i am 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆

AKSEL STOICK HADDOCK 21 . he/him . berk, earth-749 ❝ no one can unring this bell, unsound this alarm, 𝐮𝐧𝐛𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐤 my heart new. god knows, i am 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 , waiting to be swiftly pulled into tune. i know the further i go the ʜᴀʀᴅᴇʀ i try, only keeps my eyes ᴄʟᴏsᴇᴅ . and somehow i’ve fallen in (love) with this middle ground at the cost of my soul. ❞

[akselhaddock]

stephanie;

“Not really, she uses a slideshow but it’s normally very picture based. You didn’t have her for Biology 2?”

“no?” he answered, as if it should be obvious. “i’m one of the exchange students...” he wondered if she didn’t know at all, or she just didn’t realize. “i wasn’t here to take biology 2. i was in another dimension.”

[akselhaddock]

stephanie;

“Is that how you say it? Holy shit I’ve been saying en-dolphins for hours, fuck. My teacher has a really strong accent, so I can’t pronounce anything.”

“en-dor-phins,” aksel emphasized each syllable slowly, mouthing them exaggeratedly. “does you teacher not like...write shit down? or give presentations? or use a book?” he asked, 

[akselhaddock]

jackson;

“Not a cat– a ghost maybe,” Jack brushed his fingers down over the corner of the boy’s desk, and his hand passed through it as easily as air. “Kidding, obviously. I’ll try to fuckin’ stomp next time I approach though.” He sighed, not completely satisfied with how humorous his exposition was, but it would have to do for now. He really just wanted to get up and get out of there, but he everyone had bolted before he had the chance to ask any of them for their notes, and this guy was the last there. “I know we don’t know each other that well, but I was wondering if I could borrow your notes from the beginning of the unit?” His eyes drifted down to the paper the boy was writing on, scattered with doodles. “I have a pretty awful absence record.”

when aksel saw the boy’s fingers pass through his desk, he wondered how many people at this school were fucking ghosts. and where the hell could he sign someone up to be a dead kid walking? he was both calmed and saddened to learn that this boy wasn’t a ghost. “i’m still not used to you fuckers having powers,” he mumbled. at the other boy’s request, aksel looked down at his notes. he had decent notes, save for the last two classes. “sure, whatever,” he said, handing his notes over. “the last two classes won’t do you any good. didn’t pat attention.”

[akselhaddock]

darius;

did mary ever get tired of forcing the group to do things? it was obvious none of them really liked it ( or each other ). while darius didn’t mind aksel, he wasn’t his favorite person. which is why he wasn’t too annoyed with this situation. especially when aksel came up with a great idea. “yeah, she probably would. but i think we could convince her we worked so hard and had what she would call a cooking fail and had to get something last minute. just flash her one of your fake smiles and i’m sure she’d understand. what do you think?”

“thank fucking god–” aksel said, flopping down on the couch with a sigh of relief. literally the last thing he wanted to do was cook with darius. well...almost last. it was low on the list. “dude, i’ll be honest, i thought you’d make us do it,” aksel admitted, flipping through restaurants on his phone to figure out what they should bring as a ‘replacement.’ “always thought you were a goodie-goodie.” he swiped between two different places nearby. “chinese or italian?”

[akselhaddock]

@jacks-onian;

aksel was completely focused. he hadn’t realized he’d started drawing in the corner of the page of his notes. it didn’t register to him that he was drawing two anatomically correct dragons — one that looked strikingly like a sand wraith, and the other that strongly resembled a monstrous nightmare. it wasn’t until a pair of feet appeared before him that he jumped out of his daze with a mumble of “fuck–” he glared up at jackson, curling his notebook closer to his chest. “jesus fuck, dude. what the hell are you, a cat? make some damn noise when you walk.”

[akselhaddock]

stephanie;

❝ You know when your body is like ‘Uh whoa I almost died,’ and you get all hyper because you’re filled with dolphins? ❞

“what the fuck are you–” realization dawned on aksel and he almost laughed. almost. “...you mean endorphins?”

[akselhaddock]

the twelve;

it was bonding day, aksel’s least favorite day of the week. he hated to admit it, but he almost preferred the aa-style group meetings the used to have to these one-on-one activities mary painstakingly planned. at least with all of them in one room he could fade into the background. 

today they’d been tasked with making a dish that they would then bring to the group dinner they were all to attend later that evening. apparently mary believed that working together to cook something would help them become closer, and not cause another fire. 

aksel stared down at the recipes mary had printed out and given to them as suggestions with a look of disgust. “...do you think she’d notice if we ordered take out?”

@vdrxmy @sniickt @dariusandino @felicreck @princemikhail

[akselhaddock]

summertime sadness | self para

august 18, berk, earth-749

it was summer in berk. a rare day with blistering heat, one aksel was sure would turn into a rolling thunder storm by tomorrow. but for now, with the sun high in the sky steadily baking the inhabitants of the earth below, the cool relief of rain seemed like nothing more than a mirage. 

“i’m dying,” eirik groaned, body flopped dramatically against the ground. his dragon inferno let out a similar, equally as dramatic whine, and moved his long snout over to his rider. 

eirik only whined louder. “no, no, get back,” he grumbled, curling away from the monstrous nightmare. “you’re a fuckin’ furnace.”

even valhalla, who was a sand-dwelling dragon built for this kind of blistering heat, seemed sluggish from its intensity. 

aksel pushed himself to his feet and wiped sweat from his brow. his usual yak-fur covered attire and leather armor — a traditional dragon riders outfit — had been swapped out for a cotton shirt and pants. and even that seemed to cling to him uncomfortably. 

“where are you going?” eirik asked, gaze following his friend. “don’t leave me here to melt, aksel. what kind of friend are you?”

aksel just rolled his eyes and shielded them from the sun. “you’re coming with me, you dolt,” he said with a laugh. 

“where?” 

“just come on.”

“i can’t,” eirik bemoaned, tossing an arm over his face. “my bones have melted, i can’t move.”

aksel sighed, lips twitching up in a smirk. “fine, then i guess i’ll just have to go to this really cool place without you–” he began, turning on his heel to walk away.

“wait, wait, wait–” eirik called out, scrambling to his feet as much as the thick heat would let him. “i didn’t say i wasn’t coming–”

“you just said–” aksel started to protest, climbing onto valhalla’s back and prepping for flight.

eirik mimicked him, climbing onto inferno’s heat-radiating back with a grimace. his dragon was his most loyal companion, a blessing in the winter and the rain, but dear odin in this heat– “don’t interrupt me, i’m older than you.”

the two boys took to the skies. 

“aksel, buddy, you know i love you...and i’d trust you with my life–”

“i do know that, yes.”

“–but my guy, my bro, where are we going?”

they’d flown far out, far north, a place where aksel knew eirik had never gone. 

“i mean, usually we fly east, you know? to dragon’s edge or the sea stacks. or we even fly south, towards the island of friga, for like one of the weddings or something. but we rarely fly north. where are you taking us? because it looks like the way we fly to melody island. death songs are cool and all, but i’m not looking to die anytime soon.”

aksel rolled his eyes. “relax, melody island is farther east. we’re going to the northern markets.” aksel looked over at eirik with a grin. “but ever since berk expanded its territory and outlawed dragon hunting within the archipelago it’s become essentially abandoned.” 

“...so, no shopping?”

sand kicked up around them as they landed on the beach of the south side of the island. eirik stepped off, watching as valhalla happily buried herself in the sand, even with aksel still climbing off of her back. “my dad brought me here once, after the fight for the island. after all of the merchants, dragon hunters and dragon traders had left.”

“so...we’re here to, what? build a sandcastle?” 

aksel shook sand off of himself and fixed eirik with a glare, ignoring how his friend’s grin made his heart patter a little faster in his chest. “no, you prick–” eirik let out a bark of laughter. “just come on.”

aksel led them further into the island, their dragons trailing a ways behind them. the trees were twisted and gnarled, branches worn from age and whatever kind of battle they’d seen. the forest was healing, clearly, from the fight that had taken place here years ago. 

“are we here so you can kill me and dispose of my body?” eirik asked, stepping in front of aksel with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.

“yes. no one will hear you scream.”

“scream in what context?”

aksel shoved at eirik’s shoulder as his friend wiggled his eyebrows devilishly. that stupid smirk shouldn’t affect him as much as it did. damn eirik. 

“woah...” eirik’s mumble of shock when they finally reached their destination wiped that smirk right off of his face, and aksel grinned proudly. 

the spring was beautiful. sparkling clear water surrounded by soft white sand, like a little oasis in the middle of the otherwise desolate island. valhalla was quick to immediately jump into the sand, the vibrating sound from her throat almost like purring. aksel followed suit, jumping into the lake with a shout of glee. “come on!” aksel called, waving for eirik to join him. “it’s a nice break from the heat.” 

it was dusk when aksel and eirik finally stepped out of the lake, both bone tired from the hours of swimming, splashing, and playing they’d done. val and inferno had long left the water, both curled up under a nearby tree and sleeping contently. 

“hey,” eirik began as he wrung out his shirt. his clothes would be wet the entire flight home, but he didn’t mind. “thanks for this.”

aksel looked up, wet hair hanging in his eyes, and flashed a gentle smile. it was the same smile aksel would give eirik in the morning when he was stumbling out of his home, still groggy from sleep. it was one of eirik’s favorite aksel smiles. “anything to stop your dramatic whining,” he joked, expression soft despite the teasing words.

a comfortable silence fell over the two as both boys silently acknowledged that it was getting late. 

“we should head back–” aksel began.

“–before it gets dark,” eirik finished. 

as they roused their dragons from sleep and hopped aboard their backs, eirik glanced over his shoulder at the lake. it was almost sad to be leaving it, he liked having this place to themselves. 

“hey,” he started, causing aksel to glance over his shoulder. “can we come back here? ...tomorrow, maybe?”

there was that same smile, and eirik counted it as a win. “sure.” 

aksel couldn’t pinpoint what exactly it was that was silently shared as they locked eyes, what the antsy feeling was that worked its way under his kin. and so, rather than ask or acknowledge it, he flashed eirik an arrogant smirk and shot off into the sky. 

“race you home!” he shouted, laughing as he heard eirik’s outraged shout and cheer of glee behind him. 

aksel wondered how it was that part of his life could feel so far away, but still hurt so goddamn much. the laughter, the joy, the fun, the feelings that eirik gave him, it all felt so vivid, but so far from his reach. 

aksel stood up with an angry huff, shoving off of the edge of the pool. he discretely wiped his eyes and cheeks, ignoring the moisture he felt there. he could just blame it on something in his eye, or the smell of chlorine, if someone asked. but he was certain that no one having fun at the pool even noticed him come and go. after all, it was finally warm after such a long winter. 

[akselhaddock]

jaina;

Jaina laughed loudly. “Listen here, smartass. Every day you bump into me on your way to that locker.” She could hear her voice getting louder. For a small girl, Jaina could really make herself heard. “Next time you even think about walking in my direction, don’t.”  

aksel hefted his backpack higher on his shoulder with a scoff. “whatever,” he sneered. “it’s not like it’s my fault you block my fucking way every day.” saying excuse me would be easier, that was certain. but when didn’t aksel choose to make things difficult? “sorry to break it too you, but your terrifying threat isn’t going to stop me from getting to my locker.”

[akselhaddock]

stephanie;

“Excuse me, I’m only like… 3 inches shorter than you!” Stephanie indignantly stood up straighter, slightly on her tiptoes to try to make herself taller. “And I was voted ‘most likely to succeed’ but also ‘most likely to be punched in the face’ in the last yearbook, so it’s imperative that I know whether or not this is a real issue.”

aksel looked down at stephanie with a twitch of his lips. not exactly a smirk, merely a minor sign of amusement. “huh...seems like more,” he replied. he remembered when he had that growth spurt and caught up to eirik, who had been baffled at the lack of height difference between them. at the memory, any and all amusement in aksel’s gaze flickered out, replaced by an overwhelming anguish. “what sort of school has a superlative like most likely to be punched in the face?” he snarked, tone harsher than it had been only moments ago. “this place is fucking weird.”

[akselhaddock]

mikhail;

“It’s Mikhail,” he growled, as he reached out to grab ahold of the other’s arm, intentionally allowing his fingernails to dig in. Perhaps it was a bit of an overreaction, especially when you considered he had just gotten the other’s name wrong, but god he hated the name Michael. He despised it. Just the sound of him filled him with an irrational anger, a hatred. He had made an honest effort to reach out to the older male, to include him in something. A clear mistake. People just didn’t reject Mikhail Volkov, not without consequences that was. He’d learn that soon enough. Reaching outwards, he grabbed a hold of Askel’s arm allowing his finger nails to dig into his skin as he glanced upwards. “I’d double check your calendar if I were you,” he replied, his eyes narrowing as he stared at the male. The threat was minor, but it was clear, obvious. 

aksel felt the piercing pressure of fingernails in his skin, and his face scrunched up in anger. was this kid insane? “didn’t i just fucking tell you not to touch me?” he snapped, wrenching his arm harshly to free himself from mikhail’s grip. “yeah, i know your name is mikhail. you talk about yourself enough, it’d be impossible not to know. and maybe if you didn’t have your head so far up your own ass, you’d know my name is aksel, not alan.” he rolled his sleeves down his arms, subconsciously fiddling with the frayed ends. at mikhail’s not-so-subtle threat, aksel let out a sharp, bitter guffaw. “are you threatening me to attend your party? what the hell are you, eleven? some kid who throws a tantrum because his classmate doesn’t want to go to his birthday party? grow the fuck up. not everyone is going to give a shit about you.” aksel stepped back, somewhat uncomfortable with mikhail’s close proximity. not that he’d ever admit that. “if i had to guess, i’d say no one gives a shit about you. you’re stuck here like the rest of us, shipped off because your family didn’t want to deal with you anymore. can’t really blame them. you’re a goddamn nightmare.” was he talking to mikhail, or himself? he couldn’t tell. “everyone back home has probably forgotten all about you. or maybe they’re glad you’re finally fucking gone.” aksel stuffed his hands in the pocket of his hoodie, fingers still fiddling with the ends of his sleeves. “now, let me say it again, because you didn’t seem to hear me the first time: i’m not going to your party.”

[akselhaddock]

aksel & eirik :~)

❛❛ let the wind carry us, to the clouds, hurry up, alright. we can travel so far as our eyes can see —   EVA VALKA HADDOCK-JØRGENSEN

Name :

{ E V A } - meaning “life”

{ V A L K A } - meaning “strong, healthy”

{ H A D D O C K - J Ø R G E N S E N } - meaning “prosperity; fortune” and “son of jørgen”

Birthday :

December 2

♐️ Sagittarius (The Archer) The Sagittarius Sun Sign has an honest, optimistic and independent personality. They are passionate about justice and love adventure and travel. They are lucky in many aspects of life. They love freedom, intellectual stimulation and their own space. Every day is a reason for a new adventure. Self-confident, positive and enthusiastic, they’re a resource of information. Restless at times, they risk jeopardizing their relationships if they let it rule their lives.

Gender :

Cis-Female

Appearance :

{ H A I R } - auburn and wavy

{ E Y E S } - hazel

{ H E I G H T } - she’s quite average height, around 5′5″. although she’ll often say she’s 5′6″, because she likes the thought of being taller

Personality :

{ A D V E N T U R O U S } - With dads like Aksel Haddock and Eirik Jørgensen, two vikings known for their unyielding search for adventure, it was no wonder Eva turned out the same. Her curiosity was insatiable, and it was only fueling by the family outings they’d often go on. Eva started being allowed to go out on her dragon — a Monstrous Nightmare named Phoenix — with her dads when she was fifteen. (Eirik absolutely did Not gloat about his daughter choosing to ride a Monstrous Nightmare, no sir. He was humble and chill about the whole thing. And don’t listen to Aksel, he did NOT cry.) Eva started seeking adventure on her own, rather than accompanying the adults, not long after she turned sixteen. There was a whole world out there, waiting to be explored. Maybe multiple worlds! Who knew! Her grandma Astrid often said she was just like her grandfather when he was her age, and just as stubborn too. 

{ T E N A C I O U S } - Eva was nothing if not dedicated. She gave everything 100%, 150%, 200% if she could manage it. She took everything by the horns, and did not let go. And sometimes that was a good thing, like the time she was searching for an herb for Gothi —  who was, somehow, still alive — but had to go as far as the edge of the archipelago to find it. She didn’t give up, and she didn’t let anyone else take control, even though Aksel offered to do so multiple times. (”Babe, let her do it.” Eirik had said. “And if she gets hurt?” “She’s a Jørgensen!–” “Haddock-Jørgensen” “–she’ll be fine!”)

{ C O N F I D E N T } - The Jørgensen confidence is passed on both by nature and by nurture, apparently, seeing as Eva took to it so naturally. It was certainly a trait she’d learned from Eirik, not from Aksel. Eirik always had the same swaggering, flirtatious, playful confidence that Snotlout had — if a bit less obnoxious. And Eva herself had the same. She knew she was smart, knew she was quick, knew she was a gifted viking and dragon rider. How could she not be, with one Chief father and one Chief’s Second in Command father? With names like Haddock and Jørgensen that commanded respect and notoriety, she had no doubt in her abilities. Thankfully, because of Aksel’s more subdued nature and Eirik’s desire to please his husband, both instilled in her the thought that while she was talented and deserved to be confident, others held talent within them as well, and could be confident in their own right. Eva often cheers on those who lack the same self-assurance, telling them how great they were. 

{ B L U N T } - Aksel and Eirik both take equal amounts responsibility for this one. (No matter what Eirik says. No Eirik, Aksel’s sarcasm didn’t make him 65% responsible.) While there’s a good side to this trait as well — she’s honest — Eva’s bluntness gets the better of her more often than not. Sometimes it’s good things: “You look great!”, “You’re doing a great job!”, “Wow, this is an amazing sword.” Other times it’s not so good: “You smell disgusting.”, “Your dragon looks as irritated with you as I am.”, “Wow, those are some baby muscles for a grown man.” It’s not uncommon for village members to bring Eva back to her dads with a huff and an irritated explanation of what she said. 

Special Talents :

Dragon training. Eva doesn’t have the same passion for invention like Aksel, nor the same love of weaponry like Eirik. She isn’t inept in either, her quick mind and problem-solving skills are high, but she doesn’t love it. Not in the same way she loves anything and everything related to dragons, especially training them. She’s been known to rival even Hiccup with her ability to train what would have been deemed an untrainable dragon. They sense in her a dragon’s heart, and she connects with them better than with most people. 

Who They Like Better :

She loves both of her dads to pieces. She couldn’t be more grateful that they took her in, gave her somewhere to call home. However, it’s Eirik that is the most fun. Aksel isn’t unfun, but he’s often busy being chief or he has to be the “responsible” parent of the two (if you could call him that at all.) Eirik, however, is just as goofy and reckless as he was as a teenager. He’s not an idiot, he doesn’t let her do anything he thinks would sincerely put her in danger, but if she wants to have a good time, it’s Eirik she goes to. If she wants to talk out her problems, Aksel is a better fit. 

Who They Take After More :

I think she’s equally both, just in different ways. She has the same instant connection with dragons like the Haddock boys have always had, and she has the same confidence and tenacity that the Jørgensen clan is known for. However, upon first impression, she’s more clearly like Eirik. 

Personal Headcanon :

The day Aksel dared Eirik to steal a Screaming Death egg did not lead to Eirik’s death. The dragon got back, tossed Eirik from the nest, but somehow Eirik survived. And Aksel was thrown for a loop. He stayed by his best friend’s bedside until he was recovered, with his dragon Valhalla and Eirik’s dragon Inferno sitting by his side. Eirik was off of his feet for a while, seeing as his leg was severely damaged in the fall. It was difficult, getting him up and moving again, but Aksel was there every step of the way. 

The two had the chance to talk deeply during that time, to talk about the unspoken tension between them that Aksel often avoided by changing the subject. Eirik had been patient for years, simply content to be with Aksel however he was able, but with this boy he cared for so deeply holding his hand and taking care of him and talking to him endlessly to keep him entertained, he couldn’t keep his mouth shut any longer. 

“Aksel, how do you feel about me?”

Aksel had paused, practically frozen. “I– I mean... We’re best friends, right? I don’t know what–”

“Aksel.” Eirik’s gaze was firm, but pleading. He had to know. 

After a long discussion, Aksel explained that he wasn’t sure what he felt. That he’d never really felt anything for anyone before — demisexual, was the term he was unaware of — but he knew that his feelings for Eirik went beyond friendship, that they had for a long time. 

They took things slow, getting to know each other in a different capacity. But with time they became comfortable labelling themselves as a couple. 

The village was thrown, to say the least. Snotlout himself was quite vocal about his shock. There were some that were supportive, others weren’t. Eventually, the people who mattered came to understand that the love these two boys had for one another could not go hidden any longer. And having a loyal dragon at your side keeps away most of the disapproving remarks. 

Their relationship blossomed, as did their love for each other. Their dynamic hadn’t shifted much, many of the villagers came to notice. They still caused trouble, still laughed louder than they should, still were together more often than not. But now Aksel didn’t step away from lingering touches, and now Eirik felt more comfortable showering Aksel in flirtatious compliments and pet names. 

They were in their early twenties when Aksel’s Uncle Daggur showed up with a baby swaddled in cloth, lucky to be alive. He explained that he found her aboard a shipwreck, floating on some wreckage that was surrounded by giant eels. He and Sleuther had managed to swoop her up in time, but now he didn’t know what to do with her. With no clues as to the whereabouts of her actual family, Aksel was left with the decision as Chief to take her in. 

He’d claimed that the care of her would be a group effort, until her family could be located, but soon the group became Aksel and Eirik. They both cared for her immediately, and she took to them just as quickly. 

Aksel had said it first, after asking what they should name her. 

“What about Skylout?”

“We are not naming our daughter Skylout.”

Eirik and Aksel had both paused. They were keenly aware that they could never have a child of their own — not without one of them bringing someone else into bed, and neither cared for that idea — but they’d never openly discussed the idea of it. 

“Our daughter?” Eirik echoed. 

“I didn’t say that–”

“Yes you did.”

“It was a slip of the tongue, just–”

Eirik confessed that he’d always wanted a child with Aksel, even though he knew it wasn’t possible. After some discussion, they decided that they’d give it a try. They reluctantly still looked for her actual family, but in the meantime it wouldn’t hurt for them to be a family...right? 

The naysayers of Aksel and Eirik’s relationship reared their ugly heads again, but just like last time, they held strong. Most of them had left Berk once Aksel became Chief, no longer loyal to the community. Let them go, Hiccup had said, patting his son on the shoulder. 

After those who were opposed saw how much Eva — the name Aksel and Eirik finally decided upon, with the help of Alva — loved her dads, and they quieted themselves. 

As Eva grew older, her bond with her dads grew stronger, and the reality that one day her real family might show up only became a bleaker future neither Aksel nor Eirik wanted to picture. 

So far, seventeen years later, that day has yet to come. 

Faceclaim :

Ashleigh Cummings

[akselhaddock]

6/12 + john mulaney quotes — a shit post by steph

@sniickt @dariusandino @felicreck @princemikhail @vdrxmy

[akselhaddock]

stephanie;

“I’m calling the zoo right now.” Stephanie was a little taken aback by his insistence that she was worried. “What? Worried? I’m not- no you misunderstood. I’m worried people are going to start punching me now.” 

“uh-huh,” aksel hummed with a roll of his eyes. “whatever. don’t be a dick and you’ll probably be fine. you’re small, maybe they’ll mistake you for a toddler and let it slide.”

[akselhaddock]

griffin;

it wasn’t like griffin minded his new roomates, if he had to admit so himself. at times, it was like no one was there even when the three of them actually were. granted, griffin liked it better when he was all alone, considering he wasn’t sure who’d be the one to throw the first punch. and as he watched aksel walk in; he’d figure he had been the first one in whatever situation he’d gotten himself. “at my roommate’s obviously smashed face,” he commented, unfazed by the snapping tone, as he downed the rest of his beer, only to open a new one. 

aksel scoffed — a sharp, bitter-sounding laugh. when was the last time he’d genuinely laughed? he dropped his bag on the ground haphazardly, deciding not to think about it. “you should see the other guy,” he deadpanned, walking into the kitchen. the other guy didn’t have a scratch on him. maybe some sore knuckles from the beating he’s given aksel, but he hadn’t fought back. he held a bag of frozen peas over his eye, hoping to reduce the swelling so mary didn’t throw a fit. “got another one of those?” he asked, jerking his chin toward the beer. 

[akselhaddock]

laura;

laura wasn’t really listening for his answer. it was less she didn’t care to though ( really - she mightn’t have cared very much, but she wasn’t completely lacking ), and more her still being hard at work attempting to decipher the rest of mary’s list of questions. it was proving quite difficult and was definitely a ‘full focus’ kinda thing, so it took her a bit longer than was really acceptable to realize - “that was recent.” birthday’s weren’t something that SHE cared about, but she’d been lead to believe that everyone else did. wasn’t that something that someone declared was coming up, so that they could get cake and presents and attention on the day? mary surely would’ve took care of that for him - so she had to wonder why aksel had let the day pass them all by. “i think it’s good. what a person chooses to whittle can tell you a lot about them,” words coupled with an expressionless face, it was impossible to tell whether laura was being serious or not, “a christmas tree is my answer, by the way. why didn’t you tell us about your birthday?” that wasn’t a question on the list, she was sure without even looking, but she couldn’t help it.

“yep,” aksel replied to her statement. it was indeed recent, a little under two weeks ago, in fact. he hadn’t done anything. he mumbled a happy birthday to alva and hadn’t waited to hear her response before he put his headphones back in to block out the world. he looked up at laura when she answered his question, wondering if she was kidding or serious. it was impossible to tell, so aksel had given up trying. “can’t say i’ve ever had an interest in whittling,” he said, utterly bemused by the importance of it. with a shrug, aksel looked back to the sheet, trying to make sense of the wide range of questions. his gaze shifted sharply to laura, then pointedly back down to the paper. “i don’t think that’s a question on here,” he answered. why hadn’t he? because he’d rather be left alone, because he didn’t want to feel dejected when no one cared, or worse, he didn’t want utterly pathetic when they did show up, only because they felt obligated. he just shrugged again. “what does it matter?” he finally answered. “it’s just a day like any other.”

[akselhaddock]

stephanie;

“It looks like a tiger mauling to me. But then again, I’m no medical expert.” Stephanie shrugged, trying to not seem too worried. She found herself jumping to concerning conclusions most of the time - not like she would want anyone to know that she was now worried about tigers. “People are punching for that now? I better watch out.”

“tell you what, you find a tiger to maul me, then compare the differences,” aksel suggested, wondering why she was even acting like she cared. he grunted noncommittally, still hung up on why. unless she was just one of those genuinely nice people who showed concern for others for no reason. he couldn’t relate. “it isn’t bad,” he lied. it stung. “so don’t feel like you have to care. i’m sure you can make yourself feel like a good person some other way.”