Hey everyone, @astrid-foreverythingelse here! So this drabble is actually for a request we received on our AO3 account (hence no ask to answer) but we still wanted to be able to share it with you in case it was something you guys were interested in. Hope you enjoy!
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Modern AU Hiccup and Astrid take Zephyr and Nuffink to the Berk Wildlife Rehabilitation Center and Sanctuary for "Bring Your Kid To Work Day". They introduce them to their most well-known inhabitants; Toothless, a black jaguar and Luna, an albino leopard, Stormfly, a Newfoundland white wolf/Florida black wolf hybrid, Hookfang, a tigon (a hybrid born from a tiger and a lioness), Meatlug, a Syrian Brown Bear, Barf and Belch, a two-headed King cobra, Cloudjumper, a great gray owl, (Strix nebulosa lapponica), Skullcrusher, a northern white rhino, Grump, a Bornean sun bear, Windshear, an Iberian lynx, and Sharpshot, a vervet monkey and the sanctuary's mascot.
I absolutely loved the challenge this prompt was so thank you so much for submitting it, and I hope its at least somewhat like what you had in mind! It's quite a long one so it's coming in at least 3 parts. Enjoy, Parts 2 and 3 to come soon!
Wild Life
“Alright, now do we remember all the rules?” Astrid looked down at her two children vibrating in place with excitement.
Her husband chuckled behind her. “I don’t think they’re listening anymore.”
“This isn’t funny, Hiccup. Some of these animals can be very dangerous.”
“I’m aware, but we aren’t seeing those animals today.”
“Guys, I’m serious. Animals aren’t always predictable, especially when they’re hurt like these animals are, so we have to be careful today. Understood?”
The children nodded fervently, bouncing in place. Astrid sighed, knowing it was a losing battle, and simply opened the door to the Berk Wildlife Rehabilitation Center and Sanctuary, gesturing her children into the large welcoming center. Light poured in from the glass ceiling as the children spun slowly in awe, soaking up every bit of information their little brains could handle.
Suddenly, a Vervet monkey jumped down from his perch above the door and onto Hiccup’s shoulder. He scratched the monkey’s cheek as the kids ran over to meet him.
“Daddy, is that Sharpshot?” Zephyr asked excitedly.
“Yes it is! Our first resident and very own mascot!” Hiccup confirmed, kneeling down so the kids could get a better look. “We found him when he was just a little baby. We think he was abandoned because he had two broken legs and a broken arm. He might have fallen from a tree and his parents couldn’t find him.”
“That’s sad,” Nuffink said, puckering his lower lip as he reached out to the little monkey. His forlorn expression didn’t last long, though, as Sharpshot immediately ran down Hiccup’s arm and onto Nuffink’s shoulder.
“It is sad,” Astrid jumped in, “But since we’ve had him for almost as long as he’s been alive, he loves being around humans. He’s very quiet and gentle, so that’s why he’s our mascot.”
Hiccup stood up as Nuffink and Zephyr played with Sharpshot, jokingly bumping into his wife. “Still think they won’t want to join the family business?” Hiccup smirked.
Astrid rolled her eyes and smiled. “I never said they wouldn’t. They have far too much of you in them.”
“Oh, sure,” Hiccup added sarcastically. “Alright, heathens, do you want to meet more animals or is this little guy all you wanted to see?”
“MORE!” the children screamed in unison.
“Then let’s get moving!”
~~~~~
Astrid and Hiccup couldn’t get enough of the wide-eyed wonder rolling off of their children in the backseat of the doorless Jeep as they drove to check on the first two animals, Sharpshot jumping between Nuffink and Zephyr’s laps and Hiccup and Astrid’s shoulders. Astrid tried yet again to warn the children of the wild nature of these animals and how they weren’t all necessarily as playful as Sharpshot, but the warning seemed to fall on deaf ears. She knew they were listening from their distant nods, but they were also much more intrigued by the rehabilitation center flying by around them.
“Hey there, Snotlout!” Hiccup said, pulling up to the first fenced-in area.
Snotlout spun around at the sound of his name, eyes falling on the Haddocks. “Hey Hiccup, Astrid,” he said, walking up to lean against the fence. “I should’ve known you’d be the ones to actually take part in Bring Your Kids To Work Day.”
“Hi Snotlout!” Nuffink cried from the backseat.
“Hey, Nuff! Have you ever seen a tigon before?”
“What’s a tigon?” Zephyr asked.
Snotlout didn’t answer; he only smiled and turned his back. He took a deep breath and bellowed, “Hookfang! Lunch time!”
Zephyr and Nuffink looked around curiously as Hiccup and Astrid smiled at each other. The air was still, disturbed only by a gentle breeze rustling the leaves in the nearby trees.
Suddenly, a roar broke through the calm as a big cat bounded out of the tall grass towards the unconcerned Snotlout within the enclosure. Zephyr and Nuffink screamed as the man was tackled by the animal.
Astrid laughed. “It’s okay! Look!”
The fearful, wide-eyed pair frantically looked back to see the animal simply licking Snotlout’s face. He laughed as he playfully pushed the big cat off of him. “Alright, alright, come on, Hookie, get off!”
Snotlout wiped off his face as he stood and looked back to the kids. “Zephyr, Nuffink, meet Hookfang the Tigon.”
This time they truly paid attention to the big cat now rubbing his head against Snotlout’s stomach. He wasn’t very large as compared to a lion or other “big cats” of the wild, but he was quite muscular. His belly was covered in white fur and the rest of his body orange, with faint black stripes peppered across his back.
Well, most of his back.
“What happened to him?” Zephyr asked quietly, eyes fixed on the large patches of exposed skin.
Snotlout pursed his lips. “Well, do you know where tigons are from?”
Nuffink jumped up, eager to answer the question, but stopped when he couldn’t think of one.
Zephyr pondered for a moment. “Um...”
“Exactly,” Snotlout interrupted. “They’re not an animal that happens naturally in the wild. Tigers and lions don’t live on the same continent. So tigons and ligers, you can only find them in captivity.”
“Oh,” Zephyr said.
“This guy,” Snotlout continued, scratching behind Hookfang’s ears, “had another owner. This guy was an exotic animal enthusiast. He had all kinds of animals on this big property hidden back in some woods, and not all of them legal.” He paused for a moment to reach for the lid of a cooler. “Back, Hookfang!”
The tigon obeyed, turning his back and walking away towards the tall grass. Snotlout pulled out a large steak of meat and hurled it towards Hookfang, who lunged at and grabbed the meat before disappearing back into the grass.
Snotlout walked back to the fence, continuing his story. “There was a big fire, no one is really sure how it started. They think it might have been something in the barn that caught, but by the time anyone found it, the entire property was up in flames. Including the enclosures. Most of the animals had died by the time anyone got back to the property, and the owner, too. The few that did survive the fire ended up dying because their burns were so bad. Hookfang was the only one that made it.”
Zephyr gasped quietly, and Hiccup turned around to see tears in not only her eyes, but Nuffink’s as well. Even Sharpshot was sitting solemnly still in Zephyr’s lap.
“It took a lot of surgeries and skin grafts and medicine, but Hookfang pulled through. And his skin is strong and healthy now. He won’t be able to grow fur back in the places where the worst burns were, but he doesn’t seem to mind. We can’t release him into the wild because he’s never lived in the wild before, so he’ll live here for the rest of his life unless we can find somewhere better for him.” Snotlout smiled at Zephyr’s sigh of relief. “He’s really happy here, I promise.”
“Alright, we’ve got a lot more animals to see,” Astrid interjected. “Thank you, Snotlout.”
“Thank you!” the kids said in unison.
Snotlout saluted the family as they took off towards the next healing animal.
~~~~~
“Is that a polar bear?!” Zephyr cried.
“Not quite, Zeph,” Fishlegs corrected. “She’s actually a Syrian Brown Bear; see how she’s more of a gray color and has some darker brown patches on her back? She’s a lot smaller than a polar bear would be, too. Her name is Meatlug. Go on! Go up to the enclosure and meet her!”
Nuffink’s eyes grew wide and sparkly. “Really?!”
“Sure!” Fishlegs encouraged. “She’s and older bear, but she’s very playful. She fell down a cliff when she was young and suffered some brain damage. Physically, she’s one of our healthiest residents. Mentally, she’s still just a cub.”
“Is that why she’s still here?” Zephyr asked, running up to the enclosure.
“Yepp. At first we were afraid she just wouldn’t grow, but she did. Now we’re just worried that she’s too young mentally to defend herself.” Meatlug curiously watched the children bouncing excitedly on the opposite side of the fence as Fishlegs made his way inside the enclosure. “Come here, girl, it’s okay!”
Meatlug slowly approached Fishlegs, eyes on the children. When she was about three feet away from her caretaker, she froze and tilted her head.
“What is it, girl?” Fishlegs asked. “Don’t tell me you’re going to be shy now!”
Meatlug turned to Fishlegs and sniffed his direction. She paused for a moment before standing up on her hind legs, tongue hanging out of her mouth, and bouncing over to him. Fishlegs laughed delightedly as he embraced her and scratched her neck.
“Come on, you silly bear!” he said, leading her over to fence where the children patiently stood.
Back in the Jeep, Hiccup sat with an arm around Astrid and his other hand scratching Sharpshot’s head. Astrid laid her head on Hiccup’s shoulder as they watched their children playing with the bear, both convinced the pair will end up in veterinarian school when they grow older.
Suddenly, they heard talons on the roof of the Jeep, making the three of them jump.
“Cloudjumper?” Astrid wondered aloud, jumping out of the Jeep. Hiccup did the same, pulling Sharpshot up on his shoulder.
Sure enough, the Great Gray Owl was perched on roof.
“That’s odd,” Astrid mused. “He only ever perches up there when we aren’t in it.”
“Unless-”
“Hoo-hoo! Hoo-hoo!”
Astrid and Hiccup shared a worried look. Hiccup spun around. “Zephyr! Nuffink! Come on, we need to go!”
“Aw, but Dad!” Nuffink started. “Can’t we just-”
“Now, guys!”
Zephyr and Nuffink heard the worried urgency in their father’s voice now as they saw their parents scramble into the Jeep. They ran back as they watched the owl take off and fly down the road. The two were barely in their seats before Hiccup took off after the owl.
“Who’s that?” Zephyr asked.
“Cloudjumper,” Astrid explained. “He’s actually not a resident here anymore, he just sort of hangs around. He had a broken wing that we fixed a while back, but after we released him, he managed to find his way here again. We can’t really get him to leave.”
“So why are we following him?” Nuffink asked.
“Well, we figured out after a while of him being back that he doesn’t interact much with the animals. He just sort of... Hangs back, and watches. He never makes a sound, never bothers anyone. But if any of our animals are in trouble, he finds a staff member and pretty much harasses them until they follow. It’s the only time he approaches any other animal or human, and the only time he ever makes a sound.”
“Awesome,” Nuffink whispered.
“That’s one way to put it,” Astrid agreed, smiling back at her son.
“Who’s in trouble?” Zephyr asked.
“By the looks of the path were taking, probably Windshear,” Astrid thought aloud.
“Isn’t Heather here today? I thought she went out to see her this morning,” Hiccup said.
“Maybe she needs help,” Astrid offered.
“Who’s Windshear?” Zephyr asked.
“She’s a young Iberian lynx. After she left her mother, she wasn’t able to thrive. Since lynxes are endangered, we took her in, in the hopes that we’d be able to release her back. She hasn’t really taken to anyone except Heather, though.”
“Which is what worries me,” Hiccup added. “If Heather can’t wrangle her in, I don’t think anyone can.”
Cloudjumper did in fact lead them to Windshear’s enclosure, confirmed when the owl landed on a tree within it. “Stay here, guys,” Hiccup ordered his children as he and Astrid stepped out of the Jeep. Nuffink and Zephyr nervously watched as their parents carefully entered the enclosure.
“Windshear!” Astrid called. “Heather?”
“Everybody alright in here?” Hiccup asked.
No response was given, making Hiccup and Astrid more nervous.
“Do you think we should drive through and look for them?” Hiccup quietly asked Astrid.
“I don’t know. We don’t have doors on the Jeep, I don’t want her to jump out and grab the kids.”
“I don’t either, but these enclosures are huge. We can’t exactly walk it and look for them.”
Astrid gave her husband a displeased look; she was not looking for his sarcasm right now. “Maybe we should just walkie Control, they’ll know where Heather is. If she’s here, we’ll send for someone to help her. If not-”
“WINDSHEAR, NO!”
At the sound of Heather’s voice, much closer than either of them expected it to be, Hiccup immediately took off. Astrid spun around to the kids and cried, “Stay in the Jeep, do not go anywhere, we’ll be right back!” She sprinted after Hiccup before they could respond.
They burst through a line of shrubs and found Heather standing off with the lynx. She spun around for only a moment to see who it was that entered the clearing. “Astrid, Hiccup, stay back! I’ve got this!”
Astrid took in the sight of Windshear, ready to pounce. “Are you sure?” she asked warily.
“Yes!”
“What can we do?” Hiccup asked, ignoring her words.
“Get back behind the shrubs! I don’t want her to feel like we’re ganging up on her, she’s just scared.”
Hiccup and Astrid hesitantly obeyed, slowly backing into the shrubs to watch in case Heather needed help.
“Hey, Windshear,” Heather cooed. “It’s alright, girl, it’s just me. You’re okay...”
Hiccup and Astrid held their breath as Heather slowly approached Windshear. She may still be smaller than she should be from her low weight, but that only made her more vicious. Her ears twitched slightly at Heather’s soothing voice, prompting Heather to continue. “That’s right, it’s just me, girl. I just want to get a good look at you, make sure you’re okay.”
Windshear relaxed her stance slightly, laying on the ground as she watched Heather.
“That’s my good girl, Windshear. Come here, it’s okay.” Heather slowly lowered herself to the ground now, sitting in the grass and giving Windshear the chance to close the distance.
Windshear didn’t move for a moment, carefully watching Heather’s every move. Heather remained perfectly still, holding an outstretched hand in her direction. Eventually, Windshear slowly slinked towards Heather, sniffing the air and listening intently. Astrid grabbed Hiccup’s arm as the lynx slowly leaned in to sniff Heather’s fingers, desperately praying that she wouldn’t take a bite.
But instead, Windshear licked Heather’s fingers and rubbed her head against her hand, stepping into Heather’s lap and curling up comfortably.
Hiccup and Astrid both breathed a sigh of relief, catching Windshear’s attention.
Heather chuckled. “It’s okay, girl, they won’t hurt you,” she said, petting the lynx’s head.
Hiccup and Astrid slowly stood. “Are you alright?” Hiccup asked.
“Yeah, we’re all good now,” Heather said with a smile. “I can take it from here. Thanks, guys.” Windshear stiffened as Hiccup and Astrid straightened, lazer eyes locked on the pair. Heather’s smile faded as she observed her defensive stance over Heather. “Though I will politely ask you to slowly get out so she doesn’t freak out again.”