#my poor modern studies teacher made the mistake of asking what i was writing and i would just sit at the end of periods telling him

[realjoearts]

A Little Introductory Context to TWODAD

okay so before i post all of the wolf art i should give some context as to what exactly i was doing with all this wolf art and what my intentions were with it all. this is going to be a long post so buckle up folks!

so basically they’re all part of an old project of mine called “The World Of Dawn And Dusk” (abbreviated to simply TWODAD) that i was extremely invested in during my early high school years (2018/2019). the origins of such a project lie in my obsession with warrior cats and wolves as this was about the time i got stuck into roleplaying on roblox and also on instagram (warrior cats specifically i only ever roleplayed wolves on wolves’ life). the original four characters that the story was initially based around were from a specific roleplay i had where i played as the main character, while roleplaying something just clicked in my head and i was like “wow i could make a story out of this”… then i dedicated my several years to the idea. since i created it all of the characters became unrecognisable from their original roleplay counterparts. also during this time i added in factors from outside of my little story realm such as my other interests at the: hamilton, dear evan hansen and undertale (with even more hyper specific references to the unfinished undertale fan project “Undertale The Narrator's Musical” by Echoflower Productions”). i’d go onto do several revisions of TWODAD which retconned some old stuff, had me trying to make the priorly mentioned references not as noticeably inspired and then later a revision which took them from being wolves to a race of elves who lived alongside physical personifications of their souls that came in the form of wolves which do everything alongside their elf and upon death the wolf absorbs the life essence of the elf and the two become one again as the wolf returns to run with the spirits of the past.

the story centred around a prophecy of two children being born who were destined to either save the world or let it be destroyed by an unspoken force. these children are born to the Light clan/pack (originally known as Hikari Pack because of course i had to make it japanese to sound more cool) and were named Dawn Pup and Dusk Pup, who happen to be the namesake of the story, by parents who were unaware their children were part of this prophecy. also as a side note i wrote the prologue to this so many times and it always just felt like the latter half of the Into The Wild prologue where Bluestar and Spottedleaf receive the prophecy that fire alone can save their clan. anyway the children begin to grow up but not before a demon possess Dawn and makes her almost kill her brother while he’s sleeping. this causes Dusk to gain a large scar across his side and onto his stomach and not to long after this attack he mysteriously vanishes into the night leaving Dawn an only child who isn’t actually an only child because she has a currently irrelevant older sister named Willow Lock who also mysteriously vanished into the forest as a child and was never seen again (weird how that happens lol). anyway Dawn is completely unaware of the demon living inside of her but the pack healer, Tulip Fur, is and thus convinces the pack’s leader, Silver Heart, to allow her to train Dawn as a healer for the pack. this request is approved despite the clan already having two healers anyway. Dawn isn’t the only healer in training either as there’s a strange child about the same age as her who’s began training under the other healer, Ripple Dock. as it turns out there’s more to the prophecy than it seems as on the very same night a loner gave birth to another child who plays a very important role in what’s to come and this kid’s name is Mud Pup (originally called Zira and that’s what he appears under in art). he’s only recently joined the pack as he was born as an outsider and was captured in Hikari hunting grounds. they only kept him because he was asking some very hyper specific questions about the camp layout and asking for wolves that had been dead for several decades at that point. turns out he’s been having prophetic like dreams of the clan’s past as he lives through the body of an old Hikari warrior named Colt Foot while also mentioning he’s seen things about the future of the clan also. that’s probably enough to make them let you stick around and it just so happened Ripple Dock has a position open for a prophetic apprentice. despite Tulip Fur and Ripple Dock hating each others guts Dawn and Mud hit it off and become best friends quick. basically skipping the whole events of the first story the pair save many lives during a snow storm and whiteout and they receive their full names (should be noted even with receiving their new names they’re still in training). those names being Dawn Fire and Mud Foot. if you’re wondering where Dusk is he’s in a cave somewhere doing loner stuff.

there is like so much more lore to this than what i’ve explained here and i’ll do other posts (probably not as long as this one) explaining stuff to do with the wolf art as it will most likely be needed. this is only scratching the surface i didn’t even explain their religion or the ancient packs of the land or even get into my favourite character White Eyes.

[detectivesplotslies]

An Anthropologist and a Pianist walk into a School

Oumota Week 2019 - Day 2: Talent Swap / Monster AU 

Description: The Ultimate Anthropologist, Kaito Momota, wants to make quick work of getting to know everything about his classmates, but a certain Pianist seems to be making that troublesome.  Word Count: 1719

Read on AO3 here

“So, you’re a pianist? That’s quite a profession to get into, lots of glory and greatness in being a musician! Who would you say inspired you?”

Kaito barely wastes a moment after introducing himself and jumps straight into questions. He’s already had a long discussion with Kaede about her inventions and Rantaro about his organization, and Kokichi happens to be hovering when he finishes.

“You cut right to it, huh. Well of course the greats, Beethoven, Wagner, a bit of Handel gives you a good handle on it.”

“So you’re into classical stylings? Are they hard to learn? What about your teacher?” Kaito talks a mile a minute, quickly committing the names to memory. Sure music isn’t his expertise, but he knows the big names. Symphonies that inspired others, and ones inspired by others.

“Oh my teacher’s a real gem, but he’s so strict, there was one time I got one note wrong in Beethoven’s 10th Symphony, and he made me play the entire thing backwards from that note and THEN start over. My poor fingers!”

“Oh cool, you must be really skilled then! Sure must have been a pain, that’s crazy punishment for a mistake! Did it even sound good?” Kaito looks up, his face genuinely excited.

Kokichi pauses before grinning and continuing.

“...well of COURSE it still sounded good, I am the Ultimate Pianist after all.”

“With training like that, can you compose? Do you improvise? Or after that rigorous training are you forever bound to the classics? Would it feel wrong to play something modern, or do you like the jazz era too?”

“Wow Momota-chan, how dare you speak of jazz in my presence. I do not play that filth, only the best for my hands!”

“Ah… okay, well, then what made you keep at it? You’re inspired by the classics and your teacher was harsh, but there’s not much for those outside of concerts. Are those what you play for?”

“Silly Momota-chan, of course it’s about the audience. The audience is always who matters when you play music, because only they can hear what you really want to say with it! You really ask a lot of questions, ya know? Are you sure you’re an anthropologist and not Ultimate Journalist? Ultimate TV Show Host? Ultimate Cop? Hmmm?”

“Hey I know a thing or two about audiences, but I’m still an anthropologist, don’t you forget it! Been on lecturing tours at universities all over to show what I’ve put together. I bet those aren’t too different from touring concerts.”

Kokichi laughs and continues to poke. The interview devolves into defenses, Kaito’s illustrious experience and credentials taking the spotlight and questions forgotten. Soon enough they part and he’s off to interview another classmate. An anthropologist’s work is never done as long as there are people to learn from!

But that was hardly the end of what he heard from Ouma that day. You’d think a musician would be more considerate about the volume of their voice.

---

During lunch the elegant cosplayer approaches the pianist, poise exquisite. He seems to consider the boy’s clothes before posing a question.

“So, do you wear the classic tails and tie when you perform, Ouma-kun?”

“Oh yes all the classics. The tie, tails, knuckles, sonic-”

“I’m sorry the-”

“Gotta go fast, Shinguji-kun! You know that one right? Ever worn a mascot costume? Huh?”

After a moment of awkward silence to Ouma’s exclamations Korekiyo excused himself. Kaito, also in the dining hall figured that… could be a way he could show interest in the cosplaying talent. Maybe. But from his interview he knew mascots and simple designs were the farthest from what the cosplayer’s actual interest was.

---

During an argument about her tastes, it isn’t long before the artist tries to push back on the other art talent in the room, and prove herself more cultured.

“Well, I bet you don’t have any more recent musical influences hmm? All long dead men, who’s music is gathering dust. A real artist has to live in the now,” Tenko huffs.

“Oh but I love to stay current! Why just last month I attended a very inspiring concert.”

“Oh really? Tenko would like to know who!”

“Have you, my dear, heard the musical stylings of the Wiggles?”

The jazz hands are met with a nose thrust in the air as Tenko turns heel to leave. Kokichi calls something about artist temperaments after her, to which her heels in her exit from the courtyard clack a bit louder and angrier, like little daggers stabbing the pavement.

Possibly artistic differences? Competitive sort of field? Kaito isn’t sure he’s got a good enough grasp of Tenko’s stance on it all yet to judge.

---

This time the sound of a strange song with no tempo played obnoxiously that caught his attention, and the anthropologist stops in the doorway to look into a classroom.

“Why do you keep playing that thing? I thought you were a piano man, or something.”

To the astronaut who was pointing at the kazoo in his mouth, Kokichi holds it out with some flare.

“The kazoo, which we in the music industry like to call the tongue piano, is a very technical instrument to get right, but if you listen closely you can hear the nuances of a master, c’mon lean in.”

A sharp sound, a spray of spit and a string of profanities later, Miu storms out muttering about getting that key wiggling twink back while Kokichi laughs himself breathless. Kaito stumbles out of her way, his face pinched into a frown as he glances back at the classroom.

Perhaps this called for a follow-up interview.

---

Kaito returns from the library, fists clenched, looking around. Eventually he spots Kokichi, snapping his suspenders and chatting away at the magician, Shuichi, backed into the corner with something between fear and confusion on his face. His top hat is precariously close to tipping off his face while he pushes against the wall.

“Hey Ouma, I wanted to ask you some more questions!”

The pianist turns, tilting his head to the side, face blank for a moment before a cheshire grin spreads across it.

“Momota-chan! Of course, of course. Want to hear more from the master, couldn’t resist, I get it. Well I have plenty of time! Saihara-chan here won’t tell me the ritual he cast to get so powerful because I’m not a wizard like him! Maybe your interrogation will work!”

Kaito hesitates a moment. Wizard? Isn’t Shuichi a magician? “Ah, no I just have questions for you, not Saihara.”

That’s all it takes for Shuichi to take his chance to dart behind Kokichi and leave the room in a run. Neither of them have ever seen the kid move that fast. They are left alone.

“Right, so I just wanted to check a few things with you. You said Beethoven, Wagner, and Handel were your inspiration?”

“Why Momota-chan, were your ears taking a vacation? Yep! Those are my favourite piano composers! And I won’t repeat it again, so you better listen!”

“And when you messed up in Beethoven’s 10th Symphony your teacher made you play it backwards?”

Kokchi flutters his fingers in front of him dramatically. “Back and then front again, like a puppet!”

“And you despise jazz?”

Kokichi gags. “Won’t touch the stuff!”

Then without missing a beat, Kaito grins and asks a new question.

“So your entire interview with me was bullshit, huh?”

Kokichi scoffs and crosses his arms in front of his chest. “My, my, Momota-chan, what nerve you have to tell a musician he doesn’t know his own taste! Next I’ll be telling you about anthropology journals or whatever boring things you are inspired by!”

Kaito sighs and pulls a book out of his bag and flips it open, citing pages as he talks. “Wagner was a terrible pianist, and while he did write some pieces for the piano, apparently they pale in comparison to most other composers of his time. Beethoven only wrote 9 symphonies, so whether you can play one backwards or not you should have corrected the number when I repeated 10th back at you. And you say you dislike jazz but that’s the beat and style you’ve been playing on your kazoo all day.” He claps the book shut with a satisfied smirk on his face.

There’s silence between them for an uncomfortable moment, until Kokichi puts his arms back lazily behind his head and smiles.

“Wow, Momota-chan’s such a nerd.”

Kaito’s smirk drops and indignance rushes onto it, red and unready for its turn.

“Wh- No I’m not! How is finding out a liar nerdy? You’ve been messing with people all day I had to fact check, I-”

“Ohhh, not a nerd, my mistake, a stalker! Wow, I haven’t had one of those since that one time at one of my concerts when this guy grabbed me by my tails and-”

“Ouma, I don’t want to hear another story, I want to hear about you!” Kaito may have shouted it a touch louder than planned, as Kokichi’s tale about his tails abruptly cuts off.

“Why?”

“What? What do you mean ‘why’?”

“Momota-chan can ask questions, but he can’t answer them? Why don’t you want to hear a story. Stories are much more fun! Stories about hedgehogs, teachers, fun kid shows, wizards, and strange instruments. Why wouldn’t that be what anyone wants to hear? It only matters if you like what you hear, afterall.”

“I don’t care if it’s what I would like if it’s not about you. What’s the point in getting to know someone that way?”

“I don’t know, maybe you should tell me, you’re the one studying humans, and they tell some pretty stories when there’s nothing very pretty at all.”

Kokichi smirks and starts to walk out of the room. He’s almost out when Kaito says something to himself, quietly, but Kokichi’s trained ears hear it clearly.

“So you weren’t lying about that then.”

Kokichi turns, raising a brow. “What do you think was true, then, oh Ultimate Questioner?”

“That it’s all about the audience. You change your tune based on who’s listening, and if what you want them to hear? Then I wonder what your audience when you actually play is like.”

Kokichi frowns for a moment and continues walking out, no reply ready.

[end note]

Hope you guys enjoyed a taste of the dumb talent swap I’ve been nursing in headcanons for ages hahah <3 As a bonus, about their designs, some fun details. Kokichi tucks his hair behind his ears so he can better catch what people are saying quietly, and Kaito ended up wrecking his eyes and needing glasses from trying to read things in dark places on expeditions after dark or before the crew would set up. For @oumota-events week!

[russianmonarchybook]

About the Political Novel "RUSSIAN MONARCHY" and the persecution & to Vladimir Putin about transmission of power to successors of Romanovs. 13.03.17 Political murder of writer Ganova Ludmila in centenary of murder Romanov’s family 1918-2018 /  https://youtu.be/iuK6ucp69Tc

Ganova Ludmila: Hello! For several days I've been leading a real video blog in the Internet with my Tsurikov family.

The point is that we are the Russian intelligentsia and I have written two novels and now I am worrying about the novel "Russian Monarchy" at 2010 it's was posted in the Internet.

Ket Gun: On project - Modern Literature of 21 Century https://www.literature-21.ru

Ilya Tsurikov: This is our project site.

Ket: There are our novels are located.

Ilya: Poetry of Ket Gun.

Ganova Ludmila: And since then my life is not going well. I am the kind of person who loves to work. Do you understand? I graduated at the Novosibirsk State University, philologist and so on. But all my life, however, I didn't want to live dishonestly. I don't know. A lot of people don't want it. "Steal, steal, Russia, otherwise will be precipice." are you remember the words of the famous bard? Many people are forced to steal in modern times. I would like to say personally to Vladimir Vladimirovich. All the time he arranges videoconferences with all of Russia, crowds of people gather, they ask him questions. One grandmother, in hearts, said: Vladimir Vladimirovich, why is everyone so afraid of you? Well, it was somehow taken as a joke, but it is important. None of this colossal mass of people was afraid to ask the main question to our president. Why is the pension in Russia so small, although we have a colossal number of millionaires, billionaires and rich people.

Ket: And a colossal amount of natural resources.

Ganova Ludmila:  And there is such a quantity of natural resources that we could live no worse than pensioners from Norway who are on the Canary Islands in winter, excuse me. Why do I live on beggarly copecks, being the spiritual food, so to speak, or the spiritual constituent of the Russian intelligentsia. I dared, yes i do, i have wrote such a novel. I dared. I do. And this is the question I want to ask you are, Vladimir Vladimirovich, on which you are have never answered. You are spinning. A poor people who don't have a money are people who can't do anything and a colossal number of Russian people live in poverty here. You are understand. Yes, you do. Try to answer this question, you are will not answer it. You are instance of legislative power, exactly you are who have the right to submit, well, such a proposal to the State Duma, and there you are have millionaires and billionaires and only they... There is not a single worker, not a peasant, not ... but there is no one there, apart from them. They will not be against themselves, they will not. And here's the second question: it means you are have perceived my novel, and yes we all wrote it, "Russian Monarchy" as a political book.

Ilya: Personal danger, do you?

Ganova Ludmila: This is true.

Ket: In fact, the danger lies in another.

Ganova Ludmila: But for you are as personally, it does not represent any danger. You have a real colossal number of political rivals and opponents with whom you are fight literally every day.

Ket: And who really, without any Monarchy, are aimed at taking away power from you are.

Ganova Ludmila: Political power. And you are know what, I think you perfectly understand that they won't be with you with ceremonies. Well, there is a good example for this in Russian history. He possessed colossal power in Russian history and, even more than tsarist...  

Ilya: Stalin

Ganova Ludmila: Stalin

Ket: Stalin

Ganova Ludmila: Even so they found a way to remove him from power after a long ... reign. His word, the slightest gesture ... and the repressions here were of such an outstanding character that it is even difficult to imagine it.

Ket: And they so did not help him.

Ganova Ludmila: And they even so didn't help. I think you are decided - you are will can handle with all your POLITICAL opponents, and these are political parties...

Ket: After all There are the west.

Ganova Ludmila: The West, which is working against you are and which finds there billions of rubles transferred to their names ... which really work for money. I don't have a money at all. $ 100 is my pension. Do you understand? And you considered me as a political rival. This is a colossal mistake on your side. At the same time, in this novel speaks about of a unique historical experience that Spanish culture has done. The dictator Franco turned out to be a real clever, he realized that as soon as someone will killed him or seized power, he called on the legally selected king's heir and he began to rule in Spain, and he himself calmly lived out his days. So to speak, do you know, yes? The legitimacy of the government in Spain was restored. So the Bolsheviks who ... elected you are to power, understand, they seized the power of the Russian autocracy. It was inherited, people ruled here all their lives. You are for yourself are inclined to this point of view, 18 years in power, you perfectly understand that in 5, 10 years of power, a temporary worker, can not do anything here. NOTHING. That power in Russia should be engaged in by people who are preparing for this, were educated, live, do, think and it is the meaning of their life.

Ket: As it has always been in Russia.

Ganova Ludmila: As it was in Russia. Therefore, whether you are like it or not, you illegally rule in Russia, you are see, that's all. I am not your political rival and adversary. And you are don’t give earn to me the money and for my family. We build sites

Ket: We are engaged in wedding photography.

Ganova Ludmila: No orders, excuse me.

Ket: And if it is, then people abruptly refuse.

Ganova Ludmila: Or even run away.

Ket: Or they even write statements to the police.

Ganova Ludmila: On Katya issued a case when she wanted to study at a driving school

Ilya: She wanted to study at the Driving School. And, in fact, for what the court made this decision ... for what we told about the driving school, about this driving school "Za Rulem" Biysk. The fact that it's does not have a license for ... non autodrome...

Ket: I was convicted for what?

Ilya: Probably convicted for this video? Well, we didn’t go to court.

Ket: We did not communicate with them.

Ilya: For this video 70 thousand, moral damage or what? I don't know. Well, we don't know what it is, maybe,  is not true...

Ket: Fabrication...

Ilya: Maybe this is not a real piece of paper at all. Someone threw it under the door. Was there a real trial there or not? We do not know? This is funny.

Ganova Ludmila: In general, we are being persecuted by your FSB. I can't tell you what are you behind this or not? But the FSB is yours, and the book is mine. And you are know. Let's Think about what I said. I am completely defenseless, but your political opponents very experienced, are well versed in politics, they acting well in it, they know an excellent number of methods how to remove a person from power, well actually so.

Ilya: Well, actually, it is necessary that after power the president live and another president also live, right?

Ganova Ludmila: Yes it is.

Ilya: Why so much blood, right? Basically.

Ganova Ludmila: Yes, it is.

Ilya: Why not really transfer the power to the Monarchy and you would be guaranteed safety and your children here in Russia, also.

Ganova Ludmila: Moreover, you are understand, I don’t know the Monarchies, I don’t even know a single monarchist or a single heir. I'm not connected at all. I just wrote a book, it's thinking and discussing with other people. I even ..., I can't even be called a monarchist. I am not a member of any monarchist party. I am not a member of any party at all. Therefore, the FSB's persecution of me ... Well, this is ridiculous. If it weren't so sad. They want to kill me. They are waiting for me to die due to the lack of medical care, which I really need. They made it so that I could not get it. Quiet. Peacefully. She left. Finally. Adieu. Enough, enough, enough ... enough. What is it? Well, how is it possible, A? Well, I hope you are an intelligent person, Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin! And do not forget, you have been in power for so long, and we receive such tiny little money. Well, why so.

Ilya: Well, then the result of your rule.

Ganova Ludmila:  Yes, it is. This is the result of your rule.

Ket: It's Poor Russia.

Ilya: That a person who worked as a teacher, in the Museum, and so on. 20 years gets 8 thousand?

Ganova Ludmila: As a teacher, and in the Museum ... I also worked in that ... at the institute ...

Ilya: 7-8 thousand is ridiculous. Again, this is the minimum pension that she receives, is it not your FSB working?

Ket: Exactly her pension that is not indexed. Welfer is not paid here, no social guarantees.

Ilya: Is this the job of the FSB? Whose job is this? 8 thousand at a person.

Ket: They don't even register him, they didn't put a stamp in the passport.  He has the right by law. There is no stamp in the passport.

Ilya: I have a passport expiration date (there was registration, but they didn't put it in the new passport ...) ... Well, no (stamp), well no, I don't need your registration. Nevertheless, this is again whose job? Is FSB your job again?

Ket: Persecuted Constantly in all directions.

Ilya: I'm an artist, I don't need your registration.

Ganova Ludmila: So that's it. These are serious questions specifically to your personality, to you are as a president, and a request to think about what ... about your own destiny. You are understand. The fate of Stalin awaits you, but you do not understand this. Are you think that you are all of them, how to say, will be able to win? Maybe ... I don't know ... I don't think so. History...

Ket: It's just a matter of time.

Ganova Ludmila: It's a matter of time. Yes it is ... A Matter of Time.

Ket: And a very fast time.

Ganova Ludmila: And moreover, it goes very quickly. Goodbye. I wish you really good health.  And that you will enter in Russian history, as a person who will restore the Russian Monarchy, legitimate, lawful, which must rule. You are ruling like a real Russian autocrat, like a monarch, 18 years old, and you understand this perfectly well, that here should govern a legitimate power for a long time. And you are use these finds...

https://russianmonarchy.blogspot.com/

[astridthevalkyrie]

The Wall of Berlin and Other Matters

Modern AU. Hiccup’s SUPPOSED to be learning about the Cold War. But it’s difficult with one girl constantly badgering him, and even more difficult when Astrid Hofferson is sitting two seats away from him, making his heart pound in his chest. Oneshot.

This is for @wilderwestqueen‘s birthday! I hope you like it!

“So the Wall of Berlin,” the teacher stated after taking a long drink from his water bottle, “it created a literal divide between East and West Berlin. Already, Germany was divided, as we said yesterday, after the events of World War II. But now…” He made a motion with his hands to indicate a divide. “Since Berlin is too big, both sides have it.”

Hiccup scribbled his notes, barely understanding what he was writing. It wasn’t that what the teacher was saying was confusing, it was just that his handwriting was very messy (Hiccup’s, not the teacher’s). He could barely read it now, how would he study from it later?

He could just take a picture of the notes after class. And since that was allowed, and was a real, allowed, A-okay thing to do, why was anyone required to take notes in the first place?

The daily schedule of the class was that there would be notes and a lecture for the first half, and then a video would play for the second. It was a good method, seeing as the teacher would always find a video that repeated what he said but with pictures. That way, if you weren’t listening the first time, you could get it the second time.

Unfortunately, the teacher would go and sit in the back of the class while the video was playing, and no one really watched it, they did their homework or talked. The only person who really watched it was Astrid.

But it wasn’t to be mistaken that she wasted her time watching something she undoubtedly understood the first time. She would do her homework too. Not that day’s homework, no. The homework that was due tomorrow.

Hiccup caught himself before he swooned when she pushed her bangs behind her ear and solved what seemed to be five geometry problems at once. He also hoped he had not sighed like a little kid. He probably had.

Before he could get lost in his own world again, doodling her and writing in his journal about how amazing she was and imagining what married life would be like, a girl two rows down from him whispered, ”Hey, Hiccup!”

He looked up at her. Her name started with J. Jalene. Jackie. J-J-Janice, that was it! She didn’t usually talk to him. No one really did, seeing as how he was a transfer student.

“Yeah?”

“Do you like Heather?” she asked eagerly, completely throwing him off balance. What kind of question was that?

Heather, who was next to her friend on her phone, looked up and hit her shoulder. “Shut up, Jan! Sorry about that,” she added to Hiccup kindly.

“Um...I uh...it’s okay?” He felt his face get warm quickly and immediately Janice squealed, proving his suspicions correct.

“Heath, he’s blushing!” She looked as though she had just been given a car on Christmas. “He does have a crush on you!”

Heather blushed lightly too, and then both girls started giggling. His face felt even more warm, and he looked back at the teacher desperately. He was on his computer, not noticing a thing.

What did giggling girls even mean? Why did they giggle? Was he supposed to giggle too? Why did girls not teach them the art of giggling?

Hiccup saw Astrid smile at her paper. But he wasn’t sure whether it was because of his horrible situation or because she had liked the geometry question she just answered. It was hard to tell. She didn’t even talk to the other kids in the class. She sat like a loner, just like him. On her, though, it was attractive.

He had asked Astrid for a pencil once. She had smiled at him then, too. That had been the best five seconds of his life.

“Hey, Hiccup,” Janice said again. He mentally groaned. “Do you think I’m pretty?”

There was no right answer to these questions. They either sounded offensive, or obsessive, and he didn’t want to be either of those things.

“I - yes? You’re - you’re very pretty,” he sighed, wanting to facepalm himself. One row left and one seat down, Astrid laughed softly.

Janice shot her a dirty look and then looked back at Hiccup, grinning. “I bet it’s hard being the new kid, right?” Before he could answer that question, she went on, not wasting a single breath. “Hey, what do you think I got on my last test?”

“Um...84?” Hiccup offered weakly, sitting back in his seat. How was he supposed to know what she got? He didn’t pay attention to her, the only girl he paid attention to got above 90s in every single test she did.

Actually, he knew a lot about Astrid. It was borderline creepy. She liked twirling her pencil. She did all her homework before going home. She typed fast and wrote faster. She didn’t like pickles but ate them anyway.

All this he knew from observing.

“84! He thinks I got an 84,” she said to Heather, as though she didn’t know. “Do you really think I’m that dumb?”

“Yes,” he wanted to say, but instead shrugged and said that he had picked a random number.

Janice was silent after that, and his heartbeat calmed, at least until Astrid turned around to face him, made sure the other two girls weren’t looking, and then passed him a note.

Hiccup nearly dropped it. She had just looked at him. Sitting in front of the class, she didn’t turn around very often, and even when she did, it was to look at the teacher, to ask him a question.

The note read, Why don’t you just ignore them?

Hiccup tried to stop grinning like a dope. Maybe there was an upside to Janice bothering him after all. The girl who he had a crush on since...since he saw her finish her test before everyone else that first time they had one together, she was talking to him. Through notes, yeah, but that was a start.

There kinda scary, actually

She rolled her eyes when she saw his note. He thought it would be that he was scared of his classmates, but her note back said:

It’s spelled “they’re.”

Hiccup opened and closed his mouth, looking up at her. To his surprise, she was blushing, and then she leaned over and whispered, “Sorry, I’m a nerd. But I can’t stand bad grammar in texting or notes.”

Hiccup’s mind went into overdrive, because she was talking to him. Not asking him for a pencil, or making a comment about the weather, she was actually talking to him willingly and telling him something about her. Without really fully processing it first, Hiccup blurted, “I’ll never make a grammar mistake again.”

Astrid laughed, and that caught Janice’s attention. “Hey, Astrid!”

“What?” she snapped, and Hiccup’s eyes widened. He scooted back in his chair, wishing the wall would swallow him up. He’d never seen her get angry before, and it looked like it wasn’t pretty.

“Stop hitting on him, he likes Heather.”

Next to her, Heather sighed and shook her head, obviously as fed up with her friend as everyone else was. However, unlike Astrid, she kept silent.

The blonde girl’s eyes narrowed. “If he likes Heather so much, maybe you shouldn’t be asking him if he thinks you’re pretty.”

Janice gasped. “Maybe you should mind your own business and not eavesdrop!”

“How could I not hear you, you sound like Alvin from Alvin and the Chipmunks,” Astrid snapped. She clearly had no problem telling someone if they were irritating her. “And if you’re going to bother the poor new kid, hell if he thinks you’re pretty!” She clenched her fist. “Be honest, Janice, you got less than 84, and we all know it.”

“Whore,” Janice seethed as she turned back around. Hiccup saw Astrid’s cheeks redden with anger, but the bell rang before anyone could add salt to the wound.

Hiccup followed her in the hallway as she scurried from the room. “Astrid - Astrid!”

“What?” She turned around, her look softening when she saw it was him.

He took a deep breath. “Sorry, for what happened back there. A-and thanks, too, for getting her attention off me.”

Her cheeks turned red again, but he could tell this was because she was pleasantly surprised, not angry. “No problem,” she mumbled, before looking up, “are you free this Friday?”

It took a while to muster words for him to speak. “Yes. Yes, I am definitely free. Except for like, you know, schol. But I don’t think you were talking about that.”

She laughed again - it was a sound that he could grow used to easily.

“Great, um, do you wanna hang out...or something? The new Avengers movie is playing, we could go see that.” She looked as hopeful as he felt.

Maybe this was a dream. Maybe he had drunk wine last night. He never drank wine, but it was still more plausible than Astrid Hofferson asking him out.

“Definitely,” he breathed out. If this was a dream. He was going to enjoy it before it ended. “I love the Avengers.”

“Me too!” Astrid said eagerly and then caught herself, coughing and tucking a stray piece of hair behind her ear. “Anyway, I’ll, ahem, check out the timings and get back to you tomorrow. Is that okay?”

It was the most okay thing in his life, and he told her so, albeit a little less dramatically. Both of them said their goodbyes and walked off to their separate classes, and Hiccup whooped.

Even with the whispers of him having lost it, and being late to his next class, it didn’t matter.

Damn Janice. Now he was supposed to thank her.

Happy Birthday, friend! Everyone, go read her stories, chop chop!