thanks for the prompt! I was at work sorry for the delay.
Viggo Grimborn is not easily impressed. Such a habit is ever so true when he finally meets the young foe that’s bested his brother too many times.
Now that the Hunter has his prey frozen before him, encapsulated by the chilly mist of a Flightmare, he chuckles; surely this child isn’t the one to have outsmarted not only Ryker Grimborn, but all of their army of hunters?
Pathetic —one whose end?
The boy may ride a Night Fury, but it too is frozen. Viggo is too cunning for the Rider, and that is why these little excursions will end.
“I did enjoy our short time together,” Viggo concludes, holding his newly named Dragon Eye tool. “Make the right decision, young one, and we will never have to fight again. I give you one chance, and that chance only.”
Hiccup Horrendous Haddock lll —a terrible name— can hardly move his eyes to respond. He bears all of the usual Nordic markings: war paint, prominent armor, long hair that has been braided and tied back…
But the boy also is a curious sight. His armor is rotted in scales. His colors are too bright to blend in —it’s as if he wants to be seen bearing the symbol of dragons.
Viggo Grimborn, having descended from the English, considers himself a noble and superior man. These havoc Norsemen that he’s gotten himself mixed in with are far beneath him. Viggo hates everything about them. They’re crude with their markings and untamed hair. They yell at everything.
Because Viggo is calm, he approaches Hiccup slowly and without expression. Only when he unsheathes a knife from his belt and brings it to the boy’s hair do his lips curl back and that sadistic pleasure sinks its teeth in him.
“In hopes I never see you again, I do hope to collect one echo of the foe that has admittedly bested my armies,” Viggo sneers, eyeing a braided strand. “This —“ he slices the braid high above the neck for what’s left of it to unravel “—will be a reminder to you that I will take what’s yours should we see each other ever again.”
Hiccup cannot see where the Hunter has cut his hair (because the stupid mist has even his eyes paralyzed) but he felt the jerk of it and his heart cannot stop racing.
Viggo monologues for a few more moments, soaking in what Hiccup assumes to be a pride that’s resulted from months of losing against the Dragon Riders.
There will be a next time. And Hiccup will make Viggo regret it.
———————
The ride home is quiet. No one speaks, nor reflects on any of what happened.
They lost the fight. They lost the Dragon Eye. They lost Heather —the variable that forced Hiccup to play it as safe as possible to keep her safe.
And she couldn’t even stick around for them.
When they arrive home, Hiccup is too angry to debrief. He retreats to his hut, wanting to go for a flight but he knows Toothless is more than tired.
Sometimes, Hiccup doesn’t think about how the dragons are affected by his plans…
He’s quick to jot down new ideas, to create maps of what he remembers on the island, of things he noticed that can be useful for the future.
He will see Viggo again, and he will take back his Dragon Eye.
Hiccup isn’t sure how late into the night it is, other than the dwindling candle that’s lost much of its wax. A knock scares him awake, as his head had begun to slip from his palm.
“It’s Astrid!” She calls, voice smothered by the door.
Hiccup invites her in, immediately apologizing for his mistakes. He should’ve done “this” better as the leader, or he could’ve done “that” to have kept the Dragon Eye.
Astrid kneels in front of him, catching his somber gaze that refuses to look her in the eyes. “Hiccup, go to sleep. Right now, we can’t do anything about what happened. You’ll think more clearly in the —what happened there?”
She doesn’t leave him enough time to react. Her fingers graze the blunt tips of a strand of hair, and she gathers the bunch that had been cut off. Hiccup gently slides her fingers off, holding her hand for too long until he lets go, and looks at her.
“Viggo offered me something,” Hiccup says, tone stern. “He said we’d never have to fight again if I chose to leave him alone… and then he cut my braid and took the Dragon Eye.”
“Why?” Astrid scoffs, her brows furrowed.
“Some sadistic souvenir,” Hiccup mutters, standing up. “He did acknowledge we were the better opponent, though.”
After a few crude insults, Astrid finds herself sitting on a chair while Hiccup ends up debriefing the mission (venting, actually) on the floor with his head resting against Astrid’s knees.
Astrid is bent over, knuckles deep in his hair as she braids the lower half. When she’s finished, the strand that was cut sticks out.
Hiccup twirls the ends with a finger, silently missing what was stolen. He’s embarrassed, to say the least, about the manner in which he’d been foiled and about how terribly he failed. Viggo is a smug man.
Astrid slides to the ground, grabs the strand, and weaves it into a smaller braid that finishes just past his jaw. She grabs the small cord of leather from her own hair, and fixes it onto his.
“It’ll grow back in no time,” she reassures him, smiling. “Didn’t take you long to grow this out.”
She gestures to his hair that’s much past his shoulders. It sits a good hand above his elbows.
He only smiles, displaying the floppy grin that gets her heart beating.
mini rant because i genuinely find it funny and i need to grow a pair at the end of the day.
Someone bookmarked my fic saying that they weren’t really a fan of it lol. It was something along the lines of “not how I would’ve written it,” or “not really my taste, but it has its moments” and that “the body horror’s been better in some other fic”. I forgot, actually. I’m not trying to spit on anyone, so apologies if I misunderstood, my bad. I was just surprised it was even saved.
Not a big deal, but I happened to look again recently, and it was deleted… like oh ok. Takebacks.
It’s some lame fic dawg. Ain’t no one payin me to write something you don’t like. Idk if it’s too boring or whiny or whatever. I’m preaching on deaf ears, but lol I’m sorry. I’m some random with a keyboard ok. We all are. Idk what I’m doing.
I mean, it’s deleted. Not the first time someone’s disliked my stuff. Totally fine. I know. If I put it out there, it’s fair game to say what you’d like. I need to get over myself.
“Every time Stoick visits Dragon's Edge, he swears that he leaves with a few more gray hairs. If only his son would stop tempting fate…”
Stoick wouldn’t call fatherhood an easy task. Being a chief also isn’t easy; lives depend on him, he’s responsible for all resources, and he finalizes every decision made on the island.
But being a father? It has made Stoick question every action like nothing before.
As a young father, he was excited, limitless in his ideas of opportunities for his son. After all, the baby had surpassed expectations and survived through the winter —let alone the night he was born.
And then tragedy struck, and the family of three became an even quieter family of two. Hiccup was a curious boy by nature, making the days long. Still, Stoick knew his son was enthusiastic about impressing his father. Orders were obeyed to the best of his abilities (Stoick has come to realize Hiccup just does things in his own way), and their relationship was easy. It was established.
Yet soon, when Stoick realized that Hiccup wasn’t going to live up to a bar that was clearly not for him, Stoick’s engagement withered, and Hiccup began embracing all that Stoick didn’t like about him.
Despite blacksmithing keeping him busy, Hiccup was susceptible to trouble, and that trouble struck Stoick’s reputation often.
It wasn’t until another tragedy, where Stoick disowned his child in favor of “what was best for the village” that he realized how wrong he had been. Hiccup was not meeting Stoick’s expectations because Stoick hardly knew his son at all.
Stoick is physically strong, able to lift limber like an axe. Hiccup cannot. Hiccup can make anything out of a few slabs of wood and iron rods. Stoick cannot.
The father had been looking at it all wrong.
Both Stoick and Hiccup are natural leaders, able to delegate responsibilities to those that would ensure the job is done well. Both Stoick and Hiccup know how to see things in a different light, even if that light shines on different parts.
Both Haddock’s know what to do, even if a mistake or two is made first.
“—Astrid, you search the eastern coastline,” Hiccup says, unaware that his father had readied himself to speak. “Ruff, Tuff, you have the west. My father and I will take the middle of the island. Fishlegs and Snotlout, you take care of Gobber, and keep fixing the base.”
Stoick loves how quickly the team nods, despite Snotlout’s bantering. Hiccup handles himself well, especially because he whipped up a simple plan in the blink of an eye. As Stoick follows —not leads— Hiccup to Toothless, he hardly contains his smirk.
When the three are up in the air, searching for a rouge Rumblehorn while also touring the island, Stoick silently commends his son’s work. Sure, the entire team worked on it, but Stoick knows who crafted the plans and brought the place to life.
Hiccup points out many structures, excited to share how they’d made what and any challenges they overcame to finish. Stoick grunts every now and then to interact, but his admiration for his son’s work is beyond the mountains.
As they work together to track down the dragon, Stoick’s excitement grows. He and Hiccup know what to do next. Hiccup knows what questions to ask when Stoick shares an idea. Stoick knows where to look when Hiccup’s narrowed down the options. Had their fishing lessons gone this smoothly?
Surely they hadn’t…
They work so well together that the blasted Rumblehorn is tamed and has a home to go to before sunset comes.
And then Hiccup reminds Stoick that they aren’t so alike and in-tune with the other because he really thinks Stoick doesn’t miss him.
A dragon is a reliable companion. It is more than a pet that does a Viking’s bidding, but it cannot replace a son. A son —Stoick’s son— is a soul whose presence is just enough to soften the heart of a weary old man, no matter their differences.
Stoick misses hearing the rants and rambles, the endless questions about what to do next. He might be a chief that is needed at every second of the day, but Hiccup truly made Stoick feel needed. A very important person in Stoick’s life used to need him.
And while Stoick misses that dependency on him, he’s overjoyed that Hiccup has so much more to offer on his own.
——————-
Stoick doesn’t have to visit Dragon’s Edge for Hiccup to to stress him out.
Contrary to the last time they’d seen each other, Hiccup is once again in his own pond of quirks that Stoick just doesn’t understand.
“Where in the name of Thor did those wings come from?” Stoick shouts, battling the noise of thundering air.
Hiccup looks over his father’s shoulder, in disarray and practically standing up on Skullcrusher’s saddle. “Wings —oh, right. I’ll explain later,” Hiccup says, distracted. “Right now, I have to find my dragon.”
Stoick is envious of the Night Fury.
Eventually, that “later” does come. While Hiccup is eager to return to Dragon’s Edge after their successful mission, Stoick convinces his son and the team of Riders to spend the night on Berk.
Now that Hiccup quietly drinks soup on the table, Stoick feels relaxed. The silence is welcomed, not awkward. Both Haddocks need time to slow down and be in their thoughts. This process has been slowly realized as Hiccup has matured —as Stoick has adapted, too.
It is when Hiccup is removing his bag from Toothless’ saddle that Stoick prompts the question again.
“What was the thing you were wearin’ earlier?” Stoick asks, sitting in his old chair by the dying fire. “I hope it’s not meant to carry you in the sky.”
Hiccup looks around, scratching the back of his neck. “Uh, and if I say it was?”
“I’d ask what the reason is for it. Don’t ya have a dragon to do tha’ for you?”
“Not if I get separated from him,” Hiccup defends, taking out the contraption, letting the orange light hit the bright red of the fabric. “It’s a flight suit! It is also much nicer than the last one I’d made.”
“There’s another one of this?” Stoick asks, raising a brow with a characteristicly calm voice.
“Of course,” Hiccup enthusiastically replies, coming closer. “Look, Dad, it’s safe. I’ve tested it out many times. I’ve never gotten injured.”
Stoick lets the silence communicate his disbelief.
“Hey, you saw me make it to my target didn’t you?” Hiccup asks, taking a seat in front of his father on a stool. “I landed right on Skullcrusher didn’t I? That’s a success —one that I’ve worked very hard on.”
“One of these days, your inventions might prove to be crazier than helpful.”
“What’s crazy about it? We already ride dragons, don’t we?”
Stoick smiles. “Ay. My grandfather would’ve nailed me to the wall if he saw any of us on a dragon,” he jokes. His expression soon hardens, and he scratches his beard. “Although, I’d nail you to the wall if I saw you jumping off any cliffs to test that thing out.”
Hiccup’s eyes go wide. “Yeah —uh —well,” he stammers, his hands clasping together as he stands. “Good thing you only see the finished product…”
“I should have Astrid write me a list of all your risky ideas,” Stoick ponders, standing up. “I bet an entire book would be filled with —“
“Endless ideas that would benefit the village,” Hiccup interrupts. “My inventions have helped us pleeeeenty…”
Stoick bites his tongue.
“Even if naysayers like yourself doubt me,” Hiccup says, smirking with a dubious glint in his eyes. “I hardly listen to you anyway.”
Hiccup turns around, heading for the stairs. Stoick watches him leave, smiling. Hiccup yawns, says his goodbyes, and retreats for the night.
Stoick knows he won’t see his boy in the morning; his son is too much of an explorer.
Surely, Hiccup can’t have that many crazy ideas?
No. Stoick can’t lie to himself.
And soon thereafter, every time that Stoick visits Dragon’s Edge, he swears that he leaves with a few more gray hairs. If only his son would stop tempting fate…
Stoick cannot keep track of every mental note he makes of his son’s disregard for safety. Hiccup tells him that the possibility of success outweighs the risks, but Stoick calls that being hard-headed.
(Gobber would call Hiccup a “chip off the old block”, but Stoick denies being this hard-headed.)
Stoick may be many things, but never will he deny his son again.
I’m in heavy writer’s block sorry to anyone that reads my stuff. Any ideas for a short drabble?
I need to branch out more (lol) and I need a low stakes writing exercise. I’ve found that I cannot write fluff for the life of me without any specific details or context idk…
I am totally NOT a romance person 😩 I didn’t think I could write a short 2K word drabble, yet for my last one-shot it was hard to make it even 1.5K lol.
changed my brushes and watched more tutorials on rendering. I now know what a face looks like rather than trying to imitate what I see.
life’s so much easier when you know the “why” of things rather than seeing “it” only
before vs after:
Still isn’t perfect since I’m aware of the imperfections but I’ll give myself a little grace and say it’s better (although I do like the rendered hair from before; I was just to lazy to do it again)
I'd love to see a close-up of Hiccup & Astrid (in the Feign universe, of course) holding hands – the contrast of her normal hand entwined with his clawed, scaled hand would be such a great opp for a detail shot, if it interested you!
(or even her hands guiding his to wrap around her waist in chapter 24 lol. they're so cute they make me giddy)
– 👻
thanks for the suggestion >:)
based on chapter 24
I made myself a new sketching brush and it’s all over now. I’ve unlocked secrets >:)
He’s aware she hates him, but it doesn’t really matter. Slightly based on Chapter 4
I’m actually really proud of this can you believe it? I figured out the right color for the lineart, so I’ll try sticking to it from now on. Color isn’t so bad I suppose, but I’ll keep practicing. Even having watched a video or two greatly improved my understanding of shading and stuff, wow. I guess studying DOES work, lol.
anyway, Hiccup’s design is sure to change since I’m not sure what I’m doing… I also am TERRIBLE with clothes so… I’ll have to watch a tutorial about folds next. Yikes. Anyway…
also for the sketch requests, I see them! I just wanted to finish this one first :)
Shall I be kind to myself and say improvement? I think so.
Sorry for it being blurry. Thought I had saved a pic of the older version but I guess not. I took a screenshot of the timelapse.
Funny how things just click after a few months of not looking at it —or actually it might be a year. There’s not an outstanding amount of differences, but there *are* improvements so that’s something.
janainaart
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