#astrid is many things and shy is not one of them

[chimeric-art]

Needs a little coaxing

[emilybeemartin]

Inktober Days 16-18

Day 16: Angel

The story goes that a Methodist minister visiting Zion in 1916 saw this soaring, narrow slice of a peak and remarked that only angels could land there. Nowadays Angel’s Landing sees millions of ordinary angels attempting to reach the summit every year, and the photos of crammed conga lines hiking up and down are famous even outside the NPS. For those in park management, it’s become a symbol of the delicate balance we’re tasked to maintain—our dual mandate to preserve these lands unimpaired for future generations while allowing open access for the benefit and enjoyment of the people. Preservation and recreation. How to provide both? Sometimes it feels like a conundrum of Biblical proportions.

Day 17: Demon

Demons, devils, monsters, vermin—the wolves of North America have been given many labels in the centuries after European colonization. Trapped, hunted, and poisoned to near extinction in most places, they’ve been removed for so long that in many cases we don’t know what a healthy ecosystem is supposed to look like with them in it. The most famous example of wolf reintroduction is in Yellowstone, but in some parks, like North Cascades and Glacier, wolves weren’t reintroduced by humans. Because these parks are connected to larger tracts of wilderness, wolves merely slipped back in when our backs were turned, taking up the old niche they’d been filling for ten thousand years. Now we lucky few have a chance to spy one of these shy predators in the wild, see their tracks in the soil, or hear their mournful song.

Day 18: Saddle

Every Inktober, on my birthday, I draw myself in the prompt, usually as a witch. This year I’m back in the green and gray, and while I don’t actually patrol on horseback, this prompt gives a great nod to the Sermon on the Mount, a famous tidbit from Yellowstone’s history. Back when the park took a much different approach to wildlife management, one of the most popular things for visitors to do was attend a bear feeding program. Each night, rangers would dump the food waste from the hotel restaurants in an open garbage pit and the grizzly bears, which had learned what time to expect this each night, would swarm over the leftovers. The audience would sit in an amphitheater separated from the garbage pit by a protective ditch, and a ranger would sit astride a horse to tell the visitors all about the bears of Yellowstone. Hence, the “sermon on the mount.” The NPS has changed a lot since those days, and not just because feeding wildlife is now recognized as dangerous and damaging to man and beast. The attitude toward park programs has changed, as well. Interpreters now realize that it’s not enough to just spit facts at an audience. We’re charged with firing imaginations, provoking critical thinking, and stirring emotions to facilitate meaningful connections between the visitor and the resource. This role is what drives my love for this field. If I can inspire a visitor to explore more on their own, be curious about something new, or care more about a park's protection—that’s it. I’ve done something worthwhile.

[wonderlandleighleigh]

Hello, Sunshine, 1967

She hasn’t had a lot of time to update her photo albums lately, but with a weekend almost to herself, with Ethan and Esther at Joel and Mei’s and Lenny on tour, it’s a good time to go through things.

The last time she really sat down and did this was for Lily’s baby book, but there’s so many more photos from the last few years that have just been sitting in neat piles, waiting to be slipped into albums.

Midge likely took too many photos of Lenny and the kids. She doesn’t really need this many, but she loves them all so much. Loves to look at their faces, and remember good times. Holidays and school events. She has a photo of Lily taking her first steps towards Ethan, and Kitty and Esther dancing in the living room together.

Photos of Lenny and Susie conspiring together, and of her parents making each other laugh. Of Mei and Lan and even Joel having a good time. Of Noah and Astrid enjoying a romantic moment, and of Chaim doing a headstand.

Baby photos of Will Ford with his doting parents, and of Carly and Javier’s wedding. Of Bonnie, pregnant on the beach just a few months ago. Of Shy and Jerome sitting closely, sharing a laugh. Of Imogene trying her hand at bar tending at the Button Club with a nervous Archie, blurry in the background.

There’s one that she loves, taken at the Stage Deli while she was pregnant with Lily, cuddled up on a bench seat with Lenny, her head resting on his chest as they look at the menu. Some paparazzi took it, and then felt bad because it’s such a sweet photo. Sold it to Midge for just a few dollars.

She puts it in the “to frame” pile, along with a photo of all the kids at the beach together in the Catskills just this past summer; soaked from swimming and sun burnt and happy, and a photo of Susie taken while she wasn’t looking, watching James’ set from backstage at the Copa.

Midge did a run at the Copa just after giving birth, and that was fun. It was fun to make jokes about worrying about lactating on stage. Lenny had actually brought Lily to her gig, so she could nurse right before and after, and surprisingly, the baby had slept right through.

“Are we sure she’s mine?” Lenny had asked jokingly. “I haven’t slept since 1941.”

“Midge?”

She looks up, finding Kitty at the doorway. There’s another photo in the “to frame” pile, of Kitty, holding Lily, both girls smiling widely; the same smile. “Hi, sweetie. Everything okay?”

She nods. “It’s getting late,” the girl points out. “Should I make us something for dinner?”

It breaks Midge’s heart a little that this little girl -- all of twelve -- still feels like she has to take so much responsibility. “Why don’t we go pick up some pizza for dinner?” she offers.

Kitty beams and nods. “Okay!”

“Wear your boots, it’s snowing a little,” Midge orders as the girls whirls around and dashes out. She sighs softly, smiling down at all her photos and taps one of Lenny smiling shyly at the camera, after his first gig after his successful appeal. “To be continued.”

[neoninky]

Welp I wanted to draw my newest OC, Astrid (introduced here) but unfortunately my Cintiq needs a new adapter 😑 so no drawing until I can get another one sobs

Until then, here’s the picrew that inspired her design lol

A little bit about Astrid:

Her family name is Piperita which comes from the scientific name for the peppermint plant 🌱 Given she is a healer and has minty hair, it seemed like a good fit lol

She is in her early 20s like the rest of the main (human) cast in 'Her Devoted Shield' but she looks very youthful and is smol (5’0) so people often think she’s younger than she is. she is a smol angel and must be protected

Astrid was born and raised in the Rose Queendom to a family of tea sommeliers (fancy term for a tea specialist) who run several stores throughout the Queendom. She grew interested in herbal medicine and medical treatment from a young age. She worked incredibly hard to study to become a healer mage in the capital city once she discovered her talent for healing magic.

As mentioned in Chapter 1, she met Petra and Tai a couple of years before the current events when Petra’s cause brought her to the Rose Queendom and they became a team rather quickly. Astrid acts as their medic giving them and the fae they rescue support.

Specialties: healing magic, first aid, herbal remedies along with modern pharmaceutical knowledge, and making a mean cup of tea

Personality/Quirks: not shy but very soft spoken until she either gets really excited/distressed or goes into ‘work mode’, giggle-snorts often (tries to hide it but fails miserably), very nurturing and understanding, will not tolerate her patients/friends/family not taking care of themselves (woe unto ye if ye ain’t staying hydrated or taking ur meds), looks/sounds like the sweet sister type but is definitely the den mother type when need be. Side note: I feel that this fic is going to be a bit OC heavy because (to my knowledge) we don't know a whole lot about Briar Valley or the current royal family, or really anything aside from what is said by the canon characters or what we see in Lilia's dream in-game. Also I don't want to wait 100 more years for the game to finish Chapter 7 before I write this cuz damn. So basically, I'm gonna be filling in many gaps with my executively made decisions. To make it a little easier to keep track of all the people, I'm going to start making mini bio posts about them here so hopefully anyone who reads Her Devoted Shield isn't like "why are there so many made up people and things and who the hell are they?!" lol

[azuremliam]

Aaaaaugh, this took so long and its only 15 of the 53 kiddos aaaaaaa- Oh boy, alrighty, this right here is Scarab's batch of hatchlings right out of their grub forms!

More info about each of the funky bug lizard kids underneath the readmore 👍

First off, Kroko! (Name ='s Crocodile)

The friendliest and most out going of Scarab's batch, and often seen darting around Liam's legs when they're walking around their dimension.

The most curious about things too, often asks Scarab about the multiverse and about their grandparents. Despite being the friendliest, wants to be like Scarab and help him with God Auditing.

Timsah (aka Tim) (And another word for Crocodile)

Unlike Kroko, Timsah is very, very shy. And feels comfortable the most in either with a group of their fellow clutch, or in the presence of their Scarab and Liam.

They're best buds with Guster and be seen tagging along with her often. Likes to sort things to calm themself down or clinging onto Liam's tail.

Guster (aka Gus) (Name ='s Lizard)

Very artistic of Scarab's batch of hatchlings, and also outgoing and a bit of a troublemaker! She really loves painting, and just making a mess with it too.

Usually seen with Tim, but also just roams about by herself. Has painted many things on one side of the Tree Stump house. Almost always asks Scarab to tell her stories about his Auditing missions.

Ogle (Another Word for Lizard technically)

Enjoys watching Liam judge the cosmic entities and other beings. Wants to one day be a cosmic entity that essentially keeps records of other being's past deeds.

Also really loves detective stories and has dressed up as a sleuth on numerous occasions. Despite sticking around Liam a lot, Scarab is their favorite parent.

Bille (Named after Bille the Hero from Liam's Homeworld)

A sweetheart and doesn't really care for fighting. Really wants to be a crystal architect like his grandparents. Gets along really well with Merid and Maxi, both of which also want to become crystal architects too.

Has a collection of crystals in his room that Scarab has picked up for them in other worlds. Loves spending time with Liam the most and is often seen falling asleep on top of their head.

Carri (Named after a (Mail) Carrier)

Thinks Fionna is just the coolest much to Scarab's dismay. It's because when they first saw her they got really excited that they have the same teeth. When visiting OOO with Scarab one day, they became best friends with Astrid.

Often asks their parents to bring sweets back from Fionna's world and is a big fan of Gary's treats. One of the main reasons for Liam's frequent visits to their world in particular and also OOO.

Goliath (Named after the Goliath Beetle)

Lil guy is often put in charge of keeping an eye on all the other 52 kids when Liam and Scarab are away and no one else can watch over them. Quite, but not timid, or a stick in the mud.

Most of the other hatchlings do find comfort in his presence just like their parents. He's also the biggest of all the 53! Also molted out of his grub stage first too.

Has the deepest voice out of all of them. Likes making sure everyone is safe and helping people. Gets along pretty well with any visiting Finn, especially Uncle Finn (Bug world!).

One day, wants to go adventuring just like Liam used to in their homeworld.

Sargantana (aka Ana) (Yet another word for Lizard)

Really looks up to Scarab and tends to mimic his no nonsense attitude. They're also pretty hotheaded- and that worries Scarab sometimes.

Often copies whatever he's doing when he's back home like a little shadow. It used to confuse him when they first started doing it.

Loves taking naps on Scarab and Liam and often relaxed around their shoulders like a boa. Also wants to be a God Auditor like him and studies for it in secret (Both Liam and Scarab know about their "secret" studying though- they aren't very discreet lol).

Lagarto (aka Gar) (Yep- Another word for Lizard)

Really, reaaaaaaally loves gardening and working with plants. Often with Scarab when he's in the garden and insists on helping him tend to the plants.

Wants to research the entire multiverse's worth of plants, so essentially wants to be a botanists.

Also enjoys cooking with Liam (who essentially has it as a hobby now so they won't be bored when Scarab's away- and also so they won't forget Gemma's recipes she made for them and Finn. Leads to a lot of food being made) and really loves making dishes focused with fruits and vegetables. 

Scarab and Uncle Finn bring him plants and he has his own little collection of plants in a corner of the "greenhouse" room.

Sisalik (aka Sal) (Yet again, another word for Lizard)

Likes to bite! A lot. But is another softy who just really likes to gnaw on things. (Scarab jokes that they inherited the urge to gnaw on things from Liam). When they don't have anything to gnaw on- they often resort to biting Liam's tail.

Along with Gremxula, gets very sad when they inevitably tear their favorite toys and pillows and Liam often sews them back together again. Speaking of, the duo are never far from each other.

Liam is their favorite parent, and they'd never bite Sir Ducky. Has told Liam and Scarab that "if their ever was a job for biting we'd (Gremxula included) be the best for it!" which made them both have a good laugh about it.

Gremxula (aka Xula) (Once again, another word for Lizard)

Best buds with Sisalik, they even hatched at the same time! Also loves to bite- but unlike their sibling they love to gnaw on Scarab's ankles lol. Doesn't do him any damage, but ends up with him dragging his leg or walking awkwardly with them latched along for the ride.

He gets slightly annoyed with it but it makes Liam laugh every time it happens so he lets it slide.

Scarab suspects Xula does it to make them laugh specifically. They have their own favorite plush toy, and they named it "Sir Petals". Sir Petals has been through a lot.

Like Sisalik, Liam's their favorite parent, and Vera is their favorite grandparent. They want to be as tall as Deargadaol one day.

Lucy (aka one of the Lucertola kids lol- which was yet another word for Lizard)

Loves to bake and cook with Liam too! But Scarab's his favorite parent, and more often than not, the treats he makes often look like him.

Has told Liam and Scarab that he wants to be a baker one day. Occasionally gets teased (not mean-spiritedly though) by his siblings for looking a bit like a rat but doesn't care.

But eventually grows to like it, especially when Scarab tells him about how Fionna had a prophetic dream and he was essentially at rat bus.

Scarab somewhat regrets telling him about it, because more often than not Lucy makes new treats with his face slapped onto a rat shape. He (Lucy) always gives Liam the first batch of his food, and Liam was the one who encouraged him to make Scarab rats lol.

Wants to work with Gary and learn from him (yet again much to Scarab's dismay but he lets his kids do what they want for the most part).

Vandu (Named after a Jewel Beetle)

Loves helping with anything really, and has a real sweet tooth for Scarab's homeworld foods. Helps out Goliath take care of their other siblings with things a lot.

Doesn't like the feeling of certain textures like fabrics on their underbelly. Wants to be a librarian and often asks Scarab if he's ever been to libraries in the multiverse and what they were like.

Very chatty and loves sharing things they've learned with their siblings and parents. Also helps Lucy find new recipes to try out frequently.

Driezas (Lizard name here we gooo)

She loves flowers, and enjoys planting them and especially eating the edible ones. Along with Lagarto, has a little corner to herself in the "greenhouse" room where she tends to a patch of flowers.

Fascinated by Liam's stories about their homeworld's giant plants and wants to visit there one day.

Loves sleeping in Liam's hair and hugging onto their horns. Is good pals with Eidecshe and the two siblings garden together a lot.

Doesn't like to sleep, and either Scarab or Liam have to essentially cradle her in their arms to get her to knock out. Another surefire way to have her fall asleep is in a bug pile with a big group of her other siblings.

And finally Eidecshe! (Aaaaand name means Lizard)

Doesn't really care for plants, but enjoys spending time with their siblings and dad so they help out anyways. Second biggest of the hatchlings, right after Goliath.

Often naps in the garden right after helping out. Will 100% climb on Scarab's back while he's working on his plant collection and knock out. Scarab's gotten used to it.

Also will climb onto Liam's tail to take a nap, it's their favorite place to nap actually- really comforts them.

More often than not seen sleeping in the oddest of places.

[calissarowan]

Everyone, meet Serena! Gantlos’s baby sister! (Though, she’d probably point out that she’s only a year younger than him and arguably more powerful, so maybe baby sister’s not quite the right term.)

Serena’s a witch, and a powerful one at that. She’s also half-vampire, like her brother, but she uses her vampire abilities way more than him, so she’s faster, stronger and more agile than Gantlos.

After her parents’ deaths, Serena tried desperately to stop Gantlos from leaving on what was surely a suicide mission, but she failed to convince him, and he left. Serena, on the other hand, stayed in their village, living with her aunt.

A few months after Gantlos left, Serena started to discover her own magic, coming to realise that she was a witch like her aunt. Things were floating near her - a very common sign of someone’s magic coming in. However, what was a lot less normal was her sudden ability to see what was about to happen. She suddenly, instinctively, knew when she was about to burn herself, or something was going to fall. To begin with, she brushed it off, but as her powers got stronger and stronger, she realised that she could see the future. Like her life wasn’t complicated enough already.

Shortly after Serena had started to figure out her weird visions, their village got a very interesting visitor: Lady Griffin. The powerful witch had come to their little, largely insignificant part of the universe to meet with Serena’s aunt, Astrid, Witch of the Moon, regarding a rare astrological event. Serena largely stayed away from her, nervous of strangers (and pretty much everyone else), and Griffin was largely unconcerned by Astrid’s shy niece. However, when Griffin left their home, Serena had a vision of an out-of-control cart that would hit her, and she ran towards the village to warn her.

She arrived in the nick of time, and she cried out to warn the older witch, just as her vision started to come true. As she watched what she’d seen play out, Serena flung herself in front of Griffin and stopped the cart with her magic, leaving Griffin dumbfounded. Then, realising just how many people had seen her magic, Serena turned and ran back to the house as fast as humanly possible.

She’d hoped it would all blow over, but, to Astrid’s surprise, Griffin showed back up at her door, asking to speak with her regarding her niece. Griffin, being as knowledgeable as she was, had sensed incredible power from Serena, and it hadn’t escaped her notice that she’d warned her of something that hadn’t happened yet. She told Serena that she was a powerful witch, and asked about her studies. Serena told her that she hadn’t studied at all, too nervous of her powers drawing attention to her. Griffin was incredibly surprised, and said that, with powers as strong as hers, it was imperative that she learn to control them. Then, to Serena’s shock, she offered to take her back to Magix with her, so she could study at Cloud Tower.

Serena had no idea what to do, but the idea of leaving the village where she’d lost her parents and arguably her brother was appealing. Eventually, she made the difficult decision to go with Griffin, a choice her aunt completely supported, understanding why she might not want to stay.

And so, Serena left for Magix; however, she kept her vampire side to herself, and her visions between her and Griffin.

And that’s Serena, part one! (Thought this was long enough; I’ll put part two up soon.)

[bookaddict24-7]

REVIEWS OF THE WEEK!

Books I’ve read so far in 2023!

Friend me on Goodreads here to follow my more up to date reading journey for the year!

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46. Elevation by Stephen King--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Every so often I'm reminded of how much I enjoy King's writing. In ELEVATION, we're shown not only a moving story about a man who is experiencing a strange and scientifically impossible mystery, but also how much King has changed as a writer. One of the things King has always done is include dialogue and commentary that is made to make readers uncomfortable, but ELEVATION is one of the many King stories that shows the heart of this author. This is potentially one of the more progressive titles I've seen from the author. This novella may be tiny, but it carries a big punch as we explore a story that shows how powerful the actions of a community and sometimes one single person can be.

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47. The Wall of Winnipeg & Me by Marianna Zapata--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Re-read April 2023: Still in love with this book. For some reason, the spicy moment felt spicier than before? I don't know why. I had the realization that one of the reasons why I love Zapata slow burn romances so much is because we slowly fall in love with the love interest, not just the MC--especially because we watch them slowly let the MC into their lives. It's that slow melting of gruffness in the face of a slow burn romance that makes these reads so memorable and just so freaking good.

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48. Wait for It by Marianna Zapata--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Re-read April 2023: Much like in the past, when I start reading Zapata, I can't stop at just one. I loved my re-read of this one. Loved the sexy and broody neighbour and the relationship the MC has with her nephews. I find that re-reading Zapata just enhances my love for her writing because her books feel like they get better the more times I re-read them.

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49. This Is Where it Ends by Marieke Nijkamp--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I think that with the increasing attention that shootings have been getting in the US (Rightfully so, because wtf), this book is incredibly timely. Reading this, I kept thinking that there was too much loss, but honestly? Having been privileged enough to not experience a situation like this, I think it's telling when a person who doesn't live in the States thinks that something that happens too frequently there is being overdone in a book. This was a terrifying and heartbreaking read. Technical-wise, the writing was a bit choppy. I wasn't a fan of the constant jumps to the past, even if they DID serve a purpose. I found this a little disjointed and every time it happened, it took me out of the story. I was surprised at the violence and descriptive writing, but again, who's to say how many kids in the US haven't witnessed similar scenes. I'd recommend this because it could help show the terror and heartbreak behind these cruel crimes, but also please take care of yourself and read any trigger warnings that come with this book.

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50. Astrid Parker Doesn't Fail by Ashley Herring Blake--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I'm torn on whether I liked this one more than the first one or the other way around. Blake is such a fun author, introducing these sexy love interests for these women who haven't had the best luck romance-wise. The moment the second FMC was introduced in this book, I was intrigued. She started off as someone shy and awkward, but then started to reveal more of her personality (which made her more appealing). Gotta love a person who works with their hands... What I also loved about this one in comparison to the first book, is that this is more of a sexual awakening story that features scenes where one FMC is faced with the reality of her attraction to another woman. There's many spicy scenes, but I especially loved the one where the FMC is introduced to being with another woman sexually. I had a bit of anxiety while reading this book because I was waiting for the other shoe to drop and I think the issues were resolved a little too easily, but I loved the dynamic of these two. I can just imagine the hot couple that they make. I also loved seeing the cameos of the other characters from the first book! I definitely recommend this series!

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51. Broken by Elizabeth Kelly--⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Re-read April 2023: I have certain books that I like to re-read because I get this yearning to experience what I loved all over again. BROKEN gave me these butterflies in my tummy every time I thought about it and so, I just picked it up and re-read it. Just like the first time, this was a quick and heartfelt read that touched on some topics I love: the unconventional male narrator and the beautiful fat woman who thinks no one would be interested in her. I loved these two together and being someone who's always been fascinated by someone who has unconventional looks, I devoured this book with a few sighs here and there. The spicy also delivered, like last time. My main issue with this re-read was that I didn't remember how stilted the dialogue was. Maybe I was in a haze back then, but it was lowkey awkward. Also, I have now fully realize that I am absolutely NOT a fan of the "honey" endearment. It just sounds so...off. Especially if you've been dating for like a month and use it every other dialogue bubble. The romance, spice, and appeal of these two together kept me hooked, the dialogue and uncomfortable pet names kept me cringing. I'd still recommend it because it's a dramatic and cute read.

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Have you read any of these books? Let me know your thoughts!

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Happy reading!

[dayeongi]

10 first lines Tag Game

Thank you for the tag @sessakag​ !!💖💖

Rules: share the first lines of ten of your most recent fanfics and tag ten people. If you have written less than ten, don’t be shy and share anyway!

From most recent to least recent!

1.- Burning

“Everything that glitters is not gold” was a simple saying Shikamaru didn’t usually think too often about. After all, life had proved it right to him so many times, more than a saying, it had become general knowledge.

Just like he didn’t have to think that the rain would soak him if he were to stand under it.

Just like he didn’t have to think that the sun burned him if he were to stand under it.

And burn it did; the glittering decorations, the colorful fabrics draped from the walls, the beautiful shape of her, dressed in finery.

2.- Kisses in the Rain

“You didn’t have to come all this way,” Temari said, huddling closer to him, the cold air seeping through her wet clothes. “You’ll get a cold, and then you’ll say it’s my fault.”

“The usual phrase is ‘thank you’.”

3.- SETTING SUN

The biting night air whizzed past her through the window of her bedroom like an arrow, but she didn't flinch. Temari would never, she had promised herself, for as long as she’d had a memory.

It was a wind coming from the Demon Desert, she knew, coming from the same direction as the hospital.

North.

4.- Sign of the Times

They must think he doesn’t know what they whisper.

“Kazekage-sama is always alone.”

5.- Riptide

“Martha says you were late.” Ingrid’s reproach entered the room before she did, fingers tapping on her smartphone. She squandered a fleeting glare in Astrid’s direction before resting her tall, waifish body in the vanity of the dressing room.

6.- hopefully

To the general agreement of everyone everywhere, letters don’t have the decency to arrive at a time when one is idle and must instead be delivered to their recipient when and where they might find it the most inconvenient to open.

One such letter had arrived for Mrs. Haddock in the early morning as the family broke their fast, and had she bothered to see the sender’s signature, she would have disregarded the inconvenience and opened it immediately, but as she was enjoying talking to her husband and his newly-discovered father, she paid no mind to the delivery entirely.

7.- With Love Comes Loss

Hiccup stood on the cliff where the dragons left them, a warm summer breeze failing to wash away the deep sense of ache and loneliness he still felt when he closed his eyes and just remembered.

Three summers had passed since them, Toothless crooning a reluctant goodbye, the majestic sight of wings spreading in the sky behind them both.

8.- The Rose and the Dare

Astrid tightened her grip over the flashlight, scowling as she stumbled over a tree root.

Stupid Ruffnut. Stupid dare. Stupid stupid stupid. She’d only done it because she hadn’t seen her friends in a while and had taken the time to fly back for the weekend.

It had been 2 a.m. They were playing truth or dare, and after that terrifying moment of the bottle spinning, Ruffnut had dared her to go into the woods and get a flower from the huge rose bush next to the abandoned church deep in the forest.

9.- When you look in the mirror

Hiccup (otherwise known as Henrik) was pretty sure of a couple of things.

Number one: He was pretty sure the date was June 22nd.

10.- Morning daze

There was something hazy still taking over her as Astrid blinked bleary eyes against the light coming in from the window.

(I SO BADLY WANTED TO SKIP SOME OF THESE but then what’s the point in the game?

I won’t tag anybody so nobody feels pressured (which I didn’t but just in case), but if you do it, please tag me! I’d love to see a sampling!💖)

[aaami]

4 the most recent ask game.... all of them!!!! >:D

or at least, all that you feel like answering. i love hearing you rant about your special guys! :D

Okie dokie, let's gooo!!!

Long post, so it goes under a read more :^))

I'm going for my canon, so I will be skipping some questions that don't fit (stuff that are more suitable for like the modern au and so on)

❣️ - What are their love languages? Quality time and acts of service are important to her in romantic and platonic relationships. She enjoys spending time with her friends and helping them in any way she can!!

Physical touch is extra for a romantic relationship, but she does hug and give cheek smooches to her platonic friends too! She's not very good with expressing her feelings, so she prefers to show her affection through actions. Cuddling and holding her loved one close is important to her.

🌙 - What’s their sleep schedule like? Kajo likes to think that her sleep schedule is fine (at least compared to Cicero's), but honestly? It's a mess. Sometimes she goes to bed at a decent time and doesn't sleep too long, but it's far more common for her to go to bed at early hours of the morning and then sleep until afternoon. Or sometimes she might go to bed in the afternoon and wake up in the middle of the night.

🎁 - How do they feel about their birthday/birthdays in general? She loves them!! Especially everyone else's and is always super excited to celebrate her friends' birthdays, spend time with them and give them fun gists. And eat cake.

She is a bit bummed when she finds out that Cicero isn't absolutely certain of when exactly his birthday is. But he knows the month and that's enough for Kajo! They'll spend the whole month celebrating it!

🧑‍🦰 - Have they ever dyed their hair? Ever cut it themself? No dyeing, but she does cut her own hair. She does a decent job at it and luckily her hair being so floofy and always a bit of a mess, so little mistakes aren't super noticable.

🍷- How do they feel about alcohol? Kajo rarely drinks to get drunk, but every now and then she does enjoy a mug of ale or mulled wine to keep warm. Those are not enough to get her drunk easily tho (she's a bosmer after all, resistant to poison and so on), so she brings out the stupidly strong bosmeri beverages when she really needs to reset her brain.

🗣️ - How do they handle public speaking? Not the biggest fan of it, but she will do it if she absolutely must. Kajo is not a very shy person when it comes to things like this and she isn't afraid of public speaking, however does sometimes worry that she might say something absolutely stupid. And then laugh at herself like an idiot.

💓 - What are some signs they’ve fallen for someone? How do they show their affection? Kajo tries her damndest to hide it, because romantic feelings make her nervous. What if her crush doesn't like her?! What if they laugh at her for having such feelings?!! What if being in love will make things weird and difficult? Usually there is nothing to really worry about, but... what if...

But anyway, Kajo cannot hide it completely. She doesn't even notice how her gaze might linger on them longer than before, how she smiles when she thinks about them, how she stands closer to them.

🤡 - What’s something dumb they’re embarrassed about? The older she grows, the less embarrassed she feels, but as a young girl she did many silly things that made her want to hide forever. However, she is a bit embarrassed about the whole "hide in the Night Mother's coffin, because it's a very good place for eavesdropping!" thing Astrid got her to do. Even if it was how she found out that she is the Listener, it was still really stupid and even disrespectful in her opinion.

👪 - What’s their relationship with their parents like? Kajo has a good relationship with her mother and father, Mal and Farenin. She has always been close with them and is so grateful for all the love they have given her and the things they have taught her. They taught her to be kind and understanding, but tough when she must.

When Kajo was little, Mal's stories about her adventures inspired Kajo to become an adventurer one day. Her mother also taught her how to use a bow, how to fight and survive.

🐒 - What’s their favorite animal? Kajo loves all animals, but... this isn't a surprise... her absolute favorite are frogs. There is just something so fun about those little critters, even she doesn't really know why she gets so excited when she sees some.

🧳 - What countries provinces have they been to? Kajo has travelled a lot around Tamriel, but mostly the west and middle. So, she has been all around Valenwood (obviously, that's where she is from), Summerset, Elsweyr, Hammerfell, High Rock, Cyrodiil and Skyrim (where she currently resides). Solstheim is the closest she's been to Morrowind, but it was her plan to visit after spending some time in Skyrim and after that finally going to Black Marsh. However, her plans changed drastically with all the dragonborn stuff and the Dark Brotherhood.

She still might visit Morrowind and Black Marsh some day, tho!

🤔 - What’s something they’ll never understand? A lot of things, really. One thing that really boggles her mind is that how people are trying to pull her into the civil war, just because she is a dragonborn. During the peace talks, Kajo makes it perfectly clear to both sides that she isn't part of what is happening in Skyrim and she is only getting briefly involved because of the dragon situation, but are they really listening? No.

She isn't from Skyrim, hasn't lived there long enough, and doesn't feel like it's her place to decide anything.

🎨 - What’s their favorite color? Green! Red is a close second and she does dress in red most of the time, since it's one of the colors of the Dark Brotherhood.

☂️ - How do they feel about rain? Somewhat indifferent, really. The rain in Skyrim is pretty cold in her opinion, tho, very different from the refreshing rains back in Valenwood.

🎶 - What’s a song they really like? Any upbeat, fun tavern song!! Some more melancholic ones too, if she is in the mood.

Not the biggest fan of the songs about the dragonborn and so on.

🖌️ - Do they have any hobbies? Archery, murder, napping. What else does a girl need?

💤 - What do they absolutely need to have to fall asleep? Kajo has the incredible talent of being able to fall asleep pretty much anywhere and whenever, so nothing really? Okay, perhaps she must feel safe first, know that there won't be dangers lurking nearby when she is getting some shut eye.

A nice, warm fur blanket is a great bonus, tho.

🗺️ - What languages do they speak? Kajo's mother tongue is Bosmeri, however her family has always spoken Tamrielic too. Through her mother (who is half altmer), Kajo has also learned Altmeri (not very fluently, but enough to hold simple conversations), which she sometimes speaks with her cousin Cailon.

She also speaks the Dragon Language, although, like Altmeri, not fluently, but enough to understand the shouts she uses and some texts and if dragons are insulting her. Knows the Daedric alphabet too.

🍳 - How well can they cook? & 🍪 - How well can they bake? Kajo is a decent cook, even though she doesn't enjoy cooking very much. She'll much rather trick people into thinking that she cannot cook at all, that she would only destroy the food. Did that to Cicero too, who for a bit believed her, but then realized that she must know how to cook or she wouldn't have survived for long on her own.

💘 - What do they find attractive about their partner(s)? To Kajo, Cicero feels like the most real person she has ever met. He is unapologetically himself. Crazy? Yes, but Kajo doesn't care much, because there is so much more to him than that (and she is a bit crazy too, so...). He does hide parts of himself, his past and the pain he has been through, but once he begins to open up to Kajo, she understands it. The jester persona was a mask first, but now really part of him and he is happy with who he is now.

Cicero makes Kajo laugh, he has a special talent of making her life brighter even when everything feels doomed and gloomy, and that's something she finds really attractive.

As for physical qualities, Kajo does find Cicero attractive in that aspect as well. She thinks that his ridiculous smirk is rather cute and that he has such a nice nose. Red hair and freckles are a huge bonus too, Kajo is especially mad about the freckles.

👗 - How comfortable would they be wearing a skirt or dress? She isn't the biggest fan of skirts and dresses, but does wear the latter in some occasions, usually when she gets invited to parties and such because of her dragonborn status.

💝 - What gestures do they really appreciate? How do you get on their good side? Be loyal and trustworthy, someone she can depend on. Open-minded, she doesn’t really like judgy people. Just be a friend!

☕ - Coffee or tea? Not the biggest fan of either, but does drink tea sometimes to stay warm.

💖 - How and how often do they try to impress their partner(s)? How and how often do their partner(s) impress them? Honestly, Kajo doesn’t need to try too much to impress Cicero. All she needs to do is her usual thing, be weird and do contracts. Even better if she comes up with some really elaborate and gorey plan for the contract, that makes Cicero’s heart flutter.

Cicero doesn’t really have to try either, it just happens. When he helps Kajo with pretty much anything, be it dealing with dragons or doing contracts with her (and helping her to come up with those plans) or whatever. Most impressed she is when she gets to watch Cicero do his Keeper tasks, it’s so neat to see him so calm and focused, a glimpse of his old self. She loves who he is now, the joyous and eccentric jester, but it feels special that he allows her to see this side of him.

🍽️ - What’s their favorite food? Although Kajo doesn’t fully follow the Green Pact anymore and has introduced some vegetables to her diet, she still does prefer meat dishes over everything. She also has a sweet tooth that cannot be satisfied, so honey glazed meat is her absolute favorite. During her time in Skyrim, she has also grown fond of various stews and soups (even if they have veggies in them), since those help you to stay warm.

🧑‍🍼 - How do they feel about kids? Kajo has never been one to like dream of having children, it’s sort of whatever to her. If it happens, then so be it, but it’s not really in her bucket list. She does think kids can be cute and funny! 

Later in her relationship with Cicero, they do joke about having children, but aren’t seriously planning it.

(Faurin isn’t part of the canon, I think, so we’re leaving her out for now. But even in the Faurin AU, Kajo thinks the same way.)

🐾 - Do they have any pets? She wishes that she could keep pets, but unfortunately her lifestyle doesn’t really allow it very well. Of course, a dog could be a fine companion on her journeys, but she would much rather have a dozen of frogs. Sometimes she does keep frogs in her pouches for a bit, but lets them out when she finds a nice pond for them.

💬 - What are some filler/buffer words they use? (Like, um, etc.) She uses filler sounds a lot (like “um, oh, ah”, so on), but also “I mean” and “I suppose”.

🏳️‍🌈 - What do they identify as? What are their pronouns? Kajo is a demisexual bi or pan!! Romantical love is nice, sex is a bit whatever (she can live without it), but she does enjoy it too once the emotional bond has been established.

She’s cisgender woman, she/her.

🧑‍🤝‍🧑 - Do they have any siblings? She has two younger sisters, Kuisma and Kuura! They are twins and have always been a pain in Kajo’s ass, but in a loving, sisterly way. The three look a lot alike and Kuura too has very fluffy, messy hair (keeps it short, tho), but the twins are much taller than Kajo, having clearly inherited more of the altmer genes from their mother.

🥰 - What pet names do their partner(s) use for them? How flustered do they get by them? They aren’t really pert names, but Cicero has a couple of nicknames for Kajo! Before she turned out to be the Listener, he called her Stripes, because of the red lines she likes to paint on her face. Sometimes he also calls her a Magpie, since she likes to steal shiny things from people’s houses during their contracts (stuff she knows the Thieves Guild will like, which means some extra coin for the DB). 

Mostly he calls her the Listener, tho. Usually Kajo wants people to just call her by her name, but Cicero is allowed to do whatever. 

But oh, he does call her by her name sometimes and it drives her absolutely mad, because it’s quite rare and always makes her heart flutter. And Cicero has noticed that and can be a bit mean with it, trying to make her blush in situations where she should remain composed. He thinks it’s adorable.

🌳 - What’s their extended family like? Her dysfunctional, yet functional extended family is very special to Kajo. 

She does consider the whole DB part of her extended family, but especially Nazir, Babette and Cicero are close to her. (She also cared about the other now late members of the Falkreath Sanctuary and considered them family even though she didn’t get to spent a lot of time with them.)

Then there is Neyon, a breton mage she escaped from Helgen with and they have been friends since. Neyon works closely with Cailon (Kajo’s cousin and the new Arch-Mage) in Winterhold and Kajo visits both of them regularly. Neyon is very kind and smart, and she has helped Kajo with a lot of things. She isn’t the most adventurous type, but did tag along when Kajo and Cicero travelled to Blackreach to find the Elder Scroll.

Serana is definitely family, too! Kajo grows very fond of her and often jokes that the vampire is like a daughter to her, even tho she is much, MUCH older. Serana thinks that Kajo (and her partner) is really weird, but in a funny, even endearing way. Certainly an unexpected, yet refreshing friendship! 

[mediocre-noodle]

im gonna send the character cast rq uhhmm ye

resistance

dallas (you know this guy!!! this dude!!!)

Alibi - The Jester/“Zinnia”. all pronouns. literally,, when i was thinking of the identities to give xym, i just wrote down “whoops! all gender” and i think that says a lot about rot. trans, nonbinary, pangender, pansexual, asexual, panromantic. AuDHD (autism + ADHD).

heavily implied to be in a relationship with dallas during walls arc and up to their death in the wilds arc. its all i think about. however idk how to define it. idk if theyd be in a queer-platonic relationship (which is the only one i’d give bc im projecting onto dallas and dallas is the same flavor of aroace i am). i also feel like they wouldnt use a label. theyd just be like “we are best friends. we would live for each other. we would die for each other.” maybe some kind of alterous attraction but i wouldnt know— im quoiromantic/nebularomantic (aromantic microlabels). so since i cant think of it, its just gonna be like unlabeled but Its There and its FUCKING OBVIOUS LMAO (it gets worse when i imagine the scene of: alibi bleeding out in dallas’ arms as they scream for a medic among the screaming crowd, trying not to get trappled by people scrambling for safety from the royal forces. dallas is applying pressure to the wound like skip told them. why isn’t it working? why is it not working—?!) (dallas just turned 16 two months ago. alibi was only 3 months older.)

they wouldnt actually have their title of The Jester unless i tweak some things bc those titles are from the rebellion arc, which alibi had already died and wouldnt be there for. the flower titles do have meanings though. theyre from my floriography book, i can pull it out and share if you like?

it’s legal name is charlemane, but they actually don’t mind it. dallas would call them charlie in serious moments.

Asmodae - The Shield/“Cypress”. legal name: raelynn marie hellings. she/her. cis, lesbian. autism.

largely inspired by astrid from HTTYD! the badass-ness!! the take no shit!! the snark!!! while still being kind!! aaHHABAHHS! now that i think about it, also a lil bit of natasha vibes.

they are always down to fight and WILL fuck you up. they are the protector. they are the one to confront the bully and be like “what did you say about my sibling?!”

Juno - The Dahlia. legal name: june absidee goldborne. they/she/fae. genderfae. idk their romantic + sexual orientation actually— i didnt think about it. autistic *vine boom* adhd *vine boom* anxiety *3 fast vine booms*. hispanic— one parent is something similar to mexican except mexico doesnt exist in this fictional world. i dont have a world map made. the walled-in city doesnt even have a name 😭 has either/both POTS or EDS (cant decide). uses forearm crutches and sometimes a wheelchair!

hella good sniper. the long range fighter of the group. fae is very sweet and hyper-empathetic. instead of being shy, they’re just awkward (relatable)

she’s also known as The Black Dahlia. can unassemble and reassemble a gun in *really fast time idk i dont touch guns*. mercenaries wish they were as good as them when it came to guns.

Skip - “Clematis”. legal name: silas (no last name made). he/him. cis, bisexual. autistic.

THE OLDER BROTHER YOU WISH YOU HAD. THAT I WISH I HAD. AUGH. (RIP skip actually imagine getting tortured— huh what? did i say something? :3)

he jokes around a lot, hes snarky, hes sassy, hes sarcastic, hes caring, hes protective, hes— *chokes on air*

hes the one that gave dallas the name/title striker. hes the adult that believed in dallas (older by like,, 7 or so years i think)

The Family/The Eyes

dallas!!! wooah!!

Aji (ahgee - ă-jē) - The Apogee. any pronouns. literally agender. panromantic asexual. AuDHD.

it normally takes the form of a human teenager or child. xey are older than one could imagine, as they were created when the first world came to fruition.

many actually have a betting pool on how old she is. none of them are winning.

he is very parental tbh -> “no. no, aji. we can’t take in another kid.” “BUT LOOOOKKKKK! THEY WERE ABANDONED AS A SACRIFICE TO THEIR MORTAL GODS— CMONNNNN PLEASEEEE *puppy dog eyes*” “ugh fineeeee”

seraphina! nicknamed sheriff by dallas (seraph said weird). she/they. panromantic lesbians.

as i mentioned, their backstory is dallas’ OG one— er,, a few details of it.

backstory ->

she was like. an amalgamation tbh. mostly human but has enough elf genes to perform minor spells. but then was kidnapped and was experimented on and grew wings when she was still alive. (they stuck into her death and then her ascension where she grew a total of 6 wings. thats the common wing amount for those in The Syzygy.)

there was a trafficking ring for people who were experimented on. she was one of the only older kids in the ring (that survived) so they were babysitting and im :[[[ aWHg my heart

she was sold to a wealthy rich man. the angel from original poem. the angel that saved them is Apogee? probably. or one of the Five. (these are the details from the poem) (since writing the notes ive decided its most likely aji or dallas)

Memphis. they/she/he/it. agender + pansexual. AUTISMM BRR BRR BRRR where da hoes at (/ref)

no backstory or anything theyre still new but OhhOho My goD tehyre. zjsnsjsnntheyre so pretyt theyr Hot- theyre AHHWHSB /p.

RAHHHHHHHHH

these guys look SOO COOL!!!!!!! i want to befriend tgem ALL……….. im obsessed with aji’s design :000000

i want to give them all a big ol hug

[influencermagazineuk]

How Warren Buffett Uses the Stock Market to Choose His Daily McDonald's Breakfast

USA International Trade Administration, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Investor Warren Buffett is renowned for his success, and his eight-decade career has sparked curiosity about the secrets behind it. Interestingly, the stock market influences his daily McDonald's breakfast routine. How does that work, and is it tied to his success? Let's delve into this intriguing detail. The Daily McDonald's RitualBuffett makes a daily stop on his short commute from home to Berkshire Hathaway's Omaha office. "One of the good things about this five-minute drive is that on the way there's a McDonald's," he revealed in the documentary "Becoming Warren Buffett," as reported by Business Insider. Buffett uses a unique system to decide his breakfast choice. Each morning, he instructs his wife, Astrid, on the exact amount of change to leave in his car's center cup holder. These pre-determined sums—$2.61, $2.95, or $3.17—dictate his McDonald's order. "I tell my wife as I shave in the morning, either $2.61, $2.95, or $3.17. She puts that amount in a little cup, and that determines which of three breakfasts I get," the billionaire said. When I'm not feeling quite so prosperous, I might go with the $2.61 option: two sausage patties I put together. The $3.17 choice is a bacon, egg, and cheese breakfast. However, with the market down this morning, I'll likely opt for the $2.95 option. The $2.95 option corresponds to a Sausage McMuffin with egg and cheese. After securing his McDonald's breakfast, the billionaire enjoys the meal at his desk alongside his Coke, which is unsurprising given he's the largest shareholder in Coca-Cola. This breakfast routine might seem peculiar for a man of Warren Buffett's immense wealth, estimated at around $128.9 billion. After all, the difference between his most and least expensive options is a mere 56 cents. As Inc.com points out, calculating this frugality as a percentage of his net worth yields an astronomical number with many zeros after the decimal. However, this seemingly trivial routine might hold a deeper significance. It could be a clever behavioral strategy employed by Buffett to avoid the ostrich effect. What Is The Ostrich Effect?The Decision Lab defines this cognitive bias as the tendency to shy away from negative information by deliberately distancing yourself from it. Beyond his daily market analysis, Buffett's breakfast selection might function as a physical prompt. The ostrich effect is our tendency to avoid negative information, even if it's important. This can backfire, making problems worse and creating unnecessary costs. Exemplifying the ostrich effect, the site describes someone who eats out frequently, likely exceeding their budget. They know they should check their bank balance, but anxiety sets in—they suspect a negative outcome and avoid confronting it. This inaction perpetuates the unhealthy spending cycle, leaving them in the dark about their true financial situation. A Coin Flip For Focus? Decoding Buffett's ChoicesPerhaps the sausage serves as a reminder to analyze underperformance, prompting him to think, "OK, yesterday wasn't great -- what can I do differently to make today better?" Conversely, the bacon might symbolize positive reinforcement, leading him to reflect, "Yesterday was pretty good--what did I do that I should replicate today?" The website even encourages readers to try a similar approach. They suggest selecting a metric you might usually avoid confronting, such as revenue, cost, quality, or on-time delivery in a professional context. On a personal level, it could be your weight or whether you exercised the previous day. This strategic breakfast ritual might have played a role in Buffett's tremendous success as a businessman. Recent reports indicate that the billionaire acquired over 7 million shares in Occidental Petroleum, an oil and gas exploration and production company, within two weeks. Buffett's value investing strategy relies on a meticulous five-step process. This approach involves analyzing a company's return on equity for shareholders, profitability margins, debt levels, dependence on commodities, and potential undervaluation. Read the full article

[makairodonx]

New draft of my upcoming story, “The Sorceress of Leaf and Sand”. This loving homage and tribute to Hayao Miyazaki is about a young girl who uses her supernatural powers to save the world around her from the corrupting forces of delusion, greed, ill-will and industry. It will also be divided into four books themed after the four elements of Water, Earth, Air and Fire. Hope you enjoy!

“On the Day the Last Trian Dies,

The Golden Orb shall Fall Upon the Lonely Tree

And Two Dragons of Steel shall Plunder the Entire Land

For Control over it and its Awesome Power

To Conquer and Destroy….

But only a Black-Haired Sorceress Dressed in Red

Who Hails from the Southern Glens and is of the Age of Fifteen

Can put an End to the Coming Age of Darkness and Despair…

Only She can use Her Mastery of Water, Earth, Air and Fire to Foil the Plans of the Dragons of Steel,

Only She can Turn their Greed and Ill-Will into Kindness and Love for Others,

Only She can Bring them to Justice with the Trust of the Gods and Spirits,

And only She Alone can Destroy the Golden Orb Herself,

So that Once She is Raised from the Ashes,

The Sorceress of Leaf and Sand shall Witness for Herself

The Sight of a Hundred Thousand White Birds

Flying over the Forest of Hope.”

-Thus went the ancient Prophecy told by the seer Magellon the Wise hundreds upon hundreds of years earlier, when the Dynasty of Trians was at the height of its power over the many realms of Sekaia.

On the great continent of Aetheria, where some of the Trians’ greatest tributaries were to be found, there lived on the Southern Glens a well-known family of respectable sorcerers known as the Yamamotos. Soon after their twin sons Hakaru and Satoru were born, Minami and Hitoshi had a daughter, and they named her Keiko. Over time, Keiko grew up to be a strong, independent young girl with a curious mind and a kind, loving heart. She loved apples and apple pie. She loved cats and crows. She liked to hang out with nature or with her friends. And She loved to read books. All sorts of books. At school, though, Keiko was quite shy at times…mainly because she and her family were practitioners of sorcery…and also because some of her classmates used to mock her for her long black hair, which was tied into two pigtails, for looking like “rabbit ears”…so the sorceress would play magic pranks on those who bullied her…which sometimes got her into trouble with the grownups. But anyway, Keiko learned much about the world around her from her school’s history and geography lessons, from the books she read, and from the stories and tales that her parents used to tell her.

Fifty years have passed ever since the last of the Trians passed away without an heir to the throne of Triania, the most powerful realm of Sekaia. And since then, a great armed struggle was being waged abroad by Goblins and Men over their most sacred possession, which was the key to ruling the entire world…and over who shall succeed the Trians as Sekaia’s supreme rulers.

Meanwhile, Keiko Yamamoto was celebrating her fifteenth birthday, and for that occasion she received a few gifts of magical importance: a new, crimson dress that comes with a hat and grey boots, a staff made of apple tree wood, a journal that comes with a pen full of everlasting ink, and a scrying stone for seeing things from afar. Keiko also eats a huge apple pie and rides one of her brothers’ hand-made flying machines.

But that night, a giant airship from the goblin kingdom of Thuban crashed into the fields near her family’s house, and Keiko went to investigate the incident with her parents. The ship, which was attacked by a flock of angry pterosaur spirits from a nearby forest, was carrying important documents pertaining to the Golden Orb’s use and a human princess who was captured by the Thubanians. Princess Astrid of Basisa told Keiko about the war happening abroad and that she tried to stop a Thubanian invasion of the Southern Glens. She convinced the sorceress to burn the documents since they were important to Thuban’s victory in the Great War against the rival Goblin kingdom Arpan. She also told the young sorceress to go to the Forest of Hope and destroy the Golden Orb that sits upon the Lonely Tree with her magic before either Arpan or Thuban take over the nature-ruled world with the use of its highly-destructive power.

“This shall help you on your quest,” Astrid gave Keiko a magic comet-shaped turquoise gem, “This is Osaris, the legendary Comet of the East. The Elves of Tumàn, who praised the comet in their songs and held it in high regard, gave this magic gem made in its likeness to me when I was thirteen. Once you raise it up towards the sky, it will flash a blue light that points you to the direction of the Forest of Hope.”

“Thanks, your royal highness…” said Keiko, “I am saddened to know that your kingdom, once the greatest of this land, has now been in ruins, and that there is too much evil, hate and suffering now that needs to be cleaned from this world. And I shall keep your promise…to keep the Lands of the Trians safe…from the corrupting power of the Golden Orb.”

“So be it…” The princess gave her last breath and died in front of Keiko’s eyes. A giant Azhdarchid spirit emerged from the wreckage of the ship and was about to attack the bystanders who tended the victims of the crash when Keiko lured it away into the nearby woods with a magic crystal moth that she conjured.

The next day, the warnings of Princess Astrid were true: Thubanian troops led by the sorcerer-emperor Tarsus the Just invades the Southern Glens, laid waste much of the area and ransacked the Yamamotos’ house for anything pertaining to the Trians and the Golden Orb. They also torture Keiko’s parents for allowing their daughter to burn the important documents that Thuban desperately needed to win the war against Arpan for control over the object and over the Lands of the Trians. Keiko tried to retaliate against the goblins with an attack spell but was restrained by her old companions, the adventurous and mischievous wood-elf Robby Hide and his wise, talking raccoon Venki. As they consoled the girl, they both tell her that fighting the Thubanians is futile and proceed to take her to the Borderland Woods that separated the Southern Glens from the Green Marshes. Meanwhile, Emperor Tarsus the Just, whose forces have held Keiko’s family in captivity, addressed the people of the Southern Glens, urging them to provide crops to feed his troops in return for protection from the Arpanians and the “wild, wild woodland beasts” of the Green Marshes. Much to the horror of the humans, the power-hungry goblin who sought to conquer more of Aetheria with civilization and industry also intended on using the Golden Orb’s power to wipe out his enemies and “burn the Forest of Hope” in order to “resurrect the civilized nations of the earth.”

Just before she left the Southern Glens with her loyal companions, three very little girls gave Keiko a souvenir that would never let her forget of home: a bag of nuts for her to eat in case she goes hungry. “Thank you very much,” Keiko’s told the girls, “you may go now.”

In the Bordeland Woods, a still-traumatized Keiko told Robby and Venki about everything that happened from the day she turned fifteen. An excited Robby and Venki tell Keiko about a secret cave which situated on the other side of a stream, and proceed to take her to it. Inside the cave there was a great tapestry whose illustrations recalled the events of the prophecy…a prophecy that only Keiko could fulfill…the Prophecy of Magellon.

After leaving the cave, Keiko and her companions sat together and ate marshmallows around a campfire in the middle of the night. The sorceress enthralled elf and the raccoon about her family’s history; her parents secretly traveled far and wide to find secrets behind the making of the Golden Orb, and sought to protect the object from the clutches of the Goblins of Arpan and Thuban. Afterwards, Keiko sets out on the great journey to the Forest of Hope-with the help of her trusty companions Robby and Venki.

And all along the way, the Sorceress of Leaf and Sand will be using her magic and spells-including her mastery of Water, Earth, Air and Fire and control over the other forces of nature-to whisk away the evils that have corrupted and polluted the world around her.

[americxn]

The Evans + neck kisses 💜💜

headcanons for: kit walker, kyle spencer, jimmy darling, james patrick march, rory monahan, kai anderson (pre-cult, cult and prison), mr. gallant

warnings: NSFW, neck kissing, biting, hickeys, mentions of penetration/oral, swearing 

kit walker

Kit adores both giving and receiving neck kisses.

He’s overly generous when it comes to pressing random kisses to the side of your neck throughout the day, knowing exactly what the small gesture does to you and chuckling as you bat him away with a playful glare.

You’re able to read his mood through the manner with which he attaches his lips to your skin, your body relaxing fully into his touch upon contact, the tentative scrape of his teeth against your skin pulling a shudder from you. Kit always notices the impact of his actions, smirking against your skin and attacking your flesh with more persistence; he is equally as attentive during sex, your moans only growing with fervour as the softness of his lips provides a perfect contrast to the sweet pressure of his cock thrusting leisurely in and out of you.

kyle spencer

Kyle isn’t really too bothered about giving you neck kisses. He’ll press a few quick ones to the side of your neck but there are many other places that he would rather be kissing and so he doesn’t waste much time on your neck before moving onto other areas.

He is into hickeys though, sucking them around the base of your throat, along your collarbones and across the sloping planes of your chest, enjoying the small noises that his careful ministrations pull from you.

Franken Kyle would immediately get hard when you kiss all over his neck, especially when you suck and bite on the spot beneath his jaw; he gets so hard immediately, melting into the warm wetness of your lips against his skin. Adores being marked by you, savouring the sharp pain of your teeth sucking bruises onto him, and loves the way they look afterwards.

Always begs you to give him more marks during foreplay and you can never find the strength within you to deny him, not when the small whimpers you’re able to draw from him with your lips are so pretty to your ears. 

jimmy darling

Jimmy goes through phases of wanting to spend all day with his lips attached to your neck, wanting nothing more than for you to waste away the hours tasting his own skin, or completely abandoning the notion of neck kisses and going straight to fucking.

They’re a huge turn on for Jimmy though and anytime your lips stray even remotely close to his neck, your warm breath fanning onto his skin, it’s guaranteed that his cock will be buried in you within a matter of minutes.

Because you’re both performers, visible hickeys can be problematic; the others at the show take the unending piss out of the both of you when the small purple marks appear on either of your bodies, Elsa losing her shit and lecturing the both of you about the importance of professionalism.

When Jimmy is in the mood to grace the column of your throat with kisses, he’s gentle and thorough, tracing the tendons in your neck with hot, wet patterns, reducing you to breathlessness and neediness before he satisfies you with his fingers, tongue and cock.

james patrick march

James is more familiar with the skin of your neck than the back of his own hand and nothing gives him more pleasure than to dine on your sensitive skin for as long as he pleases, relishing in the noises his skilful ministrations pull from you.

He always rips off his own shirt whenever he is given the privilege of having full access to your neck, shuddering in delighted gratification when you walk your fingers up and down his scar littered spine, running your nails across the pronounced planes of his back whilst your breathing becomes laboured as he kisses, licks and bites the entire surface of your throat, each trail of your fingertips adding to the steadily growing hardness of his cock.

It is the definition of intimacy for James to have you surrender your neck to him, trembling in exultation as he works his mouth on your skin, scraping his teeth and flicking his tongue across the hot skin beneath his lips until you’re beginning him for more.

James doesn’t often permit you to subject the overly sensitive skin of his neck to the same treatment, jerking away from you the moment your lips brush against his skin with a bit too much persistence, shivering and shying away from your touch. He prefers you to be rougher with his skin, his mouth parting slightly if you use your teeth on him, biting forcefully and bringing dull red marks up onto his pale skin.

(also the big ass slice across his throat kinda gets in the way)

rory monahan

Rory definitely prefers to be on the receiving end of neck kisses and literally melts into your touch the moment your hot lips come into contact with his skin.

His hands come to tangle in your hair as soon as you begin giving the sensitive skin of his throat attention, his chin lifting to give you better access.

With Rory, it doesn’t take long before he becomes feverish with need, gripping your hips from your position astride him and forcing you up, moving you so that your knees are braced on either side of his head before returning the favour, your hands now coming to tangle in his roots as he feasts upon you, either taking you into his mouth or licking you with as much fervour as you licked up and down the column of his throat.

pre-cult kai anderson

Loves giving your neck attention with his mouth but is often too timid to initiate it. Knowing this, you are generous in your encouragement, taking his head gently in your hands and leading his face to the crook of your throat, offering him hushed praises as he works the soft skin of your neck with his warm lips.

He steadily gains more confidence, much to your delight as the gentleness with which he attends to your neck sends a flurry of excitement fluttering through you.

Although he adores your lips on his skin, becoming instantly engorged, the stimulation can be overwhelming at times, especially when you use your teeth to mark his skin. You know his boundaries and you know how much he loves being granted full access to your neck and both of you are more than happy to indulge to each other’s needs.

cult kai anderson

Kai will only kiss your neck if you ask for it, enjoying the way that your eyes avert his when you finally give in and request his lips on your skin, forcing you to beg before providing you with what you want. 

He can be rough, using his teeth and biting hard enough to bruise, or he can be dizzyingly gentle, running his tongue softly across your throat and tenderly pressing his warm lips to your skin; there’s rarely any in between and you can never gauge which mood he is in until he shows you.

He’s very into hickeys, not only because of the noises he coaxes from you whilst sucking them onto your skin, but also because he likes you to display them at cult meetings, painting the underside of your jaw with them and watching with delight as the cult members eyes immediately flick to the marks when you enter the room.

prison kai anderson (the best kai anderson)

He secretly loves when you attend to his neck and covertly aches to feel your hot lips and tongue on his skin. Although he would never ask for it, you oblige him occasionally, usually when he’s generous enough to let you ride him, leaning over his body and attacking his neck as he thrusts up into you from underneath.

Hickeys aren’t really his thing, he dislikes the way the marks linger and feels as if they make him look submissive, which isn’t true. You’re occasionally able to sneak some onto his hips bones however, and he hisses in pleasure when you do, gripping onto the back of your head and forcing your mouth further onto his skin. 

He is very attentive when it comes to having his lips on your skin, sucking and biting a sizeable collection of marks onto your neck and collarbones, biting down on your skin hard enough to break flesh, stopping only when you yelp out in pain, releasing his firm hold on your skin and licking softly over the hurt in contrasting tenderness.

malcolm gallant

Gallant takes his sweet time with your neck, dining on the supple dip at the hollow of your throat, licking at the bump of your adam’s apple at nipping at the soft flesh at the underside of your jaw.

Only when he’s reduced you to a panting mess beneath him will he progress down the planes of your body, lower and lower as you buck your hips into the hand he has cruelly rested on your hardening bulge, eventually granting you with the pleasure he made you so desperate for, following through with his hot mouth.

He gets equally as riled up when you get a turn at attaching your lips to his neck, knowing the exact spot that makes him whimper: the tender spot where his neck meets the slope of his shoulder.

It becomes a sort of competition, to see which one of you would be the first to become sated under the touch of the other’s lips, one of you smiling in victory against the skin they attended to as the other submits to the tongue licking intoxicating stripes up their skin.

taglist: @kitwalker02 @three-eyed-snail @forevercountess @kitwalkerangel @milly-louise @thecountessesglove @undeadcortez @kitwalker64 @samsassinparvismagna @xmaximoffic @divineruler @liandav @tatesweaterweather @evanmybeloved @tatelangdonsupremacist @ikkleroniekins (dm to be added or removed <3)

[thornstocutyouwith]

Watching them Journey looks on with gentle delight, then he shook his head at their statement "Uh, well things are easier to learn in childhood. We are very much like sponges, then. Often to the point where our entire life can be made at that very point." He shrugged a bit "Certainly our personalities start to take root, in those years." But he certainly could say a lot of the essential parts of life weren't taught at any time in life than in childhood. Though he also was currently avoiding talking about how strict his mother had been in those days. Clearing his throat, he ducked his head a bit "I'm not all that good at any, violins were much more successful to learn, in my case." Laughing, he glanced to the side.

As Astrid had continued with the praise he felt shy about it, and nodded "Ah, thanks." He mumbled awkwardly as he turned his head, trying to hide and failing in doing so "I didn't have many friends, so I guess it was from that, I was able to kind of nurture my interests a lot. I don't think many people have that opportunity." He wasn't raised in a poor household with parents that didn't put off their children onto the TV screens. His parents were wealthy, and hard working, and they put that mentality in their children. But where it mattered in their household, and not so much in less wealthy one's, was that his parents could afford to indulge him in many if not all of his whims. Journey lets out a breath.

At their question, he nods "Yeah. It does. Where they say that opposites attract, while it can be true, of course. Everyone needs their individuality...Mutual interests are also great, of course." Biting down on his lips, he swallowed a bit "It's a nice balance, probably keeps things interesting to keep finding out new things about another." He glanced away "Maybe nicer still, that both parties can get involved in those different interests, in some way. A true display of love, in understanding. Or at least, trying to." Silent then, he watched them, waiting till Astrid spoke again. When they spoke of not knowing what love really was he quirked an eyebrow "That's completely understandable. I have a secret for you-" He leaned in close to their ear "No one truly does. They are all emulating it from what other people think it is, and they are too."

Pulling away then, he grinned "Love for others shouldn't be something that's from a TV show, or something. You should make it personal, your own. Because everyone jumps too quickly into what they imagine love should be like. They forget the important thing about what love is." Journey shifted a little bit "My expression of love is not something that can be easily understood, or made for other people to sell to the world through screens, or words authentically. It will never hit the same as when it comes from me, to the one I love. Marketing it as anything else is hollow in comparison, that's why I think it's goofy watching displays of love people act out in public, because some actor maybe did it on TV." Shaking his head he rolled his eyes a little.

"Although, there's plenty of originality, don't get me wrong. It's usually all still a copy of something from an inauthentic place. It's no wonder relationships tend to not last very long these days. Giving ourselves away, being copycats, makes relationships stale, quickly." Brushing his fingers along the neck of the violin he brought them over to Astrid's, carefully placing them and applying pressure to each where they would need to be to make a more beautiful sound once they would use the bow "Hm. As I have said, I would not have asked otherwise." Taking a step back then he's walking around to the front of them, letting them go on with it "Now, please-" Lifting a hand he gestured to them to play, then tilt his head with their question.

Thinking, he makes a face "I don't know. Fate, maybe? The universe conspiring. Ooo." Journey dropped his hand then "Well, I suppose you could say it's kinda a small belief in the religion I practice." He mumbled wondering why they were stalling on playing "You can play, go ahead." Journey encouraged gently "Let's hear your fingers sing."

astrid's taking it all in, listening to his words, nodding their head. staying content --, giving small looks here & there, keeping in mind that they're trying to get to know him better. " you must've been really good if you were breezing through instruments like that. almost makes me envy you, y'know. " short laugh leaves their lips, completely & utterly entranced by the man, if anything. the more they got to know about him, the more that astrid wanted to -- be enveloped in his life, as silly as that sounded. it's not that astrid was nosy, it was the fact that they wanted to get to know him, in more ways than someone else has, or tried. they're . . they're interested in the other, if that much made sense. " jesus christ. i mean, you're a very talented . . man. from what i've seen. " they're gazing away, trying not to show off the particular red color on their cheeks, of course, trying their best to seem interested, just not . . too interested, if that made sense.

" yeah, it does, doesn't it? all of our . . interests, " they're remarking, not in a bad way, however, still trying their best to come to terms with actually getting along with someone that knows how they feel, on a comforted level. " you know, i really don't know what love feels like. i know, it sounds absolutely stupid, but . . it's true. " their words, though, swallowing a dry lump in their throat, eyes shot his way before nodding their head.

astrid's giving a look, laughing softly. " well, i would like to know if you were being serious or not, journey. " coming out as calm, astrid lets out a noise, cautiously taking the instrument in hand, shaky. not wanting to destroy it, however, wanting to ensure that the other has eyes on them at all times possible. " you should, uh . . show me, " speaking quickly, astrid looks over at him, a near panic before chewing down on their lower lip : processing things as much as they really can. brows arching at his words, head tilting. " what kind of forces are we talking about, hm? " they're questioning, wondering what he really meant by all of that. " what about it? "

[e-wills-afterhours]

Vetrnaetr, Chapter 3

Chapter 1 | 2

---------

Astrid swore under her breath as her fingers caught in her hair, botching her second attempt to braid it that morning. Higher thought was not required for something so mundane and automatic, but her fingers twisted faster than usual with her mounting guilt. Twice, they had snagged in a web of blonde, pulling at strands that stuck out oddly. With a huff, she undid her messy work, feeling frustration mingling with the internal disquiet twisting her stomach in knots.

She had not seen Hiccup since he had fled the archive. Her full apology remained unspoken, gnawing at her while the image of her hurt and betrayed boyfriend replayed in her mind. She wanted to scream, throw and break things; inanimate object would only be a stand-in for her pride.

The last time she had seen Hiccup cower like that, eyes full of fear, was in the Kill Ring before he had learned to communicate with dragons—back when Meatlug was a fearsome thing. Sure, Astrid swatted at Hiccup, or delivered a light punch to his arm when warranted, but she never caused him any undue physical pain. Not in several years. She could not imagine it. He was her lover, and it was a long, bumpy path for them to get there. To see him clutching his bad shoulder—an injury he had sustained on her behalf, no less—regarding her like she was some vicious dragon not to be trusted, was the froth atop the yaknog that had been their relationship over past couple of days.

She had not meant to do it. He was rarely slowed down by injuries and she had simply forgotten about his shoulder. She could explain that to him, and he could understand that—if she could only hold his attention long enough…

Slower, deeper breaths calmed her enough to manipulate her hair into a presentable state. She pulled on her boots and grabbed her axe.

She hoped to find Hiccup, to sit him down a properly apologize and talk through whatever rut they were in. If she could not find him, target practice would suffice to work through her frustrations. A backup plan was necessary when seeking him out. He was distracted, flighty, and unreliable when it came to keeping dates. He was a leaf in a summer’s breeze, carefree and without direction. For someone as punctual and attentive as Astrid, she found her boyfriend’s scattered-brained tendencies baffling best, irritating at worst. Indeed, he only displayed any real focus for his own projects, which he apparently had all the leisure time in the world to tinker with. Then, he was like a dragon on its prey, with a precision and mental fortitude that fell just short of his capacity at all other times. He was a two-sided silver coin but could not be so easily flipped.

Yes, Hiccup was fortunate to be the chief’s son with all of its privileges, and perhaps he had spent too many years miserable to realize it. The two of them were finally together, his father was proud of him, his birthright was going to lead him to great things—yet he seemed to find any reason to shy away from it all. She just could not understand it and she knew it exasperated her lover, like he had written out an entire essay on his inner workings, but it was in a language she could not read.

She, on the other hand, was in charge of assembling her family’s offering to the Dísir, and for sewing her own garb for Vetrnaetr—two domestic tasks her mother insisted were necessary to master. In the meantime, she still had to tend to Stormfly, her usual chores, and she would help her father by livening up the façade of their home. He would be too busy on the festival hunt to do it himself. Food was always in abundance on Norse holidays. A shortage of meat and ale might have very well been the one thing that would cause Berk to revolt.

It was not that Astrid could not handle the workload, but it left her only occasional breaks as Vetrnaetr drew nearer. She wanted to spend her free time with Hiccup, after everything they had been through, after three years of viewing him through a fog—obscured and haunting, just out of her reach. Their leisure time was now theirs, but Hiccup invested it in Inferno prototypes, and whatever else he got up to when he was not tinkering or flying. She could not understand what glowing, unfeeling metal had to offer him that she did not. She burned just as fiercely for him, but he spent his time staring at sketches on parchment, his hands otherwise preoccupied.

She intended to search the smithy for him first, stepping out of her bedroom. If Hiccup was not off on Toothless, Odin knew where, he was likely wasting more of his plentiful time hammering by the forge. She would have to speak louder to be heard, provided he was even listening to begin with.

He usually was not.

She peeked into the common living space as she crept from her room. Her mother was busy in the pantry nook, and Astrid’s path to the front door was clear. She steadied her axe over her shoulder and began a quick, stealthy pace across the room.

But her mother was every bit a Hofferson as she was.

“I have some items I need you to pick up for me this afternoon, dear,” her mother said, without turning around.

Astrid flinched and came to a stop, her shoulders falling in defeat. “Yes?”

“If you will take some eggs to the Jorgensons for me, to trade for some butter, that would be helpful. Also, a pound of lamb from Sven fer tonight’s stew.”

Astrid committed the mercifully short list to memory. She should have known better than to ask, “Anything else?”

Her mother turned, wiping her floured hands in a kitchen cloth. Her brow was heavy and her lips were drawn into a tight, forbidding line that seemed to encompass her whole face.

“I’ve been meaning to say, your father and I forgive you” The significant tone in her voice was anything but healing. Instead of a salve, it was a finger, prodding the still festering sore.

“Oh. Well. I’m glad that’s settled,” Astrid responded politely—for she was a Hofferson: one of the few Viking clans with any social graces, Her mother was a caged tempest as much as she was, just waiting for an excuse to open the latch.

“Far from it, though,” her mother said, and Astrid found herself wondering what more she could be reprimanded for. She was a good daughter. Nearly perfect—but it was the “nearly” that would do her in. Her mother went on to explain, “We’re no longer bound to the Svensons. A blessing, I suppose, considering they were a miserable lot—but it’s taken a toll on the family, going back on our word. It doesn’t reflect well on us.”

“We didn’t go back on anything,” Astrid scoffed. She let her axe slip in her hand until the butt of the handle hit the floor with an austere rap. “Hiccup decided—“

Older, greyer eyes narrowed in an ever-growing nest of crow's feet. “There are some who say the two of you conspired; that there are strong reasons you might do such a thing.”

Yes. Reasons—ones wrapped in moans and sweat; ones Astrid would not divulge but that sharp maternal scrutiny seemed to inherently know. There was some kind of mysterious ability older, more experienced women had to simply sense such things. Was she exuding a presence? A pheromone—detectable only to those women who had unlocked some kind mystic feminine energy.

“I didn’t encourage him,” she replied, dodging the weighted implication. But her pale complexion burned with the truth her mother undoubtedly knew. “I didn't want him to fight! I’ve already told you that. I don’t know how many other ways I can say it. When Hiccup gets his mind set on something, he doesn’t always see sense—but I won’t deny I’m happy with the way things turned out.” Her chest inflated. She would defend her relationship with Hiccup until her last.

Her mother waved a hand, as if brushing aside the bit of stale, old argument she had no interest in rehashing. “Regardless, you uncle’s having a hard time negotiating the terms of your cousin’s marriage to the Larsons. They seem to think agreements with our clan are flexible and subject to sudden change. The Larsons are seeking’ more insurance from your uncle that this arrangement will stick—that their family won’t be the next to suffer such grave embarrassment.”

“I don’t see why my circumstances have any bearing on—“

“But they do, Astrid,” her mother said calmly, but with the faintest edge that discouraged any further disagreement. “You’ve always known that. What you do reflects on all of us. You represent your family every time you step out that door. Right now, you bring suspicion on us. That is just the way of things. You're a smart girl and I know you can understand that.”

Astrid cast her eyes to the ground, indeed feeling the weight of the Hofferson reputation forcing her into submission like it always had, and like it always would. They were not jarls, so the family name was their wealth, their currency, and any tarnishing of it had to be dealt with.

“How should I fix it so I’m not such a disappointment?” she muttered.

“You’re not a disappointment,” her mother sighed, pulling her in by the shoulder guards and kissing her forehead. “Not to your father. Not to me. But now we do have a crisis of reputation.”

“That I caused,” Astrid added, because she knew her mother wanted to.

Floured hands fell on matronly hips. “That your father and I had a part in as well…”

Her mother managed a cracked smile in as close to an apology that Astrid would likely receive for the terrible marriage they had tried to arrange for status, and for the wealth they did not have—as close to being jarls as they might ever hope to be.

Unless…

Astrid laughed dryly and shrugged her shoulders.

“So, what now? I have to…marry Hiccup?” she teased, and she could not meet her mother’s eyes as she said it.

“That would be the plan, yes,” her mother answered. “Sooner rather than later.”

Astrid was dumbstruck. After the bubble of tension that filled her house since she had gotten with Hiccup, since she defied her parents and social norms in pursuit of what she wanted—most unbecoming for a Hofferson—her mother was outright saying that a marriage between her clan and the Haddocks was desirable. Almost a priority even, as if Astrid had not endured critical stares and loaded remarks in a concerted effort to displace parental blame on to her. Hiccup was painted the source of the problem—though she was painted the instigator—now he was the remedy.

“Isn’t that kind of up to him? To ask, I mean,” Astrid replied, though she doubted any such thoughts were in Hiccup’s head. Not lately. He was repelled by anything that even suggested responsibility, including the attentiveness of a committed boyfriend.

“To ask, maybe. Then it’s up to his father, mostly. And up to yours. But it isn’t quite as simple as that.”

Astrid’s brow furrowed. She set her axe down on the table. “What do you mean?”

“Don’t tell me you never considered where Hiccup stands and where you stand?”

Astrid understood perfectly: heal the Hofferson image and patch the void of a lucrative marriage contract gone sour with better prospects. The older generation was still set in social norms of wartime necessities—social maneuvering for better survival—calculated, as if Berk was one large table game. There were no more dragon raids, though; no outstanding threats that might prematurely claim her hypothetical husband, leaving her disadvantaged without the right connections to see herself taken care of in widowed years. Berk had a hierarchy, and people lived and died by it still. The younger generation, with its leash loosened in peacetime, did not see the virtue in remaining tethered to outdated norms. Not in a new world, still being shaped by their potential and gumption. Surely, there were new rules to be made and a more relaxed social order to establish—one in which the division between her and Hiccup's respective social strata was not so pronounced.

“I really don’t think the Haddocks think that way,” Astrid remarked, folding her arms to ward off her mother’s plot.

“Hiccup might not, but his father does,” her mother responded. “Oh, Stoick won’t push the lad into anything as long as Hiccup is interested in you. He feels he owes the boy too much. But if you and Hiccup were not to last, the boy is at a ripe age for a political arrangement.”

“Yes, I know that.” Astrid wished to the gods she did not—that it was her mother’s own wild imaginings, and the norms of a different village from a different time.

“Make sure he doesn’t lose interest, Astrid. I fear your marriage prospects will dry up with Hiccup’s affections for you.”

There was something pointed in her words, and Astrid wondered just how much the woman knew. Did mothers really have eyes and ears everywhere, tapping into the spiritual channels that ran through Berk? Could they commune with ancient and mystic forces to forever keep their children in line?

Astrid’s nails dug into her bare arms as she seethed, “Then at least I’ll still have my axe.”

She strode off to begin the day’s chores before her mood could be dampened any further.

--------

The butter was last on the list, since Astrid did not make it a habit to visit the Jorgensons unless she absolutely had to. She already dropped the cut of lamb from Sven back at her house, much to her mother’s approval. She dragged her heels on the last errand, trudging toward the Jorgenson family home with a heavy sigh. The longer she waited, the greater the chance Snotlout might be swerving through the sea stacks on Hookfang or burying his boredom in the mud of the north fields, challenging the twins to some contact sport. The filthier they became, the more they would enjoy it; and Astrid hoped the promise of bruises and grime called Snotlout away as she set about her chores. He was harmless, really, but an irritating troll nonetheless; and she was out of patience to spare him.

Thankfully, he was not home. She traded eggs for the requested butter, thinking herself fortunate until she turned back toward her own house. Lingering in her path was Stefnir and his friends—the former social circle from whence she escaped. She could only imagine her misery if things had gone unchanged. She would have been standing beside Stefnir, laughing hollowly at his jokes, pretending his friends were a delight to be around while longing for the days her own desires mattered.

Thank all of the gods she was free of him. Pretending to care, to be infatuated, was her strength. Her hollow gestures had not gone unnoticed in the last few days before their engagement had ended. Eventually, Astrid would have grown too weary of the forced smiles and the affectionate lies she hissed between her teeth. On their wedding night, Stefnir might have ended up castrated by her own hands had he laid hands on her. Not very conducive to the dutiful bearing of children…

He glanced over as her pace quickened. The jangling of her skirt and pauldrons caught his attention, and she figured he must be attuned to it from those years of trying so desperately to keep her under his thumb. He spotted her, grinning like some sort of sly fox of whimsical lore. She could not help her own lip curl of disgust.

It was Hiccup’s way to avoid conflict, not hers. Her mild-mannered boyfriend often turned on his heel or ducked to the side whenever their paths crossed with Stefnir, dragging her along with him, but Astrid was too proud to do so of her own volition. Hiccup did not want to endure the other man’s ineffable smugness and invite further conflict, but she reveled in every opportunity to stare Stefnir down. His life may have rebounded from their imploded engagement, but he had not beaten her in the contest of satisfaction. She made it a point to walk tall past the man who still fancied himself more important than he was.

“Astrid!” Stefnir exclaimed, all too jovially. He bounded over to her, the steam of his breath in the cool air giving off the impression of a dragon poised to strike. He left his friends without so much as a hasty explanation or excuse, far more interested in tormenting her, it seemed.

It was good to know his priorities were the same.

“Don’t you have a wife to lord over?” Astrid huffed, not missing a step.

Stefnir only continued to grin in that superior way of his, like her contempt for him was nothing short of adorable. She contemplated a swift kick to his groin. Surely hindering his ability to procreate would only benefit Berk in the long run.

“You almost look domestic, carrying that basket,” he teased.

He tried to peer into it and Astrid shifted it to the other arm like butter was something fiercely private.

“And you almost look blissfully married, standing there with your friends,” she retorted.

Curious eyes followed the two of them as they hurried through the village, and Astrid felt her face burn at the unmistakable sign of gossip—women leaning in, trying not to glance at the former couple who, by all accounts, should not been seen together. She moved even faster, feeling the strain in her legs as she all but sprinted. Stefnir kept pace rather easily with his greater height.

“I am blissfully married,” he replied.

She scoffed, picturing the demure young thing often latched to his arm, youthful and naïve. “Seems like an awfully one-sided affair.”

“My wife knows her place,” he said.

Astrid shot him a sardonic smile, “Where's that? Licking your boots?”

He snorted, using his wide stride to cut in front of her, forcing her to stop before she collided with his chest. She took two steps back, the close proximity making her insides squirm.

“Why don’t you stop the games?” He asked, frowning. “You’re far too bitter for someone who supposedly got the better deal.”

“I’m not playing games.”

“Then Hiccup’s aware you’re stringing him along too?”

Astrid recoiled, eyeing him indignantly. A muscle twitched in her upper lip, and the phantom blow to her gut was the not-entirely-misplaced blame weighing heavily on those words. Her fiery emotions betrayed her, and Stefnir’s eyebrows raised in surprised.

“Oh. Oh, he’s not,” he mused. “No. In fact, are you the one being strung along?”

He was far too giddy about the notion, unaware he was digging up deeply buried insecurities she was not keen to admit, even to herself. They had not been there when she was still high of the initial excitement of Hiccup’s victory; but she had been distracted for too long, refusing to see what her mother saw. Hel, the village saw it too, most likely. Her penchant for tunnel vision when focused on any single goal had blinded her from the seeds of an uncomfortable truth being sown. In her desperate attempts to cultivate the reality she envisioned for herself and for Hiccup, maybe she had overlooked some crucial details, so obvious to everyone else?

Her pale cheeks flushed red, more from a nauseating embarrassment she could not bear for Stefnir to see. He was not privileged enough to look upon her weaknesses. She swallowed thickly and pushed passed him, taking care to bump him hard with her shoulder.

“No one is stringing anyone else along. What are you even babbling about?” she growled.

He grasped her free wrist and Astrid wheeled around in the mud, wrenching her arm from him. She flinched at the shoulder as her fingers curled into a fist. The temptation to hit him was strong.

Her jaw clenched; it was the first time she dared to think her once coveted relationship with Hiccup was anything less than worth it—that it was the misguided passions of youth. The more Stefnir spoke, the deeper he pushed the proverbial knife.

He grinned again as he said, “I assumed Hiccup ended our engagement so the two of you could enter your own. But even now, three months later, you two remain…well, whatever-it-is you are to each other. How unprecedented. Whatever you’re selling, he’s not interested in buying, is he?”

Astrid tossed her braided hair back, letting a whisper of cold air soothe her heated neck. “Watch yourself. I’m no longer obligated to be civil to you; and you’re wandering into dangerous territory.” She leaned in with eyes narrowed, but he held his ground.

“Why? Does the truth hurt?” he replied.

There was that irksome word again. Truth. Astrid was not sure what that entailed anymore, but when did everyone else become so certain?

“Look,” she hissed, the coils of her breath in the cold air hopefully offending him as they assaulted his smug face. “I don’t know what you or anyone else thinks they know, but Hiccup and I are doing just fine.” She pulled back, straightening up to magnify what little confidence she could muster. “Better than fine, actually. We genuinely enjoy each other’s company: and we don’t need to be married to do that—something I think is lost on you, and everyone else for that matter.”

He had the audacity to chuckle, waving a flippant hand. “Yes. Your relationship is so secure you feel the need to stand here and defend it to me.”

She glanced away, hoping to communicate disinterest opposed to self-doubt. “Did you want something, Stefnir? Or do you just relish in being an incorrigible asshole?”

“I just wanted to make sure what happened between us was all worth it in the end. For you.”

She stared back at him, exasperated. “I’m not your concern.”

He shrugged. “I guess you aren’t Hiccup’s either.”

The chill in Astrid’s veins was more potent than encroaching winter. “How dare you—!”

“Do you even know where he is?” Stefnir interrupted calmly.

She fumbled for a minute, carding through her brain in case Hiccup had told her something—but as was typical of late, she could not answer with any kind of certainty.

“The forge. Probably,” she replied as if it was obvious. After all, he had been spending more time there than he spent with her. Stefnir, however, was disconcertingly knowing. She snapped, “We don’t keep tabs on each other!”

“I’m intrigued to see how far this goes between you two—with him being here.” Stefnir leveled his hand high above his head. Then, he dropped it to his chest. “You being here. It’d be a first for this village, you know: a chief marrying so far beneath him.”

Astrid was nearly deaf from the blood rushing in her ears.

“I didn’t know you cared,” she retorted.

Stefnir, satisfied, began to saunter off. “A lot of people care, Astrid.”

“Too many!” she called after him, but he just kept walking with a languid swagger.

Indeed, it seemed like she was as much the center of public concern as she had been when Hiccup had challenged Stefnir. Nosy neighbors were less than subtle, casting sidelong glances in her direction.

She stormed off, taking the longer way home that passed by the smithy. Only Gobber was inside, and she realized then that she did not know where her lover was or what he was doing; and it was just more the norm as far as her supposedly solid relationship was concerned. She was not sure what was more painful: the reality that she and Hiccup did have some kind of wedge between them or that Stefnir had been right about it.

She resisted the urge to throw the softening butter to the ground.

---------

Perhaps it was yet another sign of a doomed relationship when a dragon’s tracking abilities were better suited for locating a missing lover than one’s own intuition? Astrid had searched everywhere she could think of—the stables, Hiccup’s house, the Great Hall, the former Dragon Academy, the cove, the skies around Berk—before enlisting Stormfly to find her boyfriend. It felt like a defeat, finally yielding to her Nadder’s sense of smell and admitting that she was clueless about Hiccup’s activities.

Only a few days ago, she felt so secure in her life’s trajectory, but those feelings were getting harder to recall as of late. She never would have guessed that two years of heartache and of mutual pining away in an uncharacteristic desperation, could ultimately amount to nothing; or that those who tried to warn her to keep on the straight and narrow path could have possibly been right. The very thought was maddening that she, Astrid Hofferson, so sure and so put together, could have been so wrong about what she really wanted—or rather, what she really needed.

Hiccup was always the answer to every question she dared to ask about her future—not the heavy questions her mother posed, but the more satisfying ones: who would she always fly with, who would she always confide in, and who would always have her back? No other name ever flashed in her mind, and she had been so confident in her own autonomy to choose in love and matters of the heart. What reason did she have to doubt her own romantic interests? So, she buried the nagging concerns. All of the things in Hiccup’s behavior that she found problematic, she ignored. She was not going to be wrong about him, because they were not wrong. When he kissed her, it was nothing short of perfect. They desired each other so ardently for so long that being wrapped up between layers of furs in the night had been enough to carry them.

For a while.

Then Astrid could no longer overlook Hiccup’s flightiness: his aptitude for losing himself in his own interests in spite of everything else going on around him. His mind wandered when she talked. He was late to scheduled dates and platonic rendezvous with friends, or he missed them entirely. She had to go to him. He never came to her. Everything except their physical intimacy felt one-sided, and Hiccup resisted all of her efforts to point it out to him—to fix it. He always had his excuses. For someone who liked to tinker, he found the idea of improving their relationship particularly scathing.

Perhaps she had been too proud to recognize what was really going on, as Stefnir suggested? But it did not seem like Hiccup, to use her.

It did seem like him, however, to grow bored and lose interest.

Astrid shifted in her saddle, biting her lip.

She would not go there—not until she heard it from Hiccup. Despite their recent struggles, she owed it to him to talk, to give him a chance to explain and put things in context—if he even bothered to try.

Her stomach did a little flip as Stormfly glided over Berk’s lush pastures. Even in the colder months, they stayed resiliently green before the snow moved in. On the brilliant, rolling expanses of fertile land, three Norsemen stood out among the tiny white puffs of sheep. The animals bleated and scurried apart as Astrid landed her Nadder gracefully among them. Her heart beat a little faster, but not from the same rush of infatuation that had once spurred it on. While Chief Stoick and Sven nodded to her cordially, Hiccup stood beside his father with a peculiar expression on his face: one often saved for trying to comprehend the twins’ antics. The light of adoration faded in his eyes as well, it seemed.

“There you are,” Astrid said, dismounting her dragon.

“Here I am,” he replied flatly. “What are you doing here?”

“Looking for you—nothing unusual.”

Hiccup gazed toward the mountains in the distance, with a vague nod. “Mm.”

Astrid saw Stoick nudge Sven from the corner of her eye and was thankful the two men ambled along to survey the flock.

“Why are you really here?” Hiccup asked the moment his father was out of earshot.

He was not angry, but he was clearly exasperated, looking as though he had not slept well. The shadows beneath his eyes were conspicuous above his otherwise lively constellations of freckles.

“Looking for you, like I said,” she replied. “I was asked where you were at, and I realized I didn’t have an answer. I never really have an answer.”

He frowned. “I don’t see why that’s a problem.”

Which was an answer typical of his whole scatterbrained approach to life and to her. He was dense; she wondered if he was intentionally being so.

“No. Of course you don’t,” she huffed. “Just like you can’t see why being perpetually late is a problem, or being so unconcerned is problem. You don’t really listen—“

“Unconcerned?” Hiccup folded his arms, squinting. “How am I unconcerned? What am I unconcerned about, Astrid? You come to the forge and—”

“The forge!” She threw her arms in the air. Gobber’s shop was the center of gravity around which their entire relationship spun by Hiccup’s design and her own thinly worn patience with it. “Always the forge, where I have half of your attention. You couldn’t care less about— “

She stopped, thinking of her mother and Stefnir; and the heavy cloud of expectations settling over her. She did not want to argue with Hiccup about it all right at that moment, throwing out the subject of marriage and social status right there in the middle of the otherwise peaceful glen, so close to his father. Stoick had to know the current of Berk’s gossip; the man had eye and ears everywhere, it seemed. Astounding, then, that Hiccup did not know—or rather, it would have been astounding if he were not the kind of person that preferred glowing metal and dragons to regular human interaction.

“I couldn't care less about what?” Hiccup pried, quirking an eyebrow.

“Forget it. I don’t see why repeating my grievances for the umpteenth time would suddenly matter now.”

“Ah, yes. Your problems. They’re so numerous” he replied dully, and she bristled. "I cannot possibly know what that's like, can I?"

The roll of his eyes was a clear comparison of their respective stresses.

“Don’t!" she snapped. “Don’t play the future-chief angle, Hiccup. It’s beneath you.”

“Again, Astrid, what part of reality would you like me to change?” He rubbed his forehead, like he did when trying to impart some manner of wisdom on Snotlout or the twins.

He could, when irritable, play a self-righteous martyr to rival his cousin's most woeful performances.

“How about the fact my parents have me on a short leash, or that the entire village still looks at me like I’m some kind of troublemaker?" she replied.

She was nearly shouting, but she lowered her voice when she noticed the Chief and Sven turn in her direction. The two men quickly realized they were eavesdropping on a lover’s quarrel, and Sven called Stoick's attention to a rather plump sheep.

“The name and the image I’ve built for me is falling apart because of you!” Astrid hissed, recalling her mother’s blame and the village’s whispered accusations.

Indignation rippled across her boyfriend's face, and she grimaced, reining in her temper. Her hands found her hips but she glanced at Stormfly for the moral support.

“Not that it’s intentional,” she continued. “I know that it’s nothing you’re purposefully doing. I’m trying to put things back to the way things were before everything: before the fight, before Stefnir. Back when things were simple, when they made sense.”

Hiccup’s shoulder’s fell and he shook his head in a way that was so pitying—so condescending. “Things are different now, Astrid. We’re older, for starters. We both have more responsibilities.”

She raised a hand. “Spare me the lecture, Hiccup. I’ve got enough on my plate as it is, and everyone’s got their opinions. I’ve heard more than my fair share about what I ought to do and how I ought to feel.”

“I’m sorry,” he said, but it was hollow. Compulsory. He probably did not even know why he said it, only that it was polite and he wanted to diffuse the situation.

“You know I’m essentially currency?” she asked, thinking about what her mother had said, reducing her to little more than a bargaining chip for status. "That's how anyone discusses my future these days—like a business deal."

“That’s ridiculous,” he scoffed, lip curled like the very idea was repulsive.

She was a little reassured that she was still a person in his eyes—not a plaything, nor an object to own. If only the rest of the village felt that way; but a woman’s place was a construct of generations of societal norms, born of a certain practicality and desire to survive.

“No, Hiccup. It’s not,” she replied. Again, he failed to understand, because the world he lived in was one of his own design, separate from the world the rest of their tribe lived in, but with enough overlap to still deem him sane. “You keep talking about changing reality. Well, that’s certainly something I wish I could change. I mean, do you even notice? Are you aware of the gossip going around? What the buzz is?”

“I don’t usually concern myself with—“

“And that’s your problem,” she remarked, feeling validated that he admitted as much with his own mouth. In the end, it kept coming back to the same thing: he was willfully ignorant.

She concluded their relationship was, in fact, one-sided.

“You know, Astrid, my situation isn’t exactly ideal either,” he said; but she felt he was merely evading the issue at hand.

“Oh, is it particularly taxing, spending all hours of the day doing whatever you want? Expecting me to just be there when it’s convenient for you, like I’m one of your projects?” she chided.

“If you think that’s all I—I’m very busy! Hiccup gestured to his father, Sven, and the sheep. “I have to—!”

She was not interested in his excuses. “I’m busy too, Hiccup. Do you think I just sit around, sharpening my axe all day?”

He scowled. “No, because I do that for you.”

He had no idea: cleaning the stables, tending to the chickens, learning to sew and weave and cook at her mother’s behest, tedious chores that took a great deal of time. She was also the bridge between Hiccup and the other teens, maintaining lines of communication, delegating tasks related to dragons and what remained of their academy duties. On top of all that, she found time for physical training and Stormfly—and for Hiccup. Yet, he thought his struggles were the only ones that mattered.

“I have my chores. I have my responsibilities—usually picking up your slack. I still find time for you,” she pointed out.

“Well, don’t you worry. I’ll be far less of a problem for you during the holidays,” he retorted.

He sounded resigned, then. Defeated. He was rolling over and playing dead to end the argument, and she hated it. She wanted him to fight; she wanted a resolution one way or the other, and Hiccup’s tactic of surrender was not the same thing as solving the issue.

“What are you talking about?” she asked impatiently.

He was rather monotone as he answered, “I’m leaving for a week. Before Vetrnaetr. During the festival, I’ll be busy helping my dad.”

Suddenly, all of the plans they had made and the perfect holiday she had imagined—that she was hoping to recapture from years ago—went up in smoke. She clung to the hope it could reset everything. What was worse is that Hiccup did not seem terribly upset. He just seemed tired.

“Wait, what? You’re leaving? But we—I thought…When were you going to tell me?” she asked, feeling the fire within her quickly fizzle out.

“When you stopped berating me long enough.”

She sighed, unsure of what the point was of standing her ground, rather than climbing on Stormfly and speeding off amid a flurry of well-chosen swears.

“Hiccup, I’ve only been trying to get you to hear me. To be more attentive. To care! Why does this have to be a chore for you?” she asked earnestly.

She had lost sight of the point of all the bickering. She only wanted thing to be right between them again. Just days ago, things had been blissful between them. How could they get it back? That was all she wanted, because for that brief amount of time things made sense; he did not fully appreciate how much he made things make sense. Without him, Astrid was still herself—but set adrift in a violent sea of uncertainty.

“We were supposed to be easy," she said. "It was easy.”

Hiccup did not say anything, he just looked at her full of regret, as if he was seeing the same widening fracture in what should have been their refuge from the world.

“What about the festival preparations—the races?” she asked, as if it might make him reconsider the trip, as if he had any power to decide.

“I’ve already spoken to Fishlegs about it,” Hiccup explained. “He practically burst with excitement when I asked him to take over for me. I thought he was going to faint when I told him to watch over Toothless while I’m gone.”

Astrid was taken aback. Sure, their friend could handle dragons and would view the opportunity to look after Toothless as unfettered access to study the Night Fury without Hiccup hovering around. But there was something inherently insulting about Fishlegs being asked to watch Toothless instead of her. Having a basic capability to keep a dragon alive and fed was not the same as truly caring for the animal. She was admittedly hurt that Hiccup entrusted Toothless to anyone else. The dragon-related festivities being delegated elsewhere was only an additional irritation. She was undoubtedly more adept at running things than Fishlegs.

“Fishlegs? You think he can handle all of that?” she asked, making no attempt to hide her bitterness.

“I was going to ask you, but you told me you were busy the other day. Your mother’s been particularly demanding, isn't that right?" Hiccup started walking backwards toward his father and Sven. He held his hands out. “See? I listened.”

---------

The next few days were mechanical. Astrid saw her lover briefly. They nodded to one another and conversation at mealtimes was shallow, much more reminiscent when they were pretending not to have feelings for one another.

But they were not acting then—not when their hands brushed, reaching for the same piece of bread at supper, and the resulting smiles were forced and without eye contact. They were not pretending when neither went out of their way to see the other in the remaining days before Hiccup was scheduled to leave. Astrid saw him in the skies, gliding silently over the village on his dragon. He saw her, chopping firewood and touching up the paint on her house as he trailed behind his father.  When their eyes locked, it made Astrid tense with that familiar hint of discontent that once plagued them.

If anyone asked, they were fine. Of course, they were! How silly it was to suspect anything different. They were Hiccup and Astrid, and they were so much better than fine. They were in love, after all. Madly so.

Astrid had to remind herself of that fact as she made her way down to the docks, her skin pricked by the icy spray off the sea. Her pauldrons rattled on her shivering frame. Sails billowed and planks groaned as ships pulled against their moorings; yet the Stoick's crew worked on, loading provisions. Thor would carry Hiccup’s ship quickly to Helgafell. That much was certain, judging by the howling wind.

He admittedly looked regal, standing there watching Sven guide an obstinate sheep onto the ship with his arms folded, draped in his best fur and gilded decorations. Even with his auburn hair dampened into a dark brown, clinging haphazardly to his face and forehead, he was handsome: every bit the future Chief of Berk he denied he wanted to be.

“Hiccup,” she said, just above the wind.

He gave a small start and turned. “Astrid,” he replied calmly. He betrayed no feelings about her presence there.

“I came to see you off,” she said. “It…it seemed right.”

“I…Thanks. You didn’t have to...Thanks.”

She nodded and reached out for Toothless, scratching his jaw. The Night Fury seemed subdued, knowing something was about to happen and that he was not to participate. He crooned softly, nudging Hiccup.

“Are you sure you still want Fishlegs to—?"

“It’s already settled,” he interrupted, not meeting her eye. Instead, he held his dragon’s gaze. “Sorry bud. I’m going to miss you.”

Astrid swallowed hard as her boyfriend embraced the Night Fury with sadness and remorse. He patted the dragon’s head, and they shared a silent goodbye that was more heartfelt than whatever would transpire between her and Hiccup.

For a moment, she was jealous.

“I’ll be back in a week,” Hiccup said, finally turning his attention to her, though he continued to stroke Toothless’s snout.

“I’ll be waiting,” she said.

He flashed another forced smile that was little more than an obligatory twitch of his lips.

“I have to get going,” he told her, picking up the sack at his feet. His green eyes lingered on her as he straightened back up. “Take care, Astrid.”

He sounded so wooden, so formal—it was absolutely maddening.

“I’ll write to you!” she blurted out in a final attempt to hold on to something.

“Uh, yeah. S-Sure. That sounds…fine.”

He leaned in like he was going to kiss her, but thinking better of it, he pulled her into an awkward one-arm hug. She was no more comfortable with the contact, patting his back awkwardly. Her chin rested on his good shoulder, and it was then she remembered she had yet to apologize for hurting him. When he pulled away abruptly to board the ship, she realized it did not matter anymore.

[lifeofkaze]

Meet the Pendletons

A/N: This family tree focuses on the line of Carolyn's and Bradford's first child William Pendleton that eventually leads to Mina Pendleton. For Ava Campbell - my other OC coming from the Pendleton family - there is a separate family tree here.

Bradford Pendleton IV belongs to the wonderful person that is @kc-and-co, Dahlia Nott belongs to my favourite @the-al-chemist.

Carolyn Acelia Nyberg

Faceclaim: Natalie Dormer

Even though she is technically only half-Swedish, Carolyn knew from very early on that the North was where her heart was lying. For the longest time, her grandmother's estate on Gotland was the only place the usually a little stuck-up and reserved Caro was able to let her hair down. Sharp-witted and incredibly gifted in anything involving potion making, Caro is never shy to withhold her opinion from anyone, even if - or especially so - it might hurt. She never had many friends because of that, but those she has are most precious to her. Among them is Bradford Pendleton IV, the boy she was betrothed to by her parents, then resented, and eventually learned to love. The potions shop she runs in Diagon Alley and passes on to her descendants was Brady's wedding gift for her.

Bradford Elijah Pendleton IV

(Character and summary by the wonderful@kc-and-co)

Faceclaim: Will Weaton (find Bradford's profile here)

The last thing Bradford Elijah Pendleton IV expected to do with his life was to marry Carolyn Nyberg as his father had insisted. Not only did she save The Pendleton Apothecary, she saved Brady’s opinion of it. Upon their union, Brady was able to focus on his own dreams or freedom and art. He went on to open galleries in Hogsmeade, Amsterdam, Paris, and New York. Though he was initially unhappy with his sorting into Slytherin, he learned loyalty and ambition are not a prison but a privilege.

William Anders Pendleton

Faceclaim: Ian Somerhalder

Being Caro's and Brady's oldest child, lots of expectations were placed on young William's shoulders - most coming from his paternal grandfather Bradford Pendleton III, who hoped his grandson wouldn't turn out quite as disappointing as his actual son. He was delighted when William's ambition and cunning secured him a place in Slytherin, the traditional house of the Pendleton family. William never exhibited the same talent for potion making his mother displayed, but had a knack for numbers and business decisions, which was why Caro was all too happy to hand the administrative reins of her business over. It was William who renamed the shop back to its old name Pendleton Potions & Apothecary as it was his grandfather's condition to hand the family fortune over to William. Once the money was transferred into William's vault at Gringotts, he cut ties with Bradford Pendleton III and never once looked back.

Astrid Lyanna Pendleton: Faceclaim: Vanessa Kirby

As the second child, Astrid was always more free to pursue what sparked her interest, which was primarily gathering knowledge of all kinds. She was sorted into Ravenclaw and couldn't have been a better fit. She delved into natural science after her Hogwarts education and helped improving her mother's potion recipes by deepening her understanding the interactions between the different ingredients on a deeper level. Her love for learning and her sharp mind eventually passed on to her daughter and even her granddaughter Ava.

Cassandra Acelia Pendleton: Faceclaim: Emily Van Camp

Cassandra is the older of the two twin sisters and as you would suspect the more sensible one - but not by much. She was sorted into Gryffindor at school, which her grandfather found scandalous, and her favourite subject quickly turned out to be Potions. She wanted to help run the shop alongside her brother after graduating, but Caro wasn't ready to step back from her life's achievement just yet. Not wanting her light to be dimmed by her mother, Cassandra agreed to accompany her twin sister Cressida when she decided to leave England for the United States. She pursued her studies there and became a Potions Master in her own rights, eventually teaching the next generation of potioneers at Ilvermorny.

Cressida Ingrid Pendleton: Faceclaim: Taylor Swift

Cressida isn't only the younger twin, she is the youngest of the family and it showed very early on. Loud, bubbly and adventurous, Cressida was sorted into Gryffindor, just like her sister Cassandra, much to their delight. Contrary to her, however, Cressida had no intention of working in the family business after school and instead continued what she had started at Hogwarts - not missing a single party in sight. Her craving for fun and glamour eventually took her and her sister across the pond and to New York City where she enjoyed life to its fullest.

Dahlia Pendleton née Nott

(Character and summary by the fantastic @the-al-chemist)

Faceclaim: Scarlett Johansson

The Nott family, though wealthy and powerful, lost a certain amount of respect among the elite members of wizarding society after Malvolio Nott’s wife Ophelia and youngest daughter Marguerite disappeared without a trace. Malvolio and Ophelia’s older daughter Dahlia took it upon herself to maintain whatever remained of the family’s diminished reputation, taking over her mother’s duty of managing the household expenses, having inherited Ophelia’s talent for budgeting, but not her tendency to hide money for personal use. Her talent for numbers caught the eye of fellow Arithmancy student William Pendleton, and after their marriage, she became the financial manager of the Pendleton Estate and Apothecary. (Summary by @the-al-chemist)

Boreas Alexander Pendleton

Faceclaim: Rob Lowe

Boreas Pendleton inherited neither his parents' knack for numbers, nor was he a Potions prodigy like his grandmother. He wasn't bothered too much by it, however, and happy to leave the business at the Apothecary to those who actually cared about the work. He was more interested in learning more about his Swedish roots and the culture of the Scandinavian people. He travelled around Scandinavia for a while after school but it was only when he returned to Gotland - traditional home of the Nyberg family - that he should meet the future love of his life.

Sonia Pendleton, née Sjöberg

Faceclaim: Julia Stiles

Sonia Sjöberg was born and raised on Gotland. Her father, a magical sculptor specialised in the limestone found on the island, and her mother, a dedicated Herbologist, took Sonia outside to enjoy the singular flora and fauna of Gotland whenever possible, instilling a deep love for nature in their daughter. She returned to Gotland for a while after graduating from Durmstrang. There she met a handsome young wizard from England whom she'd known to visit the big estate on the coast every year with this family. Sonia was eager to help him learn more about his roots on her beloved Gotland and they quickly fell in love. Her condition if she was to follow him to England was at least one trip back home per year - a request Boreas was only too happy to comply.

Wilhelmina Wren Pendleton

Faceclaim: Jennifer Lawrence

Whatever Mina does, she does it with all of her heart. She loves brewing potions as strongly as her great-grandmother Carolyn did, the greenhouse where she grows her own ingredients is her happy place, and she hates anything even remotely resembling a reptile or amphibian with a passion bordering on hysteria. She had a tough time being sorted into Slytherin, even though she combines all of the famous traits of Slytherin House - ambition, a strong sense of self-preservation and a resourceful mind. Her great-grandmother Carolyn has been her personal hero from a very young age and she learned the subtle art of potioneering from Caro herself. She showed so much promise that Caro decided to step down from her work at the Pendleton Apothecary with an easy mind. Her wish for self-preservation was put to the test when her cousin Ava Campbell got her involved with an underground group called The Phoenix Resistance (@kathrynalicemc) during the Second Wizarding War, and her whole world got burned down to the ground.