "ice age" as we like to call it, didn't start until 7:02 pm on New Years Eve. And humans, our proud bunch, did not arrive to the party until 11:23 pm.

Permanent human settlements got started at around 23:58:41 with the founding of Göbekli Tepe. Writing, and thus all of human written history, did not begin in Sumer until 23:59:23, 37 seconds to midnight. The great pyramid of Giza is built five seconds later. Ten seconds after that, Bronze Age society in the Mediterranean collapses. Rome is supposedly founded at around 19 seconds to midnight. It changes from a kingdom, to a republic, to an empire and collapses in the span of 8 seconds. 3 were the Roman Empire.

The final countdown begins.

10.

Islam expands across Africa and the middle East following the death of Muhammad.

9.

Charlemagne becomes King of the Lombards and Vikings raid Lindisfarne

8.

Gunpowder is invented in China

7.

The Song Dynasty unites China to end the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms. William the Conqueror becomes king and ends the Viking age

6.

Genghis Khan becomes the leader of the Mongols

5.

The Black Death kills nearly half of Europe

4.

The Renaissance begins, the printing press is invented, Europeans rediscover the Americas.

3.

Plymouth Colony is established in New England

2.

The industrial revolution begins, work becomes mechanized

1.

Incandescent lightbulbs are introduced as the world races towards electrification

A blink before midnight, we land on the moon.

And in the last hundredth of a second, a time at the very limits of our ability to even be able to perceive, the past year comes and goes.

Happy New Year

[thegothicviking]

🥦🌻 and 📺 for the ask game ☺️

Hellu! Tusen takk for the ask! :D

🥦Favorite Veggie: Hm... I think...maybe, Parsnip, carrot and broccoli? I like tomatoes aswell but they are technically not a vegetable but a fruit ;)

🌻Favorite flower: I'm a little old fashioned so I love deep red roses but I also like more or less any purple flowers like pansies (named "Stephmother flower/stemorsblomst" in Norwegian), purple petunias and even purple roses! BUT as I worked at a garden center/huge florist shop center last year.. I also got to know (and fall in love with) this funky MESS of a plant:

JUNCUS SPIRALUS! <3

It is so messy, so chatoic and the actual stems were so soft to the touch and had a special texture that I really liked to caress! I had to buy one of these chaotic babies from the shop I worked at but my dad accidentally killed while trying to give it some fluid plant nutrition...(without my permission...) It couldn't handle this liquid and so it died :( I actually miss it! I do want to have it again! <3

As for the last question I am just gonna sum up some of my

📺 Favorite TV Shows: (The ones I remember and in no particular order because I am unmedicated and a mess today so here we go)

"BABYLON BERLIN" my beloved <3 (But I have to admit that the latest season was kind of a mess and not that entertaining..)

"The Man In The High Castle" (except for the last season...we do NOT talk about the last season! - . -)

"What We Do In The Shadows" (although again...the latest season that I saw..season 4 I think? Wasn't as good as the rest, but I need to watch season 5!!)

"VIKINGS" (duh-uh...how could you tell? :P At least right up until season 4 and then I always forgot to watch the rest...It was so good and then it tried to be wannabe Game of Thrones and that's when I lost interest.. :/ I guess I'm gonna try to watch it again sometime..I just hope the rest of the season isn't going to be like Game of Thrones as what I liked about Vikings was that it was good WITHOUT any nudity and sex scenes..at least from what I know right up until season 4. )

"FRIENDS" (even though I only watch the re-runs on TV, it was the first series that I ever loved that wasn't a cartoon!)

"Murdoch Mysteries" (but they never air it in Norway anymore and I don't want to have subscriptions on more platforms just for ONE TV-show. Damn. I miss it though!)

Currently I am watching "From" at Netflix and it's really good so far! I have high hopes! :)

"100 Code" but they stopped after one season and then one of the main actors died...R.I.P Michael Nyqvist :( It was SO GOOD and I HATE how the last episode was THE BIGGEST CLIFFHANGER and then we never get to know how it would end.. :/

"Hazbin Hotel" (I guess..even though the actual series wasn't as good as the Pilot)

"Vampire High" even though it was cheesy and even though it was killed off after one season and again it left the audience with a cliffhanger...

Tusen takk again for this ask! <3

[mandylove1000]

Ok so. These are my tattoos and I’ll give a reason why for them (if there is one)

So the first one I got was the dream catcher (I know basic white girl shit) it’s kinda for my grandma on my moms side I never got to meet. She was always super interested in Native American culture and stuff so I kinda got it for her.

The second one is actually the quote right there. It’s from the first hunger games book and it’s when katniss sees herself for the first time after the glam squad. There’s just something about that quote that stuck with me.

Tattoos 3&4 the word is wanderlust and then the globe with a flower(obviously doesn’t look like a flower😂) I love traveling so this was a no brainer for me honestly. Yes the colors are patchy af. I don’t think my skin likes colors or something 😂

This is 5,6&7. 5 was honestly cause I wanted it. 6 is the name of a song weirdly enough. And 7 again just another phrase that I liked.

8,9&10. 8 is ; self explanatory if you know.(it’s actually covered up but I am still counting it bc I can still see it😂) 9 is always keep fighting. It’s something Jared Padalecki says and has made shirts/hoodies for (I have 2) 10 is a wave. I absolutely love the ocean and my happy place is honestly on a cruise ship in the middle of the ocean.

11…….can I act like this one doesn’t exist. No? Fuck ok. Soooooo this is a “matching” best friend tattoo. (If you need a sign to not get matching bestie tattoos HERES THE SIGN. DONT. FUCKING. DO. IT.) This is a matching one me and my now ex best friend got. It’s her hand writing the mermaid tail(well aware it doesn’t look like one) is her drawing as well. Her fave Disney movie she got the tangled lantern cause it’s my fave. Idk if the bitch still has hers I am honestly prob covering the tail part but keeping the word bc it can be a reminder of the time me and my family went to Hawaii. With that being said next.

This is 12,13&14. 12&13 are both runes from shadowhunters. Love that show had to have them. The heart is a nod to another ex friend but I don’t really care about that one. I’ve always like little heart tattoos so yeah.

This is 15,16,17,18,19. 15 a nod to Harry Potter and the flash(also just wanted it) 16 is actually the new ; which is shaped like planets and all that. 17 is my little Taurus symbol cause I am a Taurus. 18 is the Vikings V logo. One of my favorite shows and I needed it so badly. And last but not least 19 my arrow head for Arrow. Again another favorite show that I had to get it.

I will be adding more in a few days when I get my next 3. I’m honestly so freaking excited about it.