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vulpes-fennec · 2 years ago

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Once Upon a Dream 🧵 (Ch. 2)

Summary: This time, the girl saves the prince. For Feysand month 2022’s Fairy Tale AU.

Read: Ch. 1 | AO3

Sent away to train at Windhaven at the tender age of nine, Rhysand hadn’t felt like a proper crown prince of the Night Kingdom in years. But riding through the Velaris streets in an elaborate procession and waving to his future subjects…now that was a princely activity.

Rhysand visited Velaris and his parents, King Cormac and Queen Orla, at least once a month. When he was younger, Rhysand used to complain about being stuck in Windhaven, about how he had to eat basic gruel and sleep on hard mats after bruising days. “Shouldn’t I be spending time learning how to be a ruler? Visiting other heirs and contributing to our alliances?” he had grumbled.

“A King and Queen must serve their people,” his father had told him. “Being in the fresh air, growing strong and working with others is far more valuable than being cooped up indoors with books all day.”

But his parents agreed to switch out some training sessions with royal academics and lessons to harness his daemati powers. No other warriors—save for Cassian and Azriel—knew he was the crown prince. Lord Devon knew, though, only so he could make allowances for Rhysand’s ever-changing schedule.

Which was a good thing, because it gave Rhysand plenty of time to spend with Feyre. If his parents found it strange that Rhysand had stopped pestering to leave Windhaven, they didn’t mention it.

Rhysand’s delicate nose detected the residual scent of burnt material. “Was there a fire recently?” he asked his cousin, Morrigan. Morrigan, astride a magnificent white horse, gave him a secretive look.

“They were burning all the spinning wheels in the city yesterday,” she whispered to him.

Rhysand frowned. “Isn’t that what they use to make thread? Yarn?” His mother was a seamstress before she became Queen, but she seemed to have stopped her hobby once he was born.

Morrigan shrugged. “Yes. They claimed that the spinning wheels were all cursed.” Interesting. Rhysand didn’t think his parents were that superstitious, but he did not inquire further.

Rhysand settled in his room after the welcome parade, getting ready for his dinner banquet. He gazed out his window at the glittering city below. Velaris was a far cry from Feyre’s small village, but she would love the artists’ quarter. The Rainbow of Velaris. She would love visiting the markets and cafes, too. Velaris could be their home.

Rhysand changed into a fitted black suit with silver thread accents for dinner. He took care to place Feyre’s painting in his inside pocket, right over his heart. Where she belonged.

Feyre was his lovely little secret. She understood him better than anyone else, even Cassian and Azriel. Her voice was like a familiar hymn, her face more beautiful than the night sky. And, she felt more like home than Velaris.

Rhysand didn’t keep many secrets from Feyre, but the one secret (or category of secrets) he refused to divulge was his identity as crown prince. Feyre seeing him beat other Illyrian trainees to a pulp? No problem. Feyre seeing him with a silver crown on his head? Hell no.

Every time Rhysand strategized breaking out of the friend zone or fantasized about Feyre saying yes to his marriage proposal, he ran into that damn dead end: he would have to tell her he was the prince. Reveal that he lived a double life from the Rhys she knew.

The clock was ticking. How much longer did they have together? Rhysand’s parents had grown increasingly persistent about him getting married, or finding his mate. As if that was ever possible. Mates were rare and his parents’ bond was one in a million.

Whenever Rhysand thought about his future as King, his mind also wandered towards Feyre’s future as…an artist? His Queen? Or…some other man’s wife? If Feyre chose to love another, Rhysand couldn’t—wouldn’t—do anything to stop her. He would simply have to be satisfied with the “friendship” they had.

A chilled draft seeping into his room made Rhysand shiver. “What the hell,” he grumbled, “why isn’t the hearth lit?” After spending several minutes rifling through the drawers, Rhysand came to the conclusion that there weren’t any matches in the room.

Not a problem, he thought. Illyrian training had taught him how to survive in the woods with the barest of supplies. Using a handheld mirror, Rhysand focused the rays of the sun on a roll of parchment paper until it flickered into golden flame. He shoved the roll under the wooden logs in the hearth, feeling satisfied when flames leapt to life in the fireplace.

Rhysand savored the warmth of the fire. Within a seconds, the small flames leapt into a fiery inferno. Rhysand’s jaw dropped. Several wooden logs couldn’t possibly sustain such a large blaze.

And a pair of cruel, brown eyes stared at him.

Rhysand leapt to his feet, an Illyrian blade in hand. But his body suddenly seized up and stiffened, as if he had no control over it. His sword clattered to the ground as a malicious chuckle resonated through the air.

“The daemati princeling gets a taste of his own medicine,” a cruel voice gloated.

Who the hell was that?

Rhysand’s blood ran cold as his limbs moved fluidly against his will. Was this what it was like to be on the receiving end of his mental manipulations? He reached for scraps of his power, something, anything to blast the spell binding his mind.

More laughter echoed. “All the power in the world is no match for a blood curse, princeling,” the voice chided.

Gods, Rhysand thought horrified as he moved closer and closer to the flame, I’m about to be burned alive! But to his surprise, the fire parted like a flaming curtain, and the flames brushing Rhysand’s skin were like tickling feathers. A portal had been created in his fireplace.

The flames vanished into a cold stone wall once he stepped across the threshold. Outside the large window was a sea of orange, reds, and yellows—the eternal foliage of the Autumn. And a curious contraption—no, a spinning wheel—stood in the center of the tower, with a tall, brown-haired man next to it.

Rhysand recognized the same cruel brown eyes from the flame.

“I believe we haven’t met before,” the man said, giving Rhysand a mocking bow. A circlet of golden leaves sat atop his head. “My name is Beron Vanserra. King of Autumn.”

King Beron. Rhysand had heard many horrific stories about the Night Kingdom’s toughest adversary. And he was alone, bound, vulnerable, and royally fucked.

Rhysand thrashed internally, refusing to give up. But no amount of physical strength, no amount of mental power could free him. Beron clasped his hands behind his back, watching gleefully as the prince moved closer to the spinning wheel.

The spindle. Rhysand’s finger was headed directly for the spindle’s metal tip. No, no, no, he panicked as the tip of his finger neared the needle.

A prick of pain lanced his index finger. With the release of the binding spell, Rhysand staggered backwards, staring at the crimson blooming from his finger in horror.

“You, you bastard,” he tried to say, but his words were slurred, eyelids were growing heavier by the second. Rhysand lunged towards Beron, feet swaying like a drunken sailor.

Stay awake, stay awake, Rhysand urged himself. But it was futile. Sleep sounded wonderful right now. Slipping into dreamland seemed just as irresistible. And as a darkness darker than night itself washed over him, Rhysand’s final thought was of Feyre’s shining face.

***🧵***🧵***🧵***🧵***🧵***🧵***🧵***🧵***🧵***🧵***🧵***

Read: Ch. 3

Notes: Yeah so Rhys is going to be OOC in this fic sorry about that...anyways let's keep the spotlight on FEYRE

#feysand month 22 #feysand month #feysand #feyre archeron #rhysand

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csg-iii · 2 years ago

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So I kinda assume everyone ships incest couples for the exact same reasons I do but a post by @shipcestuous made me realize that people have more than one reason.

So anyways, I'll tell you (overexplain and explore a pretty simple concept and line of reasoning till I'm no longer passionate about it and spend a few weeks away from the concept in anyone who will listen's general direction) mine if you tell me yours.

Once again time to see the follower count decrease after answering this haha.

I'll take some of Shipcestuous' (Astrid's) post 26 points about shipping siblings (also applies to cousins like Bwen) and add one or two of my own, which I think she didn't cover:

27) Sometimes we just prefer the shipcest over the canon pairings.

That's something I discussed in a previous post of mine when talking about why I prefer Bwen over Benlie, Benkai and Gwevin. Fits some of my other shipcests too, like, I prefer Wanda x Pietro over Wanda x Vision, or (from Wizards of Waverly Place) Justin x Alex over Justin x Violet and Alex x Mason, or (from Frozen) Elsa x Anna over Anna x Kristoff.

A counterpoint would be: Ok, you don't like the canon pairings, but why not just ship the character with someone else that isn't a relative?

Sometimes I actually do that! For example, in Arrow I've never shipped the canon Oliver x Felicity, I used to ship Oliver x Laurel, and never felt like shipping Oliver with his sister Thea (though I have friends who do ship them).

But sometimes, I don't see a canon option that fits better than the shipcest, and that dives into Astrid's reason #18 ("you’re guaranteed “shippy” moments whether the romantic/sexual element is canon or not. The siblings are going to have sweet moments, significant moments, intense moments, emotional moments, pretty much no matter what.") Sometimes I feel like the better option is the relative (sibling, cousin) rather than another canon character. I don't like Wanda x Vision, so could I ship Wanda with, IDK, Thor? Yeah, I could, but I see her bond with Pietro much stronger, so I'm more inclined to ship her with Pietro rather than Thor.

28) Subtext is just WAY TOO strong

This I would point to Lauren and Andy from The Gifted. Nobody can watch a video like this and tell me they have a totally normal sibling relationship without any subtext of something else

Now, I'll take some of Astrid's reasons that I most identify with.

10, 11) The "undivided loyalties" and "anti-change" aspect.

I'll once again give a Bwen example. In the Classic Series we see Gwen diving into the null-void to save Ben, pushing him out of a Florauna's way, and other moments. But in Alien Force, there is a scene where both Ben and Kevin are knocked out and she runs straight to check on Kevin rather than Ben. Then in Omniverse, Gwen leaves with Kevin, and Ben stays in Bellwood (later Rook joins him). Gwevin clearly changed the dynamics that I was used to between Ben and Gwen being devoted to protect each other, and I didn't want that to change.

A good counter-example to that, the Fantastic Four. They were always a family, Reed, his girlfriend/wife Sue, Sue's brother Johnny, and Reed's brother-from-another-mother Ben (and sometimes Reed's and Sue's children Franklin and Valeria). I like it that way, I wouldn't ship Sue and Johnny there because it would break that already established family dynamics.

9) Ulltimate codependency. In Astrids' words "Codependent characters who are also each others’ family are that much more codependent. No, it’s not always the healthiest situation, but there’s just something about a pairing that only has each other, who are each others’ everything." That defines at least three ships for me, Sam/Dean (Supernatural), Chris/Claire (Resident Evil), Hansel/Gretel (multiple media adaptations, but I mostly go with Witch Hunters).

1) Taboo/Forbidden aspect. Let's face it, this is probably the greatest consensual romantic taboo one can ship. There's a good deal of angst to write siblings or cousins hiding the nature of their relationship from the rest of their family. This I can put Ben and Gwen hiding it from their parents (and from Gwen's older brother, when he exists)

Last, but not least, another one of mine:

29) I ship what I want!

#shipcest #ask #proship #antis dni #anti anti

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cinderellaenjoyer · 1 year ago

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Swap AU songs!

Dream of Life - basically 'Karnak's Dream of Life', but with Serenity instead of Penny

Fall Fair Suite - some lyric changes to fit the characters+ it's Noel and Virgil narrating instead of Karnak, but more or less the same

Jane Doe's Entrance - again, it's just Serenity instead of Penny. Possibly slight lyric changes to fit Serenity's situation better

What The World Needs - Constance's Song! it's a lot nicer than in Canon. Constance isn't saying why the others would be bad choices, but she is giving a lot of reasons why she thinks it would be better if she came back. Does panic afterwards about the fact she implied that her life is worth more than everyone else else's, but she doesn't apologize in song.

The Tale of Annie Jonson - Mary-Ann's song! It's the story of Annie Jonson, a woman who travelled the world... And is also secretly a vampire. It constantly switches between talking about Annie's travels and her killing people to drink their blood. Girl stuff yk.

Noel hypes her up afterwards, Jane/Serenity liked it as well. Everyone else is concerned.

Every Story's Got A Lesson - more shaky since Constance is freaked out by Mary-Ann's song

Girl Awesome - Ocean's first song! It's basically her bragging (hey, she's still Ocean) , only this time it's a about how cool she is and how much rizz she has (or wants to have)

Astrid - Ocean's second song. It's about how much she misses her cousin Astrid (yes I'm using this HC), who she could only interact with online after Astrid left for college. Basically a familial version of Talia.

Legoland - Penny's song! A story about how Penny and Ezra saved a Legoland resort from a supervillain called 'The Moon Man' (Johnny Moon), using 'The Coffee Ray', a weapon given to Penny by 'Lady T' (Tammy Edwards). Yes, it's as crazy as it sounds. Constance is starting to question all her friends sanity.

The Ballad of Jane Doe - 'Jane Doe'/ Serenity's song. Some lyric changes to fit Serenity's situation better. More angry and bitter and scared. Thinking the Annapatsu cover, but British.

The New Birthday Song - Same as canon, really

Cats Vs Dogs- Ricky's song! It's about a fight between K-9 and Zolar, both begging Ricky to side with them. K-9 represents Ricky's frustration with being infantlized all the time, Zolar is the part of Ricky that knows he has people who genuinely care (his parents, the choir, even his cats). The song ends with Ricky making peace between the two sides, showing how he knows people DO love him for who he is and also showing his frustrations are valid and people shouldn't treat him like a baby for his disability.

Sweet and Sour - Mischa's Song! It has more of a 'life isn't perfect, and that's ok' theme to it, but more or less carries the same vibes as SugarCloud. Would take place after Mischa vents about how hard he tried to fit in with Uranium and bottled up a lot of anger

It's Not A Game/It's Just A Ride - Same as canon! Constance votes for Jane/Serenity, a montage shows of Serenity's life appears, the good and sad stuff. Virgil gets electrocuted and he and Karnak die.

#ride the cyclone #rtc swap au #constance blackwood #ricky potts #ocean o'connell rosenberg #penny lamb #mischa bachinski #noel gruber #serenity laurence #mary-ann watson

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superhollymag · 2 years ago

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Location Swap AU - It Lives Anthology

@ila-appreciationweek

Pretty late but this is for day 7 - Wildcard.

I recently got a case of a brain rot for an AU for the It Lives Anthology. Couldn’t resist writing it down even though it’s not in fic form so here we are.

I’d call it...

The Location Swap AU

Yeah it’s a lame name but it describes what the AU is about the best.

Basically, the Pine Springs crew and the Westchester childhood friends swap backstories and locations where their stories take place. That’s about it but I do have several ideas for how things would be different here. Any suggestions are appreciated.

.~.

Let’s start with the crew from Pine Springs.

- Harper and Elliot are still half-siblings here. I may make Marie and Todd live in this AU or I could have them dead before the story begins and have Arthur be their guardian, though the former option is more like how the original story of ILITW plays out, with the parents overseas and unable to interfere.

- Kyle/one of Danni's cousins would take Jane’s place as the friend who got killed. I haven’t decided on which one to choose yet since whoever I choose will be the main motivation for betrayal for one of the girls. Danni was considered since she can betray the group out of love for her family if her nerve is too low, and Imogen is considered to sort of parallel her and Noah. (They lose someone important to them, though one of them keeps a cool head while the other goes off the deep end)

- Tom and Andy are still childhood friends. Andy just never met the other friends here until he moves to Pine Springs.

- I’ve had thoughts of having Josephine and Redfield switch places here though it would clash with canon and the timeline quite a lot. So it’s kinda undecided on what the spirit the gang encounters when they were kids here so let’s just call it the spirit.

- Robbie could be like Connor in ILITW or become apart of the main squad with a nerve score. Haven’t decided yet.

- No idea how Elliot can be fitted into the story, but I do imagine he would try to support Harper and possibly ends up in a coma and possessed.

- I have no idea whether or not I would want the bully trio (Britney, Cody and Jocelyn) to be switched. In the end, I decided no. But I do think Britney needs to be replaced or something since Lily’s not here.

- The cultists from the Society would get switched here. Kelley takes Bhatt’s place for example, and Imogen’s parents will swap with Noah and Jane’s mother.

.~.

As for the Westchester childhood friends...

- Mayor Green’s role here would probably be like Astrid’s. The leader of the Society keeping things under wraps and has been torturing a soul for years now. She, like Astrid, still cares for her children and gives her life to protect Stacy when she’s about to be killed.

- Connor would be like Elliot here, since Devon doesn’t have any siblings that can be used in his place. The lake ghost would try and use him against Mayor Green, but he gets dragged below the dam instead. In turn, any scene that has Harper trying to contact or worrying over Elliot will be replaced by Stacy and her worrying over Connor’s safety.

- Noah and Jane is exactly like Imogen and Kyle. Jane dies from the lake ghost and Noah has to accept that fact, though he would probably have it worse than Imogen since he grew up with Jane from the moment they were born. Like Imogen, he loses nerve more easily than the rest of the group.

- Group nerve is increased 800 since you know, more people here. In exchange, there will be more scenes and opportunities to boost nerve for everyone. Plus probably lower nerve check thresholds.

- Who gets tempted with an offer, I have no idea. I narrowed down the candidates to Stacy and Noah but I’m still unsure.

- Bhatt would probably remain as a professor here but her role would be like Kelley. She helps Lucas from his issues from his parents and taught him that he deserves more than them, essentially acting like a mother figure to him.

- Sheriff Cunningham is quite a challenge to figure out. I have no idea what he should be, clueless about everything or be apart of the Society? Though I probably lean more into having him be apart of them for more drama and angst and stuff.

- I decided that for the fight on the boat in chapters 11 and 12, you would make choices that would determine who remains on the boat and who gets thrown off. No matter what, at least three or four people which includes Devon must be remaining on the boat until chapter 12.

- Though if I do have to default who gets thrown off and who gets to stay, I would have Dan and Lily get thrown off, whoever else gets thrown overboard will depend on who your love interest is. (Ex: Ava is your LI, that would result in Lucas and Andy getting thrown into the water. Stacy is the only one immune to this, even if she is tossed into the water, her mother would probably try and find her, in which case all the other LIs gets dunked into the sea.)

- The chapters would probably be longer and have more scenes in order to give players more time to build up nerve.

- I have two solutions to the collectibles thing. The first is to give everyone an item and a weapon tailored to them, the second is to only give four people weapons and four people items. No idea which is better but if the first one is chosen, then some weapons and items will be free.

- Soooooo, the Arthur thing huh...decided that Cid would be the best alternative. I have no idea why, it just makes sense to me since Devon doesn’t really know anyone else in the family. So eh. Best I can come up with is: parents get killed, Cid adopts Devon, Devon keeps last name and they move to Pine Springs.

- If I were to have Redfield take Josephine’s place here, he and Cid would be friends until the ‘betrayal’ thingy.

#ilaw #canon divergence #ilitw #ilb

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landsofaruin · 3 months ago

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The First Emerald Invasion Pt.1

"The threat laid down by the Padashah sat like stone on the Senate floor. No man or woman present could bare to think it was possible, Altrius had fallen, the ancient city now crumbled in ruins or housed the enemy across the Emerald sea. The heathen leader sent a message to the senate, one that was met with an uncomfortable consideration, join the khaganate and relieve yourself of your gods or face the sons of the mighty Khan of Khans. Senators argued and threw fists, should they flee across the sea and join their cousins in the foreign continent, should they stay and risk the end of their people. It was the cunning Anastasius who spoke first

“Have you become cowards? Have we not learned from our luxuries in the past that when we do nothing our nation crumbles underneath us. We have defended against Gods and daemons alike and we will not fear the likes of these common men from the mountains. They are like sheep, and what is a sheep to a dragon.” Another senator, Gaelia, spoke to him “It is easy for the noble Senator to speak of dragons when he beds the great general Hexemies, his noble beast Pyranthius the burning rose saving them should this great nation fall.” It was not Anastasius who spoke but rather his husband, the great general himself. “Calm yourself Senator, for is it not more common for a house like yours to hide behind walls and allow others to die for them. So I shall oblige you and offer myself and my two sibling riders as defenders of Satriya, along with their mounts, the Golden Flame Aureothor and the Ghostly wind Drethys. The mighty Altrian navy remains the greatest in the world, we have not to fear from children who have just learned that the ocean even exists.” Hexemies spoke boldly, as was his family's way, for they were of royal blood the beloveds of the emperors of old. The saviors of Altria would be the house of royal purple, the hot headed Golden rider Marius and the staunch commander Drusila, whose sword Moonsilver was just as mighty as her dragon.

It would take three weeks for the preparations to be arranged, the mighty boats of Altrian make each equipped with the mighty drake thrower, the ancient weapon that could spit fire as well as any living dragon. Pyranthius, her scales crimson as blood shone in the sun as enemy ships breached underneath the rising sun. Hexemies, astride his saddle, made a final inspection of his men before joining his siblings in the Arena of fire. The massive beast, known as Aureothor the Golden Flame, crawled from the cave entrance of the arena. His golden scales lined his body like a kite, fusing to form a seamless string from tail to wing. He was just as rambunctious as his rider, for he was known to escape the Arena and fly freely across the ocean before returning. But today, his face was stern and armored for battle, his rider’s own armor shone in the sun with a bright reflective wave so that his enemy could always know a burning death awaited them. The young boy, only ten and seven, was always eager to impress his far more accomplished siblings claiming Aureothor had been a bold choice, a dragon who was nearly three times the age of the boy and five times his size had finally found in a human the same pride and eagerness that he craved. Drusilla, armor bright silver to match her eyes beneath the draconic helm she wore, followed her brother as her horrifying mount, known as Drethys the Ghostly wind, strung below her. Drethys was a sight to behold, her scales that of a pitch black and violet hue and each claw as sharp as swords. Her horns seemed to curve and mark her face as if she had pincers, she looked more like a horrific spider than a dragon. She was a dragon bathed in the night, it only seemed fitting for her rider to appear as if she were the moon herself. The two were inseparable, as a young girl Drusilla would frequently sneak into the Arena to sleep with the dragon or secretly take nightly rides without the Dragon masters knowing. Drusilla and Marius took to the skies ready to meet the invaders." "The Emerald Invasions: a saga of fire and pride" by the Hierophant Julianus the Lesser, 1450 PI

#high fantasy #conworld #worldbuilding #world building #creative writing #dark fantasy #fantasy world #role playing games #sword & sorcery #weird fiction #cosmic horror #pulp fantasy #historic fantasy #aruin #aldine #altria

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mournfulminds · 1 year ago

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Hearing Astrid's worries voiced seemed to soothe the ones housed in the back of Suyoung's head; the warm nickname bringing another smile to her features, this time more subtle as her hand came down to thread in the other woman's. They walked in unison to the baggage claim area, though whilst packing, Suyoung realised her entire life in Canada fit into two large suitcases and a carry-on, perhaps a pitiful concept she took into her thirties, but that's why she was here ─ to start a new life. "Of course I would come," she stated, as if it was a fact, her thumb gently rubbing the curve of Astrid's hand to comfort her. There was no family waiting to hear if she got to America safely, no friends to text that she was okay, only a one or two from her university days in Asia, but for the most part, she was alone. Until now.

Her brow furrowed at Astrid's comment, when they weren't together, they video messaged when they could, but that could not compare to the real thing, the other a goddess before her eyes. "I think the only other option is to marry someone who will tell you how stunning you look when you inevitably age like fine wine, which you are." The last part uttered into Astrid's ear before she pulled away with a smirk. "Home... yes, I suppose so, unless we want to stop to see some sights." She teased, there was plenty of time for that, and in truth, she had been to Las Vegas once when she was visiting some distant cousins in Henderson, but that was before she was of age and couldn't do really anything, not even sit in casinos since the stafff was worried it looked like a child gambling. A rush of heat from the desert clime greeted them as they stepped outside and to Astrid's car. "Take me home Ace."

astrid pulled back and raised her hand to move the other woman's hair out of her eyes. "hey, su." she said, breathing a sigh of relief as she said it. she was here, she chose to come, they were going to get married... "i was just worried you wouldn't come, changed your mind..." astrid admitted, a bit embarrassed that she'd even considered that her fiancée wouldn't come. at the compliment, she blushed and chuckled. "i sadly think the only option is to get less attractive as i age, sadly - but i'm glad you think i look good." she told her and leaned in to give her a kiss, feeling herself melt a little. "ready to go home?" she asked, thrilled at the prospect of sharing a home with her partner from now on.

#thread : suyoung + astrid ( 001 ) .#phang / suyoung : interactions .#character : phang / suyoung .#coconvtfm

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one-strugling-bean · 3 years ago

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Random Thoughts on HTTYD RttE S2(Ep8-13)

Ep8&9 - Astrid is being a little meany to the twins, but i get why

Barf&Belch throwing that last tree trunk and then butting heads, looking super proud of themselves was funny

Daamn, Ruffnut! It seems she's been holding that in for a long time now

Okay, like, i can see where Ruffnut is coming from; there have been moments where Astrid mocks or scolds elements of her team (mostly either the twins or Snotlout) for really small things, but since it's always played for laughs, we as a viewer have never taken it into consideration until now, when Ruff throws it at Astrid's face.

But you can't completely blame her! Sometimes, the twins really do stupid stuff and put the team in danger, and Astrid won't forget that, as she shouldn't.

But then, she's also too inflexible and that's where Hiccup's better. He's able to reach a compromise with the twins and make them follow and help the team in their own way. Astrid - it's not even that she can't do that - it's that she won't. And the twins aren't dumb, they understand that.

Fluffnut and Stuffnut are genius names and i shall not take any criticism

Yeahhh capturing one of the twins might not have been your best move here

Im really curious to see what Tuff's plan is

Poor old cousin Lars #2

"-and that these guys love us?" and Hookfang promptly turns his head away - Hookfang is a tsundere confirmed!!

I love how the hunters did not care that Ruffnut escaped, they just let her go

Yayy apologiesss

Ep10 - Fishlegs is so freaking sweet - he's like a giant gentleman, super intelligent brave and kind, and i love whenever he's on screen doing stuff

"I promise I'll tell Snotlout where i hid his favorite axe!" Omg, what did Snotlout do?

He probably thinks the twins hid it btw

OMGGGG I swear i hadn't seen that far yet!! Snotlout does think the twins hid the axe!!

Poor Hookfang :'<

"You should listen to me more often" "Naaah, I shouldn't" This little exchange between cousins was great

Sooo Fishlegs kinda toasted himself there on the Seashocker's back huh

Ha, karma finally came to visit Tuff and Ruff

Ep11 - I've never seen him before, but the Skrill looks so damn cool! Just from his name, my guess on his design was a silver, slick-looking dragon with a big mouth, and i couldn't have been more wrong - it was a surprise to see him as black and purple, he's so pretty!

"Isn't Snotlout's dad acting more violent and deranged than usual?" That you would already characterize him as both does not bode well with me

I really wanted Hookfang to throw Spitelout off of him ngl, that was a rude push

Why did Spitelout come along?!

Also, Astrid being done with Snotlout, part34 (someone should make a comp of that, it'd be so long)

"I hate smart dragons. Which is why I love you!" Aww, Tuffnut sure has a way with words. Also, rider-dragon love

"How come he gets revenge?" Well, it's one of the many perks of being main character, along with a raging martyr complex and everyone wanting a piece of you (for good and bad reasons)

I'm kinda confused, what is Hiccup's plan here?

Soooo, does Dagur actually like the Skrill, ooooor

My lord, why is Spitelout still here??

Yeahhhh team effort timeeeee

Omfg, Spitelout why (Snotlout's "Wait, what?" was a nice way to show how dumb that move was)

Toothless is so protective of Hiccup, and for good reason

I write this up here, and the guy immediately has himself standing in front of a freaking arrow shot - of course Toothless is protective, his rider is always getting himself in dangerous situations!

Good for the skrill, good for him

Yeah, I do not like Spitelout

Uhm, what was that ending, why did you all laugh, he was hurting his son on purpose, peeps why

Ep12&13 - Don't think I've mentioned it until now, but I really enjoy Dagur's voice, it doesn't fit with what I inicially expected of him because of his looks - i expected a much rougher, raspy voice - but the animators and his VA still make it work so well

Toothless silently judging Tuff and Snotlout in the background while Astrid and Hiccup talk was a really funny detail

Sooo I'm guessing this is the Tufflout bromance episode I've heard about

Hm, first impressions of Viggo: he looks a bit common, not a lot of distinguishable features to him, and the way he grabbed Ryker's chin felt so creepy to me - he's already an unsettling guy that's for sure

Ah, he put his arm around her shoulders, noo

His voice is super smooth, it is unsettling

"Hiccup knows we have it-" "Yeah, he let us borrow it-" "I stole it." pfff great

Ngl, i was waiting for the whole "Heather being revealed" thing to take q lot longer

Also, Flightmare pretty, but he does a number on the eyes

Dagur still has no idea Heatger betrayed him huh

Nouuuuu Heatheeeer

Viggo can teletransport apparently, good to know

And Ruffnut makes a good point

Okay, i gotta say Hiccup makes a good argument there, Viggo demands a well thought out plan

Do i sense a Dagur redemption arc..?

"I thought you liked it toasty?" "I like toast-y, not toast-ed!" Snotlout, Astrid, i appreciate you two

Yeahhh Dagur will help Heather somehow by the end of this ep

Im gonna guess that the Dragon Eye Viggo got is merely a duplicate of the real thing

Thank you Dagur!!

Oh, okay, no, it was the actual Dragon Eye, damn

So, just to check, Heather is now gone, Dagur is kinda on his own side, and Ryker and Viggo have their own evil plans with the Dragon Eye - okay that's fine

Welp, and that's Season 2 for you! Can't wait to keep watching it now!!

Its 2am tho, so now i gotta sleep, byee

#httyd #httyd rtte commentary #race to the edge #hiccup horrendous haddock the 3rd #astrid hofferson #fishlegs ingerman #snotlout jorgenson #ruffnut thorston #tuffnut thorston #toothless #stormfly #meatlug #hookfang #barf and belch #viggo grimborn #dagur the deranged #Httyd ryker #Httyd heather #way too many tags

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e-wills-afterhours · 2 years ago

Text

Affairs Of The Heart, Chapter 2

Chapter 1

"It's Einmánuður," Snotlout announced, to everyone's confusion.

He was prone to sudden outbursts, that was nothing new; but even his more asinine comments usually fit somewhere on the periphery of the conversation at hand. Fishlegs glanced up at him, bemused, then looked to Hiccup for some kind of translation.

Hiccup was just as clueless. He shrugged his shoulders before returning to their game of hnefatafl.

"What has that got to do with anything?" Fishlegs asked, fiddling with the discarded pawn in his thick hands.

"In case you haven't noticed, it's freezing balls outside," Snotlout replied, as if it was the most obvious explanation in the world.

"Just like it has been every winter for as long as Berk has stood here," Hiccup muttered, moving one of his game pieces the number of spaces indicated on the dice he had rolled. "Also, long before that."

Snotlout continued, "I, for one, am looking forward to summer in a few weeks."

"Praise the gods, you can read a calendar," Hiccup said.

Snotlout scowled at him. "My point, asshole, is the first official dragon race of the summer season is almost here, and you are still down a teammate. This isn't friendly flying around the island anymore. This is fans shouting, sheep hunting, livestock dunking─for points. So far, it looks like it's going to be three-on-two, unless..."

Fishlegs froze, eyes flickering back and forth between Hiccup and Snotlout. He twisted his hands around the captured black pawn he had been toying with.

"Fishlegs, he's dead," Hiccup said, nodding to the game piece the other boy was strangling. "Let him rest with dignity."

Fishlegs gave a nervous chuckle and dropped the pawn beside the hnefatafl board, drumming his fingers on the tabletop instead. Snotlout said nothing further, but Hiccup was aware of his cousin's expectant stare boring into his side.

"I'm assuming you want to know what I plan on doing─if I'm going to ask Astrid or not," Hiccup replied, his expression never cracked.

"We don't need to have teams," Fishlegs interjected, voice quavering enough to betray his nerves."We can race as individuals, or─"

"It's fine, Fishlegs. You and I have gone against Team Snotnuts before without any trouble," Hiccup said.

"Huh? What about Team Snotnuts?" Tuffnut piped up.

He and Ruffnut had been engaged in their own arm-wrestling competition, oblivious to a rest of the conversation taking place beside them. When Tuffnut took notice, his sister overpowered him, pinning his arm to the tabletop and spilling a tankard of ale onto the hnefatafl board. Hiccup, Fishlegs, and Snotlout, all pushed back from the table as the amber puddle dripped over the edge.

"Really, guys?" Fishlegs huffed.

"I guess our match has been decided by a deluge of alcohol. I suppose it wouldn't be the first time stalwart Norsemen have been defeated by ale," Hiccup remarked, picking up a wet pawn and examining its carved face now peppered with foam.

As if to punctuate his statement, chants of “Drink! Drink! Drink!” echoed through the Great Hall. Somewhere, an intense chugging competition was taking place.

"Stop avoiding the issue!" Snotlout demanded, knocking the game piece from his hand.

Hiccup narrowed his eyes at his cousin.

"I'm not avoiding anything. All I'm saying is that Fishelgs and I don't need a third teammate to compete. But if you're so determined to keep the numbers even, you can go ask Astrid if she wants to race. It makes no difference to me, either way."

Snotlout glared back, and Hiccup knew his cousin had no intention of approaching Astrid. Snotlout did not like being replaced, especially by older boys who were more quintessentially Norse than even he was.

"I would think you'd care more," Snotlout muttered. "You two used to be a thing."

"We were never a ‘thing.’ We were only ever friends."

That realization burned Hiccup when it first dawned on him; but months later, it only filled him with bitterness and regret. He had been so foolish to think the occasional stolen kiss was tantamount to any significant feelings. Girls played by different rules. He had been an ignorant boy in love, he supposed, blinded by Astrid's geniality, mistaking it for caring after years of being ignored, hungry for acceptance and affection he had so long been denied. Whatever love he had for her then had since become inextricably entwined with resentment. Hiccup could not determine which emotion was stronger.

"Well, none of us were that special, when you think about it," Ruffnut spoke up. She gestured across the Great Hall and added, "Look at her, sitting there like she's the fucking queen. It's like we never meant anything to her at all."

Astrid was indeed with her new circle of friends, laughing as two of the heavily tattooed young men wrestled each other. She cheered them on while they threw punches. By the smirks on their faces, it was all in good fun. Older boys, like Stefnir, had been killing dragons a couple years before Hiccup and his friends had even been eligible to learn. Combat was what they knew, and though peace was upon their village, they needed an outlet. They were still warriors, and fist fights were an acceptable pastime. It was not uncommon, though Hiccup could not relate─but Astrid apparently did.

"Maybe we should ask Astrid if she wants to be in the race?" Fishlegs suggested. "She's our friend, right? It's only fair to give her the opportunity."

"Friend? Is that what you'd call her?" Tuffnut replied, frowning. "I'd call her 'that girl who sometimes remembers we're alive.' If the occasional visit to the academy and is what you'd call friendship, then I must not understand the word."

"That wouldn't be entirely surprising," Snotlout teased.

"I know. That's what I meant. I really might not understand the word," Tuffnut said, brow wrinkled.

"Guys, I'm just trying to stop things from getting worse between us," Fishlegs stated.

He always tried to be the reasonable, sympathetic soul in the group, and Hiccup could appreciate that. Fishlegs and Astrid had a good rapport, so he remained neutral amid all the animosity the other teens directed her. Someone needed to hold the middle ground, because Hiccup was too affected by the loss of Astrid's attention to pretend the others' insults bothered him much. From an objective eye, Astrid did not deserve all the disdain. She drifted away without intending to be hurtful. Her life was her business, as well as who she chose to play a prominent role in it. But Hiccup's rational mind was not speaking to his bruised heart, so objectivity was of no comfort.

"If she wants to spend more of her time with Stefnir and his friends, that's her prerogative," he said. "You can't change her mind, Fishlegs."

"But we can keep reminding her we're here and we care," Fishlegs replied, bright and hopeful. "So, who's going to ask her?"

Snotlout shook his head and answered, "Care? You kind of have to give a shit for that to work. Unfortunately, I don't."

He began to walk off and the twins leaped to their feet.

"There's the pressing matter of getting more ale," Tuffnut said.

"Very important," Ruffnut added.

The two of them hurried off after Snotlout before they were recruited. Hiccup and Fishlegs were left sitting there, staring at each other, with a river of spilled alcohol and a soaked game board between them.

"I guess it'll have to be me then," Fishlegs sighed. He rubbed his large arm, shifting his weight. "I'm not going to make you do it."

Hiccup replied, "I don't know what you think you're saving me from."

"It can't be easy to see her with those other guys."

"What makes you say that?"

Fishlegs leaned in to whisper, "Hiccup, come on─this is me you're talking to."

Hiccup's stomach clenched. "You think I’m hiding some deep, inner turmoil?" he muttered.

"No, no. You're clearly above whatever is going on between you and her, but I'm not as oblivious as Snotlout and the twins. I think you loved Astrid once, regardless of how you feel about her now," Fishlegs remarked. "Somehow, somewhere, that has got to hurt."

Hiccup was thankful he was still somewhat opaque; thankful that those closest to him could only speculate how miserable he felt.

"I don't think I ever loved her, but maybe I gave it my best shot?" he mused. "Anyway, it doesn't matter. There's nothing to be gained by talking about it."

"You're right. Emotions. What a mess. It's kind of inappropriate to get into all of that," Fishlegs replied with a sheepish grin. He held up his hands in surrender, scooting away on the bench to provide physical space to match.

"Kind of."

"Too personal?"

Hiccup nodded. Expressing general unhappiness was one thing, but it was unbecoming for a Hooligan to dwell on matters of the heart. Such talk was reserved for close family or lovers, but it did not prevent the unorthodox individual from being curious and asking what need not be asked─nosy individuals, like Fishlegs and Gobber. Most definitely, Gobber. Fishlegs, to a lesser extent.

"Sorry," Fishlegs apologized for his solecism. He rose to his feet and said, "I'll ask her, then─to make it up to you. It's bound to be awkward, no matter who goes."

"If you insist," Hiccup replied, feigning indifference to mask his relief.

Fishlegs ambled away, and Hiccup watched him approach the pack of older teens. He stopped to make friendly conversation with Stefnir, who had an annoying habit of being far too interested in who spoke to Astrid. Anyone with a penis was under particular scrutiny. For all Astrid's denial that she and Stefnir were a legitimate couple, the young man displayed possessive tendencies that made Hiccup uneasy. Stefnir draped an arm around Astrid as Fishlegs chatted with them, even though there was hardly a Norseman less threatening. Astrid seemed rather nonchalant as Stefnir pulled her closer.

Fishlegs began talking to Astrid, no doubt telling her about the upcoming official race to gauge her interest. She grinned and nodded, and Hiccup felt a sort of regrettable excitement. He was not so much looking forward to her presence, but the energy she brought to a dragon race, instead. She could stir up the crowd and race twice as hard as anyone. It was difficult not to find her enthusiasm infectious, though he hated the small part of himself that wanted her on his team.

He groaned to himself and swiveled on the bench to stand, casting one more glance in Astrid's direction.

That moment, she had sought him out as well; and he felt a visceral dread as their eyes met. Her smiled faded as she stared at him, morphing into something unreadable that hovered in the realm of wistful contemplation. He did not know if she was expecting a friendly acknowledgment, like a nod of the head or a wave; but he could not uncurl his fists from where they rested tight in his lap. He did not know why her gaze lingered on him, or what possessed her to look for him to begin with. Her head games she threatened to rope him back in. Her mind-bending motivations were the reason he was so aloof around her─why he resisted any conversation too friendly. He had crawled out from the woeful chasm, but one push from Astrid would send him back in.

She had no right to look at him like that-like she had some great problem and he was her solution. It was as if she was compelled to make things needlessly complicated when they were quite simple: she had her boys, she had made her choice. There was no room for Hiccup but as a casual acquaintance. He did not want to play. There was no way for it to possibly end well. As she sat there, perhaps hoping for some amicable gesture aimed her way, he could only think of one action that was warranted.

He stood up and strode off, searching for a rag to mop up the puddle of ale that drowned the hnefatafl board. He reached back for his small braid, making sure it was in place so Astrid did not have an excuse to touch him if their paths crossed again. In the months since the hair-braiding had started, he learned that grudgingly leaving the decorations alone kept her busy fingers at bay. He did not glance back at her as he weaved between tables, finding his current task more important than Astrid's reaction to his standoffishness.

Messes never did clean themselves.

----------------

The seasons turned. Summer was fully upon them, and Astrid was restless. Just shy of eighteen, her life would soon be completely out of her hands. She supposed it already was, to a degree. Some things were still left to settle; unresolved issues that weighed on her mind. She was afraid to move forward with loose ends.

"Does Hiccup hate me, or what?" she asked, trying to sound offhanded as possible.

Ruffnut made an irritated noise and turned, clutching her saddle.

"If you were around more, maybe you'd know," she replied.

"I hung out with you last week, remember? In the Great Hall, for the drinking contest between you and Snotlout? I held back your hair when you puked," Astrid retorted, rolling her eyes. "I am around."

"Yeah, sure─for competitions and when you're bored because Stefnir's busy," Tuffnut said, fixing his saddle to Belch.

Astrid frowned as she unburdened Stormfly. She had just returned from a solo flight, unable to find anyone to accompany her. The Thorston twins were prepared to fly only now that she was finished. She had, for a brief moment, spotted Hiccup and Toothless soaring among the clouds, but when she called out for them to let her catch up, she had lost sight of them almost immediately. She tried to tell herself that it had been unintentional, that they were not ignoring her─but there had been something deliberate about their sharp turn. Her heart ached to watch him flee from her, but it was for the best. Being around Hiccup was dangerous. He made her feel too much.

"How is that going, anyway?" Ruffnut asked. "You've been with Stefnir for, what? Close to a year now?"

"Something like that," Astrid replied.

She did not know the exact length of time, because it had been an informal announcement unworthy of a commemorative date. For a whole year, she had denied she was dating anyone, but eventually, she could not fight it. They were too obvious, and everyone would come to know how serious things with really were between her and Stefnir Svenson soon enough. She had not been happy about becoming "official", or whatever it was that labeled her unavailable, but she had let it slip in passing. Since then, she no longer had cause to refute their boyfriend-girlfriend status. Astrid had let the other riders know that Stefnir was there to stay. Fishlegs just nodded, and Snotlout huffed, folding his arms across his broad chest. Ruffnut fished around in her pocket for a piece of hack silver to pay her brother for whatever wager had been set between them.

Hiccup had just...

Astrid sighed, remembering the distinct lack of a response from him. He had barely even looked up from his sketches of Berk's new aqueduct system for fire prevention. A brief flicker of green in her direction with the tiniest skip of his pencil on the parchment was all he gave her. He had heard her but seemed as though he could not care any less. That had been worse than if he had sneered.

She expected too much from him. They had been growing apart for the past two years; but there was no other way to make things work. She could not get to know Stefnir─fall for him like she was supposed to─with Hiccup drawing her in with his inescapable gravity.

She tried to ignore him , but she could not. There was nothing to be gained from braiding his hair or pestering him in the smithy, but she wanted to at least lay eyes on him from time to time. She wanted to touch him in some manner to ensure he was still real and he had not faded from her life entirely.

Reason battled with compulsion; what she wanted versus what she needed─and both were embodied by two very different young men. She could only have the one of them. Little by little, she tried to let go of Hiccup; but the minute he had started to pull away of his own volition, she could not stop it. He was fading from her grasp faster and more completely than she had intended. Trying to maintain a friendship with him now was like trying to keep water cupped in her hands. Her attempts to speak to him fell flat. She tried to rekindle some level of closeness, but it always backfired. He was a distant and unfamiliar heart wearing the kind face of her best friend.

Or rather, the boy who used to be her best friend.

Stormfly pulled her out of her reverie with a loud, excited squawk. Regardless of whatever tension existed between their humans, dragons could still enjoy a good enough rapport with one another.

Toothless glided into the stables and Stormfly wanted to go to him─her playmate─but the intuitive dragons sensed their riders' hesitation and remained apart. The Night Fury warbled a greeting and Stormfly bobbed her head: the most interaction they would allow themselves with Hiccup and Astrid present.

"Oh, look. Hiccup's back. Y'know, if you have any burning questions for him..." Ruffnut teased. Astrid shot her a dirty look and she cackled, mounting her half of her Zippleback. "Don't forget, you and Stefnir agreed to do patrol for us tomorrow," the female Thorston added.

Astrid waved her hand, and the twins took off, leaving her alone in the newly constructed subterranean stables with Hiccup and Toothless. She almost wished they had not left her with the one person who least wanted to see her. Almost. The particular type of pain that came from interacting with him was bittersweet, and Astrid was feeling a little masochistic.

Hiccup did not look at her as he dismounted Toothless, but she stared at him and his windswept hair, which was far more attractive than it had any right to be. He had the audacity to grow more handsome from the moment she decided to give up on him.

"I suppose you didn't hear me calling you earlier," she said, hands on her hips.

Hiccup glanced at her, but only for a moment.

"When was that?" he asked, flattening out his tousled hair.

"A little while ago, when you were flying. I was out on Stormfly. I tried to get your attention."

"Must've been too far away." He shrugged, and strode past her.

She dropped a hand down by her side, extending it just enough to barely brush Hiccup's hand as he walked by. Well-attuned to subtle body movements from years of combat training, she noticed him tense. He continued on like he had not noticed.

"Wait," Astrid said.

Hiccup stopped, though he did not seem happy about it. She saw the rise and fall in his shoulders, from the heavy sigh he kept to himself. He could not pretend to be deaf to her in such a tight space; and despite his aloof demeanor, he was also compelled to be more polite than the rest of their mutual friends. He turned, looking at her, and Astrid felt a twinge of sadness for the warmth missing from his eyes. That used to lift her spirits, but there was nothing there for her anymore. He just stood there, saying nothing and displaying no particular feeling at all.

"You're missing a braid," she said, running her fingers through his hair. He often had one, but it was not enough. She had recently taken to giving him two so she would not be deterred if he had kept one in place from the day before. She should not have been touching him─but it always felt good until the moment she stopped. Then she would feel ashamed.

"Oh. Well, by all means. I understand how vital that is to my appearance," he replied, gaze darting to the exit and back.

She grinned, but it faded when she realized he was not smiling too. Apparently, he had not meant to be funny; and he was only tolerating her childish behavior because he was too kind to say whatever words caught at the back of his throat. He was never cruel in his apathy, but never giving her more cordial regard than she was due. Life seemed to have lost all sense, given that he treated Snotlout with a bit more consideration than he did her, if for no other reason than the two cousins spent more time together.

"Done," she said, holding on to the tiny plait until there was no longer a sensible reason to do so.

"Is that all?" he asked, neither rude nor impatient.

Always the same question, sometimes reworded. "Is that all?" or "Is there anything else?" A narrow-ended question containing his hope to leave, or to see her leave. In two years, he had ended almost every conversation the same way.

"Yes," she answered, and he inclined his head respectfully.

He turned to his dragon, attitude brightening in an instant for Toothless.

"Let's go, bud," he told the Night Fury. Toothless trotted after him.

Stormfly fidgeted, wishing to follow them, and her pathetic cry captured the Night Fury's attention. He gazed back with rounded pupils and the softest growl.

Hiccup paused and studied the dragons before his eyes met Astrid's, one more time. It was not fair that their dragons' companionship had to be collateral damage in whatever it was they were doing to one another. She did not have a word to define whatever existed between her and Hiccup anymore.

"Did I do something to you? Do you─do you hate me?" she asked, steeling herself in anticipation of whatever terrible answer he might give. "Are you angry with me for dating Stefnir?"

Hiccup's eyebrows raised and he visibly recoiled; it first clear emotion she had seen on his face in days.

"Hate you?" he replied. Then, he seemed to regain his composure, slipping back into that lukewarm demeanor. "No, Astrid. I don't hate you. Why would I? I would have to be personally offended you're dating Stefnir, and I'm not. After all, it's not like there's that was lost between us."

He might as well have slapped her. Astrid balled her hand into a fist.

Hiccup retreated up the stairs with his dragon, unconcerned with whatever her response might be. The indistinct echoes of his murmured conversation with Toothless rattled inside her brain. She was sure he was gone before she kicked over the nearest barrel in outrage. Dung-caked mucking tools clattered on to the ground, scattering Terrible Terrors in a panic.

She was filled with so much hurt, confusion, and indignation, her body's only recourse was to shake. Her fingers trembled as she stroked her concerned Nadder's snout, feeling her blood pressure drop a little. Her eyes stung and her throat felt dry, but Astrid Hofferson did not cry─not for anyone who did not deserve it.

"Why couldn't he have just said 'yes'?" she muttered, to no one in particular.

----------------------

"You're upset," Stefnir announced, as if it was some kind of revelation.

A full day had not been long enough to clear her head of Hiccup and his harsh words.

"It's nothing," she replied, forcing a smile.

She wanted to shake off her discontent and focus on scouting the night, searching the swirling water below for signs of Marauders-assorted rabble from the remnants of the Berserkers and Outcasts. She and Stefnir were filling in for the Thorston twins, as promised. They could at least do a better job than the inattentive and distracted siblings. That much was certain.

"It's him again, isn't it?" Stefnir asked. Even the darkness, she could see his scowl highlighted by the luminous waxing moon above.

Astrid rolled her eyes. She did not like it when her own mind dwelled on Hiccup; she did not need Stefnir to join in the misery and make it worse.

"Please, Stef. I want to drop it," she said, flying ahead of him as they rounded a sharp, craggy bend.

Patrolling the sea around Berk was a chore, but for their dragons, it was an excuse to stretch their wings.

"No. Evidently, this isn't getting any better. Whatever it is, I'm going to confront him about it. I don't care if he's the chief's son or not!"

Astrid eased up on Stormfly, and her dragon slowed until she was flying parallel to Stefnir’s tawny Monstrous Nightmare.

"No, you will not," she demanded and he quirked an eyebrow. "Hiccup's not doing anything deliberate. He's just..."

She did not know what to say. Plaguing her thoughts? Torturing her with his distance? The truth was problematic to her current relationship. She had learned to like Stefnir─really, she had. She no longer recoiled from his kisses, and she even initiated a peck or two so he believed her to be interested. Her kisses were always quick and sometimes followed up by an embrace─never anything more serious from her lips. She was to the point where she could accept his affections, but that was far easier than giving hers.

"Tell Hiccup about us, then. Tell all of them about the future. Sever those ties for good," Stefnir said.

Astrid's stomach knotted at the thought.

"I can't do that," she replied.

"Tell them? Or leave them behind?"

"Either? Both? Does it matter? They're my friends. They have been for a long time─well, most of them, anyway. I'm not just going to walk out of their lives because you think it's the right thing to do."

"Why not? You're halfway to it from what I can tell. It would make things easier on everyone, especially once you tell them the reason," Stefnir explained.

Astrid tilted her head back and closed her eyes, feeling her bangs and loose strands of hair whipping around her face as Stormfly glided over the rolling waves. She took a deep breath, feeling her hands tightening on the horn of her saddle, inhaling the salty air and warmth of the summer night.

"I'm not going to tell them we're engaged," she asserted. "Not yet. It's not a good time."

"For you, or for them?"

Astrid opened her eyes and glared at him.

"Again, does it matter?" she retorted.

Stefnir's shoulders rounded.

"Look, babe. I don't want to fight with you, but you're almost eighteen now. I'll be twenty-one. In a few months, my fifteen-year-old sister is marrying her fiance. We're overdue. Why are we delaying it? What are you waiting for?"

Astrid used to know the answer, back when she had hoped enough stalling would cause the Svenson clan to lose interest in a union with the Hoffersons─but wealth, honor, and power were compelling motivators, and not easily forgotten. Neither her parents, nor his, would bow out and disgrace their respective family names. They had their sights set on mutual gain and a longstanding blood debt that even Astrid, headstrong as she was, felt she could not contest. She was bound to Stefnir as long as the marriage contract stood. There was no use in prolonging the inevitable.

"If it gets you off my case, I will tell them tomorrow," she relented. "Gods only knows I couldn't bare the shame if your little sister got married before us."

She forced a smile and Stefnir chuckled. If she pretended to be cheerful long enough, she could start to believe she was, and he might drop the issue.

"Let's go back to the village," Stefnir said, pointedly. "We can do another check at sunrise."

Astrid nodded and let him lead, preparing herself to enjoy whatever method Stefnir used to bid her a goodnight; he liked physical affection and pushing past her boundaries.

It was not that he was unattractive, or that they did not get along. On the contrary, Astrid admired his combat skills, and he was at least competent with a dragon. His tattoos were nice, she suppoed. There was enough common ground to keep conversation from growing too dull, and he respected her as a warrior. He cared for her and was passably intelligent─but there was not a bright enough spark. At least, not for Astrid. She let him put his hands on her because it was all part of the act: a good wife-in-training. She could tolerate it, as every young woman who had survived an arranged marriage had to do. One day, she would wake up and love her husband, but it was not a sentiment she felt that night─not as they ushered their dragons into their adjacent stalls and Stefnir grabbed her with that devious grin of his.

She let him kiss her like dozens of times before. His lips were always greedy and his tongue was eager, but she stood there with her arms around his neck, doing nothing. Feeling nothing. She did not kiss him back and she did not push him away. Kissing him was never unpleasant, but she craved something different.

Her eyes fluttered closed, and she started to kiss Stefnir back, because she was imagining for a moment that she was kissing someone else. In her mind, his lips were Hiccup's, and somehow that made it just a little bit better.

#hiccstrid fic #hiccstrid #affairs au

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setauketloyalties · 2 months ago

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As Dorothy stood waiting outside of the tent, she nervously pushed the toe of her boot into the dirt. Somehow, she had been able to get boots that fit her. She certainly had no idea that boots for men were made to fit feet as small as hers, but she was grateful nonetheless. Her uniform, with its brilliant blue coat, was still a bit big on her. Compared to the other men, she was worried she looked like a child. However, she appreciated some of the bagginess as it helped her to conceal the more feminine aspects of her appearance.

When the aide came out to get her, Dorothy was a bit startled. As she waited, she had become rather lost in her own thoughts. Though, she quickly thanked the aide in a low voice before pushing into the tent. Her hands shook and the warm sensation of bile rose in her throat. Even as she tried to hold her stomach tight, hoping it would help, she could not help but feel nauseous.

Standing in front of Benjamin Tallmadge for the first time in months, Dorothy could not help but stare. Certainly, he looked more tired than he had when he was talking to Asher. Yet, there was something almost regal to him. Though they wore similar coats, the epaulets made his much more handsome. Plus, Benjamin’s coat certainly seemed to fit his frame better than hers did. He looked like a true soldier. Meanwhile, Dorothy thought she looked like a little boy, or a little girl, playing soldier.

Nervously, Dorothy approached the chair, though she did not sit. A thin and long-fingered hand clung to the back of it. Certainly, if she were to faint, she hoped the chair would help her some.

“I am sorry, sir. I had little practice shooting or riding before the war,” Dorothy admitted, keeping her voice deep to make her rouse more believable. Certainly, she had not ridden astride a horse before the war, as doing such was considered “unladylike”. Asher had taught her how to shoot, but she had not practiced her marksmanship until her enlistment. During training, she had been passable but mostly of little note. However, Benjamin’s eyes made her skin crawl as she thought he was simply looking through her.

The note of brothers was one Dorothy found distressing. Certainly, she had doubted that any of the men took her seriously, if they noticed her at all. How would the men react if they learned that there was a woman among their ranks? Though not scared of battle, at least not yet, she could not help but be scared of the men. One small slip meant that her secret would be exposed. How would Benjamin react if he knew her secret. In a quiet voice, Dorothy answered falsely, “I do trust you, sir.”

Upon the mention of Asher’s name, Dorothy could not help but suck in a sharp breath. When choosing her false name, she had hoped that no one would take any interest in her last name. Of course, it seemed she had not been so lucky. Did Benjamin know her uncle may be looking for at this moment? Was he simply playing some game with her?

“Neethling’s not an uncommon name, sir. He may be a cousin, it might explain the red hair,” Dorothy answered, voice tight as she tried to control her volume. Though, her eyes went wide as she realized her mistake. If David Neethling had supposedly never met Asher, how would she explain knowing his hair color. Quickly, in a rush to correct herself, she said, “I mean, it might explain why you think we look alike. Asher simply sounds like the name of a man with red hair. Ash, like fire.”

Quickly, she forced an uneasy and nervous smile onto her lips, hoping he would think nothing of her mistake.

Certainly, Dorothy Van Laar should have imagined that the Revolution would have changed her life. With a number of her brothers serving as Royal officers in the British Army and all of her sisters marrying into English nobility, she should have known that the question of American independence from England’s mother stem would greatly impact her. However, on her aunt and uncle’s farm in New Haven, she had thought that the “Revolution” would never come to her doorstep. She was convinced that powerful men behind heavy closed doors would make all of the decisions. Certainly, she did not think that her aged uncle would be considering joining Rebel forces. Nor did she imagine that her parents would be attempting to force her to come home.

For the past four years, Dorothy had lived away from her parents in York City. Her parents had been vexed and exhausted by their youngest child, a girl who seemed to derive more pleasure from banging the keys on the piano and playing pranks on her sisters’ suitors than in sitting quietly while mending socks. Dorothy talked frequently, and rather loudly, about the books she stole from her brothers and father and the growing ire of the colonies at the Crown. Plus, she seemed to be uninterested in things like dancing or embroidering. However, despite her parents’ attempts to correct her (and great attempts were certainly made), she seemed to be incapable of change.

At the end of their ropes, the Van Laars finally sent her to live with her uncle Asher in Connecticut. Asher Neethling, the brother of her mother, had always been considered rather odd by his family. Having decided to turn away from his family’s wealth and status as a “knickerbocker” family in York City, he had found comfort in learning. After receiving his ordination, he had married the daughter of a professor at Yale, then becoming a professor himself after his father-in-law’s retirement. At Yale, he enjoyed losing himself in books and being able to maintain a small farm with his wife. Asher seemed to be the only person Dorothy truly listened to or respected.

Soon after arriving in New Haven, Dorothy found that the change in pace suited her. She enjoyed working outside, mostly alongside her aunt, and caring for Asher and Caroline’s various animals. Soon after her arrival, she had begun to train the foal of one of her uncle’s most prized horses. Plus, her aunt and uncle seemed to enjoy her intellectual curiosity. Often, her aunt and uncle hosted various students of her uncle’s. A young man who was seemingly a fixture at the Neethling’s home was named Benjamin Tallmadge. Soon, Dorothy began to harbor a small crush on the man. He was smart and kind, his stories of his friends from his home in Setauket were charming to her. After he had graduated and moved to Wethersfield, he still maintained close contact with the family.

By the summer of 1776, it was certain that the colonies were involved in a war. Benjamin, done up in a gorgeous uniform of blue and gold, had briefly visited Asher. Though they had spoken in the parlor when Dorothy was supposed to be attending to her chores, she had been able to eavesdrop on the two. The young Tallmadge urged her uncle to join the war effort in any way he could, an idea that seemingly consumed Asher in the coming months. Increasingly, he became interested in enlisting in the Army. Certainly, the idea terrified Dorothy.

One evening, after Asher had received a concerning letter from a friend whose fields had been burned by British soldiers, the old man declared his intentions to join up by week’s end. This had followed a series of letters from her parents requesting that Asher sent the eighteen-year-old girl home, the two seemingly worried about Asher’s “Revolutionary” influence on her. That night, Dorothy was unable to sleep. She had been considering helping the war effort in her own way. Certainly, she wanted to do something more than knit socks. Silently, she took some of her uncle’s old clothes and his rifle, quietly changing and pulling his too-big boots on her feet. Before she slipped out of the house, she cut her long copper hair to hang around her shoulders. Then, she lead her horse, who had grown strong, away from the house.

After some days, she finally was able to enlist. When her training, abbreviated due to the war, was done, she was miraculously granted a position within the dragoons. Though, her excitement at being able to conceal her identity was deflated when she was told she would be under Captain Tallmadge. After arriving in camp, she was anxious about meeting Benjamin once again. Would see through her disguise, her claims to be a David Neethling from a small town near New Haven? What if he did catch her? Would she be thrown out of the Army?

After some days of flying under the radar, she was finally called to meet her commander. Standing outside of his tent, hair concealed mostly by a shining brass helmet, she could not help but worry. A sickly feeling made her throat feel hot and she was certain she would soon faint.

@honorhearted

#honorhearted #a guise of lies #ben x dodie #long post tw

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khorren · 3 years ago

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Introducing Astrid Einnkin

My family has been part of the Order of Whispers for generations. Every new member to them was like a cousin or an aunt. Every celebration or loss was reflected on with the Order. Until one day, the head of their chapter sent my grandparents on a task they could not, they would not complete. They knew that if they were not to follow this command they would be ex-communicated from the Order, and well, you don't just let spymasters go loose, they have to be ….. let go. Permanently.

So my grandparents, with their young son left the snowy region of Sunqua/Kinya of Cantha. They traveled West across the sea and traveled north on land until sea was their only option. The Unending Ocean was treacherous, so they avoided it where possible, only making short voyages across the waters. Luck was on their side it seems. Even the most up to date Whispers map was missing land. Not just tiny islands, but large landmasses with civilisations on them. Still. They arrived on the mainland around 1275AE, somewhere around Janthir. They crossed the Woodland Cascades and a few years later they made a home in Lion's Arch. I showed up on a cold winter night in 1301 AE in Hoelbrak. I spent my young life bouncing between the two places as my parents made a living as merchants, and where possible, I spent time in the Durmand Priory library.

So that's Astrid.

I've always wanted a character called Astrid, and Einnkinn is a bit of a dumb joke. Einn meaning alone in Icelandic and kin meaning, well, family. Astrid's family is basically alone after all. The grandparents were part of this huge family, the Whispers, back in Cantha. And now they're just…… them.

She was blessed by Wolf and has a strong bond of loyalty, most notibly to Aoife Ulvstrom but also her family. It's just her parents and her sister now. (Because I wanna make a norn engi at some point, and she'll fit in there!) Aoife is a very good friend to her, and Astrid is a good friend to all the Ulvstrom family. In her late teens she spent a lot of time in the Ulvstrom homestead. She knows she can call on any of them in a time of need. She greatly enjoys the company of others whether it's at a moot or just a quiet cuddle pile. She's affectionate to her friends and openly pleasant to anyone she meets. I want her to have an encounter with Roisin, who is Whispers, but long term undercover within the Priory. I'm sure that'll be hilarious. :D

She was originally planned for blue hair, but eeeegh it locks me into a colour scheme too bad and runs the risk of being too clashy. Sure she's in blue now, but she's gonna have a set that goes with the lorekeeper weapons too. woo.

#character babbles #gw2 norn #norn #gw2 #guild wars 2 #astrid

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shipmistress9 · 4 years ago

Note

8 -hiccstrid 😊💜

HICCSTRID

8. Interrupting with a kiss

This is actually a story idea I was pondering over for a good while now. But it fits this prompt, so I had a great excuse to finally write it down. ^^

Fateful Heights

Speak of the devil and he shall appear…

Hiccup couldn’t help but marvel about this saying as he threw a cautious glance down into the gaping abyss below his dangling feet. Or, well, the rest of the funfair, but it certainly felt like a gaping abyss…

Earlier, when they'd waited in line to get onto the Drop Tower, they’d all joked about how scary it would be to get stuck at the top. Then, when Snot, Legs, and the twins were getting onto the first ride while he and Astrid had to wait for the next round, he’d joked about how it would actually be funny to watch them get stuck and get sick now. It had been mainly to interrupt the awkward silence between him and Astrid, the girl he’d had a crush on since forever. But she’d laughed and agreed that it would be hilarious to watch.

Now, however? Now, it was him and Astrid being stuck on this stupid tower. For ten minutes now, the thing hadn’t moved even one inch. Every now and then, the operator called up instructions or reassurances over a megaphone, but in all honestly, that didn’t help the feeling of dread in his guts one bit.

It wasn’t even the height per se that bothered him. He absolutely loved heights. Snot had even jokingly commented before that Hiccup got high on heights, and, well… he wasn’t so far off. Of all the rides they’d planned to go on today, this one was the one he’d been looking forward to the most.

No, it wasn’t the height that made him feel queasy. It was the sense of helplessness. To be out of control and at the mercy of someone else, something else.

The wind, usually a highly welcome sensation when blowing around his face, now made him clutch so tightly at the handle that his knuckles stood out white. One person a few seats to his right had dropped their shoe, and it had taken a disturbingly long time to reach the ground.

And it was no exaggeration when he thought that the only thing keeping him sane was Astrid sitting next to him.

“Hey, look over there,” she now said, her hand awkwardly pointing to a spot on the horizon. “There’s a ship coming in. I bet the people on the ground can’t see it yet, not even those right at the harbour.”

His eyes followed her finger and his quick mind did the calculation without him even having to think about it. “That’s a bet you would win,” he said, trying to sound as casual as possible, to not show how scared he truly was. “My guess would be, that it’ll still be up to three hours before that ship is visible from the pier.”

Next to him, Astrid shifted in her seat and somehow managed to peer past the safety harness to throw him a bemused look. “You’re such a nerd,” she eventually chuckled.

Hiccup blushed, but wasn’t too bothered by her comment. He was a nerd; no point in pretending otherwise. And as long as she said it like this—with the undertone of teasing affection instead of as an insult—she could call him whatever she wanted, anyway.

A few minutes passed in relative silence. Around them, people were chatting, crying, one even screaming, but Hiccup did his best to blend them all out. Instead, he focused on Astrid who was humming to herself. It was a little off-tune but somehow still the most relaxing noise he’d ever heard.

“Hey, look!” she suddenly exclaimed. “I found the other’s.”

Hiccup glanced down in the direction she indicated.

“Over there, between that building with the red roof and the yellow-and-blue-striped tent.”

“Ah, yes, I see them.” Hiccup thought for a moment, the map of the funfair before his mental eye. “They probably got themselves an early dinner. The building is the pizzeria, I think.”

“Huh...” Astrid grunted, and even though he couldn’t see her face, he could imagine how she would narrow her eyes right now. “Yeah, you’re right. We’re locked up here, possibly about to fall to our death, and these idiots are eating!”

“At least, they didn’t get popcorn,” Hiccup muttered. He liked his friends, but at least Tuff wasn’t beyond finding their situation entertaining. Snot probably too.

Astrid snorted. “They know better than to risk that. I’d haunt them for the rest of eternity. Hey, do you think I can spit onto their pizza if I aim well enough?”

Again, Hiccup’s mind did some quick calculation out of reflex before he shook his head. “I’d say you can’t,” he said regretfully. “Not to insult your aim, but from this height and with the wind, it would be all but impossible to predict where your spit lands, if it reaches the ground at all. And as much as I’d pay to see Snot’s face when you ruin his pizza like that, I wouldn’t wish the same fate on anyone else.”

Astrid sighed. “Fair enough. But if he gives me the slightest reason, I will hit him.

“I won’t stop you,” Hiccup chuckled. He was unable to fully put his feelings into words, not even inside his head. But he knew that without Astrid, he would have gone insane. How she managed to be so lighthearted in their current situation was beyond him, but her jokes and generally good mood were all that kept his own despair at bay.

Their rescue didn’t take too long after that. Maybe it had just been an error in the software, but from one moment to the other, they were moving again. Initially, there was even more screaming, some surely fearing they were all going to crash to their death now. But their decent was slow, gentle, and only a few minutes later, they were all back on solid ground.

On shaky legs, he and Astrid were ushered to the side, to a hastily erected tent where medics were waiting for them to make sure everyone was physically unharmed. Mentally might be another question, though.

Once he and Astrid were allowed to leave, Hiccup let out a deep breath. “Oh, what a trip. I always loved these Drop Towers, but now, I’m not sure I’ll ever want to—”

He broke off when Astrid suddenly grabbed the collar of his shirt and pulled him into a kiss. It wasn’t a gentle one, teeth digging into his lips from how hard she pressed herself against him.

Hiccup was stunned, unable to react other than let his hands land on her waist. Of all the things he’d expected from this day, Astrid kissing him had been even further down the list than getting stuck on a ride. But here she was, clinging to him, and he even thought he could feel her heart pounding against his chest.

The kiss ended as abruptly as it had started. Hiccup was still trying to comprehend when she released his mouth and instead buried her face against his shoulder, arms wrapped tightly around his neck.

“Oh, Gods,” she gasped, voice nearly breaking. “I thought we would surely die here.” She was shaking he now noticed, and so he wrapped his arms more firmly around her, holding her in a comforting embrace. Did this still count as comforting, though? It was meant to be comforting, at least.

“Hey, it’s okay,” he tried to soothe her. “We made it. Nothing happened, we got off with no more than a fright.”

Astrid’s grasp grew even tighter. “How did you do it?” she gasped. “How did you manage to keep so calm up there? I was so scared that my brain stopped working completely. I think I was babbling the entire time but can’t remember a thing I said. But you? You even did math up there. I…” She trailed off, took a deep breath, and calmed down at least a little again. “Without you staying so calm, I would have gone insane.

Hiccup, still caught in how surreal this situation was, awkwardly patted her back. “Honestly, I was just as scared. Only coped because of all the jokes you made.”

Laughing a little shakily, she eventually pulled back. “Looks like we both helped each other then.”

She turned and made a step toward the exit, but Hiccup couldn’t let her go now. Not with like this, with this one moment hanging between them. “Astri?” he called her back, picking up all his courage as she glanced back at him. “Why did you kiss me?”

She blushed and, ducking her head, swiped a strand of loose hair out of her face before she answered. “You… didn’t miss that, huh? Of course, you didn’t.” She let out a weak chuckle. “It’s… I—I wanted to ask you for a long time and promised myself that, should we get off that tower alive, I’d do it. But I guess my mind skipped a few steps there. I-I’m sorry, we can pretend it never happened if you—”

She didn’t get the chance to say any more. Hiccup bridged the distance between them with one step, cupped her face with both hands, and pressed his lips to her mouth. This kiss wasn’t as harsh as the other had been, soft and gentle. Astrid didn’t need long to catch up, her lips twitching into a grin before she kissed him back. It was a chaste kiss, sweet with only lips. But as her arms slid around his waist, Hiccup felt as if this had to be the best kiss of his life so far.

When they parted, Hiccup let his forehead rest against hers, unwilling to part just yet. “I don’t want to pretend it didn’t happen,” he murmured. “I’m glad it did.”

Astrid nodded, then pulled away and threw him a warm smile. “Okay. So… should we go back to the others now? But I warn you, I stand by what I said. Or at least I think I said something like this. If your cousin makes even one stupid comment, I’ll hit him.”

Chuckling, Hiccup reached for her hand, inwardly rejoicing when her fingers closed around his without hesitation. “Again, I won’t stop you.”

#Hiccstrid #fanfiction #httyd #Modern AU #Intimacy Prompts #drakaina amore64 #prompt #ask #Heights tw #stuck on a funfair ride #fluff

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