Starts so soft and sweet

[Astrid]

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[atrb=background,http://img829.imageshack.us/img829/6900/astridmiddle.png] ((ooc: The thread takes place on July 16th 8 days after Hiccup's return to the black castle only open to Polka, Hiccup, and Astrid for now)) Ten days. Over a week since the first real battle of this new land, her first actual one as a werewolf. She'd won, protected at least most of her land and was overall successful. She'd yet to see any sign of the reddish haired viking. There was a nervous, desperate feeling associated with the teen. Ten days was long, it meant something bad. Her lips writhed back in a snarl, if she was remembering it, might as well remember it fully. The demon. What had it done to him? The thoughts of what might have or be going on, made the blonde's fur bristle as she slunk across the forest like a shadow. Her ears were pinned back, fur bristled, a silent snarl on her face, all for apparently no reason. The squirrel had long ago sound the call of a near predator, thus there was no chance of catching prey for the next hour or two. A sigh escaped in a big rush of air. The girl was... sad? Was that the feeling that went with the disappearance of her 'friend?' Her pelt only prickled at the thought of his name, he could be dead. He was Hiccup, he could be lying dead 6 feet under. A chill ran down her spine and Astrid rolled her shoulder to dismiss the feeling. Like the old saying went, someone had just stepped on her grave, it seemed. The teen girl, through the cover of a bush, was transformed back into a girl. No point in being a wolf. She couldn't angrily kick a rock or a stick and send it flying. She couldn't tear off a branch over head. At least not as a wolf. As a human with imposable thumbs and boots to protect her toes, she could. Needless to say rocks were flying and twigs were snapping. Add another hour to the no-hunting. The wrecking of the forest didn't help. Grief was still a ball glued to her stomach, and she could not shake the ominous feeling of the day. It had been quiet and still. It was a still day, a nice day for all but the gloomy blonde girl. Sun was out, there was no stir of a breeze and the temperature was mild in the shade of the forest. It was only early afternoon and the start to what might seem like a prospective day. Astrid had all but given up her hunt, 10 days, no sign. The girl also wasn't suicidal, thus she had not traveled to where the demons lived. If she had what could she have accomplished? A horde of demons between her and the scrawny viking, no doubt taking both their lives if one had not already been dead. Pause. Was that what she really thought? He was dead? Wasn't there supposed to be some feeling you... felt when a lo- close person to you died? Astrid looked back in retrospect, analyzing the feelings of the past week. Nothing, nothing different from anger and grief, and the lost feeling. So he mustn't be dead. What if it was worse? For the love of gods Astrid is pessimism your only use? Her mind snarled at herself, tired of the torment the mini heart attacks of the smell of blood on the empty battle field gave her. None were Hiccup's no trail lead from where he'd been brutally mauled before. There was a trail... but it disappeared. Great help huh? The girl continued to mutilate the forest in her path though, rocks were beaten without mercy, tree limbs separated from their sturdy trunks, lacking the pity of a tree hugger. There was no fury like that of an angry werewolf girl. Continuing on her way with the many casualties of the forest in her path. Than a snapping sound was brought to her attention. Her head whipped to the side and the girl's shoulders went back and she leaned forward, legs swinging into a fighting stance. If there were still idiots lurking on her land... they'd learn better soon. ---- Song: Howl by Florence + the Machine Images belong to rightful owners

[Hiccup]

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[atrb=background,http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/696/hiccupmiddle.png] Well, his week long grounding was over. He'd been all but cooped up in that castle with nothing to do but try to get used to his stupid leg. So far, not much had been accomplished in that area. It still hurt to walk. The pain wasn't intense like it had been when he had first discovered his new... limitation, but the throbbing could not be ignored when he put weight on it. But how else was he supposed to get around? Hiccup really didn't have a choice in the matter. It was walk or be confined to one place for the rest of his life. The latter didn't seem like a good alternative. So there Hiccup was trying to get some fresh air and once more attempting to work out his issues with his new leg. Ten days. It was a long time since the battle had taken place. Hiccup found himself shuddering a little as he surveyed the area. Somewhere in that forest was where he had lost track of Astrid entirely. Somewhere was where he had been beaten by a demon. He couldn't remember the exact locations. Everything was a blur to the scrawny teen. All he remembered was the intense pain, the nauseous feeling, and waking up in the kingdom of the angels with a new leg. What had happened between the battle and then was a blur to the young Viking. What had happened to Astrid was an even bigger mystery. Had she gotten away from the vampire? Was she even... alive? Gods... you sound pitiful, Hiccup. Of course she's alive! She just has to be... Yet, Hiccup couldn't bring himself to be positive on the matter. Astrid was strong, and Hiccup knew that better than anyone, but she wasn't invincible. He'd seen that for himself when she was trying to save him. All there was was a sort of empty feeling in him. The result of not knowing what had happened to her after she had been knocked into the forest and away from him. He did hope she was all right, he really did, but he had his doubts as well. Hiccup was shaken from his thoughts when he felt the hooked part of his prosthetic catch on something beneath him. A gasp followed, and Hiccup ended up falling over flat on his face. "Stupid leg..." he grumbled. Hiccup had determined that this was no the gods' doing. No. Hiccup determined that his new leg either hated him or had a mind of its own. As he forced himself to his feet, he unintentionally caused a stick to snap in half. Hiccup went stiff, almost as if he was anticipating Izaya to appear from out of nowhere to attack him, but when nothing seemed to happen he relaxed again. But... Hiccup couldn't shake the feeling that he wasn't alone. He had to know who else was out there. "...Hello?" It was stupid, really. Who would actually respond kindly to that if he was intruding on their land? No one. That much Hiccup was certain of. But he couldn't bring the fire to his hands again. His hands remained cold, free of the tingly feeling he was beginning to grow accustomed to, and he felt his body go rigid. Whoever was out there would have to come out sooner or later. Then he would either be in for a world of hurt... or for a pleasant surprise. Hiccup highly doubted it was the latter. With his present state, namely his prosthetic leg and still healing arm, he would have been an easy target. But somewhere in the back of his mind lay hope that maybe, just maybe, he wouldn't encounter a foe out there. ---- Song: I'm Still Here by John Rzeznik Images and Codes belong to their rightful owners Table made by Rapunzel Don't Steal!

[Astrid]

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[atrb=background,http://img829.imageshack.us/img829/6900/astridmiddle.png] "...Hello?" Astrid was dead cold, and her back had sprung straight as if shoved by an invisible force against a wall. Nope. Nope. Nope nope nope. Astrid moved forward eyes peering hesitantly towards the forest. There was a figure. Awkwardly standing in the middle of no where. Alone. Was this some sort of trick of the gods? Were they rubbing salt in the wound? It could be Loki coming in disguise, coming to personally send the girl over the edge so she might never enter Valhalla on the rampage she'd go on against the god. Or was it was a ghostly apparition meant to taunt her and send her into a mental breakdown? Goes to show the trust the girl had in the world she lived in. Maybe he was dead and his ghost was haunting her. Did that really change things though? Astrid hesitantly stepped into the open, pausing. Than another step, her body half drawn back as if this was some joke and she needed to turn back to see the pranksters. "...Hiccup?" her voice inquired, taking a larger step forward. As she was able to see his face, he looked really. He wasn't transparent, that was for sure. There was no ghostly chill that drew her spine into a rigid pole. There was hesitation though, but the grief was making room for more. Carefully Astrid drew a finger and poked him. Flesh. A look of surprise, than happiness, than excitement crossed her face. Her breath catching in her throat, eyes flying wide in shock. She rocked backward, and continued to take two more steps back. "You're alive! You're not dead, you're not a ghost!" She exclaimed stupidly, hands flying to her mouth to hide the wide o. Than Astrid's hands dropped, clenching into fists. Why had it taken so long? WHY hadn't he come to clear up that he was still intact with his life. WHY hadn't he come and saved her the torn up feelings in her throat and belly? The knot that had continually clutched her abdomen and throat at the mere thought of him was gone. She hadn't failed to save his life, but she'd done nothing to help. That wasn't the point. "YOU. YOU kept me waiting for TEN DAYS. TEN DAYS HICCUP. " The girl exploded, hands flying in the air exasperatedly, before falling to her sides clenched. "You could have been DEAD! I didn't know where you were, what you were up to! YOU could have at least said 'Oh hey Astrid I'm alive, no need to worry!' " The girl continued on her rant. "BUT NO, NOTHING. I've been out here all day for 10 days and you haven't given a word of your existence!" The girl continued, raising a threatening fist, and releasing it towards Hiccup's left arm. "THAT's for scaring me." The girl glowered rolling her shoulders back. It had released some tension, and the screaming had calmed her down. Her flushed pink cheeks returned to their normal color. ((ooc: Yus, I purposely left out the last little bit... I don't know what action I'll have her do for everything else > )) ---- Song: Howl by Florence + the Machine Images belong to rightful owners

[Hiccup]

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[atrb=background,http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/696/hiccupmiddle.png] "...Hiccup?" Hiccup could hardly believe his eyes. He let himself relax when she stepped forward, but he didn't dare speak. He was almost afraid he was imagining things. Almost afraid that she would disappear and that it would be another dream he was having. But this felt real. He had felt himself hit the ground when he'd tripped. ...He also felt her finger poking him. She was real. Astrid was really standing before him. Hiccup felt a wide, doofy smile break out across his face and he wanted to just embrace her. The moment was perfect! ...But he came to a dead halt when the tirade began. Hiccup winced visibly as Astrid began to yell, complaining about how he had been gone for ten whole days. He knew that much. He'd known how long he was gone. If he had been able to do anything about it, Hiccup would have gladly done so. But he hadn't. He had no choice in the matter. Once Astrid was finished, though, Hiccup opened his mouth to speak so that he could explain himself. Just as he did, though, he felt Astrid's fist make contact with his arm. A yelp of pain came from the scrawny Viking. He really should have expected that. Hiccup began to rub his punched arm with his right hand, as difficult as that wa with his sling, in an attempt to make the pain go away. He, of course, was leaving himself open to whatever came after that but frankly didn't seem to care. He was working out what he was going to say. "I... I didn't have a choice in the matter." Hiccup finally said as he pulled his hand away from his arm. Surely his appearance said that much. "It wasn't like I only had a few cuts and bruises, Astrid. I couldn't just walk away from what happened. I... I lost... just look at me!" Every coherent word Hiccup had tried to say to make his point clear had died when he began to stammer and lose his way. It ended with him gesturing to all of him with his one good hand. He did give himself credit for not looking nearly as pale as he had when he had first returned to Black Castle, but there were still a few kinks to work out. His arm still needed a bit more time to heal. Bruises hidden by his clothing were beginning to fade, but they were still there. Lastly... well, the last thing didn't need to be mentioned. "It wasn't like I could just waltz back here and say 'Hey, Astrid. Sorry to worry you, but I almost got killed by a demon. I'm okay now'. I could barely even walk after that fight! Not to mention I got grounded for unintentionally disobeying Gothel and scaring the hell out of her by disappearing. I didn't even know if you were still out here! The last time I saw you..." Hiccup began, but he stopped himself. He felt himself slowly calming down. It had been bad enough when Astrid had ranted. He didn't think she wanted to hear him rant at her. But... he had to get what he had been thinking out. "...I didn't even know what happened to you after that girl attacked you. I... thought something horrible had happened." he murmured. He'd lost his resolve to keep ranting. All that was really left to do was to see how Astrid would respond to all that he had said. ---- Song: I'm Still Here by John Rzeznik Images and Codes belong to their rightful owners Table made by Rapunzel Don't Steal!

[Astrid]

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[atrb=background,http://img829.imageshack.us/img829/6900/astridmiddle.png] Astrid hadn't looked down to see what Hiccup meant until now. She looked at the limb, or prosthetic now though. A slight grimace curved on her lips. The no good demon, well he'd be residing with the goddess Hel soon enough. Than Hiccup continued. She'd been... inconsiderate on the scheme of things it seemed. But Hiccup was worried about her? The concept was quite foreign to her though. She really never considered her to be able to be worried over. Top of her class.. she could fight, she could handle herself... so far. It was completely foreign to have Hiccup, one who'd been in an unimaginable amount of pain, fighting a demon, with enough spare thought to wonder if she'd survived a vampire. Flattering, and sad. Hiccup had lost his leg, and yet he continued to stumble through the forest. Astrid moved quickly after that. A hug, and a peck on the cheek. That wasn't awkward right? "You... didn't let me finish. That's for... everything else." Her cheeks flushed slightly and she looked down. Taking a steady breath her blue gaze returned to Hiccup. "Don't worry about me, I'll always be here. Where am I going to go? " She gave a crooked smile. "It's not like I can just pack up and go, especially if there's a Hiccup out there in need." Astrid brushed her bangs behind her ear, for once, the long locks stayed. Astrid shrugged as her eyes looked back at the prosthetic leg. A thing of metal and wood on a being of flesh and blood. With all seriousness, Astrid locked gaze with Hiccup. "And you still look like Hiccup to me." The most touching and heartfelt words ever to be uttered? No. Astrid's way of saying you're still you and don't expect special treatment from me, with an added in thank gods your alive? Yes. "And Hiccup, if anyone had a right to be worried, it was me. But you're alive, I'm alive. " She stated the obvious, and the girl had visibly relaxed. Silently, Astrid thanked the gods. The scrawny teen was alive, and... well... doing okay it seemed. He'd lost a leg, but he was fine in mind and seemed to have no ailments as... bad. Astrid tried to direct the subject away though, not to far, but enough to steer away from the earlier rant of fierce worry she'd given. "So.. grounded? I don't kill the messenger y'know, I don't bite... some people." Astrid smiled. She could hardly remember a time when she'd been disciplined by a higher authority or adult. She'd been on her own so long it was a remote concept. She'd never really been grounded too long at home... but it was odd to remember the restraint she had when living with a parent. Now, she was her own alpha and she was mostly... free? If that was what could be said about it. She had more restraints than before, when people thought of being 'all grown up' well they sure didn't think of all the knew responsibilities! Astrid only had a foreign taste, if it go worse... jeez... "So what are you? The new bad boy at the castle?" Astrid laughed, trying to lighten the atmosphere to go with the weather. It was a nice day... why couldn't they have a nice conversation? ---- Song: Howl by Florence + the Machine Images belong to rightful owners

[Hiccup]

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[atrb=background,http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/696/hiccupmiddle.png] Even if Hiccup had still had the resolve to rant, Astrid's quick peck on the cheek stopped him in his tracks. He hadn't seen it coming, especially after she had punched him in the arm. But... he was relieved. Happy, too, of course. It wasn't every day he got a kiss from the girl he had admired from afar for so long. As he listened to her speak after that, he could only give a little nod. He supposed she had a point. Hiccup realized she had more right to worry than he did. She was tough. Sturdy. On top of that, she was the best in their group. Hiccup should have known better than to worry about her. "What can I say? You're... well, you're the only friend from Berk I've got. Of course I'd worry about you. I mean... it's not every day that someone actually catches you off guard like that. ...At least, I think that's what happened. Most of that fight is kind of a blur for me." Hiccup said. That made sense, though. He could only remember bits and pieces of that fight he'd unintentionally been involved in. The clearest parts involved Astrid coming to his aid and trying to save him, followed by her being knocked away. After that it blurred again beyond the fading echoes of his own cries to her as she vanished into the forest with that vampire girl. But he didn't say that much out loud. Why ruin the moment with that? Her question relating to his punishment garnered a shrug in response. "More or less. Gothel could have done much worse to me, but I think in light of... this," Hiccup shot a quick glance to his prosthetic before looking back up at Astrid. "she decided to go easier on me. I wish I could say the same of this guy that apparently is a friend of hers. I think he's got it out for me." Hiccup said. What did that Facilier guy have against him, anyway? ...Okay, so he had stood up for himself when he had been subjected to a rant from the shadow man. Admittedly, Hiccup hadn't quite known what possessed him to stand up for himself. He'd only ever attempted to do so with Gobber when the one-handed, one-legged Viking poked fun at him or blatantly called him out on what everyone from Berk disliked about him. "You should have seen this guy when I got back. You'd think I'd gone and killed someone the way he reacted. If Gothel hadn't shown up and pretty much told him to heel, I think I would have been a lot worse off." he said. Had it earned him a reputation around the castle? In a way, he supposed it had. He didn't exactly know for sure... but he did know one blonde-haired, blue-eyed light witch that had been looking his way quite a bit since he'd returned. ---- Okay, Polka. You can do this. All you have to do is find Hiccup and talk to him. It's not that hard. ...Easier said than done. The little light witch knew that it wasn't nearly as simple as she was making it out to be in her head. But... she had to at least try. She had to talk to Hiccup. Ever since he'd returned... well, Polka had been meaning to talk to him. She'd seen him plenty of times around the castle, mainly while she was studying, and never once had she attempted to talk to him despite the fact that she was convinced she liked him. There was just something so... different about the Viking boy. He wasn't like any other boy she'd met. Polka liked that. It made her feel less alone knowing that there was someone else that was different around the castle. ...The trouble was that Polka had never dared to speak her mind to Hiccup. She had looked his way plenty of times, even offered little waves of greeting, but the shy little thing couldn't dare muster up the courage to speak. Well, this was her chance. Polka was determined to at least talk to Hiccup once. That was why she had gone out into the woods. She was looking for Hiccup. As she walked around, carefully making sure that she didn't trip over anything, she finally caught sight of a familiar head of red hair. Excitement lit up her sky blue eyes. This was her chance! Just as Polka started to approach, though, she came to an abrupt stop. There was someone else with Hiccup. Thinking quickly, Polka made a move to hide behind a tree so that she wasn't noticed. Whether or not she remained unnoticed was yet to be determined, but she didn't dare come out. Polka hadn't seen much of the other individual in clear detail, but she had seen golden hair like her own. That was enough to send the girl into a bit of a panic. Who was that? ---- Song: I'm Still Here by John Rzeznik Images and Codes belong to their rightful owners Table made by Rapunzel Don't Steal!

[Astrid]

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[atrb=background,http://img829.imageshack.us/img829/6900/astridmiddle.png] Astrid laughed. The fact that someone had it out for Hiccup... it wasn't impossible, but Hiccup? Snotlout was an idiot and found his cousin to be the scapegoat, thus having it out for him. Nothing you could do about that kind of idiocy. But a grown man, threatening the scrawny viking? Astrid wasn't sure what was odder, the idea that Hiccup could kill or the effect of the word heel. Doggy reference to a part canine. Astrid raised a brow, showing friendly intent though, with the smile she couldn't help but let show on her features. "And well, it's a hard lesson to learn." Astrid nodded towards Hiccups left leg. Or at least what remained. Astrid had her doubts about it being fun as well as being a scar. Than Astrid let her lips lie flat. It really wasn't everyday she'd be caught off guard. "It's mostly my fault, I left to fast, I wasn't paying attention. I forgot about her, underestimated her." Astrid shrugged, letting it go. Or at least appearing to. Astrid wasn't one to depart with her mistakes easily or kindly, and that mistake would bug her to no end until it was resolved. That would only be when Astrid took place in another battle, which would no doubt happen again. On her territory or not. "You witches and wizards are really... weird. I thought you'd all be more.. united. I mean, you all live together don't you?" The girl asked curiously. It seemed odd for someone to have it out for a student. "But I guess the whole idea of adults with the power is... odd now. " She admitted, looking around at the forest. It seemed hard to remember the time when she depended on parents or the village. She was all alone in surviving now, with the occasional Snotlout encounter. She was fending for one and deciding for herself. There were no higher disciplinary figures above her. She was her own leader. A chief was so odd to think of. Had she really ever let someone make the decisions for her? So much had happened in so little time her time in Berk seemed like it had been years ago, not weeks. In her silent observation of the forest though, something caught her eye. It moved swiftly, and hid, but she'd caught the golden flash of hair. Eye's narrowed visibly, and Astrid pressed a finger to her lips. She moved with a silent tread, a mere shadow in the midst of things. A girl? The hell was a girl doing here? She had the impression of shyness, she looked kind and youthful. Her hair was golden blonde, her eyes also a light blue. She looked like... a kinder less hard version of herself, if Astrid had her opinion in things. Leaning against the tree, Astrid couldn't help herself. "Who are we hiding from?" She asked, arms crossed over her chest. A brow was raised in suspicion, her lip a grim line, eyes guarded of all expression. She leaned against the tree, her body looked to be relaxed, which for the most part, she was. To her, the girl posed no threat, had she, Astrid would have been engaged in a fight. But the girl had chosen to hide, and Astrid wanted to know why. ((ooc: No where as big as your post >.< )) ---- Song: Howl by Florence + the Machine Images belong to rightful owners

[Polka]

Well, it appeared her attempt at hiding had been a bit of a bust. Polka felt herself flinch at Astrid's question. She really had been hoping to go unnoticed. Regardless, she had no real choice but to answer. Slowly, her sky blue gaze went to meet Astrid's. It was almost frightening how similar the two of them looked. Blue eyes, blonde hair that was a fairly decent length... the two could have been twins if they had been born at the same time. But it appeared this other girl was a year older than her. At least, that was what Polka was guessing. She hadn't ever been the best judge of age due to never really interacting with others all that much.

"I... I was just... looking for Hiccup. I thought he would be alone." Polka admitted. It wasn't an answer to why she had chosen to hide, but it was a start. That was good enough to begin with. "I d-didn't know he would be with anyone. So... I guess... I sort of panicked." she said. It was almost painful to admit that much. Then again, her own disposition probably had given that much away. She was a feeble little thing in comparison to this other girl that Hiccup seemed to know. Timid. Shy. A quiet little girl befitting the little town she had grown up in. Seeming to lack a backbone, too.

"It's just... I wanted to check on him. He... he said his leg was giving him problems. I thought maybe I could help him a little." Polka said. Although she wasn't nearly as confident in appearance as Astrid, she could at least speak with just a bit more courage. It didn't look like she was going to get her head bitten off for merely coming to look for Hiccup, and she had covered her story fairly well. At least it appeared she had. Polka wasn't really a great liar. There was no way she would just come out and say her real reason for looking for Hiccup, though.

----

The redhead in question had wanted to speak more to Astrid, but had only watched with a look of confusion as she made her way toward a tree not that far from them. One brow raised and then lowered again, and before long Hiccup was hobbling after Astrid. Emerald gaze filled with a sort of questioning look when he finally laid eyes on Polka. That shy little light witch he had seen many a time around the castle? What was she doing out there? More importantly, what would Astrid think of her? Hiccup didn't claim to know Polka all that well, but he didn't want to see the two of them duke it out any time soon.

Hiccup wanted to ask what Polka was doing there. He wanted to know if she had been following him. But he couldn't voice his question. Just seeing the two together, Astrid and Polka, was enough to seemingly rob Hiccup of his words. It was almost kind of funny seeing two girls that looked alike but appeared to be so different. He wondered what would happen from there.

[Astrid]

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[atrb=background,http://img829.imageshack.us/img829/6900/astridmiddle.png] Astrid couldn't quite put her finger on it... but something was off about the girl. Her story seemed valid. It seemed odd though. Did everyone at the castle truly think Hiccup wandered into the woods alone? It didn't seem like it was a secret, she'd done nothing to irritate the castle keeper had she? She couldn't even remember ever meeting the Gothel woman, thus could not say she had. Maybe no one bothered to ask the scrawny teen. The girl though, looked so much like her. They really could've been twins, but there was that subtle difference. Even if the two had had the same expression on their face, one could easily tell that they had two separate personalities. Astrid had an edge to her features, whether it was from growing up as a viking or the grueling weeks of surviving being a werewolf. The girl in comparison seemed smaller in nature, and timid. It was odd, an intangible physical difference in demeanor. Astrid only raised a brow as the girl answered. "Very kind of you. He got here fine as far as I know." Astrid answered bluntly, "And maybe a little late." Astrid wasn't one to sugar coat her words. However the girl took it, she took it. Astrid had no say in the girl's interpretation of Astrid, and she wouldn't grovel to be perceived as anything she wasn't. Okay, it'd be slightly sad if she scared the poor girl but... there was a feeling Astrid couldn't quite put a name too. This girl had come to look for Hiccup. Alone and in the middle of the forest? To help his 'leg?' Maybe it was Astrid's naturally suspicious nature, but Astrid couldn't set herself to believe the shy girl. Whirling on her heel, she raised a brow and gestured with a hand to Polka. "I take it she's one of your friends?" The girl commented calmly. Was jealousy an appropriate emotion for the situation? Probably not. But... did Hiccup really buy the other blonde's story? It just seemed to be to flawed... Maybe she had good intentions. Maybe she did want to help Hiccup. Partly in the way she said. There was a little green monster dancing around the trio, and he was probably getting his load of fun. "And I think I can handle anything Hiccup can throw." The viking girl spoke a little more confidently. All she had to do was find the other blonde who could heal... Hiccup sure knew a lot of blondes... The thought brought a sort of dark humor to Astrid's head. Her blue eyes seeking Hiccup's emerald with suspicious glare. Maybe Hiccup had a thing for having blonde 'friends?' Astrid turned to the girl again, "What's your name?" Astrid wasn't the most kindliest host, and it seemed wizards and witches were oblivious to the territorial markers Astrid left all around. What did she really need to get? A sign that said, 'No trespassing, werewolf residence, all trespassers will be mauled, all survivors will be mauled again?' ---- Song: Howl by Florence + the Machine Images belong to rightful owners

[Polka]

"P-Polka. My... my name's Polka." Polka replied. She shrank back a bit at Astrid's words. Maybe it had been a bad idea to go out into the woods. She'd only gotten a glimpse of Hiccup going out there. Hadn't known what he was doing out there. All she'd known was that she wanted to catch him on his own so that she might get a few words with him. ...Were her cheeks getting warmer at that thought? She pushed that thought back as far as she could. She'd never intended on revealing her feelings in front of anyone but Hiccup. Now she wasn't so certain of whether or not she wanted to admit them at all.

"I was just concerned about him. Th-that's all." she said. That much was true. She had seen him hobbling around the castle. There was no doubt in Polka's mind that he was still having difficulty adjusting to the new leg. She just couldn't imagine how difficult it was.

Hiccup, in turn, blinked a couple of times in response to the question. Polka? A friend? He barely knew her! "Her? Well... uh... I guess. She's just someone I've seen a few times around the castle." Hiccup replied. He caught a brief sort of 'what?' expression on Polka's face, almost like she was surprised by his response, but he didn't say anything in response to it. He was oblivious of what Polka was thinking.

How had she even known where he was going? The thought that maybe she'd seen him leave was a good one. Of course, it did seem like the pair of them were rather stupid for venturing out into the forest. Hiccup had come simply because he wanted to go somewhere that wasn't the castle for once since his grounding. Polka? He couldn't imagine why she would want to leave the castle. Besides, the girl was practically defenseless as far as Hiccup could tell. He at least had some offensive capabilities.

"Trust me, Astrid. I barely know her. We've only seen each other a few times around the castle. Never really had a chance to talk to her." he said. Then again, the only girl around the castle he seemed to talk to, other than Luna on occasion, was Rapunzel. It made sense, though. The blonde with green eyes was his best friend. ...Huh. It appeared as though Hiccup had a natural sort of attraction to blonde girls. Coincidence? Maybe... maybe not.

[Astrid]

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[atrb=background,http://img829.imageshack.us/img829/6900/astridmiddle.png] Astrid nodded as the blonde gave her name. Polka, not exactly an odd name when you looked at the vikings of Berk. It would be one of the far better ones. The girl's cheeks though seemed to grow pink at some thought before fading. Astrid couldn't help but a flash of some strange emotion across her eyes. Jealousy? No... could it really be? Astrid had to admire the girl's courage in a way, she'd come to talk to Hiccup all alone in the middle of the forest. Had Astrid not been currently occupying the area, well maybe the girl would have gone through with her plan. She'd gotten pretty close. Astrid could only feel... satisfied with her interference though. She prided herself with it. It felt petty, but she didn't have to speak her thoughts aloud, now did she? "That's nice for your concern than." Astrid continued, trying to sound at least somewhat nicer. Briefly, Astrid wondered if Hiccup fully realized what was going on here. Though in her opinion, Hiccup was very oblivious. The what expression as Hiccup stuttered to defend himself as well as not say the wrong thing in either of the girl's presences was highly amusing. The 'what' look the girl gave was even priceless. Part of her felt bad for the girl, it seemed fuzzy, but Polka's idea of what she'd come to do was vaguely forming in Astrid's head. Hiccup's total ignorance seemed to cause the other blonde a draw back. Astrid only nodded in response to Hiccup. "I believe you. But she seems genuinely concerned for you." A random stranger did not concern themselves in the business of other random strangers. Especially very shy ones. Hiccup, like most teen boys it seemed, was oblivious to the slight tension in the air. Polka's and Astrid's uncomfortableness, as well as both being in the forest because of the scrawny viking teen. "You've got a lot of friends, Hiccup." Astrid resisted the urge to smile as she prodded the reddish brunette. Was it odd that ALL of Hiccup's 'friends' Astrid had met were blonde girls? Yes, and in Astrid's experience, she was yet to find proof that there were such things as coincidences. "I'm Astrid by the way, me and Hiccup come from the same place." The girl added good naturedly.There was still that hint of a challenge to the timid light witch. Astrid wasn't to much of a friendly person, in her entire life she'd grown up with one girl best friend, and it could hardly count as much of a friendship. It was mutual bonding over being the only two teenage girls in Berk. Sure they hung out, but they were never really... close. Thus adjusting to being social with those of the same and opposite gender she'd never met before, well it was odd. Not to mention her mostly solitary existence. The blonde girl wasn't exactly set up to be a social butterfly of her time. Astrid moved away from the blonde to stand closer to Hiccup, curiously looking over the shy girl. She seemed shy in all aspects, small in demeanor, but not literally by height. She was a tiny thing though, and pretty. But the timid and shy personality of the girl was working to Astrid's advantage. The girl also didn't seem to accustomed to these types of social interactions, which was puzzling to Astrid. "And it was nice of you to come and try to check up on him." Astrid raised a brow to the girl, observing her face to see if she had any change as Astrid said the words. A girl like her didn't seem to like to lie nor was she very good at it. Sure she might not be lying about her worry over Hiccup, but that didn't mean she didn't have another reason for seeking out the teen. How could a scrawny viking, who'd been a misfit in his own village, cause such a stir? ---- Song: Howl by Florence + the Machine Images belong to rightful owners

[Polka]

Astrid. Even her name was pretty. There was envy dancing through Polka's thoughts. The girl before her was so much bolder than her and had the advantage of knowing Hiccup before she had. Polka didn't even know Hiccup all that well. "It's nice to meet you." Polka managed to say. Her blue gaze shifted to Hiccup, hoping that he looked a little less oblivious about the whole thing, but those hopes were dashed when she saw nothing but confusion in those sparkling emerald eyes of his. Polka didn't even know if he was thinking about what she might have been thinking. She was beginning to have doubts about whether or not she should even say what she was dying to say.

It's just three little words. I like you! How hard is it to say that, Polka?

Very hard. Sure Hiccup didn't look like much. He probably wasn't thought of in high regard where he had come from. There was just... something Polka liked about him. Something about him that she could relate to. Doubt flickered in her eyes. Maybe this hadn't been a good idea.

"Maybe I should just... go. I... I didn't mean to interrupt anything." Polka said. She took a small step back, glancing back briefly to make sure she didn't trip over anything, before looking to Hiccup again. There was a faint glimmer of hope in her eyes. Hope that Hiccup would at least ask her to stay.

...Now Hiccup was even more confused. He had gone unaware of the fact that Polka had even looked at him with any sort of regard. Before he could point that out, though, he felt Astrid playfully jab him. A slight laugh escaped him before be brought his hand to where he'd been prodded and began to rub that spot. "Okay, so a lot of my friends are girls with blonde hair. What's so weird about that?" Hiccup asked.

As Polka took a step back he decided he might as well speak. Polka had gone to the trouble of coming out to look for him. He might as well thank her for that much. "Wait, don't go. I... appreciate your concern, Polka." Hiccup said. That seemed to please the little light witch, as a smile did finally grace her features, but Hiccup didn't think much of it. "You didn't have to come out looking for me, though. I would have come back later. All I wanted to do was get out of the castle for a bit." he explained.

[Astrid]

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[atrb=background,http://img829.imageshack.us/img829/6900/astridmiddle.png] It seemed Astrid and Polka's mindset wasn't to far off from one another. Twin telepathy maybe? "Mhmm." Astrid nodded to Polka as she said nice to meet you. "Good to meet you too." The girl seemed to just start to come to terms with the jealousy and competitive flame against the Polka girl. She was nice and soft. Sweet as well, if only shy in front of Astrid. How would she have acted if Astrid had not found Hiccup so soon and Astrid would have run into them? Would she really be so shy? Her eyes slipped a glance to Hiccup. Nothing, there was no realization in his emerald eyes and Astrid was very tempted to face palm. Maybe Hiccup wasn't used to this kind of attention from a girl? Astrid had gained her experience from Snotlout and Tuffnut, except the two were much more open in their flirting attempts. It still wasn't to hard to tell, at least in Astrid's opinion. Had circumstances been different, maybe Astrid and Polka might've been friends. Astrid might've been nicer in her approach in speaking to the timid girl. But circumstances were as they were and Astrid wasn't being the friendliest person around. Poor Polka had to learn this without herself doing anything wrong. Than Polka started to leave. The little green monster was cheering, but Astrid waited. She had that faint feeling that it wouldn't just be her and Hiccup. And like suspected, Hiccup offered Polka to stay. Still oblivious to the fact of what that probably meant for the poor blonde. For one thing, less hostile treatment from her not so twin, twin and false hope... if it was false. "Oh nothing Hiccup, just seems like to much of a coincidence to be one." Astrid smiled, waiting it out. Hiccup was still oblivious to the jealousy of one and the hope in the other. It seemed the teenager was more oblivious and confused as ever. Astrid was feeling that competitive fuel lighting by the little spark of jealousy. It was all knew to her though, and Astrid looked on with a placid face. Assessing the Polka, girl Astrid felt little threat, but she felt she had no lead either. Hiccup was her friend, he'd stated it, she'd stated it. So why was all of this so confusing to her even though she understood what was going on? Astrid looked over to Hiccup though, eyes traveling to the prosthetic. "Hey, Hiccup, you want to sit down, take a break?" Astrid said lightly, the sun was rising higher and the day was growing warmer. The trees provided shade, and a cooler climate than anywhere unguarded by the flimsy branches. ---- Song: Howl by Florence + the Machine Images belong to rightful owners

[Hiccup]

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[atrb=background,http://img507.imageshack.us/img507/696/hiccupmiddle.png] A break? ...Well, if Hiccup was being perfectly frank he was getting tired of standing. While it wasn't nearly as bad as it had been days ago, he did have to admit that being on his feet for too long wasn't the greatest feeling for his leg. The concern for his well being, especially coming from not one but two girls, was a strange feeling as well. In Berk it had always been all about toughing it out and being a man. No one generally showed concern openly for one another, or at least for Hiccup. So... this felt nice in a way. At length, said redhead gave a nod. "Well, if you guys wouldn't mind... I mean... I wouldn't mind sitting for a bit." Hiccup replied. It seemed safe enough. It wasn't looking like Snotlout was going to jump out from anywhere and interrupt them. That much was good enough for Hiccup. He still did want to know what had made Polka so bold as to seemingly follow him out into what the others knew was dangerous territory. Hiccup knew that it was. He'd entered with caution for the most part. That had been thrown to the wind when he'd reunited with Astrid. Polka? Well... he wouldn't have been surprised if she'd ended up attacked if she were on her own. Much as Hiccup did want to start the group off and find a place to sit, he didn't move. It had been Astrid's idea, so she should lead. He had no idea still of the tension between the two girls. Hiccup had never experienced such a thing before. The only girls that had ever been present in Hiccup's life for long had been Ruffnut and Astrid, and there generally wasn't much animosity toward each other that Hiccup could see. All he had ever witnessed was general competitiveness from the other Viking teens. So the jealousy went completely unnoticed. ---- Ah! An excuse at last! Maybe now you can get closer to him. Maybe... you could say something. Polka was almost glad that Astrid had suggested sitting when she had. It at least would maybe give her an opportunity to move closer to the young redhead. While Polka didn't make any immediate moves, her thoughts were urging her to take hold of the opportunity. It was unlikely that she would get another chance to get so close to him. But... well, she wasn't taking hold of that chance. She was just standing there and nodding in agreement with Hiccup. ...Wait. He probably intended Astrid to stay with them as well. As much as Polka wanted to take the opportunity, she knew she couldn't rush it. She wanted to see what Astrid would do. (ooc: Bah. Lame post is lame. ) ---- Song: I'm Still Here by John Rzeznik Images and Codes belong to their rightful owners Table made by Rapunzel Don't Steal!

[Astrid]

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[atrb=background,http://img829.imageshack.us/img829/6900/astridmiddle.png] Astrid nodded to Hiccup, "Don't mind at all." The voice seemed to be coming from a lower point. It had been a quick change and suddenly a blonde wolf was in the place of the blonde girl. Turning away Astrid began her trot away. Astrid sought the least cluttered path, normally Astrid would've gone farther ahead, depending on Hiccup to follow her. As of right now, she reasoned that it was because she didn't want Hiccup to find any complications with his leg, and her being there could help. Though it was also because Polka was there. Astrid didn't think she'd lead Hiccup the wrong way... but they could be slower. So Astrid was only a leap in front of Hiccup, kicking small branches out of the way with a nudge of her paw, her gait was more of a shuffling trot, as she tried to keep the forest floor clear of any item that wished to trip the teen. Finally Astrid hopped over a tree root and they were there. "Careful." She barked over her shoulder, trotting over to the larger of the tree roots. It was a big tree, hovering by a small trickling stream, large enough for her to leap over as a wolf. It was windy and came out straight and curved down a corner and out of view. Turning back into a teenager, the girl sat down on the grass by the tree root. There was more patchy sun around here and it was a great thinking or napping spot. Astrid had had long enough to know the forest she lived, and this was only one of her favorites spots to doze during the day after a nice meal. Astrid appeared relaxed, but she watched for the two magic users with wary eyes. Especially Polka. Astrid didn't know what the girl was thinking but she had a vague idea of what she had in mind. Astrid did want to point out to the scrawny red head though, what was going on. Though that wouldn't be to good for her... or Polka. Does it take this long for someone to realize what's going on? Her thoughts grumbled inwardly. Astrid though, was unaware of how hypocritical she really was at that time. Out of all her time in Berk, she'd never noticed herself as being eye catching to the chief's son. She'd always heard it from the consistent 'baby's' and dumb pick up lines from Snotlout. Those of which she chose to ignore rather than retaliate. To Snotlout, No wasn't in his vocabulary. Nor were many other words. Astrid's plans were to sit by Hiccup in a... friendly manner? The teen didn't need to be squished behind two blondes. Polka was so shy and quite though... What would she do in order to get her point across? It's always the quiet ones you have to watch out for. Not only did that apply to dragons, namely the night fury, but now it certainly applied to people. Polka=quiet one. In Astrid's head the only conclusion was to watch the blonde carefully in her forest. A silent growl was in her head though. She couldn't keep an eye on the girl in the castle... was that how far she'd gone? To thinking of a way to keep the two from getting too close? Maybe this girl would be just another Rapunzel? Another blonde, witch friend of the reddish haired boy. How had the teen gone from complete misfit to having three blondes at his side? "Take your pick of where to sit, plenty of space around." The girl withdrew from her thoughts enough to be polite. ---- Song: Howl by Florence + the Machine Images belong to rightful owners